Was there any loue like to this loue God indeede hath commanded his charitie and loue to vs herein that when wee were very enemies vnto him he would giue his owne Sonne for vs. That wee being men might become as you would say Gods God would become man That we being mortall might become immortall the immortall God would become mortall man That we earthly weretches might be Citizens of Heauen the Lord of Heauen would become as a man would say earthly That we being accursed might be blessed God would be accursed That we by our father Adam being broght out of Paradise into the puddle of al pain might be redeemed and brought into Paradise againe God would be our Father and an Adam thereunto That wée hauing nothing might haue al things God hauing al things would haue nothing That we being vassailes and slaues to all euen to Sathan the Fiend might be Lords of all and of Sathan the Lord of all would become a vassaile and a slaue to vs all and in danger of Sathan Oh loue incomprehensible Who can otherwise thinke now but if the gracious good Lord disdained not to giue his owne Sonne his owne hearts ioy for vs his very enemies before wée thought to begge any such thing at his hands yea before we were who I say can thinke otherwise but that with him hee will giue vs all good things If when we hated him and fled away from him hee sent his Son to séek vs who can thinke otherwise then that now we louing him and lamenting because wee loue him no more but that he wil foreuer loue vs Hee that giueth the more to his enemies will not he giue the lesse to his friends God hath giuen his owne Sonne then which nothing is greater euen to vs his enemies and wée now being become his friends wil ne deny vs faith and pardon of our sins which though they be great yet in comparison they are nothing at all Christ Iesus would giue his owne selfe for vs when we willed if not and will he now deny vs faith if wee will it This will is his earnest that he hath giuen vs truly to looke indeed for the thing willed And looke thou for it in deed for as he hath giuen thée to will so will he giue thee to doe Iesus Christ gaue his life for our euils and by his death hee deliuered vs. O then in that hee liueth now and cannot dye will hee forsake vs his heart bloud was not too deare for vs when we asked it not what can then be now too deare for vs asking it Is he a changeling Is he mutable as man is Can he repent him of his gifts Did he not foresée our falls Payd not he therefore the price Because hee sawe wee should fall sore therefore would he suffer sore Yea if his suffering had not béene enough he would yet once more come againe God the Father I am sure if the death of his Sonne incarnate would not serue would himselfe and the holy Ghost also become incarnate and dye for vs. This death of Christ therefore look on as the very pledge of Gods loue towards thee whosoeuer thou art how déep soeuer thou hast sinned Sée Gods hands are nayled they cannot strike thee his féete also hée cannot run from thée his armes are wide open to embrace thee his head hangs downe to kisse thée his very heart is open so that therin look nay euen spy and thou shalt sée nothing therein but loue loue loue loue to thee hide thee therefore lay thy head there with the Euangelist This is the clift of the Rock wherin Helias stood This is for all aking heads a pillow of downe Anoint thy head with this oyle let this oyntment enbalme thy head and wash thy face Tarry thou on this firme Rocke and I le warrant thee Say with Paul What can separate me from the loue of God Can death can pouertie can sicknesse hunger or any misery perswade thee now that God loueth thee not Nay nothing can separate thee from the loue wherwith God hath loued thee in CHRIST IESVS whom he loueth he loueth to the end So that now where abundance of sin hath bin in thee the more is the aboundance of grace But to what end Certainly that as sinne hath reigned to death as thou seest to the killing of Gods Son so now Grace must reigne to Life to the honouring of Gods Son who is now aliue and cannot dye any more So that they which by faith feele this cannot any more dye to God but to sin whereto they are dead and buried with CHRIST As Christ therefore liueth so doe they and that to God to righteousnesse and holinesse The life which they liue is In fide Filij Dei In the faith of the Sonne of God Whereby you see that now I am slipt into that which I made the third part of penance namely newnesse of life which I could not so haue done if that it were a part of it selfe indeed as it is an effect or fruit of the second part that is of faith or trust in Gods mercy For he that beléeueth that is is certainely perswaded sin to be such a thing that is the cause of all miserie and of it selfe so greatly angreth God that in heauen nor in earth nothing could appease his wrath saue alonely the death and precious bloud-shedding of the Sonne of God in whom is all the delight and pleasure of the Father hee I say that is perswaded thus of his sin the same cannot but in heart abhorre and quake to doe or say yea to thinke any thing willingly which Gods Lawe teacheth him to be sinne Againe he that beleeueth that is is certainly perswaded Gods loue to be so much towards him that where through sinne he was lost and made a fire brand of hell the eternall Father of mercy which is the omni sufficient God and néedeth nothing to vs or of any thing that we can do to deliuer vs out of hell and to bring vs into heauen did send euen his owne most deer Sonne out of his bosome out of heauen into hell as a man would say to bring vs as I sayd from thence into his own bosome and mercy we being his very enemies hee I say that is thus perswaded of Gods loue toward him and of the price of his redemption by the deare bloud of the Lamb immaculate IESVS CHRIST the same man cannot but loue God again and of loue doe that and heartily desire to doe better the which might please God Thinke you that such a one knowing these things by faith wil willingly insist wallow in his wilfull lusts pleasures and fantasies Will such a one as knoweth by faith Christ Iesus to haue giuen his bloud to wash him from his sins play the Sow to nuzle in his puddle of filthy sin and vice againe Nay rather then hee will bee defiled againe by his wilfull sinning he will wash often the feet of his affections watching
all such notable things as either he did see or heare each day that passed But whatsoeuer he did heare or see he did so pen it that a man might see in that booke the signes of his smitten heart For if hee did heare or see any good in any man by that he found and noted the want thereof in himselfe and added a short prayer crauing mercy and grace to amend If hee did heare or see any plague or misery hee noted it as a thing procured by his owne sinnes and still added Domine miserere mei Lord haue mercy vpon me He vsed in the same booke to note such euill thoughts as did rise in him as of enuying the good of other men thoughts of vnthankfulnesse of not confidering God in his workes of hardnes of heart when he did see other moued and affected And thus he made to himselfe and of himselfe a booke of daily practises of repentance Besides this they which familiarly kept company with him might see how he vsed to fall often into a sudden and deepe meditation in which hee would sit with fixed countenance and spirit moued yet speaking nothing a good space And sometimes in this silent sitting plēty of tears should trickle downe his cheeks Sometime he would sit in it and come out of it with a smiling countenance Oftentimes haue I sate at dinner and supper with him in the house of that godly harbourer of many Preachers and seruants of the Lord Iesus I meane M. Elsyng when either by occasion of talke had or of some view of Gods benefits present or some inward cogitation and thought of his owne he hath fallen into these deepe cogitations and afterward he would tell me of them that I did perceiue that somtimes his teares trickled out of his eyes as well for ioy as for sorrow Neither was hee onely such a practiser of repentance in himselfe but a continuall prouoker of others thereunto not onely in publike preaching but also in priuate conference and company for in all companies where he came hee would freely reproue any sin and misbehauiour which appeared in any person especially swearers filthy talkers and popish praters and this hee did with such a diuine grace and christian maiestie that euer he stopped the mouthes of the gaine-sayers for be spake with power and yet so sweetly that they might see their euill to be euill and vnderstand that it was good indeede to the which hee laboured to draw them in God To be short as his life was such was his death for at his death as the History witnesseth when the flames of fire did fly about his eares in Smithfield his last speech publikely noted heard was this Repent England Thus was our Bradford a Preacher and an example of that repentance which he preached As Ionas preached to Niniue and yet doth hee preach repentance and surely England hath now much more cause to repent then it had when Bradford liued for all states and sorts of persons in England are now more corrupt then they were then Let therefore now Bradfords Sermon his life his death moue thee O England to repent I wish and warne that as in Niniue so in England all from the highest to the lowest doe vnfainedly repent The Court the Church the Citie the Countrey Princes Prelates and people let all and euery one repent and depart from that euill which he hath in hand and turne wholly to the Lord. And I do humbly beseech thy Maiesty O glorious Lord Iesus to worke now by thy Spirit in our hearts the same sound repentance which thy holinesse did first preach to men when thou saydest Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand This worke in vs O gracious God our Sauiour AMEN A FRVITFVL Sermon of Repentance made by the constant Martyr of Christ Mr. Iohn Bradford 1553. MAT. 4.17 Amend your liues for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand THe life we haue at this present is the gifte of God in whom we liue moue and are and therefore hee is called IEHOVA For the which life as wée should he thankfull so may we not in any wise vse it after our corrupt fantasies but to the end for which it is giuen and lent vs that is to the setting forth of Gods praise and glory by repentance conuersion and obedience to his good will and holy lawes whereunto his long suffering doth as it were euen draw vs if our hearts by impenitency were no hardened And therefore our life in the Scripture is called a walking for that as the body daily draweth more and more néere his end that is the earth euen so our soule draweth daily more and more néere vnto death that is saluation or damnation heauen or hell Of which thing in that we are most carelesse and very fooles for we alas are the same to day we were yesterday and not better or nearer to God but rather nearer to hell Sathan and perdition being couetous idle carnal secure negligent proud c. I think my labour cannot be better bestowed then with the Baptist Christ Iesus and his Apostles to harpe on this string which of al other is most necessary and that in these dayes most specially What string is that saith one Forsooth brother the string of repentance the which Christ our Sauiour did vse first in his Minestery and as his Minister at this present I will vse vnto you all Mat. 4.17 Repent for the Kingdome of heauen is at hand This sentence thus pronounced and preached by our Sauiour Iesus Christ as it doth command vs to repent so to the doing of the same it sheweth vs a sufficient cause to stirre vs vp thereunto namely for that The kingdome of Heauen which is a kingdome of all ioy peace riches power and pleasure is at hand to all such as doe so that is as do repent So that the meaning hereof is as though our Sauiour might thus speake presently Syrs for that I see you all walking the wrong way euen to Sathan and vnto hell fire by following the kingdome of Sathan which now is coloured vnder the vaine pleasures of this life and foolishnesse of the flesh most subtilly to your vtter vndoing and destruction behold and marke well what I say vnto you The Kingdome of Heauen that is an other manner of ioy and felicitie honour and riches power and pleasure then you now perceiue of enioy is euen at hand and at your backes and if you will turne againe that is Repent you you shall most truly and pleasantly feele see and inherite Turne againe therefore I say that is Repent for this ioy I speake of euen The Kingdome of Heauen is at hand Here we may note first the corruption of our nature in that to this commandement Repent you he addeth a cause For the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand For by reason of the corruption sturdines of our nature God vnto all his commandements commonly either addeth some promise to prouoke vs to
fire sayth Dauid so doe the wicked perish at the face or countenance of the Lord. If dearely beloued his face bee so terrible and intolerable for sinners and the wicked what thinke wee his hand is At the face and appearing of Gods anger the earth trembleth but we earth earth yea stones yron flints tremble nothing at all If we will not tremble in hearing woe vnto vs for then shall we bee crashed in pieces in feeling If a Lyon roare the Beasts quake but wee are worse then beasts which quake nothing at the roaring of the Lyon I meane the Lord of Hosts And why because the curse of God hardnesse of heart is already fallen vpon vs or else we could not but lament and tremble for our sins If not for the shame and foulenesse thereof yet at the least for the malediction and curse of God which hangeth ouer vs for our sins Lord be mercifull vnto vs for thy Christs sake and spare vs in thine anger remember thy mercy towards vs Amen And thus much for the third thing to the mooning of vs to sorrow for our sinnes that is for the tagge tyed to Gods Law I meane for the malediction and curse of God But if our hearts be so hard that through these we yet feele no hearty sorrow for our sinnes let vs fourthly set before vs examples past and present olde and new thereby the holy Spirit may be effectuall to worke in his time this worke of sorrowing for our sinne Looke vpon Gods anger for sinne in Adam and Eue for eating a peece of an apple Were not they the dearest creatures of God cast out of Paradise Were not they subiect to mortality trauaile labour c. Was not the earth accursed for their sinnes Doe not we all men in labour women in traueling with childe and all in death mortality and misery euen in this life féele the same And was God so angrie for their sinne and he being the same God will he say nothing to vs for ours alas more horrible then the eating once of one piece of an apple In the time of Noe and Lot Gen. 6. God destroyed the whole world with water and the Cities of Sodom and Gomorra Sebiom and Adamah Gen. 19. with fire and brimstone from heauen for their sinnes namely for their whoredomes pride idlenesse vnmercifulnesse to the poore tyranny c. In which wrath of God euen the very babes birds fowles fishes hearbes trées and grasse perished and thinke we that nothing will be spoken to vs much woorse and more abominable then they For all men may sée if they will that the whoredomes pride vnmercifulnesse tyranny c. of England far passeth in this age any age that euer was before Lots wife looking backe Gen. 19. was turned into a salt stone and will our looking backe againe yea our turning backe a gaine to our wickednesse doe vs no hurt If we were not already more then blinde Béetles we would blush Pharao his heart was hardned so that no miracle could conuert him if ours were any thing soft we would begin to sob Of sixe hundred thousand men Iosua and Caleb only but twaine entred into the Land of promise because they had ten times sinned against the Lord as he himself saith and think we Num. 14. that God wil not sweare in his wrath that we shall neuer enter into his rest which haue sinned so many tenne times as we haue toes fingers yea haires on our heads and beards I feare me and yet wée passe not The man that sware and he that gathered sticks on the Sabboth day Leuit. 24. Num. 15. were stoned to death but we thinke our swearing is no sinne our bribing rioting yea whore-hunting on the Sabboth day pleaseth God or else we would something amend our manners Helias negligence in correcting his sonnes 1. Reg. 5 nipped his necke in two but ours which pamper vp our children like puppets wil put vs to no plunge Helias sonnes for disobeying their fathers admonition brought ouer them Gods vengance and wil our stubbornnesse doe nothing Sauls malice to Dauid Acabs displeasure against Naboth 3. Reg. 21.22 brought there bloud to the ground for dogges to eat yea their children were hanged vp and slaine for this cause 4. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 10. but we continue in malice enuie and murther as though we were able to wage warre with the Lord. Dauids adulterie w e Bethshabe was visited on the childe borne on Dauids daughter defiled by her brother and on his children one slaying another his wiues defiled by his owne sonne and himselfe driuen out of his Realme in his old age and otherwise also although he most heartily repented his sinne But we are more déere vnto God then Dauid which yet was a man after Gods owne heart or else we could not but fromble and begin to repent The rich glutton who insatiably delighted in gluttony what did it auaile him it brought his soule to hell and haue we any preheminence that God will doe nothing to vs. Achans subtill theft prouoked Gods anger against all Israel and our subtiltie yea open extortion is so fine and politike that we thinke God cannot espie it Gehezi his couetousnesse brought it not the Leprosie vpon him and on all his séed Iudas also hanged himselfe But the couetousnesse of England is of an other cloth and colour Well if it were so the same Taylor will cut it accordingly Anania and Saphira by lying linked to them sudden death but ours now prolongeth our life the longer to last in eternall death The false witnes of the two Iudges against Susanna lighted on their awne heads and so will ours do at length But what goe I about to auouch ancient examples where daily experience doth teach The Sweat the other yeare the Stormes the Winter following will vs to weigh them in the same ballances Men hanging and killing themselues which are alas too rife in all places require vs to register them in the same roules At the least in Children Infants and such like which yet cannot vtter sinne by word or déed we sée Gods anger against sin in punishing them by sicknesse death mis-hap or otherwise so plainly that wee cannot but grone again in that we haue poured out these sinnes in word and déede more aboundantly And here with me a little look on Gods anger yet so fresh that we cannot but smell it although we sloppe our noses neuer so much I pray God we smell it not more fresh hereafter I meane it forsooth for I know you looke for it in our deare late Souereigne Lord the Kings Maiesty You all know he was but a child in yéeres defiled he was not with notorious offences Defiled sayd I nay rather adorned with so many good gifts and wonderful qualities as neuer Prince was from the beginning of the world Should I speake of his wisedome of his ripenesse in iudgement of his learning of his godly zeale heroicall heart
Fatherly care for his Commons Nurcely solicitude for Religion c. Nay so many things are to be spoken in commendation of Gods exceeding graces in this Child that as Salust writeth of Carthage I had rather speake nothing then too little in that too much is too little This gift God gaue vnto vs English men before all nations vnder the Sunne and that of his exceeding loue towards vs. But alas alas for our vnthankfulnes sake for our sins sake for our carnality and prophane liuing Gods anger hath touched not only the body bâ—â— also the mind of our King by a long sicknesse and at length hath taken him away by death death cruell death fearefull death O if Gods iudgement be begun on him which as he was the chiefest so I thinke the holiest and godlyest in the Realme of England alas what will it be on vs whose sinnes haue ouergrowen so our heads that they are climed vp to heauen I pray you my good brethren know that Gods anger towards vs for our sins cannot but be great yea too fell in that we sée it was so great that our good King could not beare it What befell Iewry after the death of Iosias Lord saue England and giue vs repentance my heart will not suffer me to tarry longer herein I hope this will cause some repentance If therefore the prayer for Gods feare the looking in Gods glasse and the tag thereto will not burst open the blockish heart yet hope I that the repetition of these examples especially of our late King and this troublesom time will moue some teares out of thine heart if thou wilt pray for Gods Spirit accordingly For who art thou thinke alwaies with thy selfe that God should spare thée more then them whose examples thou hast heard What friends hast thou Were not of these Kings Prophets Apostles learned and come of holy Stockes I deceiue my selfe thinke thou with thy selfe if I beléeue that God being the same God that he was will spare me whose wickednesse is no lesse but much more then some of theirs Hee hateth sinne now as much as euer hee did The longer he spareth the greater vengeance will fall the deeper he draweth his Bow the sorer will his shaft pierce But if yet thy heart be so hardened that all this will not moue thee then surely art thou in a very euill estate and remedy now I know none What sayd I none Know I none Yes there is one which is suresby as they say to serue if any thing will serue You looke to know what this is Forsooth the Passion and Death of IESVS CHRIST You know the cause why CHRIST became man and suffered as hee suffered was the sinnes of his people that hee might saue them from the same Consider the greatnesse of the sore I meane sin by the greatnesse of the Chyrurgion and the salue Who was the Chyrurgion no Angel no Saint no Archangel no power no creature in heauen nor in earth but onely he by whom all things were made all things are ruled also euen Gods own Deareling and only beloued Son becomming man Oh what a great thing is this that could not be done by the Angels Archangels Potentates Powers or all the creatures of God without his owne Sonne who of necessity must come downe from heauen to take our nature become man Here haue ye the Shyrurgion great was the cure that this mighty Lord tooke in hand Now what was the salue Certainly of an inestimable valew and of many compositions I cannot recite al but rather must leaue it to your hearty consiberations Thirty-three yeares was he curing our sore Hee sought it earnestly by fasting watching praying c. The same night that he was betrayed I read how busie he was about a plaister in the Garden when he lying flat on the ground praying with teares and that of bloud not a few but so many as did flow downe on the ground againe crying on this sort Father sayth he if it bee possible let this Cup depart from me That is If it be possible that else the sinnes of mankind can be taken away grant that it may be so Thou heardest Moses crying for the Idolaters Thou heardest Lot for the Zoarites Samuel Dauid and many other for the Israelites And deere Father I onely am thine owne Sonne as thou hast sayd in whom thou art well pleased wilt thou not heare me I haue by the space of thirty-three yeares done alwaies thy Will I haue so humbled my selfe that I would become an abiect amongst men to obey thee Therfore deere Father if it be possible grant my request saue mankind now without any further labour salues or plasters But yet sayth he not as I will but as thou wilt But Syr what heard he Though he sweat bloud and water in making his plaister for our sore of sinne yet it framed not Twice he cryed without comfort yea though to comfort him God sent an Angell wee know that yet this plaister was not allowed for sufficient vntill hereunto Christ Iesus was betrayed forsaken of all his Disciples forsworne of his dearely beloued bound like a Thiefe belyed on buffeted whipped scourged crowned with thorns crucified racked nailed hanged vp betweene two theeues cursed and railed vpon mocked in misery and had giuen vp the ghoâ—t then bowed downe the head of Christ that is God the Father which is the head of Christ then allowed he the plaister to bee sufficient and good for the healing of our sore which is sinne Now would God abide our breath because the stinke that is damnation or guiltinesse was taken away by the sweet sauor of the breath of this LAMBE thus offered once for all So that here dearely beloued we as in a glasse may see to the brusing of our blockish hard hearts Gods great iudgement and anger against sin Gen. 6. Gen. 19. The Lord of lords the King of kings the brightnesse of Gods glory the Son of God the Deareling of his Father in whom he is well pleased hangeth between two theeues crying for thes me and for vs all My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Oh hard hearts that we haue who delight in sin Look on this see the very hart of Christ pierced with a speare wherein thou maist see reade Gods anger for sin Woe to thy hard heart that pierced it And thus much for the first part of Repentance I meane for the meanes of working contrition First vse prayer then looke on Gods Lawe thirdly Gen. 19. see his curse fourthly set examples of his anger before thee and last of all set before thee the precious death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ From this and prayer cease not til thou feele some hearty sorrow for thy sinne The which when thou feelest then labour for the other part that is faith on this sort As first in Contrition I willed thee not to trust to thy free will for the attaining of it so doe I will thee
Vriah to be killed I haue sinned I haue sinned What shall I do I haue sinned and am worthy of eternall damnation But what sayth God by his Prophet Dominus sayth he transtulit peccatum tuū non morieris The Lord hath taken away thy sinnes thou shalt not dye Oh good God hee sayd but Peccaui I haue sinned but yet frō his heart and not from the lips only as Pharaoh Saul did and incontinently he heareth Thou shalt not dye the Lord hath taken away thy sinnes Or rather hath layd them vpon an other yea translated them vpon the backe of his Sonne Iesus Christ who bare them and not onely them but thine and mine also if that we will now cry but from our hearts Peccauimus We haue sinned good Lord we haue done wickedly enter not into iudgement with vs but be merciful vnto vs after thy great mercie and according to the multitude of thy compassions do away our iniquities c. For indeede God is not the God of Dauid onely Idem Deus omnium Hee is the God of all So that Quicunque inuocauerit nomen Domini salus erit He or shee whosoeuer they bee that call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued In confirmation whereof this History is written as are also the other wich I haue recited and many mo which I might recite As of Manasses the wicked King which slew Esay the Prophet and wrought very much wickednesse yet the Lord shewed mercy vpon him being in prison as his Prayer doth teach vs. Nebuchadnezzar though for a time he bare Gods anger yet at the length he found mercy The City of Niniuie also found fauour with God as did many other which for breuity I will omit and wil bring forth one or two out of the new Testament that we may see God to be the same God in the new Testament that he was in the old I might tell you of many if I should speak of the Lunatike such as were possessed with Diuels Lame Blind Dumbe Deafe Lepers c. But time wil not suffer me therfore one or two shall serue Mary Magdalen had seuen diuels but yet they were cast out of her and of all others shee was the first that Christ appeared vnto after his resurrection Thomas would not beleeue Christs resurrection though many told him which had seene and felt him by reason wherof a man might haue thought that his sinnes would haue cast him away Except I should see and feele saith hee I will not beleeue Ah wilfull Thomas I wil not saith he But Christ appeared vnto him and would not leese him neither will he thee beloued if with Thomas thou wilt keep company with the Disciples as Thomas did Peters fall was vgly he accursed himselfe if euer he knew Christ and that for feare of a Mayden and this not once but three seueral times and that in the hearing of Christ his Master but yet the third time Christ looked backe and cast on him his eye of grace so that hee went out and wept bitterly And after Christs resurrection not only did the Angels will the woman to tell Peter that Christ was risen but Christ himselfe appeared vnto him seuerally such a good Lord is he The Thief hanging on the Crosse sayd but this Lord when thou commest into thy Kingdome remember me And what answere had he This day sayth Christ thou shalt be with me in Paradise What a comfort is this in that he is now the same Christ to thee and me and to vs all if wee will runne vnto him for hee is the same Christ to day and to morrow vntill he come to iudgement Then indeed he will be inexorable but now is he more ready to giue then to aske If thou crie he heareth thee yea before thou crie Crie therefore Esai 31. Mat. 7. be bold man he is not partiall Call saith he and I wil heare thée Aske and thou shalt haue Séeke and thou shalt finde though not at the first yet at the length If he tarie a while it is but to try thée Nam veniens veniet Heb. 10. non tardabit Hee is comming and will not be long Thus haue you foure meanes which you must vse to the attayning of faith or certaine perswasion of Gods mercy towards you which is the second part of penance namely prayer the free and vniuersall promises of Gods graces the recordation of the benefits of God past and present the examples of Gods mercie Which although they might suffice yet will I put one more to them which all onely of it selfe is full sufficient I meane the death of the Son of God Iesus Christ which if thou set before the eys of thy minde it will confirm thy assurance for it is the great Seale of England as they say yea of all the world for the confirmation of al Patents and perpetuities of the euerlasting life whereunto we are all called If I thought these which I haue before recited were not sufficient to confirme your faith of Gods loue towards such as do repent I would tarie longer herein But because I haue béene both long and also I trust you haue some exercise of concience in this daily or els you are to bsame I wil but touch and goe Consider with your selues what we are misers wretches and enimies to God Consider what God is euen he which hath all power maiestie might glory riches c. perfectly of himselfe and needeth nothing but hath all things Consider what Christ is concerning his Godhead coequal with his Father euen he by whom all things were made he I say by whome all things are ruled and gouerned Concerning his Manhood the onely Dearling of his Father in whome is all his ioy Now Sir what a loue is this that this God which néedeth nothing would giue wholy his owne selfe to thée his enemy wreaking his wrath vpō himself in this his Son as a man may say to spare thee to saue thée to win thée to buye thee to haue thee to enioy thee for euer Because thy sin hath seperated thee from him to the end thou mightest come eftsoones into his company again therin remain hee himselfe became as a man would say a sinner or rather sinne it selfe euen a malediction or curse that wee sinners wee accursed by our sinne might by his oblation or suffering for our sinnes by his curse be deliuered from sinne and from malediction For by sinne he destroyed sinne killing Death Sathan and Sinne by their owne weapons and that for thee and mee man if wee cast it not away bp vnbeleefe Oh wonderfull loue of God Who euer heard of such a loue the Father of Heauen for vs his enemies to giue his owne dearely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ and that not onely to be our Brother to dwell among vs but also to the death of the Crosse for vs Oh wonderfull loue of Christ to vs all that was content and willing to worke this deede for vs.
ouer the vice stil sticking in him which as a spring continually sendeth out poison enogh to drowne and defile him if the sweet water of CHRISTS passion in Gods sight did not wash it and his bloud satisfie the rigor of Gods iustice due for the same This bloud of Christ shed for our sinnes is so deare in the sight of him that beleeueth that he will abhorre in his heart to stamp it and tread it vnder his feet He knoweth now by his beliefe that it is too much that hitherto he hath set too little by it and is ashamed thereof Therefore for the residue of his life he purposeth to take better heed to himselfe then before he did Because he seeth by his faith the grieuousnes of Gods anger the foulnesse of sinne the greatnesse of Gods mercy and of Christs loue towards him hee will now bee heedy to pray vnto God to giue him his grace accordingly that as with his eyes and tongue hands feet c. hee hath displeased God doing his own wil euen so now with the same eyes tong c. he may displease his owne selfe and doe Gods will Willingly will hee not doe that which might renew the death of the Son of God He knoweth he hath too much sinne vnwillingly in him so that thereto he will not adde willing offences This willing witting offending and sinning whosoeuer doth flatter himselfe therein doth euidently demonstrate and shew that he neuer yet indeed tasted of Christ truly He was neuer truely perswaded or beleeued how foul a thing sin is how grieuous a thing Gods anger is how ioyfull and precious a thing Gods mercie in Christ is how exceeding broad wide high and deep Christs loue is Perchance he can talk and preach of faith but yet truly in part he neuer felt it For if he did once feel this rauishing Consolation indeed then would he be so far from continuing in sin willingly and wittingly that wholly heartily hee would giue ouer himselfe to that which is contrary I meane to a new life renewing his youth euen as the Eagle doth For as we being in the seruitude of sin demonstrate our seruice by giuing ouer our members to the obeying of sin from iniquity to iniquity euen so we being made free from sin by faith in Iesus Christ and endued with Gods Spirit a Spirit of liberty must needes demonstrate this freedome and libertie by giuing ouer our members to the obedience of the Spirit by the which we are lead and guided from vertue to vertue and all kind of holinesse As the vnbeleeuers declare their vnbelief by the working of the euill spirit in them outwardly the fruits of the flesh euen so the beleeuers declare their faith by the working of Gods Spirit in thē outwardly the fruits of the spirit For as the Diuell is not dead in those which are his but worketh still to their damnation so is not God dead in them which be his but worketh still to their saluation The which working is not the cause of the one or the other being in any but onely a demonstration a signe a fruit of the same As the Apple is not the cause of the Apple tree out a fruit of it Thus then you see briefly that newnesse of life is not in deed a part of penance but a fruit of it a demonstration of the iustifying faith a signe of Gods good Spirit possessing the heart of the penitent as the old life is a fruit of impenitency a demonstration of a lip-faith or vnbeliefe a signe of Sathans spirit possessing the heart of the impenitent which al those be that be not penitent For meane I know none He that is not penitent the same is impenitent he that is not gouerned by Gods Spirit the same is gouerned by Sathans spirit For all that be Christians are gouerned with the Spirit of Christ which spirit hath his fruites All other that be not Christs are the Diuels He that gathereth not with Christ scattereth abroad Therefore my dearely beloued I beseech you to consider this and deceiue not your selues If you bee not Christs then pertain you to the diuel of which things the fruits of the flesh doth assure you as whoredome adultery vncleannesse wantonnesse Idolatry witchcraft enuy strife contention wrath sedition murther drunkennesse gluttony blasphemy slothfulnesse idlenesse vaine talking slandering c. If such like fruite as these grow out of the trees of your hearts surely surely the Diuell is at Inne with you you are his birds whom when he hath well fed he will broach you and eat you chaw you and champ you world without end in eternall woe and misery But I am otherwise perswaded of you all I trust you bee all CHRIST IESVS his people and his children yea and his brethren by faith As ye see your sins in Gods Law and tremble and sigh sorrow and sob for the same euen so you see his great mercies in his Gospell and free promises therfore are glad merry and ioyfull for that you are accepted into Gods fauour haue your sins pardoned and are endued with the good spirit of God euen the Seale and signe MANVEL of your election in Christ Iesus euen before the beginning of the World The which Spirit for that hee is the Spirit of life giuen to you to worke in you with you and by you here in this life satisfaction and holinesse whereunto you are called that yee might bee holy euen as your heauenly Father is holy I beseech you al by admonition and warning of you that you would stirre vp the giftes of God giuen to you generally particularly to the edifying of his Church that is I pray you that you would not molest the good Spirit of God by rebelling against it when it prouoketh and calleth you to goe on forwards that the which is holy might yet be more holy he which is righteous might be more righteous as the euill spirit moueth and stirreth vp the filthy to be yet more filthy the couetous to be more couetous the wicked to be more wicked Declare you now your repentance by workes of repentance Bring forth fruits and worthy fruits Let your sorrowing for your euils demonstrate it selfe departing from the euils you haue vsed Let your certaintie of pardon of your sinnes through Christ and your ioy in him be demonstrated by persuing of the good things which Gods word teacheth you You are now in Christ Iesus Gods workmanship to doe good works which God hath prepared for you to walke in For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the mighty God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which gaue himselfe for vs to redeeme vs from all vnrighteousnesse and to purge vs a peculiar people vnto himself feruently giuen vnto good works
very Passion of Christ should be as present beholden with the eyes of Faith For which end Christ our Sauiour did specially institute this Supper saying Doe ye this in remembrance of mee or as Paul saith Shew you the Lords death till he come The Supper of the Lord then is not simply Christs body and blood but Christs body broken and his blood shedde Wherefore broken Wherefore shedde Forsooth that teacheth Christ himselfe saying Broken for you Shed for your sinnes and for the sins of many Here now then we haue occasion in the vse of the Sacrament to call to mind the greatnes and grieuousnesse of sinne which could not be taken away by any other meanes then by the shedding of the most precious bloud and breaking of the most pure body of the only begotten Sonne of GOD Iesus Christ by whome all things were made all things are ruled and gouerned c. Who considering this thing shall not be touched to repent Who in the receiuing of this Sacrament thinking that Christ saith to him Take eate this is my body which is broken for thee This is my blood which is shedde for thy sinnes can but tremble at the grieuousnesse of his sinnes for the which such a price was payd If there were no plague at all else to admonish man of sinne how grieuous a thing it is in Gods sight surely that one were enough But alas how are our hearts bewitched through Sathans subtilties and the custome of sinne that we make sinne a thing of nothing God open our eyes in time and giue vs repentance which wee sée this Sacrament doth as it were enforce vs vnto in the reuerence and true vse of the same Againe in hearing that this which we take and eate is Christs body broken for our sinnes and his bloud shed for our iniquities we are occasioned to call to mind the infinite greatnesse of GODS mercy and truth and of Christs loue towards vs. For what a mercie is this that God would for man beeing lost through his wilfull sinnes be content yea desirous to giue his owne onely Sonne The Image of his substance the brightnesse of his glorie being in his own bosome to be made man for vs that we men by him might be as it were made Gods What a mercie is this that God the Father should so tender vs that he would make this his Sonne being equall with him in diuinitie a mortall man for vs that wee might bee made immortall by him What a kindnesse is this that the Almighty Lord should send to vs his enemies his deare Darling to bee made poore that wee by him might bee made rich What bowels of compassion was this that the omnipotent Creator of Heauen and earth would deliuer his owne onely beloued Sonne for vs creatures to be not onely flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones that we might by him through the holy Ghost be made one with him and so with the Father by communicating the merits of his flesh that is righteousnesse holinesse innocencie and immortalitie but also to bee a slaine Sacrifice for our sinnes to satisfie his iustice to conuert or turne death into life our sinne into righteousnes hell into Heauen misery into felicitie for vs What a mercy is this that GOD will rayse vp this his Sonne CHRIST not onely to iustifie and regenerate vs but also in his person to demonstrate vnto vs our state which wee shall haue for in his comming we shall be like vnto him Oh wonderful mercy of God which would assume this his Christ euen in humane body into the heauens to taken and kéepe their possession for vs to leade our captiuitie captiue to appeare before him alwaies praying for vs to make the throne of Iustice a throne of mercy the seat of glory a seat of grace So that with boldnesse we may come and appeare before God to aske and finde grace in time conuenient Againe what a verity and constant trueth in God is this that he would according to his promise made first to Adam and so to Abraham and others in his time accomplish it by sending his sonne so graciously Who would doubt hereafter of anything that he hath promised And as for Christs loue oh whose heart can be able to thinke of it any thing as if deserueth He being God would become man He being rich would become poore He being Lord of all the world became a seruant to vs all hee being immortall would become mortall miserable and taste of all Gods curses yea euen of hell it selfe for vs. His bloud was nothing too deare his life nothing considered to bring vs from death to life But this his loue néedeth more heartie weighing then many words speaking and therefore I omit and leaue it to your considerations So that in the receiuing of this Supper as I would you would tremble at Gods wrath for sin so would I haue you to couple to that terror and feare true faith by which ye might be assuredly perswaded of Gods mercie towards you and Christs loue though all things else preached the contrary Do euery of you surely think when you heare these words Take eate this is my body broken for your sinnes Drinke this is my bloud shed for your sins That God the eternal Father embracing you Christ calleth clippeth you must louingly making himselfe one with you and you one with him and one with another amongst your selues You ought no lesse to be certaine now that God loueth you pardoneth your sinnes and that Christ is all yours then if you did heare and Angell out of heauen speaking so vnto you And therefore reioyce and be glad and make this Supper Eutharichiam a thankesgiuing as the Fathers named it Be no lesse certaine that Christ and you now are all one then you are certaine the bread and wine is one with your nature and substance after you haue eaten and drunke it Howbeit in this it differeth that you by faith are as it were changed into Christ and not Christ into you as the bread is for by faith he dwelleth in vs and we in him God giue vs faith in the vse of this Sacrament to receiue Christ as he giueth vs hands to receiue the element simbole and visible Sacrament God grant vs not to prepare our féeth and belly as Saint Augustine saith but rather of his mercy he prepare and giue vs true and liuely faith to vse this and all other his ordinances to his glory and our comforts He sweep the houses of our hearts and make them cleane that they may bee worthy Temples and lodgings for the Lord. Amen Wherefore the Sacrament was instituted Now let vs come and looke on the third and last thing namely wherefore the Lords did institute this Sacrament Our nature is very obliuious of GOD and of all his benefits And againe it is very full of dubitation and doubting of GODS loue and of his kindnesse Therefore to the end these two things might be something