OF SINNES OF Weakenesse. Wilfulnesse.

THe second Covenant being that by which we are Sect. 1. now all either justified or condemned, and the con­dition of that, in respect of the facienda, being sin­cere not exact obedience, not the not sinning at all, but the not sinning wilfully after our receiving the knowledge of the truth, Heb. 10. 26. (which though it seeme to damne all irreversibly that sin wilfully after conversi­on, yet sure is to be understood according to the [...] of the Gospell, unlesse he doe repent and returne sincerely unto God againe, for whosoever doth so, there is certaine mercy by other places made over to him in Christ, and what is the full importance of that place will anon be explicated) It will be an enquiry though of some difficulty, yet of as great use and necessity as any one other in all Divinity, to search what sinnes there are, for which mercy is to be had under the Gospell, and for what not. For that some men are damned, and not all finally saved, there is no doubt, and yet as little there ought to be, that this is for sinne that one man is guilty of, and tother not; from whence it followes that seeing no man is guiltlesse of sinne, some degrees or sorts there must be of that guilt in one, which are not in another, and according to those different degrees, (though every of them be of it selfe or without Christ, or by the tenour of the first Covenant damning, yet) under the Gospell or second Covenant, the adjudging of men to heaven or hell is proportioned.

[Page 2] From all which this results, that some kinds, or sorts, or degrees Sect. 2. of sinning, or more plainely, some states of sinners, are under the Gospell damning, some are not; some reconcileable with a good e­state, some not; some for which there is sure mercy in Christ, some for which there is as certainely no mercy; for though the mercy of God be infinite, and so unfathomable by our finite wits, yet when he hath in the Gospell defin'd how farre his mercy shall extend, and beyond what termes it shall not, 'twill be no insolence to affirme, that God will not have mercy on any who are not qualified ac­cording to that second Covenant of his, who are not such persons to whom onely he hath promised mercy, at least if they be such as of whom he hath affirmed [they shall not have mercy.]

Thus farre to justify the fitnesse, and use, and necessitie of this search. Now for progresse in it. It will be eafie to define in the gene­rall. Sect. 3. 1. That all sinnes in the world, be they never so great, of what sort or kind soever, if they be retracted with true repentance, shall certainly be forgiven; (for that any act of sin should be irremissible, they that affirme doe it on this ground that they that commit that act shall never truly repent, implying that if they did repent, it would be remissible) and in this the onely difficulty will bee, 1 What true repentance is: And 2. Whether that be necessary to the obtaining pardon for every sinne.

To the first, I answer, that true repentance is a change, a through change of mind, (called in the Scripture, and the ordinary style of Sect. 4. Divines, the new creature, being regenerate, conversion, spirituall re­surrection, forsaking of sinne, mortification, habituall sanctification, sincere, faithful resolution of new life, reformatiō, amendment, [...], as it superaddes to [...]) and what ever doth not amount to thus much is not true saving repentance, to which the promises or mercies of Christ doe appertaine. And so consequently many specious pretenders to that Title are exclu­ded. Such are bare sorrow for sinne, such the votum poenitentiae, the wishing they were penitent, such a bare warring of the law of the mind against the law of the members, whil'st we are carried captive to the law of sinne; and many the like.

To the second, I must answer by distinguishing the equivocalnesse of the question. For the meaning of it may be, 1. Whether amend­ment, Sect. 5. or forsaking, or overcoming every particular sinne be necessa­ry [Page 3] to the obtaining of pardon for that sinne, whether it be of in­firmity or otherwise: and if that be meant, I answer, No. For that some sinnes are of that nature, that as long as we have this mortall infirme flesh about us, we can never hope to be rid of them to get victory over them: such as for which the sacrifices were appointed to be offered under the law, and for which Christs sacrifice once offered is a perfect expiation; and these by the tenour of the second Covenant, or through the mercy of God in Christ shall never bee imputed to the penitent sinner; I meane to him who hath amended all others, and humbled himselfe before God, and besought his mercy in Christ, and by faith laid hold of it for these, which though he labour against them sincerely, he cannot throughly amend or over­come.

But if the meaning be, secondly, Whether the actuall amending Sect. 6. of all his knowne sinnes which consequently may by the Christian be amended, be required necessarily to make a man capable of the pardon even of his sinnes which cannot be amended; I answer, that it is very probable to be so. Because Christs sufferings seeme not be advantageous (at all, not so much as to the washing away of humane frailties) to any but those who are in Christ, i. e. to new creatures, who alone are so; however that will not bee a materi­al scruple, though it should be left disputable, as long as this other proposition be taken for infallible (which is so) that except we re­pent we shall all perish, i. e. that he that hath not forsaken all wilfull sinnes, shall (whether for his wilfull sinnes onely, or his wilfull and frailties both together, it matters not) be certainly condemned.

By the answering of these two questions so much hath been Sect. 7. gained, as that we may make another generall resolution, and de­fine secondly, that some sinnes are reconcileable with a true peni­tent, convert, regenerate estate, others are not. And consequently some not destructive under the second Covenant, though others are. What these are in generall will also in the third place be easily de­fined. Sinnes of infirmity are reconcileable, wilfull sinnes are not.

Vnder infirmities I containe all sorts that are usually reduced Sect. 8. to that head, and which have beene briefly mentioned in another discourse; Whether those that proceed from any not culpable de­fect Of Conscience. of my understanding, as sinnes of ignorance, or from some pre­sent [Page 4] prevailing temptation, which though I use all meanes in my power against it, I cannot overcome; or from some advantage ta­ken by Satan, &c. in the assaulting me either on the suddaine, when I have not time, to use those meanes which I might otherwise use which we call suddaine surreption; or from the frequency or repe­tition or almost continuednesse of the temptation, which when I have repell'd it never so often, returnes againe, so that if ever my watch be intermitted (which considering our humane frailty it is though not logically, yet morally impossible, but it should some time or o­ther) I shall infallibly fall, (which we use to call sinnes of dayly in­cursion) or from the levity and undiscerniblenesse of the matter, or from any other principle, which by that measure of grace that God affords me, (or if I be not culpably wanting to my selfe in neglecting the use of the means prescribed he is ready to afford me) I am not able to resist. Supposing al this while that 'tis not upon some former wilfull sinne of mine that God by way of punishment withdrawes this grace necessary to the resisting of it; for if it be so, then though it may truly be said, I cannot now resist that sinne for want of that grace so withdrawne by God, yet will not this passe for a sinne of infirmity.

On the other side under the name of wilfull sinnes I meane not all willingly committed, or voluntary sinnes, (for all sin as far as Sect. 9. it is sinne is voluntary, and therefore sinnes of infirmity are volun­tary) but all that are not excusable by any of those former titles of infirmity, or all that are not included under some of those heads.

Thus farre in the way of generall defining there is no great dif­ficulty. Sect. 10. That begins to shew it selfe when we come to the [...] or particular, to mention what sinnes in specie, or individuo, what sorts of sin or acts of those sorts, are sinnes of infirmity, what not; And this is indeed an insuperable difficulty, 1. Because one man hath more knowledge, more quicknesse of understanding, and also more grace then another, and so that sinne in specic, or indi­viduo, that sort or particular act of sinne, which he hath power to resist and overcome, that other man that hath lesse power, hath not power to overcome; and if so, twill be an infirmity in him, though in tother tis not. 2. Because any specificall sinne comes backed with more temptations (and so makes a more forcible impression upon the will) at one time then another; & consequently though it were [Page 5] not above his strength at one time, yet at another time it may. Yea and thirdly, because the same man is at one time more able to resist and overcome, then he himselfe at some other time, as of a man in state of desertion it is cleare, as also when either by drunkennesse or any other culpable extravagancy (through rage or lust not resisted in the first motion) the man is utterly debauched from his naturall and spirituall strength, and no way able to resist those temptations, which at another time he would scorne to be captivated with.

But these two causes will not be very pertinent to the busi­nesse Sect. 11. in hand: because, as is supposed in them, that which brought this weakenesse upon the man, was some culpable, nay wilfull act, (or yeelding of his) committed then against strength, (though now that strength be not sufficient against the consequent assault) and so no way apt to excuse the sinne, that it primarily betrayed him to. But if the case be set of some innocent accident which causes this alteration, then it will be pertinent to the thing which I now affirme, (to wit the evidencing the difficulty of such particular de­fining [...]) as we know a man in time of sadnesse will be able to reject some jolly proposalls, which yet in time of mirth (suppo­sing that moderate and harmelesse, and as perfectly sinlesse in it selfe, as that contrary sadnesse) he will not perhaps be able, nay, as Hippocrates affirmes in his tract [...], one aire or place may strongly incline a man to one whether virtue or sinne, which another doth not, & where the inclinations are stronger or weaker, there we know the strength being in degree supposed the same must prove unproportionable to the one though not the other, able and sufficient to resist the weaker, though unsufficient to subdue the stronger inclination.

To come yet more clearely to that which is of every dayes expe­rience. Sect. 12. Suppose a man a little drowzy at one houre (which drowzi­nesse at that time particularly, is not a sinne, but a naturall desire of sleep, which is natures due debt) and suppose him throughly awaked, and out of that fit of drowzinesse at another time; and then sup­pose that the same proposall be made to him at both those times, it may very probably be received at one time, and rejected at another; nay if the proposall be an undertaking destructive of his present desire of sleep, it may easily be affirmed that in that drowzy fit he hath no strength to resist it, though at another time he hath. The [Page 6] reason is, because sleepe being a ligation of the faculties, drowzi­nesse likewise is so in some degree, and the want of that degree may disable the understanding or upper soule from representing strongly enough at that time, that which at another time it shall be able to represent so strongly, that the contrary proposalls of the sense shall not dare to appeare before it. From whence I conceive it followes, that if the proposall, supposed in this cause, be a sinfull proposall, that sinne committed by that drowzy man will be a sinne of infirmity, which if it were committed by the same man broad awake, would be a sinne against strength, and so a wilfull sinne. From whence yet the man so deceived once or twice ought to receive admonition that hereafter, if any weighty matter, wherein his duty be concerned, be represented to him in the like posture, he will before he consents or refuses, discutere somnum, shake off sleepe, that he may not be so unfit a judge, or if he find his owne weake­nesse such that he cannot, he will appoint some body else to a­wake him throughly, that he be not thus constantly impotent; For if he doe not use these meanes to recover his strength, when he is aware of them, it may cease to be an infirmity.

From all which as we have evidenced the difficulty of the pro­blem applyed to particular individuall sinnes or persons, so we Sect. 13. conceive our discourse to have given some hints which will be usefull toward this discovery. Especially this, that any sinne com­mitted by him that hath at that time strength or grace to resist it, or whose wilfull fault it hath beene, that he hath not that suffici­ent strength (as if either some former wasting sinne of his, whether act or habit, have grieved the holy Spirit of God, and provoked God to withdraw it from him, which he would not otherwise have done, or if by the use of some meanes beforehand he might have prevented the strength of that impression, or better fortified him­selfe, or by use of some other meanes, as of prayer, &c. at the pre­sent he might yet get strength, or remove the tempter, and he make use of none of these meanes through sensuality or sluggishnesse) is a wilfull sinne, (not a sinne of infirmity) to that man at that time.

And so though we have no other particular way of defining, Sect. 14. yet this we have, that will stand any man in as good steed for the examining himselfe, and his owne guilts, or any confessor (that hath [Page 7] received of his confitent an exact account not only of the action, but the circumstances of the action, his qualifications at that time, and the particular vigor of the assault) as particular definitions concerning this, or that sinne universim would.

As for example, if I would know whether any act of mine owne, Sect. 15. (or being a confessor) of my poenitent, be a wilfull sinne or no, I must first inquire, whether in that point of time, when being tempted I committed it, my understanding or upper soul, and the spirit of God in me did move me more, or as strongly not to doe it, as the flesh did to the commission, allowing farther somewhat of grace to incline the will, or of the understanding to move it as much in proportion as the will since the fall is naturally inclined to the carnall appetite, (as you know when one Scale is heavier of it selfe then the other, or by some default in the beame one is more apt to turne then the other, you must, if you would even the ballances and make an ae­quilibrium, put more weight in the Scale that is apt to fly up) Or if this be an obscure operation, why then I must desire thee to examine whether at that time thy Spirit or Conscience told thee, this was not to be done, and that on paine not only of Gods dis­pleasure but also of thy eternall damnation, (which must certainly be farre greater motives of determent even to flesh and bloud, then any pleasure the flesh can represent, can be allective to the con­trary) and if thou findest it did, and yet for all this thy will con­sented to the flesh in its proposall, then this is a sinne against strength, a wilfull sinne, and not of infirmity.

But if thy conscience, or spirit or upper soule, at that time did Sect. 16. not this, then 'tis to be resolved on, that it failed to doe the duty of a watchman, and if it did so, then my second inquiry will be, From whence that failing of thy spirit arose? (for if it be awake and disposed as it should be, (and as even yet by grace it is prepa­red to be, if we make use of that grace) it will speake and admonish us, and that not in words which are subject to misunderstanding, but in sense which therefore we cannot conceive) Whether, first, from Gods just desertion the punishment of some former sin, or secondly, from some present actuall sinne of mine upon me at that time, as drunkennesse, crapula, &c. or thirdly, from some habit which I have, by former acts of the sinne which I am now tempt­ed to, contracted, to the blinding of my understanding, or grieving [Page 8] of the spirit, or glibbing that sinne, that it shall be able to passe downe insensibly and escape the search of my understanding; In all these cases, the originall of that failing being sinfull, the failing it selfe will not yeeld any excuse or compleat apology, but the sinne will still remaine a wilfull sinne.

If none of all these be found chargeable upon thee, as the origi­nall Sect. 17. of that failing and negttive productive of that sinne, then I can as yet thinke of but one inquiry more, whether thirdly, thy un­derstanding and the grace of God in it, being thus layed asleepe as it were, by some naturall, sinlesse, or at least invicible and so ex­cusable frailty, or else (as in a drowzy fit) not perfectly awake, there be not some meanes prescribed and presented to thee by God, which if thou hadst used, thou mightest have wakened thy under­standing, or fortified thy will, or weakened the temptation: and if so, and thou hast, through negligence, or confidence, spirituall securi­ty or pride, omitted to make use of them, then will this still a­mount to a wilfull sinne or a sinne against strength; as when the Lunatique Son was brought to the Disciples of Christ, and the Text faith Mat. 17. 21. they could not cast the evill spirit out, and Christ gives the reason why they could not, because, saith he, this kinde goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting, Christ yet chargeth them with infidelity almost unsufferable, (O faithlesse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?) because there be­ing such meanes to enable them to doe the worke, they neglected those meanes, & so only by that neglect became unable. The style of faithlesse in that place gives us yet a more perfect notion of a wilfull sinne, then hitherto we have arrived to, that it is not only that which is against naturall conscience, or spirituall infusions, but also that which is particularly against faith, i. e. comes to be com­mitted by neglecting the use of some meanes, which the word of Christ, or the Scripture offers and prescribes to us, especially if by our former faylings we have discerned the want we have of such helpes or auxiliaries. For in this respect of directing to such meanes of victory Faith is said to be the overcoming the world, 1 John 5. 4. as well as in presenting us with the promises and terrors of the Gospell.

Farther yet in the fourth place, if at the time of commission of the sinne thou caust truely say, 'twas not in thy power to resist it, Sect. 18. [Page 9] because of the strength of the temptation so hurrying thee, as not to give thee leasure to judge or deliberate, (which may seeme to intitle that action to the title of infirmity) thou must then en­quire, whether thy yeelding (voluntarily from contēplation of the pleasure &c.) to some entrances and beginnings of that sinne, whe­ther marose thoughts, or somewhat father, be not that, that hath made the temptation so strong, or thee so weake; which thou wilt discerne by this enquiry, whether before those morose thoughts &c. were entertained, thou wert not able to make resistance to the actuall sinne, and then, if so thou wert able, nay actually didst, and only the intervenience of those preparatory yeeldings did betray thee to this impotence, and it was in thy power (by naturall or su­pernaturall strength already had, or prayer either as it hath a pro­mise of more strength, or as it is an excellent meanes of diversion) to have resisted those beginnings, when thou didst yeeld, then still is this a wilfull sinne, or sinne against strength.

As for other sinnes more clearely and immediately against na­turall Sect. 19. conscience, against Faith, (or directions of the Scripture for the overcoming the world) against supernaturall strength or grace, as contumacious stubborne presumptuous sinnes, there will be little scruple to any man, or cause to keepe him from pronouncing of, and charging on them the crime of wilfulnesse, and concluding (without reall change) the certaine damningnesse of them even under Christ. I say particularly, presumptuous sinnes, when (presu­ming that Gods mercy in Christ is either unlimited, and may belong to any the most unreformed, or that it is decreed absolutely to some persons, without any respect to qualifications or demeanures, to Saul the persecutor, as well as Paul the Apostle) the sinner runnes comfortably and alacriously on, without any regret of con­science: the doing so is certainely no sinne of infirmity, because though some errour may be pretended for his so doing, and that errour seeme apt to lend him excuse;

Yet first, errours, that are not simple errours, but bring vitious Sect. 20. life after them, are not excusable (because not invincible) errours, the rule of the agenda or duties of life being so cleare in the Scripture and in the heart, that no man can be invincibly ignorant of that, Rom. 10. 8, 9. and Deut. 30. 14. The word that is now com­manded is not hid or impossible, or like fetching Christ from hea­ven, [Page 10] or the grave, a thing quite out of our power, but it is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayst doe it. And se­condly, it will be apparent, that even those errours on which that presumption is built, being simply considered, are demonstrable to be errours (suppositâ fide) or to one that acknowledges the Scripture, because there be so many places in the Scripture point-blanke a­gainst them, particularly those of the conditionall promises every where scattered. Neither circumcision, &c. but the new creature, but faith consummate by love, but keeping the Commandements of God; Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord; He that confesses and forsakes shall have mercy; He that hath this hope purifies, &c. And having therefore these promises let us cleanse, &c.

From what hath beene said, it will be more then probable, that all acts of fornication, adultery, &c. (which I shall suppose never to Sect. 21. be actually committed without some space of deliberation, or if they be, then I meane those other wherein that deliberation inte­poses) are wilfull sinnes, and so also all acts of drunkennesse, unlesse when through ignorance of the strength of the liquor, or the weake­nesse of the braine, the man suddainly fall into it by desiring to quench his thirst, or doe somewhat which is lawfull; wherein yet, if after one or more trials he miscarry the second or a third time, it will still be a wilfull sinne; So also lying or speaking that which we know to be false, to the defrauding and wronging of another, or for any vainglorious designe; So againe, any sinne of oppression, injustice, &c. or generally all those where there is any time of ad­vice and deliberation; For where ever that liberty is, there is sup­posed an ability and readinesse in the upper soule of a Christian to present arguments for obedience to God, stronger then any the devill, or the world, or flesh, can offer for the contrary. As for killing a man, though the Law of the Land is wont to distinguish of wil­full and not wilfull murther, yet to any man in his wits, the stab­bing his neighbour (or using any other such meanes as may probably take away his life) would seeme so strange, that I cannot conceive but his spirit should be able to deterre him from it in that space, which is required that any such weapon may be prepared; For if it be said, his rage doth gag or silence his spirit; I shall answer, that the raising of his rage to that pitch was not in a minute, but grew upon him by degrees, and then there was time and meanes to pre­vent [Page 11] that growth, which he that did not make use of will hardly be able thereby to excuse or extenuate the subsequent sinne.

For swearing also I know not how in ordinary discourse or in Sect. 22. any case (extra causas juramenti legitimas, where it is supposed per­fectly lawfull) it can be made a sinne of infirmity; for in commu­nication Christ's words are so plaine [But I say unto you, Sweare not at all, and particularly, Let your communication be yea, yea, &c. for whatsoever is more, is [...] from the evill one] that it would amaze any man to see that it should become an ornament or tolerable part of a Christians dialect. And if it be in rage, then I dare say, that either that man hath formerly in some measure enured his tongue to swearing, or not so strictly made conscience of an oath, as Christ's precept obligeth him; for he that never swore, will not in impatience probably fall out into those formes of speech that he never used, (but alwaies vowed and resolved a­gainst) but into some other which he hath been more used to, or which he could heare in others with lesse horrour and detestation, or which were a more naturall remedy for that passion. And if you marke it, that which rage doth is onely to blind the understanding, (and so to steale out any proper effects of rage, as presuming of their impunity, or not considering the contrary danger) but not to hurry us to the commission of any or every other sinne indifferent­ly, and at a venture. And why a rage should cast one upon using Gods name in oathes, (which before he had never phansied for any use but in his prayers) any more then on many other unheard of sinnes, I am so farre from conceiving any reason, that I must con­clude it impossible, unlesse it proceed from the being used in some measure to that sinne, or having a more favourable easy opinion of it. And yet after all this, that rage it selfe being so Vn-Christi­an a thing, which we are so obliged to prevent, (and if in time it be not prevented, will not alwaies passe for an infirmity in a Christian) will be unable to patronize or excuse any such one oath, which that puts into our mouthes; but on the other side, the observing that my rage hath made me sweare, must in any reason give me so strict a watch over my selfe in time of provocation, as never to let loose into a rage, which proves so inconvenient and so com­plicated a sinne unto me; as he that finds himselfe quarrelsome in his drinke, hath the greatest obligation to temperance of any. As [Page 12] for any other meanes that bring on swearing, custome, pride, osten­tation, [...], filling up the discourse, none of these will excuse it from a wilfull sinne; especially considering the naturall intrinsecall untemptingnesse of that sinne, that were it not for some accidentall or extrinsecall advantage, evill example, (which if it had been a good one, we could easily enough have rejected and not imitated) or custome locall or personall, or that other of the com­pany we are used to, scarce any man that heares swearing forbid­den by Christ, will discerne himselfe to have any carnall invitation to sweare, no not in time of rage.

The same I thinke may be defined of all the grosse outward acts of sinne, or sinnes in the members; because for the acting of them, Sect. 23. over and above the consent of the will, some space is necessarily required, wherein the spirit or upper soule, if it be about us, will be able and ready to interpose, if it may be hearkned to, (which me thinkes is intimated by the Turkes in a custome of theirs, who when they meane to give themselves liberty to be drunke, use to make a great noise, which they say is a warning to their soule to retire into some extreame part of the body, that it may not be spe­ctator or Censor of this their beastiality.) And if it be thus driven away, gagg'd, or not hearkened to, then that is a sinne against strength, a wilfull sinne. Which perhaps was Saint James his ob­servation, when he said, Sinne being perfected bringeth forth death. For the conception of lust precedent signifies certainly the consent or conjunction of the will with the carnall appetite, when in the wooing (or canvasse for that consent) of the upper soule on one side, and of the lower soule or carnall part on tother, the will which is thus courted by both, yeelds to the second, and so they joyne in mutuall embraces, from whence, saith the Apostle, sinne is brought forth, that very consent of the will to the sensuall faculty, being formally sinne without, or before the acting of it; but this perhaps a sinne of iufirmity, as the case may be (for universim or alwaies it is not; but very often wilfull and damning, though it never come to act) whereas if this sinne (of infirmity while it was onely in the conception, i. e. consent of the will) come to birth (i. e. actuall commission) or perfection, and fitnesse for birth, (which re­quires some space, and time) it may justly be said a sinne against strength, & so in the very Covenant of grace a fatall mortiferous sin.

[Page 13] And therefore though before we said that the same sinne in Sect. 24. specie, might be but an infirmity in one, and yet a wilfull sinne in another, yet this affirmation will need this caution to interpret it, that the meaning of it be onely this, that a sinne that is onely an infirmity in one, may by some meanes of aggravation become wil­full in another, but not è contra, that that which, upon some grounds or supposition of strength common to all men, may be in universum defined a wilfull sinne, can by any meanes be extenua­ted into an infirmity. That which I now say, I meane of any grosse outward act, or habit of sinne, because in these I conceive there is some mora or stay, wherein the spirit may be advised with; and then that being supposed in good health or regenerate state will not faile to suggest sufficient arguments against that sinne, and so be a meanes to retract that sudden stolen consent, before it come to act, at least to habit; Or if it be not it selfe without auxilia­ries able to combat with the temptation, yet it will out of the word of God be able to direct us to some aid, which being called in, will either improve us to a competent strength, or help to disarme and weaken the temptation, which we shall find by trying, and making use of those meanes; be they our prayers either for grace in time of need, or as I said prayer as a meanes of divertisement, or be they fasting, vigilance, &c. or be it but a tempting to do our best, for this is very ordinary to observe in our selves, that (when we put our selves to it, and do our best) we prove able to doe farre more, then ever we dreamt, we had been able. And this is very re­markable, whether you consider it, as a truth in morality, where­in it hath been observed that necessity or extreame danger enables men to doe miracles, which when they are past they are amazed to see them done by them, (as Hierocles excellently shewes on that golden Pythagorean [...]) or as a truth of Scripture, wherein there be many promises that God will aid when we fight, cooperate when we work, assist when we endeavour, and not be wanting to them which are not first cul­pably wanting to themselves.

Having said thus much of wilfull sinnes (for the disabusing of Sect. 25. those who are over apt to flatter themselves that their sinnes are infirmities and no more, and therefore sure of their pardon in Christ, though continued in, or not retracted by particular repentance) I [Page 14] shall not thinke this discourse chargeable or accusable of any dangerous or hurtfull seuerity, by being apt to drive men to de­spaire. 1. Because it is knowne in Scripture and acknowledged by all, and now confest by this paper, that there is a tabula post nau­fragium, a planke after shipwracke, repentance, as it implyes forsa­king, and change of mind, and the working of that in every such sinner, is the thing that all this while I intend, and there is no way possible for the working it, but this, by representing the danger, if it be not wrought, which he, that takes all his sinnes for infir­mities, will never be convinc'd of, while he so thinks. And 2. be­cause the despaire that is dangerous is that which is contrary to the purifying hope, to that hope that sets upon amendment, by as­suring that there is mercy to be had on such termes; And as any other hope is but groundlesse confidence, so any other despaire but that which makes us give over amending, is in some respects a ve­ry usefull, at least not very noxious, despaire: usefull, if it set us on mending, when without it we would not; as in case of despaire or distrust onely of our present condition, in respect of our present sins, but not of the future, because there is yet place for repentance: or not noxious, I meane not so farre, as to damne, or do any thing but deprive us of some comfortable assurance here, (the want of which, if we want nothing else, will never prejudice any mans sal­vation, whatever they thinke, that take this assurance to be Faith) as in case of dying without all hope of Heaven, when that no hope proceeds onely from an amazing sight of former sinnes, which though we have sincerely forsaken, yet none but God infallibly sees that we have, and our selves out of an humble lowly conceit of all our owne actions, (our repentance particularly undervalued by us) thinke and resolve we have not. For sure if God see we have changed sincerely, and so there be assurance respectu objecti, in re­spect of the object, tis an errour in us to thinke we have not; (from whence proceeds the non-assurance of the Subject) and this errour if it be onely in the understanding, and produce no evill life, will sure damne none that should not otherwise be damned.

For whereas it may be objected, that he may seeme to want Sect. 26. that affiance in Christ for salvation, which is a saving necessary grace, I answer, that that affiance (that is so) is the rolling my selfe on Christ for salvation, and if I perish, I perish, the denying and re­nouncing [Page 15] all trust in my selfe in my owne righteousnesse, faith, re­pentance, my owne any thing, but only Christ, and God's mercy in him; not the beleeving my personall election, or that I shall be sa­ved what ever my sinnes be, and how unreformed soever. For be­sides that this is in an unreformed sinner (speaking of wilfull sins) were the beleeving of a Lye, because there is really no mercy or Salvation for such; besides this I say there is no obligation or com­mand in Scripture, which can be thought to make it duty or neces­sary for any to beleeve himselfe a true poenitentiary even when he is so. 'Tis true we are commanded to prove our worke &c. Gal. 6. 4. i. e. to ponder and ballance every action we take in hand whether it will beare the [...] tryall of the test or no, and this we are in­couraged by that which follows, that we shall have [...] boasting only in our selves. But then, first, this precept of try­ing is not a precept of knowing or beleeving. Secondly, this trying his owne worke, signifies the direct act of conscience, the doing each action with a good conscience, but belongs not to the reflexive act of Conscience upon the whole life past, or if it doe, requires not, that every man should at every minute of his life beleeve or know in­fallibly that this state is good, and shall be so to the end. Thirdly, the boasting there is set only in opposition to boasting over another (as appeareth by that which followes v. 5. for every man shall beare his owne burthen, i. e. another mans being worse then you will doe you no good) to judging well of our selves by that deceitfull way of comparing our selves with those that are worse then wee: and therfore, fourthly, 'tis observable that it is not said by way of promise [...], he shal have matter of boasting in him­selfe, (for sure the best man living hath little of that) but [...], only in himselfe, all the boasting or comfort that he hath shall be in himselfe and in the uprightnesse of his owne conscience, as that is opposed to comparing or comforting himselfe (as the Pharisee with the Publican) because others are worse then hee. And so still the want of this assurance being the utmost inconveni­ence that this doctrine can possibly at the worst view of it bring upon him, this will amount no higher then some present discom­fort, which will be recompenced abundantly by the gaines it brings with it of being disdeceived and brought timely and hap­pily to repentance.

[Page 16] The short is, let these sinnes which thou seest improved, perhaps beyond thine expectation into wilfull sinnes, be sincerely resolved Sect. 27. and laboured against, and all meanes used for the performing that resolution, & then if by any unsuperable weakenesse of thine thou failest in performing it or overcomming them, perhaps I shall re­tract my doctrine in some part as it is appliable to thee; or if I doe not, be confident I have done thee no considerable injury, though I should have deceived thee in some particular; I am sure I am not guilty to my selfe of any designe to do so, and therefore I hope my errour shall not be a culpable one, because error amoris, an errour of kindnesse, or care, or love, in that I desired to make heaven as sure to thee as I could, though not to make thee over sure of heaven.

Somewhat being thus set downe by way of character to know Sect. 28. wilfull sinnes by, we shall suppose that that will also be helpefull to the defining what sinnes of infirmity are. For of that no scruple will be made to affirme, that what ever sinne is not wilfull in any of the former descriptions of it, must be resolved to be of infirmity; there be no middle or third betwixt those two in the second cove­nant-account of sinnes. By the rule therefore of contraries we shall best proceed. 1. In generall, to define a sinne of infirmity, that which is not against strength or grace, or that which (though we labour and endevour sincerely against all sinne, and use what meanes we are convinc't will tend to the overcoming of sinne) we yet fall in­to, either through humane frailty alone, or through Satans cun­ning, taking advantage of that our frailty.

As first, when (as at first we gave hints of resolution) any invin­cible Sect. 29. and so excusable ignorance of Gods will in some particulars betray me to some sinne, (for then my understanding or spirit is not of strength sufficient to advise me) then the sinne is of weaknesse, and therefore Rom. 14. they that are called the weake, v. 1. are ex­plained to be they that lacke knowledge v. 10. which all they that have are called the strong through that Chapter. Or secondly, when the suddainnesse of the assault gives not my spirit leasure to represent those perswasives and determents which it would doe if it were not so surprized; and so for want of those representati­ons on that side, the present promises of the temptation doe pre­ponderate and prevaile against all that is offered to the contrary; for as a man that hath time to set himselfe upon his guard will be [Page 17] able to resist and vanquish that enemy which by surprisall takes, and bindes & conquers him with ease, so is the will of a man in case of suddaine surprisal; It hath no leisure to make use of those succours that reason could afford, if it had time to muster them up. And so be­ing more weake at such times then at other, the sinnes that at such time it yeelds to, but would not at another, are sinnes of Infirmity.

For 'tis to be observed that the upper soule moves the will not Sect. 30. as a naturall but rationall agent, uses syllogismes and arguments to perswade, hath not that despoticall power to have it at its becke or nod, 'tis not by a Goe and it goeth, and come and it cometh, (as Ari­stotle's Philosophy seemes to set it) that what the understanding prescribes to be done, the will must doe; but the course is of some more length. The understanding must dispute and canvasse it a­gainst the carnall appetite, answer the motives brought by that, and then give more perswasive ones for the contrary; and then perhaps the understanding is otherwise busy at that minute when the temptation comes, and the popular carnall argument that it hath used, hath prevailed and gotten consent before the understanding was aware of it, either through present businesse and inability to attend more things at once, or for want of an [...] suddennesse of mind to represent presently the arguments it hath on its side, or to find out the Sophismes ont other. Or however, To dispute it throughly and cleare all difficulties, and indeed (if it be but) to make this one Syllogisme, [the terrours of the Lord belongs to him that commits such a sinne as thou art now tempted to but that man is mad that will upon any carnall motives venture upon the terrours of the Lord, therefore that man is mad that will adven­ture on that sinne,] and then to prove and make good against the contrary fallacious suggestions of the flesh, &c. every part of that Syllogisme, and moreover to bring it home particularly to thee at that time, will require some space, and that (by the suddain­nesse and no warning of the temptation) being not afforded, the spi­rit in this case is not able to doe its duty, and so the sinne will be committed for want of strength. For the want of strength that e­specially denominates the sinne of infirmity, is not any want of bodily strength (for whatever is committed for want onely of that is a kind of rape, no voluntary action, nor consequently any sinne so much as of infirmity, an act or defect of the body, not of the will, [Page 18] and so not chargeable upon the man which is primarily his soule, [...], thy soule is thou) but of spirituall or inward strength, i. e. of grace, and of motives and suasories to obedience, more effectuall, or operative, or powerfull, then any the world, or flesh, or devill hath to the contrary. And seeing these arguments are perpetually to be had from every regenerate Christian's spirit, and the only want is the non-representing or non-producing of them in time of neede, if the case stands so, that by reason of the suddaine surpri­zall, (or which is somewhat different) clancular surreption, when from some indifferent acts a sinne steales on us, as by drinking one glasse of wine I am prepared to a readinesse to drinke a second, and perhaps by that sending up some cloud to the understanding, or warming, and so emboldning me, I may be much induced to a third, and so every step make me more unable not to proceed) they cannot be thus produced, this sinne thus consented to must needs be a sinne of infirmity in him that meerly through ignorance of the power of wine is so betrayed, though to him that had one such warning, and yet thus fals againe as before I said, I cannot be so favourable.

Or thirdly, when the vigilance and importunate diligence and Sect. 32. indefatigable siege of the temptation is such, as that if the man doe not watch with as continued a diligence, the will will be ta­ken unfortified, and so by that disadvantage won to consent, (as in case of daily incursion of any one temptation, or of all sinnes, some at one time, some at another, every minute almost some) then the sinne that is committed meerly thus, may passe for a sinne of In­firmity; because though every assault particularly considered be such as that the spirit might have beene vigilant enough to pre­vent it, yet to be so perpetually upon the guard is morally impos­sible; and so sometime to nod, and slip, or fall may passe uncensu­red for an infirmity. And therefore when to that which is said tru­ly of the second Covenant [that the condition of it is feisable because there is now under the Gospell no more required sub periculo a­nimae, but to doe what we are enabled to doe, and no man can be unable to doe that] 'tis wont to be objected that no man ever did all that he is able to doe, and therefore though it be Logically possible to doe so, and so to performe the condition of the second (though not of the first) Covenant, yet 'tis moraly impossible, i. e. 'tis not to be imagined that ever any man will do it, (& then that [Page 91] will be all one in effect with the condition of the first Covenant, which is acknowledged utterly impossible.) To this we answer, that therefore the Gospell hath made provision even for these morall im­possibilities, and not required the regenerate Christian, sub peri­culo animae, to performe alway what ever he is able to performe, but indulged so much to humane frailty, that what ever is morally consequent to that, shall be matter of excuse to us, and so parti­cularly to fall sometimes through daily incursion of temptation, onely because I doe not (which it cannot be expected I should) watch alwaies, will be matter of excuse also.

Besides these 3 heads of sinnes of infirmity, some others there Sect. 33. are, which will not so clearely be put under one or severall heads, such as are those that the levity of the matter and that inadver­tence betrayes us to, (supposing that that be not grosse, or affected, or caused by some wilfull sinne) for some degree of this there will be in the most knowing and most vigilant man, and some sinnes will drop from us by this meanes, which wholly to avoid may be truely said to be above Humane Power.

One head of these sinnes of infirmity there is yet behind, con­taining Sect. 34. many branches under it, of which 'twould be too long to treat particularly, and yet without a particular descending to par­ticulars, hard to define whether they be infirmities, or no. Namely, sinnes which passion betrayes us to, meaning thereby such passions which 'tis not in the Christian's power so to quell, but that they will be apt thus to betray him. These sinnes are either 1. the inor­dinacy of these passions themselves, which I thinke neither nature nor grace can so wholly conquer in this life, but that in some kind or other there will at some time appeare some inordinacy, some act of either immoderate anger, or feare, or love, or joy, or sorrow, at some time or other, and of these we may define in generall, that he that first studies himselfe so carefully as to discerne which of these he is most inclinable to by his temper, and then labours sin­cerely against all, but with most industry against that, to which he is most inclinable, (of which sincerity he will be able to passe some judgement by the daily impairing of the violence of those passions, for sure if he labour sincerely, especially by the use of proper meanes, he will be able to advance somewhat toward victory, though not absolutely arrive to it) shall have the excuse of infirmities for his [Page 20] some few acts of immoderate passion.

Or 2. These sinnes are some other specificall acts of sinne which these passions betray men to, which though much different in guilt Sect. 35. as well as nature from the mother sinnes, and many times very far from infirmities, (for sure he that for feare would sacrifice to Idols, through anger kill &c. will hardly be thus excused) yet is it very possible that such sinnes that some passions may betray us to, may deserve that title of infirmities. As when any naturall trembling or other passion incident to the flesh, being (without any improve­ment into an inordinate passion) an incitation of mind, makes me not discerne or not weigh the sinfulnesse of some small light sinne, which offers it selfe to rid me from my feare &c. as if the venturing of some lesser sinne should promise me rescue from death, which being otherwise represented to me as unavoidable, were withall very formidable to me.

For although in this case the least sinne be not in strictnesse to Sect. 36. be admitted, though it be for the saving of my life, and though the deliberate resolution that in such a case I will venture on such a sinne, because it is but a sinne of Weaknesse and so excusable, do make it in that case to be wilfull and unexcusable; yet abstra­cting it from this, and considering it not before-hand, but onely at the time of suddaine surprizall, it may be said, that the temptati­on of the feare being so great above the proportion and size that the sinne is at that time represented in, this may passe for a sinne of infirmity.

To come now to specificall or particular sinnes, and define uni­versim that they are sinnes of infirmity (as of some I did that they Sect. 37. were wilfull) I shall not adventure, because as I said, some cir­cumstances might improve some acts under those species into wilful sinnes, in some men at some time. All that I shall say is, that 1. Evill thoughts being suddenly (or assoone as they are deprehended) rejected with indignation, 2. Wandring thoughts in time of prayer, following us onely out of custome of thinking on some honest or lawfull things (which yet I desire and in some ejaculation pray for strength to cast away from me, when I set about that worke) and never distinctly consented to, but crouding in upon a confused im­perfect consent, or non-rejection, 3. Wicked motions unconsented to, or if on the suddaine consented to, yet presently retracted againe, [Page 21] (and not onely strangled or frustrated for want of opportunity of acting them) are most capable of that title of infirmities.

For any more particular knowledge of them, every man will Sect. 38. best be able to advise himself, when he hath tryed his actions by this touchstone, that [Those onely are sinnes of infirmity, when our sincere endeavour and industry and the use of grace given us, and prayer for more grace, and other meanes prescribed us, are not able to free us from some acts of those sinnes, or when all our failings in endeavour &c. are but consequents of humane frailty, not of wilfull sinne.

Of these that which I shall say for close, will, I conceive, be matter of as much comfort, as the former part was of discomfort to any. To wit, that through the mercy of Christ under the Second Covenant, Infirmities unconquered, unforsaken, sticking to us till our very deaths, may be and shall be most certainly pardoned to them, that have nothing else to be charged on them. i. e. by whom all wilfull sinnes be sincerely forsaken, and for infirmities 1. their soules humbled in confession, and contrition, 2. pardon humbly begg'd in Christ's name, and 3. sincere endeavour used against them; they shall I say be pardoned, if not so farre as not to be punished in this life, yet so farre as not to separate from the love of God here, or vision of God hereafter, though they be here ne­ver wholy overcome, or put off.

This I would make the interpretation of that distinction of a generall and particular repentance, so ordinary among Divines, that the particular repentance should not onely descend to parti­cular wilfull sinnes, especially those that are committed after the receiving knowledge of the truth, but also extend to the actuall forsaking of them; but the generall repentance belong onely to sinnes of infirmity; and that 1 without descending to all particulars of that kind, 2 without extending our sorrow &c. for them to actuall forsaking. For the sacrifices of the law being appointed to be offer'd for these sinnes, but not for wilfull, argue that Christ typified by those sacrifices, when we were weake, dyed for us, and by his death hath obtained pardon (for all that walke not after the flesh, but after the spirit) for all their sinnes of weakenesse, on termes onely of humiliation, particular, or, where that cannot be, generall confession, prayer for pardon, and affiance in Christ for that [Page 22] pardon, without any actuall overcomming or casting off, or getting rid of them, (which in wilfull sinnes must be superadded to the for­mer), so, that he that at the time or minute of his death should be guilty of one of them, it would not hinder his salvation, any more then the same would be inconsistent with a regenerate justified e­state in time of life.

So that the conclusion may be safe and cleare. A true Christian may safely live and dye with sins of infirmity about him, but live or continue in any wilfull sinne, much lesse dye he cannot, or if he doe, he ceaseth to be such. He that is borne of God sinneth not, and he that doth sinne is the servant of sinne. Some spots there are which are not the spots of sonnes, Deut. 32. 5. and they that are guilty of them, may be resolved, either never to have right unto, or if they had, to have forfeited all their priviledges of Saintship here, (such are justification, &c.) and hopes and benefits of it hereafter.

OF A LATE OR A Death-bed Repentance.

CONCERNING a late or Death-bed repentance, Sect. 1. (which I conceive much fitter for a sad secret consideration in the presence onely of God, and the Scripture, & ones own soul; then for a dispute or debate, wherein either each party may be unwilling to yeeld, or willing to retaine their owne prepossessions, or else that person that hath long depended on the benefit of a late repentance, may thinke it great rashnesse to resigne up that hold upon slight grounds, and such will any seeme to be at a suddaine transient re­presentation;) It must first be acknowledged, that one of those two things is ordinarily understood by it, either the perfecting our accounts with God at that time, reinforcing all our former good re­solutions, and shutting up that busines of our soules, which in time of health had beene sincerely begun, but not perfected; or else the Beginning of that worke of Repentance at that time.

For the first of these it is acknowledged, that the Close of our Sect. 2. lives, whether it be old age, or sicke bed, is very proper and usefull to that purpose. For the person that hath before that, sincerely converted to God with unfained sorrow and confession of all for­mer sinnes, and firme resolution of amendment, (which is the least that true repentance can consist of) may then, when he sees him­selfe drawing toward a period of a life, mixt with infirmities, and sinnes, lay his full load on his owne shoulders, and so with true sor­row and compunction, come heavy laden to his Saviour, lay downe that burthen before God by particular confession, and beseech his [Page 38] pardon through the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ for every of these; which pardon the true sincere penitent hath on those termes promise to receive from Heaven. Nay, he that had before made many good resolutions, and yet through custome / of the place, through strength of naturall constitution, and such like temptations, hath hitherto not beene so faithfull to his resolutions, as he ought, may now at last upon God's visitation, and by helpe of this di­scipline of Heaven, radicate and settle such resolutions so deepe, that they would be constant, and persevering, if he should againe recover; and so this discipline may in that case be thought to have beene designed by God to this wholsome end, and the working of such an effect will no doubt be acceptable in his sight.

But for the second, the beginning, I say the beginning the worke of repentance at that time, I desire these particulars may seriously Sect. 3. be laid to heart. 1. In a generall view of it, whether it be not re­prochfull and contumelious thus to offer God the refuse and vi­lest of our age and parts, like that offering to Ceres Phygaliensis [...]. in Pausanias; none of the hony of their bees, but only the wax, or juicelesse part of their labour; and of their wooll; those fleeces which were not fit for use, but full of the daglockes, the coursest and [...]. foulest part of it. That kinde of wooll, if a late Critickes bold con­jecture might be heeded, was it in which the spunge of vinegar was put, when 'twas given Christ on the Crosse. The Criticisme I shall confesse very insolent, but the observation on that supposition, true [...]. Heins: in Arist. 21. and obvious enough, that it was the greatest contumely that could have beene offered unto Christ.

2. Whether a person that now in time of youth or health, de­pends in any measure upon that repentance of old age, or disease, that deferres the forsaking of wilfull sinnes, or labouring to over­come passions or vanities for the present, in contemplation of the possibility of doing all this at the last, and of the conceived bene­fits or usefulnesse of such repentance, do not, for the present, grieve, and resist, and refuse the holy spirit of God, which at that time im­portunes to be heard and obeyed.

3. Whether he do not promise himselfe, that though Gods spi­rit Sect. 4. be thus grieved and resisted, yet he will never be wearied out, but will be as bountifull and constant in giving of grace, after such resistance, as before.

[Page 39] 4. Whether to hope this be not contrary, as to that of the Pro­phet, Is. 63. 10. They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit, therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them; so also to the method of God in dispensing his Grace described in the Gospell, especially in the parable of the Talents, which goes upon this rule, that he that makes use of, and improves that mea­sure of Grace which God affords, shall have more, but he that doth not, that which he hath shall be taken away from him; As Gen. 5. 3. where we read my spirit shall not alwaies strive with flesh; the Greeke hath [...], shall not abide or dwell with him; & the He­brew is thought to have a peculiar notion ( [...] from [...] a sheath) my spirit or the spirit which I have given to man, shall not be thus unprofitably laid up, and sheathed in him, the talent that lies so long idle shall at length be taken away, and the floud be sent to awake or drowne such unprofitable-spirited-men. It is the phansy of a very learned man, that these were the [...], 1 Pet. 3. 19. the spirits (in prison say we) of whom God so com­plaines that they were sheathed, lay idly and unprofitable in man­kind, in Noah's dayes who went and preacht to them. Which if it be rightly conjectured by him, will conclude them, and all such o­thers in the number of the [...], v. 20. disobedient, whose repentance and amendment Gods patience ( [...]) once expected, but at length gave over expecting; the very same pro­voking condition (exprest by the same word, [...]) that Heb. 3. 18. is put under that direfull oath of God, that they should not enter into his rest. Thus the preaching of the Gospel, the means of working grace being allowed in an eminent manner to God's people the Jewes, and after the death of Christ, yet farther con­tinued to them for some time, upon their resisting of those meanes, is taken away from them, Mat. 21. 43. To which purpose that terrible passage so oft repeated and so little understood (Matth. 13. 13. Mar. 4. 12. Luk. 8. 10. Joh. 12. 40. Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. all taken out of Isa. 6. 9.) is very observable, being in the place of the Acts peculiarly applied to this matter, the removing of the meanes of grace from the Jewes to the Gentiles, v. 28. of all which severall repetitions of the same words, this is the plaine constant sense, that because they had first resisted that powerfull meanes of grace, so long vouchsafed unto them, therefore they [Page 40] were by God's just punishment deprived of those meanes (that spoken to them obscurely in parables, which was to others plainely, as the places in the Gospell specify) and so delivered up to hard­nesse of heart. For this reason or cause (so [...] denotes) because their heart was (in the preter tense, was before, not is, in the pre­sent) waxen grosse, and their eares were dull of hearing, [...] in the aorist, they had for some indefinite time been so slow and dull in hearing, [...], their eyes had they closed, lest they should at any time see, or heare, or understand, or convert, and so God should heale them. That this is the meaning of that hard place (a proclaiming of consequent desertion from God upon their prece­dent obdurating their hearts against God's meanes, and not any ab­solute, antecedent, unprovoked act of God's hardning of them) the manner of setting downe the place both in Saint Matthew, and in the Acts, and the rendring it as a reason of Christ's speaking to them in parables, in three other places, will inforce; as might be more largely here manifested, if it were seasonable. And indeed (to returne from this short digression) the promises of the Gos­pell goe generally on this ground, assurance of grace to the hum­ble, that is, to those that being sensible of their danger through sin, doe obey God's call, and resigne themselves up as Subjects to Christ, but withall that threat adjoined of resisting the proud or disobedient, Ja. 4. 6.

And though it may be said that God doth not alwayes with-draw Sect. 6. his Grace, and his cals the meanes of grace upon every such resistance of ours, and therefore I may still hope that he will con­tinue them to me to the houre of my death, and then I may make use of them; yet the answer will be pregnant enough,

1. That although God upon every act of our resistance doth Sect. 7. not wholly withdraw all grace, yet we have reason to think that the oftner we refuse, and resist, the more apt God is to forsake and desert us, and perhaps the weaker are his after-cals; As the Angel of God which he promised to send as a guardian before Is­rael, Exod. 23. 20. indued with the power of God, v. 21. was, say the learned Jewes, upon their worshipping the calfe, taken away from them, and an inferiour weaker Angel given in his stead, with no more then meere Angelical power; and this they ground on Exod. 33. 3. where God, that v. 2. saith he had promised to send [Page 41] his Angel before them, now tells them, he will not goe up in the midst of them, for they are a stiffe-necked people. And then sure this will be able to inforce that warning of God's concerning that Angel, Exod. 23. 21. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; as being sure that any such provocation will bring some revenge or punishment after it. A gleame of which truth it was, that the Heathens conceived that their [...], the Gods, or Angels of Cities or Nations, did upon the provocations and sinnes of the inha­biters solemnly forsake their Altars and Temples, resigne up their care and tuition of them. 2 ^dly. That every act of our present resistance adds to our future obduration, as the beating of an ham­mer on an anvill (such is the [...] in Theod. the soule that reverberates every stroke or call) makes the anvill the smoother, and in effect the harder, I meane lesse capable of impression; and then in the ordinary dispensation of the spirit, though God should continue the same degree of grace, after our frequent resistances which he gave before; yet we should then be lesse likely to re­ceive it, then we were before, when yet it appeares we did not receive it. Whether by one or both of these meanes it comes to passe, I know not; but sure every such sinne that is thus added to the tale, makes the reduction of any sinner more difficult and im­probable then before it was; and I shall appeale to the conscience of every such man that hath for any time flattered himselfe with the hopes of what a Death-bed repentance may do for him, whe­ther he do not find that ever since he entertained those hopes, he hath grown more wretchlesse, prophane, Atheisticall, and so much farther from the end he hopes for, or depends on, and every day in an estate more deplorable, and desperate, then other.

3 ^dly. That we have no reason of beleeving, or hoping, farther Sect. 8. then we have grounds from the word of God, (the foundation of all beliefe and hope) and that either from some promise, or ex­ample there.

And therefore the next thing I desire should be considered, is,

1 How farre those promises and examples may be extended, and from thence that it be resolved unreasonable and unsafe to extend our hopes or perswasions of our selves any farther, then those will make it prudent for us to extend them.

For the promises, that which is most familiar with us, and on Sect. 9. [Page 42] which 'tis most likely most men take up this hope, is that, where­with our Common prayer-booke begins, At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes &c. of which (that we mistake it not) these two things are observable.

1. That that place containes no promise of Gods giving the grace of repentance at all times, which is the only thing which all this time we consider; but onely that at all times God is ready to forgive on supposition that we doe repent.

3 That that place cannot so fitly or probably be applyed to a death-bed repentance, because if we look into the margent of our bookes we shall see the place cited from Ezech. 18. 21, 22. and therefore is in justice no farther to be extended, as an infallible promise of Scripture, then that in Ezech. will beare; and that upon examination will yeeld no more then this, that at what time soever a wicked man shall convert to God, turning from all his sinnes, that he hath committed, and on the contrary live, and per­forme the actions of a new life, keep all Gods Statutes, that is, performe (though not perfect, yet) sincere, universall, impartiall o­bedience, and doe that which is lawfull and right, he shall surely live, he shall not dye, his transgressions shall be forgiven; and in his righ­teousnesse, his renewed sincere obedience, he shall live. Which do­ing, and keeping, and righteousnesse, how it can be applyed to him which begins his worke not till he sees that he is just ready to dye, will hardly be imaginable.

But having said thus much of this one Place, I remember the Sect. 10. saying of an ancient (uncontradicted by any that I have heard of) that though God promise pardon to all penitents at all times, Qui promisit [...]oenitenti ve­ [...]iam, non pro­nisit peccanti [...]oenitentiam. yet he hath no where promised repentance to those all at all times, and that is all we now speake of, & therefore shall now suppose there are no such places, and therefore seeke no farther for them; and though without such promise 'tis possible God may still give that grace of repentance, yet that he should do so;

1. It is extraordinary, and therefore he that despises his pre­sent offers, hath little reason to hope that those extraordinaries shall be reserv'd for him, and if still he will hope, Job hath told him, The hypocrites hope shall perish, and I shall be bold to adde, that there is no greater degree of Hypocrisie, then this want of sinceri­ty, which appeares now in him by his not accepting of grace for the [Page 43] present, by refusing or deferring to do that which he is enabled and sollicited to do.

In stead of seeking after more such promises I shall adde one Sect. 11. terrible threatning, Psal. 95. which is repeated by Saint Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews, and by our Church thought fit to be­gin our dayly morning service. Where after these words To day if you will heare his voice, harden not your hearts, which signifies the time present, or at farthest the time of Gods calling to them in his word to heare his voice, 'tis straight added to all others, I have sworne (and Gods oaths are irreversible) in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my rest. To which these two other places may fitly be subjoyned, Prov. 1. 26. where as the punishment of those that have refused God's calls, 'tis added in God's name, I will laugh at their Calamity, and mocke when their feare cometh. A terrible place to him that hath neglected Gods seasons and opportunities, and at last comes to be surpriz'd with Death, and the feares that accom­pany it, and then begins to fly to God for succour, and grace, and pardon, & God in stead of compassionating, scoffes, & laughs, & mocks, at him; The least that this can import, wil be that that time is a ve­ry improbable time for that most necessary work to be wrought by Christ in us. The other place is that admonitiō of the author to the Hebrewes 12. 16, 17. that no man be prophane as Esau was, in selling his birth-right for a morsell of meate. i. e. (at least by way of accom­modation) that pretious priviledge and birth-right of grace here, and (consequent to the Christian use of that) his eternall inheri­tance in Heaven, for some transitorie pleasure of this earth, lest it be­fall him eternally, what befell Esau here in respect of his father's blessing, he found no place of repentance, could not get his father Isaac to repent, or reverse the donation from Jacob to him, though he cryed bitterly for it, Hast thou but one blessing, O my fa­ther? blesse me, even me also, O my father; and so, as it follows there, sought it carefully with teares. The full importance of the place is, that they that are guilty of Esau's despight and contempt, which is there called prophanenesse, may have reason to appre­hend that they may fall into the same hazard for their spiritual e­state, that Esau did for his temporall, be irreversibly lost, and finde no place for repentance in God, though they seeke it with sorrow, and griefe, and bitter compunction, carefully with teares. To which [Page 44] purpose Christ's dealing with the people of the Jewes, is matter of example, and admonition to every of us, Luk. 19. 42. when weeping over Hierusalem he said, If thou hadst knowne, or O that thou, even thou didst know, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; and as if that time were past, just as he was a speak­ing, he adds, But now they are hid from thine eyes. For the dayes shall come, &c. It seemes before the point of the comming of those dayes of their surprizall, the things belonging to their peace were hid from their eyes, to wit, upon that criticall fatall act of their crucifying Christ, adding that bloody transcendent impiety to their former killing, and stoning of the Prophets, on which certaine irreversible destruction went out against them; In which case though Noah, Daniel, and Job should intercede, they should not be able to reverse it.

To which purpose 'tis observed generally by Divines from these, and the like grounds, that there is to every wicked man a Sect. 12. time when the measure of his iniquities are filled up, and Gods patience in waiting for him so wearied out, that he gives over calling, or expecting, or waiting his repentance. This was wont to to be called by the Jewes the measure of judgment, i. e. a pitch of sin, upon which judgment infallibly followed, destruction of whole Kingdomes, and the like. This time is not to be knowne by any man of himselfe, (nor to be discerned by any observation, and com­paring of himselfe with others) either by the number of sinnes, or calls of God, or yeares spent in sinne contrary to those calls, there being so much variety in these, and in God's dealing with men, that nothing but Gods revelation can give us any certaine know­ledge in this point; Only this may be said of it, 1. That the death of an impenitent sinner, i. e. God's plucking him away in that state, is, when it comes, a certaine indication of it. 2. That it is possible, I say possible, that it may be before the time of death, i. e. that the man which is come to that fulnesse of sin and ripenesse for excision, may be kept alive by God beyond that time, and if that, which I say is possible, ever actually be, then is that man concluded under a finall sentence, an irreversible estate in evill, even in this life, and consequently 'tis possible some impenitent sinner may in this life arrive to that estate. For as Numb. 16. 38. the censers and the lives of Corah and his company were forfeited to God together, (as [Page 45] that place should be read, the censers of these sinners with their soules, or lives, v. 38. are hallowed, v. 37. i. e. consecrated, forfeited [...] to God, their goods and their lives together) so is it with grace, the speciall suppllex or furniture of the soule, that, and life are be­tray'd together, the same degree of sin, the same pitch of provoca­tion makes forfeiture of both, and then God may use his power and dominion, as he please, take both together, or take one and reprieve the other for some time, withdraw grace, and leave life, for some ends in his wisedome seeming good to him; and as there the censers were not destroyed, but made into broad plates for the Altar, used to the service of God, when the owners were swallowed up quick, so no doubt on the other side, might the owners have been kept alive, & used by God some way to set out his glory, and yet the censers have beene destroyed. It being free to God to take the forfeiture, when, and how farre he please, and in case of such filling up their measure, either to withdraw grace only, (which if it be totall and final makes up the irreversible estate) or else if he so please, to call for both the deposita at once, take away grace and life together.

That I thus take confidence to conclude, is upon the authority Sect. 13. of Scripture, which hath made it cleare to me that it was thus actually with Pharaoh at one time of his life, after the sixth judge­ment peculiarly (but not before, through all, or any part of the space of the former calls, much lesse at, or before his birth, or be­fore Gods messages to him) when God is said to harden his heart, & to make him stand, or keepe him alive, (when otherwise he had cut him off from the earth, but that he intended thus to reprieve him) that he might shew in him his power. Exod. 9. 14, 15. Which because it is a notable (and as farre as I have observed in Scripture a singu­lar) example, and because by some mistakes in our translation and by other prejudices it is become somewhat obscure, I will here set downe as it lyes in the story.

Moses & Aaron are sent to Pharaoh with that message from God Sect. 14. concerning the dismission of the Israelites, and with miracles and signes to give authority to their message, and Pharaoh refused to harken or obey, but hardned his heart, Exod. 7. 13. In which place our ordinary Translation hath mistaken, for it is not to be under­stood, as we read it, that he, i, e. God (as yet) hardned Pharaoh's heart, for the words do not beare that in the Hebrew, nor had any such [Page 46] thing by way of story at that time beene intimated (only by way of prediction, and evidence of Gods praescience, Ex. 3. 19. and by way of Decree what God would doe upon it, c. 4. 21. and 7. 3. which was after fulfilled, and not yet, and might therefore be re­ferred to that after-time) (but [...] Pharaohs heart waxed strong, or hard, was hardned: and so it followes v. 14. the Lord said to Moses, Pharaohs heart is hardned, he refuseth, &c. and so the very same words are rendred by our English c. 7. 22. and c. 8. 19. was hardned, in the passive, not actively he hardned. And so this de­notes only an act of stubbornnesse in Pharaoh, an obstinate resist­ance or refusall against God's calls and miracles, & not any act of Gods either positive or privative (by way of desertion) in hardning him, only the Lord had said that it would be so, (in the end of that verse) which referres to Gods prediction of his stubbornnesse, c. 3. 19. I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you goe; and that, I say, grounded only in Gods praescience, which hath no more to doe with (no more influence on) the effect, nor degree of causality in the producing it, then my seeing of any object, hath on the ob­ject, being perfectly as extrinsecall and accidentall to the effect, as my sight or my knowledge is to another mans action, and the thing foreseene no more necessitated to be by that meanes, then it would if God did not foresee it, it being common to God with us to worke by his will, and not by his praescience, and the absurdity being as great, to affirme that he willeth by his knowledge, as that he knoweth by his will, or that I see with my eare, or heare with my eye, and such like: the truth of which Calvin it Vid. Instit. l. 3. 9. 23. num. 6. praescientiâ so­ [...]â nullam ne­cessitatem crea­turis imponi li­benter concesse­ro, tametsi non omnes assenti­antur; sunt e­ [...]im qui ipsam causam rerum esse volunt. Ve­cùm acutiùs, & prudentiùs Valla, &c. seemes discerned by some hint in Valla's writings, and from him Beza learn't, and acknowledged it also. After this obduration of his against a call and a wonder, God proceeds to a judgement of turning the water into blood, v. 16, 17. and that it seemes was a very sufficient meanes of conviction unto this obdurate Pharaoh, for so saith God, Hitherto thou wouldst not heare, but in this thou shalt know that I am the Lord, behold I will smite, &c. this visible judgment was able it seemes to extort from him the acknowledgement of the hand that sent it, in this thou shalt know, and yet after this, it followes, that Pharaoh's heart was hardned, v. 22. neither did he set his heart to this also v. 23. and the reason is given, because the Ma­gicians did (in these two signes) the same thing also by their inchantments.

[Page 47] After this comes the plague of frogs, and that it seemes came so Sect. 15. neare him (on him c. 8. 4. and into the Kings Chamber, saith the Psalmist) that, though the Magicians were able to do the like, yet being not able to deliver him from them again, he calls for Moses, and intreates his prayers for deliverance from this plague, and promises that he will let the people goe, v. 8. and Moses, to improve this mercy to him, that it may be a softning deliverance, that the frogges and the obdurate heart may depart together, bids him choose his time when, v. 9. and it shall be done for him, v. 10. that thou mayst know that there is none like the Lord our God. But it seemes this had no effect on him neither, for when he saw there was respite, when the judgement was removed, (now God's mercy [...]. was his temptation as before the Magicians inchantments) he hardned his heart, and harkened not, v. 15. and this was a third wil­full act of his owne obduration, agreeable to what God had fore­told of him, as the Lord had said. Then comes the plague of lice, v. 17. and in this the Magicians are posed, v. 18. the Devill that before could hurt but not deliver, that could doe destructive, but not saving miracles, is not now able to destroy, to doe mischiefe, confesses and proclaimes the finger of God, as he doth the Messias in the Gospell, when the Pharisees denied him, and yet for all this, this testimony and sermon of the very Devill against him, it fol­lowes, his heart was hardened, v. 19. and he harkened not as the Lord had said.

After this comes the swarme of flyes, & that not only as a plague Sect. 16. miraculously produced, but with a signe, v. 23. a division betwixt God's people and his, no flyes swarming in Goshen, but in all Egypt besides, on purpose to make him sensible of his sin by the particula­rity of the punishment, to the end that he might know, v. 22. on pur­pose to teach him piety. By this it seemes Pharaoh is wrought on a little, first to give leave that they shall sacrifice to God without going out of the land; then when that would not serve (because by so doing they should sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord before their eyes, v. 26. i. e. those things which the Egyptians would detest to see so used, Gen. 43. 32. to wit in Manetho's phrase, [...], cattell w ^ch were sacred among the Egyp­tians, first by law forbidden to be killed, & after, though not then, received into the nūber of their Gods, for so was Apis saith Caeso ariete in contumeliam Ammonis. Bos quoque immo­latur quem Ae­gyptii Apim co­tunt. Ta­titus, a bull and the speciall God of the Egyptians) he proceeds far­ther [Page 48] and giveth way that they may goe into the wildernesse, only you shall not goe very farre away, v. 28. and upon this promise, Moses promises to intreate for him, v. 29. But now Pharaoh had already hardned his heart foure times, & at one of those times he had over and above dealt falsely, promised faire, c. 8. 8. but brake his promise, and therefore now Moses after this fift judgment, though he pro­mise to pray upon his promise to mend, yet doth it with a particular warning more then at any time before; but let not Pharaoh deal de­ceitfully any more, v. 29. as ominating that, if he bid, now the dan­ger would be greater then ever before, and yet v. 32. as soone as the judgement was removed, Pharaoh hardned his heart, [...] hac vice, this turn, this time also.

Upon this God sends that plague of murrain upon all the cat­tle Sect. 17. of Egypt, c. 9. 6. and the heart of Pharaoh was hardned, 7. and so still all this while though Pharaoh was obdurate, yet this by no act of God's, but Pharaoh hardens his owne heart, and will not let Israel goe, as the Lord commanded. Upon this God sends another judgement, that of boiles and blaines, v. 10. and then 'tis said in a new stile [...] the Lord hardned the heart of Pharaoh, v. 12. (which sure was the time at first referred to by God by way of pre­diction to Moses c. 4. 21. as our margent directs, and was the judgement before threatned implicitely in that speciall caution or warning, c. 8. 29.) and this God never did till then; and therefore as after that warning 'tis said that Pharaoh hardned his heart this time also, so 'tis here said, v. 14. that [...] this turne, this time, now, though not before, God would powre all his plagues upon his heart, and those plagues on his heart are sure effects of Gods obdurating.

Upon which immediately follows the passage wherin the great­est Sect. 18. difficulty lyes, c. 9. 14, 15. not as we read it [for now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence, for the event proves there was no such matter, Pharaoh was not smitten by the pestilence, nor cut off from the earth by that meanes, but drowned in the red sea some time after. But thus should the words be rendred, And (or For) now I had sent or stretcht out my hand, and I had smitten thee and thy people by thee pestilence, and thou hadst beene cut off from the earth. It is [...] in the preter tence, sent, saith Ainsworth, or rather had sent, (as 'tis ordinary in He­brew for the preter tence to beare the sense of the pluperfect tence) [Page 49] and Paulus Fagius from the Chaldee Paraphrase, nunc prope erat coram me ut dimisissem, I was neare stretching out my hand, refer­ring as 'tis probable to the plague of the murrain, in the beginning of the Chapter, (called [...] both in this verse, and that v. 3.) which might have seized upon him and his people, as it did on his cattell, or else to those boiles, v. 11. which might be plague-swellings, and so proper enough to have cut him off; and so that which followes will be more cleare, But (not And) in very deed for this cause, [...] I have (not [raised thee up] but) made thee stand, kept thee alive, sustentavi te saith the ancient Latine, sustained thee, (for otherwise had it not beene for this, I had smitten thee with the murrain or plague before, and thou hadst some time since beene cut off utterly, but that I intended) to shew, or make known, or make to be seene (for so [...] literally signifies) my power in thee, as in cutting up or anatomizing a man alive, which is condemned to death, (saith Chrysostome) that others may be instructed and bene­fited by that dissection.

In this matter 'tis true Saint Paul reades [...], Tom. 5. p. 781. for this very thing I raised thee up, say we; but that must be un­derstood and interpreted by what we have already found to be Sect. 19. Rom. 9. the meaning of the story, and not on the other side this rendring of the passage in the story (which the context inforceth, and P. Fa­gius, and out of him Ainsworth acknowledge to be the impor­tance of the Hebrew) brought to the sound of our English phrase in Saint Paul, for [...] must not needs referre to the time of Pharaoh's birth, or to any absolute destination of his person, (it would be hard to bring any example of such a sense of it in Scrip­ture, or other Author) but may belong to some particular passage or part of his life, and so directly to this point of time, when God saies he might have slaine him with plague or murrain; and so be rendred raising, as that signifies a raising one out of a danger or sickenesse, a rescuing or recovering him, and so keeping alive, as 'tis ordinarily used in Scripture of raising from sickenesse or death. The sense certainly is, that God continued him alive, when he had filled up his measure of obduration, and so in ordinary course was to be cut off by death; in the same manner as the author of the booke of Wisdome saith of God's dealing with the Canaanites, c. 12. 20. Those who are due to death thou punishedst with so much long animi­ty, and so it's intimated by that which follows, Rom. 9, 22. God wil­ling [Page 50] to shew his wrath, &c. endured with much long suffering the ves­sels of wrath fitted to destruction.

And then when Pharaoh's heart was thus hardned by God in this ex­traordinary manner, God expostulates with him, v. 17. (in triumph Sect. 20. as it were over this sinner that now is the illustrious object of his judgements of obduration, plague of heart, & a kind of hell on earth, for which he was reserv'd, beyond the ordinary period of life, kept alive for this remarkeable judgement) as yet exaltest thou thy selfe, &c. and in referrence peculiarly to that expostulation is that objection to be understood, Rom. 9. 19. [...]; why doth he yet find fault? i. e. God might indeed, saith the objector, with good reason finde fault all the while of the former six judgements, when Pharaoh hardned his owne heart; but now when God hath hardned him, and by a totall deprivation of grace (without which he can­not choose but sinne) ingulfed him in an irreversible state, as much as if he were in hell, [...], why yet or still doth he find fault, or expostulate? for who hath resisted his will? then God might be said to will his obduration, which he had inflicted by way of punish­ment, (though before 'tis confest he could not) and what pos­sible resisting of his will is there, that he should still find fault? The answer to this objection (first by way of [...], not for any exact [...], Chrys: t. 5. q. 778. & againe, [...] (a figure of depel­ling the inten­tion, or avoid­ing the hate of the objection) [...]. Sect. 21. determining or stating any point of controversie or question, parti­cularly of that immediately precedent, [who hath resisted his will?] but for the puzling and silencing of the objecter, v. 20. 21. and then by speaking directly to the matter in hand about Pharaoh, v. 22.) might out of Saint Chrysostome be fully cleared, if this were not already too large an overgrowne [...], and this part of it impertinent wholly to the matter in hand.

The result of all that I have laboured to lay downe concerning Pharaoh is this, that although his state were a long time but rever­sibly ill, as long as he hardned his owne heart, yet when his owne ob­durations were come to the fulnesse of measure, and he ripe and dropping into hell, as after the sixth judgement he was, then God exchanged the first part of that due punishment of his in another world, that was instantly to have commenced, for a temporary coo­ler hell here, hardned his heart, and obstructed all possibility of re­pentance from him, and so concluded him in this life in an irrever­sible estate.

Having gone thus farre, I shall now demand, whether an impe­nitent Sect. 22. [Page 51] Christian, that in the midst of many meanes of grace, many cals of Christ for many yeares together afforded, doth repeate and reiterate his resistances, and hardens so oft his owne heart a­gainst God, be not as great a provoker as Pharaoh was? I am sure, that that which Josephus makes the character of Pharaoh, [...], Folly with wickednesse and malignity, is the just inscription of such for the most part. And if it be objected, that such an one is not allowed those signes and prodigies that he was, I answer, 1. that tis but the greater mercy to him, that he is not, those being all destructive miracles; and if he complaine for want of them he may within a while (if he have not already) meet with some rouzing judgement, some sharpe disease of the stone, or strangury, or feaver, a thunder and lightning about his eares, which will be able to supply that place, and aggravate his guilt, perfectly as high as Pharaoh's, if he be not reformed; 2. Fa­ther Abraham's answer to Dives may be conviction to him, that he that hath the Moses and Prophets in the Christian sense, the many methods of the Holy Ghost, the many cals of Christ in the Church, and is not wrought on by them, neither would that man repent, though al Pharaoh's miracles were shewed before him; some magician-inchanting-deceit, (flattery of his owne corrupt heart) or comfortable hope, which the removall of a punishment would be apt to infuse into him, would be as sure divertisements to avoid the force of the most powerfull worke of Gods upon him, as the like were then unto Pharaoh.

'Tis true there may be some disparity (in regard of some cir­cumstances) Sect. 23. betwixt that Pharaoh and the Christian impenitent, and therefore there will be no certainty deducible from Pha­raoh's example, that any man now a dayes doth come in this life to that irreversible estate; This I am most willing to graunt, and from thence to conclude, that 'twill be a great madnesse for any me­lancholy hypocondriack from this discourse to take occasion to pahn­sy himselfe actually in that estate, and from thence to give over all hope, and labour to get out againe. 1. Because the doing so is the sure way to ingulfe him in it for the future, though he be not yet in it, which is one peece of fury, thus to run into that, which I feare, when the feare ought in any reason to drive me from it. 2. Because this paper hath only laboured to prove that a man may fall into it, if he doe not take heed, which if it be beleeved and made use of, [Page 52] he never shall fall into it; and to give over all heed is a use quite contrary to this doctrine. 3. Because the only reasonable, and the farre more proper use of this doctrine will bee, 1. To hasten our repentance. 2. If it have beene deferred too long, then to helpe to repaire that defect by more zeale and intention, and vehement de­sire, by more humiliation to root it deepe, and by fruits (all that are possible) to evidence the sincerity of it, and in all these respects to lose no time in impious or melancholy thoughts, but by a speedy change to confute our feares, and shew that we are not lost irre­versibly. 4. Because whosoever is supposed to be subject to these discouraging thoughts, and so in danger to be hurt by this do­ctrine, is supposed for the present to be desirous to repent and a­mend, and then by a principle laid in another discourse, we must Of Conscience, suppose his present estate, though it be ill, yet not to be irreversi­ble, this care and desire to get out being a character and indicium of that state of sinne, which is styled sinne not unto death, for which the prayers of others, viz. of the Church have that promise, 1 Joh. 5. that God will in answer to them give him life, i. e. not present pardon or salvation, continuing as he is, but sufficient means of grace to bring him to repentance first, and then to life. But if he have cast of all desire of being better, then as I have no such grounds of comfort for him, so will not the principles of discomfort, that this discourse hath offered, prove matter of despaire to him, but rather of rouzing and wakening him out of his presumption. This one answer is alone aboundantly sufficient in this matter, and then for any man thus to give over the former only hope (not upon any appearance, or probable argument, but upon a phansie or jealousie of his owne, raised only on some occasion or pretence, I am sure not ground, or cause taken from this Discourse) will be so unreasonable (and withall so impossible to cleare or rescue any the truest and wholesomest discourse from such accidentall mistakes, and scandals, and inconsequent conclusions) that I shall not adde any more words to prevent, or cure it.

The truth is, there is another kinde of desperation, that of going on still in our wickednesse (as Jer. 2, 25. [thou sayest there is no hope] is set to signifie, saith Grotius, abstinere nequeo, I cannot abstaine, and that impotence an effect of a passionate will, or a custome in sinning, as followes in that verse, I have loved strangers, and after them will I goe) the running headlong upon all the sinne, and dan­ger, [Page 53] and misery in the world, which we are wont to call a desperate state, because it is the neglecting of the condition, upon which all the Gospell promises (the onely ground of hope) are made over to us; and to fprtifie us against that, is the only designe, and project of this paper. I wish it may prove successefull to it.

All which being not only granted, but proposed as necessary considerations to be taken along with this doctrine, it remaines still cleare and uncontrolled, that God may, if he will, thus punish a hard heart with totall and finall substraction of grace, and so with hardning irreversibly, either here, (which I only say he may, but know not that he will) or at the hower of death, at which time there is no doubt but he will thus proceed with every impenitent. And though it be hard, if not impossible, to judge, when the former of these times is come, or before-hand to divine when the latter or former will come, either to another or to my selfe, and so still there Sect. 24. is hope, to him that will make use of hope to present amendment, not to secure procrastination, yet these three things may be re­solved on.

1. That there is or may be such a time, as to nations and people, so to particular sinners also. In the 10 ^th generation the deluge came upon the old world, and in the 10 ^th generation after that, the fire and brimstone came upon Sodome, and nothing but repentance could then have reprived them, or put off their ruine; To that end 120 yeares warning was given to the former, and Noah designed a preacher of that repentance; and to the latter, the Chaldee reades, that God came downe to see, whether they had made to cease, or made an end (so paraphrasing [...]) i. e. repented, Gen. 18. 21. & if not, I know, saith he, what I will doe; Irreversible destruction in that case. And our Saviours parable of the Tree that for so many yeares received the owners expectation, is to the same purpose, and the issue of it, Cut it down, why cumbreth it the ground? Second­ly, that every day spent in an unreformed state, brings a man nea­rer to one of these periods of obduration, or excision irreversible, as every of those generations contnuing unreformed, came nearer to that 10 ^th and last generation. Thirdly, that every call of Gods be­ing rejected, brings him yet nearer to it, as every step in the way brings nearer to the journeies end. Fourthly, that an unreformed sinner, if he do (on confidence of longer space, and resolution not to begin that so necessary a worke of repentance till the last, but in [Page 54] the meane to enjoy the pleasures of sinne, till the dayes come, that he shall say, I have no pleasure in them) continue so one minute longer, doth by such presumption terribly provoke God to bring that fatall punishment on him, and so, if he will goe on, may that next minute (for ought he knowes or any can ensure him) engulfe himselfe in that irreversible estate, out of which, when he is once in it, no escape or issue is to expected.

And though after all this, one of Christ's parables seemes to al­low Sect. 25. as free a reception, and as faire an hire to the labourer, that cometh latest into the vineyard, as to any other, yet this is in case he be not sooner called, but come as soone as he is, not when the ear­lyer call hath beene oft rejected, on purpose to avoide the heat and burden of the day; much lesse when 'tis therefore rejected, be­cause it is too early, and because the going in later will serve turne as well; for sure God is not likely to be circumvented, and cheated, and mockt, by such crafty merchants as these, nor to call such at the eleaventh howre that would not come, at the 3 ^d, nor 6 ^t, nor 9 ^th, nor to admit, or reward them that come in that manner, as they are likly to comewith, (i. e. only a desire of heaven) when the doors are shut, when they are not called. To which purpose his dealing with the Israelites is remarkable, God commanded them at his bringing them out of Egypt to invade the Canaanites, and promised them strength to overcome them, and possesse the land, but they re­fused to go up; afterwards when he bid them not, they would needes go up, & then they miscarried in the attempt; the application is easie and terrible to the delayer, or refuser, and the parable of the foolish Virgins seemes to bring it home to our pupose, they come knocking when the doore is shut, and finde no admission. Mat. 25. 11.

And beside the deterrements that may thus be offered us on Sect. 26. Gods part in ths businesse, many other are ready at hand from consideration of our selves, as 1. that though God doe continue to call, yet we may be as likely to deferre still, as before we were, and to thinke that other one act of procrastination may be as safe, as the many former have beene. 2. That leisure, will, or strength may then be wanting, and then farre more probably then before, by how much a more chronicall habit doth harden the heart, weaken, and stop the eare, and many the like; and so still nothing is safe, but present instant returning. The Prophets speech is remarkeable to the confirmation and enforcing of this, Esa. 55. 6. Seeke the [Page 55] Lord while he may be found (it seemes there is a period of that time, and so a time when he may not be found, [...], when the storehouses are sealed up, saith Epiphan:) call yee upon him while he is neare. Let the wicked forsake and returne, &c. an actuall forsaking and returning (sorrow for losse of heaven, or ap­prehension of instant hell, will not serve the turne) and then comes the promise that God will have mercy, &c. and so Prov. 8. 17. Those that seeke me early shall finde me, the promise is to the early seekers, and to no others, and so farre of the promises.

Then for any example in the word of God, on which to ground Sect. 27. this hope, or make it prudent that a future death-bed repentance should be depended on, I thinke there is but one that will be pre­tended, that of the thiefe upon the Crosse; concerning which it is observable,

1. That it appeares not of him, (nor have we any reason to charge it on him) that he ever procrastinated or purposely posted off his conversion, till this so late a date, and so he will not be mat­ter of comfort to them that do.

2. That as farre as we have any knowledge, he seemes not ever to have heard of Christ, at least to have beene called or instructed by him, till he met him upon the Crosse, and consequently he can be no precedent to any that hath lived an age or a great part of it under the preaching of the Gospell.

3. That for the thiefe to be converted then, and beleeve in Christ in that state of greatest humility, upon the Crosse, (which so scandaliz'd the Jewes, when by all other motives they were incli­ned to have beleeved on him) was a most notable illustrious emi­nent act of faith, and ought in any reason to be preferr'd before that which is ordinarily found among men.

4. That it was accompanyed with as many effects of sincere conversion, as that condition was capable of, confession of Christ, and devout prayer to him for his mercy, or remembrance when he came to his Kingdome.

5. That it was not extorted by the fear of death, but proceeded from a sight, and acknowledgement of the innocency, and power of Christ, even upon the Crosse, and this was an argument to him­selfe and others, (and was it seemes so acknowledged by Christ) of the sincerity of his faith, and conversion to God, and that be­ing supposed sincere, will undoubtedly be accepted, be it never so late.

[Page 56] 6. This was done by the thiefe in the midst of all temptations to the contrary, the Crosse one great temptation, and such as almost all the Disciples were shaken with, and besides the other thiefe was his tempter to the contrary, railing on Christ, &c. Luk. 23. 29, and also the chiefe Priests, and Scribes, and Elders, mocked him, and they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads, Mat. 27. and so that new-convert-Thiefe was a singular person, almost the only confessour in the company. These particulars being observed will give us reason to acknowledge the difference great betwixt the example of the thiefe, and any that make use of that example to deferre their repentance till the last, and will consequently ad­vertise us, that though it succeeded very well to him, it may succeed very ill to us.

For other examples it will, I beleeve, be very hard to produce Sect. 28. any out of Scripture (and for allegations out of humane story, or observation, it will not be pertinent to produce them, because they bring not with them any evidence how they were accepted by God, as that of the thiefe did, This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise) and yet to be sure to omit nothing, that may to any seem pertinent, we will suppose the conversion of Saint Paul to have somewhat in it, something like that of the thiefe, for he was strucken to the earth, in the midst of his threatnings and slaugh­ters against the Church, and before he was recovered againe, un­doubtedly converted, and after lived to be a most gracious Apo­stle. To which example as farre as can concerne our case in hand, I answer, by proposing these three considerations.

1. Whether, supposing that Saul had died when he was thus stricken, (yea though it had been after the delivery of those words, Sect. 29. v. 6. [he trembling and astonished, said, Lord what wilt thou have me to do?] conceiving no more to be meant by them then was by Saint Peter's auditours, when they said, Men and brethren what shall we doe? to which he there answers, Repent, &c. whether I say any man would affirme, that he had been saved (and yet sure that trembling and saying amounted as farre as sorrow for sinne, without actuall amendment) or at least bring any evidence o [...] Scripture to confirme any such affirmation. If God's absolute de­cree, that of Electing of his person be produced for such argu­ment, that will as much hold for the saving him, though he has died in the midst of his blasphemies, without any such trembling▪ [Page 57] and then he might have been saved, without ever having been converted; which I have not yet heard to be asserted by any, un­lesse the Antinomian doctrine may amount so farre.

2. Whether the case of Saint Paul be not quite distant from Sect. 30. that of a Christian, delaying and deferring repentance to the last. For that is sinne against light, and so a willfull, deliberate crime, and by that God is provoked to with-draw, rather then invited to give more grace. But Saint Paul affirmes of himselfe that he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly, in unbeliefe, 1 Tim. 1. 13. and therefore though ignorant Christians, zealous in their errone­ous way may be allowed some of our charity, upon this precedent of Saint Paul's conversion, and it may be agreeable to analogy of faith, to hope that God will by an extraordinary way bring them to a sight of their errours in time of life, or accept their repen­tance for all sinnes knowne and unknowne, (so there were in them a preparation of mind to have deposited their errours upon suffici­ent light, and to have reformed the sinnes consequent to those er­rours) yet that a bare sorrow shall be accepted for wilfull sinnes, when it is on purpose deferred so long, till it cannot bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, and so in effect can prove nothing but sorrow, (no amendment being added to it actually; and whether the resolution of amendment be sincere, it is both to the party himselfe, and to others by ordinary meanes utterly un-evident, because he is supposed to dye before any sufficient triall of it) I conceive will not be thought concluded convincingly from that example.

3. Whether the enlarging of Sauls life and aboundant labou­ring Sect. 31. and suffering of his, after conversion, be not an intimation (very observable) that great sinners, when they are converted, must doe much more in Christianity, (I meane exercise more acts of sorrow and repentance, whether by way of restitution to those that are wronged, or of satisfaction to those that were scandalized, or to expresse the sincerity of the change by way of [...], 2 Cor. 7. 11. of revenge on himselfe) then would be necessary to the salvation of another: and if 'were so of Saint Paul, whose for­mer sinnes were committed ignorantly, then how much more of wilfull continuers in sinne, as he, that thus deferres his repentance, is supposed to be?

The promises and examples from Scripture being considered, and Sect. 32. [Page 58] found unconcluding: the fifth thing to be considered, is, whether he that thus depends on a death-bed repentance, doe it not because that time will be more probable for him to repent in, then any other, and that though he repent not before that time, yet then it will be probable, which if he doe, then must he think it either, 1. in his owne power to repent without grace, and that is Pela­gianisme, or 2. that God's terrours, and the imminency of ap­proaching dangers have that or a greater force in them, then Ordinary Grace; which is quite contrary to the doctrine of Fa­ther Abraham, Luk. 16. 31. (If they heare not Moses and the Pro­phets, neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead) & indeed to all Divinity, which asserts the principall or sole cause of true saving repentance, to be no outward impellent (for such were an extorted, not voluntary, nor consequently true repen­tance) but the gift of sanctifying grace, meeting with an humble malleable heart (supposing that humility to be first wrought by God's preventing Grace) in that sense that 'tis said, God gives grace to the humble. Or 3. that there is some assurance or proba­bility that that speciall grace shall not then be wanting; For which yet we have shewed there is no Assurance; and for the probabili­ties which may induce perswasion, though not assurance, let us now consider,

• 1. Is it probable, that in this case God shoul'd give more grace then ever he gave before? Or
  Sect. 33.
• 2. That the same or a lesse measure of grace then, should worke that which before it wrought not? Or
• 3. That that performance which would not have been accepted before, should then be accepted?

For the first, the rule of Scripture is, From him that hath not, that is, hath not made use of grace given, God will with-draw that which Sect. 34. he had given, and Rev. 22. 11. He that is unjust let him be unjust still, and he that is filthy let him be filthy still; and this not onely God permitting, but God deserting, and sometimes God delivering up, and possibly obdurating also.

For the second, 'tis certaine that the longer a habit of impeni­tence Sect. 35. in any sinne hath continued, the more obdurate the person is, especially if it have been sinne against light, (as our case suppo­ses) and though it be not simply impossible to God to melt such, yet extreamely improbable it is, that they shall be melted without [Page 59] a farre greater degree then that, by which before they were not melted. And though sicknesse it selfe may be a meanes of some force to worke good, and being added to that grace, which with­out it prevailed not, may now possibly prevaile, yet is this a great uncertainty. For, 1. Some men are worst under the rod. Exod. 6. 9. They hearkned not for anguish of spirit and for cruell bondage, their anguish kept them from hearkning. This Hippocrates observes, de aqua, aere & locis, and from thence hath a pretty heathenish ar­gument, that a disease among the Scythians which he speakes of, was not [...], of God's sending, because it fell not on poore men, on whom he conceived the Gods would inflict all their evill things because of their murmuring and blaspheming. 2. They that are affected by the rod, doe not all repent sincerely, Hos. 7. 14. They have not cryed unto me with their hearts, when they howled on their beds; thus Ahab's humiliation, which the judgement produ­ced, was we know no thorough reformation, onely a putting on sackcloth, and going softly, (not much of an higher pitch then what hath been related of an horse that by the help of a hot floore and some traces was taught to dance to a tune) and to that per­haps belongs that of the Psalmist, God's enemies shall be found lyers unto him, submit themselves, as our other translation reades, but submit feignedly, their love of God is but little improved, though there be an outward forme of submission, extorted it seemes even from haters; and so to this may belong that censure of Saint Chry­sostome, (l. 2. [...]:) which he brings as an argument why men should be onely perswaded, not forced to reformation of any fault or errour, [...], because God rewards not those that upon necessity ab­staine from evill, but only those that voluntarily do it. And it is obser­vable in the ancient canons, that they that deferred their baptisme til they thought they should die, the Clinici or bed-baptists, had an ill character set upon them, and if they recovered, though they were acknowledged Christians, yet were excluded from any far­ther dignity in the Church, could never be admitted to orders, a marke of the Churches judgement of such men. Nay, 3. that which is then done by any man, there is no certaine judgment to be made, whether it be his will and intention, or no, whether it come from the man, or the disease. 'Tis a rule in Justinian that surdus & mutus testamenta non facit, there is small heed due to a testament [Page 60] made by one that is brought so low: and sure repentance is a very easie taske, if he that is disabled for all things else is strong enough for that. 4. The great diversions which the sick bed presents would be considered; 1. disquieting, if not enraging, or stupifying paines; 2. decay of spirits, and a consequent numnesse and dulnesse; 3. the hurry of worldly businesse then to be composed and set in order; all which being put together will add extreamly to the improba­bility of any mans being wrought on, or melted at that time, and rather define that it is undoubtedly the unfittest and unlikeliest season to begin or perfect a worke so great, so weighty, that before he could find no leasure, even when time lay on his hands, to set about it; and yet farther, many diseases there are, a Consumption by name, wherein the more desperately we are sicke, and the nea­rer our end, the lesse are we apt to beleeve we are so, and other sharper diseases, when they come to an height, deprive us of our wits, and hopes together, and by their indications to others, that they are mortall, disable us utterly from preparing for that mor­tality.

For the third there is little hope of that, the condition which Sect. 36. is now required under the Gospell, being as indispensably requi­red of all that come to yeares and powers and meanes of know­ledge, as ever the condition of the first Covenant was under that; And that condition is, Repent and beleeve the Gospell; &, Except you repent you shall all likewise perish; now I hope 'twill be no newes to say, that repentance is more then sorrow; if it be, then observe 2 Cor. 7. 10. and it will be convincing. Besides, the example of Ju­das, that had this sorrow before he hanged himselfe, and the exam­ple of Esau's birth-right lost, and the insufficiency of sorrow at last to get Isaac to repent, or reverse the blessing, which God had de­creed from him to Jacob, will argue that bare sorrow will not serve the turne to regaine the spirituall inheritance. Besides this sorrow, the most that that state is capable of, is a resolution of amend­ment, (as for actuall amendment, or the evidencing of that resoluti­on by actions, this state is supposed uncapable of that.)

Now concerning a death-bed resolution of amendment these 8 Sect. 37. things may be observed, 1. That it is at that time most improper and out of season, very unreasonable that the end of the life should be the first minute of living well; It is an old rule in He­siod, that 'tis too late to sow [...], for then the corne should [Page 61] be growing up; the death-bed is a speciall season for the exercise and evidence of many Christian vertues, and consequently very improper for a seedes-time, or plantation.

2. That it is a ridiculous thing, for a man to resolve to live well upon no other consideration, but because the time is come when he thinkes he shall dye. The very foundation of the resolution being contrary to the performance of it, the condition of all his good life, a presumption that he shall not live. And not only ridiculous, but null; 'twill be but an act of reason & justice to himself, to change the resolution when the motives are changed, and a contrary impru­dence and unkindnesse to adhere to the conclusion, when the prae­mises are confuted, and to doe that which he resolved, when that upon which the resolution was made, (selfe-love and carnall ad­vantages, and interests) shall as much oblige him to make contrary resolutions; the invitations of the flesh being as perswasive in health, as the terrours of hell affrighting in sicknesse, the present pleasure now as strong an argument as was then the approaching paine, e­specially when the pleasure hath the advantage of being represen­ted alone, without the rivall; which was the only meanes by which the other came ever to prevaile. From such grounds of discourse as this, what can be expected of this sick resolver, but that he resume his sinnes with his health, leave his new vowes in that bed, where first he tooke them up, discharge his feares, and his good motions, his Physitian and Confessor together.

3. That a desire of dying well, of having heaven in another world, may then easily be mistaken for that resolution.

4. That as a wearinesse of paines may be taken for a wearinesse of this world, so that wearinesse may be taken for mortification, and that mortification for resolution of amendment.

5. That the no strength then to sinne, may easily passe for this resolved amendment; or however resolution to amend at a time when I have no strength to sinne, may last no longer then that im­potence lasteth.

6. That although this resolution, if it be sincere, (and such as God sees would bring forth fruits of repentance, of time were gi­ven) shall certainely be accepted by God, (according to that of Wisd. 4. 7. although the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be at rest) yet this resolution while it is no more 'then so, first may be mistaken and thought sincere, when it is not, (there was little [Page 62] difference to any mans sight, betwixt the seed that sprung up with­out root, and that which was sowed in good ground, till the shining of the Sunne made the discrimination) and that errour not only others, but our selves may be subject to; we commit many things in time of temptation which in absence of the temptation we re­solved against, and really beleeved that resolution had beene sin­cere; & so we omit in like manner: and the reason is, because we re­solved it only absolutely, but foresaw not the price to be laied down for it, either did not discerne, or else did not resolve on the paines or difficulties that it would cost us to performe it. He that is sicke, and is assured that such a potion will cure him, resolves firmely he will take it, & is perhaps at that time perswaded that this resoluti­on is sincere, & yet when the potion comes, and proves extreme of­fensive to the tast, he will rather dye then swallow it; This argues the resolution either not largely enough extended, or not deepely e­nough radicated; he had only digested the potion, as physick, but not as loathsome, as prescribed for his good, but foresaw not then (or af­ter is not courageous enough to overcome) the bitternesse of it.

And though I shall not affirme or conceive that every resolu­tion is unsincere which ever actually failes, or possibly might faile Sect. 38. in time of temptation (because those failings may be but infirmities, and those are reconcileable with sincerity, or but single acts of sin, and those if presently retracted againe by repentance, and not continued, or persevered in impenitently, are reconcileable also) yet still sure there is such a thing as unsincere resolution, and of the many kindes of that I shall name a few [...]. 1. The resolution that doth not (or would not on supposition of tryall) hold out a­gainst the [...], the ordinary humane temptations, such as are proportioned to the strength which we have, or which, if we use the meanes prescribed, we shall be sure to receive. 2. The resolution that is not deepely rooted in an honest heart (as that is ex­prest first by the good, then by the moyst hospitable soyle, contrary both to the thorny and stony ground, the one when the cares of the world are unweeded, unmortified, the other when the hard heart is unsoftned, unhumbled) 3. The resolution that doth not fore­cast the meanes, as well as the end, the difficulties and temptati­ons, as well as the easier and more amiable part of the taske: the man in the parable that sets on building without considering the charge, without laying or disigning the meanes whereby to goe [Page 63] through with it, the Herod that rejoyced in John Baptists light, i. e. saith Saint Augustine, beheld with joy the lustre of his doctrine, heard him gladly, and in obedience to him, did many things, but fell off, when he lookt upon himselfe, and the pleasant sinnes, the brothers wife, that in obedience to him he was to part with; the resolution that doth not extend to the undertaking the condition, the unpleasanter part of the work, but onely layes hold on the prize, or the duty abstracted from the condition, which is the plea­santer, the Balaams wish for the righteous mans death, without a­ny reall change, productive of a righteous life, or the young Au­gustines wish, that would be chast, but would not yet part with the pleasures of incontinence, or the generall humour of the world, to like heaven as the place of blisse, and piety as the way to Hea­ven, but not to mortifie one lust for the compassing of either. 4. The resolution that proves weake, and failing, not for want of strength, but of courage, not for want of the gift of grace on Gods part, but of our making use of this grace when 'tis given, or of those meanes to which 'tis promised, (such are that spirituall [...] of prayer, humility, ardent importunate humble requests to heaven.) 5. The resolution that is not universall against all both sinnes, and temptations to those sinnes, and those not onely such as now he findes inclinations to in time of disease, but also all other that in time of health may be most likely to assault and to winne him; And in a word, the resolution which God, that sees unerring­ly, sees to be but temporary, or partiall, or hypocriticall, in any, or all these or any other respects; And then such a resolution as these (whatever it appeare to us who are not such infallible judges of our selves, but whose hearts are deceitfull above all things) cannot have any rationall, or Christian ground of hope (meerely by the good hap of being taken away before tryall, i. e. in effect, before this hypocrisie was discovered) to be accepted and rewarded by God; or if it have, it must not be by the second Covenant, un­der which nothing but sincerity hath that promise.

Secondly, supposing this resolution to be sincere, and so sure to Sect. 39. be accepted by God, yet there is no evidence to us that it is sincere, or will be thus accepted, but by worthy fruits of repentance, by enemies and temptations wrestled with, and overcome; from whence though it follow not, that God will not accept of that resolution, (because he may see it sincere without those tryals, which I con­ceive [Page 64] is the ground upon which the Schooles affirme that a strong contrition may on the death-bed be accepted without restitution, &c. i. e. that in him, who hath no time and ability for any thing but contrition, God may see that sincerity of change, which he will accept, because he sees it would bring forth fruit if it were allow­ed time) yet we our selves in this case cannot know it, and conse­quently the death-bed repentance, if in any particular it prove to be such as shall availe in another world, yet cannot afford the dy­ing man any comfort or rationall assurance in this, nor consequent­ly his friends any thing but the judgement of charity, which hopeth all things, for which there is no evidence to the contrary.

7. Let it be considered whether any example can be brought Sect. 40. in Scripture or story, of any that wilfully and advisedly deferr'd present repentance and rely'd and depended on late death-bed re­pentance, to whom it succeeded well. I professe my selfe to have heard terrible ones to the contrary, but as yet none in favour of such deferrers. Methinks the mention of Felix in the Acts 24. 25. hath some efficacy in it. He when (after some preaching of Christ, v. 22. and knowledge of that way) he heard Saint Paul reasoning of righteousnesse and continence (things in which it appeareth by the text and by story, by Tacitus and Josephus, that Felix was much failing) did, as 'tis added, tremble and answer, Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season I will call for thee. This man upon advise and deliberation through the prevalency of his sinnes which he loved dearely, deferres his repentance till a convenienter season; And all that I observe is, that we never read of any such season that he made use of to this purpose.

8. Let it be considered, whether when the last hand of God Sect. 41. comes on any man, (I meane that disease that cuts him off speedi­ly) if that man have remained impenitent till then, it be not a very ominous and inauspicious signe, that that man hath fill'd up the mea­sure of his iniquities, and now the voice be peculiarly gone out a­gainst him, as against the tree (even now mentioned) that had frustrated God's continuall expectation, [Cut it downe, why cum­breth it the ground?] If on the comming of a disease, (which like the laying the axe to the root of the tree is oft times an hazning call to repentance) this use be suddenly made of it, and God's long suffering do interpose in the counter-voice, Nay but spare it one year longer, and if it beare fruit, well, but if not, then cut it downe, and [Page 65] that voice be hearkned to, that is, if that disease doe not prove the last, but upon resolutions of new living, the life be enlarged and the resolutions performed; then 'tis very well; But if not, if it be (without more time of repentance) cut downe; if God's long-suf­fering, and patience, which was on purpose to bring to repentance, have been made use of (as it was said of God's long-suffering to Pharaoh) as a meanes to harden his heart, have we not reason to feare, that God's comming to strike is an argument of a severe pur­pose against that man? or have we any reason to hope that when his patience is at an end, his mercy and gift of effectuall grace is not at an end also? that which the Apostle saith Heb. 10. 26, 27. 29. 31. is much to this purpose. And I know not what will be called falling into the hands of the living God, if this be not, viz. to continue in sin impenitently til we fal into God's attaching apprehending hands, of which the doom is there most sad; It is a fearefull thing so to fall.

Having proceeded thus farre in defining (as warily and as safe­ly Sect. 42. as I could; by the conduct of God's word and Spirit) one thing may perhaps be necessary to be added, though not by way of answer to the possible exceptions and objections of disputers, because the doing of that, I find, would lead into some more nice and lesse profitable speculations, and contribute little to the direction of practice, the onely aime of this paper, (and therefore what was thus prepared shall not here be inserted) yet by way of necessary satisfaction to a practicall question. And the question is this, In case I be a minister, call'd to give comfort to such an one, viz. an habituall customary sinner, which were thus surprized by the hand of God, any mortall disease or wound, and were thus cast downe with extreame horrour of mind, and from thence professeth himselfe resolved that if God shall spare him, he will certainly lead a new life, whether I would not give that man comfort in that case, but suffer him to be swallowed up with desperation.

To this I answer, 1. by setting before our eyes an example of Sect. 43. God himselfe in a case not very distant from this proposed, which may be matter of direction to any who shall be called to for com­fort in this kind, Judg. 10. 6. The children of Israel did evill again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim and Ashtaroth, &c. and for­sooke the Lord and served not him, v. 6. upon this Gods anger was hot against Israel, and he brought a double distresse upon them, v. 7, 8, 9. and Israel was sore distressed. And then v. 10. the children of Israel [Page 66] cryed unto the Lord, saying, Wee have sinned against thee, both because wee have forsaken God and also worship't Baalim. Here is that confes­sion and sense of the provocations, which our case supposes, and that in time of the sore distresse, and so in that parallel also. And then God's returne to them is remarkeable, 1. An expostulation continued for three verses, to aggravate their crime and ingrati­tude, and the close an absolute refusall, a denying present pardon to these confitents, Wherefore I will deliver you no more. And then far­ther yet a bitter reproach and sarcasme, v. 14. Goe and cry unto the Gods which yee have chosen, let them deliver you in the time of your Tribulation. And then the story proceeds to tell us the good use and effects that this severity wrought upon them. And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned, do thou unto us whatso­ever seemeth good unto thee, deliver us only we pray thee this day, v. 15. And they put away the strange Gods from among them and served the Lord, v. 16. their penitence is approved to God by their pati­ence, and submission, and importunity, by present reformation, and contrary acts of piety; and then it follows, his soule was grie­ved for the misery of Israel, i. e. God ceased to afflict them, and on the other side prospered them to victory in the next Chapter. And then this dealing of Gods being examplary to us, as farre as the cases shall appear parallel, may passe for a generall or first an­swer. But then 2 ^ly. and more distinctly to the question, I answer, that in this case the course I would prescribe to others, or observe my selfe, is this, according to this copy premised, not presently to make haste to apply comfort to that man (meaning by comfort words of pardon, or promise, or assurance, that his sinnes, in this state, shall certainly be forgiven) but to dispense my comfort dis­creetly, and so that I may lay a foundation on which he may more safely build, and I more in fallibly ascertaine comfort to him; I mean by preparing him to a right capacity of it, by encreasing yet farther in his heart, and rooting as deepe as I can the mourning (which if sincere hath the promise of comfort, Mat. 5.) the sorrow for sinne, the humiliation and indignation at himselfe, the vehement desire, the zeale, the revenge, the all manner of effects of Godly sorrow, and indeed by doing my utmost in perfecting this so necessary worke in him; which if by the helpe of God it be done, and those graces deepely rooted, (through a consideration not onely of the instant danger, but detestable uglynesse of sinne, the provocation offered to [Page 67] a most gratious Father, & most mercifull Redeemer, and sanctifying Spirit, together with al the other humbling matter from the parti­cular sinnes, and aggravating circumstances of them) it will then be that Godly sorrow which the Apostle speakes of, and that will (if God afford space) bring forth that repentance, which consists in a sincere change and reformation, (called by the same Apostle, 2 Cor. 7. An ancient [...]n [...] in Magdalen Colledge in Oxford. 10. [...], or as some manuscripts read, [...], i. e. as I conceive a repentance, a change, or amendment, which will not be retracted againe, a lasting or durable reformation) and then there is no doubt, but to him which is in this estate, mercy infallibly be­longs; And to him I shall then hasten to ascertaine it. And yet of this mercy if I through some errour or neglect of mine, should not give him (nor he himselfe through the greatnesse of his sorrow, the floud of teares in his eyes, otherwise finde) any comfortable assu­rance, yet is he by God's immoveable promise sure (certitudine ob­jecti, though not subjecti) to be partaker, [and all that he loses, by not being assured of it here by me, or by his owne spirit, is the pre­sent comfort, and joy of some few minutes, which will soone be re­paired, and made up to him at death, by God's wiping off all teares from his eyes, the gracious revelation of his Saviour-judge unto him, with a Come thou blessed of my Father, thou hast cordially mour­ned and converted, and thou shalt be comforted. Whereas if I should goe about too hastily and preposterously to grant him any such comfortable assurance that he were already accepted, (I meane not now that he should be accepted, if his change be sincere, or his sor­row such as would bring forth that change, for that conditionall comfort I have all this while allowed him, but positive assurance for the present upon a view of such his sorrow) I might then pos­sibly raise him up too soone, before the worke were done, the plant rooted deepe enough, (and that were utterly to ruine him; by giving him his good things, his comfort here, to deprive him of it eternally) or at the best refresh him a little here before-hand, but not at all advantage him toward another life; which losse being so unmercifully great, and acquisition so unconsiderably small, it were great uncharitablenesse to runne that hazard, and so still the best way must be by proposall of conditionall, but not of absolute com­fort, to humble him unto the dust, if so be there may be hope, to set him this only taske of working out his salvation with fear & trem­bling, laying hold on God's mercy in Christ▪ his generall but con­ditionall [Page 68] mercy for all penitent purifying sinners, (for confessours, and forsakers, and none else) and so labouring for that sorrow, that purity, that confession, contrition, and forsaking, and then if he perish, he perisheth, no way is imaginable to doe good upon him, if this doe not.

And if it be farther demanded, whether in this case supposed, Sect. 44. I would upn his demand deny him Absolution? I answer, that Absolution may signify two things. 1. The absolution of the Church, as it is the Churches pardoning him all offences done against her, quantum in ipsà est, to wit, the scandall of his sinnes, &c. and this absolution the Church (and I, if she have intrusted to me that pow­er) ought to grant him in articulo mortis, when the binding him, or retaining his sinnes is not probable to doe him any further good, by way of [...], or discipline; In like manner, as every single per­son offended, or injured by him, is by charity obliged upon his de­mand (though he be not confident that he is sincerely contrite) to grant him his free forgivenesse, & the denying of this being thus de­manded, were hurtful not to the dying man, but to him that were so uncharitable as to deny it; and the giving it an obligation of charity both to him and to my selfe: But for the second thing signified by absolution, viz. the pronouncing him absolv'd in heaven, all that I am obliged to, by duty or in prudence, is then to doe it, when by ex­amination of his sorrow and resolutions, I am inwardly perswaded that his repentance is a well- grounded and radicated repentance; and in that as I would not perswade any man to be over easy, or popu­lar, (that humor of the Emperour now a dayes stolne into the Confessor, neminem tristem dimittere) because of the possible hurt, and unproportionable gaine of it; so if any man should be over austere, and difficult, onely out of desire to make the penitent yet more penitent, (and not to bruise the broken reed, to tyrannize over his wounded soule) to make heaven more surely his, by his being not yet sure of heaven; this will be at the worst but an errour of charity, which will never be imputed to the confessour, much lesse to the penitent, it being acknowledged that the Ministers ab­solution doth not availe, nisiclave non errante, and consequently that his denying absolution (clave errante still) will never doe any hurt; the errour of his key in shutting or retaining being in reason no more mortiferous, then the like errour in remitting is salvificall.

Agreeable to this decision you shall finde the practice of the Sect. 45. [Page 69] Church anciently, when ecclesiasticall discipline was in its vigour, In such or such cases they would not afford the dying man absolu­tion, because they had no grounds of assurance, that the state of the person was capable of it, and yet would they make no scruple to allow him place of comfort and hope, that God might possibly absolve him, God having other wayes of discerning the sincerity of repentance, (viz. by seeing of the heart, or by conditionate pre­science) which they had not; and somuch for the satisfying of the question.

All that I have now to add to this theme is only this, (which will Sect. 46. bring the whole discourse home to the particularity of the present estate of this Kingdome, and so give you the full end of the writing of this discourse) that by this long debate, and the evidence of the truth asserted, concerning the soutes of particular men, the conditi­on of this poore calamitous Kingdome is now dissected also. We have enjoyed a long day of God's mercifull and gratious calls to repentance, and many solemne admonitions at the doore as it were of every Church, at the beginning of our daily service, [To day if you will heare his voice, harden not your hearts] and it is most sadly evident by our present punishments, that we have not heard the voice in that day of peace and prosperity, but hardened the heart; The judgments being now faln most formidably on the Land, and no part of it now remaining which hath not had its sympathy in this shaking, falling fit, some sorrow, and humiliation, and withall some acts perhaps of confession have beene extorted from us; Were there to these an addition of that other part of repentance, that of a sincere change & thorough-reformation, no doubt there would be mercy; God would returne upon our returning; Nay were the re­solutions of amendment, (which perhaps may be observed in ma­ny) sincere resolutions, such as that all-seeing eye doth discerne, would hold out against all the temptations of peace againe, there were yet hope that for that sincere change of those many, the judg­ment (of the [...] at least, that finall totall excision, that seemes to be threatned) might be reverst, (according to the purport of the treaty that was about Sodom, betwixt God and A­braham) But by the continuance and no kind of relaxation of God's heavy hand, it is as cleare, as if Euclid had demonstrated it, that yet that work is not done, that the repentance of the Land is but hypocriticall, such as the present weight of the judgements [Page 70] hath extorted from us, not such as would continue upon their re­movall, like the strange quicke sent that is reported of the wild boy of Leige, to have beene acquired by a thin Forest-diet, and to have been lost again assoon as he came to full feeding, (per­haps only a sarrow for the smart we are under) and this is such a re­pentance as would not be for the honour of God to reward with such a donative; The only course that a whole Synod and assembly of Angels could upon consultation advise us to, and promise it Prosperous for the averting of ruine from the Land, is so to improve our sorrow above the occasion of it (the afflictions that are upon us) as that it may be a sorrow for sinne, purely for sinne, (for though judgements may be the monitor to put us in minde of those sinnes, and so the occasion of that sorrow, yet nothing but sin may be al­lowed the cause of that sorrow, or if it be, as soone as ever that be removed, the sorrow will be superseded also) and then that sorrow bring forth such a change of mind as would prove immutable upon God's allowing us a time of respite, bring forth fruits of repen­tance worthy of such reprievall. When the whole heart of this King­dome, or of that part of it that still cleaves to the house of David is thus smitten, and really affected by God's rod, so that he to whose eyes all things are naked, [...], as when the skin is pull'd off, and [...], Heb. 4. 13. (as the entrails of a satrifice cut downe the back, which the Priest doth [...], view it censori­ously, and [...], examine strictly, whether it be perfect, whether there be any blemish in it or no) may pronounce it [...], Lucian de sa­ [...]rif: a blemisblesse repentance, a sincere hearty change, then will there be a place for hope, assured hope, then may the Priest intercede with confidence, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to re­proach; and the hearer of prayers will be obliged by that his title to answer that importunity. But till this Rod of the Lord be thus Heard, all hope in God for mercy to the Land, or for victory, (though to the justest cause that ever man espoused) will be little better then Presumption.