vertue that he can blot out our sinnes perticularly how many soeuer they be Iohn 1. Epist Chap. 2. ver 1. If any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the rightuous and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also the sinnes of the whole world THere is none without sinne and consequently al are guiltie before GOD yet behold the Apostle witnesseth that the Lord Iesus Christ doth pray and make request for vs as it is sayd in the Epistle to the Romaines Chap. 8. and to the Heb. Chap. 7. which intercession betweene God and man was of such force and vertue that no others but he was found worthie and able to make vs vnderstande the gentle and fauourable goodwill of God the father for he dyed for our sinnes vndertooke to make an agreement and reconciliation for our misdeedes to God which excellent and worthy desert is not onely restrayned to some particuler person but reacheth to all generally that all might perceiue the loue of their Redeemer Iohn 1. Epist Chap. 3. ver 10. In this are the children of God knowne and the children of the deuill whosoeuer doth not rightly is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother and this is appoynted a reward for sinnes THis place is like vnto the place afore rehearsed contayning more fully the loue and mercifulnesse of GOD towards vs in that he hath brought vs againe vnto him by his welbeloued Sonne who gaue himselfe for vs. Of faith in Christ Ioh. Cap. 3. ver 16. God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting THe beginning and first cause of our saluation is in GOD who in his mercie and fatherly loue saued vs. The second is in Christ who by the merite of his death passion redeemed vs the onely instrument and meanes to obtain such great good is by faith in Iesus Christ which is of such vertue and efficacie that by it man is reconciled vnto God by the free remission of sinne wherfore he cannot fall vtterly in as much as he is deliuered from eternall death and made partaker of an happie life Iohn Chap. 5. vers 24. Verely verely I say vnto you he that heareth my words and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shal not come into condemnation but passeth from death to life THis is to confirme our selues in the assurance wee haue in Christ and in the certaine perswasion of his doctrine when as wee doe vnderstand that our faith resting in him is not founded vppon a mortall man but on the very and true sonne of God wherefore it is sayde that we are iustified that wee are sanctified in and by the bloud of Christ Iesus Rom. Chap. 3. vers 27. we be absolued from our sinnes neither can bee condemned any wise beeing so warranted by him which is eternall by whome we obtaine life and felicitie which continueth for euer Rom. Chap. 10. vers 9. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeue in thy heart that God raysed him vp from death thou shalt be saued HOw easie the way of saluation is vnto vs S. Paule sheweth in this place not vsing many words neither sending vs backe to the profound and deepe secrets of almightie God but giueth vs to vnderstand that by the grace of God which is in vs we are saued if so be we hould fast the faith not lightly in the Braine but rooted profoundly in the heart apprehending perfectly Iesus Christ which once died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification as it is in the 4. Chap. of this Epistle And although the confession of the mouth bee required which principally serueth for an outward testimony and a manifest declaration of the hope which is in vs yet especially wee must haue the heart lyne lye touched with a sure perswasion of faith whose mouth will not bee stopped Seeing that with the heart we beleeue and with the mouth declare our iustification as the Prophet saith in 116. Psalme vers 10. I haue beleeued and therefore I haue spoken Acts Chap. 10. ver 43. To him do all the Prophets giue witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him might receiue remission of sinne IT is thē by the meanes of faith in Christ that we doe obtaine forgiuenesse of sinne if so be we assure and rest our selues wholy vppon the merrit and intercession of him following the predictions and writings not only of the Prophets but of those also which haue Prophesied in the vnitie of the same spirite whereby we attaine fully all the promises of eternall life by and through the meanes of Christ Iesus and let this be for a full confirmation of this Article Of Repentance FOr so much as the grace of God and saluation hath appeared to al men to the end we might giue ouer al vnfaithfulnesse and worldly desires and that we should liue iustly in all christianitie seeing we be bought by the bloud of the immaculate Lābe Iesus Christ and therefore ought to bee vnto him a peculiar people giuen vnto all good workes for this cause we must take great heede that we abuse not the great benignitie and long sufferance of God by continuing in sinne and iniquitie which is the only meanes to heape vppon vs his wrath and vengeaunce to our condemnation For whensoeuer we erre or fall into sinne whether it be by the imperfection of our nature or frailtie of our flesh sufficient meanes to heape the burning coles of Gods seueritie vpon vs if in iudgement hee should stand against vs yet we must not deferre from day to day but rent our heartes not our garments and in earnest contrition of our soules and sincere repenting by confessing our miserable estate and desirous to bee loosed from the heauie burden of our sinnes shewe all duetie and amendement of life For as saint Cyprian saith that the first degree of our felicitie is to commit no sinne so the second is to acknowledge our sinne committed Therefore whensoeuer we fall as who is not vncleane in the eyes of his Creator And the righteous man sinneth seauen times aday yet we must not lye groueling on the ground but rayse vp our selues by faith in the promises of God in the hope of eternall life assuring our selues that he will receiue vs to mercie and spred vpon vs his grace for he is our Shepheard and wee shall not want he hath placed vs as a signet on his finger and printed vs in the palme of his right hand so that none shall be able to plucke vs of or blot vs out of his remembrance but of his mercie he hath regenerated vs and made vs partakers of the inward washing sealed into vs in the outward Baptisme and grafting vs into the bodie of Christ by receiuing vs into his Church neuer to be hereafter excluded
an assurance of the remission of sinnes with the most notable promises of GOD conteyned in the holy Scripture as well in the old as new Testament briefly expounded and applied vnto the same IF hee to whome the forgiuenes of sinne is giuen froÌ„ whome sinne is put away bee happie as it is sayd in the xxxij Psalme Happie is the maÌ„ to whom God imputeth no sinne He needeth not to doubt but on the contrary parte he is vnhappie which is tyed and bound in sinne he must looke for none other thing but for his coÌ„demnation and ruyne onely Be it for a time he liues in ease takes his pleasure and altogether giues himselfe to delight though he be increased with honor and euery bodie doe loue and cheare him yet he is neuerthelesse vnhappie if he be not set at libertie by grace and forgiuenesse of his iniquities for sinne is a burthen so hard heauie that no man is able to beare it pulling downe euery one that is laden with it from whence it appeareth that some do bowe vnder it and falles into ruine and brings them selues into dispayre as it happened to Iudas Other being oppressed in such sort that they cannot scant receiue any comfort and rest I haue seene a man which hauing committed as himselfe doth confesse some great and notorious faults was so abated troubled in his spirite by the memorie of them that he did resemble a poore man which was indepted and condemned to a greeuous sufferance and shamefull death he did alwaies grone and sigh with the trouble and paine of his Soule feeling himselfe so guiltie and doubting of the mercies of God for the inormitie of his sinnes in such sort that he made not any account to eate any meate and refused to take any nourishment if hee had not beene carefully mooued thereunto by those which did keepe him companie his heart being so oppressed with dolor that sometimes he wished that his bodie might bee punished with Iustice and that hee might suffer some greeuous paine to make his torment lesse which hee thought hee had deserued in his soule Sometimes in his anguish he did require to bee comforted and receiued into the Church by publicke pennance but he was a straunger and did but passe away I haue seene an other which hauing a long time abused the true knowledge of God yet at the last had such remorse of conscience which did gnawe his heart so that he was constrayned to lye as sicke and out of breath See therefore how horrible heauie sinne is of it selfe from which whosoeuer is lightned though he bee neuer so poore miserable and dispised of the world or otherwise afflicted he is neuerthelesse an happie man The blinde man of this world doth not esteeme nor iudge of these things otherwise then by apparance of deceiptfull vanities and not in trueth as it appeareth daylie but the spirite of GOD doth teach the godly otherwise as it is afore sayd That man is then very happy that feeleth the grace of God to be such as to haue his sinne forgiuen him for then his coÌ„science is in peace and rest and he feareth not to perish neither hath he the iudgements of God in horror but assureth himselfe of his fauour and bountifulnesse which God is to be esteemed the greatest that a man can receiue in this mortall world Among the Sarasines those which haue not considered of thinges very narrowlie haue yet well knowne that it was a precious treasure not to bee troubled by any committed forfeite of which the most wittie and sufficient among them haue made a treatise which he calleth the quietnesse of the Soule but altogether ignorant of this poynt of the free forgiuenes of sinne as all other Philosophers not esteming any other rest of conscience but in vertue and integritie of life which is but an imagination of no value before God for this man is like vnto him which buildeth without foundatioÌ„ and would make a shew of that thing which is not For to come then vnto such blessednesse and to inioye so happie felicitie wee must knowe that GOD to whom we must giue an accompt is gentle and mercifull to whom wee ought to haue all our refuge being certaine that he will be quiet and mercifull towards vs neither imputing our iniquities but will forgiue vs them freely Then as the mâ—st sicke and lingering deseased haue more neede of remedies for to be helped and eased of their griefe and paine likewise also the most troubled soules which are tormented with sorrowe and anguish by feeling and acknowledging their greate sinnes dreading the anger and most feareful iudgement of God haue more neede of consolation and greater assurances of the mercie of God wherevpon their hope should be totally founded and rooted Who although some times they be debased by diuers temptations yet by the mercies of their God they neuer fall into any dissolation or confusion by dispaire although it happen that the most forwarde in Religion and in the feare of God haue to susteine many temptations of Sathan who doth often giue them hotte skirmishes and shooteth against them his poysoned and mortall arrowes for to abate their faith and to cast them into euerlasting distruction if it were possible for them so to fall and if they some times seeme to doubt being trobled by distrust and fearefulnes yet it neuer happeneth that they can fall vtterly from the trust which they once conceiued of the mercies of God Dauid was not without some anguish and perturbation of spirit when he cried My soule why art thou vexed and why art thou so disquieted within me But when he addeth by exhortation that it should hope still in God he declareth the stedfastnes and constancie of his faith wherein hee saith that he was shut vp from the sight of the Lorde it seemed that by the great aduersitie which hapned to him that God had cast him of and quite forsaken him yet he did not for all this leaue to call and to hope in him so that in the ende he was highly exalted And thus it happeneth oftentimes to the children of God finding them selues intangled with a gulfe of euils their hope seemeth to bee swallowed vp and drowned although in the end it freshly appeareth and lifteth vp the head and comming vnto it selfe againe wholy trusteth in GOD and resteth vnremoueable vpon his greate bountie and mercie in which onely they glade and comfort themselues and not by any vertue or desert which is in them aluding to that which is in the 9. Chap of Ieremie that he which glorieth may glorie in the Lorde that is in his blessednes and in his mercie In this point then consisteth our trust by the which wee must needes see what the foundation is and how farre it reacheth if so bee it bee firme and sure and because wee ought to bee certaine and resolued thereof for this cause wee will bring foorth the holy Scripture as wel of the Old
gentle and very ready to receiue vs into fauour of his bountifull fauour not imputing vnto vs our iniquities whereof wee maye haue alwaies cause to praise our God eternally after that he hath drawne vs forth out of the handes of the oppressors and calamities of this world and hath receiued vs into his eternall rest Psal 103. The Lorde is full of compassion and mercie slowe to anger and of great kindnesse he will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer He hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities for as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie towards them that feare him As farre as the East is from the West so farre hath he put our sinnes from vs. As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lorde compassion on them that feare him THe more a man is miserable and worthy of death and damnation the more the mercie of God surmounteth and ouerpasseth our miserie and calamitie which is declared vnto vs in diuers places of holy Scriptures as it may appeare in that which wee haue heretofore spoken of Exod. 34. which portion of Scripture is agreable vnto this although it containe a more ample declaration so great is the mercies of God to aduaunce and amplifie the time knowledge of him his clemencie towards his people by the ministrie of his Prophetes by whom the mercy of God is shewed vnto vs either by a singnall promise by holy scripture and marueilously amplified by comparisons parables both fit and excellent to this ende that we may be better perswaded of the Lord and his mercie as Dauid confesseth saying The Lord is mercifull gentle slow to anger and of great compassion These are the very selfe same titles which God doth attribute vnto himselfe in the place aforesayd wherein his nature is described vnto vs because this matter concerneth our saluation principally for this thing is shewed plainly by his effectes in that he saith That he is not alwaies angrie c. for seeing we be disobedient and rebellious vnto him and do not giue him such honour as wee ought yet he pleadeth not in his wrath against vs for to haue his right and that which especially doth pertaine vnto him but that which hee doth he doth by admonitions reprehensions threatnings of his worde corrections that her by he may punish the transgressors and in this maner it is sayd that by the space of fourtie yeeres he striued in the Wildernes with a stubber generation an vnthankfull people of Israel as the Prophet witnesseth in the 95. Psal vers 10. Neither leaueth he here but doth the like with their posteritie and ofspring in forbearing with their sinnes and wickednes as it appeareth in the first verse of the 4. Chap. of Hoseas in all which places hee sheweth himselfe marueilous patient when being Lord almightie and soueraine iudge of all the earth yet abaseth him selfe so much as to contende and maintaine his right against so poore and feeble creatures whome he might haue destroyed and ouerthrowen in a moment if he had extended his iust iudgement seueritie against them for although hee might iustly complaine of vs at all times and at euery hower because of our wickednesse yet hee is so mercifull that he chideth vs not continually but many times demisseth all complaints and suites and yeeldeth vp his owne right because his mercie endureth for euer neither doth he correct vs continually as we deserue neither is he angrie with vs for euer and although he punish vs for our iniquities yet not according to the custome of men who suffer them selues to bee caried away by the rage and strength of her violence and excessiue affections but according to the reprehension and feeling of those which hee striketh with his rodde and visiteth with his Plagues if hee seeme to be angrie it is for a time it can not continue for euer neither last long Wherefore they which be striken by him doe truely feele it and makes their coÌ„plaint vnto God saying why dost thou continue thine anger for euer or shal thy wrath burne against the sheepe of thy pasture Psal 74. How long Lord shal thine anger continue without ceasing Psal 79. vers 5. But if we consider the greatnesse and multitude of our sinnes wee shall finde that the wrath of God is of smale continuance towards vs seeing we bee not consumed of him we may finde him as wee imagine sharpe whereas on the contrary we shall thinke him in his great and inestimable goodnes freely to forgiue vs after so many sorts and fashions For this cause it is saide that his wrath continueth but a short time but in his fauour resteth life euerlasting Heauines may lodge with a man one night but ioye commeth in the morning as it appeareth by this which followeth The church speaking vnto God by declaring his euerlasting mercie that although he hideth his face â—rom them and consumeth them because of â—heir sinnes yet in as much as they bee the worke of his owne hands he will not suffer â—he Cittie of his Sanctuarie to lye waste Esay 54. For after that GOD had afflicted Israel by the Asserians and troubled them â—y the Madianites by the Philistines Moaâ—ites and such other nations that knew not him he sufficiently sheweth that he was angrie against his people yet in that he raised vp Iudges Heads and Captaines by whom he deliuered theÌ„ from the hands of their oppressors and gaue them quietnes and peace in the Land wherby he caused them to know that his indignation was past neither did it continue or last for euer The captiuitie of Babilon was an euident testimony of the wrath of God against the Iewes yet by the Commaundement and Edict of Cyrus hee brought them backe againe into their country and caused the people to knowe that hee had altogether ceased from his anger and put away the burning of his indignation as he sheweth in the 85. Psal vers 4. See how he hath quieted himselfe and doth not hould his anger for euer But all this which is spoken toucheth the faithfull onely as for the vnfaithfull which do not beleeue the wrath of God remaynes on them as it is said Ioh. Cha. 3. ver 36. The third effect of Gods clemencie the cheefest towards vs is that he rewardeth vs not acccording to our wickednes neither correcteth vs according to our sinnes for the fruites and reward of sinne is anguish tribulation damnation and death on euery soule as it is written to the Rom. Chap. 2. ver 9. and Chap. 6. vers 23. Then if God should punish vs and handle vs according to our deserts we should be excessiuely afflicted and continually in anguish without ende yea one should bee alreadie ouerthrowen and destroyed but in as much as he spareth forbeareth vs defending vs from so many perrils and deliuering vs from so manyfold dangers and which is more that
onely by nature creation but also by right of redemption for he is our redeemer and our pledge which hath redemed vs and keepeth vs against all enimies Mich. Chap. 7. vers 18. Who is a God like vnto the Lord that taketh away iniquitie passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercy pleaseth him hee will turne againe and haue compassion he will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the bottom of the sea thou wilt performe thy trueth to Iacob and mercie to Abraham as thou hast sworne to our fathers in old time TRuely there is none that may bee cōpared vnto God either in gentlenes or in power for he and none other remitteth sinne and although he met a sinner in the way because all thinges bee present vnto him yet he will not stay himselfe to punish but depart farther of as though he took no heede what is done and leaue behind him the offence committed By this maner of speech it is sayd that God casteth our sinnes backe from him Esay Chap. 38. ver 17. yet onely to those which do properly appertaine vnto him whom he doth auouch acknowledge for his inheritance and peculiar people who are of that Church to whome hee graunteth grace from which all others bee sequestred And be it that sometymes he doth anger himselfe and his wrath be mooued against his owne iustly yet it is not of long continuaunce in so much that hee is rather prone to mercie and clemencie then to seueritie and rigor And although he seeme by our offences and vices to turne himself back from vs and to afflict vs as we deserue yet he will returne againe and wil shewe vs the cherefull and comfortable light of his countenance in shewing compassion on vs he forgiueth all our sinnes by putting downe and destroying all the violēce and force of death so that we are no more houlden in captiuitie and bondage but made free and set at libertie by him not by casting them on the groūd onely but by destroying and deliuering vs from them by throwing them into the bottome of the Sea that they may appeare no more but the memorie of them passe away as a thing which is bound vp and cast into the deepest Sea And in this we see that he is not mooued for any worthinesse that is in vs but of his onely bountie and clemencie being gentle and full of mercie slowe to anger and of great goodnesse by nature faithfull in his promises which he made vnto the fathers and cōfirmed by his oth and in these latter tymes fulfilled the bountifulnesse of his mercie in his onely Sonne who is the onely pledge to assure vs of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And wheras the Prophet saith that God doth not onely forgiue our sinnes but passeth them ouer not by putting them downe onely but casting them into the bottome of the Sea for to abolish them wholly it cannot be more plainly expressed or declared how God forgiueth vs. Then if in the tyme of the lawe and shadowes his promise was not in vaine how much ought we now to be more certaine of it vnder the kingdome of Christ by whome wee obtaine trueth and grace The grace of GOD towardes vs by meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ Ieremy Chap. 31. ver 31. Beholde the day is come sayth the Lord that I will make a new couenant with the house of Jsrael and with the house of Iuda J will put my law in their inward parts write it in their hearts and wil be their God and they shall be my people I will pardon their iniquities and will remember their sinnes no more THis is the holy and happie alliaunce that wee obtaine with God by Iesus Christ his Sonne by whome albeit we bee sufficiently taught and instructed in the knowledge of his trueth both in wil and affection to obey him according to his commandements yet we goe oftentimes astray and doe against his deuine precepts by the wickednesse and imperfections which remaynes in vs wherefore we haue alwayes neede of his grace for the remission of our sinnes in the promise which hee hath made vnto vs as wee are taught in this place of Scripture which although it was made in the auncient couenant of the lawe wherein al things also are included yet it partaineth properly vnto the newe promise obtained by Iesus Christ the very Sonne of GOD the sure foundation and perfect substance of our saluation for he is the mediator of the newe Testament as it is sayd in the Epistle to the Heb. Chap. 9. It is he by whose desert all our sinnes are forgiuen which could not bee remitted by the outward figures and vaine shadowes of the lawe Esay Chap. 53. ver 4. Surely he hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities the chastisment of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes wee are healed The Lord hath layd vpon him the iniquities of vs all by his knowledge shall my iust seruāt iustifie many for he shall beare their sinnes AS God is by nature gentle and mercifull so is he a seuere and iust Iudge for he leaueth not sinne vnpunished but layeth the punishment of it vpon his onely Sonne who in the fulnesse of time deliuered him for vs vnto the shamefull and accursed death of the Crosse wherein his iustice and mercie is founde by ioyning both together in an inseperable bond of vnitie And first in that that Iesus Christ suffered for our iniquities the other in that that he was well pleased to suffer his Sonne to be a pledge and an attonement for vs. This then the Prophet teacheth in this place that Christ hath suffered for vs an infinite number of greefes torments and punishments as touching his soule he suffered a death full of shame and reproch in the worlde to iustifie and deliuer vs from damnation and eternal death acquiting vs from the wrath of God Seeing then that in hart and affection wee acknowledge him for our tru◠Sauiour and Redeemer we neede not to feare although we shall perceiue and acknowledge our selues to be guiltie yet wee may bee assured that wee are in peace with God because Iesus Christ our Redeemer hath borne the paines due for our iniquities If Sathan then doe assaile vs by terrible imaginations of the paines and torments which we haue iustly deserued in respect of our iniquities let vs present our selues in the rightuousnesse and holinesse of Iesus Christ for he hath borne our greefes layde our sorowes on him he hath bene wounded hurt and murthered he died for vs which are vniust and rose againe for our sanctification to the end he might iustifie and absolue vs. Zach. Chap. 12. ver 1. In that day there shal be a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannes THis is the
Sea or as the starres of Heauen yet we know that he holdeth the Sea in his hand and calleth the Starres by their names for as the Heauen is in comparison of the Earth so are his mercies towards all that call vpon him Why should any then mistrust the benignitie of GOD seeing he is so carefull to assure vs of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes whensoeuer we doe call vpon him Exech Chap. 18. ver 21. If the wicked will turne from his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe all that is lawfull and right he shal surely liue and not dye al his transgressions which he hath coÌ„mitted shall not be mentioned vnto him Haue J any desire that the wicked should dye saith the Lord or shall hee not liue if he retourne from his waies Therfore returne and repent you for your transgressions so iniquitie shall not bee your destruction Cast away from you all your transgressions wherby you haue transgressed and make you a newe heart and a newe spirite for why will you dye O house of Israel THe Lord in this place speaketh not directly vnto the sinner which falleth by frailtie and weakenesse of flesh but to the wicked which of mallice and crueltie hath robbed and shed innoceÌ„t blood who hath oppressed the needie and solde the poore for olde shooes who hath whined after his neighbours wife hath bene partakers with the Adulterers which haue runned froÌ„ Bethel to Dan and from Dan to Bethel to serue straunge Gods which haue sacrificed of their owne flesh to Molocke and haue eaten the offringes of the dead to these which â—â—â—nke sinne as water and drawe iniquitie with cords to these I say speaketh the Lord and telleth them that if they doe truely repent them of all their misdeedes which they haue committed they shal neuer be imputed to them againe they shall be deliuered from them and made partakers of eternall life if his repentaÌ„ce be true not fained but yeelds himself wholly to serue his God though his obedience be imperfect and there bee some want in him yet hee shall bee washed in the blood of the Lambe by his woundes he shall be healed and in his weakenesse he shall bee made stroÌ„g he shal be holy because he which hath called him is holy And in this respect are Christians called oftentymes iust in holy Scripture though there bee some imperfections in them daylie to bee seene yet this is shewed to declare the woÌ„derful and great bountie and clemencie of God towards vs that hauing offended him in breaking his ordinaunces and so made guiltie of eternall death yet that he vouchsafeth to call vs againe vnto him and to stretch forth his arme all the day long to take vs vp when we were fallen and exhorteth vs to repentaunce and to newnesse of life which is the token and euident testimonie of a true conuersion and newe regeneration by the holy Ghost And whereas he commaundeth vs to repent adding a promise of life and saluation he sheweth that hee would haue vs touched to the quicke and truely sorie for our faultes committed with firme and stedfast purpose to liue better in time to come so that here wee may knowe what kinde of man he is which shall not perish but shall haue eternall life according to this promise Zach. Chap. 1. ver 3. Returne you vnto me saith the Lord of hosts and J will returne vnto you HEre is an other exhortation to repeÌ„tance ioyned with the promise and reconciliation to God very like vnto that before Math. Chap. 4. ver 17. Amend your liues for the kingdome of heauen is at hand THis is the first exhortation that the Lord made to the people of Israel agreeable to that where Iohn Baptist admonisheth euery one to repentance and amendement of life which that they may the better performe he addeth this reason and promise that the grace of God the remission of sinnes and the reconciliation with God is present and neere to them by the preaching of the Gospell which is here called the kingdome of God for by this meanes the tyranny of Sathan is destroyed and ouerthrowne the force of sinne dead the kingdome of Christ gloriously extolled and lift vp on hye raigning in the hearts of those which by his spirite haue felt the vertue vnto newnesse of life a sufficient token to assure vs in this life to be made partakers of his inheritaunce in the life to come Math. Chap. 9.13 J am not come to call the rightuous but sinners to repentaunce THis is the answer of our Sauiour made to the Pharisies who finding themselues offended that he and his companie did eate with Publicanes and Harlots with sinfull and leaud liuers thought him a glutton and lose fellowe For these men counting them selues onely the people of GOD erred and corrupted themselues in such a sorte that they accounted all other vtterly profayne Whereupon our Sauiour Christ sheweth wherefore he leaueth their companies who so much iustified themselues and betaketh himselfe and all his to poore sinners though they were wicked and euill in life that by this meanes he might drawe them froÌ„ their vice and iniquities and bring them into the right way To those then which doe repent of their sinnes appertayneth the grace of God for repentance is the very effect of the sonne of God which bringeth saluation vnto all people Acts 3. ver 19. Amend your liues therefore and turne that your sinnes may be put away THose to whom Peter spake in this place had put and deliuered to death the holie and the iust the Prince of life that is to say our Lorde Iesus Christ yet he exhorteth theÌ„ to a godly conuersation of life promising that their sinnes shall bee forgiuen them so that the grace of God is shewed forth to all men whom the Lorde counteth by putting from them their iniquities Acts Chap. 5. ver 31. This is that Jesus whome GOD hath lift vp with his right hand to bee a Prince and a Sauiour to giue repentaunce of sinnes to Jsrael and forgiuenes of sinnes THis is spoken to this ende that the Lord Iesus hath brought vs vnto saluation by repentaunce which is neuer seperated from the forgiuenes of sinne 1. Cor. Chap. 7. ver 10. Godly sorowe causeth repentance to saluation THe profayne and wicked men continually doe reioyce in their wickednesse and harden their harts in their sinnes neuer ceasing till their accursed ioye bee turned into weeping and gnashing of teeth by the iust and feareful iudgement of God who casteth all such into vtter perdition but they which haue the feare of God after that they haue done amisse in any sorte bee greatly sorie in heart weeping and lamenting that haue offended such a gracious God and alwaies suffer extreme greifes because they offended him in breaking his commandements The rulers which had the ouersight of the church of Corinth beeing reprehended by S. Paule for their slouthfulnes and slownes in not acquitting themselues