Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

to believe them. And I hope it is a disease of judgment, not an intolerable condition, that I am falling into, because I have been told so concerning others, who therefore have been afflicted, because they see not their pardon sealed after the manner of this world, and the affairs of the spirit are transacted by immaterial notices, by propositions and spiritual discourses, by promises which are to be verified hereafter; and here we must live in a cloud, in darkness under a veil, in fears and uncertainties, and our very living by faith and hope is a life of mystery and secrecy, the only part of the manner of that life in which we shall live in the state of separation. And when a distemper of body or an infirmity of mind happens in the instances of such secret and reversed affairs, we reserved may easily mistake the manner of qur notices for the uncertainty of the thing: and therefore it is but reason I should stay till the state and manner of my abode be changed, before I despair: there it can be no sin or error, here it may be both; and if it be that, it is also this; and then a man may perish for being miserable, and be undone for being a fool. In conclusion, my hope is in God, and I will trust him with the event, which I am sure will be just, and I hope full of mercy. However. now I will use all the spiritual arts of reason and religion to make me more and more to love God, that if I miscarry, charity also shali fail, and something that loves God shall perish and be damned; which if it be impossible, then I may do well.

These considerations may be useful to men of little hearts and of great piety: or if they be persons who have lived without infamy, or begun their repentance so late that it is very imperfect, and yet so early that it was before the arrest of death. But if the man be a vicious person, and hath persevered in a vicious life till his death-bed; these considerations are not proper. Let him inquire in the words of the first disciples after Pentecost, Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved? And if they can but entertain so much hope as to enable them to do so much of their duty as they can for the present, it is all that can be provided for them: an inquiry into their case can have no other purposes of religion or prudence. And the minister must be infinitely careful that he do not go about to comfort vicious persons with the comforts belonging to God's elect, lest he prostitute holy things and make them common, and his sermons deceitful, and vices be encouraged in others, and the man himself find that he was deceived, when he descends into his house of

sorrow.

But because very few men are tempted with too great fears of failing, but very many are tempted by confidence and presumption; the ministers of religion had need be instructed with spiritual armour to resist this fiery dart of the devil, when it operates to evil purposes.

SECT. VI.

Considerations against Presumption.

f

I HAVE already enumerated many particulars to provoke a drowsy conscience to a scrutiny and to a suspicion of himself, that by seeing cause to suspect his condition, he might more freely accuse himself, and attend to the necessities and duties of repentance: but if either before or in his repentance he grows too big in his spirit, so as either he does some little violence to the modesties of humility, or abates his care and zea! of his repentance, the spiritual man must allay his forwardness by representing to him, 1. That the growths in grace are long, difficult, uncertain, hindered, of many parts and great variety. 2. That an infant grace is soon dashed and discountenanced, often running into an inconvenience and the evils of an imprudent conduct, being zealous and forward, and therefore confident, but always with the least reason, and the greatest danger: like children and young fellows, whose confidence hath no other reason but that they understand not their danger and their follies. 3. That he that puts on his armour ought not to boast, as he that puts it off; and the apostle chides the Galatians for ending in the flesh, after they had begun in the spirit. 4. That a man cannot think too meanly of himself, but very easily he may think too high. 5. That a wise man will always in a matter of great concernment think the worst, and a good man will condemn himself with hearty sentence. 6. That humility and mo

desty of judgment and hope are very good instruments to procure a mercy and a fair reception at the day of our death; but presumption or bold opinion serves no end of God or man, and is always imprudent, ever fatal, and of all things in the world is its own greatest enemy; for the more any man presumes, the greater reason hé hath to fear. 7. That a man's heart is infinitely deceitful, unknown to itself, not certain in its own acts, praying one way, and desiring another, wandering and imperfect, loose and various, worshipping God, and entertaining sin, following what it hates, and running from what it flatters, loving to be tempted and hetrayed; petulant like a wanton girl, running from, that it might invite the fondness and enrage the appetite of the foolish young man, or the evil temptation that follows it; cold and indifferent one while, and presently zealous and passionate, furious and indiscreet: not understood of itself or any one else, and deceitful beyond all the arts and numbers of observation. 8. That it is certain we have highly sinned against God, but we are not so certain that our repentance is real and effective, integral and sufficient. 9. That it is not revealed to us whether or no the time of our repentance be not past; or if it be not, yet how far God will give us pardon, and upon what condition, or after what sufferings or duties, is still under a cloud. 10. That virtue and vice are oftentimes so near neighbours, that we pass into each others borders without observation, and think we do justice when we are cruel, or call ourselves liberal when we are loose and

foolish in expences, and are amourous when we commend our own civilities and good nature. 11. That we allow to ourselves so many little irregularities, that insensibly they swell to so great a heap, that from thence we have reason to fear an evil: for an army of frogs and flies may destroy all the hopes of our harvest. 12. That when we do that which is lawful, and do all that we can in those bounds, we commonly and easily run out of our proportions. 13. That it is not easy to distinguish the virtues of our nature from the virtues of our choice; and we may expect the reward of Temperance, when it is against our nature to be drunk; or we hope to have the coronet of virgins for our morose disposition, or our abstinence from marriage upon secular ends. 14. That it may be we call every little sigh or the keeping a fish-day the duty of repent ance, or have entertained false principles in the estimate and measures of virtues; and, contrary to that steward in the Gospel, we write down four score when we should set down but fifty. 15. That it is better to: trust the goodness and justice of God with our accounts, than to offer him large bills. 16. That we are commanded by Christ to sit down in the lowest place, till the Master of the house bids us sit up higher. 17. That when we have done all that we can, we are unprofitable servants: and yet no man does all that he can do; and therefore is more to be despised and undervalued. 18. That the self-accusing publican was justified rather than the thanksgiving and confident Pharisee. 19. That if Adam in Paradise, and

« AnteriorContinuar »