their seuerall torments according to the qualitie of the offence Where that shall be fulfilled which the spirit of God saith In as much as she glorified her selfe and liued in pleasure so much giue ye to her torment and sorrowe and for euery member vpon which the fabricke of mans body as an edifice built with stones consisteth shall receiue worthy and peculiar punishment If then Gods temporal Iudgemēts in this life which manifest his hatred of all iniquitie should breede in vs a detestation of sin how much more should the consideration of his eternall punishments wherof the other as I said are but a shadowe be an effectual remedie against al vngodlines plant the filiall and healthfull feare of God in our hearts This is it which the Lord himselfe requireth of vs. Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both body and soule in hell What hope is then left for those forlorne wretches inuironed with so many torments what will they doe whither will they flie what counsaile will they take will they flie to the remedie of repentance but now the time of repentance is past and the day of vengeance is come will they then seeke for shelter at Gods mercy which is the onely refuge and solace in all miseries but this life onely is the time of mercy and pardon but then is the time of wrath and iudgement Let vs not beloued suffer the day of this life which God in his mercy hath lent vs to seeke peace pardon and reconsiliation vnprofitably to slippe away least the day of wrath vengeance and irreuocable destruction surprise vs at vnawares The day of this life is the time of Gods gratious visitation allotted vs to serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life saith holy Zachariah not onely omnibus diebus all the daies but omnibus diebus nostris saith a writer all our daies for the time of this mortall life is giuen vnto vs to serue the Lord in all holy conuersation making prouision for the life eternall for death will shortly arrest vs when there shal be no more place nor time of repentance therefore saith our Sauiour The night commeth when none can worke Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of saluation But to returne againe to the words of the texte why did God inflict this horrible punishment vpon Ierusalem and the whole Nation of the Iewes The Lord himselfe giueth the reason because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation The Lord in his mercy did many waies visite thē both by prosperitie and aduersitie as in part I haue before discoursed And lastly he visited them from an high by sending to them his onely sonne IESVS CHRIST who brought with him all good things by which he illuminated them that sate in darkenes and in the shadowe of death and freely offered them his graces and saluation Which inestimable benefits they were so farre off from acknowledging that they reiected and crucified the Author of so great a saluation as their forefathers persecuted all the Prophets before them It may seeme strange will some say that in the midst of this publike ioy and applause of the people CHRIST wept at his comming to Ierusalem which at any other time we neuer reade that he did though he was many times before in the citie the cause hereof is easily to be giuen The Lord came at this time most louingly to visite this citie and to performe all things which the Prophets foretolde of him to consummate whatsoeuer was promised of the Messias and to manifest his infinite loue to the posteritie of Abraham yea towards all men being now readie to giue his life a ransome for the sinnes of the whole world This mercifull visitation they would in no wise knowe wherefore there was nothing more to be expected but the seueritie of Gods wrath and iudgements to fall vpon them which before he had threatned As I goe my way and ye shall seeke me and you shall die in your sinnes And The daies will come that you shall desire to see one of the daies of the sonne of man and ye shall not see it And againe O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them which were sent vnto thee how often would I haue gathered thy Children together as the henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and ye would not behold your habitation shall be left vnto you desolate Againe Ye daughters of Ierusalem weepe not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children for behold the daies will come when men shall say blessed are the barraine and the wombe that neuer bare and the pappes that neuer gaue sucke All these euills were at hand yea euen at the doore punishment could not long be deferred seeing Gods gratious visitation was contemned This did CHRIST foresee as if it were present namely that Ierusalem should come with that whole Nation into vtter desolation without environed with the enemie within afflicted with seditions and factions that so many thousands should perish with the sword famine and pestilence that the remnant should be scattered abroad through the whole world solde and be made a spectacle vnto all Nations this their miserie this pittifull Sauiour knewe to be at hand and bewailed the same This offereth to our view two necessarie obseruations to be seriously considered of all true feeling Christian hearts First how fearefully God is wont to punish ingratitude and incredulitie Secondly from whence all miserie in the world as famine sword pestilence strange diseases and all euills both of body and soule proceed Will ye know how seuerely God punisheth the ingratitude and incredulitie of men Surely with spirituall blindnes a most terrible and grieuous plague and what is that blindnes The most fearefull of all the rest when for our sinnes God taketh the light of his grace and holy spirit from vs and giueth vs not vnderstanding hearts that we might knowe the time of our visitation and the things which pertaine to our peace When men cannot foresee nor see in time neither good nor euill happines nor miserie Their good they see not before it be lost and gone their euills they foresee not before they fall vpon them and light on their heads to their irreuocable destruction so that they cannot shun or avoide them and is not this a plague of all plagues What more vnhappie then when a man hath many good things and yet seeth them not nor knoweth them much lesse can conuert them to his vse and profit what more fearefull then when all euills destructions and miseries hangeth ouer our heads yea euen at the doore and yet we see them not nor will knowe them that we might escape them And so was it with the people of the Iewes as it is alwaies with wicked men they had CHRIST the
but to the burthen for separate the riches from the person and thou shalt see friendship leaue the man and follow that which was euer her obiect while he may commaund and can either giue or controll he hath attendance and proffer of loue at all hands but which of these dare acknowledge him when he is going into prison for debt Then these waspes which make such musicke about this Gally-pot shewe plainely that they came for the honie that was in it This is the miserie of the wealthie that they cannot knowe their friends whereas those that loue the poore man loueth him for himselfe He that would chuse a true friend must search out one that is neither couetous nor ambitious for such a one loues but himselfe in thee And if it be very rare to finde any not infected with these qualities the best way is to entertaine all and to trust fewe May we not iustly reproue the follie of greedie worldlings with these words of the Prophet Wherefore do ye lay out siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied What would you say of that man who in the time of famine when for want of foode he is euen hunger-starued and hauing a little monie left should bestowe the same vpon a plume of feathers to weare in his hatte And is not this the foolishnes of the louers of the world which when their soules are euen starued destitute of all vertues and spirituall sustenance spendeth their witts time and labour in plotting and plodding lying and cogging shifting and shuffeling catching and hunting by all vngodly meanes after the glorie riches and dignities of this world and when all is done what is it but as it were the pursuing of a feather yea a thing of nothing as wise Salomon saith Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon it which is nothing for riches taketh her to her wings as an Eagle flieth into the heauen What is this else but to weaue the Spiders webbe as the Prophet truly tearmeth it they cōceiue mischiefe and bring forth iniquitie They hatch Cockatrice egges and weaue the Spider webbe Such as is the conception such must needes be the birth The conception of sinne is here called mischiefe or as some translations haue sorrowe For sinne indeed when it is conceiued in the soule is but mischiefe and sorrowe Pleasures seeme pleasant vnto the sinner whiles he conceiueth them and how much the more bitter they are indeed so much the more pleasant they appeare at the first but when the ende commeth which in short time finisheth all these pleasures then there is found nothing else but sorrowes gall bitternes and miseries They hatch the Cockatrice egges from whence commeth forth the Regulus or Cockatrice the most venimous Serpent of all the rest for whomsoeuer he stingeth he falleth into a sweete sleepe and seemeth for a while to feele no paine but rather a pleasure in the meane time the poyson diffusing it selfe into all the bodie with horrible torment he endeth his life So the delights and pleasures of the world do at once inficere interficere infect and destroy the poyson is pleasant but the ende is death Next he saith They weaue the Spiders webbe Which serueth to no purpose there can no garment be made thereof with what labour and diligence doth the spider euen euiserate her selfe to finish her worke and to what purpose is all this to catch a flie but before she hath had any fruit of her labour cōmeth a maide with her broome sweepeth downe the web and killeth the Spider Here ye see elegantly expressed the labour exercises and desires of the sinner in which he spendeth himselfe and consumeth his life and all is but a Spiders web What cogitations doth the worldling reuolue in his minde what meanes doth he deuise that he may enioy his pleasures and delights How many labours and sweates doe his riches How many anxieties and cares doe his delights How many troubles and vexations doe his pleasures bring with them But to what ende doe they weaue these perplexed webbes but to catch flies Nay oftentimes the reward of their labours when their web is finished is lesse then a flie for death is at hand that diligent scopatrix Gods hand-maide which sweepeth them and their webbes away before they haue reaped any fruite of their labour and toyle and so they passe to iudgemēt to render an account before the iust Iudge for their wicked liues and vniust dealing But suppose the things of this world were solide certaine and constant yet what can the goods thereof profit vs in the time of our greatest necessitie at the houre of death and time of giuing account What profit I say then will those Idolls bring vs which all our life long we haue worshipped as are all these things in which we repose and place our hope and felicitie Then but too late the vanitie and deceit of all those things which we so much esteeme will appeare The couetous man as one pithily writeth is like a Spider as in this that he doth nothing else but lay his nets to catch euery flie gaping onely for a bootie of gaine So yet more in that whiles he makes nets for these flies he consumeth his owne bowells So that which is his life is his death If there be any Creature miserable it is he and yet he is least to be pittied because he makes himselfe miserable Such as he is I will account him and will therefore sweepe downe his webbes and hate his poyson Thirdly by this example of Christ we are taught to bewaile the sinnes of others and to haue a feeling of their miseries The offences then of our brethren are not to be iested at but to be lamented if we be Christians indeed which not onely the example of our Sauiour in this place but also of all holy men and Saints of God may teach vs. We reade that Moses and the people wept before the doore of the tabernacle for the sinnes of their brethren and children wherewith they had offended the Lord So the Apostle bewailed many that had sinned and had not repented of the vncleannesse and fornication and wantonnes which they had committed And again He wept for them that were enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose ende is damnation whose God is their belly c. And againe he saith That he ceased not to warne euery one night and day with teares The like we reade of Ieremy Iob and the rest of Gods children of Dauid Mine eyes gush out with riuers of waters because they keepe not thy lawe But ô good God I speake it with compunction of heart how many are there now found which take no greater delight then to cause others to sinne and to heare of the infirmities of their neighbours Of this sort are they which as the very agents for the diuell take pleasure to make their brother sin in drunkennes and make
themselues merrie therewith but let such knowe that this woe denounced by the Prophet perteineth to them Woe be vnto him that giueth his neighbour drinke and maketh him drunken c. Fourthly here we haue a notable testimonie of these two attributes in God Mercy and Iustice an excellent mirrour for Magistrates that if in Iustice they be compelled to punish a malefactor yet in the midst of Iustice mercy and clemencie should shine forth which here appeareth in this sweete Sauiour who though in short time after he was to inflict most horrible plagues and finall destruction vpon this incorrigible and sinfull nation yet he shed most mercifull and compassionate teares for their transgressions for otherwise Iustice looseth suumesse the propertie of Iustice and is conuerted into tyrannie if it be done with delight be not tempered with mercy Memorable was the fact of Marcus Marcellus who being now readie to inuade and repunge the gallant citie of Siracusa gate him vp into a high Tower to behold the euent of the battell and when he beheld the Souldiers valiantly encountering on both sides the crackling of the glittering armour besprinkled with blood the horrible clamour of those which were slaine the fire flaming vp into the skies the terrible noise of the falling of the stately buildings of that glorious citie he burst forth into teares though the victorie went on his side considering the miserie they were in and that he was enforced to sacke so ancient a citie The ancient Romanes for in later time they were more corrupt shall rise in iudgement against all cruell and merciles Magistrates which are touched with no Christian commiseration Titus Flam amongst them was put out of his office and disgraded for that he caused a man which was before condemned to be hanged in his Parlour a mans life is not a matter to be plaied with or iested at Contrariwise Sulpitius was greatly praised among them who neuer iudged any vnaduisedly nor tooke pleasure in the iust execution of Iudgement but his teares were often seene to trickle from his eyes when he pronounced sentence of death vpon any Pars Secunda O that thou haddest euen knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace c. HEre our Sauiour amplifieth the affirmation of this blindnes of the people which drew these teares from the compassionate Sauiour of the world by an elegant antithesis of the contratie wish or desire O if thou haddest euen knowne c. These words expresse a passion proceeding of sorrow which if it be vehement is wont to interrupt and cut off some words which should make vp and finish the speech This figure is vsuall among the Rhetoritians and is called in Greeke Aposiopesis where something is left out which must be vnderstood for the perfecting of the speech As Quos ego sed mot os praestat componere fluctus againe quanquam ôsi solitae quicquam virtutis adesset And O mihi praetentos referat si Iuppiter annos So here O if thou haddest euen knowne c. is to be vnderstood how happie blessed haddest thou bene O Ierusalem if thou haddest knowne the things that belong vnto thy true peace as thou art wholy intent to this supposed false and transitorie peace which now maketh thee secure ô then how happie haddest thou bene thou wouldest then foresee thy imminent destruction for thy sinnes and betake thee to repentance and teares whereas now thou reioycest that thou mightest indeed procure thy true peace and safetie O if thou haddest knowne to wit the ruine which haÌ„geth ouer thy head or me thy Redeemer who am come so graciously to visite thee thou wouldest then weepe bewaile thy grieuous sins wherewith thou hast incensed the wrath of God against thee whereas now thou flatterest thy selfe with vaine ioy as if all things went well with thee By the word peace among the Hebrewes is signified not one singular good but all good things which the Son of God brought with him into the world for at his comming the cateracts of heauen were opened and a plentifull showre of all graces powred downe on the earth the first fruits thereof the Lord first offered most gratiously vnto â—he people of the Iewes to whom he was â—romised whom he sought to illuminate â—ith his doctrine to confirme in the faith â—ith his miracles to kindle their loue with â—is benefits to erect them in the hope of â—mmortalitie with his merites with the exâ—mples of his vertues to allure them to â—ollow him with the maiestie of his preâ—ence to grace them and lastly to aduance â—hem into his heauenly kingdome These â—re the things which they ought to haue â—cknowledged the want whereof the Lord â—ere bewaileth First in that aboue all things the Lord wisheth vnto them the knowledge of the present good and future euill we are to obserue how great and fearefull is the careles ignorance of men and their supine obliuion of the time to come by reason of their present peace and prosperitie which Christ here deploreth in the Iewes which being blinded with the peace glory and abundance of their temporall and present prosperitie neuer thought vpon the future euils and miseries which for their sinnes were shortly to be inflicted vpon them For when the secure sinner shall say peace and safetie then shall suddaine destruction come vpon him as trauaile vpon a woman with childe and he shall not escape For as oftentimes suddaine trauaile commeth vpon a woman with childe So Gods vengeance falleth suddainely vpon the sinner in his deepe obliuion of the time to come when they will not knowe the things that pertaine to their true peace And so God is wont tarditatem vindictae grauitate compensare to recompence his slownes with the grieuousnes of his vengeance Well saith S. Gregorie vpon this place the peruerse soule being wholy intente to things present and resolued in earthly pleasures abscondit sibi mala sequentia hideth from himselfe the dangers following and refuseth to foresee the euills to come least they should disturbe his present mirth but whiles he walloweth in worldly delights what doth he else but clausis oculis ad ignem vadere goe blindfolde to hell fire saith he Least this forgetfulnes should possesse our mindes the Apostle counsaileth that they that reioyce should be as if they reioyced not that is as Gregorie expoundeth it praesentis temporis it a agenda laetitia vt amaritudo sequent is iudicij nunquam recedat a memoria The mirth and pleasure of this present time are so to be passed that the bitternes of the future iudgement neuer depart from our mindes In thy good estate remember aduersitie saith the wise man But it happeneth to the sinner concerning his worldly delights as it doth vnto a traueller who to finde some shelter from the heate of the sunne resteth himselfe vnder the shadowe of a
tree and by reason of wearines falleth into a sound sleepe vntill the sunne in his course going about the shadow departeth and when he awaketh he findeth himselfe parched with the Sunne raies his body sweating and inflamed his head a king and perhaps his body arrested with a continuall feuer So the louers of the world while they catch at the vanishing shadowes thereof as honours riches pleasures and thinke to repose their rest in them in the meane time the course of their life being suddenly run out when these viri diuitiarum dormierunt somnum suum rich men haue slept their sleepe euen in death they finde they were deluded with meere shewes and shadowes without substance and for these momentaine pleasures to be plunged in the infernall flames for euer to be tormented Man being in honour hath no vnderstanding he will not knowe the things which belong vnto his true peace euen like the fagiuated beastes which are to day in the pasture to morrow in the shambles O that we would learne to knowe the things that pertaine to our true peace Christ leaues God his Father heauen his countrey the Angells his people to dwell with vs but we scarce allowe him the stable there is no roome for him in the Inne Pride hath taken the chiefest place in the hart malice and enuie the next in the minde lust hath possession of the eyes lying and swearing of the tongue gluttonie of the taste theft and murther of the handes and couetousnes of our thoughts When the Assises are at hand and the Iudge comming how circumspect are we that our trialls may passe on our side What instructing of our counsaile seeing of our Lawyers informing of the quest but Christ is at hand his day is nigh his seate prepared O then that we did know the things that pertaine vnto our peace at that day ô that we would see and preuent the future danger Mans corrupt nature is commonly most careles when he should be most carefull and the wicked most secure when they are most in danger most negligent when they should be most prouident The day of the Lord shall come as a thiefe in the night therefore the Greeke word Cleptesfur is deriued Apó tou caloptein of hiding or couering or Cléptein to take away by stealth he commeth in the darke where no body sees he treadeth vpon wooll when no body heares he watcheth an houre which no bodie knowes If the good man of the house had knowne at what houre the thiefe would come he would surely watch saith our Sauiour but we knowe that Christs day will come and yet keepe no ward carefull of our goods careles of our soules Our bodies are houses our soules our true goods our sences the doores and windowes the lockes the word and prayer the diuell is a thiefe man is the Householder death is a thiefe his comming is vncertaine be watchfull and wise be alwaies prepared after death commeth the iudgement O beloued let vs foresee this daunger take heede of the fooles Motto had I wist least we say too late O that we had knowne the things which belonged vnto our peace Holy Ieremie bewayling the calamitie of his people saith Her filthines is in her skirts she remembred not her last ende and therefore she came downe wonderfully This beloued is the fatall disease of all sinners and their wretched illusion they forget their ende they take sinne by the head and not by the taile they consider the beginning of their pleasure which sheweth them a faire face but they thinke not of the ende which concludeth the Catastrophe in extreame miserie And what I pray you is this world which so blindeth vs that we neuer thinke on the future time and refuse to knowe the things that pertaine in this our day vnto our peace surely it may be compared vnto an hollowe nut or the Apples of Sodome which haue nothing within but a filthie worme and rottennes looke into the world and you shall finde nothing but vanities pleasures are but forerunners of destruction this life is a channell the sweet Riuers do alwaies runne and ende in the salte sea and bitter waters breue est quod delectat aeternum quod excruciat short pleasures long paine this is the ende of the world and worldlings a golden head but earthen feete like Nabuchadonezers Image vaine ioyes ende with mourning as Herods ioy was consumed of wormes Princes Pallaces are but earth their golde but the filth of the earth their silkes but the dongue of wormes riches are runa-waies fauour deceitfull beautie vanitie and corruption our mother And shall this deceitfull world make vs forget the things which belong vnto our true peace O that we did knowe at the least in this our day the things that belong vnto our peace As Iacob when he was borne held Esau by the heele So the godly considereth sinne by the ende thereof O that they were wise then would they vnderstand this they would consider their latter ende saith holy Moses But the present plentie of all things and the flattering face of the world hideth Gods iudgement from mens eyes Euen as certaine rich young men but vnexpert in worldly things in their trauell taketh vp their Inne and seeing themselues chearefully receiued and entertained of their Host prodigally wast and consume all their money vntill their purses being peniles and exhasted of al they perceiue the countenance of their Host to be changed their entertainement grudged attendance denied and themselues enforced to depart carrying nothing with them but shame reproach and pouertie So the louers of this world being lulled a sleepe with pleasures and worldly prosperitie and being ignorant of the solide heauenly good things spend all the vigor of their mindes and cogitations their spirituall substance in these vanities and when all is spent they are sent out of the world sorrowfull naked laden with sinne hauing nothing left but hel and Iudgement O then that men were so wise to knowe in this their day the things that belong vnto their peace It is worthie the noting that Christ calleth all the pleasures of this life but one day Euen in this thy day For the wicked haue but their day but Gods Iustice hath many daies and therefore he saith afterward For the daies will come vpon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and therefore he said vnto the Iewes this is your very houre Euen as the fire according vnto the nature of the subiect on which it worketh endureth either a short or a longer time as that which is made with firme Oâ—e continueth long and that which feedeth vpon strawe quickely goeth out so the ioyes pleasures and honours of this life because the matter thereof is fluid caduce and fraile soone vanisheth away but that which is fixed on the soliditie of vertue and godlines endureth for euer Plinie reporteth that there is a kinde of
wolfe called Lupus ceruarius which is of this nature that being neuer so hungrie and hauing hardly found his preye if he looketh backe and espieth some other preye he forgetteh his hunger and the meate he hath present before him and followeth after that which is vncertaine Quaeritat incertam tanta est obliuio praedom Forgetting still his present pray Vncertaine hopes he seekes alway So obtuse and dull is his memorie Like vnto him are they which being delighted with the present pleasures of this life they altogether forget their first loue and the doctrine of heauenly things which they had learned and pursue vaine and vncertaine pleasures We haue here a most sweete and comfortable testimonie of the inspeakeable loue and mercy of God who is so farre off from willing the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and line that he doth not onely lament their imminent destruction and wish the conuertion of the wicked but patiently expecteth their amendment He is patient towards vs and would haue no man to perish but would haue all men to come to repentance for the Lord is patient slowe to anger and abundant in goodnes and truth Reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing iniquitie transgression and sinne not that he hates not iniquitie but that he awaites our amendment Fortie daies he gaue space to Niniuie to Nabuchâ—donezer twelue moneths three yeares to the barraine figtree an hundred yeares to the olde world and fortie yeares to Ierusalem before this destruction fel vpon them but how long hath he expected vs and shall we still despise his long sufferance which leadeth vs to repentance We are long in building an house but quicke in pulling it downe deus cum struit velociter struit But God is quicke in building vp and slowe in pulling downe he sets vp in power but destroyes in mercy He would not drowne the world before Noah preached nor burne Sodome before Lot exhorted he will warne Egypt by Moses the Iewes by Ieremie and Ierusalem by CHRIST and his Apostles and that with weeping before he punisheth O loue to send vs his sonne O mercy to stay vs falling O patience to attend our returning desiring our repentance The vse of all this is that seeing the bountifulnes and long sufferance of God leadeth vs to repentance that we abuse not this goodnes of the Lorld but betime prouide for our peace by taking hold of repentance O let vs not be slacke herein In futurum enim nostra distulimus saith Senica we leaue all for hereafter It is to be feared the diuell will plead prescription we are so slacke in chalenging our inheritance Cadit asinus est qui subleuat perit anima non est qui recogitat The asse falleth into the ditch and we carefully pull him out but the soule perisheth and we neuer regard it Teshuba the Hebrew Metà noia the Greeke resipiscentia the latine conuersion the English are Synonimies All teach vs that repentance is a turning from sinne Metanôen conuerti to be turned The Metaphor is borrowed from a Traueller who wandring out of his way and being admonished turnes againe into his right way Auersion a turning out of the way is when one forsaketh God and serueth Sathan Reuersion is when a man leaues sinne and returnes to God by repentance Sin then is per auia errare to wander through by waies repentance is Adviam regiam redire To returne into the right way again The prodigall sonne went out of the way when he wandred from his father but found againe the right way when he returned to his father Sinne is Anoia follie and madnes Metà noia repentance is a chaunge vnto wisedome The sinner whiles he continues in his wickednes doth as it were looke without eyes heares without eares and vnderstandes without his heart but the penitent doth Meta put them on again and doth nothing without them The word recipiscentia as it were resapere or post factuÌ„ sapere teacheth vs that sinne is a madnes and to repent is to waxe wise after follie to come to his right wittes againe The true repentant taketh hold of Gods promise and doubteth not of forgiuenes fides ambiguum non habet Faith admits no doubt Faith cannot be doubtfull the faithfull deferres not repentance nor returnes as a dogge to his vomite The Serpent that hath cast off her skinne leaues it behind her and resumes the same no more The bird that hath escaped from the snare of the fowler will afterwards be the more warie of the nette And the spouse of Christ maketh this resolution That she hath put off her coate how then should she put it on she hath washed her feete how should she defile them It is as impossible for fire to burne in the water as the truely penitent to wallowe in wickednes Our sins brethren do daily recrucifie Christ are no better then treasons Impenitent Sathan cannot be saued they that seeke not pardon shall not finde it no repentance no confession No confession no sorrowe No sorrowe no turning no turning no saluatioÌ„ Christ is the dore of heauen he opens if we belieue and we shall enter if we repent Faith and repentance goe coniunctim and hand in hand Faith reconciles repentance reformes Faith receiues the promises repentance renues the man the peniteÌ„t onely are partakers of the blessings All the vialls of Gods wrath shall be powred downe all his plagues shall light on the impeniteÌ„t to the vtter perdition of body and soule began here in the person attained proceeding on the conscience conuicted and consumnate on the partie condemned for euer to endure Here are Alastores of Alastêin tormentors for Nero Plutoes horses for Oedipus an euill spirit for Saul and a gnawing coÌ„science for Achitophell Heu quantum misero poenae mens conscia donat O with what paine and griping smart A guiltie conscience wounds the hart O beloued if Ierusalem had repented in that her day she had then knowne the things that pertained to her peace then would the Sauiour haue reioyced and not haue vttered this sorrowfull Threnodiam whiles they sang Hosanna O if thou haddest knowne the things that pertaine vnto thy peace Let vs therfore good brethreÌ„ linger no delaies but betime flie to repentance the sanctuarie of the soule take heede least sinne passe through his gradation and so get an habite Least while custome groweth man fadeth grace absenteth sin presenteth the heart is hardened and man obdurate so that now God is contemned his threatning reiected heauen cannot winne him nor hell scarre him ioyes cannot allure him nor torments affright him This is Sathans ladder of perdition sinne steppeth from temptation to thinking from thinking to liking from liking to yeelding from yeelding to acting from acting to custome from custome to hardnes of heart from hardnes of heart to a reprobate minde full of vnrighteousnes fornication couetousnes enuie murther back-biting c. As
shame and confusion so full of sorrowe and bitternes full of losse and dammage because it separateth from God the Soueraigne good of all which is the greatest losse that may be imagined Your sinnes haue separated betweene you and your God As the widowe and fatherles are exposed to all wrong and oppression because there are fewe that will stand in their defence euen as a ship wanting a sterne Mast and Gouernour is tossed with the tempest and at last dashed on the rockes so the wretched soule destitute through sinne of Gods grace fauour and protection is laide open to the waues of temptations and tossed with the tempests of the diuell world and flesh and finally suffereth horrible shipwracke Sinne is also full of shame and confusion for such is the filthines of sinne in it selfe that it seeketh corners walketh masked and loueth the darkenes Qui male agit odit lucem he that euill doth hateth the light Sinne and shame be brothers of one birth Olde father Adam teacheth who as soone as he had sinned sought to hide himselfe from God and couered himselfe with Figge-tree leaues euen as they which haue vlcerous and filthie bodies seeke by all meanes to hide the same and would not haue their disease knowne so al wicked liuers though happily they are not ashamed at their sinfull actions to be wicked yet they blush to be reputed wicked Diogenes on a time seeing a young man in a Tauerne running into an inner roome for that he was ashamed to be seene called vnto him Quo interius fugeris hoc magis eris in popina the more thou runnest inward the farther thou art in the Tauerne So a wicked man the more he seeketh to hide himselfe within himselfe so much the more is he the same that he is Sinne is also full of bitternes sorrowe as truely saith S. Augustine Voluisti domine verè sic est vt paena sibi sit omnis animus inordinatus Thou wouldest Lord haue it so and indeed so it is that euery inordinate minde should be a torment vnto it selfe Knowe and behold saith Ieremie in the person of God that it is an euill and a bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my feare is not in thee saith the Lorde God of Hosts As Iob in all his miseries neuer wanted a Messenger that would bring him euill tidings So in euery sinne an euill messenger is euer at hand which woundeth and teareth the conscience Sinne then is like an Harlot of whom that mirror of wisedome speaketh Whoso Lips droppe like an honie combe but her end is bitter as Wormewood her feete goe downe to death and her steppes take holde on Hell Sinne is like an itching Vlcer which feeleth a little pleasure whiles it is rubbed but at last it smarteth the more and fretteth the Flesh Sinne is like poysoned Wine which seemeth pleasant to the taste but the poyson killeth in the ende This gnawing of conscience an inseparable companion of sinne the Lorde threatneth vnto the wiced Yee shall flie when none pursueth you Againe The sound of a Leafe shaken shall chase them away Can any thing bee spoken more significantly to expresse the terrors of a guilty conscience This plainly proueth if there were nothing else how full of bitternes and sorrow sinne is yet in many other respects the euills that proceed of sinne may be considred because it bringeth eternall punishment because it weakeneth the powers of the soule because our desires are accompanied with infinite cares and troubles because it onely maketh a separation betweene God and man it caused the sonne of God to descend from heauen to be made man and to suffer the ignominious death of the Crosse because the haynous enormitie of sinne was such that it could be expiated by no other meanes but by the blood of the onely begotten sonne of God Timon that Misanthrôpos and hater of men being asked why hee so hated all men answered Merito improbos odi reliquos autem quia improbos non oderunt I hate wicked men and that worthilie and the rest I hate because they doe not hate wicked men It was also a saying of Publius Mimus Tolerabilior est qui mori iubet quam qui male viuere He is more tollerable that commandeth vs to die then he that willeth vs to liue wickedly Here ye see that the very Heathen by the light of nature sawe and taught the horrour and filthines of sinne and shall doubtles rise in iudgement to our condemnation which beside the instinct of nature haue also the light of Gods word yet make small conscience of many sinnes which they so detested The vse brethren of all that I haue said is that laying before our eyes Gods extreame hatred of sinne manifested in this wofull ruine and destruction of the people of the Iewes whom he made a fearefull example of his wrath to all posterities that we would at length learne to be wise by others harmes walke more warily take heede how we offend so great and terrible a God beware of securitie in our sinnes and betime betake our selues to repentance for these iudgements of God do not onely pertaine vnto them but much more vnto vs which by CHRIST the Messias haue receiued far greater benefits then they did For as much as the Gospell excelleth the lawe so far our benefites exceede theirs This being so what remaineth but that we should hearkē to the Apostles counsaile Wherfore we ought diligently to giue heede to the things which we haue heard least at any time we should let them slip for if the word spokē by Angells was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape which neglect so great saluation For if the abuse of Gods benefites and their ingratitude brought vpon this people so heauie a destruction what should not we feare of God the same Iudge which haue receiued farre greater benefites and yet are bettered nothing thereby but still remaine vnthankefull What should we feare doe I say Doe we not see the same calamitie and vastation to haue fallen vpon the greatest part of all Christendome at this day Once in the flourishing state of the Romane Empire the Christian religion was extended almost through the whole world but at this day how small a portion is left the barbarous Turke for our sinnes still enchroaching vpon vs Doe we not here plainely see the same God in the same cause to haue begun the same iudgement among vs what cause then haue we to hearken to this admonishion of the Apostle though some of the branches be broken off and thou being a wilde oliue tree wast graft in for them be not high minded for if God spared not the naturall branches take heede least he spare not thee The Iewes once were the naturall branches the legitimate children of God we were