A soveraigne salve to cure vvounded spirits, or, The ready way and meanes to give spirituall ease and comfort to distressed consciences collected out of the Word of God and the writings and experiments of the most approved soule-physitians, both of this and former ages, which either for learning or experience, or both, have excelled in this healing part of divinity and fitted to the capacity and use of the meanest of Gods afflicted ones.

SECT. IV.

The place of Scripture.

1 JOH. 3. 20. If our heart condemne ••redge•• God is greater then our heart, and kn••redge••¦eth all things.

The Conclusion which tender Consciences draw from this place of Scripture against themselves, is this:

THat seeing their owne Consciences doe (as they finde) condemne them; there∣fore they can be no other, then damned Wretches, in the sight of God; for he is greater then their consciences, and knoweth much more of them, then they know of themselves, and accordingly will one day judge them.

The place of Scripture vindicated and clea∣red.

FOr the better understanding of this place of Scripture, we must know, that ••ledge••here is a two-fold judgement, which the ••ledge••eart and conscience of a man passeth upon ••ledge••im in this life. The one is of his estate and ••ledge••erson, as whether he be in the estate of ••ledge••race, or no: The other is of his particular ••ledge••tions, whether they be good, or no.

This place of Saint John cannot be un∣••ledge••erstood of judging, or condemning the ••ledge••son; for God in his finall judgement, ••ledge••oth not judge according to what a mans ••ledge••eake and erroneous Conscience judgeth

of him here: For many a man, in his pre∣sumption and selfe-confidence, may justifie himselfe here, whom God may condemne hereafter: And many a poore distressed Soule may, with the Prodigall, and humble Publican, condemne himselfe here, whom yet God will absolve hereafter.

But this place is rather to be understood of judging of particular actions; namely, whether a man love his Brother, not in word and tongue onely, but in deed, and in truth, according to the Apostles exhortation, v. 18. which if his conscience could testifie for him, then it might assure his heart be∣fore God, and give it boldnesse to pray un∣to him, in confidence to receive whatsoever he did aske, according to his will: But if his owne Conscience did, or could condemne••redge•• him of not loving his Brother in deed, and i••redge•• truth, then God (who is greater then h••redge•• heart, viz. in knowing the truth of his love) knowing all things, must needs condemn••redge•• him therein much more. And this I take to be the † 1.1 full scope, and meaning of th••redge•• place.

The Conclusion drawne from this fore-alleaged place, confuted.

LEt no distressed Soule then thinke, and conclude from hence, that because his owne conscience judgeth and condemneth him for a Reprobate, for a Cast-away, and one that is not in the estate of grace, there∣fore he must needs be so in the judgement and condemnation also of the Lord. For first, you see this place proveth it not. Next, we know, and by experience do often find, that even Gods owne children, in the time of their spirituall distresse, are most unfit to judge of their present gracious estate here, or of their finall estate hereafter: Wit∣nesse, David, Job, Jonah, and other of Gods children. Yea, they that have thus judged of themselves, have in conclusion found, that they have (by so doing) both mis∣judged God, and themselves, for which they have asked Gods pardon, and upon their true repentance have found it.

Notes

• † 1.1

  See BB. Lakes Sermon in loc. Lactant. de vero cultu, l. 6. c. 24.