A01980:145
A recovery from apostasy Set out in a sermon preached in Stepney Church near London at the receiving of a penitent renegado into the Church, Octob. 21. 1638. By William Gouge D.D. and min. in Black-Friars London Herein is the history of the surprisal and admirable escape of the said penitent.A recovery from apostacy Set out in a sermon preached in Stepny Church neere London at the receiving of a penitent renegado into the Church, Octob. 21. 1638. By William Gouge D.D. and min. in Black-Friers London Herein is the history of the surprizall and admirable escape of the said penitent.
London: printed by George Miller for Joshua Kirton, 1639London: printed by George Miller for Ioshua Kirton, 1639
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
What Orator or Rhetorician could have set out a difference or disproportion more to the life and to the full, then the Apostle hath done in the fore-mentioned words?
What Oratour or Rhetorician could have set out a difference or disproportion more to the life and to the full, then the Apostle hath done in the fore-mentioned words?
Who should not, who would not be moved hereby to endure any thing that by man can be inflicted for professing Christ, rather then by denying him, loose that exceedingly excelling weight ⟨p. 38⟩of glory: Hereof when S. Paul, being rapt into the third heaven, had but a glimpse, he saw and heard [Greek or Hebrew] unutterable matters, 1which man cannot possibly express. These, these are the things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man. 1. Cor. 2.9. And these are the things that are lost by denying Christ.
Who should not, who would not bee mooved hereby to endure any thing that by man can bee inflicted for professing Christ, rather then by denying him, loose that exceedingly excelling weight ⟨p. 38⟩of glory: Heereof when S. Paul, being rapt into the third heaven, had but a glimps, he saw and heard 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 unutterable matters, 1which man cannot possibly expresse. These, these are the things which eye hath not seene, nor eare heard, neither have entered into the heart of man. 1. Cor. 2.9. And these are the things that are lost by denying Christ.
1Yet is not this all. Apostasy pulls upon a man not only poenam damni, loss of bliss, but also poenam sensus, 2that which will make him feel pain and smart, even the sense of torture and torment: and not such as man only can inflict: No nor such only as all the Devils in hell can inflict: But such as by the wrath and power of the Almighty is inflicted: Such as red hot iron, boiling lead, flaming fire, and all other corporal and temporal torturing torments are too light to parallel or compare withal. For they are easeless and endless, merciless and remediless. A fire kindled in mine anger (saith the Lord Deut. 32.22.) shall burn unto the lowest Hell. Hear this, O Apostates, and tremble. Receive therefore the counsel which the Lord thus giveth (Luk. 12.4, 5.) I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do: But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into Hell: yea, I say unto you, him fear.
1Yet is not this all. Apostacy pulls upon a man not onely poenam damni, losse of blisse, but allso poenam sensus, 2that which will make him feele paine and smart, even the sence of torture and torment: and not such as man onely can inflict: No nor such onely as all the Divels in hell can inflict: But such as by the wrath and power of the Almighty is inflicted: Such as red hot yron, boyling lead, flaming fire, and all other corporall and temporall torturing torments are too light to paralell or compare withall. For they are easelesse and endlesse, mercilesse and remedilesse. A fire kindled in mine anger (saith the Lord Deut. 32.22.) shall burn unto the lowest Hell. Heare this, O Apostates, and tremble. Receive therefore the counsell which the Lord thus giveth (Luk. 12.4, 5.) I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do: But I will forewarne you whom you shall feare: Feare him who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into Hell: yea, I say unto you, him feare.
Because hard and cruel usage of Turks, and fear of worse is the cause alleged by this present ⟨p. 39⟩Penitent, whereby he was moved to renounce his profession of Christ, I have the longer insisted thereon, and endeavoured to make clear these six distinct points.
Because hard and cruell usage of Turks, and feare of worse is the cause alleadged by this present ⟨p. 39⟩Penitent, whereby he was mooved to renounce his profession of Christ, I have the longer insisted thereon, and indeavoured to make cleere these six distinct points.
1. That Apostates may implunge themselves into greater tortures then they can avoid.
2. That all that by men can be inflicted on constant professors of the Christian Faith, are no more then what God can and will enable them to bear.
2. That all that by men can bee inflicted on constant professours of the Christian Faith, are no more then what God can and will inable them to beare.
3. That greater tortures cannot be invented then have in former times been inflicted on Christians.
3. That greater tortures cannot be invented then have in former times beene inflicted on Christians.
4. That Martyrs in all ages have expressed much comfort & joy in their greatest sufferings.
5. That their recompense far surpasseth their endurance.
5. That their recompence farre surpasseth their endurance.
6. That by denying Christ that recompense is lost and intolerable torments in Hell purchased.
6. That by denying Christ that recompence is lost and intolerable torments in Hell purchased.
If these be not enough to embolden Christians against all that man can do, I know not what can be enough.
But yet there remains one stumbling block to be removed, and that is about life.1 For skin for skin and all that a man hath will be give for his life.
But yet there remaines one stumbling blocke to be remooved, and that is about life.1 For skin for skinne and all that a man hath will be give for his life.
For satisfaction hereunto let it be considered that
2. I• that high prize set upon life be taken in a fair and right sense, it must be applied ad idem, to matters of like kind. For a temporal life, all the temporal things that he hath, may be given: as (Mar. 5.26.) the woman which had an issue of blood, spent all that she had on Physicians, namely all her temporal estate. But the true faith is of another kind: the good of our souls, the present consolation, and future salvation of them, depends on a constant profession of the true faith. It is not in our power to part with it.
2. I• that high prize set upon life bee taken in a faire and right sence, it must be applied ad idem, to matters of like kind. For a temporall life, all the temporall things that he hath, may be given: as (Mar. 5.26.) the woeman which had an issue of blood, spent all that shee had on Physitions, namely all her temporall estate. But the true faith is of another kinde: the good of our soules, the present consolation, and future salvation of them, depends on a constant profession of the true faith. It is not in our power to part with it.
3. Life preserved by Apostasy is but a temporary life, a shadow, a vapour, a bubble, a breath: Soon gone, even before a man can think of parting with it. How long did Judas retain his life after his Apostasy? The rich fool had his soul taken away long before his account. For while he dreamed of many years, he heard this summons, This night thy soul shall be required of thee (Luk. 12.20.)
3. Life preserved by Apostacy is but a temporary life, a shadow, a vapour, a bubble, a breath: Soone gone, even before a man can thinke of parting with it. How long did Iudas retaine his life after his Apostacy? The rich foole had his soule taken away long before his account. For while he dreamed of many yeares, he heard this summons, This night thy soule shall be required of thee (Luk. 12.20.)
