THE SINNERS Sanctuary ISA. 7.55 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and hee will have mercy upon him and to our God for hee will abundantly pardon HIERON The Lord doth neither performe the good things which he promised to the Saints if they returne to iniquities nor the evils which hee threatned to sinners if they returne unto salvation By THOMAS PACKER his Majesties Servant LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for Edward Blackmore and are to be sold at his shop in S. Pauls Church yard at the signe of the Angel 1638. TO THE CHILDREN of Men. ROM 3.23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God COme now Isa 1.18 and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crymsin they shall be as wooll Have I any pleasure at Ezec. 18.23 all that the wicked should die saith the Lord God and not that hee should returne from his waies and live 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby yee have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel 1 Sa. 12.23 I will teach you the good and the right way 24. Onely feare the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart for cōsider how great things he hath done for you Wee must serve the Lord our God Deu. 28.47 with joifulnesse and with gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things Trust in the Lord with all thine heart Pro. 35. and leane not unto thine owne understanding In all thy waies acknowledge him 6. and hee shall direct thy paths Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust Psal 40.4 And be not conformed to this world Rom. 12.2 but be yee transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God Augustin Doe not understand that thou maist beleeve but beleeve that thou maist understand understanding is the reward of Faith Iohn 11.40 Jesus saith unto Martha Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest beleeve thou shouldest see the glory of God Act. 18.27 When Apollos came into Achaia hee helped them much who had beleeved through grace Isa 7.9 If ye will not beleeve surely yee shall not bee established We beeleve and know Ioh. 6.69 that thou art Christ that Sonne of the living God Teach me good judgement and knowledge Psal 119.66 O Lord for I have beleeved thy Commandements It belongeth to every private man to judge of the doctrine of religion Brentius for satisfaction of his owne conscience and to discerne the truth from falshood That Religion which Lipsius is sincerely taken out of the holy Scriptures is the true and Christian Religion Andrad For they containe the most ample Canon that is the rule and square of Piety Faith and Religion August They have delivered unto us that there is but one God and one Christ one Hope and one Faith one Church and one Baptisme Ferus They are the sole rule of veritie and whatsoever differs or contradicteth the same it is error and cockle with what shew soever it commeth forth They are all plaine to him that understandeth Pro. 3.5 and right to them that finde knowledge All those things which appertaine to faith Aug. and direction of life are laid downe plainly in the holy Scriptures They are manifest to them Epiphan who repaire unto them with a religious heart Let not our Religion therefore consist in our fantasies for any truth Aug. whatsoever it be is better than any thing that can of our own head be devised Aug. Godly humility doth more easily finde out the Maker of the stars than proud curiosity the order of the starres Booke of nature into the book of Grace The depth of Predestination and the manner of Regeneration are difficult points of divine mysteries which a studious Divine an illuminated spirit cannot find out Ibidem Let us religiously adore these things by faith and not curiously search into them by reason further than Gods Word doth allow This is the perfection of the regenerate August If they acknowledge themselves to be imperfect The doctrine of the holy Ghost doth not encourage curiositie Bernard but inflameth charitie When the soule is overcome by the fever Chrysost or fiery heat of imaginations then it questioneth but when it is sound and in good temper it reasoneth not but faithfully beleeveth As zeale must erect our discretion Bernard that wee run not too slowly So discretion must direct our zeale that we run not too fast Aug. God will reveale wisdome onely to such as walke continually in the way of peace not in the way of precisenesse Harsnet Tell me what is not contained in the ten Cōmandements which of a Christian is to bee performed Lactant. When God opened his truth unto us he would have us know those things only which it behooved man to know for obtaining life But of those things which appertained to curious profane desires he spake not that they might bee hidden Why then doest thou seeke those things which thou canst not know neither art thou more blessed if thou knowest them Grace teacheth a man to put his knowledge in practice Harsnet He desires to be taught Idem that he may walke not that he may talke as too many doe Adde to your faith vertue 2 Pet. 1.5 and to vertue knowledge 6. And to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse 7. And to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse charitie 8. For if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Luther in Luke 6. Let us first repose Faith in God alone and then let us direct our works to the benefit of our neighbour As many as will not follow God Idem in Ephes 5. and walke in love and I shew forth their faith by their works are neither the sons of God nor heires of his kingdom What doth it profit Ia. 2.14 my brethren though a man say hee hath faith can faith save him The end of the Commandement is Charity 1 Tim. 1.5 out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeined By faith which is conceived Haymo in the heart professed with the mouth and adorned with good works the just man liveth eternally Cyprian Life is here lost or wonne everlasting salvation is here provided for by the due worshipping of God and the fruits of faith Epiphan For in the age to come after a mans death there is
that in the Scriptures and Word of God wee are bidden to make and without the which we shall never obtaine pardon and forgivenesse of our sins Bernard Without this Confession the righteous man is judged unthankfull and the sinner reputed a dead man Therâ—fâ—re Conf ssion is the way of the sinner and neverthelesse becommeth the righteous Lord be mercifull unto me Psal 41. heale my soule for I have sinned against thee If any say I have sinned Iob 33. and perverted that which was right and it profited mee not He will deliver his soule from going into the pit Ibidem and his life shall see the light If we will with a sorrowfull Hom. de poenit and contrite heart make an unfeined confession of our sins unto God he will freely forgive them and put all our wickednesse out of his remembrance Ibid. I doe not say but that if any do finde themselves troubled in conscience they may repaire to their learned Curat or Pastor or to some other godly learned man and shew the trouble doubt of their conscience to him that they may receive at his hand the comfortable salve of Gods word Hom. de poenit But it is against the true Christian liberty that any man should be bound to the numbering of his sinnes as hath beene used heretofore in the time of blindnesse and ignorance Bellar. Calvin admitteth of private confession unto the Pastor when any is afflicted in his conscience and shall need anothers helpe Yet with this moderation that this confession bee free and not exacted and not injoyning a rehearsall of all particular sins Let us with a true and contrite heart Hom de â—oenit use that kind of confession which God hath commanded in his word If we confesse our sins 1 Ioh. 1. he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse His Absolution WHo can forgive sins Mark 2.7 but God onely The Son of Man hath power upon earth to forgive sins 10. He will purge your conscience from dead workes Heb. 9.14 to serve the living God For this is not an humane Ambros worke neither is the holy Ghost given by man but beâ—ng called upon by the Priest is bestowed by God wherin the gift is Gods the ministery is the Priests Pet. Lumb God onely doth remit and reteine sins and yet he hath given unto the Church power of binding and loosing But God bindeth and looseth otherwise than the Church doth for he by himselfe only remitteth sins because hee purgeth the soule inwardly from the spot of sin freeth it from the depth of eternall death which the Church cannot do but hath power of binding and loosing that is of declaring what sinners are either loosed or bound Chemnit In absolution God himself by the ministery of the Gospell doth remit sins unto all beleevers The vertue and effect of remission is not in the Disciples Cajetan but in God who pardoneth We account of them Ambros as the Ministers of Christ Stewards of the Mysteries Sins are not loosed or reteined at the pleasure of men Aug. but according to the will of God praiers of the Church To the Lord our God belong mercies Daniel 9.9 and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him Delivering fom sin Chrysost he ingrafteth righteousnes yea he extinguisheth sin and suffereth it not to be O Lord God Almighty Ordo Rom. antiq de Offic divin pag. 18. edi Rom. 1591. be mercifull to me a sinner that I may worthily give thankes unto thee who hast made me an unworthy one for thy mercies sake a Minister of the Priestly Office and hast appointed mee a poore and humble Mediatour to pray and make intercession unto our Lord Jesus Christ for sinners that returne unto repentance And therefore O Lord the Ruler who wouldest have all men to bee saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth who dost not desire the death of a sinner but that he may bee reconciled and live Receive my prayer which I powre forth before the face of thy mercy for thy servants and handmaids who have fled to repentance and thy mercie Nehemiah 9.17 Thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse Behold Ambros that by the holy Ghost sins are forgiven but men to the remission of sins bring their Ministery They exercise not the authority of any power Therefore in all the servants there is no dominion Optat. but a Ministery Almighty God give unto thee absolution Tho. Aquin. and remission His amendment of life YOu were sometimes darknesse Ephes 5. but now are yee light in the Lord walke as children of light Set your affection on Colos 3. things above not on things on the earth Ephes 4. Put ye off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt after the deceitfull lusts Ibidem And put yee on the new man which after GOD is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Playfer That which is borne of the old man which is the flesh must dayly decrease in us and grow downwards Idem But that which is borne of the new man which is the Spirit must daily increase in us and grow upward Latymer Repentance and amendment of life are a sure remedy that our sins shall not bee our shame and confusion Vdall Bee carefull to live in godlinesse reforming your affection inwardly and your conversation outwardly according to the prescript rule of God word They that from the bottome of their heart doe acknowledge their sins Hom. de â—oenit and are unfeinedly sory for their offences will cast off all hypocrisie and put on true humilitie and lowlinesse of heart And as they did before give themselves to uncleannes of life Ibidem so will they henceforth with all diligence give themselves to innocency purenesse of life and true godlinesse The graces of God Oecumen as the flowers of a garden must not only be kept but also dressed that they may have not only a being but also an abounding Coloss 3. Put yee on therefore as the elect of GOD holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long suffering Forbearing one another and forgiving one another 4 if any have a quarrell against any even as Christ forgave you so also doe ye Ibidem And above all things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectnesse Raban Mercy consisteth in giving almes cheerfully in suffering wrong patiently in reforming the rude lovingly Chrysost It is the safety of salvation the ornamâ—nt of faith and propitiation for sins Lyra. Let Christs humility also bee inwardly in your hearts and not outwardly as it is with hypocrites For unlesse wee bee beaten downe in humility â—â—all we
give than thou art to aske To hope well of my goodnesse Ibidem is a very token of true humilitie and of great faith What Ibid. looke you to bee all worthy before you make accesse unto mee And of your selfe when will you bee so If onely such as are good Ibid. and worthy and great and perfect should approach unto mee to whom should sinners and publicans approach So then Luke 15. what saith the Gospell Then drew neere unto him all the publicans and sinners for to heare him Therfore let the unworthy approach Kempis that they may become worthy let the wicked approach that they may bee made good let the weake and unperfect approach that they may prove strong and perfect yea let all and every one approach that they may receive from the abundant streames of the well of life Iohn 7. Hee which is a thirst let him come to me and drinke Isay 55. And he which hath nothing let him come and buy without silver and without money Mat 9. Hee that is sicke let him come to be healed Mark 9. Hee that is neither hot nor cold let him come to be inflamed Kempis Hee that is fearfull let him come to bee encouraged Hee that is sorrowfull let him come to bee comforted Idem Hee that is wearied with cares Idem let him come to be refreshed with joy Loe my delight is Idem to bee with the children of men And therefore bee ever mindfull both of your fraile condition Idem and of my glorious Majestie and so with humble reverence approach boldly into my presence For I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities Isa 43. and will not remember thy sins It is I that justifie the ungodly Rom. 4. and this I doe for my holy Name sake yea and I am still ready to minister greater gifts of mercy unto thee Because I doe ever chuse Kempis to shew favour rather than displeasure as one who had rather spare than punish 2 Cor. 1. Blessed bee God even the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST the Father of mercies and GOD of all comfort Death Heb. 13.14 HEre have wee no continuing City but wee seeke one to come Luk. 12.4 Be yee prepared for the Sonne of man will come at an houre that yee thinke not Aug. All men know that the day of death will come yet all or almost all doe notwithstanding labour to put it off yea even those who beleeve that after death they shall live more blessedly So great power hath the sweet fellowship of the flesh and soule Take heed watch and pray Mar. 13 33. for yee know not when the time is The last day of our life is unknowne August that all daies may be observed the remedies are too late provided when the dangers of death approach Plato his opinion is Hieron that the whole life of wise men is the meditation of death Wee ought therefore to premeditate what we shall be hereafter and that whether we will or not death cannot be longer from us Hee which is assured hee shall dye Gregor opposeth himselfe against all the desires of this life For the perfect life is a meditation of death which while just men doe performe they escape the snares of sin Aug. That death is not accounted evill which a good life hath gone before Colos 3.2 Set your affection on things above not on things of the earth Gregor If wee consider what and how great things are promised to us in heaven all things in earth will be vile and base in our estimation For earthly substance compared to the heavenly felicity is but an heavy burthen not an helpe and succour This temporall life compared to the eternall is rather to bee accounted a death than a life Eccl. 12.7 Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it They which desire to bee dissolved Aug. and to bee with Christ doe live patiently and die cheerfully They are not lost Ambros but sent before whom eternity hath received All the daies of my appointed time will I wait Iob 14.14 till my change come For to me to live is Christ Phil. 1.21 and to die is gaine When Christ Colos 3.3 who is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory The last Iudgement Heb. 9. IT is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the Judgement Rom. 14. Wee shall all stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ Eccles 12. For GOD shall bring every worke to judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee evill Hieron It is not in us to know the day of Judgement but being alwayes uncertaine of the comming of the Judge let us so live as if we were to bee judged the next day Idem If there bee any joy in this present life let it be so used that the bitternesse of the Judgement to come do not at any time depart out of our memory Nothing doth more set forward an honest life Ambros than to beleeve he shall be judged whom hidden things doe not deceive evill things doe offend and good things doe delight That judge is not prevented by favour Aug. nor led now by mercy nor corrupted with money nor appeased by satisfaction or repentance let the soule while it hath time here labour for it selfe by repentance so long as here is place for mercy because there is the place of Justice God doth so behold our waies and number our steps Greg. moral that evē our smalest thoughts and least words remaine not unexamined in his Judgemēt Psal 37. The Lord knoweth the daies of the upright and their inheritance shall be for ever Ibid. But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of Lambs they shall consume into smoke shall they consume away Chrysost In that day wee have nothing to answer for our selves where Heaven and Earth the Aire and Water and the whole world shall witnesse our sinnes against us And if all else doe hold their peace our thoughts themselves and our works especially shall stand before our eies accusing us before God Bernard That day will come in which upright hearts shall more prevaile than eloquent words a good Conscience more than a full purse because that Judge will not bee deceived by words nor turned by gifts On the right hand Anselm will bee our sinnes accusing us on the left hand innumerable Divels underneath us the terrible deepnesse and darknesse of Hell above the Judge offended without the world burning within the conscience tormenting there shall the just scarce be saved Alas miserable sinner being thus taken unawares whither wilt thou fly for to hide thy selfe is impossible and to appeare