more easily feare and tremble at a danger whence comes that opposition betwixt feare and hardnesse of heart as Blessed is that man Prou. 28. 14. that feareth alwayes but hee that hardneth his heart shall fall into euill and that of the Prophet why hast Is 63. 87. thou hardned our hearts from thy feare Now this feare is of excellent vse in the practise of Repentance for it is as a bridle to order guide and keepe vs in the way whereinto Repentance Prou. 28. 14. turnes our feet Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but he that in desperate boldnesse hardens his heart shall surely fall into euill Therefore by the force of the opposition he implies that he that feares shall be kept from euill and that heerein his blessednesse consisteth which he more plainly auouches elsewhere The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to Prou 14. auoyd the snares of death for more particularly it thus keeps thus First it makes vs to quake at the very first risings of euill and sinnefull motions in our hearts and so to dash sinne in the shell Tremble sayes Dauid and sinne not Psal 4 4. Secondly when strong and violent tentations assault vs it strengthens vs and withholds our assent for the repenting sinner being now turned to God he alwayes sees God and knowes that God sees him and therefore the awefull reuerence hee carries to his presence restraines him This vpheld Ioseph How can I saith he doe this and sinne against Gen. 39. 9. God This strengthened him against the powerfull and adulterous follicitations of his Mistresse The times was fit his master was absent and the place fit priuate and remote yet though time and place gaue him leaue Gods feare would not so powerfull was it against her powerfull perswasions to folly So Isaac though naturall affection would haue carried him to haue reuersed Iaakobs blessing specially when he was importuned by the howlings of Esau yet hee did not and what was the bridle that held him backe He feared an exceeding great feare Gen. 27. 33. which is mentioned afterward The feare of my father Isaac sayes Iaakob swearing by God whose feare Gen. 31. 42. opened possessing Isaac his father kept him from passing away the blessing to Esau Thirdly it keepes from such sinnes where the feare of man restraines not euen from secret and vnknowen sinnes to the world Thou shalt not saith Leuit. 19. 14. the Lord curse the deafe why what should hinder he cannot heare vs if we doe Thou shalt not lay a stumbling blocke before the blinde why what should let vs hee cannot see vs if wee doe Marke the words following Thou shalt feare the Lord who both heares thy curses and sees thy stumbling blockes Fourthly In the whole course of our life it makes vs worke out our saluation with fearing and trembling euen reioycing in feare and feasting in feare knowing Phil. 2. Psal 2. Iude 12. that there is then the greatest danger when to our eyes there is the least appearance of it In these and such like respects is this feare so necessary in the practise of repentance for Repentance is a continuall returning towards God and drawing neerer still to him To the which how soeuer that hellish and slauish feare bee a let for it driues a man backe from God and turnes away the face from sinne yet not this louing and filiall feare for it driues from sinne and keepes vs from forsaking God I will put my feare sayes the Lord Ier. 32. 40. in their hearts that they shall not depart from mee Out of this feare arises that notable duety which some Repentants in the more serious exercise of their Repentance in the Scriptures haue practised Namely that entring into Couenant with God binding our selues by solemne oath vnto him This was Dauids practise I haue sworne and I will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Psal 119. 106. The same duty we finde practised in the bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah Now this practise arises out Ezr 10. Neh. 10. of this feare and iealousie which we haue of our deceitfull hearts As when wee feare the faith and honest dealing of men wee will not trust to their bare words but we will haue it vnder their hands and seales The contrary to this feare is bold venturousnesse when we rush desperately into all manner of sinne and in boldnes of face and hardnes of heart worke out our owne damnation Now by this may wee try the truth of our Repentance What doe we feare to sinne when we see sinne following vs doe we runne from it as the chicken seeing the Kite come flies vnder the wings of the hen Art thou now afrayd of an oath Hast thou beene a couetous vsurer a swinish drunkard Eccles 9. 2. an vncleane adulterer a godlesse Sabaoth-breaker And art thou now afrayd of these sinnes tremblest thou at the thoughts of them then hast thou good euidence of the truth of thy Repentance But this giues the most the lie that bragge of their Repentance because as it is sayd of those deceiuers that they feast without all feare feeding themselues So it Iude 12. may be sayd of them that they follow their sinnes with all greedinesse without feare or wit So farre from feare that they doe desire the occasions of sinne and euen harden their hearts against this feare These may well feare that they neuer knew what Repentance meant CHAP. XV. Of three other duties wherein conuersion is practised 5. DVty is Desire That which we feare wee 5. Desire desire to bee freed from and to enioy the contrary So hee that feares death desires life and he that truely feares sinne desires to be freed from sinne and to enioy the presence of God euery day more and more This desire then of Gods grace and his presence to deliuer vs from the cumber and the burden and body of death is another affection of a repentant heart for when by Repentance we are turned to God and see the sweete beauty of his face wee are exceedingly rauished withall and therefore in strong and earnest desires we make towards him faine would we bee at the end of our iourney that we might be with him graspe him with our armes and satiate our selues with his sweetnes Hence it is that the children of God desire death and dissolution with Paul because Phil. 1. 23. till then they cannot be with Christ These desires are so much the stronger because of our infirmity in approaching towards God which is such that we goe but as it were creeping This greeues vs and makes vs desire that wee were rid of these infirmities which so clogge vs and hang as lead at our heeles This makes vs cry with the Church Draw me and we will runne after thee and with Dauid Oh Cant. 1. 3. that my wayes were directed By Repentance indeed Psal 119. 5. we are escaped
Kite The sicke men that came not into the water when the Ioh. 5. Angell mooued were not healed It is not with the tydes of Gods grace as in the tydes of water which come certainely at set time so that hee that misses the morning tide may haue the euening tide No it is tide too day and now it is tide Now take it if thou bee wise thou knowest not whether in all thy life time the like grace will be offered thee againe Behold saies our Sauiour I stand at the doore Reuel 3. 20. and knocke if any man will open viz. when I knocke then I will come in else not Thou mayest well feare that because thou wast deafe at Gods call God will bee both dumbe neuer to call thee heereafter againe and also deafe not to heare thee calling on Prou. 1. 28. him 3. Though Gods Grace in outward meanes may stil be offred yethow knowest thou whether he wil giue thee the inwarde grace with the outwarde meanes of grace Nay delayes are dangerous The longer thou puttest off the further off art thou and the more incapable of Repentance For still thou heapest vp sinne vpon sinne and euery new sin is a new stroake with an hammer that driues the naile in further So that Repentance will bee more difficult afterward then now sinne will haue gotten such an interest and confirmed a strength by continuance of time And this is that which the Apostle speakes of Lest your hearts be hardned thorough Hebr. 3. 13. the deceitfulnesse of sinne Wee thinke to shake off our sinnes afterward but the longer they tarry the faster they cleaue A twigge may bee easily bowed but let it grow to a confirmed tree then there is no dealing with it And thus haue we seen with these delayers of Repentance that haue sayd at first It is too soone wee will repent heereafter when their heereafter hath beene come then haue they sayd It is too late the season is past our hearts are so hardned that now we cannot repent Wee must not say to our neighbour that comes for his owne good goe and come againe too morrowe how much lesse to God who comes and craues not for his but our good who if wee doe our endeauour in asking of him will giue that which he askes of vs. If thou deny him too day he will deny to aske of thee too morrow 4. Death is no fit time to beginne to learne Repentance It is absurd for a souldier to seeke his armour when the battle is begunne The Apprentice will not be to learne his trade when his time is going out Repentance should rather be an introduction to Death then Death to Repentance Besides at the time of death the body is so possessed with payns the soule so taken vp with feare of death that a man is altogether vnfitte for so great and waighty a worke as Repentance is yea we see that men vpon their death-beds are not fit to meddle with ordinary matters of the world and shall wee thinke that when we are vnfit for the basest things of the earth that wee can bee fit for the great and weighty businesses of Heauen 5. Repentance at death is seldome sound For it may seeme rather to arise from feare of iudgement an horror of hell then from any griefe for sin And many seeming to repent affectionately in dangerous sicknesse when they haue recouered haue beene rather woorse then before It is true that true Repentance is neuer too late but late Repentance is seldome true for heere our sinnes rather Poenitentia nunquam sera siserir sed sera raro serta Vae illis qui tunc habuerunt terminum luxuriae cum vitae leaues vs then wee them as Ambrose sayes And as he addes Woe be vnto them whose sinne and life end together Let vs therefore no longer foreslow our Repentance till death sicknesse and old age let God haue the best of our dayes If we reserue the dregges of our dayes for him he will reserue the dregges of the cuppe of his fierce wrath for vs. Let vs account it a greater shame to be to beginne Gods learning in our old age then to bee to beginne any humane learning And yet euen there it is a shameful thing What a shamefull and ridiculous thing were it to see a man with a gray beard goe to the Grammer-schoole or to sit among children learning his Turpis et ridicula res elementarius senex Senec. A. B. C. Repentance is the A. B. C. of religion bee as much ashamed to learne that in thine olde age as thou wouldest be to be amongest children and schoole-boyes CHAP. XVII Of continued and renued Repentance THe second degree I call Continued repentance 2. Continued Repentance which is a going forward in the first repentance thoroughout the whole course of our liues for Repentance is not onely a turning that is but the first degree but it is also a returning A man must neuer giue ouer till he be returned to that estate wherein once he was which is not done till our dying day If yee will seeke seeke returne and Is 21. 12. come After turning our faces to God at our first repentance there must be a daily comming forward to him by this continued Repentance The Popish pennance is confined within the circle of a few daies weekes moneths or yeres according to the priests discretion But the true Repentance of a Christian is a continuall act and a daily exercise for the change of the heart is not wrought in vs perfectly at the first but there must bee proceeding on by degrees The old man must bee crucified by repentance Now crucifying is a lingring death After we are conuerted still wee carry the body of sinne about vs and many infirmities cleaue vnto vs and breake from vs continually As therefore in a a leaking ship there must bee continuall pumping and in a beggers coat continuall patching so in our liues continuall repenting repairing of our daily breaches There is matter enough to hold our repentance worke all our life long Many practise repentance by starts now then when the mood and fit comes on them but it must bee a continuall practise For 1. We haue daily infirmities 2. Wee had sin before our birth euen in our conception euen originall sinne which will hang vpon vs till our death 3. After death our sinnes will remaine in regard of the euill sent corrupting others 4. Many were our sinnes before our calling neuer to be forgotten but often with bitternesse to be remembred as Paul did his persecution 5. By neglecting the daily practise of Repentance we shall make the practise of it farre more difficult afterward The house that is daily swept hath but little dust and is easily swept but if it be seldome swept then it askes much scraping rubbing paring and washing the dirt will be growen so hard to the floore So in casting of accounts he that
come vnto it Sometimes hauing laid his net he takes poles and thrusts and driues them along into the net The former way God tempts but onely this latter Sathan The meaning heere then is that Christ was led into the wildernesse to bee tempted that is to be perswaded to euill by Sathan Quest 2 2. Quest How could Christ who was so holy be tempted Answ Hee could not bee tempted inwardly How Christ-being so holy could bee tempted of himselfe being holy but outwardly by another he might So were Adam and Eue. And thus to be tempted that is to be perswaded to sinne by another whether Man or Angell is no sinne but a crosse so there be not the least yeelding to the motion no not in the least ticklings of the affection Sathans temptations against vs doe for the most part taint vs by reason of the simpathy betwixt our corruption and them But in Christ there was an antipathy against sinne as in the stomacke against some meates the which the more wee are vrged to eat of them the more we loath them Whereas in other meats that wee especially loue the very sight of them is perswasion enough to eat of them Christs heart to Sathans tentations was as a stone or brasse wall to an arrow repulsing them backe presently Our hearts are as a butt where they may easily fasten themselues Ours as a barrell of gun-powder to the fire Christs as water and therefore he sayd The Prince of this world is come and hath naught in me Ioh. 14. 3. Doct. Hence I gather that all temptations are not sins Ioh 14. 20. in the tempted for then Christ should haue sinned All temptations are not sinnes in the tempted This may comfort those that beeing vexed with fearefull suggestions of Sathan as to thinke amisse of God himselfe c. doe thereby thinke amisse of themselues as if they were therfore most vile wretches But they must remember that this is no more their sinne if they presently beat it backe then if a man like themselues should wish them to the like Sathan must answer for this himselfe Quest But How we may discerne the temptations of Sathan from those that proceed from our own corruption how shall I know that it is Sathan and not mine owne corruption Answ Temptations against the light of nature euen corrupted nature where there is no bait to entice corruption as for a man to kil his louing and beloued parents where there is no hope of gaine by it no matter of displeasure to prouoke these are meerly from Sathan And so are the blasphcmous thoughts against the Trinity Specially if such temptations come furiously and like the flashings of lightning suddenly wee not imagining how nor vpon what occasion we should conceiue such thoughts and withall haunt vs and will not be driuen away but the more we striue and beat them away the more like flies they come vpon vs and withall be contriued subtilly and artificially this is like the marching of Sathan as hee sayd This is like the marching of Iehu for he marcheth furiously 2. Kin. 2. Kings 9. 9. I thinke neuer doe temptations arise from the flesh but the Diuell interposes himselfe and speaks his good word for them being once set on foote by the flesh Therefore such temptarious called the messengers of Sathan 2. Cor. 12. and Ephes 4. 26. 27. 2. Cor. 12. Eph. 4. 26. 27. wee are sayd in anger to giue place to the Diuell And though commonly the flesh regratifie the Diuell and applaud and set forward his temptations yet it doth so fall out sometimes that the Diuell tempts alone and that so grossely that the very flesh is ashamed of it Quest 3 3. Quest How or in what manner was Christ tempted whether by inward suggestion as we or by Whether Christ was tempted by inward suggestion or by an audible voice an audible voyce the Diuell appearing in a visible shape Ans It is most likely to latter way First because it is sayd Then came the tempter vnto him Secondly because of that desire of his that he would fal down and worship him Yet I hold it not impossible that Christ might be tempted by suggestion For he was tempted before hee was hungry euen during the space of the forty dayes Luc. 4. 2. 3. And it seemes Luc. 4. 2. 3. that those temptations were rather by inward suggestion for that it is sayd Then namely after he was hungry came the tempter to wit in a bodily shape implying that before hee came not so So hee was tempted afterward also but yet nothing is read of any visible apparition Quest. 4 4. Quest Why was Christ tempted 1. Answ That wee might see the horrible rage Why Christ was tempted and senslesse madnesse of the Diuell against God and our saluation For though that before in Iordan and all his former miracles at his birth c. might haue cleared his Godhead to him yet malice blindes him that hee cannot or will not see and makes him to barke against the sunne and to fight against the heauens And so still is it with his wicked instruments 2. That wee should know how fit it is there should be trials of ministers before they enter into their functions 3. That ministers might know who will be their speciall aduersary they must conflict with in their ministry 4. That we might see how fit it is that ministers and men of great callings should be fitted and prepared for the good discharge of them by temptation and by their owne experience might learne to releeue others 2. Cor. 1. 4. 5. To giue vs warning to looke to our selues For if this were done to the greene tree what then shall bee done to the dry If Sathan durst set vpon Christ who was as greene wood and had abundance of moisture to quench the heate of his fire what then will hee doe to vs that are dry and quickly set on fire 6. To ouercome our temptation with his as he did our death with his For as death lost his sting lighting on Christ so also Sathans temptations and the foile he gaue Sathan was for vs. 7. That by suffring that which was the desert of our sinnes his loue towards vs might appeare the more If it were a vexation to the righteous soule of Lot to see and heare the wickednesse of the Sodomites who yet perswaded him not to doe the like how much more to our Lords soule to heare this cursed hell-hound vttering such filthy speeches perswading him to such vngodlinesse See we then in Christ suffring this for vs his loue our desart namely to be thus vexed and molested with Sathan and if we haue ease and deliuerance in tentation thanke we Christs trouble for our ease 8. That there might bee some answering to the Israelites being forty yeeres in the desert in many trials and temptations A day answearing a yeere As there was before in Christs going into Aegypt 9. That our
TVVO TREATISES The one Of Repentance The other Of Christs Temptations Both penned By the late faithfull Minister of Gods worde DANIEL DYKE Batchelour in Diuinitie Published since his death by his Brother I D. Minister of Gods word MATTH 3. 2. Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Ralph Mab and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Greyhound 1616. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND MOST VERTVOVS LADY the Lady Harrington RIGHT HONOVRABLE THe Lord hath not left himselfe without many witnesses to call vpon vs for the same worke for the which this worke doth call An argument that people are backward and the duty necessary If either the men were more forward or the duty lesse important Quorsum haec profusio To what end were this waste What needed this waste of paper and inke nay of the spirits and lungs of Gods messengers crying earely and late if people were not too late in that duty wherein they cannot bee too earely It was not for nothing that our Sauiour yoakes these two petitions together Giue vs this day c. And forgiue vs our trespasses Surely me thinkes hee teaches vs that so long as wee haue neede to say Giue so long we haue neede to say forgiue and that daily repentance is as necessary for the soule as daily sustenance for the body And yet such is the worlds folly that while they make one to be of an absolute necessity they shuffle off the other as a matter of indifferency at least conceit it not of that present necessity which we vrge Most deale with Repentance as countrey people with Physicians they loue not to haue to doe with them till they feare they are gasping their last breath and conceit as great an efficacie in these fiue words Lord haue mercy vpon me spoken with their last breath for the translation of their soules into heauen as the Papists do of their fiue words of consecration for the transubstantiation of their hoste Nay without question many thinke of their Repentance before their death as diuerse ridiculously doe of making their wils That if they make their wils in their health it is an ominous presage of their death That because many make not their wils but when they die therfore they must needes shortly die if they make their wils The like thinke many of Repenting in their life time that because most make it a death-bed duty therefore to doe this duty will hasten them to their death And so many fearing it in their life are denied it at their death But for the necessity the worth the speede of the practise of this duty I spare to speake ought It is the summe of the following Treatise A Treatise not of mine own but of his whose labours need not feare the light Many and worthy indeede are the labours of others that are extant vpon this argument and indeede so many that amongst such a multitude I should scarce haue aduentured this small Treatise if the generall gracious acceptance of his former works which I published had not made way for it The kinde welcome that it found at the hands of most seemed to promise that these present labors should not be fruitlesse Thereupon I tooke heart both to perfect and to publish this Treatise And being perfected I haue made bolde to commend it to your La. By your patronage the worke may receiue grace from you and by your diligent perusall of it you may receiue encrease of grace from it The Lord grace you with all spiritall blessings till hee bring you to Glory the perfection of Grace Epping in Essex April 18. Your Honours to be commanded IER DYKE A TREATISE OF REPENTANCE CHAP. I. What Repentance is THere is no one point in practicall Diuinity of greater consequence then this of Repentance A naile that all the Sermons both of Prophets and Apostles were continually hammering Christ himselfe as he continually beat vpon it so in his last farwell ascending into heauen in speciall manner he commended the preaching and pressing thereof to his Disciples telling them that it was necessary that Repentance and Remission of sinnes should bee preached in Luk. 24 37. his name among all nations In which words Repentance hath a double commendation 1. That it is ioyned with remission of sinnes and that so that none can feele the sweet of it that feeles not the sowre of this 2. That it is made a doctrine fitting all sorts and conditions Some doctrines are for Gouernours some for Subiects some for Rich some for Poore some for young some for olde some for the wicked some for the godly some for the Court some for the Countrey but Repentance being for sinners I came to call sinners to Repentance Matth. 9. it is for all none can exempt himselfe from the reach thereof vnlesse withall hee can free himselfe from the touch of sinne Therfore it must be preached among all nations Repentance then neuer beeing vnseasonable surely not now when God what by our sinnes what by his iudgements calleth vnto weeping and mourning vnto baldnesse and girding with sacke-cloath Is 22. And yet behold ioy and gladnesse slaying of oxen and sheep Epicure-like eating of flesh and drinking of wine It is high time therefore both for Presse and Pulpit to ring lowde peales of this argument Which though it be much in many mens mouthes yet is it little in their reines being more spoken of then vnderstood and yet better vnderstood then practised better knowen then felt Wherfore for our more happy direction in it let vs first see what it is Now I thinke it may not amisse thus be described Repentance is a supernaturall grace of the sanctifying spirit wherby a beleeuing sinner so humbleth himselfe for sinne that hee turnes from it to the Lord. 1. I call it a Grace Some thinke it onely an action Repentance is a grace But that phrase Ezech. 12. 10. of powring the spirit of grace meaning Repentance on the house of Iudah seemes to argue it to be a quality or infused gift so as faith and charity are So also that phrase of giuing Repentance Acts 5. 31. and 11. 18. for if God giue it we receiue it Now wee cannot properly be sayd to receiue an action which wee doe but the power gift or grace whereby we do it That speech also Matth. 3. 8. Bring forth fruits worthy Repentance shewes that Repentance it selfe is not an outward action as the Papists would make it but an inward grace to bee expressed in outward actions 2. I call it a supernaturall grace not onely in regard Supernaturall of corrupt nature for so euery grace is supernaturall but also of innocent for though Adam before the fall had loue feare temperance c. yet Faith and Repentance had hee not for he needed them not This shewes that Repentance is not a Legall but an Euangelicall grace For all legall graces And therfore
wounds are not mortall but medicinable the wounds not of a Swash-buckler that giues a gash and runnes away but of a Surgeon that wounds and then heales God sees the Diuell hath giuen thee many a secret wound which will fester vnlesse he heale them with these wounds of his Gods axe hewes thee down not for the fire but for the building that thou mayest be a piller in his house The Reuel 3. Mason pluckes downe an house but not with an intent to destroy it but to re-edifie it and raise it vp againe in better forme and fashion God brings thee downe to the belly of hell but it is but to bring the vp into the bosome of Abraham Hee sends his Sergeant to arrest thee for thy debt commands thee and all thou hast to bee sold But hee doth but dissemble and hide his fatherly affections as once Ioseph did his brotherly His meaning is in conclusion to forgiue thee euery farthing He scorches thee with the heate of his wrath and afflicts thee with a maruellous thirst like that of Diues But in the middest of thy extremity hee releeues thee as once Hagar opening thine eyes to see that Zach. 13. 1. blessed Fountaine issuing out of the pierced side of Christ He troubles thy heart and stirres vp the mud of thy guilty conscience but it is no otherwise then the Angel troubled the poole of Bethesda Gen. 9. now mayest thou expect health and helpe The raine-bow though it threaten raine yet it is a signe the world shall no more bee drowned with raine So the wounds and terrors of conscience though they threaten damnation to the Elect yet are they a signe that they shall not be ouerwhelmed with it Nay as the sottish security of the wicked is a signe of vndoubted destruction as in the olde worlds prophane worldlinesse and Baltashars sacrilegious carousings so contrarily heere terror and trouble are fore-runners of assured peace As when they cry peace peace heauen heauen hell and perdition are at hand so when these in their distresse cry Hell Hell damnation damnation Heauen and saluation are at hand And surely much better is this hell which leades vnto and ends in an eternall Heauen then that transitory heauen of secure worldlings which ends in an euerlasting hell Happy then are wee if wee haue so our hell in this life that we may haue our Heauen for euer in the life to come Be not afrayd of this hell which will deliuer thee vp safely into Heauen fear not that fal into Gods dungeon which shal rebound thee back into his palace Feare not that hand which in killing quickens in oppressing eases nay euen in the valley of death mayest thou boldly say Thy rod euen thy smiting rod comforts mee In the middest of these sore trauels and troubles looking with the Psal 23. trauailing woman to the ioyfull issue the happy birth of sauing Repentance Remembring that the short paine of this Surgeons cutting of thee shall ease thee of that continuall and farre heauier paine of the stone in thy heart Surely as when Christ called the blinde man the Disciples sayd Be of good comfort he calleth thee so may I boldly say to all burthened in consciencc Be of good comfort Christ Iesus calleth you saying Come vnto mee all yee that are heauy loaden that I may ease you If thou feelest the weight of this burthen now there is Matth. 11. one that will translate it from thy shoulders to his owne If not thou shalt certainely feele it in the life to come when thou alone must beare it for euer Is it not then a happy turne that since thou must be thus burthened here or hereafter thou art laden heere where Christ may ease thee so that thou mayst auoyd that clog in hell easelesse and eternall CHAP. III. Of the properties of Humiliation HAuing seene the order how Humiliation is 2. The properties wrought in the next place we must consider of the properties thereof which though they bee many yet may be comprized all vnder that one of Pauls 2. Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow For this sorrow or humiliation may bee called It is godly in foure respects Godly in diuers respects 1. Because it makes vs grieue for the offence of 1. It grieues for the offence God by our sinne and not so much for the offence of our flesh by the punishment For Paul opposeth it to worldly sorrow which is for crosses and punishments The repenting Israelites sorrow is thus described by Ezechiel They shall remember mee because Ezech. 6. 9. I am grieued for their whorish hearts c. and they shal be displeased in themselues for all their abominations The ground of their griefe was that they had grieued God with sinning and not that God had grieued them with punishing By this we may iudge of our sorrow For godly sorrow laments after the Lord as it is noted in those Israelites 1. Sam. 7. 1. not after our own ease and freedome from paine Godly sorrow sayes with Dauid Take away the trespasse not with Pharaoh 2. Sam. 24. the plague Nay it submits it selfe to any punishment so the sinne may be pardoned Let thy hand be vpon me and my fathers house And though there were no punishment yet it would grieue in kindnesse towards so mercifull and forgiuing a father that is offended The humiliation of the wicked is not so If there were no sparkes of fire in hell there would bee no drops of water in their eyes Their humiliation is wrung from them onely by the sting and guilt of conscience which may enforce them to let goe their hold of sinne and wish for the time to bee rid of it The distemper and paine of the dogges stomacke not the dislike of the meat in it makes him cast vp his gorge For afterward he returnes to his vomit And so doth the humbled hypocrite to his sinne Which shewes he fell not out with his sinne but with his affliction whereas godly humiliation in true Penitentiaries proceedes from the loue of God their good father and so from the hatred of that sinne that hath displeased him As it was the sent of the mirrhe Christ had dropped vpon the barre that wakened Cant. 5. 4. 5. the drousie spouse and made her bowels to fret within her in godly indignation And the sweeter that mirrhe did smell the more filthy was the sent of her sinne in her nostrils 2. Because where the least seede of it is it driues 2. It driues to God vs to God in our greatest extremities to seeke ease and remedy of him The Reprobate in their sorrow runne away from God euen as a dogge from him that whippeth him Iudas in his terrors ranne to the high Priests the enemies of Christ and to the halter Cain to building of cities Saul to musicke to a witch and at last to his sword But the godly they euen out of the deepes with Dauid and Psal 130.
Of Mercy where the patience prouidence 2. Of mercy bounty and kindnesse of the Lord is seriously to be recognized of vs knowing as the Apostle speaketh that it leadeth vs to repentance But heere specially Rom. 2. excelleth the meditation of the death and passion of Christ wherein thou shalt see both the infinitenesse of thy sinne and Gods loue And heere consider thy sinnes as the Iudas that betrayed the souldiers that apprehended bound smote and wounded thy Sauiour as the gall and vineger in his mouth spittle in his face thorns on his head nailes in his hands speare in his side Surely if a man but vnwittingly should kill though the silliest and basest man that is it could not yet but be a great trouble vnto him What then should this be to vs that we haue wilfully murthered the Lord of glory the sonne of God himselfe Behold also Gods infinite loue and see Christ doing the same to thy sinnes which they to him and in suffering death at their hands inflicting death on them and all other thy spirituall enemies for God doth that to his enemies to make vs relent which he bids vs doe to ours If thine enemie hunger giue him meat if he thirst giue him drinke Nay Rom. 12. 20. when we Gods enemies were dead hee gaue vs life and that by the death of his owne sonne and so hath heaped coales of fire on our heads to melt our harts in godly sorrow The way then to pierce our hearts with sorrow for sin is to behold Christ pierced with nailes on the crosse Then shall they looke on mee whom they haue pierced and lament Ezech. 12. And this is the consideration both of our own and Gods wayes required as an incentiue and prouokement of godly sorrow The which shall bee farre more effectuall if we keepe iournals or day-bookes of them both both of our speciall sinnes and Gods speciall mercies for then in the exercises of Repentance may we the more easily set our sinnes in order before our eyes and for the better affecting of our hearts may we spread the catalogue of our sinnes before the Lord as Ezekiah did Rabsakehs 2. Kin. 19. 14. blasphemous letter This course holy Bradford tooke and some thinke Iob did so because of that speech Not one of a thousand CHAP. VII Of Confession and Deprecation HVmiliation wrought in the heart must bee expressed outwardly both in word action 2. Outward expressing it in word In word by his Confession of sinne and Deprecation In Confession consider 1. Parts 1. In Confession In it 1. parts which are 2. 2. Manner The parts of confession are two 1. Accusing of our selues 2. Iudging of our selues Both these are necessary duties For by accusing 1. Accusation In which our selues we preuent Sathan by iudging our selues we preuent God When we haue accused our selues what can Sathan that accuser of the brethen say which wee haue not sayd before so his mouth is stopt Hee comes too late wee being Accusers God is our Discharger and what then shall Sathan be but a Slanderer By iudging of our selues doe wee likewise put God out of office for he will say loe how this man iudgeth himselfe I will not therefore iudge him If in Ahabs hypocryticall iudging seest thou not 1. Kin. 21. 29 how Ahab humbleth himselfe I will not therefore humble him how much more in the sincere and seuere iudging of the Godly Indeed in iudging of others Iudge not least ye be iudged but in iudging Matth. 7. 1. of our selues iudge that ye be not iudged 1. Cor. 11. Now for the former namely the accusing of our Three things selues there must be these three things therein 1. A particularizing of our sinnes In an accusation 1. Particularizing of sinne it is not enough to accuse in generall but we must come to particulars and charge the accused with this or that crime How can the Physitian helpe him that saies he is not well and will not tell him where Many deale with God in the confession of their sinnes as Nebuchadnezar with his Inchanters Dan. 2. about his dreame that hee had dreamed hee told them and desired an interpretation but what his dreame was he could not tell So many confesse themselues sinners and desire pardon But wherein they haue sinned and what their sinnes are they cannot or will not tell Generall Confessions and in grosse are too too grosse No they must be particularly remembred and ranked and sorted together in order 2. And beeing thus set in order some of thy chiefest sinnes must be culled out which haue bin 2. Calling out the chiefe most dishonourable to God and discomfortable to thine owne soule Thus Paul in his confession insists specially in that grand and capitall sinne of persecution I persecuted the Church of God And so those Israelites Besides all other our sinnes wee haue 1. Tim. 1. 13. 1. Sam. 12. 19. sinned in asking a King For he that truely and seriously repents of one sinne specially his deerest and sweetest sinne will much more repent of his other lesser sinnes Hee that will shake off his greatest friends will much more forsake the meaner and lesse respected And indeed vsually Repentance is first occasioned by some one speciall hainous sinne layd to heart The Apostles Acts 2. doe specially presse the murther of Christ vpon the Iewes and Acts 17. Ignorance vpon the Athenians Christ adultery vpon the woman of Samaria calling her to repentance As in battels though they fight against the whole Army yet specially against the Head and Generall as Fight neither against great 1. Kin. 22. nor small but against the King of Israel so specially we must set our selues in our confession against our Master sinnes the King being caught the rest will neuer stand out 3. Though we must specially dwell vpon some of our most speciall sinnes yet the rest must not be 3. Yet not neglecting the rest neglected for as Confession must be particular so also must it be full And our more greeuous offences must bring the rest to our remembrance As Dauids murther and adultery brought euen his birth-sinne to his minde And that sin of strange Psal 51. wiues many other sinnes to Esraes minde As we in correcting our children for one fault thereupon Esr 9. remember them of and reckon with them for many other before and as in accusation when a man is endited of some speciall crime his enemies vpon that occasion bring in whatsoeuer else they can get against him further to disgrace him so heere in accusing our selues nothing willingly must bee omitted Take wee heede of spirituall guile in hiding ought Thou mayest hide God from thy selfe thy selfe from God thou canst not To the Physician thou wilt discouer euen thy most shamefull diseases the fruites of thy filthy wickednesse If thou shouldest conceale but one circumstance of such a disease it might kill thee And sixe
great paine and toyle hee put himselfe vnto in planting Churches was a reuenge vppon the flesh for the pains before taken in persecuting Salomons special sinne was Epicurisme for he euen sold himselfe to carnall and filthy pleasures Therefore repenting hee doth not onely cut the flesh short of those pleasures but in a further reuenge writes a booke against them the booke of his repentance and retractations Ecclesiastes 2. This reuenge consists in conuerting those very things which haue beene the matter or obiect of sinne and abused by the flesh to sinne to the seruice of God and matter of our repentance for example Dauid in his adultery defiled his bed In his repentance he washeth his bed with his tears he turns Psal 6. his bed which he had made a brothell-house into an oratory and an house of prayer That place wherein hee bathed himselfe as it were in the milke of his fleshly pleasure in the same he now baths him-the salt brine of bitter repenting teares So the Ephesians made a sacrifice to the Lord of their bookes of sorcery and Dauid of that water of Acts 19. blood for which his worthies had by his meanes aduentured their liues So the Israelites as they had sinned in offering their eare-rings of golde to Exod. 35. the calfe so repenting they offer likewise gold and ear-rings to the Tabernacle So likewise the Israelitish women offered their looking glasses which they Exod. 38. 8. had abused to the proud prancking vp of themselues to the vse and seruice of the Tabernacle So Tyrus that famous mart-city sinning in the abuse of their goods both in getting and spending of them their Repentance is thus set foorth Her occupying Is 23. 18. and her wages are holy to the Lord it shall not be layd vp nor kept in store but her merchandize shall be for them that dwell before the Lord c. Heere is a lesson for Vsurers Pillers Pollers Receiuers of bribes all such as haue defiled their hands with vnlawfull gaines either getting it by an vnlawfull calling or by the abuse of a lawfull Let them learne of Tyrus Let them not lay vp nor keepe in store the matter of Iames 5. their sinne to testifie and witnesse against them Are yet the treasures of wickednes in your houses oh pluck Mic. 6. 10. from the fleshie those fat collops Better they should serue their gold and siluer so got as Dauid did the water of Bethlem euen spill it and throw it a way then reserue it for their owne priuate enrichment heere and their eternall beggery and endlesse misery heereafter That which before they offered as a sacrifice to Mammon let them now offer it to Gods altar that is the poore who are now come into the roome of the Altar of the old Testamen where Repentance is there is reuenge Hast thou repented for thy couetousnesse for thine vsury bribery c shew thy reuenge vpon them by taking from them the matter they feede vpon and with Tyrus giue it to the Lord with Zaccheus giue it to the poore The example of Bradford that woorthy Repentant whose life death speeches and actions euen breathed Repentance a man that might seeme wholly to be made of Repentance his example I say in this kind is very memorable who hearing a Sermon of Mr. Latymers wherein restitution was M. Samson in his preface to Bradfords Sermon of Repentance vrged he was so stricken to the hart for one dash of a pen which he had made without the knowledge of his Master as full often sayes Mr. Samson I haue heard him confesse with plenty of tears being Clark to the Treasurer of the Kings Camp beyond the seas was to the deceiuing of the King that he could neuer be quiet till by the aduice of the same Mr. Latymer a restitution was made The which thing to bring to passe hee did willingly forgoe all the priuate and certaine patrimony hee had on earth Those that thus offending with Bradford meane not to repent and reuenge themselues on their couetousnes in this manner are not like to come where now Bradford is 3. Another specialty in this Reuenge is when with the very selfe same members and instruments of our bodies which the flesh most of all hath abused to sinne wee in speciall sort glorifie God Zachary that sinned with his mouth in giuing God Luc. 1. the lie repenting as soone as euer he could speake glorified God with his mouth So that woman which had abused her eyes her hayre her lippes to Luke 7. wantonnesse and vncleannesse repenting she reuenges her selfe vpon the flesh Shee takes from the vncleane Diuell all those instruments to spight him the more giues them to his vtter enemy Iesus Christ Her lippes to kisse his feete her eyes to wash them her hayre to wipe them So many delights as she found of the flesh so many burnt offrings shee sacrificed to the Lord. 4. Further we take reuenge on the flesh when we restraine our selues from the vse of things otherwise lawfull because we haue offended therein As if offending in gluttony and drunkennes we should punish our selues with abstinence from wine and fasting If in abuse of mirth and recreations wee then forbeare them If in apparell we then also cut off this our Peacockes tayle Thus we take kniues from children when they cannot vse them without hurting themselues Timothy but liuing amongst the luxurious Ephesians to checke their excesse did 1. Tim. 5. 23. thus tame and subdue the flesh in absteyning from wine How much more if he had so offended himselfe would hee haue done it to haue punished the flesh Ob. But in this doing doe wee not seeme to approue of the popish exercises of pennance Ans No. For 1. Many of these exercises they vse are simply vnlawfull in themselues being breaches of the sixth Commandement as their scourgings of themselues and vsing that roughnes and austerity which takes away health and shortens life The deeds of the flesh must bee mortified by the Rom. 8. 13. spirit in a spirituall manner and not in this forced violent and fleshly fashion 2. Our reuenge is vpon our sins directed against the flesh that is against the corruption of our nature theirs is against their skinnes directed against their persons and their outward man And so indeede it is nothing else but an idle violence offred to the outward man such as that of the Pharisees in fasting till they lost their colour and complexion but that fasting fatted their inward corruptions their pride and their vaineglory For though they pinched their carkasses yet not their corruptions Their leane bodies had swollen soules This reuenge being especially against our sinnes and sin hauing greatest interest in our souls then in our bodies the soule especially should tast of this reuenge Shee should bee broke of her will shee should bee crossed in her affections in her pride and vaineglory As Dauid saide to the Lord smiting the
people with the pestilence Alas these sheepe what haue they 2. Sam 24. done Let thine hand be against me it is I that haue sinned So may the Iesuites soules say to them so cruelly martyring their bodies Alas what haue these bodies done without vs it is we specially that haue sinned and yet wee neuer feele your discipline your hands should be specially against vs. As Ioel saide to them of his time Rend your hearts and not your garments so may we say to these Papists whip Ioel. 2. 13. your soules and not your sides This is the farre harder matter to humble the pride of our spirits then to take downe the flesh of our bodies 3. They make their carnall their bodily and bedlem-like reuenge to be satisfaction to Gods anger against sinne which is blasphemous and derogatory to the bloud of Christ 5. The last point of this reuenge is when we vpbraid the flesh and cast it in the teeth with those afflictions which God sendeth Though wee may not draw afflictions vpon our selues to mortifie the flesh yet being imposed vpon vs by God we may make our aduantage of them for this vse to insult and triumph ouer the flesh when God punisheth it It argues a vindictiue mind in vs and a reuengefull spirit when wee reioyce to see another reuenging himselfe vpon our aduersary So this is also a kinde of reuenge vpon the flesh when God hauing entred the crucifying nayles into the sides of olde Adam wee pegge and driue them in further and hammer them vp to the heads by imputing them to our flesh and charging her with her dulnesse and vntowardnesse and rating at her as the cause of them Ah thou vile flesh I may thanke thee for all this smart I could not turne thee but I trow God will now tame thee I trow hee will bring thee vnder thou rebell Thus if we will helpe God to whip harder by taking Gods part iustifying him in his dealings and twittings at our corruptions we shal manifest our spight and reuenge against this our enemy This was notably practised by that worthy Martyr Cranmer who when by his cruell aduersaries he was brought to the stake to haue his body burnt and so his right hand yet tooke that aduantage against his right hand or rather against his flesh that had abused his right hand to subscribe to the Popish articles to bee reuenged first vpon it And so in a godly reuenge burnt his right hand first And thus we see the practise of this second part of Repentance and the whole definition of Repentance vnfolded CHAP. XVI Of Initiall Repentance NOw after the definition thus explaned it resteth The kinds of repentance to see what diuision there is of Repentance Into kindes it hath none yet it hath certaine degrees Repentance therfore is eyther the first repentance or the after Repentance the after repentance is twofold First the continuation of the first in the daily course of our liues Secondly the renouation of the first in speciall manner vpon some speciall occasions So then in al there be these three degrees of Repentance Initiall Continued Renewed 1 Initiall repeetance is that at our first calling 1. Initiall Hebr. 6. called repentance from dead workes because all the workes euen the best workes before were dead workes comming from men wholly dead in their sinnes This is the repentance of which Paul speaks when he wishes Timothy to instruct the contrarie minded prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance 2. Tim. 2. 25. Heere consider two things 1. The measure of this repentance 2. The time of it 1. The measure of it how farre it doth extend Ans It is in the very first beginnings but small but when once it comes to the birth it breedes in vs greater sorrow then is in continued or renued repentance Initiall repentance then is the greatest in our sense and apprehension Indeede sometimes After-repentance is more bitter by reason of the greater fauors and mercies we haue receiued from God but yet ordinarily the first repentance hath a greater measure of sorrow 1. First at our first repentance our harts are harder then euer after beeing neuer before mollified with any former Repentance and therefore the harder our hearts are the harder wedges needes there to cleaue them 2 Secondly at our first repentance we haue to deale with all the sinnes of our whole life now the more sinnes the more griefe 3 Thirdly in our first repentance more sorrow and griefe because wee neuer yet had any sense of Gods loue before whereas the former assurance of Gods loue in after-repentance doth some thing allay and sweeten the bitternesse of our sorrow these bitter pills are sugred in after-repentance 2 The time of it which must be considered two waies 1 Generally This life is the time of Repentance while we are in the way for when our iourney is ended in death no returning then While it is day Iohn 9. we may worke no working in the night that is after death Then is the paying of wages The day of iudgement is called the Lords day because hee then must reward euery man according to his workes This life onely is our day because then we must worke Manna was to bee gathered onely in the sixe dayes none vpon the Sabbath The time Exod. 16. Vide Drus Adâ—â— pag. 1â—0 〈◊〉 Qui lab 〈…〉 postâ—â—die after our life is a Sabbath from working the works of God Now then in the sixe dayes of our life is the Manna of Faith Repentance to be gathered Some went out to seeke Manna vpon the Sabbath but found none If once our Sabbath bee come none shall finde nor eate Manna that hath not gathered it before As therefore wee are bidden to remember this weekely Sabbath that our worldly businesses be not deferred till then but may be dispatched in the sixe daies before hand so must wee also remember that eternall Sabath after this life and dispatch the spiritual businesses of repentance and not put them off till the working daies be past The life to come is no time of repentance It is the Nam in inferno inquit quis coÌ„fitebitur tibi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ad Ephes hom vlt. Ier. 31. 9. Cum flâ—tu depr cationibus Iun. Reuel 6. 2. Sam. 7. 2. time of Iudgement not of Repentance It is not a time of weeping and deprecations but a time of weeping and imprecations of weeping and gnashing of teeth It is a time rather of howling vnto the mountaines then of lamenting after the Lord. But some will be ready to say if this life be the time of repentance then we will repent any time whilest we liue and it may serue the turne well enough wee will repent in ould age in our sickenesse c. There is time enough before wee dye Therefore for answer we must know that the time of repentance is to be considered in the second place 2.
More specially This life is indeede the time of Repentance yea any time of it in regard of hope and possibility both which are taken from vs after death So Paul sets downe no certaine time but prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance But yet in regard of our duety to practise repentance the time present is the time Euen this very 2. Tim. 2. 25. now wherein I speake if hitherto thou hast not repented Hence it is that the Apostle so much beats 2. Cor. 6. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon this now Behold now the accepted time behold now the day of saluation He beats vpon the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the time present the very instant of the time present So hee beats as much vpon to day to day if ye will heare his voice To day is Gods voyce To Heb. 3 and 4. morrow the Diuells If our neighbour must not be put off till to morrow say not to thy neighbour goe Prou. 3 28. and come againe to morrow Then how much lesse must God If ye will seeke saies Isay namely after God by repentance seeke out of hand without further delay and enquire returne and come And againe Isay 21. 12. Isay 55. 6. seek the Lord while he may be found when is that while he is neer in the meanes of the word and motions of the spirit to thy heart Now hee is ready to be found while he cals vpon thee to seeke him But the Diuell still keepes his olde wont and when Christ comes to cast him out by Repentance he cries out why art thou come to torment me before my time Too many are like those Iewes that said Matth. 8. The time was not yet come to build the house of the Lord. But against these delayes and prorogations of repentance we may consider these arguments Hagg. 1. 1. Consider the vncertainty of thy life which is such as thou canst haue no assurance of it no not for a minute True it is at the twelfth houre euen in thine olde age thou mayest repent but how knowest thou that thou shalt see the twelfth houre God hath promised pardon to him that repenteth but hath not promised the morrow to him that defers The whole time of Repentance is but a day oh that Paenitentiae indulgentiam sed dilationi dâ—â—m crastinum non promisit Amb. Luc. 19. in this thy day but yet it is not in this as in other dayes for after them followes such a night as hath a day returning again After this day coms an eternall night And againe in other dayes the time is determined for the end but it is not so in this day wee cannot say of this day that there are twelue houres in it How many are there whose sunne hath Itaque sic agendus omnis dies tanquam agmen agat expleat ac consummet vitam Qui dicit vixi quotidie surgit ad lucrum Seneca set at noone-day who in the prime and floure of their dayes haue beene taken away yea whose sunne hath set in the very rising Therefore bee yee prepared also for ye know not at what houre the Sonne of man will come Thou sayest thou wilt repent at thy death well I take that thou grantest Euen this day for ought thou knowest is the day of thy death Out of thine owne mouth then will I iudge thee thou euill seruant An tibi quoque concedet Concedet fortasse inquis Quid aâ— fortasse interdum saepe In mentem tibi veniat se de anima taa consilium inire Contrarium etiam pone c. Chrysost ad 2 Cor. 13. hom 22. Thou art to account euery day the day of thy death why then doest thou not repent to day since thou art to looke for death to day I but sayes our youngster I haue knowen many liue till their old age and haue repented then Well what then sayth Chrysostome Art thou sure that God will grant the same to thee Thou sayest Peraduenture he will what sayest thou peraduenture and sometimes and oftentimes Bethinke thy selfe that the businesse thou hast in hand concernes thy soule Therefore suppose the contrary and thinke with thy selfe what if God should not grant it me Who would be so madde to put his soule to the aduenture vpon a Peraduenture Peraduenture thou mayest liue till thou bee olde and why not as well Peraduenture thou mayest die both in thy youth and so sodaine a death as thou shalt not haue time to speake much lesse to repent In other matters in the things of the world we can number our daies in this manner as to summe them vp and so apply our hearts to worldly wisdome Wee can make our wils in our health let slip no opportunity of furthering our estate because wee thinke I may die too morrow Oh that wee could so number our dayes as to apply them to the spirituall and heauenly wisdome of Repentance Enimuero quuÌ„ ad bellum proficisceris non dicis minime necesse est testamentum condere fortasse revertar nec cum de ineundo matrimonio consultas dicis vxorum egenteÌ„ accipiam multi enim praeter opinionem ad opes ita pervenerunt At verò non de anima Id. ibid. Luke 12. When thou goest to warre saies the same Father in the same place thou doest not say I neede not make any will peraduenture I shall returne again neither when thou goest about thy marriage businesse doest thou say I will marry a poore wife for I haue known many beyond their expectation to haue growen rich that haue done so and yet when the matter concernes thy soule thou puttest it vpon these vncertainties and peraduentures Take heede Euen whilest thou art thus reasoning what thou wilt do hereafter euen in the very thoghts of future Repentance may death smite thee as that foole in his worldly thoughts And that so much the rather because thy presumption is greater then his He promised the time to come to himselfe as if he had beene Lord of time but thou doest not onely so but promisest thy selfe also the grace of Repentance as though thou hadst Repentance also at thy command Whereas both the Grace and the Space of Repentance are in the hands of God The Grace is in his hand proouing if at any time God 2 Tim. 2. 25. will giue them repentance and so is the space I gaue her space to repent and shee repented not Renel 2. 1. 2. Consider with the vncertainty of thy life the vncertainty of Gods grace Say thou hadst with Hezekiah a lease of thy life and that thou wert sure to liue as long as Methushelah yet what assurance hast thou to repent in thy latter end who hast refused grace before when it was offered Gods spirit Gen. 6. will not alwayes striue with wicked resisters of his grace The chicken that will not come when the hen clucks may be well caught by the
order of nature 3. God otherwiles 3 By vnusuall meanes workes altogether by vnusuall and vnwonted meanes Such as was Manna in the desert So without the sunne he caused light to shine forth either out of the whole chaos or else out of the element of fire at the first creation so without rain at the same time the earth was fruitfull Thus with the noyse of Rammes hornes the walles of Iericho fell downe 4. God sometimes workes not onely by 4 By contrary meanes meanes diuerse from but quite contrary vnto the ordinary As the blinde mans eyes are restored with clay and spittle Ioh. 9. and Ionas is saued by being Iohn 9. in the whales belly Thus God workes without all meanes without ordinary meanes by weak and insufficient meanes and against the meanes Reason The reason why God will thus extraordinarily worke is to let vs see whence it is that the ordinary meanes doe worke and that he needs them not but that the vse of them is an argument of our weaknes so to be supported not of his Vse The vse of this doctrine we see heere in our Sauiours example keeping himselfe by it from diffidence in his fathers prouidence and from the vse of any indirect meanes in releeuing his necessity and withall encouraging himselfe in comfort and patience to wait vpon his fathers prouidence If lawfull means faile vs as bread in famine yet let vs feede our selues with faith Psal 37. 3. making that to bee insteede Psal 37. 3. Et pascere fide sic Iun. Hab. 2. Luke 21. Gen. 22. of meat and drinke Thus Hab. 2. The iust in troublesome times shall liue by faith And Luc. 21. Possesse your soules by patience Neuer despaire but say as Abraham to Izhak Gen. 22. God will prouide and then will the Lord prouide in the mount And when with Iehoshaphat we know not what to do yet haue wee our eies vnto God 2. Chron. 20. 6. Art 2. Chron. 20. 6. thou brought to low estate and hast scarse bread to put into thy mouth Remember that if God speake the word to weake meanes they shall worke as well as the strong An hard dry crust of bread and a very little shall be nourishment competent and comfortable Neuer vse any shifts if in any of thy wants thou hast not lawfull meanes at hand He that beleeueth will not make hast Isay 28. 16. Necessity is a Esay 28. 16. shrewd dart and a sharpe one yet see how Christ repulsed it heere by faith in his fathers powerfull and all onely all-sufficient prouidence So must thou and bee of his minde I 'le starue rather then thorough distrust vse vnlawfull meanes and so offend God The three children comforted themselues thus Dan. 3. that though they saw no ordinary Dan. 3. meanes for their deliuerance yet God was able extraordinarily to deliuer them if not yet wold they not deliuer themselues by disobedience and idolatry Christ in his greatest necessity would not turne stones into bread to saue his life and wilt thou in farre lesse necessity not to saue life but to encrease wealth and so honour and greatnesse turne not stones but bloud euen the blood of the poore Saints of God into bread by oppression and extortion How many are there that turne not stones into bread but lies flatteries base shifts into siluer and gold yea iewels and precious stones Others turne stones yea precious stones and their whole substance inro bread into meats drinkes and apparell and wastefully lauish Gods good creatures on idle backes and bellies vsing this as a meanes to procure something their affections want But whether wee would free our selues from our feares or obtaine our desires our Sauiours example heere shewes vs that on no hand we may vse the least indirect course whatsoeuer Christ with one word speaking to these stones might haue killed his hunger Mordecay with a bow of his knee might haue preuented his danger And many of the Martyrs by one dash of a pen in subscribing to the wicked articles of their aduersaries But they trusted in God and knew no meanes could deliuer them without him and therefore durst not vse vnlawfull meanes cursed by him for how could Gods blessing be expected vpon them Though Cranmer subscribed yet that would not saue his life And if such vnlawfull meanes of ours worke it is a far greater iudgement then if they did not Whatsoeuer is got with euill meanes is got with Gods anger and shipwrack of conscience An hard bargaine A shamefull disparagement to God and to his fauour to preferre a peece of bread or of red earth before it and what a foolery is this to saue thy little finger with the losse of thine eyes In getting a little good to lose a farre greater in sauing life and getting wealth to lose God and a good conscience As Salomon shews in false and deceitfull tradesmen Prou. 20. 25. There Prou. 20. 15. is gold and precious stones which happily sometimes by a false oath may be got in selling but the lippes of truth are a precious iewell Truth and a good conscience are farre more precious then gold or precious stones It is a pittifull exchange when with the losse of these the best iewels we gaine the other which are worse and but dung in comparison Why doe we thus distrust God as if hee alone were not able to helpe vs and why doe wee thus dishonour him as to lend him and to ioyne with his prouidence such base helpes as these He needes not his owne lawfull much lesse thy vnlawfull meanes Vnlawfull it was vnder the law to couple an oxe and an asse together how much more to couple Gods holy and iust prouidence and thine vnholy and vnrighteous meanes Those holy matrones of olde which would not we are gawish and garish ornaments to winne their husbands affections are sayd to trust in God 1. Pet. 3. 5. And therefore would they not we are braided haire and such meretricious 1. Pet. 3. 5. allurements but onely vsed meeknesse peaceablenesse and a quiet spirit which were meanes appoynted by God Wheresoeuer there is trust in God there will all base meanes bee reiected Oh then that wee could learne in all needes to cast our selues vpon God to liue by faith and not by fleshly practises Doest thou want all meanes God is insteede of them and more then them all Are the meanes against thee God workes sometimes by contrary meanes Dauids father and mother forsook him yet God tooke him vp Psal 27. Iosephs brethren were against him and his preferment yet God thereby aduanced him Iaakobs master Laban was against him and dealt basely with him and sought his impouerishment yet God therby enriched him Therefore with Iob trust we in God killing vs for he workes by contraries life out of death and light out of darknesse And so much for both the kindes of God prouidence The obiect of Gods prouidence The obiect followes Man in generall not
really and indeede Ans I thinke the Diuell carried his body really and indeed Reasons 1. The literall sense not contraried by the Scripture or the analogy of faith is to be followed Now this is the literall sense and nothing against it Ob. Obiect Yes before it was sayd that Christ was led into the desert to be tempted The desert then was the place of his temptations not the Temple Answ Answ It is sufficient to make good that speech that he was there tempted in the 40. daies and that the first temptation of the three wherein was a preparation to the other following was there perfected 2. If his carriage were onely in vision then either Christ inwardly in his minde knew that it was Sathans iugling and no such matter as it seemed to his sense or else as his outward senses so his minde also was deceiued and he thought it was so indeede as it seemed to his senses If the first then it was no temptation for Christ knew hee was in no danger he knew that hee stood vpon firme ground in the wildernes and so he should but haue abused the Scripture hee alledged for himselfe The latter seemes to offer a far greater disgrace to the mind of Christ in the apprehension of errour for truth then the Diuels carrying of him doth to his body Quest 2 2. Quest Whether was Christ carried by the diuell thorough the aire or went on his feet Ans The word that here Matthew vseth doth not necessarily imply that hee was carried as neither Lukes word that hee went on foot But yet nothing hinders but that Christ might in body be thus carried by Sathan as he was afterward apprehended bound and crucified by that cursed crue And as he gaue them death it selfe power ouer his body so might he the diuell Christ came in the state of humiliation stood in our steed He could haue confounded the diuell and haue smitten him as he did those officers Ioh. 18. but as there so here he willingly Ioh. 18. yeelded himselfe And since he yeelded his body to be set on the pinacle by the diuell why not Doct. Sathan his instruments may haue power ouer the bodies of Gods childrē Luke 13. also to be carried Sathan and so his instruments may haue power ouer the bodies of Gods children As he had ouer Iob in his vlcers ouer his children in their death ouer Mary Magdalen that was possessed ouer that daughter of Abraham Luc. 13. for to this the best are subiect yet so that Satan is restrained curbed by God so that he cannot do what he would And this greeuous affliction is sweetned and sanctified to Gods children so that the more power hee hath ouer their bodies the lesse hee shall haue ouer their soules Yea his possession of the body is turned to bee a meanes of his dispossession out of the soule In which regard it is sayd Numb 23. 22. 23. There is no sorcery against Iaakob nor south-saying against Israel because God was an Vnicorne to take Num. 23. 22. 23. away the poyson and venome and sting of it as he doth of all other afflictions yea and of death it selfe to his Israel Waters when the Vnicorns horn hath been in them are no longer poisonable but healthfull A waspe when his sting is out cannot be hurtfull in stinging but may be profitable in his buzzing to awaken vs So are all these outward afflictions euen witching and possessing by Sathan So that that which Christ sayd of the Diuels instruments they can kill the body but not the soule the same may we say of Sathan himselfe concerning his possession He may possesse the bodies but the soules of Gods children he cannot Here he had some power ouer the blessed body of our head Iesus Christ but not the least power ouer his soule In the wicked his special power is ouer their soules When he was sent to Ahab he was sent to go and be a lying spirit to deceiue him But when he was sent to Iob it 1. Reg. 22. it was but to afflict his body with vlcers Againe this power which he hath ouer the bodies of Gods children that we now speake of is such as that they are meerely patients as in Christ in this place Otherwise for Christ to haue gone and idlely without cause to haue endangered himselfe on the pinnacle had beene to tempt God But now it is the Diuels sinne not his So in those that are possessed all those forced and violent motions though not onely vaine and idle but euen horribly sinnefull as when hee speakes railingly on God his truth and his children these are all the Diuels owne sinnes And therefore he desired not to possesse Iob because his intent was to draw Iob himselfe to blaspheme But now wicked men though they are free vsually from this possessiue power of Sathan yet Sathan hath a farre greater power in the voluntary motions of their bodies such a power as that they shall bee agents in that they doe and guilty of sinne Hee carries them not against their will as heere our Sauiour to the top of a pinnacle nor as him in the Gospell into the fire and water hee offers not that violence to their bodies but he carries them willingly and driues them as free horses that neede onely the shaking of the hand to the tauerne to the stewes to the theater to this or that euill company He makes them abuse their eyes to wantonnesse their mouthes to filthinesse and he makes their feete swift to shed blood So that as Paul beeing guided by the good Spirit of God could say I liue not but Christ liues in mee Gal. Gal. 2. 20. 2. So they wee liue not but the Diuell liues in vs. This possession of soule and body together is the more fearefull and yet the more ordinary and yet no maruell made of it because it is not discerned The place whither he is carried Ierusalem is called the holy City because of the Temple and Gods worship there though otherwise there were horrible abuses in doctrine discipline and manners Doct. Mans wickednesse cannot ouercome nor ouerthrow Gods goodnesse Against such it makes first Mans wickednesse cannot ouerthrow Gods goodnesse with whom a little euill either in whole Churches or in particular men preuailes more to make them speake euill of them then much good can doe to make them speake well of them It is the sinne of the Brownists Secondly it is a comfort for Gods children If there bee an altar for God in the heart though the suburbes of the city bee filthy and as Golgotha yet God will account of thee by his and not by thine owne Though thy wheate bee mixed with much chaffe thy wine with much water yet God giues the denomination from the better part Lastly it is instruction for vs all what account to make of such places where the meanes of sanctification are Such are holy places to them should
1. Kin. 13. that went out of his way and beyond his bounds set him by God was slaine by a Lyon Vse 1 1. Consider wee then with Dauid our wayes in our hearts what they are and whether wee keepe our station For wee are all in warrefare Christ is our captaine as long as wee keepe company with him the Angels keepe company with vs but if we forsake him they are not so fond of our company as for it to leaue Christs What neede haue wee then to looke to our selues in all our actions euen in eating drinking riding sporting For euen in these actions God hath set vs our waies If wee bee out of them we bee out of Gods protection How can we looke to be protected in the way of drunkennesse gluttony and prophanesse in eating without prayer or in the way of idlenesse and voluptuousnesse in our recreations when wee vse them immoderately either in regard of the time or our affection We see what dangers we are subiect vnto in our eating drinking and riding Looke we then that as in all these we stand in neeede of Gods protection so wee put it not from vs by going out of his wayes Vse 2 2. Heere is comfort and hartening to vs in Gods wayes Many are driuen out of them for feare of dangers This heauenly host must imbolden vs as it did Iaakob to meet Esau comming against him Gen. 32. 1. 2. for hee knew hee was in his wayes vers 9. O Gen. 32. 1. 2. 9. Lord which saidst vnto mee Returne The wayes of God are like Iaakobs ladder Gen. 28. where the Angels Gen. 28. of God were ascending and descending And that ladder signified the way of going into and returning from Mesopotamia and Gods gracious protection of him in his iourney by his Angels Therefore after his dreame it is said Gen. 29. 1. Then Iaakob Gen. 29. 1. lift vp his feete that is he went freshly couragiously and comfortably because hee was assured of the Angels protection in that long and solitary iourney This made Luther so couragious when hee sayd that though all the tyles of the houses in Wormes were so many diuels yet he would goe thither He knew hee should haue more with him and greater then any against him euen this guard of Angels A man that is in these waies need not feare hauing such a guard of legions of Angels The fearefull sluggard will cry A Lyon in the way Prou. 26. 13. yea but this Prou. 26. 13. text cries an Angell yea many Angels in the way to stoppe the Lyons mouth The Lyon is in those by-wayes in which that Prophet walked 1. Kin. 13. 1. Kings 13. Vse 3 3. When in the wayes of God we want company and are forfaken and neglected of the world which is the lot of the faithfull heere is our comfort the Angels are our companions yea our attendants though the world scorne vs. 4. This also is naught That the holy doctrine of Gods protecting his children by the ministry of Angels Gods holy doctrine abused is abused So is the doctrine of predestination by them that reason from it to a carelesse loosenesse of life If I be ordained to life I shall be saued how euer I liue If to death I cannot though I liue neuer so well So was and is still the doctrine of iustification by faith abused to the shamefull neglect of good works What then Are the doctrines naught because the wicked peruert them thus to their destruction No no more then good hearbes are poisonfull because spiders will sucke poyson from them The poison is in the wicked that doe assimilate according to their owne nature and turne the good iuice of wholesome doctrine into pestilent poyson The Bees of God can sucke hony out of these doctrines yea out of Sathans poysoned weedes as Virgil drew gold out of Ennius his dunghill but the Diuell and his draw dung out of Gods gold and turne his golden mines into dung-hils But in themselues the words of God are pure and incorrupt and contrary to all corruption of life 1. Tim. 1. 10. Therfore absurdly do the Papists condemne our doctrin 1. Tim. 1. 10. of iustification as opening a gap to licentiousnesse They may as well condemne the doctrine of our protection by Angels as opening a gap to presumptuous tempting of God Thus much for the Diuels assault Christs repulse followes Iesus answered and said 2. Christs repulse It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Heere consider two things 1. Christs alleadging of Scripture First Christs alleadging of Scripture Secondly the Scripture he doth alleadge That he alleages Scripture againe in answering Sathan it teaches vs. Doct. 1 1. As wee heard before the necessary vse and the all-sufficiency of the Scriptures that as they The necessary vse of the Scriptures in conflicts with Sathan do make the child of God compleat to euery good worke so more especially to this good work of conflicting with Sathan As our Sauiour sayd to the Sadduces ye erre not knowing the Scriptures Mark 12. 24. so may we as truely say ye are foyled by Sathan Mark 12. 14. and erre in manners as well as in iudgement not knowing the Scriptures It is our ignorance in the Scriptures that makes vs such preyes to Sathan Ignorant persons cannot possibly stand before Sathan All then must labour for knowledge in the Scriptures euen those of young yeeres for their age is an aduantage against them to Sathan in his temptations and therefore they haue speciall need of the Scriptures Doctr. 2 2. That the abuse of the Sciptures must not take away the vse of it Christ doth not giue ouer alledging The abuse of the Scriptures must not take away the vse Scripture because the diuell abused it The honest traueller doth so much the more weare his weapon and his sword because the theefe vseth the same weapon And so indeede this is a reason to make vs so much the more carefully to reade the Scriptures Fondly then doth the Church of Rome take away the Scriptures from the common people because some haue peruerted them 3. That conference of Scripture is a notable Doctrin 3 meanes of finding out the true sense of Scripture Conference of Scripture with Scripture is the way to finde out the true sense of it Our Sauiour did not challenge the diuel for his leauing out that clause in thy waies for the Diuell might haue vrged the words and haue pleaded it is sayd in thy waies Heere is no exception made of any wayes In thy waies they shall keepe thee Therfore in this way of going down headlong from the Temple Now our Sauiour by bringing another place of Scripture that forbids tempting of God shewes that that place in the Psalme cannot bee meant of tempting waies And therefore that it cannot fauor the diuels purpose that now tempted him to such an action wherein he should tempt God The Papists
hunger and that idle glory that comes from the stinking breath of foolish men which were the instruments of Sathans former temptations which yet would fall downe before this temptation of stable honours rule and riches Thus must it be with vs in the whole course of our life Euery day must we looke for shrewder trials then others And the last in death shall be the extreamest As Nebuchadnezzars so the ouen of his fiery temptations shall then be heated seauen times hotter then euer before Then he will towse vs indeede Before in comparison he did but play and dally Onely one nation of the Aegyptians was against the Israelites at their first comming out of Aegypt but at the end of their iourney at their entrance into Canaan there were seauen against them The last combat is the sharpest Therefore prepare specially there for defence where Sathan specially prepares for offence Doct. 2 2. Obserue the fetch of Sathan and so of his instruments first to worke vpon the affections and by The Diuell seeketh to deceiue the vnderstanding by working first vpon the affection them to fit and prepare the vnderstanding for deceit For heere first he speakes to our Sauiours eies and by this sight presented to the eye would tickle his affections and then he comes and speakes to the eare and in those his speeches first he flatters with faire promises before hee tels him what hee desires of him Thus at the first he set first vpon Eue and the Apostle noted in the false apostles 2. Tim. 3. that they crept into silly women first that were carried more by affection then by iudgement So Simon Magus had his Helena and Apelles his Philumena and other heretiques their seuerall women whom first of all they animated with the spirit of their error This is that Tertullian obserued of them that they doe perswade before they teach whereas the truth doth not teach by perswading but perswades by teaching This must teach vs to looke to our affections for by these may des he woes the mistresse These are our Eues whereby he deceiues vs. Doct. 3 3. Heere we see how the Diuell labours to abuse our senses specially our eyes that by these windowes The Diuell laboureth to abuse our eies that by those windowes death may enter into our soules death may enter into our soules According to the prouerbe hee comes to the sea by the riuer to the heart by the eye Our eyes are his spokesmen to our heart What poyson is there almost that hee doth not conuey into our soules by this passage for couetousnesse and desire of the world witnes this present temptation that of Achan in seeing the Babylonish garment and that of Ahab in seeing Naboths vineyard and coueting after them Whereupon couetousnesse is called the lust of the eies 1. Ioh. 1. Ioh 2. Gen. 3. 2. for intemperance of appetite witnesse Eue Gen. 3. she saw the fruit was pleasant For adultery Dauid Putiphars wife and innumerable moe Plato deriues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lusting and looking in Greek differ but in one vowell For drunkennesse that of Salomon Prou. 23. Looke not on the wine c. for enuy that Prou. 23. Matth. 20. Is thine eye euill because I am good Hence that note that God hath made the eye the sense of Matth. 20. sorrow because such a sense of sinne Vse It must make vs pray as did Dauid Psal 119. 37. Turne away mine eyes from vanity and because it is Psal 119. 37. so deceitfull a sense to binde it to the Lord with Iobs couenant Iob. 31. 1. wee must mortifie our eye Iob. 31. 1. which is that plucking of it out namely out of olde Adam and setting it into the new man But for this purpose wee must with all diligence keepe our hearts Prou. 4. for the eye poysons the heart beeing first Prou. 4. 23. poysoned by it The riuers runne into the sea but they came first from it This is the reason here why Christs eyes were not caught because he had a pure heart Let vs labour in our measure for such hearts and eyes as Christ had Take heed of hauing Lots wiues eye casting a longing looke after Sodome but get that same oculum irretortum and this same Stoicall eye of our Sauiour that wee may see eye-pleasing and tempting obiects and not be mooued and set a gogge as the Disciples Luc. 21. with the beauty of the Temple and as he with the beauty of Luc. 21. a young boy to whom it was answered that the Praetor must haue continent eyes as well as hands Heere surely there is good vse of that Stoicall apathie Cicer. offic l. 1. But alas if Christs case had beene ours our eies would haue saued Sathans lips a labor They would haue bitten presently vpon so sweet a bait Doct. 4 4. Heere by comparing this temptation with the former wee see which are the two most speciall The temptations on the right hand are more dangerous then those of the left hand temptations of Sathan One on the left hand by aduersity the other on the right hand by prosperity Called Rom. 8. 39. height and depth But yet withall that this of prosperity abundance is the most dangerous and therefore comes heere in the last place For this is that wherwith if it were possible the very elect should be deceiued Many that keep on their cloathes in the winde vnbutton themselues in the sunne The thorny ground is not ouercome with the scorching of the sunne in persecution as the stony but with the thornes of wordlinesse in times of peace and ease Iudas Demas Alexander the coppersmith and others both of olde and latter times that acquited themselues in some sort in the triall of the crosse were yet heere fearefully foiled Dauid not foiled with lust whilest he wandred in the wildernesse many Bathshebaes would not haue ouercome him then Vse 1 Vse 1. To such as are in this estate of prosperity to looke to themselues they stand on slippery ground Prosperity to religion is as the Iuie to the oake it quickely eates out the heart of it The security and prophanesse of these times the daughters of our peace and prosperity shew as much Vse 2. To such as are in aduersity to be patient yea thankefull God in pitty keepes them from riches and abundance least it should choake them For they are thornes Matth 13. Hee sees that thy weake braine would not beare such strong drinke Matth. 13. nor thy weake stomacke digest such hard meat Vse 3. To such as haue stood out in the lesser temptations that they yet presume not For many are like to cold snakes in aduersity which then doe no hurt the cold stupefies them but let the heate warme them and then they will discouer themselues Therefore wee must labour to approoue our selues also in this temptation on the right hand Good gold is purged in the fire