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A18126 A sermon of the nature and end of repentance shadowed in the ministerie of Iohn the Baptist. Preached the Sunday afore Lent. 1613. Case, William, 1584 or 5-1634. 1616 (1616) STC 4767; ESTC S107898 20,795 36

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diametro directly opposed vnto those foure generall diuine graces from whence all other doe spring Faith Obedience Loue and Patience Our earthly and base affections being so fastened vnto the pleasures and delights of this world that our faith cannot be stedfast concerning the pleasures of a better world and so we sinne against our Lord and Sauiour Secondly our pride and high conceit of our selues is repugnant vnto that obedience which wee owe vnto Gods Law and so we offend our Lord and Creatour Thirdly by the vnrighteousnesse of our actions we are defectiue in our Charitie and thereby we offer wrong vnto our Brethren And last of all the peruersenesse and frowardnesse of our wils doth trouble our hope and patience and so we disquiet our selues and the peace of our owne consciences Briefely wee are hence to learne Math. 3.3 that the Preaching of Iohn who came to prepare the waies of the Lord and to make his pathes straight doth in that place intimate thus much vnto vs that all these foureirregularities are to be rectified if we hope to haue the spirit of Christ to inhabite and possesse vs. And therefore these our affections must be wained from the things of this world for we cannot serue two Maisters saith our blessed Sauiour Luk. 16.13 We cannot serue God and Mammon Secondly Iam. 4.6 the pride of our hearts is to be abased for God resisteth the proud and giueth grace vnto the humble Thirdly the vnrlghteousnesse of our actions is to be rectified Mark 4.24 for With what measure we meite vnto others the same will God meite vnto vs. And lastly the peruersenesse of our wils is to be moderated Iames 1.20 for the wrath of man cannot accomplish the will of God but a meeke and a quiet spirit is a thing before God much set by 1. Pet. 3.4 In fine this is the summe of all that in asmuch as whiles we are in the flesh that is afore we are renewed by Repentance the motions of sinne which are by the Law doe preuaile in our members to bring forth fruit vnto death so now when as grace doth appeare and that the kingdome of God is at hand all impediments are to be remoued which might hinder the worke of the spirit of grace within vs so that we may he euery way fitted that we may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height that we may be filled withall fulnesse of God as the Apostle speaketh Ephes 3 18. And the Baptist doth not onely teach wherein Repentance doth consist and what it must be but hee also confirmes his Doctrine by his owne example shewing how it must be practised of all true penitentiaries and that especially in their particulars The place where he liued and Preached and that was in the wildernesse The meate whichhe ate and that was locusts and wilde honie And lastly the garments which he wore and that was a rough raiment of Camels haire girt about his loynes with a leatherne girdle In all which he signified vnto all men what he was and what all true Repentants should be euen euery way mortified vnto this world for All that is in this world saith Saint Iohn is the lust of the flesh the iust of the eyes or the pride of life 1 Ioh. 2.16 The lust of the flesh he subdued for he pampered not his body with varietie of delicacies neither troubled hee his thoughts with prouiding the dainties of these times but contented himselfe with such meane refreshment as would onely but sustaine nature such as that wilde desart would afford nothing but locusts and wilde honey The lust of the eyes he preuented for he dclighted not in the garish shewes and vaine spectacles of this world neither desired he the societie of good-companions and merrie consorts but sequestred himselfe into the wilde wildernesse a desart place from all occasions of sinne auoiding all allurements that might withdraw him and all oppositions that might prouoke him to froget the duetie of his vocation And lastly the pride of this life he mortified for those soft and costly raiments whereby the pride of mans heart is aduanced and openly manifested vnto the world did hee contemne and apparelled himselfe in such a garment as befitted one whose profession did acknowledge himselfe vnworthy of any and therefore contented himselfe in humilitie with the meanest euen a rough coate of camels haire girt about his loynes with a leatherne belt His practise is an example vnto vs and that so plaine that there are few I am perswaded but doe vnderstand it and can easily make application thereof vnto themselues and therefore the time calling me on I will not further exemplifie things so manifest and ordinary as the necessitie and dueties of Repentance which though practised sincerely of few yet the doctrine thereof is a high-way so much beaten and so plaine that a further guide were needelesse Onely afore I proceede of the ceremoniall part of Iohns Doctrine Hook Eccl. pol. lib. 5. the outward administration of the Sacrament of Baptisme thus much That the administration of the outward signes is occasioned by the weakenesse of our faith and vnderstanding which as they doe much depend vpon sense so must they haue some kinde of sensible obiect to conuey vnto the vnderstanding what is to be beleeued And therefore sith God in himselfe is inuisible and cannot by vs be discerned working therefore I say when it seemeth good in the eyes of his heauenly wisedome that men for some speciall intents and purposes should take notice of his glorious presence he giues vnto vs some plaine and sensible tokens whereby to know what we cannot see So communicating by sensible meanes those blessings that are incomprehensible assuring vs thereby in this particular that as water doth wash away the filth of the flesh so doth the blood of Christ cleanse our soules from all pollution of sinne by repentance and faith in his name Now these things being considered what should I hence inferre but euen take vp the complaint of the Prophet Esay in the first verse of his 53. Esay 53.1 Chapter Who will beleeue our report when as there are so many professours and so few practisers of true and vnfained Repentance Euery man almost as Herod harbouring in his brest some minion sinne or other from whence he will not be diuorced when as the vallyes of some are not raised but that their affections doe yet lie groueling vpon the earth raking and rooting in the mire of this world and latogether neglecting the golden treasures of heauen The swesling pride of others being such that they can thinke worthily of none but themselues The iniquitie of others likewise banishing all truth and honesty from their dealings and lastly the boisterous and outragious passions of some giuing assured testimony that as yet their roughnesse hath not beene made smooth by the power of Repentance Neither doth the outward face
manifest vnto the world and now also afore Christ be manifested vnto vs both they then were and wee now are subiect vnto the Law and bound vnder a curse to fulfill the same But now forasmuch as it was impossible vnto the Law Rom. 8.3 being of no strength because of the flesh Iames 4.5 the spirit also that dwelleth in vs lusting after enuie as S. Iames speakes God sending his owne Sonne to redeeme vs that were vnder the Law Gal. 4.4.5 can it stand with the Iustice of God so to dishonour his Law as to receiue vs to mercy whiles we still be contemners of it No assuredly But such onely doth the Lord accept in Christ as feeling themselues vnable to fulfill the Law doe for that cause submit and prostrate themselues at the feete of Gods Iustice with acknowledgement of their desert and with penitent and sorrowfull hearts aske pardon for their sinnes Not that the Lord requireth or accepteth repentance as meritorious or in that kinde any way necessarie for his mercy is onely sufficient but that a rebell cannot be receiued without submission For the subiect of the Gospell of Christ is a promulgation or a proclamation of pardon vnto all such as indeed are rebels against God but yet not if they continue so but only vnto such rebels as come in and submit themselues It is cleare therefore and euident that the paths of Repentance lead and conduct vs vnto the Kingdome of Grace Mat. 11.28 For Come vnto me saith our Lord Iesus all yee that are weary and heauy laden and I will ease you Now can the Lord ease vs of sinne when we are already at so much ease that wee feele not our sinnes they trouble vs not No for the scope I say of Christian do ctrine is the comfort of them whose hearts are ouer-charged with the burden of sinne Furthermore if this will not suffice let vs take recourse vnto the Ceremoniall Law which was but a shadow for shadowes sometimes may be better discerned then the substance it selfe if the sight be weake As for example wee better discerne the forme of the Sunne by its shadow in the water then in looking vpon its owne body because our sight is weake Numb 21. So looke vpon the brazen Serpent a figure and shadow of Christ which had power giuen it to heale those that felt themselues bitten by the fiery Serpents if they looked vp vnto the same noting thereby thus much that when the terrours of Gods iudgements for our sinnes are so heauy vpon our soules that they presse vs vnto the very death if then by a liuely faith we can but looke vp vnto Christ we shall be healed our sinnes shall be remitted yet with this Prouiso this is alwayes to be presupposed that wee can neuer looke vp to be healed vnlesse first wee feele our selues wounded And if wee want instances take the Parable of the Seruant that fell downe at his Masters feet Mat. 18.26 desiring patience and forbearance and the Parable also of the Prodigall Sonne Luke 15.20 who hauing dissolutely wasted all his portion returned home in great sorrow and anguish of heart and so thereby obtayned grace and fauour againe I will not stand any longer in amplifying and enlarging the proofe hereof it being a thing that the tenour of Scripture doth alwayes import and the practise of the Saints doth euery where confirme that Christ cannot be truely manifested vnto vs that is his merits and mercy can neuer eyther be effectuall vnto vs or rightly apprehended by vs vnlesse wee bee baptised with Iohns Baptisme and washed with the water of Repentance This therefore being so if wee doe but reflect our thoughts from what wee should be vnto what wee are and euery one examine his owne heart what his estate is and how many are there that eyther will be assured or shall greatly doubt that they haue as yet no clayme no interest nor benefit at all by the merits of Christs death because they feele no alteration in themselues from what they haue beene at the first they haue neuer submitted themselues to the ministerie of Iohn Baptist they haue neuer truely and throughly repented them of their sinnes and therefore as yet Christ is not made manifest vnto them howsoeuer they haue deluded themselues But yet here is not all Reu. 2.24 for there are profunda Satanae whereof S. Iohn speakes in the second of the Reuelation that same deepenesse of Sathan which euery man cannot discouer in himselfe For it were well if being in a damnable estate men might feele and know they were what they are for then there might be better hope of amendment and possibilitie of reconciliation with God But it is not so for there are delusions mysteries mists of iniquitie whereby a man shall be so deceiued if hee looke not very carefully and warily vnto himselfe in iudging of his spirituall estate that many men questionlesse and that to with a good opinion of themselues slip sodainly away and descend vnto the deepe at vnawares It is not then from our purpose somewhat to vnmaske the vizard of hypocrisie and to discouer the subtile illusions of Sathan that seeing the deceit and danger wee may the better auoyd the same The first illusion therefore whereby Hypocrites are deceiued is too much relying and trusting in the outward formes of Gods seruice For it is true that they acknowledge the doctrine and Baptisme of Iohn to be necessarie Yet what then haue they not sufficiently submitted themselues vnto it when they haue beene baptised what need they then thinke they to make any further seruple of being in the fauour of God Is not the sacrament of Baptisme that same Lauacrum Regenerationis 1 Tit. 3.5 that bath of Regeneration as the Apostle cals it whereby they are made members of the Church of God sealed for the Children of God and so assared of the remission of their sinnes To which I answere that it is a remarkable signe and token of a man whose heart is not sincere to glory and please himselfe in the outward performance of religsous Ceremonies neglecting in the meane time the true subslance of Grace and the feare of God An example whereof wee haue in the lewes who chiefely insulted in the Customes and Rites of the Law crying Ier. 7.4.5 The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord when as the Lord witnesseth that hee had nothing to doe with their new Moones and their Sacrifices their hearts being so obdurate and their liues so prophane as they were for that that hee especiall required of them was to amend their wayes and their workes So it is in like manner in this particular of Baptisme wherein wee are neuer to thinke it sefe to presume of Gods grace by bare coniecturall hopes in eleuating the outward meanes of life the meanes fayling that should come betweene For though the Sacraments and their manner of administration be Gods owne ordinances yet