manifest that sinne doth proceede from the suggestion of Sathan working with our owne concupiscence yet euill and godlesse men they thinke they are tempted of God and when they sinne they do not sticke to say God hath so decreed it let him therefore worke his will for who hath euer resisted his will Homer that notable Heathen Poet hee answered such men very fitly in the person of Iupiter speaking in this sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Od. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O yee foolish mortall men euer and anone you cry out of the immortall Gods imputing to them the cause of yous miseries when indeede your selues are the workers of your owne wo. 〈…〉 4. 2. Perditio tua ex te O Israel Thou hast fallen by thine owne iniquity Stigias vltrò quaerimus vndas Like the Ostridge we do pricke our selues with our own feathers and we our selues do cause the shippe to leake where we saile Onely lo this haue I found that God hath made man righteous but they haue sought out many inuentions Quare peccas quianescis 〈…〉 31. c. How comes it to passe saith S. Aug. that thou dost sinne because thou art ignorant it is not so Why dost thou sin because thou art compelled there is no such matter why doest thou sinne because it pleaseth it delighteth thy wicked and corrupted nature In the transgression of a 〈…〉 9. 5. man is his snâ—re Of our owne accord wee runne wilfully into the dead fall of sinne so is it in the 9. Psal and 16. vers The vngodly is trapped how not by God but by the workes of his owne hands The Lord our God is good holy and onely holy so holy that as Iob saith the Angels are vncleane in his sight so pure that his Ministers the Cherubins Isa 〈…〉 are of fire most cleere and yet the Cherubins and Seraphins do couer their faces with their wings as not able to behold the perfect brightnes of his most pure and vndefiled Maiestie Therfore although no action can be done without God and that his power is so in all things that we cannot so much as lift vp our fingar without him For in him we liue and moue and haue all our being Yet is not God the cause of any sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 〈…〉 Wee cannot fasten the least touch of any euill vppon GOD. But so it stands Vna eademque actio tribuitur causae principali instrumentali In one and the selfe same action there is a double cause First the instrumentall cause mouing then God separated from the instrument yet giuing power of motion to the same Through this double cause of moouing there is a double worke which vnto vs seemeth to be but one For example God as appeareth in the 2. of the Acts and the 23. ver by his determinate counsell and foreknowledge deliuered vp our Sauiour Christ as the principall cause Iudas as the instrumentall cause yet neither is God to bee drawne in as a party in Iudas fault nor Iudas to bee excused as furthering the worke of God For God neuer coÌ„manded Iudas to deliuer vp Christ nor Iudas in deliuering him had any such intention as to doe God seruice in the execution of his will Deus agit per malos non in malis The wicked are the instruments of God Yet not God the cause of their wickednesse God is the cause of the action but not of the euill or quality in the action For example A man trauaileth his horse by the way he is the cause of his going but if his horse halts or haue an ill pace he is not the cause of his ill going A cunning man striketh an instrument with his fingars he is the cause of the sound but if the Instrument be bad or the strings not well chosen hee is not the cause of the ill sound The Iron rusteth thou wilt not wite it vpon the Smith Wine sowreth the fault is not in the vintner In the heauens there is a double motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fixed Starres and the whole 〈…〉 â— lib. â—amiâ—tâ— Globe of all is carried about with one Sphere and with one motion yet the planets in themselues haue a wandring and vncertaine course The like 〈…〉 we may vsually behold in euery clocke the greatest and highest wheele moueth and carryeth about all the rest yet in this motion some wheeles turne to the right hand others to the left and that by a contrary course So then it fareth thus with the wicked As hee that hath an euill and corrupt stomacke if hee doe eate hony it turneth into gall or as if a mans hand be out of ioynt when he would moue it one way it turnes another so the wicked and godlesse men whereas the light of nature Gods spirit and his word leadeth them one way their owne vilâ— inclination their own concupiscence leadeth them another Now then what shall we say is there vnrighteousnesse with God doth he cause vs to commit sinne No God forbid wickednesse should bee in God or iniquity in the Almighty But as it is saide before Euery man is drawne away by his owne concupiscence Iob. â—â— and is inticed lust when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sin and sinne when it is finished bringeth 〈…〉 forth death Hauing hitherto freed God from all imputatation of euil by shewing from whence sin comes and that God is not the author of it wee doe heere meete with the Pelagian Heretike who not able to vntie this knot affirmes that the wicked are reiected for the sins which God fore-saw they would commit and so contrariwise the godly preuenting the grace of God by their merits are predestinated and chosen through faith and good workes which GOD fore-saw they should doe Making Gods eternall election to depend vppon our faith and vppon our workes whereas cleane contrary our faith our good workes and all the good that is in vs doth wholy depend vppon Gods free election Saint Paul saith directly God hath chosen vs in 〈…〉 his sonne Christ before the foundation of the world was If in Christ Assuredly it appeares we were vnworthy in our selues and so Gods election is the cause of our good workes Et causa non est posterior suo effectu the cause it doth neuer follow the effect The learned Schooleman makes it plaine Non ideo electus est quis quia talis futurus erat sed ex tali Lomb electione talis est factus No man was euer chosen through faith and good workes which GOD fore-saw that hee should doe but the faith and good workes which we now doe proceede from the eternall election which went before This doth the Apostle very plainely set downe â—m 1. 9 God hath saued vs and called vs not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Iesus Christ before the world was Calling Moreouer
other reason to be giuen no other answer to be made but that it is his good pleasure it is his will Misericordia eius causa Misericordiae God sheweth mercy to whom he wil shew mercy Româ— and he hath compassion vpon whom it pleaseth him to haue compassion There is power and free liberty in Exo. â— GOD to giue and bestowe his grace both to whom when and how much-soeuer it pleaseth him Huic fit misericordia tibi non fit iuiuria saith S. Augustine God chooseth one he refuseth another to him he sheweth mercy to thee hee doth no iniury Here then wee must rest here we must make Fat 〈…〉 nece 〈…〉 em 〈…〉 uide 〈…〉 ad sa 〈…〉 am sc 〈…〉 a full point It is Gods good pleasure it is his will And this one answer it is a barre for all deepe questions either of of Predestination Election Destinie or any such like Iris Gods good pleasure it is his will His will is the cause of all causes and 〈…〉 ad 〈…〉 fer 〈…〉 further we cannot go Whom this answer doth not content S. Gregory doth answer directly Qui in factis Dei rationem non videt infirmitatem suam considerans cur non videat rationem videt In Mag. â— the hidden works of God hee that seeth not a reason if he see his owne infirmity hee seeth a sufficient reason why he should not see Wee conclude then with good Saint Augustine in his 59. Epistle ad Paulinum occulta esse causa potest iniusta 〈…〉 m. esse non potest Why God hath made choise of some and not of others howsoeuer vnto vs the cause be hidden yet vndoubtedly it cannot bee vniust This Doctrine briefely set downe and thus plainely appearing that Predestination is the immutable purpose of God whereby hee hath made choyse of some and reiected others according to the pleasure of his owne will It seemeth at the first when men do commit sinne they cannot auoide it as if GOD had so ordained it Hee hath made choyse of some to life and others hee hath reiected therefore when they sinne and follow the course that leadeth vnto death they doe it of necessity 〈…〉 15. O God forbid there should bee vnrighteousnesse in God or iniquity in the Almighty For GOD hath commannded no man to doe vngodly nether hath he giuen any man licence to sinne Before wee resolue this doubt there ariseth a very notable and necessary question which in times past hath troubled many wits If God bee not the author of sinne if he bee not the cause of mans offending how came sinne first to be how came it in where was the first beginning of it The heathen Philosophers they roued at the matter a farre off The Epicures they said it came by chance Aristotle and his sect they said it was the error of nature Plato came a little nearer and he said it arose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the nature of man Manicheus the hereticke to auoide the former opinions hee fained two Gods Duos affirmanit esse Deos alterum quidem Cleâ— lib. 3â— cogâ— bonum alterum verò malum One he auerred to be the author and first beginner of all good the other the first cause and author of all euill This opinion went currant a long time almost three hundred yeares as Nicephorus writeth and Nicâ— ecclâ— 6. â—â— the reason was because men neuer looking into the word of trueth by the light of nature they could neuer finde from whence sinne came That we may fully vnderstand this point very briefely we will set downe the lineall discent of sinne Sinne first ariseth from concupiscence Euery Iam. â— man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is iâ—ticed All sin all wickednes of this life whatsoeuer first ariseth from concupiscence from our owne wicked inclination From whence then comes concupiscence That Dauid Psal â— shewes ex immundo semine We are borne in iniquitiâ— and we are conceiued in sinne as the originall doth 〈…〉 â— signifie we are all warmed in vncleane bloud If we be all borne in sin and by nature corrupt wee must ascend higher to our first parents and know how they came first to sinne Adam and Eâ—e as appeareth in the 2. of Genes they first sinned by yeelding consent vnto the Deuill they tooke it from Sathan Heere then comes in the maine question how came the Deuill first to sinne The Deuill at first was created in porestate standi eadendi he had in his first creation a possibility to stand or fall power of continuance that hee had from God possibility of falling that he had from himselfe For it is a ground in diuinity Immutabiliter bonum esse Dei propriumest To bee immutablie good without any change or alteration it is onely proper vnto God therefore had hee possibility to stand or to fall S. Augustine also he rendreth another reason why the Deuill created an Angell of light had possibility of falling Because saith he at the first hee was created of nothing therefore he had in him possibility to retutne to nothing if so be he did not rely in the goodnesse of his creator if he did not subiect himselfe vnder the power of God To resolue then Sathan at the first was created an angell of light and had possibilitie to stand or fall but in the 14. of Isaiah and the 14. ver Whereas he saith there I wil a scend aboue the height of the cloudes I will be like the most high Then did Sathan choose rather to be an absolute nature in himselfe to shake of his alleageance and to abandon the goodnesse of God then relying still in God to be established by his power Our Sauiour Christ saith I saw Sathan fall as lightning from heauen And L 〈…〉 the lightning we know is not cast downe by any other but it falleth and breaketh out of it selfe alone The Diuell saith S. Peter was cast downe to 2. P 〈…〉 hell and deliuered vnto chaines of darkenes The reason is rendred in the 6. of Iude because when hee had possibilitie to stand or fall hee kept not his first estate Non perstitit in veritate Iohn the 8. 44. He â—boad not in the trueth So then to descend againe The Diuell he is Primitiuus peâ—cator hee was the first offender For he sinneth from the beginning 1. Io 〈…〉 From the deuill sinne was deriued vnto Adam from Adam to all his posterity borne of vncleane seede froÌ„ the corruption of vncleane birth it is secretly coÌ„ueighed to our inclination to concupissence Thus from the Diuell sinne first boyleth vp as out of a maine Sea from him when it comes to Adam it ariseth as out off a spring from this spring it is reserued in nature as in a Conduit from nature conuaâ—ed to concupiscence as hy a pipe from thence doth issue a streame of wickednesse to the Sea againe Now although it be thus
Christian eares Where is modestie where is trueth and Chtistian piety Is this our doctrine doe we thus teach no verily both in worde and writing we acknowledge the Lord our God to bee full of compassion and loue the bowels of his mercie sweet and amiable hee would not the death of any hee is gracious and kinde gentle and readie to forgiue and to the death wee affirme more then most holy pure and iust are all his workes and wayes therefore the Lord be iudge betweene them and vs and lay not this sinne vnto their charge Touching this doctrine how sinne first came to bee how it came in where it first tooke beginning and that God is not the author of it I haue shewed heretofore in handling the Golden Châ—ine the meanes of our saluation namely that the Diuell was Primitiuus peccator the 〈…〉 6. first offender for hee sinned from the beginning So that from him sinne first boyleth vp as out of the maine Sea From Sathan when it comes to Adam it ariseth as out of a Spring from this Spring it is reserued in nature as in a Conduit from nature conueied to concupisence as by a pipe and from thence doth flow all the mischiefe and wickednesse that is in the life of man Well then if sinne doe proceede from the suggestion of Sathan working through our owne concupiscence and so God wholy freed from all imputation of euill why is it so often said in the Scripture Deut. 2. 30. And the Lord hardened the heart of Sihon King of Heshbon and made him obstinate Ioshua the 11. 20. It came of the Lord to harden their hearts and here often in the booke of Exodus and the Lord hardened the heart of Pharao To make this plaine it is a point well knowne vnto the learned that this speech where it is said God hardened The Hebrew Dialect doth Flaccuâ— Illiricâ— P. Lonâ— li. 1. diâ— Tho Aâ— quin. â— 23. arti 〈…〉 signifie a permission and not an action Verbes that signifie to doe they often expresse a suffering and not a doing Destruit cum deserit God is then said to Harden when hee doth forsake Impios cùm non retrahit a malo culpae dicitur dimittere As the enduing with grace is the effect of Gods Election so the with-holding of his grace is the effect of Reprobation Dei includere est clausis non aperire saith Saint Gregorie vpon the 12. of Iob. and foureteenth verse Euery action hath his qualitie from the roote of the affection and from the intention of the Author Deus autem quoad peccatum non habet positiuè velle sed tantùm priuatiuè Touching sinne God hath no Positiue will but onely in regard of former sinnes a Priuation of his grace To bee short God doth Harden as Saint Augustine Agust â— saith Non malum obtrudendo sed gratiam non concedendo not by causing vs to commit sinne but by not graunting vnto vs his grace I but how comes it to passe that wee as well as others are not partakers of Gods grace why haue not wee also his good Spirit to direct and guide vs Saint Augustine makes it plaine againe Non ideo 〈…〉 non habet homo gratiam quia Deus non dat sed quia homo non accipit men become Hardened and want the spirit of grace why not because God doth not offer it vnto them but because they receiue it not when it is offered For example One of vs being sicke and like to die the Phisician knowing our case hee takes with him some preseruation to comfort vs and comes to the doore and knocks if wee will not or bee not able to let him in wee perish and die and the cause is not in the Phisician but in our selues that let him not in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinne is 〈…〉 de 10. a disease whereof we are all sicke for we haue all sinned Romanes 6. 12. verse Christ he is the Phisician of our soules Venit de coelo magnus medicus 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 9. 12. quia per totum vbique iacebit aegrotus Christ the great Phisicion came downe from heauen because all mankind was generally infected Hee comes to the doore of our hearts and there hee knocks Reuel 3.20 Behold I stand at the doore 〈…〉 6. 35. and knocke Hee bringeth with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bread of life his eternall word to comfort vs if we let him in if we open the doore of our hearts he will come in and suppe with vs as hee did with Mary and forgiue vs all our sinnes 〈…〉 10. but if wee will not or through long contagion of our sinne bee not able to let Christ in we die in our sinnes and the case is euident not because Christ doth not offer grace and comfort vnto vs but because wee receiue it not when it is offered Meritò perit aegrotus qui non medicum vocat sed vltrò venientem respuit worthily doth 〈…〉 that sicke patient perish who will neither send for the Phisicion himselfe nor accept of his help when it is offered More plainely thus in the foureteenth of Saint Mathew Our Sauiour walking on the Sea hee bad Saint Peter come vnto him who walking on the water seeing storme and tempestarise his heart fayled and hee began to sincke vpon his cry vnto our Sauiour hee presently stretched forth his hand tooke him into the shippe and saued him This world wee know by dayly experience it is a sea of trouble and miserie our Sauiour as hee sayd to Saint Peter so most louingly hee willeth euery one of vs to come vnto him as wee walke stormes and tempests doe arise through frailtie of our flesh and the weaknesse of our Faith wee begin to sincke our Sauiour hee stretcheth forth his hand hee giueth vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Word his Sacraments the good motions of his spirit to saue vs from sincking and to keepe vs in the shippe of his Church if wee refuse these meanes we perish we sincke in our sinnes why not because Christ doth not most kindly put forth his hand vnto vs but because in want and distresse wee lay not hold vpon him This is condemnation that light is come into the world men refuse it loue darknesse more then light Our blessed Sauiour with great louing kindnesse 〈…〉 3. 19. hee doth inuite all men to his Great Supper if wee make excuses or wilfully refuse to come he may iustly pronounce none of those that were bidden shall euer tast of my supper 〈…〉 14. 24 Therefore let not men deceiue themselues and complaine as though God did harden their hearts and deny them grace and mercy for as Ionas saith in his second Chapter and 8. verse 〈…〉 2. 8. They forsake their owne mercie Deus prior in amore God neuer hateth vntill he be first hated and so â—brose â—no euÌ„â—tit n◠〈…〉 i di 〈…〉 it Aug â—essi I conclude with
imployed in most diuine and holy actions yet euen then his mind and thought still ranne vpon money vpon gaine This is Habitualis obduratio an Hardening which growes by continuance in sinne Hee that is in this case it stands him vpon to gather vp his spirits and strongly to resist sinne to sequester himselfe oft-times vnto deuout and priuate Meditations to ioy in hearing the word with reuerence to receiue the blessed Sacraments especially to bee feruent in prayer for so Saint Peter willed Simon Magus Repent and pray that if it bee possible the thoughts of thy heart may bee forgiuen thee 〈…〉 t s 8. 22. The third and last is Iudicialis obduratio an Hardning which proceedes from the iust iudgement of God Cùm peccatum fit paena peccati when sinne becomes a punishment to him that commiteth it as Saint Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a recompence 〈…〉 m. 1. 2. 7 offormer errours when the thought is so poysoned the mind and soule so generally infected that the spirit of God is vtterly quenched no light of nature no priuate Counsell no publike exhortation out of the word no inward motions of Gods spirit can preuaile but hee goeth on so long is so far spent that being past all feare to offend carelesly he maketh no scruple of any sin whatsoeuer till at length finding in himselfe no hope of recouery either God strikes him apparently with his iudgement as he did Pharao or else by his death hee passeth silent to the graue without repentance as Diues or in this life as Iudas did doth plunge himselfe in the gulfe of desperation This is that Hardening which is here meant of Pharao This Hardening is not all on a suddaine Non ruimus primo impetu vt Deo reluctemur no man is Hardened at the first Nemo fit repentè miser Calu. Heb. 3. 13. Take heed least any of you be Hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne The deceitfulnesse of sinne it creepeth like a canker-worme it gathers it steales vpon vs and so vnder the foreknowledge of God men come vnto Hardening by degrees Naturalis est ordo vt abimperfecto Tho. Aq 〈…〉 ad perfectuÌ„ quis moueatur It is a naturall course euen in euill saieth the schooleman by degrees to come vnto perfection As they that dwell in Psal 84. Gods house will bring forth more fruite and then appeare before the God of Gods in perfect beautie so on the contrary the wicked are not Hardened all at once but as they offend more and more so by little and little they grow to the height of sinne and as the Psalmist saith they do fall from one sinne to another Iudas was first a cunning Dissembler secondly 〈…〉 at 26. 8. he became a secret Thiefe thirdly he grew to be 〈…〉 12. 5. 〈…〉 t. 26. 25 48. an impudent Lyar fourthly he proued a bolde Traitor lastly a desperate Reprobate 〈…〉 at 27. 5. The diseases of the body they do not grow at one the selfe-same time they do first appeare but by ryot distemperature vsed long before so the soule infected with vncleane thoughts and in youth accustomed to euill actions at length commeth to the vncurable disease of Hardening S. Augustine in the 8. of his Confess Aug. conâ—â—ss 8. doth open this point very plainely First the deuill by concupiscence suggesteth euill thoughts euill thoughts egge on delight delight tolleth on consent coÌ„sent engendereth action action bringeth forth custome custome groweth to necessity and necessity in sinning is the forerunner of death For example First the diuell suggesteth euill thoughts so hee did vnto Eue hee wound her in by tainting her thought by telling her she should haue al knowledge and be as God this euill thought egged on delight for as appearethin the sixth verse the Apple grew pleasant in her eyes this delight tolled on consent for then she tooke of the fruite lastly of consent came the action for shee did eate and gaue it to her husband Now when the action of sin is committed there doth not presently follow Hardening for if the heart do melt thaw if the soule do giue resolue into teares of repentance for the same then there is no Hardening But if from one action committed we come vnto another and so to the custome continuance in sin then are we snared with the cords of our owne iniquity and fettered with this chaine against the general day of Gods iudgement To make this plaine I will show you by seuen degrees as it were by seuen stayres how men do descend into this pitte of Hardening The first step is importabile Sin at the first it is 1 Import 〈…〉 bile importable it seemes vntollerable to be borne One that hath bin religiously brought vp hath bin accustomed to a milde and honest conuersation and hath ben feareful to offend at length if through bad coÌ„pany through his own weaknes and the allurements of Sathan hee falleth into any foule sin at the first it is importable it doth strike such an horror into him that he is in a wofull taking and grieuously tormented This we may see by Dauid who hauing alwaies a tender conscience loath to offend yet after ouertaken by committing murder and adulter aâ—soone as he saw what he had done hee was mightily troubled wheresoeuer he became his offence so stucke in his thought that in the 51. Psal 3. he cryeth out my sin is euer before me that is is continually in my sight The second stayre is Graue heauie for sinne 2 〈…〉 ue being committed twise or thrise it is not as it was at the first importable but it is heauie Hee sorrowes and is grieued but hee is nothing so troubled in mind nor afflicted in conscience as he was before The third stayre is Leue light For he that hath 3 〈…〉 vsed himself more often to sin that which at the first was importable and afterwards heauie at length becommeth light This appeareth by the vnchast woman spoken off in the Prouerbs who hauing had some practise in sinne she makes no more matter of it but lightly passeth it ouer with wiping her mouth saith she hath not sinned 〈…〉 30. 20. The fourth stayre is insensible past feeling for 4 〈…〉 nsi 〈…〉 after that sin be made light of and that there be no remorse nor griefe for sinne then they grow past feeling such were the Israelites of whom the Prophet Ieremie speaketh in his 5. Chap. and 3. ver Thou hast smitten them but they haue not sorrowed for they haue made their faces harder then a stone that is they haue sinned so long that now they are past feeling The fift staire is Delectabile When men take 5 â—ecta 〈…〉 pleasure in sin as Salomon saith They reioyce in Pro. 2. 1â— doing euill and delight in wickednesse Heereof Saint Augustine saith Tum est consummata infoelicitas vbi turpia non solùm committuntur sedetiam delectant
Then is the estate of condemnation certaine when foule sinnes are not onely commited but are delightfull also The sixt staire is Desiderabile when through 6 Desiderabile delight men grow to such a custome that they inwardly desire to sin so that as S. Gregory said Si nunquam moreretur nunquaÌ„ vellepeccare desineret such a maÌ„ if he should neuer die he would neuer cease to sin for though he did not commit it in action yet still he would desire it in thought The seauenth staire is defensibile When hee hath 7 Defensibile gotten a forehead of brasse â—say 48. 4. as the Psalmise saith wheÌ„ the tyrant doth boast that he can Psal 1. 1. do mischiefe when hee sits in the seate of the scorner when hee doth not onely by habit desire to sin and delight in it but nowe he will take vpon him to defend it Peccatum porta mortis defensio Origen est lumen inferni Sin is the high way to death but the defence of sin is the very next step into hell At this point were the Iewes who being reproued for idolatry the Scripture saith they said desperately we haue loued strange Gods and them will we follow againe they refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder stopped their eares and Zach. 7. â—â— made their hearts as an Adamant stone Impius cùm â— 2. 25. â—0 18. 3. venerit in profundum contemnit a dissolute liuer once growne to the height of sin becomes desperate Thus Sin first it is importable secondly heauie thirdly it becomes light fourthly past feeling fiftly delightfull sixtly desired and lastly to be defended Here is descensus Auerni these be the stayres that lead to the chambers of death the stepswherby the reprobate do descend vnto final destruction Indeed at the first when sin is importable that we are wonderfully grieued for coÌ„mitting of it there is great hope of recouery he that so feeling the wound of sinne doth there stay the course of it it is an excellent signe of saluatioÌ„ Initium salutis notitia peccati the first step of repentance is the first finding out acknowledgement of sin In the second of the Acts wheÌ„ they saw and knew their sin they cried out Men brethern what shal we do to be saued This horror this troubled mind it made them seeke for comfort and so brought them to repentance Secondly when sin is a burden vnto our soules so that we would faine be eased of it there is yet good hope We may see it by Dauid in the 38. Psalme 4. verse Mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head and are as a burden too heauy for mee to beare The weight of this burden made Dauid in the 18. ver following to confesse his wickednes and to be sory for his sin it made him flie vnto God for ease O cast your burden vpon the Lord for he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer Thirdly when men make light of sin surely danger is not far off for a threefold cord is not easily broken and the third letting of bloud in the same veine is exceeding dangerous but yet still there is some hope for though in the hot chase of our blinde and youthful desires though then for a time we account it a light matter to commit this or that sinne yet God may touch our hearts Christ may looke backe vpon vs as he did on S. Peter who denied him thrice His word may so strike vs that we may come to know our selues to see in what case we are to bewaile our infirmity so turne vnto god by praier repeÌ„taÌ„ce All these things as Iob saith will God worke twice Iob. 33. â— O bewâ— and sin more or thrice with a man But if we come to Insensibile the fourth stayre so that we grow past feeling we sin daily and haue no sense of it if there be no remorse no griefe nor dislike of sin wo be vnto vs 2. Amos. 6. For three transgressions and for foure I will not turne to Israel saith the Lord. Without the infinite and extraordinary mercie of God we are the sons of wrath for theÌ„ followeth this deadlie wound of Hardening It is a principle in Phisicke grauissimè is aegrotat qui se non sentit aegrotare if a man bee sicke and know it not out of question hee is very dangerously and deadly sicke hee that findes in himselfe no want of any thing as the Church of Laodicea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I stand not in need of any thing This deadnesse â—uel 3. 17 this vnfeeling numnesse it is a plaine foreteller of death for example if a man haue taken a grieuous wound in his body if it ake if it pricke and shoote if it paine him eyther it is healing or else there is hope to heale it but as Saint Augustine saith Quod non dolet non pro August sano sed pro mortuo computandum if the wound be such that it neuer causeth griefe if it neuer ake nor smart vndoubtedly it is dead flesh of necessitie it must be cut off To commit actuall and presumptuous sinnes when a man 's owne knowledge and Gods spirit cryeth in him to the contrary these are wounds and grieuous woundes vnto the soule and whosoeuer hath gone on so far that he doth delight in these sinnes so often so long that his minde is neuer troubled his thoughts neuer checked his soule neuer grieued surely such a one being vtterly past feeling is very neere to this fearefull estate of hardening Thus haue I shewed how and after what sort men become Hardened not of my selfe but as S. Augustine saith Ligatus teneor non ferro alieno sed meaferrea voluntate velle meum tenebat inimicus et inde mihi funes fecerat et consuetudini dum non resistitur fact a est necessitas A man becomes hardened he is fettered not by any other chaine but by the cordes of his owne sinne the deuill by deceit gets power ouer the will and so doth snare vs and because in the beginning wee did not resist custome at length it groweth to necessity This is the very same in effect setdown by Saint Paule in the 4. to the Ephesians 18. where this manner of Hardening is also expressed first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the minde is darkened they cannot rightly discerne what to do then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they become ignorant thirdly comes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the soule for want of heauenly dewe beginnes to wither and harden fourthly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 past feeling and lastly giuen ouer to commit all sinne with greedinesse Most wofull to be hardened NOw what a grieuous and lamentable estate is it to be hardened let it please you with patience to obserue a while you shall briefely vnderstand The comfort of mans life in this world it consisteth in the enioying either of temporall or spirituall blessings But the strong
in time it may be forgiuen it may be taken away if we let it go on to two or three with vnfained repentance with bleeding teares with vncessant outcryes vnto a gratious God they may be rased out and wiped away but with greater difficulty at length if a man giue ouer himselfe vnto sinne so that it take deepe roote in the heart and bee setled in the soule he shall neuer be able to pull it vp nor to arise from the death of sinne Application TO draw then to an end forasmuch as God desireth not the death of any sinner but most louingly offereth his grace meanes of saluation vnto all seeing sinne doth proced from our owne vile concupiscence and we neuer striuing to stay the course of it in our thoughts do secretly fall away seeing by degrees against their own knowledge men do wound their soules with many actuall sinnes and thervpon God doth withhold his grace and so forsake them and this forsaking is such a forlorne estate that as Iob saith 12. 14. God shutteth a man vp and he can neuer be loosed O how feruent ought we to be in prayer thereby to kindle in vs the heat of Gods spirit how deuout in sweete heauenly meditations to stir vp in vs the good graces of God how diligent to shewe the fruits of our faith euer stirring in the workes labours of our calling giuing no aduantage to our aduersary how carefull when wee heare the word of God to do it with a humble spirit with great reuerence therby to keepe a tender heart a minde and cogitation that may easily bee touched with remorse how desirous secretly ioyfull at this holy time to prepare our selues to the receiuing of the blessed sacraments to haue our hearts stripped off worldly vanities to cal home our affections to appease our thoughts and so peaceably to bath our soules afresh in the precious blood of our euerlasting redeemer That so feeling our selues as it were newely created againe soule body heart hand tongue may neuer cease to sound praises vnto him who doth neuer cease to renew his mercies vnto vs. The holy kingly Prophet Dauid he is a worthy example for this roial presēce set him before your eies obserue the whole course of his life How sweet and mild was his spirit in forbearing to take reuenge for himselfe how couragious inuincible his faith whē it stood in the quarrel of gods honour how dearly affected to his people when he said to the destroying Angel not these sheep but it is I that haue offended what melting kinde affection did he shew towards Ionathan those whō he loued what a mournful repentāt heart whē he knew that he had offēded how full of diuine meditations to better his thoughts how frequent in praier falling frō him as a continual streame how ioyfull in Gods seruice dancing before the Ark how reuerend in Gods house kneeling bowing in the tēple before al the people what a thankfull heart in offering to build a glorious temple to the Lord what an hūble minde saying what am I what was my fathers house that thou hast brought vs hitherto what a chary tender care of Gods glory whersoeuer he became how abundant in praises thanksgiuing calling euery member of himselfe all the creatures both of heauē earth to make one quire in setting forth singing sounding the euerlasting praises of his God But why did Dauid thus to what end was al this that he might be sure stil to hold fast by God to be intirely knit vnto him by al means possible to retaine his loue for feare least God hauing raised him to the height of renowne deliuered him miraculously out off many eminent and bloudy dangers so set a crowne of blessings vpon his head if Dauid should haue showne any vnthankfulnes any cōtempt or the least neglect of his loue a mighty ielous god he also vpon iust cause might haue withdrawne his loue laid al his honour in the dust againe Now therfore with al humblenesse duety I intreat you by the tender mercies of Christ Iesus in the name of the liuing God I chalenge euery christiā which hopes for any ioy in the life to come take heed of actuall and presumptuous sinnes in no case let them haue dominiō ouer you Psal 19. 1 do not woūd your soules as Pharao did with wilfull offences against your own knowledge try examine all your thoughts how wherin they stand affected aboue al grieue not the blessed motions of that cōfortable spirit which keepes the very Life and Being of the soule To conclude let al slaunderous mouthes be stopped all the factious scismatiques in the land ashamed in beholding your christian and Princely example continue still to be louingly and kindly affected one towards another celebrate this holy time in a true religious maner Sanctifie the ioyful beginning of this new yeares raine with new deuotion vnto God lay all your Honors downe at the foote of the altar receiue the holy Sacraments ioyntly together and so bee faithfully knit in loue and in one head Christ Iesus go cheerefully on delight still in doing good the Lord God of our Fathers increase in you good desires giue you zeale to performe them confirme vnto you to your seede all his good promises and vnto euery one of vs here graunt pardon for offences past giue vs comfort and strength in temptations to come change all our liues more and more to a better course euen for his blessed Sonne Christ Iesus sake who with the Father and the holy Ghost be blessed and praysed for euer Amen FINIS