THis Scripture is not onely wor­thy to be grauen in steel with the [Page] pen of an Adamant, and in letters of gold; but also to be written and registred by the singer of God his spirit in the table of our harts. Which sentence briefely speaketh thus much vnto vs, that what trouble befalleth a man (his minde vnappalled) hee will indifferently beare it out; but if the spirit of a man be once troubled and dismayed, hee cannot tell how to be deliue­red. And no maruell, for if the mind of man be the foun­taine of comforts, which mi­nistreth comfort vnto him in all other troubles; and if it become comfortles, what shall comfort it? If it be void [Page] of helpe, where shall it bee helped? If the eye which is the light of the body be dark­nes, how great is that darke­nes? If the salt which sauou­reth all things be vnsauourie, for what is it good? If the minde which susteineth all troubles bee troubled, howe intollerable is that trouble? To shew this the better, we will first declare how great a punishment of GOD this wound of Conscience is: Se­condly wee will teach howe this trouble of minde may be preuented and auoyded: Lastly we will set down how Gods children faling in some measure into this affliction of [Page] spirit may bee recouered out of it. For the first, the grie­uousnes of this malladie is seene, either by some due consideration of the persons that haue felt it; or by some wife comparison made be­tweene this griefe of minde, and other outwarde griefes incident vnto a man.

The persons in whom we may consider this wounded spirit, are either meerely na­turall men, or such as bee re­nued by the spirit of GOD: The men meerely naturall, are either the Heathen such as neuer knew God in Christ or carnall professors such as haue not professed Christia­nitie [Page] aright. If wee looke a­mong the Heathen, how ma­ny of them haue willingly gone vnder pouertie, and haue been content to vnbur­den themselues of al worldly treasures? Howe haue some of them (their mindes beeing vnappalled) suffred imprison­ment, exile, & extreame tor­tures of bodies; rather than they woulde betray Coun­tries? Howe many of them hauing deuoured many in­iuries, and borne outwarde troubles, with some ease and with no resistance, whilst their mindes were at liberty? And yet looke not into the mea­nest, but the best and most ex­cellent [Page] men among them, e­uen their wisest Philosophers sweete Orators and exquisite Poets, who in bearing and forbearing thought the chie­fest point of vertue to consist; and yee shall see when some great distresse of minde did wound them, some woulde make an ende of it by prepa­ring a Cup of deadly poyson; some woulde violently and voluntarily run on the ene­mies pikes; some woulde throwe downe themselues from hye Mountaines; some would not sticke to stab most monstrously their owne bo­dies with Daggers; or such like instruments of death: all [Page] which men woulde seeme to haue great courage in sustei­ning many harmes, so long as their mindes were not ouer­mastred. But when the di­uine and supreame Essence (which they acknowledged) did by his power crosse and ouerturne their witty deuises and headstrong attempts, so as without hope of remedie they were hampered in pen­siuenes and sorow of minde, then beeing not able to turne themselues vnder so heauy a burthen, they shrunke down and by violent death woulde ridde themselues of that dis­quietnes and impatiencie of their troubled mindes.

[Page] But let vs come nearer; and whether wee behold the Pa­pists, or the Familie of loue, or the common sort of Chri­stians, wee shall see they will passe quietly through many afflictions, whether for that they haue a spirite of slum­bring or numbers cast vppon them; or whether because they haue brawned them­selues through some senceles blockishnes, as men hewen out of hard Oakes, or grauen out of marble stones I know not. But yet when the Lord shall let loose the cordes of their consciences, and shall set before their faces their sinnes committed; see what a [Page] fearfull end they haue, whilst some of them by hanging themselues, some by casting themselues into the water, some by cutting their owne throates haue rid themselues out of this intollerable griefe. Nowe wherein is the diffe­rence that some dye so sence­lesly, and some dispatch them selues so violently? Surely the one feeling no sinne, depart like brutish Hogs; the other surcharged with sinne, dye like barking Dogs.

But let vs come to the chil­dren of God, who haue in some degree felt this wound of minde; and it will appeare both in the members and in [Page] the heade, of all burthens to bee a thing most intollerable to susteine a wounded Con­science. And to begin with, let vs set in the first ranke Iob, that man of God cōmended vnto vs by the holy Ghost for a myrrour of patience, who although for his riches hee was the wealthiest man in the land of Huz; for his authori­tie, might haue made afraid a great multitude; and for his substance, was the greatest of all the men in the East: Yet when the Shabeans violently tooke away his cattell; when the fier of God falling from heauen burnt vp his sheepe and his seruaunts; when the [Page] Chaldeans had taken away his Cammels; when a great winde smote down his house vpon his children; although indeed he rent his garments, which was not so much for impatiencie, as to shewe that he was not vnsensible in these euils: Yet it is saide that hee worshipped and blessed the name of the Lorde, saying: Naked came I out of my mothers vvombe, and naked shall I retur [...]e thither againe: The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away, Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Howbeit beholde when at the strange conference of his comfortles friends, his minde began to be agast, which was [Page] not so in all his former tryall: when his conscience began to be troubled; when he saw the Lord fasten on him sharp arrowes, and to set him vp as as a Butte to shoote at; when hee thought God caused him to possesse the sinnes of his youth; this glorious patterne of patience coulde not beare his griefe: he is heauy, & now may commende to all the Image of a wounded spirite, that shall come after. Dauid, a man chosen according to the Lords owne hart; Ezeki­ah, a pure worshiper of God, and carefull restorer of pure Religion; Ieremiah, the Pro­phet of the Lorde, sanctified [Page] and ordained to that Office before hee was formed in his mothers wombe, were rare and singular in the graces & fauour of God: yet when they felt this wound piercing them with griefe of hart, they wer as Sparrows mourning; as Cranes chattering; as Pel­licans casting out fearefull cries; they thought them­selues as in the graues; they wished to haue dwelt solita­rily; they were as bottels par­ched in the smoke; they were as Doues mourning, not able without sighes and grones to vtter their words; their harts cloue to the dust, and their tongues to the roofe of their [Page] mouths.

But aboue all; (if these were not sufficient to perswade vs in this doctrine) there remai­neth one example, whom we affirme to be the perfect anatomie of an afflicted Con­science. This is the Lord & Sauior IESVS CHRIST the Image of the father, the head of the body, the myrror of all graces, the wisedome, righteousnes, holines, and re­demption of all the Saintes; who susteined the Crosse e­uen from his youth vpward: and besides pouerty, basenes, hunger, did willingly goe vn­der the great trouble of con­tempt and reproch, and that [Page] among them where he shuld haue had a right deserued honor, in respect of the Do­ctrine he taught them, and in regard of the manifolde my­racles wroght among them; as the healing of the sicke, the giuing sight to the blinde, the restoring of life to the deade: This vnkindnes neuertheles, did so much strike him, as at what time hee was set as a Sa­crifice for al, when he was to beare our infirmities, & carry our sorrowes, at what time hee was plagued and smitten of God, humbled and woun­ded for our transgressions, when hee should be broken, for our iniquities, & the cha­stisement [Page] of our peace was vpon him, then he cryed out; My soule is heauie euen vnto the death: Then hee prayeth, Lord if it be possible, let this Cup passe from mee: But how pray­eth hee? euen with sweating; howe sweateth hee? euen droppes of blood; how long prayeth hee? Three times: when ends his agony? not vn­till he was dead: What saide hee beeing ready to depart? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee.

Was this for his humane death as some haue imagined? No, no, wicked men haue died without cōplaint, whose patience them might seeme [Page] to exceede his; it was his suf­fering in his humane Spirite, which incountred with the wrath of God, his Godhead suppressing it self for a while: he suffred indeede many tor­ments in body, but the wrath of God did much more lye vpon his soule. If this con­sideration of an afflicted spi­rit in these examples doe not sufficiently shew; what a grie­uous thing it is to susteine a wounded Conscience: Let us proceede to the compa­ring of this with other euills, which fall into the nature of men.

There is no sickenes, but Phisicke prouideth for it a re­medy; [Page] there is no sore but Chirurgery will affoorde it a salue; Friendship helpeth po­uertie; There is no imprison­ment, but there is hope of li­bertie; Suite and fauour re­couer a man from banish­ment; Authoritie and time weare away reproch: But what Phisicke cureth? what Chirurgerie salueth? what ri­ches, ransome, what counte­nance beareth out? what au­thoritie asswageth? what as­sault dismaieth a troubled Conscience? All these ban­ded togeather in league, (though they wold conspire a confederacie) cannot help this one distresse of a trou­bled [Page] minde; And yet this one comforte of a quiete minde, doth wonderfully cure, and comfortably asswage al other griefes whatsoeuer. For if our assistance were as an host of armed souldiers; If our friends were the Princes and all the Gouernours of the earth; If our possessions wer as long as betweene the East and the west; If our meate wer as Manna from heauen; If our apparrell were as cost­ly as the Ephod of Aaron; If euery day were as glorious as the day of Christs resurre­ction; yet if our mindes bee appalled with the iudgement of God, these thinges would [Page] little comfort vs. Let expe­rience speake; If a troubled minde impayreth not health, dryeth not vp the blood, con­sumeth not the marrowe, pi­neth not away the flesh, con­sumeth not the bones; if it maketh not al pleasures pain­full, and shortneth not the life; surely no wisedome can councell it, no councell can aduise it, no aduise can as­swage it, no asswagement can cure it, no eloquence can perswade it, no power can o­uercome it, no Scepter affray it, nor inchaunter can inchant it. And yet on the contrary, if a man languish in sickenes, so his hart be whole, and is per­swaded [Page] of the health of his soule, his sickenes doth not grieue him: If a man bee re­proched, so he be precious in the sight of God and his An­gels, what losse hath hee? If a man be bannished, and yet doubteth not that heauen is his Country, and that hee is a Citizen among the Saints, it doth not appall him: If a man be in trouble of minde, and findeth peace of consci­ence, hee will quietly digest his trouble. But if the minde bee troubled, who dareth meete with the wrath of the Lord of Hoasts? who can put to silence the voyce of despe­ration? who will step out and [Page] make agreement with the hills to spare vs, who dare make a couenant with the di­uell that hee would not lay claime vnto vs: If then a good conscience helpeth all euills, and all other benefites in this life cannot helpe a troubled conscience; wee see it true in proofe, which here is in pro­uerbe; The Spirit of a man vvill susteine his infirmitie: But a vvounded Spirit, Who can beare it?

Againe, in all other afflicti­ons we may haue some com­fort against sinne; this is euer accompanied with sinne. A man may be sick, reproched, imprisoned, and banished; & [Page] yet in all these haue a cleare conscience, his owne hart tel­ling him that there is no spe­ciall cause of these crosses in him, but that hee may suffer them for the triall of his faith, or for righteousnes sake and well dooing: But when the Spirite is wounded, there is a guiltines of sinne; and where a mans spirite is troubled, hee suspecteth all his wayes, hee feareth all his sin, he knowes not what sin to begin with, it breeds such hurly burly in him, that when it is day hee wisheth for night; when it is night, he would haue it day: his meate doth not nourish him; his sleep often forsaketh [Page] him; his dreames are feareful vnto him: If he speaketh, he is little eased; if he keepeth si­lence, hee boyleth in disquiet­nes of hart; the light doth not comfort him, the darkenesse doth grieue him.

To prosecute our compa­risons; where all other euills are more intolerable, because they bee temporall, and pur­sue vs but to death: this bee­ing not cured endeth not in death, but becommeth eter­nall. For euen the heathen men thought that death was the end of all misery: the per­swasion whereof made them (beeing in some misery) to make an end of themselues, [Page] and hasten their owne death, as Sathan doth make many nowe a daies, who are igno­rant of hell, which is a place of farre greater paines than any they can suffer in this worlde whatsoeuer. Howe be it a tormented conscience, if before it was begun, is now continued; or if it was not before, now beginneth and neuer endeth world without ende. For though true it is, that sickenes, pouerty, impri­sonment, or bannishment, haue ended their terme in death; yet a wounded heart which was temporall in this life, is nowe eternall after this life: that which before death [Page] was in hope recouerable, is after death, made both vncu­rable & vnrecouerable. It is good therefore to consider, if euen in this life the torment of conscience be so fearefull; how much more grieuous is it to susteine it in hell? where that is infinite, which here is finite; where that is vnmeasu­rable, which here is measura­ble; where is the sea of sor­rowe, whereof this is but a droppe; where is the flame of that fire, whereof this is lesse then a sparke. But to shut vp this argument: Some there haue beene, who tho­rowe out all their life time, haue been free from all other [Page] troubles, so as either they felt them not all, or else in very small measure; and by that meanes neuer knewe what outward trouble meant. As for example, some men there haue been, who for sicknesse neuer knew the head-ache; for pouertie, neuer knewe what want meant; who for discredite, were neuer euill spoken of; who euer put frō them the euill daye of the Lorde; who haue made a league with death as it were, & a couenant with hell; who thought they could crucifie anie crosse, rather than come vnder anie Crosse: yet they could neuer escape a woun­ded [Page] conscience, either in this life, or in the life to come. True it is, that Gods Chil­dren doo often escape it, but the wicked, and such as are borne vnto it, as to their sure inheritance; the more they flie from it, the more it pur­sueth them. If we haue trans­gressed the Ciuill Lawes, the Iudge by bribes may be cor­rupted; if a man haue com­mitted some capitall offence, by flying the Countrey hee maye escape the Magistrates hands: but our Consciences telling vs that wee haue sin­ned against God; what bribe shall wee offer? or whether shall wee flie? whether shall [Page] we goe from his spirite? whe­ther shall wee flie from hys presence? If we ascend into heauen, is not hee there? If we flie to the vtmost parts of the sea, is hee not there also? There needeth no Paritor to summon vs, there needes no Baylie arraunt to fetche vs, there needes no accu­ser to come in agaynst vs: sinne will arrest vs, and lieth at the Doore, our owne Conscience will impanell a Quest against vs; our owne heartes will giue in Eui­dence agaynst vs, and our owne iniquitie will pleade vs to be guiltie to our owne fa­ces?

[Page] Now let vs shew how we may preuent it, and by what means Gods children falling into some degrees of it, (for if it rage in extremitie, it is an euil vnrecouerable) may safe­ly and quietly bee deliuered from it. And here a iust com­plaint is to be taken vp, and it is a wonder to be marked (if we may wonder at GODS workes) that we see so manie carefull and watchfull to a­uoyd other troubles, and so few or none take anie paines to escape the troble of mind, which is so greeuous. We see men louing health and loath­ing sicknes, in diet temperat, in sleep moderate, in Phisick [Page] expert, skilfull to purge, and to auoyde such corrupt hu­mours, which in time maye breed (thogh presently they doo not bring) forth sicknes: yet to auoyde the diseases of the soule, no man abateth his sleepe, no man abridgeth his diet, no man prepareth Phi­sicke for it; no man knoweth when to be ful, and when to be emptie; how to want, and how to abound. Others car­ried away with the loue of ri­ches, and verie nigh to fall in­to pouertie, will not sticke to rise early, to take sleep lately, to fare hardly, to teare & taw their flesh in labour by lande and by water, in faire & soule [Page] weather, by rockes and by sands, from far & from nere: and yet to fall into spirituall decaies, to auoyd the pouer­tie of conscience, no man ta­keth such paines; as though saluation and peace of mind, were not a thing worthy the labouring for. Some ambiti­ously hunting after honor, & not easilye digesting reproa­ches, behaue themselues nei­ther sluggishly nor sleepely; but are actiue in euerie at­tempt, by loue and by coun­sell, by prudence and prow­esse, by wit and by practise, by labour and learning, by cunning and diligence to be­come famous, and to shun a [Page] ciuill reproach: yet to bee glorious in the sight of God and his Angells, to fall be­fore the heauens, and in the presence of the Almightie to bee couered with shame and confusion of conscience, we make none accompt, as they who neyther vse anye meanes to obteyne the one, nor auoyde those Occasi­ons which maye bring the other.

Others verie vnwilling to come within the reache and daunger of the Lawe, that they may by reading get experience howe to escape imprisonment of bodye, or confiscation of goods, wyll [Page] be painfull in penall statutes, skilful in euery branch of the ciuill law; and especially will labour to keepe themselues from treasons, murthers, fel­lonies, and such like offences of life and death: yet where the Lord God threateneth the seazure both of soule & bodie, the attaching of our soules, the confiscating of our consciences, the banishing of vs from heauen, the hanging of vs in hell, the suspending of our saluation, the adiudg­ing of vs to condemnation for the breache of his Com­maundements; few men ser­cheth his eternall Lawe, few men careth for the Gospell: [Page] neither the sentence of euer­lasting diuorsement from the Lord, neither the couenant of reconciliation is esteemed of vs.

And to reache our Com­plaint one Degree farther. The more we seek outward pleasures to auoyde the in­ward trouble of minde, the more we hast and runne into it; and wee speedely plunge our selues in a wounded spi­rite or wee be a ware. Who posteth more to becom rich, than the merchant man? who hopeth lesse to become pore, than hee that aduentureth great treasures? who hazar­deth his goods, who putteth [Page] in ieoperdie of his life; and yet suddenly he either rush­eth vpon the rocke of hard­nesse of heart, or else is swal­lowed vp of the gulphe of a despairing mind: from which happely he cannot be deliue­red with a ship full of golde. Woful proofe hath confirm­ed, how some men (whollie set on plesures, such as could not away to be sad, and hed­ged vp alwaies of godly sor­rowe) haue had their tables made snares; and euen theyr excesse of pleasures, hath brought excesse of sorrowes: and whilest they laboured to put the euill daye farre from them; they haue vsed follyes [Page] that haue beene the most bit­ter and speedie hang-men of their fearfull trembling con­sciences.

There be some of another sort, who neuer dreaming of a troubled minde, haue had their harts set on nothing but howe they might get some great fame and renowme; & therfore haue slipt into such vaineglorious attempts, and foule flatteries, as they haue not onely lost the peace of their Consciences, but also fallen most deeply into re­prochfull shame, which they sought to shun.

Now therefore as the peace of conscience and ioy [Page] of minde is such a treasure, as the eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, nor the tung expressed; but passeth al vnderstanding: & as they on­ly knowe what the peace of minde meaneth, that feele it; so they alone can in trueth speake of a troubled minde, that haue tasted of it by expe­rience.

But let vs shew what way is to be vsed to keepe vs from this wound of the spirit. It is the vse of Phisicke, as to cure vs of diseases when wee are faln into them; so to preserue vs from sicknes before it hath takē hold of vs: it is the power of the Word, as to asswage [Page] the trouble of Conscience, when it doth once presse vs; so to preuent it before it hath ouertaken vs. It is a chiefe point of worldly wisedome, not to tarie for the vse of phi­sicke vntil we be deadly sick; but to bee acquainted wyth Gods mercifull preseruation to defend vs from it; likewise it is a chiefe pollicie of a god­ly Christian, not only to seek comfort when the agonie is vpon him; but also to vse all good helpes to meet with it before it comes. And if we condemn them of folly, who will not as well labor to keep themselues out of debt; as to pay the debt when they owe [Page] it: so it is a madnes not to bee circumspect to auoyd all oc­casions, which maye bring trouble of mind vpon them; as wee would bee prouident to enter euerie good waye which maye drawe vs out of this trouble, when wee haue once entred into it.

These remedies preserua­tiue; are first the searching of our sinnes, & the examining of our faith.

The examining of our sins, is either the due acknowled­ging of our sinnes, or the true sense and feeling of our sinnes. The acknowledging of our sinnes, is eyther of those that bee past, whe­ther [Page] wee haue vnfeinedlye repented vs of them: or of those which bee present, whether wee be truely gre­ued for them.

Thirdly of those secret cor­ruptions, which in the course of our life are likely to come, whether wee are reuerent­ly afraide of them; and re­solue to suppresse them with all our indeuour.

Concerning sinnes past, we must call to minde the sinnes done of old, in our youth, in our middle age, in our olde age; & iudging our selues we maye not bee iudged of the Lorde; that accusing of our selues, sathā haue no occasiō [Page] to accuse; & throwing down our selues before the Lord, he may lift vs vp. For manie going quietly away, and slee­ping in carnall securitie (not­withstanding the sins of their youth) neglecting to make conscience of their sinnes done long ago; sodainly haue falne into such horrour of minde, that (the violent re­membrance of all their sins surcharging them) they haue been ouerwhelmed.

This Examination then dooth rightlye proceede, when it doth reach to the er­rors of this life, & to the sins of our youth; because many men (euen from their child­hood, [Page] by a ciuill righteous life) hauing escaped grose sins wherewith the world could neuer charge them, haue not withstanding caried the bur­then of more secret sins done in their youth. Dauid Psal. 25. 7. prayeth the Lord, not to remember the sinnes of his youth; Iob (23. 6.) the man of God (confessing that the Lord writeth bitter things a­gainst him) saith, he made him to possesse the iniquities of his youth. What, shall wee think that Dauid or Iob wer giuen to notorious wicked­nes in their youth? No, they knewe they were subiect to youthful wantonnes and vn­staiednes [Page] of their affections; which thogh it did not burst out, yet it made them lesse carefull to glorifie GOD; which loosenes, is the way to leaudnes; which weakenes, the waye to strange vanities; which wantonnes, the waye to open wickednes, is euen in the best of Gods children in the dayes of their youth: which beeing afterwards in the time of their regenerati­on, brought (as it were) to iudgement, and layde before their consciences, doth cause them to repent.

But here is a thing to bee blushed at, which maketh mens eares to tingle when [Page] they heare; that manie men (farre no doubt from thys true repentance) can large­ly indeed discourse of theyr sinnes done in theyr youth; but in such a brauerie, with such boastings, and pleasing themselues in the remem­braunce of them; as besides that they prouoke others to sinne; they likewise set them selues a flatter backe-byas a­gainst Repentaunce: and in stead of this Christian exami­nation, they seeme to renue the decayed colours of their olde sinnes, with the fresh suite of their second plesures conceiued in them. But alas what pleasure haue they in [Page] those things, whereof they haue no profit? what profit haue they in those thinges whereof they should bee a­shamed? neither in this strein can we forget the madnes of them, who may seeme to step one degree farther towardes this examination of sin, than did the former; by thinking that the leauing of sinne, and repenting of sinne is all one. Against this, both daily expe­rience and the word of God doth sufficiently declare. Io­sephs bretheren (Iacob hys sonnes) who deuised euill a­gainst their brother, put him into the pit, and sold him vn­to strangers; did cease from [Page] this crueltie: but yet are not read to haue remembered their sins with anie remorce, vntil thirteene yeres after the sinne was committed, as we may see in the processe of the Historie. Dauid had left hys sinnes of murther and adul­terie (as thinking all quiet and well) the space of a whole yere; after which time (being admonished by the Prophet Nathan) hee repented of it. And experience hath tried in manie, that though they left their sinnes manie yeares a­goe, hauing had some work­ing of God in them; yet be­cause they repented not tru­ly for them, they haue re­bounded [Page] on them with terri­ble sights and fearfull visions, to humble them; & to bring them to serious examination of them, being done and left long since. Examples where­of wee need not fetch from farre, seeing so manie prea­chers (which are acquainted with fearfull spirits) will giue witnes hereof. The frute of which amazed mindes for sinnes alreadie left, is ours, to beware of sinnes which are to come. And that other mens harmes might teach vs blessed wisdome; let vs labor not onely to leaue sin, which one may doo for profite, for feare, for prayers, or for we­risomnes, [Page] but also to repent of it for conscience sake.

This Examination of sins past, must bee partly of those that wee committed before our calling, & partly of those which were done after our calling. Euerie man (especial­ly hauing his reason reform­ed by the Word of God) wil grant an examination of the life, before our true know­ledge of God in Christ, to be most needfull. But it may be some will thinke that wee need not be so precise in the searching of those sins, which were after our knowledge; but seeing of all other sinnes these byte sorest and pierce [Page] deepest, for that they are ag­grauated with all the mena­ces of God going before and after sinne. Sinne is then most sinfull, when after we know the truth, after we haue ben deliuered from sin, after we haue been inlightened wyth the grace of God, wee haue falne into it: I thinke that ex­aminatiō most specialy ought to be had of those sins. Wher­fore to it erate our former ex­amples in a new matter, as we maye see the former kinde of examining; first for sinnes be­fore our calling, in the sonnes of Iacob; so wee haue a pat­terne of the latter in the pra­ctise of the Prophet Dauid, [Page] who at the hearing of his sin was so troubled in spirit, that he could not rest though the Prophet tolde him his sinnes were forgiuen him, but still he was disquieted, as though hee found no comfort in hys spirite. For as it fareth with sores, it commeth to pas with sinnes: we are loath to haue our wounds often grated v­pon, we cannot so well away to haue our sores rifled, sear­ed, lanced; but to be fed with healing salue: so we are hard­ly brought to haue our Con­sciences grownd, or our sins ransacked, sifted, searched, & ripped vp; but could stil haue them playstered with sweete [Page] promises, and bathed in the mercies of God: whereas it is farre safer before incarna­tiue and healing Medicines, to vse corrosiue and mundi­fying waters, without which though some sores may seem to cloase and skin vp apace; yet they proue worse, and be rotten still at the coare; they haue aboue a thin skin, & vn­derneath rotten flesh. In like manner, wee would cloake, we wold hide and couer our sinnes, as it were with a cur­taine; but it is more sound Chirurgerie to pricke and pierce our Consciences with the burning yron of the law; and to cleanse the wound of [Page] the Soule by sharpe threate­nings, least that skinne being pulled ouer the Conscience for a while, wee lament the rotten corruption, which re­maines vncured vnderneath, and so we be constrained to crie out of our sinnes open­ly. As it is a follye then to dis­semble our soares whilst they be curable, and after to make them knowen when they be vncurable; so it is a great fol­lye to dissemble our sinnes whilest they may be remedi­ed, and so after be constrain­ed to blaze them all abroade when they are remedilesse. But of this by the waye, be­cause wee shall more largely [Page] touch it in the last part to come.

It is sufficient to commit sinne before knowledge, but after some good light of the spirit to sin, breedeth eyther hardnes of heart, or a trou­bled spirite; both which wee shall auoyd, if in truth we be careful to watch ouer our af­fections, and beware least af­ter our deliuerie we fall into sinne againe.

Seuerall men subiect to se­uerall sinnes, haue their seue­ral checkes in their conscien­ces: some are ouercom with wrath, and yet after theyr moodie fit they can tell, that the wrath of man dooth not [Page] accomplish the righteousnes of God; some are subiect to lust, and after they saye, that mans life hath another ende; some slip deeply into world­lines, and yet they bee often weakened with most terrible checkes of conscience. Wel, blessed are they whose hearts be truly grieued; & let them beware that make a daliance with sinne: for either hard­nesse of heart will ouer­take them, or a troubled conscience will quite confound them. Whereby it comes to pas, that many spending their bodyes on lust, lament that e­uer they haue so abused then strēgth; many giu'n too much [Page] to the pleasures of thys life, haue griefe comming vppon them, to remember howe they haue spent Gods graces, banished his good giftes, and misspent their time; or else, if they haue not this grief, they fall into voluptuousnes, and drawe such a skin vpon their harts, as will cause the stron­gest denouncement of Gods iudgements to rebound, bee they driuē on neuer so hard. And sure it is the sinne of this world, that men beeing con­trouled in their consciences, whilest they are a praying, & feele a secrete charge said vp­pon them, to beware of guile in buying and selling; either [Page] haue theyr checkes, and so grow to be prophane; or els afterward they are wonder­fully wounded, that they haue beene so worldlye, so greatly pursuing earthly and vaine things; so coldlye pur­chasing heauenlye and per­manent things. Thus, euen our priuy thoughts (not pro­fited) are breeders of farther trouble.

Now the remedie against this is, willingly and witting­ly not to cherish anie sinne, to with that the Ministers should touch our most priuie and secret sinnes, to bee glad priuately to be admonished, to profite by our Enemyes [Page] when they doo reproach vs: and rather desire (in such a case) to be humbled, than suf­fer our selues to be flattered.

This trying of our selues must yet stretch it self farther, not onely to the committing of euill, but also to the omit­ting of good. As when (after some good working of the spirite, and feeling thereof) we begin a fight and conflict with our consciences: thogh I must pray, I must haue time also to prouide for my fami­lie▪ if I go to heare the word of God, surely I shall bee in danger to loose this profite; if I thus attend vpon the ex­ercises of religion, I shall be [Page] cut short in the vse of my ple­sures. Wherefore it shall be good to search our heartes, both in the careles not vsing of the meanes; but also in the negligent watching ouer the frutes of the meanes: saying to our selues in this manner; I haue heard a Sermon, but (alas) without anie feeling or working vpon my affections; I haue bin praying, but with no power of the spirit; I haue receceyued the Sacrament, but without those ioyes glo­rious & vnspeakeable, which I was woont to taste of it; I sawe the Discipline of the Church executed, but with­out anie feare of sinne at all [Page] in my selfe, or compassion of the member censured. And heere I dare from my owne obseruation assuredly affirm, that outwarde sins haue not beene at some times so grie­uous to Gods Children; as that they haue some tymes vsed very good meanes with little reuerence & lesse frute. And no maruell, we shal see many men at some times, not so much grieued for the sick­nesse it selfe, as for that they haue willingly neglected the meanes, which might haue preserued their health, or a­bused the Phisicke that might haue restored their health to them againe: in like manner [Page] (I saye) it fareth with them, who eyther vnreuerentlye haue refused the meanes, which shoulde keepe theyr soules from surfetting, or else vnthankfullye haue abused those helpes, which might haue recouered them again. From hence it commeth, that some are much grieued for not vsing their good giftes to the benefit of Gods Church; as others are troubled for a­busing their good gifts to the hurt of Gods Church: as we shall see a rich man somtimes humbled for not giuing mo­ney to the poore, which hee might haue done; as also for heaping vp riches falsly, that [Page] hee ought not to haue done. And thus, manie (hauing re­ceaued good giftes and gra­ces from the Lord) are seaso­ned and sanctified by afflicti­ons; wherby they are taught to put their gifts in vre, and to offer their seruice to Christ: and others are feare [...]o hide their gifts, which cannot bee without some decay of Gods glory, without offence to the weake, without the losse of manie soules, which other­wise might bee wonne to the Gospell, and without streng­thening the hand of the Ad­uersarie to slander our darke and dumbe profession. All which things will in the end [Page] bring terror gf mind: because if the Lord cannot work vp­on vs by taking away goods, credit, wife, children, or such like, to bring vs to Repen­tance; he will surely whippe our naked consciences, hee will enter euen into our very entrayles, and pierce our se­crete bowells.

As wee must examine our selues thus for sinne past and present; so must wee vse this practise in sinnes that are to come: and this is ve­rie needfull; for were it so, that our life and conuersati­on were such, as neither be­fore nor after our calling, any man could iustlye accuse vs: [Page] Yet the hidden corruption of our nature, may threaten some haynous downefall in time to come. Which hath made men of verie good re­port and conuersation hang downe their heads, and feare their secret hypocrisie; as that which may breake foorth to the shame of all their former life in time to come.

But because we forgate to speak of them, that in the ex­amining of their liues past, are much grieued for the want of sinceritie, and priuie vain­glorie in themselues; let vs beware we go to the search­ing of our hearts in sinne.

To come to speake some­what [Page] of those men troubled for this priuie pride, they are touched or not touched. If the veyle of sinne was great in them, that it hid Christ frō them; it is the good will of god, that by this sight of their most secret sinnes they shuld come to see the righteousnes that is in Christ Iesus; and so they shall be kept the better from being Iusticiarie Phari­sies: for when beeing a long time well brought vp, & lea­ding a ciuill life, the Diuell would perswade vs of some inherent righteousnes in vs; It is the wisedome of God to touch vs with the conscience of most hidden corruptions, [Page] as allso to make knowen vnto vs, that euen from our birth there was a secret feede of sinne in vs, which (with­out the Lord watching ouer vs) woulde surely haue bro­ken forth to his dishonor.

As for them which haue had some woorking in them, and yet are often plunged in sore distresses; this trouble commeth to them for two especiall causes; either for some hypocrisie, which they did more in showe than in truth; wherefore the Lorde bringeth them backe agayne to see their corrupt proceed­ings, & that they may knowe that al their religion is but hi­pocrisie, [Page] and all their righte­ousnes to bee but vnrighte­ousnes: or for the abusing of their knowledge, in that they made it but a mask to iuggle in, and that they made theyr affections to fight with their owne iudgments. Wee must remedie this, by not thinking of our selues aboue that that is meete, and by labouring to embrace the truth. And here let vs note, that many of gods Children accuse themselues of hypocrisie, when indeede they offend not in it. And yet this accusation ariseth from some fault: for though they haue done things in truth, yet becaus they stroue not to see [Page] their secrete corruptions, in some other matters; they su­steine this troubled minde. So that there is nothing har­der than to sift and serch our owne hearts at the bottome, whether we respect our sins past or present, whether we we looke to our priuy pride, hidden wants, or secret cor­ruptions. And to retourne from whence wee were di­gressed, to the examination of our heartes. In sinnes to come, let vs obserue that in Gods children there is such a iealousie, that they tremble at the verie first motions and quake at the least occasion to sinne, although because vice [Page] will sit in residence very nere vnto vertue; there may be in thē somtime too much scru­pulousnes: this feare causeth the dearest of the Saintes of God to reason on this sort; O Lord, I see how many ex­cellent men in gifts, and con­stant in profession for a long time, whose end hath not an­swered their Beginnings; whose death was not like to their liues. This is true, whe­ther we looke into the word or into the world: and it is a thing that maye much hum­ble vs. For though we maye remember what wee haue been, and knowe what wee are; yet who can tell what [Page] may come vnto him heereaf­ter.

Oh that the serious medi­tation heereof, would dwell long vpon our consciences: that with a holie iealozie wee might preuent that sin that is to come. But alas, there bee some wayne people, whych thinke it no masterie to offer themselues to masking, min­strelsie and dauncing, nor to runne into quarrells, braules and contentions; as though they had theyr eares, theyr eyes, theyr hands and theyr feete in their owne power, and at commaundement to vse & gouerne as themselues list.

[Page] Howbeit, GODS Chil­dren better fenced with hys grace, than those bolde buz­zardes, are afrayde of these occasions; as knowing full well, that theyr eyes maye soone bee prouoked to lust, their eares maye quicklye li­sten vnto vnchast delightes, their handes maye sodainely strike a deadly blowe, and their feete may easely be sna­red in the spreaded nettes of carnall pleasures.

Beware O man, bee cir­cumspect O Woman, that thou prostitute not thy selfe to too much libertie: for al­thogh in comming to such la­sciuious & cōtentious places [Page] thou diddest purpose none e­uill, yet for thy ventring with out warrant, thou mayst bee ouer thy shooes in sinne, and plunged in some wicked at­tempts ouer head and cares, ere thou beest aware. And yet because vice is so confine vnto vertue, beware also of superstition: for still the ene­mie laboureth to make thee too hardie in sinne, or else he will cause thee to be too fear­full and superstitious; eyther hee will puffe thee vp with presumption, or assault thee with desperation. To these tentations our nature is very appliable: first to presumpti­on, as maye appeare by our [Page] common speech; tush, the Preacher is but a man as I am, I am sure he hath infirmi­ties as others haue; wee are no Angels, our nature is cor­rupt, we are but men, I am sure you would not haue vs Gods. Thus the diuell com­meth to tempt; but he appa­relleth himselfe in another sute when hee commeth to accuse: and then of a flye he maketh an elephant, of the very smallest pricke of a pin a gloabe of the whole earth, of a moal-hill a mountain: & presseth silly soules with fear & terror, that they know not how to winde themselues. If he cannot bring thē to make [Page] conscience where they shuld make conscience, hee will la­bour to bring them to make conscience where they need make no conscience. He ca­reth not whether thou be re­misse or superstitious, so thou be one of them. If he cannot get you to follow the epicu­risme of the world, as Liber­tines in diet and apparell; hee wil make you so precise, as to thinke it a hainous sinne, to eare one bit of meate, or to weare one ragge of cloath more thā for necessity. How needfull therefore it is to saile with an euen course, we may coniecture by other thinges which will bewraye the cor­ruption [Page] of our nature.

In the time of a plague we shall see some will be so bold, that without anie lawfull cal­ling or godly warraunt, they will rush into places infect­ed; and then falling sicke, their conscience pricks them for their tempting of God by an vnaduised boldnes in the instaunt moment of theyr death.

Others plunged as deeply in a quite contrarie extremi­tye, are too fearefull when they doo but heare of sicke­nesse; and for very feare haue been brought to deaths dore onely by imagining them­selues to haue been infected, [Page] when they haue beene most free, who oftentimes haue e­uen died, and that without a­nie naturall cause that euer could be knowen, but onely through immoderate fear & the iudgement of God com­ming vpon them for their in­fidelitie and vnbeliefe. Thus it is with vs in Christianitie, in that as well the oppressing our selues with too much feare to be ouercome, as the carnall securitie, in not fear­ing to bee ouercome, maye bring sinne vpon vs. God his childrē must labor for a mea­sure, and that must be sought for in the Word, which wyll teach them how they shall [Page] neither decline on the right hand, nor on the left; but wil guide them in the narrowe way, showing in euery thing what is the vertue, what is the vice; what is the meane, what is the extreame.

Among manie Examples, let vs consider of zeale, a most precious vertue in Christia­nitie, so long as it is free from the extremities.

If we be cold in zeale, it is a sinne on the left hand: if we bee zealous without know­ledge, it is preposterous, and becommeth a sinne on the right hand.

But can wee not come to some perfection? No, if you [Page] vnderstand it for an absolute vnspottednes; albeit to that perfection which the Scrip­ture taketh for soundnesse, truth, and sinceritie of hart, which is voyd of careles re­missenes, we may come. Nei­ther doth the lord deal with vs after our sins, nor reward vs after our iniquities: in whole eies the most glorious actiōs of men, are but as wa­ters flowing purely from the Conduit, but defiled by pas­sing through a filthy chanell: Wherefore although wee haue our imperfections, let vs not seeke to be more righ­teous than we can be; saying for euerie errour of this life, [Page] Oh, I am none of Gods hys sonnes, I am none of hys daughters: for I cannot find that perfection in me, which is to be required. But let vs comfort our selues in the truth of our hearts, and sin­glenes of our desires to serue God, because he is God; and so wee shall bee accepted of God.

I speake this to this end, that poore soules might haue cō ­fort, & know that if they ab­hor sinne as sinne, if they exa­mine themselues for it, if they feare to fall into it; the Lord will not pursue them with the rigor of his lawe, but wil giue them the sweetnesse of [Page] his promises; they are no more vnder the curse, but vnder grace.

But farther to inforce our Exhortation, to auoyde too scrupulous feare, which hin­dereth the true examination of our heartes: let vs thinke that it happeneth in the spiri­tuall conflict as in ciuill war. Wee read that manie Citties being in great securitie, haue sodainly both been assaulted & ouerthrowen; as also, how some Countries (too much negligent in the meanes) tho­rough an excessiue feareful­nes, haue incouraged theyr Enemies with more greedie violence to pray vpon them.

[Page] With such kinde of strata­gems our aduersarie the di­uell beeing well acquainted, doth often practise this polli­cie. If hee see vs without all fear too quietly to rest in our selues, he thinketh his assault must needes be the stronger, because our assistaunce is the weaker. Againe, if he descri­eth in vs a cowardly fear and fainting of heart, before wee once begin to ioyne battaile with him; hee will set vppon our immoderate feare, and as villainously as sodenly stab vs to the heart, & make a pre­sent spoyle of vs.

Common practise dooth farther teach vs, that when [Page] we can heare the word with­out all trembling at God hys iudgements, when wee can pray without all feare before the Maiestie of God, when wee can come to the Disci­pline of the Church without all reuerence of the ordi­nance of the Lorde; all is in vaine. Againe, let vs heare with too much trembling, & wee shall learne nothing; let vs pray with too seruil a fear, & our worshipping of God will be (without all comfort) vnchearfull. Thus if we nei­ther lessen sinne, that is sinne indeed; neither make sinne of that which is not sinne: in [...]uth it is good to proceed to [Page] this threefolde examination and to laye the edge of this doctrin nere our affections, because manie will be found in this ripenes of knowledge and hardnes of conscience to speake, dispute and declare of all these things very skilfully, with flickring in the circum­ference of the brain, and not sitting at the ground of the hart, doo seale vp a more iust sentence of condemnation a­gainst them. To help this euil we must meditate deeply of the Law & the Gospell, toge­ther with the appurtenances of thē both, that finding our selues farre from Gods bles­sings by the law, & seing our [Page] selues ouer to the curses due to the breakers of the Lawe, wee maye raise vp some sense of sin in our selues. Yet here­in we must not stay our foote but goe a farther stryde: for whereas manie by a diligent view of the lawe, haue come to the sense of sinne in them­selues, and saw plainly their own condemnation; yet be­cause they labored not to see their guiltinesse acquited by the remission in Christ, they plunged themselues into a bottomles sea of sorrowes. Others haue passed these de­grees, and hithertoo haue made these steppes to auoyd this wound of Conscience; [Page] and yet haue come also too short, and missed of the marke: who because of the sence of sinnes pardoned by the death of Christ, they felt not also the vertue of his pas­sion crucifiyng sinne in them, but sawe that with the remis­sion of sinne was not ioyned the mortification of sin; and feared that there was no forgiuenes for them, but still languishing with sorow, they thought them-selues to stand charged with their former guiltines. Yea, that which is more, for that such men haue not beene instructed, nor surely haue beene grounded in the Doctrine of Christes [Page] death and resurrection; it is for that they sawe not as well power flowing from his death to slay sinne in them, as vertue to pardon sin in them; for that they felt not as well strength to Sanctification, streaming from the rising a­gaine of Christ, as they were perswaded of iustification & righteousnes therein. They haue lyne still bleeding at the heart, in such sort as the wound of griefs could hard­lye or neuer bee staunched. Wherefore let vs strengthen our weake soules wyth thys seuen-fold coard of consola­tion, agaynst these bitter as­saultes: let vs first labour to [Page] know sinne, then to sorrowe for sinne, after to feele our sinnes in Christ forgiuen, fur­ther to looke for power to crucifie the same, then to lay holde on iustification by his resurrection; and lastly, hope for strength to proceed from thence, to further vs in sanc­tification and holines of life, euen vnto the end. And thus much briefly for the second thing which wee matched in companie with the examina­tion of sinne, euen the tryall of faith: both which rightly vsed, shall in some measure sauegard vs from the trouble of an afflicted minde.

[Page] Now let vs hasten to the third part of our Deuision; to shew how Gods children being fallen into this wound of spirit, may be holpe out of it: which (God willing) wee will also performe, after we haue aunswered a necessarie obiection; which (in the for­mer part) might seeme to en­counter against vs. There is no man but will graunt, that Dauid, Iob, and others of the Saints of God, had a sight of their sinnes, a sorow for their sinnes, a taste of the remissi­on of their sinnes; and yet how commeth it to pas, that these men were so troubled in minde? To this I answere, [Page] that their trouble so befell thē, either for falling in some of these former things; or els they were rather afflicted for tryall of their faith, than for persecuting of sinne in them. And therefore be it al­wayes prouided, that wee thinke not euerie conflict of Conscience, continually or chiefely to bee for the pursu­ing of our sinnes: but some­times and principally, that it commeth for the trial of our faith: and yet secondarily or lesse principally, for the scor­ging of sinne, as wee may see in Iob.

Whereuppon let all men bee admonished, when they [Page] see good men thus humbled and throwen down in mind, to laye their handes on theyr mouthes from saying; Surely these men are but hipocrites, doubtles these men be great sinners, the Lord hath found out their iniquitie, the Lord hath discouered their hypo­crisie. For good reason there is, that such silence should be vsed: for the Lorde maye as well make triall of their faith, as take punishment of theyr sinnes. For if such affliction should alwaies and chieflye be sent for sinne, then it shuld follow that all others as they exceeded them in sin, should also exceed them in the pun­nishment [Page] of sinne.

But now comming to the saluing of this soare, I shall seeme verie straunge in my cure: and so much the more to bee wondered at, by how much in manner of proceed­ing I discent from the most sort of men herein.

I am not ignoraunt, that manie visiting afflicted Con­sciences, crye still; Oh com­fort them, oh speake ioyfull and comfortable things vnto them.

Yea, there bee some, and those most excellently learn­ed, who in such cases are full of these and such lyke spee­ches.

[Page] Why art thou so heauie my brother? Why art thou so cast downe my sister? Bee of good cheere: take it not so greeuously. What is there that you should feare? God is mercifull, Christ is a Sauiour. These bee speeches of good comfort indeed: but they of­ten doo the poore soules as much good herein, as if they should powre cold water in­to their bosomes; when as without farther searching of their soares, they may as well minister a maladie as a medi­cine: for as nutritiue and cor­diall medicines are not good for euerie sicke person, espe­cially when the bodye need­eth [Page] rather a strong purgati­on, than a matter restoratiue; and as incarnatiue medicines for the time allaye the payne of the patient; but after the greefe becommeth more greuous: so the comfortable applying of Gods promises are not so profitable for eue­rie one that is humbled, espe­ciallye when their soules are rather to be cast downe, than as yet to bee raised vp: so the sugred consolations may for a time ouer-heale the consci­ence, and abate some present greefe, but so as afterwardes the smart will be the sorer, & the grief may grow the grea­ter: whereof insueth this ef­fect, [Page] that comfort seemeth to cure for a while; but throgh want of wisdome in the right discerning of the cause, wee minister one medicine for an­other; and so for want of skil the latter fitte grindeth them sorer than the former. Some there be, who without pre­cept and practise wilbe theyr owne Phisitions: and these, so soone as the fit commeth vpon them, thinke it the best to chastise and to chase awaye their sorrowe, by drinking at tauernes, by minstrelsie, in merrie companie, by purging melancholy, in phisicke, all which seeme to weare away the paine for a while, but yet [Page] after it byteth more deeplye, when the burning feauer of the spirit shaketh them wyth a seconde recourse, and for that before they were not truly searched, purged, sea­red and launced, it commeth to passe that the seconde re­laps is more dangerous than the first.

To come to our purpose wee must knowe, that all griefes are either confused or distinct: and sure it is that the minde is appalled eyther for some cause verye well kno­wen to vs as certaine, or for something vnknowen to vs and vncertaine.

[Page] To them which are trou­bled with such blinde griefes, whereof they can see no rea­son, as often it happeneth to Gods Children; who either neuer knew God, or had but a general knowledge of him. I answere, that as I denie no Phisicke to bee ministred, if it in part proceed from a natu­rall cause, so I require the word especially to shew the principall and originall cause to begin in the soule. And this I doo the rather, because I would haue wisedome both in considering the state of the bodie if need so require; and in looking chiefly to the soul, which so few thinke of. If a [Page] man troubled in conscience come to a Minister, it may be he will looke all to the soule and nothing all to the bodie; if hee commeth to a Phisition, hee onely considereth of the bodie, & neglecteth the soul: for my part, I would neuer haue the Phisitions counsell seuered, nor the Ministers la­bour neglected; because the soule and bodie dwelling to­gether, it is conuenient, that as the soule should be cured by the word, by prayer, and by fasting, by threatening, or by comforting; so the bodye also should bee brought into some temperature, by Phy­sicke, by purging, by dyet, [Page] by restoring, by musike, and by such like meanes; prouy­ding alwayes that it bee styll done so in the feare of God, and wisedome of his spirite, as we thinke not by these or­dinarie meanes to smoother or smoake out our troubles; but as purposing to vse them as preparatiues, whereby both our soules and bodyes may bee made more capable of the spirituall meanes to follow after.

As we require these things to bee the matter of our Mi­nisterie in such a perplexitie; so I would wish the persons ministring to be men learned and of sounde iudgement, [Page] wise, and of Godlye experi­ence, meeke and of most lo­uing spirites: for when the troubled patient shal be per­swaded of our knowledge and discretion, and there­withall shall perceiue vs to come in tender and louyng affections, I thinke an ente­raunce is in a manner made, and all preiudice is taken a­way, so as wee may the more freely woorke vppon the greeued Conscience; first bringing them to the sight of sinne, as to some cause of their trouble.

Heerein wee must labour to put awaye all confusion and blindnesse of sorrowe, [Page] endeuoring by wisedome to bring the parts wounded to some certaine obiect & mat­ter of their trouble; and so drawe out of them the con­fession of some especiall, se­crete and seuerall sinne; I say secrete and seuerall sinnes, because I know, how manie (through a palpable blindnes or disordered discerning of sinne) talke nothing so much as of sinne; and yet they ey­ther discrie seuerall sinnes, or they will not bee brought to acknowledge theyr secrete sinnes: whereof the one pro­ceedeth of the ignorance of the Lawe of God, the other of selfe loue, which maketh [Page] vs loath in our trauel of mind to shame our selues.

Now that the confession of perticular sinnes is requi­site, it maye appeare by the two and thirtieth Psalme, wherein (beeing a Psalme of instruction, concerning the forgiuenesse of sinnes) the Prophet (by his owne expe­rience) teacheth vs, that hee could finde no reliefe of hys sicknes, vntill he had remem­bred, and made confession of his sinnes.

What, shal we thinke that the Prophet of God (taught so wonderfully by the word and by the spirite) did not see his sinnes before? Be it farre [Page] from vs. Rather let vs know that he had not seuerally and perticularlye ripped vp hys sinnes before the Lorde, in a seuerall confession of them. Which things the Lord kno­weth farre better than wee our selues: yet such kinde of sacrifice is most acceptable vnto him.

Now if in this trouble the persons humbled can not come to the perticular sight of sinne in themselues, it is good to vse the help of other vnto whom they maye offer their hearts to bee gaged and searched, and their liues to bee examined more deeply by hearing the seuerall Arti­cles [Page] of the law laid open be­fore them; wherby they may square the whole course of their actions. For (as we said before) the grosest hypocrite will generally complaine of sinne; and yet deale wyth them in perticular poynts of perticular precepts, & proue them in applying of things to bee done or vndone to their owne consciences; and wee shall see manie of these poore soules tossed too and fro, now floting in ioies, now plunged in sorrowes, not a­ble to distinguish one sin frō another. Now when we see the wound of the spirit arise of any known sin, it is eyther [Page] for some sinne alreadie com­mitted, wherein wee lie; or els for some sinne as yet not committed, whereunto wee are tempted.

For the former. It pleaseth God oftentimes to bring old sinnes to minde, when wee not truely repented of them before; that so (as it were) re­presenting them to vs afresh, we might fal into a more mis­liking of them. And yet here­in is not all, to mislike our selues for some perticulars, although it bee good to bee occupied about some speciall sinnes: for as it is not enough for the auoyding of hypocri­sie, to see some generally: so [Page] it is not enough to eschue the deceauablenes of the heart, euer to bee poaring busily in one perticuler, and to be for­getfull of the great and gene­rall sinnes. And let vs learne by the perticulers to passe by the generalls. When anye such one sinne then dooth pursue thee, rest not onelye therein, but saye thus rather to thy selfe; Oh Lord, is thys one sinne so grieuous? and dooth my God punnish thys one sinne so soarely? Howe great then should be my pu­nishment, if thou shouldest (O Lord) so deale with mee for al my other sinnes I haue committed?

[Page] Let vs learne to haue a sense both of generall and of per­ticular sinnes, least in tyme our griefe passe away wyth­out frute; whilest that beeing not displeafed as well wyth one sinne, as with another; we either looke too superfi­cially to generall, and not to perticulars; or els too super­stitiously obserue perticulers and not the generals.

Concerning those sinnes whereunto we are tempted; as when a man is mooued to think blasphemously of God the Father, or to doubt whe­ther there be a Christ or no, or to imagine grosely of the holy Ghost, or to deny God, [Page] or to doubt of the Trinitie; to be mooued to murther, a­dultrie, or such like: in which temptations he feeleth Gods spirit to check him for them, so as he knoweth not in thys case what to doo, for that on the one side he dares not list­en willingly to these fearefull and monstrous temptations; and on the other side, he fea­reth least in time by long sute he might fall into them, or at the least yeeld, for that he se­eth not how to be deliuered frō them. I suppose these mo­tions are not so much to bee disputed with, as we by them are to be prouoked to more instant and zealous praier.

[Page] Surely these are dangerous temptations, and therefore are not to bee kept cloase; which our nature will easely encline vnto: but perticularly are to bee confessed of vs. For the diuel will come som­time to thee, to keepe thee still in a generall acknowled­ging of thy sinne, and vrge on this manner; Surely thou must needes doo this sinne, thou seest thou canst haue no ease, vntill thou hast assented, thou art ordained to it: the reason why thou art thus in­cessantly tempted, is because thou doost not take thy plea­sure. Go too, delay not, denie God, beleeue not his word: [Page] it is but a pollicie to keepe men in awe, Religion is no such matter as men make it. Thus for feare of yeelding on the one hande, and for shame of disclosing the ten­tations on the other hande; many men haue pined away, and almost haue beene ouer­come by them. If we should disclose this (say these men) what would people say of vs? They would count vs Athe­ists, they would thinke vs the wickedst men in the worlde. Well for our instruction and consolation herein; Let vs learn that these kind of tenta­tions, are either corrections for some sinnes past, or the [Page] punishment of sins present, or forewarners of some sin to come. Wee shall see many tempted to adultery, who now (no doubt) cannot bee be brought to commit it; and yet because in their youth they haue committed it, and & not repented of it, it coms to them againe. The like may bee obserued in theft, in glut­tony, and in other tentations, which are not so much sent vnto vs, presently to ouer­come vs, as to put vs in mind, that hertofore we hauing bin ouercome with them, should now repent for them. Some­time a man shall lye in some sin, wherof when he will not [Page] bee admonished, neither by the priuate nor publike meanes, & then some strange tentation shall fall vpon him, differing from that wherein he presently lyeth, to admo­nish him of that other sinne. As when a worldling shal be tempted to adulterie, a thing which hee hath no desire to do, yet it is to make him look to his worldlines, whereof he hath so strong and through a lyking. Whereas if then he will not bee awaken, he may sodainely fall into that too, and so by the punishment of GOD in punishing one sinne with another, both his sinnes shall bee to his great [Page] shame laid open, and one sin shall make knowne another. Sometime also it commeth to passe, that one shall bee tempted with such a sinne, as neither heretofore, nor pre­sently hee hath giuen any li­king or entertaignement vn­to, and yet the Lord by it may forewarne him how hee may fall into it hereafter, as also to shew that hee hath stoode all his former life, rather by the grace of god, than by the strength of flesh and blood. Wherefore when thou art moued to doubt of God and of Christ, of the word or of iustification, doo not so much stande woondring at these [Page] strong tentations, as thinke with thy selfe that it is the mercie of God by them, to cause thee better to discerne of those tentations in others▪ Wherefore thou shouldest haue obserued with feare & trembling howe they make the first entry into a mans heart, howe they gather strength, howe they agree with our corrupt nature, in what degrees they come to some growth, how the spirite of God dooth resist them, what bee the meanes best to preuaile against them. And thus if thou make thy profite by them, thou shalt so woon­derfully search and descrie by [Page] seuerall veines, the body, age and sleight of these tentati­ons in others, by an holy ex­perience which GOD hath taught thee in others, that besides thou shalt lay foorth mens secrete corruptions, as if thou wast in their bosomes, thou shalt be able by the seed of sorrowe in thy selfe, to be­get an vnspeakeable ioy in o­thers, who in time may bee tempted to sin as thou nowe art.

Thinke moreouer and besides, that such is the effi­cacie of sinne, that they who are nowe no Papistes, Here­tiques, Adulterers, or Theeues, may for their [Page] secure contemning and pas­sing ouer these tentations sent vnto them sodainely, shortly after fall into them, because they woulde not seeke to make some vse of them, nor confesse before the Lorde both their prone­nesse and worthinesse to fall into them.

But if wee will humble our selues in such tentations, and learne by them meekely to discerne the corruption of our hearts, we shall not only presently deliuer our selues from imminent perill, but bee also further enhabled to assist others hereafter, in the like danger.

[Page] But some wil oppose against these things which wee haue deliuered: Doo you thinke it a remedie to cast downe them that bee already hum­bled? this is rather to bee a Butcher than a builder of a mans conscience. To whom I answere, that I desire Prea­chers to be Builders, and not Butchers; and it is one thing generally to apply, and ano­ther perticular to lay the me­dicine vnto the wound. It is good to begin with searching first, to purge the sore by the vineger of the Lawe, and af­ter to supple it with the oyle of the Gospell. Both which must bee done in wisedome, [Page] vsing them to some in grea­ter, to some in lesser measure. For as some hauing nothing but a decay of nature, and no mortall humor, neede rather restoratiue, than purging me­dicines: So some rather trou­bled for spirituall wants, than for grosse sinnes, needes not so much the threatninges of the Lawe, as the sweete pro­mises of the Gospell. But if the body, thorough some ex­traordinary repletion hath gotten some great surfet, not so much to the weakening of nature, as to the threatning of imminent death, and therfore requireth rather some strong purgation than comfortable [Page] and cordiall medecines: then the soule also being brought to some extraordinary sinne is rather to bee boared and pierced with the denoun­cing of Gods iudgement thā otherwise. But because wee woulde deale more plainely & lesse confusedly, it is good in our accesse to the afflicted consciences, to lay these two grounds. First, we must per­swade the persons humbled, that their sins are pardonable & their soules curable: And after, that this visitation is not so much a signe of Gods wrath and anger, as a seale of his loue and fauour, in that it is not either blind or barren, [Page] but plentiful in good effects, and fruitefull in Godly issues. The former howe needefull it is, the experience of so ma­ny as haue beene throwne downe, is a sufficient witnes, who haue had this as a tagge tyed in their tentations: The Lord wil surely make an end of them in some strange and vnknown tentation. Where­in they are not vnlike vnto men fallen into some dange­rous disease, who thinking to bee without the fadome of the Phisitians skill, and not to bee within the compasse of thinges recouerable, adde a second and sorer griefe vnto their former.

[Page] Wherefore as these men seeme to bee halfe healed, when any man of knowledg can bee brought, who by ex­perience hath cured the like malladie in like degrees in o­thers. So then the fearefull soules are not a little by hope refreshed and strengthned to looke for some ease, when they see none other tentati­on hath ouertaken them, thā such as hauing fallen into the nature of man, haue found mercie at the handes of God that hee might bee feared. This ground worke framed, it is good to build vp and re­paire the decayed ioy of the minde, partly by the Law, to [Page] make a preparatiue for these ioyes; if the minde not truly humbled, is not fit truly to be comforted: and partly by the gospel, if the conscience kind­ly throwen down, is become a fit subiect to apply the pro­mises of Iesus Christ vnto it. And here againe, to answere thē that denie the law wholly or at all to bee vsed, when we wold breed comfort in one. I demand, whether if it be ne­cessary to maintaine the righ­teousnes of Christ, it bee not also as necessarie to preserue the righteousnes of the Law? Seing the righteousnes of the Law, of vs not fulfilled, wyll drawe vs vnto the righteous­nes [Page] of Christ to vs imputed. And sith the righteousnes of Christ to vs imputed, is neuer throughly and truly esteem­ed, vntil we see the righteous­nes of the law of vs to be vn­performed. Again, if our Sa­uior Christ did fore shew his Disciples, that the first worke of the holy Ghost at his com­ming, should bee to conuict the world of sinne, to make men know, that without Ie­sus Christ ther is nothing but sinne; and then, that he shuld rebuke the World of righte­ousnes, that they might see Christ died not for his owne, but the sins of others. I see not why it should not be ve­ry [Page] conuenient, first to lay opē the righteousnes of the law, that men maye see their sins; and then the righteousnes of Christ; that men may see their sinnes discharged in him. Be­sides, wher the Lord saith by his Prophet, At vvhat time soeuer a sinner dooth repent of his sins from the bottom of his hart, I vvill put all his vvickednes out of my remembrance: that it may well be gathered there must be a sound sorrow for sin go­ing before, and then the true ioy of sinnes pardoned, may the more frely be looked for afterward. Moreouer, seeing al the promises of God in the gospel are cōmended vnto vs [Page] vnder the title & tenor of re­storing sight to the blind, hea­ring to the deafe, strength to the lame, health to the sicke, and life to the dead; it is ma­nifest, not onely that there is no disease of the soule that Christ cannot heale: but also that wee must first finde our selues blinde, deafe, dumbe, lame, sicke & dead, before he wil meddle with vs; because they that are whole need not the Phisition, and he came to call sinners, not the Righte­ous to repentance. Now, to doo this in wisedome, by nei­ther pressing the conscience too seuerely, nor releasing the conscience more vnadui­sedly, [Page] it shalbe the safe way, to vse the wel tempered speech of the Apostle to the sorce­rer; Repent, if it be possible, thy sinnes may bee forgiuen thee. Where hee dooth not wholly discourage him, be­cause it may bee his sins may be pardoned; neither yet too boldly incourage him, that without repentance, he she­weth it altogether impossi­ble to be pardoned. And that we be not too preposterous in our consolations, let vs bee warned by the blasphemous speeches of the detestable Arrian, who of late yeares was put to deth at Norwich. This hellish heretique, a little [Page] before he shuld be executed, afforded a few whorish tears asking whether he might bee saued in Christ or no? When one told him, that if he truely repented, he shuld surely not perrish: hee brake out most monstrously into this speech: Nay is your Christ so easily to be intreated indeede, as you say? Then I defie him & care not for him. Oh howe good a thing had it been not to haue cast this pretious stone to this swine? Oh how safe had it bin to haue dealt more bitterly, and dwelt more vehemently on the conscience of this cay­tise? Now to attaine some dis­cretion in curing this woun­ded [Page] spirite, wee must learne wisely to iudge, both of the person afflicted, and of the nature of his affliction. First, we must note whether it be a man or a woman, becaus we may vrge more carefully the vse of the law to a man, as ha­uing the stronger vessell. And as Sathan knew the woman to be most easie and framea­ble to be wrought vppon, at his first temptation: so is hee not ignoraunt that shee is the weaker partie to susteine an accusation.

Then let vs consider, whe­ther they that are thus humb­led haue knowledge or no? Because, if they haue none, [Page] they thinke trouble of minde to be so strange a thing, as ne­uer any before it: if they haue knowledge, then Sathan is readie to accuse them of sins agaynst the holye Ghost, as though anie sin done against knowledge, were a sinne of presumption. Farther, we are to enquire, how strong or weake they are, that if they be not sufficiently wounded to touch thē with some deep sense of sinne. Also we must be circumspect, to finde out whether by nature they are more fearfull or melancholy, or no? As also, whether they be vsuall sinners, or haue faln once of infirmitie, that so vp­pon [Page] their disposition and in­clination we may builde our speech the better. To these it is good to adde this consi­deration of the persons, age, estate and ability; as if the par­tie bee troubled for worldli­nesse, whether hee bee not a great housholder: if he com­plaine of vncleannesse, whe­ther he be not a yong-man & vnmaried: if he be humbled with couetousnesse, whether he be not old, because diuers countries, callings, ages, con­ditions and estates of men, haue their diuers and peculi­ar sinnes, which wee must rightly discerne. Howbeit of what sex soeuer they are mā [Page] or woman of what complex­ion soeuer they are, of what knowledge to discerne sin, in what degree of committing sinne, of what age, authority, wealth, estate, or condition so euer they are, it is good to marke that there bee many, who are more troubled for vexation and disquietnes of the mind being distempered, than for the vilenes and hor­riblenes of their sin commit­ted; who are wounded more with the feare of shame, with the feare of beeing madd, or with the feare of running out of their wittes, than with the conscience of sinne. Which thing if we finde in them, it is [Page] our parts to trauell with thē, that they make a lesse matter of the outward shame, and more Conscience of the in­ward sins. Neither must wee here forget to distinguish be­tween our speech vsed to the humbled in the time of theyr extreame agonie, and those words wee vse the fit beeing past; because the first requy­reth more comfort, the latter more admonishment: for thē wee maye wisely admonish them to beware of sin, which procured their woe. In thys threatening time, it is also ex­pedient to exhort them, that vntill they shuld find greater power in regeneration, they [Page] would ty themselues to some holy orders, & godly vowes, whereby they may either be furthred in mortifying some speciall sinne; which for that they could finde no power a­gainst it, did most grieue thē; or strengthened in some spe­ciall grace, the want whereof did also wound them. But before we launch deeper in­to this sea of perticular ten­tations, and begyn to sounde the daungerous passages of natural corruptions, and ori­ginall sinne, the troublesome froath whereof, doth almost ouerwhelme manie poore pilgrimes; it shall be good to giue this caution, that both in [Page] this and in the former trou­bles, men would bee still a­gaine admonished, patiently to bear with a wounded spi­rit, howbeit it fall out so, that they be somwhat pettish; see­ing the holye Ghost speaketh so fauorably of them, saying; A wounded Spirit who can bear? And surely our practise in o­ther things, by the lawe of e­quitie, maye vrge thys at our hands. For if men by the light of reason can see it to bee a duetie conuenient, not furi­ously to control, but meeke­ly to suffer, and wisely to put vp the vnaduised speeches of a man distempered in braine, by reason of some burning a­gue, [Page] or such like violent and vehement sickenes: we may easily gather by the same rule of reason not so seuerely to censure the impatient spee­ches of him, who by reason of some parching Feuer of the spirite is disquieted in all partes of his minde, and hath all the veynes of his heart (as it were) in a spirituall agony vexed. Wherefore both vn­sauorie for want of Godly wisedome, and vncharitable for want of Christian loue, are their murmuring obtre­ctations which say. What, Is this the Godly man? Is this hee that is so troubled for his sinnes. Why! see how pettish [Page] he is, nothing can please him: no body can satisfie him. Consider, O man, if thou canst beare with a fraile body that thou must much more beare with a fraile minde. Consider that this his pettish­nes dooth more wound him at the heart, than any iniury thou couldst presse him with. And therefore seeing he affli­cteth his owne soule for it, thou needest not adde any thing to his affliction, and to exasperate his most grieuous smart.

Consider that it is a blessed thing mercifully to bethinke vs of the poore and needy & that to rub a fresh wound, [Page] and to streine a bleeding sore, is nothing els, but with Iobs friendes to bring a newe tor­ment, where ther is no need of it. If the wise father doth rather pitie than rebuke his childe, when by reason of sicknes the appetite is not ea­sely pleased: so, if we purpose to doo anie good with an af­flicted minde, wee must not bee austere in reprehending euerie infirmitie, but pitifull in considering of each tender frailtie.

Neither doo I speake this to nourish pettishnesse, but would haue them to labour for patience, and to seeke for peace; which though they [Page] finde not at the first, yet by praier they must wayt on the Lord, and say;

Lord, because there is mercie that thou maist bee feared: I will wait vppon thee, as the eye of the seruant wayteth vppon the hand of his Master. I will condemne my selfe of follie, and saie, Oh my soule, vvhie art thou so heauie? Whie art thou cast dovvn vvith­in mee? Still trust in the Lorde, for he is thy health and thy salua­tion.