The very Heathen had a taste of these unquiet brunts & anguishes of spirit, which they termed Furies, which toss a mans conscience with such continual accusations, as neither1 eating nor drinking, nor sleeping nor waking, nor speaking, nor keeping silence they can find any quiet. Neither is there any greater plague than this, as testifieth the Wise Man in the book of the Proverbs: Give me any plague, saving the plague of the heart, &c. No marvel: for when our reason and appetite fight one with another, and there is an hurly burly within us, we shall find nothing to be more precious than the peace of conscience, which so commendeth us to God, that we shall find in trouble peace, in banishment our country, in imprisonment liberty, in death life. What madness then is it to put this peace from us, and to hale towards us as with cart ropes these direful plagues of the spirit, which so torment us in this life, & without repentance in death will bring us to hell. If then by the grace of God his spirit, we would oft set before us some serious meditation of death, and think earnestly of our departure from hence, even as our deliverance out of the flesh were then at hand, doubtless we should find by that an approved trial of the image of that estate which we should have, if death indeed were present. And if in the quietness of our minds on our beds at midnight, we would without hypocrisy present our selves before God his judgement seat, as if Christ in that instance did appear in the clouds, we would redeem this benefit and peace of conscience with all the goods in the world. Wherefore as the Prophet exhorteth us, it is good thus to examine our selves, and not to tarry the trial of our hearts, until affliction cometh upon us, but in the calm of our minds to use this practise in trembling. Let us pray then that this may still sound in our ears, that unto them that love God, all things shall turn to the best, as we may see Josh. 1. Psalm. 1. Rom. 8. And as to them that love, all things counted ill, do turn to the best: so to the wicked all things that are counted good do turn to the worst: so that when a mans conscience doth boil with sin, all his pleasures, profits and glory will the further feed on him to his grief, and awake the more the troubles of his mind.
The very Heathen had a taste of these vnquiet brunts & anguishes of spirit, which they tearmed Furies, which tosse a mans conscience with such continual accusations, as neither1 eating nor drinking, nor sleeping nor waking, nor speaking, nor keeping silence they can finde any quiet. Neither is there any greater plague than this, as testifieth the Wiseman in the booke of the Prouerbs: Giue mee any plague, sauing the plague of the heart, &c. No maruaile: for when our reason and appetite fight one with another, and there is an hurly burly within vs, wee shall finde nothing to be more pretious than the peace of conscience, which so commendeth vs to God, that we shall finde in trouble peace, in banishment our countrie, in imprisonment libertie, in death life. What madnesse then is it to put this peace from vs, and to hale towards vs as with cart ropes these direful plagues of the spirit, which so torment vs in this life, & without repentance in death wil bring vs to hell. If then by the grace of God his spirit, wee would oft set before vs some serious meditation of death, and thinke earnestly of our departure from hence, euen as our deliuerāce out of the flesh were then at hand, doubtlesse we should finde by that an approued triall of the image of that estate which we should haue, if death indeede were present. And if in the quietnes of our mindes on our beds at midnight, we would without hypocrisie present our selues before God his iudgement seate, as if Christ in that instance did appeare in the cloudes, we would redeeme this benefit and peace of conscience with all the goods in the world. Wherefore as the Prophet exhorteth vs, it is good thus to examine our selues, and not to tarrie the triall of our hearts, vntil affliction commeth vpon vs, but in the calme of our minds to vse this practise in trembling. Let vs pray then that this may still sound in our eares, that vnto them that loue God, all things shall turne to the best, as wee may see Iosh. 1. Psalm. 1. Rom. 8. And as to them that loue, all things counted ill, doe turne to the best: so to the wicked all things that are counted good doe turne to the worst: so that when a mans conscience doth boyle with finne, all his pleasures, profits and glory will the further feede on him to his griefe, and awake the more the troubles of his minde.
- 1Furies.
