hee that distrusteth and compareth his wickednesse to Gods goodnesse putteth an end to the power of God limiting that which is infinite and taking away from God the perfection of his deitie Fourthly for his iustice for as much as it is fully satisfied in Christ Iesus who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree and was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our sinnes and vpon whom the Lord hath laid the iniquitie of vs all hee should be very vniust if hee should not forgiue them vnto vs. If a man be indebted and not able to pay the debt if his suretie discharge it for him and cancell the bond there is no reason the creditour should exact it againe In like manner Christ our suretie hauing paid that debt which wee ought to the wrath of God and hauing cancelled the handwriting that was against vs it cannot now stand with Gods iustice to demaund the debt any more of vs. And therefore the Apostle saith that if we confesse our sinnes as God is faithfull in regard of his promise so hee is iust also to forgiue vs our sinnes he will stand to that satisfaction which Christ hath made vnto his iustice Last of all for his mercy it is vnspeakable Dauid saith 1. Chro. 21.13 Nehem. 9.17 his mercies are exceeding great And Nehemiah in his praier calleth him a God of mercies gracious and full of compassion of long suffering and of great mercy And Dauid saith Psal 17.7 25.6 36.5 103.11 145.9 Ephes 2.4 Psal 51.1 Isa 55.7 his mercies are maruelous they are tender mercies Yea so large as they reach vp to the heauens and as high as the heauens are aboue the earth so great is his mercy toward them that feare him Yea his mercies are ouer all his workes He is rich in mercy Yea he hath a multitude of mercies And therefore the Prophet exhorting the wicked to forsake his waies and to returne to the Lord he vseth this as a reason to perswade them because hee will haue mercy vpon him for such is his gracious disposition that he is very readie to forgiue A liuely type whereof wee haue in the Father of the prodigall Sonne who though his sonne had greatly offended him by his former riotous courses yet assoone as hee was comming to acknowledge his fault and to seeke to be reconciled vnto him his father was so compassionate and so tender hearted towards him that he could not tarry till he came at him but ranne to meet him and when he saw him he did not loath him for his rags and tatters but fell vpon his necke and kissed him Luke 15.20 So likewise though we haue neuer so much displeased the Lord by our sinnes yet if we humble our selues before him by vnfained repentance he will not abhorre vs though we be neuer so wretched but wil receiue vs graciously into fauour againe And therefore as one saith well to this purpose a Quis non videat quaÌ„ sit impium quamque sacrilegum si homini per poenitetiam praeteritorii malorum ad bona conuerso credatur cuiusque peccati dari non posse remissioneÌ„ Si peritus est medicus noster omnes potest infirmitates nostras sanare si misericors Deus noster vniuersa potest peccata dimittere Non est perfecta bonitas à qua non omnis malitia vincitur nec est perfecta medicina cui morbus aliquis meurâ—ibilis inuenitur Fulgent ad Venant Epist 7. who seeth not how wicked sacrilegious a thing it is to thinke that if a man turne to God by repentance for his sinnes past he cannot be forgiuen If our Phisitian be skilfull hee is able to heale all our infirmities if our God bee mercifull hee is able to forgiue all our sinnes It is not perfect goodnesse which cannot subdue all wickednesse nor it is not perfect phisicke to which any disease is found incurable alluding to that saying of Dauid Psal 103.3 And a little after he saith b Qualecunque sit peccatum à Deo quidem potest remitti conuerso sed ille sibi remitti non sinit qui desperando contra se indulgentiae ostium clauscrit Ibid. Whatsoeuer the sinne bee God is able to forgiue it to him that repenteth But hee will not suffer his sinne to bee pardoned who by despairing shutteth vp the dore of mercy against himselfe For it is the promise of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 7.7 Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall bee opened And a little after c Iustus est Deus misericors Sicut ergo potest per iustitiam danare auersum sic potest per misericordia semper saluare conuersum Nulla prolixitas temporis vel acquitati diuinae vel pietati praeiudicat Si diuturnitas peccatorum Dei vinceret misericordiam non in aetate mundi nouissima Christus veniret vt peccatum mundi pereuntis auferret Ibid. Mat. 6.12 Luke 17.4 Mat. 18.22 Exod. 34.6.7 Iam. 1.17 Psal 103.13 God is iust and mercifull and therefore as by his iustice he can condemne a sinner so by his mercy hee can alwaies saue him that conuerteth There is no length of time that can bee preiudiciall to the iustice or mercy of God If long continuance of sinne could ouercome the mercy of God Christ would not haue come in the last age of the world to take away the sinnes of the world that was ready to perish Our Sauiour himselfe hath taught vs in the Lords praier euery day to craue the pardon of our daily sinnes whatsoeuer they bee and how oft soeuer they haue beene committed And no doubt hee that hath commanded vs to forgiue one another seuen times a day yea seuentie times seuen times will much more forgiue vs as often as by sound and heartie repentance we turne vnto him And this the Lord himselfe declareth when he proclaimeth his name before Moses For there he calleth himselfe the Lord Iehouah constant in his loue to vs ward alwaies abiding the same in whom is no variablenesse nor shadowing by turning Strong and therefore euery way able to worke our saluation in despight of all the enemies thereof Mercifull bearing euen the affection of a tender mother towards her child As there needeth no eloquence to perswade a mother to pittie her owne child so there needeth no perswasions to moue the Lord to take compassion on vs as Dauid saith As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him Rom. 4.5 Gracious though we in our selues be most vnworthy he stayeth not till we deserue his loue but as the Apostle saith he preuenteth vs Iustifying vs freely by his grace when we are vngodly he can finde matter in his owne nature and in the merits of Christ to loue vs Micah 7.18 though he find none in our selues Slow to anger though we prouoke him daily by our sinnes yet hee
there were no other proofe of it It was not the qualitie of Iudas his sinne that made it worse then Peters but his gracelesnesse that could not repent of it as Peter did Nay if all circumstances be considered it may be Peters sinne will bee found so hainous if not more hainous then the sinne of Iudas For Iudas was diuerse times crossed by our Sauiour Christ Iohn 12.6.7 as namely in the case of the ointment yea he was openly shamed and disgraced before all his fellowes when as in the hearing of them all our Sauiour discouereth him to bee a Traitor pulling him as it were out by the poll Mat. 26.23.24.25 Iahn 13.26 when hee gaue him a soppe c. Hence he conceiued dislike of his Master and no doubt began to stomacke him and then briberie working on his couetousnesse for the Priests offered him money he was easily drawne to doe that hee did Mat. 26.15 But Peter was euer well beloued and respected of his Master as hath beene said and was neuer out of grace and fauour with him and yet notwithstanding he denieth him 1. Sam. 13.14 Fearefull also and wofull was the fall of Dauid as the Scripture hath recorded it It may seeme strange that Dauid a man after Gods owne heart as the Lord himselfe testifieth could possibly fall so farre as he did 2. Sam. 11. the whole Chapter For if wee consider the circumstances and degrees of his sinne it will appeare that finall impenitencie excepted a reprobate could scarce commit a greater For first he committeth adulterie with Vriah his wife after that hee vseth very vile and sinfull shifts to saue his credit and to couer his sinne As hee sendeth for Vriah from the Campe where he was fighting the battels of God against his enemies and would haue had him to haue gone and layen with his wife that so hee might father the child When he could not perswade him to goe home hee causeth him to eat at his owne table and there maketh him drunke thinking that then hee would haue done it But when this would not preuaile neither he that before in the time of his affliction was so tender hearted that his conscience checked him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment 1. Sam. 24.6 doth now make no bones to cause Vriah an innocent and harmlesse man to be slaine and made away In like maner Gene. 7.1 2. Pet. 2.7.8 Noah and Lot both of thē righteous persons as is testified of them and both of them hauing had so good experience of Gods mercifull goodnesse in preseruing them Gene. 6.8 Gene. 19.16 9.21 19.33 c. the one from the destruction of the old world the other frō the ouerthrow of Sodom Gomorrah yet were both drunk in a shameful maner and Lot to his drunkennes added incest euen with his owne daughters Num. 12.7 Exod. 33.11 In a word that Moses was so faithful in the house of God he that found such grace in the sight of God that the Lord spake to him face to face as a man speaketh to his friend he that had so great experience of the mighty power of God in so many glorious miracles yea himselfe had beene Gods instrument in effecting them he that had with such a great patience and meekenesse ouercome so many prouocations of that froward and peruerse people yet at the last was so angred and his spirit so vexed Psal 106.32.33 Num. 20.10.12 Deut. 34.4 that he spake vnaduisedly with his lippes which sinne of his was so hainous as that the Lord would not therefore suffer him to enter into the land of promise Many examples might be produced for the further confirmation of this point but by these it may sufficiently appeare that though a man be neuer so deare to God and haue receiued neuer so great a measure of grace and sanctification yet if hee be left to himselfe by violence of temptation he may fall into great and fearefull sinnes Obiect 2. Thes 3.3 But some may say God is able to stablish his children as the Apostle saith and to keepe them from euill Why then doth he not alwaies preuent them with his grace but suffer them to fall thus fearefully to the dishonour of his name and the wounding of their owne soules Answere I answere as before that God is not bound to followe any man with his grace after he hath once regenerated and sanctified him And herein God dealeth with his children as a father doth with his prodigall sonne Though he be able to furnish him continually with money and to supply all his idle and wastfull expences yet when hee seeth that nothing will serue his turne but that still hee lasheth it out without any measure he giueth him ouer and leaueth him to himselfe to be beaten with his owne rod as that prodigall youth was in the Gospell that at the last comming home by weeping crosse Luke 15.14 15.16 bee may learne to bee a better husband And yet no man condemneth this father of cruelty or hard dealing to such a sonne but rather commendeth his wisdome So in like manner when the Lord perceiueth his children to waxe carelesse Enchir. ad Lau rent cap. 10. Rom. 8.28 Mala eis prosunt quae alijs facientibus obsunt Mag. Sentent lib. 1. disti 49. G. in husbanding the graces which he hath giuen them when they beginne to be negligent in vsing the meanes to preserue and increase them hee iustly witholdeth his grace from them and leaueth them to fall into grosse and grieuous sinnes And yet such is the mercifull goodnesse of our God that euen this maketh for our great and vnspeakable good That God that in the beginning by his diuine power brought light out of darkenesse is able also out of the greatest euill to bring the greatest good To which purpose Saint Augustine hath a good saying Almighty God being infinitely good would by no meanes suffer any euill to bee in his workes vnlesse by his power and goodnesse hee were able to dispose it to good And the Apostle also saith that all things worke together for the best to them that loue God yea euen sinne that is hurfull to others by Gods mercifull dispensation is profitable to them For first when the children of God are ouercome of the temptation which they striue against and so fall into some great sinne it maketh them displeased with themselues because they haue so dishonoured God and so they beginne to take a better vewe of their owne frailty and weakenesse and are exceedingly humbled thereby a Audeo dicere superbis vtile esse caderein aliquod apertū manifestumque peccatum vnde sibi displiceant qui iam sibi placendo ceciderant Salubrius enim Petrus sibi displicuit quendo sleuit quam sibi placuit quando praesumpsit iuxta illud Psa 83.16 De ciuit Dei lib 14. cap. 13. Sanctis vsque adeo Deus omnia cooperatur in
Prophet that reprooued him he straigthway brake out into that most earnest confession of charitie I haue sinned against the Lord and presently heard this answeare The Lord hath taken away thy sinne thou shalt not die This doctrine to make vse of it serueth first for our instruction namely that we be not too rash in iudging condemning our brethren We see by this that hath beene deliuered that a man may fall greiâ—ously and fearefully and Vse 1 yet bee restored to the fauour of God And therefore as Saint Iames saith Iam â— 12 VVho art thou that iudgest another man We may not set boundes and limites to Gods mercy at our pleasure to say such a man hath committed such and such sinnes therefore he cannot bee saued This is too great presumption in any man a Dei est nosse reum illius ferre sentetiam Tac eamus omnes homines Solus Deus iudicet peccatorem Opt. cent Donat. l. 4. Et l. 7. In diâ— iudicij sedebit index filius Dei qui agnoscit quid est suum quid alienum Illius est eligere quid condat in horreo quid tradat incendio Agnoscamus nos omnes homines esse Nemo sibi vsurpet diumi iudicij potestatem Nam si sibi tantum vendicet homo quid in iudicio acturns est Christus Satius sit homini si de peccato suo reus non sit quam vt de alieno iudex esse desideret Gal. 6.1 It belongeth to God onely to know who is guiltie in that manner and it is his prerogatiue as one saith well to giue sentence And therefore let all men keepe silence and let God alone iudge who is a sinner At the day of iudgement the sonne of God shall sit as Iudge who knoweth what is his and what is none of his It belongeth to him to make choice what hee will lay vp in his barne and what hee will commit to the fire Let vs all acknowledge our selues to bee men and let none vsurpe the power and authoritie of Gods iudgment For if any man shall arrogate so much to himselfe what shal be left for Christ to doe at the last iudgement Let it bee better for a man not to bee guiltie of his owne sinnes rather then to desire to be a iudge of other mens sinnes And therefore in this case let euery one of vs lay our hands vpon our mouthes And let vs practise the counsel of the Apostle Brethren saith he If a man be fallen by occasion into any fault yee which are spirituall restore such a one with the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou also bee tempted Either wee haue committed as great sinnes our selues or if the like temptation were offered vnto vs wee should as readily yeeld as they haue done if God should leaue vs neuer so little And therefore wee must bee pittifull towardes them and pray for their amendement As he that hath recouered from some grieuous sicknesse pittieth those that are sicke of the same disease and as he that is deliuered out of prison hath compassion on them that lie bound in misery and yron Haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco Dâ—do apud Virgil Aenead 1. So the childe of God hauing by Gods mercy recouered from his sinnes cannot choose but pitty those that are ouertaken with sinne That which the Apostle requireth of Ministers must in some measure be performed of all Christians namely to bee gentle toward all men suffering sinners with meeknesse 2. Tim. 2.24.25 prouing if God will at the last giue them repentance c. Yea by loue wee must couer euen a multitude of sinnes 1. â—et 4.8 And herein there is a manifest difference betweene the Godly and the wicked The godlie couer many infirmities in others vnder one good gift but the wicked burie many good gifts vnder one infirmitie Secondly it serueth for the comfort of all Gods children For it is a glasse wherein they may behold the rich mercie of God in pardoning such great sins that like sinners they may not despaire To which purpose Saint Paul hath an excellent speech hauing related at large what a wretched sinner hee had beene before his conuersion euen the chiefe of all sinners hee saith that hee was receiued to mercy for this end 1. Tim. 1.16 that Iesus Christ might shew on him all long suffering to the ensample of them that shall in time to come beleeue in him c. where he plainely teacheth vs that Gods grace is not appropriated and intailed to some few but is indifferently offered to all that are qualified aright to receiue it God was not onely mercifull in forgiuing the sinnes of Dauid and Peter and such like but hee is as mercifull to forgiue Vse 3 thee thy sinnes whosoeuer thou art if with bitternesse and griefe of heart Cadit Petrus vt reliqui caueant Hugo in locum Considera treme vir iuste Petrus paulò ante communicans c. CaielaÌ„ in hunc locum Cuiuis potest accidere quod cuiquam potest Sen. thou canst bewaile them as they did Thirdly wee may here bee admonished to take heed that wee sucke not poyson out of this and such like examples of the falles of Gods children by taking occasion thereby to hearten our selues in our sinnes but rather bee made more wary and circumspect ouer our selues As a weake old man seeing a young lustie man take a fall in the way before him taketh better heede to his steppes least he fall also So when we shall see that the Apostle Peter a man indued with such a measure of grace did notwithstanding fall so fearefully wee had neede looke well to our selues or else whither may wee fall if we bee left to temptation as hee was a Nemo audebit de sua virtute confidere quando mutabilitatis periculum nec beatus Petrus potuisset euadere Glossa ordinâ—r who dare now presume of his owne strength when this blessed Apostle that was a pillar as it were in the Church is thus fearefully shaken Nay rather a man should alwayes suspect himselfe and bee afraid to fall and when hee shall see such fearefull tempests and such lamentable shipwracke of such excellent men b Cum videat tantorum virorli cauendas tempestates slenda naufragia de Doct. Christ Lib. 3. as Saint Augustine saith And to this purpose Bernard giueth good counsell c Vita foueam in quam vides alium coram te cecidisse Aliorum perditio tua sit cautio de cons aedific c. 46. Shunne the pit saith he wherein thou seest another fall before thy face Let other mens destruction bee thy caution And d Aliorum ruinae vestra debent esse exempla de obed humil Non cadendi exemplum propositum est sed si cecideris resurgendi Non sit delectatio minorii lapsus maiorum sed sit casus maiorum timor minorum Aug. in Psal 51. Augustine hath the like saying
in them without repentance a long while yet in the end hauing compassion on him Psal 103.13 as a tender hearted father hath compassion on his children he sent the Prophet Nathan to him to awake him out of his sinne and to call him to repentance And afterwards when his heart was lifted vp by reason of the strength of his people 2 Sam. 24.10.11.12 that hee must needs haue them numbred the Lord caused first his owne heart to smite him and then sent the Prophet Gad vnto him to humble him for the same Yea the Lord is so rich in mercy that he offereth this grace euen to the wicked also though they in their prophanesse contemne and reiect the same When Caines heart boyled with malice against his brother Abel the Lord said enough to him if hee had had grace to haue preuented any further mischiefe Gene. 4.6.7 Why art thou wroth saith he and why is thy countenance cast downe If thou doe well shalt thou not be accepted c. And after hee had slaine him indeed the Lord left him not 9.10 but laboured to bring him to remorse when he asked him what was become of his brother and told him that his bloud cried vnto him from the earth Gene. 6.3 When the Lord had purposed to destroy the olde world because the wickednesse thereof was very great hee did first vse all meanes to reclaime them He gaue them an hundred and twentie yeeres to repent in and in the meane while sent Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2. Pet. 2.5 Heb. 11.7 to forewarne them of the danger both by verball and also visible Preaching in making an Arke for the sauing of himselfe and his houshold So hee dealt with the filthy Sodomites Gene. 19. c. placing iust Lot among them to labour their conuersion if it might be When Saul had stubbornely transgressed the commaundements of the Lord and had thereby caused him to reiect him yet hee left him not so 1. Sam. 15.16.17 c. but sent Samuel to put him in mind of the heinousnesse of his sinne When Ahab by horrible crueltie had bereft poore Nabaoth of his life and liuing 1. King 21.18.19 the Lord sent Elias the Prophet to reproue him and to aggrauate his sinne against him that so hee might be humbled In a word the Lord offered his mercie to Iudas Iohn 13.26 when as before euer hee had effected any thing our Sauiour put him in mind of the horriblenesse of his bloudy thoughts against him making it manifest that hee was the man that should betray him If the Lord bee thus mercifull to make so large a proffer of his grace to such as he knoweth will despise it how much more will hee offer the same to his children who will thankfully embrace it And hereof we haue yet a most liuely example in Adam Gen. 3.6.8.9.15 and the Lords dealing with him When hee had disobeyed the commaundement of God in eating the forbidden fruit and perceiued that thereby he had forfeited that excellent glory of his creation for shame and feare hee was ready to runne away from God if it had beene possible But the Lord would not loose him for all that but sought him out in the garden and preached vnto him the glad tydings of saluation by Iesus Christ And hence is it that Dauid saith Psal 121.4 Hee that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe but continually watcheth for the preseruation of their soules and therefore vseth all good meanes whereby it may be effected As heere the crowing of the Cocke was a meanes to bring Peter to the sight of his sinne Mat. 26.34 for this was the signe that our Sauiour had giuen him of his deniall that before the cocke crewe hee should denie him thrice And it was so much the more effectuall because it fell out in the very moment and instant of his sinne He had no sooner denied his Master but as the Euangelist saith here immediatly the cocke crewe Yea Saint Luke saith that it was done before the worde was out of his mouth And immediatly Luke 22.60 saith hee Whiles hee yet spake the cocke crewe Now hereby are signified all outwarde meanes whatsoeuer they bee which God vseth to awake vs out of our sinnes that shaking off that drowsinesse which for the most part possesseth the flesh wee may bethinke our selues of our sinnes and of the wrath of God due vnto them and of some course to pacifie the same Which meanes if the Lord shoulde not vse towardes vs wee woulde for euer lie securely in our sinnes and thinke our selues in best case when our saluation is in greatest danger Many and diuerse are the meanes which it pleaseth the Lord to vse for this purpose As first and chiefely the Ministrie of his word Matth. 3.3 Jsa 58.1 Prou. 1.20.21 c. 8.1.2.3 c. 9.1.2.3 c. Hee sendeth his Misters as cryers as Iohn Baptist saith of himselfe commaunding them to crie aloud and to lift vp their voices like trumpets to preach the Doctrine of repentance and to tell the people of their sinnes And Salomon in many places bringeth in Christ Iesus the wisedome of God sometimes crying alowd in his owne person sometimes sending his messengers to summon men to repentance And for this cause the Apostle saith Ephes 4.11.12 that the Lord hath furnished Ministers with gifts for the worke of the Ministerie euen for the gathering together of the Saints and the aedification of the body of Christ Iesus 2. Sam. 12.1 24.1 Thus dealt the Lord with Dauid as wee haue heard before sending the Prophets Nathan and Gad vnto him after his two great sinnes to bring him to the sight of his sinne 2. Chron. 36.14.15 And thus dealt he with the rebellious Israelits when they had trespassed wonderfullie against him he had compassion on them and sent to them by his messengers to call them to repentance Yea hee sent the Prophet Ionah to preach repentance to the Niniuites Ion. 3.4 And hence is it that the Apostle calleth the Ministrie of the word Rom. 1.16 the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth And howsoeuer the wisemen of the world doe account it no better then foolishnesse 1. Cor. 1.23.21 yet it hath pleased God euen by that foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue Secondly the manifolde blessings and benefits wherewith he daily ladeth vs Psal 68.18 Lam. 3.23 and which he renueth towardes vs euery morning As there is neuer a one of vs that haue not good experience hereof continually both in our soules and in our bodies How liberally and bountifully doth the Lord sustaine and feede vs from time to time How carefully doth the eye of his prouidence watch ouer vs and how powerfully doth the hand of his mightie protection preserue vs from many dangers wherein by reason of our sinnes wee might haue perished
though there be an Hyperbolicall excesse of speech for it is not possible for men to fill buckets with teares nor to cause themselues to swimme in their beds yet it signifieth that there was an exceeding great and vnspeakeable measure of griefe a Cura dolorque animi lacrymaque alimenta fuere Ouid. Met. li. 10 Againe he saith his teares were his meate day and night Psal 42.3 And in an other place hee saith hee was bowed and crooked together and made euen blacke with mourning all the day Psal 38.6 hee was naturally of a very good complexion ruddie and of a good countenance and comely visage 1. Sam. 16.12 but his continuall mourning had so changed bim as if he had beene disfigured with sickenesse Isa 38.3 And good Iosiah that his very heart did melt within him for griefe And that poore penitent woman in the Gospell 2. King 22 19. Luke 7.38 shed such plenty of teares as she washed our Sauiour Christs feet with them And indeed it is no small measure of sorrow that is sufficient in respect of the greatnesse of our sins For if we had an hundred eies and should weepe them all out and if wee had a thousand hearts and they should all breake a sunder with remorse and sorrow for our sinnnes it were too little b Lacrymae nobis doerunt antequam causae dolendi Senec. de breuit vitae and we should sooner want teares then matter of mourning Neither must this sorrow bee onely for feare of punishment For such kind of sorrow proceedeth from selfe loue and may bee in the reprobate As wee see in Saul Ahab Iudas and others In regard whereof the Lord told the Iewes that when they fasted and humbled themselues they did it not to him neither did he approue it Zech 7.5 But this sorrow must onely bee for the displeasure of God And therefore the Apostle calleth it godly sorrow 2. Cor. 7.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a sorrow according to God namely such a sorrow as respecteth no other thing but this that a man hath by his sinnes displeased and offended so good a God and so mercifull a Father And indeed Estque pati paenam quam meruisse minus Ouid. de Ponto to an ingenuous nature it is a greater griefe to deserue them to suffer punishment As appeareth plainely in the example of Dauid and other of Gods children But wee shall haue occasion to speake more of this point when wee come to intreat of the repentance of Iudas Last of all this sorrow must not be for a time Stella in Luc. 22.26 but it must be perpetuall Stella reporteth of the Apostle Peter vpon what ground or by what authoritie I knowe not that in all the rest of his life it was his manner to rise out of his bed euery night at the crowing of the cocke and to spend the time till morning in prayer weeping so abundantly that his face was withered with teares Whether this bee true or no it is not much materiall But howsoeuer wee are to knowe that forasmuch a Est paenitentia assiduè peccantibus assiduè necessaria Aug. de vera falsa panit cap 8. as wee sinne euery day therefore repentance is necessary euery day b Quid praeter plorare restat quid nisi semper dolere in vita vbi enim dolor finitur deficit paenitentia ibid cap. 13. And indeed what can a man doe in regard of his manifold sinnes but weepe and mourne all his life for where sorrow ceaseth there repentance faileth c Sit paenitentia continua amara comes aetatis meae Aug. de contrit cordis in oratione ad finem Psal 6.6 Iere. 9.1 And therefore let vs make repentance a continuall and sorrowfull companion vnto vs through our whole life as Dauid did who did not onely weepe now and then for his sinnes but it was his continuall practise Eeuery night he caused his bed to swimme And the Prophet Ieremie wisheth that he could weepe day and night for the sinnes of his people Much more no doubt would he doe it for his owne sinnes And as there is required this sorrow for sinnes past and present so there must bee also a forsaking of sin for the time to come As wee doe not read that euer this Apostle denyed his Master any more after this but as it is euident in the Acts hee was most bolde and constant in confessing him and his truth euen to the beardes of the greatest enemies thereof It is not sufficient for vs to bee inwardly sorrowfull but withall wee must put away our sinnes and testifie the inward repentance of our heartes by the outward reformation of our liues a Frustra dolemus praeterita nisi iusta accedat emendatio Aretius proble loc 34. de paeuit Nay it is in vaine for vs to bewaile our sinnes past vnlesse there follow a due amendment afterwardes As Bernard writ to Eugenius the Pope b Non ambigo te quoque ista deplorare at frustrà istud si non emendare studueris Bern. de Considerat l. 1 I make no question saith hee but thou bewailest these things but that is to no purpose vnlesse thou doest also labour to reforme them c Vera confessio vera paenitentia est quaendo sic paenitet hominem peccasse vt crimen non repetat Bern. de cons aedif ca. 53. And therefore hee describeth true repentance to bee this when a man so repenteth that he hath sinned as he will doe so no more And in his meditations hee hath a sweet saying to this purpose d Verus penitens semper est in labore dolore Dolet de praeteritis laborat pro futuris eauendis Sic plangit commissa vt non cōmittat plangenda Jrrisor enim est non verus paenitens qui adhuc agit quod paeniteat Sergiò vis esse verus paenitens cessa a peccato noli amplius peccare quoniam inanis est paenitentia quam sequens coinquinat culpa Meditat. cap. 4. A man saith hee that truely repenteth is alwayes in labour and sorrow hee is sorrowfull for his sinnes past and laboureth to take heed of sin to come he doth so bewaile the sinnes he hath committed as he will no more commit things that are to be bewailed For he is but a mocker and not truly penitent that still doth that whereof hee repenteth If therefore thou wilt be a true penitent person cease from sinne and sinne no more for that repentance is vaine which after-sinnes doe defile e Si permanent opera frustra voce assumitur paenitentia Mag. sentent lib. 4. Dist 15. G. Yea so long as a mans former euill deedes doe remaine it is in vaine for him to talke of repentance f Qui agit penitentiam non solum diluere lacrymis debet peccatum suum sed etiam emendatioribus factis operiro tegere delicta superiora vt
gold to deare Why then should we buy the momentanie pleasure of sinne at so high a rate when the fish hath swallowed the hooke had shee not better haue beene without the baite when the bird is caught in the net had she not better haue wanted the corne that allured her Let vs therefore learne to knowe the enterprises and sleights of Sathan as the Apostle calleth them 2. Cor. 2.11 and the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3.13 least wee bee circumuented therewith e Mentitur vt fallat blanditur vt noceat bona promittit vt malum tribuat vitam pollicetur vt perimat Cypr. Lib. 1. Epist 8. The Deuill as one saith lyeth that he may deceiue vs flattereth that hee may deceiue vs flattereth that he may hurt vs hee promiseth vs good things that hee may doe vs a mischeife hee promiseth vs life to the end he may kill vs. Hee promiseth pleasure but God knowes f Nocet empta dolore voluptas it is deare bought there is neuer a dramme of it but it bringeth a pound of sorrow And therefore Saint Augustine complaineth greatly in this case g O peccata quam faciles aditus habetis dum suadetis quam difficiles exitus habebitis dum suadetis inungitis sed postquam suaseritis vsque ad mortem animae pungitis Delictae mea an eratis tum tam noxia sutura cum animam meam vestra dulcedine pulsabatis cum cor meum vestra dulcedine vngebatis cur hoc ante celabatis cur me tradebatis de contrit cordis Math. 16.26 O my sinnes how easie passage had you into my heart when you began to perswade me and how hard will your issue be when you began to perswade me you flattered me but after I was once perswaded you wounded mee euen to the death of the soule And a little after O my sinnes saith he were you like to proue thus hurtfull when you allured my soule with your sweete pleasures Oh why did you conceale this before Oh why did you betraye me c. Againe the Deuill promiseth profit but alasse what will it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his owne soule Had not Iudas beene better without his thirtie peices of siluer Had not Achan beene better without his goodly Babylonish garment and his siluer and wedge of gold And had not Gehezi beene better without his talents of siluer and change of garments Let vs therefore euermore suspect the Deuill and pray to God to open our eyes in all temptations that before wee commit sinne wee may see it in the true likenesse of it how odious and ougly a thing it is how dishonourable to God and how hurtfull to our owne soules then would we neuer fall into such grosse sinnes as otherwise we doe Repented himselfe Hetherto wee haue spoken of the circumstances of Iudas his repentance now follow the partes of it which are three his contrition his confession and his satisfaction This is in a manner all that the Papists require in repentance that there be contrition in the heart confession of the mouth and satisfaction of the worke And therefore by their doctrine Iudas repented truely But let vs examine them seuerally and wee shall see that hee was farre short of true repentance And first for his contrition It cannot be denied but that he had a great measure of sorrow in his heart but his sorrow was not right nor such as it should bee He saw indeede what punishment hee had deserued his conscience was vexed with the guiltinesse of his sinne and with feare of hell fire which he saw burning before him yea felt already kindled within him and this made him grieue Otherwise he neuer sorrowed for that by his sinne hee had so highly offended and displeased God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this doth the word signifie that is vsed in this place which properly is as much as to be sad and pensiue after any deede done Beza Paenitere and it answereth to the Latine word which signifieth to be Penitent and may bee vsed as well in euill part as in good For it doth not properly containe any change of the minde and life vnto better but simply expresseth a kind of heauinesse and discontentment causing a man to wish that vndone which he hath done bee it good or euill Some call it contrition which is nothing else but an high way to any grieuous sinne and so at last to desperation So that here it signifieth nothing else but the sorrow wherewith Iudas was swallowed vp after he considered the foulnesse of his sinne But there is an other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many times vsed in the new Testament which properly signifieth to be wise after any fact and so to bee sorrowfull for the fault committed as to reforme it Resipiscere answerable to the Latine word that signifieth to repent and therefore properly it is neuer taken but in the good part From hence then we may gather this instruction Doct. Onely godly sorrow causeth true Repentance 2. Cor. 7.10 that euery sorrow for sinne though it be neuer so great causeth not true repentance but onely godly sorrow This the Apostle Paul affirmeth in plaine wordes when he saith that godly sorrow causeth repentance neuer to be repented of namely when a man is grieued for his sinnes committed not for feare of punishment but because hee hath offended God that hath beene so good so gracious and so mercifull a Father to him Euen as a good Sonne when he seeth his Father angry hee is sorrowfull not so much for feare of the rod as because his Father hath beene so louing and so kind vnto him So it is with all Gods children as appeareth by many examples in the Scripture When Dauid had committed those great sinnes of adultery and murder and was reproued for them by the Prophet Nathan he confessed with great remorse and anguish of heart 2. Sam. 12.13 I haue sinned against the Lord Psal 51.4 and in another place Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned c. All the iudgments that Nathan threatned against him which were graat and fearefull did not so much affect him as the dishonour which by his sinnes he had done against God And againe when hee had numbred his men 2. Sam. 24.10 his heart smote him and he cryed out I haue sinned exceedingly in that I haue done The pestilence which raged so horribly in the land did not so much moue him as his pride against God in presuming more of the strength of his souldiers then of Gods protection whereof hee had so good experience So the Church of God considering the great indignitie she had offered to her spouse Christ Iesus that shee would not open to him though hee intreated her so faire Cant. 5.2.3.4 but suffered him to stand without till his head was full of dew and his locks wet with the drops of the night shee was so
betrayed it had beene good for that man if hee had neuer beene borne Doct. It is a grieuous sinne to despaire of Gods mercie From whence wee may gather this inctrustion that it is a most grieuous sinne to despaire of Gods mercie As that wretched Kain did when hearing the iudgement which God had denounced against him for killing his brother hee cryed out in the horrour of his soule My sinne is greater then can bee pardoned Gen. 4.13 And indeede a Quid aliud est desperare quam Deum sibi comparare August de vera falsa paenit ca. 5. he that despaireth of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes what doth hee else but compare God to himselfe Which is a great derogation from the Lord that his high and glorious Maiestie should bee likened vnto a vile and sinnefull man Besides hee doth offer horrible indignitie and notorious iniurie vnto the Lord. For as much as in him lyeth hee denyeth many of his most glorious attributes and properties as namely his loue his truth his power his iustice and his mercie For his loue If it were such as our sinnes could hinder it it should bee inferiour to the loue of man For what offence can bee so great from one man to another but loue will easily procure the pardon of it As wee see especially betweene parents and children It is not possible for a childe to commit any offence so great but vpon his submission and reformation his Father will forgiue him Though his affection bee for a time estranged yet hee will easily receiue him into fauour againe And therefore the Prophet saith Can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion on the Sonne of her wombe Isa 49.15 as if he should say it is not possible But the loue of the tenderest and dearest mother in the world is but like a droppe of water to the maine Ocean in respect of that loue wherewith the Lord our heauenly father loueth vs that are his children So that wee may say of our greatest sinnes as the Apostle saith of all outward afflictions Rom. 8.39 they are not able to separate vs from the loue of God that is in Christ Iesus If the loue of the church to Christ Iesus her blessed spouse Cant. 8.8 be so strong as much water cannot quench it neither can the flouds drowne it 1. Pet. 8.8 much more is his loue to vs so feruent as an Ocean of our sinnes cannot quench or drowne it If the loue of men doe couer euen a multitude of sinnes 1. Pet. 8.8 yea all trespasses that can be committed Prou. 10.12 surely the infinite loue of God will couer our sinnes be they neuer so many Besides the Lord is no changling in his loue to loue a man to day and vpon some dislike to cast him off to morrow but whom he loueth once to the end he loueth them Job 13.1 and it is not our sinnes though many and great that can alienate his affection Nay hauing out of the abundance of his loue giuen vs his owne sonne Rom. 8.32 how shall he not with him giue vs all things necessarie for our saluation Secondly for his truth He hath made many gracious promises vnto vs that if we confesse and forsake our sinnes Prou. 28.13 we shall haue mercy Ezech. 18.21.22 that if we returne from all our sinnes which we haue committed c. all our transgressions which we haue committed shall neuer be mentioned vnto vs c. but as the Prophet saith God will haue mercy vpon vs Isa 55.7 2. Tim. 2.13 1. Ioh. 1.9 for hee is very readie to forgiue Now hee is faithfull in the performance of his promises as the Apostle saith Hee abideth faithfull hee cannot denie himselfe But if wee confesse our sinnes as he requireth he is faithfull to forgiue vs our sinnes And therefore for a man to distrust the forgiuenesse of his sinnes after he hath truly repented of them is to make God a lyer If we haue but the word of an earthly Prince it is a disgrace not to trust vnto it Much more is it a disgrace vnto the King of heauen and earth not to stay and relie our selues vpon his word For as St. Paul saith Let God be true and euery man a lyer Rom. 3.4 Thirdly for his power Wee know it is infinite And though our sinnes were as crimson yet hee is able to make them white as snow and though they were red like skarlet yet he is able to make them as white as wooll Isa 1.18 Hence is it that the Lord himselfe saith I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloude and thy sinnes as a mist Isa 44.22 insinuating that though our sinnes bee neuer so many yet he can as easily take them away as he can scatter the clouds with the wind or disperse the thickest mist with the heat of the Sunne And the Prophet Micah expresseth the same with great force of wordes saying Hee will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the Sea cap. 7.19 where he alludeth vnto that great ouerthrow which the Lord gaue Pharaoh and his host in the red Sea Giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that though our sinnes did march neuer so furiously against vs and exercise most cruell tyrannie in our soules and consciences yet the Lord is able to subdue them as hee did Pharaoh and his host whom he ouerwhelmed in the bottome of the Sea To this purpose St Augustine hath a good saying a Qui de Deo non praesumit veniam non animadvertit plus peccato suo Dei posse clemētiam Si enim sentiret Deum magis bonum quam se malum quicquid in se iustitia non inueniret à Deo magis bono expectaret Et quidem diffidit qui summi boni bonitatë maiorem sua nequitia non sentit Ille enim solus diffidat qui tantum peccare potest quantum Deus bonus est Cum sit autem nullus qui hoc possit qui timet de se malo praesumat de meliore Adbuc qui diffidit suam nequitiam Dei pietati comparat finem imponit diuinae virtuti dans finem infinito perfectionem diuinitatis auferens deo Aug. de vera fall poenit c. 5. 1. Pet. 2.24 Isa 53.5.6 Collos 2.14 1 Iob. 1.9 that hee that hopeth not for pardon at Gods hands doth not consider that Gods mercy is more powerfull then his sinne For if he thought that God is more good then himselfe is euill whatsoeuer righteousnesse hee findeth not in himselfe hee would expect him from God that is better And surely he is distrustfull that doth not thinke the goodnesse of the Lord to be greater then his wickednesse For let him only distrust that is able to sinne so much as God is good But seeing there is none that can doe this let him that feareth because himselfe is euil presume of him that is better Moreouer