The strong helper, offering to beare euery mans burthen. Or, A treatise, teaching in all troubles how to cast our burden vpon God but chiefly deliuering infallible grounds of comfort for quieting of troubled consciences. By Iohn Haivvard.

CHAP. XVI.

BVT perhaps thy heart tels thee, that the parti∣cular sinnes that thou art charged withall, were not onely done in thy daies of knowledge, whē thou hadst learned before, that such things ought not to be done: but they were also done in the freedome of thine heart, not surprised with sudden feare, nor led away captiue by any violent temptation: but with full consent of will, thy heart at leisure considering, and freely chusing (against all checke what∣soeuer) to do those things venturously, boldly, presumptuously, and (as we say) desperately casting behind thy backe at that time, all feare of God, all regard of his law, all remembrance of his mercy, and all bonds of thy obedience; only seeking to satisfie thine owne lusts, and preferring the pleasure of sinne, and wages of iniquitie, before the seruice of God, though thou didst know, that those pleasures were of that constancie,

and would breede eternall torments: and that the wages and gaine of sinne, was of small worth, and fading, and would breed vnto thee the eternall losse of thy soule.

This is a hard case indeed: and if Sa∣than haue this aduantage against thee, then hath he driuen thee vp into a nar∣row streight, and hemmed thee in very dangerously. But yet by the mercy of God, there are good and sure meanes, by which to escape euen out of this streight, though with some difficultie: for here hath that saying of the Lord Iesus place, That seruant that knew his maisters will, and prepared not himselfe, neither did according to his will, shall bee beaten with many stripes. Many and sore gripings shall his conscience feele, be∣fore he recouer his peace against this ac∣cusation, & it will cost him many teares sighes and grones, which I doe the ra∣ther remember, to make men feare to offend in this manner, and to suffer sinne so to raigne in their mortall bodies. But yet it is possible for the sinner thus bur∣dened to cast his burden vpon the Lord, and to obtaine ease. There is yet a hole

in the wall of hope, wherein if thou dig by humble and hearty prayer, it may proue a dore of mercy vnto thee. It hath beene so with others.

For who euer sinned more wilfully and more presumptuously, then Manasses, though he were yong when he began to raigne, being then but twelue yeares of age, & in that regard, all his acts might seme to be grounded in ignorance, that had not learned at the first to doe wel, & after would not learne: yet considering the piety of Hezekiah his father, it is lik∣ly that he had been carefully taught, and that his father did no more leaue him without counsell at his departure out of life, then Dauid whē he was ready to die, did leaue his sonne Salomon. When the dayes of Dauid drew neare that he should die, he charged Salomon his sonne saying, I goe the way of all the earth: be strong therefore & shew thy selfe a man: and take heede to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his waies &c. Thus out of his care, did he not cease, while there was life and strength in himselfe to teach his sonne his dutie to God. And of Heze∣kiah it is testified, that hee did vprightly i•…•… 3. the sight of the Lord, according to all that

his father Dauid bad done: & therefore it is not likely, that either in the time of health or in the time of his sickenes, hee neglected the instruction of his son, that should succeed him. It must needes bee therefore that Manasses sin was against knowledge, euen in his childhood, much more afterward. Sure it was with full freedome of his will, euen with a high hand: of whom it is thus written, He did euill in the sight of the Lord, like the abho∣mination of the heathen, whō the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel for he went backe & built the high places, which Hezekiah his father had broken downe: & he set vp Alters for Baalim, and made groues, and worshiped all the hoast of Hea∣uen, and serued them. Also he built Alters in the house of the Lord, where of the Lord had said; in Ierusulem shall my name be for euer. And he built Alters for all the hoast of the heauē in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he caused his sonnes to passe through the fire in the vallie of Ben∣hinnom: he gaue himselfe (here was full sway of his owne will) to witchcraft and to charming, and to sorcery, and he vsed them that had familiar spirits, and

soothsayers: he did very much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him, &c. Here was a man violent, headstrong, yea mad and furious in his sinne, and not in small, but in the greatest sinnes; not onely a∣gainst the second table, but much more against the commandements of the first table, in all kindes of idolatry, and all vngodly profanations; and yet hee found fauour at the hands of God, who first brought him to repentance by 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and then forgiuing his sinne, re∣stored him to peace. The history wher∣of is thus recorded; The Lord brought vpon him the captaines of the hoast of the King of Ashur, which tooke Manasses, and put him in fetters, and bound him 〈◊〉〈◊〉 chaines, and caried him to Ba•…•…ell. And when he was in tribulation, he prayed to the Lord his God, and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his father, and praied vnto him; and God was intreated of him, and heard his praier and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his kingdome: then Manasses know that the Lord was God. Now after this he built a wall without the Citie of Dauid, on the west side of Gihon in the valley, euen at 〈◊〉〈◊〉

entry of the fish-gate, and compassed about Ophet, and raised it very high, and put Captaines of war in all the strong Citties of Iudah. And he tooke away the strange Gods, and the image out of the house of the Lord; & all the Alters that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord▪ and in Ierusalem, and cast them out of the Citie. Also he prepared the Altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offrings, and of thankes▪ and commanded Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel. Consider seri∣ously this example, weigh therein on the one side the sinne of the man, on the other side the mercy of God. In Ma∣nasses thou shalt see the height of thy sinne equalled, if not exceeded: and in God thou shalt see mercy exceeding all sinne. And where such mercy appeareth, what should make the sinner doubt of finding fauour, while he seeketh it with a true purpose of leauing his sinne, and true faith and hearty praier. I might ad herevnto the example of that theefe, that was crucified at the same time, with the Lord Iesus vpon his right hand; to whom, making his paier to Iesus in these words; Lord remember me when

thou cōmest into thy kingdome. The Lord again m•…•…de him this answere, ful of most rich mercy, this day thou shalt be with me in Paradice. This man liuing among the people of Iudah, could not be ignorant of the commandement of God forbid∣ding theft; therefore his sin was against knowledge. And making a trade of theft; thereby to maintaine himselfe, there was no violence offred to his will, but freely, willingly, and with choyce, he followed that course, and was euen a couenant seruant of sinne, reaping with delight the wages of iniquitie, in the spoile that he made of the inocent. And yet he found fauour, and had his sinne forgiuen him▪ and entred into life. Who shall then dispaire of the mercy of God? Saint Ambrose calles the historie of this man, •…•…ulcherrimum affectandae conuer∣sionis exemplum: A most Godly example to moue men to turne to God. And these examples, let our afflicted sinner consi∣der seriously. They are writt•…•…n for our instruction, in them hee shall espie an hole in the wall of hope, which will proue a dore of mercy for him to enter, if he dig by hearty paier.

And for the further confirmation of his hope. Let our afflicted sinner know, that there is only one kinde of sinne vn∣pardonable, and he shall find the sin that he is charged withall, not to be that sin, & therefore to be pardonable. And this is no small incouragmēt to know his sin, how great so euer, yet to be pardonable▪ when a sicke man vnderstandeth his dis∣ease, that will be mortall to him. if hee neglect it, yet to be curable, if he looke to it in time, & apply apt medicines vnto it, hee will take much comfort in that knowledge, & thenceforth he will dili∣gently seek for remedy. And so must our afflicted sinner when, he shal vnderstand his sinne to be such as may be forgiuen, comfort his soule with that considera∣tion, and thenceforth diligently vse the meanes, that God our Phisition pre∣scribeth and the effect by the mercy of God, wil be health, peace, & saluation.

Now that sinne that is vnpardonable, is called in the Scripture blasphemy a∣gainst the Holy Ghost. Whereof our Sauiour speaketh in these wordes, say∣ing, Verily I say vnto you, all sinnes shall be forgiuen vnto the children of men, and

blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme: but he that blasphems against the Holy Ghost, shall neuer haue forgiuenes▪ but is culpable of eternall damnation. Which sinne, if wee consider the circumstances of the place, where the Pharises are char∣ged with it, especially as that matter is recorded by Saint Mathew in his twelst Chapter, we shall finde it to be, not any particular transgression of any, or of all the precepts of the law: but a wil-full opposition of our heart against (as I may call it) the body of religion; first rightly vnderstoode, and certainely knowne to be the true religion of God: and vpon no other cause, but out of meere enuie.

The Pharises heard the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ, and saw his mi∣racles, and knew him to bee that sonne of Dauid, that Messias that was pro∣mised: they knew his doctrine to be ho∣ly and heauenly▪ and his workes to bee wrought by the finger of God. Yet be∣cause the people honoured him, and vp∣on the sight of his miracle, when hee healed the man that was possessed of a diuell, and was both blind and dumbe,

because they then cryed out saying; Is not this that sonne of Dauid? They there∣fore out of enuy and mallice, without any other cause, gaue it out concerning him, saying. He casteth out Diuels no o∣therwise, but by Belzebub the prince of Diuels: Indeuoring by these wordes to perswade the people that he was a wick∣ed man, risen vp out of Hell, set vp by the Prince of diuels, and assisted with his power, to publish the doctrine of diuels, and to vphold his kingdome: so slaundering the person of Christ, the workes of Christ, and the doctrine of Christ: all which many of them knew to be heauenly and of God.

If they had not knowne him to bee thee sonne of God, they had not beene guilty of that great sinne. As the Lord said vnto them, If ye were blind, ye should not haue sinne, your ignorance would haue cleered you from this wi•…•…full mal∣lice. But they knew his person to be sent of God, his workes to be done by the finger of God, and in his doctrine that he taught truely the will of God. The Lord himselfe said vnto them, Yee both know me, and know whence I am. Yet

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did they out of enuy detract from the glory of his workes, that they might by that meanes bring both his person and heauenly doctrine into contempt.

And they ceased not this course of slandering his person, of disgracing his workes, and obscuring the truth of his doctrine, laying wait also for his life (for God giueth not repentance for this sinne) till they had bought him with money of the traytor, iudged him to be worthy of death vpon the knowne false testimonie of suborned witnesses, extor∣ted with their clamours his condemna∣tion from an vnwilling Iudge (pro∣nouncing him iust, whom he condem∣ned for their pleasure) added vnto his vniust death what reproch they could, and after his resurrection, corrupted the souldiers with money, so causing it to be by them divulged, that his disciples stole away his body out of the graue, and that he did not rise againe from the dead: by that course labouring (out of enuy) to suppresse the Gospell and do∣ctrine of Iesus Christ, which yet they knew, by the illumination of the holy Ghost, to be the very truth of God.

This malitious opposition of theirs against religion, knowne to be the reli∣gion of God, was their vnpardonable sinne. It was not their vncharitabe pro∣ceeding against an innocent man: their hiering of a seruant to betray his master: their suborning of false witnesses a∣gainst a iust person: their corrupting of a Iudge to giue sentence to their li∣king, though vniust: nor the hy•…•…ing of bold men to spred a lie among the cre∣dulious multitude: nor yet the cruell and vniust murdering of the Lord of life. Though all these were grieuous sinnes, for many were pardoned, both of the people, and of their gouerners, that had their handes in all this iniustice (though they had not so deepe a rea•…•…, & so enuious a purpose, of ouerthrow∣ing by his ouerthrow the religion, which they knew to be of God, as most of the Priestes and Pharises had) many, I say were pardoned, that had their handes in the iniustice done to our saui∣our, for he praied for them, saying, Fa∣ther forgiue them, for they know not what they doe: and that praier of his could not be in vaine.

But in the cunning fellowes, both a∣mong the people and their goueruors, that knew him, and whence he was, and how he wrought, and what he taught, and that all was of God: this was their vupardonable sin, that they vsed al that falshood, corruption and cruelty, both during his life, and in his death, only to this end, to hinder the course of his doctrine; as they say plainely in their councell, If we let him thus alone, all men will beleeue in him. When they knew that doctrine taught by him, wherein they would not haue the people to be∣leeue, to be the very truth of God. This is the vnpardonable sinne, called blas∣phemie against the Holy Gost, because it flaundereth and disgraceth the truth of God, which was made knowen vnto them, & so made to shine in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, called the spirit of truth, because it leadeth into all truth.

This sinne is a common sinne of di∣uels, that know God, and maliciously seeke his dishonor; that know the groundes of true and holy religion, and enuiously seeke to depra•…•…e them, to corrupt them, and if they could, to a∣bolish

them out of the world, desiring nothing more then to disgrace the truth of God among men. This sin is some∣time, but rarely found amongst men, and in examination, thy sinne will bee found not to be this sinne, and therefore not to be vnpardonable: which is a great ground of hope to build vpon.

First, the sinne of him that is pressed with the generall and confused accusa∣tion of an euill and hypocriticall heart, cannot be this sinne; that being natu∣rally the estate of all men that come in∣to the world: they are borne with a heart deceitfull and wicked aboue all things. But no man can be borne guil∣ty of blasphemy against the holy-ghost, because no man is in his birth enlight∣ned with the knowledge of true religi∣on, which knowledge must necessarily goe before this fearefull opposition.

Neither can this sinne bee found in them that are distinctly charged with a particular sinne or sins, that were com∣mitted in the days of ignorance: it can∣not be those sinnes For he that may fall into this vnpardonable sinne, must first haue a full & cleere knowledge of true

religion, with perswasion that it is the trueth. But the ignorant man wanteth that cleere knowledge. And hee is far enough from this sinne.

Neither can it be found in them that sinne against knowledge, but out of weakenesse, either surprised with a sud∣den temptation, or led captiue with a strong and violent temptation: for when these men are at libertie to consi∣der what they haue done, they haue no pleasure in it. But that vnpardonable sinne is a voluntary, wilfull, and mali∣cious opposition against the knowne truth, out of their enuy, not induring the glory of Christ in his Gospel.

Neither can any particular breach of any one Commandement, nor all the breaches of all the Commandements, howsoeuer committed out of igno∣rance, or out of knowledge, out of weakenesse, or out of malice, sudden∣ly, or with premeditation, be this sin against the holy-Ghost: for that is a malicious striuing to disgrace the name, or at the least the Religion of Iesus Christ, knowne to be the true Re∣ligion, rather then any prowd and li∣centious

act in transgressing the pre∣cepts of Gods Law.

It is the sinne that neuer any of Gods Elect fall into, though they fall into many particular enormious sinnes, as of •…•…olatry, witchcraft, blasphemy, con∣tempt of the Sabboth, rebellion, murd∣er, adultery, drunkennesse, theft, lying, periury, and such like: wherein many of Gods deare children fall oft, and yet, by Gods fauour, rise againe by re∣pentance. Of that sinne, and of the ex∣emption of Gods elect from it, is that saying of Saint Iohn to be vnderstood: Whosoeuer is borne of God, sinneth not, for his seede remaineth in him: neither can hee sinne, because he is borne of God. No man regenerate, nor any of Gods elect, can fall into this sinne: nor euerie re∣probate▪ for many of them, through their ignorance, that neuer come to know the truth of holy Religion, can∣not possibly become guilty of this blas∣phemy, though for other sinnes, wher∣of they obtaine not grace to repent, they iustly perish from God, and suffer the paines of eternall death.

When thou therefore findest, that

thou hast not sinned that vnpardonable sinne against the holy-Ghost; and that thy sinne whatsoeuer, and howsoeuer committed, though deseruing a thou∣sand Hels, is yet by the mercie of God pardonable, where he is pleased to giue repentance of that sinne, and vppon that repentance to blot out the remem∣brance of it. Dost thou not see a sweet possibility of deliuerance from thy sin, fit to bee pursued with all strong desire and diligence of thy soule? Dost thou not see a hole in the wall of hope, through which some light (though ve∣ry small) doth shine? Then let it be thy care, to digge in that hole by hearty praier, and by humble deuotion, that God may bee pleased at last, to open a dore of mercy vnto thee, and by faith and amendment of life, to assure thee that thy sinnes shal neuer be laid to thy charge. Thou hast his promises, in which hee will not be found a falsifier and a couenant-breaker. Hee saith by the Prophet, If the wicked will returns from all his sinnes that hee hath commit∣ted and keepe all my statutes, and doe that which is lawfull and right, hee shall sure∣ly

liue, and shall not die. All his trans∣gressions that hee hath committed, they not bee mentioned vnto him, but in his righteousnesse that hee hath done, he shall liue. Make vse of this and such like pro∣mises, and faint not in thy praiers. This is to cast this burden of thine vpon the Lord.

Notes

• Is it were d•…•…n a•…•…niast knowledge, a•…•…d wi•…•… f•…•… consent of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 will.
• This is d•…•…n∣gerous: yet there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 help.
• Luke. 1•…•…▪ 47.
• As appea∣reth in the example of Manasses sinning a∣gainst knowledge.
• 1 King. 2. 1
• •…•…. King. 18.
• And with f•…•…ll course of will.
• 2. Chr. 33. •…•….
• And yet finding fa∣uour.
• 2. Ch•…•…. 33. 11.
• And in the th•…•…efe that s•…•…ffered with Iesus
• Luke. 23. 42. 43.
• Lu. 23. 42. 43.
• C•…•…m in Lu▪ chap. 23. 10.
• There is one onely sin •…•…npar∣donable.
• Called blas•…•…hemie against the Holy Ghost
• Mark. 3 2•…•…
• •…•…at this blasphemie i•…•….
• Ma•…•…. 12. 2•…•… 24.
• Iohn. 9. 41.
• Iohn 7. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• Luke. 23. 34.
• Iohn 11. 4•…•….
• T•…•… sinne •…•…nnot bee 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sinne.
• It' can not be 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with general ac∣cusation.
• Nor his that sin∣ne•…•… of ig∣noranc•…•…▪
• Nor his who•…•…e 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is ouerruled
• Nor his that brea∣keth any morall •…•…re cept.
• Nor the sin of any of Gods elect.
• 1. Ioh. 3. 9.
• Therefore thy sinne is pardonable
• E•…•…ec. 18. 21