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A07452
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A sermon of repentance. Preached by George Meriton Doctor of Diuinity, and one of his Maiesties chaplaines in ordinary
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Meriton, George, d. 1624.
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1607
(1607)
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STC 17839; ESTC S112669
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18,865
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40
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Psa 16. 11. but shewe you now what Saint Augustine speaketh of the ioyes of Heauen and so will I passe vnto that which followeth Wee may saith hee sooner tell you what they are not then what they are Yet take a surusie of those manifolde benefits which GOD bestoweth vpon our base and ignoble bodies Shed out both vpon good and badde from the Heauens from the Ayre from the Earth from the Waters from light from darkenesse from heate from coldnesse from all the creatures shed also out by succession to exclude a loathing Doth GOD bestow vpon our bodies and promiscuaily vppon all these excellent benefits Then O Lord howe great and wonderfull are those good things which thou hast laid vp for thine Elect in the Kingdome of Heauen if these be so good which thou hast giuen to good and badde what shall they bee which thou hast reserued onely for the good if they bee soe pleasant which thou sendest to friendes and enemies howe sweete are those which thy friends shall enioy if there bee so many comfortes in the valley of teares what shall there bee in the day of marriage if thou beest so kind vnto vs in this prison of ours how wilt thon imbrace and hugge vs when we come into thy Kingdome Into that euerlasting Kingdome where euerlasting glory shall bee vpon our heads where that which we would haue shal be present with vs and that we would not haue shal be as sent from vs where there shal be a measure of ioy heaped vp shaken together pressed downe running ouer mensura sine mensura as Bernard speaketh a measure without measure Where we shall haue health without sicknesse strength without weakenesse freedome without bondage beautie without blacknesse Knowledge without ignorance plenty without want peace without trouble safety without feare life without death glory without shame Where wee shall be filled with ioy yet beeing filled wee shall still desire least our fulnesse procure a loathing and in desiring wee shall alwayes bee filled least our desire beget a greeuing to conclude neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor heart of man can conceiue those excellent things that are prepared for vs. Neyther can GOD giue more nor man receiue more then we shall there inioy And is not this then a most lamentable losse to bee debarred from these ioves of Heauen Mee thinkes the remembrance of it should dismaye the heart of a wicked man When hee recounteth with himselfe that hee shall bee shutte out off doores with Dogges that hee shall be excluded from those vnspeakable ioyes which CHRIST IESVS hath bought with his pretious heart bloud that hee shall bee bereft of that glory whereof the beauty of the most glorious Creatures is but a simple shadow that hee shall be cast out from that pure bright and large place of happinesse from an Eternall Kingdome Did the losse of the Arke of 1. Sam. 4. GOD cause Elye to breake his neck This then is inough to breake a Pharaohs heart in peeces to know that after troubles heere there is no hope of harbour of rest of safty in the world to come that he shal be depryued of the face of GOD the sight of CHRIST the fellowship of the Spirit the company of holy Angells and blessed Saintes finally that hee shall haue no part in that great measure of ioy which is so infinite as it cannot enter into vs but wee must enter into it Thou good and faithfull Mat. 25. 21 seruant enter into thy Maisters ioy O wofull and vnsufferable losse more then can bee counternayled by the gayning of ten thousand Worldes Nay all the teares which shall be in Hell will saith Chrisostome neuer be sufficient to bewayle the losse of Heauen And is this all the punishment the impenitent shall sustaine shall they onely loose the ioyes of Heauen we may not stay heere They shal perish they shall likewise feele the terrible paines of Hell Many motiues are there saith Saint Hierom to stirre vs vp to amendment of our liues The consideration of the teares and of the bloud which CHRIST shedde for sinners our owne ennumerable offences the weaknesse of our bodies and frailty of our liues GODS continued mercy towardes vs his Iustice and reuenging power but especially the feare of loosing the ioyes of Heauen All these are as spurres to prick vs forward to repentance and as Trumpets to rowse vs vp from our carnall securitye Yet such is the dulnesse of many and so dead a sleepe are some in their sinnes as such motiues as these will worke but small effect in them Let CHRIST weepe till his Head and Heart ake let him suffer neuer so extreame Torments let sinnes bee as redde as scarlet and liues of all thinges most vncertaine shewe GODS mercies tell of his iudgments Preach of the losse of Heauen Yet were there no Hell to receiue them or Tortures prouided for them they would easily put off all these with a Tush and bee as resolute for their owne destruction as Hester was for the sauing of her people If wee perish wee perish Oderunt peccare mali formi dine paenae Wicked Hest 4. 16. ones must bee scarred from sinne with feare of punishments let them then set before their eyes the fearefull and horrible paines of heil These in the Scriptures are expressed by diuers Apoc. 10. names Sometimes they are called fire hee that is not written in the booke of life is sent into a lake of fire Esa 66. 14. Sometimes they are tearmed a Worme their worme shall not die Verme roditur conscientia igne cremantur corpora saith Bernard with the worme is their consciences gnawed and with the fire are their bodies burned Sometimes againe are they set out by the loathsome stench of Brimstone vppon the wicked hee Psal 11. 6. will raine fire and brimstone Otherwhiles by weeping Mat. 13. 42 and gnashing of teeth Weeping because of the fire that will not be quenched and gnashing because of the worme that wil not bee killed the one comming from Esa 65. 13. 14. griefe the other from rage Sometimes they beare the names of thirst of hunger of sorrow of shame And such penury is there in hell as there is nothing to relecue the damned which are therein The rich man begged a droppe of water and could not haue it guttam petijt saith Gregory qui micam negauit hee craued a droppe that denied a crumme Neyther is it a little torment to bee imprisoned and tortured by the vgglie Fiendes of hell by those Etheopian Angelles as Cyrill calleth them whose armes saith Cassian are like the heades of Dragons whose eyes shoote forth arrowes of fire whose teeth are like the teeth of Elephants whose tayles are like the tayles of Scorpions that is gushfull and grisly Diuils if the sight of one of them be able to bereaue a man of his wittes O how great will the horrour be when they shall all appeare And what doth the
A SERMON OF REPENTANCE Preached By GEORGE MERITON Doctor of Diuinity and one of his Maiesties Chaplaines in Ordinary Imprinted at London for Thomas Clarke and are to be sold at the signe of the Angell in Paules Church-yard 1607. To the Right Honourable the Lord Sheffeild Lord President of Yorke and Knight of the Honorable Order of the Garter increase of Comforts in this life and after death a Crowne of Glory RIght Honourable my desire is to cast my Mite into the Treasury of the Church and for want of Gold Pearle or Pretious stones to bring a Rams skinae or twaine and a little Goats Exod. 35. 23. haire to the building of the Lordes Tabernacle I may seeme perhaps to passe the boundes of modesty in crauing your Honors protection for so smal a thing The smaller it is the more needefull to be protected And sithence you vouchsafed not long since to heare part of it with patience I will now presume vpon your L fauoure for the whole I doe not dedicate it vnto you as doubting of your Honours care in this point of Repentance your loue to Religion Zeale to the Truth practise of Piety haue made you Honourable not in your selfe alone but also as Samuel 1. Sam. 9. 6. was in the heartes of the people Yet giue mee leaue 2. Pet. 3. 1. Ibeseech you to stirre vp and warne your pure mind That as you haue begun to cleaue vnto CHRIST with a good purpose of heart So you would continue to aoe it still and to do it more and more Remember alwayes Noble Lord that bloud vnstayned before Men is stayned bloud before GOD if it be not continually restored by the bloud of CHRIST This Sermon then I commend vnto your Honour and it to the good blessing and holy protection of GOD. Hadleigh in Suffolke May the 26. 1607. Your Honours to bee commanded GEORGE MERITON Except yee amend your lines yee all shall likewise perish Luk. 13. vers 5. OTher Mens afflictions are our instructions and the punishments which are laid vpon some are or should be profitable vnto vs all The Dogge is beaten in the presence of a Lyon that by the stripes and cries of a Dogge a Lyon might bee tamed The Thunder bolt falleth and burneth but in a narrow Iud. vers 7. compasse yet is it terrible to a great number round about so the calamities of a few are set forth for ensamples vnto the rest to worke amendment in them This true vse of iudgements did not many of the Iewish people make Pilate had destroyed some and mingled their blood with their sacrifices The Towre of Siloam fell downe vpon others and bereaued them of Vers 4. their liues Those who escaped these punishments as the Nature of man is fauouring them selues too much beeing wise abroad and fooles at home as the Poet speaketh hauing their eyes in their purses when they should behold their owne deformities like Lamia in the Fable and staring in their heades to gaze vpon the sinnes of others with the proud Pharesie in the Gospell concluded from hence like badde Logitians from weake and slender premises that Therefore they were more righteous and holy then their fellowes Our Sauiour CHRIST to crosse this vaine supposall answereth them heere Laconically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay And least that beeing ouer-blinded in themselues they should all fall into the ditch to preuent their ruine hee denounceth out a threatning that Vnlesse they amended they should all likewise perish Threatnings they are forcible meanes to draw sinners vnto GOD For although good promises are alurements vnto good men yet such for the most part is the corruption of our heartes as that wee are more mooued with feare then with loue more with the rodde of Aaron then with heauenly Manna more with seuere threatnings then with friendly promisings Injuries do worke a deeper griefe in vs then benefits do affect vs with delight Sicknesse doth more weary vs then health doth refresh vs and wee are wont to esteeme rightly of prosperity by the harmes of aduersity For this cause therfore are these misdeeming Iews fore-told that vnlesse they amēded their liues their destruction was at hand CHRIST launceth them for to heale them hee threatneth them for to draw them hee denounceth iudgements against them for to saue them his wordes are like the Arrowes of Ionathan which were shot after Dauid not 1. Sam. 20. to wound him but to giue him warning In olde times thus was GOD accustomed to reclaime his people The writinges of the Prophets are euen stuffed with woes Take a booke saith GOD vnto Ier 36. 16. Ieremy and write therein all the euill that I determine to doe vnto the house of Iudah that they may returneeuery man from his euill way and in the same Chapter it is recorded that when they heard the wordes of the booke they were amazed The like course hath GOD vsed in latter times Iohns manner of preaching was as rough as himselfe Now is the Axe saith he laid vnto the rootes of the trees and euery tree that bringeth Mat. 3. 5 6. not forth good fruit shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire What followed herevpon Ierusalem all Iudea and the region about Iordaine were baptized of him confessing their sinnes CHRIST also in this place threatneth the Iewes and in them euerie one of vs for that which stoode good against them standeth still in force against vs Except we amendour liues we shall all likewise perish How this wrought to the conuersion of these Iewes it is not mentioned in the Scripture how farre it will preuaile for the bettering of vs I am not able to coniecture This am I sure of that in former times threatnings haue preuailed and I beseech our GOD to make them profitable now The partes of my Text are these foure First there is a duty required Amendment of life Secondly the necessity thereof inforced vnlesse Thirdly the time prescribed Amend not haue amended and fallen againe not will amend I know not when but vnlesse you Amend doe it speedily and continually without delaye or interruption sorrow for sin without hope of grace where there is knowledge of guiltinesse without amendment of life where there is a killing of the old mā without a quickning of the newe where there is the sentence of death in the Soule not of life in the Sauiour Though we should recount vnto GOD all our sinnes ouer ouer againe euen in the bitternes of our soules M. ch 1. 8 though we lament with Dragons and mourne like Ostriges yet had we but that part of this grace which euen the wicked and reprobates haue Cain Saul Iudas Heb. 12. 17 were greatly grieued for theyr sinnes Esau lift vp his voice and howled out yet found hee no place to repentance though hee sought a blessing with teares What was the cause of this my beloued but that there was in him penance without desire of repētance griefe