sinner very grosse garlicke leekes and onions and in regard thereof thy breathâ—s 〈◊〉 loathsome to euery good man who shunneth thy presence and indureth not thy company but thou vilde wretch who hast no nostrels without sense feeling art not annoied with theÌ„ they neuer trouble or come neare thy conscience 〈◊〉 is oppoâ—te vnto all â—â—d the â—â—se of all â—â—ll And it is no maruel that sinne doth this euill because it is all euill in it self as being in his nature no positiue thing 〈◊〉 the priuation of all goodnes It is flatly opposit to al vertue therfore it must needs bee an exceeding euill A sinner must needs be depriued of all goodnes because by sinne he shutteth himselfe from God the authour of all goodnes As the wife of Lot by reason of her sin â—n 19 was in iust iudgment molten into a piller of salt so is a sinner barren and fruitles like vnto lande that is sowed with salt which can bring forth no fruit â—militude As there be manie who doe rise vp agaynst a poore widow and offer her much wrong because shee hath no husbande or friend to assist her and pleade her iust cause so if we loose God as we do by our sinne the diuell and all creatures seeke after our soules vtterlie to destroy them saying God hath forsaken him Psa 71 persecute him and take him for there is none to deliuer him Dauid therefore putteth vp this his sute to god Be not thou far from me O Lord for what then will follow Psal 51 Manie oxen will come about mee manie fat Bulles of Basan will compasse mee about on euery side God is willing to abide with thee wherfore take thou heed thou constrainest him not by thy wilfull sinnes against his will to depart from thee If thou accountest not of him as thou oughtest and giuest him not that honour which is due vnto his name he hath no reason to abide with thee If thou placest a strange woman A similitudâ— blacke and mis-shapen at the vpper end of the Table and makest thy Ladie a peerlesse princesse to wait vpon the table and to serue her is not she iniuried in the highest maner and doth she not indure the fowlest disgrace that possiblie can be and hath she not good cause to forsake thy fellowship to dwel no more with thee In the like maner sinfull man dealeth with his god preferring his inordinate loose lusts the beggerly creatures and substance of the earth before the eternall creator of all thinges the maker of the world For this cause God doth stomacke this peruerse peeuishnes and cannot abide it but thereupon immediatlie he withdraweth himselfe and with himselfe all his blessings and his graces from vs and we are worthily serued 〈…〉 As Iacob when he saw that Laban his countenance was chaunged against him and that hee looked sowrely and grimlie vpon him he resolued with 〈◊〉 to abide no longer with him but to depâ—â—◠〈◊〉 him so God serueth vs if we as Laban looke not vpon him as we ought to do but are of a crooked and froward disposition Exod. 3 3 This is a lamentable and heauie case and who doeth not tremble that considereth iustlie of it When as God made answere vnto the people of Israel that he would not ascend with such a people so stubborne and stiffenecked the people were driuen to their dumps vpon it and wept verie bitterlie and so ought we to do when God forsaketh vs and taketh his presence and fauour from vs. I might lead you further with a large discourse and treatise of this matter for large is the compasse and bounds of sinne Infinite reasons might bee vrged to enforce vs to a hatefull detestation thereof but if there were nothing else beside the prodigall sonne his example and punishment is a motiue of much moment to perswade the same We might here intreate iustlie of the grieuous punishments of the life to come in hel fire to be inflicted vpon sinners for fire and brimstone storme and tempest this is the portion of their cuppe But it is inough to consider of the intollerable hell which they endure in this life in their tormented consciences â— is most 〈…〉 The first hellish torment is the gnawing and consuming worme of conscience which dismaieth the minde and driueth it into a dreadfull despaire The ende thereof is as sowre as the beginning was sâ—reeâ—e As a man when hee drinketh dead and badde wine the bitternesse of it he â—asteth in the ende A similitude so man drinking sinne as an Asse drinketh water this wine ouercommeth him and hee feeleth the hurt that it doth him in the end Sinne sheweth vs a colour as the wine doth in the glasse and it presenteth vnto vs a vaine shewe of delight and it maketh vs drunken but by and by it aggrauateth and surchargeth the heart and so inflameth it with a fire and hel of griefe as it suffereth vs not to rest or take any quietnesse As Iob Iob. 1 in the mids of his troubles and afflictions waÌ„ted not a swift messenger to grate his eares with sorrowes and to bring him bad tydings so a sinner hath peales and alarums in his eares crying out agaynst him rubbing his memorie with a rehearsall of such blessings and benefites which he hath lost and such curses and iudgements which hee hath runne into by sinne These are prickes in our sides and thornes in our eyes which do wound vs continuallie and suddenlie bereaue vs of all former ioy of our sinfull pleasures 2. Sam. 13 As Ammon assoone as hee enioyed his pleasure of his sister Thamar immediatelie loathed her as much as euer hee loued her so all vngodlie pleasure is suddenlie dashed and is turned into sorrow The second torment which sinne Sin excuseth and câ—uereth it selfe procureth is shame and confusion making vs to holde downe our heades like bulrushes to seek solitarie places wherein to hide our heades our consciences pronouncing vs so guiltie of sin as for verie shame we dare not behold the face of man As a woman that hath a blemish in her face A similitude shee is alwaies hiding it that she might not seeme deformed when as shee that is beautiful vncouereth her face is very glad when euery one beholdeth her so euery sinner deformed with sin would shrowd his sinne vnder the cloake of shame and excuse it hide it as much as he can that it might not bee knowne and espied in him as Adam did with God and Dauid with Nathan Gen. 3 2. Sam. 11 onely the godlie and vpright man holdeth vp his head looketh vp to heauen and is not ashamed The third tormeÌ„tor of a woful sinner A sinner is tormented with the feare of punishment is the fear of iudgement which is alwaies before his eies He coÌ„sidereth with himselfe what he hath deserued and he feareth to be recompenced after his deseruings His minde
not therefore take heede hereof and take no other course Therefore assoone as anie temptation dooth arise consider in the beginning vnto what daunger it may leade thee in the ende Take it by the ende as Iacob tooke Esau by the feete and by the ende Haue God alwaies before thine eyes and thou canst not doe amisse so saith Dauid Psa 16 I did set God before mine eyes therefore I can not faile wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope The Mathematicians doe esteeme the circular figure as the perfect figure because in a circle the beginning and the ende doe meete togither therfore that we may bee made perfect let vs in all actions lay the beginning and the ende togither And let God who is the Alpha and beginning be Omega vnto vs and the ending likewise And let vs account all things but doung to gaine Iesus Christ Phil. 3 so shall we abide alwayes in our fathers house and our trust shall bee in the tender mercie of God for euer and euer The seuenth Chapter What the prodigall sonne did when hee had receyued his portion from his father IF riches increase set not your heart theron â—sal 61 saith the heauenly Psalmist It is great riches not to couet riches and he possesseth much who desireth little To be worldly rich is to be verie poore to be poore in spirit is the greatest riches That must needes be vaine whose ende is vaine and we ought to haue that in greatest detestation which hindereth the course of our eternall saluation And this riches do For as the Falcon that is full gorged 〈◊〉 â—militude will not come to the lure so will not we in our worldly prosperitie seeke after God For God is lost in prosperitie and found in aduersitie â—â—d is lost â—rosperiâ—â—â— and â—â—uersity The prodigall sonne when he had got wealth at will did shake off all obedience and compassed the worlde trauailed vnto the vttermost coasts of the earth as farre as there was ground and as farre as he could from his fathers house He is carried farre that rideth vpon the diuell for sinne leadeth him furie and rebellion spurreâ—h him forward Aug quaest euang qâ—ast 33. Regio longinqua saith Augustine fuit obliuio dei The farre country which he sought was his heart farre from God his vtter forgetfulnes of his fathers seruice He went far from God by his sin and wickednes For by godly obedience we draw neer to God by the contrarie he departed farre from him He departed farre from him How we are said to go far from God First of all by an opposite and farre differing disposition God his Volo being his Nolo his will being his nill and so of the contrarie omitting that which hee shoulde commit and doing that which should be vndone preposterouslie peruerting and disordering Gods precepts making them negatiue which are affirmatiue and affirmatiue which he hath negatiuelie propounded Of this departure our Sauiour Christ speaketh Matth. 15 vsing the selfe same phrase of speech in the same sence taxing the hypocrisie of the Scribes and Pharisies This people draweth neere vnto mee with their lippes but their hearts are verie farre from mee When as wee see two sitting and talking togither and the one varieth from the other in opinion wee vse to say that the one of them is farre from the other And in this respect maye this prodigall sonne and euerie sinner bee properlie saide to go farre from God Secondlie he is saide to haue gone farre in regarde of the great and manie sinnes hee did commit which the more they were the further they did lead him For euerie sinne being a manifest defection and departure from God they may bee rightlie said to depart lesser or further the lesser or more sinnes they doe commit A similitude As he may bee said to go further then an other that taketh more paces or greater then another This mischiefe was in his farre departure that the further he went the lesser reckoning hee made of his father There was nowe such a space by his farre trauaile betweene the obiect and the sence betweene his eye and his fathers house as his sight failed him the onely great God did nowe seeme the least to his carnall eyes A similitude For a thing which is great in his owne nature if we behold it saâ—e off seemeth little vnto vs Our eye beames the further they are dâ—lated and extended the thinner they seeme and at the last they vanish quite away and are no more seene The Sunne which by the learned iudgement of Astronomers is farre greater then the earth being so farre distant and remooued from our eyes seemeth but of a foote or two bignesse vnto vs. Is not our case the same Haue not we all like lost sheepe departed from the Church the sheepe-fold of the Lord and from Iesus Christ the great sheepheard of our soules who would if we woulde haue remained with him safely brought vs into the greene pastures and would haue led vs to the waters of comfort Haue not wee all of vs gone verie farre from him by wilfull disobedience starting a side-like a broken bowe Haue we not followed euen our owne lustes and made little reckoning of God and his religion It is too manifest that wee haue And what hath beene the occasion of all this but onelie because wee haue beene glutted and forfeited with Gods goodnesse God hath too liberallie dealt vs out our portions and wee haue beene too proude of our ouermuch prosperitie Vngodlie men we are Iude. who haue turned the grace of our God into wantonnesse and haue denied God the onelie Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ As this was the iniquitie and ouerthrowe of Sodome fulnesse of bread and idlenesse so worldlie felicitie is our onlie infelicitie the onelie Carbuncle and destruction of our soule A similitude As the serpent will kill them with his poyson which culled him and cherished him with their heate so worldly goods which through the immoderat heat of our minds we doe gather togither will gnawe our consciences and like a greedie worme that neuer dyeth will euer bee feeding vpon our bodies and our soules My elect people saith God waxed fat Deut. 32 and what then they forsooke God that made them and regarded not the strong God of their saluation The Prophet Esay taketh vp the selfe same complaint Esai 5 saying The Harp the Timbrell the Pipe are in their feasts but they respect not the woorke of the Lord neither do they consider the operation of his hands If the people doe but sit downe to eate and drink we heare by and by that they rise vp to play Exod 32 Wherefore if thou hast a minde to serue God set not thy minde vpon this present euill worlde Thou canst not looke vp to heauen with one eye We cannot inioy God the woâ—ld â—ogither and
the sheepe tâ—e 〈…〉 which do tend to one and the sâ—me affect aâ— Pharaâ— his sundry dâ—â—â—â—â—s of the 〈◊〉 and â—â—res of â—â—â—e 〈…〉 If there bee some earthly iudges who are so tender hearted A similitude as beeing to denounce the definitiue doome of death agaiâ—â—â— notorious lewde prisoners standing at the barâ— they cannot refraine weeping when as they publish it truly no maruaile if such a God haue we who when he is to execute iudgement and iustice against enormous sinners hee is mooued exceedingly and with griefe doth punish them He is as a pâ—inter loath to put out the faire image which hee hath made With the carefull huswife A similitude hee woulde finde his lost groâ—te euen vs who are his coine and haue the image and superscripâ—ion of Caesar engrâ—ued vppon vs. Eâ—â—â— â—8 Will Goâ—â— the death of a sinner As I liue saâ—th God I will not the death of a sinner but rather that hee repent and â—ue There be some hangmen who beeing to cut off a leg or an arme of a lewd traitour A similitudâ— are grieuousâ—â—e affected in their minds at the doing of it especially if he bee such a one as had beene his friende God is our friend yea he is our father he cannot therefore cut vs off that are sinners but sore against his will with sorrow he must do it When as hee shall come to condemne this euill worlde the heauens and heauenlie creatures shall put on mourning garmentes The Sunne shall bee eclipsed the Moone shall be obscured all the earth shall be blacke and darke round about to testifie how that notwithout great mourning God our father doth condemne vs. In like sort whensoeuer a sinner is reclaimed from his vilde wayes and reconciled vnto God there is great reioycing among the Saints in heauen for it Now because the ioy which God conceiueth therupon being simplie considered as it is in deede exceedeth our capacities and cannot be expressed the spirit here condiscendeth vnto our weaknes speaking grosselie after the manner of men alluding vnto the custome and condition of our tymes vnder the myrth vsed at our solemne feastes shadoweth it vnto vs. It is our fashion when as our successe aunswereth our desires and our affayres fall out luckilie to prepare a feast and banquet for our friendes to impart to them our ioy beeing so rauished with it as wee can no longer hide it Such is God his ioy of a sinners true repentance as because he cannot conceale it to himselfe he maketh the musicall Instruments to sounde it his friends and louers round about are conuented and made acquainted with it â—â—dg 16 As the Philistines when they had attached Samson and had him in safe custodie the Princes and people were generallie assembled a banquet was prouided a mutuall triumph and reioycing was celebrated so when as God taketh holde of a sinner and hath him in his keeping he calleth his Angels his host of heauen togither and with them solemnizeth this his ioy and gladnes with a most melodious meeting 〈◊〉 â—â—militude A good Captaine when one of his fugitiue souldiours retyreth and fiercelie and venturouslie assaulteth the enemie and standeth to it valiantlie hee can not but bee glad and verie ioyfull of him Our grande Captaine Iosua Iesus Christ when as wee retyre vnto his bande againe vnto the vnitie of the Church and doe fight agaynst sinne our deadlie enemie hee cannot blotte our names out of his Booke beeing entred therein but hee will graciouslie giue vs his hande welcome vs and giue vs all ioyfull entertainment For commonlie such as haue beene most ranke and horrible sinners if once they doe take a hatred of sinne and conceyue a taste howe sweete the Lorde is and doe returne to him they growe more zealous and hote in religion then anie other else They looke backe with Miriam vnto the filthie Frogges and plagues of Egypt vnto the filthinesse of their former liues and to Gods iudgements vpon such wickednesse and they praise God with the best members that they haue A plowman more regardeth a plot of grounde which hath bin replenished A similitudâ— ouergrowne with thornes and at last becommeth fruitfull theÌ„ he wil of that which neuer did beare thornes and yet was neuer fruitfull hee whose soule hath heretofore brought foorth the briers and thornes of vnsatiable lust and all kinde of wickednes is much euery way accounted of of God if at the length his soule become good soile Heb. 6 he bringeth forth good hearbs meet for them by whom it is dressed aboue him that laieth waste and is vtterlie vnprofitable albeit heretofore he hath not beene so hurtfull As the hard iron when it is made red hote is of a fiercer heat then the billet or coale can be made A similitude be it neuer so red hot because that the colder the substance is before and more contrarie to the fire the nâ—ver it is after when it is set on fire and ouercome with the force of it so an obdurate and hard â—â—â—ner 〈◊〉 the fire of Gods grace taketh hold of him he is more seruent and hote in spirite then the 〈◊〉 conâ—cienâ—e because the colder he was before and more 〈◊〉 â—se to God the contrarie qualitie when it is pâ—â—â—minâ—nt and ouercommeth the contranâ— maketh his heate and seruor more exceeding Of the we haue verie many examples as of Dauid Marie Magdalen â—eter Paul This ioy should rather of right appertaine to the sonne then to the father for his was the glorie gain and commoditie it made not to Gods benefite It is 〈◊〉 his profite but our obedience we doe but our 〈…〉 were turne to him he hath no neede of 〈◊〉 of our conuertâ—â—n For it cannot be â—â—â—d 〈…〉 was heretofore of the Asse and the Colt that â—he Lord hath need of vs. It was not Dauids benefite to be married to Alâ—gâ—el but it was heâ— great blesâ—â—ng â—s it is ours to bee married to our Christ Yet the father so infiâ—â—â—lie loueth vs as our good be accounteth his good and therefore hee cannot but reioyce for our good The whole Trinitie reioyceth in vnitie at our conformitie The father reioyceth because by our repentance he getteth more sonnes whom he mâ—y make princes in all landes The sonne is glad because our repentance maketh his death fruitful and his precious red blood not to bee spilt in vaine for vs. The holy Ghost triumpheth and maketh boast hereof because by our conuersion his horne is exalted his temple in which he may dwell is enlarged made farre more beautifull then the temple â—â—y Iewes which was called beautiful for he hath â—â—â—â—by members which he may quicken vessels which he may still fillful of the oile of his holy grace 〈◊〉 behooueth vs then much more to reioice care for our selues seeing the whole Trinitie so exceedingly reioyceth and careth for vs. Doubtlesse by continuing stil in our â—ilde sinnes we offer vnto the