The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems of the spirituall ennemies of our saluation, Sathan and his assistants the world and the flesh, with the meanes also whereby the Christian may vvithstand and defeate them : and afterwards more speciallie their particvlar temptatiions, against the seuerall causes and meanes of our saluation, whereby on the one side they allure vs to security and presumption, and on the other side, draw vs to doubting and desperation, are expressed and answered : written especially for their sakes who are exercised in the spirituall conflict of temptations, and are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sense of their sinnes / by I. Dovvname ...

CHAP. XXXVI. Other reasons to perswade the weake Christian of the remission of his sinnes.

[§. Sect. 1] ANd these are the reasons which may be drawn from euery of the persons of the Trinitie, to assure vs of the remission of our sinnes; to which we may ad diuers others. First, the be∣leeuing of the remission of our sinnes in an article of our Creede, which we doe daily confesse and pro∣fesse, which is not left vnto our choise to beleeue or not to beleeue, but as we confesse it with the mouth, so we are boūd to beleeue it with the heart, if we would be reckoned in the number of Christians. Why then should we doubt of that which we are bound to performe; and if wee doe not wee grieuously sinne through infidelitie, which is more daunge∣rous & damnable then all our other sins whatsoeuer? And therefore though there were no other reason to mooue vs, though our hainous and manifold sinnes should make it seeme vnto vs neuer so incredible, yet let vs set aside all im∣pediments

and breake through the violence of all obiecti∣ons, and beleeue in obedience to Gods commaundements, and because it is our dutie, the performance whereof is very acceptable vnto God, and the neglect whereof is a sinne most daungerous and damnable. Which that we may per∣fourme, let vs carefully obserue the condition of the coue∣nant of grace, that is, let vs rest and rely vpon Christ Iesus alone for our saluation by a liuely faith, and turne vnto God by vnfained repentance, and then there is no place left to doubting of that which in dutie we are bound to beleeue.

[§. Sect. 2] Secondly the afflicted soule labouring vnder sinne may receiue no small assurance by the testimonie of Gods faith∣full ministers; for the keyes of the kingdome of heauen are committed vnto them, and they haue power giuen them of God here on earth to bind and loose; not as though they could by their owne authoritie and in their owne name giue pardon of sinnes to whom they list (as the papists teach and practise, for this is proper and peculiar vnto God alone, as euen the Pharises well knew whereof it was, that seeing our Sauiour Christ take vpon him to forgiue sinnes whom they imagined to bee a meere man, they affirmed that he blasphe∣med. For who (say they can forgiue sinne but God onely) but they haue authoritie giuen them of God vpon due exa∣mination and tryall of their faith by the fruites thereof vn∣fained repentance, certainely to declare and pronounce vn∣to them that their sinnes are forgiuen. Whosoeuer therefore haue this testimonie of Gods faithful ministers who are well acquainted with their estates giuen vnto thē, they may assure themselues that it is vndoubtedly true and most certaine; for who is it that dare oppose himselfe and contradict the testi∣monie of Gods spirite in the mouth of so many his faithfull ambassadours? who dare bee so presumptuous as to take vp∣pon him the discerning of his state better then the ministers of God, who being appointed of God to this function are indued with a great measure of his spirit, whereby they are inabled to discerne and iudge of mens estates better then they themselues? for he that is spiritual discerneth all things,

and is made acquainted with the mind of Christ, as the A∣postle speaketh 1. Cor 2.15.16. And therefore if diuers of Gods faithfull ministers with one consent pronounce vnto any paenitent sinner the remission of their sinnes, and assure them after the examination of their estate that they are in the loue and fauour of God, it should be vnto them ten thousand times more forcible an argument to perswade thē & to con∣firme their faith in the assurāce of Gods loue, then the cōtra∣rie testimonie of Sathan or their timorous vnbeleeuing flesh to moue them to doubting thereof, if our bodies be sicke we committ our selues to the skill and care of the phisition, and good reason, because wee knowe he is better able to discerne of our estate then we our selues, and beleeuing his iudgment to bee good wee suffer him to applie such remedies as hee thinketh most fitt; why then should wee not committ the discerning of our estate to the phisition of the soule no lesse careful, and in this respect much more skilful? for the others rules in some patients may faile him, but the grounds where∣upon the spirituall physition buildeth, are most infallible be∣ing the vndoubted truth of God. Why should we not rather beleeue their often approoued iudgment then our owne ti∣morous phantasies, or Sathans testimonie who is our mali∣tious enemie?

[§. Sect. 3] Thirdly the afflicted soule may gather assurance of the re∣mission of sinnes from the contrarie testimonie of the diuel. For when ther is any suggestion cast into our mindes which is repugnant to the word of God and the testimonie of Gods spirit in the heartes of the faithfull, we may assure our selues that it is the speech of Sathan or of our corrupt fleshe the messenger of Sathan both which come to one end; but those motiues and suggestions, that God will not receiue vs to mercie, that our sinnes are vnpardonable, that wee are re∣probates and castawayes, that now it is too late to turne vn∣to God, proceed not from Gods spirit, for they are quite contrarie to that which the scriptures teach vs, namely that the mercies of God are infinite, and hee alwaies readie to re∣ceiue vs to grace when we turne vnto him; that if we wil ear∣nestly

repent and in the mediation of Christ sue for mercie, hee will make our scarlet sinnes as white as snow, that it is neuer to late to turne vnto God, for if wee repent hee hath promised to remit our sins, and to receiue vs into his fauour. Neither are wee to imagine that the testimonie of Gods spi∣rit in our consciences is contrarie to the testimonie of the same spirit in the holy scriptures, and therefore seeing these suggestions are flatly repugnant to the worde of God and testimonie of the spirit, wee are to assure our selues that they are the temptations of Sathan, eyther immediately suggested by himselfe or mediately by his messenger our corrupt fleshe.

Seeing then these suggestions come from Sathan who is our malicious enemie, and a lyar from the beginning yea the father of lies we are not to beleeue thē, nay rather we may ga∣ther certaine assurance that the contrarie is true; for the spea∣keth onely lyes, or if at any time hee speake the trueth it is to this ende that hee may deceiue vs. For example hee telleth the secure carnall may that hee is in the state of grace, and highly in Gods fauour, but vnto the humbled sinner hee saith, that he is a reprobate & shal most certainly be damned; vnto the worldly secure man hee saith that God is most mer∣cifull, then the which nothing can bee more true, but doth not speake this in his conscience, because hee would haue him to tast thereof but to lull him a sleepe with this sweete syren song to his eternall perdition. On the other side when hee hath to deale with the brused heart and contrite spirite, hee telleth him of nothing but of Gods exact iustice, to the ende that hee may plunge him into vtter desperation: In a word whatsoeuer hee speaketh in the conscience of man, it is eyther false in it selfe or if true in them yet false in hypo∣crisie, if true in the generall, yet false in the particular ap∣plication. As what can bee more true then that God is iust? and what more false then that hee will excercise his iustice in punishing repentant and humbled sinners? what can be more true then that God is most merciful? and what more false then that he wil shew this his mercy is sauing those who

liue and die in their sins without repentance? & yet it is most vsuall with Sathan to affirme both the one and the other, ly∣ing in both because hee doth misapply them. And there∣fore seeing Sathan doth neuer speake the truth or else doth falsly apply it in respect of our estate, let vs acquaint our selues with his false language; and so by hearing his lies wee may bee the better assured of the truth; for example, when hee telleth vs that our sinnes are vnpardonable, that it is now too late to turne vnto the Lord, that wee are reprobates and damned wretches, wee knowing that our malicious enemie by his lies doth continually seeke our destruction, are con∣trariwise to assure our selues that Gods mercie and Christes merites farre exceed our sinnes, that nowe is the accepta∣ble time and day of saluation, if we will turne vnto God and hearing his voice not harden our heartes, that wee are in the state of saluation, the vessels of mercie, and beloued children of God.

[§. Sect. 4] Lastly those who are heauie laden with the burthen of their sinnes, may gather vnto themselues assurance of the forgiuenesse of them, by the consideration of Gods mercie extended vnto other repentant sinners; for there was neuer any from the beginning of the world to this day, were their sinnes neuer so hainous or innumerable who haue not beene receiued to mercie, and pardoned of our gratious God when∣soeuer they did vnfainedly turne vnto him. And this may appeare whether wee consider whole cities or nations, or else particular men. Of the first wee haue a notable example in the Israelites which liued in the time of the iudges, who though they did many times negligently forget the greate mercies and inestimable benefites of God shewed to their forefathers, of which also themselues had beene partakers, though they forsooke the Lorde not once or twise but very often, euen then when he most bound them vnto him with multiplying vpon them the benefitts of peace and plentie, and though they let the raines loose vnto all wickednesse, yea (which was most abhominable and odious in the sight of God,) though they worshiped and serued Baal and Aste∣roth

and other idolls of the cursed nations, for which horri∣ble idolatrie God had cast out the nations before them; yet whensoeuer they turned vnto the Lorde hee pardoned their sinnes, receiuing them into his former loue and fauour, and deliuered them out of the handes of all their enemies.

So likewise in the time of the prophet Esay, to what a no∣torious height of wickednesse were the same people growne as the Lord by his prophet doth decipher and describe them in the first chapter of that prophecie. In the 2. ver. he calleth heauen and earth to witnesse their horrible rebellion, in the 3. verse hee sheweth that their vnthankfulnesse for all his mercies, far exceeded the vngratitude of bruite beasts, in the 4. verse hee exclaymeth out against them calling them a sin∣fullnation, a people laden with iniquitie, a seed of the wicked cor∣rupt children who had for saken the Lord, and prouoked the holy one of Israell to anger. In the 5. and 6. verses he sheweth their hardnesse of heart and obstinacie in their rebellion which was so great that though the Lord sent afflictions & chastize mentes vpon them, yet they were no whit reformed but waxed worse and worse, and that this was not the case of some few but of al the whole body of the people, for the whole head was sicke and the whole heart was heaute. and that from the soule of the foote to the crowne of the head there was nothing sound therein, but wounds, and swellings, and sores full of corruption, the cure whereof they vtterly neglected. In the 10. verse hee matcheth the sinnes of both prince and people, with those crying sinnes and outragious wickednesse of Sodome and Gomorah which brought down from heauen fire and brim∣stone to consume them. In the 11.12.13. and 14. verses he complaineth of their filthie hypocrisie in Gods outward worship ioyned with the vtter neglect of true godlinesse and his spirituall seruice, which caused the Lord to detest al their sacrifices, sabbothes, and newe moones. So that their could not bee imagined greater wickednesse in any people, res∣pecting those notable meanes which the Lorde continually graunted vnto them aboue all other nations for their owne conuersion; and therefore who would not haue thought

their state to be most desperate, who would not haue looked dayly that the Lorde should haue consumed them with fire and brimstone, or haue caused the earth to haue swallowed them vp aliue as it did Corah and his assotiats? but behould the infinite mercies of our gratious God, euen when they wallowed in this filthie sinke of all impietie the Lord calleth them to repentance, and when as they had forsaken him and fled from him, desiring nothing lesse then to make or med∣dle with him, the Lord calleth vnto them, and hee in whose power it was euery minute vtterly to destroy them, first of all desireth a parley, he who might well abhorre to vouch∣safe them his presence, earnestly desireth conference with them, saying. ver. 18. Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord; though your sinnes were as crimson, they shall bee made as white as snow; though they were red like searlet, they shall be as wool.

[§. Sect. 6] In like manner in the time of our sauiour Christ the same Iewes most wickedly rebelled against the Lorde; for when the Lord in his rich mercy sent the promised Messias, to de∣liuer them out of the handes of their enemies, they would not receiue him, nay they continually afflicted and persecuted him, they mocked and reuiled him, they haled him before the iudgment seate, and caused him to bee condemned who came to iustifie and acquite them; they buffeted and whipped him, and preferred a wicked murtherer before him, who preferred their saluation before his owne life, lastly in most ignominious sort they crucified and killed him. After all which outragious wickednesse offered against the Lord of life, they continued in their hardnesse of heart and impaeni∣tencie, neuer acknowledging their fault not desiring par∣don, nay rather as they had persecuted the head our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, so when they could offer no more wrong vnto him in his owne person, they were ready to sa∣tisfie and glutt their malicious rage in persecuting his poore members. Now what more hellish impietie was euer com∣mitted? what more outragious sinne was euer heard of; who would euer haue imagined that there was any hope of

pardon for such rebellious bloudy wretches? but O the in∣finite and bottomelesse depth of Gods mercy, whilest their wickednesse was fresh in memorie, and their hands still im∣brewed in the guiltlesse bloud of this innocent Lambe: when as they continued in their course, and ran headlong forward in their wickednes without any sence of sin or desire of par∣don; the Lord sent his apostles vnto them to bring them to repentance, and to assure them that their sinnes were par∣doned. Seeing therefore these obtained the remission of their sinnes, who needs to doubt of pardon who earnestly desires it? for did the Lord gratioussy offer forgiuenesse to such rebellious wretches, and will hee not graunt it to lesse offenders if they desire it? did he offer them mercy before they sought it, and will he denie mercy vnto any who ear∣nestly seeke and sue for it? Doth hee seeke to draw men to repentance and to turne vnto him; and will he not receiue them when they doe repent? was he so exceeding mercifull in times past, and shall we now thinke his arme shortned or his mercy abated? Nay assuredly he is immutable euer like himselfe one and the same most gratious, most merciful, & full of all goodnesse and compassion, towards all them that come vnto him. And therefore if we turne from our sinnes by vnfained repentance, wee may assure our selues though they be neuer so many and grieuous they shalbe pardoned, and we receaued into Gods loue and fauour.

[§. Sect. 7] To these examples of whole multitudes, we may ad the examples of particular sinners, who haue beene receyued to mercy and obteined pardon, though their sinnes haue beene many and grieuous, as Matthew, Zacheus, Leui, who were sinfull Publicans that got their liuings by pilling & polling, oppression and extortion, men so notoriously wicked, that Publicans and sinners are ioyned together, as though they were sinners by profession, and therefore as Synonima or diuers words of one signification they interprete one ano∣ther. And yet such was the riches of Gods mercy, that euen these professed sinners were conuerted, and receiued remis∣sion of all their outragious wickednesse. The like may bee

said of Mary Magdalene who though shee had beene a wo∣man of lewde behauiour and loose life, though she were pos∣sessed of many diuels, and commonly noted for an infamous and notorious sinner, yet vpon her true repentance obtained the remission of her sinnes: and whilest she washed the feet of our sauiour Christ with her teares, hee purged and clean∣sed her body and soule from the filthy leprosie of sinne with his owne most pretious bloud, whilest she wiped them with the haires of her head, he beautified and adorned her with the rich robe of his righteousnesse. Yea she was receiued into an high degree of fauour with our sauiour Christ, so as shee had in some things the preheminence before his chiefe Apo∣stels, for after Christes rising againe he first vouchsafed her his presence, and vsed her as his messenger to certifie the rest of his resurrection. So likewise the Apostle Paul before his calling was not onely no louer but a bitter and fierce perse∣cuter of the truth, and of all the professours thereof, impriso∣ning, stoning, and cruelly murthering the Saints of God; but behold and admire the wonderfull mercy of God, euen whilest his imbrued hands, were yet red with the bloud of Gods faithfull children, and whilest his heart was so full of burning rage, that hee breathed out still threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, it pleased God wonderfully to conuert him, to assure him of the remission of all these his horrible sinnes, and to make him of a bloudie persecuter, a most excellent preacher of his Gospell, and of a rauenous deuouring wolfe, a most vigilant and painefull shepheard. To these wee might adde the example of the theefe, who though he had spent his whole life wickedly & prophanely, yet was conuerted at the howre of death and re∣ceauing the pardon of his sinnes, was presently assured of euerlasting happinesse. But I shall not need to heape vp ma∣ny particulars, onely I can not passe that notable example of Manasses one of the most outragious sinners and pro∣phanest wretch that euer liued, as the holy Ghost hath de∣scribed him in the 21. chap. of the 2. booke of the Kings. For there he affirmeth of him that he was a most horrible idola∣ter,

a most malitious enemy and cruell persecuter of Gods truth, a defiler of Gods holy temple, a sacrificer of his owne children vnto idols, that is diuels, a notable witch, and wic∣ked sorcerer, a bloudy murtherer of exceeding many the deare Saints and true Prophets of the Lord, one who did not runne headlong alone into all hellish impietie, but also ledd the people vnder his gouerment out of the way to doe more wickedly then did the Heathen people whom the Lord di∣stroied before the children of Israel, and in a word wrought more abominations and outragious wickednesse then the cursed Amorites and Cananites, of whom notwithstanding the land surfetted and spued them out for their crying sins. And yet this Manasses, this wretch, more like a diuell incar∣nate then a Saint of God, repenting him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart, was receaued (I cannot speake it without rauishing wonder of Gods bottomlesse & neuer suf∣ficiently admired mercy) was receaued I say, to grace, and obtained the pardon of all his horrible sinnes and most abo∣minable wickednesse. Now all these examples are written for our learning, and are recorded by the holy Ghost, to the end that wee may continually laud and prayse the Lord for his endlesse and infinite mercies, and gather vnto our selues assurance, that though our sinnes were as grieuous and hai∣nous as any of theirs before named, yet if with them wee turne from our sinnes by vnfained repentance, and goe vn∣to Christ by a liuely faith, wee shall also with them receaue the pardon of our sinnes, and be entertained into Gods loue and fauour.

[§. Sect. 8] And thus haue I set downe most infallible reasons, vpon which as vpon immoueable firme grounds, the afflictted conscience may lay the foundation of sound comfort; now if any abuse the Gospel of Iesus Christ, and gather out of this heauenly doctrine this diuelish vse, that because Gods mer∣cies abound therefore they will abound in their sinnes with∣out repentance, and still more and more prouoke the wrath of the Lord against them, to these I answere with the Apo∣stle that their damnation is iust, in that they abuse Gods

mercy, as an occasion to sinne, which should serue as a for∣cible argument to lead them to repentance, neither let such flatter themselues with vaine hope of Gods mercy, for de∣spising the riches of his boūtifulnesse, patience, & long suffe∣ring, & cōtinuing in their hardnesse of hart & vnrepentancy, they treasure vp vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath, and of the declaration of the iust iudgemēt of God. As the apostle plainely speaketh Rom. 2.4.5. Neither let thē foolishly boul∣ster vp themselues in their sinnes, by putting vnder their el∣bowes, the sweet soft pillowes of Gods mercifull promises, for as there is none so speciall which doe exclude the most hainous sinner that repenteth & beleeueth, so is there none so generall which do extend themselues to those who con∣tinue in their vnrepentancie and vnbeliefe; and therefore though there be no sinne so grieuous, which being repented of and forsaken will condemne vs if wee rest and relie vpon our Sauiour Christ for our saluation by a liuely faith; so there is no sinne so small and veniall which will not plunge vs in∣to the bottome of hell, if we liue therein without repentance and doe not desire to leaue and sorsake it. And therefore so long as wee liue in our sinnes, and doe not seriously turne vnto the Lord by vnfained repentance, let vs not in vaine arrogate and misapply vnto our selues the mercy of God, the merites of Christ, and the sweet promises of the Gospell, for vnto such appertaine the fearefull threatnings of the law as being still the children of wrath, dead in their sinnes, and subiect to Gods heauie wrath and displeasure.

Notes

• 1. That wee are to beleeue the remission of our sinnes, because it is an article of our Creede.
• 2. The testi∣monie of Gods faith∣full mini∣sters. Matth. 16.
• The 3. Reason drawne from the contrarie testimonie of Sathan.
• Ioh. 8.44. Sathan either lyeth or else speaketh the truth to de∣ceiue.
• The last ar∣gument taken from the ex∣perience of Gods mercy in pardoning others. and first of whole cities and na∣tions.
• The example of the Israelits in the time of the prophet Esay. Esay 1.5. to the 16.
• The example of the Israe∣lites in the time of our sauiour Christ
• Act. 2.38.
• Particular examples of Gods mercy.
• 2. Kings 21.
• That vnre∣pentant sin∣ners haue nothing to doe with the former con∣solation.