CHAP. I. Opening the Text, and shewing the Doctrine.

IN this briefe precept (to omit all speech of the co­herence, because the mea­ning is plaine enough without it) the Apostle deliuers a most necessary point of Christian doc­trine. Three things ob­seruable in the Text. For the better ex­planation of his words, we must in them consi­der three things. An action to be done. The ob­iect of this action, and the persons to whom the action appertaineth. The action is, Mortifie, or to speake in plaine English, Put to death. First, an action to be done, Put to death. In this phrase the holy Ghost seemeth to allude vnto the ancient sacrifices, whereof, so many as con­sisted [Page 94]of things hauing life, were appointed to be slaine by the Priest, afore they were offered vp vpon the Altar, as a type of our killing the old man, before wee can become an acceptable sacrifice vnto God. Now to slay sinne, is no­thing else, but to labour with all our might, vt­terly to subdue it, that it may haue no com­mand, vigor, working, no, nor being in vs. It is a constant endeauour of causing our corruptions to cease to stirre, to moue, or to abide in our hearts, as a dead man is no longer a man, nor can performe the actions of a man, and is said no longer to bee amongst men. Wee must not sur­cease striuing against sinne, till wee haue vtterly abolished it; our desire and endeauour must bee to vse it, as a venimous creature, euen to knock it on the head, and make a cleane riddance of it. Wee must not account it sufficient to fine our corruptions (as it were) or to confine them, or to imprison, or to bind them, or to hurt, or to maime them (as some kind of inferiour offen­ders are chasticed) but as a capitall offender, a mortall enemie, an irreclaimeable traytor, wee must see execution done vpon it, and make a fi­nall and an vtter dispatch of it.

2. 2. The obiect of the action, Your members on earth. This is the action inioyned. The obiect of the action is, your members that are vpon earth. By these earthly members, hee meaneth our mani­sold, corrupt, and sinfull dispositions, according as himselfe doth make manifest, by instancing in some for all, saying, Fornication, vncleannesse, &c. There are in euery mans soule, an innumerable [Page 95]company of disordered inclinations, contrarie to the will of God and our dutie, as ignorance, vnbeliefe, pride, folly, worldlinesse, silthinesse, and all that rabble of euils, which we common­ly call vices. Now all and each of these must be pursued with a mortall hatred, and assailed with the same earnestnesse and furie, as wee would doe an enemie in the fields, euen with an intention of slaughtering him if we can. It will not be amisse to consider of some reasons, why our corupt lusts should be called members, and why members vpon earth. There seemeth to bee a threefold reason of this name.

3. First, the whole corruption of our euill na­ture, Why Lusts are called, Mem­bers. is in Scripture compared to a mans body, and called, The body of death; wherefore the se­uerall corruptions are fitly termed members, or parts, concurring to the full constitution of the whole body. You know, that Nature hath pre­pared for man, head, shoulders, armes, brest, bel­ly, thighes, legs, feete, and the rest; in the fit and apt ioyning together of which, the beeing of the humane body doth consist. So doth our wickednes consist in many particular disorders, pride, vnbeliefe, rebellion, impatiency, hypocri­sie, carnall sorrow, carnall confidence, wrath, vn­cleannes, earthly-mindednes, and diuers others as bad as these; the ioyning of which together, doth make vp the vniuersall sinfulnesse of our nature, called, The flesh & the old man. Againe, they are called members vpon the same conside­ration, wherein our Sauiour (inioyning the same [Page 96]dutie that here the Apostle) is pleased to vse this figuratiue kind of speech; Mark. 9.43, &c. If thy eye offend thee, pull it out, and cast it from thee: if thy foote of­fend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: and if thine hand offend hee, cut it off, and fling it from thee. Because to a man now corrupted, his cor­ruptions are as naturall as his members; hee brings them into the world with him, together with his hands, eyes, feete; they begin and grow in him, with the beginning and growing of his lims, and, in his account, they are as necessarie, vsefull, pleasing, and as deare and tender to him, as his armes, or his legs, or his very eyes, yea, the apple of his eye. Nothing in the world is more precious to the vnsanctified and vnregenerate man, then his lusts; he could as easily part with the ioynts of his body, as with them, yea, with his whole hart, he would be content to redeeme the libertie of following them, by the losse of his eye. Well are they termed members, be­cause to the carnall man, they are as welbeloued, as his members; and hee will as lothly part with them, and as il spare them, as his members; yea, a man already in part sanctified, finds it as much to doe to wrestle against them (till they be not thorowly mastered, as it were a member mortified and deadned) as if he were to wound and mangle his owne flesh, and with the right hand to chop off the left. Lastly, they are cal­led members, because they doe as it were dwel, and worke in our members, shewing their wick­ed force and strength in them, and striuing by [Page 97]them to breake forth into act, carrying them captiues, as weapons of vnrighteousnesse. For example: Fleshly lust shewes it selfe in the eye, in the hand, in the foote, in the tongue, stiuing to come to that strength, till it may driue a man to speake, or worke something in the parts of his body, that maketh for the expressing, fee­ding, pleasing, satisfying of the same. Because our corruptions haue their residence and opera­tion in our members, therefore haue they iustly borrowed their name, Iames 4.1. as being the lusts which warre in our members, and that other law in our members, which fights against the law of our mind, and leadeth vs captiue to the law of sinne, Rom. 7.23. which is in our members, as elsewhere the scrip­ture speaketh.

4. Moreouer, Why members vpon earth. they are termed our mēbers vp­on earth, because they are exercised vpon things of this earth, as their proper obiect, drawing and carrying our minds to these matters, that are here below, base, trifling, vaine, and terrene, but hindring and diuerting vs, from raysing vp our soules, to the pursuit of the things that are high, heauenly, celestial, excellent, aboue with Christ our head, there where he sitteth in glorie. All, or in a manner, all the disordered inclinations that are in vs, tend to the making of vs earthly-minded (eager to attaine these mirie, dirtie things, that may bee had in this lower region of the world, as pleasure, profit, credit, ease, and the like,) fitly therefore are they named earthly. And in another regard is this title duly giuē to them, [Page 98]because they will continue with vs, during our naturall life and abode vpon the earth; nor euer shall they be quite separated from vs, till wee be translated to a more noble and glorious habita­tion in the Heauens. The vices that are in vs, all the while that we are in this world, will hang like Lead, or some other weightie thing, vpon vs, and with a kind of violence, pull and hale vs downeward, to the sensuall and corporall good of this present, short, and momentany being, which the Apostle well knowing, called them our members vpon earth. And this is the obiect of the action.

The persons that are enioyned to performe this action, 3. The persons that must per­forme the action. vpon this obiect, are the Colossians; men alreadie called to the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ, and to the beliefe of his glo­rious Gospell; and men already sanctified, and regenerate in part, yet had they neede (and ther­fore so haue all Christians also) to continue wounding, and thrusting thorow these lusts, which haue (as the Prouerbe speaketh) nine liues, and will not bee killed with one blow, or with one dart. So the meaning of Saint Paul is, as if he had without all figure, taken vp a larger exhortation in this wise: O yee Colosi­ans, Professours of the true Religion of our Lord, know yee, that it is your dutie (whereof I enioyne you to bee mindfull and carefull) not alone to make some slight and slender opposi­tion to those corrupt and vicious inclinations of your hearts, which you shall find still stirring in [Page 99]your members, and alwaies thrusting you for­wards, to the seeking of the transitorie, and mo­mentany things of this life; but also with all your might and power, to striue to ouercome them vtterly, with a mind and purpose to con­tinue so striuing, till you haue totally freed your selues from their loathed and troublesome working.

Doct. 6. You see then, that these words do require at our hands, the practice of a most needfull dutie. All Saints must studie morti­fication. All the Saints of God, must with all earnestnes, studie their mortification. Those that professe the Gospell of Christ Iesus, must take vncessant, and vnweariable paines, with constant and per­petuall endeauours, more and more to subdue, beate downe, and vanquish al and euery of these wicked, sinfull, and vnlawfull affections, lusts, in­clinations and habits, which are in them (draw­ing them to things terrene and earthly) till they haue euen pulled them vp by the rootes, and cast them quite out of their hearts. Scarce any point is more plainely and frequently required, not an Epistle almost, wherein it is not commended to the Saints: Rom. 8.13. If yee mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit, yee shall liue, saith the Apostle in one place. Loe, without it there is no liuing, it is a necessa­rie condition, required to the attainement of saluation. And againe, They that are Christs, Gal 5.24. haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Hee takes it as a thing granted, that all true Christi­ans haue in part performed this worke, and therefore will goe forward to bring it to more [Page 100]perfection. Ephes. 1.22. And in another place, he saith; Put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the de­ceiueable lusts. These lusts are like to vncleane and filthy rags, which the children of God must fling from them. It is for Rogues and Vagrants, to wrap vp themselues in rotten and foule clouts; the Sonnes and Daughters of Nobles and Kings, must array themselues with costly, cleane, and sightly garments, befitting the ho­nour of their birth and place. A beggers dirty, patched cloake, doth no more beseeme a Prin­ces backe, then the practice of sinfull lusts doth become a Christian. Wee must not shame our selues with such vile, and base things, but cast them farre away from vs. 1. Pet 2.11. Another Apostle al­so willeth vs, to abstaine from fleshly lusts, which fight against our soules. As men that are wise, will not conuerse with their mortall ene­mies: (specially strangers trauelling in a farre countrie, wil not willingly associate themselues with those that hate them, and conspire their death;) so the people of God, must haue nothing to doe with sinfull lusts of any sort; for these do nothing else but seeke the ruine of their soules, what euer flattering shew they may make.

CHAP. II. Declaring some reasons of the point from the necessitie of the du­tie.

BVt what should I heape vp Texts of Scripture, to confirme a most con­fessed truth? reasons of the point. onely for the better prouoking of your soules to the practice of the duty, let it not seeme amisse, that I stād somwhat largely, to ac­quaint you with store of sound reasons, why you should doe it. Know then, that this worke of mortification, is a worke needfull, profitable, equall, and successefull. Need compelleth, pro­fit allureth, equitie conuinceth, and successe en­courageth. You must doe it, or doe worse; you shall be gainers by doing it; it is most righteous that you doe it; and in labouring about it, you shall not lose your labour; therefore about it with all speed, and with all diligence.

2. First, 1. Fromthe ne­cessitie of it. for the necessitie of mortifying our earthly members. This ariseth partly from Gods commandement, partly from the great danger that will surely befall vs, vpon our neg­ligence herein. We all yeeld, that the comman­dement of a superiour, doth tie those that are vnder his authority, In regard of Gods commandement. and makes that thing need­full for them to doe, which before was left to their owne pleasure and liking. His comman­dements therefore, that is the highest Superi­our, [Page 102]doe lay the most absolute necessitie vpon his inferiours. Must is for the King, we say; How much more for the King of Kings? His com­mandement binds our consciences, & imposeth vpon our soules, a necessitie of doing, what hee commands: so nothing can bee thought more needfull, then to doe what God requireth; and we haue shewed you before, that God hath of­ten, and expressely required you, to plye this worke. Vnlesse therefore you will become ex­tremely rebellious against the manifest will of the greatest Commander that is, or can be; you must endure the paines (though a paineful paines it will prooue) of putting your lusts to death. This is none of the things which you may do, if you please; if not, it is at your libertie; the mat­ter is not great, if it bee left vndone. Nay, the strongest bond in the world doth oblige you to it; the bond of your dutie to God, that made you. We may make vse of Pauls words in this matter; Necessitie lyeth vpon you, and wo vnto you if you doe it not; for the commandements that require this dutie, will neuer admit of a dis­pensation.

3. In regard of the danger that will else insue. But if God did not command it, yet the mischiefe that will follow, if we be carelesse of it, will make a wise man to perceiue a necessitie of doing it. We say in our common speech, That we must needs doe that, the not-doing whereof will procure vs such inconueniences, as a man of vnderstanding should not bee willing to hazard himselfe vnto. Now doubtlesse, if wee set not [Page 103]forward the worke of mortification with con­stant care, the mischiefes that will ensue, are in­sufferable; for wee haue a whole world of cor­ruptions in vs, which, if wee fight not against them continually, will gather strength, and be­come mightie, to the great disquietnesse of our soules. He that findeth many diseases growing vpon him, saith, He must needs take physick to cure those diseases: he that hath diuers deadly wounds in his body, thinkes he cannot chuse but vse plaisters to heale those wounds: and wee that haue many corruptions, must needs take care to keepe vnder those corruptions. For tho the seruants of God, at the time of their regene­ration, doe receiue power ouer their corrupti­ons, yet they bee not wholly ride of them. The dominion of sinne is taken away, at the conuer­sion of our soules to, God, the presence of them is not taken away: they rule no longer in vs, but still they remaine in vs; and that so, as, if they be not with daily labour kept vnder, they wil grow violent and head-strong, and goe neere to reco­uer their ancient soueraigntie, at least, to bring vs into great thraldome, as the remnant of the Canaanites did the Israelites, that were slack in rooting them out. As therefore they that haue many enemies, must fight, so must we; the case standing with vs here, as with souldiers in the field, or with combatants in the lists, that must kill or bee killed, at least kill, or bee wounded. For, besides the aptnesse of our lusts to gather strength, we haue the diuell also (a craftie, and a [Page 104]watchfull enemie) alwaies seeking after all oc­casions of increasing and stirring vp our corrup­tions, and labouring both to put fewell to the fire (as it were) and also to blow the coales too; that, if it bee possible, he may make them flame forth into some noysome disorder. Wherefore, if we doe not vse some proportionable care to keepe downe sinne, it cannot goe well with vs. A King that hath not alone many mutinous per­sons in his Kingdome, but also a strong enemy without his Kingdome, readie to take all aduan­tages of inuading his dominions, and to draw those Rebels together vnto his partie, for the conquering of his Kingdome, must needs bee at the cost and labour, to maintaine an Armie and Garrisons, to resist such an enemie, and represse such seditious persons. Doubtlesse, our case stands in such termes. It is all Satans businesse to make our lusts grow mightie, he cannot hurt vs but by them, and therefore it is his greatest labour to strengthen them, by all the wayes hee can inuent. What can betide vs then, but much miserie, if wee bee slacke to performe on the contrarie, what in vs lyeth, to infeeble them? Doubtlesse, those many disordered passions that are in vs, through the manifold deuices of Satan vsed for that purpose, will gaine to themselues a great deale of strength, and from their growth in strength, will doe vs a grat deale of hurt, vn­lesse we follow the Apostles counsell, to morti­fie them.

4. Grieuing the Spirit. Amongst, and aboue many other, foure [Page 105]euils will spring from hence: First, wee shall grieue and quench the Spirit of God that is in vs, and cause it to withdraw it selfe (as it were) and to forbeare those comfortable operations, which it once did worke for our good; in so much, that at length, we shall haue no feeling of it, and scarce be able to discerne, whether it bee within vs at all, yea, or no. The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these two are contrarie one to the other: now the growth of one contrarie, is the diminish­ing of the other; so when the Saints are care­lesse to resist the flesh, they perceiue little or no power of the Spirit in them, and some­times also come to that passe, that they bee in a great feare and doubt, whether euer they had the Spirit, because they thinke it is now so quite departed from them. If we fight ma­fully on the spirits side against carnall lusts, then the Spirit of Grace will worke, and shew it selfe mightie in vs; if we sit still, and giue the flesh leaue to haue its way, then the Spirit will leaue vs, and alasse, it is wo with vs, when that is caused to forsake vs: for then our comfort, our peace, and our very life is gone.

5. But besides this (and immediately vpon it) our communion with God will bee interrup­ted, Interrupting our communion with God. and that comfortable sence of his loue (wherewith he was somtimes pleased to cheere vp, and reuiue our hearts,) will bee taken away from vs. It is sinne alone, that can make a sepa­ration betwixt God and vs, and (as a very make­bate) [Page 106]sets vs against him, and him against vs. So long as we continue, to vse some good measure of care, to quell our wicked lusts, the Lord doth giue himselfe (as it were) to be seene and felt of vs; our soules enioy him, and doe taste the vn­speakeable sweetenesse of his grace, resting a­bundantly assured of his loue, and satisfied in it; and finding him euer and anon, sending messa­ges of kindnesse vnto our soules, as a Generall that comes amongst his souldiers, when they fight valiantly, and hartens them vp with his presence and his speech: but if the Lord find vs dealing falsely, and treacherously with him, en­tring parley (as it were) with that Enemie, that he doth irreconcileably hate, and detest, and ready to make a truce with that foe, with whom hee would haue no truce taken, no, not for a mo­ment; then doth he cease to speake friendly vn­to vs (as there is great cause) and begins euen to chide, and reproue, and threaten, and send vs ti­dings of great displeasure. And ah, what soule can conceiue a more grieuous losse in this world, then the losse of the light of his counte­nance?

6. Committing of grosse sinnes. But sometimes there followes a farre grea­ter mischiefe, namely, that he which gaue sinne leaue to get head through carelesnesse, is at last so foyled by the wicked lusts of his heart, that he falles to commit some grosse and grieuous sinnes, very foule, very loathsome, very dis­gracefull. For you must not thinke, that the man regenerate, is out of the danger of being ouerta­ken [Page 107]with hainous offences. Indeed, whilest hee is earnest, in beating downe his vnruly passions, though he find trouble, yet he enioyes safetie; and though his lusts struggle and annoy him, yet they cannot breake forth in extremitie; but if he once become heedlesse, and thinke it too much, to be at the paines of continually morti­fying them, then they raise vp themselues, and carrie him captiue, and cause him to giue his members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse, pre­uailing so farre at length, that if God himselfe did not (out of his vnchangeable loue) come in to his rescue, he would be brought backe againe into Egypt (as it were;) his soule would be quite slaine, the life of Grace would bee quite extin­guished, and hee would returne the second time to bee dead in sinnes. And, ah, what wise man would suffer his sinnes to become so violent, as to carrie him into such enormous deeds, as Da­uid, and Salomon, and Asa, and Vzziah, fell into, and all for want of mortifying these members? A man once sanctified, may assure himselfe vpon his faithfull and constant endeauours in mortifi­cation, that he shall escape such foules: but if he grow slacke in this dutie, he can expect nothing, but to haue his conscience thus wounded. Is it not more then needfull for vs to looke to our selues?

7. For lastly, Sore afflictions. to the preuenting of farre grea­ter euils, our not-sufficiently mortified lusts, will bring vpon vs exceeding sore afflictions, because the goodnesse of God is such, that he wil not see [Page 108]vs perish by them, as we should perish, if he did not apply such corosiues to cure them. If afflic­tions come not betwixt, neglect of the dutie of mortification will produce the euill effect I last named, viz. the perpetrating of some vile and notorious wickednesse; sometimes the Lord makes haste to strike vs, for the preuenting of such falles: but if we be once falne, then is there no way of recouerie, but by some bitter crosse, either inward or outward, or most times both wayes. So we doe inforce the Lord of necessi­tie to afflict vs (vnlesse we would haue him lose vs quite) when we waxe carelesse of seeking, to preuaile more and more against sinne. A crazie bodie, hauing disordered himselfe in diet, must needs haue very sicke fits, and some sicke-ma­king physicke he must needs take, or else death would follow his intemperancie. So our weake and crazie soules, being brought to strange dis­tempers by our folly, in not resisting the sinfull and inordinate dispositions of our soules, could neuer be brought again to any tolerable sound­nesse, if God did not, by heauie calamities, helpe to purge out those euill humours, which we had suffered to pester vp our soules, as we may see in Dauid and Asa, after their sinnes. And certain­ly, the farre greater number of crosses which be­fall the people of God, doe come from hence, that their heauenly Father is faine (vnlesse hee would see them damned, which he will neuer doe) by miserie to keepe downe lusts, which they might (but will not, without misery) keepe [Page 109]downe, by the careful exercise of mortification, and to draw them to repentance for those loath­some sinnes, which for lacke of mortifying their earthly members, they haue falne into, and would neuer repent of otherwise: so that if we will not bee content to put our selues to the la­bour of working out our saluation, by crucifying the flesh, God will put vs to the paines of bea­ring heauie crosses, that shall helpe to crucifie them (in a manner) whether we will or no. And doe we not see a necessitie of mortification?

CHAP. III. Shewing the profit of the dutie.

NOw because necessitie going alone, 2. From the good will follow, if we doeit. doth drag rather then leade, and so (as an hard and rigorous comman­der) is obeyed indeed, but back­wardly, and against the haire; therefore let vs discourse a little of the fruit that will arise from our labour in the worke of Mortification, that seeing profit as well as need, the difficultie may not hinder vs from doing it, euen with chearefulnesse. Now the mortifying of the deeds of the flesh will ring with it foure exceeding great, and desireable benefits.

2. The first is, Great peace. vnspeakeable peace and quiet­nesse of soule. The heart will be at one with God it selfe and all men, so long as it holdeth variance with sinne. Hee that is at warre with [Page 110]his lusts, shall not be at warre with his Maker. If we fight his battailes against our corruptions, he will not fight against vs. Nothing causeth the God of Heauen to frowne vpon man, but sinne; while the World was free from sinne, it was al­so free from all tokens of Gods displeasure; therefore it must needs follow, that the surest way to keepe our selues in euen termes with God, is to be diligent in resisting sinne. He is not of so ill a nature, as to picke quarrels against vs without a cause; himselfe tels vs, that he cor­rects not willingly, Lament. 3.33. nor of his own accord. Sin then, being the sole cause of mouing him against vs, wee shall bee sure to find him so farre louing towards vs, as wee are carefull to preserue our selues from sinning against him, which is best and most attained, by the studie of mortificati­on: so all will bee well aboue our heads in Hea­uen, if we follow Pauls direction. Now the con­science is Gods officer and deputie, and that, that will make him gentle and quiet to vs, will make it also quiet and gentle. The conscience neuer should (and seldome doth) rise vp in armes against a man, but when he hath giuen leaue to some corruption to grow head-strong, for want of opposing it in due season and order. As there is no distempered motion in the body, till the humours be immoderately stirred, by some in­ward or outward occasions; so neither is there likely terror, amazement, disquietment, in the conscience, till the lusts of the soule haue disor­dered it, for want of holding them vnder. so [Page 111]that as warre abroad, is found to be a present re­medie, against ciuill dissentions of subiects; so warre with sinne, is the cause of our tranquillitie with our selues. When clouds are dispelled, the beames of the Sunne will shine comfortably vp­on the earth, and then the earth is richly gar­nished with pleasant and profitable herbes; so when sinne is chased away, the warme beames of Gods fauour doe sweetely refresh the consci­ence, and the conscience so refreshed, doth bring forth the sweet and wholesome flowres of vn­speakable consolatiō. The Spirit of God wil tell our spirits, and our spirits will tell vs, that God is our Friend and Father, that he loues vs, and delights in vs, so long as we be haue our selues to sinne, as to an enemy, hating, loathing, and re­sisting it. Thus are we most friends to our selues, when wee bee most foes with our corruptions. And this fighting with sinne, will make vs liue quietly also with our neighbours. Hee that is busie in finding out, and subduing his home-bred corruptions, shall haue little or no leasure, to take causelesse vnkindnesses, to picke needlesse quarrels, and to prouoke others against him by iniurious behauiour; so shall hee shun the grea­test company of iarres and brawles, that vse to set men together by the eares. Saint Iames saith; Iames 4.1. That warres and fightings amongst men doe come from their lusts, which war in their mem­bers. We may, if we will, deceiue our selues, and attribute things to false causes; but the Spi­rit of God, that vnderstandeth all things aright, [Page 112]and cannot be deceiued, points to lust, fighting in the members, as the most true, proper, and im­mediate cause of contentions & stirres betwixt man and man. Therefore the more any man doth quell, subdue, vanquish, weaken, and beate downe these lusts, the more calmely shal he passe thorow the sea of the world, and the fewer stormes of discord. and enmitie, shall hee meete withall. When souldiers lye idle, and are not imployed in marching against the common foe, then they mutinie, and fall out with each other: so when men set not their griefe and hatred, and other affections ou worke, to make war vpon sin, then they quickly take occasion to grieue at each other, to sigh one against another, to hate one another, and to vexe and gawle each other, and trouble themselues most of all. But soul­diers agree among themselues, whilest they lend their powers against a common foe; so when we haue strongest and hottest warre with the deuill and sinne, then doe we nourish most concord with one another. Thus shall the soule enioy vnutterable quietnesse euery way within and without, from God, and from man, and one weekes life, led in such comfortable and happie concord and amitie with a mans owne soule, and all about him, is more worth, then the lasting of a whole twelue-moneth, torne and rent asun­der with the ciuill broyles and commotions of a grudging, froward, and distempered heart. Who would not doe that, that will make his soule to dwell at rest?

3. Againe, the studie of mortification, Patience and loy in affliction. wil ina­ble a man with inconceiueable patience, yea, and chearefulnesse, to beare any affliction that God shal lay vpon him; yea, to look death it self in the face, though it come clothed in neuer so terrible attire, and with neuer so terrible weapons; for the sting of death, and consequently of all cros­ses, is sinne: now, pull the sting from out of the Serpents mouth or tayle, and then there is little feare, or danger in incountring her. What was the cause that the Apostle Paul was so exceeding quiet and ioyfull in all his calamities? but be­cause he had in great measure subdued, and was more and more busie in subduing the corrupt lusts of his body, knocking it downe, 1. Cor. 9. last. and brin­ging it in subiection, as himselfe speaketh. Hee that holdeth strong fight against the euils of his owne heart (out of that peace with God and his owne soule, which we said before that he should enioy) hath freedome of Spirit, to pray vnto God in his afflictions; hee can runne boldly to the Throne of grace (as hauing allowed nothing within him, that should grieue the Spirit of Grace) hee can flie to the towre of Gods name (as hauing kept himselfe in the pathes of righte­ousnesse, whic those that do, know themselues to haue all good allowance, to come thither) and when a man can freely powre forth his hart be­fore God in crosses, then doth he also comfor­tably enioy God, and then the sharpenes of the crosse is gone. The thing that makes crosses in­tolerably bitter (so that the soule cannot endure [Page 114]the bitternesse of them) is the admixture of the gawle of Gods displeasure; so farre as wee are intire and resolute in fighting against sinne, our crosses are pure from this admixture, and so they be not (to himselfe that beares them, howsoeuer they may seeme to the lookers on) by the hun­dreth part so tedious and troublesome, as that composition would make them. So the morti­fied man gaines this by his trouble in mortifica­tion, that the Lord will suffer him to escape ma­ny troubles, and those that he must (for his owne good) suffer, he shall be able to goe vnder with ten times more quietnesse, and gladnesse, and contentednesse; as an whole shoulder beares the same burden with more ease, then a sore, or swolne shoulder. It is therefore a very profita­ble labour that wee bestow in mortifying the members on earth; that is to say, in healing the sores and diseases of our soules.

4. Thirdly, Certaine free­dome from grosse sinnes. the man that applies the worke of mortification aright, shall attaine certaine freedome from foule, grosse and scandalous sinnes. A sanctified man may assuredly promise to himselfe (vpon his constant and diligent en­deauours, to abate and hold vnder his sinfull af­fections and dispositions) to bee (for his whole life long) so kept and sustained by God, that hee shall not rush into any lothsome, palpable, dis­gracefull, soule-wasting wickednesse. Wee are neuer ouertaken with those kind of euils, but vp­on our very palpable carelesnesse of mortifying the deeds of our flesh. Whilest we do that, that [Page 115]God bidsvs, to slay sin, he holds it vnder, accor­ding to his promise, and it hath not dominion ouer vs, neither doth raigne in our mortall bo­dies; so that we are sure enough, that sinne shall not bring forth the fruits of shame and reproach vnto vs, vntill we begin to be remisse in follow­ing Gods directions, to purge out the old lea­uen. And, Oh, what a benefit is this, to escape those blemishes and staines, wherewith many of Gods children (perhaps also of greater strength then ones selfe) doe defile and disgrace them­selues? What a priuiledge is it to be so suppor­ted, that neuer in all his life, he shall runne into any witting, enormous, & presumptuous crime, after God hath called him to the knowledge of his truth? What an ease and comfort, to liue alwayes free from those blowes and strokes of our spirituall enemie, wherewith some of Gods people are wounded almost to death? Doubt­les, the remembrance of such foyles, doth bring so much shame and forrow to the hearts, and of­ten blushing and palenesse both (successiuely) to the cheekes of diuers of Gods people, that they now account freedome from such blots, a thing of more worth, then all the riches and honour in the World, and wish with all their soules, that they had taken any paines, and suffered any mi­serie outward, to haue been deliuered from such inward wretchednesse? Why should we not be wise before-hand now? and by labour, win to our selues the comfort of hauing preuented that, which if once we should feele, we shall wish (but [Page 116]all in vaine) that we had laboured night and day to preuent.

5. Lastly, Good esteeme from man. much true credit and good esteeme will follow to the Saints of God, from the work of mortification, both with the houshold of faith, and with strangers also. The mortified man affects the hearts of all that behold him, with admiration, and the lesse he couets the cre­dit of men, the more he wins it. Who is he, that seeing a man able to hold downe anger, vnius­tice, reuenge, lust, when strong occasions do pro­uoke them to work, doth not find his soule clea­uing to him, at once louing and wondring at him? Heathen men, that haue for their credit sake, so farre dissembled mortification, as, in something a notable fashion, to forbeare euill doing, haue been more famous for that in after­times, then for all their wealth and victories: for it is more truly prayse-worthy to be good, then great; and therefore an high degree of goodnes, will more honour a man in the hearts of men, then the highest degree of greatnesse. The soule will not stoope to other things, though the knee doe crouch; but the very soule of the highest person that is, will euen bow to the name of a man, that is excellent in mortification. What made Herod honour Iohn Baptist? but this, that he saw him so thorowly mortified. Euery man is inforced by his conscience, to esteeme wor­thily of one, whom he sees doing that, which he knowes himselfe should doe, but finds hee can­not. Now euery mans soule (in a manner euery [Page 117]mans) is conuinced, that he should conquer am­bition, reuenge, couetousnesse, lust; and his ex­perience telles him, how little he is able to per­forme in this businesse; wherefore, when he sees another euer conquering that sinne, whereto himselfe is a perpetuall vassall, and of which hee is euer conquered, hee strangeth at him, and lookes vpon him, as vpon some extraordinarie, and miraculous person. Indeed sinners are ma­ny times so transported with the loue of sinne, that (as Owles hate the light which they can­not looke vpon, so) they nourish in themselues, euen enmitie, against these excellencies, which they cannot imitate: but then, when they are out of their mad and drunken fits, when they are themselues, when they know what they do and say, as in the day of affliction, of sicknesse, of death, they cannot but shew themselues, to beare more heartie reuerence, and vnfained respect to him, whom they haue seene carefull and able to mortifie the deedes of the body, then to all the rich and mightie men on earth. Brethren, you might well saue the cost of hanging your backs, with ouer-gorgious attire, and making so much adoe, to trim vp your bodies; the carefull figh­ting against sin, and preuailing against it (which will follow fighting) would doe you more ho­nestie amongst all your neighbours, then all the fine cloathes vnder heauen. If thou couldest thrust thy selfe into a garment, made all of gold and Diamonds, and come garnished also King­like, with a Crowne and Scepter, the hearts of [Page 118]men would not entertaine thee with so much esteeme, as if they see thee (as it were god-like) in ouercomming the sinnes, that ouercome the greatest of the sonnes of men. A good name is a precious oyntment, and a precious iewell, which nothing will get so soone, or so surely, as goodnesse. Wherefore fight against sinne, that thou mayest haue honour in the consciences of men, and some kind of authoritie and command in them (as I may say) by vertue of this honour.

CHAP. IV. Shewing the equitie of the dutie.

WE haue heard how needfull, Thirdly, from the equitie of the dutie. and pro­fitable mortification is: let vs see also how equall it is. No neede, nor profit should draw vs to that, which is vnequall; but when equi­tie is ioyned to profit and necessitie, then should the worke be done, without further delay. Now it is most equall that we kill our sinnes, whether we consider God, or Christ, or our selues, or sin it selfe. For sinne is Gods enemy. First, for God; Hee is our Soueraigne Lord and King, and sinne is his most mortall e­nemie: wherefore it is most equall, that wee should fight against it; for subiects must oppose the enemies of their Prince, with al their power. The Scripture tels vs, Duet. 13.6, 7, 8, 9. that if father, or mother, or brother, or sister, or kinswoman, or friend, should goe about to draw a man from God, his [Page 119]hand should be first against them, to put them to death. Now sinnes of all sorts, doe seeke to draw vs from God, wherefore our eye must not spare them, neither must wee fauour them, but wee must bee seuere against them, and as it were, stone them with stones, vn­till they bee dead. It is a most righteous and equal thing, that notorious Rebels and malefac­tors should bee slaine without pitie; and lusts are the grossest of all malefactors, which doe most prouoke God, and oppose themselues a­gainst his honour. Therefore if we haue any re­gard of his honour, what should we doe, but lay hold vpon them, and pursue them to the very death? Should we spare, or forbeare to kill the foes and aduersaries of the Lord our God? were not this to make our selues his enemies also?

2. Againe, hath not our sin slaine Christ, Sinne is a mur­therer of Christ. and shall not we, in an holy reuenge, be eager against it, to kill it? If any man haue slaine our Parent, or Brother, or Sister, or Child, we thinke it our dutie to follow after him, and persecute against him, till we haue brought him to a well-deser­ued end. The next of Kin in the Law, was al­wayes the auenger of bloud, and to him it apper­tained to hunt after the murtherer, to bring vp­on his head, the innocent bloud that hee had shed. If therefore we will shew our selues bre­thren, or sisters of Christ, or any thing of Kin vn­to him, we must euen bee auengers of his bloud vpon sinne; for, for our sinnes was his bloud shed, and these are the things that haue slaine [Page 120]him, and for which he made his soule a facrifice. A thiefe, a traytor, a murderer, ought in all rea­son to be executed, and euery man will thinke it fit to lend his helping hand, to the dispatching of one, that hath so many wayes deserued death. Sinne is a thiefe; for it robs God of his honour and glorie. It is a traytor; for it striues to thrust God from his regall authoritie and dominion. A murtherer; for it slew Christ Iesus our elder brother, and seekes to slay our owne soules; for these be the lusts that fight against our soules, as Peter tels vs. What can bee more equall, then that wee striue to destroy vtterly, and to roote out, and make a cleane riddance of so vile a thing as this?

3. And for our selues, doth not equitie require, that a man should faithfully keepe all good and lawfull promises and couenants? Now we haue couenanted with God in our Baptisme, We haue vowed to forsake sinne. to fight against the deuill, and all sinfull lusts. In that Sa­crament we did bind our selues (as by a solemne military oath) to bee the souldiers of Iesus Christ, and to fight vnder his Banner, against the Deuill, the World, and the Flesh: Shall we be­come foresworne & periured persons, as it were souldiers, forsaking their Colors, casting down their weapons, and running away from their Captaine? God forbid. Doe we not often re­new in the Lords Supper the Couenant wee made in Baptisme? It is certainely one part of the dutie, whereto we tie ourselues in that holy Sacrament, to seeke the death of sinne in vs that [Page 121]procured the death of Christ for vs. Seeing we haue often reiterated our Couenant of God, of fighting against these lusts, let vs be ashamed to be found breakers of so many, and so iust promi­ses. Seeing we haue taken Christs liuerie vpon vs, and haue giuen our names to him, to be soul­diers in his Campe, it is most fit and equall, that we should be true and valiant souldiers, manful­ly resisting his, and our enemies, the greatest, and principallest of which, wee know to bee these members vpon earth. Let vs therefore arme our selues to this battell, and make no peace with the things, with which God will neuer bee at peace, and abhorre to shew our selues either per­fidious and false, or timorous and faint-hearted souldiers.

4. Last of all, let vs consider what sinne is, Sinne is an vn­reasonable thing. and we shall find it most righteous to subdue and destroy it. Sinne is a most vile and absurd thing, contrarie to all right, and to all true reason, allu­ring vs to it selfe, with none but false, vaine, and counterfeit enticements; nothing therefore can bee more equall, then that a thing so most vne­quall be resisted, and striuen against, with vtter dislike. Sinne doth a man no good at all, but much harme and mischiese: it is like a disease, good for nothing but to vexe and torment him, in whom it breedeth. It allureth vs with shews of profit, pleasure, credit, ease, and the like: but it is a meere coozener and deceiuer, and euer­more beguileth vs in the end, and we shall vtter­ly misse of our hopes, if we trust to its offers, and [Page 122]follow its allurements. It will bring vs losse, in stead of profit, euen the losse of an heauenly Kingdome. It will reward vs with torment, in stead of pleasure, euen with the torment of eter­nall fire. It will requite vs with shame, in stead of credit, euen with euerlasting reproach and confusion; in stead of ease, it will procure an­guish; for tribulation and anguish shall for euer lye vpon the soule of euerie one that worketh wickednesse, vpon the Iew first, and also vpon the Gentile. Can any thing bee thought more equall, then that so egregious a coozener, so er­rand a lyer, so false a companion, that is made all of lyes, guile, fraud and imposture, should bee euen apprehended, and hanged vp out of the way (as we vse to speake) that it may beguile vs no longer.

CHAP. V. Shewing the certaintie of good successe in fighting against our lusts.

BVt let vs hasten to an end, Fourthly, from the certaintie of good successe. and consi­der, in the last place, what successe we shall bee sure to meete with, in this fight, if wee arme our selues with a constant resolution to con­tinue fighting, and neuer, for any feare, or any cause to giue ouer. We shall lose nothing by mor­tifying the flesh. First, we shall lose nothing at all, that is worth hauing. A man may enioy [Page 123]all lawfull conents, profits and pleasures, and whatsoeuer is truly needfull to the comfort and welfare of his body, mind and state; though he follow Gods direction, and mortifie these members that are vpon the earth: and nothing shall we get by following, feeding, and nourish­ing them, but that which for the present is idle, vaine, needlesse, superfluous, and might better be spared then had; and for the time to come also, will prooue mischieuous and banefull. A man may see well enough without that eye, that Christ bids him pull out, and cast from him; he may well enough walke, and liue, and performe all actions of life for his benefit, without that foote and hand, which our Lord doth bid vs to cut off, and fling from vs. If it seeme to bring blindnesse, lamenesse and maimednesse, it is but a conceited and imaginarie lamenesse, blindnes, and maimednesse, that appeareth so to vs, and is not; as he that is borne a monster with sixe fin­gers, might very well cut off one, and yet still haue a perfect hand, and better for vse, then that that had such superfluitie of members. Adam and Euah might haue filled their bellies in Para­dise, though they had neuer come neere to the tree of Knowledge of Good and Euill; God had prouided them store of fruit to please their eye and taste, and feed their bodies, though they had vtterly forborne that forbidden fruit. So doth the Lord allow to the sonnes of Adam, sufficient store, and varietie of lawfull and war­rantable things to enioy; so that wee may haue [Page 124]as much good, as our soules can wish, though we cast from vs all sinfull lusts, and refuse to follow the inclinations of them. The inordinate affecti­ons of our soule, are like the vnnaturall desires of the stomake, when it longeth for things that are sowre, and naught, and vnwholesome, as it were for raw flesh, vnripe fruite, or things farre worse then these. There is wholesome and ne­cessary food enough in he world, though a man should neuer eate dirt and coles, as some haue longed after. So wee can bee no losers, by hea­ling our selues of these diseases of the mind, which carry vs after nothing that is worth the hauing, if wee did measure things by a well-or­dered iudgement.

2. But moreouer, God will accept our labor to mor­tifie sinne. we shal be sure to find accep­tance with God, in this our endeauour of morti­fication, though we come farre short of perfecti­on, so long as wee doe heartily and sincerely striue to perfection. Hee that fights resolutely against sinne with spirituall weapons, shall bee accounted a good souldier, though he be woun­ded in the battell, and knocked downe, and ta­ken prisoner, and the Lord will redeeme and ransome him againe, and not suffer him to perish, or be made a bond-slaue in that captiuitie. If we cannot make our corruptions grow so weake as we would, yet if wee be still drawing forth the weapons of our Christian warfare, and vsing them so well as we can, to fight against our lusts, wee shall inioy the esteeme and reputation of faithfull subiects, and God and our consciences [Page 125]will giue vs this comfortable and honourable ti­tle of good souldiers of Christ Iesus. And what an encouragement ought this to be, that we are certaine, our Lord and King will take well our paines, in fighting these battels of his, so well as wee can, though in many things we come too short? The will and endeauour in this spirituall combate, is taken for the deed; he that earnestly desireth, and heartily labours to conquer his be­loued corruptions, is accounted a conquerour, euen though, as yet, hee bee none. Hee that re­solues, he will neuer giue ouer the fight, but will vp againe after all foyles, and buckle his har­nesse to him againe, though the law of his mem­bers doe sometimes draw him captiue, after the law of sinne that is in his members; he, I say, that so resolueth, and so reneweth his resoluti­ons and endeauours, is reputed by the mercy of God in Christ, to haue done that he would haue done, and to haue accomplished that, that he de­sired to accomplish. Assurance of good accep­tance of the weakest endeauours, so long as they bee true, may make the weake, as the Prophet speaketh, to say he is strong, and forgetting his weakenesse, to set vpon the worke as if hee were strong, because euen his weakenesse shall be ac­counted strength, if his desires, purposes, wishes, and resolutions bee strong. There is nothing that can animate a man more to march after Christ, then this consideration. 1. Sa. 30.21, 25. Dauid had two hundred souldiers that were faint, and could not follow the Amalekites that had burnt Ziglag, [Page 126]but were faine to stay behind, and doe a meaner seruice, of attending on the stuffe and carriages. Some of those that fought, and vanquished the Amalekites, would haue had these faint ones, to haue been turned off, without any part of the bootie. But Dauids answere was; Who will hearken to you in this? And he made it a law in Israel, that he which tarried by the stuffe, should share of the spoyle of the enemy with him that fought in the battell. Our King, our Dauid, keeps this law, If a mans heart be good to follow, and kill these Amalekites, though his body faint, and he be driuen to stay by the stuffe, he shal en­ioy the prey, and diuide the spoyle. O, who would not serue such a Generall with all his might, where an vnvoluntary fainting, an vnpur­posed weakenesse, shal not depriue him of the honour, or comfort of the victorie!

3. Further, God will re­ward our paines taken in mor­tifying sinne. wee shall be rewarded, as well as accepted, if we fight these battailes with an vp­right heart. Sinne is like a traytor, whose head is set to sale; hee that can bring it, shall haue a large recompence. The Lord hath set a great price vpon the head of our lusts; kill them, and we shall be greatly comforted here, and haue so much more glorie and happinesse in heauen, by how much we haue taken more labour and paines here. Pay will make any souldiers fight: If Christs souldiers will but sticke to it couragi­ously, they shall want no pay of comfort, glorie, immortalitie; and if they fight, they shall bee crowned. When Caleb fought against Debir, he [Page 127]made this Proclamation among his souldiers; Iudg. 1.22. To him that smiteth, and taketh the Citie, will I giue Achsah my daughter to wife: and quickly Othniel was incouraged, and tooke it. Now how much more excellēt are the promises which the Lord hath made, to encourage vs in this spirituall bat­taile, saying? If you mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit, yee shall liue? What wife, or what portion with a wife, is comparable to this bles­sed and glorious life, which God hath promi­sed, and will giue to those, that take their lusts and smite them? Why then should we not ani­mate our selues, and doe valiantly, to take and kill these spirituall Canaanites, and to destroy all the Cities of them? If any say, This promise is made alone to those that ouercome, and how shall we be certaine of victorie? The answere is, that it is true indeed, those alone that ouer­come, shall obtaine this reward; but euery one that will fight resolutely in this battaile, shall ouercome. And that is the last incouragement, in respect of our successe; as wee shall lose no­thing, and be accepted, and be rewarded; so wee shall preuaile also, and get the better of our foes.

4. Sinne shall surely be slaine, We shall surely ouercome sin, if we fight a­gainst it. and fall downe dead before vs: It cannot possibly defend or saue it selfe against the blowes, which by the weapons of God are giuen vnto it. It hath al­ready receiued its deaths wound from the death of Christ; we fight against an enemy that is more then half discomfited, and slaine vnto our hands. [Page 128]Through God wee shall doe valiantly, and hee will tread downe our enemies vnder our feete. When Israel fought against the inhabitants of Canaan, the Lord fought for them; and though their enemies were strong in body, and many in number, and had Cities fenced and walled vp to heauen, yet they prospered whithersoeuer they went, and none was able to stand against them. This was a figure of our good successe in fight­ing against the lusts of our flesh. They cannot escape our hands, if we giue them not leaue to recouer themselues. So mightie is the Word of God, so strong the Spirit of God, so certaine the diuine assistance, that wee are sure of an happy victorie, if wee cloathe our selues with courage and confidence, and persist in the battaile to the end of our liues. The Lord that fought for Is­rael, will fight for vs, and worke great saluation. The land of Canaan was inhabited with Giants, and men of huge stature, but all these fell before the Host of God; our Giant-like sinnes shall bee but meate for our swords, and we shall preuaile against them, though they be neuer so many and strong. Wherefore let vs conclude with the words of Ioshua to the mē of Ephraim, Iosh. 17.18. Thou shalt driue out the Canaanites, though they haue iron Chariots, and though they be strong: And with the words that the Priests were appointed to vse vnto the people in the day of battaile; Heare O Israel, Deut. 20.3. you approach this day vnto battaile against your enemies, let not your hearts faint, feare not, and doe not tremble, neither be yee terrified, because of them; [Page 129]for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies and to saue you. And thus haue we cleared the poynt, and laid before your eyes abundance of good reasons, to induce you to this battell. Now that wee may make way for the vses, and that you may better pra­ctise the dutie, wee must giue you some directi­ons about it, shewing you three things. First, the degrees of mortification. Secondly, the meanes of mortification. And lastly, the man­ner of vsing these meanes that wee may speed by them.

CHAP. VI. Shewing the degrees of Mortification.

FOr the first of these, Two degrees of mortification. we will shew both the lowest degree of mor­tification, (that without which no man can bee saued) and also the highest degree of mortifica­tion, beyond which a Christian cannot reach, in this present life: and these two beeing knowne, the middle degrees betwixt these, will appeare of themselues. Know then, that the lowest degree of mortification is that, which hath attained two things, which whoso­euer hath not attained, is not at all mortified; he that hath attained them, is in truth mortified, and then must striue forward, for greater perfec­tion.

The first thing is, 1. To forbeare the vsuall pra­ctice of grosse sinnes. to forbeare the ordinary practice of grosse sinnes, such as are expressely condemned by the letter of the Word, and by the light of nature, and such, wherein the mem­bers of the body are giuen as weapons of vn­righteousnesse. No man can say hee is truly mortified, till he haue gotten so much power a­gainst his corrupt lusts, that hee bee not vsually and commonly ouertaken with those palpable deeds of the body, swearing, cursing, lying, ray­ling, drunkennesse, wantonnesse, reuenge, de­ceit, and the like to these: for those that doe such things, Gal. 5.21. Ephes. 2.3. shall not inherit the Kingdome of God: and the Apostle saith, That in time past, when we were dead in sinnes, wee had our con­uersation in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the mind, and of the flesh, and were by nature, Titus 3.3. children of wrath. And againe, Wee our selues were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceiued, seruing diuers lusts and pleasures, li­uing in malice, and enuie, hatefull, and hating one another. 1. Pet 4.3. And againe, Peter saith, The time past of our liues may suffice vs; to haue wrought the will of the Gentiles, when wee walked in lasciuiousnesse, lusts, excesse of wine, reuellings, banquetings, and abominable Idolatries. And Saint Iohn saith, 1. Ioh. 1.6. If we say wee haue fellowship with him, (as euery mortified man hath) and walke in darkenesse, (as he that liues in the vsu­all practice of such things doth) we lye, and doe not the truth. Colos. 3.6. For as the Apostle saith, For these things sake, the wrath of God doth come vpon [Page 131]the children of disobedience. It is plaine e­nough, you see, that hee which is a worker of wickednesse, and doth giue himselfe leaue to goe on in the common practice of these abomi­nable euils, is not translated from darkenesse to light, he is not made partaker of the vertue of the death of Christ, he is not buried with Christ by Baptisme into his death, nor made confor­mable vnto his death; so that it is in vaine to flatter our selues with a false opinion of our be­ing good Christians, so long as these things do so strongly beare rule in vs, hat wee giue our members as seruants vnto them ordinarily: for the good man must not walke in the counsell of sinners, nor stand in the way of the vngodly.

2. But secondly, 2. And the al­lowance of the least sinne. a godly man must preuaile yet further against sinne, euen so farre, as not to allow, defend, excuse, extenuate, and carelesly let passe the smallest knowne sinne, yea the first risings, and motions of sinne; but must con­stantly obserue, oppose, confesse, bewaile, and be humbled for them, before God: Math. 5.8. for no man can be blessed, till hee be pure in heart; and hee that must ascend into the hill of the Lord, and stand in his holy place, Psal. 24.4. must haue (as cleane hands, so) a pure heart also, as Dauid saith. Now the heart is not pure, so long as any the least sin is winked at, allowed, maintained, couered and made light of. Therefore the Apostle saith, (not alone, Rom. 6.12, 13. that wee must not giue our members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne, but al­so) that we must not obey it, no not in the lusts [Page 132]of it. Now hee that giues way to euill motions in his heart, and makes nothing of them, nor la­menteth and resisteth them, doth serue sinne in the lusts of it; as well as hee that rusheth vpon the grosse and externall acts of euill vsually, doth giue his members as instruments of wic­kednesse. It is therefore apparant, that grace must so farre change vs, and subdue our corrupt disposition, as that wee must crucifie the flesh, with the very affections and lusts, or else we are not planted with Christ into the similitude of his death, nor can truly take to our selues the name, or inioy the priuiledges of men that doe mortifie the deeds of the body. And this is the least degree that will serue to intitle a man to the comfort of one that is truly mortified.

3. Now the highest degree that is in this life attainable, 2. The highest degree of mor­tification. stands also in two things; first, in preseruing ones selfe so much and constantly a­gainst sinne, To be euer kept from any grosse sinne. as neuer to commit any grosse, or palpable sinne; neuer to curse, raile, sweare, lye, deceiue, reuenge, dally, or any other like mani­fest and notorious offence either in word or deed. Iam. 3.4. And Saint Iames tels vs, That hee which offends not in word, is a perfect man. This per­fection, by the helpe of grace, a godly man may reach to in this life; and O how beautifull and happie a life were it, to goe, euen thus farre, in the subduing of sinne, that one should be whol­ly and altogether free from all blemishfull and reprochfull sinnes! But a good man may pro­ceed to somewhat an higher degree of perfe­ction, [Page 133]euen to keepe his heart free from any set­tled liking of any euill motion thereof, To be free from any settled li­king of an ill motion. so that he shall neuer take any stayed or deliberate con­tent in any of the sinfull inclinations, & disposi­tions that doe stirre in him. I doe not say onely not to giue any consent vnto them, or to yeeld his will to them, but not to haue his imaginati­on settledly and deliberately pleased and de­lighted with them; but that hee shall presently quench, reiect, and detest them; but to be voyd of all euill motions arising from the flesh, or of all sudden passions within, or of all sudden de­light in them, or of all deadnesse or backward­nes to good things by reason of them; that is, so far as I can learne out of Scripture, an higher pitch then that any man can touch it in this pre­sent world. For surely, whilest we liue, the law of our members will be working, and the flesh will be lusting, and euery man shall finde cause to complaine of a body of death; euery man shall finde cause to say, Who can say his heart is free? And he shall but deceiue himselfe that saith he hath no sinne.

CHAP. VII. Shewing the naturall meanes of Mortification.

1 YOu haue heard how much you must needs do in this matter, as also how very much you may doe, if you bee not carelesse and slothfull. Now let me shew you, by what meanes both these degrees must be attained, and a god­ly man must passe forward, from the former, to the latter. The meanes of mortification are of two sorts, some naturall, some spirituall, and both are requisite, if wee purpose to kill our lusts; the former must make the latter more ef­fectuall, and be helpfull to our good successe in them. Moderation in things indiffe­rent, a meanes of mortifying sin. The one is, moderation in the vse of na­turall delights and contents. The other, discre­tion, in the shunning of outward occasions of euill, though the things in themselues bee not euill.

2. For the first, hee that is not moderate in things indifferent, can neuer preuaile against his lusts, to any purpose; for at the excesse of these lawfull things, doe our naturall corruptions be­gin to take aduantage, and to feed themselues, and to gather head. He that will hold vnder his lusts therefore, and put them to death, must bee sparing in meate, drinke, attire, sports, and must euen cut himselfe shorter in many of these things, then that which he perswadeth himselfe [Page 135](and perhaps also truly) that he might lawfully doe, euen of purpose to keepe himselfe, that hee may not bee brought vnder the power of any thing, as the Apostle speaketh. We must learne of the Apostle himselfe this meanes; for he tel­leth vs, that hee did keepe vnder his body, 1. Cor. 6.12. 1. Cor. 9. last. and bring it in subiection. The corruptions of the soule finde great furtherance from the humours of the body, as a man doth find from a good and fit toole or instrument: we must keep the tooles of sinne dull, (as I may so speake) that sinne it selfe may doe vs lesse harme by its working. If the body be still humored and pampered, by let­ting it haue all the ease, fine fare, gay attire, sen­suall pleasures and pastimes, that it wisheth (and that a man can make to appeare lawful and war­rantable,) it will not bee kept in subiection, it will not be held in order. We are therefore in these thins to call vpon our selues, to bee very temperate. Be a little more meane in thy gar­ments, then thou thinkest it absolutely needfull to be: vse a little lesse liberty in games and pa­stimes, then thou conceiuest that in strictnesse of conscience thou oughtest to doe. So I say for fare, ease, sleepe; If thou dost not, from the vtmost confines of lawfull liberty, there is but a small step to the border of vnlawfull delights, and soone maist thou be drawn to step that step, and when thou hast once transgressed, thou shalt finde it hard to come into the right way againe. He that goes in a riuer, where he knowes that a deepe pit is, will not come so close to it as hee [Page 136]may, but by keeping himselfe vpon sure ground a good way off, will bee sure to saue himselfe from being ouerwhelmed therein. It is much more safe, in things of this nature, to keepe our selues a good deale within compasse, then to stand vpon the edge of our liberty (as I may so speake.) By abridging our selues of some thing that we are allowed, wee cannot likely receiue any hurt: by taking all that is allowed, we may soone slip into excesse, and well-neere mischiefe our selues, and by doing all we may doe, so in­gage our selues to our affections, that they will carry vs away, to that wee should not doe. Au­sterenesse is not necessary to mortification, mo­deration is. To goe wooll-ward, or in haire-cloth, is a foolish destroying of the body; to go in lesse costly attire then one might, is a due keeping vnder of the body. To make ones selfe leane and wanne with fasting, is to tyrannize o­uer ones selfe; to fare lesse delicately, and eate lesse liberally, for the most part, then one might, is to preuent the aduantages of sinne in the bo­dy. The hypocrite, often, doth place all his mor­tification, in being cruel to his body; wherfore he keepes no measure this way; and because it is a thing much looked after, and easily seene, it is a fit thing for an hypocrite, to beguile both the world and himselfe withall. The godly man doth make his abridging of the body, a furthe­rance to the cutting off of his lusts: wherefore he is not excessiue in his rigour to his body, nor will offer violence to nature, but alone deny [Page 137]her that, which shee may well spare, and scants and mints himselfe in the vse of his liberty, not as not knowing it, but as knowing how easie it is to abuse it, and by abusing, to take harme. And thus, by keeping his body in order, hee findes it more easie to keepe the minde in frame also, which doth much make vse of (and as some thinke follow) the temperature of the body. And let any man vnder heauen be so wise, as to obserue himselfe, and he shall finde, that vnlesse he deny himselfe some lawfull liberty, he shall quickly grow sensuall: and sensuality is an ene­mie to mortification.

3. A second naturall meanes of mortification is, a careful shunning of the occasions of sin. Shunning the occasions of sin, necessary to mortification. Op­portunity of time, place, company, and the like, doth greatly incense and prouoke corruption: and he that will not, (for euery man in this mat­ter, because it is but naturall, can if he will) denie himselfe in such things, can neuer preuaile a­gainst his corruptions. He hath not gone yet so farre as nature may goe, and how then should he looke to finde the helpe of grace? The with­drawing of a mans selfe from these things, is a pulling of the fuell from the fire, and then it wil surely goe out. The aduenturing vpon these things, doth blow the coles, and administer fuell also, and then must sinne of necessity, both burne and flame. In these occasions, the sences haue strong allurements offered vnto them, and they be vehement in their workings, burying the vn­derstanding for a time, and captiuating the [Page 138]thoughts to their present pleasing obiects, so that a man can thinke of no good thing, that may serue to resist bad desires; and when the soule is so disarmed, how should sinne but pre­uaile against it? He that doth thus hazard him­selfe, thrusts himselfe out of Gods protection, for he walketh not in his owne place, therefore he can looke for nothing but ruine. Satan assu­reth himselfe of victorie, when hee sees men so carelesse of themselues, and so becomes vehe­ment in tempting, (as hope of successe incou­rageth euery one to labour) and then how soone is a man foyled? Indeed, the heart hath giuen a secret consent to the desire of euill doing, so soone as euer it consents to aduenture vpon the occasions of euill doing, and it is but the very guile and dissimulation of the soule, (whereby it is apt to coozen it selfe,) that makes one thinke, I will goe where I shall meete with strong pro­uocations to sinne, but yet I will not sinne. Now the consent which was secret, and as it were im­plicite before, so soone as occasion and tentati­on haue stirred corruption, growes manifest and open, and shewes it selfe, and so a man sins, when he thought (but he thought amisse) that he was resolued not to sinne. Betwixt a resolution to doe a thing, whereby the will doth chuse, and a resolution not to doe it, whereby the will doth refuse, there is a middle kind of action, an irre­solutenesse, a suspence, neither chusing, nor refu­sing, but betwixt both. Now this indifferency of the will, is halfe a yea; and hee that makes [Page 139]halfe a grant, when none importunity doth presse him, will make a full and totall grant, when hee shall be (as vpon such occasions hee shall bee) importunately vrged: and it is sure, that a man neuer doth wittingly put himselfe vpon occasions of euill, vntill hee bee at least irresolute whether to doe it or not. Wherefore euery Christian man must be wise for his soule, and not alone determine to forbeare all things that are sinfull and flatly condemned; but if hee haue found by his owne experience, that such and such things (in themselues indeed lawfull) are, to his corruption, strong prouocations to e­uill; hee must also determine to deny himselfe in these things also. In one word, this direction is so necessary, that all the labour in the world will not subdue sinne, if it bee not backed with this part of circumspect walking. For if the heart be hollow, nothing will make it strong a­gainst sinne: and euery mans heart is so far hol­low, as he is willing to play with the occasions of sinne.

CHAP. VIII. Shewing two spirituall meanes of Mortification: Prayer, and Meditation.

1 THese are the naturall meanes of morti­fication, which of themselues wil re­presse sin, and a little abridge it of its liberty of walking abroad; but kill it, of themselues, without the spirituall, they can­not. [Page 140]These spirituall helpes are foure: Prayer, Meditation, Feare of our selues, and Watchful­nesse. By Prayer, wee get strength from God; by Meditation, we become Gods instruments, to worke strength in our selues; by Feare and Watchfulnes, we put to vse the strength which we haue gotten. Frequent and feruent prayer needfull to mortifie sinne. First then, if we will kill sinne, we must be frequent and feruent in prayer vnto God against sinne; and what particular sins wee are most molested with, and had most need to beate downe, those we must assaile most often and earnestly with our prayers. Now when I say prayer, I meane prayer, and all the parts and additaments of it. If a man had neuer sinned, he should need onely petitions and thankesgiuings; but hauing sinned, he needs also confession and lamentation, to be ioyned with the former, as it were buttresses to the wall of the house, to make it stand stronger, and a staffe to a weake leg, to make one goe the more stedfastly. So all these parts of prayer must be vsed.

2. We must plainly acknowledge, and hartily bemone our selues in Gods bosome, for our sin­fulnesse, and wickednesse of heart and life, and with all due aggrauations, and condemnings of our selues, must lay open before the Lord, the corruptions and vices that we find in our selues, confessing withal, that we are weake and feeble, and slaues to sinne, and of our selues cannot sub­due them, and so, with the heauiest hearts that we can, lament our miserable weaknesse. Looke what Iehoshaphat did, when he heard of the com­ming [Page 141]of the Lubims and Ethiopians against him and his people; the same must we doe, when we see the innumerable troupes of corrupt lusts, that do seeke the destruction of our soules: 2. Chron. 20.12 We haue no might (saith that worthy King) against this great company that comes against vs; nei­ther know we what to doe, but our eyes are vp­on thee. So must the Christian soule sigh out its complaints before the Lord, often, O I haue no might to ouercome all these strong lusts, (and by name such and such) that fight against mee daily, and I cannot tell what to doe, but, Lord, mine eyes are to thee.

3. Then must hee take to him petitions and requests, begging helpe from heauen, crying earnestly for the Spirit of God to helpe him, (for by the Spirit alone can wee mortifie the deeds of the body) vrging and inforcing vpon the diuine Maiesty, all his comfortable promises which he hath written in his Word: Rom. 6.14. (Sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you, for you are not vnder the law, but vnder grace. Ier. 32.40. I will put my feare in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Rom. 8.2. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ, hath freed me from the law of sinne and death. And specially, that excellent branch of the new Couenant, Heb. 8.10, 11. They shall all know me, from the least to the most, and I will put my law in their hearts, and in their minds will I write them,) and so, suing with the greatest feruency of desire that he can attaine, say, O Lord, performe these promises: O let no wickednesse haue dominion ouer me: O make me sound in thy precepts: O incline mine [Page 142]heart vnto thy testimonies, and not to such a sinne. When God is thus importuned by the cries and prayers of his seruants, hee cannot but stirre vp himselfe, and come and helpe them, and heare the voyce of their prayers when they cry vnto him. When Israel felt the oppression of their outward enemies, and cryed vnto the Lord, (as it is often noted in the booke of Iudges) the Lord had pity vpon them, and raised them vp a Iudge and a deliuerer: shall he not bee much more attentiue to the voyce of their supplicati­ons, when they cry vnto him, against pride, vain­glory, lust, wrath, and those spirituall enemies that seeke to oppresse them? Certainly the Lord will remember, and will vp, and helpe, and set them at liberty, whom sinne and Satan had insnared.

4. And to the two former must bee added, praises and thankes for the helpe already recei­ued. If one finde that hee hath gotten some po­wer against his sinne, that hee hath more ability to oppose the lusts of it, that hee is seldomer o­uertaken with any breaking forth of it then be­fore, that he hath been able to withstand some notable tentations to it: in a word, that the force of it, is in any measure abated; hee must returne with the praises of God in his mouth, and tri­umph in God, that hath helped him so farre a­gainst his spirituall foe. The Lord deserueth praise, and lookes for praise of his Saints, for treading downe those lusts that rise against them: and it is a seruice very pleasing vnto him, [Page 143]when we offer the facrifice of thankes. Yea, it doth exceedingly animate our selues to this battell, if we take notice that wee haue in some degree preuailed, and with the voyce of ioy and thankesgiuing doe runne before the Lord, and giue away all the praise from our selues to him. There is nothing can more reioyce the spirit of a Christian, then this heauenly ioy will doe. The ioy of the Lord is our strength. Sor­row, Nehem. 8.10. when we haue been foyled, is no more a­uaileable to confirme vs against sinne, then holy reioycin, when we haue stood fast and resisted. It is a more signe of selfe-loue, to grieue for that we are weake, but a greater signe of true loue to God, to reioyce in him when hee makes vs strong. Wherefore, as a godly man, if hee finde himselfe any day to haue yeelded to sinfull de­sires in any sensible degree, must humble him­selfe, and confesse and cry out against himselfe: so if he finde that any day he hath not been foy­led, but hath been able to represse and destroy euill motions, especially if hauing occasion or tentation, he haue beene strengthened to resist, he must then leade his captiuity captiue, and at night sing a new song of praise vnto the Lord, and euen ride in triumph ouer his corruptions, boasting himselfe in God, and setting vp his banner in the name of the most High, and with as cheerefull a soule as he can, offer vp humble and hearty thankes to his heauenly Father, that hath made him to doe valiantly. The prayers of Gods seruants, thus consessing their sinnes, cra­uing [Page 144]power against them, blessing God for the beginnings of helpe, are weapons so mighty through God, that they will wound the stron­gest corruption, and pierce the soule of any lust: and whosoeuer will begin and continue, thus to resist and pursue his sinnes, shall finde them (as the Philistims before Samson) to fly, and fall downe dead before him.

5. Holy meditati­ons to mortisie sinne. After Prayer, or with it, holy Meditati­ons must come in, both to quicken, as also to backe it: and amongst all matter of mditation, against particular sinnes, we must accustome our selues specially to foure generall meditations, that are indifferently and equally forcible a­gainst euery sinne. Of Gods holy nature. First, of the most holy and pure nature of God, how great, wise, iust, true, mercifull he is, that hee hath an all-seeing eye, and an all-hearing eare, in euery place behold­ing the euill and the good, and pondering all the pathes of the sonnes of men, that hee hateth sinne with a perfect hatred, as being contrary to his most holy will and Commandements: that he will punish it with most seuere punishment, as being the righteous Iudge of all the world, who cannot indure iniquity, nor will hold the wicked innocent: that he is most gracious and louing to the penitent sinner, and will spare him as a father doth his child: that hee will keepe all his promises, and make good all his threat­nings, with all faithfulnesse, and not suffer one tittle of his Word to fall to the ground. In a word, that he is euery way most holy, and most [Page 145]excellent, and will reward all that seeke to him, and obey him; and auenge himselfe vpon all that stubburnely rebell against him, and forsake the wayes of his Commandements, to walke af­ter their owne crooked deuices and inuenti­ons.

2. Secondly, Of Gods terrible threats. we must often call to mind the most terrible threatnings of God against sinne in generall, and specially, against that speciall sin, which most molesteth vs. Ho much euill God hath denounced against the committers of it; and how much woe and miserie it hath brought vpon others, and will bring vpon our selues, if we take licence to liue in it. Wee must consider sinne in the euill effects of it, and so conuince our selues of its vilenesse, and mischieuousnesse: for God hath from Heauen manifested so much wrath against the workers of iniquitie in gene­ral, and against each particular lust and sinne that men liue in, that if we could presse these things vpon our owne soules, and cause our hearts sted­fastly to beleeue the same; wee could not but hate wickednesse, and tremble before the Lord, and so abate the power of corruption, and euen driue our selues out of the euill courses of sinne. Wrath and anger, tribulation and anguish, Rom. 2.8, 9. shall be vpon euery soule of man that worketh wic­kednesse, vpon the Iew first, and also vpon the Gentiles. For these things sake, Ephes. 5.6. the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedi­ence: vpon the wicked God will raine snares and tempest, fire and brimstone, and storme, Psal. 11.6. that [Page 146]shall be the portion of their cup. Marke 9.46. Their worme neuer dyeth, and their fire neuer goeth out, their smoke shall ascend for euermore: Deut. 27.26. And cursed is euery man, that continueth not in the whole Law to fulfill it. So horrible, so grieuous, so in­tolerable are those things, that God hath me­naced in his Word against all the sonnes of Be­lial, and all the workers of vnrighteousnesse, that whosoeuer will euen bind these things to the tables of his heart, and apply them to himselfe by faith, shall stand in awe, and not sinne, and shal find the Iudgements of God so terrible vnto him, as that they will beate downe his corrupti­ons, and make him to feare and depart from wic­kednesse: for the end of these things is death.

3. Of Gods graci­ous promises. Thirdly, we must oftē cal to mind the graci­ous promises that God hath made to those that leaue sin, and the admirable comforts, that both here and hereafter, the God of truth hath vn­dertaken to reward them withall, that for his sake denie themselues, and crucifie their sinfull lusts. Then shall wee see, how vaine and friuo­lous the pleasures and profits of sinne are, and by tasting the fruit of holinesse, should bee well inabled, to despise the offers of sin. What com­parison betwixt the good we get by doing euill, and the vnspeakeable Ioy of the holy Ghost, and the immortal Ioyes of Heauen? What made Moses to set light by the honours and delights of Pharaohs Court; but that he considered the re­buke of Christ to be greater riches? What made Paul to count al dung, that he might win Christ; [Page 147]but because hee looked to the farre most excel­lent waight of glorie? Wee must not suffer our selues to be forgetfull of the wonderfull bene­fits, which the Lord will bestow vpon vs, if in obedience and loue to him, wee can be content to cast away our sinfull lusts. He that forsaketh any profit, or credit, or comfort, for Christs sake, shall bee rewarded an hundred fold. The man that refuseth to walk in the paths of the vngod­ly, shall bee blessed vpon earth, his soule shall dwell at ease, the Lord will deliuer him out of the hands of his enemies, God will be a Sun and shield vnto him, and no good thing wil he with­hold from them that walke vprightly. His heart shall delight it selfe in God, and he shall see the shining of the louing countenance of his Father. His soule shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatnesse, and he shall become like a watered gar­den. If man forsake him, the Lord will stand for him; and though parents cast him off, yet God will gather him vp: the Lord will couer his head in the day of battell, the Lord will feed him in the time of famine, the Lord will turne his bed in the time of his sicknesse, hee shall see the face of God in righteousnesse, and when hee awaketh, shall bee satisfied with his Image. O how excellent is the louing kindnesse of God to them that waite vpon him! they shall be abun­dantly satisfied with the fatnesse of his house, and he will make them to drinke of the Riuers of his pleasure: he shall delight himselfe in the Lord, and God will giue him the desires of his [Page 148]heart. Let vs often renew these meditations in our selues, and say with Dauid; O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid vp for them that feare thee, which thou hast wrought for them that feare thee, before the sonnes of men! Surely the sight of this goodnesse of God, will make the labour of mor­tification seeme easie. If those that trie masteries, be continent in all things, for a mortal Crowne, what should wee bee for an immortall? If the hope of bootie will make a souldler hazard his heart-blood, what should we doe in this battell, where the fauour of God, and the Kingdome of Heauen are ascertained to him that fights and conquers? If the man that is in some degree mortified, did often contemplate the felicitie that God hath prouided for him, both present and to come, hee would not, he could not faint. These meditations would so disgrace the plea­sures of sinne, and so commend vnto him the re­ward of pietie, that hee would euen scorne to serue so base a thing as sinne, which giues no wages, but chaffe and dirt; when hee might be intertained in the scruice of Christ, who (besides his being so infinitely excellent) giues the ioy of his saluation to his souldiers for their stipend. Put your selues in mind often, O ye seruants of God, of the consolations of the Word and Spi­rit, of the Ioy vnspeakeable and glorious, of the Peace that passeth all vnderstanding, and of the hidden treasures, which neither eye hath seene, nor eare hath heard, nor mans heart conceiued, but God hath prouided for you, by his Grace, [Page 149]and reuealed to you by his Spirit, and will reach vnto you with his hand. If you will reiect the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season, and endure the paines of fighting the good fight of fiath: you cannot faint in this battell, if you lend your thoughts to these encouragements, you cannot but account all your labour easie, if you consider the reward and end of your la­bour.

4. Last of all, we must much and often pon­der vpon the death of Christ: who he was, Of Christs suf­ferings. what he suffered, why, and for whom, with the mat­ter, cause, effect, and end of his sufferings, that so we may worke in our selues a loue and feare of God, a base esteeme of our selues, with an holy sorrow and indignation against sinne. The death of Christ, must be the death of our sinne, and vp­on his Crosse must we crucifie these lusts of our flesh, that they may waxe faint and feeble, and bee quite and cleane abolished in vs. Here wee shal see the exceeding hatefulnesse, and mischie­uousnesse of sinne; here we shall see how odious it is to God, and how harmefull to our selues. Here we shall fee the infinite loue of God vnto vs, and his most gracious readinesse to forgiue and helpe vs. This thought will be most auaile­able, to ouerthrow the power of all vngodlines in vs. The Sonne of God, the King of Heauen and earth, was abased and humbled, and smitten, and wounded for our transgressions. They lay heauy vpon his soule, they pressed him downe to the dust of death: he died for vs, that hee [Page 150]might redeeme vs to himselfe, and make vs a pe­culiar people, zealous of good workes. O shall wee not abhorre and detest that, which was so vnspeakeably grieuous to our Sauiour? Shall we not shew our loue to him, in casting from vs those things, that caused him to be a man of for­rowes, and to haue experience of infirmities? How bitter and tedious was sinne vnto him, and shall it be delightfull vnto vs! How did it make him sigh, and crie, and groane, and bleed, and shall we take pleasure in it? Shall we not shew our selues thankefull to him, that was so pitifull to vs, that hee had rather himselfe indure the curse, then that wee should bee ouer-whelmed with it? Let vs often looke to him whom wee haue pierced; often consider of his torment and agony, and often renew in our selues, the re­membrance of his cursed and reprochful death, and weane our hearts from the loue of vnrigh­teousnesse, and make vs conformable vnto his death. We cannot bee hold to doe euill, if wee consider well, how much euill he suffered for our euill doings. Now these thoughts (if wee accustome our selues vnto them, and doe many times sequester our selues from all worldly co­gitations, to enlarge our hearts in them) will be as a sword in the throat of our lusts, and preuaile mightily to wound them to the death, and as it were, to let out the heart-blood of them.

CHAP. IX. Shewing two more spirituall meanes of Mortificetion: Feare, and Watchfulnesse.

1 NOw to these holy meditations and prayers, let vs adde also an holy feare & misdoubting of our selues, Feare of our selues, a meanes to mortisie sin. suspecting our owne weakenesse, and euen trembling to thinke, that we may bee grossely ouertaken. Blessed is hee that feareth alwayes, for this feare will bee the cause of safety to him. Whiles a soulier feareth his enemie, he keepes his harnesse vpon him, and wil not disarme himselfe, so long as he mistrust­eth the approch of an enemie: But security makes a man lay his weapons aside, and giue himselfe to pleasure, ease, and sleepe, and then if an enemie assault him, he is soone slaine, or put to flight. he that is afraid of falling into some deadly sicknesse, will easily bee perswaded to looke to his diet, and to take some necessary physicke. Say therefore in thy selfe, O if I grow carelesse, sinne will quickly grow strong in my weakenesse, and quickly raise vp it selfe against me, and doe my soule more mischiefe then tongue can expresse! how haue many of Gods Saints beene foyled, that were farre and farre better then my selfe? shall not their misery bee my warning? If such Worthies were ouer­throwne and wounded, what will become of me? If I grow foolishly bold, and make too [Page 152]faire promises to my selfe: feare lest one shall fall, will keepe him vpright, euen in a very slip­pery way: but soone are his feet caught from him, that looketh about, and neuer suspecteth a fall. A moderate doubting of our own strength, will quicken vs to prayer and meditation. This vertuous ielousie and suspition of our weaknes, will make vs shunne the occasions of sinne, and so preserue vs in safety, when others that are more ventrous, shall be sooner foyled, though they be more strong: when we feare our selues most, wee pray most to God, and most trust in him; and prayer and confidence will keepe vs in safety. Indeed, we neuer cast off this warinesse, and cautelousnesse, till wee bee first beguiled with the deceitfulnesse of sinne; and when it hath deceiued vs, it will easily doe vs a mis­chiefe. Looke about, therefore, see how thou standest inuironed with enemies, see what an ill nature thou hast within thee, what a violent ad­uersary without thee. Thou art like a besieged City, full of traitors, the wise men in such a Ci­ty, will quickly mistrust and doubt the worst; they will euer suspect, that mischiefe is plotting against them, and by fearing, they become care­full to preuent it. There is an excessuie feare that infeebles the knees, and weakens the hands, when a man casts off hope, through feare, and will not perswade himselfe that hee can be safe by all his indeuours. Courage is gone, when such feare enters; and what souldier can doe a­ny thing, when his heart failes? But a moderate [Page 153]feare, that still causeth a man to cast the worst with in himselfe, but alone conditionally, (vn­lesse he be very diligent to preuent it:) this a­wakens courage, and by telling of the danger before, doth call vp the care of the soule, to preuent it. Feare was placed by God in the soule, as a Watchman or Sentinell, to discouer neere-approching dangers: and if wee wake this Sentinell, to keep his standing place, and to hold his eyes from sleeping, wee shall bee safe from the danger that will ouerwhelme the carelesse. Feare of man breeds a snare, feare of pouerty, feare of death, feare of disgrace in the world, puts vs further into the danger; but feare of sinne, feare lest wee should prouoke God, wound our consciences, and rush vpon such courses in our folly, which wee shall haue cause to rue euer after: this breedeth safety, and by this feare, wee shall happily fulfill our salua­tion.

2. Last of all, wee must be watchfull, Watchfulnesse necessarie to mortification. which will surely follow from our being fearefull; for feare will hold the eyes open a great while to­gether. The more waking eyes in an armie, the more safety; but if all be asleepe, all may be sur­prized and killed, afore they be aware. When Saul, 1. Sam. 26 7, 8, 9, 10. and all his host were seyzed vpon with sleepe, Dauid and Abishai came into the midst of the Campe, to the Pauillion of the King, and then it was easie, with one blow, to haue dis­patched the King, and discomfited the ar­mie. Spirituall watchfulnesse is as necessary [Page 154]against spirituall enemies, as naturall wakeful­nesse against naturall. When Samson slept, then the wicked flattering harlot Dalilah, did rob him of his lockes, and of his strength, because, against his vow of Nazariteship, a Razor had passed on his head. The Saints of God bee Na­zarites, sinne cannot put a Razor to their heads, till they fal asleepe on its knees, till their minde slumber, and the eye of the minde winke, they can hardly be drawne to taste of forbidden de­lights or profit: but when they are heedlesse and carelesse, then is their vow broken, and they thinke not of it; then their strength becomes weakenesse, and then the Spirit is driuen from them. O let Samson warne vs, and let vs take heede that our mindes be not rocked asleepe in the lap of the world! Prou. 4.23, 24, 25, 26, 27. This watchfulnesse is an attentiuenesse of minde to all our actions and our wayes; a looking to our hearts, eyes, eares, tngues, hands, feet, and whole man. A due con­sidering what corruptions wee are troubled with, what things hurt vs, what doe helpe vs, whether we grow stronger or weaker, whether corruptions decay or increase, and how our foule fareth. A looking to the motions that a­rise within, to the words and deeds that come forth. A marking, what we thinke, say, do, whi­ther we goe, to what end, vpon what warrant, vpon what calling, that wee be not found loose and wandring, and going, wee cannot tell why, nor whither, our selues. The soule is said to bee awaken, when the eye of the minde is thus ob­seruatiue [Page 155]of it selfe; and so long as it is thus with vs, the least striuing of lusts is noted, and resi­sted, and so the greater disorders are preuen­ted; but when this obseruation of our selues is absent, sinne gets head by little and little, and we find our selues in the hands of it, all of a sud­den, and know not how to get out. Wherefore, to all the parts of Christian armour, watchful­nesse must be ioyned: for what good can wea­pons do to a sleeping man? and how can a slee­ping body fight, though hee bee neuer so well armed? When we forget that godlinesse is the maine businesse, and that our chiefe worke is, to keepe our felues vnspotted of the world, and walke worthy of the calling whereto wee are called, and so suffer our minds to bee drawne a­way with other things, and neuer take care whe­ther the things we doe be good or euill for our soules, nor whether they please God or no, but let the thoughts and words runne at randome, as it were; O how soone shall we be drawne in­to sin, and how quickly will the members that are on earth grow big within vs! Wherefore, as an eye must be had still to mutinous and tre­cherous subiects, and they must bee obserued what meetings they haue, to what places they goe, and what countenance they beare; so must we doe with our sinnes. The eye of the minde must bend it selfe to these things, and not suffer any lesse needfull matter to diuert it. A man in a sleepe is little different from a dead man; and a Christian and sanctified soule, if it fall asleepe [Page 156]in a carelesse neglecting, and reckelesse disregar­ding of its owne wayes, will behaue it selfe for the time but a very little better, then one that is dead in sinnes and trespasses. Now let your eyes bee alwayes open, and bent vpon your owne wayes, and then you shall walke like liuing men indeed. Thus now haue I shewed you the best meanes I can gather out of Gods Word, to make you prosperous in your spirituall battailes. Bee moderate in the vse of bodily contents: Flie farre from the occasions of sinne: Powre forth your hearts often before God in confessions, re­quests and Prayses. Busie your minds continu­ally, in thinking of Gods holy nature, fearefull threats against sinne, and gracious promises to the vpright, and of the bitter Passion of your blessed Sauiour. Be alwaies fearefull of your selues, be alwayes watchfull ouer your selues. These things doe, and your soules shall thriue, and your lusts shall die, and you shall happily mortifie your members which are on earth, if alone you take another direction with you, con­cerning the manner of vsing these helpes.

CHAP. X. Shewing, in what manner we must vse all the helpes to mortification.

FIrst then, We must vse all helpes to morti­fication in a good manner. these things must be done sea­sonably; we must oppose our corrupti­ons by prayer and meditation, when [Page 157]they begin to arise, and vse all the other meanes against sinne, afore sinne haue gotten too much head, Seasonably. when corrupt inclinations doe euen begin to stirre, and be troublesome, then must wee re­sist them, then must wee flye from the occa­sions of increasing them, then must wee reuiue holy feares, and stirre vp our selues to watch­fulnesse, then must wee call foorth holie thoughts, and stirre vp holy requests; wee must not feede on such thoughts, wee-must not let them lye quietly in the soule, we must not giue them a little rest, as it were, a time of truce; for if we doe, they will slily steale away the delight of our imaginations, and so the consent of our wils, and then shall we be faint in resistance, and like enough be foyled. Euery harmefull beast is easiliest killed, when it is youngest. The Whelpes of a Lion or a Beare, are soone and safely dispatched; let them grow longer, they will waxe stronger, and cannot be slaine without more trouble, and more perill. The first moti­ons to sinne, are like Lyons Whelpes, let them continue a while, they will be as young Lyons, let them haue libertie to get out at the tongue, they will prooue ramping and roaring Lyons. Instance in fleshly lust: When a motion that way first ariseth, oppose it by prayer and meditation, it is soone quelled, and dyes. Let a man content and please his fancy in that motion, and nourish the desire, by being satisfied in it, and at last giue way to some wanton words, and some degrees of dalliance, his prayers will not be auaileable, [Page 158]vnlesse they be very feruent, and then hee shall hardly be able to pray feruently. We must bee wise therefore, and quench the fire, afore it haue taken the beames and rafters, and bee flaming forth out of the roofe of the house.

2. Constantly. Secondly, we must be constant in fighting against sinne, euen day by day, and houre by houre without intermission. If we giue it truce for a day or two (as it were, a putting of the Ca­naanites to tribute only) it will recouer so much strength, as after, we shall far more hardly keepe it vnder, yea, it will goe neere to make vs tribu­taries. A grieuous sore must bee dressed euerie day, and euery day haue new tents and plasters applied to it; if it bee neglected one or two dayes, it will be the worse for it, perhaps a week or a moneth after. We must make it our chiefe worke to be warring against sinne; we must not onely skirmish against it occasionally, but fight against it purposely. There is no busines so much concernes vs, as this of mortification; it should bee set before our trades, and our studies, and food, and our sleepe, and all the things of this life: wee must follow it, as the Day-labourer doth his labour, day by day; and we must giue our selues no leaue to make a loytering day: yea, wee must bee constant in holding out to oppose sinne, though we may find but small successe at first. The Israelites fought against Beniamin the third day also, though they had lost two battels before. We must not suffer our little preuailing to dis-harten vs, but pray againe, and agine me­ditate, [Page 159]and set the battaile in array againe, for all our losses. What saith Dauid to Ioab? 2. Sam. 11.25. The sword deuoureth on both sides; let not this thing trouble thee, but make the battell more strong against the Citie, and ouerthrow it. So must wee encourage our selues against sinne: Great Captaines haue continued the siege of a Citie for many yeeres together, though they haue lost many men, & spent much money, and seemed little to preuaile. We must resolue to continue this siege so long as wee liue, and to make hot assaults vpon our corrupti­ons daily, though sometimes we seeme to our selues but to lose our labour; and he that hol­deth out the combate, shall conquer.

3. Thirdly, Orderly. we must vse order in our spiritu­all warfare. It is discretion in a Captaine, to be­gin his conquest in the fittest place, and to know which enemy to deale against first. We must in the first place, and with the chiefe care, oppose our chiefe sinne. In inuading the Country of an enemy, it is wisdome to begin first with the weakest; but in inuading sinne, wee must begin with the strongest lust first. That corruption to which, in regard of bodily temper, or custome, or place, or state of life, a man is most subiect to, that he must first, and most resist and weaken: for if the greater sin be suffered, the lesse will shel­ter themselues vnder it. Take the Generall of the Armie, and the whole host will be discomfi­ted: if he scape away, he will wage more soul­diers, and make more worke. 2. Sam. 17.2, 14. Achitophel coun­selled to kill Dauid, and then should all the peo­ple [Page 160]returne in safetie. It is good counsell the ho­ly Ghost saith, that is, commodious. Hushai's wordes were set out with more flourishing shewes; but Achitophel gaue the sounder aduice for Absaloms profit. Lo, the King of our lusts must be smitten, then shall the victorie bee easie against the rest. He that sets not himselfe against his most beloued sinne first and most, doth but preuaricate (as they terme it) that is, obiect in iest against other sinnes, he seemes to fight with sinne, but he is not in good earnest. Til the Lord did smite the first-borne, Pharaoh would neuer yeeld to let Israel goe. We must kill the first-borne, else shall wee neuer pull our necks from vnder the yoke of spirituall bondage. Know therfore, what is the chiefe corruption of thine heart, whether it be pride, sullennesse, carnall sorrow, anger, reuenge, lust, worldlines, deceite, or whatsoeuer else. Consider what sinne is most common in men of thy calling, ranke, age, con­dition temperature. Consider what sinne thou hast most delight in, & most profit from, and are in thy carnall inclination, most willing to fol­low, and most loth to leaue. Now hauing found this, here begin thy warfare, here continue it with most heate and earnestnesse, make all expe­dition, without all delayes, to cut off this mem­ber on earth, and vse all diligence, and all con­stancie, to pull out this eye of the flesh. What euer conquest thou seemest to get in other mat­ters, Satan will soone draw thee captiue againe, if this sinne remaine vnmortified. An enemy that [Page 161]ouer-runnes a Countrie, and leaues some princi­pall Forts vntaken, vndemolished, is as soone beaten out, as he got in: so hee that on a sudden begins to turne godly, and seemes to make a conquest of many disorders, but leaues the chiefe Fort vnpulled downe, shall soone lose more then he hath gooten, and cause his latter end to be worse then his beginning, because hee had not truth in the inwards, nor was taught wisdome in the secret of his heart. Begin there­fore at the right end.

4. And last of all, Spiritually. vse all the meanes thou vsest against sinne spiritually, and in faith, not de­pending vpon the things done, nor vpon our owne worth or strength in doing, but vpon the Spirit of God, and his blessing for successe. We must looke vp vnto God for the fruit of all his ordinances, and of our labours, promising our selues good speed, but from God, not from our selues. In his strength we must be strong, per­forming all the things that hee commandeth in obedience, but still acknowledging, that with­out him we can doe nothing. The Lords soul­diers must make mention of the name of the Lord their God, and say, Through him we shall doe valiantiy, and he will tread downe our ene­mies vnder our feete. Our feete must tread them downe, but God must tread them downe with, and vnder our feete. Therefore the Apo­stle, Ephes. 6.10. before he sets downe any part of the Chri­stian Armor, begins his directions, and makes entrance thus: Finally my Brethren, be strong [Page 162]in the Lord, and in the power of his might. We must be strong, but not in our owne strength; we must be powerfull, but not in the power of our owne might. Rom. 8.11. He that raysed vp Christ from the dead, must quicken our mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in vs, saith the Apostle. This is the most important consideration of all the rest in the point of our spirituall warre, to know whence our successe, and strength to get successe, and all, must come; that so we may bee full of assurance to preuaile, not through the suf­ficiency that is in vs, or the excellencie and prayse-ablenesse of our endeuours, but through him that inableth vs. It must bee a power by meere and free Grace, created in vs, continued in vs, renewed in vs, by which wee must oppose our selues to these deadly enemies of our salua­tion. Let the Christian bee as full of hope, yea, assurance, as is possible, but let him build his hope and assurance without himselfe, euen vpon the meere fauour and goodnesse of God, that hath promised to fight for vs. The vse of spiri­tuall meanes thus spiritually, is the mortifying of the deeds of the body by the Spirit. And thus we may say to our selues assuredly, as Dauid to that Philistian Champion, 1 Sam. 17.45, 46, 47. I come against thee in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and we shal preuaile against you; for God will giue you into our hands. Thus I haue informed you of the most pertinent things that you ought to know, for your better helpe in the worke of mortification; the de­grees of it, the meanes of it; and the manner of [Page 163]doing it. Now I will make some vse of all, and so conclude.

CHAP. XI. Containing the first vse of the point, for exami­nation of our selues in regard of the time past, how we haue performed this dutie.

Vse 1 FIrst then, To examine our selues whether we haue moritifi­ed sinne, yea or no. I must make bold to re­quire euery one of you to exa­mine himselfe, whether hee hath thus fought against the lusts of his flesh to crucifie them, yea or no? The Lord hath sounded the Trumpet to battaile, and as a Generall, hath gi­uen the signall; haue you prepared your selues, and been forward to fight like good and valiant souldiers, or haue you not? When such a point as this, concerning our dutie, is taught, we can neuer apply it with fruit vnto our selues, vnlesse wee begin thus to search and inquire into our selues, how we haue performed our dutie. No sound humiliation, no true comfort, will arise to the soule from hearing the Word of God, vn­lesse we consider our owne wayes, and rightly informe our selues of our carriage, in what sort we haue practised that, that God hath enioyned vs. This dutie, you see, is plainely inioyned, many soun reasons doe confirme it, many eui­dent texts doe bind our consciences vnto it. [Page 164]Gods will is manifest, wee should therefore de­mand of our owne soules, Haue I been obedient to these commandements, or haue I not? Haue I been carefull of doing Gods will, or haue I not?

2. Many men remaine ignorant of their owne estates, and liue in the continual neglect of good duties, and yet perceiue not their owne faulti­nesse, because they neuer take paines to look vn­to their wayes, and to doe that, that Dauid saith, would clense their wayes, euen to take heed vn­to them, according to the Word of God. There be a number, which please themselues in a good opinion of themselues, and take it for granted, that they be good Christians; when indeed they are nothing lesse then that, for which they doe account themselues; and the cause of this mista­king, is ignorance and heedlesnesse, either they know not what is the dutie of a good Christian, or they neuer aske of themselues, how they haue discharged that dutie. We haue done our best, to helpe you against ignorance in this matter, and to make you see plainely what you should doe. We are now to perswade you to help your selues against carelesnesse, by trying your selues at the true touchstone, that you may rightly dis­cerne of your owne estates, and not bee guilty of negligent omission, without knowing it. I pray you Brethren, what shall it profit your selues, to call your selues after the name of Christ, if you haue no good assurance, that that honourable Name doth of right appertaine vnto you? It is easie to clothe ones selfe with the outward habit [Page 165]of true religion, and to put on the garments of externall profession of piery: but all these must be pulled from vs at last, we must be stripped of formes and shew, and found to be such as we are indeed, and not such as wee haue barely appea­red. If thou haue carried the name and face of a souldier of Chrit Iesus, and yet haue not fought for him according to the militarie oath and Sa­crament, wherein thou hast tyed thy selfe vnto him, he will giue thee no prayse, nor no wages, for hauing abused his name and his colours, and made a faire shew to no purpose.

3. Wel then, Brethren, it is altogether needful as to doe, so to know whether wee haue done the part of good souldiers; and this wee cannot know aright, vnlesse wee doe well consider of our selues. The soule of man if farre in loue with it selfe, and will soone iustifie it selfe with­out cause, and beguile it selfe with vaine words, saying, I haue not sinned, when he hath sinned; and, I haue done my dutie, when I haue not. Saul boasted, 1 Sam. 15. that he had gone the way which God had sent him to, and done the work which God had set him about, and would not be conuinced by the bleating of those Sheepe, and lowing of those Oxen, that should haue been past bleating, and past lowing, if hee had done according to his sayings: yet hee did but coozen himselfe with a verie false conceite. Many a man spareth his lusts and corruptions, and they bleate and low in the eares of all men, and yet themselues will not heare them so, as to bee driuen from [Page 166]a fond conceite of themselues, that they bee mortified men indeed. We see how easie it is for a mortall and corrupt man, to entertaine a good opinion of himselfe without ground. But now let mee bee bold to vse the words of the Apostle in another case, let no man deceiue his owne selfe, and be not deceiued; for God is not mocked. How is it then, my Brethren? Be you mortified men, or be you not? Know well what this thing is, afore you say, you are mortified, or the contrarie. A wanne countenance, a look cast downe, nicenesse in some externall formes of diuine Seruice, a rough censuring of others, a busie finding fault with euery man, austeritie of carriage, and sowre censoriousnesse, these are not points of mortification; it is the killing of our owne sinnes, by the power of the Word of God and Prayer. It is to seare our selues, and watch ouer our selues with such vigilance, till wee haue been able at least to forbeare the practice of grosse faults vsually, and the allow­ance of all, it is this, I say, that is meant by mortification.

4. Now let me examine each of your soules in Gods stead. What paines hast thou taken, and doest thou take, against thy secret and most beloued Lusts? What Prayers? What Meditations? What feare? What care? What watching? What abridging of thy selfe? What circumspection hast thou vsed to make sinne dye? What cost and toyle, as it were (for without cost and toyle, warre can neuer bee [Page 167]maintained) hast thou been at, in warring against the enemies of God, and of thine owne soule? Where be thy victories against pride and vaine­glorie, against enuie and reuenge, against wrath and bitternesse, against lust and wantonnesse, against worldlinesse and couetousnesse, against guile and deceite, and the other troope of lusts that doe swarme in the liues of men? Shew me some of these sinnes lying dead at thy feete, or bleeding, and ready to die, much mangled, and much wounded. Where are thy heapes vpon heapes, as once Samson said, seeing thy wea­pons are farre sharper, then the Iaw-bone of an Asse, that hee was driuen to make a wea­pon of? Thou professest to bee a Christian, that is to say, a fouldier of Iesus Christ our Lord: Goe to then, if thou wouldest be coun­ted a valiant and a good souldier, canst thou say of thy selfe, as they sang of Dauid once; Saul hath slaine his thousand, and Dauid his tenne thou­sand? At least, Canst thou bring mee to one Sisera, whose head thou hast pierced, and made to lye groueling vpon the ground before thee? Brethren, consider whether you haue done any such spirituall exploit, or no, and thinke not well of your selues without cause. It is not vsing bigge words, and making frayes, that makes a good souldier, but killing the ene­mies of the Prince. What one or more of these mortall foes of God, and of thy soule, haue lost their liues by thine hands? A man may, if hee will, know whether he haue killed his sins, [Page 168]yea or not. It is not so ouer-hard to find, whe­ther sinne haue receiued its deaths wound, by our skilfull and valiant vsing of the spirituall weapons, wherewith Christ hath furnished vs; or whether it yet doe walke healthily, liuely, and at libertie within vs. I say, this is not so hard a thing to find, but that wee may find it, if wee will not wittingly beguile our owne selues.

CHAP. XII. Containing the second vse of the point for hu­miliation of them, that haue not perfor­med this dutie at all, or not in due measure.

Vse 1 ANd in the next place, The carelesse re­proued, and humbled. so many as haue been negligent in this war­fare, must suffer themselues to bee reprooued, and to bee humbled by reproofe: for which purpose you must know, that there are two degrees of offen­ding in this matter. There are some that haue no care at all to kill sinne, but rather striue to saue it from death. There are others that haue too little care.

2. Among those that goe for good Christi­ans in their owne esteeme, there are many that count it enough to keepe themselues from the blame and shame of such crimes, as the world condemneth, though they neuer warre against [Page 169]the lusts of their heart, and the inward corrupt affections of their euill soules, and the inordi­nate motions of their owne minds. Alasse, this is to take sinne prisoner a little, and to keepe it aliue for a ransome; this is not to kill it, this is far from mortification. There are some that content themselues in a few things to walke orderly, but for other faults, they excuse them, and defend them, and sooth them, and keepe them warme, and so fight for sinne, and doe not fight against it. There bee some, that if to ciuill righteous­nesse, they adde a forme of pietie, comming to Church at times appointed, receiuing the Sacra­ment, when others doe, saying their prayers morning and euening, and now and then rea­ding a Chapter in the Bible; if, I say, they doe thus much, they count themselues excellent Christians, though they neuer did know what it meant, to bee in fight against their owne dis­tempered lusts and affections, nor euer took any paines in that kind, wherein mortification con­sisteth. There are some, that if they can out­strip the common sort a little, and keepe a course of religious exercises in the families, and flocke to heare good Sermons, and then bee hot and sharpe against Bishops and Ceremonies, and crie out against the faults of the times, and blame Magistrates and Ministers, and euery mans faults, with a great storme of words, that then doe count themselues Standerd-Bearers in the Campe of Christians, whereas they are not able to shew any sinfull lust and affection morti­fied [Page 170]in them, whereas they neither see nore care to see nor resist the wrath, pride, enuie, bitternes, worldlinesse, vnmercifulnesse, contempt of their brethren, and other foule vices, wherewith their liues are made to stinke in the nostrils of all that can smell any thing.

3. All these, my Brethren, all these, whateuer they may say and dreame of themselues, bee vn­mortified, and voyde of sanctitie. And whoso­euer amongst you is such an one, we assure him, that Christ will neuer acknowledge him for a good seruant, nor crowne him as a good soul­dier. Whatsoeuer man he be, of what wit and learning soeuer, of what tongue and speech soe­uer, of whatsoeuer forwardnesse in religion o­therwise, and of whatsoeuer strictnesse in out­ward matters, if the corrupt lusts of his heart lye quiet within him, if the foule vices which origi­nall sinne haue planted in him, doe liue at peace within his soule, and hee neither obserueth nor bewaileth, nor subdueth them; I dare boldly say, that man is but a whited tombe, and a pain­ted sepulchre. Many men please themselues much, because they haue a quarrell to other mens faults: but deale blowes as freely that way as thou wilt, if thou doe not strike as fiercely at thine owne members, thou art no better then Iehu, though in thy wrath against others, thou shewest as much furie, as did Iehu in his march­ing against Ahab, and as much (as thou coun­test it) zeale, as hee did against Ahabs Family, and Baals Priests.

4. But there are some of Gods Saints that fight in this battaile, but with a very faint hand, pursuing their lusts, as Israel did the Philistims, 1. Sam. 14.24. when Sauls rash oath had made them almost to starue themselues for hunger, as it were, with a languishing foote and hand. They set against finnes, sometimes, but not often, not continually; they doe not count it the maine matter, as soul­diers doe, and let all other things giue place to that: they are more eager against the faults of others, then against their owne faults, though some paines they take this way too. They see some corruptions, and resist; but they are not di­ligent enough, in striuing to find out all their euill inclinations, and to set against them. I know not how you may better find it, then words can expresse it, but they fight against many sinnes, but by the haules. Hence it comes to passe, that they doe catch many wounds, and breake out diuers times, into many such words and deeds, that doe both blemish them, and vexe them much, and yet they cannot take warning, but because other things doe diuert them from the studie of mortification, they grow slacke and re­misse againe. Doubtlesse, my Brethren, he that behaues himselfe coldly in this fight, is but a weake Christian, whateuer knowledge he haue gotten, and whateuer name of forwardnesse he hath attained. And sure, many that are of great note, because they can speake well, are yet here­by proued not to be strong men, but euen babes in Christ at best: for alasse, how farre are they [Page 172]from hauing put to death pride, passion, enuy, lust, worldinesse, and other corruptions; yea, how much and often doe these sinnes preuaile against them? O, let vs see our weakenesse in this: for not as wee know and can speake, so is our goodnesse, but as wee can mortifie the members that are vpon the earth. It is not brauery of speech that makes a good souldier, but the blood of his enemies falling before him.

5. Now therefore to both these neglecters of mortification, to him that neglects, it altoge­ther, and to him that neglects it very much, let me turne my speech as sharpely as I can, but dif­ferently according to their different offences. To thee that satisfiest thy selfe, in keeping sinne a little close, or at best, a little vnder, and to thee, that makest a formalitie in Religion thine vt­most mortification, and to thee that makest a lit­tle flash of heate against those, that thou callest the corruptions of the times, the highest degree of thy striuing against finne, giuing not truce alone, but peace, to pride, vanity, earthlines, idle­nesse, bitternesse, reuenge, and other like sinnes; thou art but an errand dissembler, I pray thee know it, and I pray thee be ashamed of it. If thou commest to the Word, and it doe not shew thee the foule sinnes of thine heart, and make thee striue against them; If thou prayest with o­thers, or by thy selfe, and thy prayers doe not procure light to see, and strength to o­uercome thine owne inward corruptions; [Page 173]beleeue it, what-euer thine owne selfe-loue, or the false opinion of others may tell thee, thou art but an hypocrite. O, now take it to heart, and be grieued and ashamed, that thou hast all this while liued in shew a Christian, indeed a Gentile; in shew a child of God, indeed a child of the deuill; in a shew an heyre of Heauen, in­deed an heyre of perdition.

6. And all you that haue been somewhat care­full of mortification, but that somewhat hath been farre too little, and therefore you find your lusts yet verie strong within you, because your paines hath not been verie earnest and constant to subdue them, I pray heare, and receiue re­proofe. What meane you to deale so foolishly for your selues, so vnthankefully with God? What meane you to liue liues so vncomfortable and distracted, so vnheauenly, so vnhonourable, when you might gaine comfort, settlednes, ho­nour, and a little heauen to your selues by morti­fication? For the most part, your sharpnes vnduly against other men (sometimes for these things that be faults, and sometimes also for those that be not) is the chiefe cause of your remaining so much vnmortified, because you fight too much abroad, therefore you fight too little at home, and lose so much at home. What, meane you to bee many masters? What meane you to be teaching euerie bodie, more then you selues? What meane you to be prying into your Gouer­nors, & your neighbors, & euery body but your selues? and by being busie-bodies in other mens [Page 174]matters (as it most times fals out) to hinder the thrift of your owne soules? Fault-finding abroad is one of the greatest enemies to mending of faults at home. Now, I say, what meane you to deale so foolishly for your selues, as to keepe so much adoe about that, that lesse (if at all) con­cernes you; and to bee so remisse in your owne bosomes, that your owne sinnes bee as strong as other mens, and perhaps, stronger, though you see them not? What, to bring water to quench another mans house, when thine owne doth burn as fast as his? And now why dost thou deale so euill with the Lord they God, as not to pursue these enemies to death, which hee hath giuen thee to pursue? Thy chiefe worke is, to mortifie thine owne sinnes. Hath God promised thee comfort here, and glorie hereafter, if thou wilt crucifie thine owne lusts? Hath hee called thee to be his child, inroled thee into his booke, gi­uen thee the earnest of his Spirit, and the pay of some present Ioy in hope, and all this to hear­ten thee, in cutting off the members vpon earth, and wilt thou be still so carelesse in it? O, now humble thy selfe before the Lord, and be great­ly sorry, Ioel 2.1, 2. that thy lusts bee yet so strong within thee. God sent a Prophet to Israel to chide them, for that they had not destroyed the Ca­naanites, according to his Commandement, by the hand of Moses, and they finding themselues guiltie, lift vp their voyces, and wept, and the place from thence was called Bochim, that is, The place of weepers. I come in Gods name to [Page 175]reproue thee, for that thou hast not with due care rooted out the euill brood, the naturall in­habitants, as it were, of thine owne euill heart; now therefore at leastwise bee humbled, and mourne for this thy carelesnesse.

CHAP. XIII. Containing the third vse of the point, an exhorta­tion to reforme the former negligence hereafter.

Vse. 3 BVt let it not suffice you to be sorrie for your faults a little for the pre­sent, Exhortation to more diligence. make your humiliation so thorow and sound, that it may bring forth reformation. All you that baue hitherto gone along in your sins with­out any care at all to mortifie them, now bee in­treated to buckle on your harnesse, and to learne to fight. It will not serue the turne for your soules health, that you represse your sinnes from breaking out scandalously to the eye of the World. It will not serue the turne, that you cast out such faults from your liues, as would scarce be tolerated in Heathens; you must fight against all sinnes, inward sinnes, secret lusts, hidden cor­ruptions, and those that most men count no­thing; you must fight against the sinnes that are most deare to you, and that you haue loued best, and followed most, and that Nature makes you most vnwilling and vnable to resist; you must [Page 176]fight against the sinnes of your owne age, and your owne constitution, and your owne estate, and your owne condition.

2. Now, I pray you, set to the workes, learne of God to know your right enemies, and to fight against them. Bee not afraid, because wee talke of fighting the fight shall be without dan­ger, for in this case the onely perill is, not to fight. In other battailes, he that runs away, doth often scape better, then he that stands to it: but in this battaile, whosoeuer flyes, dyes, and hee a­lone escapeth with life, that fights it out to the last. It is a noble quarrell, to fight for life and li­bertie against a meere vsurper, that hath no man­ner of title, and yet would make you slaues. Sin hath none interest to you; the Deuill is not your Creator, that hee should make himselfe your your Prince and your God. These lusts against which we exhort you to fight, they are the de­uils armies or garrisons, by which he holds you downe vnder his most vniust and tyrannical go­uernment. O, rebell, rebell against the deuill, kill his Garrisons, set your selues at libertie. Fight against worldlinesse, enuie, malice, pride, hypocrisie, wantonnesse, wrath; fight against them; resolue, that thou wilt neuer bee made a drudge by them, as thou hast been; that they shall not haue the command of thine heart, and thy tongue, and thine hand, as they haue had, but that now through the Grace of God, thou wilt cast away all these things. How thou shoul­dest fight, I haue shewed thee before: remem­ber [Page 177]those directions, and vse them, and bee hap­pie. O that any reasonable man, much more any Christian, should be so base-minded, and of such a seruile disposition, as to bee content to make himselfe a slaue to any wicked passion, to any sinfull lust, to any filthie vice, to any of the depu­ties of the Deuill, that rule for him, and vnder him. What say you, men and brethren, will you now set in to fight in good earnest, against all your sinnes? If you will, the Lord be with you, the Lord assist you, the Lord beate downe your foes before you, and we blesse you in his Name, in whose Name we haue exhorted you. If you will not, then hardly liue and die in thraldome for euer: for without this fight, there can be no libertie.

3. But now to those that haue been slacke and carelesse in this dutie, let mee sound an a­larme, Numb. 10.9. as the Priests with the siluer Trumpets in the Law, to reuiue their spirits, and put new hart into them, that they may with more zeale, and better courage, addresse themselues to this most honourable warre. Now, my Brethren, giue more diligence to the mortifying of your earth­ly members, and let nothing daunt you, or with­draw you from this battaile. Remember the words that Ioab spake to Abishai his brother, 2. Sam. 10.12. and make vse of them for this purpose: Let vs play the men for our People, and the Cities of our God, and let the Lord doe that, this is good in his sight. It is not for your Countrey, and for your Countrey-men that you fight, but for [Page 178]your owne immortall soules that you must play the men; and here the battaile is not yours, but Gods; and the successe is not doubtfull, but most certaine. Nothing can afford thee more comfort, then a constant resolution in this fight; nay, without such resolution, nothing can af­ford thee true comfort. By this thou shalt shew and know thy selfe to bee a true Christian, and procure to thy selfe an eternall Crowne of glo­rie. Remember the equitie of the cause, the ne­cessitie of the warre, the fruit that shall redound from it, and the certaine assistance, acceptance, and reward, that God himselfe will afford thee from Heauen. That prosperitie that thou hast already met with in this warre, hath done thee more good, then all the world besides can doe. Wouldst thou for a World be in the same serui­tude, which once thou wast, before thou tookest in hand the mortifying of these earthly mem­bers? More diligence shall bring thee a fuller victorie; and a fuller victorie shall bring thee larger consolation.

4. All that hot breath which men do spend, rather in blasting the names, then healing the faults of their Brethren (when they are bitter and tart in iudging and condemning them) will be no whit at all beneficiall to themselues; nay, neither themselues, nor others, are the better for this warring. Turne your edge another way, and enter freshly into the fight against your owne sinnes, and let other men alone. Indeed in this warre, as in the naturall, euery one must [Page 179]bee ready to lend aide, by seasonable admoniti­ons, vnto his fellow-souldiers also, but the maine worke is, no make good each his owne standing, and to repell the enemies which him­selfe is most assailed by. What words shall I vse to perswade you to this dutie? Your Cap­taine is Christ Iesus; your fellow-souldiers are all the Saints on earth, and the Saints in Hea­uen haue all giuen you an honourable example of fortitude and constancie; and your enemies be base Rebels, and vile Run-awayes. March on then valiantly, and vnder such a Captaine, with such fellow-souldiers; agaist such aduersaries, be ready to spend your vtmost endeauours. You haue but three enemies, that seeke to keepe you out of Heauen, and the other two may doe you some trouble, but hurt they can doe you none at all, if you keep the flesh downe, and put to death these members vpon earth. All the wicked men on earth, and all the wicked Feinds in Hell, can­not make vs guiltie of one euil word, or one euil thought, further then the corrupt flesh within doth take their part, and ioyne with their temp­tations and sollicitaion. These be the traytors that betray vs vnto Satan and the World. O, therefore vse them as traytors, pursue them, ap­prehend them, execute them. And so much for those, that in trying themselues, shall bee found either wholly, or in great part carelesse of this worke.

CHAP. XIV. Containing a consolation and encouragement to those that haue been, and are painefull in the dutie of Mortifi­cation.

Vse. 4 THere are also some, Comfort and in­couragement to all truly morti­fied men. I make no questi­on, which haue done the office of valiant men, and can looke vpon the carcasses of sinnes, as Samson did once of the dead Philistims. This worke, I know well, hath prooued painefull to them. It is a tedious businesse to fight against the things that corrupt nature loueth so well. But as any dutie that God requireth, doth stand vs in more labour, so shall it affoord vs more comfort here, and more blisse hereafter. He that hath begun the worke of mortification so farre (as I told you before, in speaking of the first de­gree of it) that now those sinnes which once raigned in him, are put downe from their regen­cie; and those corruptions that once have was a slaue vnto, are now deposed from their throne, as it were, and doe cease to command in his members, as once they did, hath much cause to reioyce in the saluation of GOD, al­though hee find these lusts still striuing, and labouring to recouer their ancient soueraign­tie.

2. It is certaine, that the Spirit of GOD doth rule in him, in whom sinne hath ceased [Page 181]to rule. Euerie man is vnder the command of the flesh, or of the Spirit: euerie man is sub­iect to the Lord, ruling in him by Grace, or to the Deuill ruling in him by lust. Satan is a verie strong man, and our owne lusts are his weapons, none can bind this man, and cast him out: but the Spirit of strength, of which Saint Iohn saith, Stronger is he that is in vs, 1. Iohn 4.4. then hee that is in the world. Wherefore if any man that was once vnder the yoke of wrath, lust, reuenge, couetousnesse, or any other vile affection, doe find now, that by feruent pray­ers to God, by the power of the Word in ho­ly meditations applied to him, and by vertue of the death of Christ, and other like spiritu­all meanes by him vsed, the Lord hath plea­sed to pull this yoke from off his necke, so as now, in stead of taking delight in the euill motions of sinne, hee is grieued in his soule, when such thoughts doe stirre in his soule, and ceaseth not to crie to Heauen, till he find them beaten backe againe, and doth not now yeeld vp himselfe to follow these things with greedinesse, but is vsually able to forbeare the palpable practice of sinne; and if hee be ouer­taken in any grosse manner, hee is greatly humbled and abased, and recouers himselfe with speedie confession, and lamentation, and renewing of his resolutions: If any man, I say, doe find the case to stand thus with him, hee hath in some measure fought and preuailed; and now blessed bee hee of the Lord, let [Page 182]him looke vpon the dead bodies of his lusts with much comfort, and let him triumph in God, that hath conquered for him; and let him encourage himselfe still to continue figh­ting, that still his soule may increase in strength, as the House of Dauid is said to haue done, and his sinnes may grow weaker and weaker, as it was said of the House of Saul.

3. My Brethren, this warre whereinto you are entred, must last for terme of life. The flesh and Spirit can neuer bee reconciled, there is no thinking of any peace, but that which will bee worse then dishonourable, euen dam­nable; and a sure warre, is much rather to be chosen, then an vnsure peace, much more then a peace, which will be surely mischieuous. Now by how much the warre will prooue of longer continuance, by so much had you need to put on more strength, that you may endure; and a great part of your strength must grow from your comforts in your good beginnings. Wher­fore now, let euerie true mortified man (ac­cording to the riddle that Samson once pro­pounded to his companions) fetch sweetnesse out of the strong, and meate out of the eater; let them find an Honie-combe in the carcasse of the Lyon which they haue slaine, and goe eating; let them, I meane, take great conso­lation in the sight of their happie proceedings in this heauenly worke.

4. There bee some Worthies of Israel, that haue lifted vp their speares against many hun­dreds [Page 183](as it were) and left them all dead in the place: the hearts of such doe nto much need to bee wished to take comfort. The content they find, in perceiuing the strength of sinne so much abated in them, is vnspeakeable. Da­uid was no more full of ioy, when hee saw Goliah come tumbling to the ground, then are their soules, when they looke vpon this slaugh­ter, that God hath inabled them to make a­mong their lusts. No man is able to set forth in words, the ioy that growes to a man, who is hard set to by a cruell enemie, (of whom hee lookes for nothing but death, vnlesse hee preuent it by giuing death) when hee sees him fall downe wounded, and gasping for breath. O, with what a countenance and cheere, did Iael runne to meete Barak, and to bring him to the sight of dead Sisera? Surely the content of a spirituall man, in his spirituall victories, when now his sinnes are euen breathing their last (as I may so speake) is no whit lesse; yea, it is much more solid, then that of such a con­querour. Those that haue happily passed the brunt of this battaile, and haue their enemies in the flight, rather then the conflict, are (and haue cause to bee) the chearefullest of all men, they bee like souldiers pursuing their foes with that ioyfull shoute of victorie, victorie in their mouthes, and they enioy the comfort of their former labour with much thankefulnesse.

5. But there are other some, that haue not yet attained so much strength, nor gotten so [Page 184]much ground against their foes. They are now, as it were, in the verie hottest of the skirmish, the bullets flie about their eares, as I may so speake, and their corruptions are violent with­in them, and doe often with great strength hale them, and draw them captiue to the law of sinne, which is in their members. They do sometimes get the better, and beate back euill desires, and find themselues mightily resolued to sinne no more: at other times, euill desires doe mightily afflict them, and they are well­neere readie to faint and fall, scarce able to retaine their purpose of goodnesse, scarcely able to hold out in their resolution of not sin­ning; yea, it may bee contrarie to their reso­lutions, pulled by the flesh to do the euill that they hate; but then feeling themselues woun­ded, they smart, and bleed, and struggle with their foe, and get vp againe, and againe be­take themselues to their weapons of prayer and meditation, which were almost wrested out of their hands for a time, and come cry­ing and mourning before the Throne of Grace, begging pardon, begging helpe, and so againe confirme their Faith, and renew their repen­tance, and make vp the breaches of their new obedience. These poore Saints (like souldiers, whose enemies doe yet hold their owne, and make strong resistance) are often full of feare, and care, and doubt, their hearts often droope, and they mistrust sometimes, lest they shall bee vanquished, rather then ouercome. Let [Page 185]mee therefore apply my speech to he encou­ragement of those that need encouragement. I say vnto thee whosoeuer; that art in this case, that thy case is good and happy, and that thou hast much cause of reioycing in God, notwithstanding all the trouble and cumber that thou findest with thy sinnes. It is a bles­sed thing, and a great and vnspeakeable fauour of God, that to what lusts thou didst once do seruice with all thy might, those thou now opposest with all thy might; what corruptions thou didst follow with greedinesse, thou doest as it were with greedinesse resist; what thou didst once place thine happinesse in do­ing, now it is thy greatest vnhappinesse, that thou art inclined to doe. This, I say, is an estate that should giue thee much comfort. Once thou didst serue sinne; now thou figh­test against sinne: once thou wast a willing slaue to it; now thou art a resolute souldier against it. Thou fallest into sinne verie sel­dome, which thou didst runne into verie vsu­ally. Thou fallest into farre lesse euils of that kind, wherein thou didst once commit farre more grieuous; and now the least degrees of sinne doe more disquiet thee, then once the highest did; and now thou lettest not so much as the thought of that goe vnconfessed and vn­lamented before God, the grossest act of which thou wast wont to hide, and couer, and ex­cuse, and not to confesse. Take courage to thy selfe therefore, and enioy the beginnings [Page 186]of victorie, and bee assured of the conclusion. Thou art now in killing sinne, and thou shalt kill it; thou art now busie in the conflict, and thou shalt deuide the spoile.

6. Now, all ye suldiers of Christ Iesus, that find in your selues the beginnings of mortifica­tion, and a firme purpose of soule to continue, resisting, striuing, fighting, blesse God, that hath giuen you his Spirit of libertie in some measure, and apply your selues now with all your might, to consummate the worke begun: Let not your hands waxe feeble, nor your hearts faint. Re­member the words of the Apostle, 1. Cor. 16.13. Watch yee, stand fast, quit you like men, be strong. He that con­tinueth to fight, shall surely ouercome. Let no doubt seize vpon you, to weaken your hands: the Lord your God he fighteth for you: beleeue his promises, giue credit to his Word, and you shall prosper. Take comfort in your estate that haue entred into the battaile. The young men and the babes in Christ, which haue not yet so mightily preuailed in this warre, are happie, as well, though they doe not so fully feele their happinesse, as the old beaten souldiers, and an­cient Captaines, to whom a larger measure of successe hath giuen a larger sense of comfort. The weakest and feeblest of all Christs souldi­ers, that layes at sinne with as much strength as his weake armes can, that beares a spight to it in his soule, that resolues neuer to yeeld to it, whateuer come of him, and that wil neuer make peace with it, though hee may take foyles by [Page 187]it, nor neuer yeeld vp himselfe into its hands, thought hee may bee wounded, hee doth morti­fie the members that are vpon earth, and hee is, and let him know himselfe to be happy, that comfort may make him more coura­gious, and courage may make him more comfor­table.

[...].

CHAP. I. Opening the Text, and shewing, and prouing the doctrine, viz. that we ought to lay to heat the sinnes of o­thers.

THE Prophet of God, the Author of this most hea­uenly Psalem, inthis part of it, proceedeth in his me­ditations after this order. First, he makes way to his petitions, by professing his diligent care of Gods Law, Vers. 129, 130, 131. Secondly, he propounds his petitions; for mercy, Vers. 132. directi­on, 133, deliuerance, 134. feeling of Gods fa­uour, 135. Lastly, hee concludes his petitions, [Page 200]with professing his sorrow for other mens sins in these words. And this he puts also for a con­firmation of his faith, to assure himselfe, and (as one may say) to perswade the Lord, that hee should speed inhis suites: For it is great reason, that God should mercifully guide, deliuer, and comfort him, that doth take so hainously the dishonour done to God by other people. Wee haue here then to make the griefe of Dauid, set out by the quantitie and cause of it. The quan­titie is expressed in that hyperbolicall phrase, Riuers of waters runne downe mine eyes. Whereby is meant, that his sorrow was very great, and withall comstant, in that it did shew it selfe by continuall and abundant streames of teares. The cause is in these words; Because they keepe not thy Law. Not wrongs and persecutions against him­selfe, but sinne and wickednesse against God, did procure his great sorrow: or if he wept for the molestations and iniuries offered vnto himselfe, yet not so much considered in the nature of iniu­ries, as of sinnes. Let me therefore at this time be bold to presse vpon you a most needfull and excellent dutie, from the example of this holy man, we ought to lay to heart the sins of other men. viz. Doct. To lay to heart the sins of other men. All the seruants of God should imitate this one seruant of God in the cause, course, quantitie, constancy of his sorrowes, and set themselues to mourne heartily, earnestly, daily, for the trans­gressions of others, which their eyes doe see, and their eares doe heare. It should bee a corroziue to our soules, and an anguish to our spirlts, to be­hold, [Page 201]and know the dishonour that is done vnto our Maker, by the offences of our neighbours. Euerie good subiect is troubled, to see his fel­low subiects prooue Rebels; neither can any good and dutifull sonne or daughter, behold without sorrow, the rudenesse or vndutifulnesse of their brethren or sisters: nay, a seruant that is louing and obedient to his Master, is also sorrie at the heart, if his fellow-seruants shew them­selues stubburne, carelesse, and disobedient: so should it be with the faithfull subiects, dutifull children, and obedient seruants of the liuing God, their very soules should be filled with an­guish, and their countenances with sadnesse, for the rebellion, disobedience, wickednes of those amongst whom they liue. Not alone our owne offences, but those of our brethren also, should be as a loade and burden vpon our soules. Thus it is reported of Lot, 2. Pet. 2.8. that hee vexed his righteous soule from day to day, with seeing and hearing their vnlawfull deeds; speaking of his behauiour, when hee dwelt in Sodom. The impurities and vn­cleannesses of those brutish creatures, were euen as a racke vnto his soule, and he could not looke vpon their foule and lathsome, and yet com­mon and vsuall abominations, but that it did euen torture and torment his hart, no lesse then a racke would hjaue done his body. So when Ezra was informed of the sinne of them, Ezra 9.2, 3, 5, 6, &c. that had returned out of captiuitie; hee sits downe confounded, and fasts, and weepes, and mournes, and in the agonie of his soule, puls off the haire [Page 202]of his owne beard for griefe, and at last breakes foorth into a most lamentable and mournefull confession of that sinne. This Prophet also had professed before in the 53. verse of this Psalme, saying; Horror hath taken hold vpon me, because of the wicked which forsake thy Law. And Ieremiah pro­fesseth to the people, that if they would not hearken vnto him (to amend their liues accor­ding to the Word of God, which hee should speake, and had spoken) then his soule should weepe in secret places for their pride; Ier. 13.17. yea, his eye should weepe sore, and run downe with teares. The Apostle Paul likewise hearing of the incestuous Corinths a­bominable crime, and the great conniuency of the Church of Corinth towards him, did write a letter vnto them about this matter, as himselfe saith, 2. Cor. 2.4. out of much affliction and angish of heart, and with many teares. Lo, how bitter to the soule of the holy Apostle, the tidings of the Corinthian disorders were. He that for scourging, stocking, imprisonment, stoneing, and all heau persecu­tions, was scarce euer filled with anguish (but ra­ther reioyced in the same, and seemed to gather new life by the comming on of new miseries) is now exceedingly cast downe, and put into bit­ter weeping, and lamentation, for the wicked­nesse committed by one of that Church, and by the rest tolerated. Yea, our Sauiour Christ him­selfe (the best patterne of all holinesse and obedi­ence) did looke vpon the Pharises (as the Gos­pell tels vs) angerly indeed, Mark. 3.5. as their peruersenes and wilfulnesse did well deserue, but withall, [Page 203]mourning for the hardnes of their hearts. And it is also obserued of him, that comming to Ierusa­lem, he did euen weepe ouer it in great compas­sion, Luk. 19.41. because they had carelestly neglected the day of their visitation. You see proofe enough of the point: let vs further make it good vnto your soules, by cleere and euident reasons to be taken from foure heads: First, from the graces that ought to be in euery Christian heart, which cannot but procure this sorrow. Secondly, from the nature of sinne, which is to be sorrowed for. Thirdly, from the good effects that will grow from this sorrow. And lastly, from the euill ef­fects, that will follow vpon the want of this sor­row.

CHAP. II. Containing one reason of the point, from the graces which ought to be found in euerie godly man, and being found, cannot but work this sor­row: these are three; Loue to God, Loue to men, Hatred of sinne.

IT is agreed vpon by all, Reasons: first, from our loue to God. that the hearts of Gods Saints, ought to abound in fernent loue to the diuine Maiestie, in regard both of those infinite excellencies which are in his holy nature, and the innumerable de­monstrations thereof, as also of those great and many benefits, which they themselues doe re­ceiue [Page 204]from him. This loue cannot be separated from an earnest desire, that he may be honored, serued, obeyed, and in word and deed acknow­ledged and respected, according to his owne worth and greatnesse, and the multitude and greatnesse of his mercies. Now there is such a naturall sympathy betwixt the affections of mans heart, and they are so mutually subordina­ted each to other in their workings, as it is not possible, but that loue to any person, and desire that he should be well dealt withall, must needs rayse vp griefe and sorrow vpon the beholding of the quite contrarie: For loue must needs be­get hatred, and abhorring of those things, that tend to thy hurt, and dishonour of the partie lo­ued, because he that loueth, cannot choose but esteeme and account them euill, yea, and very euill, and if that thing bee present with any man which he hateth, and reputeth euill, it must of necessitie stirre vp in him a measure of sorrow proportionable to his hatred. Wherefore this griefe must beare witnesse to the truth of that loue, which, we say, wee beare vnto the liuing God, and must iustifie all those protestations, which wee are ready to make, of hauing abun­dant good will vnto him. For it is in vaine to say, we loue, if we bring not forth the effects of loue. It is but painted and imaginarie fire, which yeeldeth forth neither heate nor light: so it is but tongue-loue, and lip-affection (which is good for nothing but to beguile our selues, and make vs better conceited of our selues, then [Page 205]there is cause) that produceth not the true and proper fruites of loue.

Furthermore, wee doe know and confesse, Loue to men. that our loue to God, must alwayes bee ioyned with the loue of our brethren, euen of all that are made of the same flesh with our selues. I meane, our hearts must bee settled in a liking of them, and desire of their welfare, as of Gods creatures, to whom he hath pleased to vnite vs in many bonds. For though the Lord doe al­low, yea, and command vs, to hate the workers of iniquitie (as they well deserue, because they commit hate-worthy actions,) yet this hatred must not be any habituall inclination, or moti­on of the will to their hurt, but alone a stirring vp of the affection of dislike against them, or not brooking them, in regard of the euill which they commit; which may well stand, and must euer be ioyned with the vertue of Christian cha­ritie, whereby out of a liking of them, as Gods creatures, we are alwayes prompt, and ready to wish and seeke their good. Now if we do thus loue them, must it not needs grieue vs to see that, which we know to be harmefull and mis­chieuous to them? Loue cannot choose but breed a fellow-feeling compassion, a sympathi­zing commiseration, and sensiblenesse of the losse, euill, damage, miserie, of the partie loued. Wherefore sinne being (as in the next reason we are to shew) a most dangerous and hurtful thing to the soules of them that commit it, it cannot but call for our sorrow, yea, much sorrow, and [Page 206]many teares, whensoeuer we behold it.

Againe, Loathing of sin. euery Christian man should haue his heart possessed with a loathing, detestation, and hatred of sinne, that being indeed the first and principal, and most immediate obiect of hatred, we may call it the chiefe odious thing, in regard of which alone, it is lawful to hate other things, neither is any thing further hatefull, then as it doth some way or other participate of sinne: misery being alone hatefull so farre, as it is an effect and concomitant of sinne, from which if it be separated (as in the case of suffering for wel­doing) it is euen louely and desireable; but what­soeuer doth sauour of sinne, in as much as it is sinfull, is hatefull also; and therefore the Word of God commands vs, to be haters of euill. And if a man doe neuer so much forbeare sinne out of other considerations of the inconueniences that insue it, not out of a loathing of it, in as much as it is a contrariety to the will and glory of God, the chiefe good: (for indeed sinne alone is pro­perly contrarie to God, as hauing no manner of dependance vpon him, nor similitude of him, nor any other relation to him, but alone as con­traries be relatiues, and as crimes haue reference to the Iudge that is to punish them,) I say, if in this respect of loathing sinne as sinne, wee for­beare it not, our forbearance of it, is not a thing formally good, it is not truly nor sincerely good, but alone good inshew, a practice of hy­pocrisie, a carcasse or painting of goodnesse. It being then a thing so absolutely needfull to hate [Page 207]sinne, as that wee cannot say, we haue Gods Image, vnlesse we resemble him in this (for hee hateth sinne with a perfect hatred,) it is therfore also necessarie, that we grieue for sinne: for the presence of a thing lothsome and detested, can­not be separated from griefe; griefe being no­thing else but a contraction and paining of the heart at an euill thing present, and that must needs bee confessed euill, which is accounted hatefull. So then we shall falsely affirme, that we hate euill, if we sorrow not to see it commit­ted. There are some things, which in nature a man abhorreth, and cannot away withall (as some cannot endure a Cat, some a Mouse, some a Frog, or the like;) now when such a loathed thing, doth of force, and whether he will or no, draw neere to any person; experience will tell vs, how grieuous it is vnto him; hee cryes, and shreekes, and starts, and shewes an extremitie of the passion of sorrow; and if he cannot flie from it, his whole body will weepe, as it were, in a kind of cold sweat, as if the weeping of the eye were too little. So if sinne be amongst the num­ber of things, that we cannot away withall, that we do loath, detest, and haue in abomination, we shall surely testifie our abhorring it, by a sadnes, heauines, deiectednesse, contraction, contrition, troublednesse, falling, melting and mourning of our spirits, when wee cannot choose but see it committed; for betwixt grace and sinne, there is as true an antypathy, as betwixt a mans nature and a toade. And therefore so much grace (I [Page 208]meane, sanctifying Grace) as we haue in vs; so much sorrow must we needs haue for sinne. So haue you the first reason of the point, consider the second, which wee fetch from the nature of sinne.

CHAP. III. Containing another reason of the doctrine, gathe­red from the nature of sinne.

Reas. 2 SInne is, of all things in the World, the most and greatest euill, From the nature of sinne, which separa­ting the person in whom it ruleth, from the Sea and Fountaine of goodnesse. We may call it, after a sort, the first and chiefe euill, by participation with which, all that is euill, doth become euill; as God himselfe is the first and chiefe good, by participation with whom, all things that are good, doe become so. For first, sinne doth most of al things (yea, solely and alone) crosse, thwart, contradict, dishonours God. and so wrong and dishonour, and so offend, prouoke and anger; yea, and after a sort, grieue, trouble, and vexe the Lord God of Hea­uen: for God himselfe is not afraid to tell vs, that he is grieued with mens wickednesse; that he is laden with them, as a Cart with Sheaues; yea, that men doe wearie him with their iniqui­ties; yea, that it grieued him at his heart that he had made man, when hee saw his wickednes. It is certaine, that the Lords excellencie is such, [Page 209]and so infinite, that no perturbation cna befall him, to the diminishing of his happinesse and blisse, let all the sinners in the World both doe and say, whateuer wickednesse they can. But yet still sinne is a thing of that nature, as doth directly tend to the disquieting, troubling, and hurting of him, by casting him out of his throne, by wresting his authoritie out of his hands, by setting his creature in his roome, and preferring the will and pleasure of the creature (which is lesse then nothing) before his will and pleasure, that is more then all things. All this the sinner doth, as it were, proffer and assay to doe, though he cannot effect it: For sinne is nothing but an opposition of the reasonable creature, to the au­thoritie and commanding will of the Creator. And therefore if it were not, because the Lord out of his endlesse and vnmatchable power, is able to ease, content, honour, nad glorifie him­selfe on the sinner, by a iust and deserued punish­ment of the sinne, and by causing the way of the wicked to perish, as the Psalmist speaketh, it would certainly prooue, euen a very vexation, misery, and hurt vnto him. So sinne is the fou­lest thing in all the World, offering and attemp­ting to do the greatest mischiefe in the World, euen to put the Lord besides his Kingdome, and to rob him of his Soueraigne authoritie and power; and should not a Child of God be grie­ued to see such a thing as this committed? If we see a man offering to wound, cut, stab, kil a child, a friend, a neighbour, a stranger; griefe doth [Page 210]amaze vs, we cry out, and our heart bleeds with griefe. The sinner (especially by grosse and pre­sumptuous sinning) doth, as it were, strike at God, endeuours to pierce, wound, and (let it bee spoken with reuerence, to shew the horrible euil of sinne) after a sort, to kill him: for his Beeing and Soueraigntie must needs both stand and fall together, and sinne doth directly set against his Soueraigntie: so that if a sinner could haue his will, the Lord should bee King of all the earth no longer. O hatefull and horrible thing! And shall this horrible wrong be offered to the Di­uine Maiestie, in the sight and hearing of one of his children and subiects, and hee not crie out againstit, and bee pained at the very soule for it?

Furthermore, sinne is the most banefull and mischieuous thing to the creature, that can be imagined, both to the persons selfe that doth commit it, and also to the place and Nation, in which it is committed. Hurts the sinner. Vpon the committers soule (not to name inferiour punishments) it bringeth vnauoydably (vnlesse griefe and sor­row come betwixt) the intolerable torment of Gods infinite and vnconceiueable wrath, and indignation; causing, that so sure as there is a God, so sure shall the soule of euery man that aduentureth vpon it, be for euer tortured and fried in the fierie and vnquenchable flames of Hell, vnlesse repentance (that is, an heartie sor­row for it, and a carefull amendment of it) doe preuent to danger. Christ hath said it long [Page 211]agoe; These shall goe into euerlasting fire, and in Hell their worme dyeth not, nor their fire goeth out. Dauid affirmed as much before in substance, saying; Vpon the wicked he shall raine snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall bee the portion of their cup. Paul hath confirmed as much, saying; Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon euerie man that doth euill. And againe: For these things sake, the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience. Shall we see a man offer to teare out his owne bowels, to cast himselfe into the middest of the Sea, to leape into an hot fierie furnace, and not be har­tily sorrowfull at it? Now what doth euery sinner, but prepare an huge fire, by piling on huge heapes of wood, wherein his soule and bo­dy must afterwards be burnt for euer; the anger and iustice of God, turning all into a flame, that neuer shall be quenched? Can any man know, beleeue, and consider all this euill to follow from sinne, and not bewaile bitterly, to see his brother rush into it?

Moreouer, Hurts the land where sinne is committed. for the whole Land where sinne is committed, it is thereby made obnoxious to all the miseries, that this world can bring forth; Sword, Famine, Pestilence, all these come after to purge away sinne, if teares doe not first wash away the staines thereof. This is that, that sets open the flood-gates of Gods vengeance, and causeth it to emptie it selfe vpon a Nation, and maketh it to breake in vpon them, like the brea­ches of the Sea, which cannot be stopped. This [Page 212]causeth the Lord in wrath to turne men ouer to ciuill and open discord, whereby they fall a kil­ling each other, till the streetes doe swim with gore blood, and the earth be hidden, and as it were, buried with carcasses. Hence it commeth, that the Sword hath commission to destroy, and deuoure; that the ancient man is pierced tho­row, the young child tossed vpon a speare, and his braines dashed out against the stones; and the virgin first rauished, and after hath her guts ript out. Warre, with all the bloodie mischiefes and insufferable insolencies thereof, doe follow vpon sinne, till a Citie be turned into a ruinous heape, and a populous Countrie changed into a Wildernes, and put ouer to Owles and Hedge­hogs, and vncleane birds and beasts to inhabite: and neuer was there Towne, Citie, or Country, where sinne was boldly and impenitently com­mitted, but sooner or later, Gods glittering Sword was sheathed in the bowels of it. Hence are all the stirs and tumults that al Nations haue groaned vnder. This hath made the earth to stagger like a drunken man, and the inhabitants thereof to reele vp and downe, like men ouer­come of wine. This is that which casts the World into a very frenzy, and puts the sonnes of men vpon the mad humour of quarrelling and killing each other by thousands, and tenne thousands at a time. This also causeth the Lord to send the destroying Angell against a Coun­trie, and giue him charge to lay about him fiercely, smiting and killing (as it hath befalne, [Page 213]euen in our owne times and sight) diuers thou­sands in one weeke, within the compasse of one Citie? How many more then in the whole Nation? The sweeping Pestilence, and other infectious diseases, doe come in pursuite after sinfull men, and sinfull deedes; and flying in at the windowes, doe emptie the houses of men, and Townes of inhabitants, till none bee left to walke in the streetes, and trauaile in the high­wayes thereof. And neuer yet was there, neuer shall there be a sinfull and wicked Nation, but (one time or other, in the fittest season, when their sinnes are growne ripe) the Lord hath, or will dispatch his Messenger, riding vpon the pale Horse of Plague, together with him that rides on the red Horse of Warre, to auenge the quarrell of his Couenant vpon it: yea, for this also, the blacke Horse of Famine is appointed to ioyne himselfe with the other two, to make yet a more full riddance, and take a more full vengeance. Dearth, famine, and scantnesse, want of bread, cleanenesse of teeth and emptinesse, and the lingring consumption and pining away of the body, for want of victuall: these tormen­ting euils doe come on the World, to punish the wickednesse of the World. The bellies and backes, and all the limmes and ioynts of mens bodies, must wring, and bee pinched for it, be­cause all did ioyne together, and abuse them­selues in committing it. Sinne doth sometimes shut vp the bottles of Heauen, and make the Sun (as it were in an anger) to burne vp Corne and [Page 214]Grasse, and the necessarie prouision for mans sustenance. Sometimes againe, it doth open the same bottles ouer-long, and causeth the clouds as in a rage, to drowne vp the fruits of the earth, that men and beasts should feede vpon. This also makes the earth it selfe, as it were, hard­hearted to mankind, and (euen quite and cleane against her proper disposition) to refuse to yeeld her encrease for their vse. Neither was there euer a Nation vnder Heauen, of what profession soeuer, Christian or Heathen, but that the Lord hath taken his fit times, to discouer his anger a­gainst their sinnes, by with-holding from them the fruites of Nature, and pinching them with scarcitie, in stead of abundance. And that is of­ten fulfilled, which the Psalmist singeth; A fruitefull Land is made barren for the transgres­sions of them that dwell in it. Sinne hath slaugh­tred, poysoned, starued millions of millions of men, and sent to violent and vntimely ends, in­numerable thousands of reasonable creatures and beasts. Sinne turnes loose Fire, and Water, and Heauen, and Earth, Sunne and Moone, and Beasts, and all Creatures, and makes them all to fight against Man to destroy him; and (which is more mischieuous) it turnes them loose one vpon another, to employ their reason and strength to their mutuall ruine and ouerthrow. What was that, that drowned the old World? burnt vp Sodom, and the Cities adioyning? consumed the Canaanites out of their good Land? laid waste Babel, Edom, Moab, Ammon, [Page 215]and all the other Countries, yea, of Iewrie and Ierusalem too? and often (to come neerer to our selues) the Cities and Countries of this our owne Nation? Was it not sinne? What, I say, hath burnt vp so many houses and townes, spoi­led so much goods and treasure, murdered so many men and women, and done such vnspeake­able mischiefe in the World? But euen this foule, loathsome, odious, and abominable thing, which we call sinne, the very proper parent and grand-dame of all that euill, that all creatures lye vnder. For lying, and swearing, and who­ring, and murder, and fraud, and oppression; for ignorance and profanenesse; for idolatrie and superstition; for swearing, and cursing, and other abominations, the God of Heauen hath a quar­rell with the men on earth, and empties his qui­uer of arrowes, and sends out all his Hostes and Armies, to cut them in pieces, fighting against their bodies, goods, liues, soules, and all, till hee haue spoyled them of al comforts here, and sent them to yell, and roare, and crie, and weepe, and gnash their teeth in Hell hereafter, where their sinnes shall be no longer a griefe vnto him, be­cause he hath auenged, and, as it were, comfor­ted himselfe in the execution of his infinite and perfect Iustice vpon them. O my Brethren! haue we not said enough, to make you perceiue, that it was not without cause, that Dauid made his eyes to gush out riuers (and that you should make your eyes doe the like) for such a thing as this?

CHAP. IV. Containing a third reason of the doctrine, from the good effects of this mour­ning.

Reas. 3 BVt let vs goe forward, to prouoke you yet with more reasons, From the good effects of mour­ning. to this holy and heartie mourning. These Riuers of teares doe giue so good content to God, and so refresh his soule, wearied with sinne (to speake after the manner of men,) that so long as there bee but euen a few of them running, his anger cannot waxe hot to burne against a Nation. Amongst what people there are found a competent num­ber of men that doe wayle, Preserues the Land. mourne, and lament for the common sinnes, this holy exercise of theirs doth (as we may speake) tye the hands of Gods Iustice for the time, that he will not strike that people with great seueritie. He is so abun­dantly pitifull and large in compassion, that hee cannot but deferre the execution of his wrath (so long as it may possibly stand with righteous­nesse to deferre it) vpon the feruent and humble petition of his poore seruants, that with sad hearts, and bended knees, doe crie vnto him, saying; O Lord, spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed; and, O Lord God, forgiue and cease, wee beseech thee; for who shall rayse vp Iacob, for he is smal? Let sin be as open and great, and crying, and clamorous as it will, yet if there [Page 217]be a conuenient nūber, fiftie, fortie, thirty, twen­tie, or perhaps but ten in a Citie, that crie, and weepe, and make bitter lamentation for it; none extremitie of publike iudgements likely shall come: Seldome doth God breake in vpon a people, till there be none, or in a manner none left to stand in the gap; and when the time ap­procheth, that hee hath a full purpose to doe a fearefull execution on a Land, then doth he take away the mourners, and deliuer the suruiuours vp to hardnesse of heart, and carnall mirth and iollity, that so he may haue a ful blow at it, when there is none to hinder, and without let powre forth all the vials of his wrath, when there is none stands vp to deprecate. O excellent fruit of lamentation for publike sinnes! it gets a repri­uall of an whole Towne or Countrie, and cau­seth, that the Lord will not suffer his furious in­dignation to ouerflow. So a man is a great be­nefactor to his Countrie, by powring forth his teares in this wise; and should not Christians, as well as (yea, more then) Heathens, shew them­selues true louers of their Country? But, Keepes the soule from infection. it doth likewise preserue the mourners selfe from in­fection of sinne, causing that it cannot seize vp­on his soule, to poyson it, as else the nature of it is to doe, so long as he continues to weepe and groane for it. In common plagues, there is great enquiring after preseruatiues. One commends Rue; another, Wormewood; a third, Holy-thi­stle; some this, some that, as their iudgement leades them. But beloued, the worst of all dis­eases, [Page 218]the most catching, the most contagious, the most apt to lay hold vpon all, that come within the breath of them that are ouer-runne with it, is sinne. The plague it selfe, and the most desperate of all plagues, is nothing so apt to leape from man to man, and house to house, as sinne is. The scabs among sheepe, the murraine among cattel, doe not more speedily ouerrunne the whole flocke and Herd, then wickednesse will doe an whole house, towne, and Countrie. Onely there is one most notable preseruatiue, which euery man carries about with him, which he need not take paines to seeke elsewhere, but in himselfe, nor be at cost to buy of any but him­selfe, and that is sorrow, griefe, teares, the same that the Psalmist here speakes of. And whosoe­uer he be, that can take but a reasonable draught of his owne teares, morning and euening, or but twice or thrice a weeke, yea, or seldomer, for the sinnes of the men, with whom hee liueth, shall neuer be infected with them, nor drawne by imitation, to like and practise them: for the soule will neuer agree to doe that it selfe, which it is pained in it selfe to see another doe. Will you not now make for your selues, and take this soueraigne medicine against this pestilent sick­nesse? Oathes, lying, cursing, bribery, simony, coozenage, oppression, vsurie, idlenesse, volup­tuousnesse, pride, reuenge and filthinesse, shall neuer catch you by the example of other men, if you mourne for them, and behold them com­mitted of others, with griefe and anguish of spi­rit. [Page 219]Will you not therefore stirre vp your sor­rowes, and saue your selues from the perill of an euill generation? Especially, seeing this sorrow will doe yet more good, by making them, Makes one care­full to redresse sinne. in whom it is, carefull of seeking the reformation of others, so farre as lyes in them, and their duty and power extendeth. As godly sorrow for a mans owne sinnes, will bring forth repentance not to bee repented of, and cause him to amend his owne euill wayes: so godly sorrow for other mens sinnes, will also make him seeke to draw them to repentance and amendment. This will cause him to contend and contest against sinne and sinners, and with all his might (accor­ding to his place and calling) to oppose and re­sist both it and them. If hee be a Minister, this sorrow will set open his mouth to crie out a­gainst it, and cause him to lift vp his voyce like a Trumpet, to pronounce defiance, and sound war against it, on Gods behalfe. If he be a Magi­strate, it will arme his heart with courage and constancie, and all due seueritie, so that hee shall vnsheath the Sword of authoritie, and lift vp his arme, and smite the wicked doers soundly, with an heart vertuously hardned against the vices of foolish pitie, and of fearefull cowardice. If hee bee but a priuate person, it will make him ad­monish, reproue, complaine, and sollicite Magi­strate and Minister, and all he can, to procure a redresse. Sorrow is a thing so much against the good liking of Nature, and a burden of which, euery one that stands vnder it, is so truly and [Page 220]earnestly desirous to bee eased, that it will stirre vp his care to shake off the burden, and remoue away that, that doth procure his sorrow. So shall a godly man not alone saue himselfe from sinne, but bee made an instrument also (so farre as is possible for him, if it may be) to saue others from sinne, he shall preserue himselfe from the contagion, and be inabled, if the disease bee not past cure, to heale them that are diseased. Thus when Paul had heard with bitter griefe the dis­orders of Corinth, he could not be well, till hee had sent a letter vnto them, and dispatched Ti­tus thither also, to see things better ordered. And when Ezra had fasted and wept for the sin of Israel, how carefull was he (with the helpe of the Princes) to redresse that abuse?

And from this good effect, Saues one from the common pu­nishment. will follow ano­ther no lesse desireable, as a fruite of this; name­ly, that the mourner shall saue himselfe from partaking in the common punishment, if it must needs come. Lots righteous soule was vexed, as you heard, with the impure conuersation of the Sodomites; wherefore the Lord sent his An­gell, and deliuered him from those flames of brimstone that consumed the Sodomites. And the Apostle concludeth hence, that God knows how to deliuer his: and so it must needs hold, chiefely in the like case, the Lord will rather euen miraculously deliuer those of his people, that set themselues against the sinnes of the times with bitter lamentation, then that they shall not bee safe, euen then when others are [Page 221]smitten. Ieremiah wept for the pride of the peo­ple: and did not the Lord performe his promise, and make the enemy to intreate him well in the euill day? Baruch and Ebedmelech also were a­mong the few mourners for Ierusalem: and had they not their liues giuen them for a prey, whi­ther euer they went, though the Sword of the enemie raged in the house, and in the streetes? Yea, doe wee not reade that excellent vision of the Prophet Ezekiel, how that before the Citie was giuen vp to destruction, Ezek. 9.1, 2. &c. he saw the Lords Angell appointed to goe forth with a pen and inkhorne by his side, and passing thorow Ierusa­lem, to set a plaine marke vpon the fore-heads of all those, that had lamented and mourned for the sinnes of the Citie, and that no plague was permitted to breake forth vpon the rest, till these were marked to escape? Loe, how those that sigh, and crie for the abominations com­mitted in a Citie, shal surely escape the miseries that must come vpon that Citie. Teares are able to procure safetie to a man, euen in a gene­rall and common ouerthrow, where wealth, friends, wit, strength, and all other helpes will faile him: for either the Lord will graciously, and in mercy take them away from the euill to come, and gather them to their fathers, that they may not see the misery which is to ouerwhelme the people, or else he will hide them vnder the shaddow of his wings, and by his Fatherly pro­uidence for them, take some order, that they may goe safe in the common desolation. Be­hold [Page 222]hold a way of safe-guarding your selues in the hardest times, and of procuring that blessing to your selues, which vngodly men doe falsely promise to themselues from the vanitie, and lyes, vnder which the Prophet saith, they think to lye hid, namely, that when a scourge doth ouerflow, it shall not come neere you; and that is nothing else but to doe, as our Prophet hath done before, send vp sighes and groanes vnto the Lord, for the publike sinnes; and whosoe­uer bewayleth the generall wickednesse, shal al­so bee deliuered from the generall punishment. Therfore if any man desire to be puld, as a brand out of the fire, and to bee one of the two or three berries in the vtmost boughes, that must hang vpon the tree, when all the rest are beaten off, let him prouide for his owne peace and wel­fare betime, by making his heart to ake, and his eyes to weepe for the common abominations. And so you see what good this mourning will do, in regard of the publike State, by proroging the punishment so long as is possible, and in re­gard of his owne selfe that mourneth, by keep­ing him from the infection of sinne, making him carefull to seeke the amendment of others, and so sauing him from participating in the publike plagues.

CHAP. V. Containing the fourth reason of the point from the euill that will insue for want of mourning.

Reas. 4 CArrie your thoughts a little further, From the ill ef­fects of not mourning. The soule will be infected. and let them consider of the euils, that will necessarily follow from the absence of these teares. It is certaine, that no man can shun the infection of other mens sins, vnlesse hee mourne for them; as no mourner is infected, so none but mourners can be free from infection. Hee that grieues not for a sinne that others commit, will easily be induced to commit it himselfe, if occa­sion serue, at least hee will soone bee drawne to like it, and thinke well enough of it, and then the infection hath taken the heart, and hath pos­sessed the spirits and vitall parts, as it were, of his soule, and that is enough to kil a man, though it should bee kept from breaking forth in out­ward action. Some men, by vertue of a good constitution, escape the Plague in the hottest and forest of all plagues, and that also, though they vse few or none antidotes or remedies. It is not so with our inward man, in regard of sin: For of so ill a complexion, as it were, and so vn­sound and healthlesse a constitution are all our soules, since the defiling of our nature by the first sinne of Adam, that any sinne almost doth easily, speedily, vnauoydably, cleaue vnto the [Page 224]same. The driest Touchwood or Tinder that is, doth not more readily take fire by any little sparke, then our soules will catch a sinne by bad example. And sinne it selfe is so strong and ve­hement in the working of it, and withall so de­ceitefull, close, and insinuating, that it doth al­most insensibly conueigh it selfe into our in­ward bowels, euen almost before we are aware: so that vnlesse we doe moysten our selues often, by the teares of godly sorrow for sin; we cannot liue amongst others, that do euen glow with the fire of it, but wee shall also burne and glow for companie; neither is there a man vnder Heauen so sanctified, but hee shall become wicked with wicked men, if his soule mourne not for their wickednesse. Lot would sure haue been vncleane in Sodom, if their vncleannesse had not vexed his righteous soule. Therefore to preuent a mischiefe otherwise vnpreuentable to our selues, namely, the being polluted with other mens faults, let vs see it a dutie (and follow it) to wash our selues with teares from that polluti­on.

Otherwise, A men shall be carelesse of seek­ing of redresse of euils. wee shall also pull another euill vpon our selues, euen make our selues slacke, carelesse and remisse, in the endeuour of refor­ming the sinnes of our brethren. Hardhearted­nesse, in not feeling the burdensomenesse of sin, will cause, that a man shall sit still, and let it take its course, and bestow no paines to redresse it: for that that one doth not feele to be euill, why should hee bestirre himselfe to amend? And [Page 225]surely hee feeles it not euill, that doth not mourne for it. What was the cause that the Co­rinthians did so carelesly tolerate the incestu­ous person among them? Hath not the Apo­stle taxed it in one word, saying; And you haue not rather grieued, that such an one might bee taken from amongst you. Lo, they mourned not for the sinne, and therefore they chastized not the sin­ner in good manner, as they ought to haue done, for his amendment. And so will it euer bee in all places and times. In what measure sorrow for sinne is wanting, care of amending it will be wanting also: little of this, if little of that; and if none of that, none of this wil be seene in mens liues. This vnsensiblenesse of sinne, is ioyned with too much sensiblenesse of other things; it makes one so timorous, that he dares not speake against wickednesse, for feare of offending such and such: it makes a man foolishly pitifull, and cruelly compassionate, that he cannot find in his heart to hurt the offender, euen by due executi­ons of iustice. He, whose heart and eyes cannot performe their office, in grieuing for, and lamen­ting sinne, neither will his hand and tongue doe their offices, in speaking and striuing against it. The same corruptions that make the hart short in griefe, and the eyes in teares, will also make the tongue short in reproouing, and hand in pu­nishing. Neither will any man lay a plaister to that sore, which he thinkes not worth grieuing for; for if it were dangerous, why is not he sor­ry? If it be not dangerous, what need a plaister? [Page 226]And so it will follow, that sinne hauing none enemie to resist it, none to oppose and fight a­gainst it, will mightily preuaile (as a fire which no man seekes to quench,) and so get the vpper hand, till at last it grow so high, crying, and in­sufferable, Publike plagues will come. that the Iustice of God can no longer forbeare it, but he himselfe must take the matter into his owne hand. Then follow sore and hea­uie calamities vpon the Church and Common­wealth, and the whole Nation groanes vnder Gods blowes, because few or none did groane for the sinnes that prouoked him. When many commit euil, and none lament it, then the wrath of God will surely arise, then is sinne gotten to his full ripenesse, and then the euils aboue-na­med, sometimes singly, sometimes altogether at once, are appointed to destroy a Nation. All the policie of Gouernours, all the valour and courage of souldiers, all the wealth of Citi­zens, and the loue and friendship of neighbours, shall not keepe a Nation in welfare, nor mound it from grieuous and fearefull plagues, if once the voice of sadnesse and mourning, and of those that crie and weepe for the abominations of it, be put to silence. Then will God change their wisdome into folly, & catch them in the snares of their owne craft; and if other meanes should faile, will make them, euen to vndo themselues. Then shall power bee turned into weakenesse, and courage into cowardice; for God will fight from Heauen against them, as the Prophet tels the Iewes; and if their enemies were but [Page 227]dead carcases, yet should they rise and ouer­come. When all cease mourning, then shall all begin suffering, for that is a sure proofe, that sin is come to his full growth, and that the measure of mans wickednesse, is replenished euen to the brim. Indeed, what is there then remaining, that can in any reason be thought able to moue the mercy of God to longer forbearance? When none bewayleth, or as good as none; when none supplicateth, when none pleade the causeat the barre of his mercy, how can Iustice but raise it selfe vp, and smite the abusers of for­mer mercies, with so much greater seueritie, by how much they haue been longer borne with­all?

And further, They shall perish in the common destruction. it will come to passe from this letting sinnes slip away by them without sor­row, that the children of God (if any few graines of Wheate bee found hidden in the huge heape of chaffe) shall perish in the common destructi­on, and bee smitten with the rest, because they mourned not for the rest, but did rather partake of their sinnes, by not opposing them: for none is in mercy marked for the day of deliuerance, but a mourner. Though a man be for the gene­rall, vpright and godly, yet if in that particular, hee doe so farre degenerate from the rules of godlinesse, that he remaine sorrowlesse, for the dishonour done to God by others, this vngrie­uing disposition hath so deepely ingaged him into the guilt of those sinnes, that it will very hardly stand with the truth and wisdome of [Page 228]God, to let him goe free; but he must cause him (for the good of his owne soule) by the smart of crosses, to grieue for such euils, as else he would not grieue for. So mischiefe vpon mischiefe breakes in, when teares and mourning stand not vp to preuent the same. A mans selfe is infected, he becomes carelesse of reforming euill, God smites the whole societie, for the sinnes now committed by all, and lamented by none; and then hee that mourned not, must himselfe also smart for company. Shall we not seeke to stop the way against all, and each of these euils, by intrenching our selues, as it were, within these Riuers of waters?

And so, Brethren, you haue reasons great store, to prooue the dutie, and perswade vnto it. If you loue God, whom sinne grieueth; if you loue your neighbour, whom sinne hurteth; and if you hate sinne it selfe, which all ought to hate that loue God and their neighbour; if you con­sider, how loathsome and grieuous a thing sinne is, how offensiue to God, yea, and iniurious, how harmefull also to mankind, both to him that dares practise it (whose soule it tumbleth to the bottome of hel, besides other crosses of all sorts, which attend it for the present,) and also to the Countrie, where it is suffered, causing the Lord to send out Sword, Pestilence, Famine, and all manner of dolefull miseries against it: If you consider, that this mourning wil surely cause the Lord to reprieue the whole Countrie, and that it will keepe the soule of the mourner free from [Page 229]infection, and stir him vp to al due meanes of re­dressing sin, and so saue his own soule, at least, frō the cōmon calamity, when it can now be longer no deferred. And lastly, if you remember, that where this mourning is absent, a mans soule will surely be infected, he wil grow careles of doing that which he ought to doe, for redresse of euill, and so sin growing mighty, will infallibly and ineuitably procure a common iudgement, in which himselfe shal also, as a man not signed for deliuerance, be taken away among the rest. If, I say, you doe acknowledge and confesse all these things, as they are all manifest, and doe serious­ly lay them to heart, you cannot chuse but yeeld in your very consciences, that you all ought to doe, as the Prophet here professeth to the Lord, that himselfe was wont to doe, euen cause Riuers of waters gush out of your eyes, because men keepe not the Law of God.

CHAP. VI. Containing the first vse of the point, a reproofe of them that doe neglect this duty.

Vse 1 BVt alasse, alasse, my Brethren, Reproofe of those that mourne not for common sinnes. how slow and backward haue wee all been, to this so plaine and needfull a dutie? Ah, it is most euident, that we deserue most sharpe reprehen­sion for being so scant in teares for that, for [Page 230]which this man of God did weepe so abundant­ly. For where is there, my brethren, alacke, where is there to be found one man amongst vs, that hath imitated so precious, and withall so manifest example? Where is his dwelling, whose face is couered with these teares, and cheekes made wet with this weeping? In what corner may we meete with him, or her, that is able to professe in truth before the Lord, and his owne soule: O Lord, Riuers of water haue run downe mine eyes, because they keepe not thy Law? O, no, no; we are sold ouer to mirth and iollitie. Be­hold, slaying of Oxen, and killing of sheepe, ea­ting and drinking, and calling to hang sorrow, as once among the Iewes. Behold; piping and dan­cing, and minstrelsey; behold, making out harts fat and iouiall, as in a day of slaughter. But alas; Ah, alasse; the sinnes of the Land are not laid to to heart by (almost) any of those that inhabite the Land, and for a thousand sinners, hardly haue we one weeper. As for the common mul­titude, why, they would thinke him euen quite out of his wits, whose face they should see blub­berd with weeping in a corner: And why for­sooth? Because his neighbours be wicked and ill liuing men, and keepe not Gods precepts. Why (would they think and say) what is that to him? Shall he beare other mens burdens, or an­swere for other mens sinnes? Or can hee mend their faults by sighing and weeping for them? Why then should hee vexe himselfe for that, which will bere neuer a whit the better, if hee [Page 231]should vext his heart out, at it? This would be the censure of the common and ordinary man, of such a mourner, as the Text speakes of, they would count his teares ill spent, and himselfe a foole for his labour. And as is their iudgement, such is (and such needs must bee) their practice. They neuer in all their liues wept one tenth part of a teare, for all the sinnes and abominable deeds that euer they heard of, or saw commit­ted: vnlesse it haue falne out, that the same thing haue been an hurt vnto themselues, or some other man, whose case they haue tendred, and so bemoned the person, not bewailed the sinne; been sorry for it as an injury against man, not as a transgression of Gods precepts. But this neglect is not found alone with the vulgar sort of men. Nay, those that haue gotten some good measure of knowledge and of vertue, and doe exercise themselues with some due care to keep themselues vnsported of the wicked world, euen these also, for the most part, haue eyes al­together drie and tearelesse, in regard of other mens offences. Who of those that seeme to know and feare God, & to delight in his wayes, is carefull to wipe away the staines of his neigh­bours sinnes with his owne teares? Brethren, I demand of each of you; Can you say, & affirme, and that truly and sincerely in the presence of God, that your eyes doe yeeld forth streames of water for the publike sinnes?

Againe, I propound this question to euery of your consciences: Art thou able to take vp Da­uids [Page 232]words here, and with the good leaue of thine owne conscience to affirme, as he affirmed, Riuers of waters, &c. Doubtlesse there are but ve­ry few, if at all there bee any of vs, that may af­firme thus much of himselfe, without a manifest accusation of falsehood in his owne soule. If we lament our owne sinnes, we thinke it abundant­ly sufficient, though wee lend no teares at all to bewaile our neighbours faults. Indeed it must not bee denyed, that the greater number of teares, and those the most earnest and bitter, must be bestowed by euery man, in lamenting the sinnes of his owne heart and life: but yet seeing God is dishonoured also by the faults of others, and the soules of our brethren, as well as our owne soules, ought to be deare vnto vs; nei­ther can it be denied, that it is a sinne, and a fruit of our not sufficiently hating sinne, and louing God and our brethren, that we are so exceeding defectiue in sorrowfull teares for their mis­deeds, and cause enough there is, that each of vs should take vp a grieuous complaint against himselfe, and say, O Lord, how vnlike haue I been to thy seruant Dauid? No flouds, no drops of teares, scarce halfe a score teares, scarce fiue, scarce two, scarce one, scarce halfe an one, doth proceed from mine eyes for the many and hai­nous transgressions, that I doe daily see with mine eyes. Where was my loue to thee, Lord? Where mine hatred of sinne? Where my chari­tie to my brethren? O how iustly mightest thou sweepe me away with the Besome of the com­mon [Page 233]destruction, and bring thy fearefull plagues vpon all of vs, euen my selfe amongst the rest, because they sinned, and I wept not for their sinnes? We are bound, brethren, euen to be an­grie, and to fall out with our selues, when wee find in our selues a manifest neglect of a plaine dutie, so euidently enioyned by God, by others so plentifully practised, and grounded also vpon so good, and vndenyable reasons as this is: and therefore now charge thy soule before the Lord, with a great sinne of omission, in that thou hast forgotten, or nor regarded to weepe in se­cret for the publike sinnes. There want not men amongst vs, that can eagerly inueigh against the Words naughtinesse, and aggrauate the offen­ces of others in words, and with a satyricall bit­ternesse, set out the greatnes of their folly. Yea, there are some, that can make matters worse then they be, and set a deeper and dirtier colour vpon the sins of others, then they ought to doe: but among these witty and sharpe reproouers, of these vehement and clamorous accusers, is there any one, trow you, that may be called a weeper, a mourner, a lamenter? It is easie to exercise ones wit vpon the sinnes of others, by making them ridiculous, to mooue the spleene with laughter. It is easie to exercise ones stomake vpon the sinnes of others, by violent inuectiues, to make the offenders odious; but it is hard, yea, hard indeed, to exercise ones sorrow vpon the sinnes of others, to make our selues carefull of not offending in the like kind, and of seeking to [Page 234]stop them also from offending. Diuers may say, I beheld the transgressors, and laughed at them: diuers also, I beheld the transgressors, & chafed at them: but few (alasse, how few?) can vse ano­ther sentence of Dauid in this Psalme, and say; I beheld the transgressors, and was grieued, because they kept not thy Word. Let vs therefore earnestly con­demne our selues in our hearts, that haue eyes so drie, and void of teares, when we haue a Land so naught, and full of sinne. For Brethren, how stands the case with vs? Can wee iustly excuse our selues, and say, The cause of our not weep­ing, is the want of cause to weepe, for that a­mongst vs, the commandements of God are di­ligently kept, so as there is no iust reason of dig­ging vp Fountaines of teares, to bewaile the contrarie? Are we able in truth to defend our selues with this Apologie, which were the one­ly due Apologie, that would defend vs from blame for not weeping? I would to God, euen hartily I would, that it were so, and that it were nothing but our, either too much zeale, or too much aptnesse to find fault, that made vs in this manner to accuse and condemne our selues, and you. But alasse, the contrary is most manifest and vndeniable. Sinne aboundeth with vs as much, as euer it did (I thinke) in the streetes of Ierusalem; and (as it is fore-prophecyed, that knowledge should, so it is fulfilled, that) wicked­nesse doth euen ouerflow, like the waues of the Sea. Oathes, and blasphemies, and cursed spea­kings, breaking of the Lords day, & vnhallowed [Page 235]profanation of Gods hallowed Time, contempt of Gods Word and Ordinances, and a shamefull turning of Religion into a meere forme & fashi­on, disobedience against Gouernours, murder, whoredome, theft, fraud, vsurie, briberie, simo­nie, all sinnes, almost, of all sorts, in all estates, all places, all ages, all conditions, all sexes, doe swarme round about, and fill the World, like the Frogs of Egypt, or the Flyes. The face of our Nation is couered ouer with a Leprosie and Tetter, of most odious and loathsome wicked­nesse. Who can walke the streetes in a Market, or a Faire-day, and not heare a thousand oathes, and a thousand curses, a thousand lyes, and a thousand periuries, euen wilfull and grosse false swearing, euen for a very trifle? With vs they despise Father and Mother; with vs they op­presse the poore and fatherlesse; with vs, they defile euery man his neighbours wife; and with vs, they take vsurie, and lend for encrease. A­mongst vs, there is lying, swearing, whoring, stealing, killing, and in a manner, no mercy, nor truth, nor knowledge, nor feare of God in the Land: so that it is nothing else but very blind­nesse, that makes vs not to see, if we see not, our Countrie to be euen buried almost, in a Sea of wickednesse, and yet loe, wee weepe not, nor mourne; our dead hearts and drie eyes drop downe no teares for all this. O blockish and sencelesse soules of ours! O consciences harde­ned and deaded, and little lesse then seared with an hot Yron! O that wee could bee greatly dis­contented [Page 236]with our selues, for hauing been so exceeding hard-harted this way, and for hauing bestowed so little time and paines in labouring, to make our selues softer. We haue not onely not wept, but not striuen to weepe, not alone haue we omitted sorrow, but euen the endeauo­ring after sorrow hath been farre from vs, and that of the two is the much more faultie; for he that labours to performe a Christian dutie, and yet failkes of it, for all his labour, is a farre lesse offender, then he that doth vtterly forbeare all paines to performe it. Now so it is with most of vs (I thinke, I may say with most of vs) wee haue bestowed no paines, nor time, to digge vp these fountaines of teares, we haue not set our thoughts that way, nor laboured the matter with our owne hearts, to make them grieued and sorrowfull in this behalfe. Againe, and a­gaine therefore, let vs compare our selues with this Prophet, and wonder at the difference, that he had floods of teares, and we haue scarce at all one teare, to shed for the breach of Gods Law, which is so notoriously broken amongst vs. There is, I acknowledge, a generation of fault­finding men, that make vs farre worse then wee be, their sharpe-sighted eyes can see no lawfull Ministry, no true Word, Church, Sacraments, nor prayer amongst vs, and yet of these capti­ous People, and carping Nation, that ouerlash so much in accusing, there is scarce any that mour­neth for the things hee carpeth at: for they so spend themselues in false accusing, that they [Page 237]haue no leasure to bestow in true bewailing of our sinnes. But tho wee may not, nor must not acknowledge our selues so bad as they would make vs (for a body may liue, tho he be sicke and diseased; and Iob was a true and liuing man, tho couered ouer from head to foote with boyles and Vlcers, that his friends knew him not,) yet neither can wee deny our selues to bee a people very wicked and disordered, to whom the Pro­phets words may fitly bee applied; Ah sinfull Nation! Ah people laden with wickednesse, a corrupt Seede. And againe; We haue deepely reuolted from the Lord, and our sinnes are gone ouer our heads, and they reach vp to Heauen. And in another sense we may say as he; The whole head is sicke, the whole heart is heauy, from the crowne of the head, to the soles of the feete, there is little to be seene but wounds, and swellings; and yet, ah yet, we lament not; those that feare God, lament not; those that come to Church, and loue the Word, lament not; those that desire otherwise to walke vprightly and conscionably, lament not; so that it may wel be a question, whether most of vs euer read this sen­tence, or heard it read with any consideration and aduisement. If the eyes of sinners were only found drie, if teares were absent alone from the cheekes of those that work wickednesse, it were not much: who could expect any thing but sto­nie hardnesse, from stony-hearted men? But euen the people of God, his owne children, that should haue hearts of flesh within them, these also haue continued hard, in regard of other [Page 238]mens faults, and euen forgotten that it is a dutie, to make Riuers of waters descend from their eyes, because men keep not Gods statutes. Now Brethren, if this were a fruit of a kind of naturall vnfitnesse to mourne, because we were made of a firmer mettle, then that sorrow could melt vs: we might then lay the blame vpon the body, ra­ther then the mind. And yet if nature had denied vs teares, it hath not denied vs sighs, & groanes, it hath not denied vs the power of sitting in hea­uines, and of making our selues sad and pensiue. Though wee could not weepe so plentifully as this Prophet, yet we might end our hearts, and earne in our bowels, and ake within, and sigh, and grind our very soules to powder, which yet alas wee neither doe, nor striue to doe. As the outward demonstrations of sorrow, I meane, wet eyes, are absent from vs, so is also the sub­stance thereof, I meane, the inward tumbling of the soule vp and downe disquietly, the hearts beating it selfe, as it were, against it selfe, and causing it selfe to be pained. So then we neither mourne outwardly, nor yet inwardly; wee nei­ther weepe with our eyes, nor grieue with our hearts; and what can wee say in our owne de­fence? For certainely, brethren, it is not the want of aptnesse to weepe, that makes vs not to weepe, for our eyes are ready enough in other cases, and for other matters, to yeeld forth euen Riuers of waters. Let but an husband, or wife, or child, or friend lye sicke, and be ready to die; let but fire come and consume some part of our [Page 239]goods; let any man but coozen and deceiue vs of some summes of money; yea, let any friend shew himselfe vnkind, and disrespectfull of vs; yea, let any enemy reproch vs with froward and bitter speeches; yea, let a Gouernour chide and shent vs, as we thinke, without our fault; or but an equall take vs vp ouer-cuttedly in termes, or any, almost, the least thing befal, that wrongs vs, in body, goods, or name: O then how we melt like waxe before the fire? What flood-gates be our eyes? How do teares push themselues for­ward (like a breach of the sea) and will not bee stopped? Then we cannot speak, but we weepe, and sob, and hardly can speake for weeping. O foolish man and vnwise! Canst thou haue while and heart to weepe so much for the evuill words spoken against thee, for the discourtesies offred vnto thee, for the losses and crosses that do be­fall thee, and canst thou not weepe at all for the sinnes committed against God, for the thou­sands and ten thousands of oathes, and blasphe­mies that are darted at his Name, for the wofull sacrilege committed against his Church, for the ignorance, blindnesse, hypocrisie, profanenes of the multitude, and in a word, for all the number­lesse abominations, that are daily, hourely, mi­nutely committed amongst vs? O heart posses­sed with selfe-loue, and prizing its owne ease and welfare aboue Gods honour and glory, and making more account of its self, then of its Ma­ker! Here now if in any thing we should enlarge our selues, in speaking against our selues, and in [Page 240]reproouing, shaming, condemning our selues; and this, if any thing, we should most vehement­ly presse vpon our selues, as an extreme and vn­answeerable aggrauation of our hardnesse, which by this we know, not to be naturall, but sinfull. Say to thy selfe, I came to such a place, such a time, and found the countenance of my parent, brother, sister, or friend, estranged from me; and his words and carriages vnlouing towards me: It put me in my dumps for a day or two after, and made mee water my plants, and moysten mine hands and handkerchiefe with teares. I went, not long after, into another place, and heard fortie foule oathes, and a number of hor­rible execrations and raylings, and one or two drie sighes serued the turne at this wickednesse, or scarce so much was done by me, to shew my sorrow. O Lord, O Lord, how aboundeth mine heart with ouer-high conceits of my selfe? How doe I ouer-value my self, and vnder-value thee? What, to be more troubled at a crosse word or two against my selfe, at the denying of some small request, at any discourtesie, any iniury, then at so many oathes, lyes, curses, raylings, as I haue heard without trouble? I know not whether I should be more ashamed of mine excessiuenes of teares in the one case, or my defectiuenesse in the other; but both layd together, doe make vp the measure of mine hardheartednesse to the full. If I could sigh, mourne, weepe for nothing, it were not so much, that I did it not for the sinnes of o­thers; but when I haue such store of teares for [Page 241]other things, now to be so scant of them for that that deserueth the farre greater quantitie, what shall I say of my selfe? Sure this deserues a de­gree of sorrow, beyond teares, and so fall vpon thine owne heart, and crush it too pieces with dislike of thy selfe, that hast been so extremely isensible in Gods behalfe, so ouer-tender in thine owne. O that these words of mine might so farre preuaile with my selfe and you, bre­thren, that wee may at leastwise acknowledge our selues to bee greatly faultie, for not hauing discouered our detestation of sinne, our good will to God and Man, our religious care of the publike welfare and our owne, by taking out the lesson of Dauid, and of Ieremy, and by following the worthy patterne of holy Ezra, and blessed Paul and our most blessed and worthy Sauiour himselfe. Doubtlesse it will doe some good, to know our sinnes, and to confesse against our selues, saying, I am in truth exceedingly oo blame, for my lauish and prodigall casting away such a multitude of teares for nothing, and be­stowing so very few or none in that case, where­in they would haue been (as precious seed in a good ground) exceeding profitable to my selfe and others, I meane, in bewailing the sinnes both of my selfe and of the times.

CHAP. VII. Containing the second vse, viz. an exhortation and direction to this dutie, of mour­ning for the faults of others.

Vse 2 BVt now, hoping that you doe all both fee and feele, Exhortation to mourne. this omission of teares to be sinfull, I must turne my speech vnto your hearts for another purpose, requiring you in Gods name to reforme this fault, by turning your laughter into teares, and your ioy into sor­row, as Saint Iames aduiseth. Ignorance of a du­tie required, though it cannot wholly excuse the neglect of it, is yet some mitigation of the fault: but when a man is plainely told of a dutie, con­uinced that it is a dutie, reprooued for omitting it, and yet is carelesse to performe it, now his carelesnesse is notorious and inexcusable. Per­haps, my Brethren, some of you that haue now been taught the needfulnesse of these teares, did neuer consider the matter so well before, but now that the thing is made plaine vnto you; and your soules must needs confesse, that you also, as well as Dauid, ought to be mooued with the faults of others: continue not to omit a knowne dutie, lest your consciences accuse you of wilfull disobedience. Not alone to doe what God forbids me, when I know his will to the contrarie, is a fruite of wilfulnesse; but al­so to neglect what hee enioynes, when his good pleasure is made manifest vnto me.

Wee haue taken from you the excuse of ignorance; wee haue made your hearts to con­fesse, that you ought to haue wept some of Dauids teares: wee haue, I hope, made you sor­rowfull for not weeping them; now, wee pray you, let vs make you carefull, to shed these teares more plentifully hereafter. I know, that the same Dauid that here tels of riuers of teares, doth also tell of his songs in the night, and great reioycing. But there is no such opposition or fewd betwixt such songs, and such teares, that both may not well be done in their seasons. The day is long enough for both, at least, our life is long enough, and euerie Christian must find while to mourne for his owne and others faults, that he may be comforted: he must sometimes make his teares his drinke, that he may be fitted for the cup of consolation; and put himselfe in ashes, that hee may be ready to receiue the gar­ments of gladnesse. Wherefore, brethren, frame your selues to mourning and lamentation, lift vp your voyces, and weepe, and draw forth wa­ter, and powre it out here before the Lord, for an acceptable drinke-offering, as once it is re­ported of the people in the dayes of Samuel: A fitter season to mourne, wee need not seeke for. The Text fits well with the time. Oh that our harts would fit with both! God hath mour­ned, wil not ye mourne? Be not among the gene­ration of men, that mourne not when they are wept vnto; we come now to tell you, that God would haue you weepe. He calls for your teares, [Page 244]and he lookes for them: and let him not looke in vaine. Take vp the words of the Prophet, and say; O that our heads were Fountaines, and our eyes Well-springs of teares, that wee might weepe day and night, for the sinnes of the Daughters of our People! Yea, let euery man say with him; My belly, my belly, depart from me, comfort me not, looke away from me, for I will weepe bitterly, because (not of the slaine, but) of the sinnes of the Daughter of my People: for it is a day of wickednesse and abomination, and a time of extreme dissolutenesse. My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at the heart; I cannot hold my peace, mine heart makes a noyse with­in me; for I haue heard the voyce of swearing and cursing, sinne vpon sinne, iniquitie vpon ini­quitie; the people is a foolish people, they haue not knowne God, they are sottish children, and will receiue no instruction; they are wise to doe eiull, but to doe good they haue no knowledge. Imitate the good Prophet in these words of his, and labour to put on his affections, and then pro­ceede more particularly, and say: Oh the oathes and blasphemies in our Nation! O, the con­tempt of Gods Word and Gospell in our Nati­on! O, the pride and idlenesse in our Nation! O, the drunkennesse, whoredome, and filthinesse in our Nation! If Rome, or Constantinople a­bounded with swearing and cursing, who could looke for better there? If France and Italy were full of whoredomes, who could expect other in those corners of Popish darkenesse? But Eng­land, Ah England! Gods Signet, Gods Iewell, [Page 245]which he hath fostered as tenderly, and adorned as graciously, as euer he did Iudea. England, the one onely Nation, almost, that doth openly and solely professe the true Religion of God: I say, England aboundeth in all these sinnes. What shall we say or doe? Whither shall we turne our selues? And how shall we comfort our selues for this, when euen England is full of all wick­ednesse? What? Swearing in England? Cur­sing in England? Lasciuious dancing, dallying, and wantonnesse on the Lords day in England? Contempt of Gods Word, drunkennesse, pride, idlenesse in England? Euen in England, where there is so much preaching, and so much hea­ring? Where the Gospell hath banished Pope­rie for so many yeeres? Where the Scriptures haue so long time been read and published, and where God hath vsed so many meanes for so great space of time to recall vs? O, breake our hearts within vs, and let our eyes drop downe teares to thinke of it! But what meane I thus to striue with you for teares, and to wrest and ex­tort them out of your heads by force? To weepe a little at a Sermon, is nothing to speak of: there is a further matter required of you. In secret, I say, in secret, when you bee all alone, and may more freely doe it, then doe it more abundant­ly; or else to doe it here a little by compulsion of earnest words & perswasions, is little worth, and will doe little good. I confesse, that in me­ditating these things with my self, I found mine eyes great with teares, and mine heart within [Page 246]me swolne with sighes, and I hope that the vtte­ring of them, may haue also power to fill some of your hearts, and of your eyes also. But, ah, there is yet a greater and secreter mourning which I call you to. He weepes in truth, that weepes without witnesse. Trepare to the worke. Take thou some time this day, or some other day, to get alone by thy selfe, and presse these things vpō thy self, that haue bin so earnestly beaten vpō thee in the preaching of the Word; and there bowing the knees of thy soule before God, begin with an acknowledgment vn­to him, that now thou confessest this mourning: for the publike sins is a duty, which he doth iust­ly require at thine hands, & which thou hast sin­fully neglected heretofore, but now art sorrow­full for that neglect, and desirous to performe hereafter; and then humbly beseech him to thaw, by the sweete and warme beames of his Grace, this frozen heart of thine, and so to smite this rockie soule, that it may yeeld forth, as once the naturall Rocke did, euen Riuers of water. Pray him, according to his most free and graci­ous promise, to powre vpon thee the Spirit of Grace and supplication, and remouing the heart of stone, to put within thee, in stead of it, an hart of flesh, that thou mayst now doe, what Dauid did, and what thy selfe by his example art called vpon by the Ministrie (and art accordingly de­sirous) to doe.

Hauing thus prepared thy selfe, Begin to weepe for thine owne sinnes first. then set about the worke it selfe, and first, begin to weepe for thine owne sinnes; for assure thy soule, it shall [Page 247]be all in vaine, for any man to labour to bewaile the faults of others, that doth not in the first place bewaile his owne faults. Thinke and say thus then to thy selfe in thy meditations: Ah, what a vile and wretched sinner am I? What a Childhood haue I spent? What an Youth? What a Middle-age? And (if thou beest come so farre) what an Old-age? What thoughts haue I harboured in mine heart? What words haue I vttered with my tongue? What deeds haue I done with mine hand? This tongue of mine hath sworne many a vaine, passionate, and outragious oath: This tongue hath cursed, and rayled, and spoken profanely: It hath spoken wantonly and filthily, and told many a lye and false tale. This hand hath vsed cruelty, reuenge and dalliance. This heart hath swolne against Gouernours, and boyled away in enuy and ma­lice. This heart hath been fearelesse and care­lesse of God, and hath forgotten him and his Word, and euen doubted of his Beeing. O wret­ched tongue, wretched hand, & wretched hart! O, would that I could mourne for all these abo­minations of my life! O, that all the teares which euer I wept in all my life, for crosses, los­ses, wrongs, iniuries, vnkindnesses, and the like, were now all vnwept, and gathered together at once in mine eyes, that I might powre them forth in godly sorrow before the Lord for my sinnes! Be thou humbled and cast downe, O my soule, and be thou troubled within me! wallow thy selfe in the dust, and tumble thy self in ashes. [Page 248]Thou hast offended against thy Maker, and sin­ned against thy Redeemer, the holy Sonne of God! Thou hast wronged thy neighbours, and hurt thy selfe, and deserued damnation; and, Ah wretch, thou hast shewed thy selfe vngracious and vngratefull, against that heauenly, carefull, and tender-hearted Father, that gaue his onely Sonne to death to ransome thee. What Father euer so louing? What child euer so rebellious? Why are you drie, O mine eyes? And why art thou stony, O mine heart? Why doth sorrow flie from mee? And why are teares departed hence? O that I could weepe! O that I could weepe! O that I could euen be melted and dis­solued into kindly teares, and with blessed Peter, weepe bitterly; and with godly Marie, wash the feete of my Sauiour with my teares! Thus striue and take paines with thy self, to make thy soule sad for thine owne sinnes first; and hauing soft­ned thy selfe somewhat by such endeuours, then begin for thy Countrie also, and thinke in this sort: Ah Lord, if I had sinned alone, I alone would weepe mine owne teares. But I am a man of polluted lips and life, and I dwell amongst a people of polluted lips and life. Wee haue all gone astray, wee all haue done an abominable deed, there is none that doth good, no not one. This Nation, this Christian and baptized Nati­on, wherein thy Gospell of truth hath so long shined brightly, is yet still for all that, a wicked and a sinfull Nation. O, that thou wouldst please to helpe me mourne for these common sinnes! [Page 249]Is not thy Spirit as able to soften a mans heart now, as in former times? Proy to God to soften the heart. Is not an heart of the posteritie of Abraham naturally as hard, as one of another off-spring? O thou that gauest Dauid store of teares, stirre vp in me also the spirit of griefe, for the publike sinnes. Consider the grieuous sianes of our Land. And now begin to represent vnto thy soule, the many monstrous crying sinnes that are daily (and with impunitie many) committed in our Countrie. Loose thy thoughts a while, in this great Thicket and wil­dernes of abominations, that hath ouer-growne vs, and say; What could God doe more for a people, then he hath done for vs? and he looked for Grapes, and behold, wilde Grapes; and for Figs, and behold, rotten Figs; for iudgement and righteousnes, and behold, sin & wickednes? What monstrous ignorance and profanenes and hellish Atheisme doth couer the multitude? What monstrous pride, and idlenesse, and fulnes of bread, and abominable vncleannesse, doe co­uer the Gentry? How full of oathes and blas­phemies are the Court, the Citie, the Townes, the Countrie with vs? Great men sweare, and meane men sweare; Ministers sweare, and peo­ple sweare; men sweare, and women sweare; boyes sweare, and girles sweare; & almost babes and sucklings sweare; and if euery oath were but a drop of water, it were enough to make a flood to drowne the whole Land withall. The Lords Day is euery where violated and profa­ned. The Word and Sacraments are made a ve­ry iest, and all Gods seruices are turned into a [Page 250]meere customary piece of worke. The chil­dren are euery where stubburne and rebellious against their parents. Much murder and blood­shed is committed; and for enuie and malice, the Land aboundeth with them, whoredome and filthinesse stinkes in euery corner; theft, oppres­sion, vsurie, simony, sacriledge: where shal a man stirre, but he shall meete with them? Lying, de­ceite, fraud and guile are become amongst the necessary ornaments of a good chapman, and one cannot liue without them now-a-dayes. Presumption, stoninesse of heart, and turning Gods Grace into wantonnes, are euery dayes faults. O Lord God, we are a most wicked and sinfull Nation and people, and should not my soule mourne for this? O, how art thou disho­noured, and thy Lawes broken, and thy Spirit grieued! and should not my soule weepe bitterly for this? Consider the grieuous punish­ments that must come, if mour­ning preuent not. And when thou hast thus called to mind the sinnes of the Land, represent also to thy selfe the iudgements that must come vpon vs for them, and say; Lord, what shall we do in the end thereof! Thy patience will not alwaies last, thy grace will not euer striue with vs, Iustice will not suffer thee to bind thine hands for euer with the cords of long suffering; yea, the Lord must needs arise at length in furie and indigna­tion, and stirre vp himselfe in wrath, to come and comfort himselfe, and ease his soule, by ta­king vengeance on such a Nation as this. Hee must giue our Cities to the spoyle; our houses and Churches to the fire; and all our goods to [Page 251]the deuourer. He must hisse for his Flie against vs, & bring vpon vs, as he threatned and brought vpon Iudah, his foure great Armies to destroy, Sword, Famine, Pestilence, and the teeth of euill beasts to deuoure. He must lay vs waste and de­solate, and cause vs to dye of grieuous deaths, and cast our carcasses into the open streetes, as dung on the face of the earth, that there should be none to burie, or to lament. He must fill vs full of wailing and howling, and bitter lamenta­tion. Did not Iudah escape, that had lesse light, and fewer meanes? and can England escape, that hath the light of the Gospell, as much excee­ding that of the Law, as the Sun-shine doth the Moone-light? And now thinke with thy selfe, that thou beholdest God, sending scarcenesse a­mongst vs, and euery body feeble and languish­ing. Thinke that thou sawest the Pestilence lea­ping in at our houses, and sweeping away whole Families and Townes, till there bee no buyer. Thinke that thou seest the insolent foe breaking in vpon vs, and with drawne Sword, filling eue­ry place with feare, slaughter, death, and desola­tion, and then say; O the slaine of the Daughter of my People! the Waster wasteth; without, the Sword; within, Famine and Pestilence: for all these things must as assuredly come vpon Eng­land, as euer they came vpon Ierusalem. If enow doe take vp the taske of mourning, wee may es­cape them in our dayes: but if we doe not pre­conceiue them by the power of faith in Gods threats, we shall surely feele them in the execu­tion; [Page 252]and when the generation of mourners for sinne is gone, then will the time of howling for the punishment of sinne be here. Thinke it not therfore a needlesse thing to anticipate a crosse, and to make it present in imagination before­hand. For particular afflictions, wee must not drowne our selues in cares, before they come: but because we know, that God hath denounced this vengeance, and executed it on others, and that his Iustice is the same still, therefore we are sure it will come on this Nation also, and that speedily, if riuers of teares preuent it not. Wher­fore our best way is, in the foresight of it, to la­ment the sinnes that would procure it, that so wee may not bee forced to feele it, when all la­mentations will be bootelesse. This was prea­ched vpon a Tuesday in Whitson-weeke. Brethren, will you spend some houre or two this day, this idle day, when others pipe, and howte, and drinke, and dally, and dance, and adde to the heape of sinnes (as you know the season beares,) will you I say, thus meditate, and pray, and mourne, and sigh, and striue to send forth riuers of teares? If you will, blessed be those teares! they shall doe good to your soules, and good to your Coun­tries, good to the King, and good to the Com­mons, good to the Commonweale, and good to the Church, and good to the whole Land, and all that dwell in it. But alack, I feare you wil not, I feare we loose our labour. Businesse, businesse, sports, pastime, cōpany, some one or other such thing, will steale your hearts away, I feare: for so it is vsually seene, out of the Church, into [Page 253]your houses and shops, you goe some to your workes, and some to your sports, and neuer so much as thinke of what you haue heard, neuer set vpon the practice of what you are ex­horted to; and so we preach in vaine, and you heare in vaine, and wee get nothing but our la­bour for our paines. Now for the Lord Iesus sake, doe not so this day, but couenant with thy selfe, that afore thou sleepest, thou wilt forcibly breake thorow all occasions, and find some one houre to take paines with thine heart, and to frame it to some tendernesse of remorse, that thou mayst be able once to say with Dauid; Ri­uers of waters haue runne downe mine eyes, because they kept not thy Law. Say, thou shouldest heare of the death of wife, husband, child, friend: would it not affect thine hart with some sorrow? Let the tidings, yea, the hearing & beholding of so ma­ny sinnes committed (which doe more dishonor God, then any crosse can hurt thee) haue some power ouer thy griefes, and shew, that thine af­fections are not altogether carnall. One or two teares, shed for sinne voluntarily, in the day of prosperitie, out of a ture desire to shew our ha­tred of it, and loue to God; and out of a serious consideration of its spiritual filthinesse, and hai­nousnesse, is more worth, then twenty teares shed in the day of affliction, when a man cannot tell, whether it bee the sinne or the crosse that procures his teares. Now therefore addresse your selues to that vnwelcome taske of mour­ning (to Nature, I say, vnwelcome, but to Grace [Page 254]most welcome,) and if you cannot at first on-set, get floods of teares, yet if you can get but two or three teares, or a few heartie sighes (till ano­ther time that you may get more) know, that it is worth your labour; good duties are done likely with much weakenesse and difficultie at first: custome and continuance of doing, must bring vs to more perfection; be not discouraged, because thine heart will bee hard, and full, vnapt to mourne, when thou addressest thy selfe first vnto it; but know, that a good beginning is re­quisite in all businesses, and he shall neuer finish any thing, that will sit still and doe nothing, be­cause hee finds not all things answerable to his desires at first: yea, that man that laboureth to set his will vpon a pitch of sadnesse, by offering to his mind fit thoughts for that purpose, and so makes his soule heauy with the apprehension of that that is euill and naught, shall be well accep­ted with God, though he attaine not that mel­ting, that dropping, that teare-flowing, and sen­sible sorrow, that Dauid here speaketh of. And hee that accustometh himselfe to that habituall griefe of the will (taking displeasure against an euill thing, making it selfe auerse from it, and wishing that it had neuer been) shall in due sea­son bee blessed by God, with the spirit of ten­dernesse, which shall most kindly and gently soften his heart, and cause his soule to be so mel­low, and easie to be wrought vpon, that he shall euen sweetely and freely powre forth this his Drinke-offering before the Lord, and most [Page 255]sweetely water his soule with these Aprill showres of teares, which shall make it fertill, not alone in he flowres of presently insuing com­forts, but also in the rich haruest of vertue and godlinesse, and the plentifull rewards thereof. Wherefore carry this short sentence home in your minds, and giue not ouer striuing by times and turnes, till you haue made your selues in case, to ioyne Dauids request with Dauids rea­son, and to say; Lord, make thy face to shine vpon thy seruant, and teach me thy Statutes: Riuers of teares do drop downe mine eyes, because they keepe not thy Law.

CHAP. VIII. Containing the third and last vse of comfort to them that haue done, or shall begin and continue to doe this ser­uice.

Vse 3 ANd lastly, if there be any that haue performed, Comfort to them that do mourne. and continue to per­forme, or shal now begin, and pro­ceede to performe this excellent dutie, we must also speake peace to their soules, and preach vnto them the glad tidings of good things, to comfort them with­all. O, it is a great happinesse, to tread in the steps of those, concerning whom wee are per­fectly assured, that they are now in Heauen: well may we assure our selues, that we shall be where they are after our death, if wee haue walked in the wayes, wherein they walked, during their [Page 256]liues. Thou knowest, Dauid was a child of God, a true regenerate man, a man after Gods owne heart; thou knowest, hee had all his sinnes par­doned, dyed an happy death, now reigneth in Heauen, and hath attained eternall saluation. It would doe thine heart good, to haue an infalli­ble token, that thou also art such an one as Da­uid, that thou hast interest into the same good things which he enioyeth, and shalt haue posses­sion of them at last, as sure as he hath. Then com­pare thy behauiour and carriage with Dauids; when he saw men wickedly to breake the Sta­tutes of God, when he saw wickednesse com­mitted in euery place, and knew not how to helpe it, what did he doe? He wept, and sighed, and lamented, and cryed, and tooke on very pi­tifully, euen as if some great crosse had befalne himselfe, and as if his owne person had receiued harme. Canst thou likewise affirme before the Lord, that the same cause hath produced in thee the same effects? Doth the breach of Gods Law breake thine heart? Doth the sinfulnesse of others make thy soule sorrowfull? Dost thou sigh and groane, and bewaile, and mourne for those things, which it is not in thy power to re­dresse? Loe then, thou art a Dauid, a man after Gods heart also, a sound and sincere Christian, an Israelite within, before God, a louer of God, a louer of thy Brethren, an hater of sin, and thou also shalt be saued with Dauid, and reioyce with the same heauenly Ioy, wherewith hee now re­ioyceth. Those that are like the Saints of God [Page 257]in dutie, shall be also like them in glorie; those that haue followed them in holines, shal follow them in happinesse. The same Spirit worketh in them, the same Christ dwelleth in them, and the same Crowne shall be set vpon them. Bles­sed therefore are these mourners, for they shall be comforted. Whatsoeuer thing Dauid did aske in the former verses (and now in this verse doth lay, as it were, the foundation of his hopes to at­taine the same, vpon the remembrance of these his teares before God) that are we bold in Gods name to promise assuredly to euery one that can speake the same thing of himselfe. Dost thou mourne for the sinnes of other men? Then will God looke vpon thee, and bee mercifull vnto thee, as he vseth to doe to them, that loue his name; for thou also louest his name. Doth thine eye drop downe teares, because men keepe not Gods Law? Then will he order thy steps in his Word, neither shall any iniquitie haue domini­on ouer thee. Doth thy soule lament bitterly the common sinnes? Then will he deliuer thee from the oppression of men, that thou mayest keepe his precepts? Doth thine heart mourne for the publike offences of those, with whom thou liuest? Then will God make his face to shine vpon thee his seruant, and will teach thee his Statutes. In a word; Striuest thou to per­forme this seruice, of which, Dauid maketh pro­fession in this verse? Then shalt thou certaine­ly obtaine al those benefits, for which he made his humble petition in the former verses. Wher­fore [Page 258]let these Riuers of teares become streames of comfort, wherein thy soule may bathe it selfe, with much content. Godly sorrow is the mother of sound Ioy; these teares are the proper seeds of heauenly comfort, where­as carnal ioy doth end in sorrow, and that crack­ling mirth of sinners being extinguished, shall leaue them frozen in horror and amazement. Wherefore reape you the comfort of the seed you haue sowne, and as the seed was precious, so let the crop be; and as the seed was abundant, so let the haruest. From this dutie mayest thou in­fallibly collect, that thy charitie was sound and plentifull. This dutie will prooue certainly, that thine hatred of sinne was heartie and ear­nest, and, I suppose, it may goe in the reckoning of one of the most infallible notes of Gods child.

To mourne for the generall calamities of the Church, Two sure signes of sanctity. when ones selfe is at peace; and to mourne for the generall sinnes of the Church, though himselfe bee free; these are two most happy signes of true holinesse, and this latter I thinke to be the surer of the twaine, as more sen­sibly and manifestly testifying true zeale of Gods glory. Yea, whosoeuer sorrowes hearti­ly for the common sinnes, may, in some respect, take more sure hold of that mourning to con­firme his faith, and assure himself of his vpright­nesse, then of his sorrowing for his owne parti­cular faults. We haue examples of damned hy­pocrites, that haue been sad and heauy, for their [Page 259]owne sinnes, in some cases, as Ahab, Iudas, Saul, and he rest: but we haue neuer any example of any, that lamented the publike and common wickednesse of the Church or Nation, where he liued, and of the persons amongst whom hee conuersed (vnlesse accidentally, wen the sinnes haue falne out to be iniurious and troublesome to themselues, or to their friends,) but of those which wee are well assured, to haue been truly sanctified, and now to be eternally glorified. Is not Lot in Heauen? Is not Dauid in Heauen? Is not Ezra in Heauen? Ae not Ieremiah, Baruch, Ebedmelech, and the rest of these mourners all in eternall glory in Heauen? Name me a man that is noted to haue bewailed the sinnes of others, and I will bring you a ground out of Scripture without doubt or question, that he is saued: so can it not bee said of those that haue mourned for their owne sinnes. For in truth, the fierce­nesse of an euill conscience, terrifying the soule with the feare of hell fire, may stirre vp such griefe, and make an vnsanctified man complaine bitterly, that hee hath sinned in such or such a thing, as Iudas in betraying innocent blood. That naturall affectiō which we beare vnto our selues, may also make vs sorrowfull fort that, which we cannot but see, will bee harmefull to our selues, euen where no grace at all doth dwell: But to sorrow for publike offences, and for the sinnes of those, that are no way neere vnto vs (but as the common bands of Humanitie and Christia­nitie haue vnited them) there can bee no motiue [Page 260]at all imagined, except the true hatred of sinne, and the true loue of God and man, which no man can haue, but from the Spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ dwelling in him. Desperation and horror without Grace, may procure teares for ones owne faults, nothing but holinesse can pro­cure them for others. A man may lament his owne sinnes, and not hate them; hee cannot la­ment the common sinnes, but out of an hatred of them. Wherefore let the people of God make much of these teares, and preserue them (as it were some hot and comfortable licour) for their vse, against the day of temptation; that when the weake faith shall bee assaulted with manifold obiections, it may haue this token of truth to alleage for it selfe, against which, there can bee none exception; and let the people of God endeuour to be frequent in this exercise o mourning for the common sinnes, that they may abound in comfort afterwards, and be filled with ioy, in stead of sorrow; for alwaies holy sorrow ends in ioy. Wee may not make our selues so carelesse of our spirituall estate, as to lose a good dutie, but must put al the Graces that God hath giuen vs, and the effects of them to the best vse, improouing them all to the encrease of our faith in God, and our spirituall reioycing in the assurance of his loue. It will make vs constant in good duties, if wee shall find them to doe vs much good. Let these sorrowes be much profi­table and comfortable vnto them (O Christian soule,) as indeed they ought, and out of these [Page 261]weeping promises, gather these gladsome con­clusions. I am sure I am Gods child: I am sure I am a member of the same body, that Dauid was a member of: I am sure, I partake of that Spirit that dwelt in him: I am sure, that sinne shall not mortally infect me; that I shall not bee drowned in the publike Iudgements; that God will either spare the Land for the sake of my selfe, and other like mourners; or at least, that himselfe will make prouision for my welfare in the common woes. I shall laugh, when others are punished for sin, because I wept, when they committed sinne. God will bee my shelter and refuge in the time of trouble, and hee will not giue me ouer to the destroyer; for often haue I caused, and often doe I purpose hereafter to cause, that streames of teares shall descend from mine eyes, because the sonnes of men doe tread his Statutes vnder-foot. I haue not onely wept for mine owne sinnes (which feare of shame in the World, or damnation in Hell, hath made many a dissembler doe:) I haue not alone wept for the faults of my children, and neere friends (which also carnall affection hath made many a carnall man to do in some cases:) I haue not on­ly wept for the faults of others, that were harmefull to my selfe and my friends, (as selfe-loue wil make any man to doe,) but I haue wept for the generall sinnes of the whole Land, for the sinnes of the high and low, for the sinnes of strangers that knew mee not, and enemies that loue mee not; for the sinnes of any of Adams [Page 262]sonnes, that I knew to haue sinned, because they kept not Gods Precepts. Blessed be the Lord, that hath made maine heart, in such a measure, soft and tender: I am in his Couenant, seeing he hath created an heart of flesh within my bo­dy; and I am sure, that none but a fleshy hart will make the eyes to shed teares, for the violation of Gods te­stimonies by other men.

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