A Golden Chain

The fourth, is a sorrow in respect of the punishment of sin, arising of the three former actions. And though this sorrow be no grace, for it befalls as well the wicked as the godly: yet may it be an occasion of grace, because by the apprehension of Gods anger, we come to the apprehension of his mercy. And it is better that conscience should grieve & wound us & do his worst against us in this life, while remedy may be had, then after this life, when remedy is past.

The fourth, is a sorrow in respect of the punishment of sinne, arising of the three former actions. And though this sorrow be no grace, for it befals as well the wicked as the godly: yet may it be an occasion of grace, because by the apprehension of Gods anger, we come to the apprehensiō of his mercie. And it is better that conscience should grieue & wound vs & do his worst against vs in this life, while remedie may be had, then after this life, when remedy is past.

Thus much of preparation: now follows the remedy, and the application of it. The remedy is nothing else but the blood or the merits of Christ, who specially in conscience felt the wrath of God, as when he said, My soul is heavy unto death: and his agony was not so much a pain and torment in body, as the apprehension of the fear and anger of God in conscience: and when the holy Ghost saith, That he offered unto God prayers with strong cries and was heard from fear, he directly notes the distress and anguish of his most holy conscience for our sins. And as the blood of Christ is an all-sufficient remedy, so is it also the alone remedy of all the sores and wounds of conscience. For nothing can stanch or stay the terrors of conscience, but the blood of the immaculate lamb of God: nothing can satisfy the judgement of the conscience, much less the most severe judgement of God, but the only satisfaction of Christ. In the application of the remedy, two things are required: the Gospel preached, and faith: the Gospel is the hand of God, that offereth grace to us: and faith is our hand whereby we receive it.

Thus much of preparation: now follows the remedie, and the application of it. The remedie is nothing else but the blood or the merits of Christ, who specially in conscience felt the wrath of God, as when he said, My soule is heauie vnto death: and his agonie was not so much a paine and torment in bodie, as the apprehension of the feare and anger of God in conscience: and when the holy Ghost saith, That he offered vnto God praiers with strong cries and was heard from feare, he directly notes the distresse and anguish of his most holy conscience for our sinnes. And as the blood of Christ is an all-sufficient remedie, so is it also the alone remedie of all the sores and wounds of conscience. For nothing can stanch or stay the terrrours of conscience, but the blood of the immaculate lambe of God: nothing can satisfie the iudgement of the conscience, much lesse the most seuere iudgement of God, but the onely satisfaction of Christ. In the application of the remedie, two things are required: the Gospell preached, and faith: the Gospell is the hand of God, that offereth grace to vs: and faith is our hand whereby we receiue it.