dye in impenitencie and hardnesse of heart Secondly this is profitable for instruction to all that know there is a hell and heare of the paines and torments Vse 2 To feare God of hell that they learne to feare God to stand in awe of him and not to sinne against him to this our Sauiour Christ exhorteth vs vpon the consideration of the paines and torments of hell saying Feare not them which c Mat. 10. 28. kill the body but are not able to kill the soule But rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Because there is a hell and because that God is able to cast the soules and bodies of all impenitent sinners into hell for this cause see that ye feare God stand in awe of God tremble before him and sinne not against him for as God is mercifull to penitent sinners and will pardon the iniquitie and transgressions of them that repent and turne from their sinnes and returne vnto God So also is he a God oâ— iustice and fierce wrath for as the Apostle saith d Heb. 12. 29. God is a consuming fiâ—r and he will cast both the bodies and soules of all impenitent sinners into hell-fire there to be tormented for euermore as it is also written e Reu. 21. 8. The fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abhomminable and murderers and whore-mongers sorcerers and idolaters and all lâ—ers shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death O then sinfull man who soeuer thou art now betimes repent and returne vnto the Lord least death vnawares seize vpon thee and suddenly thou be cast downe into hell and there shalt finde thy case to be remedilesse and thy torment endlesse CHAP. XXIII Of the benefit of Repentance how it remooueth Iudgements temporall spirituall and eternall Which may perswade vs to Repentonce HItherto of the motiues to Repentance taken from the necessitie thereof The fourth and last motiue to Repentance 4 The benefit of Repentance I take from the benefit thereof Repentance brings much good to the penitent sinner he shall be blessed with manie blessings I reduce them to these two heads True Repentance Two-fold First remooueth iudgements Secondly procuteth blessings First Repentance remooueth iudgements and those 1 It remooueth iudgements Three fold three-fold Temporall Spirituall and Eternall Touching the first Repentance is a meanes to remooue 1 Temporall temporall iudgements either threatned against sinners or else deseruedly drawne vpon them for their sinnes The Lord sendeth Ieremie the Prophet to the people of Israell saying a Ier. 3. 12. Returne thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall vpon you for I am mercifull saith the Lord and I will not keepe anger for euer Isaiah the Prophet is sent to King Kezekiah with this message b Isa 38. 5. 6. Goe and say to Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord the God of Dauid thy Father I haue heard thy prayer I haue seene thy teares beholde I will adde vnto thy dayes fifteene yeeres and I will deliuer thee and this Cittie out of the hand of the King of Assyria and I will defend this Cittie Ionah the Prophet is sent to Niniueh to threaten them and their Cittie with destruction and ouerthrow except they did repent within the space of fortie dayes c Joh. 3. 4. Yet fortie dayes and Niniueh shall he ouerthrowne But vpon this threatning Niniueh did repent for the King and the whole Cittie put on sackcloth and fasted and cryed mightily vnto God and repented of their euill wayes and d Ver. 10. God saw their workes that they turned from their euill wayes And God repented of the euill that he had said hee would doe vnto them and he did it not When God saw the people repent of their sinnes he repented of the iudgement which he had threatned against them According to that saying of the Lord in Ieremie e Ier. 18. 7. 8. At what instant I shall speake concerning a nation and concerning a kingdome to plucke vp and to pull downe and to destroy it if that nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their euill I will repent of the euill that I thought to doe vnto them Thus Repentance remooueth temporall iudgements Secondly Repentance remooueth spirituall iudgements 2 Spirituall as blindnesse of minde hardnesse of heart and horrour of conscience It remooues blindnesse of mind When God giueth the grace of illumination for before that a sinner beleeueth and repenteth he liues in blindnesse and darknesse but beleeuing and repenting he is inlightned with the knowledge of the truth and walkes no more in darkenesse but in light as the Apostle speakes f Ephe. 5. 8. ye were sometimes darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord. Repentance also remooueth hardnesse of heart when God giueth the sinner true contrition softning the hard heart For when God giueth grace to repent he giueth also a mollified and melting heart as it is said in Ezechiel g Ezek. 36. 25. 26. I will sprinckle cleane water vpon you and ye shall be cleane from all your filthinesse and from all your Idoles will I cleanse you A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stonie heart out of your flesh and I will giue you an heart of flesh Yea Repentance also remooueth horrour of conscience and the intollerable burden of sinne when God giueth to the penitent sinner peace of conscience and rest to the soule h Mat. 11. 28. Come vnto me saith our Sauiour all ye that labour and are heauie laden and I will giue you rest Now the conscience neuer hath true peace neither doth the soule euer enioy quiet rest til sinne be done away by Repentance Thirdly Repentance remooueth eternall iudgements 3 Eternall so that neither death nor hell nor condemnation can hurt them that doe truly beleeue in Christ and haue vnfainedly repented of their sinnes and doe now lead a new life So saith St Paul to the Romanes i Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit And St Iohn saith k Reu. 20. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power Thus it is apparent that great benefit commeth by Repentance for it remooueth from the penitent sinner punishments temporall concerning the bodie and outward state it deliuereth from spirituall iudgements and it Vse freeth from eternall condemnation That may escape the iudgements of God we must repent of our sinnes The consideration of which benefit of Repentance in remoouing Iudgements temporall spirituall and eternall serues for instruction to teach and admonish euery one that would escape these iudgements that would haue temporall iudgements remooued from
hath â—â—â—den these sixe steps hee hath gone so farre in the broâ—â— way that leadeth to destâ—uction that he is now neere to the gates of death at the verie brim of the bottomlesse pit and cannot possibly escape destruction euen the destruction ouerthrow of soule and bodie euerlastingly in the pit of hell except he returne Now the returning of a sinner from the gates of death must not be by the same way but with the wisemen of the East he must returne f Mat. 2. 12. another way and must ascend vp to the high mountaine of Heauen by these six steps and degrees Six steps and degrees whereby a sinner ascendeth to Heauen Or The first is a knowledge and sight of his owne sinnes The second is godly sorrow for sinne The third is humble confession and acknowledgement of his sinnes The fourth is the forsaking of his sinnes The fift is reformation of life The sixt is perseuerance in grace and goodnesse These sixe are like the sixe steps whereby g 1. Kin. 10. 18. 19. Solamon ascended to his iuory Throne by these six steps knowledge of sinne godly sorrow for sinne confession of sin forsaking sinne reformation of life and perseuerance in grace and goodnesse a sinner that hath gone astray returnes and ascends to the glorious throne of the king of heauen for when a sinner hath troden the first step of grace being come to the knowledge of his sinnes and from the knowledge of his sinnes come to godly sorrow for his sinnes from godly sorrow to confession of his sinnes from confession to the forsaking of his sins and after the forsaking of his sinnes being come to reformation of life there remaines then but one other step to bring him to heauen namely perseuerance in grace and goodnesse continuing in well-doing for h Mat. 24. 13. Sixe things required to true Repentance he that endureth to the end shall be saued So then there are sixe things necessarily required to true and sound repentance without which a sinner cannot be saued The first is the knowledge of sinne 1 The knowledg of sinne In the knowledge of sinne two thinges are necessary to be considered First what knowledge of sinne is required Wherein two things Secondly how a sinner may come to the true knowledge of his sinnes Touching the first The knowledge of sinne is two-fold 1 What knowledge of sin is required Knowledge of sin two-fold Generall and Particular The generall knowledge of sinne is to know sinne to be the transgression of the law that he that sinnes and 1 Generall knowledge of sinne doth wickedly breakes Gods commaundements to know that swearing and cursing and lying and slandering that murther and adulterie that drunkennesse and pride and maliciousnesse c. are transgressions of Gods commandements and to know that they that doe such things are in danger of Gods iudgement this is a knowledge of sinne but this is onely a generall knowledge this may be in the wicked vngodly who come short of true repentance But ther 's a particular knowledge of sinne and that 2 Particular knowledge of sinne Two-fold To know our sinnes stands in two things To know our sinnes first which they are Secondly what manner of ones they are Touching the first To know our sinnes which they are is necessarie and although it be hard for a man to know and remember at any one time all the sinnes that 1 Which they are he hath done all his life time to call to minde how and in what particular he hath broken the commaundements of God either by thought word or deede and to remember all his secret faults though this I say be difficult and a hard labour yet its necessarie for euery one as much as possiblie he may to know and find out his owne particular sinnes how he hath offended God or wronged man that a sinner may say with Dauid i Psal 51. 3. I acknowledge my transgressions before a sinner can with Dauid come to an humble acknowledgement and confession of his sins he must needs haue first a knowledge of his particular sinnes know his sinnes whereby he hath offended Before Dauid confessed his sinne of adulterie with Bathsheba saying k 2. Sam. 12. 13. I haue sinned against the Lord the Prophet of the Lord had opened his eyes that he might both see and know his sinne he had first the knowledge of sinne before he was brought to acknowledge confesse his sinne So the Iewes confessing their sinnes say l Isa 59. 12. our transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sinnes testifie against vs for our transgressions are with vs and as for our iniquities we know them And if a sinner cannot come to the knowledge of all his sinnes but some remaine secret vnknowne vnto him for his vnknowne sinnes he must pray with Dauid m Psa 19. 12. cleanse thou me from secret faults Our sinnes must first be found out that we may see them and know which they are Secondly we must also know what manner of ones 2 What manner of ones they are they are and to that end we must view them * a priori a pâ—steriori We must take knowledge of our sinnes before and behind consider their beginning and their end In aword we must know them First by their cause Secondly by their effects Thirdly by their adiuncts First by their cause The cause of sin is partly from 1 By the cause thereof Sathan through his subtile suggestion and partly of our selues through our owne lust and concupiscence of both which S. Iames speaketh thus n Iam. 1. 14. 15. Euery man is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and entised Then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne where the Diuell is made the Father of sinne and our owne lust and concupiscence the mother of sinne heere 's the procreating cause of sinne heere 's the generation and breede of sinne Secondly by the effects of sinne which are two Shame and 2 By the effects of sinne Two Death The first is shame noted in those words of the Apostle to the Romanes o Rom. 6. 21. What fruite had ye then in those things 1 Shame whereof ye are now ashamed there 's the shame of sinne sinne goeth before and shame followeth after The Second is death yea eternall death malediction 2 Death yea hell and condemnation without repentance Of this S. Paul also saith p ver 21. the end of those things is Death againe he saith q ver 23. the wages of sinne is death and S. Iames saith r Iam. 1. 15. sinne when it is finished bringeth forth Death Thirdly by the adiuncts of sinne which are three 3 By the adiuncts of sinne Three First foule Secondly great Thirdly manie Our sinnes are First foule S. Iames saith Å¿ Iam 1. 15. When lust 1 Foule hath conceiued it bringeth forth
m Luk. 18. 11. I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publicane Secondly except we search out our owne sinnes and 2 To cause vs to seeke vnto the Lord for grace and mercie come truely to know our owne selues we cannot bee brought to seeke to the Lord for grace and mercie for a man that knoweth not his wants seeketh not for helpe and redresse of his wants Secondly the consideration of the knowledge of sin and that in particular manner as hath beene formerly Vse 2 shewed serues to reproue those who are so farre from Against those who haue no sence or feeling of sinne searching their hearts to finde out and know their sins that they haue little or no sence and feeling of their sins Though they know and confesse themselues in a generall manner to be sinners as others are yet they doe not come to a particular knowledge of their sinnes to know the greatnesse of their sinnes the multitude and foulenesse of their sinnes and to know the danger that their soules are in by reason of their sinnes Though they be sinners yet their sinnes neuer trouble them their sinnes are no burden vnto them they lie vnder the heauie waight and burden of sinne and yet feele no paine The reason is because they are yet in ignorance and blindnesse they are not inlightned with the knowledge of the truth to know God and to know themselues the eyes of their minde are not inlightned truly to see and know their particular sinnes but n â—phe 4 18. 19 hauing as the Apostle saith the vnderstanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart who being past feeling haue giuen themselues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse These haue benummed and dead consciences yea these haue as the Apostle also saith o 1 Tim. 4. 2. their conscience seared with a hote iron This is a very dangerous state when a sinner is so farre from the knowledge of his sinnes as that he hath no feeling of his sinnes no remorse nor true touch of conscience for all the euill that he hath done But to the end that a sinner may truly repent him of his sinnes and be saued its necessarie that he haue as much as possibly he can a particular knowledge of his sinnes to know which they are and what manner of ones they are how great how grieuous how haynous and how dangerous they be And that he haue also a feeling of the heauie waight and burden of sinne For aâ— a man carrying a heauie and waighty burden too heauie for him to beare is not like to be eased of his burden till he complaine of the waight and call for helpe and then some friend or neighbour easeth his shoulder so a sinner that is heauie laden with the burden of sinne is like to find no ease till he haue a feeling of the heauy waight and burden of sinne lying heauie vpon his soule For Christ calleth onely such sinners to come vnto him p Mat. 11. 28. Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauie laden and I will giue you rest And as a sick-man sore diseased is not like to find ease till hauing a feeling of his paine hee complaine of his griefe and lets the Physician know where his paine lies so a sinner that is sicke by reason of sinne and hath a diseased soule except he haue a feeling of his spirituall infirmitie how can he be healed q Mat. 9. 12. They that be whole neede not a Physician saith our Sauiour but they that are sicke Christ is the true and best Physician of the soule euery sinner is a sicke man sicke in soule and hath need of Christ's Physicke to cure and heale him Now if any one thinke himselfe sound and whole enough in soule and feele no sinne trouble him and therefore make no hast to goe and seeke to Christ Iesus the good Physician how can that mans soule be healed That man who in the iudgement of the learned Physician is sore sicke and diseased and yet feeles little or no paine is most dangerously sicke so that sinner who hath a sinfull soule sore diseased with sinne and yet hath little or no feeling of sinne no true knowledge of his sins is in greatest danger of his soule When the Israelites felt themselues stung with r Nâ—m 21. 6. 7. 8. 9. fierie serpents in the Wildernesse their remedie was to looke vp to the serpent of brasse and if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brasse he liued This brasen serpent was a type and figure of Christ who was lift vp for our Redemption Of which our Sauiour Christ himselfe saith Å¿ Ioh. 3. 14. 15. As Moses lift vp the brasen serpent in the wildernesse euen so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life But as those Israelites onely had benefit by the brasen serpent which felt themselues stung and then looked vp to the brasen serpent so they onely haue benefit by Christ who hauing a feeling of sinne feeling their soules inwardly slung with the fierie darts of the old serpent the Deuil doe runne and flie apace to Christ Iesus for helpe by the eye of faith looking vp vnto Iesus that so their wounded soules may be healed CHAP. V. Of godly sorrow and first of Contrition or inwarâ— sorrow for sinne AFter the knowledge of sinne followeth godly 2 Godly sorrow sorrow for sinne This is the second step and degree in the repentance of a sinner * 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godâ—y sorrow saith S. Paul worketh repentance to saluation not to be repented of Heere S. Paul makes godly sorrow a thing necessarily required to repentance without which a sinner cannot be saued That sorrow which Sorrow for sin Two-fold worketh repentance the Apostle calls Godly sorrow for there are two sorts of sorrow for sinne The one a Buca de poenitent Legall The other Euangelicall The Legall sorrow for sinne is that sorrow which ariseth 1 Legall from the Law of God and the terrour of a mans owne conscience whereby a sinner is sorry and grieued for the euill which he hath committed onely in regard of the wrath of God and the punishment which he sees to bee deseruedly due vnto him and hanging ouer his head This is that sorrow which the Apostle calls b 2 Cor. 7. 10. the sorrow of the world or worldly sorrow which worketh death Godly sorrow worketh repentance but worldly sorrow worketh death for a sinner being detected and his wickednesse found out the Law of God hauing laid open his sinne and wounded his conscience he stands as one terrified with the remembrance of his deserued punishment now his conscience witnesseth against him that he hath done wickedly that hee deserues punishment and
not repented of their wickednesse shall be cast The second thing in the eternall punishment of impenitent sinners is the greatnesse and grieuousnesse of 1 Vniuersall their punishment the greatnesse whereof appeares in diuerse things For the torment of the wicked in Hell First shall be Vniuersall whole man shall be punished both soule and bodie shall suffer torment i Mat. 10. 28. God is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell as saith our Sauiour Yea the wicked shall be tormented in all parts nâ—ne shall be free but most tormented in those members wherewith they haue most offended k Et si nihil in toto corpore habebat immune summorum cruciatuum tamen quia quo quis peccat â—â—nitur lingua â—ius praecipâ—â— torquebatur Stel. Carth. in Luc. Diues was tormented in all and euery part but most tormented in his tongue wherewith he had greatly offended We know that a man cannot endure the burning of any member of his body no not of his little finger without great paine and torment O then what an exceeding great torment will it be to be tormented not onely in one but in all parts and members of the bodie When head and heart tongue and eye hand and foote shall all and all at once feele intollerable paine and horrible torment and no part of the bodie be free from torment besides the anguish of soule vexation of minde and continuall horrour of conscience O how great will that torment be Secondly their torment is easelesse they haue no ease in hell neither feele they any metigation of their 2 Easelesse paine for there l Mar. 9. 48. Their worme dieth not and the fire is not quenched Wicked and vngodly men dying in their sins without repentance carrie with them the worme of conscience which is euer biting gnawing stinging them to the heart and will giue them no rest Moreouer they remaine in the flaming fire that is euer burning and neuer goeth out its m Mat. 3. 12. vnquenchable fire and they that are tormented in this fire haue n Rom. 14. 11. no rest day nor night Diues being in hell in torments requested but a small thing to be granted him a drop of water to o Luk. 16. 24. 25. 26. coole his tongue but it might not begranted him no in hell there 's no ease no comfort no mittigatioÌ„ of paine no asswaging of torment there 's nothing but paine anguish vexation and torment nothing but pittifull crying howling wailing and weeping and gnashing of teeth by reason of the intollerable paine and torment which they endure and can finde no ease Thirdly they are hopelesse they that are tormented 3 Hopelesse in that flame of fire haue no hope to be deliuered but must still remaine in that hellish prison and dungeon of darkenesse they haue no hope euer to come to the place of ioy and felicity for the doore is shut and they are shut p Mat. 25. 10. out Besides betwixt them that are in heauen them that are in hell there is a great gulfe as Abraham answered Diues q Luk. 16. 26. Betweene vs and you there is a great gulfe fixed so that they which would passe from hence to you cannot neither can they passe to us that would come from thence Fourthly they are remedilesse there 's no helpe to be 4 Remedilesse had from any there the nearest and dearest friend cannot helpe one another from thence the r Chrys ad pop Antioch HoÌ„ 22. Brother cannot redeeme the brother there parents cannot helpe their children nor children their parents there the husband cannot defend his wife nor the wife yeld any succour to her husband Fiftly their torment is endlesse they which are tormented 5 Endlesse For. in that flame shall endure euerlasting torment their paine shall endure for euer and their torment shall neuer haue end For this cause hell fire is called Euerlasting fire Å¿ Mat. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire S. Iohn saith t Reu 20. 10. The Diuell that deceiued them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for euer and euer Earthly paines and torments haue an end but hell torments haue no end they that are in hell are tormented day and night without ceasing for euer more The reason whereof is First because the fier of hell can neuer be quenched 1 Hell-fire can neuer be quenched but euer burneth the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it and the fire neuer goeth out Secondly at the resurrection of all flesh the soules 2 After the resurrection the bodie shall be incorruptible bodies of all men shall meete together euen of the wicked and then the body shall be changed from a corruptible to an incorruptible state then the body shall be no more subiect to corruption and mortalitie death shall no more seize vpon it for as S. Paul saith u 1 Cor. 15. 53. This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie x Iniâ—storum corpora immortalia incorruptibilia quidem passibilia tamen resurgent Bucan The bodyes of the vnrighteous saith one at the Resurrection shall be immortall and incorruptible but yet so as their bodies shall be subiect to punishment and apt to suffer torment Now because the body shall be then no more subiect to death and corruption hence it is that the bodies and soules of the damned in hell shall euer liue together that they may euer be tormented together And they shall be euer tormented in the lake of fire but neuer dead euer burning but neuer consumed The consideration hereof serues First to reprooue those who though they heare of Vse 1 hell and of the torments of hell of the lake of fire and Against those who liue so as if there were no hell brimstone and vnderstand that hell-fire is an euerlasting fire yet not withstanding liue so as if there were no hell nor any place of torment after this life They either are willingly ignorant of this or foolishly perswade themselues that they shall not come thither but without doubt there is a hell y Mat. 5. 29. It is profitable for thee saith our Sauiour that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell againe z Mat. 10. 28. God is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Moreouer a Luk. 16. 24. Diues is tormented in the flame that is in hell-fire which flameth with brimstome And b Act. 1. 25. Iudas is gone to his owne place that is to hell the place of the damned And most certaine it is that to this wofull and lamentable place shall they goe who liue wickedly repent not of their sinns before they depart out of this life but
slaughter and as a sheepe before her shearer is dumbe so he openeth not his mouth and then pray that the Lord would endue vs with meekenesse and patience in suffering And when we see a sheepe going astray we may meditate on the state of a sinner going astray like a lost sheepe yea on our owne wandring from the commaundements of the Lord and pray with Dauid saying k Psal 119. 17â— I haue gone astray like a lost sheepe O Lord seeke thy seruant Such like meditations as these to stirre vp our deuotion may be taken from these and other creatures and workes of God on earth Thirdly from the waters and things therein we may 3 In the waters haue meditations to raise our affections on high as when we see and consider how euerie little brooke runs into the greater riuer and all riuers runne into the Sea whence they came as Solomon saith l Eccles 1. 7. All the riuers run into the Sea yet the Sea is not full vnto the place whence the riuers come thither they returne againe this should cause vs to thinke on our mortalitie and to meditate that euen as the riuers runne into the Sea whence they came so doe all men returne to the earth whence they came and this meditation should put vs in minde of our last end and make vs to consider how we euen hasten to our graue and then we should pray that we may be carefull to remember our last end and thinke much and often of the place whence we came and whither we are going When we see fishes caught with the angle or taken in the net vnawares as they are securely swimming and seeking their prey this may cause vs to meditate on the suddennesse of death and how it takes many vnawares according to the saying of Solomon m Eccles 9. 12. man knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an euill net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sonnes of men snared in an euill time when it falleth suddenly vpon them And then we should be mooued to pray that now while we liue and haue time and space to repent we may so prepare for death that whensoeuer that day commeth it may not n Luk 21. 34. 35. 36. come vpon vs vnawares Hitherto of meditations that concerne God The second sort of meditations which may helpe and 2 Concerning our selues Two-fold further vs in prayer concerne our selues and they are of two sorts The first are taken from the consideration of our 1 In regard of our state Three-fold three-fold state Past Present and To come First in regard of the time past we may meditate and 1 Past what we were call to minde what we were how we o Ephe. 2. 3. were by nature children of wrath p Psal 51. 5. Shapen in iniquitie and conceiued in sinne The meditation whereof should cause vs to pray that we may be renued may be made children of God by adoption and grace and may be q Ioh. 3. 3. borne againe that so we may enter into the kingdome of God Secondly in regard of the time present we may seriously 2 Present what we are thinke with our selues what we are and we may find that we are first fraile brittle euen dust and ashes which should humble vs in prayer and cause vs to say 1 Fraile with Abraham r Gen. 18. 27. I haue taken vpon me to speake vnto the Lord which am but dust and ashes Secondly sinfull hauing much naturall corruption 2 Sinnefull within vs and preuailing against vs so that oftimes Å¿ Rom. 7. 19. the good that we would we doe not and the euill which we would not that we doe Which meditation should cause vs to pray with the Apostle t Ver. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Thirdly in regard of the time to come we may meditate 3 To come what we shall be what we shall be For we shall be In death corruptible In the resurrection glorious The one may humble vs the other may raise vs vp with consolation and both may teach vs to pray that when our bodie dieth our soule may liue and at the resurrection both soule and body may liue with God and be with the Lord for euer These and such like meditations may be taken from the consideration of our threefolde state Secondly meditations concerning our selues may be 2 In regard of our dayes and houres taken from the dayes and houres and time which God hath giuen vs here on earth We may euery day and euery houre of the day find some opportunitie for godly and diuine meditations And that Three fold In the morning In the day time and In the euening First in the morning as when we awake and see the 1 In the morning light we may meditate on the u Joh. 1. 9. true light which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world And pray that we may x 1. Cor. 15. 34. awake to righteousnesse and that the Lord would lighten our darknesse that we may come out of the darknesse of ignorance to the true light When we rise from our beds we may meditate on our two-fold rising from the death of sinne in this life and from our graues at the last day and then pray that we may no longer lye dead in our sinnes but may rise from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and that we may haue our y Reu. 20. 6. part in the first resurrection so that the second death may haue no power ouer vs but when we z Dan. 12. 2. awake out of the dust of the earth we may rise to euerlasting life And when we put on our apparrell we may fitly meditate on the putting on of the a Ephe. 4 24. new man and pray that we may b Rom. 13. 14. put on the Lord Iesus Christ and may c Colos 3. 12. put on bowells of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long-sufferiâ—â— Such meditations as these we may haue in the morning Secondly in the day time in our affaires and buisinesse 2 In the day time in the world euery man in his place in his vocation and calling may haue some good cogitations and diuine meditations as the husbandman when hee is plowing his ground may meditate on the plowing and d Iere. 4. 3. breaking vp of the fallow ground of the heart and when he soweth his seed may thinke on the e Luk. 8. 11. seed of Gods word and then pray that his owne heart may be like good ground fitted and prepared to receiue the seed of Gods word that it may enter into his heart may take deepe rooting there and bring forth the fruit of good workes So also in the day time when we are walking going in the way or trauelling we may fitly
What knowledge of sin is required where consider that the knowledge of sin is two-fold 1. Generall p. 161. 2 Particular two-fold To know our sinnes 1. Which they are ibid. 2 What manner of ones they are known by their 1. Cause pag. 162. 2. Effects two 1. Shame ibid. 2. Death p. 163 3. Adiuncts three 1. Foule ibid. 2. Great ibid. 3. Many ibid. 2. How a sinner may come to the knowledge of his sinnes namely by the Law p. 164. Vse 1. To know our selues p. 164. which is necessary 1. For our humiliation p. 166. 2. To cause vs to seeke to the Lord for grace and mercie ibid. Vse 2. Against those who haue no sence or feeling of sinne ibid. 2. Godly sorrow chap. 5. Where is shewed that sorrow for sin is two-fold 1. Legall pag. 169. 2. Euangelicall ibid. two fold 1. Contrition Or Inward sorrow for sinne Wherein 4 things 1. What it is p. 170. 2. How it is wrought two waies by 1 The Spirit of God ibid. 2. Preaching Christ crucified p. 171. 3. Signes thereof sâ—â—â—â— 1. Carefulnesse p. 173. 2. Clearing our selues ibid. 3. Indignation ib. 4. Feare ibid. 5. Desire ibid. 6. Zeale p. 174. 7. Reuenge ibid. 4. Motiues thereunto foure 1. God requireth it p. 175. 2. All penitent sinners haue had it ibid. 3. It s necessary for 1. Except the heart be rent sinne still remaineth in the heart p. 176. 2. Ezcept wee breake our hearts for our sinnes God will breake vs in his wrath ibid. 4. It s profitable for 1. It is a sacrifice to God ibid. 2. Godly sorrow hurteth not ibid. 3. Sorrowing for sinne in this life will keepe vs from sorrowing in the life to come p. 177. Vse Against those who breake their heart with worldly sorrow but haue little sorrow of heart for their sinnes ibid. 2. Outward sorrow for sin Chap. 6. And therein two things 1. How a penitent sinner may rightly mourn for his sinnes wherein foure things 1. For whom p. 179. 2. For what ibid. 3. The time when p. 180. 4. The measure of mourning for sinne And therin these Rules are to be obserued 1. Sorrow for sinne must bee greater then for any worldly want or losse For 1. Sinne is the cause of all euill pag. 180. 2. A man may be saued without riches but not without Repentance ibid. 3. The soule once lost cannot bâ— recâ—uered pag. 181. 2. For great sinnes we must haue great sorrow ibid. 3. There must be a moderation in mourning for sinne ibid. 2. Motiues to perswâ—de to mourning and weeping for sinne 4. 1. God requireth it ibid. 2. Penitent sinners haue wept and mourned for their sinnes pag. 182. 3. It s necessarie 1. In regard of our sinnes which were the cause of Crucifying Christ ibid. 2. Our eyes conâ—ay much euill to the heart pag. 183. 3. Sinne is the cause of miserie ibid. 4. Either now wee must mourne and weepe or we shall hereafter ibid. 4. It s profitable For 1. Mourning and weeping for sinne is a meanes to obtaine mercy ibid. 2. Mourning and weeping for sinne is a meanes to pacifie Gods anger pag. 184. 3. Teares shed for sinne are pleasing to God and delightfull to the Angels ibid. 4. They that mourne shall be comforted ibid. Vse Against those who mourne and weepe greatly for outward crosses but vâ—rie little for their sinnes pag. 185. 3. Confession of sinne Chap. 7. two-fold 1. Publique two-fold 1. Of the whole Congregation pag. 187. 2. Of any one that hath offended the Congregation ibid. 2. Priuate two-fold 1. To Man In two respects 1. For satisfaction ib. 2. For consolation pag. 188. 2. To God and therein 4. things 1. What it is ibid. 2. The kinds of it two-fold 1. Generall ibid. 2. Particular pag. 189. 3. The manner of making confession aright And therein sixe things 1. That it be with premeditation pag. 189. 2. That it be in truth ibid. 3. That it be accusing not excusing pag. 190. 4. That it be a confession of sinne and iniquitie ibid. 5. That it be a confession of our owne sinnes ibid. 6. That our confession be made vnto God ibid. 4. Motiues to Confesse our sinnes vnto God 2. 1. It s necessarie For 1. God is principally offended by our sinnes pag. 191. 2. Without confession we can haue no remission ibid. 3. If we doe not confesse our sinnes vnto God yet God seeth and knoweth them pag. 192. 2. It s profitable For 1. By confession we obtaine remission pag. 193. 2. Confession of sinnes is a meanes to turne away Gods wrath ibid. 3. By confession the soule is eased and the conscience pacified ibid. Vse To reproue 1. Those who will not confesse but hide and couer their sinnes Which is 1. Foolish pag. 194. 2. Dangerous pag. 195. 2. Those that excuse their sinnes ibid. 3. Those that defend their sinnes pag. 196. 4. Forsâ—kinâ— of sinne Chap 8. therein two things 1. What things are required â—o the forsaking of sin Three 1. That we forsake all and euery sinnâ— pag. 197. 2. That we forsake the occasions of euill with the prouocations therunto p. 198. 3. That we forsake sinne with the adherents pag. 199. 2. Motiues tâ— perswade thereunto Three 1. The Scripture pag. 200. 2. The Necessâ—â—y therof Two-fold 1. It puts a difference betweene true and false Repentance pag. 201. 2. Except wee forsake our sinnes nothing that we doe can please God pag 202. 3. The benefit there of Twofold 1. To a mans temporall state Prosperitie ibid. 2. To his spirituall state 1. Mercie pag 203. â— No more remembrance of sinne ibid. Vse To reproue 1. Those that continue in sinne Which continuance in sinne is dâ—ngâ—rous For 1. Continuance in sinne ouerburdeneth the soule pag. 203. 2. The soule groweth worse thereby ibid. 3. They that continue still in sin shall be seuerely punished pag. 204. 2. Those who leaue some sinnes but will not forsake all pag. 205. 3. Those who will not make restitution of their euill gotten goods pag. 206. 4. Those who leaue sinne for a season and afterwards fall to their sinnes againe pag. 207. 5. Reformation of life chap. 9. Therin three things 1. Meanes whereby a sinner may come to amendment of life two 1. working of the Holy Spirit pag. 208. 2. The Word of God p. 209. 2. After what manner Amendment of life is wrought in a sinner wherein three things 1. There must bee an vtter forsaking of our old conuersation ibid. 2. It must bee in the whole man ibid. 3. It must haue it beginning within p. 210. 3. Motiues to perswade to Amendment of life three 1. God requireth it ibid. 2. The Necessity therof is great For 1. By nature wee are in a corrupt state p. 212. 2. Except we be renued reformed we cannot see the Kingdome of God ibid. 3. A sinner that will not be reformed doth cast away his soule p. 213. 3. The Benefit thereof threefold 1. Outward prosperity ibid. 2. Spirituall happinesse p. 214. 3.
truth Which word of truth is the meanes of obtaining faith as S. Paul saith h Râ—m 10. 17. Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Thirdly all that doe truely and faithfully call vpon 3 They that call vpon God the name of the Lord doe beleeue for i Rom. 10. 14. how shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Lastly they haue faith which doe shew forth the effects and fruits of faith in their life by their carefulnes 4 They that shew their faith by their workes to please God to walke in obedience to his commandements and to be exercised in good workes Of this S. Iames saith k Iam. 2. 18. Shew me thy faith without thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes So then it appeares that although all men haue not yet some haue the true faith though Reprobates and the enemies of the Gospell and prophane people and Hypocrites haue not faith yet many there are that haue faith For all the Elect and they that are effectually called they that are regenerate and borne anew they that doe truely and faithfully call vpon God and they that doe shew forth the fruits of their faith by a godly life haue faith The consideration of this that all men haue not faith Vse 1 serues first for instruction to teach vs if in the course of Maruell not that vnregenerate men are so wicked our life we meet with vnreasonable and wicked men and wonder at it that men should be so disordered goe so out of square be so notoriously wicked and so vnreasonable to deale with that we cease to maruell For All men haue not faith They are naturall men they doe but their kinde they haue not faith for if they had faith indeede they would not be so vile so wicked and abhominable in their doings but they would be more orderly more reasonable to deale with yea they would bee of better life and of more sober conuersation Let vs not then maruell but rather pray as S. Paul praies the Thessalonians to pray for him that wee may bee deliuered from l 2. Thess 3. 1 2. unreasonable and wicked men for all men haue not faith Secondly the consideration of this that though all Vse 2 men haue not yet many haue true sauing faith serues Consolation to them that haue true faith for consolation It s a good euidence to a man concerning the assurance of his saluation if hee be assured that hee hath true faith For all men haue not faith faith is not common to all but proper and peculiar to the Elect. Now then when as a Christian vpon good and infallible ground can assure himselfe that hee hath true faith he may then also safely gather assurance that he is of the number of Gods Elect and therefore shall certainely be saued for the Elect and only the Elect haue faith and as many as are ordained to saluation doe beleeue From hence the true beleeuer through true sauing faith assisted by the Spirit of God gathers the assurance of his owne saluation and receiues comfort to his soule that he is one of Gods Elect and shall bee saued With this heauenly meditation the sorrowfull soule of a sinner is refreshed with this sweet consolation he goes away in peace lies downe in peace and rests in peace CHAP. XII Of the necessity of hauing the true faith WHo are partakers of true sauing faith 6 The necessity of hauing the true faith which is great For hath beene declared The next thing to bee considered in the treatise of Faith which is in order the sixt is the necessity of faith Great is the necessity of true sauing Faith For First true sauing faith is the very true life of the soule 1 Faith is the life of the soule without which a man is dead being aliue Hence it is that St Paul speaking of the state of the Ephesians before their conuersion and before they did beleeue saith of them that they were a Ephe. 2. 1. dead in trespasses and sinnes And againe speaking of their spirituall state by grace after that they beleeued saith of them that they were quickned b Verse 4. 5. God who is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he hath loued vs euen when we were dead in sins hath quickned vs together with Christ And speaking of himselfe now conuerted and turned vnto God now beleeuing in Iesus Christ he saith c Gal. 2. 20. I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God Giuing vs hereby to vnderstand that whosoeuer hath not true faith in Iesus Christ is dead in trespasses and sinnes And though concerning the outward man he may liue and moue yea haue health strength of bodie yet notwithstanding as long as he remaines in his naturall state whiles he is not truly conuerted and turned to God from his former sinfull life and as long as he wants true sauing faith he is concerning his spirituall state as a dead man hauing no true life of grace in him But on the other side whosoeuer is conuerted and turned to God whosoeuer is crucified to the world dead to sinne and hath true sauing faith beleeuing in Iesus Christ to saluation such a one is quickned by the Spirit he is now raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousnesse and now he is no more dead but aliue he liues by the faith of the Sonne of God so that faith is the verie true life of the soule as it were the soule of the soule for as the soule giues life to the bodie so Faith giues life to the soule and as the bodie without the soule is dead so the soule without faith is dead also Secondly without faith nothing that we doe can 2 Without faith nothing pleaseth God please God Wherefore it is that the Apostle saith d Heb. 11. 6. Without faith it is impossible to please him Whether therefore we fast or pray or giue almes whatsoeuer spirituall sacrifice we offer vnto God or whatsoeuer good thing we doe if we would haue the Lord to accept our sacrifice and seruice and to be wel pleased with our good workes we must looke that we haue faith that our prayers and thankesgiuings almsdeeds and whatsoeuer good thing we doe proceede from a heart purified by Faith Faith is as necessarie in our spirituall sacrifices good works that they may please God as salt was in the sacriffces in the Leuiticall law Where it was commaunded that e Leuit. 2. 13. euery oblation of their meat offering they should season with salt as salt seasoned their sacrifices so faith seasoneth our sacrifices and therefore as our Sauiour saith to his Disciples f Mark 9. 50. haue salt in your selues so I say to all haue faith in your selues For through Faith our workes are acceptable to God and please God but without faith it is impossible to please him Thirdly
to sinners and vnbeleeuers turne vnto me repent and beleeue the Gospell he sheweth vnto sinners that they ought to repent and turne vnto him and that vnbeleeuers ought to beleeue but to beleeue to repent and to turne to the Lord is not of our selues it is of God it is of the grace of God as S. Paul sayth n 2. Câ—r 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God This of the Efficient and inward working cause of Faith The second is the Instrumentall cause of faith which 2 The instrumentall cause of faith The word of God is the word of God of this S. Paul saith o Rom. 10. 17. faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God He had sayd before how shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent And hereupon inferreth that faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Heer 's the ordinarie meanes of begetting faith God of his mercie sends a Preacher to a people the Preacher preacheth Christ crucified by preaching Christ the people heare of Christ and by hearing they beleeue So then faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Now the word preached and heard which is powerfull to beget faith is vnderstood to be the whole word of God the Law and the Gospell for And that First to the begetting of faith in the heart it 's necessary 1 The law that a sinner heare the Law to the end that he may see and know his sinnes for p Rom. 3. 20. by the Law is the knowledge of sinne and not onely see and know his sinnes but likewise the punishment due to him for his sinnes which in the iustice of God is the malediction and curse of the Law for it is written q Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Likewise death and condemnation for the r Rom. 6. 23. wages of sinne is death Yea and to bee depriued of the Kingdome of God for Å¿ 1 Câ—r 6. 9. the vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God And this part of the Word the Law laies open a mans sinnes so plaine and euident that it prickes the heart and wounds the conscience of a sinner insomuch that being truely and throughly touched with the sence and feeling of his owne particular sinnes he hath no peace in himselfe but is disquieted in conscience and now he beginnes to thinke with himselfe what hee may doe to finde ease to his conscience and rest to his soule an example whereof wee haue in those Iewes to whom S. Peter preached Christ crucified and vrged it vpon their consciences that they had crucified Christ for hee saith t Acts 2. 36 37. Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye haue crucified both Lord and Christ Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and sayd vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethron what shall wee doe they were so touched in conscience for their great and bloudy sinnes of crucifying Christ that they knew not what to doe Now when the Law hath thus wrough vpon a sinner humbling him and bringing him vnder a sence and feeling of his sinnes and the wrath of God due to him for his sinnes when hee findes himselfe in this distressed case and vnderstands in how great neede hee stands of 2 The Gospell helpe and comfort then the other part of the Word of God the Gospell of Christ being preached and heard together with the working of the Spirit inwardly in the heart doth open the eyes of his minde and inlighten his vnderstanding and shewes vnto him Christ crucified and makes the sinner see and know that there is remedy to heale his sicke soule that there is saluation to bee had in Christ Iesus and in him alone and that t Joh. 3. 16. whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life This is that word of consolation which S. Peter gaue to those Iewes now pricked in heart wounded in conscience and groning vnder the burthen of their sinnnes u Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes And now the sinner knowing that saluation is to bee had in Christ Iesus and that there is x Acts 4. 12. no saluation in any other heereupon he ficeth to Christ for helpe and succour by the eye of faith he lookes vnto Iesus by the hand of faith he takes hold on Iesus and by faith applieth the merits of the death and passion of Christ vnto his owne soule being now assured of the mercy of God through Iesus Christ for the remission of his sinnes and saluation of his soule The sinner hath y Acts 15 7. heard the Word of the Gospell and beleeueth Thus faith is ordinarily procured by the Word of God And seeing that the ordinary meanes of begetting Vse faith is the Word of God this serues to reproue those Against those that boast of their faith and yet contemne and lightly regard the hearing of the Word the ordinary meanes of obtaining faith who despise and contemne or greatly neglect the hearing of the Word and yet boast that they haue faith Diuerse there are that seldome come to the house of God and very seldome heare Sermons who if they be questioned whether they haue faith will not sticke to answer euery one for himselfe yea I haue faith and doe beleeue I haue a good faith to God I hope to bee saued aswell as the best and hope to come to Heauen as soone as they that follow Sermons But I demand of thee ô vaine man if thou hast so good a faith and so good hope of saluation how and by what meanes camest thou by this thy good faith The Scriptures tels vs plainely that the meanes of obtaining faith is by hearing the Word of God And seeing thou doest not frequent the house of God nor heare the Word of God preached except it be at some times and by starts how can it be that thou hast true faith or if thou hast it how was it wrought in thee and by what meanes hast thou obtained it it is the great blindnesse of many ignorant soules to thinke they haue faith when they haue it not And they haue it not because they doe not vse the ordinary meanes to obtaine it I know and deny not God is not tyed to any meanes and therefore can extraordinarily worke faith in the hearts of men euen in whom be will according to his good pleasure but it is not safe for any
despitefully vse you and persecute you Heere is great patience required for if any one haue an enemy that railes on him and reuiles him that speakes euill against him yea curseth him he is commanded to blesse if our enemy hate vs we are to wish well vnto him yea to doe him good and if our enemy should trouble vs and persecute vs and despitefully vse vs yet wee are to pray for our enemy as Christ prayed for his Crucifiers c Luk 23. 34. Father forgiue them And as Steuen prayed for his Persecutors d Acts 7. 60. Lord lay not this sinne to their charge S. Paul rebuking the Corinthians for their manner of going to law saith e 1 Cor. 67. Why doe yee not rather take wrong why doe yee not rather suffer your selues to be defrauded adde heereunto his exhortation to the Romanes f Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as lieth in you liue peaceably with all men It is hard for a man to liue peaceably with all men yet it is not impossible and therefore the Apostle would haue euery one to labour by all meanes as much as lies in him to preserue peace and concord with all men which a man cannot possibly doe except hee bee content to suffer much and to put vp many wrongs and iniuries whether they concerne his body goods or good name And to perswade vs yet more to patient suffering of 2 Examples of suffering wrong wrongs wee are not destitute of examples of rare patience in suffering wrongs and putting vp iniuries both in body goods and good name Of patient suffering wrongs and iniuries in body 1 In body Paul is our example who to the Corinthians saith that he was in g 2 Cor. 11 23 24 25. stripes aboue measure in prison more frequent in deaths â—ft Of the Iewes saith hee fiue times receiued I forty stripes saue one Thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stoned These were Pauls sufferings from the hands of men concerning his body in all which hee laboured to h 2 Cor. 6. 4 5. approoue himselfe as the Minister of God in much patience Of patience in suffering wrongs in goods Iob is an 2 In goods example who was robbed of his Oxen and Asses by the i Iob 1. 14 15. Sabeans and of his Camels by the k Vers 17. Caldeans these Sabeans and Caldeans made out their bands and came with force against Iobs seruants they cruelly slue his seruants and violently tooke away his goods and substance his Oxen his Asses and his Camels all which wrongs and iniuries from the hands of cruell men Iob tooke patiently and sayd l Vers 21. The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. And for patient suffering of wrongs and iniuries 3 In good name concerning a mans good name Dauid is our example for he saith * Psal 69. 12 12. They that sit in the gate speake against mee I was the song of the Drunkards But as for me my prayer is vnto thee ô Lord. Dauid confesseth that wicked men sonnes of Belial prophane people very Drunkards as they sate ouer their pots did abuse him in words spake euill of him behinde his backe and made songs of him And yet such was Dauids patience that he suffered these things he endured all and gaue himselfe to prayer But Dauids patience is most apparent in forbearing the railing words of Shimei who in Dauids hearing railed vpon him saying m 2 Sam. 16. 7. Come out come out thou bloudy man thou man of Belial and when Abishai one of Dauids Nobles would haue gone out in all haste and stricken off the head of Shimei for railing on the King and cursing him Dauids answer was n Vers 11 12. Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him It may bee that the Lord will looke on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day Such was Dauids patience But our Sauiour Christ is an example to vs of suffering 4 In body goods and good name wrongs and iniuries both in his body goods and good name Of all which wrongs the * Matth. 27. Luke 23. Iohn 19. Euangelists make mention for touching his body the Iewes despitefully vsed him they scourged him they platted a crowne of thornes and put it vpon his head they spate vpon him they smote him on the head and lastly they crucified him they nailed his hands and his feet and pierced his side Concerning his goods they first stripped him of his rayment and the souldiers parted his garments among them and vpon his vesture did they cast lots And he also suffered in his good name for the Iewes oftimes reuiled him and railed vpon him they say of him o Matt. 11. 19. Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber a friend of Publicanes and sinners They say vnto him p Ioh. 8. 48. Say wee not well that thou art a Samaritane and hast a Deuill They accuse him before Pilate to be a q Luk. 23. 2. fellow peruerting the nation and forbidding to giue tribute to Caesar Againe at his death they reuiled him saying r Matth. 27. 40. Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes saue thy selfe if thou bee the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse Againe they mocked him saying Å¿ Vers 42. He saued others himselfe hee cannot saue If he be the King of Israel let him now come downe from the Crosse and we will beleeue him All these wrongs and iniuries in body goods and good name Christ suffered and that patiently as witnesseth S. Peter who speaking of Christs patience in suffering saith t 1 Pet. 2. 23. When hee was reuiled he reuiled not againe when he suffered hee threatned not but committed himselfe to him that iudgeth righteously Here a question ariseth concerning patience in suffering Question wrongs whether a Christian be so bound to suffer all manner of wrongs and iniuries from men as that he is to sit downe with all wrongs and to put vp all iniuries whatsoeuer or whether a Christian may not in some cases seeke by lawfull meanes to right himselfe of his wrongs For answere hereunto we are to consider that wrongs Answ and iniuries haue their degrees some are lesse offensiue and hurtfull and some more offensiue more hurtfull and grieuous then others And of wrongs there are three degrees Three degrees of wrongs First some are small offences little wrongs and iniuries as disgracefull and disdainfull speeches which 1 Small offences indeed may offend and displease the partie against whom they are spoken but yet they are not so great as to bring any hurt or hindrance to a man either in his bodie goods or good name As when the Iewes spake disdainfully of Christ u Mat. 13. 55. is not this the Carpenters sonne Who is this that is come
that they care not greatly of what religion they be so they be of any There are others who as they would not be too irreligious and profane not exceedingly wicked and vile in their life so they are afraid of being noted to be too precise in their carriage too zealous too holy such are luke-warme Christians neither hote nor cold neither so cold as to be of no religion nor so hote as to be sincere in the profession of godlinesse Such luke-warme professours are abhominable in the sight of God and euen loathed of him As is manifest in the reprehension of the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans p Reu. 3. 14. 15. 16. I know thy workes that thou art neither colde nor hote I would thou wert cold or hote So then because thou art lukewarme and neither cold nor hote I will spew thee out of my mouth here are two things said of these Laodiceans one is concerning the state of that Church for their profession of religion they are noted to be lukewarme neither cold nor hote the other is there iudgement and punishment for their lukewarmenesse in religion except they be more zealous and repent the Lord will spew them out of his mouth that is the Lord will loath and abhorr them and will cast them out from him euen as a mans stomacke loathes lukewarme water casting it vp againe And this of the confession of Christ before men in 2 In time of persecution time of peace There is also a confession of Christ to be made of euery good christian in time of persecution And that Twofold is also twofold The first is to stand boldly in the defence of our 1 To stand to our faith when we are called in question for it faith and religion if we be called in question for it This our Sauiour Christ taught his Disciples q Math. 10. 17. 18. 19. Beware of men for they will deliuer you vp to the Councills and they will scourge you in their Synagognes And ye shall be brought before gouernours and Kings for my sake for a testimony against them and the Gentiles But when they deliuer you vp take no thought how or what ye shall speake for it shall be giuen you in that same howre what ye shal speake A worthy example hereof there is in Peter and Iohn the Apostles of Christ who preaching Iesus Christ and working miracles through his name were called before the rulers of the Iewes and examined about the healing of the creeple r Act 4 7. by what power or by what name haue ye done this then Peter with great courage and boldnesse answered ſ ver 8. 9. 10. Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel if we this day be examined of the good deede done to the impotent man by what meanes he is made whole be it knowne vnto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Iesus Christ of nazareth whom ye crucifie whom God raised from the dead euen by him doth this man stand heere before you whole Here was the constant confession of Christ by these Apostles standing to their faith when they were called in question for it and that with courage and great boldnesse yea further when the rulers called the Apostles t ver 18. 19. 20. And commanded them not to speake at all nor teach in the Name of Iesus Peter Iohn answered said vnto them whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken vnto you more thē vnto God iudge yee For we cannot but speake the things which we haue seene heard See still their cōstant cōfession of ther faith in Iesus Christ they beleeued therfore they spake this is the first kind of confessing Christ in time of persecution The second i◠to stand boldly in the defence of our 2 To stand in the defence of our faith vnto the death faith euen vnto death and not to deny Christ though we loose our life for Christs sake Memorable is the example of the three children of the Captiuity who being threatned to be cast into the fiery fornace because they would not worship the golden Image which Nebuchadnezzar had set vp did notwithstanding sticke fast vnto the worship of the true God of Heauen and earth when the King threatned them with the fiery furnace they were not afraid of the fier but with courage and boldnesse thus confidently answered the king u Dan. 3. 16. 17. 18. O Nebuchad-nezzar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter If it be so our God whom we serue is able to deliuer vs from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliuer vs out of thine hand ô King But if not be it knowne vnto thee o King that we will not serue thy Gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set vp This was the constancy of the Apostle S. Paul when the Prophet Agabus tooke Pauls girdle and bound his owne hands and feete prophecied that so the Iewes at Ierusalem should binde the man that owed that girdle and when the beleeuers with whom Paul was heard these things and wept and besought him that he would not goe to Ierusalem Paul answered x Acts. 21. 13. What meane ye to weepe and to breake mine heart For I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Such was the constancy of the faithfull in the times of the most cruell persecutions both before Christ and since Before Christ as is manifest in the diuerse sufferings of the Saints of God mentioned by the Apostle to the Hebrewes y Heb. 11. 35. 36. 37. 38. others were tortured not accepting deliuerance that they might obtaine a better resurrection And other had triall of cruell mockings and scourgings yea moreouer of bonds and imprisonment They were stoned they were sawen a sunder were tempted were staine with the sword they wandred about in sheepe-skins goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in deserts and in mountaines and in denns and caues of the earth And after Christ from Steuen Protomartyr the first that suffered for the name of Christ so downward to these times as many as haue suffered in deede and in truth for the testimony of Iesus haue with constancy and boldnesse with courage and reioycing endured any torments that cruell persecutors could inuent against them and spared not their liues for his sake that gaue his life for them z Acts. 7. 59. 60 Steuen was stoned to death and and praied for his persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge a Euseb l. 2. c. 25. Paul was beheaded b id l. 3. c. 1. Peter was crucified with his head downeward c Acts. 12. 2. Iames the brother of Iohn was killed with the sword Ignatius was cast to the wild beasts it was he that said d
is in their owne power and are vainely perswaded that they can repent when they please But consider I beseech you ô yee secure and carelesse people know yee and consider well with your selues that repentance is not in any mans power no man can repent when hee will for Repentance is the gift of God and it is of the gracious working of Gods Holy Spirit that a sinner is changed in minde and turned from sinne vnto God Wherefore in Ieremy Ephraim is brought in lamenting and praying f Ier. 31. 18. Turne thou me and I shall bee turned And the Iewes in their affliction pray g Lam. 5. 21. Turne thou vs vnto thee ô Lord and we shall be turned The Spouse of Christ saith vnto him h Cant. 1. 4. Draw me we will run after thee When Christ called the two Disciples hee sayd vnto them i Mat 4. 19 20. Follow me and they followed him To the end that wee may be turned vnto God from our euill way it is God that must turne vs that wee may follow Christ Christ must first call vs and bid vs follow him And that wee may run after Christ it s he that by his grace and good Spirit must draw vs vnto him If it bee obiected that the Lord by his Prophets Object saith k Zach. 1. 3. Turne yee vnto mee and l Ioel 2. 12 13. Turne vnto the Lord your God The answer is two-fold Answ First in these and such like sayings the Lord doth not so much shew vnto vs what we can doe of our selues as let vs vnderstand what wee ought to doe and what of our selues we are not able to doe Secondly though a sinner in his very first conuersion be capable of repentance that is God giuing him repentance he may repent yet the truth is a sinner cannot of himselfe with all his wit and knowledge and by all his naturall parts which he hath come to true and serious repentance except God giue him grace to repent by which grace of God the sinner may then will his own conuersion for at the same instant when God giueth repentance he also giueth the sinner grace to will his own conuersion but that will of man is not of himselfe but of God For as the Apostle saith m Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure CHAP. III. Of the parts of Repentance HAuing shewed what Repentance is now follow 1 The parts of Repentance two the parts thereof and they are two The one is a turning from sinne the other a returning vnto God vsually called by a Pola Buca Vrsin Diuines Mortification and Viuification Mortification is a worke of the Spirit whereby a sinner 1 Mortification What it is doth so turne from sinne as that he doth not onely waile his sinnes past and is out of loue with sinne yea hateth and abhorreth sinne but doth mortifie his inward corruptions doth giue sinne a deadly wound yea kilssinne and dies to sinne so that sinne hath no more rule and dominion ouer him neither is hee any longer the seruant of sinne This is the first part of Repentance The second is Viuification or a quickning of the new 2 Viuification What it is man which is a worke of the Spirit whereby a sinner is so turned from sinne vnto God as that hee is quickned by the Spirit of God to lead a new life he is raised from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and henceforward giues himselfe vnto God to serue and please him in newnesse of life These two parts of Repentance are set downe in the Scriptures Dauid saith a Psal 37. 27. Depart from euill and doe good Esay saith b Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne vnto the Lord. So in the Acts of the Apostles the Lord sayd vnto Paul c Acts 26. 18. I send thee to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God And to the practice of both these parts of repentance the Scripture doth further exhort and perswade in particular To the former thus Esay saith d Jsa 1. 1. 16. Wash you make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe euill Ezekiel saith e Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turne from all the sinnes that he hath committed S. Paul saith f Coloss 3. 5. Mortifie your members which are vpon the earth fornication vncleannesse inordinate affections euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is Idolatry And to the other part of Repentance to turne vnto the Lord the Scriptures are plentifull in exhorting By Ieremy the Lord saith g Ierem. 4. 1. If thou wilt returne ó Israel saith the Lord returne vnto mee The Prophet Ioel saith h Ioel 2. 12 13. Therefore now saith the Lord turne yee vnto me And againe Turne ye vnto the Lord your God The Prophet Hosea saith i Hos 14. 1. O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Thus are we exhorted to Repentance in both the parts thereof Now whereas Repentance consisteth of these two Vse parts Mortification and Viuification a dying to sinne and a liuing to righteousnesse a turning from sinne and a returning vnto God the consideration heereof serues to reprooue diuerse who faile in the matter of Repentance First those who are so farre from true repentance 1 Against those who turne from no sin that they haue not attained to the first part of Repentance to turne from sinne for some there are which turne from no sinne but still liue in their old sinnes some in blindnesse and ignorance in idolatry and superstition and turne not they will not bee conuerted nor turned from darknesse to light Others liue in sinfulnesse and wickednesse as some in whoredome and vncleannesse some in drunkennesse some in maliciousnesse some in swearing cursing lying c. such they haue beene and such they are still there 's no change of minde no turning these are farre from repentance because they are not yet turned from their sinnes Secondly whereas Repentance is not only a turning 2 Against those who turne from one sinne to another from sinne but also a turning vnto God this reprooues those who in turning from sinne so turne themselues as that they turne not from sinne to God but turne from one sinne to another and oft-times to the contrary euill These leape out of one vice into another and run from one k Stâ—lâ—idum vâ—â—anâ— viâ—ia in câ—ntraâ—â—â— curâ—iâ—it extreme to another as euill or worse then the former As when a man turnes from prodigality to coueâ—ousnesse when of a prodigall waster and mis-spender of his owne goods and substance comming to himselfe and resoluing to leaue that course of life and to liue a more
breaking of the heart with godly sorrow for sinne is not felt at least in some measure there sinne sticks fast in the heart Secondly if any be so tender ouer themselues that 2 Except we breake our hearts God will breake vs in his wrath they will not suffer their hearts to be vexed and disquieted with the remembrance of their sinnes and thinke it a grieuous thing to rent breake their hearts with godly sorrow for their sinnes they may iustly feare least the time shall come when the Lord shall y Psal 2. 5 9. speake vnto them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure And least the Lord will breake them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessell Fourthly to mooue vs to Contrition and inward 4 The benefits of contrition godly sorrow let vs consider the benefits that may come vnto vs thereby First Contrition or inward sorrow for sinne is a sacrifice acceptable to God when we doe in 1 It is a sacrifice to God secret humble our soules before God and sit sighing and groaning sorrowing and grieuing for our sinnes when we are labouring to rent and breake our earthly carnall fleshly hearts to roote vp some great master-sinne out of our hearts we then offer a sacrifice well-pleasing to God such a sacrifice as Dauid offered when he humbled himselfe for his sinnes z Psal 51. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Secondly worldly sorrow and griefe may hurt a man 2 Godly sorrow hurts not but godly sorrow hurteth not For a 2. Cor. 7. 10. godly sorrow worketh repentance to saluation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh Death as saith the Apostle and Dauid saith b Psal 147. 3. the Lord healeth the broken in heart and bindeth vp their wounds Thirdly the renting and breaking of the heart with 3 Sorrowing for sinne in this life will keepe vs from sorrowing in the life to come godly sorrow in this life is a meanes to keepe vs from sorrowing and grieuing after this life For after this life c Râ—u 21. 4. there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away In the Booke of Wisedome the wicked being in hell in torments are described by sorrow and anguish of spirit when they shall see the righteous whom they despised on earth in ioy and felicitie and themselues cast into outer darknesse Then they shall groane for anguish of spirit and say within themselues d Wis 5. 4. 5. c. We fooles accounted his life madâ—â—sse and his end to â—e without honour How is he numbred among the children of God and his lot is among the Saints therfore haue we erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnesse hath not shined vnto vs and the Sunne of righteousnesse râ—se not vpon vs. We wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction yea we haue gone through deserts where there lay no way but as for the way of the Lord we haue not knowne it What hath pride profited vs or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought vs all those things are passed away like a shaddow c. They that will not sorrow nor grieue after a godly manner for their sins in this life they that will not rent their hearts and turne to the Lord while they haue space for repentance granted them on earth after death shall lie in the place of outer darkenesse sighing and sorrowing grieuing and groaning renting and breaking their hearts when it is too late Blessed then and happie are they Vse who now in this life doe sorrow after a godly manner Against those who breake their hart with worldly sorrow but haue little sorrow of heart for their sinnes for their sinnes that they neede not sorrow nor grieue after this life Now whereas God requireth contrition and inward sorrow for sinne seeing all penitent sinners haue had it more or lesse and seeing that it is so necessarie and profitable for euery sinner as hath beene declared the consideration hereof serues to reproue those who for some worâ—dly calamiâ—ie or losse are so inwardly vexed and grieued at the heart that they euen breake their heart with sorrow griefe and yet are little or nothing mooued to sorrow and griefe for their sinnes they breake their hearts with worldly sorrow but not with godly sorrow And yet worldly sorrow is hurtfull and godly sorrow is necessarie and profitable Be not deceiued with the vaine and false opinion of those who thinke that this sorrowing for sinne will make a man Melancholike all the dayes of his life not so For the Lord will e Psal 147. 3. heale the broken in heart and they that f Mat. 5. 4. mouâ—ne shall bee comforted Yea godly sorrow brings the best ioy and soundest comfort Of worldly ioy and mirth Solomon saith g Pro. 14. 13. the end of that mirth is heauinesse But h 2. Cor. 7. 10. godly sorrow St Paul saith worketh repentance to saluation not to be repented of A sinner that hath truly repented and beene sorrowfull after a godly manner shall neuer repent that he hath repented nor euer be sory that he hath bin sorry after a godly sort For though a sinner sorrowing and grieuing for his sinnes be in heauinesse for a time yet in the end the Lord will send him comfort and refreshing to his soule and the end of that sorrow will be peace and ioy peace of conscience and ioy in the holy-Ghost CHAP. VI. Of Godly sorrow which is outward in mourning and weeping for sinne HItherto of Godly sorrow which is inward 2 Outward sorrow for sinne Therein two things Godly sorrow is also outward and it stands in outward mourning lamenting and weeping for sinne In the handling whereof I will First shew the manner how a penitent sinner may expresse his godly sorrow aright by outward mourning lamenting and weeping Secondly vse motiues to perswade thereunto First of the manner how a sinner that is sory after a 1 How a penitent sinner may rightly mourne for his sinnes godly sort ought to mourne and weepe and therein I consider foure things First for whome we are to mourne and weepe Secondly for what Thirdly the time when Fourthly the measure how much and how greatly Therein foure things a sinner is bound to mourne and weepe Touching the first we are to mourne and weepe for our selues and others for our owne sinnes and for all 1 For whom the abhominations that are done by others Dauid wept and mourned not only for his owne sins but also for the sinnes of others So he saith a Psal 119 136 Riuers of waters run downe mine eies because they keepe not thy law In Ezekiel the man cloathed with linnen which had
and sorrowing for sinne the Sunne of righteousnesse breakes forth and shines comfortablie vpon the sinner reioycing the heart and greatly refreshing the soule After a storme a calme A question here ariseth concerning outward mourning Quest and weeping for sinne Whether weeping and shedding Wheâ—her weeping for sinne be of absolute necesitie of teares be simplie necessarie in godly sorrow I answer m Per. cas of Consâ—â— 1. boâ—ke Chap. 5. Weeping for sinne is required and is commendâ—ble in whomsoeuer it is if it be in truth Yet corporall weeping is not alwayes of absolute necessitie so that Answ First the heart be truly grieued and displeased for sinne Secondly if a sinner haue an earnest desire to sheede teares and cannot being hindered either in regard of the greatnes of the sorrow of heart oppressing the heart that it cannot ease it selfe by weeping or else from the constitution of the bodie being vnapt to yeeld teares for in this case God accepteth the inward sorrow of the soule and the good affections of the hart for the teares of the eyes n Secundum quantitatem interioris affectionis secundum abundantiam lachrymabilis hâ—moris est vel non est in homine sâ—eâ—us câ—rporalis â—â—min l. 1. c. 43. It is sayth one according to the quantitie of the inward affection and the measure of moist and waterish humours of the eyes that any one either weepeth or is hindred from weeping Vse Now considering that God requireth not onely an Against those who mouâ—ne and weepe greatly for outward crosses but verie little for their sins inward godly sorrow and griefe of heart but likewise an outward mourning lamentation and weeping for sinne yea and great mourning and sorrowing for our great sinnes and forasmuch as the Saints and children of God haue practised the same moreouer considering that it is so necessary and profitable for vs to weepe mourne for our sinnes this reproues the world for the great neglect of this dutie O how ordinarie and vsuall a thing is it with people to mourne and weepe for worldly crosses and troubles that befall them for losse of goods and cattell for the departure of their friends neighbours and acquaintance it is a marueilous thing to beholde how excessiuely manie mourne and weepe for the losse of their dearest friends as husband wife children their onely sonne But few are there that weepe and mourne seriously for their sinnes o Pro. 14. 9. Fooles saith Solamon make a mocke at sinne Foolish wicked people haue no moderation in worldly sorrow but sport themselues with their sinnes and if they sheede any teare in regard of sinne it is with laughing at sinne and not weeping for sinne Doth the Father goe heauily for the death of his first borne And doth the sorrowfull mother mourne and weepe and wring her hands for the departure of her onely sonne O how much more cause haue we to mourne and weepe for our sinnes which haue beene the death of the Sonne of God p Mat. 2. 18. Rachel wept for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Rachel wept for her sonnes we ought to weepe for our sinnes she because they were not we because they are yet remaining and are not done away Woefull then and lamentable is their condition whose heart is soft and whose eyes are moist and waterie to sheede teares for worldly wants for temporall losses for bodily paine and griefe but haue hard hearts and drie eyes not able to straine forth a sorrowfull sigh nor wring out a brinish teare for their sinnes CHAP. VII Of confession of sinne COnfession of sinne is the third step of grace 3 Confession of Sinne. whereby the penitent sinner returneth from sin vnto God For after that a sinner hath sorrowed after a godly sort for his sinnes he returneth vnto God by confessing his sinnes as the prodigall son returned to his Father confessing and saying a Luk. 15. 18. Father I haue sinned Two-fold And confession of sinne is two-fold Publique Publique and Priuate Publique confession of sinne is that which is made in 1 Two-fold the Congregation and is two-fold Either of the whole congregation when the Minister 1 Of the whole Congregation the mouth of the people maketh an humble confession of sinne and the people ioyne with him confessing and crauing pardon for their sinnes Or when any one that hath offended God and the 2 Of any one that hath offended the Congregation congregation doth publiquely make and acknowledgement of his sinne before the Congregation and so is receiued into the fellowship of the Church againe Priuate confession of sinne is also two-fold 2 Priuate Two-fold To Man and To God To Man and that in two respects 1 To Man In two respects First when any one hauing offended his brother and wronged his neighbour doth make an acknowledgement of his fault and is willing to giue satisfaction to the 1 For satisfaction party wronged and that for peace sake and reconciliation one with another gathered from that saying of our Sauiour Christ b Mat. 5. 23. 24 If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thy gift before the altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Secondly when any one is troubled in conscience for some sinne that lieth heauy vpon his soule and clogs 2 For Consolation his conscience he may make knowne his griefe to another in priuate and that either to the Pastor of his soule or to some other discreet faithfull and trusty friend that is able to counsell and comfort him in his distresse According to S. Iames his direction c Jam. 5. 16. Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another Such is our confession to man Secondly Confession of sinne is made in priuate vnto 2 To God God When as the poore penitent sinner gets himselfe into some secret place and there falling downe before the Lord by humble confession layeth open his And therein sinnes before God in hope to finde mercy with the Lord. Now the confession of sinne which I heere entreat of is not confession vnto man but vnto God In handling whereof I will shew Foure things First what Confession of sinne vnto God is Secondly the sorts and kindes of it Thirdly the manner of performing it that our confession may please God Fourthly I will vse motiues to perswade thereunto For the first Confession of sinne is an humble acknowledgement 1 What confession of sinne to God is Pola Synt. c. 2. l. 6. c. 37. of our sinnes before God arising from an inward godly sorrow of heart for sinne whereby the sinner doth witnesse against himselfe that hee hath offended God and deserues punishment hauing a purpose of heart neuer to offend God any more For the second Confession is of
two sorts 2 The sorts and kinds of it Two-fold Generall and Particular Generall when a Sinner doth onely in a generall manner confesse that he is a sinner that hee hath offended 1 Generall God that he hath broken Gods commandements and done wickedly c. Particular confession of sinne is an acknowledgement 2 Particular of our particular sinnes when hauing made diligent search by the law of God to finde out our sinnes we doe then confesse those sinnes which our owne conscience witnesseth against vs that we are guilty of as Dauid when hee had committed adultery with Bathsheba confessed his sinne in particular saying d Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight The Iewes confessed their sinnes both in generall and particular In generall e Isa 59 12. Our transgressions say they are multiplyed before thee and our sinnes testifie against vs for our transgressions are with vs and as for our iniquities wee know them And in particular they confesse and say f Vers 13. in transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from our God speaking oppression and reuolt conceiuing and vttering from the heart words of falshood The third thing in Confession is the manner how a 3 The manner of making Confession aright sinner is to make confession of his sinnes that his confession may be acceptable to God Dauid saith g Psal 32. I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord. The vulgar Latine translation readeth it thus g Psal 32. I said I will confesse against my selfe mine vnrightousnesse vnto the Lord. From whence sixe things are obserued to bee necessary in the confession of sinne First that our Confession of sinne be done with premeditation 5 h Dixi confitebor aduersum me iniustitiam meam Domino Six things are necessary in the Confession of Sinne. that we doe not rashly and rudely thrust our selues into the presence of the Lord but first search our hearts try our wayes finde out our sinnes take notice of them view them consider them and haue them before our eyes when wee come to make confession of them This is noted in the beginning of the sentence i Dixi. I said before I confessed my sinnes I first thought with 1 That it be with premeditation my selfe I considered in my minde the sinnes which I was to confesse I said within my selfe I will confesse my sinnes Secondly Confession of sinne must be in truth without 2 That it be in 〈◊〉 guile not hiding sinne but plainely and truely confessing our sinnes wherfore he saith k Confitâ—bor I will confesse I will make knowne my sinne I will hide nothing I will search euery corner of my heart I will lay open all and euery sinne I will confesse my sinne Thirdly our Confession must be accusing not excusing 3 That it be accusing not excusing noted in the next words l Aduersum me against my selfe Our confession must be against our selues Howsoeuer it be dangerous for any one to accuse himselfe before men yet euery sinner must accuse himselfe before God iudge himselfe to haue broken the commandements of God and condemne himselfe to be worthy of death For this cause a sinner must come before the Lord in all humility and lowlinesse of mind with shame and confusion of face being ashamed to lift vp his eyes to heauen for the multitude of his sinnes and transgressions saying with Ezra m Ezra 96. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift vp my face to thee my God for our iniquities are encreased ouer our heads and our trespasse is growen vp vnto the heauens And must be like the penitent Publican who comming before the Lord to confesse his sinnes n Luk 18. 13. Stood a farre off and would not lift vp so much as his eyes to heauen but smote vpon his breast saying God be mercifull to me a sinner Fourthly Confession must be made of sinne and iniquity 4 Confession must be of Sinne and iniquity noted in the word o Iniustitiam vnrighteousnesse or transgresgressions Wee must not with the Pharisee boast our good deeeds and praise our well-doing but with the Publicane confesse our sinnes and our selues sinners and earnestly pray for the pardon of our sinnes Fiftly Confession must be made of our owne sinnes 5 That we confesse our owne sinnes wherefore he saith I will confesse against my selfe p Meam mine vnrighteousnesse or my transgressions Sâ—xtly Confession of our sinnes must be made vnto the Lord our God wherefore he saith I will confesse my 6 That our confessioÌ„ be made vntâ— God transgressions q Domino vnto the Lord. Confession must be made vnto God to the honour of God that God may haue the glory and we the comfort Of this Dauid speakes thus in another place r Psal 51 4. Against thee thee onely haue I sinned So also when he had numbred the people his heart smote him and Dauid said vnto the Lord Å¿ 2 Sam. 24. 10. I haue sinned greatly in that I haue done Daniel said t Dan. 9 4. 4. I praied vnto the Lord my God and made my confession and said O Lord we haue sinned and committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly c. Chrysostome taught the same doctrine u Deâ— sâ—luendis peâ—catum Chrys de paeâ—it Hom. 9. Tell thy sinne onely vnto God Againe he saith * Sâ—luâ—te Deus confiâ—entâ—m vidâ—aâ— Chrys de paeâ—it confâ—s Let God onely see the confessing of thy sinnes After this manner we are to make Confession of our sinnes In the fourth place I come to the motiues which may perswade vs to confesse our sinnes vnto God Which I take 4 Motiues to coÌ„fesse our sinnes vnto God First from the necessity Secondly from the benefite thereof For the first Confession of Sinne vnto God is necessary 1 〈◊〉 necessâ—ry For for First God is chiefly and principally offended by our sinnes wherefore it is that Dauid hauing committed 1 God is principally offâ—nded by our sinnes adultery and thereby hauing not onely offended God but wronged man comming to make confession saith y Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee onely haue I sinned Now because sinne is chiefly and principally committed against God therefore it 's necessary that wee make our confession chiefly and principally vnto God Secondly without confession of sinne we can looke 2 Without Confession we can haue no remission for no remission of sinne Salomon saith z Pro. 28. 13. He that couereth his sinnes shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy Giuing vs to vnderstand that he onely obtaineth mercie of the Lord that confesseth his sinnes but if any one will not confesse but hide and couer his sinnes he shall not prosper it shall not be well with him the Lord will shew him no fauour nor mercie
a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die ô house of Israel And Iohn Baptist preaching repentance and exhorting to amendment or life doth thus threaten all such as wil not amend their liues a Mat. 3. 10. euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire By which it is manifest that except a sinner doe so repent and so cast away his sins as that he be renewed and reformed as that he amend his life and bring forth better fruits he shall die in his sinnes and shall be cast into hell fire And thirdly as reformation and amendment of life 3 The benefit of amendment of life is great is verie necessarie so the benefit that comes thereby is exceeding great for it is a meanes to bring downe blessings of three sorts Temporall Spirituall and Eternall The first benefit that comes by reformation and amendment 1 Outward prosperitie of life is a prosperous and happie state on earth the enioying of temporall good things as peace and plentie and such like blessings euen as God shall see it good for his children The Psalmist saith b Psal 37. 27. depart from euill and doe good and dwell for euermore The LORD speakes thus to the Iewes by Ieremie c Ier. 7. 5. 6. 7. If you throughly amend your wayes and your doings c. then will I cause you to dwell in this place in the lend that I gaue to your Fathers for euer euer And Moses from the mouth of the Lord shewes the people of Israel what great prosperitie they shall haue if they will d Deut. 28. 1. 2. 3. 4. c. hearken diligently vnto the voice of the Lord to obserue and doe all his Commandements Blessed shalt thou be in the cittie and blessed shalt thou be in the field Blessed shall be the fruit of thy bodie and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy cattell the increase of thy kine and the flockes of thy sheepe The second is spirituall happinesse Reformation and 2 Spirituall happinesse amendment of life brings a sinner into the happie state of grace for a sinner that hath forsaken his sinnes and amended his life is awaked out of the sleepe of sinne yea is raised from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and is deliuered from the feare of eternall death this is called the first Resurrection of which St Iohn saith e Reu. 20. 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power The third is eternall glorie and euerlasting peace 3 Eternall glory they that are reformed and lead a new life they that bring forth the fruit of good workes and are exercised in doing of good shall inherite eternall felicitie and euerlasting happinesse at saith the Apostle f Rom. 2. 10. glorie honour and peace to euery man that worketh good Now whereas God requireth amendment of life and seeing that euery sinner ought to be renewed in minde and reformed in life as hath beene prooued by the Scriptures and seeing that the necessitie and benefite thereof is so great as hath beene declared the consideration hereof is profitable First for Instruction to teach and admonish vs to prooue our selueâ— to search our hearts and examine our Vse 1 liues whether we can finde this blessed change and holy To trie our selues whether we be come to amendment of life alteration in our selues which the Scripture so callâ— for at our hands without which a sinner remaines still in his old state of corruption and without which hee shall neuer see the kingdome of God but shall die in his sinnes and perish euerlastingly How greatly then doth it concerne euery one of vs to search our hearts and examine our liues to finde out whether we be the same in heart in mind in will in affection the same in thought in word and deede that we haue beene heretofore whether our hearts be as greatly puft vp with pride whether they be as malicious and as lustfull as they haue beene and whether we be as earthly minded as we haue beene whether our tongues be the same that they haue beene for swearing and cursing and lying and slandering and euill speaking whether our hands be the same for violence and wrong In a word whether we liue still in the transgression and breach of the commandements of God as we haue done and find no change O then let vs know that our state is miserable and fearfull And therefore let vs with all speede make hast to set about this worke of Reformation and Amendment of life And to encourage vs herein let vs set before our eyes the examples of such penitent sinners as haue not onely forsaken their sinnes but haue also amended their liues Manasseh was a very Idolatrous and wicked King yet vpon his repentance he reformed himselfe and amended his wayes he puld downe his idoles and set vp the worship of the true God Peter though through infirmitie he denied Christ yet repenting he boldly confessed Christ And Paul though first a bloodie persecuâ—our yet afterwards repenting became a zealous preacher These were all changed in mind and in life they came to amendment of life S. Ambrose exhorteth euery one to g Scipsum sibi homo abnâ—get totus mutetur Amb. de poeâ—it l. 2. c. 10. denie himselfe and to be wholy changed And hereupon reporteth the strange alteration of a young man who hauing liued in lust and wantonnesse wantonly dallying with the strange woman afterwards absenting himselfe from her was in processe of time changed and reformed at his returne meeting with his olde familiar passeth by her but shee impudently calls vnto him saying It is I. He answered h Sed ego non sumego ibid. But I am not I. I am not now the same that I was I am changed I am become a new man Happie is he that is so changed Let vs therefore follow these good examples and not rest our selues content till we haue attained to that state of grace that we may euery one truly say of himselfe I am not now the same that I was I am changed I am become a new man Moreouer to encourage vs yet more to redresse our wayes and to amend our liues let vs consider the benefit of amendment of life Amendment of life you haue heard procures outward prosperitie it brings a sinner into a farre better state of grace and promiseth eternall glorie Wherefore if we would be either happy in this life or blessed in the life to come we must be changed from our former euil conuersation and come to amendment of life Secondly this reprooues those who hold it sufficient Vse 2 to cease from their former euill life though they henceforward Against those who onely cease from some euill but doe no good doe no good and thinke they haue amended their liues well enough
against the Lord by thought word deed we cannot but acknowledge that it is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed The Lord might in his iustice cut vs off for the very first transgression for one euill thought for one wicked word for one sinnefull deede and when we find the mercy and goodnesse of God so much shewed towards vs as to spare â—s and suffer vs to liue notwithstanding our vile wicked and sinnefull life O how ought wee to acknowledge the goodnesse of God herein and how ought wee to praise the Lord for his mercy and patience towards vs in suffering vs so long Wherefore a sinner should be so far from making the patience of God to be an occasion of deferring that it ought rather to hasten his repeatance And he should reason thus hitherto I haue liued in sinne and done wickedly and yet the Lord hath beene â—o gracious vnto me that he hath spared me he might haue cut me off in the midst of my sinnes it is of the Lords mercies that I am not consumed and now I know not whether the Lord will forbeare me any more Wherefore I will delay the time no longer I will now repent I will now returne vnto the Lord the patience and long-suffering and the goodnesse of the Lord shall lead me to repentance CHAP. XIX Of the shortnesse of our life of the certaintie of death and the vncertaintie of the day and houre of death and how in regard of these its necessarie for a sinner to repent THirdly its necessarie for a sinner to repent of his sinnes and to amend his life in regard of 3 The shortnesse of mans life the shortnesse of our life In the first age of the world men liued long because as yet sin was not multiplied in the world for as one saith a Dâ—câ—râ—â—tus est 〈…〉 decâ—â—sus sâ—â—â—â—dum 〈…〉 cap. â—6 the course of mans life was shortned according to the increase of some For when sinne beganne to be multiplied on the earth when the wickednesse of man was great in the earth then did God drowne the world of the vngodly and shortned the dayes of man so that whereas in the beginning of the world and before the stood men liued eight or nine hundred yeere after the floud they attained not two hundred for Abraham liued but an b Gen. â—5 7. hundred threescore and fifteene yeeres And Iacob counteth his dayes to be c Gen 47. 9. an hundred and thirtie And in the time of Moses the dayes of mans life were counted but d Psal 90. 10. threescore and ten The Scriptures speake thus of the shortnesse of mans life Iob saith e Iâ—b 14. 1. Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes Dauid thus f Psal 39. 5. behold thou hast made my dayes as an hand-breadth and mine age is as nothing before thee verily euery men at his best state is altogether vanitie Our life for the shortnesse thereof is compared to things of great swiftnesse and short continuance Iob compares our life to a g Job 7. 6. Weauers shuttle to a running h Iob. 9. 25. 26. Post to the swift Ships and to the flying of an Eagle hasting to the prey to a i Iâ—b 14. 2. flower of the field that is soone cut downe and withered as alâ—o to a shaddow that fleeth and continueth not Dauid to the k Psal 103. 15. grasse and slower of the field which in the morning flourisheth and groweth vp in the euening is cut downe and withereth St Iames to a l Iam. 4. 14. vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away The woman of Tekoa in her parable compares the life of man to m 2 Sam. 14. 14. water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered vp againe and indeed n Pretâ—reunt annâ—m refluentis aquae our yeeres passe away as the running waters For as all Riuers runne into the sea from whence they came so doe all men runne and hast to the earth from whence they came Our life is nothing else but a passing from life and a tending to death For from our infancie we passe to child-hood from childhood to young age from yong age to middle age from middle age to old age and from old age to death Now the shortnesse of our life ought to be a great motiue to perswade vs to repentance and amendment of life And to be warie how we spend our dayes This Moses the man of God teacheth vs from the consideration of the shortnesse of our life for hauing told vs that the length of our dayes is but threescore yeares and ten hereupon prayes and therein teacheth vs to pray o Psal 90. 12. so teach vs to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts vnto wisedome This reprooues the great folly of those who spend their daies in vanitie and wickednesse liuing at ease passing Vse away their time in eating and drinking and making Against those who spend the shoâ—t time of their life ill merrie considering not how short their life is nor how soone and suddenly they may be cut off and their daies come to an end It is with manie as Iob saith p Iob. 21. 13 they spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment goe downe to the graue It is the prayse of Moses that when he was in Pharaoh's Court and might haue liued there in all worldly honour and enioyed his pleasures at full yet q Heb. 11. 25. he refused to be called the sonne of Pharaoh's daughter chusing rather affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Letting vs thereby vnderstand two things first that the pleasures of sinne are but for a season secondly that a wise man as Moses will not aduenture the losse of felicitie in heauen which is euerlasting for the enioying of the pleasures of sinne for a season Sinne is committed in this present life and this life is but short we are but of small continuance here and therefore if a man should giue himselfe to all sports and mirth that could be inuented and solace himselfe in all worldly delights and earthly pleasures euen to satietie yet these pleasures would be but for a short time but for a season now no wise man none but a very foole will buy his pleasures so deare as for the enioying of his earthly pleasures to loose heauenly ioyes and for the winning of things temporall to loose things eternall Fourthly its necessarie for a sinner to repent and amend 4 The certaintie of Death his life if he consider the certaintie of death Our life is but short and death is certaine God hath determined the end of mans dayes vpon earth After that Adam had finned God said vnto him r Gen. 3. 19. dust thou art and vnto dust shalt thou returne Iob saith Å¿ Iob 14. 10. Man dieth and wasteth away yea man giueth
him that would be deliuered from spirituall or freed from eternall iudgements and that would be saued from hell and condemnation to repent of his sinnes to purge and cleanse his heart from wickednes that he may be saued as saith the Prophet Ieremie l Iere. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saued Consider then O man if the hand of God be vpon thee afflicting thee with any outward calamitie and affliction in thy bodie goods and outward state thy remedie is to humble thy selfe before the Lord with Hezekiah to pray vnto thy God and to weepe for thy sinnes with the Niniuites to fast and weepe and pray and to turne from all thy euill wayes that so the Lord may be gracious vnto thee and turne away his anger from thee that thou maiest be preserued Moreouer if the Lord lay vpon thee spirituall iudgements afflicting thy soule and wounding thy conscience with the bitter remembrance of thy sinnes the way to finde rest and comfort to thy soule is to seeke to Christ to come to Christ by faith and repentance confessing thy sinnes and earnestly suing for the pardon of thy sinnes that so Christ may giue thee rest And if thou standest in feare of hell and condemnation if thou bee fearefull of that lake of fire the way and meanes to escape hell and condemnation is now to repent of thy sinnes now to cleanse thy heart from wickednesse now to rise from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and now to haue thy part and portion in the first resurrection and then the second death shal I haue no power ouer thee In a word if we would be preserued from the wrath of God in this life and saued from hell and condemnation in the life to come we must now repent and returne to the Lord now be renewed in minde and reformed in life or else we cannot be saued CHAP. XXIIII Shewing that Repentance procureth blessings Temporall Spirituall and Eternall where of the ioyes of Heauen how these ought to be a most forcible motiue to perswade euery one to repent and to serue God and what comfort they bring THat Repentance remooueth Iudgements hath beene shewed Secondly repentance is also profitable for 2 It procureth blessings Threefold the procuring of blessings And those also threefold Temporall 1 Temporall Spirituall and Eternall Repentance is a meanes to procure First temporall blessings The Prophet Esay hauing exhorted to repentance and amendment of life a Isa 1. 16. 17. Wash ye make you cleane c. Annexeth this promise b Vers 19. If yee be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the land So Ieremie c Jer. 7 5 6. 7. If ye throughly amend your waies and your doings c then will I cause you to dwell in this place so likewise the Prophet Ioel hauing exhorted to repentance d Ioel. 2. 12. 13. therefore now saith the Lord turne ye euen to me with fasting and weeping and with mourning c. annexeth a promise of temporall blessings e Vers 19. The Lord will answere and say vnto his people behold I will send you corne and wine and oyle ye shall be satisfied therewith Secondly spirituall blessings as mercy pardon and 2 Spirituall forgiuenesse of sins the Lord by his prophet Isaiah exhorteth to repentance and vpon repentance maketh a large promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes f Isa 1. 16. 17. 18. Wash ye make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well c. Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll Againe g Isa 55 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercie vpon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon S. Peter in his Sermon to the Iewes hauing laid to their charge the crucifying of Christ exhorteth them to repentance with a promise of mercie and forgiuenesse h Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes Againe he saith i Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be conuerted that your sinnes may be blotted out Mercie is promised to penitent sinners yea and that free mercy and forgiuenesse so promiseth the Lord by Ezekiel k Eze. 18. 21. 22 If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue he shall not die All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him And by Ieremy hee saith l Ier. 31. 34. I will forgiue their iniquitie and I will remember their sinne no more Thirdly eternall blessednesse Which eternall blessednesse 3 Eternal where of is to be considered First in regard of the excellency of the place of happinesse prepared for all those that haue repented of their 1 The excellency of the place of happinesse sinnes and are washed from their wickednesse The place of eternall happinesse is Heauen whither Christ ascended S. Marke speaking of the ascension of Christ saith m Mar. 16. 19. Hee was receiued vp into Heauen And whither Christ the head is ascended thither shall his members also ascend they shall be where he is As hee himselfe saith n Iohn 14. 2. 3. I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also Many excellent things are spoken of this heauenly place It is called a Kingdome o Mat. 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you It is called the kingdome of God p 1 Cor. 69. Know ye not saith S. Paul that the vnrightous shall not inherite the kingdome of God It is called the kingdome of Heauen q Math. 7. 21. Not euery one saith our Sauiour that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter inthe kingdome of heauen And it is called an r 1 Pet. 1. 4. Inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fâ—â—deth not away reserued in heauen for vs And this place of happinesse is all glorious and beaâ—fuâ—l So S. Iohn describeth the heauenly Ierusalem the Cittie of God Å¿ Reu. 21. 18. 19. 20. 21. The building of the wall of it he saith was of Iâ—sper and the Cittie was pure gold like vnto cleaâ—e glasse And the foundations of the wall of the Cittie were gaâ—â—â—shed with all manner of precious stones c. And the twelue gates were twelue Pearles euery seuerall gate was of one â—earle and the street of the Cittie was pure goâ—â— as it were transparent
vpon him y Psal 50. 15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble And the Apostle bids vs z Heb. 4. 16. come boldly vnto the throne of grace Secondly I confesse that by reason of our vnworthinesse we haue need of a mediatour to make intercession for vs but what Mâ—diatour Not any of the Saints of God but onely the mediation of the Sonne of God For the Apostle saith a 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God one Mediatour betweene God and men the man Christ Iesus And Christ Iesus is the mediatour not onely of Redemption but also of Intercession as S. Paul also saith b Rom. 8. 34. It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for vs. And Christ himselfe saith c Ioh. 16. 23. Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you S. Paul saith that Christ is our Mediatour and he that maketh intercession for vs. And Christ himselfe will haue vs to pray vnto the Father in his name promising that whatsoeuer wee shall aske the Father in his name he will giue it vs he saith not whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in the name of S. Peter or S. Paul or in the name of the Virgin Marie he will giue it you but in my name that is in the name of Christ Iesus Thirdly the ancient Fathers of the Church doe not approoue of the mediation of Saints S. Chrysostome saith Aâ—que homines si qu â—ndo exorare oportet â—anitoribus prius occurâ—ere câ—nucnit parasitisque histrionibusque suadere c. In Deo nihil est tale Sine mediatore exorabilis est Chrys de paenit Hom. 4. If a man haue a suâ—e to great men hee must first meete with the Porters and come in by their leaue then hee must speake his followers â—â—ire c. In God there is no such thing he will be entreated without a mediatour And S. Ambrose saith e Ideo ad Regem per tribunos aut comites itur quia homo vtique est rex c. Ad DeuÌ„ autem quem vtique nihiâ— lateâ— omnium enim merita nouit promerendum suffragatore non opuâ— est sed mente deuota Amb. in Rom. 1. We goe vnto the King by mediation of his Officers his Lords and Nobles because the King is but a man c. But he that commeth vnto God who knoweth all things and nothing is hid from him hath no neede of any one to speake for him to doe him a pleasure but onely a deuoute minde To conclude seing that the dead are ignorant of vs and our affaires seeing that the dead know not what the liuing doe and seeing that it is altogether vncertaine and doubtfull whether the Saints departed heare vs and that it is most certaine and without all doubt that the Lord our God heareth vs and knoweth what things we haue need of Why then should we pray vnto Saints And wherefore is it that men will bee so blinded to choose rather that which is vncertaine then to hold fast and sticke to that which is certaine Doubtlesse the Lord is our God and will heare vs Our Father and knoweth what things wee haue neede of Our Redeemer and will helpe and deliuer vs though Abraham be ignorant of vs and though Israel and the Saints departed acknowledge vs not CHAP. V. Shewing for whom we ought to pray and First of praying for The Liuing TO whom we ought to pray hath bene declared The third thing in regard of the persons 3 For whom we are to pray Two sorts whom prayer concerneth is for whom we are to pray And they are of two sorts for we are to pray First for our seluers 1 For our selues Twofold Secondly for others First for our selues and that either generally including 1 Generally others as when we pray Our father Giue vs and forgiue vs c or a Mat. 6. 9. 11. 12. Particularly in regard of our owne priuate wants or dangers either of body or soule as Dauid praieth 2 Particularly b Psal 69. 1. Saue me ô God c Psal 51. 1. haue mercy vpon me ô God And as the penitent publicane praieth d Luk. 18. 13. God be mercifull to me a sinner Secondly for others which praiers for others are 2 For others properly called e 1 Tim. 2. 1. Intercessions and these Intercessions or praiers made in the behalfe of others I consider two waye Twofold First affirmatiuely in regard of the liuing for whom 1 For the liuing we are to pray Secondly negatiuely in regard of the dead for whom we are not to pray Twofold First we are to pray for the liuing and that either 1 Generally For all Generally for all or Particularly for some certaine persons For the First We are to make praiers for all which the Apostle exhorteth vnto saying f 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications praiers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men What must we pray for all men for wicked and vngodly men yea for all for all of all sorts for wicked Quest bad men as long as there is any hope of their amendment Answ An ancient Father demands wherefore the Apostle would haue vs to pray for all men seeing that there are so many wicked and vngodâ—y men on the face of the earth And he answereth himselfe saying g Forsitan aliqua fiet eorum mutatio Chrys aâ— pop Antio Hom. 69. It may be they may be changed and altered from their euilâ— course of life They that are now bad may become good We are to pray for euill men then that they may be amended we are to pray for good men also that they may be bettered and for those that are amended and bettered that they may perseuere and continue in their goodnesse But the Lord forbids Ieremie the prophet to pray for Obiect the people h Jer. 11. 14. Pray not thou for this people neither lift vp a cry or prayer for them for I will not heare them c. And S. Iohn saith i 1 John 5. 16. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not vnto death be shall aske he shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death there is a sinne vnto death I doe not say that he shall pray for it I answere we may and ought Answ to pray for all men except they be knowne to be such rebellious and obstinate sinners as those were for which Ieremie must not pray namely such as were obdurate and whose hearts were hardned that they would not returne Or if they be not such who through Apostasie fall away wholy from God and the knowne truth and so of Christian professours become professed aduersarieâ— to the truth for which S. Iohn will not haue vs to pray because they sinne
vnto death In a word then we are to pray for all men as Saint Paul exhorteth vs yea were they neuer so wicked as long as there is any hope of their amendement and as long as they 2 In particular for diuers sorts of people doe not sinne vnto death Thus in generall we are to pray for all Secondly we are to pray in particular for diuerse 1 For kings and all that are in authoritie sorts of persons and people First for Kings for rulers and gouernours of the land for Magistrates and for all that are in authoritie This the Apostle teacheth vs laying k 1. Tim. 2. 1. 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authoritie And there 's great reason to perswade vs to pray for For Kings and for all that are in authoritie for First Gods word bindes vs thereunto As is manifest Gods word commandeth so in S. Paules exhortation formerly mentioned Secondly By the King and through the good rulers 2 By the King and good Rulers we receiue much good and gouernours of the Land we receiue much good By the King we haue peace and quietnesse in our Land By the King we enioy the inestimable benefit of the Gospell in our coasts By the rulers of the Land and those that are in authoritie we haue the execution of good lawes and by them transgressors of the Law are punished and by their punishments others are warned so that quiet minded men may walke in their callings without feare and lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie First then we are to pray for Kings and for all that are in authoritie Secondly we are to pray for the Citie the towne and 2 For the Cittie and place of our dwelling place where we inhabite and dwell as the captiue Iewes liuing in Babylon were commanded to doe l Jere. 29. 7. Secke the peace of the citie whither I haue caused you to be caried away captiue and pray vnto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye haue peace The Iewes at this time were in a strange Land in bondage to another Nation and yet the Lord appointeth them to pray for the good and prosperous estate of the citie where they dwelt Thirdly we are all bound to pray for the state of the 3 For the church of God Church of God militant here on earth this is Dauids exhortation m Psal 122. 6. pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee And Dauid himselfe prayeth saying n Psal 51. 18. Doe good vnto Sion Fourthly we are bound to pray for all that are in need in want and distresse in affliction and miserie in sicknesse or paine in perfecution or tentation When S. For all that are afflicted Peter was in affliction and distresse when he was persecuted and cast into Prison o Act. 12. 5. Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church vnto God for him And Saint Iames teacheth vs to pray for the sicke and diseased p Iam. 5. 14. 15. 16. Is any sicke among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him anointing him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the Prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and againe he saith pray one for another that ye may be healed Lastly we are bound to pray for our enemies this our 5 For our enenemies Sauiour Christ teacheth vs saying q Mat. 5. 44. loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully vse you and persecute you and this is not onely the precept of our Sauiour Christ but also his practise for at his passion and suffering he prayed saying r Luk. 23. 34. father forgiue them So doth St Steuen pray for his persecutours saying Å¿ Act. 7. 60. Lord lay not this sinne to their charge The consideration of this that we are to pray for others Vse 1 and chiefly for Kings and those that are in authoritie To pray for the Kings Maiestie with a stee heart and willing minde may teach vs that it is our bounden dutie with an open heart with a willing mind and free voice to pray vnto God for our Soueraigne Lord the KING for the most Noble and Illustrious PRINCE and Princely progenie The captiue Iewes obtaine licence of King Darius to goe to Ierusalem and to build the house oâ— God that they might offer sacrifices vnto the God of Heauen t Ezr. 6. 10. and pray for the life of the King and of his sonnes In Turtullian's time the Christians were slanderously reproached that they did not houour the Emperour but were enemies to the State to which the Father making an Apologie for the Christians answereth shewing that Christians did pray for the Emperours for they u Vitam illâ—â— prolixam impâ—rtum securum dâ—mum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum c. precantes Tertul. Apolog. prayed that God would giue them a long life a secure Empire a safe house strong armies a faithfull Senate a good People c. Now these Kings and Emperours were heathenish and persecutours of Christians and yet they prayed for them how much more then are we O England bound to prayse the God of Heauen for giuing vs so wise so learned so religious a King so powerfull a defender of the Faith and so great a maintainer of the Gospell of Christ And we are not onely bound to blesse and praise God for the manifold blessings wherewith the Lord our God blesseth vs in our Soueraigne Lord the King but also to pray earnestly vnto the Lord for the preseruation and prosperitie of our King that in his safetie we may haue safetie in his prosperitie we may haue prosperitie and in his peace we may haue peace Secondly whereas we are bound as hath bin prooued Vse 2 to pray for the whole Church and any in distresse Against those that will not pray for their enemies for all men yea for our enemies this serues to reproue those who although it may be they may pray for their friends yet beare such a grudge and hatred to their enemies that they will in no case be perswaded to pray for them But consider ô man whosoeuer thou art that canst not pray for thine enemies Christ commandeth thee to pray for thine enemies obey him Yea Christ himselfe prayed for his enemies to giue thee an example of praying for thine enemies imitate thou him Or if thou thinkest it hard to imitate Christ the Lord in a matter so hard to flesh and bloud then imitate Steuen the seruant of Christ who imitated his Lord and Maister Christ in praying for his enemies For as Christ said concerning his enemies Father forgiue
them so Steuen said concerning his enemies Lord lay not this sinne to their charge x Mat. 5. 46. If ye loue them which loue you what reward haue you Doe not euen the Publicans the same It 's a small matter for a man to loue one that loueth him againe and to wish well to him that wisheth well to him againe this verie Publicanes can doe any man may doe this But he is a worthie Christian he is a good man indeede that can loue his enemies that can wish well to him that wisheth no good to him againe and that can pray for his enemies such men are rare on earth few such are to bee found and yet we ought so to striue against our inward corruptions against our anger and hatred and desire of reuenge that we might both forgiue our enemies and pray for our enemies if we will be the followers of Christ and the children of our heauenly Father CHAP. VI. Of praying for the dead HItherto hath beene shewed that we are to pray 2 Not for the dead And Therein three things for the liuing It remaineth in the second place to entreate of Prayer for the dead And therein I will shew First how the present Romish Church holdeth and maintaineth Prayer for the dead Secondly I will declare in what sence the auncient Fathers haue mentioned and they themselues somtimes vsed Prayer for the dead Thirdly I will vse reasons to disswade all men from praying for the dead as the Romists doe For the first a Bellarm. de Purgator Cardinall Bellarmine giueth vs a cleare 1 How the present Romish Church holdeth and maintaineth Prayer for the dead light to know how in what sence the present Romish Church holdeth and maintaineth Prayer for the dead for he tells vs that there are three places of receptacle Heauen Hell and Purgatorie besides his faigned Limbus for three sorts of people departing hence that is to say the iust and righteous ones the wicked and vngod ly and they that are of a middle sort beleeuers but yet such as are not throughly cleansed from their sinnes As for the iust and righteous he doubts not but their soules goe straight to Paradise to Heauen as the soules of the Apostles Martyrs c. As for the wicked and vngodly impenitent sinners and Infidels hee maketh no question of them but that they goe downe to Hell neuer to be deliuered All the question is of the third sort those of the middle sort which are neither very good nor very euill but such as die in their veniall sinnes or haue not satisfied for the temporall punishment of their mortall sinnes and therefore such must be cast into the fire of Purgatorie to purge them more from their sins and as it were to scoure away their drosse till they haue satisfied the iustice of God partly by their owne sufferings and partly by the prayers fastings almesdeeds of others and such like This is the Faith of the present Romane Church concerning Prayer for the dead so that the praiers of the Romists which they make for the dead are chiefely intended for the soules of their friends in Purgatorie that thereby they may procure some mitigation of their paines and bring as they imagine some ease to their tormented soules The second thing concerning Prayer for the dead is 2 In what sence the auncient Fathers haue mentioned sometimes vsed prayer for the dead to shew in what sence the auncient Fathers haue mentioned in their writings and sometimes vsed themselues Praier for the dead Diuerse iudicious and learned b D. Mort. in his Protest Appeale l. 2. c. 8. Lanch de natura Dei l. 4. c. 4. Perk problâ—m â—itul prâ—s promort Diuines consent in this that the auncient Orthodoxall Fathers neuer vsed or spake of Prayers for the dead to the end that they might haue remission of their sinnes after this life that they might be purged from their sinnes or be deliuered from the paines of Purgatorie but the Prayers made for the dead in auncient time were for other ends and chiefely they were either prayses and thankesgiuings to God for their departure out of this miserable sinfull and wretched life and forgiuing them eternall life in the heauens or else they were Prayers made in regard of the Resurrection of their bodies that the Lord would send them a speedie and ioyful Resurrection and these Prayers which were made for their friends departed were not made in regard of any miserie of the present state of their soules but for the glorifiing of their bodies in the Resurrection of the iust that then their glory might be encreased and that they might receiue fullnesse of glorie both in their bodies and in their soules And this is not a meere opinion and bare coniecture but this is according to sound iudgement gathered from the writings of the Fathers themselues St Ambrose prayeth for the Emperour Theodosius after his death saying c Darequiem perfectam seruo tuo Theodosiâ— requiem quam praeparasti sanctis tuis Amb. orat funeb de obit The dos Giue perfect rest to thy seruant Theodosius euen that rest which thou hast prepared for thy Saints Thus he prayeth and yet afterwards saith d Manet in lumine Theodosius sanctorum caetibus gloriatur ibid. Theodosius is in light and is glorified amongst the company of the Saints So St c Lib Confess Austine prayeth for his Mother being dead and yet is perswaded that the Lord hath heard him and granted his request and that shee is in glorie So Eusebius reporteth that f Preces pro auima Imperatoris Deo fundebant Euseb de vita Constant l. 4. cap. 71. Prayers were made for Constantine the Christian-Emperour after his death which prayers were but either thankesgiuings lauding and praising God for deliuering him out of this miserable life crowning him with glorie in the heauens or prayers for the fulnesse of glorie in the Resurrection of the iust and they did not pray for any ease to his soule from the flames of Purgatorie for as the same Author reporteth g Omnes beatum Imperatorem acceptumque Deo praedicabant ibid. c. 69. all men did say that the Emperour was blessed and accepted of God It is manifest then by these Fathers that the custome of the auncient Church of God in praying for the dead was not to procure ease to bring refreshing to their soules in Purgatorie or to deliuer them out of Purgatorie seeing that they acknowledge that their friends for whom they prayed were in light were in glorie and were blessed 3 Reasons wherfore we are not to pray for the dead as the Papists doe at this day In the third place I yeeld these reasons wherefore we are not to pray for the dead as the Romists vse Prayer for the dead at this day First The Scripture acknowledgeth but two places as receptacles for the soules of men after this life Heauen and Hell
sometime the same things which we desire the praiers of the righteous that he granteth them their requests and giueth them euen the same things which they desire and aske according to his will Secondly sometime God heareth the praiers of the righteous and yet granteth them not the same things 2 He granteth not the same things which we desire but some thing else better for vs. which they required but in stead thereof giueth them something else which God in his wisdome knoweth to be more expedient and better for them Paul being tempted praied against the temptation that earnestly for he saith x 2 Cor. 12. 8. 9. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me And he said vnto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenesse When Paul was troubled with that y Vers 7. Thorne in the flesh had the messenger of Sathan to buffet him when he was tempted prayed thrice that is often against the temptation the Lord did not altogether free him from the temptation yet the Lord heard him in that he gaue him his grace to resist the temptation and strength to stand against the assaults of the Deuill So Christ our Sauiour when he was in his agonie praied and that earnestly with z Heb. 5. 7. Strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was heard in that he feared The Apostle saith that Christ prayed and was heard and yet we know that Christ suffered death and the cup did not passe from him but he must needes drinke of it how Obiect then was he heard when he praied that the cup might passe from him seeing he did drinke of the cup and was not deliuered from death but suffered death I Answere First Christ praieth a Luk. 22. 42. Not my will but thine Answ be done and as one saith b In hoc siquideÌ„ quod dicebat Non quod ego volo sed tua voluntas fiat ex auditus est Cart. in Mat. 26. He was heard in this that he said not as I will but as thou wilt Secondly when he was in his agonie and prayed earnestly to his Father that the cup migh be remooued from him c Luk 22. 43. There appeared an Angell vnto him from heauen strengthening him So that although he suffered death yet he had strength and comfort from heauen and so he was heard Thirdly the manhood of Christ in suffering was supported and strengthened by the god head and though he suffered death yet he had admirable strength from the diuine nature to endure the vnspeakeable wrath of God and to beare the heauie burthen of our sinnes and so he was heard This is the First benifite that we haue by praying vnto God God heareth our praiers and granteth our requests The Second benefite which we receiue by praier is 2 Praier is a great help in trouble Considered Two waies aide and succour help and deliuerance in time of trouble for praier is the best help and the most present remedy in all trouble this I manifest two waies proouing First in generall that praier is a help in all troubles Secondly that praier helpeth vs in particular troubles which befall vs in the course of our life For the First Praier is the best the surest and readiest 1 Generally help in all trouble d Psal 50. 15. Call vpon me saith the Lord in the day of trouble I will deliuer thee e Iam. 5. 13. Is any man among you afflicted saith S. Iames let him pray The Psalmist saith f Psal 46. 1. God is our refuge and strength a very present helpe in trouble Salomon saith g Prou. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth into it and is safe And the seruants of the Lord haue found this true by experience for when they haue bene in trouble they haue runne vnto the Lord and cried vnto him for helpe and they haue bene helped and deliuered so Dauid acknowledgeth saying h Psal 18. 6. In my distresse I called vpon the Lord and cryed vnto my God he heard my voice out of his Temple and my crie came before him euen vnto his eares Againe he saith i Psal 142. 4. 5. I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me refuge failed me no man cared for my soule Then he saith I cried vnto thee ô Lord I said Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the liuing Thus in generall the Scripture sheweth that Praier vnto God is a readie and present helpe in trouble and that when all other helpes faile Secondly in particular troubles and afflictions Praier 2 Particularly as is the best help as First it is the best helpe in time of warre to deliuer vs from the danger of the enemie and to saue vs from the 1 In time of warre perill of the sword in such a case it was Hezekias helpe against the King of Assyria for when Sennacherth King of Assyria sent a blasphemous railing letter to Hezekiah King of Iuda k Isa 37. 14. 15. c. Hezekiah went vp into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed vnto the Lord. And the Lord heard his praier and sent a Prophet vnto him to comfort him and also sent an Angell to fight for Israel against the Assyrians which l Vers 36. smote in the campe of the Assyrians a hundreth and fourescore and fiue thousand By this meanes was Hezekiah deliuered from the hand of his enemies For as one saith m Verè caelâ—stis est aâ—mâ—tura dâ—precatio quae Deo â—â—anditur Cloys dâ— crando Deum l. 1. supplication made vnto God for deliuerance is indeede heauenly armour Secondly Praier is the best help in captiuitie and seruile bondage in the like case it helped Manasseh for 2 In captiuitie being carried captiue to n 2. Chrâ— 33. 11. 12. 13. Babylon when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers and prayed vnto him and he was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his kingdome Thirdly prayer helpeth much in time of famine this 3 In famine is the promise of the Lord to his people saying o Isa 41. 17. When the poore and needie seeke water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will heare them Giuing vs to vnderstand that if in time of famine and scarcitie the people shall pray vnto the Lord he will heare them and helpe them in their need Fourthly in time of plague and pestilence Praier is a 4 In the plague and pestilence great preseruatiue for the Lord saith p 2 Chro. 7. 13. 14. If I send pestilence among my people if my people which