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THe second head to which I reduced impedimēts to true peace, is false feare; for if you doubt, feare, or despaire of your estate without cause, it wil much disturbe and hinder your peace.
There is an holy feare and de∣spaire* 1.1 wrought in man, when GOD first convineeth his heart and conscience of sinne; where∣upon (through sense of GODS wrath and heavy displeasure, to∣gether with a sense of his owne disabilitie in himselfe to satisfie and appease Gods wrath (he is
in great perplexity, being out of all hope to obtaine GODS fa∣voua, or to escape the vengeance of Hell by any thing which he of himselfe can doe, or procure. This is wrought more or lesse in every man of yeares before con∣version, as in those which were a 1.2 pricked at heart at Peters Ser∣mon, and in b 1.3 Saint Paul himselfe, and in the c 1.4 Iaylor. This is a good necessary feare, serving to prepare a man to his conversion. For in Gods order of working, he first sendeth the * 1.5 Spirit of bondage to feare, before he sendeth the Spi∣rit of Adoption to enable a man to cry Abba Father. This feare, and trouble of Conscience rising from it, is good; and as the Nee∣dle to the thred, maketh way un∣to true peace.
Moreover, after that a man is* 1.6 converted, though he have no cause to feare damnation; yet he hath much matter of feare, by as much as hee is yet subject unto
many evils both of sinne and paine; as, lest hee offend GOD, and cause his angry countenance, and his judgements; also, lest he should fall backe from some de∣grees of grace received, and lest he fall into some dangerous sin, and so lose his evidence of hea∣ven, and comforts of the Spirit. Wherefore we are commanded to d 1.7 worke out our Salvation with feare and trembling; e 1.8 and to passe the whole time of our soiourning here in feare.
This feare, while it keepeth due measure, causeth a man to bee circumspect and watchfull, lest he fall, it spurreth him on for∣ward to repent, and quickens him to aske pardon and grace to recover when he is fallen, yea, an excellent means to prevent trou∣ble, and to procure peace of Con∣science. But the feare of which I am to speake, and which, be∣cause it disturbeth true peace, is to be removed, is a groundlesse and
causelesse feare, that a man is not in state of grace, albeit hee hath given his name to Christ, and* 1.9 hath not onely given good hope to others; but (if he would see it) hath cause to conceive good hope that hee is indeed in the state of Grace.
This feare may rise either from Naturall distempers, Satan joy∣ning with them; Or from Spiri∣tuall temptations, rising from causelesse doubts.
By natural distempers, I meane* 1.10 a disposition to frenfie, or height of Melancholy, in which states of body the spirits are corrupted through superabundance of cho∣ler and melancholy, whereby first the braine (where all notions, and conceits of things to be un∣derstood, are framed) is distem∣pered, and the power of Imagi∣nation corrupted, whence arise strange fancies, doubts, and fear∣full thonghts. Then, secondly, by reason of the intercourse of the
spirits between the head and the heart, the heart is distempered and filled with griefe, despaire, and horror, through manifold feares of danger, yea, of damna∣tion; especially when Satan doth convey himselfe into those hu∣mours, which as hee easily can, so he readily will doe, if GOD permit.
Where there is trouble of this* 1.11 sort, it usually bringeth forth strange and violent effects, both in body and minde, and that in him that is regonerate, as well as in him that is unregenerate. Yea, so farre, that (which is fearefull to thinke) even those who (when they were fully themselves) did truly feare God, have in the fits of their distemper (through im∣potency of their use of reason, & through the Devils forcible in∣stigation) had thoughts and at∣tempts of laying violent hands upon themselves and others, whom they have dearely loved.
And when they have not well known what they have done or said, have beene heard to breake out into oathes, cursing, and blas∣phemous speeches against GOD and his Word, who were never heard to doe the like before.
These troubles may be knowne* 1.12 from true trouble of Conscience, by the strangenesse, unreasona∣blenesse, absurditie, and senseles∣nesse of their conceits in other things, as to think they have no heart, and to say they cannot doe that which indeed they doe, and a thousand other odde conceits which standers by see to be most false. Whereby any man may see that the root of this disturbance is in the Phantasie, and not in the heart.
Albeit, both the regenerate and* 1.13 unregenerate, according as they are in a like degree distempered, are in most things alike; yet in this they differ; Some beames of holinesse will glance forth now
and then in the regenerate, which doth not in the unregenerate, e∣specially in the intermissions of their fits. Their desires will be found to be different, and if they both recover, the one returneth to his wonted course of holines with increase: the other (except God worke with the affliction to conversion) continueth in his accustomed wickednesse. It plea∣seth God, that, for the most part, his owne children who are thus distempered, have the strength of their Melancholy worne out and subdued before they dye, at which time they have somesense of Gods favor to their comfort; But if their disease continue, it is possible that they may die raving and in seeming, (if you judge by their speeches) despairing, which is not to be imputed unto them, but to their disease, or unto Sa∣tan working by the disease; if they gave good testimony of holinesse in former times.
When these troubles are meerly from bodily distempers, though they be not troubles of conscience, yet they make a man uncapable of the sense of peace of conscience. Therfore whosoever would en∣joy the benefit of the peace of his conscience, must doe what in him lyeth, to preuent or remove these distempers. And because* 1.14 they grow for the most part from naturall causes, therefore na∣turall as well as spirituall remedies must be used.
1. Take heed of all such things as feed those humors of Choler and Melancholy, which must be learned of experienced men, and of skilfull Physicians, and, when need is, take Physicke.
2. Avoyd all unnecessary soli∣tarinesse, and as much as may be keep company with such as tru∣ly feare God, especially with those who are wise, full of cheareful∣nesse, and of joy in the Lord.
3. Forbeare all such things as
stirre up these humours; as, over∣carefull study, and musing too much upon any thing, likewise all sudden and violent passions of an∣ger, immoderate griefe, &c.
4. Shun Idlenesse, and accor∣ding to strength and meanes be fully imployed in some lawfull businesse.
5. Out of the fit, the party thus affected must not oppresse his heart with feare of falling into it againe, any more then to quicken him to prayer, and to cause him to cast himselfe upon God.
6. Out of the fits (and in them also if the partie distem∣pered be capable) spirituall coun∣sell is to be given out of GODS Word, wisely, according as the partie is fit for it, whether to humble him, if he hath not beene sufficiently humbled, or to build him up and comf•••••• him, if he be already humbled.
7. Lastly remember alwayes
that when the troubled person is himselfe, that he be moved to prayer, and that others then pray much with him, and at all times pray much for him.
When these troubles are mixt, comming partly from naturall distemper, and partly from spiri∣tuall temptation: then the reme∣die must be mixt of helpes natu∣rall and spirituall. What the na∣tural helps are, hath bin shewne, also what the spirituall in gene∣rall, and shall be shewed more particularly, in removing false feares rising from spirituall temptations.
The feares which rise for the* 1.15 most part from distemper of bo∣dy, may be knowne from those, which for the most part, or one∣ly, rise from the spirituall temp∣tation, thus. When the first fort are clearely resolved of their doubts, and brought unto some good degree of chearefulnesse and cōfort, they will yet, it may
be, within a day or two, some∣times within an houre or two, upon every slight occasion and discouragement, returne to their old complaints, and will need the same meanes to recover them a∣gaine. But those whose trouble is meerly out of spirituall temp∣tation and trouble of conscience, although for the time it is very grievous, and hardly removed, and sometimes long before they receive a satisfying answer to their doubts; yet whē once they receive satisfaction and comfort, it doth hold and last untill there fall out some new temptation, and new matter of feare. This is because their Phantasies and me∣mories are not disturbed in such sort as the others were.
The seeming grounds of feares* 1.16 that a man is not in state of grace when yet he is, are for varietie almost infinite. I have reduced them into this order, and unto these heads:
First, they who are taken with false feares, will say their sinnes be greater than can be pardoned.
Secondly, when they are dri∣ven from that, they say then that they feare GOD will not pardon. When they are driven from this by causing them to take notice of the signes of Gods actual love to them which give proofe that he will save them. Then,
Thirdly, they will question the truth of Gods love, and favour. But being put upon the ttyall whether God hath not already justified them, and given them faith in Christ; which are suffi∣cient proofes of his love: then,
Fourthly, they will seeme to have grounds to doubt whether they have faith, from which they are driven by putting them to the tryall of their Sanctificati∣on: then,
Fifthly, they doubt, and will ob∣iect strongly, that they are not san∣ctified, which being undeniably proved: then,
Sixthly and lastly, they feare they shall fall away and not per∣severe to the end. Which feare being taken away also, and all is come to this good issue, they shall have no cause of disquiet feare.
This is the easiest, most famili∣ar, and the most naturall method (so farre as I can conceive) both in propounding, and in remo∣ving false feares.
Needfull feare be∣fore con∣version.
Act. 2. 37
Act. 9. 9.
Act. 16. 29
Rom 8. 15
Holy and good feare after con∣version.
Phi. 2. 12
1 Pet. 1. 17.
Causelesse feare.
The kinds of cause∣lesse feare
Strange effects of feare ri∣sing from natural di∣stempers.
Differēce betweene trouble ri∣sing from bodily di∣stemper, and that of trouble of consci∣ence.
Some dif∣ference betweene regene∣rate, and unrege∣nerate, in these di¦stempers.
The best meanes to quiet the heart in bodily di∣stempers▪
Diffrence betweene those fears which rise chiefly frō Melan∣choly and those which are chiefly from trou∣ble of con∣science.
The groūd of false feares.