with his grace It is a hard thing and onely possibly to the power of God to soften the heart of a man for that which neither by the patience and long sufferance of God is woon to repentance nor is toucht with compunction that which is not broken with feare nor sofrned with loue but is hardned as well with scourges as with benefits lastly that which feareth neither God nor man who can rent in sunder but he that in his passion rent the vaile of the Temple Matt. 27 51. and cloue the stones Who can take away a stonie heart and giue a fleshy heart but hee from whom commeth euerie good and perfect gift euen the Father of light A great sinner hath need of great mercie that where sinue did abound grace may superabound The Lord is faithfull Wisd 1.13 hee hath not made death neither hath hee pleasure in the destruction of the liuing hee will not the death of a sinner but that he conuert and liue For he whose desire it is that sinners doe repent and therby returne vnto God wil not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue our strength but with the temptation will giue vs power to resist and by how much the more fraile we are and in greater necessitie so much the more ready is he to helpe vs if the fault bee not our owne as in the siege of a citie the greatest aide is sent to defend that place that is weakest and where the enemie is strongest The Lord is faithfull and hee that saieth Come vnto mee all yee that labour and are heauie laden and I will refresh you cannot denie himselfe For as a Physician suffereth many wrongs and railing speeches of his lunatike patient and yet is not angry with him but doeth neuerthelesse whatsoeuer the nature of the disease doeth require to the curing thereof wherewith though the sicke man bee afflicted yet on the part of the Physician his affliction is no reuenge of the wrongs receiued from his patient but the cure of his infirmitie in as much as if the sicke man being to recouer health the Physician receiueth ioy and comfort therat with greater alacritie proceedeth in his cure and forgetteth his former iniuries euen so our Lord God whose propertie it is to haue mercy and to forgiue who iudgeth with loue and with great respect disposeth of vs when we are in our greatest madnesse of sinne is neuer moued against vs with any affection of reuenge for those sins we hane committed And forasmuch as he is impassible he punisheth not our sinnes in this life with passible anger but with vnspeakable clemencie with the affection of a Physician not a torturer and that hee doeth not for himselfe as reuenging his wrongs for the nature of God is not capable of any such thing but for our correction and benefit As a louing mother is angry with her sonne that hath offended her reprehendeth him chidech beateth him whom neuerthelesse if she shall see to runne into any danger of his estate or life she presently helpeth him putteth foorth her hand nay endangereth her owne life to saue his and that childe whoÌ„ being angry she did beat as if she had not loued him now she holdeth him vp and saueth him as if she had not been angry when shee beat him Euen so God chastiseth vs for our finnes to protect vs sinners and for the most part out of his mercy he sendeth a temporal punishment lest out of his iustice he should inflict an eternall reuenge And if any man shall persist in his hardnesse and with Pharo grow more whose 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 hath long expected not connerted he adiudgeth to â—ernall damnation As a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his garden or 〈◊〉 planteth a tree not that 〈◊〉 should bee cut downe 〈◊〉 cast into the fire and 〈◊〉 when after a long expestâ—â— on he seeth it to bring 〈◊〉 no fruit he cutteth it down and burnes it So our 〈◊〉 full God cutteth off no 〈◊〉 from the land of the 〈◊〉 that yeeldeth any fruit 〈◊〉 testimonie of a true faith 〈◊〉 in that hee willeth the 〈◊〉 of a sinner it is by 〈…〉 sinne committed not of 〈◊〉 selfe but by his conseqâ—â—â— will as Diuines call it 〈◊〉 by he willeth for some 〈◊〉 alreadie done or before all beginnings foreseene and according to this will he would that all reprobates should bedamned whoÌ„ afterwards by his anteced ent will he would saue by al meanes ministing them occasion to attaine saluation As it is the will of a Law-giuer that all his Citizens should bee good and peaceable farre from committing those offences which vpon paine of death he hath forbidden and yet if his ownsonne bee he neuer so deare vnto him transgresse the law hee must die the death though it bee much against the will of his 〈…〉 by his owne 〈…〉 serued death 〈…〉 ture which in our 〈◊〉 rents was whole and entire by their sinne is wholly corrupted and hath altogether lost both righteousnesse and immortality wherby it could beget no other but corrupt vnrighteous and mortal children who as in Adam sining they haue sinned so in the same Adam dying they are dead And therfore whosoeuer hee bee that hath escaped death let him giue thanks vnto God in that hee hath escaped death that was due vnto him and found life not due vnto him To him that is deliuered mercie is shewen without desert to the end hee may giue thanks vnto God vpon him that his damned iustice is executed with desert to the end hee should reprehend nothing in God that neither he should glory in his owne worth nor this complaine of his owne vnwoorthinesse For how should God iustly be accused in his iudgements when hee iustly condemneth a guiltie offender When a debt is truly demanded how can the creditour be iustly condemned So that neither in requiring nor remitting what is due is God with whom there can be no iniustice vniust There is mercy acceptable where reuenge is iust that thereby it may more plainly appeare to him that is freed from iust punishment freely iustified how great a benefit is conferred vpon him in that another not more guiltie than himselfe without any iniustice in him that punisheth is iustly chastized Ro. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome knowledge of Godâ— how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out For who hath knowen the waies of the Lord or who hath beene his counsellour From that which hath been spoken thou maiest gather deere brother how thou runnest from one sinne into another and by long custom art hardned in them thou working it in thy selfe and God withdrawing hiâ— speciall grace from thee God is patient and of lonâ— sufferance hee tollerateâ— thee for beareth and expecteth thee to repentance being alwaies readie to take from thee thy stonie heart and to giue vnto thee a fleshie hart and to mollifie thy benummed insensible hardnesse with the deaw of his grace And though he
life the intermission of paine is some comfort to a sicke man and the fruition of the comfort and conference of his friends but in hell for the greater increase of torments there is no interruption but an eternall continuance therof comforts cease on all sides and plagues and punishment gather strength In hell there is no redemption no ease of paine In the world feare hath no griefe nor griefe feare because feare afflicts not the minde wheâ— it begins to suffer what it did feare whereas they that are condemned to the torments of hell in the middest of their punishment suffer griefe and sorrow and with the extremitie thereof doe euer feare inasmuch as what they feare they do incessantly beare and againe what they beare they incessantly feare The inflicting of the punishment is the augmentation of the feare All things in the world as â—vel good as euill are mingled with their contraries and aâ—taine not to the highest degree of perfection but that they alwaies may be increased and diminished and possessed more or lesse but in hell all euils are in the highest degree neuer mixt with their contraries but yet euery man as hee hath sinned more or lesse so he suffereth There is extreame sorrow extreame miserie and desolat on in all things in the bodie and the soule affliction in the highest degree fire vnquenchable heat immitigable the worme immortall stench intollerable sorrow comfortlesse horrible darknesse fearefull spectacles confusion of euils and desperate despaire of all goodnesse whatsoeuer The damned haue in their eies weeping and lamentation terror in their eares stench in their nostrels gnashing in their teeth groning in their voices bands in their hands and feet and intollerable heat and torment in all their members As if thou shouldest set before thine eies any man that as well in the very apple or sight of his eyes as in all his other members on both sides both within and without hath a hot burning non fastened insomuch that neither the marrow in his bones nor his entrailes no not the least part of his whole bodie be freed from torment or feeleth it lesse than the very apple of his eie what wilt thou not confesse such a one to be in great extremities and strangely to bee tortured And yet what is this one torment to the multitude and magnitude of the intolerable torments of one damned man vpon whom millions of miseries doe fall besides this The torment of one damned creature is so great that if it were diuided equally among all that haue been are and shall be and euery particular man should beare his owne particular punishment yet so great would the torment of euery one be so great the griefe and so horrible the punishment that it would far excell the torments of all the martyrs in the world conferred vpon one and all the euill that can be seene felt or vnderstood The punishment therfore of one damned soule can not but bee very great which being distributed into innumerable multitudes would bee neuerthelesse insupportable The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prouided for those that offend him All the punishments afflâ—ctions torments which may be thoght of in this life if they be conferred to the least pain of hel are solaces and comforts and a damned creature would rather chuse to endure them all a thousand yeeres than to be tormented with the torments of hell one day What punishment thinkest thou will God require there of those he hath forsaken if heere so strictly he correcteâ—h those whom he loueth If heere in this life hee so scourge his chosen children for their triall how will he torment the reprobate for their punishment If the diuels doe so much afflict holy men as inst Lob diuers others notwithstanding they can doe nomore against them than God doeth permit them how much will they afflict those whom God hath deliuered vnto their hands for euer to be tormented O what will they be in their torments if the very sight of them be intolerable They are neuer weary with torturing neither doth a sinner die in his torments but as hee shall be tormented without end so shall he be compelled to liue in paine without end For if golde shine in the fire and is not consumed by it and the mountaines in Sicilia from the beginning of the world vnto this day burn with continuall fire and yet continue whole and entire if the Salamander can liue in the fire without paine how much more possible is it that the body and soule may feele the paine of this fire and yet alwayes liue Againe as the soule giuing life vnto the bodie can suffer griefe but yet can not die euen so whilest the bodie hath put on immortalitie and incorruption the soule with the body shall alwayes be tormented but not consumed for by a fire vnquenchable which in a moment in the twinkling of an eye is able to consume the greatest hill that is a sinner shall not be extinguished nor consumed but euer there shal remaine and abound something in him to be extinguished And because there is no true life but where a man liues happily and where an vnhappy man is not permitted to die in him death it selfe dies not therefore a sinner that hath both lost his well being and yet hath not left essentially to be that is euer dead to eternall life and for euer liuing to eternall death is compelled daily to suffer both death without death and want without want and end without end So hee dies that hee may alwayes liue and so hee liues that he may alwayes die so he decayes as that he may alwayes subsist and so he subsisteth that hee alwayes decayes so he is ended that he is without end and so is hee with an end that he is neuer ended And he whose dead life was heere in sinne there his liuing death is in paine There hee desireth onely death which heere hee so much hated hee seeketh death and findeth it not he desireth to die and death flieth from him heere it is vnwillingly drawen forth of the body there in the body it is vnwillingly deteined the death of nature doth violently driue the soule out of the body the death of hell more violently detaines it in the body of both deaths that is commonly had that the soul suffereth of the bodie what it would not What end of yeeres may be imagined so it be finite to the damned is exceeding comfortable but out and alas in hell there is no redemption neither was there euer any man knowen to haue returned from thence for hell is so deepe that no man may ascend from thence so close that no man may get out so kept that no men can escape he that is once gone thither can no more returne that is once entred can neuer get forth whom the iustice of God hath once drawen to punishment the mercie of God neuer
into the broad and spacious way that would haue led them to destruction afterwards to haue found the strait way that leadeth vnto life thou shouldest not despaire to finde the same as they did and when thou seest many vnrighteous men by the grace of God iustified and saued thou likewise shouldest not cast away the hope of thy saluation Aaron Exod. 28. Numb 15. Marie Aaron after his repentance for the molten Calfe was chosen by God to be high Priest Marie his sister after she was stricken with a leprosie because she murmured against Moses by repentance was cured and receiued her ancient gift of Prophesying Dauid Dauid who was a king and a prophet a man that God had found out according to his own heart and out of whose loynes the Messias was promised to come into how foule and grieuous sinnes did he fall Hee receiued by the mouth of the Prophet Nathan strange comminations of a grieuous reuenge and yet all that anger of GOD with two words hee turned into mercy I haue sinned saith hee against the Lord and presently the Prophet did not onely answer him The Lord hath remoued thy sinnes from thee but that spirit of prophecie which by sinne he had lost he recouered againe and for Dauid his seruants sake God turned away much euil from the children of Israel Achab. Achabs hart was hardned he many times contemned the Lord chiding him he added sinne vnto sinne 1. Kin. 21. and Naboth being slaine hee possessed his vineyard yet at the last being terrified by the threatnings of God and guilty of his owne sinne hee repented in sackecloth and ashes and so prouoked the Lord God vnto mercy And the word of the Lord came to Eliah saying Seest thou how Achab is humbled before mee because he submitteth himselfe before mee Manasseh I will not bring that euill in his daies Manasseh exceeded all that were before him in the impiety of his sinnes 2. Chro. 33. ouer threw the obseruation of the Law and the worship of God and yet after those bloody finnes hee was reduced to his kingdom and numbred amongst the sonnes of God Nabuchadnezzar Dan. 4. Nabuchadnezzar of all men the proudest acknowledging no Lord did arrogate to himselfe diuine honour and yet God being willing to reclaime him after he had beene seuen yeeres a madde man and liued like a beast hee brought him to himselfe againe and restored him to his kingdome who being thus restored and hauing thus made triall of the mercy of God hee praised and glorified his holy name But to omit innumerable examples in the old Testament The prodigal child Luke 15. The prodigall childe who had consumed his substance with harlots being returned to his father by repentance receiued not onely a kisse from him but had the fat calfe killed and receiued his former grace and fauour Zacheus Luke 19. Zacheus a Publican yea the chiefe amongst them made restâ—tution foure fold of all he had taken from other men and receiued Christ into his house Mathew Mathew of a Publican became an Apostle and an Euangelist Marie Magdalen Mary Magdelen consumed the vnlawful loue of the flesh that was in her with the firie zeale of the loue of God and so much fauour she found with God that she was a messenger to the Apostles themselues of the resurrection of our Sauiour Peter Peter an Apostle and pillar of the Church 〈◊〉 Christ but he went forth and wept bitterly and so was receiued vnto mercy Paul Paul of a persecutor of the Church of God became a Doctor and an Apostle of the Gentiles Dismas the theefe Luke 23. But that which giueth vs greatest hope of remission is the theefe vpon the crosse who euen by his own iudgement had deserued death whose offence was certaine and therefore had deserued both temporall and eternall damnation who now was condemned to a temporall death and was neere an eternall and yet at the verie instant of death acknowledging Christ he only said Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome and presently it was answered This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise To a theefe hee promised a kingdome to one crucified heauen and to one condemned paradise The grace of God promising was more abundant than the praier of the theefe intreating for he promised more than the theefe asked Hee that came such vnto the crosse by sinne see what hee departed from the crosse by grace From the prison he ascended to the crosse and from the crosse into paradise from the punishment of his offence hee mounted to the reward of his vertue But to what end doe I produce so many examples so many testimonies of the mercy of God There is not a leafe in the booke of God wherein the mercie of the Lord doth not shine yea the whole earth is replenished therwith Thou that hearest how many there haue beene cured of their sinnes what receiuest thou else but an earnest penny of the mercie of God Therefore hath the omnipotent God permitted his elect in some fiâ—â— to fall that as they haue risen againe so they that haue fallen in the like should likewise hope to arise and whom they followed sinning they should likewise follow repenting What other thing in all these canst thou see but the vnspeakable mercie of our Redeemer who hath set those before thine eies as examples of true conuersion whom after their fall by repentance he made to liue But if yet thou heare mee not and beleeuest not that a sinner can bee saued heare God rather than my selfe beleeue him not me he is the trueth it selfe hee cannot be deceiued hee cannot deceiue I will not saith he the death of a sinner but that hee conuert and liue God will not the death of a sinner who would die for his sinnes his will is that his death be fruitfull and by it his redemption plentifull Yea the verie name of Iesus that is our Sauiour what else doth it promise to a sinner than mercie and saluation He came into the world to faue sinners and to free them from that damnation wherewith they were held Mat. 9. The whole need not the Physician but they that are sicke and therefore hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Mat. 15. He was sent vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel It is not the will of the sheapheard that one of his sheepe should perish who hauing a hundred sheepe if he lose one of them leaueth ninetie nine in the wildernesse and seeketh him that he hath lost vntill hee haue found him Euen so it is the will of our Father and our Creatour that not one of his children perish and if he perish it is by his owne will not the will of God for the mercy of God is common to all granted to euerie one that asketh and he offereth himselfe to euery one that seeketh him No man wants his
and said Thus saith the Lord Put thy house in order for thou shalt die and not liue Then he turned his face to the wall and praied to the Lord and wept sore And afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle of the court the word of the Lord came vnto him saying Turne againe and tell Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father I haue heard thy praier and seene thy teares behold I haue healed thee and the third day thou shalt goe vp to the house of the Lord And I will adde vnto thy daies fifteene yeeres The Nineuites heard Ionah the Prophet threatning them Ionah 3. Yet fortie dayes and Nineuy shal be ouerthrowen but the men of Nineuie fainted not in their mindes but though they doubted whether the Lord would be intreated yet they did all flie to repentance as to the gate of saluation beleeued in the Lord proclamed a fast and from the least to the greatest put on sackcloth and sate in ashes saying Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turn away from his fierce wrath that wee perish not And God saw their works that they turned from their cuill wayes and he repented of the euill that he had sayd that he would do vnto them and he did it not Hezekiah by praier and tears obteined of God that hee recalled his sentence past The repentāce of the Nineuites preuailed with God so much that hee reuoked his sentence touching the destruction of that city yet neither were they false Prophets who at what time they had deserued to die for their sinnes foretolde it but the great bountie of the mercy of God deferred their death and ruine at that time which before all worlds he had preordained If therefore these barbarous and heathenish people despaired not and though their sentence were past against them yet fainted not in their hearts why doest thou wretch that thou art despaire why faintest thou Thou robbest GOD of his mercy without which kings are not kings but tyrants That sentence The soule that hath sinned shall die is to be vnderstood of that soule which hath not repented of her sinnes as is sayd of humane iudgements That if any man hath done this or that he shall die the death and yet alwaies it is to be vnderstood except the partie condemned by the kings mercy be pardoned The iustice of God is not as the iustice of man in this by how much the more a guilty man confesseth his fault by so much the more punishment doth hee draw vpon himselfe but in that of God by how much the more a sinner accuseth himselfe by so much the more doth he finde the mercy of God towards him as God repelleth him that defendeth his sinnes so hee receiueth him that confesseth them If thou knewest the power of repentance thou wouldest not despaire of the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes our mercifull God doth gladly forget that wee are nocent and he is alwayes ready to esteeme our repentance as innocencie for if we repent vs of our sinnes wee haue alreadie escaped the rigor of a seuere sentence God imputeth not vnto vs our former life so wee repent vs of it but seeing our works changed he gladly changeth his sentence because hee would the life of a sinner not the death neither doth he take pleasure in the perdition of soules but his will is our sanctification To those that stand if they fall he threatneth punishment that fearing that they may not fall but yet he promiseth mercie to those that fall that trusting thereon they may rise again those he terrifieth lest they presume in their goodnesse these he comforteth lest they should despaire in their wickednesse As a kinde and louing mother threatneth stripes to her beloued sonne whom if acknowledging his fault hee beg mercy at her hands her motherly loue doth easily pardon so likewise our mercifull God patient of great mercy though hee be iustly angry with our sinnes yet asking pardon with much facilitie he is pleased Can a mother forget her childe Isa 49.15 and haue no compassion on the sonne of her wombe though shee should forget yet will not I forget thee sayth the Lord. A louing mother doth greatly desire the health of her sicke sonne but much more doth God desire the saluation of a sicke soule Though no humane goodnesse may be compared to the infinite goodnes of God yet forasmuch as there can be no greater example found of affection in the highest degree than of a mothers towards her sonne therefore the loue of God towards sinners is compared to a motherly affection There is no man so inflamed with the loue of his spouse as GOD with the loue of thy soule Greater loue than this hath no man Ioh. 15.13 when any man bestoweth his life for his friends Christ if thou hadst been alone hee had suffered and died for thee before he would haue suffred thy soule to haue fallen into the iawes of the diuell For for whom died he For the iust Aske Paul Christ saith he died for sinners If there had been no sinne in the world Christ had not shed his blood for what necessitie had there beene that God should shed his blood but to redeeme both thine and the sinnes of the whole world The least droppe of his precious blood did abundantly suffice for the redemption of all mankinde but yet to the end he might expresse his great loue towards vs he powred out his whole blood for vs he spake many things he did many things hee suffered many things to redeeme vs though those whom he created with his only word he could likewise haue repared with his only word He tooke vpon him our death that he might giue vs life he gaue life vnto vs hee receiued death from vs and yet not for his owne desert but for vs. He came into the land of our perigrination to take vpon him what here abounded reproches scourgings blowes spittings in the face contumelies a crowne of thornes the crosse and death these abound in our countrey to these and the like merchandize he came What gaue he heere for that he heere receiued He gaue exhortation doctrine remission of sinnes he broght vnto vs from that countrey many good things and in ours he endured many euill So much his loue preuailed that he would be with vs where we were and where he is we shall be with him Where I am Ioh. 12.26 saith he there shall also my seruant bee What doth God promise vnto thee a man That thou shalt liue with him for euer and doest thou not beleeue it Beleeue beleeue it is more that hee hath done than that he hath promised It is more incredible that a dead man should bee eternall than that a mortall man should liue for euer Thou art to liue with him for euer for whose sake hee is dead that liues for euer Secure thy selfe that thou shalt receiue his life whose death thou hast for an earnest
AN EXHORTATORY Instruction to a speedy resolution of repentance and contempt of the vanities of this transitory life BY SAMSON LENNARD LONDON Printed by M. B. for Edw. Blount and W. Barret 1609. TO THE RIGHT honorable my very good Lady the Lady Dacre of the South I Am not ignorant right honorable virtuous Ladie how poore a help the light of a candle giues vnto the cleere light of the Sun nor how meane a meanes these my labours are to eternize the memory of those your honourable virtues which like the Sun in his sphere disperse their gracious raies to as many as know you or heare of your name You are like the Sun adorned with your owne light as with a garment like the rose in the garden an ornament to your selfe Your honorable progenitors honor you your honorable virtues your progenitors And therfore far be it from you to thinke that my meaning is hereby to giue light to the Sun honor to your honors but as Dauid out of a consideration of the manifolde blessings he had receiued at Gods hands cried out What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits bestowed vpon me and presently answered I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord so I entring into a consideration with my self what I might returne for those great and manifolde bounties receiued from the hands of your worthie and honorable husband when I had considered what I might consider being guiltie of mine owne inabilities to returne one for a thousand I was inforced to say with Dauid I will take and not giue I will requite by asking more My humble petition therefore to your Ladiship is that you would be pleased to honor this little booke with your honorable protection which though it be offered to the publike view of the world yet it was written for you as not vnbefitting your yeers your zeale your vnderstanding your religion your honour This if you do you shall adde vnto the heape of your manifolde virtues and if with an honourable minde you shall take this from his hands whose custome it hath euer been rather to receiue than giue you shall double your bounties be liberall in receiuing and giuing too And thus wishing to your Ladiship a long life in this world and an eternall in the world to come I rest Your Ladiships in all dutie to be commanded Samson Lennard THE CONTENTS The first part CHAP. I. THat the life of man is vnstable and therefore repentance not to be deferred pag. 1 CHAP. II. How dangerous a thing it is to deferre our conuersion to the houre of death 17 CHAP. III. That our last day is hidden from vs to the end that all the daies of our life should be as our last 30 CHAP. IIII. The great inequalitie betwixt our present pleasures and the paines of hell 50 CHAP. V. That it is better to repent when we are yoong than to put it off vntill we be old 63 CHAP. VI. â—hat no man can repent and yet follow his pleasures 72 The second part CHAP. I. THat restitution is an excellent testimonie of remission of sinnes 91 CHAP. II. That man must not feare his confusion with men that will finde grace and fauour with God 106 CHAP. III. That the grace of God is to be preferred before all temporall riches 123 CHAP. IIII. Almes vnlawfully gotten please not God 140 The third part CHAP. I. THat God doeth not forgiue vs our trespasses except we forgiue those that trespasse against vs. 149 CHAP. II. That no worke that a man doeth be it neuer so good can be acceptable vnto God so long as he is not in charitie with his neighbour 161 CHAP. III. That it is not lawfull to strike him that striketh 169 CHAP. IIII. That by the example of Christ it is no hard matter for a man to pardon his neighbour as often as he offendeth 186 The fourth part CHAP. I. THat God forgiueth sinnes when with a true and contrite heart we consesse them vnto God 206 CHAP. II. That nothing is hidden from God and that at the day of iudgement the secrets of all hearts shall be reuealed 217 The fifth part CHAP. I. THat God is not subiect to passion and neuer forsakes a sinner before a sinner forsakes him 235 CHAP. II. A sinner how he falleth from one sinne into another and so is hardned in his sinnes 256 CHAP. III. That there is no man so great a sinner but by the power of the Creatour he may be conuerted 277 CHAP. IIII. That God is faithfull who suffereth vs not to be tempted aboue our power 292 CHAP. V. That the feare of backesliding should not hinder the rising of him that is fallen 311 CHAP. VI. â—ow miserable the despaire of a sinner is at the point of death 330 CHAP. VII â—f the paines of hell 364 The sixth part CHAP. I. THat we are sinners and haue need of the mercy of God 398 CHAP. II. That there is no sinne so great but by true repentance it may bee pardoned 410 CHAP. III. Examples of such as haue grieuously sinned and afterwards haue beene saued by repentance 421 CHAP. IIII. That God denieth not mercy to him that conuerteth since be inuiteth him that is auerted from him to conuersion 438 CHAP. V. That a sinner being changed God changeth his sentence 453 CHAP. VI. That euen at the point of death repentance may bee profitable to saluation 472 CHAP. VII Of the ioyes of Heauen 484 THE FIRST PART of the exhortatory instruction to repentance and first of the speed to be vsed therein CHAP. I. That the life of man is vnstable and therefore repentance not to be deferred FIRST thou wilt perhaps alledge against thy selfe deare brother â—hat thou canst not vpon the â—udden free thy selfe from â—hy accustomed pleasures What a sinner obiecteth against himselfe and that when thou art old thou wilt be more willing to withstand the temptations and allurements of pleasure and repent thee of thy sinnes Res What man is there that liueth and shal not see death The necessitie of Death Heb. 9. It is appointed vnto men that they should once die from which generall sentence that no man should wax proud no man is exempted Which if it bee true I would but know of thee how long thou thinkest the pleasures of this transitory life may continue with thee For my part I can not imagine that the vttermost thou canst hope can be aboue fifty yeeres The vncertaintie of the day of death in which time see how many dangers hang ouer thy head First there is no man be hee neuer so yoong that can assuredly promise vnto himselfe to liue vntill night Death vshereth an olde man goeth before him comes behinde a yoong man takes him vnawares and to them both nothing is more certaine than death nothing more vncertain than the houre place meanes and maner of death Varro in his prouerbs Neither is it maruell if thou
sinnes from the bottome of his heart The mercy of God towards sinners hee will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance Res This deare Brother I confesse to be true yea that he is more gentle and mercifull than can bee imagined or beleeued and that hee pardoneth whomsoeuer in time returnes vnto him but yet he that hath made this promise to him that repenteth hath not promised to morrow to him that puts off his repentance till to morrow and persists in his sinnes Did he not expresse his mercy and louing kindnesse sufficiently vnto thee in that with such patience so long a time hee hath tolerated so many iniuries done vnto him by thee and giuen thee time to repent Doubtlesse great is the mercy of God towards thee in this his long stay and attendance for thy repentance For hee staid not at all for the Angels when they should repent but in a moment in the twinkling of an eie hee cast them downe into Hell he staid not for Adam when hee sinned but instantly hee thrust him out of Paradise But thee hee hath tolerated and attended many yeeres God is slow to reuenge he hath dissembled forborne deferred to punish thee being alwaies ready to forgiue Esay 14. but yet this thou must know that as he is gentle in forbearing so he is iust in punishing and whom hee attendeth to conuert not conuerted with a heauy iudgement hee condemneth For God doth so much the more sharply and seuerely punish by how much longer he forbeareth a sinner and his sentence is so much the more heauy by how much greater his patience hath been in forbearing and for the most part by the iust iudgement of God it falleth out that he dying forgets himselfe who liuing forgot God how miserable then is the state of that man who presenting himselfe before so seuere a Iudge hath not so much time as to bewaile those sinnes hee hath committed It is therefore deare Brother a dangerous thing to make thy houre of death thy houre of repentance and to thinke that thou maist not die in thy sinne though thou cease not from thy sinne but still continuest in that estate wherein if death should suddenly assaile thee as many times it falleth out thy soule were vtterly lost and for that moment of time wherin thou art to liue thou leauest thy soule to the danger of eternall damnation which should be dearer vnto thee than the whole World CHAP. II. How dangerous a thing it is to deferre our conuersion to the houre of death BVt be it deare Brother that thou bee mindefull both of God and of thy selfe at the houre of thy death A hard thing truly to conuert at the boure of death and that God doe then giue thee sometime of repentance yet it is to bee feared that thou canst hardly in so short a time so momentary a contrition sufficiently bewaile all the sinnes of thy long life It will hardly bee brought to passe that thou that in the whole course of thy life hast beene accustomed to sinne shouldest vpon the sudden at an instant be made perfect that thou shouldest so speedily quit thy selfe of the snares of the Diuel wherwith in thy whole life forespent thou hast intangled thy selfe that thou shouldest then at the last fall from the Diuell and begin to fight vnder Christ his banner when the war is at an end Doest thou thinke that that tree that neuer was green neuer did flourish or yeeld any fruit can then begin to grow yeeld any when hee is cut downe and cast into the fire Neither can that man that in his whole life time neuer did any good then yeeld fruits worthy repentance when the axe is laid to the root to cut him off from the land of the liuing and to cast him into that fire that shall neuer bee quenched But how dangerous a thing it is and how neere to vtter destruction to put off our repentance to the houre of death S. Augustine telleth vs. August de poenitentia distinct 7. If any man in the extremity of his sicknesse shall repent him of his sins and be reconciled vnto God and so depart out of this life I confesse vnto you we cannot deny that he requireth but yet wee cannot presume that hee departeth the childe of God whether he depart secure out of this life I know not repentance wee may impose security wee cannot giue Shall I say he is damned No and yet I will not say hee is saued Wilt thou therefore bee freed from this doubt auoid this vncertainty Repent whilest thou art in health which if thou doe I dare boldly affirme thou maist be secure because thou repentest at that time when thou couldest haue sinned But if thou wilt repent when thou canst not sin thy sinnes haue forsaken thee not thou them Thus far S. Augustine Deferre not therefore thy repentance vntill thou cannot sin Seneca Plerique metu peccare cessant non innocentia profecto tales timidi non innocentes dicendi sunt for though it bee the will of God to pardon thy sinnes yet hee requireth a willingnesse in thy selfe not a necessity loue and charity not only feare They that at their end compeld by necessity turne vnto God seeme not to repent for loue of God but for feare of hell Then they 〈◊〉 vnto God when in the â—orld which all their life â—me they haue serued they â—n no longer continue â—heras if they might longer â—â—ide therein they would â—ot yet forsake those delights which they are neuer content â—o leaue till they can keepe â—hem no longer They leaue â—ot their sinnes but their sins â—caue them who are not led by their owne wils but necessity In the whole volume of the booke of God there is only one Luke 11. and that was the good theefe that truly repented at the houre of his death Ille vt nullus desperet solus vt nullus praesâ—emat He is left vnto vs for an example that no man should despaire he only that no man should presume Who thogh hee were by this last confession of his acknowledgement of Christ vpon the Crosse after a sort baptized and in that innocent state so departed yet such as are already baptized haue no warrant from thence to sin and to persist in their sinnes For they that would neuer bee conuerted when they might being conuerted when they could not sinne doe not so easilie attaine that they would For a sicke man hath many lets and hinderances that withdraw him from repentance Impediments to repentance First the presence of his carnal friends whom perhaps hee hath loued vnlawfully and beyond measure â—he remembrance of his pasâ—â—d pleasures and temporall â—essings which hee leaueth â—t without much griefe of â—eart an vnspeakable sorrow 〈◊〉 the separation of the soule â—om the burthen of the boâ—y insomuch that a man â—an hardly think of any thing â—lse but that griefe wherewith hee is tormented in his
ought the disciple to loue them whilest he liueth But thou a base contemptible worme a polluted peece of dung when thou seest the King of glory forgiuing his contumelies pardoning the agonies and torments of his Crosse art yet being prouoked with the least wrong that may be stirred vp to furie and desire of reuenge and offerest greater wrongs than thou hast receiued Thou doest what hurt thou canst and thou threatnest more than thou canst and when thou canst not or darest not openly to reuenge thy wrongs thou inwardly frettest and boilest with malice and in vain thou afflictest thy selfe and not thy enemie For as the good will of a man when there wants ability of performance hath a reward so thy ill will seeking after reuenge scapes not vnpunished because God considereth not so much what thou hast done as what thou wouldst haue done if thou hadst been able Wherfore deare brother incline the obstinacy of thy impatient minde to mercy and following the steps of our lord and master let it not seeme hard vnto thee to forgiue thy enemy as often as thy enemy shall offend thee that euery day those sinnes may bee remitted that thou doest euery day commit that whilest thou pardonest thy neighbor light and small wrongs God may pardon thee great and greeuous For if thou truly repent thou must prepare thy self to endure wrongs and neuer be mooued when thou hearest thy sinnes obiected against thee By this which hath beene spoken thou plainly seest in how damnable a state thou liuest so long as thou harborest malice and rancor in thy heart against thy neighbour To the end therefore thou maiest become a new man The conclusion if thou haue any thing against thy neighbour forgiue it and God will forgiue thee which if thou doe not thinke it is vaine for thee to beg forgiuenesse at Gods hands for such as thou art towards thy fellow seruant thou shalt finde him Thou hast power nay there is a necessity imposed vpon thee to forgiue any man that shall wrong thy selfe for any cause whatsoeuer but if he shall sinne against God or his neighbour it is not in thy power to remit but thou art to vse thy best indeuour to haue him punished by law not out of ill will but out of that will wherewith a father correcteth his childe whom hee cannot hate But thou contrarily in the wrongs of God and thy neighbour art calme and quiet but in thy owne thou art furious and violent wherein thou expressest thy little loue towards God and thy neighbor Neither is it any wonder at all if thou louest not God whom thou canst not see when thou canst not loue thy neighbour whom thou seest knowest whom if thou haue first offended bee first reconciled vnto him if he be thy enemy be friendly to him that thou maiest so win him to bee thy friend and though hee haue first offended thee yet bee thou first reconciled vnto him and so thou shalt winne vnto thy selfe a twofold blessing one because thou hast patiently endured wrong another because thou art the first that inuitest thine enemy to vnity and concord Consider with thy selfe what S. Paul for our instruction saith 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then are we Embassadours for Christ as thogh God did beseech you through vs wee pray you in Christs stead that yee bee reconciled to God So that we see that by sin we haue made an enmitie betwixt God and vs and yet God preuenteth vs and first sendeth his messengers of peace vnto vs that we that haue sinned may bee at peace with God Blush therfore if thou be backward since thy Sauior Christ Iesus is so forward who is blessed for euer and euer The Fourth Part of the exhortation to repentance CHAP. I. That God forgiueth sins when with a true and contrite heart wee confesse them vnto God FOurthly it may be thou wilt saie thou couldest bee content to repēt but that it is necessarie to repentance that thou confesse thy sinnes vnto God that thou art ashamed to do Resp First my deare brother let me propose this example vnto thee A theefe stealeth before the king and is taken in his theft and yet though his theft be manifest hee will not confesse it whereupon hee is condemned to die and being bound hand and foot conueied to his execution His king being moued to compassion saith vnto him my friend thou knowest that I tooke thee with the theft in thy hands but thou fearing least by mee thou shouldest bee thought a theefe obstinately deniest thy offence whereof I am an eie witnesse and for this cause as thou seest art thou condemned Neuerthelesse to the end that my good nesse may ouercome thy wickednesse I wil haue mercy vpon thee and deliuer thee from this shamefull death If thou wilt acknowledge thy offence and say I haue sinned O Lord and done wickedly in thy sight What thinkest thou it is fit this theefe should do vpon so kinde and so mercifull an offer Should hee not confesse his offence and say I haue sinned But if he be so obstinate that hee will rather die than acknowledge his offence hath not this king reason to execute his iudgement vpon him is not the theefe for his obstinacie woorthie to be hanged Thou art this wicked wretch who in the presence of God to whose eies all things are naked and open Heb. 4.13 Psal 118. and in whose sight are all thy wares hast greenously offended and art apprehended in the works of thy hands And because the reward of sinne is death Rom. 6. and the soule which hath sinned shall die therefore the sentence of eternall death is pronounced against thee And whilest thou refusest to foresee those imminent dangers that interrupt thy present ioies thou runnest blindfold to the pit of hell being fast bound in thine iniquities with no other irons than thy iron will The diuel hath captiuated thy will whereby hee hath made an iron chaine wherewith hee draweth thee fast bound to the pit of hel But behold the goodnesse of God hath couered thy wickednes his piety thy impietie hee hath seene thee sinning and yet forbeareth he tollerateth thee resisting him and still calleth thee vnto him by his Prophet Esai 43.25 I euen I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Put mee in remembrance let vs bee iudged together count thou that thou maiest be iustified O vpon how easie a condition doth the Lord promise to forget thy sinnes Onely call thou to remembrance and count them and thou shalt bee iustified Onely forget not thy sinnes and hee forgiues vncouer and he couereth thy shame with righteousnesse open and hee shuteth Preuent the wrath of an angrie Iudge by accusing thy selfe yea be angry with thy selfe and let not thy owne mouth spare thee for then thou beginnest to bee iustified when thou beginnest to be thy owne accuser Open the eies of thy faith and
interposest the barre and partition wall of thy sinnes betwixt God and thee for as a wall makes a separation betwixt the eie and the light so sinne betwixt God and man And as the life of the body is the soule so the life of the soule is God and as the bodie dies if the soule forsake it so the soule dies if God forsake it as the outward death separateth the soule from the bodie so the inward death the soule from God O how great a wretchednesse is it to bee farre from him that is euery where and to bee without him without whom no man can be in safetie And yet he alwayes departed vnwillingly from man and by his will forsaketh no man He is neuer absent if not first expeld whom whilest by sinne thou shuttest out of doores thou excludest thy selfe from thy own saluation but God thou harmest not As if from the root of the vine I am the vine Iohn 15. you the branches sayth the Lord a branch bee not plucked it beareth much fruit and receiueth nourishment from the root which if it be plucked from the vine hurts not the vine because the vine ministreth vitall nourishment to the branches not they to the vine so to those that are in Christ Iesus and Christ in them many gists and graces flow from him which are beneficiall vnto Christians not to Christ One branch being plucked from the vine another springeth from the root thereof but that which is pluckt can not liue without a root but withereth and is gathered vp and cast into the fire And as he that turneth his eyes from the light hurts not the light but himselfe in changing darknesse for light so whilest thou refusest to stick vnto God who is the light of thy soule thou fallest into blindnesse and darkenesse not of thy eyes but of thy maners not of thy outward eyes wherewith thou discernest white from blacke but of thy inward wherewith thou shouldest iudge of that which is iust and vniust For as in that place that is not lightned by the beames of the sunne the motes are not discerned so thou that art fallen from the grace of Gods diuine illumination committest manie things that are sinnes and yet perceiuest it not wheras they that are inlightned with the sunne of righteousnesse doe both diligentlie prie into them and straitly reprehend them Thou that art fallen from the inward grace of Gods diuine illumination but yet not altogether so long as thou art in this life into the inward darknesse blindnesse of thy minde if thou persist in this thy blindnesse to the end and neglectest the receiuing of the grace of his illumination from the Sunne of righteousnesse at the last thou fallest into vtter darknesse and a night of eternall damnation being far remooued from him that dwelleth in that light that is inaccessible Moreouer whils by sinne thou departest from God who is all good onely good without whom nothing is good thou no way damnifiest God who hath no need of thee or thine but being depriued of thy chiefe and greatest good thou fallest into the greatest miseries that may be And this let me tell thee that though of thy selfe and by thy owne will thou haddest power to fall from good to euill yet of thy selfe and by thy onely will thou hast not power to arise from euill to good thou art fallen by thine owne will into the pit of sinne but yet at thine owne will and pleasure thou canst not be freed from thence For the wound is not so easily cured as giuen and no man can so easily get out of the pit as fall into it But as he can hardly get out except some one or other let downe a line vnto him which he taking hold of may dragge him out so except the grace of God descend vpon thee thou canst neuer get out of the pit of sinne but yet thou must know that this grace of God is alwaies ready to help thee and to draw thee foorth of the pit doe thou only take hold of the mercy of God when it is offered and applie thy will vnto his will and all shall be well It is not therefore in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy who like a carefull nurse directeth and beareth vp her little infant vntill it bee able to goe of it selfe So the Lord who can denie himselfe to none in the beginning of our conuersion beareth with our infirmities and annointeth our wounds with the oile of his mercy lest the danger of our disease and the difficultie of the cure should any way terrifie or amaze vs. And this he doth foure maner of wais For to a man that by repentance turneth vnto him but yet by long custome is entangled in his sinnes sometimes out of his mercie hee sendeth tribulations which possesse the minde of him that repenteth and expell that delight of sin that stealeth vpon him Sometimes he taketh away the opportunitie of falling and suffereth not the weaknesse of a man to bee tempted Sometimes hee giueth strength to resist temptations which manfully resisting he may feele but not yeeld vnto Somtimes he cureth the affections that he doeth not onely not consent but not feel the power therof But to a sinner that neglecteth the grace of God and refuseth to follow the good inspiratiōs of his spirit he giueth not his grace in so great a measure but yet so long as he liueth he doeth not altogether withdraw it but he standeth and knocketh at the doore of his conscience to awakē his drowsy wil dead desires But yet many times he withdraweth some speciall helpes heereunto as infirmities of the body losse of temporall goods the like which are meanes to draw a miserable sinner to repentance For many times hee giueth temporal blessings out of his anger which out of loue hee would not haue giuen and permitteth a sinner to doe that which he should not so much as intertaine into his thought As a Physitian that hath vsed all the Art hee can to cure a disease so soone as he seeth his patient to refuse that Physicke he ministreth vnto him he leaueth him to himselfe as a man that refuseth to liue and because hee despaireth of his health he giueth him leaue to take whatsoeuer hee desireth So God in his iust iudgement suffereth a sinner to be giuen ouer according to the desires and lusts of his owne heart to a reprobate sense as into the hands of a cruell master to doe those things that are not sit Not because God inclineth his affections vnto euill but because hee withdraweth his grace whereby man should bee conuerted Yea and hee sometime permitteth a man to doe wickedly and yet to liue happily not exercising his furie vpon him nor reuenging his sinne with any temporall punishment but reserueth him to eternall damnation than which nothing can be worse for then is the anger of God greatest when hee sheweth not himselfe to bee
desireth the more to haue thy companie to death whom thou canst not better obey than if thou daily sinne by his suggestion and being fallen carest not to rise againe Wherein whilest thou yeeldest thy consent thou seemest to haue made a sure bargaine with him and because thou art irrecouerably fallen thou must necessarily be his companion in his fall too To liue to thee that art infected with the dangerous plague of so many sinnes is not to liue but to confound life and to approch neerer and neerer to the gates of hell Thou art aliue in thy bodie but dead in thy minde That life is not to be called life whereby thou liuest only vnto death for it were better for thee that euery day doest die in thy soule that in bodie thou die quickly better that thou liue not at all that thou wert not borne than by sinne to die daily As often as thou sinnest so often thou deseruest eternall death which if for one sinne thou deserue what doest thou for many for millions of sinnes For so manie and so great sinnes how intolerable shall hell be when for one so many and so vnspeakeable torments must be endured For there shall euerie man haue his damnation so much the more intolerable by how much the greater iniquitie he hath heere But to thee that hast no good thing to alleage for thy selfe but whole mountaines of sinne against thy selfe it is not possible to vtter what plagues and punishments do belong I can not woonder sufficiently how thou canst sleepe securely and enioy thy pleasures without feare For if thou wert odious to a King whom thou hast offended and diddest euery houre expect from him the sentence of a cruell death wouldest thou laugh and attend thy pleasures Now then â—ince for thy many and great offences the sentence of eternall death is pronounced against thee and the Lord to the end he may haue mercy on thee still expecting thy conuersion hath deferred his sentence which perhaps to day nay this very houre he will execute vpon thee how canst thou as it were in an assured peace be secure Thou art in greater danger that goest to thy rest with a conscience clogd with one mortall sinne than with seuen of thy deadliest enemies Doubtlesse if thou diddest but see thine owne soule thou wouldest blush at the foulenesse thereof and if thou knewest how great dangers thou runnest into by sinne thou wouldest thinke of nothing more than how to auoid it By sin thou makest God thine enemie the diuell dry lord and thou that wert first by adoption the sonne of God after sinne art made the seruant and slaue of the diuel yea of sinne it selfe and that which is woorst of all of so many lords as of sins Whosoeuer committeth sinne Ioh. 8.34 is the seruant of sinne A wicked man though he reigne is a seruant of sinne a iust man though he serue is a free man nay hee wanteth not kingly power that knoweth how to rule his owne affections God so hateth sinne that for the hatred thereof he destroyed almost all his works the whole world by a generall flood yea to the end he might vtterly kill it he gaue vnto death yea the shamefull death of the crosse his only begotten sonne And is not his hatred great towards his enemie that to be reuenged vpon him will kill his owne sonne God neither in heauen nor vpon earth hath a friend so deare vnto him but if he finde him polluted with mortall sinne he is presently odious vnto him and that vessell of sinne that is that sinner hee throweth downe into hell fire for a wicked man and his wickednesse are alike odious vnto God As if thou haddest rather to cast a vessel ful of corruption yet of great price into the sea than to scoure and clense it of the filth therof must not that filth and corruption be very hatefull vnto thee for which thou art content to lose so precious a vessell And as a louing mother if shee should cast her little infant whom she dearly loueth into a burning furnace there to perish must it not be some great matter very hatefull vnto her that can vrge her to such crueltie against her owne childe Sinne as much as it displeaseth God so much it pleaseth the diuel insomuch that from the creation of the world he hath euer watched without wearinesse how to allure men vnto sinne and though he obtein his purpose with innumerable numbers of men yet he is neuer satisfied After thou hast once sinned thou art so farre foorth in the power of the diuell that presently by his owne right he may challenge thee to be his and cartie thee with him to eternall torments if he were not staied by the great mercie of God expecting thee to repentance It were better for thee to haue a thousand diuels in thy body than one deadly sinne in thy minde And therefore saith Anselme If I should here see the shame of sinne and there the horror of hell and that I must necessarily bee ouerwhelmed by the one I would rather cast my selfe into hell than suffer my selfe to fall into an insensible feeling of my sinnes yea I had rather being purged and purified from sinne to enter into hell than polluted with the contagion of sinne if it were possible it might be so possesse the kingdome of heauen If sinne be more to be detested than hell what can be more detestable than sinne If there were no sinne there were no torment in hel No aduersitie could hurt if no iniquitie did beare rule for it is only sinne that can hurt and bring to passe that no other thing can do good So long as thou continuest in sinne thou canst doe nothing that is good For as a root giueth no moisture to a rotten bough nor the sunne any light to a blinde eye so thou as a rotten and dead member of the Church for who will say thou art liuing that hast no feeling of compunction in thy heart art depriued of al that good that is or can be in the Church and thou art robbed of all that good that euer thou hast done in thy whole life and of all those virtues and graces which at the first thou receiuedst at Gods hands in as much as they stand thee in no stead to the attainment of eternall life as a dead man hath no power either to enioy his owne goods or to get others And besides a thousand other euils that follow sinne the miserable torment of thine owne conscience followeth thee whithersoeuer thou goest For sinne whilest it is committed pleaseth being committed it tormenteth for the worme thereof neuer dieth and in this life the torment thereof is but an entrance to that which is to come Ps 49.20 O man when thou wert in honour thou vnderstoodest not but wert compared to the beasts that perish and art made like vnto them Thou that through the merits of Christ Iesus wert made woorthy of heauen and all
of her Form attend my miserable soule when it shal depart out of the prison of this my bodie that they may catch it and carrie it to bee tormented in hell O wretch that I am where shall my soule be this night Out alas hell is my house for euer and euer there I must dwell because whilest I daily sinned against mine owne conscience I made my selfe a fit inhabitant for so infernall a place Psa 18.4 The sorrowes of death haue compassed mee the snares of hell haue ouertooke me O great God to what end diddest thou make mee and broughtest mee into the world Why was I not carried from my baptisme to my graue It had been better for me neuer to haue been born and therefore let the day perish wherein I came into the world Cursed be my creation and thou accursed Satan be thou more accursed with all thy hellish rabble all thy suggestions cursed be the earth that bred mee the wombe that bare me the parents that begot mee cursed be euery creature vpō earth What is that my friends you talke together Do you not counsell mee to confesse my sinnes Do you not tell me that the mercy of God is great That is true I confesse but yet my sinnes are greater than that they can be forgiuen by the iust iudgement of God I am condemned what hee hath written hee hath written his sentence is irreuocable When I was in health and the strength of my bodie I could hardlie confesse my sinnes they were so numberlesse much lesse now in this agonie of death the sentence of my condemnation being pronounced am I able to do it O repentance where art thou By the iust iudgement of GOD heereafter I can not repent when I might I would not now I would I can not All yee that are present my friends learne to be wise by my fall and deferre not your repentance till your dying day lest doing as I haue done ye suffer as I doe Remember my iudgement such shall be yours also mine to day yours to morrow happie is he that by other mens harmes can learne to beware For euer farewell my friends and againe and againe fare ye well Beholde the diuels take holde of my miserable soule and carry it with them into hell Isa 30.10 I go to the gates of the graue I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing I shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the world Now heare how God vpbraiding thee with his benefits condemneth thee O wretched man of no worth vnprofitable worme of the earth what could I haue done for thee that I haue not done I created thee not a stone a tree a toad a bird nor any other creature but a man capable of reason according to mine owne image similitude and forsomuch as I made thee like my selfe by nature it was thy part to haue done thy best endeuour to make thy selfe like vnto me by will which forasmuch as thou hast not conformed to my will thou hast prophaned my similitude in thee Neuerthelesse though thou louedst me not I loued thee yea thou displeasing me I so loued thee as to work that in thee wherby thou mightest please me being proud thou didst contemne my commandements but I thus contemned ceased not to loue thee though thou wert proud but to the end I might recall thee vnto me I gaue thee my law and my faith To thee I sent my preachers nay for thee I once appeared visible to the world in the flesh of thy mortalitie and from the abundant plenitude of the kingdome of heauen I descended poore vpon the earth I raised the dead gaue sight vnto the blinde reduced the wanderers and iustified the wicked Three and thirty yeeres being seene vpon the earth and conuersant with men I refused not to serue thee and to procure thy saluation by preaching by labour by watching by fasting and that I might take away thine infirmities I willingly became weake for thee I was solde betrayed bound spit vpon hudwinckt buffeted scourged crowned crucified derided of all dranke vineger and gaule and that I might be the death of thy death for the nocent I died innocent For thee base worme as thou art I powred out not my golde nor my siluer but my pretious blood and for the redemption of so base a worm I spent my most pretious wares yea I spared not my selfe but I willingly offered me wholly to redeem thee all my members I gaue to the redemption of thee but thou hast imployed all thine to offend me for thee I gaue mine eyes to weeping wheras thou hast giuen thine to beholde the vanitie of this world I gaue mine eares to the hearing of wrongs and opprobrious speeches wheras thou hast giuen thine to the hearing of detractations and filthy speeches I gaue my mouth to taste vineger mixt with gaule whereas thou hast giuen thine to gluttony and lying and blasphemie I gaue my hands and my feete to be fastned with nailes to the crosse whereas thou hast giuen thine to murther and the spoile of the poore I gaue my hart to be wounded with a launce whereas thou hast giuen thine to the delights and pleasures of this life I haue loued more thy saluation than mine owne glorie with men whereas thou hast loued more a vile base creature than thy Creator to whom if thou be indebted for thy creation how much doest thou owe mee for thy recreation thy redemption ◠If thou did dest owe thy selfe vnto me when I gaue thee to thy selfe thou shouldest twice owe thy selfe vnto mee for restoring thee to thy selfe when thou wert lost Because thou wert both giuen and restored to thy selfe thou doest owe thy selfe wholly vnto me once and againe to mee I say who gaue thee thy life thy senses thy vnderstanding who made thee made thee good gaue thee thy being and thy well being Neither was it enough for me to offer my selfe for thee an oblation to God my Father but that I must-euerie day offer my selfe vnto thee to be seene and kissed and handled yea eaten too by a liuely faith though not carnally Comming into the world I gaue my self vnto thee as a companion Iam. 1.17 more stricken in yeres as thy sustenance dying as thy prise reigoing as thy reward What better thing could I euen I from whom euery good gift and euery perfect gift commeth bestow vpon thee than my selfe What should I say more Tit. 3.5 My Angels I haue giuen vnto thee as thy gardians but thou contemnest their charge By the washing of the new birth I clensed thee from all thy sinnes I haue instructed thee in my faith hauing often died a spirituall death I haue often raised thee and iustly depriued of the kingdome of heauen I haue restored thee to thine ancient inheritance I haue often spared thee and thou fallest the more often I haue opened
of reuenge from him that contemneth that at one time or other he may offer his grace of remission to him that repenteth The Lord deferreth his comming if hee would hee had beene already come but yet he putteth off his comming lest hee should finde that in thee that hee must punish If hee would thy damnation whilest thou wert in thy sinnes he could haue cast thy soule into hell it is the mercie of the Lord that thou art not consumed For whereas thou fearest not God and yet liuest thou ceasest not to sinne and yet prosperest what is it else but that the mercifull God is willing by long expectation to correct thee whom by seeing thy sinne hee will not instantly destroy whose goodnesse that it may ouercome thy malice and patience mollifie the obstinacie of thy heart like a good mother by flatterie hee allureth thee vnto him whom he can not recall by threatnings in that hee draweth not from thee his blessings he suffereth the sun to shine vpon thee as well as vpon others and prouideth all things necessarie for thee as wel as for others O the vnspeakable mercy of God! we sin and he spareth we offend and he pardoneth we haue offended him in manie things hee withdraweth his blessings from vs in nothing whereby hee sheweth how good a God he is toward the iust who is so mercifull towards sinners In the Gospell euen with teares hee followeth Ierusalem which by her pertinacy in sinning had procured her owne damnation How often sayth hee would I haue gathered thy children together as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and thou wouldest not Our mercifull Father weepeth that he might not saue those that were desperately wicked and doest thou doubt hee will not be mercifull to thee turning vnto him There are two arguments in him of his naturall goodnes and clemencie his longanimitie in expecting and his facilitie in pardoning because hee both patiently expecteth sinners and louingly receiueth penitent sinners he both by his patience tolerateth the sinnes of men and by their repentance releaseth them that they may returne though late and be ashamed that they should be expected Whensoeuer they are conuerted hee forgetteth sinnes past and he promiseth future amendment Oh the great patience of God! hee spareth contempts pardoneth denials he seeth thee to sinne and yet hee suffereth thee first he forbiddeth thee to sinne and when thou hast sinned he attendeth thy repentance to pardon thee If thy seruant should speake proudly vnto thee and turne his backe towards thee thou wouldest no doubt seuerely correct his contempt but thou turnest thy backe to God and he turneth towards thee thou fliest from him and he followeth after thee hee seeth that his pitie and compassion is despised and yet he yet expecteth thee to pitie thee with al exhortatiō bountie inward inspiration Thou wilt not doe the will of God for thine owne good thine owne commodity how then should hee heare thee in the day of thy tribulation praying vnto him when thou refusest to heare him intreating thee for thine own good For how often hath God said vnto thee Turne vnto mee and yet thou hast not turned If he would not haue mercy on thee thou wouldest intreat mercy at his hands now hee would haue mercy and thou wilt not he inuiteth thee to repentance and thou neglectest it If thou feare not the iustice of God reuenging at the least blush at his goodnesse calling thee vnto him and thou that being stricken couldest haue suffered the punishment due vnto thy sinnes blush at the least being expected lest whom thou now seest calme and peaceable thou bee not able to behold angry and implacable For whilest he seeth those remedies which hee hath ordained for thy saluation turned to the encrease of thy sinne that loue which he hath conferred vpon thee hee turneth to thy greater condemnation that by so much the more he may punish by how much the more he hath expected Wherefore deare brother whilest our mercifull God forbeareth thee whilest hee staieth his hand from reuenge begge his mercie whose law thou hast contemned It is lawfull for him to aske pardon to whom it was not lawfull to offend Aske remission of thy sinnes by praier seeke it with watching and fasting doe what thou canst that thou maiest increase in well doing and by perseuerance thou shalt receiue what thou askest that importunitie is pleasing to a mercifull God which is odious vnto men Let the remission of sinnes bee intreated with instant praier that that God whom thy sinnes hath made angry thy dutifull seruice may pacifie and he that for thy sinnes was offended with thee by repentance may become louing and mercifull vnto thee CHAP. V. That a sinner being changed God changeth his sentence BVT thou wilt say God is not as man is that hee should lie Nu. 23.19 nor as the sonne of man that hee should bee changed And in the 18. of Ezechiel hee saith The soule that sinneth shall die This sentence of God is immutable because God can not bee changed Res It is true my deare brother that that soule that sinneth shall die because by sinne hee deserueth eternall damnation but repentance healeth this death of the soule Repentance restoreth what sinne detracteth by this the life of grace is repaired wherin the soule departing flieth vnto the life of glory neither doe forepassed sinnes more hurt him than forepassed diseases and wounds a sound man Though this soule haue sinned yet it shall not die because by repentance that sin is blotted out by which it was obliged to eternal death The cause ceasing the effect likewise ceaseth and God knoweth how to change his sentence if thou know how to change thy life If thou beleene not me beleeue God The wickednesse of the wicked shall not cause him to fall therein Eze. 33.12 in the day that he returneth from his wickednes And in another place Hier. 18.8 If this nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent mee of all the plagues that I thought to bring vpen them God who is immutable and impassible can bee affected with no change no passion and yet hee is said to change and to repent not according to the verity of the thing but according to the maner and similitude of man For as a man is saide to change and to repent when hee changeth his counsell and will not doe that euill which he had purposed to doe So God is said to change to repent when he bringeth not vpon a man that euil which he threatned Wherein hee changeth not his counsell for those things which hee appointed from beginning doe immutablie come to passe but that thing which of it selfe is mutable he altereth as it pleaseth him as the goodnesse or wickednesse of men require which argueth no change in God but in the will of man Hezekiah was sicke vnto death 2. King 20.1 and the prophet Isaiah came vnto him
penny And therfore saith S. Paul Rom. 5.10 If when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to GOD by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saued by his life It is a greater thing to die for sin than to take away sinne To the reparation of the celestiall mansions not to eternall damnation hath the Lord created and redeemed thee For if hee had desired thy damnation when thou sinnedst hee had cast thee into hell Heereby thou maiest gather that he delighteth more in thy reparation than thy damnation that there is greater ioy with him and his Angels for one sinner that conuerteth Luk. 15.7 than for ninetie and nine iust men that need no amendment of life Which the Lord himselfe hath prooued by a threefold example of the lost sheepe which being found the shepheard with ioy laid vpon his shoulders and brought him to his fold of the lost groat which being found she calleth her friends and neighbours saying Reioice with mee for I haue found the piece which was lost and of the prodigall childe for whom being returned to his father the fat calfe was killed which was not done for that sonne which continued with his father By how much the more we are sorry for a thing lost by so much the more do wee reioice when it is found and therefore there is more ioy in heauen for a sinner that repenteth than for a iust man that needeth no amendment For a repentance inflamed with loue after sinne is more acceptable vnto God than an innocency dull carelesse with securitie by grace As a captaine in the warres loues more that souldier that after his flight returneth and valiantly encountreth his enemie than him that did neuer flie and neuer performed anie valorous exploit A husbandman loueth more that ground that after the thorns and brambles be digged vp yeeldes a plentifull increase than that ground which neuer had thornes and neuer gaue any increase If therfore thy teares vpon earth bee so great a ioy to God and his Angels how great a ioy shall thy pleasures in heauen be to them This is the meat they feed vpon the fruites they are delighted with if by a true contrition of heart thou mortifie thy sinnes and by a true and vnfained repentance turne vnto God Wherfore deare brother though thou thinke thy selfe condemned by Gods iustice appeale vnto his mercy for it sometimes commeth to passe that whom iustice accuseth mercy absolueth and that punishment which the Lord may iustly inflict hee doeth mercifully pardon For those whom God freely created and redeemed he wil not willingly oppresse and therefore if thou repent thee of thy sinne hee repenteth him of his sentence The vnchangeable God will change his sentence if thou change thy life So shalt thou conquer the inuincible binde the omnipotent and a fearefull Iudge thou shalt change into a mercifull father CHAP. VI. That euen at the point of death repentance may be profitable to saluation BVT perhaps thou wilt say I come too late I haue spent my whole life in sinne I am now at the brinke of death and therefore it is too late at my last houre to turne vnto God Res Thou art a yoong man my deare brother in the strength of thy yeeres thou maiest yet liue many a yeere and haue time enough to repent But yet because there is no man be hee neuer so yoong that can assâ—redly promise to himselfe to liue till night and a sudden death may euerie houre of the day ouertake thee wherein despairing thou maiest obiect this vnto me therefore I haue thought good to satisfie this obiection though thou haddest neuer obiected it Whilest thou liuest whilest thou yet breathest yea when thou liest in thy bed at the point of death thou maiest repent yea and then especially there is yet hope of mercy time of forgiuenes place of repentance God witnesseth of himselfe Eze. 33. that at what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes hee will blot out all his wickednesse out of his remembrance He that hath said he will put out all his wickednesse out of his remembrance hath excepted no kinde of sinne Though thou want time to confesse thy sinnes vnto God yet in a moment euen in the twinckling of an cie he can haue time to pardon all thy sinnes Thy will is accounted for thy worke and the gronings of thy heart for thy words If therefore at the houre of death thou cease to bee wicked by repentance thou needest not despaire of pardon because thou art neere thine end For God whoconsidereth the end of all men iudgeth euery man according to his end not his former life neither doeth he respect so much what wee haue beene heeretofore as what we are at the end of our life It is no matter how long but how well a man liueth neither doth the quantitie of the crime nor the enormitie of a mans life nor the breuity of the time nor the extremity of the houre exclude a man from pardon if repentance in the end be true and perfect The great and manifold mercy of God is neither limited by time nor equalled by our great and manifolde offences He that truly repenteth and is loosed from that band of sinne wherewith hee was tied and liueth well after his repentance whensoeuer he dieth he may secure himselfe hee goeth to God he shall not be depriued the kingdome of God hee shall not be separated from the people of God Matt. 20. For as they that went into the Vineyard to labour at the eleuenth houre of the day receiued a penny for their hire as well as they that began their labour the first houre and did beare the burthen and heat of the day so not onely to those that from their childehood doe beare the yoke of the Lord is the reward promised but to the last too who in the end of their life turne vnto God is the earnest pennie of eternall life giuen The innumerable sinnes of the Nineuites a short repentance wiped away and the Publican went presently out of the Temple iustified Marie Magdalen was so great a sinner that the Pharisey disdained to see her and yet in a short time she was iustified and clensed from all her sins The theefe hung vpon the Crosse and being instantly to die despaired not of saluation he confessed the Lord vpon the Crosse and euen with the words of his confession he ended his life and yet the Lord possessed him of Paradise before Peter and lest any man should thinke repentance too late hee turned the punishment of murther into a martyrdome It is true that his repentance was late but yet his pardon came not too late he made speed in turning vnto God and God was as speedie in pardoning These shew thee the fruit of repentance the fountaine of mercy the celeritie thereof for they began late to repent and to do good and yet by doing it truly of the last they are
â—ody For thither is the whole intention of the minde carried where the griefe is What astonishment of heart â—s there at that houre What â—emembrance of all fore-passed sinnes What forgetfulnesse of pleasures past What â—orror and fearefull consideration of the Iudge Doubtlesse the griefe of the disease and the feare of the iudgements of God doe hinder the true vse of our sense and vnderstanding insomuch that at that houre there can hardly bee any true contrition of heart Then is the Diuell most diligent to tempt vs The assaults of the Diuell are most violent at the houre of death and to lay his snares to intrap vs when hee perceiueth our end to be at hand and when he seeth it standeth him vpon to win or lose that soule which so many yeeres by so many sleights so many suggestions he hath endeuoured to make sure vnto him then especially he tempteth him touching the verity of his beleefe and perswadeth him to infidelity setteth before the eies of his minde the greatnesse of his sinnes the seuerity of the Iudge the inequality of all the good he hath done in his whole life to that eternall blessednes which God hath prepared for those that are his children Thus and by these meanes hee assaieth to driue a miserable sinner into despaire and whom in his â—ife time he deceiued by flatâ—eries at his death hee tyranâ—iseth ouer him The feare of a iust man at the houre of death And this is â—he cause why many godly â—nd zealous men who in the whole course of their life â—aue serued God doe neuerâ—helesse feare this last houre â—f death lest that then they â—hould yeeld to those violent â—mptations of the Diuell or opeare emptie before so â—eat a Iudge And yet doest thou thinke at that houre to be conuerted when the iustest men that are feare to be peruerted Wilt thou aduenture the state of thy saluation to that time wherin thou art subiect to greatest danger And thinkest thou to perfect that great and difficult worke of thy conuersion which in the best strength of thy body and in the whole race of thy life thou couldest hardly performe in a moment of time when thou art compassed with so many griefes so many dangers The departure of a sinfull soule out of his body not one but innumerable legions of Diuels doe attend to require their hire for their seruice presenting before his eies those sinâ— they haue tempted him vnto so carry him with them into vtter darknesse Ioh. 14. Yea they faile not to attempt the souls of Gods children when they depart out of their bodies alleging vnto them that this and this they haue done for them and that they haue returned this and this seruice vnto them If the Prince of this world the Diuell sought after something of his euen in Christ himselfe dying according to the flesh though nothing hee could finde confider how carefull and cruell â—e will be to require his own of thee at thy houre of death â—t is apparent and thou canst â—ot deny but that hee may â—inde much of his in thy selfe â—nd miserable and wretched man that thou art what wilt thou then do when he shal arrest thee for that that is his own what wilt thou answer Doest thou thinke that the Angels of God will be ready at hand to rescue thee and to deliuer thee out of his hold Forasmuch therefore deare Brother as it cannot but plainly appeare vnto thee that death lies in wait for thee in all places and at all times and that it followeth thee as thy shadow doth thy body if thou be wise doe thou likewise expect it in all places and at all times being euery day euery houre ready as iâ— euery day euery houre were the houre of thy death Thou knowest not in what place at what houre it will encounter thee and therefore expect it in all places and at all times If it hasten to come vnto thee doe thou make as good speed to be ready for it to liue well and like a good debtor bee euer prepared to pay Nature hir due whensoeuer it shall bee demanded So husband and order euerie day as if it were the last day of thy life when thou risest in the morning thinke not thou shalt liue till night and when thou goest to thy bed thinke thou goest to thy graue and that thou shalt neuer see the morning light From this time forward so liue that at the houre of death thou maist rather reioice than feare and that thou maist die well learne to liue well that thou maist flie from the vengeance to come yeeld fruits worthie repentance before it come That feare that vseth to be in a man dying let it be alwaies in thee liuing So shalt thouvanquish death when it comes if before it come thou alwaies feare it CHAP. III. That our last day is hidden from vs to the end that all the daies of our life should bee as our last BVT perhaps thou wilt say that I tell thee that death attends thee and euerie houre of thy life hangs ouer thy head like a sword hanging by a haire point pendant that I perswade thee to bee as readie to fall vpon thee that thou hast obeied my counsell and oftentimes prepared thy selfe to entertaine it whensoeuer it come but it hath as often deceiued thee and neuer came and therefore I do thee wrong to perswade thee by an euerlasting cogitation of death to liue a dying life and to let slip the pleasures and delights of this world Resp O my good brother suspend thy iudgement a while for I dare make good vnto thee that by this continuall cogitation of death thou losest not the delights of this World Prouer. 15 For a good conscience is a continuall feast and thou shalt receiue greater coÌ„fort by seruing the God of all comfort consolation than this wretched world replenished with miseries yea there is no torment greater than a wicked conscience for where God is not there can no comfort be found No tormeÌ„t to a wicked conscience O that thou haddest but tasted euen with the tip of thy toong the vnspeakable sweetnesse of a spirituall delight thou wouldest contemne all the fading pleasures of this life Cantic 1. and runne after the sweet odours of those heauenly comforts Thou seest the crosses and afflictions of spirituall men their wounds but not their ointments thou seest them outwardly cast downe like abiects but inwardly thou discernest not their happinesse Outward torments of spirituall men inward ioies for their spirituall ioy is as insensible as it is vnspeakable and can neuer be in any man that admitteth any other Be not therefore so peremptorie in thy censures and thinke not that the feare of death and the seruice of God doe robbe thee of the ioies of this life But be it as thou saiest we will yeeld so much vnto thy obstinacie A continuall preparation for death is good Why doest
thou complaine and afflict thy selfe that thou hast many times liued well and beene prouided for death when death came not That the remembrance of thy end hath taken often times from thee those pleasures and delights that in themselues are to a man wicked and deceitfull O how happy wert thou and again and again blest of God if in this maner thou diddest alwaies expect death if thou wert euery day such a one as thou wishest to bee at the point of death if from thy youth thou barest the yoke of the Lord if thou didst alwaies watch and stand vpon thy guard because thou knowest not at what houre the Lord will come for blessed wert thou if when hee commeth hee shall finde thee waking God would that the houre of our death should bee hidden from vs The day of death vucertain to the end that wee being vncertaine when wee shall die should bee alwaies found ready for death that whilest the last day is vnknowen wee should obserue all as if all were the last If thou were set at a Table where there are many dishes set before thee to eat among which thou art told that one hath poison in it wouldest thou not abstaine from them all lest thou shouldest happen to light vpon that that is poisoned There is one day of death a dangerous day vnto thy soule which because thou knowest not is it not wisedome in thee to suspect euery day For if thou knewest at what houre thou shouldest depart out of this world thou wouldest diuide thy times some to pleasure some to praier some to repentance and knowing how long thou hast to liue thou woldst likewise know when to abstaine from thy delights and pleasures But forasmuch as a present life is alwaies vncertaine by so much the more whilest it stealingly comes vpon vs it is to bee feared by how much the lesse it may bee foreseene and therfore of all other times the houre of death is most to be feared because it can neuer bee foreseene Matth. 24.43 and woorse auoided If the goodman of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to bee digged thorow Therefore be ye also ready for ye know not the houre when the Son of man will come whether in the euening or at midnight at the crowing of the cocke or in the morning lest when he commeth suddenly vpon you hee shall finde you fleeping When hee gaue that commandement to his Disciples saying Watch and pray Luke 12.36 â—ee afterwards added That which I say vnto you I say vnto all Watch. Watch therfore my deare Brother like vnto that man that waiteth for his master when hee will returne from the wedding that when hee commeth and knocketh he may open vnto him immediately Which thou canst not better do than to be prepared at all houres as if euery houre were the houre of thy death If any greeuous sicknesse happen vnto thee A sicke man desires that time of repentance which a sound neglecteth that hath in it any apparent tokens of death thou presently crauest a truce for a time and desirest to liue that thou maist bewaile thy sinnes and thy time mispent and thou promisest repentance and amendment of life which thou hast no sooner obtained but as soone thou forgettest and with the dog thou returnest to thy vomit againe The time of repentance is granted thee and God expecteth a time to pardon thee and yet thou doest not onely not bewaile thy sinnes past but thou takest a greater ioy and comfort in those that are past in those that are to come Esay 30. If thou borrow a thing of another man thou takest a care to vse it whilest thou hast it because thou knowest it shall shortly be taken from thee and yet this corruptible body of â—hine which God hath lent â—hee for the vse of thy soule and for the saluation thereof is not thine but shall shortâ—y be taken from thee thou dâ—est not only not vse to the health of thy soule but thou euery day abusest to the vtter ruine and damnation therof and by how much thy life is longer by so much thy sinnes are greater yea they increase not with the daies but the houres and moments of thy life Yesterday thou mightest haue died Pro lucro tibi pone diem quicâ—nque 〈◊〉 and yet thou art nor dead Inasmuch therfore as thou art aliue to day account it amongst thy gaines Why our daies are prolonged for therfore doth the Lord prolong thy daies of grace that thou maist repent and attaine the greater glory For as the very sleep of the Saints of God is not without goodnesse so thou shouldest not let passe a moment of time without the practise and performance of some good Rich men and such as are able to keepe and maintaine a great family vse neuerthelesse to belong to those that are richer and mightier than themselues in whose seruice they depriue themselues of many benefits and freedomes of nature in hope and expectation only which many times deceiueth them of bettering their fortunes and ioining house vnto house and land â—nto land If then such as aâ—ound in â—â—hes are content with the losse of liberty and so much labour to increase â—heir riches which then increase most when the least commodities are not neglected how much doth it stand â—hee vpon that art the seruant of Christ Iesus to heape vp vnto thy selfe those spiritual riches that must saue thy soule Though thou haue liued well and art rich in good workes yet when thou art dying thou couldest be content thou haddest liued better and for one good worke thou hast done thou wishest thou hadst done a thousand why then doe that now whilest thou liuest that thou wouldest be glad thou hadst done when thou art dying One starre differeth from an other starre in glory 1. Cor. 15.41 there are many mansions in the kingdom of heauen by how much the more good then thou doest vpon earth by so much the greater glory shalt thou haue in heauen As no sinne escapeth vnpunished so no good that thou doest vnrewarded Matth. 10.30 All thy daies are no lesse numbred than the haires of thy head and as a haire of thy head shall not perish so not a moment of time God rewardeth great labours with great bounties which though in appearance they seeme to be small yet in effect and operation they are vnspeakable Thy labours are but short the crowne eternall set that which thou here sufferest Repentance crucifieth Righteousnesse pacifieth Life eternall glorifieth to that that thou there hopest to obtaine The afflictions of this life are not worthie the sinne passed that for them is remitted the present comfort that for them is giuen the future glorie that for them is promised Thou labourest heere for a time that thou maiest not labour for euer with the damned thy labour is momeÌ„tary thy ioy eternall
to turne vnto the Lord yea deferre it not vntill to morrow for the day of the Lord commeth as a theefe in the night and an houre that thou knowest not 1. Thes 5. If thou turne not vnto God Psalme 7. God wil draw foorth the sword of his vengeance hee will bend his bow and make ready his arrowes from whose anger to come that thou maiest flie do workes worthy repentance and that whilest the God of patience and long sufferance detaineth his anger whilest he deserreth to strike whilest he considereth thee a sinner and yet expecteth thy conuersion whilest hee beareth with thy iniquities in hope at the last to withdraw thee from them But thou the longer hee beareth with thy sinnes the longer thou continuest in thy sinnes whereby it commeth to passe that that long sufferance of God that should draw thee to repontance and out of the lawes of death and hell â—andeth thee the faster in the bands of death and because thou hast turned thy times of repentance vnto sin the seuere Iudge will turne those arguments of his loue and mercy into a punishment for by so much the more seuerely will hee come vnto iudgement by how much the more before it hee shewed himselfe patient and mercifull That which hee now winketh at with mildenesse and loue when he commeth to iudge hee will exact with straitnesse and seueritie Take heed therefore lest thou contemne those times that God hath giuen thee to repent and thou neglect the care of thy saluation lest thou turne the clemencie of the Iudge and those proroged times of mercy and repentance into arguments of thy greater damnation lest that long life which thou hast receiâ—ed from thy meâ—ciâ—◠〈…〉 God doe 〈…〉 greaâ—er increase or thy condemnation Behold now is the time of reconciliation and repentance not of pleasure and carnall delight heereafter shall bee the time of reward of retribution Behold now is the acceptable time the day of saluation and mercy heereafter shall be the time of rigor and vengeance Shall then these dales of saluation passe away as if thou thoughtest not of them There is nothing more precious than time and yet to thee nothing more contemptible It is the manner of such as get their liuing by their labour in the end of their labours when they looke for their hire to be most diligent and painful So thou forasmuch as thoâ— knowest not how soone thy labours shall haue an end whatsoeuer thy hand can do doe it instantly Luke 12. Be alwaies prouided for thou knowest not what houre the Sonne of man will come that when hee commeth atcording to thy workes hee may iudge thee Thou hast no long race to runne for whether thou wake or sleepe or whatsoeuer thou doest euerie houre and moment of thy life is a steppe vnto death which perhaps thou art neerer vnto than thou art aware of For when thou goest to sleepe thou art not sure thou sâ—alt awake again and when thou awakest thou art not â—ure thou shalt goe to 〈◊〉 rest vntill thou haue taâ—â—â—â—p thy last rest Where 〈…〉 thou bee wise in the whole course of thy lise learne to die and bee prepared thereunto euerie houre of thy life as if euerie houre were the houre of thy death Thinke euery moment thou must die because thou art sure though now thou liue thou must die Which if it bee so take no â—reat care by what accident then shalt die but dying whiâ—her thou must goe for nothing maketh death good or ill but that which followeth death Death is deadly to the wicked but precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 115. which death God of his infinite mercie giue vs euen for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake Amen The Second Part of the exhortation to repentance CHAP. I. That restitution is an excellent testimony of remission of sinnes SEcondly perhaps thou wilt say thou couldest be content to repent but thou canst not finde in thy heart to restore that which either by fraud or violence thou hast taken from another for now thou art rich and needest the helpe of no man Res Thou knowest not my deare Brother that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Consider with thy selfe that if God at the day of iudgement shall with such anger say vnto those that haue not giuen their goods vnto the poore Depart ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuel and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat Matth. 25. I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me not I was naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not how shall his anger increase when he shall say I was hungrie I was thirstie and yee took from me that sustinance that I had I was naked and you robbed me of that little that remained vnto me We read not of that rich man in the Gospell that hee got his goods vniustly but only that hee vsed that which hee had intemperatly and vnfruitfullie and yet he was tormented in hell fire and desired a drop of cold water but could not obtaine it How then shalt thou bee saued that hast vniustly scraped thy riches together Canst thou possibly thinke that thou shalt not bee more damned than hee Gather heereby how great a damnation hangeth ouer thy head that doest wrongfully detaine another mans goods if they vndergoe so heauy a iudgement that indiscreetly do vse their owne Consider how heauilie goods wrongfullie gotten doe presse thee downe if such as are lawfully come by not well bestowed bring so vnspeakable a torment What doest thou deserue for wronging another if charity not well vsed deserue such punishment And if he bee subiect to damnation that detaineth his owne what is hee that taketh away another mans If hee shall haue iudgement without mercy that doth no workes of mercy what iudgement may he looke for that is cruell and bloodie that taketh from the poore whereas hee should giue and decketh himselfe with the spoiles of other men that liues in plenty by the famine of the poor and pampers his bellie with that that should feed them The poore being oppressed crie for vengeance vnto the Lord and God who is a iealous and a mightie God will be their reuenger The Lord will come yea hee will come and not stay and in a time of vengeance hee will destroy him If thy body be diseased or thy friend fallen sicke thou art content to recouer it if need bee euen with the losse of all thy goods that thou hast now thy owne soule is falling into eternall damnation and for the saluation therof doest thou refuse to make restitution of a trifle which thou detainest from another man Thou sellest thy selfe at a base price if for another mans goods thou losest thy owne soule It is a folly to make thy siluer gold more precious than
thy selfe that art aboue all price Christ once died for our sinnes the iust for the vniust and doest thou thinke the heaping together of riches to bee more precious than the redemption of thy soule by the blood of Christ For when thou takest another mans goods thou art taken by the Diuell and as long as thou detainest them thou art detained by the Diuell Thou possessest gold and losest heauen thou detainest another mans goods vniustlie and iustlie losest thy heauenlie inheritance The gaine is vniust the losse iust the gaine in thy chest the losse in thy conscience and therefore if thou be wise let that worldly gaine perish that bringeth with it the losse of thy soule What good is it vnto thee if thou gaine the whole world and lose thy owne soule if thou get vnto thy selfe whatsoeuer is without thee and damnest thy inward essentiall part euen that that thou art Woe to thee that spoilest Esay 33.1 when thou shait cease to spoile shalt thou not bee spoiled Those riches that thou hast deuoured When wee die wee leaue all behind vs. thou shalt vomit vp and God will draw them out of thy belly When thou shalt sleepe in death thou shalt carie nothing with thee thou shalt open thine eies and finde nothing Naked thou camest into the world and naked thou goest out thy riches were neither born with thee neither must they depart with thee for as when thou fittest downe at a rich mans table there are set before thee vessels of gold and siluer the vse whereof thou only hast which if out of simplicity thou thinkest to bee thy owne and wilt take them away with thee thou shalt not bee permitted so to doe but rather as a theefe bee apprehended and cast into prison Euen so thou broughttest nothing into the world neither shalt thou carrie any thing out for poore thou camest into the world and poore thou shalt depart At thy death all that thou hast shall bee diuided into three parts Thy body which thou hast so carefully pampered shall be giuen to the wormes Thy soule which thou hast so carelesly neglected shall goe to the Diuell Thy temporall goods which by deceit and villanie thou hast scraped together shall be left vnto thy heires either prodigall or vnthankful who shall make themselues merrie with the fruit of thy labours thy vnrighteousnes whilest thou for them art tormēted in hell Heere they shall enioy thy gooods whilest thou in hell art depriued of all ioy and euerlastinglie tortured for getting those goods heere they shall laugh whilest thou in hell doest weepe Thine heires too if God bee not the more mercifull when they haue heere runne their race shall bee companions in thy torments which companie of theirs shall bee no comfort vnto thee but because thy goods ill gotten were a helpe to their damnation thy damnation shall still be increased If therefore thou pity not thy selfe yet pitie thy children and thy childrens children to the third and fourth generation ouer whose head there must euer hang a iudgement so long as thy euill gotten goods which like a cankar fret and consume the rest of their substance stickes by them And by their wils it is likelie they shall euer sticke by them for how should they after so manie yeeres past make restitutiō of that which is lawfully descended vpon them though vnlawfully gotten by thy selfe Yea it is likely that a long successiue inheritance will so knit their affections thereunto that if they knew the restitution of them would free thee from thy torments they would not doe it And no maruell neither if others loue their owne riches more than another mans soule since thou louest them more than thy owne soule How many like vnto thy selfe haue endeuored to bee rich in this world and haue no sooner gotten them but are inforced as soone to leaue them From whom sudden death hath suddenly and together taken away what soeuer their wickednesse hath neither suddenly nor together gotten to themselues They haue left their riches ill gotten found punishment neuer sought for Their bodies in the graue are deuoured with wormes their souls in hell tormented by diuels And euen so thou deteinest with thy selfe many things vniustly gotten which perhaps because thou art shortly to die thou shalt neuer spend and yet thou shalt giue an account of them vnto God and for them bee damned in hell and it shall nothing pleasure thee among thy torments nay it shall hurt thee much that thou didest heere possesse them But behold almightie God who iudgeth our transgressions and hath called those first to iudgement doth still expect thee to repentance and doth beare with thee that thou maist turne vnto him He hath already pronouneed his sentence against them lest thy soule should likewise perish with theirs hee patiently expecteth thy conuersion and prorogeth his vengeance But thou still persistest in thy sinnes nay thou euery day heapest sinne vpon sinne For as often as thou thinkest with thy selfe that thou keepest another mans goods wrongfully against the wil of the true owner and yet purposest still to keep it not restore it so often thou committest a new sinne Now consider with thy selfe how often by this meanes thou hast sinned Thou hast many times since the detention and possession of thy vnlawfull gaine repented thee of thy sinne but God knoweth to small purpose for thy repentance is sinne August And therfore saith S. Augustine If goods vnlawfully gotten may bee restored and are not repentance is not done but dissembled If thou haue a troublesome creditor thou speedest thy paiments thou giuest him what thou hast and thou borrowest of others if thou want thou fearest if thou shouldest defer thy paiment anie longer he will bee more troublesome and either defame thee or cast thee into prison Fearest thou then a temporall punishment and doest thou presently make satisfaction and yet nothing fearing the eternall punishment of thy soule doest thou not care to make restitution O miserable man and of a preposterous iudgement doest thou feare the punishment of this life and fearest thou not the sorrowes of hell Wherefore deare brother quit thy selfe of those fading corruprible goods which thou vniustly deteinest restore vnto thy neighbor that which is his owne that thou maiest be restored vnto God lest thou lose thy temporall riches and finde the eternall damnation of thy own soule Without the great mercy of God thou canst not attaine to the ioies of heauen except thou make restitution of the vttermost farthing The way to come vnto thy owne is to restore that which is another mans CHAP. II. That man must not feare his confusion with men that will finde grace and fauour with God BVt perhaps thou wilt say if I should make restitution for all the wrong I haue done I should wrong my selfe and whereas I am rich become poore and vnable to maintame my charge and that pompe and credit I liue in and
then what will the speech of the people bee of mee and how ridiculous shall I be to my best friends Res Men perhaps my deare brother will speake ill of thee but yet onely euill men who for the most part thinke those mad men whose example they cannot yet ought to imitate who dispraise that vertue they will not follow commend that vice which they embrace If this they did out of iudgement not rather out of ignorance and malice there were reason why thou shouldest be mooued therewith It is a commendable thing to bee commended by commendable men and there is no greater dispraise than the praise of the wicked But let vs yeeld so much to thy obstinacie that thou art heereby made ridiculous to good men too yet this should bee no reason to deter thee from that which is iust and right For the speech of men and their slanders cannot deliuer thee from the fire of hell A mans conscience a thousand witnesses but the feare of God and thy iust dealing proceeding from a liuely faith in the merits of Christ Iesus whether thou bee praised or dispraised returne into thy selfe and thy owne conscience if there thou finde not any thing that is woorthy commendations thou art rather to be pitied than admired and if there thou finde not that euill for which thou art dispraised thou art to reioice in the Lord and to contemne the bad speeches of other men For what is it to thee though men praise thee if thy conscience accuse thee Or why shouldest thou bee sorrie if all men accuse thee when thy owne conscience shall defend thee Our glory and our reioycing 2. Cor. 1. Iob 17. saith Saint Paul is the testimonie of our conscience And Iob saith Loe my witnesse is in heauen and my record is on high Why art thou troubled with the censures of men so long as thou knowest God to bee thy Iudge that must iudge them and thee If thy witnesse bee in heauen and in thy heart suffer fooles to speake their pleasure and grieue not at it So long as thou seekest the glory and praise of men and to please their eie and their eare thou carest not to please him that seeth thee from heauen if thou wilt serue men thou canst not be the seruant of Christ What is more vile more base than to affect glorie and honor amongst men and not to feare confusion ignominie in the presence of the highest Iudge Thou art more carefull to satisfie the eie of man than of God and thou art not afraid to do that before God which before man thou art ashamed of yea thou louest more the outward applause of the people than the inward peace of thy minde the puritie of thy conscience Amongst men thou desirest to seeme that thou art not pure when thou art most impure outwardly rich when thou art inwardly poore outwardly full when inwardly emptie outwardly gaie when inwardly naked outwardly a Lord when inwardly a seruant outwardly the seruant of God when inwardly the seruant of the diuell outwardly a man inwardly a beast outwardly a saint when inwardly execrable and odious to God and man If thou didest desire glorie in heauen thou wouldst not feare shame and ignominie vpon earth for euery man where he seeketh glorie there hee feareth confusion What shall it profit thee if the world shal commend thee and extoll thee to the heauens since the praises of men cannot heale a wounded conscience nor the opprobrious speeches of a slanderer wound a good conscience What good shall the glorie of this world doe thee if in hell where thou shalt be thou bee ignominiously tormented and in the world where thou art highly extolled It is a folly to measure thy owne worth by the opinion of the common people in whose power it is at their pleasure to praise and dispraise to giue honour and to take it away againe And therefore if thou place thy glory in their lips thou shalt be sometimes great somtimes little sometimes nothing at all as it shal please the toongs of flatterers to commend or condemne thee Glory flies him that followeth it and followeth him that flies it There is one only honour to bee desired of a Christian man and that is not to bee praised of men but of God And if thou contemne humane glory be sure that God will glorifie thee liuing and dead too It is a dishonourable thing for thee being a Christian and a follower of Christ to be affected with the scornes and slanderous speeches of other men and thereby to bee withdrawen from good works since thou knowest that thy Sauiour Christ Iesus endured the like scornes and woorse Matth. 10. For if they call the master of the house Beelzebub how much more his houshold seruants Christ Iesus contemning the vaine praises of men refused the offered glory of a Kingdome and was content to take vpon him the ignominious death of the Crosse and being the Sonne of God was called the sonne of a carpenter a transgressour of the law a seducer of the people a blasphemer of God a wine bibber a friend of sinners and Publicans and yet fearest thou a base worme of the earth the slanders of men for that for which the God of Maiestie and the Lord of the Saboth hath suffered by men so opprobrious speeches Doest thou feare to displease those whom Christ displeased for thee Wilt thou seeme glorious in the world when Christ would be contemned and scoft at for thee Christ was mocked of the Iewes and wilt thou be honored Wilt thou deck thy selfe with goodly apparell when Christ by the Iewes was clothed with ignominious garments hung naked vpon the Crosse for thee Matth. 10. The disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his lord Why then art thou proud thou dust and ashes why gloriest thou in thy gay clothes the worme is spred ouer thee and the wormes couer thee Esay 14.1 But to say the trueth thou that thinkest thy selfe so goodly a creature when thou hast trimmed thy selfe in thy best attire what art thou but a pain̄ted sepulchre painted without but full of stench and rottennesse within For though thy flesh be adorned with pretions garments what is it more than flesh that is a stincking seed a sacke of corruption worms meat Flesh is dissolued into rottennesse rottennesse into wormes wormes into dust what is more stincking than a dead mans carcase what more horrible than a dead man That countenance which in life was most beautifull in death is most gastly most horrible Thou art earth in thy original a sparke in the breuitie of thy life dust and ashes in the condition of thy death As fire speedily turnes stubble into sparks so death as speedily turnes thee and thy glory into ashes O if thou couldest truly consider what thou art according to thy body thou wouldest presently be ashamed of the beautie and riches of thy garments and thou wouldest vse them
spirituall graces by sinne art made vnworthy the bread that thou eatest and being depriued of thy greatest good art fallen into thy greatest miserie As vertue is the beauty of the soule so sin is the deformity thereof If thou sawest thy soule thou wouldest blush at the basenesse and misery thereof and wouldest endeuour to recouer the grace of her ancient dignitie If thou haue an arrow in thy body thou hastenest to plucke it out and if thou fall into the durt thou arisest presently The hurt silth of thy bodie doest thou with such diligence desire to free thy selfe of and yet art thou content to suffer thy soule to wallow in her pollution And though the soule was not made for the bodie but the bodie for it yet thou neglectest the care of thy soule and followest that of the bodie with all that is in thee Thou that neglectest thy soule though thou take care to trim vp thy body yet thou neglectest them both whereas if thou tookest care to adorne thy soule though thou neglect thy body thou sauest both CHAP. VI. How miserable the despaire a sinner is at the point of death Consider a little my deare brother how often and how grieuously thou hast offended thy Lord God yea more often more grieuously than many who are now deseruedly tormented in the fire of hell and then call vnto minde how great a benefit God hath bestowed on thee in staying and attending that he might haue mercy on thee in yeelding vnto thee out of his mercy a time of repentance who long since shouldest haue beene tormented in hell fire Whereas if God a iust Iudge strong and patient in al those houres and moments wherein thou hast offended him had permitted thee as he hath diuers others to haue died a sudden death alas where had thy soule beene The Lord hath brought thy soule out of hell Psal 30. hee hath reuiued thee from them that goe downe into the pit and yet thou ceasest not to sinne but more and more thou drawest neere to the gates of hell If all that are damned in bel had but halfe an houre of thy life that by repentance they might rise to a glorious life dost thou think that as thou doest so they would spend it vnprofitablie and neglect their present opportunitie What would they not doe to free themselues from the torment of that fire But thou on the other side whilest the merciful God giueth thee a time of repentance abusest it out of the malice of thy nature to the committing of greater wickednesse The daies will come yea they wil come and not faile Luk. 23. wherin despairingly thou shalt say to the hilles fall vpon me to the mountaines couer mee and then thou shalt crie out for a time of repentance but thou shalt crie not be heard For it is iust that thou that wouldest not turne vnto God whilest â—hou mightest shouldest not haue power to doe it when thou wouldest doe it too late God after death forgiueth not him that before death thought scorne to aske forgiuenesse Wherefore whilest thou hast time doe good for the night will come when thou canst not labour Consider a little vnhappie man that thou art if sudden death should haue inuaded thee impenitent ouerladen with many sinnes not giuing thee any time of repentance in the time instant of death how miserable had thy despaire beene How great had the terror of thy mind been how vnspeakable the feare of the Iudge how great a horror of imminent torment in hell had inuaded thee Then with million of teares thou wouldest thus haue bewailed thine owne damnation O fading and deceitful life full of many snares The complaint of a sinner dying Yesterday I did reioice now I am sorie then I laught now I weepe then I was strong now I am weake then I liued now I die then I seemed happie now am serable and a wretched creature I do not so much lament my departure out of this life as the losse of those daies and moneths and yeeres wherein I haue laboured in vaine and in vaine haue spent the strength of my daies All the time that was giuen mee to liue I haue spent in all maner of sinne and iniquitie and so long as I liued I rather obeied mine own concupiscence than the inspirations precepts of God This rotten carcase of mine which the wormes are presently to denoure I euer tooke care to helpe and to comfort but my soule which presentlie shall be brought before God and his Angels vnto iudgement I contemned 2 King 4.27 tooke no care with vertue and religion to adorne it and this is the cause why my soule is vexed within mee O my vanitie ô my pride ô my pleasure whether are yee gone what haue you profited me What haue you left vnto me for all the seruice I haue done vnto you in the whole course of my life Nothing but a gnawing and tormenting conscience For your seruice I made my selfe an enemie vnto God a slaue to the diuell I lost heauen and got hell I lost infinite ioies and got eternall lamentation I am depriued of the societie of Angels and haue made my selfe a companion to the citizens of nell Pleasures and riches and honors with all the fading allurements of this deceitful world are past and gone and they are as if they neuer had been Wisd 1. they quickly appeared and as speedily they vanish yea they are past away like a shadow like an arrow flying in the aire like a messenger that passeth and is gone like a ship in the sea whose path is not seene The time of my life is past and glided away it cannot return in whose though shortest delay ô how much good could I haue done ô how great a treasure of spirituall goods could I haue gathered vnto my selfe which now in my fading time might haue made mee friends in the eternall tabernacles of God! of the least whereof I should now more reioice than of millions of gold and siluer But a good purpose without a beginning a will without worke good promises without execution and the expectation of a morrow that neuer came haue vndone me Wo be vnto me that so long put it off so long delayed my conuersion How happie is a mature repentance and conuersion because secure Whereas hee that repenteth too late can neuer bee sure because hee knoweth not whether hee repent truely or fainedly for it is likely that hee rather repenteth out of a feare of punishment than out of loue towards God O my gold and siluer ô my possessessions my precious garments wherein I was wont to content my selfe I faile you you faile not me I leaue you I can not carrie you with mee Oh that I had beene so happie as neuer to haue seene you that of all men liuing I had beene the poorest for then had I neuer beene called to an account either for misspending or vniustly detaining you O
Paradise vnto thee and thou wouldest not enter I haue offered thee my grace and thou hast neglected it I haue a long time forborne thee sinning being readie to receiue thee repenting Psal 147.20 and yet by all these testimonies of my loue thou hast not turned vnto me Matt. 11.21 I haue not dealt so with euerie nation neither haue they knowen my iudgements If these things had beene done in Tirus and Sidon they had repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes What could I haue done more for thee that I haue not done Tell mee ô mortall and passible man what hast thou euer suffered for mee thy Creator thy benefactor who being impassible and immortall haue suffered and died for thee and yet thy reprobate heart obdurate and obstinate so great benignitie so feruent loue so vehement a louer hath not mollified I that so loued such a one freely without desert how yea how without measure did I deserue to be beloued againe especially considering that when I was not beloued I first loued thee For these and other innumerable benefits bestowed vpon thee though thou canst neuer yeeld sufficient thanks yet I required no other at thy hands but that thou wouldest return loue for loue and that for my sake thou wouldest tender thine owne saluation and abstiane from those sinnes which I hate What I commanded theâ— was no way beneficiall to my self but to thee only that wert commanded for I had no need of thy goodnesse but thou of mine But thou neuerthelesse hast returned mee hatred for loue and euill for good yea thou hast fallen from mee to the diuell thine enemie vngratefull and inconsiderate of thine owne saluation and of thine own accord hast bound thy selfe to an vniust tyrannicall lord master Neuerthelesse al these thy foresaid wrongs and ingratitudes I haue patiently borne I haue a long time attended thy leisure to haue mercy on thee being alwaies readie to forgiue if in anie indifferent time thou hadst come vnto mee yea and to that end I called thee and in a manner intreated thee whilest I staied at the doore of thy minde knocking and calling thee Turne vnto mee and I will turne vnto thee yet thou wouldest not harken vnto my voice It is therfore iust and necessarie that thou that contemnest mee in thy life time shouldest bee contemned by mee being dead And therefore depart from mee thou accursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels there to remaine for euer and euer CHAP. VII Of the paines of hell IT remaineth my deare brother that thou heare what punishment in that bottomlesse pit of hell woorthy thy wickednesse thou wert or yet art to endure except in time by repentance thou auert the sentence of so seuere a Iudge First thou that hast not sinned but willingly in hell shalt endure all maner of torment vnwillingly There shal bee vnspeakeable varietie of tortures and miseries intollerable torments and eternity without end the affliction both of body and soule shall be diuers bitter and euerlasting Because thou hast committed diuers sinnes therfore thou shalt suffer diuers punishments for euery sinne thou hast heere committed shall haue a torment answerable therunto and according to the measure of thy offences shall the retribution of Gods vengeance be such as thy sinne hath been such shal be thy paine For notwithstanding the fire of hell bee one and the same for by a metaphor of fire doth the Holy Ghost especially expresse the torment of hell vnto vs yet it burneth and tormenteth not all the damned after one maner As euen in this world many liue vnder one and the same Sunne but yet all doe not equally feele the heat thereof because 〈◊〉 are not alike in the qualitie and constitution of their bodies And as with one and the same fire straw doeth otherwise burne than wood or iron so there in one and the same fire there is not one and the same heat because what heere the diuers qualitie of the bodie worketh there doth the diuersitie of sinnes the same But touching this fire of hell forasmuch as it is but a metaphor which the holiâ— Ghost vseth to expresse 〈◊〉 to vs the greatnesse of the torments that there are anâ— no materiall fire as some 〈◊〉 dreame giue me leaue as the spirit of God heerein humbleth it selfe to the capaciâ—â— of man so to expresse by this materiall fire that thou seest and feelest at the least some shadow of those torments thou shalt feele in hell For notwithstanding it bee beyond the capacitie of man to conceiue what these torments are yet by those things wee see and feele and can conceiue let vs gesse at those we know not The holy Ghost hath compared it to fire so let mee though I confesse there can be no proportion betwixt corruptible incorruptible things whether they be good or ill Neuerthelesse to the end thou maiest haue a taste of this fire of hel consider with thy selfe if thou put the tip of thy finger into this visible materiall fire neuer so little time what misery what paine what torment doest thou endure And yet this our fire to that euerlasting fire is as a painted fire to a true In the middle of which our visible materiall fire if thou shouldest put thy whole finger how great a torment shouldest thou endure how great if thy whole hand if thy whole arme how much more great if thy whole bodie one whole day together nay one weeke nay a whole yere together From hence gather if thou canst how vnhappie thy soule shall be which must bee tormented in so great and so durable a fire Measure by this temporall torment how intollerable it shall be to thy soule to endure the heat of that vnquenchable fire on both sides within and without that for euer and euer For in this doeth our materiall fire differ from that that ours consumeth whatsoeuer it fasteneth vpon that where it once taketh hold it alwaies tormenteth and reserueth it whole and entire to a paine eternall that doeth naturally yeeld heat and light this vnspeakable heat with palpable darknesse In this for euer and euer desolate land of burning pitch and sulphure to the miserable damned soules there is nothing but desolation from which desolation there ariseth despaire from despaire hatred of God and blasphemie eternall terment continuall lamentation hourely yelling There nothing can be heard but mourning and howling and weeping and gnashing of teeth They that in this life were glutted with satietie in hell shall bee totmented with famine they shal begge a drop of water and shall not obtain it By that they finned they shal be punished and in what they most offended God in that shall they bee most tormented They shall alwaies burne in vnquenchable fire but neuer die bee filled with stench and glutted with torment they shal haue no comfort no counsell no hope of euasion but the sorrowes of death shall for euer compasse them In this