AN EXHORTATORY Instruction to a speedy resolution of repentance and contempt of the vanities of this transitory life BY SAMSON LENNARD LONDON Printed by M. B. for Edw. Blount and W. Barret 1609. TO THE RIGHT honorable my very good Lady the Lady Dacre of the South I Am not ignorant right honorable virtuous Ladie how poore a help the light of a candle giues vnto the cleere light of the Sun nor how meane a meanes these my labours are to eternize the memory of those your honourable virtues which like the Sun in his sphere disperse their gracious raies to as many as know you or heare of your name You are like the Sun adorned with your owne light as with a garment like the rose in the garden an ornament to your selfe Your honorable progenitors honor you your honorable virtues your progenitors And therfore far be it from you to thinke that my meaning is hereby to giue light to the Sun honor to your honors but as Dauid out of a consideration of the manifolde blessings he had receiued at Gods hands cried out What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits bestowed vpon me and presently answered I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord so I entring into a consideration with my self what I might returne for those great and manifolde bounties receiued from the hands of your worthie and honorable husband when I had considered what I might consider being guiltie of mine owne inabilities to returne one for a thousand I was inforced to say with Dauid I will take and not giue I will requite by asking more My humble petition therefore to your Ladiship is that you would be pleased to honor this little booke with your honorable protection which though it be offered to the publike view of the world yet it was written for you as not vnbefitting your yeers your zeale your vnderstanding your religion your honour This if you do you shall adde vnto the heape of your manifolde virtues and if with an honourable minde you shall take this from his hands whose custome it hath euer been rather to receiue than giue you shall double your bounties be liberall in receiuing and giuing too And thus wishing to your Ladiship a long life in this world and an eternall in the world to come I rest Your Ladiships in all dutie to be commanded Samson Lennard THE CONTENTS The first part CHAP. I. THat the life of man is vnstable and therefore repentance not to be deferred pag. 1 CHAP. II. How dangerous a thing it is to deferre our conuersion to the houre of death 17 CHAP. III. That our last day is hidden from vs to the end that all the daies of our life should be as our last 30 CHAP. IIII. The great inequalitie betwixt our present pleasures and the paines of hell 50 CHAP. V. That it is better to repent when we are yoong than to put it off vntill we be old 63 CHAP. VI. â—hat no man can repent and yet follow his pleasures 72 The second part CHAP. I. THat restitution is an excellent testimonie of remission of sinnes 91 CHAP. II. That man must not feare his confusion with men that will finde grace and fauour with God 106 CHAP. III. That the grace of God is to be preferred before all temporall riches 123 CHAP. IIII. Almes vnlawfully gotten please not God 140 The third part CHAP. I. THat God doeth not forgiue vs our trespasses except we forgiue those that trespasse against vs. 149 CHAP. II. That no worke that a man doeth be it neuer so good can be acceptable vnto God so long as he is not in charitie with his neighbour 161 CHAP. III. That it is not lawfull to strike him that striketh 169 CHAP. IIII. That by the example of Christ it is no hard matter for a man to pardon his neighbour as often as he offendeth 186 The fourth part CHAP. I. THat God forgiueth sinnes when with a true and contrite heart we consesse them vnto God 206 CHAP. II. That nothing is hidden from God and that at the day of iudgement the secrets of all hearts shall be reuealed 217 The fifth part CHAP. I. THat God is not subiect to passion and neuer forsakes a sinner before a sinner forsakes him 235 CHAP. II. A sinner how he falleth from one sinne into another and so is hardned in his sinnes 256 CHAP. III. That there is no man so great a sinner but by the power of the Creatour he may be conuerted 277 CHAP. IIII. That God is faithfull who suffereth vs not to be tempted aboue our power 292 CHAP. V. That the feare of backesliding should not hinder the rising of him that is fallen 311 CHAP. VI. â—ow miserable the despaire of a sinner is at the point of death 330 CHAP. VII â—f the paines of hell 364 The sixth part CHAP. I. THat we are sinners and haue need of the mercy of God 398 CHAP. II. That there is no sinne so great but by true repentance it may bee pardoned 410 CHAP. III. Examples of such as haue grieuously sinned and afterwards haue beene saued by repentance 421 CHAP. IIII. That God denieth not mercy to him that conuerteth since be inuiteth him that is auerted from him to conuersion 438 CHAP. V. That a sinner being changed God changeth his sentence 453 CHAP. VI. That euen at the point of death repentance may bee profitable to saluation 472 CHAP. VII Of the ioyes of Heauen 484 THE FIRST PART of the exhortatory instruction to repentance and first of the speed to be vsed therein CHAP. I. That the life of man is vnstable and therefore repentance not to be deferred FIRST thou wilt perhaps alledge against thy selfe deare brother â—hat thou canst not vpon the â—udden free thy selfe from â—hy accustomed pleasures What a sinner obiecteth against himselfe and that when thou art old thou wilt be more willing to withstand the temptations and allurements of pleasure and repent thee of thy sinnes Res What man is there that liueth and shal not see death The necessitie of Death Heb. 9. It is appointed vnto men that they should once die from which generall sentence that no man should wax proud no man is exempted Which if it bee true I would but know of thee how long thou thinkest the pleasures of this transitory life may continue with thee For my part I can not imagine that the vttermost thou canst hope can be aboue fifty yeeres The vncertaintie of the day of death in which time see how many dangers hang ouer thy head First there is no man be hee neuer so yoong that can assuredly promise vnto himselfe to liue vntill night Death vshereth an olde man goeth before him comes behinde a yoong man takes him vnawares and to them both nothing is more certaine than death nothing more vncertain than the houre place meanes and maner of death Varro in his prouerbs Neither is it maruell if thou
know not the end of thy life who canst not comprehend the beginning thereof Thou knowest not with what beginning thou enterest Man is a bubble because that like a bubble the life of man vanisheth in a moment and thou art as ignorant with what end thou â—halt depart out of this life And therefore it is rashnesse â—o promise vnto thy selfe maâ—y yeeres a long life when â—hou hast not manie dayes nay not an houre in thy own power And therefore why doest thou think to liue long when thou canst not be secured of a day of an houre Nay why art thou greedy of life and a wicked life too as if thou wert immortall The dayly death of many Euery day thou seest such as are yoong and lustie and sound of body suddenly to be arrested with an vnexpected death euen in the middest of their delights insomuch that of those infinite numbers that euery day come into the world almost three parts die before they come to the age of fiftie yeeres The good are called of the Lord that they may no more bee oppressed by the wicked The wicked are taken away that they may no longer persecute the godly Tell mee where are all those wordlings which not long since haue liued with thee Iob 21. They haue spent their dayes in wealth and suddenly they are gone downe to their graue and nothing remaineth of them but dust and ashes and an intollerable stench O how much care did they take to prouide for this present life How long a race did they promise vnto themselues but suddenly and vnlooked for death hath ouertaken them whereas if they had alwaies looked for it death could neuer haue hurt them And cannot that feuer that death that came so suddenly vpon them as suddenly oppresse thee and thy procrastinations draw vpon thee as sudden a damnation The bird that sits singing vpon a bough A similitude of a bird vpon a bough thinks he hath libertie to flie whither he will but before he can stretch out his wings an arrow strikes him to the heart and downe he falles So thou promisest vnto thy selfe a long life many and happie dayes and thou hast a purpose to worke woonders in the world and yet thou knowest not whether thou shalt liue till night till thou canst stirre thy foot from the place where thou standest To morrow vncertaine and though thou know what thou art to day yet how knowest thou what thou maiest be to morrow If thou be not prepared to die to day how wilt thou be ready to morrow Qui non est hodiè cras minus aptus erit He that is not fit to day will bee lesse fit to morrow It may be God hath appointed this day to be the end of thy life and it can not possiblie be auoided which if it bee so why art thou secure why doest thou not set thy house in order 2. Kin. 10. for thou shalt die and not liue Doest thou not see the inutilitie of thy life past the little comfort that there is in thy earthly blessings The losse of time the preciousnes of thy time misspent and lost the wickednesse of thy sins committed and to conclude all thy age thy yeeres thy monethes thy dayes nay thy moments past and spent in sinne and iniquitie If therefore thou put off thy conuersion to the last houre ten to one thy last houre wil be thy worst houre and thy procrastination hasteneth thy condemnation for thou must appeare before the tribunall seat of God in the presence of a seuereiudge whom thou hast many a time offended and crucified with the wicked Iewes by iterating those sinnes that brought him to the crosse There is no auoidance but thou must stand to the fearefull iudgement of God and that perhaps euen this verie day where and when thou shalt giue an account of all thou hast done What wilt thou say what canst thou doe when thou shalt appeare emptie void of all goodnes before so great a Iudge O how fearfull shall hee be at this houre whose presence is incomprehensible whose power infallible whose iustice inflexible whose anger implacable Consider with thy selfe how fearefull a thing it would be vnto thee if one should tell thee and assure thee of it that some great and cruell Iudge were resolued to burne thee aliue for some great offence thou hast committed doubtlesse vpon the hearing thereof if there were but one daies respit left vnto thee thou wouldest leaue nothing vnattempted to auoid so heauie a sentence such as were friends vnto the Iudge thou wouldest endeuour to make thy friends that by their intercession thou mightest haue hope to escape thou wouldest leaue no stone vnturned no way vntried to free thy selfe from so cruell a doome yea so thou mightestwin thy life thou wouldest willingly lose all that thou hast And aboue all things thou wouldest not faile to call to minde and to consider with thy selfe what might be obiected against thee and what thou couldest answer thereunto that thou maiest not appeare gultie before thy Iudge And why wouldest thou doe all this The preposterous seare of the iudgement of God of man Is it because there thou art free from all doubt assured thou must die if thou acquit not thy selfe the better but of the iudgement of God thou art euer in doubt O wretched man and of a preposterous beliefe doest thou beleeue man rather than God who is the Creatour of man Doth God threaten an euerlasting torment and doest thou neglect it thy earthly Iudge a temporall and doest thou feare and tremble at it For who or what is he Euen he that after he hath beene a man must be a worme and hauing been a worme must bee turned into stench and rottennesse Since then thou must appeare not before a man a worme rottennesse it selfe but before thy Creator and the sentence thou art to heare is the eternall damnation of thine owne soule how canst thou be secure How canst thou still giue thy selfe to thy delights and pleasures and not feare the immutable sentence of so seuere a Iudge If thou be ashamed and confounded at the iudgement of a man of dust and ashes what wilt thou do when thou shalt stand to the iudgement of thy Maker Creator The sentence of God irreuocable The sentence of a humane Iudge may be reuoked but this is irreuocable Thou shalt giue an account to this seuere Iudge of all thy yeeres euen in the bitternesse of thy own soule and for thy many and great offences committed against him hee shall deliuer thee to the diuell and his angels to bee tormented in hell fire Who shall then take thee from that place shall free thee from those that descend into the pit For in hell there is no redemption But perhaps thou wilt fay that God is louing and mercifull Ezâ—ch 33. and by his Prophets hath promised that at what time soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his
thou complaine and afflict thy selfe that thou hast many times liued well and beene prouided for death when death came not That the remembrance of thy end hath taken often times from thee those pleasures and delights that in themselues are to a man wicked and deceitfull O how happy wert thou and again and again blest of God if in this maner thou diddest alwaies expect death if thou wert euery day such a one as thou wishest to bee at the point of death if from thy youth thou barest the yoke of the Lord if thou didst alwaies watch and stand vpon thy guard because thou knowest not at what houre the Lord will come for blessed wert thou if when hee commeth hee shall finde thee waking God would that the houre of our death should bee hidden from vs The day of death vucertain to the end that wee being vncertaine when wee shall die should bee alwaies found ready for death that whilest the last day is vnknowen wee should obserue all as if all were the last If thou were set at a Table where there are many dishes set before thee to eat among which thou art told that one hath poison in it wouldest thou not abstaine from them all lest thou shouldest happen to light vpon that that is poisoned There is one day of death a dangerous day vnto thy soule which because thou knowest not is it not wisedome in thee to suspect euery day For if thou knewest at what houre thou shouldest depart out of this world thou wouldest diuide thy times some to pleasure some to praier some to repentance and knowing how long thou hast to liue thou woldst likewise know when to abstaine from thy delights and pleasures But forasmuch as a present life is alwaies vncertaine by so much the more whilest it stealingly comes vpon vs it is to bee feared by how much the lesse it may bee foreseene and therfore of all other times the houre of death is most to be feared because it can neuer bee foreseene Matth. 24.43 and woorse auoided If the goodman of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to bee digged thorow Therefore be ye also ready for ye know not the houre when the Son of man will come whether in the euening or at midnight at the crowing of the cocke or in the morning lest when he commeth suddenly vpon you hee shall finde you fleeping When hee gaue that commandement to his Disciples saying Watch and pray Luke 12.36 â—ee afterwards added That which I say vnto you I say vnto all Watch. Watch therfore my deare Brother like vnto that man that waiteth for his master when hee will returne from the wedding that when hee commeth and knocketh he may open vnto him immediately Which thou canst not better do than to be prepared at all houres as if euery houre were the houre of thy death If any greeuous sicknesse happen vnto thee A sicke man desires that time of repentance which a sound neglecteth that hath in it any apparent tokens of death thou presently crauest a truce for a time and desirest to liue that thou maist bewaile thy sinnes and thy time mispent and thou promisest repentance and amendment of life which thou hast no sooner obtained but as soone thou forgettest and with the dog thou returnest to thy vomit againe The time of repentance is granted thee and God expecteth a time to pardon thee and yet thou doest not onely not bewaile thy sinnes past but thou takest a greater ioy and comfort in those that are past in those that are to come Esay 30. If thou borrow a thing of another man thou takest a care to vse it whilest thou hast it because thou knowest it shall shortly be taken from thee and yet this corruptible body of â—hine which God hath lent â—hee for the vse of thy soule and for the saluation thereof is not thine but shall shortâ—y be taken from thee thou dâ—est not only not vse to the health of thy soule but thou euery day abusest to the vtter ruine and damnation therof and by how much thy life is longer by so much thy sinnes are greater yea they increase not with the daies but the houres and moments of thy life Yesterday thou mightest haue died Pro lucro tibi pone diem quicâ—nque 〈◊〉 and yet thou art nor dead Inasmuch therfore as thou art aliue to day account it amongst thy gaines Why our daies are prolonged for therfore doth the Lord prolong thy daies of grace that thou maist repent and attaine the greater glory For as the very sleep of the Saints of God is not without goodnesse so thou shouldest not let passe a moment of time without the practise and performance of some good Rich men and such as are able to keepe and maintaine a great family vse neuerthelesse to belong to those that are richer and mightier than themselues in whose seruice they depriue themselues of many benefits and freedomes of nature in hope and expectation only which many times deceiueth them of bettering their fortunes and ioining house vnto house and land â—nto land If then such as aâ—ound in â—â—hes are content with the losse of liberty and so much labour to increase â—heir riches which then increase most when the least commodities are not neglected how much doth it stand â—hee vpon that art the seruant of Christ Iesus to heape vp vnto thy selfe those spiritual riches that must saue thy soule Though thou haue liued well and art rich in good workes yet when thou art dying thou couldest be content thou haddest liued better and for one good worke thou hast done thou wishest thou hadst done a thousand why then doe that now whilest thou liuest that thou wouldest be glad thou hadst done when thou art dying One starre differeth from an other starre in glory 1. Cor. 15.41 there are many mansions in the kingdom of heauen by how much the more good then thou doest vpon earth by so much the greater glory shalt thou haue in heauen As no sinne escapeth vnpunished so no good that thou doest vnrewarded Matth. 10.30 All thy daies are no lesse numbred than the haires of thy head and as a haire of thy head shall not perish so not a moment of time God rewardeth great labours with great bounties which though in appearance they seeme to be small yet in effect and operation they are vnspeakable Thy labours are but short the crowne eternall set that which thou here sufferest Repentance crucifieth Righteousnesse pacifieth Life eternall glorifieth to that that thou there hopest to obtaine The afflictions of this life are not worthie the sinne passed that for them is remitted the present comfort that for them is giuen the future glorie that for them is promised Thou labourest heere for a time that thou maiest not labour for euer with the damned thy labour is momeÌ„tary thy ioy eternall
way If aâ—â— man will follow mee saiâ— Christ let him denie himseâ— let him put off the old maâ— and put on the new let hiâ— begin to be that he was not and cease to bee that which before by sinne hee was let him take vp and alwaies beare his owne crosse and therewith crucifie his owne flesh with the concupiscence thereof let him bee crucified vnto the World and the World vnto him liue vnto mee die vnto the World So at the last let him follow mee crucified and for the loue of me be content to beare what 〈◊〉 haue borne for the loue of him For hee that by the deâ—ights and pleasures of this world wil saue his soule shall for euer lose it But he that in â—his life for my sake shall lose his soule by refusing the carâ—all pleasures of this life and â—f need be by suffering death for my sake shall find it again in heauen and eternall happines This my deare brother is a strait way and a narrow gate which leadeth vnto life and few they are that finde it and therfore thou must not so much consider how crooked and thorny it is as whither it leadeth nor how narrow it is as where it endeth for by how much the more strait and troublesome it is by so much the more large and pleasant thou shalt finde it in the progresse of thy iourney for it shall not onely by custome but by the labour and passion of thy Sauior be made easie It is a broad way to the hope of the faithfull a strait way to the vanity of vnbeleeuers and in that thou thinkest it laborious and painfull it is no excuse of thine infirmity but an accusation of thy sloth backwardnesse By many trdâ—ulations wee must enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. But yeeld that it bee painfull must wee not thorâ—w many tribulations enter into the kingdome of God And yet thou by the broad and spacious way of pleasure which leadeth vnto death hopest to obtaine life Thou canst not heere sport it with the world and there raigne with Christ enioy future and present blessings passe froÌ„ the delights of this world to the ioies of heauen They that haue their coÌ„fort in this world are vnworthy diuine consolation but they that for the name of Christ Iesus endure affliction feele in themselues the vnspeakable comforts of God for they that partake with Christ in his passions are likewise made partakers of his comforts No man can be happie in both worlds but he that wil haue the one must want the other otherwise the rewards of chastity and luxurie gluttonie and temperance humility and pride were not diuers That fat and purple rich man in the Gospell had his pleasure in this life Lazarus pain but after their death their portions were not alike the pleasure of the one is turned into misery the miserie of the other into pleasure eternall happines Bodily pleasure nothing to a dying soule But suppose thou wouldest gaine the whole world and glut thy selfe with all maner of delights and pleapleasures what are all these vnto thee at the houre of thy death If thou being in extremitie of sicknesse shalt see thy seruants fare deliciously what gainest thou by their dainty fare Wilt thou say that thou art the better or gainest the more because thou art their Lord and Master No doubtles Apply this then vnto thy own soul If thy body florish and grow fat thy soule growing leane this plenty of external things what belongs it vnto thee For as the pleasure of a seruant doth no way benefit the miserie of a master nor costly apparell a weake body So whilest thou gluttest and pamperest thy bodie with pleasure and abundance of all things and sufferest thy soule to starue whereby it is subiect to eternall damnation how doe the pleasures of the body pleasure thee what canst thou giue for recompence of thy soule Math. 16.26 Hast thou any other which thou canst giue for it If thou wert the Lord and King of the whole world and wouldest offer it for a ransome for thy soule thou couldest not therewith redeeme it from eternal damnation What benefit then is it vnto thee though thou win the whole world and lose thy owne soule Or what good is it vnto thee for a few daies to rule and raigne vpon the earth and thereby to lose the kingdome of heauen Christ hath shed his most precious blood for thy soule Nothing more precious than the soule which hee would not doe for the whole world besides and and therfore thinke the price of thy soule to be very great since it could not bee redeemed but by the blood of Christ Iesus And wilt thou then lose this thy soule and damne it too buie a moment of pleasure with euerlasting torments What comparison can there bee betwixt that which is finite and that which is infinite betwixt breuitie and eternitie Wherfore deare brother it shall be good for thee to indure some paine in this life by repentance if that which bringeth a spirituall ioy may bee called a paine lest thou feele eternall paine in the life to come by reuenge By sorrow thou shalt come to ioy for Truth it selfe hath spoken it Matth. 5. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall bee comforted and by ioy and pleasure thou shalt come to sorrow the same Truth affirming it Luk. 6.25 Woe bee vnto you that laugh for yee shall waile and weepe He that sorroweth not when he is a stranger shall not laugh being a Citizen because the desire of his countrey is not in him and therefore whilest thy body is detained in this world send thy heart before into heauen But it is one thing to goe before or to go foorth in body another in heart hee goeth foorth in body that by the motion of his body changeth his place he goeth foorth in heart that changeth the affections of the heart Wherefore my deare brother for these causes The conclusion of these former Chapters manie more that might heere be spoken of thou maiest plainly see how fraile and vnconstant the condition of this life is insomuch that thou canst not secure thy selfe of a moment of time Which since so it is it cannot but be dangerous for thee to liue in that state wherin thou wouldest not willingly depart out of this life especially considering that the time of thy departure may happen at this verie houre or the next nay euery moment of thy life Whilest thou art sound healthfull thy repentance is sound when thou art weak and sickly that is weake too when thou art dead that is dead too The time of life is short which though thou passe well and blessedly yea suffer much affliction for thy Sauiour Christ Iesus yet at the houre of thy death thou wilt wish thou hadst suffered much more Eccles 12. Remember therfore thy Creator in the daies of thy youth and be not slow
â—ody For thither is the whole intention of the minde carried where the griefe is What astonishment of heart â—s there at that houre What â—emembrance of all fore-passed sinnes What forgetfulnesse of pleasures past What â—orror and fearefull consideration of the Iudge Doubtlesse the griefe of the disease and the feare of the iudgements of God doe hinder the true vse of our sense and vnderstanding insomuch that at that houre there can hardly bee any true contrition of heart Then is the Diuell most diligent to tempt vs The assaults of the Diuell are most violent at the houre of death and to lay his snares to intrap vs when hee perceiueth our end to be at hand and when he seeth it standeth him vpon to win or lose that soule which so many yeeres by so many sleights so many suggestions he hath endeuoured to make sure vnto him then especially he tempteth him touching the verity of his beleefe and perswadeth him to infidelity setteth before the eies of his minde the greatnesse of his sinnes the seuerity of the Iudge the inequality of all the good he hath done in his whole life to that eternall blessednes which God hath prepared for those that are his children Thus and by these meanes hee assaieth to driue a miserable sinner into despaire and whom in his â—ife time he deceiued by flatâ—eries at his death hee tyranâ—iseth ouer him The feare of a iust man at the houre of death And this is â—he cause why many godly â—nd zealous men who in the whole course of their life â—aue serued God doe neuerâ—helesse feare this last houre â—f death lest that then they â—hould yeeld to those violent â—mptations of the Diuell or opeare emptie before so â—eat a Iudge And yet doest thou thinke at that houre to be conuerted when the iustest men that are feare to be peruerted Wilt thou aduenture the state of thy saluation to that time wherin thou art subiect to greatest danger And thinkest thou to perfect that great and difficult worke of thy conuersion which in the best strength of thy body and in the whole race of thy life thou couldest hardly performe in a moment of time when thou art compassed with so many griefes so many dangers The departure of a sinfull soule out of his body not one but innumerable legions of Diuels doe attend to require their hire for their seruice presenting before his eies those sinâ— they haue tempted him vnto so carry him with them into vtter darknesse Ioh. 14. Yea they faile not to attempt the souls of Gods children when they depart out of their bodies alleging vnto them that this and this they haue done for them and that they haue returned this and this seruice vnto them If the Prince of this world the Diuell sought after something of his euen in Christ himselfe dying according to the flesh though nothing hee could finde confider how carefull and cruell â—e will be to require his own of thee at thy houre of death â—t is apparent and thou canst â—ot deny but that hee may â—inde much of his in thy selfe â—nd miserable and wretched man that thou art what wilt thou then do when he shal arrest thee for that that is his own what wilt thou answer Doest thou thinke that the Angels of God will be ready at hand to rescue thee and to deliuer thee out of his hold Forasmuch therefore deare Brother as it cannot but plainly appeare vnto thee that death lies in wait for thee in all places and at all times and that it followeth thee as thy shadow doth thy body if thou be wise doe thou likewise expect it in all places and at all times being euery day euery houre ready as iâ— euery day euery houre were the houre of thy death Thou knowest not in what place at what houre it will encounter thee and therefore expect it in all places and at all times If it hasten to come vnto thee doe thou make as good speed to be ready for it to liue well and like a good debtor bee euer prepared to pay Nature hir due whensoeuer it shall bee demanded So husband and order euerie day as if it were the last day of thy life when thou risest in the morning thinke not thou shalt liue till night and when thou goest to thy bed thinke thou goest to thy graue and that thou shalt neuer see the morning light From this time forward so liue that at the houre of death thou maist rather reioice than feare and that thou maist die well learne to liue well that thou maist flie from the vengeance to come yeeld fruits worthie repentance before it come That feare that vseth to be in a man dying let it be alwaies in thee liuing So shalt thouvanquish death when it comes if before it come thou alwaies feare it CHAP. III. That our last day is hidden from vs to the end that all the daies of our life should bee as our last BVT perhaps thou wilt say that I tell thee that death attends thee and euerie houre of thy life hangs ouer thy head like a sword hanging by a haire point pendant that I perswade thee to bee as readie to fall vpon thee that thou hast obeied my counsell and oftentimes prepared thy selfe to entertaine it whensoeuer it come but it hath as often deceiued thee and neuer came and therefore I do thee wrong to perswade thee by an euerlasting cogitation of death to liue a dying life and to let slip the pleasures and delights of this world Resp O my good brother suspend thy iudgement a while for I dare make good vnto thee that by this continuall cogitation of death thou losest not the delights of this World Prouer. 15 For a good conscience is a continuall feast and thou shalt receiue greater coÌ„fort by seruing the God of all comfort consolation than this wretched world replenished with miseries yea there is no torment greater than a wicked conscience for where God is not there can no comfort be found No tormeÌ„t to a wicked conscience O that thou haddest but tasted euen with the tip of thy toong the vnspeakable sweetnesse of a spirituall delight thou wouldest contemne all the fading pleasures of this life Cantic 1. and runne after the sweet odours of those heauenly comforts Thou seest the crosses and afflictions of spirituall men their wounds but not their ointments thou seest them outwardly cast downe like abiects but inwardly thou discernest not their happinesse Outward torments of spirituall men inward ioies for their spirituall ioy is as insensible as it is vnspeakable and can neuer be in any man that admitteth any other Be not therefore so peremptorie in thy censures and thinke not that the feare of death and the seruice of God doe robbe thee of the ioies of this life But be it as thou saiest we will yeeld so much vnto thy obstinacie A continuall preparation for death is good Why doest
And if thou sinke vnder the burden of these afflictions set before thine eies the sufferings of Christ See what hee that had no reason to suffer hath suffered for thee If it were necessary that Christ being God man should suffer and so enter into his glory Luke 24. The passions of Christ how much more oughtest thou a base vnworthy worm of the earth to suffer for the attainement of that glory How much soeuer thou endure thou shalt neuer come neere those insultations those scourgings that purple garment that thornie crowne and lastly that ignominious and shamefull death of the Crosse that hee endured for thy sake Doe but consider how great glory doth instant ly attend thy miseries and afflictions and then that which is momentarie in an instant turned from euill to good shall neuer seeme greeuous vnto thee If the greatnesse of the reward delight thy minde let not the greatnesse of thy afflictions any way affright it if the labour deter thee let the reward inuite thee and let the hope therof be a solace to thy labours It is not the maner to attaine to great matters without great paines and hee that runneth not winnes not the garland For if a Merchant cares not what hee giues for that merchandize that he knowes will yeeld him a great increase if to a Sea-man the dangerous billowes of the Sea to a husbandman the stormy tempests of cold Winter if to a souldier wounds and bloodie conflicts seeme light and tolerable and all for the hope of a temporall and fading commoditie much more when heauen it selfe is proposed vnto thee 2. Tim. 2. 1. Cor. 2. as the fruit of thy labor and that vnspeakable ioy that no eie hath seen no eare hath heard and hath not entred into the heart of man to conceiue or imagine Where if it were not lawfull to make any longer abode than for the space of one day for that one day the innumerable daies of this life with all the fleeting and temporall delights thereof should worthily be scorned and contemned And therefore account not thy perseuerance in that which is good and thy continuall preparation for death amongst thy labours which though yesterday thou hast escaped perhaps thou shalt not to morrow for that happens in one day that falles not out in a thousand Thou must perseuere and bee constant in good workes Matt. 10. for it is not hee that begins but that continues to the end that shall bee saued It is a vaine thing to doe good if we do not good so long as we liue as it is a vaine thing to run swiftly at the first setting out and to tire before wee come at the end of the gole Repentance is an excellent remedy against sinne but yet only to him that shall perseuere therein For without perseuerance the labour hath no reward the race no garland the seruice no grace the crosse no crowne If thou wilt want eternall punishment without end and enioy eternall blisse without end thou must necessarily obey the commandements of God without intermission without end And therfore thou must not say with the seruant in the Gospell as thou art wont My master doth deferre his comming Matth. 24.48 and therefore begin to smite thy fellowes and to eat and drinke with the drunken for the Lord will come in a day when thou lookest not for him and in an houre thou knowest not and destroy thee suddenly If he be patient and of long sufferance if he threaten thee and yet abstaineth if hee deferre his comming to the end hee may finde lesse cause to condemne thee neglect not his patience and long sufferance lest he increase his iudgement with his expectation and by how much the longer he expects thy conuersion before he iudge thee by so much the more heauilie his iudgement will light vpon thee For assure thy selfe that hee that with patience bears thy sins will with seuerity iudge them if thou repent not and cease from sinning Wherefore deare brother alwaies so liue that thou bee alwaies prepared to die Watch alwaies lest God take thee vnprouided and such he taketh thee if such he find thee at the last day and as he then findes thee when hee calles thee so hee will iudge thee Remember thy end Eccl. 7.36 and thou shalt neuer doe amisse whether thou eat or drink or whatsoeuer thou doest let that trumpet of the last iudgement alwaies sound in thy cares Arise ye dead and come to iudgement whatsoeuer thy comforts are in this present life neuer let the bitternesse of thy last iudgement depart out of thy mind CHAP. IIII. The great inequalitie betwixt our present pleasures and the paines of Hell IT is to be doubted that that remainder of thy life that is behinde can not amount to fiftie yeeres but yet suppose that thou hast so many yeres to liue and that God hath reuealed vnto thee from aboue that thou shalt not see death vntill the terme of fifty yeres be fully complet and ended This can be no reason at all to withdraw thee from the seruice of God and from turning vnto him by a true and vnfained repentance The breuitie and instabilitie of pleasure For first the breuitie of the pleasures of this life is certaine and the end of this breuity vncertain They doe many times forsake a man when he is aliue but they neuer follow him being dead The state of humane things is alwaies moueable and inconstant and manie times it falleth out that if a man liue long hee outliues his pleasures For God doth prouidently mingle sower with sweet sorrow with ioy that we may thereby be stirred vp to seeke that sweetnesse that ioy that neuer changeth and that whilest sorrow and griefe and vexation of spirit are the fruits of this world we should look vp after him that is the God of all comfort and consolation But yet my deare brother let vs yeeld that thou hast so many yeeres to liue and that free from all aduersitie whatsoeuer First consider diligently with thy selfe to what place thy miserable soule must passe when those fiftie yeeres are expired euen to hell it selfe For from the delights of this world we passe by a straight line to the torments of hell as by the miseries of this life we attaine the ioies of heauen For no man can pasle from pleasure to pleasure reioice with the world and with Christ too heere feed his belly his corruptible part there his spirituall And secondly let the place to which thy soul must passe put thee in minde of those intollerable torments thou must there suffer Lastly consider with thy selfe if it should bee said vnto thee Inioy the pleasures of this life and glut thy selfe with them but yet vpon this condition that at such or such a time after so many yeeres are expired thy eies shall bee plucked out of thy head and thou shalt spend the rest of thy life in hunger and thirst and
to turne vnto the Lord yea deferre it not vntill to morrow for the day of the Lord commeth as a theefe in the night and an houre that thou knowest not 1. Thes 5. If thou turne not vnto God Psalme 7. God wil draw foorth the sword of his vengeance hee will bend his bow and make ready his arrowes from whose anger to come that thou maiest flie do workes worthy repentance and that whilest the God of patience and long sufferance detaineth his anger whilest he deserreth to strike whilest he considereth thee a sinner and yet expecteth thy conuersion whilest hee beareth with thy iniquities in hope at the last to withdraw thee from them But thou the longer hee beareth with thy sinnes the longer thou continuest in thy sinnes whereby it commeth to passe that that long sufferance of God that should draw thee to repontance and out of the lawes of death and hell â—andeth thee the faster in the bands of death and because thou hast turned thy times of repentance vnto sin the seuere Iudge will turne those arguments of his loue and mercy into a punishment for by so much the more seuerely will hee come vnto iudgement by how much the more before it hee shewed himselfe patient and mercifull That which hee now winketh at with mildenesse and loue when he commeth to iudge hee will exact with straitnesse and seueritie Take heed therefore lest thou contemne those times that God hath giuen thee to repent and thou neglect the care of thy saluation lest thou turne the clemencie of the Iudge and those proroged times of mercy and repentance into arguments of thy greater damnation lest that long life which thou hast receiâ—ed from thy meâ—ciâ—◠〈…〉 God doe 〈…〉 greaâ—er increase or thy condemnation Behold now is the time of reconciliation and repentance not of pleasure and carnall delight heereafter shall bee the time of reward of retribution Behold now is the acceptable time the day of saluation and mercy heereafter shall be the time of rigor and vengeance Shall then these dales of saluation passe away as if thou thoughtest not of them There is nothing more precious than time and yet to thee nothing more contemptible It is the manner of such as get their liuing by their labour in the end of their labours when they looke for their hire to be most diligent and painful So thou forasmuch as thoâ— knowest not how soone thy labours shall haue an end whatsoeuer thy hand can do doe it instantly Luke 12. Be alwaies prouided for thou knowest not what houre the Sonne of man will come that when hee commeth atcording to thy workes hee may iudge thee Thou hast no long race to runne for whether thou wake or sleepe or whatsoeuer thou doest euerie houre and moment of thy life is a steppe vnto death which perhaps thou art neerer vnto than thou art aware of For when thou goest to sleepe thou art not sure thou sâ—alt awake again and when thou awakest thou art not â—ure thou shalt goe to 〈◊〉 rest vntill thou haue taâ—â—â—â—p thy last rest Where 〈…〉 thou bee wise in the whole course of thy lise learne to die and bee prepared thereunto euerie houre of thy life as if euerie houre were the houre of thy death Thinke euery moment thou must die because thou art sure though now thou liue thou must die Which if it bee so take no â—reat care by what accident then shalt die but dying whiâ—her thou must goe for nothing maketh death good or ill but that which followeth death Death is deadly to the wicked but precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 115. which death God of his infinite mercie giue vs euen for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake Amen The Second Part of the exhortation to repentance CHAP. I. That restitution is an excellent testimony of remission of sinnes SEcondly perhaps thou wilt say thou couldest be content to repent but thou canst not finde in thy heart to restore that which either by fraud or violence thou hast taken from another for now thou art rich and needest the helpe of no man Res Thou knowest not my deare Brother that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Consider with thy selfe that if God at the day of iudgement shall with such anger say vnto those that haue not giuen their goods vnto the poore Depart ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuel and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat Matth. 25. I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me not I was naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not how shall his anger increase when he shall say I was hungrie I was thirstie and yee took from me that sustinance that I had I was naked and you robbed me of that little that remained vnto me We read not of that rich man in the Gospell that hee got his goods vniustly but only that hee vsed that which hee had intemperatly and vnfruitfullie and yet he was tormented in hell fire and desired a drop of cold water but could not obtaine it How then shalt thou bee saued that hast vniustly scraped thy riches together Canst thou possibly thinke that thou shalt not bee more damned than hee Gather heereby how great a damnation hangeth ouer thy head that doest wrongfully detaine another mans goods if they vndergoe so heauy a iudgement that indiscreetly do vse their owne Consider how heauilie goods wrongfullie gotten doe presse thee downe if such as are lawfully come by not well bestowed bring so vnspeakable a torment What doest thou deserue for wronging another if charity not well vsed deserue such punishment And if he bee subiect to damnation that detaineth his owne what is hee that taketh away another mans If hee shall haue iudgement without mercy that doth no workes of mercy what iudgement may he looke for that is cruell and bloodie that taketh from the poore whereas hee should giue and decketh himselfe with the spoiles of other men that liues in plenty by the famine of the poor and pampers his bellie with that that should feed them The poore being oppressed crie for vengeance vnto the Lord and God who is a iealous and a mightie God will be their reuenger The Lord will come yea hee will come and not stay and in a time of vengeance hee will destroy him If thy body be diseased or thy friend fallen sicke thou art content to recouer it if need bee euen with the losse of all thy goods that thou hast now thy owne soule is falling into eternall damnation and for the saluation therof doest thou refuse to make restitution of a trifle which thou detainest from another man Thou sellest thy selfe at a base price if for another mans goods thou losest thy owne soule It is a folly to make thy siluer gold more precious than
then what will the speech of the people bee of mee and how ridiculous shall I be to my best friends Res Men perhaps my deare brother will speake ill of thee but yet onely euill men who for the most part thinke those mad men whose example they cannot yet ought to imitate who dispraise that vertue they will not follow commend that vice which they embrace If this they did out of iudgement not rather out of ignorance and malice there were reason why thou shouldest be mooued therewith It is a commendable thing to bee commended by commendable men and there is no greater dispraise than the praise of the wicked But let vs yeeld so much to thy obstinacie that thou art heereby made ridiculous to good men too yet this should bee no reason to deter thee from that which is iust and right For the speech of men and their slanders cannot deliuer thee from the fire of hell A mans conscience a thousand witnesses but the feare of God and thy iust dealing proceeding from a liuely faith in the merits of Christ Iesus whether thou bee praised or dispraised returne into thy selfe and thy owne conscience if there thou finde not any thing that is woorthy commendations thou art rather to be pitied than admired and if there thou finde not that euill for which thou art dispraised thou art to reioice in the Lord and to contemne the bad speeches of other men For what is it to thee though men praise thee if thy conscience accuse thee Or why shouldest thou bee sorrie if all men accuse thee when thy owne conscience shall defend thee Our glory and our reioycing 2. Cor. 1. Iob 17. saith Saint Paul is the testimonie of our conscience And Iob saith Loe my witnesse is in heauen and my record is on high Why art thou troubled with the censures of men so long as thou knowest God to bee thy Iudge that must iudge them and thee If thy witnesse bee in heauen and in thy heart suffer fooles to speake their pleasure and grieue not at it So long as thou seekest the glory and praise of men and to please their eie and their eare thou carest not to please him that seeth thee from heauen if thou wilt serue men thou canst not be the seruant of Christ What is more vile more base than to affect glorie and honor amongst men and not to feare confusion ignominie in the presence of the highest Iudge Thou art more carefull to satisfie the eie of man than of God and thou art not afraid to do that before God which before man thou art ashamed of yea thou louest more the outward applause of the people than the inward peace of thy minde the puritie of thy conscience Amongst men thou desirest to seeme that thou art not pure when thou art most impure outwardly rich when thou art inwardly poore outwardly full when inwardly emptie outwardly gaie when inwardly naked outwardly a Lord when inwardly a seruant outwardly the seruant of God when inwardly the seruant of the diuell outwardly a man inwardly a beast outwardly a saint when inwardly execrable and odious to God and man If thou didest desire glorie in heauen thou wouldst not feare shame and ignominie vpon earth for euery man where he seeketh glorie there hee feareth confusion What shall it profit thee if the world shal commend thee and extoll thee to the heauens since the praises of men cannot heale a wounded conscience nor the opprobrious speeches of a slanderer wound a good conscience What good shall the glorie of this world doe thee if in hell where thou shalt be thou bee ignominiously tormented and in the world where thou art highly extolled It is a folly to measure thy owne worth by the opinion of the common people in whose power it is at their pleasure to praise and dispraise to giue honour and to take it away againe And therefore if thou place thy glory in their lips thou shalt be sometimes great somtimes little sometimes nothing at all as it shal please the toongs of flatterers to commend or condemne thee Glory flies him that followeth it and followeth him that flies it There is one only honour to bee desired of a Christian man and that is not to bee praised of men but of God And if thou contemne humane glory be sure that God will glorifie thee liuing and dead too It is a dishonourable thing for thee being a Christian and a follower of Christ to be affected with the scornes and slanderous speeches of other men and thereby to bee withdrawen from good works since thou knowest that thy Sauiour Christ Iesus endured the like scornes and woorse Matth. 10. For if they call the master of the house Beelzebub how much more his houshold seruants Christ Iesus contemning the vaine praises of men refused the offered glory of a Kingdome and was content to take vpon him the ignominious death of the Crosse and being the Sonne of God was called the sonne of a carpenter a transgressour of the law a seducer of the people a blasphemer of God a wine bibber a friend of sinners and Publicans and yet fearest thou a base worme of the earth the slanders of men for that for which the God of Maiestie and the Lord of the Saboth hath suffered by men so opprobrious speeches Doest thou feare to displease those whom Christ displeased for thee Wilt thou seeme glorious in the world when Christ would be contemned and scoft at for thee Christ was mocked of the Iewes and wilt thou be honored Wilt thou deck thy selfe with goodly apparell when Christ by the Iewes was clothed with ignominious garments hung naked vpon the Crosse for thee Matth. 10. The disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his lord Why then art thou proud thou dust and ashes why gloriest thou in thy gay clothes the worme is spred ouer thee and the wormes couer thee Esay 14.1 But to say the trueth thou that thinkest thy selfe so goodly a creature when thou hast trimmed thy selfe in thy best attire what art thou but a pain̄ted sepulchre painted without but full of stench and rottennesse within For though thy flesh be adorned with pretions garments what is it more than flesh that is a stincking seed a sacke of corruption worms meat Flesh is dissolued into rottennesse rottennesse into wormes wormes into dust what is more stincking than a dead mans carcase what more horrible than a dead man That countenance which in life was most beautifull in death is most gastly most horrible Thou art earth in thy original a sparke in the breuitie of thy life dust and ashes in the condition of thy death As fire speedily turnes stubble into sparks so death as speedily turnes thee and thy glory into ashes O if thou couldest truly consider what thou art according to thy body thou wouldest presently be ashamed of the beautie and riches of thy garments and thou wouldest vse them
beleeue not things to come possesse fading riches that with them they may perish for euer The soule cannot bee without delight for either it is delighted with heauenlie things or earthly and by how much the more it is inflamed with the desire of earthlie things by so much the more doth it grow cold towards heauenly For the eie cannot at one and the same instant looke towards heauen and earth too But what doe full bagges benefit thee if thou haue an emptie conscience Wilt thou be accounted good and not be good Wilt thou haue good meat good garments good seruants to be short all good and thy selfe onely euill Preferre thy life before them let not al these be good and deare vnto thee thou onely vile and base and villanous to thy selfe If thou wilt bee lord of so many good things indeuour that they haue thee a good lord too which thou canst hardly bee except thou make restitution of that which thou vniustly detainest A good life is better than to possesse much goods Temporall goods are only good inasmuch as they are helpes to vertue but if they exceed this end and hinder the vse of vertue they are no more good things but to bee accounted among the euill Canst thou thinke that another mans goods vniustly deteined which make thee euill can be good vnto thee Or canst thou thinke those things good that subiect thee to eternall euils What good soeuer there is in this world whose gift is it but his that created it But that gift of God ought not to please thee that by the delight thereof separateth thee from the loue of God Preferre not the gift before the giuer when thou receiuest good things bee not euill thy selfe and let not that that should encrease thy loue towards God separate thee farther from him and so thou loue a base creature more than thy Creator to whem thou owest all that thou art and all that thou hast who hath made thee and made thee good who when it pleaseth him can take that from thee that he hath giuen thee who can cast both thy bodie and soule into hell and bestow thy temporall goods vpon another man But thou that louest thy gold more than God honorest it more than God for if thou diddest not so thou wouldest not for that lose the grace and loue of God Thou sellest God for a halfe-penny because for the gaine of a halfe-penny thou breakest the commandement of God God forbids thee to steale and thou obeiest him not couetousnesse bids thee to steale and that thou doest God commands thee to cloth the naked and that thou omittest couetousnes mooues thee to take from another what is his and that thou art ready to put in execution Thou possessest riches no otherwise than a prisoner doth his shakles which hee seemeth rather to be enthralled to than to haue For thou art not a little afflicted with thy self when thou beatest thy brains with wearisome desires and a wounded conscience deuisest which way thou maiest make such a mans goods thine owne by flatterie get such a bargaine by threats such a farme by cosenage and deceit and watchings and labours such a lordship and still the more thou gettest the more thou seekest For as wood cast into the fire seemeth for a time to presse downe the flame and dead the fire but presently maketh it burne with greater violence so thy couetousnesse is not extinguished with gaine but more inflamed And when by right or by wrong thou hast heaped thy riches together and glutted as it were thy own desires whereas before thou diddest hope for rest out of abundance thou shalt finde thy selfe more afflicted than euer by the care thou hast to keepe that thou hast gotten and thou shalt euer keep thy riches with no lesse fear than with labour thou hast got them Thou art euery day in feare to bee assaulted and the wrongs thou hast offered to others thou fearest will be offered by others vnto thee If thou see one mightier than thy selfe thou fearest his power his violence if poorer than thy selfe thou suspectest his theft and so thou that in aduersitie didst hope for prosperitie in prosperitie fearest aduersitie and art caried hither and thither as it were with so many billowes and tormented with the diuers vicissitude of thy owne fortunes Doest thou that art a Christian the disciple of Christ and his pouerty that art called to the heauenly riches of Paradise admire as matters of greater moment these temporall goods which doe more with care and anxietie afflict thy miserable soule than refresh it with the vse of them and in them place thy greatest felicitie and in a countrie where as a stranger for a few daies thou dwellest doest thou place thy whole heart and thy whole affections So long as thou desirest transitorie things and either vnderstandest not eternall or vnderstanding them contemnest them thou wallowest in the dung of thy earthly riches and thinkest of nothing but earth and earthly things in stead of thy countrie thou louest that exile which thou sufferest and in that darknes thou liuest in thou exultest as in the cleere light The helpes of this thy peregrination thou makest thy stumbling blockes and being delighted with the nightlie light of the Moone thou refusest to behold the bright beautie of the Sunne and the benefit of thy passing life thou turnest into an occasion of eternall death Is not that traueller besides himselfe that in his iourney passing thorow beautiful and delightfull medowes there stayes and forgets to goe to his iourneyes end If thou haddest power to rule some small countrie so long as vpon a swift horse thou canst run it ouer wilt thou be content to lose thy right of rule for euer in a far greater countrie for that transitorie dominion What is the time of this present life but a continuall race vnto death wherein no man is permitted to stay a little or to slacken his pace What is it to liue but incessantly to run vnto death By how much the longer thou liuest by so much the neerer thou art vnto death and as life passeth so death draweth on As a barrell the more it runneth out the more it is emptied and yet is not sayd to be emptie till the last drop be fallen from it so by certaine droppes of time the life by little and little droppes away but yet vntill the last moment of thy life thy bodie is not said to be dead In the middle of thy life thou art in death and whether thou watch or fleepe thou diest continually Euery day thou diest euery day thou art changed and yet doest thou thinke thy selfe immortall Hee easilie contemneth all things that thinks euery day is his dying day If thou diddest thinke that these earthly blessings must one day perish thou wouldest vse them whilest thou hast them for the benefit of thy soule In death with sorrow enough thou shalt see how base and worse than nothing that
is not receiued his praiers are not heard for God loueth more the loue agreement of men than his owne honour O the admirable goodnesse and mercie of our God and his vnspeakable loue towards men he resuseth his own honor for our charity one towards another If two be at enmity one with the other no man can bee a faithfull friend to them both and therefore God will not be a friend no not to the faithfull so long as they be in hatred one towards another so long as they professe Christ and yet are enemies God to the end he might impose vpon thee a greater necessity of reconciliation did not say If thou haue anie thing against thy brother for to a man that is willing it is a matter of no difficultie to forgiue an other but he said If thy brother hath any thing against thee go with a willing heart and a good conscience and an humble submission vnto him though he bee farre distant from thee or if thou canst not come where hee is in thy heart bee reconciled vnto him that when thou commest in his presence with thy loue thou maist make amends for the wrong thou hast done him which to a furious man that thinketh he hath iust cause to be angry is a matter very difficult But thy brother hath nothing against thee but thou bearest an intestine hatred against thy brother which thou maist easily pardon and bee reconciled if thou wilt And yet thou presumest with this hatred and malice not only to offer thy praiers vnto God but to come to the Communion of the body and blood of thy Sauiour Christ Iesus and that milde Lambe that peace maker that louer of peace thou presumest to â—eceine into thy cruell and bloody heart boiling with hatred malice against thy brother This thy hatred makes thee vnworthy that corporalll bread that thou eateft and doest thou presume to eat the bread of Angels It cannot bee well with thee if thou wickedly receiue that which is good Thou canst not haue life in thy self when the receiuing of life bringeth death Mat. 5.44 Loue saith the Lord your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them which hurt you and persecute you Whom then canst thou hate when thou art commanded to be good to thy enemies And yet thou hatest thy neighbour that art forbid to hate a stranger and thou persecutest thy brother being commanded to doe good to thy enemie Thou art enioyned to praie for him and darest thou to pray vnto God against him Canst thou call thy selfe a Christian and yet not keepe the preceps of Christ Neither is it sufficient for thee to make vp the heape of thy punishment by trangressing the commandement of Christ but thou praiest vnto him to doe so too God commandeth thee to loue thine enemy and thou praiest vnto him to kill thine enemie and whilest thou so praiest thou fightest with thy praiers against God who commandeth thee to forgiue whatsoeuer thou hast against thy enemie Mark 11. When ye shall stand saith he and pray forgiue if ye haue anie thing against any man but thou callest vpon God to do quite contrarie to his owne rule but so farre is he from doing that that thou requirest that he turneth the malicious darts of thy prophane mouth against thy selfe and that mischiefe that thou wishest to another lighteth vpon thine owne head He liues yet whom thou cursest and thou that cursest art alreadie made guiltie of his death because since thou canst not kill him with thy sword thou killest him with thy praiers If thou laie not aside thy anger against thine enemie at that instant when thou beggest mercie at Gods hands but euen then remembrest thy grudge when is there hope thou wilt be mercifull So long as thou nourishest this rancor in thy bosome no praier no work shal doe thee any good but euerie houre yea euery minute of an houre thou addest sinne vnto sinne whilest thou remembrest thy wrongs and forgiuest not thy neighbour but purposest to reuenge If euery one that is angrie with his brother be guilty of iudgment how much more shalt thou be guiltie which continuest a deadly hatred against him If it be not lawfull to be angry with thy brother or to say vnto him Raca Ephes 4. or fool much lesse to nourish hatred in thy heart against him Wherfore deare brother let not the Sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath and lest of a mote thou make a beame and thy soule a man-slaier as speedily as thou canst be reconciled to thy brother and pardon his wrongs Yea pray for thy enemie that pursueth thee and slandereth thee that either God wil turne his hart or rightly defend thee and preserue thee euer wishing his saluation whose iniquities thou doest detest that thou maiest be the sonne of the father which is in heauen CHAP. III. That it is not lawfull to strike him that striketh BVT perhaps thou wilt say hee hath wronged thee greatly not thou him he is a wicked man and not worthy to be forgiuen I had rather die than not to bee reuenged of him I will answer a foole according to his follie Res First my deare brother what shall it profit thee if being stroken thou strike thy striker Shall that make amends for thy blow If thou plucke out another mans eie thou recouerest not thy own but with thy eie thou losest thy patience and hast hurt thy owne soule more than thou hast hurt his body The Diuell procureth the wounds of the body to procure the wounds of the soule If thou strike not againe thou seemest to bee ouercome of thy enemie but in the mean time thou hast ouercome the Diuell thou hast lost a member of thy bodie but thou hast gotten honour by thy patience And therefore if thou spare thy enemie thou hast got more to thy selfe than to him and thou art not to consider so much thy owne losse as the gaine of thy patience Whereas if thou strike again thou procurest a losse to thy bodie and thy soule too and thou art not so much hurt by being stroken by thy enemy as thou hurtest thy selfe by thy own impatiencie Wheras outwardlie thou desirest not to be conquered inwardlie thou art grieuouslie wounded whilest outwardy thou desendest trifles inwardlie thou losest matter of moment and then thou art most ouercome when thou wilt not suffer thy selfe to bee ouer come because thou yeeldest to the dangerous passions of anger and canst not rule thy own affections But thou wilt say hee is worthie to bee stricken hee deserues blowes Res Be it so my deare brother but yet thou art not worthie to strike againe because thou art his disciple Exod. 21. that being stricken strucke not again who likewise abrogating that olde law A soule for a soule an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth Matt. 5.39 a hand for a hand a foot for a foot a wound for a
this time hee hath repented and God hath pardoned and if God haue wilt not thou Wilt thou still persecute him whom God hath absolued and require that debt that God hath pardoned God is made a friend to thy penitent brother and art thou still his enemie Wilt thou hurt him whom God loueth Take heed I say for if thou bee contrarie to God in his works thou art not Gods friend but his enemy What good would this thy furious and reuengeful mind do thee if to day which may fall out thou shouldest happen to die Doest thou think that when thou art buried in hell thou canst hurt thy enemy yet liuing and reuenge thy wrongs Yea rather he is strongly reuenged of thee in that thy hatred towards him hath brought thee to that place and that hee whilest thou art in torment hath time to begge mercy at Gods hand to obtaine his grace in this life and his glory in the life to come Wherfore deare brother that thou maiest truely loue thy brother being hurt hurt not being slandered slander not hate not him that hateth thee detract not from him that detracteth from thee for it is a more grieuous thing to ouercome a wrong by patience than by reuenge Whether the wrong be iustly or iniustly offered beare it patiently euer remembring that thou hast deserued more greater things for thy sinnes Which thy great and manifold sinnes if thou wilt haue forgiuen thou must needes forgiue those few and small trespasses thy enemie hath committed against thee CHAP. IIII. That by the example of Christ it is no hard matter for a man to pardon his neighbour as often as he offendeth BVT perhaps thou wilt say it is not once that he hath wronged me but many and sundrie times and still he hates me and persecutes me and therfore who can indure it Resp My deare brother as often as thy brother shall sinne against thee Matth. 18 21. so often doeth the Lord command thee to forgiue him To whom Peter came and said Master how oft shal my brother sinne against mee and I shall forgiue him Vnto seuen times Iesus said vnto him I say not to thee vnto seuen times but vnto seuen times seuen times See heere hee setteth downe a finite number for an infinite as if he should say as often as thy brother shall sinne against thee so often forgiue him How greatly and how often soeuer thou sinnest against God so often out of an humble and contrite spirit and an assured hope in the mercies of Christ Iesus thou asking forgiuenesse hee forgiueth and yet shall it seeme a greeuous and an irkesome thing vnto thee a vile and base worme to forgiue thy brother Man can but lightlie wrong thee and seemeth it so heauy a thing to thee not to bee reuenged If thy brother sinne against thee seuentie times seuen times forgiue him yea if a hundred times nay how often soeuer yet forgiue him As often as hee offends thee so often forgiue him if thou wilt that Christ shall forgiue thee as often as thou offendest If thy brother hate thee hate not thou him if hee persecute thee persecute not him but arme thy self against him with the armour of patience not of furie that if he will needs perish thou perish not with him but he die and be damned aliue without thy company But thou wilt say it is a hard thing euer to beare and forbeare and to bridle thy wrath against him Res Yea rather my deare brother it is a more hard and difficult thing to keepe malice rancor in thy heart than to quit thy selfe of it there is no labour in learning it much in retaining it To be freed from anger brings rest and peace to the mind and it is an easier thing to forget iniuries than to remember them There is nothing more greeuous to a man than the remembrance of forepassed wrongs and one man cannot wish a greater mischiefe to another than to wish him haunted with this diuell malice and desire of reuenge For as the first thing that a worme feeds vppon is the wood wherein he is bred so wrath doth first hurt and afflict his hart from whence it springeth Thy minde of it selfe is vnquiet enough and doest thou with hatred and malice increase and exasperate it Thou hast many other crosses from outward causes and yet thou increasest thy burthen and art not at peace with thy owne heart First suppresse thy familiar enemie that is thy carnall concupiscence before thou prouide to make warre against others For though thou be able to ouercome all the enemies thou hast yet new will arise whereof some will sooner oppresse thee than thou all See now which of the two is the more easie to retaine rancour or to leaue it As it is easie and light for an humble man to quit himselfe of enuie and malice so is it a matter of great difficultie to a man of a proud spirit If thou call to mind the passion of Christ there is nothing so hard that with a willing mind thou maist not beare Doest thou not remember how much more hard and bitter things Christ hath suffered when he laid downe his own soule for thee How great and how many slanderous reproches sufferered he of the Iewes How many blowes How many scourgings being mute and silent How patientlie turned hee not his face from the prophane spittings of wicked men How meekly did he yeeld his diuine head to the crown of thorns How contentedly when hee was thirsty did hee take the bitternesse of gall How willingly being life it selfe did he suffer death But who and by whom hath hee suffered these cruelties The creator by his creatures God by men the lord by his seruants the giuer of all good things by vngrateful wretches than which what thing can bee more intolerable And yet being scourged with whips crowned with thorns wounded with nailes crucified being vnmindfull of all these his miseries and torments hee still pitieth those that pitie not him healeth those that wound him giueth life to those that kil him when with a pleasing acceptance much deuotion of spirit fulnesse of charity hee doth not only spare vnto his enemies the life of that holy Lambe but praieth vnto his Father for them saying Luke 23. Father forgiue them they know not what they doe Heere consider the manifold miseries of his body there the manifold mercies of his heart and neuer forget his abundant charitie and wonderfull patience for he tolerateth those hee could punish and cast into the bottomlesse pit of hell Hee that iudgeth and to whom the Father hath giuen all iudgement will not reuenge himselfe but forgetteth and forgiueth his wrongs yea praieth for his persecutors leauing vnto vs an example of his patience that we may follow his steps that as often as others shall offend vs we may bee stirred vp to patience not reuenge For if our master when hee was murdered did loue his enemies how much more
interposest the barre and partition wall of thy sinnes betwixt God and thee for as a wall makes a separation betwixt the eie and the light so sinne betwixt God and man And as the life of the body is the soule so the life of the soule is God and as the bodie dies if the soule forsake it so the soule dies if God forsake it as the outward death separateth the soule from the bodie so the inward death the soule from God O how great a wretchednesse is it to bee farre from him that is euery where and to bee without him without whom no man can be in safetie And yet he alwayes departed vnwillingly from man and by his will forsaketh no man He is neuer absent if not first expeld whom whilest by sinne thou shuttest out of doores thou excludest thy selfe from thy own saluation but God thou harmest not As if from the root of the vine I am the vine Iohn 15. you the branches sayth the Lord a branch bee not plucked it beareth much fruit and receiueth nourishment from the root which if it be plucked from the vine hurts not the vine because the vine ministreth vitall nourishment to the branches not they to the vine so to those that are in Christ Iesus and Christ in them many gists and graces flow from him which are beneficiall vnto Christians not to Christ One branch being plucked from the vine another springeth from the root thereof but that which is pluckt can not liue without a root but withereth and is gathered vp and cast into the fire And as he that turneth his eyes from the light hurts not the light but himselfe in changing darknesse for light so whilest thou refusest to stick vnto God who is the light of thy soule thou fallest into blindnesse and darkenesse not of thy eyes but of thy maners not of thy outward eyes wherewith thou discernest white from blacke but of thy inward wherewith thou shouldest iudge of that which is iust and vniust For as in that place that is not lightned by the beames of the sunne the motes are not discerned so thou that art fallen from the grace of Gods diuine illumination committest manie things that are sinnes and yet perceiuest it not wheras they that are inlightned with the sunne of righteousnesse doe both diligentlie prie into them and straitly reprehend them Thou that art fallen from the inward grace of Gods diuine illumination but yet not altogether so long as thou art in this life into the inward darknesse blindnesse of thy minde if thou persist in this thy blindnesse to the end and neglectest the receiuing of the grace of his illumination from the Sunne of righteousnesse at the last thou fallest into vtter darknesse and a night of eternall damnation being far remooued from him that dwelleth in that light that is inaccessible Moreouer whils by sinne thou departest from God who is all good onely good without whom nothing is good thou no way damnifiest God who hath no need of thee or thine but being depriued of thy chiefe and greatest good thou fallest into the greatest miseries that may be And this let me tell thee that though of thy selfe and by thy owne will thou haddest power to fall from good to euill yet of thy selfe and by thy onely will thou hast not power to arise from euill to good thou art fallen by thine owne will into the pit of sinne but yet at thine owne will and pleasure thou canst not be freed from thence For the wound is not so easily cured as giuen and no man can so easily get out of the pit as fall into it But as he can hardly get out except some one or other let downe a line vnto him which he taking hold of may dragge him out so except the grace of God descend vpon thee thou canst neuer get out of the pit of sinne but yet thou must know that this grace of God is alwaies ready to help thee and to draw thee foorth of the pit doe thou only take hold of the mercy of God when it is offered and applie thy will vnto his will and all shall be well It is not therefore in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy who like a carefull nurse directeth and beareth vp her little infant vntill it bee able to goe of it selfe So the Lord who can denie himselfe to none in the beginning of our conuersion beareth with our infirmities and annointeth our wounds with the oile of his mercy lest the danger of our disease and the difficultie of the cure should any way terrifie or amaze vs. And this he doth foure maner of wais For to a man that by repentance turneth vnto him but yet by long custome is entangled in his sinnes sometimes out of his mercie hee sendeth tribulations which possesse the minde of him that repenteth and expell that delight of sin that stealeth vpon him Sometimes he taketh away the opportunitie of falling and suffereth not the weaknesse of a man to bee tempted Sometimes hee giueth strength to resist temptations which manfully resisting he may feele but not yeeld vnto Somtimes he cureth the affections that he doeth not onely not consent but not feel the power therof But to a sinner that neglecteth the grace of God and refuseth to follow the good inspiratiōs of his spirit he giueth not his grace in so great a measure but yet so long as he liueth he doeth not altogether withdraw it but he standeth and knocketh at the doore of his conscience to awakē his drowsy wil dead desires But yet many times he withdraweth some speciall helpes heereunto as infirmities of the body losse of temporall goods the like which are meanes to draw a miserable sinner to repentance For many times hee giueth temporal blessings out of his anger which out of loue hee would not haue giuen and permitteth a sinner to doe that which he should not so much as intertaine into his thought As a Physitian that hath vsed all the Art hee can to cure a disease so soone as he seeth his patient to refuse that Physicke he ministreth vnto him he leaueth him to himselfe as a man that refuseth to liue and because hee despaireth of his health he giueth him leaue to take whatsoeuer hee desireth So God in his iust iudgement suffereth a sinner to be giuen ouer according to the desires and lusts of his owne heart to a reprobate sense as into the hands of a cruell master to doe those things that are not sit Not because God inclineth his affections vnto euill but because hee withdraweth his grace whereby man should bee conuerted Yea and hee sometime permitteth a man to doe wickedly and yet to liue happily not exercising his furie vpon him nor reuenging his sinne with any temporall punishment but reserueth him to eternall damnation than which nothing can be worse for then is the anger of God greatest when hee sheweth not himselfe to bee
1. Cor. 10.13 that ye may be able to beare it If God be with thee what can the diuell doe against thee Temptations if thou looke into thy selfe are great if vnto God a strong and a mightie warriour they are a play and a shadow Looke vpon little Dauid fighting with great Goliah in the name of the Lord and killing him and from Gods assistance therein hope thou for the like Thou must not feare a strong enemie so long as thou hast GOD thy helper stronger than he but watch and pray lest thy confidence in a stronger than hee make thee too carelesse of thy strong aduersarie against whom if thou fight valiantly thou art stronger than hee but if thou neglect him thou art weaker The negligence of man makes the diuell strong not his owne power for he tempteth daily that whom by force hee can not conquer hee may at the last ouercome by a tedious pursute Take thou onely heed thou consent not to his suggestions remembring alwaies that he is a lier and the father of lies but rather resist him valiantly which if thou do trusting vpon Gods assistance thou shalt easily supplant him Christ was tempted of the diuell in the desert Matt. 4 that making experience of our infirmities hee might learne to compassionate them hee ouercame his temptations that he might likewise giue vs power to ouercome ours as hee was willing on the crosse to suffer death that by his death hee might destroy ours If then the tempter was not afeard to tempt his Lord God how much more will he dare to tempt others Thy Lord GOD was not freed from temptation how then canst thou a poore worme of the earth thinke to escape it Thou art therefore prouoked by his example to beare thy temptations whose helpe thou wantest to ouercome them Wherefore deare brother when thou art tempted flie with faith vnto Christ that was tempted Go vnto his throne of grace that thou maiest obteine mercy and thou shalt easily obteine it Lay open thy afflictions before him reueale vnto the Lord thy waies and hope in him and hee will helpe thee and hide thy sinnes For who hath called vpon the Lord and hath beene forsaken Who hath hoped in him and hath beene confounded Psal 37. The Lord is a mercifull protector vnto all that call vpon him in trueth CHAP. V. That the feare of backesliding should not hinder the rising of him that is fallen BVT thou wilt say that thou art assured thou canst not wholly abstaine from sinne and therefore because thou fearest thou shalt fall againe thou wilt not begin to repent lest thy last errour be woorse than the first Res There are two vessels my deare brother that are often times polluted with filth whereof the one is manie times made cleane the other neuer toucht which of these two wilt thou say is the fouler or the more hardly scoured and clensed Doubtles thou wilt say that which is often fould and neuer made cleane Applie this to thy selfe Canst thou thinke it shal be more happy for thee if without repentance thou neuer cease to adde sinne vnto sinne than if thou often fall and often rise againe and as often haue thy sinnes forgotten and forgiuen thee He that often riseth cannot fal so often as another because by a frequent repentance hee is withdrawen from manie of his sins and offendeth God with more feare neither is he burthened with so manie sinnes who of God is absolued of many by repentance But he that taketh no care to arise from sinne is ouerladen with the heauie burthen of al his sinnes and out of the malice of his owne will sinnes incessantly and many times that is turned into sin which in another is a helpe and furtherance to saluation As a spider turnes holsome sustenance into poison Ro. 8.28 but all things work together for the best vnto them that loue GOD. For in the good all things are good euen those things that to the euil would be cuill And no otherwise with the wicked many things are done wickedly which with the godly are free from sinne As wee see that poison is death to a man that is life to a serpent and that fire taketh awaie the rust from iron that consumeth a softer matter It is not so great a sinne to fall as being fallen to lie still or to be vnwilling to rise and it is a woorse thing to contemne repentance than to transgresse the law of God for so indeed the last errour is woorse than the first If being cast into prison thou refuse to come forth because thou fearest to be committed againe will not men thinke thee a foole or a madde man If thou shouldest lie sicke of a dangerous sicknesse wouldest thou refuse to haue thy health restored because thou fearest to fall into the same disease againe If therefore thou art fallen arise If thou cease not to fall againe cease not to rise againe The ship that doeth often times take a leake is as often emptied and thou brushest thine apparell as often as it is fouled Pro. 24. The iust man falleth seuen times a day and as often hee riseth but yet hee loseth not the name or title of a iust man that alwaies riseth by repentance So thou so soone as thou knowest thy selfe to sinne presently flie backe to an inward contrition of hart haue but a desire to repent and to amend thy life in which desire if sudden death shall preuent thee thy soule is at rest which otherwise being taken in thy sinnes by sudden death is damned in hell Doest thou not know that it is not the condition of a combate that a man doe neuer fall but that hee neuer yeeld for hee is not said to bee ouercome that is often ouerthrowen but that cannot rise againe to renue the fight And canst thou repaire thy strength or make resistance when hauing left thy target and cast off thine armour thou yeeldest thy selfe to thy enemies and submittest thy selfe to their willes when as soone as thou art wounded thou fliest and returnest not to the battell If in the middest of the fight thou art fallen make speed to rise againe If thou art wounded applie presently a medicine thereunto If the diuell haue giuen thee a fall by tempting thee to sinne arise againe by repentance and make head against him Dauid fell into the sinne of adultery to adultery he ioyned murther but what fell out afterwards Did he lie still and continue therein Did he not arise again and became more strong against his enemy and at last ouercame him The diuell as much as in him lieth helpeth thee sinning giues the means opportunity lest if thou shouldest desist from sinne and rise by repentance thy soule should escape out of his hands and his labors should bee frustrate The diuell by how much the longer he possesseth a man by so much the more hardly doeth he let him goe for because he cannot arise vnto life he
desireth the more to haue thy companie to death whom thou canst not better obey than if thou daily sinne by his suggestion and being fallen carest not to rise againe Wherein whilest thou yeeldest thy consent thou seemest to haue made a sure bargaine with him and because thou art irrecouerably fallen thou must necessarily be his companion in his fall too To liue to thee that art infected with the dangerous plague of so many sinnes is not to liue but to confound life and to approch neerer and neerer to the gates of hell Thou art aliue in thy bodie but dead in thy minde That life is not to be called life whereby thou liuest only vnto death for it were better for thee that euery day doest die in thy soule that in bodie thou die quickly better that thou liue not at all that thou wert not borne than by sinne to die daily As often as thou sinnest so often thou deseruest eternall death which if for one sinne thou deserue what doest thou for many for millions of sinnes For so manie and so great sinnes how intolerable shall hell be when for one so many and so vnspeakeable torments must be endured For there shall euerie man haue his damnation so much the more intolerable by how much the greater iniquitie he hath heere But to thee that hast no good thing to alleage for thy selfe but whole mountaines of sinne against thy selfe it is not possible to vtter what plagues and punishments do belong I can not woonder sufficiently how thou canst sleepe securely and enioy thy pleasures without feare For if thou wert odious to a King whom thou hast offended and diddest euery houre expect from him the sentence of a cruell death wouldest thou laugh and attend thy pleasures Now then â—ince for thy many and great offences the sentence of eternall death is pronounced against thee and the Lord to the end he may haue mercy on thee still expecting thy conuersion hath deferred his sentence which perhaps to day nay this very houre he will execute vpon thee how canst thou as it were in an assured peace be secure Thou art in greater danger that goest to thy rest with a conscience clogd with one mortall sinne than with seuen of thy deadliest enemies Doubtlesse if thou diddest but see thine owne soule thou wouldest blush at the foulenesse thereof and if thou knewest how great dangers thou runnest into by sinne thou wouldest thinke of nothing more than how to auoid it By sin thou makest God thine enemie the diuell dry lord and thou that wert first by adoption the sonne of God after sinne art made the seruant and slaue of the diuel yea of sinne it selfe and that which is woorst of all of so many lords as of sins Whosoeuer committeth sinne Ioh. 8.34 is the seruant of sinne A wicked man though he reigne is a seruant of sinne a iust man though he serue is a free man nay hee wanteth not kingly power that knoweth how to rule his owne affections God so hateth sinne that for the hatred thereof he destroyed almost all his works the whole world by a generall flood yea to the end he might vtterly kill it he gaue vnto death yea the shamefull death of the crosse his only begotten sonne And is not his hatred great towards his enemie that to be reuenged vpon him will kill his owne sonne God neither in heauen nor vpon earth hath a friend so deare vnto him but if he finde him polluted with mortall sinne he is presently odious vnto him and that vessell of sinne that is that sinner hee throweth downe into hell fire for a wicked man and his wickednesse are alike odious vnto God As if thou haddest rather to cast a vessel ful of corruption yet of great price into the sea than to scoure and clense it of the filth therof must not that filth and corruption be very hatefull vnto thee for which thou art content to lose so precious a vessell And as a louing mother if shee should cast her little infant whom she dearly loueth into a burning furnace there to perish must it not be some great matter very hatefull vnto her that can vrge her to such crueltie against her owne childe Sinne as much as it displeaseth God so much it pleaseth the diuel insomuch that from the creation of the world he hath euer watched without wearinesse how to allure men vnto sinne and though he obtein his purpose with innumerable numbers of men yet he is neuer satisfied After thou hast once sinned thou art so farre foorth in the power of the diuell that presently by his owne right he may challenge thee to be his and cartie thee with him to eternall torments if he were not staied by the great mercie of God expecting thee to repentance It were better for thee to haue a thousand diuels in thy body than one deadly sinne in thy minde And therefore saith Anselme If I should here see the shame of sinne and there the horror of hell and that I must necessarily bee ouerwhelmed by the one I would rather cast my selfe into hell than suffer my selfe to fall into an insensible feeling of my sinnes yea I had rather being purged and purified from sinne to enter into hell than polluted with the contagion of sinne if it were possible it might be so possesse the kingdome of heauen If sinne be more to be detested than hell what can be more detestable than sinne If there were no sinne there were no torment in hel No aduersitie could hurt if no iniquitie did beare rule for it is only sinne that can hurt and bring to passe that no other thing can do good So long as thou continuest in sinne thou canst doe nothing that is good For as a root giueth no moisture to a rotten bough nor the sunne any light to a blinde eye so thou as a rotten and dead member of the Church for who will say thou art liuing that hast no feeling of compunction in thy heart art depriued of al that good that is or can be in the Church and thou art robbed of all that good that euer thou hast done in thy whole life and of all those virtues and graces which at the first thou receiuedst at Gods hands in as much as they stand thee in no stead to the attainment of eternall life as a dead man hath no power either to enioy his owne goods or to get others And besides a thousand other euils that follow sinne the miserable torment of thine owne conscience followeth thee whithersoeuer thou goest For sinne whilest it is committed pleaseth being committed it tormenteth for the worme thereof neuer dieth and in this life the torment thereof is but an entrance to that which is to come Ps 49.20 O man when thou wert in honour thou vnderstoodest not but wert compared to the beasts that perish and art made like vnto them Thou that through the merits of Christ Iesus wert made woorthy of heauen and all
that I had beene of all the shepheards in the field the basest and had had the charge but onely of my selfe for then would not the Lord require at my hands the souls of those my subiects whose saluation I haue neglected O my riches my honours my delights yee cannot free me from death from stench from worms from rottennes yee cannot plucke me out of the hands of the liuing God O death dost thou oppresse mee vnawares How bitter vnto me is the remembrance of thee how fearefull is thy presence Whereas if liuing and in health I had foreseene thee and by liuing well had learnt to die well I had not now feared thee Blessed art thou Arsenus who alwaies haddest this houre before thine eies Three things there are which I now greatly feare First when my soule shall depart out of the prison of this my bodie into a place which it knoweth not Secondly when it is to appeare before the Iudge and to bee presented before his tribunall seat Thirdly when it is to heare that irreuocable sentence either with it or against it But thou my Lord and Sauior Christ Iesus whose propertie it is alwaies to haue mercy and to forgiue who hast said That at what time soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinne thou wilt put out all his wickednesse out of thy remembrance though I haue contemned those times of repentance that thou hast affoorded me of all other men haue most offended thee am altogether vnwoorthy to be called thy sonne yet mindefull of thy mercies which haue beene from the beginning giue mee thy assistance to escape this death some small time to my wished repentance Adde some few yeeres to my life some moneths or at least some daies Giue mee leaue a little that I may lament my sinnes and call to minde my forepassed yeeres in the bitternesse of mine owne soule because if I die in this state I am now in my end must needs be eternall damnation But if out of thy meere mercy goodnesse thou shalt pardon mee I will be bold with thy gracious assistance to promiseamendement of life onely in this state let not my soule die lest it bee buried in the bottomlesse pit of hell Now heare how the malignant spirits laugh at thy miseries and with one voice say vnto thee Behold the man that took not God for his strength Psa 52.7 but trusted to the multitude of his riches put his strength in his malice Let vs sing to this miserable caitife a dirge of death because hee is the sonne of death and his mear is vnquenchable fire he is an enemie of the light and a friend of darknesse He hath laboured for vs hath alwaies bound himselfe vnto vs hath gotten vs many followers let vs therefore pay him the due hire of al his labors But what other reward haue we to bestow vpon him but that eternal vnquenchable fire which is prepared for vs and our consorts He is ours because hee was apprehended in our seruice full of sinne and iniquitie Why doe wee staie Why stand wee heere idle Come let vs binde him hand and foot cast him into vtter darknesse where shall bee weping gnashing of teeth Come let vs preferre him to plagues and punishment enough and neuer bee there peace with him For what other end doe we staie but to see his wretched soule seperated from his body that passing out we may receiue it and together draw it to the bottomlesse pit of hell there to remain in vnspeakable torment for euer and euer Now heare how in thy discomforts they comfort thee O wretched poore and miserable man since those pleasures which thou hast folowed in thy whole life haue forsaken thee not thou them since vnwillingly for feare of punishment thou turnest vnto God fearest any longer to serue the world which thou wouldest not doe if yet thou haddest any hope to liue any longer Euery man hath his time appointed to die and this is thy time for thou shalt die and not liue Looke a little vpon the multitude of those sinnes which as yet thou hast neuer confessed vnto God which as yet haue neuer touched thy hart with the least contrition that may bee how dying canst thou for shame confesse them when liuing and in health thou wouldest neuer Looke vpon the small number of thy good works in respect of thy wicked and how mean a proportion thy good deeds carry to the infinite ioies of the elect Looke vpon the seuere iustice of a iust Iudge which requireth a strait account euen of an idle word In the whole race of thy life thou hast persecuted God and now thinkest thou that a momentarie repentance can winne him to mercie No no neuer doubt but that thou art surely ours for in our seruice thou wert apprehended day and night thou hast serued vs yeelded to our suggestions thou hast performed the works of darknesse gotten vs manie soules greatly enlarged our kingdome Come therefore come into that furnace of fire into a land of burning pitch and sulphure where we may giue thee the due reward for all thy labors make thy condition like ours for like lords like seruants O wretched creature that thou art why diddest thou yeeld to our perswasions See he ere the reward that thou hast for it and see the coÌ„pany that thou hast made châ—â—ce of with whom thou must for euer burne in hell fire O thou proudest amongst men Why art thou not now proud Why takest thou not from other men that is not thine owne Why reuengest thou not thy wrongs Why dost thou not giue thy selfe to gluttony drunkennesse Why art thou not sorrie for another mans felicitie Where is thy immoderate appetite to libidinous pleasures Where thy inordinate loue of riches Where are thy precious garments and ornaments where thy daintie fare thy plaies sportings Thy immoderate ioy how it is vanished whether is it departed from thee Luk 16. Remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure thou hast plaied enough thou hast eat and drunke enough there is no rest for thee after death no pleasure Thou art ours let God take thee out of our handes if hee can Come therefore come with vs into the land of miserie and darknesse where is no order but euerlasting horror where thou must remaine for euer and euer Now heare into what despaire of saluation thou fallest by these diuellish insultations saying Truce till to morrow ô truce till to morrow Now at the last I see that I can liue no longer that the last day of my life is come which cannot be past I would stay but I am compelled to goe The way of saluation is shut vp from mee mercie is denied me and all hope is taken away from me Now there is no time of repentance or changing my life for the diuels haue coÌ„passed me about frighting me with strange horrible apparations who as dogges watch a Hare when she is put foorth
life the intermission of paine is some comfort to a sicke man and the fruition of the comfort and conference of his friends but in hell for the greater increase of torments there is no interruption but an eternall continuance therof comforts cease on all sides and plagues and punishment gather strength In hell there is no redemption no ease of paine In the world feare hath no griefe nor griefe feare because feare afflicts not the minde wheâ— it begins to suffer what it did feare whereas they that are condemned to the torments of hell in the middest of their punishment suffer griefe and sorrow and with the extremitie thereof doe euer feare inasmuch as what they feare they do incessantly beare and againe what they beare they incessantly feare The inflicting of the punishment is the augmentation of the feare All things in the world as â—vel good as euill are mingled with their contraries and aâ—taine not to the highest degree of perfection but that they alwaies may be increased and diminished and possessed more or lesse but in hell all euils are in the highest degree neuer mixt with their contraries but yet euery man as hee hath sinned more or lesse so he suffereth There is extreame sorrow extreame miserie and desolat on in all things in the bodie and the soule affliction in the highest degree fire vnquenchable heat immitigable the worme immortall stench intollerable sorrow comfortlesse horrible darknesse fearefull spectacles confusion of euils and desperate despaire of all goodnesse whatsoeuer The damned haue in their eies weeping and lamentation terror in their eares stench in their nostrels gnashing in their teeth groning in their voices bands in their hands and feet and intollerable heat and torment in all their members As if thou shouldest set before thine eies any man that as well in the very apple or sight of his eyes as in all his other members on both sides both within and without hath a hot burning non fastened insomuch that neither the marrow in his bones nor his entrailes no not the least part of his whole bodie be freed from torment or feeleth it lesse than the very apple of his eie what wilt thou not confesse such a one to be in great extremities and strangely to bee tortured And yet what is this one torment to the multitude and magnitude of the intolerable torments of one damned man vpon whom millions of miseries doe fall besides this The torment of one damned creature is so great that if it were diuided equally among all that haue been are and shall be and euery particular man should beare his owne particular punishment yet so great would the torment of euery one be so great the griefe and so horrible the punishment that it would far excell the torments of all the martyrs in the world conferred vpon one and all the euill that can be seene felt or vnderstood The punishment therfore of one damned soule can not but bee very great which being distributed into innumerable multitudes would bee neuerthelesse insupportable The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prouided for those that offend him All the punishments afflâ—ctions torments which may be thoght of in this life if they be conferred to the least pain of hel are solaces and comforts and a damned creature would rather chuse to endure them all a thousand yeeres than to be tormented with the torments of hell one day What punishment thinkest thou will God require there of those he hath forsaken if heere so strictly he correcteâ—h those whom he loueth If heere in this life hee so scourge his chosen children for their triall how will he torment the reprobate for their punishment If the diuels doe so much afflict holy men as inst Lob diuers others notwithstanding they can doe nomore against them than God doeth permit them how much will they afflict those whom God hath deliuered vnto their hands for euer to be tormented O what will they be in their torments if the very sight of them be intolerable They are neuer weary with torturing neither doth a sinner die in his torments but as hee shall be tormented without end so shall he be compelled to liue in paine without end For if golde shine in the fire and is not consumed by it and the mountaines in Sicilia from the beginning of the world vnto this day burn with continuall fire and yet continue whole and entire if the Salamander can liue in the fire without paine how much more possible is it that the body and soule may feele the paine of this fire and yet alwayes liue Againe as the soule giuing life vnto the bodie can suffer griefe but yet can not die euen so whilest the bodie hath put on immortalitie and incorruption the soule with the body shall alwayes be tormented but not consumed for by a fire vnquenchable which in a moment in the twinkling of an eye is able to consume the greatest hill that is a sinner shall not be extinguished nor consumed but euer there shal remaine and abound something in him to be extinguished And because there is no true life but where a man liues happily and where an vnhappy man is not permitted to die in him death it selfe dies not therefore a sinner that hath both lost his well being and yet hath not left essentially to be that is euer dead to eternall life and for euer liuing to eternall death is compelled daily to suffer both death without death and want without want and end without end So hee dies that hee may alwayes liue and so hee liues that he may alwayes die so he decayes as that he may alwayes subsist and so he subsisteth that hee alwayes decayes so he is ended that he is without end and so is hee with an end that he is neuer ended And he whose dead life was heere in sinne there his liuing death is in paine There hee desireth onely death which heere hee so much hated hee seeketh death and findeth it not he desireth to die and death flieth from him heere it is vnwillingly drawen forth of the body there in the body it is vnwillingly deteined the death of nature doth violently driue the soule out of the body the death of hell more violently detaines it in the body of both deaths that is commonly had that the soul suffereth of the bodie what it would not What end of yeeres may be imagined so it be finite to the damned is exceeding comfortable but out and alas in hell there is no redemption neither was there euer any man knowen to haue returned from thence for hell is so deepe that no man may ascend from thence so close that no man may get out so kept that no men can escape he that is once gone thither can no more returne that is once entred can neuer get forth whom the iustice of God hath once drawen to punishment the mercie of God neuer
reduceth vnto pardon It belongeth to the iustice of a seuere and rigorous Iudge that there be no end of reuenge giuen vnto them who so long as they were in health would neuer make an end of sinning that there they should neuer want pâ—nishment that heere would neuer want sin who make an end of sinning because they must make an end of liuing whereas if they could they would haue liued without end for they make manifest that they would neuer haue been freed from sinne because they neuer gaue it ouer so long as they liued Againe it is fit and requisit that according to the delight of sinne the bitternesse of their torment should be measured vnto them not onely which the wicked haue had but which they would haue for God doth not only consider the outward actions but hee likewise examineth the inward willes Since therefore out of the corruption of their owne willes they haue giuen no measure to the delight of sinne nor euer could finde so great delight in sinne but that they would haue greater therefore God who considereth the heart not the outward action inflicteth punishment not according to the delight receiued but sought after that the time of their torment for sinne might be infinite who were infinitly delighted therein Againe forasmuch as there is a proportion of greatnesse betweene the offence and the partie offended therefore sinne whereby God infinite in goodnesse and maiestie is offended must necessarily be iudged infinite and deserueth an infinite punishment infinite in continuance not in paine or torment for the finite capacitie of a creature is not capable of what is infinit whom likewise the Lord who deteineth not his mercies when he is angry punisheth not according to their desert for he is mercifull and taketh no delight in their affliction but yet because hee is iust hee is neuer pacified from reuenge For as they that forsake life runne into death so they that feare not to offend and to forsake him that is good in the highest degree deserue in the highest degree to be punished and they are made worthy of eternall euill who destroy in themselues that good that might haue been eternall As wee see that a temporall or transitory punishment brings a death which is perpetuall a temporall treason a yoke of perpetuall seruitude a disease is taken in a short time which a man perhaps shall neuer shake off so the sinnes of the damned haue an end but yet their punishment for sinne is deseruedly endlesse who are sorrie they haue sinned yet cannot but sinne And though God be mercifull and willing to pardon all sinnes whatsoeuer yet when hee punisheth the reprobate for their sinnes hee leaueth not so much as an idle word nay thought vnpunished and they that are debtors for great sinnes being condemned must pay the vttermost farthing And as hee that hath his arme bound can doe nothing with it so out of the bitternesse of the paine not the loue of God they haue a willing will to rise from their sinnes but yet being forsaken of GOD. Which will of theirs though it haue lost the effect of power bee not able yet it hath alwaies the affection to sinne and though they cannot sinne yet they lose not their will to sinne For it is true that death separateth the soule from the flesh but yet it changeth not the purpose of the soule For as with the elect the good will of a man is turned into glory so with the reprobate their ill will is turned into punishment and that shall bee a torment in â—hell that was a sinne in the world As they that haue offended their king are banished their countrie so the damned for their offence committed against God are banished Paradise to whom though all the aforesaid torments are intollerable yet if a thousand helles were added therunto they are nothing to that Paradise that glorie they haue loft For to the damned it is a farre more grieuous thing to bee excluded from glory and to be depriued the grace of God and to endure the hatred of a mercifull Creatour and to haue an omnipotent God their aduersary and enemie which is so vnspeakable a torment vnto them that if no paine at all did outwardly afflict them this onely were sufficient For they see that for a momentarie delight in sinne they endure vnspeakable punishment and for the loue of their temporal goods they haue lost eternall who neuerthelesse by a short repentance might both haue attained these and by not sinning haue auoided the other And if the worme of one sin neuer dying doe so afflict in this life where all hope is not taken away how much more doth the worme of so manie sinnes in that eternall desolation afflict and torment whilest the wicked doe daily behold as in a glasse all the euill they haue committed all the good they haue omitted For as a merchant when the Faire is ended is not only sorrie for that gaine which â—he hath lost but for that also which he might haue gotten but yet neglected it so the damned are not onely sorâ—ie for their sinnes committed but for their good works omitted for all which they then repent though it be an vnprofitable and vnfruitfull repentance because now they finde no mercy that lost the fit time to attaine it But after a hundred thousand thousands of yeres their torments shall still be iterated as if they had neuer suffered any thing and so without end they shall remaine in that place of horror for eueâ— and euer Who can The conclusion relating these things refraine from tearesâ— who can heare them with drie cheekes These are horrible things to thinke vpon terrible to relate and grieuous to behold how hornrible then terrible and greeuous are they to endure For if they bee terrible to heare what will they be to seek 〈◊〉 If the very feare of this punishment doe heere so much afflict thee what will the intollerable suffering of them doe there It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God into a liuing death and a dying life But thou my deare brother thinkest not of these euils but like a man secure thou hastnest vnto them and thou wilt proue them before thou wilt thinke of them But yet to preuent this lest thy beautifull members should be fuell for that vnquenchable fire descend in thought whilest thou art huing into hell lest thou descend thither bodie soule when thou art dead studie therefore both to feare this and fearing it to auoid it For what good will the foreknowledge of these things doe thee if thou auoid them not Now therefore whilest it is possible in a short time if thou turne vnto the Lord to escape all these afflictions and torments and to enioy besides that eternall happinesse which is prepared for his saints why deferrest thou why staiest thou and takest not hold of the mercies of God before thou goe and returne not to a darke land couered
sinnes but onely thy lesser heare what he sayth in the three and thirtieth of Ezekiel At what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart I will put out all his wickednes out of my remembrance Hee excepteth no maner of sinnes neither litle nor great for hee that died for all can pardon all only be thou sorrowfull and turne vnto God and he is ready to forget and to forgiue If thy sinnes are many and great the mercies of the Lord are more in number and greater than they God will bee mercifull vnto thee and according to the multitude and magnitude of his mercies will hee pardon the multitude and magnitude of thy sinnes Whereas thou obiectest vnto me that in the twelfth by S. Matthew Whosoeuer shall sinne against the Holie Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him c. I answer that it is true That the sinne against the Holy Ghost that is that committed out of malice against the goodnes and mercie of God which is properlie attributed to the Holie Ghost is therefore said to be irremissible because it directly oppugneth the goodnesse and mercy of God which is the beginning of the remission of sinnes and so that is excluded whereby sinne should be forgiuen as that disease is said to be incurable which directly taketh away the remedies of the cure This sinne is said to be irremissible not because it can not be forgiuen to him that repenteth but because hee that so sinneth doth either despaire or presume of the mercy of God and so addeth sinne vnto sinne and neuer repenteth and so being obstinate in his wickednesse as seldome or neuer he comes to repentance so seldome or neuer he obteineth remission of his sinnes But yet we are not to despaire of any sinner whatsoeuer so long as he liueth and the long sufferance of God expecteth him to repentance He is a Pagan or a lew to day may he not be a Christian to morrow He is an heretike to day may hee not be a true Professour to morrow He is a Schismatike to day may he not embrace the peace of the Church to morrow We are not therefore to despaire of any man so long as hee remaineth in this life because sometimes that repentance which by the diffidence of our age is deferred by more mature counsel is perfected Whilest we are in this life there is no sinne no iniquitie which may not bee healed by the medicine of repentance if it be pure and sincere What offence can be greater in a man that is sicke than to kâ—â— his Physitian and if this may be forgiuen what may not be pardoned Christ Iesus being fastened to the Crosse prayed for his crucifiers saying Luk. 23. Father forgiue them they know not what they do If there were hope of saluation in those that killed their Sauior who should despaire of saluatioÌ„ The Lord inuited Iudas that betraied him to repentance to beg mercy at his hands when hee forewarned him of his treason when hee washed his feete when hee called him friend when he tooke a kisse at 〈◊〉 hands If then our Sauior diâ— not onely forgiue his crucifers but prayd vnto his father for them if he inuited Iudas to repentance how much more will hee pardon thee if thou do repent thou that art an adorer of his Maiestie not his murtherer a lamenter of his death not a derider of his passion a contempler of his mercies not a contemner of his infirmities Wherfore my deare brother let neither the qualitie nor the quantity of thy sinnes discourage thee from the assurance of thy hope yea though thou wert guiltie of all the sinnes which haue beene committed since the beginning of the world yet â—hou oughtst not to despaire because the goodnes of God farre exceedeth the malice of man If thou couldest sinne as much as God is good thou mayest despaire but since that can not be thoâ— that despairest of thy selfe being wicked trust in God who is better than thy selfe Hast thou sinned repent thee of thy sinnes Hast thou sinned a thousand times repent a thousand times Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand GOD would neuer haue exhorted thee to repentance if his purpose were not to pardon thee if thou doe repent Betweene repentance and the kingdome of heauen there is no distance of time but repent thou of thy sinnes and instantly the gate of mercie is set wide open vnto thee Thy sinnes make a separation betweene thee and GOD which obstacles if by repentance thou take away thou shalt sticke vnto God and be one spirit with him Yeeld fruits woorthy repentance contraries redeeme with contraries and thou which before diddest that which was contrary to God doe now that which is opposite to the diuell CHAP. III. Examples of such as haue grienously sinned afterwards haue beene saued by repentance BVt thou wilt obiect that in the 7. by S. Matthew Mat. 7 1â— Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and few there be that finde it And that in the 4. of the first by S. Peter If the righteous scarsely be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Res It is true my deare brother that few find the way of life but what is the reason Doubtlesse because few there are that seeke it But euery one that seeketh findeth that asketh receiueth and to euery one that knocketh it shall be opened Who is he therefore that findeth it not who receiueth not or to whom is it not opened Certes only to him that seeketh not that asketh not that knocketh not The reason why the righteous shall hardly be saued is this because there is no man found worthy saluation by his own righteousnesse for God will not saue vs by the works of righteousnesse which wee haue done but according to his free mercie in Christ Iesus It is the worke of God not our endeuour that we are saued for that little of goodnesse that is in vs nay which God worketh in vs is nothing if it be compared to that eternall blessednesse in the life to come Heauen belongs to the righteous only by the rigor of Gods instice but to the end that all may be saued it belongeth vnto sinners also by the bountie of Gods grace Christ hath deserued Paradise for vs all and hath restored vnto vs by his death his fathers inheritance Luk. 14. Hee calleth vs to that heauenly banquet hee will haue his house filled with ghests yea hee compelleth the weake and the blinde and the lame to come in that it may appeare that no man is shut out from those celestâ—all and eternall ioyes the number of the saints of God being out of the number of sinners euer supplied But forasmuch as examples moue more than words there is hope that thou that hearkenest not vnto my words wilt be stirred vp by the examples of other men that when thou shalt see many that were sometimes entred
of reuenge from him that contemneth that at one time or other he may offer his grace of remission to him that repenteth The Lord deferreth his comming if hee would hee had beene already come but yet he putteth off his comming lest hee should finde that in thee that hee must punish If hee would thy damnation whilest thou wert in thy sinnes he could haue cast thy soule into hell it is the mercie of the Lord that thou art not consumed For whereas thou fearest not God and yet liuest thou ceasest not to sinne and yet prosperest what is it else but that the mercifull God is willing by long expectation to correct thee whom by seeing thy sinne hee will not instantly destroy whose goodnesse that it may ouercome thy malice and patience mollifie the obstinacie of thy heart like a good mother by flatterie hee allureth thee vnto him whom he can not recall by threatnings in that hee draweth not from thee his blessings he suffereth the sun to shine vpon thee as well as vpon others and prouideth all things necessarie for thee as wel as for others O the vnspeakable mercy of God! we sin and he spareth we offend and he pardoneth we haue offended him in manie things hee withdraweth his blessings from vs in nothing whereby hee sheweth how good a God he is toward the iust who is so mercifull towards sinners In the Gospell euen with teares hee followeth Ierusalem which by her pertinacy in sinning had procured her owne damnation How often sayth hee would I haue gathered thy children together as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and thou wouldest not Our mercifull Father weepeth that he might not saue those that were desperately wicked and doest thou doubt hee will not be mercifull to thee turning vnto him There are two arguments in him of his naturall goodnes and clemencie his longanimitie in expecting and his facilitie in pardoning because hee both patiently expecteth sinners and louingly receiueth penitent sinners he both by his patience tolerateth the sinnes of men and by their repentance releaseth them that they may returne though late and be ashamed that they should be expected Whensoeuer they are conuerted hee forgetteth sinnes past and he promiseth future amendment Oh the great patience of God! hee spareth contempts pardoneth denials he seeth thee to sinne and yet hee suffereth thee first he forbiddeth thee to sinne and when thou hast sinned he attendeth thy repentance to pardon thee If thy seruant should speake proudly vnto thee and turne his backe towards thee thou wouldest no doubt seuerely correct his contempt but thou turnest thy backe to God and he turneth towards thee thou fliest from him and he followeth after thee hee seeth that his pitie and compassion is despised and yet he yet expecteth thee to pitie thee with al exhortatiō bountie inward inspiration Thou wilt not doe the will of God for thine owne good thine owne commodity how then should hee heare thee in the day of thy tribulation praying vnto him when thou refusest to heare him intreating thee for thine own good For how often hath God said vnto thee Turne vnto mee and yet thou hast not turned If he would not haue mercy on thee thou wouldest intreat mercy at his hands now hee would haue mercy and thou wilt not he inuiteth thee to repentance and thou neglectest it If thou feare not the iustice of God reuenging at the least blush at his goodnesse calling thee vnto him and thou that being stricken couldest haue suffered the punishment due vnto thy sinnes blush at the least being expected lest whom thou now seest calme and peaceable thou bee not able to behold angry and implacable For whilest he seeth those remedies which hee hath ordained for thy saluation turned to the encrease of thy sinne that loue which he hath conferred vpon thee hee turneth to thy greater condemnation that by so much the more he may punish by how much the more he hath expected Wherefore deare brother whilest our mercifull God forbeareth thee whilest hee staieth his hand from reuenge begge his mercie whose law thou hast contemned It is lawfull for him to aske pardon to whom it was not lawfull to offend Aske remission of thy sinnes by praier seeke it with watching and fasting doe what thou canst that thou maiest increase in well doing and by perseuerance thou shalt receiue what thou askest that importunitie is pleasing to a mercifull God which is odious vnto men Let the remission of sinnes bee intreated with instant praier that that God whom thy sinnes hath made angry thy dutifull seruice may pacifie and he that for thy sinnes was offended with thee by repentance may become louing and mercifull vnto thee CHAP. V. That a sinner being changed God changeth his sentence BVT thou wilt say God is not as man is that hee should lie Nu. 23.19 nor as the sonne of man that hee should bee changed And in the 18. of Ezechiel hee saith The soule that sinneth shall die This sentence of God is immutable because God can not bee changed Res It is true my deare brother that that soule that sinneth shall die because by sinne hee deserueth eternall damnation but repentance healeth this death of the soule Repentance restoreth what sinne detracteth by this the life of grace is repaired wherin the soule departing flieth vnto the life of glory neither doe forepassed sinnes more hurt him than forepassed diseases and wounds a sound man Though this soule haue sinned yet it shall not die because by repentance that sin is blotted out by which it was obliged to eternal death The cause ceasing the effect likewise ceaseth and God knoweth how to change his sentence if thou know how to change thy life If thou beleene not me beleeue God The wickednesse of the wicked shall not cause him to fall therein Eze. 33.12 in the day that he returneth from his wickednes And in another place Hier. 18.8 If this nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent mee of all the plagues that I thought to bring vpen them God who is immutable and impassible can bee affected with no change no passion and yet hee is said to change and to repent not according to the verity of the thing but according to the maner and similitude of man For as a man is saide to change and to repent when hee changeth his counsell and will not doe that euill which he had purposed to doe So God is said to change to repent when he bringeth not vpon a man that euil which he threatned Wherein hee changeth not his counsell for those things which hee appointed from beginning doe immutablie come to passe but that thing which of it selfe is mutable he altereth as it pleaseth him as the goodnesse or wickednesse of men require which argueth no change in God but in the will of man Hezekiah was sicke vnto death 2. King 20.1 and the prophet Isaiah came vnto him
and said Thus saith the Lord Put thy house in order for thou shalt die and not liue Then he turned his face to the wall and praied to the Lord and wept sore And afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle of the court the word of the Lord came vnto him saying Turne againe and tell Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father I haue heard thy praier and seene thy teares behold I haue healed thee and the third day thou shalt goe vp to the house of the Lord And I will adde vnto thy daies fifteene yeeres The Nineuites heard Ionah the Prophet threatning them Ionah 3. Yet fortie dayes and Nineuy shal be ouerthrowen but the men of Nineuie fainted not in their mindes but though they doubted whether the Lord would be intreated yet they did all flie to repentance as to the gate of saluation beleeued in the Lord proclamed a fast and from the least to the greatest put on sackcloth and sate in ashes saying Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turn away from his fierce wrath that wee perish not And God saw their works that they turned from their cuill wayes and he repented of the euill that he had sayd that he would do vnto them and he did it not Hezekiah by praier and tears obteined of God that hee recalled his sentence past The repentāce of the Nineuites preuailed with God so much that hee reuoked his sentence touching the destruction of that city yet neither were they false Prophets who at what time they had deserued to die for their sinnes foretolde it but the great bountie of the mercy of God deferred their death and ruine at that time which before all worlds he had preordained If therefore these barbarous and heathenish people despaired not and though their sentence were past against them yet fainted not in their hearts why doest thou wretch that thou art despaire why faintest thou Thou robbest GOD of his mercy without which kings are not kings but tyrants That sentence The soule that hath sinned shall die is to be vnderstood of that soule which hath not repented of her sinnes as is sayd of humane iudgements That if any man hath done this or that he shall die the death and yet alwaies it is to be vnderstood except the partie condemned by the kings mercy be pardoned The iustice of God is not as the iustice of man in this by how much the more a guilty man confesseth his fault by so much the more punishment doth hee draw vpon himselfe but in that of God by how much the more a sinner accuseth himselfe by so much the more doth he finde the mercy of God towards him as God repelleth him that defendeth his sinnes so hee receiueth him that confesseth them If thou knewest the power of repentance thou wouldest not despaire of the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes our mercifull God doth gladly forget that wee are nocent and he is alwayes ready to esteeme our repentance as innocencie for if we repent vs of our sinnes wee haue alreadie escaped the rigor of a seuere sentence God imputeth not vnto vs our former life so wee repent vs of it but seeing our works changed he gladly changeth his sentence because hee would the life of a sinner not the death neither doth he take pleasure in the perdition of soules but his will is our sanctification To those that stand if they fall he threatneth punishment that fearing that they may not fall but yet he promiseth mercie to those that fall that trusting thereon they may rise again those he terrifieth lest they presume in their goodnesse these he comforteth lest they should despaire in their wickednesse As a kinde and louing mother threatneth stripes to her beloued sonne whom if acknowledging his fault hee beg mercy at her hands her motherly loue doth easily pardon so likewise our mercifull God patient of great mercy though hee be iustly angry with our sinnes yet asking pardon with much facilitie he is pleased Can a mother forget her childe Isa 49.15 and haue no compassion on the sonne of her wombe though shee should forget yet will not I forget thee sayth the Lord. A louing mother doth greatly desire the health of her sicke sonne but much more doth God desire the saluation of a sicke soule Though no humane goodnesse may be compared to the infinite goodnes of God yet forasmuch as there can be no greater example found of affection in the highest degree than of a mothers towards her sonne therefore the loue of God towards sinners is compared to a motherly affection There is no man so inflamed with the loue of his spouse as GOD with the loue of thy soule Greater loue than this hath no man Ioh. 15.13 when any man bestoweth his life for his friends Christ if thou hadst been alone hee had suffered and died for thee before he would haue suffred thy soule to haue fallen into the iawes of the diuell For for whom died he For the iust Aske Paul Christ saith he died for sinners If there had been no sinne in the world Christ had not shed his blood for what necessitie had there beene that God should shed his blood but to redeeme both thine and the sinnes of the whole world The least droppe of his precious blood did abundantly suffice for the redemption of all mankinde but yet to the end he might expresse his great loue towards vs he powred out his whole blood for vs he spake many things he did many things hee suffered many things to redeeme vs though those whom he created with his only word he could likewise haue repared with his only word He tooke vpon him our death that he might giue vs life he gaue life vnto vs hee receiued death from vs and yet not for his owne desert but for vs. He came into the land of our perigrination to take vpon him what here abounded reproches scourgings blowes spittings in the face contumelies a crowne of thornes the crosse and death these abound in our countrey to these and the like merchandize he came What gaue he heere for that he heere receiued He gaue exhortation doctrine remission of sinnes he broght vnto vs from that countrey many good things and in ours he endured many euill So much his loue preuailed that he would be with vs where we were and where he is we shall be with him Where I am Ioh. 12.26 saith he there shall also my seruant bee What doth God promise vnto thee a man That thou shalt liue with him for euer and doest thou not beleeue it Beleeue beleeue it is more that hee hath done than that he hath promised It is more incredible that a dead man should bee eternall than that a mortall man should liue for euer Thou art to liue with him for euer for whose sake hee is dead that liues for euer Secure thy selfe that thou shalt receiue his life whose death thou hast for an earnest
penny And therfore saith S. Paul Rom. 5.10 If when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to GOD by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saued by his life It is a greater thing to die for sin than to take away sinne To the reparation of the celestiall mansions not to eternall damnation hath the Lord created and redeemed thee For if hee had desired thy damnation when thou sinnedst hee had cast thee into hell Heereby thou maiest gather that he delighteth more in thy reparation than thy damnation that there is greater ioy with him and his Angels for one sinner that conuerteth Luk. 15.7 than for ninetie and nine iust men that need no amendment of life Which the Lord himselfe hath prooued by a threefold example of the lost sheepe which being found the shepheard with ioy laid vpon his shoulders and brought him to his fold of the lost groat which being found she calleth her friends and neighbours saying Reioice with mee for I haue found the piece which was lost and of the prodigall childe for whom being returned to his father the fat calfe was killed which was not done for that sonne which continued with his father By how much the more we are sorry for a thing lost by so much the more do wee reioice when it is found and therefore there is more ioy in heauen for a sinner that repenteth than for a iust man that needeth no amendment For a repentance inflamed with loue after sinne is more acceptable vnto God than an innocency dull carelesse with securitie by grace As a captaine in the warres loues more that souldier that after his flight returneth and valiantly encountreth his enemie than him that did neuer flie and neuer performed anie valorous exploit A husbandman loueth more that ground that after the thorns and brambles be digged vp yeeldes a plentifull increase than that ground which neuer had thornes and neuer gaue any increase If therfore thy teares vpon earth bee so great a ioy to God and his Angels how great a ioy shall thy pleasures in heauen be to them This is the meat they feed vpon the fruites they are delighted with if by a true contrition of heart thou mortifie thy sinnes and by a true and vnfained repentance turne vnto God Wherfore deare brother though thou thinke thy selfe condemned by Gods iustice appeale vnto his mercy for it sometimes commeth to passe that whom iustice accuseth mercy absolueth and that punishment which the Lord may iustly inflict hee doeth mercifully pardon For those whom God freely created and redeemed he wil not willingly oppresse and therefore if thou repent thee of thy sinne hee repenteth him of his sentence The vnchangeable God will change his sentence if thou change thy life So shalt thou conquer the inuincible binde the omnipotent and a fearefull Iudge thou shalt change into a mercifull father CHAP. VI. That euen at the point of death repentance may be profitable to saluation BVT perhaps thou wilt say I come too late I haue spent my whole life in sinne I am now at the brinke of death and therefore it is too late at my last houre to turne vnto God Res Thou art a yoong man my deare brother in the strength of thy yeeres thou maiest yet liue many a yeere and haue time enough to repent But yet because there is no man be hee neuer so yoong that can assâ—redly promise to himselfe to liue till night and a sudden death may euerie houre of the day ouertake thee wherein despairing thou maiest obiect this vnto me therefore I haue thought good to satisfie this obiection though thou haddest neuer obiected it Whilest thou liuest whilest thou yet breathest yea when thou liest in thy bed at the point of death thou maiest repent yea and then especially there is yet hope of mercy time of forgiuenes place of repentance God witnesseth of himselfe Eze. 33. that at what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes hee will blot out all his wickednesse out of his remembrance He that hath said he will put out all his wickednesse out of his remembrance hath excepted no kinde of sinne Though thou want time to confesse thy sinnes vnto God yet in a moment euen in the twinckling of an cie he can haue time to pardon all thy sinnes Thy will is accounted for thy worke and the gronings of thy heart for thy words If therefore at the houre of death thou cease to bee wicked by repentance thou needest not despaire of pardon because thou art neere thine end For God whoconsidereth the end of all men iudgeth euery man according to his end not his former life neither doeth he respect so much what wee haue beene heeretofore as what we are at the end of our life It is no matter how long but how well a man liueth neither doth the quantitie of the crime nor the enormitie of a mans life nor the breuity of the time nor the extremity of the houre exclude a man from pardon if repentance in the end be true and perfect The great and manifold mercy of God is neither limited by time nor equalled by our great and manifolde offences He that truly repenteth and is loosed from that band of sinne wherewith hee was tied and liueth well after his repentance whensoeuer he dieth he may secure himselfe hee goeth to God he shall not be depriued the kingdome of God hee shall not be separated from the people of God Matt. 20. For as they that went into the Vineyard to labour at the eleuenth houre of the day receiued a penny for their hire as well as they that began their labour the first houre and did beare the burthen and heat of the day so not onely to those that from their childehood doe beare the yoke of the Lord is the reward promised but to the last too who in the end of their life turne vnto God is the earnest pennie of eternall life giuen The innumerable sinnes of the Nineuites a short repentance wiped away and the Publican went presently out of the Temple iustified Marie Magdalen was so great a sinner that the Pharisey disdained to see her and yet in a short time she was iustified and clensed from all her sins The theefe hung vpon the Crosse and being instantly to die despaired not of saluation he confessed the Lord vpon the Crosse and euen with the words of his confession he ended his life and yet the Lord possessed him of Paradise before Peter and lest any man should thinke repentance too late hee turned the punishment of murther into a martyrdome It is true that his repentance was late but yet his pardon came not too late he made speed in turning vnto God and God was as speedie in pardoning These shew thee the fruit of repentance the fountaine of mercy the celeritie thereof for they began late to repent and to do good and yet by doing it truly of the last they are
enticement to sin There is life without death rest without labor vnspeakable ioy without sorrow charitie without discord securitie without care beautie without deformitie How happie is that citie wherein there is euerlasting solemnitie and how pleasant a court that knowes no care Heere is neither labour nor old age nor deceit nor feare of enemies but one voice of reioicing one agreement feruencie of hearts because God shall wipe away al tears from their eies and sorrow from their hearts There veritie reigneth eternall saluation aboundeth there no man deceiues nor is deceiued none that is blessed cast out none that is accursed admitted There is assured securitie secure peace peaceable delight delightful happinesse happy eternitie in that blessedly eternall and eternally blessed life There the essentiall reward which belongs to the essence of blessednesse and without which the soule can not bee truely blessed consisteth in the cleere sight presence of God The sight or presence of God the first gift or grace of the soule and this is the reward of faith because those things that are heere beleeued bâ— faith are there seene in theâ— true forme and likenesse But both these are the gift of the inward man because God whilest we are in the waie is knowen of vs in spirit as it were in a glasse obscurely but in heauen our true home hee is seene face to face not with corporall cies but spirituall as the Prophets being absent in bodie saw manie things done in the spirit and by dreames sleeping knew many things by the spirit though their outward senses were bound And as in a glasse we see onely the image of the thing and that imperfectly so whilest wee heere know as it were by a similitude the inuisible things of God by those things that are made we come to the knowledge of God as it were by a glasse and obscurely but there directly-looking one vpon another wee shall see God cleerely and nakedly euen face to face one in substance three in the difference of persons As many as are there shall together see the whole essence of God bet forasmuch as by reason of his infinitenes he cannot totally be comprehended therefore he shall not be equally seene of all but by a spiritual vision of one more darkly than of another according to that measure wherewith euerie one shall be more or lesse enlightned with the light of glory For as the materiall sunne which equally offereth it selfe to the eies of all is not seene without the emission of the light or beame thereof into the eie of a man and yet all doe not alike see it and looke vpon it but diueisly more or lesse according to the diuers disposition of the eie to see so the eie of the minde being weake is not capable of that excellent light of God except it bee strengthned of God by a created and infused light of glory as it is written In thy light shall wee see light The light of the diuine substance is seene in the light of glory whereby the naturall light of the vnderstanding and the spirituall eye is eleuated more or lesse to the knowledge of God according to that great or lesse faith and charitie whereby it is caried vnto him The face therefore and forme of God shall bee seene more cleerely by one than by another as one and the same thing is better seene from farre by one than by another and one and the same writing beeing read by diuers is diuersly vnderstood which diuersitie proceedeth not from the thing or wrâ—ting but the diuers disposition of the seer and the reader And because God is euery where present by essence therefore he shall not there be seene by distance but whersoeuer the soule is there shall it see God present with it It shall see God in it selfe and it selfe in God God in others and others in God By an vnspeakable meanes shall it depart from it selfe and be turned wholly into the similitude of God Otherwise how shall God be in all if in man there remaine any thing of man 1. Cor. 15. The substance of man shall continue but in another forme another glorie For as a small quantitie of water powred into a great deale of wine loseth it owne nature and is turned into the taste and colour of the wine as burning iron changeth his proper forme and is made like vnto fire as the aire being inflamed by the beames of the Sunne is transformed into the same cleerenesse of light insomuch as that it seemeth not to be inlightned but light it self and as a looking glasse directly stricken with the beames of the sunne receiueth into it selfe the similitude of the sunne insomuch that a man may thinke it another sunne so the saints of God in heauen are totally penetrated with the cleere light of God in their inward parts and so being deiformed are transformed into the similitude of God So to bee affected is to bee deified as it is written Psal 82. I haue said yee are Gods that is by participation for there is one onely God by essence You are deified by him he deifying you And in another place 1. Iob. 32 When he shall appeare we shall be like vnto him for we shall see him as he is And as looking in a glasse a man seeth himself many things besides there present about him so the blessed seeing God together and at once with one and the same vision see themselues and whatsoeuer is necessarie to the perfection of their happinesse They see that their sinnes are forgiuen them not to their confusion but to glorifie the great mercy of God whereby whilest they reioice for their deliuerie from so great a miserie they alwaies magnifie his holy name For how should they giue thanks vnto God if they should not remember why they are to doe it If there bee there so great comfort for sinnes forgiuen how great is there for good works done Though euery mans conscience lie open to one another yet there is no man there more ashamed of his sinnes than he is heere of his wounds that are healed or than an old man of those things he did in his infancie as Peter is no way abashed at his triple deniall nor Mary Magdalene and diuers others at their sinnes formerly committed now pardoned Touching their knowledge if the Prophers as yet mortall men could know manie things past present and to come how much more can God who is a voluntarie and free looking glasse represent whatsoeuer to whomsoeuer and whensoeuer and therefore an old doting decrepid woman in that glory knoweth more than all the Philosophers in the world can know in this life There they know by what meanes the father begot the sonne equall vnto him and that from both the holy Ghost proceeded coequall vnto both What doe not they know that know him that knowes all things They haue alwaies libertie to behold God alwaies to haue him alwaies to possesse him alwaies to