vp to the wealthy nation that dwels without care which haue neither gates nor barres but dwell alone And their camels shall be a booty c. Men are neuer so fit a booty for Gods iudgements as when they are without care As generall hardnesse fore-runnes generall iudgments so in particular men their hardnesse goes before destruction See Ieroboams example Hee was reprooued by the Prophet for his idolatry the Altar cleft his hand dried vp and healed againe Any of these might haue cleft his heart and had wrought him to Repentance But yet after this Ieroboam conuerted not but turned againe to his idolatrous 1. King 13. 33 34. courses and continued in his impenitency and what was the issue of all this And this thing turned vnto sinne vnto the house of Ieroboam as who should say all that hee had done before had not turned to sinne had it not beene for this sin of his impenitency But this turned to sinne to his house euen to root it out and destroy it from the face of the earth Balaam hardening his heart against Gods command the Asses rebuke and the Angels sword returnes home by weeping crosse and he that would not returne for the Angels sword was afterward slaine by the sword of the Israelites So was Pharaohs Num. 31. 8. Exod 14. heart hardened to his destruicton in the sea So of the cities of Canaan it is sayd That it came of the Iosh 11. 20 Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle to the iutent they should destroy them vtterly and shew them no mercy but that they should bring them to nought This is made the cause of Gods iudgements vpon Saul Saul died for his transgression against the Lord. Now what was his transgression first hee brake the commandement 1. Chron. 10. 13. 14. of God then he sought and asked counsell of a familiar spirit and last of all which was his sinning sinne after all this hee sought not to the Lord by Repentance therefore the Lord slue him 2. If any impenitent sinner doe escape some 2. Reseruation to worse iudgements temporal iudgements as often he may doth yet his impenitency turnes all his deliuerances but into further curses and iudgements and his deliuerance is a worse iudgement then the iudgements from which he is deliuered for it argues either Gods vtter forsaking of them as desperate patients are giuen ouer by the Physician Why should ye bee smitten any more for yee fall away more and more Or else it Isay 1. 5. argues a reseruation of them for some more fearefull plague If by these former iudgements before specified yee will not be reformed by me but walke stubbornely against me then I will walke stubbornely against you and smite you yet seauen times for your sins So that an impenitent mans preseruation out of one iudgement is but a further reseruation of him to seauen iudgements What mercy or fauour is this nay the mercy is seauen times a greater iudgement C ham was saued from the flood in the Arke but it Gen 9. was for a greater iudgement for his fathers and for Gods curse as good to be drowned as to bee cursed as good to die vnder the waters as to liue vnder a curse Pharaoh escaped many of the former Exod. 14. plagues vnder which the rest of the Aegyptians smarted he was but kept for the sea to be made a prey to the waters Lots wife escaped from Sodom but Gen. 19. Gen. 14. was turned into a pillar of salt The Sodomites were rescued out of the hand of Chedor-laomer but were Gen. 19. after consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen It had beene happy for them if they had bin still captiued slaues vnder Chedor-laomer So true is that of Amos that it is with wicked impenitent Amos 5. 19. sinners as if a man did flie from a Lyon and met with a Beare or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him As also that of Isaiah repeated Isay 24. 18. Ierem. 48 44. by Ieremy He that flyeth from the noyse of the feare shall fall into the pit and hee that comes vp out of the pit shall be taken in the snare Euen as good be in the pit still This is but out of the frying pan into the fire or as Ezekiel speakes out of one fire into Ezek. 15. 7. another fire and the last fire happily like Nebuchadnezzars furnace seauen times hotter then ordinary 3. Thirdly God will euen take pleasure in inflicting Gods delight in iudgement iudgement God indeed delights in mercy but mans impenitency will make him delight in iudgement Heereupon he threatens Loadicea Reuel 3. to vomit her foorth of his mouth if shee still went on impenitently in her luke-warmnesse God signifies by that phrase that hee would take pleasure and delight in their destruction as it giues great ease to the ouer-pressed stomacke to bee disburdened and eased by vomiting Such is that threatning Prou. 1. 24. 25. 26. Because I baue called and yee haue refused I haue stretched out mine hand and none would regard but yee haue despised my counsell and would none of my correction I will also laugh at Risus Dei longa grauiâ—r est ira Dei Quid Deus loquitur cum risu in legas cum luctu Augustin your destruction and mocke when your feare cammeth God is neuer more angry then when hee laughes Gods laughter is an heauier iudgement then his anger for when once hee comes to delight in his anger it is a signe his anger is implacable Wee haue most cause to weepe when God laughes 2. Spirituall euils procured by impenitency 2. Spirituall which are are these 1. Spirituall blindnesse and blockish senslesnesse 1. Spirituall blindnesse further hardnesse and obduration My people would not heare my voyce and Israel would none of mee See what was the punishment that followed vpon it So I gaue them vp to the hardnes of their harts Psal 81. 11. 12 they walked in their own counsels As if he had said Since they will harden their hearts their hearts shall be hardened since they will harden them against my mercy I will harden them in my iustice Thus was Balaam besotted thorough the hardnesse of his heart that hee could not see so much as the Asse did hee rode vpon And the Sodomites were smitten as well with a spirituall as a temporal iudgment of blindnesse So Pharaoh hardening his hart against each plague was also giuen vp to further hardnesse Thus the Apostle seemes to make this the cause of the Gentiles hardnesse of heart because Eph. 4. 18. 19. they being past feeling gaue vp themselues to wantonnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse So God punished their former hardnesse with further obduration So elsewhere he makes this the cause why they were giuen vp to a reprobate sense and a cauterized conscience
Euangelicall were naturally in Adam Repentance then belongs to the Gospell 1. Because properly it is commanded as is also iustifying faith in the Gospell Mark 1. 14. Christ preached the Gospell One might thinke what was that The next verse tels vs saying Repent and beleeue the Gospell 2. It is promised in the Gospell in the Couenant of grace Ezech. 36. 26. I will take away the stony heart out of your body and giue you an heart of flesh Which that it is a promise of the Gospell appeares plainely vers 22. I doe not this for your sakes but for mine owne names sake And so Ierem. 32. 40. I will make an euerlasting Couenant with them that I will neuer turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me And this is further euident because Repentance is sealed in the Sacraments of the Gospell For Baptisme is called the Baptisme of Repentance Luk. 3. 3. because it seals vp to vs Gods promise of Repentance 3. It is wrought in vs by the Ministery of the Gospell Galat. 3. 2. whilest it sets before our eyes Christ crucified and so causes vs to lament Ezech. 12. 10. Therfore Christ commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name who by his obedience hath merited it for vs as well as remission of sinnes Luc. 24. 46. 47. and in this regard is sayd to bee raised vp of his father to giue Repentance to the house of Israel Acts 5. 31. As for the Law it being the ministery of death 2. Cor. 3. how can it worke Repentance which is vnto life 2. Cor. 7. 10. Acts 11. 18. Repentance is required vnto the sense of mercy and forgiuenesse The Law then knowing no forgiuenesse neither knowes it any Repentance When the Law is broken it requires the suffering of the curse and not any Repentance for the auoyding of the curse It sends vs down to the dungeon of damnation and seales it vpon vs with an vnremoueable stone not giuing vs the least inckling of any recouery Nay the Law setting out vnto vs that most rigorous and precise Iustice of God and his infinite and implacable wrath against sin doth in a manner forbid all Repentance Telling vs t is in vaine to seeke by our teares and lamentations any mercy at his hands who is a consuming fire a God of pure eyes and cannot behold iniquity The Law then of it selfe leaues a man in vtter desperation then which what can be more contrary to sauing Repentance and is no otherwise a schoole-master vnto Christ then as the minister of the Gospell makes vse of it contrary to it owne nature to driue vs vnto Christ by shewing the sinner condemned in the Law that it were not best for him to trust any longer to the Law but to accept of the grace offered in the Gospell The Vse 1. If Repentance be a part of the Gospell then know we it is not so sowre and crabbed a thing as most thinke Indeed the Law is pure vineger But the Gospell is refreshing and suppling oyle euen the soueraigne balme of Gilead and of this Gospell the glad tidings of peace is Repentance a part Yea it is one of the legacies of the new Testament A rich treasure purchased with the bloud of Christ Luc. 24. 46. 47. Sorrow indeed is bitter and vnpleasant to our corrupt nature yet many things are wholsome that are not so toothsome The sheepe of Christ know that to feed vpon this salt marsh is the onely preseruatiue against the rot Therefore nothing is there they lesse repent themselues of then this Repentance nothing they reioyce more in then this sorrow and good reason It is a peece of that blessed Gospell 2. If the difficulty of Repentance discourage thee remember that the commandements of the Gospell haue grace annexed by reason the same things that are commanded in the Gospell are also promised and so this yoake is sweet and easie 3. If the weaknesse of thy Repentance trouble thee remember it is an Euangelicall grace and how little a mite will the Gospell accept euen a penny for a pound A desire to repent is Repentance heere and to grieue because wee cannot bee grieued goes currant for godly sorrow 3. In the description I adde further that it is a Wrought by the Spirit euen grace of the spirit to shew that the Spirit is the authour thereof as appeareth Ezech. 12. 10. I will powre the spirit of grace vpon the house of Iudah and then they shall lament Before we can powre out one teare into Gods bottle God must powre the water of his spirit vpon the dry and heathy ground of our hearts Rom. 8. 26. Wee cannot breath out so much as a sigh but the spirit must first breath it in We cannot suspirare vnlesse God doe first inspirare That we may truely say heere with Dauid in euery repenting sigh sob teare Of thine owne Lord haue we giuen thee Wee powre out because thou hast first powred in Peter weepes but first Christ looked on him The waters flow but then specially when the winde blowes Psal 147. 18. Oh to how low an ebbe will the waters of repenting teares come if this blessed winde of the Spirit blow not It is the fire of the Spirit in our hearts like as in a Still that sendeth vp those dewes of repenting teares into our heads that droppe foorth of our eyes Vse Let no man thinke Repentance in his own power and so that hee may repent when hee will Can any man melt a stone or turne it into flesh By repentance we breake the strong snares of Sathan wherein we are hampered And what power shall 2. Tim. 2. 26. enable vs to doe that but that which is stronger then Sathan euen the power of the spirit Man is like a wild Asses colt Iob 11. 12. will he euer be tame of himselfe no it is the spirit that must tame and humble him by conuincing his conscience of sin Ioh. 16. 8. Man is like a silly lost wandring sheep Will hee euer be able to get into the high way of himselfe No he must heare the voice of his sheepheard crying behinde him This is the way walke in it Is 30. 21. Else he will wander in the wrong way irreturneably Therefore while that voyce soundeth in our hearts while we are called vpon by it to day harden wee not our hearts While the Spirit stirs in thy heart as once the Angell in the poole Ioh. 5. take the opportunity The Spirit who is the worker of repentance is not at thy beck Thou canst not set him on worke when thou wouldest suffer him then to worke when he would If wee could humble our selues we should neuer be humble foreuen this power of humbling our selues would make vs proud God therefore hath reserued it to himselfe and his owne Spirit that so we might be humble indeed yeelding our selues to be wrought vpon by him when he
commeth yea and in humility attending vpon him and waiting for his comming in the exercises of the Word and prayer as they Acts 1. 4. 14. But how many may be charged as they Acts 7. 51. Yee stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares yee haue alwaies resisted the holy Ghost And therefore are ye so hard hearted and stiffe-necked because you haue resisted the holy Ghost when he would haue bowe your neckes and softened your heart 4. It is said to be a grace of the sanctifying spirit The sanctifying Spirit to distinguish it from the legall repentance that is sometime in the reprobate hauing receiued the spirit of bondage vnto feare for this repentance is a fruit of an effectuall calling Ier. 31. 19. After I was conuerted I repented and so is peculiar to the regenerate And heereby also is it differenced from that blush and neere resemblance of Repentance which is in such reprobates as haue receiued the enlightning spirit 5. It followeth in the description whereby the In order of nature it is after Faith beleeuing sinner I make the subiect of Repentance to be a sinner for so doth Christ Matth. 9. shewing that such as are perfect neede Repentance no more then whole men do physick But withall I cal this sinner a beleeuing sinner to shew that faith must goe before Repentance as the ground and root thereof In time Faith and Repentance are both together but in the order of nature faith is first Reasons 1. Repentance and griefe for displeasing God by sinne necessarily argue the loue of God for a man would neuer grieue but rather reioyce at the offence of him whom he hates When Christ wept for Lazarus the Iewes sayd Loe how he loued him Ioh. 11. and Christ imputes the repenting teares of that sinnefull woman Luc. 7. to loue Much is forgiuen her for she loued much And wheras Acts 20. 21. Paul makes Faith and Repentance the summe of the Gospell the same Apostle 2. Tim. 1. 13. makes faith and loue the summe of it which shewes plainely that Repentance comes from loue and so consequently from faith because faith works by loue Gal. 5. 6. and it is impossible wee should euer loue God till by faith wee know our selues loued of God 2. Repentance beeing vnto life must needes bee drawen out of Christ the fountaine of all spirituall life and quickning grace So that a man must first receiue Christ before he can receiue Repentance or any grace from Christ Now faith is that which receiues Christ Ioh. 1. 12. 3. Repentance being the softning of our hearts and the changing of our natures how shall our stony harts bee molten but in Christs bloud and what can bathe them in that blood but faith And how shall such wilde oliue branches as wee be changed but by being engrafted into Christ as into the naturall Oliue And what can ingraft vs into him but faith 4. It is impossible that a man apprehending nothing in God but rigour and seuerity should euer relent toward him or come in and submit himselfe No there is mercy with thee ô Lord that thou mightest be feared Psal 130. This is it that brings in the sinner creeping and crouching before God as the Syrians to Ahab because they had heard the Kings of Israel were mercifull Christs 1. Kin. 20. 31. gracious aspect cast on Peter drew foorth the tears Gods gracious reuealing of himselfe not to the ear onely but eye also of Iob made him abhorre himselfe and repent Iob 42. 6. hence the exhortations to Repentance are founded commonly vpon the mercy of God in the Gospell as Ier. 3. 14. O yee disobedient children returne for I am your Lord. So Matt. 3. Repent for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand in which Christ is ready to dispense mercy and forgiuenesse to the repenting sinner so Os 6. 1. Ioel 2. 13. Rom. 12. 1. 2. Cor. 7. 1. There must be faith then to apprehend at least some hope possibility of mercy or else the sinner will harden his heart and enrage his affections grow furiously desperate against the Lord. 5. As the legall Repentance cannot be without Faith beleeuing the threats of the Law so neither by like proportion can the Euangelicall Repentance bee without faith in the promises of the Gospell going before Ob. Mar. 1. 15. Repent and beleeue Repentance is set first and so Acts 20. 21. Answ 1. The order of placing things in Scripture is not alwayes according to the order of nature But sometimes one thing is set first which in order of nature is last as the effect before the cause and then the cause comes after to shew how wee should obtaine the effect As faith is set after a good conscience and pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5. when yet it is faith that purifieth the heart Acts 15. So heere first repent and then that yee may repent beleeue 2. Things in Scripture are often propounded according to the order of our sense and feeling Now though faith in order of nature be first and the act of Faith before the Act of Repentance yet it is not so liuely and strong and so not so sensible to vs till after Repentance for the promises are made onely to repenting sinners Ob. Matth. 21. 32. Yee repented not that yee might beleeue Answ Sometimes then name of Repentance is giuen to the first preparatory beginnings and introductions thereof Now the preparations to Repentance are those legall fits of feare and terrour which are both in nature and time to before Faith The Vse 1. Against the Popish Repentance which is made to goe before mercy and forgiuenesse as a meritorious procurer thereof But as we haue seene Repentance is caused by the taste of Gods mercy by faith Therefore the Baptist exhorteth to repentance not that the Kingdome of Heauen may come as earned out by the sweat of pennance but because the Kingdome of Heauen is come Againe there cannot possibly bee any true repentance in Popery because repentance springeth from the particular apprehension of Gods mercy by faith which Popery cannot endure 2. Against the Libertines abusing Gods mercy and easinesse to forgiue vnto wantonnesse As the grace that Kings vse to shew against Parliaments makes many theeues But indeed they are beasts and no men that sin because of Gods mercy and it is an argument that they neuer by Faith tasted of Gods mercy in the pardon of their owne sinnes For they that feele much forgiuenesse loue much Luc. 7. If a man should tell a condemned Traytour that his Soueraigne would forgiue all his treasons and restore him to all his former dignities would not such mercy make his heart euen to melt and knit him faster in loue and duety then euer 3. Heere is comfort to all true Repentants that mourne for their sinnes and purpose a new course This repentance of theirs is an euident argument of their faith that hath tasted of the sweetnesse of Gods mercy or else their hearts would
But without any true reformation for presently after he fell to as bad cruelty against the holy Prophet Micaiah Iudas was grieued for murthering Christ yet no change ensued hee fell to murthering of himselfe The Israelites being threatned by God when as they meditated a returne into Aegypt wept and howled And yet at the same time being commanded not to goe the next way to Canaan but to fetch a compasse about they disobeyed But these men sorrow not aright because they sorrow not as the Corinthians did vnto a transmentation vnto a change of their thoughts and purposes from euill to good It is not possible a man should truely grieue and be displeased for his sins and yet continue in them without a change For as one very well sayes vnlesse sinne be made a wanton it will not stay It likes no grimme entertainement The sad countenance the weeping eyes the frowning forehead dash it quite out of countenance It is not able to stand before them The teares of true Repentance haue a purging and a raising vertue therfore the Prophet exhorting to Repentance sayes Wash yee make yee cleane These teares therefore Is 1. 16. are washing and cleansing teares where they fall they make cleane worke scouring away the filthinesse of our sinnes The abundance of naturall raine maketh the waies fowle that before were faire But contrarily the more abundantly this raine falleth the cleaner and fairer are the wayes of our hearts and fitter for the feet of the Lord to walke in For this is that same preparing of the way Matth. 3. of the Lord which the Baptist requires Worldly sorrow workes a change in the body it brings gray haires on the head and furrowes and wrinckles in the face It turnes youth into olde age and strength into weaknesse and so causeth death But the change of godly sorrow is quite contrary It turnes olde age into youth and a weaknesse and sicknesse into health and strength No distillations of waters heale our bodily diseases so as this water doth our spirituall This salt brine takes away all our raw humours and makes vs sauory meate for the Lord. This raine dissolues the clowds of our iniquities and ô what a pure cleerenesse is there in the heauen of our hearts And therfore iustly may wee suspect their repentance whose sorrow brings not with it this happy change 2. So also may we theirs whose change and alteration proceedes not from godly sorrow and touch of conscience for sinne Let it not suffice vs that in many things wee haue reformed our wayes For so did Herod Iudas and many other temporary beleeuers But alas this reformation was not grounded vpon true humiliation and so at length it came to nought as an vnfounded building And therefore by humiliation first digge wee deepe in our hearts and cast out the rotten and vnsound ground and so build wee Excellent is the counsell of Christ to luke-warme Laodicea be zealous that is reforme the fault of thy luke-warmnesse Reuel 3. but withall he addes and Repent namely of thy lukewarmnesse let the reformation of thy fault be grounded on sound sorrow for it So may I say to the couetous be liberall and repent to the vncleane be chaste and repent to the neglecter of Gods worship frequent the Church and exercises of Religion and repent Many Professours haue made a goodly flourish and of couetous haue turned liberall and of prophane deuout and who so forward as they But when they turned religious they did not heartily repent and repine at their former prophanesse grieuing and grudging at the seruice which formerly they did Sathan They sowed not the seed of their obedience in tears nay with the stony ground they beganne in ioy and therefore end in sorrow Before haruest comes all is withered and they become vnfruitfull They beganne not in humility and therefore end not in glory Nay they beganne in pride and therefore end in shame They beganne in impenitency and therefore end in despaire And thus haue we opened the definition of Repentance CHAP. II. In what order Humiliation is wrought REpentance then consisting of those two parts Humiliation and Reformation let vs speake of them both seuerally And first of Humiliation where consider first the grace it selfe And secondly the contraries to it In the grace it selfe foure things are to be considered 1. The Nature 2. The Measure 3. The Vse and Excellency 4. The Practise 1. For the nature two poynts must bee considered 1. The nature of Humiliation in two things 1. In what order it is wrought 2. What are the qualities and propeties of it being wrought For the former it is thus to be considered 1. The spirit by the shrill trumpet of the Law arouseth the sinners drousie conscience setteth his 1. The order of it sinnes in order before him and presenteth him with that fearefull spectacle of eternall death and condemnation And that so that the poore sinner selfe-conuict and selfe-condemned holding vp his guilty hands before Gods Tribunall and receiuing the sentence of death doth not onely see hell with a wide and gaping mouth ready to deuoure him but euen in a manner feeleth himselfe in hell already the terrours of God fighting against him and the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty sticking in his ribbes so that in this perplexity being brought downe to the very gate of hell and feeling the very flashings of hell fire in his conscience he cries out Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me Who shall descend into this deepe to Rom. 7. helpe me out of the myre wherein I sticke so fast A man in this case is like a rocke which with some mighty shaking is made to tremble but yet still retaines his hardnesse or as an iron vessell which with some violent stroakes is broken into peeces but these peeces remaine whole and hard and are not yet molten by the fire Now vnto humiliation there is required not onely a broken but also a contrite spirit And Contrition is when all is stamped to very dust and ground as it were to powder so that there is a through dissolution of that which before was firmely hardened and compacted together But the Law of it selfe cannot dissolue and soften the hard heart of man Therefore the sinner though neuer so violently shaken and battred with the thunderbolts of the Law is not as yet truely humbled but onely prepared for and in the way vnto humiliation As when a thing is torne and broken though into great and solide lumps it is neerer to dissolution then when it was whole and entire 2. Therefore the spirit by the hammer of the Law hauing broken vs doth in the next place by the fire of the Gospell melt vs. For the word of God Ierem. 23. 9. is both a hammer breaking the rockes and a fire A hammer in the Law A fire in the Gospell which with the heat of Gods loue in Christ doth melt mollifie and dissolue our hearts
theeues being entred into thy house if thou shouldest let but one of them alone vnsearched and vndiscouered hee would serue the turne to cut thy throat and steale thy treasure Thou must then powre out thy whole heart as water as the Prophet Lam. 2. 19. opened speaketh which some of the Ancient haue interpreted of a full confession when nothing is left out As in powring out of water euery drop goes out not so in powring out of oyle Yet in some cases the omission of some perticular sinnes is excusable As first in want of knowledge and memorie Heere to cry out with Dauid Psal 19. Who knoweth the errors of his life Clense me from my secret sinnes shall be accepted Secondly in want of leysure as when a man is suddenly preuented by the hand of God as the theefe on the crosse or by extreame and violent sicknesse Heere to remember thy chiefe sinnes as he his stealing and for the rest to confesse generally is accepted in mercy of the Lord. The second part of confession is the iudging of 2. Iudging our selues Iob. 39. 37. Prou. 30. 2. 2. Sam. 24. our selues First for the nature or quality of our sinnes wherein wee must bee most seuere against our selues so was Iob. I am vile Agar I am not a man I haue not the vnderstanding of a man in me Dauid I haue done exceeding foolishly Though before he thought he had done exceeding wisely So Paul iudges himselfe the head of sinners the least of the 1. Tim. 1. 15. 1. Cor. 15 9. Apostles yea of Saints yea lesse then the least He giues himselfe the highest place among sinners the lowest among Saints Secondly for the desert of our sinnes Heere wee must passe the sentence of the Law adiudging our selues to death so stand before Gods tribunall as guilty persons with ropes about our necks Ezech. 36. 31. Then shall ye iudge your selues worthy to bee cut off Daniel 9. Shame belongs to vs. Luk. 15. I am not woorthy to be called thy sonne These be the parts of Confession the manner followes 2. Manner of it in 6. things wherein sixe things are required 1. Confession must be in Faith of Gods mercy 1 In Faith for forgiuenesse of and helpe against the sinne confessed Wee must confesse not as the conuicted malefactor to the Iudge as Achan to Ioshua who assures himselfe of certaine death and lookes for no fauour but as the sicke man to the Phisition that hath hope to be cured by him And here our faith is surer a great deale For we cannot so assure our selues eyther of the will or skill of the Physitian to heale vs as of Gods neither that in the matter of shame he will be so faithfull to vs as God Wicked men confesse as Iudas I haue sinned but despaire swallows them vp When they acknowledge their fault they seeke not Gods mercie as the Prophet excellently bringeth in God coupling these Hos 5. 15. two together Till they acknowledge their fault and seeke mee So did Daniel yet there is mercy and forgiuenesse Dan 9. Ezr. 10. 2. And Shecaniah wee haue sinned yet there is hope in Israel concerning this 2. It must be in shame with annihilated deiected and confounded spirits as Esra O my God I am ashamed 2. In shame Ezra 9. and confounded to lift vp mine eies to Heauen for though faith bee confident yet not impudent Though Esra had faith and called God his God yet was hee ashamed with his sinne though not with the shame of a condemned malefactor yet of a good Sonne or Subiect offending his Father or Soueraigne The wickeds presumptuous faith is a shamelesse faith it makes them shamelesse in sinning and their shame is a faithlesse and desperate shame They cannot in their shame call God their God with Ezra But both these must goe together Many in confessing begge mercy with the Publicane but their eyes are not cast downe in godly shame as his were They are not touched with any serious sense of their owne vilenesse to thinke with Iob dust and ashes good enough for them I haue sinned saith Saul yet I pray thee honour mee in the sight of the people Lo a proud and high mind in 1. Sam. 15. 30. confession where our intent principally should be to shame and abase our selues 3. In sorrow with a bleeding and melting hart 3. In sorrow as Dauid Psalm 51. In confessing euery sinne confessed should be felt as a dagger pricking vs at the heart Else the confession of sinne is worse then the sinne confessed the remedy is worse then the disease and after such confessions wee had need to reconfesse our selues for our confessions It would more anger vs to see those that haue wronged vs confesse their wrong with an impudent forehead without relenting then the wrong it selfe did which they confesse 4. With a free-free-heart not extorted by the paine 4. With a free heart of the wracke as Pharaohs was who when hee was of the wracke bit in his confession againe and recanted not wrung nor wrested from vs by the dint of argument as Sauls was by the force of Samuels reasons Our owne hearts must smite vs with Dauid before Gad the seer come to smite vs and they 2. Sam. 24. must vrge vs out of loue to our God offended to come and confesse God loues a cheerefull confessor who needs not to bee laboured vpon by his minister friends or neighbours nor to be haled and pulled to confession by sicknesse or such like extremity for the vilest hypocrite will stoope then Balaam when hee saw the Angells naked sword could say then I haue sinned Num 22. 34. 5. With an angry heart 5. With an angrie and impatient heart against sin and our selues for sinne The repenting sinner though hee bee the most patient to God yet the most impatient to himselfe and full of indignation to his sinnes Thus was it with Dauid befooling himselfe in his confession 1. Sam. 24. 10. and calling himselfe beast in confessing his distrust in Gods prouidence Thus was it with Iob abhorring himselfe Iob. 42. 6. in his confession and with the Publican knocking himselfe shewing what mind he carried to his sinne euen to doe the like to it and with Ephraim Ier. 31. 9. in anger smiting himselfe on the thigh This is the way to fall in with God to fall out with our selues to bee friends with God to bee enemies with our selues 6. It must be with an honest heart in confessing 6. With an honest heart of sinne forsaking the sinne confessed He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne c. Confession and confusion Prou. 28. of sinne must goe together Heere many errors in Confession are discouered First many confesse their sinnes in a brauery as Paul did his religion I confesse saith hee that after Acts 24. 14. the way they call heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers So many gracelesse men
neuer yet truely humbled for their sinnes 3 In not daring Masterly and Iudge-like to censure 3. In not censuring for the humbled sinner finds so much matter at home within himselfe that he hath no leysure to looke so much into others And therfore though seuere to himselfe yet more milde to others in meekenesse of minde esteeming euery man better then Phil 2. 3. himselfe And those faults he sees in others he takes notice of happily in himselfe or else of others as bad at least of the seedes and inclinations to those sinnes Therefore Iames after he had commanded vs to humble our selues hee addes speake not euill Aut sumus aut fuimus aut possumus esse quod hic est Iam. 4. 10 11. one of another For how doth hee humble and cast downe himselfe that goes about to cast downe others and trample them vnder his feete 4 In abasing and submitting our selues to the lowest and meanest offices of loue to our brethren 4. In submitting to lowest offices Thus the humbled sinner will make himselfe a seruant vnto all and according to the Apostles commandement will serue others by loue and bearing other 1. Cor 9. 19. Gal. 5. 13. Gal. 6 2. mens burdens so fulfills the law of Christ CHAP. IX Of the contraries to Humiliation Despaire and a seared Conscience HItherto of the grace of Humiliation it selfe Now to adde a worde or two of the contraries to it Contrary to godly humiliation or contrition are these two 1. Desperation 2. The blockish the seared and sencelesse Conscience that is past feeling Both these indeed must be auoyded but Ephes 4. yet the latter of the two is more vsuall and more dangerous more vsuall because it is more pleasing to our nature whereas Desperation is more distastefull in regard of the bitternesse And therfore Sathan wants that bait to bring men to despaire which he hath to bring men to senslesse security Therefore heere we may say as they sang of Saul and Dauid Desperation slayes thousands Security Sam. ten thousands euen as more die of intemperancy of diet then are killed by the Sword so though Despaire be more fearefull yet Security is more frequent More dangerous also because Desparation may be turned sooner to good for that the despairing person is touched with the sight of his sins feeles his owne misery But the senslesse conscience is nothing so it hath neither sight of sin nor sense of misery Both these extreames of Desperation and of Senslesnesse come from one cause and that is the neglect of the prickes and wounds of conscience It is a great mercy of God to giue vs so faire warning from a monitour within our owne bosomes The warnings others giue vs wee are ready to except against Wee cannot except against the warnings of our owne hearts But as when milder correction preuailes not with our children wee proceed to seuerer discipline so when Conscience her gentler prickings are neglected shee falles to deeper wounding and cutting when rods will do no good God puts Scorpions into her hands to scourge vs to death Euery little prick of an accusation fetches as it were some blood from thy soule Now if presently with a repenting heart thou wouldest craue the bloud of Christ to be applyed to thy soule the bleeding would be stayed But because thou neglectest the bleeding and thinkest to stay it by base medicines of thine owne therefore the wound bleedes still and thou shalt dye of it And thus we see how desperation comes from the neglect of the pricks of Conscience But againe and that more commonly the Conscience growes seared and past feeling so that a man may now sinne freely and that without controule of Conscience after that hee hath once begunne to despise the admonitions and accusations thereof So we see the Father giues ouer correcting his vnhappy child when hee growes worse for all his correcting of him Thus many mens consciences deale with them speaking in a manner vnto them as God speakes to the Iewes Why should we smite you any more since ye fall away more and more you set light by our warning we will euen giue ouer Isay 1. 5. Conscience is Gods officer and it is set by God to doe the best office that can bee to vs. But when God sees his officer not regarded hee will discharge him of his office When a wound is not taken in time the flesh festers and growes dead and rotten so also it fares with the wounds of Conscience A wounding Conscience neglected will grow a dead Conscience O then howsoeuer thou mayst set light by the checkes and rebukes of men and mayst shake off them yet neuer reiect or con-contemne the checks of Conscience In any case take heed of that for either it will continually ring such a loud peale in thine eares as shall make them to tingle and thine heart to tremble or else that which is worse it shall for euer after hold its peace Doe wee then feele the priuy nippes and secret snibs and pulls of our consciences Let vs giue ear to so wholsome a rebuker Let vs seeke presently to the Lord for mercy and forgiuenesse Let vs humble our soules before him in confession Let vs put Conscience out of office no otherwise then thus that as Conscience hath accused vs to our selues so now we will goe and accuse our selues to our God For if Consciences roddes and checks cannot driue thee to Repentance whose should Many there are that in regard of their places are free from the rods and the cheekes of men as Kings and great ones Who dare checke them None may smite them yet God in mercy towards them will 2. Sam. 24. 10. haue their Conscience to smite them as Dauids heart smote him though a King Conscience takes no notice of Kingship Therefore all euen great States and they of all others must most listen to and heede the voice of Conscience lest otherwise it fare with vs as with those whom great and violent noises continually herd at length make deafe as in those that dwell by the fall of the riuer Nilus Or as it doth with vnlucky boyes who beeing vsed to the rodde at length harden themselues and regard it not CHAP. X. Of the names whereby the second part of Repentance viz. change of heart is set out in Scripture HItherto of the former part of Repentance 2. The second part of Repentance Conuersion where Mourning Humiliation or Contrition The second followeth Turning Reformation or Conuersion where consider wee 1. The Names 2. The Nature 3. The Practise of it 1. For the names they are more especially two 1. The names of it 1. An Hebrew name signifying Turning or Conuersion 2. A Greeke name signifying After-wit or wisdome The first name is a metaphor drawen from trauellers who hauing gone out of their way must come backe againe and returne into the right way if euer they meane to arriue vnto the intended period
more easily feare and tremble at a danger whence comes that opposition betwixt feare and hardnesse of heart as Blessed is that man Prou. 28. 14. that feareth alwayes but hee that hardneth his heart shall fall into euill and that of the Prophet why hast Is 63. 87. thou hardned our hearts from thy feare Now this feare is of excellent vse in the practise of Repentance for it is as a bridle to order guide and keepe vs in the way whereinto Repentance Prou. 28. 14. turnes our feet Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but he that in desperate boldnesse hardens his heart shall surely fall into euill Therefore by the force of the opposition he implies that he that feares shall be kept from euill and that heerein his blessednesse consisteth which he more plainly auouches elsewhere The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to Prou 14. auoyd the snares of death for more particularly it thus keeps thus First it makes vs to quake at the very first risings of euill and sinnefull motions in our hearts and so to dash sinne in the shell Tremble sayes Dauid and sinne not Psal 4 4. Secondly when strong and violent tentations assault vs it strengthens vs and withholds our assent for the repenting sinner being now turned to God he alwayes sees God and knowes that God sees him and therefore the awefull reuerence hee carries to his presence restraines him This vpheld Ioseph How can I saith he doe this and sinne against Gen. 39. 9. God This strengthened him against the powerfull and adulterous follicitations of his Mistresse The times was fit his master was absent and the place fit priuate and remote yet though time and place gaue him leaue Gods feare would not so powerfull was it against her powerfull perswasions to folly So Isaac though naturall affection would haue carried him to haue reuersed Iaakobs blessing specially when he was importuned by the howlings of Esau yet hee did not and what was the bridle that held him backe He feared an exceeding great feare Gen. 27. 33. which is mentioned afterward The feare of my father Isaac sayes Iaakob swearing by God whose feare Gen. 31. 42. opened possessing Isaac his father kept him from passing away the blessing to Esau Thirdly it keepes from such sinnes where the feare of man restraines not euen from secret and vnknowen sinnes to the world Thou shalt not saith Leuit. 19. 14. the Lord curse the deafe why what should hinder he cannot heare vs if we doe Thou shalt not lay a stumbling blocke before the blinde why what should let vs hee cannot see vs if wee doe Marke the words following Thou shalt feare the Lord who both heares thy curses and sees thy stumbling blockes Fourthly In the whole course of our life it makes vs worke out our saluation with fearing and trembling euen reioycing in feare and feasting in feare knowing Phil. 2. Psal 2. Iude 12. that there is then the greatest danger when to our eyes there is the least appearance of it In these and such like respects is this feare so necessary in the practise of repentance for Repentance is a continuall returning towards God and drawing neerer still to him To the which how soeuer that hellish and slauish feare bee a let for it driues a man backe from God and turnes away the face from sinne yet not this louing and filiall feare for it driues from sinne and keepes vs from forsaking God I will put my feare sayes the Lord Ier. 32. 40. in their hearts that they shall not depart from mee Out of this feare arises that notable duety which some Repentants in the more serious exercise of their Repentance in the Scriptures haue practised Namely that entring into Couenant with God binding our selues by solemne oath vnto him This was Dauids practise I haue sworne and I will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Psal 119. 106. The same duty we finde practised in the bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah Now this practise arises out Ezr 10. Neh. 10. of this feare and iealousie which we haue of our deceitfull hearts As when wee feare the faith and honest dealing of men wee will not trust to their bare words but we will haue it vnder their hands and seales The contrary to this feare is bold venturousnesse when we rush desperately into all manner of sinne and in boldnes of face and hardnes of heart worke out our owne damnation Now by this may wee try the truth of our Repentance What doe we feare to sinne when we see sinne following vs doe we runne from it as the chicken seeing the Kite come flies vnder the wings of the hen Art thou now afrayd of an oath Hast thou beene a couetous vsurer a swinish drunkard Eccles 9. 2. an vncleane adulterer a godlesse Sabaoth-breaker And art thou now afrayd of these sinnes tremblest thou at the thoughts of them then hast thou good euidence of the truth of thy Repentance But this giues the most the lie that bragge of their Repentance because as it is sayd of those deceiuers that they feast without all feare feeding themselues So it Iude 12. may be sayd of them that they follow their sinnes with all greedinesse without feare or wit So farre from feare that they doe desire the occasions of sinne and euen harden their hearts against this feare These may well feare that they neuer knew what Repentance meant CHAP. XV. Of three other duties wherein conuersion is practised 5. DVty is Desire That which we feare wee 5. Desire desire to bee freed from and to enioy the contrary So hee that feares death desires life and he that truely feares sinne desires to be freed from sinne and to enioy the presence of God euery day more and more This desire then of Gods grace and his presence to deliuer vs from the cumber and the burden and body of death is another affection of a repentant heart for when by Repentance we are turned to God and see the sweete beauty of his face wee are exceedingly rauished withall and therefore in strong and earnest desires we make towards him faine would we bee at the end of our iourney that we might be with him graspe him with our armes and satiate our selues with his sweetnes Hence it is that the children of God desire death and dissolution with Paul because Phil. 1. 23. till then they cannot be with Christ These desires are so much the stronger because of our infirmity in approaching towards God which is such that we goe but as it were creeping This greeues vs and makes vs desire that wee were rid of these infirmities which so clogge vs and hang as lead at our heeles This makes vs cry with the Church Draw me and we will runne after thee and with Dauid Oh Cant. 1. 3. that my wayes were directed By Repentance indeed Psal 119. 5. we are escaped
thing our sinnes past rise vp against vs to hinder vs and they stop the passage of Gods grace whereby we should be enabled to doe it It is necessary therefore that with repenting hearts for sinnes past we goe about the doing of good workes and so draw downe from heauen the grace of God to enable vs to do that good we go about Heereupon Peter bids those conuerts Repent and be baptized first to Acts 2. 38. wash themselues in the teares of Repentance before they were washed in the waters of baptisme So Paul requires of the Corinthians the renewing of 1. Cor. 11. 31. their repentance in the iudging of themselues before the receiuing of the Sacrament of the Supper 2. Worke of Repentance in doing good workes is conclusory in the closing vp of a good worke for our best righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloath Is 64. 6. This menstruity must bee washed away with the teares of Repentance We bring foorth the fruits of our obedience as the Beares doe their whelpes altogether vnshapen Wee had neede by repentance licke them ouer and bring them into better forme And as sowre apples haue sugar to commend them to our taste so had our obedience neede of the weeping water salt in our feeling but sweete to God to commend it to his palat Thus did Nehemiah close vp his many worthy seruices with this act of repentance acknowledging himselfe an vnprofitable seruant and crauing pardon for his defects As after his reformation of the abuses on the Sabaoth he prayes Remember me ô my God concerning this and pardon mee according to thy Neh. 13. 22. great mercy And after the relation other abuses reformed hee closes his booke with this Remember me ô my God in goodnesse These bee the spirituall Neh. 13. 31. good things which the grace of Repentance procures vnto vs. 2. Repentance brings also temporall Good and outward blessings If ye consent and obey that is if 2. Temporal Good Is 1. 19. ye consent to yeeld obedience to the former commandement of washing you and making you cleane by Repentance then shall you eate the good things of the land you shall not onely haue the blessings of heauen but the blessings of the earth also So the Lord promises the captiued Iewes peace Ier. 29. 11. 12. 13. 14. and freedome from their captiuity vpon their Repentance and seeking vnto God So Ioel vpon his exhortation to the people to turn vnto the Lord with Ioel 2. 12. 17. 19. all their heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning c. brings in the promise of temporall blessings The Lord will answer and say vnto his people Behold I will send you corne and wine and oyle and you shall be satisfied therewith Thus fasting procures feasting and when we feast the Lord with the wine of the teares of our repentance then will hee fill vs with the wine and fruites of the earth when wee haue withered faces with the teares of Repentance then will hee giue vs oyle to make our Psal 104. faces to shine and will powre downe a blessing without Mal. 3. 10. measure when in any good measure wee humble our selues for our sinnes This is that argument where withall Eliphaz vrges Iob to turne vnto the Iob 22. 23. 24. 25. Lord If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt be built vp Thou shalt lay vp gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the flints of the riuer Or else if Repentance doe not procure these things alwayes yet it brings as great a good as Eliphaz there tels Iob Yea the Almighty Sic Iun. AuruÌ„â—ectissimum shall be most choice gold and siluer and strength vnto thee If God doe not giue thee gold hee shall giue thee himselfe which is better then gold Hee will make a blessed supply another way Such is that gracious promise made by the Prophet Hosea to the Israelites vpon their Repentance O Israel returne Hos 14. 3. 5. 6. vnto the Lord thy God And what shall follow thereupon I will heale their rebellion I will loue them freely there be spiritual blessings which shal follow vpon their repentance but there is not all he also promises temporall blessings I will be as the dew vnto Israel he shall grow as the lilly and fasten his roots as the trees of Lebanon When we giue vnto God the dew of repentant teares then will he himselfe bee a dew vnto vs. There is one dew for another a dew from heauen for a dew from the earth And no maruell that true Repentance procures temporall good when as but a temporary Repentance hath not wanted these temporall blessings Ahab a very None-such for working of wickednes for there was none like Ahab who sold himselfe to commit euill yet euen he but rending his clothes though he rent not 1. King 21. 27. 28. 29. his heart and putting on sack-cloth and fasting is not neglected of God Seest thou sayes the Lord to Eliah how Ahab is humbled before me Because he submits himselfe before me I will not bring that euill in his dayes How much more will God regard the rending of the heart who thus farre respects the rending of the clothes If God doe thus to the dry what will he doe to the greene tree CHAP. XX. Motiues from the euils of impenitency THe second sort of motiues is from the euils of 2. Motiue from the euils of Impenitency Which are 2. Chro. 36. 13 14. 15. 16. impenitency Impenitency it selfe is of it selfe a greeuous and a fearfull euill An impiety aboue heathenish abominations Zedekiah hardned his neck and made his heart obstinate that he might not returne to the Lord God of Israel And as he so the people and the Priests trespassed wonderfully according to all the abominations of the Heathen Nay they did not only trespasse according to the abominations but aboue their abominations for though the Lord sent his messengers rising and sending to call them to Repentance yet they mocked his messengers and despised his words till there was no remedie Heereupon it is that our Sauiour vpbraides the cities wherein he had done Matth. 11. 20. most of his great workes euen for their very impenitency because they repented not This is the maine sinne for which he girds them And for the same sinne he spares not to vpbraid the eleuen after his resurrection he reprooued them of their vnbeliefe and Marc. 16. 14. hardnesse of heart Indeede God giueth as grace so the meanes and reproacheth and vpbraideth no man Iam. 1. 5. that is he vpbraideth no man with lesser infirmities but where impenitency is vnder the meanes there he vpbraideth and threatens it both This is a greater sinne then all other sinnes other sinnes are rebellious against God but yet this is a perpetuall rebellion against him This is that whereby that Ierem 8 5. Apocalypticall Iezabels sinne is aggrauated not so Reu. 2. 20.
21. much in this did she sinne that shee called her selfe a Prophetesse that she deceiued Gods seruants and made them commit fornication and eat meat sacrificed to idols But this was her heauy and hainous trasgression I gaue her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not Her great sinne was that she repented not for sinne This indeede is the damning sinne It is not simply sinne that now damnes but continuance in and impenitency for sinne It is not the falling into the water but the lying vnder the water that drownes It is not falling into sinne but lying in it by impenitency that drownes a mans soule in perdition There is but one sinne that shall neuer be forgiuen the blasphemy against the holy Ghost and euen this sinne is not simply irremissible and vnpardonable but only because that sinne hath alwayes annexed vnto it finall impenitency euen that sinner but that he is an impenitent sinner might be pardoned But let vs a little more particularly see what the euill of this sinne is Salomon telleth vs in one word what it is He that hardeneth his heart to wit by impenitency shall fall into euill Now this euill that Prou. 28. 14. shall follow impenitency is two fold Temporall euils and Spirituall euils 1. Impenitency brings Temporall euils They are these 1. Temporall they are 1. Iudgments of note 1. Fearefull exemplary and remedilesse punishments God whips not this sinne with ordinary rods but he lashes it with scorpions plagues it with remarkeable vengeance and iudgements of more eminent note The patience of God is that which keepes backe Gods iudgements Now impenitency sinnes against Gods patience and abuses it Mans impenitency causes Gods impatience And whereas Repentance stands in the gappe and keeps out iudgement Impenitency breakes down not a gappe but the whole fence and not onely lets in but as with cart-ropes hales in Gods iudgments The wise man seeth a plague and hideth himselfe Prou. 22. 3. but the foolish goe on still and are punished The wise man hides himselfe by Repentance by it turning backe from his sinne and so turning back the iudgement but the foole the impenitent sinner he goes on still till he meete with the iudgement Repentance is a meeting with God Because I will doe this Am. 4. 12. vnto thee prepare to meet thy God ô Israel Then wee meet God when we seek to him by Repentance sendforth our tears prayers as our Ambassadors to plead for a peace and sue for mercy to God in turning his fierce wrath from vs. But Impenitency makes a man sit still and lets the iudgement come and so because it will not come to meet with God it meetes with his wrath and iudgements So it is noted of the old world They were eating and drinking and marrying and giuing in marriage and knew Mat. 24. 38. 39. nothing till the flood came and tooke them all away They were washt away with the waters of Gods iudgement who would not wash themselues in the tears and waters of Repentance Therefore it is that when the Lord comes to threaten this sinne hee heapes so many threatnings one vpon another against this sin of impenitency as if so be he could not satisfie himselfe in threatning it as if so be the naming of it had enraged his iealousie If any man Deut. 29. 19. 20. 21. c. shall blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart c. The Lord will not bee mercifull vnto him but then the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen and so goes on still in that heauy manner threatning impenitent persons to the end of the chapter And wheras the Lord in threatning other sins vses to come in with some qualifications vpon hope of Repentance yet when he threatens this sinne he is absolute in his threatnings to shew that he will be resolute in his iudgements The Lord called to weeping Is 22. 12. 13. 14 and mourning to baldnesse and girding with sack-cloath that is to the exercises of Repentance and Humiliation And behold ioy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine eating and drinking that is hardening their hearts by impenitency and going on in their sinnes without Repentance Well but how did the Lord take this Surely saith he this iniquity this iniquity of their horrible impenitency shall not bee purged from you till ye die Heere is no qualification of the threatnings but God absolutely threatens that he will neuer pardon this sin of theirs that with so high an hand went on in their sinnes Secure sinning and hardnesse of heart is an vndoubted fore-runner of seuere destruction And when God will giue ouer men to his iudgements he first giues them ouer to this iudgement of an impenitent heart So vpon the iudgement of hardnesse of heart threatned by Isaiah In making their Is 6. 10. 11. hearts fat and their eares heauy c. followes the fearefull threatning of washing the cities till they bee without inhabitant and the houses till they bee without man and the vtter desolation of the Land Thus is hardnesse of heart and impenitency alwayes the harbinger to some fearefull plague As on the contrary when God intends mercy to a nation he first giues them the grace of Repentance In that day saith the Lord by Zachary will I seeke to destroy all nations that come against Ierusalem And I will powre Zich 12 9. 10. vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and compassion and they looke vpon me whom they haue pierced and they shall lament c. as if had sayd Though I meane to destroy other nations yet will I not destroy Ierusalem but will giue them the grace of Repentance that they may preuent and auoyd destruction But on the other side when our hearts are hardened in sinning Diluvium fuit circa finem Aprilis cum orbis quasi reuiuiscit cum aues cantillant ex ultant pecudes c. Luther in Genes 7. Gods heart is hardened in punishing Yea euen then when men are most securely hardened is Gods hand neerest vnto them to fall heauy vpon them The old world was destroyed in the end of Aprill which is the most pleasant time of all the yeere And the sunne shone vpon Sodome that morning it was destroyed who would haue looked for such a flood now the winrer was past and the yeere now in her prime and pride who after such a faire sunne-shining morning would haue looked for such a dismall day Such dismall euents doth mens impenitency portend and then most of all when they are in their greatest security Arise saith the Lord to Nebuchadnezzer and get you Ier. 29. 31. 32.
bee appropriated by particular application application As heere Sathan applies this promise to Christ in speciall and the tenour of the words of the promise shew as much Hee shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee speaking particularly to euery faithfull Christian So Galat. 4. 7. Thou art no Gal. 4. 7. more a seruant but a sonne God would not speake thus particularly if hee would not haue vs apply particularly Thus we see what is right See wee now what is naught in this Allegation 1. This is naught That the Scripture is alledged in a peruerse apish imitation because Christ had alledged Scripture before Thus hath the Diuell The Diuell Gods Ape alwayes been Gods Ape as in sacrifices washings tithes priests altars oracles of the heathen all which hee did apishly imitate and counterfet the like to those in the Church of God thinking by this meanes to disgrace the ordinances of God Pharaoh hardened his heart when he saw his sorcerers to doe the same things seemingly which Moses did truely And so when other nations should haue rites and ceremonies of diuine seruice as well as the Iewes and other sects should alleadge Scripture aswell as the orthodoxe Christians this might harden many either in wrong religion or else in a neutrality This imitation the Diuell also practises in his instruments All those courses the seruants of God at the first restoring of religion vsed for the furtherance of the Gospell haue the Papists since taken vp for the stablishing of their Kingdome As first preaching specially in great cities and pallaces of Princes though otherwise they iudge of preaching as of a matter of complement 2. Bookes of piety and deuotion 3. Seasoning and affecting youth be times by carefull instruction 4. Offers of disputations 5. Translations of Scripture with comments common places histories of the Church 6. Discouery of their scandalous liues 7. Martyrologies In all these haue they affronted vs. 2. This also is naught That the Scripture the most holy word of God by writhing wresting and The Scripture made a patron of sinne falsification is made a patron of sinne Heere the Diuell by Scripture corrupted encouraged Christ to tempt God So Epicures belly-gods drunkards fornicators couetous worldlings will alledge Scripture for themselues which I spare to recite remembring what Pliny beginning to relate some trickes of drunkards but calling himselfe presently backe saith Quae referendo pudet decere least his taxing should be a teaching Iulian the Apostata spoyling the Christian souldiers alleadged that Matth. 5. Blessed are the poore for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen Matth. 5. saying that he spoiled them to make them blessed So with the like Spirit hee alleadged another sentence out of the same chapter when thou art smitten on the one cheeke turne the other also to disgrace Christ for that being wrongfully smitten he spake in his owne defence The Popes and Papists hane excelled in this kinde The next sentence in the 91. Psalme to this sentence heere alledged by the diuell did that guilty Innocent the third alledge when hee trode vpon the Emperours necke Thou shalt walke vpon the Aspe and the Basiliske And the like is that God made two lights the greater and the lesse to shew that the Pope was aboue the Emperour And that in the Gospell Behold heere are two swords with Christs answer It is enough to prooue the Popes right to both the swords Vse This must teach vs neuer to alleadge Scripture but with reuerence and to the right ends A fault in many Preachers euen in the pulpit vsing them euen as a nose of wax and playing with and descanting vpon them We see heere it is the diuels property to corrupt the Scripture Marke then whose Church the Church of Rome is that obtrude vpon vs their vulgar latin edition for the onely authenticall which deales with the originall copies as the diuell doth with this place falsifies them somtimes by false interpretations sometimes by adding and sometimes by clipping and paring away as the Papists Index expurgatorius doth in other authours More remarkable examples heereof are these Rom. 11. 6. If it be of grace then not of workes for then grace Rom. 11. 6. is no more grace And if of workes then not of grace or else were worke no more worke The latter member of the opposition a notable inforcer of the Apostles argument against merit is quite left out So Heb. Hebr. 1. 3. 1. 3. where it is said that Christ by himselfe hath purged our sinnes that clause by himselfe forcible against our owne satirfactions is left out So Genes 3 for hee shall breake the serpents head they read shee Gen. 3. 15. which they would haue to be meant of the Virgine Mary See how they imitate the arch-corrupter of Scripture 3. This also is naught that the diuell leaues out that clause which is in the Psalm In thy wayes which Some part of the Scripture omitted is very materiall and quite against that to which he tempted our Sauiour For as Bernard hath noted the Angels shall beare vs vp in our wayes not in casting our selues downe head-long What kinde af way is this to cast a mans selfe downe from the pinnacle The In vijs nostris non in praecipitijs Qualis haec via descendere de pinnaculo via Luciferi caedentis de coelo Bern. way of Lucifer falling from heauen That which the Diuell hath left out let vs put in that which he concealed let vs specially remember for if there were not some speciall treasure inclosed in it hee would neuer haue concealed it Doct. This clause omitted by the Diuell teacheth vs that Gods good prouidence and the Angels protection Gods prouidence can only then be expected when we walke in the wayes appointed can onely then bee expected when wee are in the wayes he hath appoynted vs that is within the compasse of our generall or speciall callings Otherwise it is with vs as with the deere when they leape ouer the pale of the parke straggle into the fields Prou. 27. 8. As a bird that wandreth from her neast so Prou. 27. 8. is a man that wanders from his owne place While the bird keepes her neast she is safe from the kite from the snare the ginne and the fowler whereas out of her neast she is in danger of all these So it is with a man in or out of his calling It cost Shimei his life when he passed his bounds set him by the King and so it is dangerous to be out of the bounds and waies set vs by God Examples we haue in Balaam met by the Angell with a naked drawen sword Numb 22. Numb 22. he was out of the way of the Lord God had forbid him to goe So Moses was met by the Archangell Christ himselfe when circumcision was neglected Exod. 4. And Iaakob met with many crosses when Exod. 4. 1. King 13. his vow was neglected So the Prophet