SEeing opportu­nity serues vs thus fitly (my Christian friend) to con­ferre a while together, and seeing there is no conference so comfor­table or profitable as that which is about the affaires [Page 2] of Gods Kingdome, and our owne saluation, and that the counsell of the Holy Ghost is; that 1 Pet. 4.11. if any speake, hee should speake as the words of God, and Eph. 4.29. that such communi­cation should proceed out of our mouthes, as is good for the vse of edifying: giue me leaue therefore to propound a question to you about these mat­ters.

Sir, I like the motion passing well, and indeed there is too little of this good practise in these daies; christian commu­nication [Page 3] growes too much out of vse, which shewes the want & scar­sitie of grace; for there is the like correspon­dence between the heart and tongue, that is be­tweene the bell and clap­per: if the bell be stirred, the clapper cannot lye still: and if the heart bee moued with delight in spirituall things, the tongue cannot chuse but talke thereof: and where the tongue yeelds no other but an earthie sound, there you may be sure to finde no other but an earthly heart, no [Page 4] pure good metall, no heauenly grace to bee found in the heart: Now therefore let mee heare the question, and accor­ding to my poore mea­sure of knowledge, I will bee ready to shape an an­swere.

Ought not euery one while he liues in this world, to know as a thing certaine, whether hee shall be saued, and so be translated out of this earthly tabernacle, into the heauenly paradice, whensoeuer hee shall be called away by death?

Yes vndoub­tedly; [Page 5] which I prooue thus, Mar. 16.16. Hee that beleeueth (saith our Sauiour) shall bee saued, but he that belee­ueth not, shall bee damned: This must euery one know as an vndoubted truth; and withall he is bound to know whether hee beleeueth, according to that charge of the A­postle: 2 Corin. 13.5: Examine your selues whether you bee in the Faith: know you not that Christ is in you, except you bee reprobates? Heere­vpon it will follow, that euery one must know whether hee shall be sa­ued; and therefore such [Page 6] as put their soules to a venture, cannot be saued, for as much as they take not the right course, ap­pointed by God thereto; namely, to prooue whe­ther they be in the faith, and Christ in them. And further, whom the Lord intendeth to bestow hea­uen vpon, hee sets his 2 Cor. 1.21. seale and marke vpon them, whereby he claims them for his owne, and he bestowes loue-tokens on them, which are the sauing graces of his holy spirit, whereof he is very charie, setting great store by them, so that hee will [Page 7] not bestow them on cast-awaies, but onely on his dearely beloued ones; which markes and loue-tokens, as they are very precious, so as many as receiue thē (though they doubt) they need not doubt but that they shall bee saued, for God is not variable in his loue: but he that hath not these signes in him, whereby he may know that he shall be sa­ued, shall (if he die in that comfortles state) be sure to haue his portion with deuills, Reu. 21.8. in the burning lake, for euer after death.

If the case stand [Page 8] so, I thinke it lies euery one vpon, not to dallie with their owne soules, as men doe now adaies, but to deale soundly, and consider sincerely with themselus, whether they haue receiued these gol­den markes, and loue-to­kens of God, or whether they still retaine the blacke brand of the De­uill which they were borne with, the which so long as they retaine on them, the Prince of dark­nesse ownes them; but if they can get it 1 Cor. 6.11. washed out by the bloud of Christ, and Gods marks [Page 9] set vpon them, then hath the Deuill no more right or claime vnto them; for the Lord from that time forward, euen for euer, doth take them for his owne peculiar ones: But what say you now of those that mourne after God, in the anguish of their soules, longing for the assurance of his fa­uour, and labouring to get this knowledge of their saluation, but yet cannot finde it in them­selues?

This I say, or rather Christ himselfe, Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that (so) [Page 10] mourne, for they shall bee comforted; and though they now sorrow, yet their Ioh. 16.20. sorrow shall bee turned into ioy: nay, great cause of reioycing haue they, that they can thus mourne: neyther is it possible for such to bee without some sure signes wherby they may know that they shall be saued; for euen this their pra­ctice (they being thus Cant. 2.5. sicke of loue) longing and labouring after Christ, is a sure signe to them, though they should haue no other: but indeed this cannot goe alone.

How comes it then to passe, that they take no notice hereof in themselues, but rather feare that they shall not be saued?

Because they are eyther new-borne babes in Christ, and therefore being as infants though they bee aliue, yet haue not as yet vnderstanding to know that they are a­liue, which notwithstan­ding others of riper age discerne in them, and they also by experience and growth in grace shal afterwards perceiue in themselues; or else they [Page 12] are distempered with some strong fit of temp­tatiō, wherby they are so astonied and benummed, that they haue not Psal. 77.7 8. a feeling of that which otherwise they might perceiue in their soules: like as one halfe frozen, & almost stiffe with cold, feeles no warmth at all in himselfe, and yet there is some in him; for else there could be no life or breath remaining in him: Or lastly, such they are as haue taken a surfet of sinne, wherby they haue beene ouercome; thus while they are soul-sick, [Page 13] their spirituall senses are corrupted, so as they can­not now Psal. 88.14. see the light­some countenance of Gods fauour shining on them so clearely, nor Ps. 51.8.12. heare the Lord speake­ing vnto them, nor taste how good the Lord is to their soules in speciall, nor relish religious exer­cises so sauourlie, nor feele heauenly comforts so sensibly, as otherwise they might. And yet this surfet they shall out-grow in time, by vsing themselues to a good di­et of Christian practise, and by the helpe of the [Page 14] Physicke of Gods word rightly applied, which holpe the Prophet Dauid in the like case, being di­stempered, Psal 73.17. neither is it maruell though such doe iudge a­misse of themselues, for the present; seeing wee know that sicke folkes are not competent or meet iudges of them­selues: for they some­times feele nothing but paine or sicknesse, where­as others know, that there is in them more health then sicknesse, or at least some health.

Now then to [Page 15] come to your selfe (for it is the part of euery wise man, to be best acquain­ted with his own estate.) Let mee a little examine your Euidences: haue you some good assu­rance that you shall bee saued?

Yes, I praise God, else how could I haue any comfort? else my very meat should be turned into gall, & teares should bee my drinke; well might my eyes re­fuse all rest, and my soule all comfort, knowing none other, but that I should Iob. 18.14. goe to the king of [Page 16] feare, into a Land darke as darknesse it selfe: And sure I am, that the Mark. 8 36. whole World, with the Eccles. 2.11. best of all earthly things, cannot affoord true, sound, and substan­tiall comfort, to the qui­eting of the conscience, & reioycing of the heart.

How doe you know that you shall bee saued?

First, by that mo­ther-grace, from whence all other sauing graces flow, namely true iusti­fying faith, a sparke of this pious faith, I find is kindled in me, whereup­on [Page 17] this I build; GOD hath promised, The first signe of saluation taken out of Iohn 3.36. that hee which beleeueth shall be saued: Now then seeing I belieue (that is, am tru­ly perswaded that Christ is my Sauiour, that hee died for my sinnes, and fulfilled the Law, to pro­cure mee perfect righte­ousnes) therefore I know I shall be saued.

It is nothing to say you beleeue, but let mee heare if you can proue it? how know you that yours is true faith, and not meere mocke-faith, which is so rife in the world?

Because it hath beene rightly bred and begotten in me, and that by the spirituall seede of Gods word, according to that saying of the A­postle; Rom. [...]0.17. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God: Thus then I came by Faith; first by hearing the do­ctrine of the Law prea­ched, I saw my selfe to be in a damnable condi­tiō by nature, a wretched sinner, yea wholly sinful, and therefore accursed, by the iust sentence of Gods most righteous Law, deseruing nothing [Page 19] but the horrible wrath of God, and lying open to the vengeance of eternal fire, so that there was no­thing betweene me and hell, but onely a poore, simple, crasie, tottering life, which I knew not how soone or suddenly it might be surprised by death; the consideration whereof, wrought in mee terror of conscience, dread of hell and con­demnation, despairing of any hope or helpe in my selfe.

And what then, did you rest quiet in the sight of this your wofull miserie?

Oh it was not possible my poor distres­sed soule should find any rest in this estate, nay if I had heard no better ti­dings, I should haue bin swallowed vp of despair: but then in the next place I came This is the cape of good hope in sayling to heauen. to vnder­stand, that God hath an­ointed and sent his own sonne to Isa. 61.1. Luk. 4.18. preach good ti­dings vnto the poore, reco­uering of sight to the blind, to binde vp the broken hearted, and set at liberty such as are bruised: more plainly, I learned by the doctrine of the Gospell, that God of his rich mercie [Page 21] hath giuen his sonne, Christ Iesus, very God and man, to be a Sauiour vnto sinfull men, euen to as many as beleeue in him, and hath Ioh. 3.16. not ex­cluded mee out of the number of those that shall be saued by him, but hath offered him vn­to mee amongst others which are weary and heauy laden with their sins, say­ing, Mat. 11.28. Come vnto mee all: (euen all such) and hath also Ioh. 3.23. commanded, yea euen Cor. 5.20. intreated mee, to beleiue in him: Thus my heart was drawne and wonne, to take him and [Page 22] apply him a Sauiour to my owne soule, thinking my selfe bound in con­science to yeeld obedi­ence to the holy com­mandement, and graci­ous inuitation of Al­mighty God: and what a beast were I, if I should not accept of so free a profer of his Sonne, as he hath made vnto me?

Thus you haue shewed mee well how you came by faith, and I see you haue come ho­nestly by it; whereby it appeares that it is not like Iacobs venison too quick­lie found to bee of the [Page 23] right kinde, nor like Io­nahs gourd, too sudden­lie sprung to continue long, but like the 2 Sam. 23.15, 16. water of Bethlehem, much lon­ged for, & hardly obtai­ned; now shew mee fur­ther how you vse it: since you got it, what fruites doth it bring forth, whereby you may know more easily whether it be true, and 1 Tim. 1.5. Faith vn­fained?

As fire may bee discerned by heat, 6 Notes of true faith. and life by motion, so may my faith by the fruites thereof: For first, it ena­bleth me to Eph. 6.16. quench the [Page 24] fierie darts of that euil one, to resist (not without some comfortable victo­ries) the suggestions of Sathan wherwith he buf­fets me; and more parti­cularly, that same temp­tation of doubting whe­ther the promises of God belong to me or no: for that I am not ouercome of this doubting, and sunke vnder it, but strug­gle and wrestle with it, and with vnbeliefe, that is by the power of faith. Secondly, it makes mee earnestly desire to bee more and more reconci­led to God, that is, more [Page 25] fullie assured of his fa­uour, that I am at peace with him, and hee well pleased with mee; to whom by nature I was an vtter enemy; it makes mee crie, Ps. 106.4 remember mee O Lord with the fauour of thy people, Ps. 84.5. release thy anger toward mee turne thy fac vnto mee, Ps. 31.16 cause thy face to shine vnto thy seruant, and saue mee through thy mercy. Third­ly, my faith makes mee labour to please God, though it bee with dis­pleasing my selfe, and to doe the will of God, yea euē in those things which [Page 26] crosse my owne will, as it caused Abraham to Gen. 22.10. offer his dearely belo­ued Isaac, though other­wise it would haue gone ful sore against his heart; and heereby Enoch was Heb. 11.5 reported of, that had had pleased God. Fourthly, by it my heart is in some measure purified from noysome lusts and affe­ctions; as secret pride, selfe-loue, hypocrisie, carnal confidence, wrath malice, and the like, in that they are distastfull, yea loathsome to mee, so that the spirit within me fighteth against the flesh, [Page 27] that is, grace resisteth and subdueth corruption. Fiftly, it makes me long after Christ, to tast more fully of his sweetnesse and to bee Can. 1.2 kissed with the kisses of his mouth, that is, to haue a greater measure of heauenly graces, and greater and more liuely tokens of his loue, communicated to mee, whom and whose loue I do preferre aboue the whole world, euen in my hart. Lastly, my faith brings forth in mee the sweet fruit of heauen­ly spirituall ioy; for, 1 Pet. 1.8. beleeuing in him [Page 28] whome wee haue not seene (that is Christ the Lord) wee reioyce with ioy vn­speakable, and ful of glory; which is therefore called the ioy Phil. 1.25. of faith, because it proceeds from thence: Thus my faith is Gal. 5.6. a working faith, and by these fruits and the like, I know it is not a vaine fancy, and vngrounded imagination, but a sound and well-grounded per­swasion, whereby I am ingraffed into Christ: for to beleeue, is Extra nos ire, & in Christum transire. to go out of our selues, and to goe into Christ.

If these things [Page 29] bee so, I am not able to obiect any thing against your faith, nay, all the di­uels of hell shall neuer be able to ouerthrow it: But by what other signe doe you know that you shall be saued?

Well may my conuersion plead senio­rity for the second place, it being of the same age with faith: for there is no sooner true faith wrought in the heart, but instantly there is a new Conuert made, and a sinner become the sonne of Abraham, and well may there then be ioy in [Page 30] heauen for a sinner that is conuerted. So then there is an effectual calling and conuersion wrought in mee; for the Lord of his vnspeakeable goodnesse hath deliuered mee out of the power of darknesse, and translated mee into the kingdom of his deare son, that is, hee hath brought mee out of the miserable estate of nature wherein I was borne, into the happy estate of grace, wherein I now stand: The se­cond signe of saluation taken out of Rom. 8.30. this calling is a sure signe that one is ordained to euerlasting life; for, whom the Lord hath cal­led, [Page 31] those hee hath also glo­rified: therefore heereby I am comfortably assu­red of my saluation.

Our Sauiour tels vs, Mat. 22.14. that there are many called, but few chosen: how then can this bee a signe vnto you?

There is a two-fold calling of a Christi­an: an outward, and an inward; the Lord calls outwardly all those to whom the Gospell is preached; for such he re­quires to come to him by beleeuing and repen­ting, that they might be saued, but many such re­fuse [Page 32] thus to come vnto him, and therefore are not effectually called: like as if you should call a man that is in a dead sleep, who hears you not, & therefore lies snorting still; it may be truly said, he was not called vp, be­cause hee did not awaken and come vnto you: so the outward calling by the voyce of the Gospel alone, is not sufficient to saluation, therefore the Lord calls his elect in­wardly also by his spirit, and this is that whereof I speake.

But how know [Page 33] you that you are thus in­wardly & effectually cal­led and conuerted?

1. 2 Notes of effectu­al calling. By the eccho­ing backe, and secret an­swering of my heart vn­to the voyce and call of God; for the Lord saith, Ps. 27.8. Seeke thou my face, my heart answereth, thy face, O Lord, will I seeke: Math. 11.28. Come vnto mee (saith he) all yee that are weary and heauy loden, and I will ease you: and Ioh. 8.37 if any man thirst, let him come vnto mee and drinke; my heart answereth; O Lord, it is the desire of my soule to come vnto thee, oh that [Page 34] I could come, oh how shall I come, helpe mee that I may come, draw mee and I will runne after thee; seeing my hart doth thus inwardly answere his call, it is a certaine signe that I heare him call: which I could not vnlesse hee did call, in­wardly and effectually.

Secondly, the Lord hath wrought in mee a wonderfull and superna­turall change, so that I am contrary to that I was by nature ( Non noua substantia creatura, sed labe­facta repa­ratur. as tou­ching the quality and dis­position of my soule) now louing that good [Page 35] which then I hated, and hating now that euill which before I loued; therefore I am a new creature, and liue a spiri­tuall life, yea Christ li­ueth in mee: for by the power of the spirit flow­ing into mee from Christ my head, I liue vnto God, not vnto my selfe; and I would not bee a­gaine in the condition wherein I was before, for all the worlds good, but tremble to thinke vpon it, accounting it as the suburbs and mouth of hell.

I doe verily be­lieue [Page 36] you, for they which haue thus seen and tasted of hell in their conscien­ces, will take heed how they come neere it again so lōg as they liue: herein is that verified, the burnt childe dreads the fire. But name vnto mee a third signe of your sal­uation.

Me thinkes I see Iustification offering it selfe, and comming forth hand in hand with con­uersion, as beeing the daughters of one mother Faith, & two sisters born at one birth, hand-fasted by the holy Ghost, Rom. [Page 37] 8.30. neuer to bee seue­red: The third signe of saluation taken out of Rom. 8.30. so then I am iustifi­ed, that is, I am accepted of God perfectly righ­teous through Christ, this signe neuer failes, for whom God iustified, them he also glorified.

How can you proue, that you are thus iustified?

1. Because it is the daughter of that no­ble parent, Faith, which faith beeing in mee, I am thereby onely iustified, Iustification is the daughter of the true mother Faith, not of works, the false mo­ther; for shee saith, let it be di­uided be­tweene Christ & our selues. and not by workes, (vnlesse it bee to declare me iust before men) for I cannot bee so popishly [Page 38] fond as to thinke that men must licke them­selues whole with their owne righteousnesse.

2. Whereas iustifica­tion consists in two things; the remission of our sins for Christs passiō sake, and the imputation of his perfect righteous­nesse to vs, I haue some proofe of both: for first I know that God doth pardon and forgiue mee all my sinnes, for I doe heartily confesse them to him, with a detestation of them: and if we confesse our sinnes, hee is faithfull, and iust to forgiue vs our [Page 39] sinnes, as Ioh. 1.9. saith the Apo­stle. Secondly, I know that God doth reckon Christs righteousnes vn­to mee, as verily as if I had personally perfor­med it my selfe, this I know by my peace of conscience; for they which are thus Rom. 5.1. iustified by faith, haue peace toward God, and they only: thus am I one of those Reu. 7.14. that haue washed their long robes, and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe.

Indeede if the conscience be truely pa­cified, it is euident that [Page 40] you are partaker of Christs perfect righte­ousnesse: for what else can giue the Conscience true peace; and not the drunken peace of hypo­crites?

1. Because it hath followed grieuous trou­ble and vnquietnesse in my conscience, as a calm followes after a storme: for such as neuer were afflicted in minde, and distressed in conscience, neuer had true peace. 2 My peace of consci­ence 3 Notes of true peace of consci­ence. makes mee carefull to keepe a good consci­ence (as it made the A­postle) [Page 41] Hebr. 13.18. desiring to liue honestly, and to haue 2 Cor. 1.12. my conuersation in godly pure­nesse. 3. This true peace makes my Conscience not afraid to view it self: whereas the euill consci­ence is like the Elephant, which being guilty of his deformity, cannot abide to looke on his owne face in the water, but seekes muddy chanells, and fowle puddles.

Let mee heare you name some other signe, from whence you gather assurance of your saluation.

Mine Adoption [Page 42] is a sign hereof: for wher­as I was by nature a base­born of Satan; & no child so like his father as I was like him, the Lord of his free grace & fauour hath adopted me his childe, to traine mee vp vnto eter­nall life, that I may inhe­rit with his own Son Ie­sus; by meanes whereof I haue right also 1. Cor. 3.22.23. to the creatures heere in this world, as being my fa­thers goods; and the miseries of this life Rom. 8.28. be­come mercies to me, and the glorious Heb. 1.14 Angells, become attenders on mee: O high fauours, O [Page 43] rich mercy, O instimable dignity, to bee the childe of God! Thus I trust I am one of the number of Gods children. The fourth signe of saluation taken out of Rom. 8.17. Now none of them can possi­bly be depriued of an e­uerlasting inheritance, for if we be children, then are wee also heyres of God, & ioyntheyrs with Christ. Seeing then I am one of them, I know I shall in­herit together with them yea with Christ.

It is a common thing with men, yea with lewd and gracelesse per­sons, to say they are the children of God, as the [Page 44] wicked Iewes, Ioh. 8.41 44. said to our Sauiour, but hee tels them, they ar of their fa­ther the Deuill: how know you then that you are a true childe of God?

1. Because I am regenerate; that is, borne againe; Ioh. 1.13 5 Notes of a true child of God. not of bloud, as by a second naturall ge­neration, nor of the will of the flesh, as by any natu­rall strength or actiō, nor of the will of man, as by a­ny mans endeuour or o­peration, but of God, born of the spirit, Ioh. 3.5. as water through spirituall Tit 3.5 wash­ing and ablution, being begotten by the incorrup­tible [Page 45] seed of his word: they which are thus begotten and borne of God, must needs be his children: & that I am thus borne of the spirit, and so become a new creature, I haue shewed before, in that I am conuerted. Second­ly, looke what naturall affections are in a childe toward his father, such spirituall affections are in mee towards God: if he frowne, I mourne; if he threaten, I tremble; if he smite, I stoop; if he smile, I am right glad; if hee speake comfortablie, I reioyce hartily: I delight [Page 46] in nothing so much as the fauour of God, feare nothing so much as the losse of it: hauing found it, oh how faine would I keepe it: hauing lost it, I cannot be at quiet till I recouer it: I can be con­tent to want all things so I haue it, and can finde contentment in nothing if I want it, my heauenly fathers fauour is more to mee then all the world. Thirdly, I know my a­doption, by the spirit of adoption which is with­in mee, and casts out of me daily more and more the Rom. 8.15. spirit of bondage, a [Page 47] terrifying & tormenting conscience: and it makes me with some comforta­ble confidence, and a true heart, vnfainedly to call vpon God, and to cal him my Father without either flattery or dissem­bling. Fourthly, Rom. 8.14. As many as are led by the spi­rit of God, they are the sons of God: by his holy spi­rit am I led, and willing­lie doe I submit my selfe, and vnfainedly desire to bee wholly gouerned thereby, I desire not to follow the blinde guide, carnall reason, nor the deceitfull guide, my own [Page 48] corrupt heart, but I set the Lord alwaies before mee, as a guide to direct mee in all things by that rule, whereby hee leades into al truth, euen his ho­lie word: it is my delight to say with the Prophet Dauid, Ps. 25.5. Leade mee in thy truth O Lord, and teach mee, for thou art the God of my saluation. Fiftly, whereas all the children of God do resemble him their father, (for howso­euer a man may haue a childe nothing like him, yet God hath neuer a childe, but is in some measure like him) hereby [Page 49] I also know that I am his childe, because I doe in some sort resemble him my heauenly Father. As hee is 1 Pet. 1.15. holy Luk. 6.36. mercifull, good, Ma. 5.48 perfect; so doe I endeuour to conforme vnto him, hauing his blessed image imprinted in mee, and being renew­ed vnto that Ge. 1.26 likenesse, wherein the Lord crea­ted man in the begin­ning; abhorring to bee of the number of them, who though they pro­fesse themselues to bee Gods children, yet are as Nabal, so prophane and wicked, that a man cannot [Page 50] speake vnto them; and surely, blasphemie it were to thinke that there is a­ny likenesse betweene God and them, he such a pure spirit, and they such impure swine.

Proceed vnto some other signe of your saluation.

The Lord will bestow an euerlasting in­heritance vpon all them that are sanctified; The fift signe of saluation taken out of Act. 20.32. such a one am I, the Lord hath sanctified mee by his ho­ly spirit, that is, hath made mee holy, whereas I was before, most vile, filthy, & vnclean, wholly [Page 51] sinfull: Neither yet am I now quite and cleane freed from all sinne, or perfectly holy; for alas, Ro. 7.23. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde, and bringing me into captiuity of the law of sinne: but I am freed from the bon­dage and dominion of sinne. And looke as in the twi-light or day-breake, some little glim­mering light there is o­uer-sprea [...]ing the skie, yet mixed with much darknesse: euen so there is in mee the admixture of sinne, and much cor­ruption, [Page 52] accompanying the light of sanctifying grace, in euery part of me; yet this is my com­fort, That the day-starre is risen, and the morning-light now shineth in mee; and as for high-noone, perfection of holinesse, I wait for it, and looke to enioy it in the highest heauen: for the Pr. 4.18. path of the iust is as the shining light, that shineth more & more vnto the perfect day.

There are not a few, who though they can talke of sanctificati­on, a [...] notwithstanding very prophane, yea lea­prous [Page 53] persons, hauing the vncleane issues of sin, like plague-sores running on them, going vp and downe with the leapers, crie in their mouth Leui. 13.45. vncleane, vncleane, therefore how know you that you are truely sanctified?

If I could not shew a difference be­tween my selfe and such vncleane beasts, Proofe of sanctifica­tion, by the parts thereof. I should bee sorry: thus then I prooue the Truth of my sanctification: whereas it consists in two things, namely, mortification & quickening, I haue some proofe of both; for the [Page 54] first, Rom. 8.13. I mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit: wherein I imitate the skilfull Chirurgion, Mortifi­cation. who being to cut off some in­cureable member, first mortifieth it, that so it beeing made insensible, may be cut off more ea­sily, and with lesse paine to the patient. And this course I take in mortify­ing my sinnes: First, I labour by searching to finde them out: Second­ly, to finde my selfe wea­ry of them, and willing to be rid of them, consi­dering what infinite hurt they doe mee. Thirdly, [Page 55] I fetch power from the death of Christ, belee­uing that he died to 1 Iohn 3.5.8. kill sinne in all that are his, and therefore that it is impossible for them to liue vnto sinne, or sinne to rule in them. 4. The death of Christ as a salue applied to the sore by faith, leaueth a print like it selfe in the soul, a spirituall death, or dying vn­to sinne. I apply this power of Christs death, as a strong corrasiue, to this proud flesh of mine, to the wounding and killing of the sinne that is in mee: and thus I apply it; 1. Seeing that my sinnes put Christ to death, I am resolued, as the auenger of bloud, to follow the law vpon them, to get a [Page 56] scriptum est, a Writ for them, to doe by them, as they did by him, euen to pursue them vnto death, which put my elder bro­ther and Sauiour vnto death. Secondly, seeing I beleeue, that Christ died for mee, to kill sinne in me, I see I neither must nor can Rom. 6.2.6. suffer sinne to liue, and raigne in me; for fhat were to make the death of Christ of none effect, vnto mee: Thus then though sinne bee in mee, yet it hath receiued the deadly wound, by the death of Christ, neuer after to recouer againe, [Page 57] but lyes as 2 Sam. 1.6.9. Saul thrust thorow with his speare; though life bee still abi­ding in it, it is gasping, and strugling, languishing and dying, and shall at last bee vtterly extinct in death. Ro. 7.25. I thanke God therefore through Iesus Christ our Lord.

You haue spo­ken to some good pur­pose: of mortification: but what say you now of quickning, which is the second part of Sanctifi­cation?

They which haue the one, Quick­ning. can not want the other; therefore I finde [Page 58] also a quickning power of grace in mee, whereby I rise vp out of the graue of sinne, and liue vnto righteousnesse, and that after this manner; 1 I. la­bour by inquiring to find out that righteousnesse, which God requireth of mee. 2. I striue for a willingnesse of minde & heart, to set thereupon, with all delight: which that I may do, 3. I fetch power from Christs re­surrection, considering, and beleeuing, that he re­viued and rose againe, for this very end, namely to procure, and giue to [Page 59] all that are his, strength and power, to Rom 6.4. liue vnto righteousnes, and there­fore that it is as impossi­ble for any such to want this power, as for Christ to die in vaine. 4. I ap­ply this power to my selfe, whereby the breath of spirituall life comes into my soule, and that after this maner: To belieu that Christ rose for mee, is to apply his resurre­ction, as a soueraign plaister to my heart: which is of such a vertue that it must needs worke in me his spi­rituall re­surrectiō. Seeing I beleeue that Christ rose for mee, as verily as he is my Sauiour, so verily, must I, and shall I, shew forth this spirituall power in the practice of piety, and righteous liuing: Thus then there is a spi­rituall [Page 60] passion, and resur­rction in mee (as there is in euery true beleeuer) answerable to to the passi­on and resurrection of Christ; as he died for sin; and rose againe for righ­teousnesse, so I die to sinne, and rise againe to righteousnes, in all the powers of my soule, and parts of my body, these being made the Rom. 6.13. instru­ments of those, in righte­ousnesse vnto God. And this briefly is that sancti­fication which I finde in me.

And surely this is that, which whosoeuer [Page 61] finde in them, they are no lesse than canonized in the Court of Heauen for Saints, and irreuocably registred in Gods Calen­dar of Saints. But what will you name in the next place, for a signe of your saluation?

Repentance: which howsoeuer it doth not Non re sed ratione Polanus really differ from Sanctification, yet in some respect (as Perkins. some haue well obserued) it doth, as being subordi­nate thereto, and procee­ding there-from as the fruit thereof: for where the Lord infuseth sancti­fying [Page 62] grace into the vn­derstanding, will, and af­fections of the Conuert; then according vnto this grace receiued, he work­eth in turning to the Lord: and though re­pentance bee discerned, before eyther Faith, or Sanctification; yet that hinders not, but that they are before it in Ordinae natura. order of nature; like as in the mor­ning, the light, and sunne-beames, are seene before the bodie of the Sunne, and yet in order of na­ture, it is before them, and they proceed from it. But to come neerer [Page 63] the matter, I repent me of my sinnes; for I turne from all sinne to God, in heart, and desire, and labour to expresse the same, The sixt signe of saluation taken out of Eze. 18.21. by a carefull fra­ming of my life, in obe­dience to God, eschew­ing euill, and doing good, hauing respect vnto all Gods commandements. Now God hath promi­sed, that hee which thus turneth from all his sins, shall surely liue for euer, and shall not dye eternal­ly; therefore hereby I know I shall bee saued: for this is a salue for all sores, and a present re­medie, [Page 64] to cure all spi­rituall diseases of the soule.

All the doubt will be whether you doe truely repent, how can you make that appeare?

5 Notes, of true re­pentance.Thus: First, be­cause I grieue in my heart for my sinnes, chiefly, in regard that thereby I offend my good Ps. 51.4 God, who alwaies hath been, and is abundantly gra­cious vnto mee: this pierceth my soule, that I should bee so vndutifull toward him. Secondly, I Psa. 119.104. hate, loath, and detest in some measure, all sin [Page 65] in my heart, bearing my selfe toward it as an ene­mie; and when I haue beene ouercome by the deceit thereof, I loue it not the better, but hate it much the more after­ward, when I haue reco­uered my selfe againe: I deale with my sinne, as Amnon dealt with his si­ster Thamer: who when he had satisfied his wick­ed lust, did hate her more than euer hee had loued her before, and thrust hir out of his com­pany and presence, as not abiding the sight of her. Thirdly, Psa. 119.57. I resolue [Page 66] in truth, with a constant purpose, and settled de­termination, not to doe any thing that I know to bee sinne, and so displea­sing to the Lord; the Lord hee knowes, that I do not purpose to main­taine my selfe in any knowne sin whatsoeuer. Fourthly, I striue, & Ps. 119.101. endeuour in the whole course of my life, to for­sake euery knowne sinne, and to come to the fight of vnknowne sins which as yet I haue not taken notice of, that I may for­sake them also. I doe as heartily desire, to forgoe [Page 67] my sins, as to haue them forgiuen; to part with them, as to haue them pardoned: whereas the man vnregenerate, will at no hand part with his sinne: Iob. 20.1.2.1. for it is sweet in his mouth, hee hides it vn­der his tongue, hee spares it, and forsakes it not, but keepes it still within his mouth, (as Zophar speaks) he will as soon part with a limme, nay his life, as with his sweet sinne: But for my part, I desire that the bloud of Christ may as well wash away the filthinesse of my sinne, as the guiltinesse thereof. [Page 68] 5. I bring forth the right and kindly fruit of true repentance, namely, new obedience, which can­not possibly grow out of any other roote than this: thus it is my con­tinuall care to Luk. 1.6. walke in all the commandements, and ordinances of the Lord without reproofe.

Bet is not all this that you doe, for feare of hell, and condemnation onely?

No surely, but partly for loue I beare to God; and partly for ha­tred I beare to sinne: for though I knew there [Page 69] were no day of iudge­ment, when men shall giue an account of all their doings, and receiue a full reward according thereunto; or though I could bee assured that there were no hell to take vengeance on wicked doers, yet would I neuer commit those foule and filthy sinnes which I see some commit continu­ally to my griefe: though they are well-pleasing to sinfull corrupt nature, and so were to mee, whiles I was carnall, now I doe abhor them.

It seemes you [Page 70] make true griefe for sin a signe of true repentance: shew mee then how god­ly sorrow, which is only in the faithfull, may bee knowne from worldly sorrow, which causeth death, and was in Cain, Saul, Ahab, Herod, Iudas and may bee in any re­probate.

Difference betweene worldly and godly sorrow.Hee that hath godly sorrow is at least perswaded, that his sins are pardonable, not that they are Ge. 4.13. greater than may bee forgiuen, as Cain said; but that they may bee pardoned by the in­finitely farre-surpassing [Page 71] mercy of God. 2. Hee loues the Preacher, and other wel-disposed per­sons, that tell him of his faults, and shew him his sins; though happily reprouing him sharpely for them: and hee reue­renceth and regardeth Gods word the more, that he sees his sinne dis­couered, and condem­ned thereby: the contra­ry was in Ahab, 1 Kings 22.8. who hated the Prophet, be­cause hee dealt plainely with him; and Herod Mat. 14.3.4. who depriued Iohn the Baptist, both of liberty and life, because he tou­ched [Page 72] his copy-hold, in reprouing his incestuous life. 3. Godly sorrow driues a man neerer to God by prayer, and makes him seeke to the Minister, & to the godly­wise for counsell; to the word, & spirituall means for comfort: but the sorrow of the world driues a man further from God & the means; as in Saul, who went to a witch, and Iudas who hanged himselfe, both of them hasting to get as far from God, as the most remote place in all the world, euen hell it selfe [Page 73] could make them. 4. The sorrow of him that is truely-penitent, is most occupied about the Malum culpae. euil of sinne; the sorrow of others, most about the Malum poena. euill of punishment, all their care, and thoughts are taken vp therewith: and were it not for that, the euill of their sinne, should not trouble their minds, or disquiet them one whit.

You named new obedience, for a note of true repentance, & that not amisse if it bee true, vnfained, and of the right kinde. But how [Page 74] proue you this?

3 Notes of true o­bedience.First, because it is obedience of the whole man, inward, as well as outward: for a true obe­dienciarie vnto God, must be both sound, and streight, sound in heart, & streight in life, all ouer obedient; though hee bee not perfect. 2. It is obedience, yeelded to the whole law of God, to precept as well as pro­mise, and to one precept as well as to an other: whereas they which are false hearted in obedi­ence, are also lame there­in, and will be dispensed [Page 75] withall in some things, they can be content that some of their sins should dye, with the leane cattel slaine by 1 Sam. 15.9. Saul; but they haue some one or two, or more fat sinnes, which they will needs haue spared. I praise God (in humility I speak it) I haue no such reser­uation in my obedience; but that my master-sins, & darling-sins, should be put to the sword, as well as others of inferiour ranke. 3. It is perfor­med in the whole course of my life; it doth not take me now and then at [Page 76] times, like the Fit of an Ague, but is constant, and continuall. For a man may crosse the way to heauen often-times, in, and out, and yet neuer come thither; but he that holds on constantly in the way, shall bee sure of heauen. Thus true obe­dience in all these re­spects is Catholike, that is, vniuersall: and they, & none but they, deserue the name of good Ca­tholicks indeed, which are carefull to yeeld to God this true, and vni­uersall (though imper­fect) obedience.

Hitherto you haue mentioned such graces as are more gene­rall, and concerne the whole person renewed: now if you thinke good alledge some speciall gra­ces, which make their abode in seuerall seats of the soule: and first for knowledge, which re­sideth in the minde, is not this a signe of salua­tion, which you discerne in your selfe?

Sauing know­ledge is indeed a true signe, which is called Ioh. 2.20. the vnction of the holy one, and Christs Reu. 3.18. eye-salue; [Page 78] because the vn­derstanding, being as it were anointed there­with, is inlightned to see, and discerne those things, which before it neither did, nor could; it comprehendeth Col. 1.9. spiri­tuall vnderstanding, (that is a right conceiuing of the truth of God) and wisedome, (that is, a right applying thereof, wisely and discreetly, to all our particular actions, for the right ordering there­of: The seuenth signe of saluation taken our of Joh. 17.3.) this knowledge of God, is life eternall; both because it is the begin­ning thereof, as also be­cause [Page 79] it is the meanes wherby we attain there­to: now then seeing I haue found this know­ledge, I am sure I cannot lose eternall life.

Euery one is a beast by his owne know­ledge: he therefore that wants this knowledge of God, doth not much differ from a bruit beast: and Praestat nasci iumē tum quam comparari­iumento. better were it to be borne a beast, than being borne a man, to become thus like a beast. But how doe you proue that yours is this sauing knowledge, and not ra­ther that common [Page 80] knowledge of Gods word & religion, which may bee in the very re­probates?

5. Notes of true sa­uing knowledgeThis will ap­peare the better by com­paring them together. First then, the common knowledge which may bee found in reprobates is generall: they vnder­stand spirituall things in a generall confused man­ner; not vnlike the Mar. 8.24. blinde man cured by our Sauiour, who at the first opening of his eyes, saw men aloofe off, wal­king as trees: they can­not abide to bring it [Page 81] home to themselues; but I apply my knowledge to my selfe, desiring to know chiefly, how things stand at home in my owne soule. Se­condly, their knowledge is partiall; they desire not to bee acquainted with all the waies of God, but are, and will be wilfully ignorant of some things; they will not know that to bee e­uill, which they like well of, nor that to bee good which they doe dislike, though it be made plain and euident vnto them: but I desire to know the [Page 82] whole truth of God, yea that which is disrelishing at the first vnto mee. Thirdly, their knowledg puffs them vp with pride; thy be not a little proud thereof: but mine hum­bles mee; for the more light of knowledge shi­neth in mee, the more I see the corruptions of my heart, and life there­by; which minister grea­ter matter daily of hu­miliation to me. Fourth­ly, all that they know, or speake, is onely from heare-say; for they haue no experience thereof in themselues; they know, [Page 83] and learne Gods truth by rote, but I learne it by heart; my knowledge is experimentall; I finde the truth thereof in my owne experience. Fiftly, their knowledge is not ioyned with consciona­ble practice; whereas that is but raw knowledge that is not well digested into practice: these two should alwayes goe in­separably together; for knowledge without pra­ctice is lame, and practice without knowledge is blinde. And if the lame and blind were hated of 2. Sa. 5.5. Dauids soule; much [Page 84] more are these hatefull to the soule of the Lord, as an abhominable sacri­fice: but my knowledge is practicall, it walks vp­on the feet of practice, & my practice sees with the eyes of my know­ledge: hereby wee know that wee know God, if wee keepe his commandements, 1 Ioh. 2.3. Though, then, there be many which know Christ to professe him, which notwithstan­ding shall not be known of him (for hee will say vnto them in that day, Mat. 7.23. Depart from me, I know you not, because they haue [Page 85] not the sauing knowledge of him) yet I can thus bring proofe, that I rightly know him, or Gal. 4.9. rather am knowne of him, wherby I also know that I shall hereafter liue, and raigne for euer with him.

Thus it appeares that the true knowledge of Christ doth counter­poize, yea and far excell all other knowledge whatsoeuer: for if one know Christ, it matters little though he be igno­rant of other things; but if hee bee ignorant of Christ, it matters nothing [Page 86] though hee knowe all things: wherefore the wisest wordly men, with all their knowledge, shall perish for want of know­ledge. So that I can well assent vnto him, who saith, that the knowledge of God, Greenham. is as necessary an Art for Christians, as the Art of husbandry is for husbandmen. Now, if you thinke good, name another speciall grace, as the signe of your salua­tion.

The eight signe of saluation taken out of Rom. 8.24.I haue a true hope of eternall life: which who so haue, they shall be saued; for wee [Page 87] are saued by hope, as saith the Apostle: this grace also the Lord of his mer­cy hath vouchsafed mee, to bee as an anker to my soule, both sure, and sted­fast, to hold mee to the port, that I be not driuen backe with boysterous stormes; and than beares vp my head aboue water, in the seas of dangers, in this present world, that I sinke not.

But the hope of most men is a false hope, & desperate mad­nesse, (as if a man hauing his throat cut, or being thrust through the heart, [Page 88] should yet hope to liue, euery body would bee ready to deride his idle fancy, or at least to pitie his extreme follie) the hope of such ^o shall pe­rish, and be cut off, and their trust shall bee as a spiders web: how know you then that yours is a true hope?

Truth it is, that the common hope of men is such, that they doe rather dream than hope: and though they thinke they haue fast hold of it in their hearts, yet it is but as a child that catch­eth at the shadow on the [Page 89] wall, hee thinks he holds it fast closed in his hand, but when he openeth his hand there is nothing in it; so when their hearts shall be laid open before God, the shaddowlike hope being vanished, there shall be no such thing found in their hearts, and they shall haue hope to seek, when it will bee too late to finde it. 4 Notes of true hope. First therefore I proue that my hope is true, from the founda­tion wheron it is Heb 11 1. groun­ded, and that is Faith: for as it is impossible for a mighty Castle to hang in [Page 90] the ayre, or to stand with­out either ground or foundation, euen so, and much more impossible is it for hope to be, or abide without faith. Such therefore as boast of hope, and are barren of faith, may well be said to dreame of building ca­stles in the ayre: I con­trariwise beleeue, and therefore doe I hope, ap­prehending the promises of God by faith; and so hoping and looking for the performance and ac­complishment thereof: which faith, the ground-worke, I haue formerly [Page 91] proued to be effectually begun in mee. Second­ly, true hope followes an effectual calling: for first God calls men to saluation, and then hee giues them to hope for it; therefore the Apostle stiles it; the Eph. 1.18 hope of his calling. Such therefore as hope for heauen, not being effectually called vnto it, come before they are called, and are like to speed accordingly. It was Ester. 4.11.death to rush into the presence of Ahasue­rus vncalled: and sure, eternall death shall cut them off, short, of com­ming [Page 92] home, which think to rush rudely into the Holiest of all, the inner Court of God Almigh­ty, euen the highest heauen, being neuer in­wardly and truely called thither: but well may I hope, for I am truly cal­led, as I haue also proued before. Thirdly, my hope makes me vse dili­gently all good meanes appointed by God, for the obtaining of salua­tion; for hee that hath good hope to obtaine his wished desire, will shew it by his industrious vse of the best meanes, for [Page 93] the compassing therof: so hee that in the mourning hopes to be 50. miles off by sunne-set, will not fit him down, or lay himself to sleep, but get on horse-backe, and be riding on­ward on his way; and he that hopes to liue long, will not starue himselfe, but vse the best diet for preseruing his life, 4. It makes me fit my selfe by holinesse, for that which I hope for, namely the full fruition of the glori­ous ous presence of the per­fectly-pure, and holy God in heauen, accor­ding to that of the Apo­stle, [Page 94] 1 Ioh. 3.3 Euery one that hath this hope in him, purifieth himselfe, euen as God is pure: not vnlike to one who hoping to get ac­cesse into the presence of the King with his pe­tition, doth addresse him­selfe in all sutab­e man­ner, both in apparell, be­hauiour, and speech, for the presence of his Soue­raigne.

It appeares your hope is found, and good, euen that Rom. 5.4. which maketh not ashamed: and the God of hope fill you therewith, and grant that you may a­bound therein through the [Page 95] Holy Ghost. But by what other signe doe you know that you shall bee saued?

I finde in my heart a true loue of God, now I haue learned out of the word, that the Lord hath promised the crowne of life to them that loue him, &c. I make no question but hee will bee as good as his word, who neuer failed therein, since the world began: there­fore I know, that the crowne of life is mine.

All say they loue God, and professe great friendship to him: [Page 96] neuerthelesse most flatter him with their mouth, and lye vnto him with their tongues, for their heart is not right with him, How know you then that you loue him in truth?

7. Notes of true loue of God.Whereas there are three things in loue, affection to the thing beloued, a desire of con­iunction with it, and a well-pleasing content­ment taken in the enioy­ing of it, all these I find in some measure in mee, toward my God, so that I know I loue him truly, which I further proue by these notes: First, be­cause [Page 97] I prize and esti­mate him aboue all worldly things; yea, mine owne life: so that I can truely say with that bles­sed Martyr Ignatius, Eus. l. 2. c. 36. I esteeme no visible thing, nor yet inuisible, so that I may haue Christ: Phil. 3.8 yea, doubtlesse I count all things but losse in comparison of him, and do count them but dung, that I may winne him. Neither is this a mercenarie loue, hired with the wages of re­ward: for, though there were no heauen, O Lord, I would loue thee: but seeing there is a heauen, [Page 98] I will account of it, and labour to obtaine it; yet still will I loue thee for thy goodnesse sake, O Lord: for thou thy selfe art reward enough, though there were no more. Secondly, I am carefull, and vnfainedly desirous, to please the Lord in all things; euen as we see, that men are loth to crosse or dis­please those whom they entirely loue and affect. Heerupon I giue my selfe to loue that which hee loueth, and to hate that which he hateth. Ps. 45.7 He lo­ueth righteousnes, and ha­teth [Page 99] wickednes: and so doe I, though not in equali­ty (for that is impossible) yet in similitude, and conformity: for it is required and expected, (as the Prophet saith) Ps. 9.10. They that loue the Lord, hate euill: thus I ende­uour my selfe, 1 Ioh. 4.17. as God is, euen so to bee in this worldr Thirdly, a man may knowe his loue to any thing, by the zeale and heat of affection, whereby he is carried to that thing which hee lo­ueth. Thus euery man is transported, and as it were eaten vp with one [Page 100] zeale, or other; some with the zeale of plea­sure, as Esau was, who for a messe of pottage sould his birth-right; some with the zeale of honour, as Absalom was, who, for to gette a king­dome, sought to draw bloud of his owne father; some with the zeale of money, as Iudas was, who for his thirty peeces sold his Lord & Sauiour. By my zeale I know my loue to God: for, tho I bee not eaten vp with zeale as Ps. 69 9. Dauid was (oh I would I were so too) yet I feele it burning [Page 101] within mee, as Ier. 20.9. Ieremiah did: my heart is hot with­in me, and the fire kindled: my zeale carrieth mee to God. Fourthly, I loue his Ps. 119.97. Qui diligit legem, dili­git regem. word, and sacra­ments, prayer, and all other holy exercises: whereby as I haue graci­ous intercourse, and hea­uenly conference, with the blessed Trinity; so in especiall with Christ my wel-beloued, who therin causeth mee to heare his sweet voyce, and to see his louely countenance: for which cause I also loue the house of God, so that I can no lesse [Page 102] heartily, than merrily, sing the note of the Prophet Dauid; O Lord I haue lo­ued the habitation of thine house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth: and another of the same, O Lord of Hostes, how a­miable are thy tabernacles! my soule longeth, yea euen fainteth, for the Courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the li­uing GOD. Fiftly, I loue his Mat. 10.40. messengers and em­bassadors, the Preachers of his word, which are sent vnto mee from God to treat about conclusi­ons of peace, beseeching [Page 103] mee in Christs stead to bee reconciled to God. O how beautifull are the feete of him that bringeth these good tidings, that publi­sheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth saluation to me! Sixtly, I long for the comming of Christ, not as though I could no longer beare (for impati­encie) the miseries of this life (which are but light in comparison of the weight of glory) but that I might bee married for euer vnto Christ, my Loue, in perfect ioy, and harts delight, being now [Page 104] but espoused onely to him, and that I might be perfectly freed from all sinne (whereby I grieue both him and my selfe) and alwaies praise his name in heauen, How long Lord, how long? thou hast Re. 22.20 said, Surely I come quick­ly. Amen. Euen so come, Lord Iesus.

Thus it appears that the loue of God will warrant a man (as it doth you) no les than heauen: but what say you now of loue to Gods people? may not that bee ranked among the euidences of your saluation?

Yes without doubt: For, The tenth signe of saluation taken out of 1 Ioh 3.14. heereby we know (saith S. Iohn) that he haue passed from death vnto life, because we loue the brethren: these doe I loue, that is, the chil­dren of God, and such as are godly, and these will I loue for euer; know­ing, that loue is such a debt, as I shall be alwaies owing; and yet I must, and will bee euer paying; I will striue to be rather a creditour, than a debtor heerin, and will not only returne to the Saints of God the loue of loue, the same measure that I re­ceiue [Page 106] from them but e­uen vsury and aduantage of loue: and I would to God there were as many paied vse for loue, as doe in these dayes pay vse for money. Then should they be no whit impoue­rished, lesse in the vsurers books, & more in Gods: and so would it be a bet­ter world.

Whereas you say you loue the godly, it may be that is onely because they are friendly to you, or because you receiue, or hope to re­ceiue, some outward kindnes and benefit from [Page 107] some such: if your loue be no other than this, it is but selfe-loue, beeing grounded meerely vpon your owne priuate com­moditie: and this kinde of loue may bee found in an vnregenerate and car­nall man.

It is not so with me: for (though happily I may regard some such for some such respects as you name, yet if I should not loue the child of God for his own sake, and for his and my fa­thers sake, more than I loue my worldly friend for my cōmodities sake; [Page 108] or my kinsman for neere­nesse of bloud, I should bee void of any sparke of true heauenly loue: ther­fore I chiefly loue the godly for their goodnes and godlinesse sake: the ground of my loue vnto them, is the image of god in them. This is that di­uine load-stone, which drawes my affection to­ward them.

How can you make it appeare, that you loue them with a right affection?

Thus: 1. because I loue some such in the In ab­stracto. abstract, euen when [Page 109] they are seuered and se­parate from all externall respects and grounds of loue to mee-ward: as, 4 Notes of true loue to Gods chil­dren. when I heare or reade of the zeale, piety, constan­cy, heauenly vertues, and gracious endeauours, of the worthy seruants of God, such as I neuer knew, nor had any dea­ling with; yet I finde, that I loue them, and feele the affection of my heart spreading it selfe towards them, to embrace them: which cannot be for car­nal respects, nor worldly hopes, for it may bee some of them are dead, [Page 110] and gone, and thus I loue the Saints departed, which are now in heau'n: sometimes also I haue knowne and loued some worthy Christians, who then haue flowed with worldly prosperity, but after haue fallen to a very low ebbe of great aduer­sity: when the world hath bidde them, adieu, & friends, wealth, goods, haue altogether taken their leaues; yet then haue I loued them as dearely as euer I did be­fore: whereby it appea­red, that my loue was not grounded vpon [Page 111] worldly regards, which all forsooke them, but vpon their goodnes and godlines which still con­tinued with them. Se­condly, I much affect the godly, and delight exceedingly in their cō ­panie, yea of such as are nothing of kin vnto mee, that Ro. 1.12. wee may bee edified, through our mutual faith; whereas I care not for the company of others wanting true godlinesse, though they may be per­happes of my very neere kindred. So that I can truely say, Psa. 16.3. As for the Saints that are in the [Page 112] earth, and the excellent, in them is all my delight: but as for others, I haue hated the assembly of euill doers, and will not sit with the wicked: and if of necessi­tie I bee forced to bee in their company, then am I readie to wish with the Prophet, O that I had wings lik a Doue, then would I flie away, and be at rest: or if this (ô) will not set mee at libertie, then I take vp woe to ex­presse my misery, Woe is me that I soiourne in Me­sech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar. 3. I haue a fellow-feeling of the [Page 113] miseries of the Saints, my deare Christian brethren and sisters: which works in mee compassion, and makes my heart euen ake and bowels yearn within me; to see their grief, and behold them in necessi­tie. Whereby I perceiue, that I haue the true affe­ction of a fellow-mem­ber: for, if one member suffer, all the members suf­fer with it. Fourthly, I finde in mee a willing­nesse, in some measure, to impart my selfe vnto them, in life and goods, soule and bodie, so far as I canne to affoord them [Page 114] helpe and succour: for, as it is truely said of faith that Fides toto copulatiua. it is wholly copu­latiue, wholly employed in coupling vs to Christ; so may it as truly bee said of loue, that it is Charitas communi­catius. wholly communicate, imploy­ed in imparting it selfe, and what it hath, to o­thers, for their good. Faith is as the leads, and pipes to bring in: and loue is as the cock of the conduit to let out. Now for as much as my loue is thus communicatiue to the children of God, because they are his chil­dren, heereby I also see, [Page 115] that it is of the right kinde.

Alledge some other sure signe of your saluation. For, the more, the better man: the richer you are in the true trea­sure, the more comfort may you haue thereby.

The Lord hath promised to fulfill the desire of them that feare him; The ele­uenth sign of saluatiō taken out of Psal. 145.19. & that he wil heare their cry, and will saue them. Now I finde in some measure in mee the true feare of God: and though I say not of my selfe, as the Scripture saith of Oba­diah, that 1 Kings 18.3. hee feared God [Page 116] greatly: yet this I can say, that I desire to feare God greatly; and this I dare say in despight of the di­uell, that I feare GOD truely. Therefore I shall be saued certainly, accor­ding to Gods holy word of truth.

S ^t. IOHN telles vs, that there is no feare in loue, but that perfect loue casteth out feare. Seeing then you loue God, how can you bee said to feare him? how can these two stand peaceably toge­ther?

Very well: for, there is a two-fold feare [Page 117] of God: the first is a slauish and seruile feare, in horrour to dread his ma­iestie, as a seuere reuen­ging Iudge, eyther execu­ting his iudgements, or readie to take vengeance on his enemies. Thus all impenitent persons, and the Diuels feare him, and onely thus; and therefore hate him, wishing there were no God. And this is the meaning of Saint Iames, when hee saith, Iam. 2.19. The Diuels beleeue, and tremble. The second is a childe-like feare, in awe­full reuerence, and loue toward God, to be care­full [Page 118] not to offend him: now this feare is the true & naturall birth of loue; being bred and brought, forth of it. Looke then, as Sarah cast out Ismael, the seed of the bond­woman, but would not cast out her owne deare sonne Isaac: euen so the loue of GOD doth cast out of mee, by degrees the seed of bondage, the slauish feare, but not her owne birth, the awefull and holy feare of God: but cherisheth and nou­risheth this continually in mee, and is as a nurse vnto it; so that now I [Page 119] feare not so much that God will condemne me, as that I may not offend him so good so louing a father to mee: euen as a good ingenious childe feares to offend his father for very loue; but feares not that his father will cut his throat, or murder him, seeing hee knowes he loues him dearely.

Many say they feare God, and yet doe but lye against the truth: how know you, that yours is this true childe­like feare of God?

First (as I haue 6 Notes of the true feare of God. said) because it followes [Page 120] vpon the former signe of saluation; namely, the loue of GOD, and is an inseparable companion thereof, as another Ruth Ruth 1.16.17. hanging vpon her mo­ther Naomie: for, loue in feare, and feare in loue, is a sound testimony of the true feare of GOD. Se­condly, it worketh in me maruellous humiltie to­wards God, and causeth mee in awfull respect vn­to his glorious maiestie, to abase my self as sinne­full dust and ashes be­fore his blessed presence: as Iacobs feare of his bro­ther Esau, made him [Page 121] humble himselfe, & Ge. 3.3. bow to the ground 7. times before him. Thirdly, it makes mee afraid of sin, & to flee from it as Exo 4.3. Moses fled from his rod when it became a serpent: it makes me feare to com­mit sinne secretly, as well as openly (for, though no eye doe see me, Ps. 16.8. I set the Lord alwaies before me) as it kept Ge. 39.9 Ioseph from committing foly, though hee might haue done it closely and couertly e­nough. Fourthly, it makes me hate sinne: for, Pr. 8.13. The feare of the LORD (saith Salomon) is to hate [Page 122] euill, yea, inward corrup­tions, which sticke in the cranies of the soule, and cannot be descried, but but a very narrow search; it causeth my heart to rise vp against rebellious lusts, which lie lurking within: as, secret A­theisme, pride, vaine-glory, hypocrisie, enuy, and the like. Fiftly, it makes mee Pro. 3.7. depart from euery euill way, and from iniquity, to breake off the practise of sinne, in the course of my life; to be a discontinuer, in the Psal. 1.1. way of sinners, and a resident in the paths of [Page 123] righteousnesse. Sixtly, this true feare of God dispelleth (so farre as it preuaileth in me) all o­ther false feares; as, feare of men, of pouerty, of disgrace, of death, &c: whereas men voide of the feare of God, are full of fond, and foolish feares; they feare the crossing of an Hare, the howling of a Dog, the crying of a Rauen, Fai­ries, yea fancies, and their owne shadowes: as there­fore the wicked man may iustly feare euery thing, because hee feares not God; so contrariwise, [Page 124] the righteous man needs fear nothing else, because hee feares him. This one thing then wil I fear, that I may feare nothing but GOD: and that I may rightly feare him, O knit my heart so neer vnto thee O Lord, that I may feare thy Name:

I am glad to see you so well stored of this diuine grace and rare cō ­modity, the fear of God: oh, I would many thou­sands had more of this good ware in their store­houses, their hearts. But how else are you assured, that you shall be saued?

The Lord of his goodnes hath giuen mee to taste of the first fruits of the heauenly Canaan, already, as a pledge of the plenarie possession there­of heereafter: he hath gi­uen me that spiritual ioy, which is a heauen vpon earth. And like as the Num. 13.23. cluster of grapes broght from the Brooke Eshcol, with other fruits, was an Earnest to Israel of the future inheriting of the earthly Canaan: euen so is this ioy to me, of inhe­riting that goodly, that heauenly Land (whereof this is some of the right [Page 126] fruit) the kingdome of glory: The twelfth signe of Saluation taken out of 1 Pet. 1.8.9. and I can bring S ^t. Peter to be bound for my truth in this point; for thus hee speakes of them that reioyce with this ioy vnspeakable, and full of glory, that they shall receiue the end of their faith, euen the sal­uation of their soules.

True Ioy (I hold well) is a good pledge of heauen: but how proue you, that yours is true ioy? for who seeme more merry, more frol­licke, or iocund, than ig­norant, worldly, yea vn­godly men? they seeme [Page 127] to haue as light hearts as any; and indeed, in my iudgement, too light to be poized, and settled, with the weight of grace; in a word, too light to be good.

Well haue you said, that they seeme so ioyfull; and now haue you spoken the best you can of them: for indeed they seeme, and doe but onely seeme so: their ioy is like the laughing of a man in his sleepe, who dreaming of some very pleasing delights, reioy­ceth in his imagination thereat, but when hee a­waketh, [Page 128] hee findeth no such cause: euen such is the ioy of the wicked; they doe but laugh in their sleep, and the diuell shall giue them such a greeting and good-mor­row one day, as shall make it manifest. And therefore well saith Salo­mon of such, Pr. 14.13 Euen in laughter the heart is sor­rowfull, and the end of that mirth is heauinesse. Now therfore, 6 Notes of the true ioy. that mine is not this base-borne ioy, but of a nobler descent, but sound and good, I proue it thus: 1. Because shee is an hand-maide to the [Page 129] right noble and renow­ned Lady, Faith: she ne­uer goes alone, but is al­waies following her. For first, I beleeue through faith, that I am reconci­led to GOD, and then heereupon I reioyce, be­ing thus at peace with him: and for this cause it is called, Phi. 1.25 the ioy of Faith. 2. It issueth out of the right veyne and fountaine: it springeth out of the bitter root of godly sorrow, and griefe of heart for sinne: neither can any come to drinke of this water of life, this heauenly Ioy, till they [Page 130] haue first drunke of the waters of Marah, bitter yet godly sorrow; as our Sauiour tells his Disci­ples, Ioh. 16.20. your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy. 3. It is fastned vpon the right obiects: for I chiefly re­ioyce in heauenly and spirituall things, as in God himselfe; I can say with the Prophet, He is Ps. 43.4. my exceeding ioy, and Psal. 4.7 Lord lift vp: the light of thy countenance vpon me, hereby thou hast put glad­nesse in my heart! I re­ioyce also in the word of God, as one that findeth a great spoile, yea it is the [Page 131] very Ier. 15.16 ioy and reioycing of my heart; yea then when it searcheth me euen to the quicke, herein I finde an hony-combe. I re­ioyce in the grace of God wrought in me, and others, as also in my own and their Ps. 51.12 saluation; I reioyce in the Rom. 5.2 hope of the glory of God, in the com­fortable vse 2 Chro. 30.21. of the sa­craments, in prayer, chri­stian conference, in Psalmes, and spirituall songs, making melodie to the Lord. I am glad when they say vnto me, let vs goe into the house of the Lord. I reioyce in the [Page 132] welfare of Sion: yea, I can prefer Ierusalem aboue my chiefe ioy. 4. It is the fruit of Ga. 5.22. the Spirit; not of the flesh, as carnall ioy is, which causeth men to reioyce onely or chiefly in their corne and their wine, their wealth and their honours, their pleasures and their pro­fits; this, nature affords vnto them. But I finde in me a supernaturall ioy, in things diuine and spi­rituall; which, corrupt nature can take no liking of, much lesse delight therein: therefore it hath been wrought in me by a [Page 133] power diuine, that is the fruit of Gods holy spirit. 5. Whereas the ioy of the wicked is slight and short, a flash and away, no better then the chir­ping of birds in a sunne­shine day: mine is firme, and durable; not like summer-fruit, which holds good but for a time, for the summer-season of prosperity: but my ioy is lasting fruit, which still holds good; yea, euen in the hardest winter of greatest aduer­sity, Ro. 5.3. I can ioy in tribu­lations. 6. It is a victo­rious ioy: for, when as [Page 134] griefe like lead lies heauy on my heart, pressing it downe, then doth this ioy lift vp my heart in faith, together with my hands, eyes, and voyce vpward to the heauens, aboue the mountaines, from whence my helpe commeth; wherby appeares, it ouer­commeth griefe, and getteth victorie ouer ten­tation: thus I haue that which is the very life of life, true ioy: for life without this, is hardly worthy the name of life.

This pawne of heauen, which the Lord [Page 135] hath put into your heart, I may not, nor cannot except against: therefore proceed vnto another signe of your salution.

Patience vnder the crosse may not bee left out nor forgotten, no more then it may bee cast off, or forgone; well it deserues a roome a­mong this good compa­ny of witnesses, all which giue in euidence, that heauen is mine. The thir­teenth sine of saluati­on taken out of Iam. 1.12. That this is a sure signe of salua­tion, S. Iames proues it, when he saith, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is [Page 136] tryed, hee shall receiue the crowne of life: and that it is in me; my conscience proues it; therefore I am blessed: but more blessed shall I bee when I receiue the crowne.

Well may the crowne indeed be set vp­on the head of patience, so noble, and so conque­ring a grace: for, christian Nobile vincēdi genus est pa­tientia: vincit qui patitur. suffring is a noble kinde of conquering; and hee that so suffereth, no lesse than conquereth. And if you haue also found this gemme in you, happy are you, prouided al­waies that it be true pati­ence: [Page 137] how prooue you that?

1. 5. Notes of true pa­tience. Because I doe not onely finde out, but also finde fault with any inclination or disposi­tion toward impatiency: I check and controul my selfe for it: when it be­gins to stirre, I begin to stifle it before it gather strength, or get to head. 2. I doe not goe about to prescribe to GOD the measure of afflicting me; nor yet the manner, meanes, or time of hel­ping, easing, and deliue­ring mee: I can bee con­tent with the grace of [Page 138] God in the forgiuenesse of my sinne, and sanctifi­cation of his Spirit, tho I want other things; and can receiue the loue of God with good content­ment, though it come a­lone, or attended with the crosse. 3. I more feare to doe the euill of sinne, than to suffer the euill of punishment for sinne, Malum parti malū non est: malū facere malum est. for, to suffer af­fliction is not euill, but to commit sinne is euill: and I can be content still to beare the punishment, so that the sinne may bee taken away; oh, I would not for any thing that [Page 139] the rod of God should be remoued, before the Cure bee throughly wrought. 4. My pati­ence goes accompanied with a profiting vnder the correcting hand of God: for first it brings forth Rom. 5.4 experience, both of the care, and loue, and gracious dealing of God towards me, as also of my owne estate and cariage toward him; and thus I come to haue better ac­quaintance with God, & with my selfe: it also in­creaseth my loue toward him, & makes me cleaue and cling faster to him, as [Page 140] a childe doth to his pa­rent, when hee turneth a­way from it, and maketh as though he would goe away, and leaue it to the wolfe: it strengtheneth my faith, and causeth me to relie more stedfastly on God, in distresses for time to come, and a dram of tried faith is better then a pound of vntried. Lastly, it worketh in me reformation: I am not like wicked AhaZ, 2 Chr. 28 22. who in the time of his distresse, did yet trespasse more and more against the Lord. For I can truely say with the holy Prophet, Ps. 119.67. Before I [Page 141] was afflicted, I went astray: but now haue I kept thy word ô God. Thus by pa­tience I reforme my self; and thus in patience I pos­sesse my soule: therefore it is true patience.

By what other certain signe are you per­swaded of your euerla­sting saluation?

They which haue receiued the Earnest of the Spirit in their hearts, The fourth signe of saluation taken out of 2. Cor. 1.22 Eph. 4.30. Ro. 8.16.17. are thereby sealed vnto the day of redemption: this haue I receiued, to wit, the infallible testimony of GOD's holy spirit, which beareth witnesse [Page 142] with my spirit, that I am the child of God, and so an heyre of glory: seeing God (who cannot lye) tels me by his spirit, I shall be saued, I hold it (as I am bound) for a necessary, and a most vndoubted truth.

Thousands of vngodly ones, haue a perswasion, that they shall be saued, and none seeme more confident than they, and yet it is but presumption, and the illusion of the deuill in them; for they haue no more true right to saluation, than dogges to [Page 143] the childrens bread: yea, and though they sweare to it too (as, that they are ready enough to doe) yet you neede not credit them, vnlesse you will; and if you doe, it is but a lye: as if a woman that had a child, should swear she were a maid; or one that had a plague-sore on him, should sweare, that hee were cleere; would you beleeue ei­ther of them, for all their facing of the matter? sure you would not: how know you then, that yours is the testimony of Gods Spirit, and not [Page 144] presumption, which is nothing else but the lying spirit of Sathan in the mouth [...]s and hearts of all his children?

5. Notes of the true testimony Gods of spirit.First I proue it by the birth of it: for it hath been wrought and planted in me, contrary to nature, by the word of God, heard, read, medi­tated vpon, and the like good meanes: whereas presumption, like a stink­ing weed, growes of it owne accord, out of the ranke soyle of Nature. 2. As Iacob may bee knowne by Iacobs voyce, from Esau: so may this [Page 145] be knowne by its voice; for it doth not barely tell mee, I shall be saued, but proues it to me, and perswades mee by all these former signes which I haue alledged, and diuers others: where­as presumption doth only suggest that con­ceit vnto men, but proues it not; so that when they are asked, why they thinke, they shall bee saued, they are not able to alleage any sound sufficient reason for the same. 3. The witnes within me speaks the same, that the word [Page 146] of God doth without me, both being the voice of the self-same spirit of God, which cannot con­tradict it selfe; but pre­sumptuous presumption, speakes contrary to Gods word: for whereas the Scripture saith, Mat. 18.13. Vnlesse a man bee conuerted, hee cannot enter into the king­dome of God: and 1 Cor. 6.9 the vnrighteous shall not inhe­rit the kingdome of God: and Heb. 12.14. without holinesse, no man shall see the Lord: and that the Lord will take 1 Thes. 1. vengeance on them that know him not, and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Ie­sus [Page 147] Christ: yet presump­tion beares men in han [...], they shall be saued how­soeuer, and is ready to buzze into their eares, [...]alas good Sir, pitie your selfe, these things shall not bee vnto you. 4. Gods spirit, doth as well Rom. 8.27. make intercession for mee, as witnes to me, and there­fore brings mee to God, making me pray earnest­ly, and feruently to him from a sense and feeling of my manifold sinnes, with groanings, which cannot be vttered: but presumption driues men further from God, nei­ther [Page 148] worketh any such feruent prayer in them. 5. Gods spirit brings forth the fruits of the Spirit in mee, as loue, ioy, peace, long-suffering, gentlenes, goodnes, &c. Gal. 5.22. whereas pre­sumption, as it is of the flesh, so it yeelds the fruits of the flesh, as adultery, fornication, vn­cleannesse, wantonnesse, hatred, variance, wrath, strife, enuyings, murders, drunkennesse, reuellings, and such like, Gal. 5.19. and these are the com­mon fruits of these daies, which grow more com­monly [Page] in townes and houses, then crabs doe in woods, and hedg­rowes: They which bring forth such fruits as these, giue heede to the witch that speakes with­in them; the spirit of Sathan, who tells them, they shall bee saued as as soone as the best, and they beleeue him: but I will heare what God the Lord will speake; for hee will speake peace vnto his people, and to his Saints: Yea, O Lord, let mee heare this thy voyce within mee, speake low­der, that I may heare [Page] thee better, O say vnto my soule, I am, thy salua­tion.

There may ap­peare as manifest a diffe­rence betweene the wit­nesse of Gods holy spi­rit, and the lying sugge­stion of the Diuell (to such as are not wilfully blinde) as is betweene light and darknesse; truth and falshood: But lest I be burdensome to you, name one signe more of your saluation, and that shall suffice.

It is no whit irkesome to the men of this world to looke on [Page] their gold and siluer, their deedes and leases; nay, they take a meruai­lous pleasure and de­light therein: why then should it be burdensome to the children of God, to view, and looke ouer the markes of their sal­uation, seeing these are much more precious then gold that perisheth? But for as much as you require but one signe more, I will endeauor to comprehend all vn­der one: In summe then; I perceiue that I am one of those, whom God hath faithfully promised [Page] in his word to saue: The fif­teenth signe of saluation. for though a number of men, yea, the greatest number thinke to get heauen, though they haue neither scrip, nor scrole to shew for it: yet I haue both Gods word and his writing to shew; or rather his word in writing, that hea­uen belongs to me. Now the Scripture is a true copie, and draught of the booke of life, taken out of the court of heauen by Gods owne hand, so that there can be no er­ror in it: Hereby I know that my name is written [Page 153] in the booke of life, be­cause I finde my selfe en­roled in Gods holy scrip­ture, among those, to whom he hath promised eternall life.

Indeede If you be of that number, there is no doubt, but you shall be saued: For 2. Tim. 2.13. he abideth faithfull, hee cannot deny himselfe: but are you sure, that you are such a one?

Though all that I haue hitherto said, and the signes which I haue produced, drawne out of Scripture, and grounded thereon, doe [Page 154] verifie the same, yet (if you will giue mee leaue) I will further proue it by other expresse texts of Scripture (though the same for the most part in substance, with that I haue already said) that as you haue seene my spe­ciall euidences, truely taken out of the graund copie, so now you may also see the grand copy it selfe: in the volume of which book I finde it writ­ten of me, and that in sun­dry places, that I shall bee saued.

This would I gladly see: proceed then to shew it.

God in his word hath promised, that Ps. 34.8. hee will bee nigh vnto them, that are of a broken heart, and that hee will saue such as hee of a contrite spirit, he himselfe hath vnderta­ken the cure of such, Psal. 147 Hee healeth those that are broken in heart, and bin­deth vp their wounds (as it is in the Psalme) and a wonderfull cure indeede he will work vpon them: euen then when all helps do vtterly giue them o­uer; hee, like the good Samaritane, will binde vp their wounds, and poure in the oile of com­fort, [Page 156] and wine of glad­nesse; hee will take them in his armes and bring them Can. 1.4 into his Chambers, hee will take the care of them, and worke the cure on them, for none can doe it but hee, none can cure throughly the heart-wound, and such as are sicke thereof, but onely God: Such a one am I; I am bruised, and broken in heart, and spi­rit, and distressed in con­science, for my sinful­nesse and wretchednesse; hauing by my sinnes (O my sins) so many, great, and grieuous, deserued [Page 157] no lesse then the heauy wrath of God: O wret­ched man that I am, who shall deliuer mee from sin; that vnwelcome guest; nay, that deadly enemy? I thanke my God through Christ, for by him I haue deliuerance: Oh still vouchsafe, deere God, to visite mee, thy poore patient; and though I be not worthy, with the Centurion, that thou shouldst come vnder my Roofe, yet farre bee it from mee, to say as Peter, Luk. 5.8. Lord depart from mee, for I am a sinful man; nay, rather therefore come to [Page 158] me, for I haue the more neede of thee; the whole neede not the Physition, but the sicke, as I am: thou lookest for such a Patient, sweet Iesus, and I lacke such a Physition as thou art, Oh bee pleased to come home vnto mee, poure forth some more of thy precious oyle in­to my wounded heart; Oh spread a plaister of thine owne heart blood, and apply it to my soule, Can. 2.5. Stay me with thy flagons, and comfort mee with thy apples, for I am sick of loue: My heart is wounded within mee, but seeing [Page 159] thou hast promised, I know thou wilt performe it; that thou wilt cure mee; that thou wilt saue me, being thus perplex­ed in my soule for my sinnes.

How else can you proue your selfe to bee such a one as God hath promised to saue?

Hee hath promi­sed to Re. 21.6. giue to him that is athirst, of the fountaine of the water of life freely, that is, hee which ear­nestly desires the fauour of God, through Christs righteousnesse, to the in­heriting of eternall life, [Page 160] shall bee assured thereof, to the allaying of the scalding heat of his boy­ling conscience, and to the endlesse comfort and saluation of his soule: thus I doe thirst, I doe no lesse truely then earnest­ly desire saluation. 3 Notes of the true desire of saluation. First, in the right place, prefer­ring it before all things in the world. Secondly, to the right end, that I might bee wholly freed from sinne, and perfectly glorifie God in Heauen. And thirdly, in the right manner, as well desiring the meanes that leade therto, as the end where­to [Page] they leade. Heere­vpon it is, that the more grace I receiue, the more I hunger af­ter, and that I haue al­wayes such a spirituall drought and vnsatiable thirst after Christs most precious bloud and per­fect righteousnesse, that my sinfull soule may bee clothed with this fine white garment and gor­geous attire; and oh how I long after the fauour of God: and like as the Dis­ciples said vnto our Saui­our (when hee told them of the bread of Heauen); Ioh. 6.34 Lord, euermore giue vs [Page] this bread: so I, hauing tasted the sweetnesse of Gods fauour, cannot choose but pray, Lord, giue me euermore to en­ioy this thy fauour: yea Euen as the Hart panteth after the water brookes; so panteth my soule after thee O God, my soule thirsteth for God, for the liuing God, like to the thirsty Land. Well, yet his word is good, Ps. 107. hee satisfieth the longing soule, and filleth the hungry soule with goodnesse; and this is my comfort.

Whom else hath God promised to saue?

Mat. 5.3 1. Blessed (saith our Sauiour) are the poore in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen: and Blessed are they that mourne, for they shall be comforted: These poore ones, and these mour­ners are they which are humble & lowly in spi­rit, seeing & feeling their spirituall wants, and po­uerty, their sinnes and misery, being heartily sorry for, and bewailing the same; and so despai­ring as touching any goodnesse of their owne, betake themselues whol­ly to the mercy of God [Page] in Christ: which mercy of God is like the Act. 3.2. beau­tifull gate of the temple, whereat poore creeples lye, yea lazers, a multi­tude of impotent folke, blinde, halt, withered, spirituall beggers, wofull creatures, poore sin­ners, humble crauing an almes at the hand of so pitifull a God. And well doth Gods mercy de­serue to bee called the beautifull gate of heauen, for heereby onely doe penitent sinners enter in­to the presence of God, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enioy his [Page] blessed vision for euer in heauen. Thus doe a poore creature, lye day­ly at Gods beautifull gate knocking, crauing, cry­ing, Ps. 57. & 51. & 86. Haue mercy vpon me, O God, haue mercy vp­on mee, according to the multitude of thy compassi­ons put away my iniquities, incline thine eare, O Lord, & heare me, for I am poore and needy; O bow downe thine eare and heare, open thine eyes and see, for my heart is smitten and withe­red like grasse, and I am in great misery, Psa. 25.16. &. 18. O turne thy face vnto mee and haue mercy vpon mee, for I am [Page] desolate and afflicted, looke vpon my affliction, and my paine, and forgiue all my sinnes: O turne vnto mee, and haue mercy vpon mee, heale my soule, for I haue sinned against thee, Dan. 9.19. O Lord heare, O Lord, for­giue, O Lord, hearken and doe, deferre not for thine owne sake, O my God. Thus am I poore in spirit, and thus doe I mourne, and therefore the promise of blessednesse belongs to mee, and I haue as good right vnto it as any poore sinner whatsoeuer, for the poorer the sinner is in spirit, and the greater [Page 167] begger hee is, the better right he hath heereunto; so then, I am blessed (ac­cording to Christs owne words) because I shall be blessed.

Whom else hath God said he will saue?

Ro. 10.13 Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord, shall bee saued, as witnesseth the Apostle: that is, whosoeuer not onely in outward mise­ries, but also and that e­specially in spirituall di­stresses, shall pray vnto the Lord in faith, both as concerning his power, and will to helpe, and [...] [Page 170] and yet more, whosoe­uer fearing that hee hath not faith, nor any sauing grace, that he is not in the fauour of God; nor his sinnes pardoned, and that his soule shall not bee saued, if hee can but finde a heart to pray vn­to the Lord for these things with an honest & vpright minde; as sure as the Lord is true, he shall bee saued, and that by vertue of this promise of God; Whosoeuer shall call vpon his name, shall be sa­ued; for thus he flyeth vnto this strong Tower, where hee shall be pre­serued [Page 171] serued safe a while, and after shall be remooued by the guard of good Angels to the Palace of None-such in the King­dome of Heauen, which is a priueleged place; where sinne; Sathan, the flesh, and the world, haue nothing to doe and ther­fore he shall not bee there molested by any of them in the least mea­sure. Now I am one of them that doe thus call vpon the name of the Lord, and that dayly, when I feele my selfe op­pressed by sinne and Sa­than, and can finde very [Page 172] small, or (to my thinking sometimes) no grace at all in mee, yet then can I heartily pray vnto the Lord, for his helpe and sauing grace that I may be saued, therefore I shall bee saued.

To whom else hath God promised sal­uation in his word?

Christ hath pro­mised; that Reu. 3.21 hee which o­uer commeth, shall sit with him in his Throne, that is, hee that holds out to the end, continually resisting and fighting against his spirituall enemies, the world, the flesh and the [Page 173] Diuel, shall haue (though not equall glory) yet fel­lowship with Christ in glory euerlasting: thus do I daily fight that I may o­uercome: First, I account my selfe a spirituall soldi­er, bound & sworn to my Captaine the Lord Iesus, of whom I haue also ta­ken presse-mony, the Sacrament of Baptisme, and weare his colours, the profession of Christi­anity, and know there is martiall Law, eternall death for mee, if I should flye from my Captaine. Secondly, I take notice of the manifold traines, [Page 174] and plots of my forreign enemies, the world and the Diuell, and the trea­sons and treacheries of my domesticke foes; the flesh, that Rebell, my headstrong passions and vnruly lusts, those tray­tors: I see and obserue, how they euery where lay snares for mee, and spread nettes in my path­way, and set grinnes for me, purposing to cause my steps to slide, and to ouerthrow my soule, these do I see; whereas men of the world see no such snares laid in their wayes by their spirituall enemies, [Page 175] for the entrapping of their soules, & the mur­thering thereof; for aske them, and they cannot tell you of any, but are like Samson Iudg 1 [...].20.21. their ene­mies are vpon them, and they fast a sleep in carnall security, and so the Di­uell preuailes against them, puts out their eies, and leades them captiues at his pleasure, hee makes a mocke of them; and makes sport with them, but at length hee falls from iesting and brings them to destruction in good earnest. Thirdly, whereas these my ene­mies [Page 176] doe continually be­siege mee, seeking to in­uade mee, I therefore keepe daily watch and ward, fortifying in this my little Kingdome, the City of my soule, and Castle of my heart, I haue a speciall care, to looke well to the gates and cinqueports, my out­ward senses, whereby oftentimes diuers traite­rous thoughts and rebel­lious lusts, are ready to steale in, which cause ve­ry often much mutinie, in the soules common­wealth, for if I should grant liberty for sinne [Page 177] to breake in, the diuell would enter too with his great Armado of his hel­lish spirits, and would take possession, placing his deputies in strongest holds, as the spirit of blindnesse in the vn­derstanding; of error in the iudgement, of lying and slumber in the conscience, of dead­nesse and hardnesse in the heart, and so in the rest: Thus with his Legions would hee o­uer-runne mee desolate. Fourthly, I resolue when I am in the conflict, with [Page 178] the allurements of the world, the inticements of sinne, the temptations of Sathan, Imperato rem opor­tet mori stantem, said Vespatian; so, Christianū militantē, may we say. rather to die, then to yeeld to any of them, I purpose neuer to giue ouer fighting, as long as I haue any breath within mee: not doubting but I shall at length haue perfect vic­tory, onely through the might of the Al­mighty God, who strengtheneth mee. Fight thou O God, against them that fight against me, and stand vp for my helpe, through thee I shall doe vallantly, for thou shalt tread downe [Page 179] my enemies, and bruise Sa­than vnder my feet.

Who else shall bee saued according to the tenure of the records of holy writ?

Such as are 2 Tim. 2.21. pur­ged frō the pollutions of prophane ones, and are sanctified, are vessells vnto honour: that is, they which are made partakers of true grace; and so haue the Image of God renewed in them, Eph. 4.24 which consisteth in Holi­nesse, and true Righteous­nesse, shall bee heyres of glory, these are they which are called Saints: [Page 180] Yea, the Lord himselfe, that high and mighty. Potentate, is their God­father, for he hath giuen them this name, what mortall man then dares bee so bold, as to nick­name them with tearmes of reproach; or to finde fault with this name of Saints, which their hea­uenly God-father hath giuen vnto them?

Me thinks none should dare once to mis­call these, or to deny them their names, saying we cannot bee Saints heere, but let them goe: What is true sanctifying grace?

A new created quallitie of holinesse, throughout the 1 Thes. 5.23. whole man, in spirit, soule, and bodie, that is, in minde, will, and all our bodily members; yea, in all the powers of the soule, and parts of the bodie, wrought in vs by Gods spirit, for the honouring of him.

Haue you this new qualitie of holinesse in you?

I dare not denie but God of his mercy, hath begun this worke of grace in some weak mea­sure in mee: for how [Page 182] could I possibly bee thankfull to the Lord, for such an inestimable gift, if I should not take notice of it, and ac­knowledge it; especially considering that the ve­ry least measure of sauing grace that can be, is farre more worth, than I can expresse, or praise God for enough, so long as I liue: deny it therefore I dare not, (though it bee very small) least I should bee vnthankfull to the Lord, for so great a mer­cie, as the lest seede of grace is: but this I dare doe, to pray to him for [Page 183] more: yea, and I beseech him to make me rich in all grace, Ph. 1.12. filled with the fruits of righteousnes vn­to his glory and praise; for he alone is Act. 20.32. able to build mee vp further, and to giue mee an inheritance among all them which are sancti­fied.

It appeares by all these signes which you haue produced, that your assurance is not that common counter­feit ware which goes for currant among a number of men, a vaine fleeting conceit in the braine, but that you are truly as­sured [Page 184] of your saluation: I must confesse, I can no way mislike these your euidences, hauing thus examined them, nor (I thinke) a whole councell of Diuines, if they should sit to determine thereon. I cannot see, how any can pick a hole, or finde a flaw herein: & I iudge, that you haue as good a title to Heauen, by these your Scripture euiden­ces, as the best landed man in the world hath, or can haue, to his best freehold, by his parch­ment euidences: But I pray you; now tell mee [Page 185] further, are you not somtimes troubled with feare, and doubting of your saluation, for all this?

Oh alas; good sir, I must needs con­fesse that I am, and that not a little to my griefe. I am none of those con­fident fooles, which ne­uer doubted in all their liues, whereby they giue euidence against them­selues, that they neuer yet beleeued.

But how then; To striue against doubting: diuers rea­sons. do you not striue against doubting, as being a ve­ry euill and permicious thing?

Yes, that I doe: for to yeelde vnto that, were to entertaine Sa­than for my counceller, who is my greatest ad­uersay, and to take him for my chirurgian, to heale my wounded hart, who is my deadliest e­nemy: no, Sathan shall not be my chirurgian; for in stead of healing the wounds of my heart, hee will make himselfe more worke, hee will make more sores, then hee heales: and those which hee seemes to heale, hee doth but skin ouer, with the stinking salue of fal­shood: [Page 187] and the wounds which are, hee will make deeper and more incura­ble, let all good people take heede of this mur­dering chirurgian. I haue experience enough of him, & therefore though hee doe impudently ob­trude his salue vnto mee, yet I cast it away from me, that is I striue against doubting, with all my might and power; as one would worke against the pangs of death, to retain life and breath: and I am bound in conscience so to doe, because I know, (for as much as I haue [Page 188] the true signes of salua­tion in mee) doubting proceeds from the ma­lice of Sathan, who meanes me no good, and from vnbeleefe of heart in me, and is much pre­iudiciall to my soules comfort, it is also greatly dishonourable to God, for as a man hurts him­selfe most by presuming, so he offers God the grea­test wrong, by doubting, indeed a double wrong: First, hee offends his iu­stice by sinning; then he wrongs his mercy; by doubting of forgiuenes; yea, a triple wrong: for it [Page 189] is to call his truth also into question, and to make him a lyer: for, 1 Ioh. 5.10. He that beleueth not God, hath made him a lyar, because he beleeueth not the record. that he gaue of his sonne, as saith Saint Iohn, and doubting Ro. 4.20 is not belee­uing: It is also great dis­obedience to God, for he cōmands to beleeue, 1 Ioh. 3.23. This is his commande­ment, that wee beleeue in the name of his sone Ie­sus Christ, in regard of these infinite iniuries of­fered to God; hereby, it must needes be much dis­pleasing to him, and if I [Page 190] were cleare of all other sinnes in the world, yet I should deserue con­demnation, for this very sin, if I did not beleeeue: Therefore it stands mee highly vpon, to with­stand doubting, in all these respects, and not to listen to those secret que­stions, which Sathan pro­pounds inwardly vnto mee by way of doubts, lest by consulting there­with, I should be ensna­red, as Eue was: for first hee did but propound a question to her, wherein one would thinke there were no harme, Gen. 3.1 Hath [Page 191] God said, Ye shall not eate of euery Tree of the Gar­den: But while shee be­gan to thinke of this que­stion, hee wound further into her, and made her doubt of the truth there­of, and at length grew so strong, as that hee per­swaded her, shee might eate thereof, and that it would be greatly for her good, and aduancement; this his olde policie hee hath not forgotten, but vseth at this day, and therefore first propounds secret questions inward­ly to the minds of Gods children; such questions, [Page 192] as seeme, in shew, not hurtfull, but profitable, that wee may know our estate better, as whether the promises belong to vs? whether God will keepe his promise with vs seeing wee breake our promise and couenant toward him? whether we haue faith? whether grace were euer soundly wrought in vs? (though we haue had experience thereof formerly) whe­ther we do not presume? whether God will saue such vnworthy ones as we are? &c. which when we begin to thinke vpon, [Page 193] hee drawes vs to doubt­ing of the truth thereof; Not to listen to Sathan by doubting. and at last gets head, and growes so strong, as that we are ready to bee per­swaded by him, that it is as hee suggests. Thus we often mak our selues worke, and puzzle our selues very much, by consulting with Sathan: for the greatest aduātage wee haue against sinne and temptation, is at the first; then it is weakest: but by, Demurre, it still growes stronger, and gets ground of vs, and winds further into vs, by insi­nuation. Therefore it is [Page 194] wisedome, to watch our time and take our aduan­tage; to refuse disputati­on, when hee first pro­pounds his question: for hee is to subtle a sophi­ster for vs to dispute with. This therefore wee must do; wee must hold the conclusion in despite of all Sathans premisses: and this indeede will weary him, much soo­ner then the popish Round, I beleeue as the Church beleeueth, and the Church beleeueth, as I be­leeue: For he is as weary of this, as he is afraide of holy water, and all one. [Page 195] My resolution therefore is this, alwaies to holde the conclusion; and ha­uing once found in mee some sure marke of sal­uation, neuer after to giue any entertainement to doubting; but so soon as euer it creepes into mee, presently to exclude it as the messenger of Sathan; not once to de­murre, or pause vpon it: for the lesse; the better, and more safe it will bee for mee. Oh, that I could so doe, according as I doe resolue: O Lord, en­able mee that I may so doe.

Indeed, the way to haue any ability here­unto, is to aske it of the Lord, Iam. 1.5. Who giueth to all men liberally, and vpbrai­deth not: But acquaint mee (if you thinke good) more particularly, with some of those things, which most, and ofte­nest trouble the minde.

To keepe Sa­thans counsell, is not, nor cannot bee good: there­fore I wil freely acquaint you with some of those his policies, whereof I haue experience in my selfe. And first to begin at the very roote of all, [Page 197] namely, Doubting of our election answered. my election to saluation. Sometimes I beginne to doubt hereof, and to thinke that I am not one of the number of Gods elect; and that hee hath not decreed be­fore the world was, to saue me after the world shall be at an end.

That Sathan hath been heere, you may see by his footings. And as King Dauid said to the subtle woman of Tekoah, 2 Sam. 14 19. Is not the hand of Ioab with thee in all this: So say I to you, hath not the subtle serpent had a hand with you in this? That he [Page 198] hath, may appeare: for, he hath left, as it were, the print of his foule fingers behinde; and you may perceiue the clawes of this roaring Lyon, where he hath been scraping in the heart, to rake out of it, that assurance of your saluation, euen by the very roote, if possibly it might be. But tell mee: how doe you to foile this temptation?

First, I see vpon better thoughts, that there is no reason, why I should lay blockes in my way: for, Sathan will lay enow to bring [Page 199] me to eternall ruin, if hee can. And therefore, for mee to doubt of that whereof I haue no war­rant to doubt, is against all reason. Secondly, I see it is an ouer-curious pride, for mee to goe a­bout to prie into the se­cret and hidden councell of God, any other wise then as hee hath reuealed the same vnto mee: for, secret things belong to God, but things reuealed to vs. Therefore, thirdly, I learne by the word, (which is his reuealed will) that to bee truely called and conuerted Ro. 8.30. [Page 200] is a certaine declaration, that one is elected and predestinated to eternall life: for, thus the secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him. Ther­fore, finding my selfe conuerted, I thus rest quiet in my minde.

That the Diuell will lie shamefully, you see euidently; as, to tell you that you are not e­lected, when it is more then he can tell, or all the men in the world beside. Nay, you can tell him that it is a lie, for as much as you are conuerted: and seeing you haue thus [Page 201] taken him in this lie, mee thinks you should neuer belieue him more, what­soere he saies. For, as this is not the first lie that he hath told, so it will not be the last, I warrant you. But tell mee: how else doth he assault you?

It is my great fault, I must needs con­fesse, to giue so much credence to his lies, as I haue done: and that I haue smarted for tho­rowly, ere now. But to proceed further, he doth assault mee, by setting before mee my many wants and weaknesses. [Page 202] For, Doubting because of the wants & weake­nesse of grace, an­swered. I finde in mee, such a poore and weake mea­sure of grace, that at times I make question, whether there bee any true grace at all in me: I haue not such a feeling of faith as I desire, nor of that ioy which at other times I haue felt, especi­ally at my first conuersi­on: I am also affraide, that I grieue not enough for my sinnes; sure I am, not so much as I would: which makes me doubt, whether these graces bee in me at all, and whether I were euer truely con­uerted.

How do you o­uercom this Diuell, when hee thus grapples with you?

Thus I encoun­ter him: I remember what I haue learned, that they which see, and hear­tily bewail in themselues the want of grace, cannot possibly bee without true grace: and the Lord re­specteth not so much the quantity of grace, as the quality thereof; not how much, but whether it bee of the right kinde: so that if it bee truely in mee, though but as a graine of mustard-seed, it is ac­cepted [Page] with him. And as for feeling, it is no sure rule to try my estate by: & faith without feeling is stronger and more preci­ous, then faith with fee­ling. It was not so much Ioh. 20.29 for Thomas to beleeue when hee saw and felt, as if hee had done neither. It is nothing for a childe, being dandled in the lap, to thinke his father loues him: but, when his fa­ther frownes and lowers vpon him, then to bee perswaded of his loue, is something indeed. And I stand bound in consci­ence, as well to beleeue [Page] when I want feeling, as when I haue it: for, Gods commandement of be­leeuing, is not confined to the condition of rea­son, experience, and fee­ling: nay, he is the best scholar in Gods schoole, that reasons least vpon these grounds, and assents most. I must not there­fore beleeue, according to my feeling of com­fort; but, must beleeue better, that I may feele more comfort. And as for my ioy, I call Psal. 77.6 Psal. 143.5 to minde the comfortable experience that I haue had at times heeretofore [Page] of my conuersion, and the liuely feeling of grace working in mee, and that sweet consola­tion, which I haue had in the assurance of the fa­uour of God, in former times. Heereby I relieue my selfe, and gather, that true grace is in mee, though at the present it doth not so cleerely ma­nifest it selfe; for ioy is more perceiued of some at their first conuersion, than euer after; but it is because of the newnesse, strangenesse, and sudden­nesse of it, which makes a deeper impression, and [Page] causeth greater admira­tion: for, it may bee more after: like as one, that is brought out of some deepe and darke dungeon, (wherein hee hath been enclosed all his life before) into the sun-shine, more ioyes in it at his first comming forth, then after, when he hath been daily wonted to it, and yet may enioy more cleare and light­some daies by farre, then at the first, and may en­ioy also more constant and continuall comfort thereby; and like as a begger, that is aduanced [Page] to some very great and vnexpected honor, ioyes more at the first therein, than afterward, and yet his dignities and reue­nues may daily increase and grow farre greater than at the first; and like as the Ghurch at their first returne out of capti­uitie, had their Psal. 12 6 2. mouth filled with laughter, and their tongue with singing, and yet inioyed more good and comfortable dayes after in the peace­able seruice and worship of God, then at their first returne. As touching my griefe for sinne, though [Page 209] it makes mee hang down my head to see the large­nesse of Dauids heart this way, and the straight­nesse of mine (for hee Psal. 6. made his bed to swimme, and watered his couch with his teares, and I can hard­ly shed on teare for my fins (yet in that I am afraid, that I doe not grieue enough, yea, and therefore grieue because I can grieue no more, it is heereby euident that I would faine grieue more; which the Lord accepts of: for if there be first a 2 Cor. 8.12. willing minde, it is accep­ted according to that a man [Page 210] hath, and not according to that hee hath not: and secondly, though in the intention of my affecti­on, Perk. Cas. Con. my sorrow for sinne seemes little, and lesse then my sorrow for worldly losses, yet in the estimation of my minde it is greater; because I grieue for my sinne, as the greatest euill of all, and so in truth of iudge­ment doe account it; and grieue for the losse of Gods fauour, as for the losse of the most preci­ous and excellent thing of all: and thus I see that my weaknesse in grace, [Page 211] is no iust cause to make mee think that I haue no grace, no, not in the least measure.

I pray you pro­ceed further, to shew Satans cunning in see­king to vnsettle and sub­uert you.

The multitude, and greatnesse of my sinnes (which Sathan sets before me) doe now and then much dismay and affright me, and make me almost faint. I cā say with the Prophet Dauid, Ps. 40.12. In­numerable euils haue com­passed mee about, mine ini­quities haue taken hold vp­on [Page 212] mee, Doubting because of the multi­tude and greatnesse of sin, an­swered. so that I am not able to looke vp, they are more then ths hayres of my head, therefore my heart faileth mee. And beside out­ward sinnes, I am in­wardly much oppressed, with hardnesse of heart, coldnesse of good affe­ction, dulnesse of spi­rit, barrennesse of good thoughts, motions and desires, with manifold foule corruptions. I per­ceiue also sundry imper­fections in my prayers, and in the best duties; so that when I looke backe on the seruice, which I performe to God, I finde [Page 213] it such simple, patched, and broken seruice, that I feare, least hee should account it vs sinne vnto mee, and that it should bee as abomination to him, and that hee should abhorre both mee and it.

How doe you beate backe this tempta­tion?

First, for my sins, I learn, and beleeue that God is able to forgiue my greatest sins, as well, as the least; yea all, though bloody sinnes, Esa. 1.16 18. as red as scarlet, and though they be innume­rable; [Page 214] for, his mercy far passeth my sinnes, yea, the sinnes of the whole world. Great is the Hell of my sinnes (saith one) But greater is the depth of thy mercies, O Lord. This bottomlesse deepe is not like 2 Kin. 19.24. those pooles about Ierusalem, which might bee dried vp with the tramplings of horse and horsemen; but such as all the sinnes of a thou­sand worlds cannot drie vp. Augustine. I remember a speech of an ancient Father to this purpose; who (vpon those words of Cain, My sinnes are greater then can [Page 215] bee forgiuen) saith, Thou lyest Caine, the mercies of God are greater than the sinnes of all the world; and no maruell: for, the mer­cy of God hath all di­mensions. It is so deepe, that it brought vp Dauids soule from the nether­most hell: it is so high, that Ps. 36.5. it reacheth to the heauens: it is of such ad­mirable length & bredth, that it Ps. 103.12. remoueth our fins as farre from vs, as the East is from the West. And the cause, why the sinnes of all the world are not pardoned, is not because Gods mercy cannot par­don [Page 216] them; but because they cannot repent, that they might bee pardo­ned. So then I make no doubt, but that God of his mercy is able to for­giue my sinnes, bee they what they will bee; yea, and further, vpon my vnfained repentance hee will forgiue them; if I re­pent, he will forgiue: for wee cannot be so sinfull; as hee will be mercifull, if for our sinnes wee bee heartily sorrowfull. For this hee hath promised; and by this his promise is become indebted to vs, whereas we onely by [Page 217] our sinnes, were debtors to him, so that now he is not only a mercifull cre­ditor to vs, content to re­lease the debts of our sinnes; but also by his promise become our debtor, vpon our repen­tance to giue vs a par­don, and vpon our par­don, to giue vs heauen; O vnspeakable mercy! Well, sure I am, he is a true debtor, and will pay what he hath vnderta­ken; therefore I am per­swaded, hee will forgiue my sins: for seeing when hee knew all the sinnes, that euer I should com­mit, [Page 218] hee would notwith­standing in loue, send his sonne to be my Sauiour; whereas he hath now by his death made full satis­faction for them, shall I thinke the Lord will stick at the pardon of them? Now as concerning the hardnes of my heart, I see, I neede the lesse to feare it, in regard I haue a sight, and sense there­of, and vnfainedly be­waile the same. For like as it is with a greene wound, if it bleede well, when it is made, there is the lesse feare of rank­ling, & more good hope [Page 219] of curing; so, for as much as I feele my heart bleed, in bewayling the hardnes of it, I see there is the lesse dāger of feste­ring inwardly to the de­struction of my soule. For my weaknes in the seruice of God, though Sathan would hereby take occasion to keep me from the word, prayer, and Sacraments (perswa­ding mee, that I doe but take the name of God in vaine, and prophane his worship, and increase my own condemnation) yet I am resolued to try ma­steries with him, and not [Page 220] to neglect Gods seruice, and these holy exercises at any hand; for if hee could once get mee at this bay, hee would tri­umph indeed: and I fur­ther consider to my comfort, that God mea­sureth the obedience yeelded to him, rather by the Deus ma­gis delecta­tur affectu quam effe­ctis. desire, and will to obey, than by the large and exact perfor­mance thereof. Though therefore I doe not all the good I would, yet seeing in loue, I desire to doe it; and though I bee not wholly rid of all the euill I hate, yet seing in [Page 221] hatred thereof, I desire to be rid of it, God will accept of that which I doe, and will impute vn­to me, that which I de­sire.

What is it else, that doth disquiet your minde, and interrupt your peace?

Sometimes I feare that all the grace which I haue conceiued to bee in me, Doubting procee­ding from fear of hy­pocrisie answered. and all that I do at any time in the ser­uice and worship of God, and the holinesse which I make shew of, is but all in hypocrisie: which my conceit growes the [Page 222] stronger on mee, because I see sometimes some who haue been accoun­ted very rare Christians, farre excelling mee, in knowledge, seeming­zeale, forwardnesse, and other gifts, and yet haue fearefully fallen away from the grace of God, and so fowly discouered themselues, that it hath appeared euidently, they neuer had the soundnes of grace in them.

This is a slie temptation indeed; for thus the Diuell trans­formes himselfe into an Angell of light, as though [Page 223] hee loued sincerity, and would haue men sincere; whereas hee hates no­thing more; and there­fore while hee thus goes about to condemne you of hypocrisie, hee shewes himselfe a damned hy­pocrite: but how deale you with this subtile sug­gestion?

First, I see I haue no warrant to take so neere to heart, the feare­full examples of back­sliding hypocrites, as to question mine owne e­state therefore: for tho some earthy comets, and muddie meteors are [Page 224] drawne aloft sometimes, and make a great blaze, than the true starres of light, but after a short time vanish away; yet the true stars must not there­fore, nor will not leaue their place, or shining: and though the wolues somtimes goe in sheeps clothing, Non debet ouis pellen­suam depo­nere, quod lupi aliquā ­do se ca cō ­tegāt. Aug. yet must not the sheepe therefore for­goe their clothing, and thinke themselues to bee wolues. Secondly, I consider, that to see, feare, and shun hypocri­sie, is to bee sincere. Whiles then I feare it, I haue the lesser cause to [Page 225] feare the danger of it, and am the further from it. Thirdly, I desire rather to be good, than to seem to be so; and to do good rather than to seeme to doe it: therefore I am not an hypocrite; for hee desires the contrary, he lookes chiefly to the out­side, I to the inside, to my heart, I haue an eye to that to keepe it in good temper, The good temper of the heart. especially in two respects, 1. Supple, and soluble, that is, alwaies humble, (for else I can­not bee long in spirituall health) and 2. alwaies hungry, keeping in my [Page 226] heart an appetite vnto Christ by faith, and vnto all good things in loue thereof: and for the maintaining of my heart in this good temper, I vse a daily good diet of the soule, namely, watchful­nes, meditation, prayer, reading, conference, &c. I am chiefly desirous and carefull to know how my estate indeed stands before God, and there­fore take paines to exa­mine my selfe soundly, and throughly, and am very willing to bee tryed by others; this working thorow-stitch, the hypo­crite [Page 227] cannot brooke. 4. The hypocrite doth not vse to goe to God in Mat. 6.5.6. secret by prayer, (when hee thinks none knowes, sees, or heares him) and that in conscience being acquainted with the di­stresse of his owne soule, and priuie to his owne corruptions, to bewaile them to God, and to cry for grace; but this I doe: neither yet would I haue once mentioned this my practice vnto you, (for feare of vaine-glory) but that I now stand vpon my triall, and must in this case produce all the [Page 228] witnesses I can. Fiftly, I finde in my selfe, that I should bee full sorie, that all should be but in hypo­crisie in me: O, I would not for all the world it should be so: yea, I de­sire from my very heart, that it may be in sinceri­ty; hereby I am perswa­ded, that it is not in hy­pocrisie, but in since­rity.

You say well: how else doe you with­stand this temptation?

I may perceiue in my greatest feare and doubting, that some of the signes of saluation [Page 229] are in me in truth: as first hatred of sin, for though there were no hell (as I haue said before) I would not commit those sinnes which some doe (though nature corrupt doe relish them very well) my soule goes against them. Se­condly, I make consci­ence of lesser sinnes, (which the world count no sins) as wel as of those great and grosse sinnes, which stare vs in the face: and though some would shrinke vp sinne into a narrow scantling, and faine would bring it to this, that none doe e­uill [Page 230] but they which are in gaoles, yet I haue learned otherwise to iudge of sinne, to 1 Thes. 5.22. abstaine from all appearance of euill: hol­ding it a point of wise­dome, to looke to sinne in time, lest it fester, and eat in, & infect more, and at length breake forth in­to a running sore. Third­ly, I loue the godly in sin­cerity, not for feare of hell, (that cannot make mee loue them) nor for any sinister respects, but because they are godly. Fourthly, when I go to the word preached, sacra­ments, prayers, and all [Page 231] other holy exercises of religion, I heartily desire to vse them, not for forme or custome, (as the manner of most is) but with profit, and ther­fore lift vp my heart to the Lord, crauing his blessing in the vse there­of for the edifying of me in grace, and for the rip­ping vp of my corrupt heart: an hypocrite doth nor thus. Fiftly, though the Lord should con­demne mee, (which hee neuer will) and throw mee into hell (which in regard of his faithfull promise hee neither will, [Page 232] nor can), yet I finde my heart so affected, that sure I should neuer blas­pheme his holy name with the Diuels and dam­ned spirits, but euen out of the bottome of the lowest pit should I praise him, yea, out of the very Iona. 2.2. bellie of hell (as the Pro­phet Ionah speaketh) should I pray vnto him: so that I see, I loue the honour of God, neither for feare nor fauour, but in sincerity; whereby I also gather, and conclude that I am sincere and not an hypocrite.

Be there yet any [Page 233] more euill spirits of Sa­than, sent of him to vexe you, that put you in feare and would make you be­leeue lies?

Sir, it is not for nothing that their name is Legion, for they are ma­ny: there is another which doth not seldome molest me; for when I cannot deny (vpon a right tryall taken of my selfe) but that the grace of God, is in some measure begun in mee, yet then some­times steps in a shame­lesse messenger of Sa­than, Doubting of perseuerance an­swered. much like his mai­ster, that hath sorsworne [Page 234] all shame & truth, think­ing to out-face mee, and beare me down by maine strength, hee will needs face mee downe that I shall not continue in grace; the way to heauen so straight and difficult, my skill so little, my weaknesse so great, my enemies so many, migh­ty, crafty, resolute and malicious, that it is not possible for mee to hold out to the end, that I might be saued.

Dare you looke this Goliah in the face, or enter cōbat with him?

Yes, that I dare, [Page 235] and doe, and will doe all my dayes, because hee blasphemeth the liuing God, as though he could lye, or did repent; but I doe not trust in my owne bow, neither can my sword saue me: I do not betake my selfe to my owne strength, good mind, and meaning, free-will, &c (as blinde Papists and others doe) for these are wea­pons of Sathans owne making; and be sure hee will make none to hurt himself withall: therefore I take vnto mee, the Eph. 6.17 sword of the spirit, which is the word of God; this [Page 236] I brandish against the tempter, and tell him, as it tells me, that Ier. 31.3. the loue of God is an euerlasting loue; and Ioh. 13.1. whom Christ loueth, hee loueth to the end; and Io. 10.28. none can plucke mee out of his hand, neither men nor diuels; and Ro. 8.39. no­thing can separate mee from the loue of God in Christ, neither life, nor death, height nor depth, things present, nor things to come, no, not sin it selfe, (which is most likely of any thing) for that lyes pi­ning and wasting in mee, in as much at the first instant of conuersion, it [Page 237] fell into a deepe con­sumption, and that incu­rable, all the drugs of that old Empirick the Diuell, can neuer restore it to perfect strength againe: therefore I shall endure to the end, and in the end bee saued, for all that. Secondly, for the better animating of me to per­seuere, He. 12.2 I looke vnto Christ the author and fini­sher of my faith: he held out to the end in suffe­ring for mee, why should not I then hold out to- the end in seruing of him? he would not leaue me in hell fire, why then [Page 238] should I leaue him in the heat of temptation, or in the cold bleake winde of affliction: well, I am Phil. 1.6. confident of this verie thing, that hee which hath begunne the good worke in me, will performe it vntill the day of our Lord Iesus Christ.

What is there else, which doth perplex your minde?

Doubting of presu­ming an­swered.I am now and then grieuously affraid, that I doe but presume, in being perswaded, that I shall be saued by Christ: partly, because I am so very sinfull, and my vn­worthinesse [Page 239] is so great; and partly, because (mee thinks) I doe not grieue enough for my sins.

What helpe do you vse, against this sha­king fit?

First, I consider, that it is but spirituall pride, in the habite, and shew of great humility, to feare to beleeue, be­cause of our great sinful­nesse, and vnworthines; for thus wee shew wee would haue some thing of our owne to bring to God, or else we dare not trust him: we would spie some righteousnesse and [Page 240] worthines in our selues, before we bee perswaded of saluation, and so not to be beholding to God: this proceeds from the poysonfull root of pride, and naturall popish de­sire of meriting at the hands of God. Secondly, I must not hang off from beleeuing, till I finde, that I grieue enough for my sinnes: for this were to set the cart before the horse. In as much as godly sorrow for sinne, proceeds from faith, therefore I must not stay to beleeue, till I finde more godly sorrow, but [Page 241] I must beleeue more, that I may grieue more for my sinnes; for the more faith, the more godly sorrow. Thirdly, indeed if I had bin neuer hum­bled in the fearefull sight of my sinnes, and a sense of the heauy load there­of, then I should pre­sume, if I did perswade my selfe in that estate to bee saued: but now I see, and feele my sinnes, and misery, and what ex­treme neede I haue of Christ, God calls me as verily, as if it were by name, Matth. 11.28. to come vnto Christ, that is, [Page 242] to beleeue in him, there­fore there can be no dan­ger in so doing, I can not sinne, or presume in be­ing perswaded that I shall bee saued by Christ: for that perswasion which followes sound humiliation is faith; that which goes before is pre­sumption. Therefore I may well be out of feare, that my beleeuing is pre­suming; nay, I can not doe amisse in being per­swaded, that I shall bee saued, I can not bee for­ward enough herein: but this belongs not at all to them, that were neuer [Page 243] troubled in minde, nor wounded in conscience for the greatnesse of their sinnes, the dread of hell, and horrible wrath of God due to them for their sinnes; for they in­deed presume.

I like and ap­proue well of this that you say; but let me heare if there bee any further matter, which causeth doubting in you.

Euill thoughts, Doubting because of euill thoughts answered. and cogitations, are no small dauntment to me: for neuer was the land of Aegypt more pestered with noysome vermine, [Page 244] than I am with foule, filthy, impious, yea, sometimes blasphemous thoughts against the ho­ly maiesty of God, they come vpon me thicke and three-fold, I can at no time, in no place, be quiet for them; yea, when I am in the presence of God, speaking vnto him by prayer, or he speaking to mee by his word, or when I am about any o­ther holy duty, euen then they come crow­ding in vpon me, (I won­der somtimes with my selfe, how, or which way they should so creepe in) [Page 245] to amaze, and astonie me, and withall to choke and interrupt the holy businesse I haue in hand: the vglinesse of these e­uill thoughts, works hor­ror and quaking in my heart, and makes mee thinke my selfe no better than a firebrand of hell, and that I might do well (O Lord, forgiue that horrible, and murdering thought) to make away my selfe.

This seemes to bee as strong a Diuell as any, that driues you thus neere the gates of death, (I had almost said of [Page 246] hell) how doe you to re­couer strength, and to get the victory ouer him?

Strong hee is in­deed, but 1 Ioh. 4.4 greater is hee that is in vs, than hee that is in the world. First, there­fore I consider, that I do not loue, like, and approue of these euill thoughts, wherewith I am so com­bred, nay I abhor them, as the Diuell himself, (by whom they are hatched) insomuch as they make mee euen weary of my selfe, because of the stink­ing breath thereof, con­tinually steaming forth, [Page 247] ready almost to choake my soule: and when Sa­than by these thoughts, doth breake in violently vpon mee, I doe not bid him welcome, and lay him (as it were) a cushen, to take vp his seat in my minde, and heart, to haue residence in me, by these so vile and horrible mo­tions, and cogitations: but I deale by him, and them, as men doe by theeues, that breake into their houses, at vna­wares, they giue them no abode, but hunt, and driue them out againe (so soone as euer they [Page 248] come within the thre­shold) with all the speed & power that they can: and therefore the Lord will not account mee a friend vnto them, much lesse the father of them; I shall not beare their name, much lesse the burden of them, he will neuer lay them to my charge, to answere for them. Secondly, I am resolued, as long as I liue, (for so long I shall bee troubled with them) to resist them with all my might. And like as Gen. 32.2 6. Iacob ceased not to wrestle, though his thigh [Page 249] was bruised, till hee had the blessing; so neither will I, till I haue got the victory. Thirdly, I know that the Lord will not be angry with mee, for these euill thoughts, which I consent not to, nor take no pleasure in, but hate: for will a ten­der mother, bee angry with the babe shee beares in her armes, because some naughty people fling stones at it, hurt it, and make it cry? nay, will not rather her bow­els vern to ward it? will shee not rather hugge it closer to her, stroake it, [Page 250] kisse it, and bemoane it, but her anger is toward them that fling stones at it, whereby they bruised and battered the face of it, she could finde in her heart to flie in their face, and to scratch out their eyes, that did her childe that harme: surely then the Lord will not bee of­fended with mee, because my enemies, Sathan, and the flesh, cast fiery darts at mee, & thereby wound mee; for I cannot helpe it: but his fierce indigna­tion is against them, for that they doe so molest me, and he doth, and will [Page 251] both pitie, and helpe mee so much the more; for Psal. 103 13. as a father pittieth his children, so the Lord pit­tieth them that feare him: and his affection toward his children is infinitely farre surpassing the affe­ction of the tender heart­edst mother in the world toward her dearest babe; for though a mother could forget the childe of her wombe, yet would not I forget you, saith the Lord.

Yet a litle more, I pray you let vs heare of Sathans deepe subtletie, and hellish policie, in la­bouring [Page 252] to defeat you of all true comfort here, and of heauen it selfe heere­after.

Doubting because of afflictions answered.Sometimes hee would needs perswade mee, (and my owne heart withall is ouer-greedy, I confesse, to catch vp and swallow such poysoned morsels) that I am none of Gods children, and that the Lord doth not loue mee, because I am kept so neere and bare, and am so followed con­tinually with afflictions. I am hardly free at any time from one or other; they are like Iobs messen­gers, [Page 253] while one is speak­ing to me, before he hath done his message fully, there comes in another, sicknes, paines, aches, losses of friends, goods, good name; outward crosses and calamities in­numerable, beside the in­ward affliction of the minde; oh That the grea­test of all, for a wounded spirit who can beare: a rare thing it is not to see mee vnder some one or other of these, to keepe me downe: whereas I see the wicked wallow in their wealth, as they doe in their wickednesse, and [Page 254] Esaus portion is Gen. 27.39. the fat­nesse of the earth; they swim vp to the chin, in riuers of oyle, and wash their paths with butter, Iob. 21.24. & 15.27. their breasts are full of milke, and their bones run full of marrow: their fa­ces are couered with fat­nesse, and they haue col­lops in their flanke: yea, Ps. 73.7. their eyes stand out for fatnesse, and they haue more than heart can wish: yea, Ps. 119.70. their very heart is fat as grease: they are so fat, so lusty and strong, that they kicke vp their heeles a­gainst their keeper, and will not know their daily [Page 255] benefactor, but contemne their master: Iob. 21.14. They say to God, depart from vs, for wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes. Beholde these are the vn­godly, who prosper in the world, they increase in riches: but as for mee, poore wretch, Psal. 73 14.12. all the day long haue I beene puni­shed, and chastened euery morning: heereupon my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipt; for I began to thinke that these were Gods dar­lings, at lest my selfe none of Gods beloued ones; for the rod of God [Page 256] is not on them, but neuer off from me.

What meanes doe you vse, to be preser­ued against the violence of this assault?

I presently take sanctuary, and so am safe, I Ps. 73.17 goe into the Sanctuary of God, (and consult with his word) and then I vn­derstand their end: I see a man may goe through a faire City to execution; and contrariwise, through a narrow stumbling lane to a feast or coronation; I see well why it is that the wicked doe so pros­per and fare so well, for [Page] why doe men set vp their Oxen a-fatting? is it not against the day of slaugh­ter? so the Iob. 21.30. Wicked are reserued to the day of de­struction, they shall bee brought forth vnto the day of wrath: the seruants of God are kept at hard commons, but they haue their keeping of free cost: the wicked, which are strangers from the wombe, and none of Gods hous­hold, haue larger cates, and farre better, but they shall pay sweetly for it in the end, when the reckoning comes: so that all things considered, I [Page 258] see small reason why I should heaw a stumbling-blocke out of the prospe­rity of the wicked, to my owne ouerthrow. Se­condly, I labour in time of affliction, to spie out the loue of God shining vnto mee through some little peep-hole or other: at length I finde that euen then I loue God; heere­by I discerne that hee loues mee, for so he saith Pro. 8.17 I loue them that loue mee; and indeede, his loue to mee is the cause of my loue to him, so that it is impossible for mee to loue him in the time of [Page 259] my affliction; but hee must needs loue mee much more. Thirdly, I consider, that it is for want of wit in a childe, to thinke that his father cannot abide him, be­cause, when need is, hee vseth the rod to correct him: for they which are of discretion can tell, that the father loues the child neuer the worse for all that, but the better; yea, this very dealing of God towards mee, is an eui­dent token of his loue vnto mee, for Heb. 12.6.7. whom the Lord loueth hee chasteneth, and scourgeth euery sonne [Page 260] whom hee receiueth, if therefore wee endure cha­stening, God dealeth with vs as with sonnes; for what sonne is hee whom the father chasteneth not? So that the Lord com­meth to me with fire in the one hand, & water in the other; the fire of affli­ction to melt out the drosse of my corruptions, and the cooling water of comfort and assurance of his fauour, to allay the heate thereof, lest I should bee ouermolten with heauinesse and sor­row: but indeed some­times he holds this be­hind [Page] him, that I see it not, but I must not bee so vnwise as to thinke, be­cause I see it not, there­fore hee hath it not: be­cause I see not his loue, or at least not so as I would, that therefore he loues mee not, farre bee it from mee so to thinke, though I am too ready so to thinke in my di­stresse: but it is my infir­mity. For as verily as he doth afflict mee, and I feele it; so certainly doth hee loue mee, though I feele it not. Fourthly, I consider that this is the cup Mat. 26.39. & 27.46. which Christ him­selfe [Page] dranke of, hee drank it off to the very bot­tome, which made him cry out of the bitternesse of it, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? whereas I doe but drinke a littie of the vppermost: but seeing Christ my Sa­uiour hath begun to mee therein, Mat. 20.23. needs must I pledge him, though it be but to kisse the cup: which is also a cup of Gods owne tempreing, and therefore very good and wholsome, though not so toothsome, hee knowes all the ingredi­ents perfectly that go in­to [Page] it, and there is not one drop or dram of bitter aloes in it, more than hee sees must needs bee put in, or else it would do vs no good: which also is skilfully corrected and sweetely qualified with those heauenly sweets that farre surpasse the ho­ny and the hony-combe, as peace of conscience, tranquilty of minde, pa­tience and ioy of each a dramme, and the hope of heauen, a maruelous sweet thing, which it selfe alone (mee thinks) might well allay the tartnesse and sharpnesse of afflicti­on; [Page] this is my comfort in time of griefe, my friend in time of neede, my best Phisicke in time of sicknesse, and present remedy against all mala­dies; and I dare vnder­take, that one dramme of this, well taken of a sicke man, shall doe him more good at heart, than twen­ty pounds-worth of the most precious Apothe­caries stuffe. O, it is a most soueraigne restora­tiue, and happy is he that is neuer without some of it in his heart. It is of such singular vse at all times, and vpon all occa­sions. [Page] Now seeing af­flictions are thus sweet­ned to vs: properlie to speake, they de­serue no worser name, than bitter-sweets, whe­ther wee respect inward distresses, or outward ca­lamities: truth indeed the Lord layes more vp­on some, than hee doth vpon others, and more vpon vs, at one time, than he doth at an other: hee sometimes strikes an heart-veyne, when an o­ther will not serue, and that wee cannot bleede well at it, with godly sor­row; yet this I dare a­uouch, [Page] hee neuer puts vs to more paine, than needs must for our pro­fit, and benefit. Fiftly, I enter into serious me­ditation of the manifold good, which commeth by affliction, according to that of the holy Pro­phet, Psal. 119.71. It is good for me, that I haue been afflicted: this is the physicke that God doth minister to his seruants, and it is both purging phisicke, and strengthning physicke: for the former of these, it pleases the Lord here­by, sometimes to disco­uer, and bring to our sight [Page 267] the disease of some sinne, wherewith wee are infe­cted, whereof wee had ta­ken no notice before; and then to bring vs to hu­miliation for it, so to worke the remoueall thereof: sometimes hee doth hereby preuent some sinne; whereto hee sees vs very subiect, by purging out the ill hu­mors of self loue, coue­tousnesse, pride, luke­warmnesse, which else, in time would break forth, into dangerous, yea in­curable diseases: and thus he works a miracle vpon vs, turning the serpent, [Page 268] sinne, into the rod of af­fliction, as Exod. 4.4 Moses his rod was turned: alas, how ready are wee to run out at randome after these earthlie things, to set our affections too much vp­on them, and to be taken vp too much with them, to grow not onely wan­ton, but euen wilde with the things here below? and how easie a matter is it for a man, to lose both himselfe, and heauen too, in running vp and downe in the maze of this sinfull world? which that we may not doe, the Lord that good Sheep­herd, [Page 269] vseth his Ps. 23.4. rod, and staffe: when wee straggle too farre on the pleasant green pastures of world­ly gaines and pleasures, hee fetcheth vs in againe; then hee begins to ham­per and shackle vs, with sundry crosses, to keepe vs better within compas, to make vs minde home better, and to make vs better husbands for our soules, that so wee may thinke of him in time of aduersity, who had al­most forgotten him in time of prosperity: some­times hee sees that wee trust to the arme of flesh, [Page 270] and leane too much to some outward meanes, then by a crosse he takes it away, that so wee might wholly and onely relie on him. Manifold corruptions, and much filth of sinne doe wee ga­ther, by walking in this dirty world: the Lord doth vse the waters of affliction, as a bath to cleanse & purge vs from those corruptions, in bringing vs thereby to a sight thereof, and humi­liation for the same: in these & the like respects, well may affliction bee tearmed Gods purging [Page 271] physicke. Sometimes he also vseth it for strength­ning physick, when as he doth afflict his seruants for their triall, for the strengthning of their faith, patience, loue, zeale, holy desires, &c. for these, and the like graces, the more they are exercised, the more they are confimed, and the stronger they grow: and euen inward afflictions of the minde, serue great­ly to these good ends. O blessed rod of God, that dost so much good! Did I thinke the Lord loued mee not, because his rod [Page 272] lay on mee! oh how could I bee without it? Surely it is as needfull for mee as my meat and drinke, and much more needfull too. Hic vre, his seca, vt in aeternum pareas do­mine. Aug. O scourge mee, and launce me here, O Lord, that thou maiest spare mee for euermore hereafter. Sixtly, as tou­ching outward calami­ties, I haue learned at length, a little wisedome, by Gods word, for the right demeaning of my selfe therein; not to looke downeward, on the rush­ing and roaring streames of miseries and troubles, which run so swiftly vn­der [Page 273] mee; for then I should bee taken with a giddinesse in the head, which would make mee thinke, and speake an ad­uisedly of Gods dealing, and my owne estate, and so I should bee in hazard of being drowned and ouerwhelmed therein: but this I doe, I fasten my eies vpon the sure stay, by which I am vpheld, that is, God all-sufficient; and stedfastly behold his promise in the middest of all miseries: thus (I praise God) I passe ouer many a dangerous deep, Ps. 42.6. when one deepe calleth [Page 294] another, or the noise of the water-spouts, when one trouble comes on the necke of another, I passe ouer, or wade through, safe & sound. Seuenthlie, as I desire to prepare for affliction before it com­meth; so do I resolue in like manner aforehand, to hold fast my assurance of the loue of God, and so to beare it as comfor­tably as may bee, when it shall come; obseruing that it is the work of Sa­than; to make mee vtterly discomfortable in tribu­lation; that heauen our country, and holinesse, [Page 275] the way thereto, might both be brought out of credit by my meanes; that others, beholding my vncomfortablenes, might bee discouraged from entring, or procee­ding in the happy way to life. By the grace of God, Sathan shall not make mee his scar-crow, in the way to heauen, to keep others out, nay ra­ther, by my sweet and lightsome deportment of my selfe therein, I will allure others, what I may, rather to choose the way of the crosse, the way to the kingdome, [Page 276] than for fear of the crosse, to lose, and forgoe the kingdome.

It is a good re­solution: and surelie it is not for any ill-will, that the Lord corrects his children, whether with inward afflictions of minde, or outward of bodie, friends, children, goods, good name; or howsoeuer else, his loue is neuer the lesse vnto them, and he is neuer the further from them; and though they greatly feare sometimes, yet they haue no more cause to feare, than the Disciples [Page 277] had, when Christ came walking to them vpon the sea, thinking that they had seen a spirit; to whom our Sauiour answered, Math. 14 26.27. Bee of good cheere, it is I, bee not af­fraid: euen so when the raging windes and bluste­ring stormes of afflicti­ons doe cause an earth­quake in our hearts, the Lord sends forth a calme quiet voyce, to the com­fort of his children, It is I, bee not affraid; which all they may easilie heare, that will but lay their eare to the word of God, and listen thereunto; for [Page 278] so hee speakes vnto them therein. Now if there be any other matter that troubles your minde, al­ledge it if you will for conclusion of all, lest I bee also one of them that trouble you.

Doubting procee­ding from feare of death an­swered.Why then, if you thinke good, wee will end with that, that shall end our liues, name­ly, death: I greatly feare sometimes that I am not as I should bee, because I finde in my selfe such strugling w ^ith the thoghts of death, and that I am so affraid, yea and vnwilling to die.

How do you to repell, and ouercome this assault?

First, I consider, that they which are truly in Christ by faith, and liuing members of him, may haue, and haue all of them, some feare of death for all that, though it can do them no harm; like as man that seeth the sting of a serpent plucked out before his eyes, & therefore knowes it can not hurt him, yet hath some fearefulnesse in him to handle it, and put it into his bosome, because of that naturall [Page 280] enmitie, and antipathie, that is between him and it: the sting of death is sinne, which Christ hath pluckt out, in being made sinne for vs, and satisfy­ing fully for it, so that well may we say, O death where is thy sting; and yet we are affraid of the very lookes of death, but more affraid to come nigh it, because wee na­turally hate death: this therefore is no good rea­son, to make mee thinke my selfe none of Christs, because I haue some feare of death; no more than it is to proue a man, no [Page 281] man, or reasonable crea­ture, because hee is loth to put a snake in his bo­some, when the sting is pluckt out. Secondlie, I take vp such meditati­ons, as may make mee better and more famil­liarly acquainted with death, and may make mee better conceited of it, and to take better li­king to it: as first, that it is the common lot of Heb. 9.27. all the sonnes of Adam, none exempted, no, not the Worthies of the world, and holie Patriarcks; and should I then desire to [Page 282] bee exempted? Death hath his warrant to take hold of euery sinner; therefore none can bee spared, for all haue sinned; but before hee comes himselfe, hee sends forth many summons to warne men to appeare at Court before God: euery ache, paine, sicknes, faintnesse, wearinesse, yea, euery wrinkle, or gray haire, or dead coarse, is deaths summons, to warne vs appearance; but because we are too regardlesse, & make too light hereof, at length hee comes perso­nally, with a special Writ [Page 283] from the most high, and mighty Monarch of all the world, with a Capias corpus, first for one, and then for another, and at last for vs all. Now whereas, because of this necessitie of death, many take care how to doe when death comes, I will chiefly take care how to doe before it comes: for if I liue well, I shall bee sure to die well; this shall bee therefore my chiefest care, how to liue well. Againe, I labour to pluck away that grim, and gastly vizard of the curse, which death hath [Page 284] vpon it, and to looke at it through Christ, and then behold it hath a louelie countenance, and friend­ly looke, ready prepared as the groome of Gods chamber, kindly to em­brace mee, and to bring mee into Gods presence: and what is death else to the faithfull, but as Hos. 2.15 the valley of Achor, the doore of hope, to giue entrance to their soules into the paradise of God, where are ioyes vnspeakeable, rauishing the heart, and pleasures at his right hand for euermore? and what is the graue but a [Page] mould, wherein the Lord doth cast our bo­dies into a new forme, making them incorrup­tible, which before were corruptible? so Phil. 3.21. changing our vile bodies, that they may bee fashioned like the glorious bodie of his Sonne. What is life but a weari­some way, and death to the godly a comfortable home? should the faint, and weary traueller, bee loth to draw neere home? What is life but a toilsome labour, and death to the righte­ous, a sweet rest & sleep? should rest be vnaccepta­ble, [Page] or sleepe vnwelcome to a toyled labourer? What is that which doth disrobe the faithfull of all the base ragges of sinne and misery, and clothes them with the most sumptuous garments of perfect righteousnesse, glory, and immortality? is it not death? Who would not be contented to bee stripped naked of beggerly robes, that so hee might be apparelled with gorgeous attire? Thus then, though I see some reasōs why I might desire to liue long, yet I see more reasons why I [Page] might much better de­sire to dye soone; but none at all, why I should bee vnwilling to die, 2 Cor. 5.8.6. To bee present with the Lord: for, whilst wee are at home in the body, wee are absent from him, and as it were in prison. The bo­dy is the prison of the soule, and the earth of the body: as wee must not breake prison (for that is greatly displeasing to the Lord); so when the pri­son doore is set open to vs by authority (as when death is sent vnto vs, hee comes with authority) wee should very gladly, [Page] and willingly depart, yea, and go forth singing with old father Simeon, (a Nunc dimittis) Luk. 2.29 Lord, now lettest thou thy ser­uant depart in peace. Vpon these and the like medi­tations of death, I find in my selfe some willingnes to die: and that I may be still more willing, I la­bor to haue my thoughts more and more taken vp therewith, and at least once a day to looke him in the face, that I may be still better acquainted with him: for the more acquaintence I haue with death, the more friend­ship [Page 289] shall I finde at his hands, when hee comes to apprehend mee? and on whom doth hee: looke so sowre and grimme, as on them that are stran­gers to him, and hee to them? and as euery day I hold it a point of wise­dome to get some further acquaintance with death; so especially vpon the occasion of sicknesse; for euery sicknesse is a little death. I therefore endea­uour so to dye often, by making good vse of eue­ry fit of sicknesse, that I may once at the last dye well: that so, when my [Page 290] departing shall come, it may bee a sweet and ac­ceptable sacrifice to the Lord: whether it bee a burnt offering, by the violent death of martyr­dome, or at least a peace-offering, by a naturall death, I desire that it may bee a free-will offering, not wrung from me per­force, but freely surren­dred into 1 Pet. 4.19. the hands of a God, a faithfull Creator: and if my life be willing­ly offered, (which I de­sire from my heart it may bee, and therefore know it shall bee) then shall it bee well and fauourably [Page 291] accepted; for, Ps. 116.15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of his Saints.

The Lord hath giuen you good wisdome to discouer, and put to flight, these forces, and assaults of Sathan the deadly enemy of all the seede of man, but especi­ally of the seede of the woman, the Church, Reu. 12.17. I see you are en­dowed with some good skill, to dispell the grosse thicke clouds of doubt­ing, whereby the Diuell laboureth to ouer-cast your euidences, that ei­ther you should not see [Page 292] them at all, or else very dimly, with little com­fort, thanks therefore bee vnto God for this vn­speakeable gift: but what if you could finde none of the signes of saluation in you at all, which you haue alledged to mee; how then?

Time was when I had not any one of them, and then I was in the estate of damnation, though I thought my selfe in as good an estate as the best, and the diuell then perswaded mee so too, (though since hee hath changed his note; [Page 293] for hee must needs goe a­gainst the truth, or else hee is not himselfe) yet since I see, that if I had died in that estate, I had without all faile gone headlong into hell: and in the selfe-same case are all they, which haue none of those signes in them. S. Peter puts a question to them, which puts all such to silence, and makes them speech­lesse now, but what will it doe hereafter then? 1 Pet. 4 18. where shall the vngodly, and impenitent sinner appeare? let the brauest minde, the proudest, the [Page 294] stoutest stomacke of them all answer it if hee can: alas, alas, poore wret­ches, they can none of them answer it.

They which haue not one of the signes of saluation in them, are in a wo-case indeed: but what if a man can finde but one signe in him, and not all?

He that can finde but one of these true signes in him, hath cause of comfort; for though there bee but one good apple growing vpon a tree, it proues both that there is life in that tree, [Page 259] and that it is not a choke-peare, or crab-stocke, but a good tree: but in truth, where there is one of these signes of saluation in a man, there they are all in some poore mea­sure, though hee doe not so sensibly, and euident­ly perceiue all alike.

It reioyceth me not a little to finde you so well prouided for the Lord; oh happy estate that you are in: for no­thing now can come a­misse vnto you, come life, come death, you are the Lords. Now our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe, and [Page 296] God, euen our Father, which hath loued vs, and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, comfort your heart, and stablish you in euery good word, and worke, and preserue you to that inheritance, which is incorruptible, reserued in heauen for vs.

Euen so Lord Iesus. Amen, Amen.