and dissimulation This was the sinne of Eli other wise a good man 1 Sam. 1. Christ our Saviour conversed much with publicans and sinners to the end he might do them good and draw them from the kingdome of sinne and Satan and make them inheriters of the kingdome of heaven a worke in all respectes most holy and righteous yet the Scribes and Pharisees judged him to be a friend and favourer of them and of their sinnes Lue. 7.34 And albeit he castout Devils by the power of his divine Majesty for the confirmation of his doctrine and edification of the weake in faith yet they said he did it by Beelzebuh the Prince of the Devils Math. 12.24 So in our dayes religion and the zealous profession thereof are reputed no better then counterfeit holinesse Let the examples of the faithfull be before us continually whensoever we find the same measure offered untous and comfort our selves with this that it hath no otherwise befallen us then to many Prophets of God and faithfull seruants of Christ Math. 5.12 who must not looke to be greater then there Master neither to finde better entertainment in the world then he did The second kinde of judgment forbidden is when men commit evill things worthy in themselves to be condemned and thereupon are judged not onely dangerous but desperate offenders past hope of repentance and recovery This is to execute indeede a right Lordship over their soules and Salvation and to step up into the seate of God 1 Cor. 4.5 Of this the Apostle speaketh Iudge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hidde in darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have prayse of God and we are charged to instruct with meeknesse the contrary minded 2 Tim. 2.25 to bring them to God and not leave them in the snares of the Devill No man therefore ought to passe their doome of the everlasting estate of any man and to pronounce peremptorily and absolutely that they shall perish and cannot be saved as if they were Lords of one anothers life and death salvation and damnation or had power to bring them to heaven or cast them into hell This is beyond our reach and commission and to usurpe the office of Christ to whom all judgment is committed No man dare make himselfe a judge and sit downe in the judgement seate to give sentence of absolution or condemnation in matters of this temporall life without the Princes speciall appointment and shall any dare doe it in things of the life to come to pronounce any to be forlorne reprobates and vessels of wrath For who knoweth what one day may bring forth Pro. 24 1 He runneth farre that never returneth We see many notorious wicked men suddainly and mightily called and changed 2 Chr. 33. Act. 9. Luk. 23. We read of some standing idle all the day long called at the eleventh houre to labour in the vineyard Math. Math. 20. 20. The theefe repented and was converted at the instant of his death Let us remember that we are all brethren one no better then another and therefore we ought not presumptuously to chalenge this superiority to judge and condemne one another Christian love hopeth well of all men and so long as they live there is some hope The third kind is when we doe things which in themselues are indifferent which may be done either well or ill either with a pure or a prophane heart with faith or without faith to judge such an action wicked which indeed is to be accounted good or evill according to the intent purpose and affection of the doer whereof God alone is the discerner because he alone is the searcher of the heart he alone is the Iudge of the heart This corruption we read to have beene in Eliab the brother of David Why camest thou downe hither 1 Sam. 17 2â— and with whom hast thou left those few sheepe in the wildernesse I know thy pride and the haughtinesse of thy heart for thou art come downe to see the battell This the Apostle forbiddeth Rom. 14. Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth judge him that eateth not c. The faithfull servants of God are hardly delt withall in all these respects their good things are not good or at least it is shrunke up and contracted their indifferent things are pronounced to be starke naught and if they fall into evil it is stretched and made a thousand times worse even by those of the worser sort Lastly it standeth us upon to labour to see the grieuousnesse of sinne in our selves and to feele the waight and burden thereof For commonly we are blinde and see not at all or else we are purblind and cannot see them in their right colours we be hold them as motes or strawes not as beames or if we doe ever judge them as beames How we may perceive the neinousnesse and greinousnesse of sinne Luc. 12.48 it is in others not in our selves Now that we may discerne of sinne in the nature thereof we must consider these few particulars First consider how God striveth with us by his manifold mercies and blessings to draw us to a love of Godlinesse and hatred of wickednesse now unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Secondly if we compare our sinnes with Adams first sinne considered in the fact doubtlesse we have as great in our hearts yea greater and yet by that one disobedience he brought destruction upon himselfe and all his posterity that is the first and second death Thirdly we may behold the grievousnesse of sinne by proportion with the punishment For what is the wages and reward of sinne a subjection to all woe and misery in this life to death it selfe in the end of this life and to eternall death after this life in hell with the Devill and his Angels Fourthly they were laid upon the person of our Saviour Christ who outwardly endured the torments on the Crosse in his body and inwardly apprehended the wrath of God in his soule due unto us and which we should have suffered This made him to sweat water and blood Lue. 22.44 Math. 27.46 and to cry out in the anguish of his spirit My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Math. 27. Are such sinnes to be holden as motes no doubtlesse they are great beames are they as little moul-hills no doubtlesse they be huge mountaines able to crush the sonnes of men in pieces under the heavy indignation of God Lastly the law of God is holy and perfect and forbiddeth the first thoughts and motions in the heart that arise against God or our neighbour yea though we never give consent of will to practise them Rom. 7. If then the first motions be sins in themselves deserving damnation Rom. 7.7 because the law saith
1 Cor. 15.55 all things fall out alike to the godly and ungodly to him that sweareth and to him that feareth an oath so that no man knoweth love or hatred by these outward things yet the venome and poyson is pulled out from these Scorpions so that albeit they may hisse at us yet they shall never hurt us Gen. 2.17 Rom. 6.23 Death is of it selfe the wages of sinne Gen. 2. Rom. 6. It came into the world by sinne and is the last enemy that shall bee subdued howbeit it hath already received his deaths-wound and the nature of it is quite changed to the godly Indeed death remaineth as a cup that all must taste off but behold the difference to the ungodly it is the reward of sinne the suburbs of hell the separation of the soule from God and the guide that conducteth them into everlasting torments To the godly it is no punishment of sinne but the abolishing of sinne the path and passage to a better life the haven of our rest the end of all our labours and the way by which we must come into the presence of Christ He is become the death of death so that they are bold in him to looke death in the face because they looke beyond death For he that will not feare it must cast his eye further then it as they feared not the fiery Serpents that lifted up their eyes to the brazen Serpent Thirdly if any meanes to uphold their life be wanting the Lord doth strengthen arme those that are his with patience contentednesse and inward comfort and consolation that he maketh them able to beare them he layeth heavy burdens upon them yet he supporteth theÌ„ with his hand that they sinke not under the waight thereof Albeit famine doe pinch and presse hard upon their bodies hee feedeth their soules with the precious food of his Word to eternall life and they are ready to answer with their Lord and Master Ioh. 4.32 I have meant to eate Iohn 4 32. that yee know not of Albeit they be vexed with warre yet he giveth them peace of conscience that passeth all understanding even peace with himselfe which the world cannot take away from them Albeit they fall into times of perils and dangers yet are they made to dwell in the secret place of the most high Psal 91.1 and to abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91.1 The name of the Lord is a most strong tower and place of refuge the righteous flie unto it and are preserved Albeit they be sometimes enforced to endure nakednesse yet even then hee clotheth them with the precious robes of Christs righteousnesse Psal 45.8 all whose graces smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia whereby they are more adorned then with all the silver and gold in the world Lastly if he take away this temporall life he recompenseth the losse thereof with eternall life and happinesse We learne from hence first of all Vse 1 what need we have all of us of faith to lay hold on the promises of God made in Christ Iesus to such as are in him and have him dwelling in them For what is there can drive us out of this feare 1 Tim. 4.8 6.6 but faith Indeed godlinesse is profitable to all things and hath the promises of this life as well as of the life to come Of this life with condition so far as it shall be good for us of the life to come without any condition This godlinesse is great gaine nay the greatest of all other But what of all this if wee have not the hand of faith to receive them Offer meat never so much to the hungry soule yet if the hand be closed and the mouth stopped hee can receive nothing Powre water upon a Vessell all the day long it remaineth empty if the entrance thereof bee shut up so let us heare of the promises of God to sustaine us in times of famine want losse and necâ—ssity yet it is all one as if you spake to a dead man except wee have faith to quicken us and to put life into the soule For as the Apostle concludeth from the suffring of the Saints Hebr. 10.34 who endured with ioy the spoyling of their goods knowing they had a better inheritance reserved for them in the Heavens that we have all need of patience that after we have done the will of God wee may receive the promise Hebr. 10. So from this consideration that wee are ready every foot to faint and to feare want and beggery or else this dehortation were vaine and needlesse we are to gather that we may not cast away our confidence in God which hath great recompence of reward The just shall live by faith Hebr. 11.1 which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene Take heed therefore and beware of infidelity For as covetousnesse is the root of all evill 1 Tim. 6. 1 Tim. 6.10 so is infidelity the root of covetousnesse What is the cause that we feare the lacking of earthly things which the greatest sort doe more feare then the lacke or losse or lessening of the feeding of the love and favour of God Doubtlesse this is nothing but the want of faith Let them lose but a trifle or the least pinne and profit that commeth to the purse what crying and complaining have wee how much adoe have wee to perswade them to bee contented to bee resolved to submit themselves to the pleasure of Almighty God and to beleeve that hee is able to give them more then that All the armor and furniture that wee can bring out of the Store-house of the Scripture is too little to settle their unbeleeving hearts upon the promises of God But these men can bee content without any scruple or touch of conscience to absent themselves from the house of God to lose many Sermons and much wholesome doctrine which is according to godlinesse many exhortations many instructions many comforts nay they may apparently feele their decaying and declining in knowledge in faith and in obedience yet it troubleth them no more then it did that prophane Esau Gen. 25.34 who when hee had sold his birth-right contemned and despised it The true cause of our carnall and corrupt feare is this want of a true lively faith when we dare not believe him that hath promised who yet is able to performe and is not as man that he should lie or as the sonne of man that hee should deceive Hence proceedeth feare of the losse of life and living that we are afraid to commit our state and standing to the safe garding of God as manifestly appeareth by the contrary Psal 27.1 2. Psal 27. The Lord is my light and salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host shall encampe against me my heart shall not feare though warre should rise against mee in this will I
the punishment the sin would never trouble or torment them but thus Caine repented Gen. 4.13 who cryed out My punishment is greater then I can beare Besides what contrition or compunction of heart soever they may have it is but as a flash of lightning it is not constant it is not constant it is not joyned with an unfained desire to forsake sinne and to turne unto the Lord neither with any perswasion of Gods goodnesse and mercy in Christ Iesus To conclude we may be assured of true repentance and of our turning to God by these three infallible tokens first when we can say before the Lord How to be assured that our repentance and sorrow are true that there is no sinne but we doe as heartily desire never to commit it and as unfainedly crave of God to give us strength to leave and forsake it as we desire he would not plague and punish us for it Every man desireth to be freed and exempted from the punishment happy are we if we have as great a desire to be freed from the sinne Secondly when we as earnestly crave and covet to forsake sinne as we desire that God would forgive us our sinnes and not impute them unto us Lastly when we as truly hate sinne as we desire to be partakers of eternall Glory in the kingdome of heaven These are unfallible signes of true repentance and turning unto God which were never found in any wicked man in any age of the world neither indeed can be Secondly must all repent and amend their lives as the onely meanes and remedy which God hath appointed to turne backe his judgments then it is necessary for us to know what we are by nature or of our selues that we may learne what is our owne and what is not our owne For we shall never returne unto God untill we know how far we are turned from him neither come into the right way till we heare how farre we are gone out of it nor will we labour to reforme our lives untill we know how much we are deformed nor become wise in God untill we see our owne folly Math. 9.12 The whole saith Christ need not the Physition Rules touching tonuersion but they that are sicke Now that we may search throughly into our selues and make an Anatomy of our soules and plowgh up the ground of our hearts let us obserue these few rules following The first rule First every man that commeth of Adam and issueth out of his loines as all mankind doth is guilty of his sinne and disobedience in eating of the forbidden fruit And if we had no inherent sinne of our owne this imputed sinne of his were enough to condemne us for we even we our selues in his loynes did eate of the forbidden fruit we beleeved not God we hearkned to Satan we were seduced and deceived as well as he In this the proverbe holdeth true Ezek. 18.2 which is justly reproved in the Iewes The fathers have eaten sowre grapes the childrens teeth are set on edge This the Apostle teacheth at large Rom. 5. Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world death by sinne Now this sinne of Adam passeth to his posterity be two meanes by imputation and propagation The punishments which all men suffer do plainely argue that the sinne of Adam is imputed to us therefore he addeth in the next wordes Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned to wit in him But because this rule is not easily yeelded unto but we are ready to say with Nicodemus How can these things be Iohn 3. and with the Disciples that followed him This is an hard saying who can here it Iohn 6.60 We will propound and answer a few objections Ob. that may seeme to stand in the way contradict the former rule First it may be alleaged We were then unborne and lived many thousand yeares after him how then can his sinne be ours more then ours be his How then can we be guilty in that respect before God I answer Answ that the sinne of Adam was not onely personall neither did he sinne as a singular person but as carrying all mankind in the stocke and originall no otherwise then our Saviour satisfying for us on the crosse hath not satisfied for us as a private person but as sustaining and representing the whole Church in the head as 2 Cor. 5. If one died for all all likewise were dead 2 Cor. 5.15 Rom. 6.6.8 and Rom. 6. We are dead with Christ crucified with him If then we died in Christ dying and were likewise crucified with him who can doubt but it may be said that we sinned in Adam For if the righteousnesse and satisfaction of the second Adam be imputed to us why shall not the sin of the first Adam in like manner be imputed especially seeing the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed unto us that the sin of Adam might not be imputed unto us And besides the sacred recordes of holy Scripture doth not this accord with good reason For inasmuch as Adam received good things not for himselfe alone as we do but for his posterity it is not to be marveiled at if being spoyled or rather spoyling himselfe of these good things he lost them for himselfe his posterity If a man be capitally punished for high treason against his Prince and forfeit his estate and be thereby brought to poverty his children also have their blood stained and loose their nobility Even as he that is borne of Parents infected with the Leprosie draweth from them like contagion so it is with such as are borne of Adam out of his loynes issueth a naturall deprauation and contagion So then we must consider that we are all Adams seed and posterity he was the common father of us all whatsoever he receiued it was for himselfe and his posterity and whatsoever gift he lost he lost them for himselfe and all his posterity Calu. justit lib. 2. cap. 1. as it is said that Levi payed tithes in Abraham albeit by his office he received tithes Heb. 7.9 Religion and the image of God in which he was created if he had stood fast in his estate had beene hereditary and entailed to his posterity as an inheritance to be conveied from the father to the children but when he fell from God Gen. 5.3 he is said to beget a sonne in his owne likenesse after his owne image not in the image of God This the Apostle toucheth in many places Rom. Rom. 1.14.15 16.17.18.19 5. Death riegned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression And againe Through the offence of one many be dead And againe The judgment was by one to condemnation And againe by one mans offence death reigned by one And againe By the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation And againe by one mans disobedience many were made sinners
whirlewind as it fell out with the old world and the men of Soâ—ome We are here travailers when once our journey is at an end by death there is no place of turning from our evill wayes While it is day we may worke Ioh. 9. There is no working in the night when death taketh us away The day of judgement is called the day of the Lord because then he taketh an account Rom. 2.6 2 Cor. 5.10 and payeth men their wages Rom. 2.6 and giveth them their reward according to their workes for we must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 Hence it is that the Apostle exhorteth us to heare his voyce to day not at our owne leysure or pleasure To day is Gods voyce to morrow is the Devils language to day is Gods perswasion to morrow is the Devils perswasion We know that Manna was gathered upon the sixe dayes but none the Sabbath the day of rest from our labours so upon the sixe dayes of our life the heavenly Manna of faith in Christ and of repentance from dead workes may be gathered but when the day commeth that we must rest from our labours faith and repentance are ceased True it is some went out to seeke Manna upon the Sabboth but they found none so the foolish virgins sought oyle for their lampes but they found none Math. 25. The life to come is the time of recompence not of repentance of wages not of working of judgment not of judging of our selues Secondly they are reprooved that thinke either of themselues or of others that they need no repentance at alâ— because they liue unblamably civilly and uprightly For what will it availe all their civill cariage that they love the Church formally frequent the word and Sacraments live in peace with their neighbours defraud no man oppresse no man pay every man his due all this outward honesty is farre from inward piety and being without faith and repentance it is no better before God then a beautifull sinne Luk. 16.15 Math. 5.20 and albeit it be highly esteemed among men it is abominable in the sight of God And therefore to such our Saviour saith Except your righteousnesse shall exceede the righteousnesse of the Scrâ—bes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdome of heaven Ob. Math. 5. But it may be objected upon the words of the Evangelist Luk. 15.7 There shall be more joy in heaven over one sinner that converteth then over ninety and nine just persons that need no amendment of life where our Saviour speaketh as though some were so righteous that it was needlesse and superfluous for them to repent Answ I answer the Scripture vseth to speake two wayes sometimes simply sometimes comparatively or respectively As the faithfull sometimes are said to be a great company and sometimes a little flocke many considered in themselves few compared with the rest So there are none in themselves so just that they need not repent for there is none righteous no not one but if we respect men already called and understand the words spoken comparatively in respect of sinners uncalled that never repented it is certaine they need not so much repentance as other as an house well repaired will not need so much repairing as that which hath beene let runne to decay and was never repaired For our Saviour having expressed the joy conceived by finding of the lost groate and the stray sheepe he enlargeth it by an unequall comparison wherein it is compared with the joy which is conceived for them that are now righteous and already converted as it were the greater with the losse True it is some understand the words as spoken of the Angels who need no returning to God because they never turned from him others of the Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites Luk. 18.9 who thought themselues righteous men and despised others of whom our Saviour saith Math. 9.12.13 The whole need not a Physitian but they that are sicke and againe I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Howbeit the first interpretation seemeth to me to be most proper and naturall according best with the words of our Saviour in other places Lastly it is the duty of naturall men to use the meanes appointed of God to bring them to repentance Happy are all such as have repented they are entred into the way of Salvation and have one foot in heaven On the other side they lye in the state of damnation that have not wrought in them a true conversion It behoveth them therefore to learne and consider how God hath ordained to bring us to repentance The Apostle teacheth that we are borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.23 by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever It is a common thing for every one to boast of repentance but how came they to attaine unto it for they regard not the word the law they account too bitter a Pill to swallow and the Gospel or grace of God they turne into wantonnesse It is the voyce of our Saviour Except ye repent Luk. 13.3.5 ye shall all likewise perish but if the repentance of every one ware measured by their conscience to the word I feare we should not have much repentance found among us When the Prophet had threatned Nebuchad-nezzar Dan. 4.25.27 that he should be driven from men and have his dwelling with the beastes of the field he counselled him to breake off his sinnes by righteousnesse and his iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore as the meanes and ready way to lengthen his tranquillity so may I say to all naturall men that have their dwelling shall I say with the beasts nay with the Devill and his Angels who rule in them let my counsel be acceptable to you hearken to the word be swift to heare it let it dwell plentifully in you and be doers and practisers of it that ye may feele the power of it being conuerted by it and so glorifie God in the day of your visitation Turne every one from his evill wayes Here is the substance of the Kings Proclamation wherein one thing is expressed and under it an other is comprehended For it is â—o onely required of us to turne from evill Doct. but to returne to the Lord and to do good Repentance stands in turning from our euill wayes to God This teacheth the nature of true repentance that it standeth in turning from our evill wayes to God For the better understanding of this point we must obserue why it is called a turning and what manner of turning repentance is The Metaphor of turning is drawne from a traveiler in the way who missing the path and going astray hath no remedy but he must come backe againe and returne into the right way if
holy Sabboths so they are still They were drunkards and filthy livers ignorant and blind in matters of faith and religion so they are still Are these humble and repentant sinners do these turne to God where you saw them long a goe and where you left them twenty or thirty yeares a goe there you shall be sure to finde them never a whit changed unlesse happily from evill to worse But let such marke how it hath beene with other penitents and in them behold themselues as in aglasse I meane Paul the woman of Samaria Lydia the jaylour Zacheus the Iewes that crucified Christ the Lord of life Let him that talketh of Repentance boasteth of it and chalengeth it to himselfe even for his owne assurance shew the like fruites in himselfe for it worketh such a change and alteration that both our selues and others may discerne it as easily as light from darknesse So then as the Apostle saith Shew me thy faith by thy workes Iam. 2.18 so may I say shew me thy repentance by thy change For what shall it profit a man to say he hath repentance when he hath no friutes can such a repentance comfort him The third reproofe Thirdly it condemneth civill men that remaine in the state of nature and glory in their outward vertues that they are alwayes the same but these glory in their owne shame These cannot say they are become new creatures they cannot say they were ever borne againe yet without the new birth they cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven Ioh 3.3 They cannot say Old things are passed away 2 Cor 5.17 behold all thinges are made new yet no other are in Christ and made members of his body Such civill men that content themselues with civill honesty and have nothing wherein to rejoyce but nature stand as yet in a dangerous and damnable estate neither can they come out of it untill they begin to deny themselues and to loath and detest even these outward vertues forsamuch as the trust and confidence in them is no better then a selfe deceiving Secondly it serveth for information in other truthes First that no sinne is great and heinous but there is place for repentance if they can repent This was the end of Christes comming to call sinners to repentance Math. 9.13 he sayth sinners without exception This we see in Manasses a Sorcerer an Idolater a murtherer and almost what not yet he humbled himselfe and obtained mercy according as he prayed 2 Chr. 33. 2 Chro. 33.19 Paul confesseth that he was sometimes a blasphemer and a persecutour and an oppressour yet he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbeleefe 1 Tim. 1.13 1 Tim. 1. The conspirators against Christ and his kingdome are called to kisse that is Psal 2.12 to embrace and obey him and his doctrine and accordingly they which shed his blood by murthering of him did drinke his blood by beleeving him Act. 2. Act. 2.37 A singular comfort for such as feele the burden of their sinnes lying heavy upon their consciences that they goe mourning all the day long and cannot lift up their heads to God unto such the Lord speaketh Esay 1. Come let us reason together Esay 1.16 if ye will wash and clense your hearts though your sinnes were as red as crimsin they shall be made white as wooll And Christ our Saviour calleth such as are heavy laden Math. 11.28 and promiseth to give them rest Math. 11. Sinne often bringeth us to the brimme or border of hell but it cannot bring us so low but Christ Iesus is able to bring us backe and to raise us vp againe by repentance Secondly there in no sinne so small and little though it seeme in our eyes as a more but it is able to bring to hell and therefore craveth repentance The world of naturall men judgeth that repentance is proper to none but to heinous and hideous sinnes as murther theft periury treason rebellion whordome and such like and that if they be free from the outward act of these they justifie themselues like the Pharisee and thinke repentance belongeth not to them as for others if they have any they hope to be dispenced with all It is nothing so with Gods children they have beene touched to the heart for such sinnes as the world taketh no notice off and never sticketh at as for the evill which appeareth in their best workes that they cannot do them as they would but infirmities creepe upon them and defile them not onely for committing evill but for omitting good things Rev. 2.4.5 the Church of Ephesus is called to repentance for leaving their first love they watch over their idle thoughts and idle words Gen 6.5 remembring that every imagination of the heart is onely evill continually and the threatning of Christ that for every idle word that men shall speake Math. 12.36 they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement Davids heart was smitten for cutting off the lappe of Sauls garment privily 1 Sam. 24.4 1 Sam. 24. Every thing is layd to heart of Gods children which he hath softned by the touch of his holy spirit by giving unto them an heart of flesh they will be troubled for the least sinnes accounting no sinne little which is committed against so great a God which offendeth so holy a law which deserveth eternall death as the just wages thereof and brought Christ Iesus from the bosome of his Father to suffer death for them and lastly they are grieved touched to the quick because they encrease not in grace according to the good meanes and occasions that God hath given knowing that the more is given and committed unto them the more is required at their hands and the streighter shall their account be Lastly let us examine our selues whether we be turned from evill to good and from the power of Satan to God This will appeare by these signes and tokens First there is a turning of the heart upward to heaven and a fastning of the eye upon God that it may be sayd of every true repentant that his behaviour is as of one that is journying going up to the heavenly Ierusalem the mother of us all Luk. 9.53 as it is said of our Saviour that his face was as though he would go to Ierusalem Phil. 3.20 So our conuersation must be in heaven and our whole life a travelling thither and a wandering in the wildernesse of this world untill we be brought into the true Canaan that is aboue But if the hearts of all were tried by this rule it would shew how little repentance is in the world when in all our thoughts workes and employments we are carried wholly downeward which way will bring us to hell in the end forasmuch as we have prophane hearts not savauring the things that are of God like prophane Esau Secondly we grow every day better and better when once we