hanging drawing and quartering A man walking in his way falles into a deepe dungeon that is full of vggely serpents and noisome beastes in his fall he catches hold of a twigge of a tree that growes at the mouth of the dungeon and hangs by it afterward there comes a beast both leane and hungerbitten which having cropt the whole tree is ever and anon knapping at the twigge on which he hanges Nowe what is the daunger of this man surely he is like to fall into the pit over which he hangeth well this man is every impenitent sinner the pit is hell prepared for the devill and his angels the twig is the brickle and fraile life of man the hungerbitten beast is death that is ready every houre to knap our life asunder the daÌ„ger is fearful for maÌ„ hanging as it were over the mouth of hel wheÌ„ life is ended unlesse he use good meanes before he die he then falleth to the very bottome of it If this be the miserie wherewith the careles man is sieged coÌ„passed about every way that for his sinnes why do men lie in the dead sleepe of security ô it stands them in hand to take up the voice of bitter lamentation for their offences to howle after the manner of dragons If men could weepe nothing but teares of blood for their sins if they could dye a 1000 times in one day for very griefe they could never be grieved ynough for their sins The second motive to draw men to repentance is the consideration of the wretched estate of an impenitent sinner in his death which is nothing but the wages allowance that he receives for his sinne and it is the very suburbs or rather the gates of hel S. Paul compares death to a scorpion who carieth a sting in his taile which is sinne Now then wheÌ„ impenitent prophane persons die then comes this scorpion gripes them with her legs stabs them at the hart with her sting Wherfore the best thing is before death come to use meanes to pull out the sting of death And nothing wil do it but the blood of Christ let meÌ„ therfore breake off their sinnes by repeÌ„taÌ„ce let theÌ„ come to the throne of grace crie yea let them fil heaven earth with cries for mercy oh pray pray pray for the pardoÌ„ of thy sinnes If thou obtaine but one drop of Gods speciall mercie in Christ all danger is past For death hath lost his sting and then a man without danger may put an ougly serpeÌ„t in his bosom The third motive is the consideration of his estate after death When the day of the last judgement shalbe he must be brought and set before the tribunal seat of christ he shal not be able to escape or hide himself then the bookes shalbe brought out all his sins shalbe discovered before Gods saints angels the devil his own conscience shal accuse him none shall be aduocate to plead his cause hee himselfe shall be speechlesse hee shall at length heare the dreadfull sentence of damnation Goe ye cursed into hell prepared for the divell his augels This thing might moove the vilest Athiest in the world to leaue his wicked wayes and come to amendement of life Wee see the strongest theefe that is when he is ledde in the way from the prison to the barre leaves his theeving and behaues himselfe orderly And indeed if hee woulde then cut a purse it were high time that he were hanged All men by nature are traitours and malefactours against God whiles we live in this worlde wee are in the way going to the barre of Gods iudgement The wheele of the heavens turnes one bout every day and winds up somwhat of the threed of our life whether wee sleepe or wake we are alwayes comming neerer our end wherfore let all men daily humble themselues for their sinnes and pray vnto God that he would be reconciled unto them in Christ and let them indeavour themselves in obedience to all Gods commandements both in their lives and callings Againe after the last iudgement there remains death eternal appointed for him which standes in these three things I. A separation from all ioy and comfort of the presence of God II. Eternall fellowship with the divell and all his angels III. The feeling of the horrible wrath of God which shall seaze upon bodie soule and conscience shall feed on them as fire doth on pitch and brimstone and torment them as a worme crawling in the bodie and gnawing on the heart they shall alwaies be dying and never deade alwayes in woe and neuer in ease And this death is the more grievous because it is euerlasting Suppose the whole worlde to be a mountaine of sande and that a birde must carrie from it a mouthfull of sand euerie thousande yeeres many innumerable thousands of yeres will be expired before she will haue caried away the whole mountaine well if a man should stay â—n torment so long and then haue an ende of his woe it were some comfort but when the bird shall haue caried away the mountaine a thousand times alas alas a man shall be as far from the ende of his anguish and torment as ever he was This consideration may serve as an yron scourge to drive men from their wicked lives Chrysostome would have men in their meetings in tavernes and feastes to talke of hel that by often thinking on it they might avoyde it A grave and chaste matrone being mooved to commit folly with a lewd ruffian after long discourse she called for a panne of burning coales requesting him for her sake to holde his finger in them but one houre he answered that it was an unkinde request to whome she replyed that seeing he would not holde so much as one finger in a fewe coales for one small houre she could not yeeld to do the thing for which she should be tormented body soule in hell fire for ever And so shold all men reason against themselves None will be brought to doe a thing that may make so much as their finger or tooth to ake therefore we ought to have great care to leave our sinnes whereby we bring endlesse torment to bodie and soule in hell CAP. VIII Of motives Evangelicall EVangelicall Motives are two especially The first is taken from the consideration of mans redemption He that redeemed mankind is God him selfe As Paul saith that God was in Christ reconciling the world to him selfe Mans sinne is so vile and hainous in the eyes of God that no Angell nor creature was able to appease the wrath of God for the least offence But the Sonne of God himselfe must come downe from heaven and take mans nature on him and not onely that but he must also suffer the most accursed death of the crosse and shed his most pretious heart blood to satisfie the justice of his Father in our behalfe If a Father should be sicke of such a
or pawned Levit. 6. 3. That being lustie liues by begging That releeveth such 2. Thess. 3. 10. That for gaine defendes bad causes That layes burden on the people without measure Isa. 1. 23. Ezech. 22. 27. That spends the Church goods in riot 1. Tim. 6. 9. That makes marchandise of Gods word and sacrament Mich. 3. 11. 2. Cor. 2. last That gets goods by gaming That gets his living by casting of figures and by playes Eph. 4. 28. That is rash in surety-ship Prov. 11. 15. 17. 18. That steales mens children to dispose them in mariage 1. Tim. 1. 10. That takes by stealth the least pin though it be for the best end That is a receiver of things stolne and gives consent to the fact any way Rom. 1. 29. That useth deceit in bargaining 1. Thess. 4. 6. That restores not things evill gotten Ezech. 33. 15. That keeps back goods given to the Church Acts 5. 3. That waites for a dearth to sell his things dearer Amos. 8. 5. IX COM. Thou shalt not beare c. He breakes this commandement THat envies at the prosperity of his neighbour 1. Tim. 6. 4. That seekes only his own good report That is suspicious 1. Cor. 13. 5. That gives rash or harde sentence against others Matth. 7. 1. That takes mens sayings doings in worse part Matth. 26. 60. That accuseth one salsly 1. King 21. That maketh or reporteth tales openly or in a whispering manner Levit. 19. 16. That receiveth tales Exod. 23. 1. That speakes the truth of malice Psal. 52. 1 2. That blazeth abroad mens infirmities Matth. 18. 17. That useth quipping and taunting Eph. 5. 4. That useth flattery Prov. 26. 19. That lyeth though it be for neuer so good an end Zach. 13. 3. That defends an euill cause and impugnes the contrary That writes or spreds libels X. COM. Thou shalt not lust He breakes this commandement That thinkes an euill thought against his neighbour though he meane not to doe it That conceives some inward delight in some euill motion though he give not consent to practise it SINNES DIRECTLY Against the Gospell He sinnes against the Gospell That denies either directly or by consequent that Christ is come in the flesh 1. Ioh. 4. 3 8 That treads under foote the blood of Christ. Hebr. 10. 29. That beleeves not the remission of his owne sinnes and acceptation to life everlasting 1. Ioh. 3. 23. That repents not but hardens himselfe in all his bad wayes Rom. 2. 4. 5. Ierem. 8. 6. Thus much of examination now followes the second duty which is confession of sinne unto God which is very necessary For the right way to haue our sinnes covered before God is to uncover and acknowledge them unto him For hee will iustifie vs if we condemne our selues he will pardon us if we as being our owne enemies accuse our selues he forgets our sinnes if wee remember them when we are vile in our owne eyes wee are pretious in his and when we are lost to our selues we are found of him That confession may be rightly performed a notable duety is to be put in practise in it namely the arraignment of a repentant sinner whereby he iudges himselfe that he may not be iudged of the Lord. This arraignment hath three speciall pointes in it For first of all hee must bring himselfe forth to the barre of Gods iudgement which thing hee doeth when he sets himselfe in the presence of God as though even now the day of iudgement were As Saint Hierome did who alwayes thought with himselfe that hee heard this voice sounding in his eares Rise yee dead and come to iudgement Secondly he must put up an inditement against himselfe by accusing him-selfe before God by acknowledging his knowne sinnes particularly and his unknowen generally without any excuse or extenuatiō or defence or hiding of the least of them Example of David I know mine iniquitie and my sinne is ever before me against thee against thee only have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight c. behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceived me And I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing but now I beseech thee remoove the iniquitie of thy servant for I have done very foolishly Of Ezra O my God I am ashamed confounded to lift up mine eyes vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our heads our trespasse is growen vp vnto heaven Thirdly he must with heavinesse of heart give sentence against himselfe acknowledging that hee is worthy of everlasting hell death and damnation As the prodigall child Father I have sinned against heaven against thee am not worthy to be called thy child And Daniel Wee haue sinned and committed iniquitie have done wickedly yea wee have rebelled have departed from thy precepts from thy iudgements c. O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee vnto vs open shame Of Iob Beholde I am vile what shall I answere thee I will lay my hande upon my mouth And I abhorre my selfe I repent in dust ashes Of the Publicane Who standing a farre off woulde not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven but smote his brest saying Lord be mercifull to me a sinner As for confession of sinne to men it is not to be used but in two cases First when some offence is done to our neighbour secondly when ease and comfort is sought for in trouble of conscience The third dutie in the practise of repentance is Deprecation whereby we pray to God for the pardon of the sinnes which haue bene confessed with contrition of heart with earnestnesse and constancie as for the weightiest matter in the world And here we must remember to behaue our selues to God as the poore prisoner doth at the barre who when the iudge is about to giue sentence cries unto him for favour as for life and death And we must doe as the cripple or lazar man in the way sit downe vnlappe our legges and armes and shew the sores of our sinnes crying to God continually as they doe Looke with your eye and pity with your heart that wee may finde mercy at Gods handes as they get almes at the hands of passengers Thus Oseah instructeth the people O Israel returne unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie take unto you words and turne vnto the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquitie and receive vs graciously so wee will render thee the calves of our lips Of Daniel Wee doe not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousnes but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord consider and doe it defer not for thine owne names sake O my God Of David Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities The last duty is to
pray to God for grace strength whereby wee may be inabled to walke in newnesse of life Of David Behold I desire thy commandements quicken me in thy righteousnesse And Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God let thy good spirit lead me into the land of righteousnes CAP. VII Of legall motives to repentance MOtives to repentance are either Legall or Evangelicall Legall are such as are borrowed from the law they are 3. especially The first is the misery and cursed estate of euery impenitent sinner in this life by reason of his sinnes His miserie that I may expresse it to the conceit of the simplest is seven-fold 1. within him 2. before him 3. behind him 4. on his right hand 5. on his left hand 6. over his head 7. vnder his feete His miserie within him is twofold The first is a guiltie conscience which is a very hell vnto the ungodly man For hee is like a silly prisoner and the conscience like a Iayler which followes him at the heeles and dogges him whither soever he goes to the end he may see and observe all his sayings and doings It is like a register that sits alwaies with the pen in his hand to record and inrole all his wickednesse for everlasting memory It is a litle iudge that sittes in the middle of a man even in his very heart to arraigne him in this life for his sinnes as he shall be arraigned at the last iudgement Therfore the pangs terrors and feares of all impenitent persons are as it were certaine flashings of the flames of hell fire The guiltie conscience makes a man like him which lies on a bedde that is too strait and the covering too short who would with all his heart sleepe but can not Belshazzar when he was in the middest of his mirth seeing the hand-writing on the wall was smitten with great feare so as his countenance changed his knees smote togither The second evill within man is the fearefull slaverie and bondage vnder the power of Satan the Prince of darkenesse in that his mind will and affections are so knit and glued to the will of the devill that he can doe nothing but obey him rebell against God And hence Satan is called the prince of this world which keepes the hold of the heart as an armed Captaine keepes a sconse or a castle with watch and ward The misery before man is a daungerous snare which the devill layes for the destruction of the soule I say it is dangerous because he is in setting of it twentie or fortie yeres before he strikes when as God knowes men do little thinke of it It is made of three cords with the first he brings men into his snare and that he doeth by covering the miserie and the poyson of sinne and by painting out to the eie of the minde the deceitfull profits pleasures thereof With the second he hopples and insnares them for after that a man is drawen into this or that sinne the devill hath so sugered it over with fine delightes that he can not but needes must live and lye in it By the third he drawes the snare and indevours with all his might to breake the necke of the soule For when he seeth a fitte opportunitie especially in grievous calamities and in the houre of death he takes away the vizar of sinne and she weth the face of it in the true fourme as ouglie as him selfe then withall he beginneth as we say to shewe his hornes then he rageth in terrifying accusing that the soule of man may be swallowed up of the gulfe of finall despaire The miserie behinde him is the sinnes past The Lord saith to Cain If thou doest not well sinne lyeth at the doore Where sinne is compared to a wilde beast which followes a man whither soever he goeth and lyeth lurking at his heels And though for a time it may seeme to be hurtlesse because it lyeth asleepe yet at length unlesse men repent it will rise up sease on them and rent out the very throtes of their soules Iob in his afffliction saith Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me possesse the sinnes of my youth And David prayeth Forgive me the sinnes of my youth If the memorie of sinnes past be a trouble to the godly man oh what a racke what a gibbet wil it be to the heart of him that wants grace The miserie on the right hand is prosperitie and ease which by reason of mans sinne is an occasion of many iudgements In it men practised the horrible sinnes of Sodome it puffes up the heart with divelish pride so as men shall thinke themselves to be as God him selfe as Senacherib Nebuchad-nezzar Antiochus Alexander Herode Domitian did It steales away mans heart froÌ„ God quenches the sparkes of grace As the Lord complaineth of the Israelites I spake unto thee when thou wast in prosperitie but thou saydest I will not heare this hath bene thy manner from thy youth It is like the Ivie that embraces the tree and windes rounde about it but yet drawes out the iuice and life of it Hence is it that many turne it to an occasion of their destruction Salomon saith Prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them When the milt swelles the rest of the body pines away and when the heart is puft with pride the whole man is in danger of destruction The sheepe that goes in the best pasture soonest comes to the slaughter-house and the ungodly man fattes himselfe with continuall prosperity that he may the sooner come to his owne damnation The misery on the left hand is Adversitie which stands in all manner of losses and calamities in goods friends good name and such like Of this read at large Deut. 28. The miserie over his head is the wrath of God which he testifies in all maner of iudgements from heaven in danger of which every impenitent sinner is every houre And the danger is very great The scripture saith It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God He hath store-houses full of all maner of iudgements and they watch for secure sinners that they can not scape Gods wrath is â—s a fire making havocke and bringing to nought whatsoeuer it lights on yea because he is slow to anger therefore more terrible as a man therefore stayes his hand for a time that he may lift it higher and fetch a deeper blowe When the dumb creatures melt as wax and vanish away at his presence when he is angry as the huge mountaines and rockes doe fraile man must never looke to stand If the roaring of a lyon make men afraid and the voice of thunder be terrible oh how exceedingly should all be astonished at the threatnings of God The misery under his feete is Hell fire for every man till he repent is in as great danger of damnation as the traitour apprehended of