patient to his Phisitian the sinner to his Sauiour the lost sonne to his mercifull father and the creature to his Creator who is blessed for euer The third Chapter That wee must with the Prodigall sonne ioine faith to our repentance the better to incite and pricke vs forwarde to rtturne vnto our father VNlesse a sinner witâ— the knowledge of his sinne and his godly sorrowe conceiued for the same doeth also strengthen himselfe with faith and hopeth of the pardon and forgiuenesse of it it nothing at all auaileth him it rather serueth as a sworde to wounde him then a medicine for to heale him It is to no purpose for a man to knowe where hee may haue a sworde to take awaie his life rather let vs seeke where wee maie haue a salue to cure our deadlie woundes and to preserue our life But our only comfort and remedy is our faith which withstandeth all temptations ouercommeth all assaultes and preuenteth desperation Faith is vnto vs Exod. 14 as the fire and clowdy piller was vnto the Israelites seruing to conduct them in their way out of Egypt thorough the vaste wildernesse it guideth vs in the right way whilest wee trauaile in the solitarie desart of this world towards the heauenly Canaan â— similitude The strength of an house is in the foundation and if that bee sure the building will not shake for anie storme and tempest that doeth beate against it Faith is the foundatâ—on and substance of our building Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. â—â— and the euidence of thinges that are not seene Whilest the sterne and maine Mast of a ship is founde if in a mightie tempest the marriners shall caste out their Anchors into the sea and disburden the shippe of her heauie fraight it is to bee preserued and saued from shipwracke but if these faile and suffer wracke by the weather it cannot bee that it shoulde escape destruction so men that are emptied as it were of their vertues and suffer their godlinesse dailie to diminish yet so long as faith lasteth and remaineth stedfast they cannot quite perish but let them loose this there is no helpe for them they loose altogether This similitude is Paules which hee vseth to this ende writing thus to Timothie 1. Tim. 1 This commaundement commit I vnto thee sonne Timotheus that thou shouldest sight a good fight hauing faith and a good conscience which some haue put away and as concerning faith haue made a shipwrack As Merchauntes albeit they haue susteined great losses similitude for two yeares together yet a thirde lucky yeare maketh vp all againe so though wee haue lost the good graces of God with this prodigall sonnâ— yet if at length wee haue a good faith with him we shall well enough ouercome and recouer our former losse and be in good estate and happinesse againe What faith this man hath appeareth by his wordes For after hee acknowledged his fathers bountie to his hired seruants he harteneth himselfe with the hope of greater kindnesse to bee extended towardes him vppon his returne beeing a sonne And therefore premising and meditating vppon this Howe manie hyred seruauntes in my Fathers house haue bread enough and I die for hunger Hee cheereth himselfe with a confidence of comfort saying to himselfe I will arise and go to my Father Hee placed his wordes in verie good ranke speaking to great purpose to mooue affections I a Sonne They Seruauntes They haue enough I die for hunger They manie and yet are replenished I but one and loe I am famished Therefore it must needes bee well with me if I returne home as it is with them who are now at home I wil therefore hie me home and appeare before my father Wherfore vnto the true repentance of our sinne consequentlie of necessitie a true faith must bee adioyned which onelie discerneth trueth from falsehoode true repentance from hypocrisie which stayeth it selfe wholie vppon the worde of GOD the foundation thereof this word being the argument and subiect of our faith If therefore we do repent and bewaile our sinnes it is manifest that we are moued and touched with Gods word that it hath pricked our hearts And this good tree cannot but bring forth good fruit it cannot be idle in the harts of the faithful In this respect learned men do make Faith and Contrition the two essential parts and members of repentance Contrition whereby we repent that is past and faith wherby we hope of grace to come Wee goe not so fa re with them as to make faith a part of repentance but wee hold it needefull that it bee matched with repentance that it goe hande in hand with it that it be not diuorced and diuided from it In man there are two partes whereuppon hee doth consist â—â—militude the minde and the bodie yet we saie not that the minde is a parte of the bodie or the bodie of the minde The like may be said of faith and repentaunce In the Sunne there is his orbicular and rounde proportion similitude and his light and brightnesse yet though they bee conioyned neither is the forme of it a parte of this his brightnesse neither is his brightnesse anie part of his forme So faith and repentaunce goe togither in the faithfull and are not separated yet one of them is not a member of the other faith is ioyned to it as the originall of it the only motiue of it like vnto a Captaine that giueth the onset This holdeth vp our slipperie feet from falling and this lifteth vp those that are downe this maketh vs to goe thorough fire and water and ordereth our goings this is the victorie that ouercommeth the world This maketh vs to march out couragiouslie with Dauid against Goliah of Gath that vncircumcised Philistine it teacheth our handes to war and our fingers to fight and our armes to breake euen a bowe of steele Marcellinus Bishop of Rome Marcellinus B. of Rome hauing before sacrificed vnto Idols and by faith moued to repentance boldly preached that which he denied before became a martyr for the trueth sake and confirmed it with his deaths Cyprian in his sermon and treatise de lapsis maketh mention of Castus Aemilius Castus Aemiliuâ— who violentlie coacted to an abiuration of the trueth through extremity of tormentes afterwarde beeing reclaimed thorough remorse of conscience repenting themselues exceedinglâ—e of their weakenesse grewe so strong in the faith as they ouercame the fire and brake the yce valiantlie and couragiouslie did vndergoe the tyrannie of their tormentors But what need we heape vp forreine examples seeing wee haue so many domesticall The late time of Queene Mary affordeth vs many Master Foxe in his booke of Monuments doth largely intreat of them among others in London there was a certaine priest who thorough feare of the crueltie and bitternesse of death which was before his eies abiured and renounced the true religion and embraced Popery But the
God is reuealed from heauen against all vnrighteousnes 〈◊〉 1 Therfore we cannot whensoeuer we sin but sinne against heauen Againe inasmuch as sinne is against natures course which all creatures yeeld vnto and which the heauens especiallie and elements do obey who keepe their proper motions and haue their naturall influences man sinneth agaynst them and dooth them much wrong who vsing their seruice by the prouidence of God he alone beyonde al is disobedient vnto God God made the heauens to serue for mans bodie mans bodie for his soule his soule for God If the heauens doe serue thee to the ende that thou shouldest serue the God of heauen in sinning against God thou sinnest against heauen A similitudâ— To what ende serueth the whole structure of a clocke if the Bell doath not sound at his due howers The whole frame of heauen and workemanship of the world are the wheeles of the clock the voice obedience of man is the Bell that soundeth Gods praise who disordereth maketh void the whole frame of this clock do it great wrong and sinne against it when as our Bell striketh not and our obedience is wanting Moreouer by our sinne we abuse his heauenlie gifts wast them and consume them with this yonger brother and therefore it may be fitlie said that we sinne against heauen Adde hereunto moreouer that we sinne against heauen because sinne is done in the sight of God who dwelleth in heauen Last of all by esteeming more of earthlye pleasures then of heauenlie delights by setting our loue more vpon the world then vpon heauen wee sinne agaynst heauen A similitude As he sinneth against thee who vildlie and basely accounteth of thee or preferreth thy sonne or seruant before thee so hee that preferreth childish seruile toyes before heauenlie true happinesse and maketh more reckoning of the worlde then of heauen as the Gergesites did of their swine before Christ Mat. 8 sinneth against heauen But he stayeth not here but yet proceedeth further to a third degree the more to enlarge and extend his misdeeds by inferring this clause vpon the necke of the former I haue sinned before thee Coram te in ipso penetrali interiore conscientiae as Augustine Augu. quaest â—uang qu. est â—â— sayeth before thee in the straite Closet of my inward conscience I haue done that euill before thee which I durst not haue done before men Oh father I cared but a litle for thee I should haue regarded and reuerenced thy presence and that should haue kept me in awe and obedience but thy Maiestie had no authoritie and power with mee I liued looselie and lewdlie thou O father seeing it Here is a great exchange in this man Whilest he was in his sinne he flattered himself with this vaine conceite that God did not see him that hee sinned not before him but turning from his sinne he seeth and perceiueth that his sinne was in his sight A sinner so liueth as if God had no eyes to see him or eyeliddes to consider him but when he shall return to a better mind he shall put off this foolishnes and acknowledge with himselfe that the Lord doth behold him and that there is no sinne that can be hid from him And if with this man we come to this good thought that God seeth our sinnes it will teach vs more conscience and restraine vs from such desperate and presumptuous sinnes which so rifelie we commit and mak vs walke more warily Many a maÌ„ would not sin as he doth if he thought that man did see him Doe not theeues and fornicatours watch their priuate places to commit their villanies where they thinke none doe see them Doubtlesse then we would refraine sinne if so bee this thought were rolling in our mindes that the Lord doth see vs. Dan 13 We say with the carnall and lecherous Priests who assaulted chast Susanna The Orcharde gate is shut Psal 64 and no man can espie vs Dauids Naball saith The Lord doth not see it the God of Iacob doth not regard it But the spiriâ—e answereth him and calleth him a foole and coÌ„foundeth his foolishnes O thou foole shal he that made the eye not see he that made the eare shall he not heare hee that created the heart shall not hee vnderstand The Lord knoweth the hearts of men to be but vaine Psal 1â— For as the same Prophet speaketh in another place The vngodlie man careth not for God neither is God in all his thoughts he flattereth himselfe in his wickednesse vntill his abhominable wayes bee found out God open our eyes that wee may see our selues and our hearts that we may knowe that wee stande before God that wee sinne in his sight who one day will call vs to account for the same and lay before vs the things that we haue done The seuenth Chapter Of the prodigall sonne his extreame humilitie considered in the remainder of his formal coÌ„fession and of the commendation and vertue of humilitie THe reuerence and dutie which he resolutely determineth to render vnto his father when hee commeth in his presence is entire and admirable for he humbleth and abaseth himself to the vttermost Who is truly penitent and humble in soule if this man be not He learneth vs our lesson and prescribeth to vs all a pattern of a penitent and broken heart which is acceptable vnto God I am not saith he worthy to be called thy sonne make mee one of thy hired seruants Oh extreame humilitie yet greatlie necessarie because that god is gracious vnto such but as for the proud he beholdeth them a farre off And this the virgine Marie doth approue by experience finding it and therefore she saith God resisteth the proude â—uke 2 and giueth grace to the humble Aug. tom 9 〈◊〉 temp Barâ—rico cap. 7 Inclinatur humilitas hexcitatur misericordia Humilitie stoupeth and mercie doth arise Dicit se filius indignum vt ille eum iudicet dâ—gnum the sonne confesseth himselfe vnworthy that his father may account him worthy â—sal 5 He approcheth as Dauid through the multitude of Gods mercies towards his holie temple He accounteth himselfe vnwotthie to be called a sonne 1. Cor. 15 as Paul did account himselfe vnworthie to be called an Apostle He speaketh as the Centurion did speake vnto Christ Matt. 8 Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest enter vnder the roofe of my house Gen. 19 And as Abraham did to God saying What is dust and ashes that I should speake vnto the Lord As the mother of the Baptist to the mother of Christ Luke 1 Whence commeth this to me that the mother of my Lord should come vnto me As Peter did to Christ Depart from me Luke 5 for I am a sinful man And as Abigael vnto Dauid 1. Sam. 25 when as Dauid would marrie her Behold thy seruant shall be as a handmaide to wash the feete of the seruants of my Lord.
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