thynges Yf when we hated hym and fledde awaye from hym he sente his sonne to seke vs who canne thynke otherwyse thē y t now we louynge hym and lamentynge because we loue him no more but that he wyll for euer loue vs. He that geueth the more to his ennemyes wyll not he geue the lesse trowe you to his frendes God hath giuen his owne sonne then whiche thinge nothinge is greater to vs his enemies and we nowe beyng become his frendes wyll he denye vs fayth and pardone of oure synnes whiche thoughe they be greate yet in comparisone nothynge at all Christ Iesus woulde geue hys owne selfe for vs when we wylled it not and wil he nowe denye vs fayth yf we wyll it This wyll is his earnest that he hath geuen vs truely to loke in dede for the thyng wylled And loke thou for it in deede for as he hath geuen thee to wyll so wyll he geue thee to do Iesus Christ gaue his lyfe for oure euylles and by his deathe delyuered vs Oh then in that he lyueth nowe and cannot dye wyll he forsake vs His hearte bloude was not to deere for vs when we asked it not what can then be nowe to dere for vs askyng it is he a chaungelyng is he mutable as man is can he repent hym of his gyftes Did he not foresee our falles payde not he therefore the pryce Because he sawe we shulde fail sore therfore wolde he suffer sore Yea if his sufferynges hadde not bene enoughe he would yet once more come agayne GOD the father I am sure yf the deathe of hys sonne incarnate wold not serue woulde him selfe and the holye ghost also become incarnate and dye for vs. This death of Christ therfore loke on as y e very plege of Gods loue towards the whosoeuer thou art howe deepe soeuer thou hast sinned See Gods handes are nayled they cannot stryke thee his feete also he cannot runne from thee his armes are wide open to imbrace the his heade hanges down to kysse the his verye harte is open so that therein see roote looke spie pepe and thou shalte se nothyng therin but loue loue loue loue to the hide thee therefore lay thy head there with the Euangeliste Iohn xiij This is the clyfte of the rocke wherein Helias stode this is the pillow of downe for al aking heades Anoint thy head w t this oile let this oyntment enbaulme thy heade and washe thy face Tarry thou here and cock sure thou art I warrant thee Say w t Paule what can separateme frō the loue of god can death can pouertye syckenesse hunger or any mysery perswade the nowe that God loueth the not Nay nothyng cā separate the frō the loue where w t god hath loued y e in christ Iesus whom he loueth he loueth to the ende Iohn .xiii. So that nowe where aboūdaunce of sinne hath ben in thee the more is the aboūdaunce of grace But to what ende forsooth that as sinne hath raygned to death as thou se est to the kyllyng of Goddes sonne so nowe grace must raigne to life to the honouryng of gods sonne who is nowe alyue and cannot dye any more So that they which by fayth fele this cannot any more dye to God but to synne wherto they are dead and buried with christ As Christ therfore lyueth so do they and that to God to ryghtuousnes and holynes The lyfe which they lyue is in fide fily dei in the fayth of the sonne of God whereby you see that now I am slipt into that which I made the thyrde parte of penaunce namely newnes of lyfe which I could not so haue done yf that it were a parte of it selfe in deede as it is an effect a freewyt of the seconde parte that is of fayth or truste in Gods mercy For he that beleueth that is is certaynly perswaded synne to be such a thing that it is the cause of al miserie and of it self so greatly angreth God that in heauen nor in earth nothinge coulde appease his wrath saue alonely the death preciouse bloudshe dinge of the sonne of God in whome is al the delight and pleasure of the father He I say that is perswaded thus of sinne the same cānot but in hearte abhorre and quake to doe or saye yea to thinke anye thing willingly which Gods law teachet him to be sinne Agayne he that beleueth that is is certaynly perswaded Gods loue to be so much towards him y t wher through synne he was loste and made a fyre brand of hel the eternal Father of mercy which is the omnisufficient God nedeth nothing of vs or of any thinge y t we can do to delyuer vs out of hell to bring vs into heauē dyd sende euē his own most dere sonne out of his bosome out of heauen into hell as a man would say to bring vs as I sayd frō thence into his owne bosome mercy we beyng his very enemies He I say that is thus perswaded of gods loue towardes him of y e price of his redempcion by the dere bloud of the lābe imaculate Iesus Christ the same mā cannot but loue god agayn of loue do that hartely desire to do better y t which might please God Trow you that such a one knowīg this geare by faith wil willingly walter wallow in his woful lustes plesure fantisties Wil suche a one as knoweth by faith christ Iesus to haue geuē his bloud to wash him frō his sinnes play the sow to walter in his puddell of fylthie sinne vyce agayn Nay rather thē he wylbe defiled agayn by wilfull sinning he wil wash oftē the fete of his affectiōs watching ouer y e vice styl sticking in him which as a spring cōtinually sendeth out poyson ynough to drown defile him did not the swete water of Christes passion in gods sight wash it and his bloude satisfie the rigoure of Gods iustice due for the same This bloud of christ shed for our sinnes is to dere in the sighte of him that beleueth that he wil abhorre in his hart to stampe it and treade it vnder his feete He knoweth nowe by his belefe that it is to muche that hetherto he hath set to little by it is ashamed therof Therfore the resydue of hys lyfe he purposeth to take better heede to him selfe then to fore he dyd For because he seeth by his fayth the greuousnes of Gods anger the foulenes of synne the greatnesse of Gods mercye and of Christes loue towardes him He wyll nowe be headie to praye God to geue him his grace accordingly that as w t his eyes tonge handes feete c. He hath displeased God doynge his owne wyl euen so now with the same eyes tonge eares handes feete c. He maye displease his owne selfe and do Gods wil. Willinglye wyll he nowe do that which mighte renewe the death of the sonne of God He knoweth he hath to much sinne vnwillingly in
mortalitie miserie euen in thys lyfe feele the same And was god so angry for theyr sinne and he being the same God wyll he saye nothing to vs for oures halas muche more horrible then the eating once of one pece of an apple In the tyme of Noe and Lot God destroyed the whole world with water the cities of Sodoma and Gomorra Seboim Adamah with fyre and brimston from heauen for theyr synnes Namely for theyr whoredomes pryde idlenes vnmercifulnes to the poore tyrannie c. In which wrath of God euen the very babes byrdes foules fishes herbes trees and grasse perisshed And thinke we that nothinge wylbe spokeÌ„ to vs muche worse more abhominable theÌ„ they For al meÌ„ may see yf they wil y e the whoredoÌ„s pride vnmercifulnes tirannie c of England far passeth in this age any age y t euer was before Lots wife loking back was turned into a salt stone wil our loking back agayne yea our running back agayne to our wickednes do vs not hurt yf we were not alredy more blind theÌ„ bettels we would blush Pharao his heart was hardened so y t no myracle could conuert him yf oures were any thing softe we woulde begin to sobbe Of syxe hundreth thousande men alonely but twayne entred into the land of promyse because they had teÌ„ times synned against the Lord as he him selfe sayeth Num 14. And trow we that god wil not sweare in his wrath that we shall neuer entre into his rest which haue sinned so manye ten times as we haue toes fingers yea heares of our heades beardes I fere me yet we passe not The man that sware Leu. 24 and he that gathered stickes on the Saboth day Num. 13. were stoned to death but we thynke our swearing is no sinne our bibbing rioting yea whore hunting on the Saboth day pleaseth god or els we woulde some thinge amende our maners Helias negligence in correcting his soÌ„nes nipped his neck in two But oures which paÌ„per vp oure children lyke puppets wyll putte vs to no plounge Helias sonnes for disobeying theyr fathers monicion brought ouer them Gods vengeauÌ„ce and wyl our stubbernes do nothing Saule his malice to Dauid Achabs displeasure agaynste Naboth brought theyr bloud to the grounde for dogges to eate yea their children were hanged vp slayne for this geare but we continue in malice enuie murther as though we were able to wage warre wyth the Lord. Dauids adultrie with Bethsabe was vysyted on the chylde borne on Dauids daughter defyled by her brother and on hys chyldren one slaying another on hys wyues defyled by hys owne sonne on him selfe dryuen out of hys realme in hys olde age and otherwise also although he most hartely repeÌ„ted his sinne but we are more dere vnto god theÌ„ Dauid whiche yet was a man after gods owne hart or els we could not but tremble and begynne to repent The riche glottonnes gaye paunche fyllynge what did it it brought hym to hel and haue we a plackarde that God wyll do no thynge to vs. Achams subtyll theft prouoked Gods anger agaynst all Israell and our subteltie yea open extorcion is so fyne and politike that God cannot espye it Giezi his couetousnes broughte it not the leprosy vpon him and on all hys sede Iudas also hanged hym selfe But the couetousnes of Englande is of an other cloothe and coulloure well yf it were so the same tayler wyll cutte it accordyngelye Anania and Saphira by lyinge lynked to them sodayne death but oures nowe prolongeth oure lyfe the longer to laste in eternall death The false wytnesses of the twoo Iudges against Susanna lighte on their owne pates and so wyll ours do at length But what go I about to auouche aunciente exaumples where daylye experience doeth teach The sweat the other year the stormes the winter folowing wyl vs to way them in the same ballaunces The hangynge and kyllynge of men them selues whiche are alas to ryfe in all places requier vs to register them in the same rolles At the least in Chyldren infauntes and such like which yet can not vtter synne by worde or dede we see Goddes anger agaynste Synne in punysshynge them by syckenes death myshappe or otherwyse so playnely that we cannot but grone and grount agayne in that we a lyttell more haue gusshed oute thys geare gorgeousely in worde and dede And here with me a litel loke on gods anger yet so freshe that we cannot but smell it although we stop our noses neuer so much I praye God we smel it not more freshe hereafter I meane it forsoth for I know you loke for it in our dere late souereigne lorde the kyngs maieste You al know he was but a chylde in yeares defyled he was not with notorious offences Defiled ê™ he naye rather adorned w t so many good and wonderfull qualities as neuer prynce was from the begynnyng of y e world Shuld I speak of his wysedome of his rypenes in iudgement of his learning of his Godlye zeale heroical heart fatherly care for his commons norcely solicitude for religion c naye so manye thinges are to be spoken in commendatioÌ„ of gods excedyng graces in this childe that as Salust wryteth of Chartage I had rather speak nothing then to lytel in y t to much is to litle This gift God gaue vnto vs Englysh men before all nations vnder the sonne and that of his excedynge loue towardes vs. But alas and welawaye for our vnthankefulnes sake for our sinnes sake for our carnalitie and prophan liuing gods anger hath touched not only y e body but also the mynde of our king by a long sycknes and at length hath takeÌ„ hym awaye by death death cruell death fearful death death c Oh if Gods iudgement be begon on him which as he was the chiefest so I thinke the holiest godliest in y e realme of England alas what wyl it be on vs whose synnes are ouergrowne so oure heades that they are climed vp into heauen I pray you my good brethren know that gods anger for oure sinnes towardes vs cannot but be great yea to fel in that we se it was so great that our goodking coulde not beare it What folowed to Iewry after the death of Iosias God saue England and geue vs repeÌ„taunce my hart wil not suffer me to tary loÌ„ger herein I trow this wyll thruste oute some teares of repentaunce Yf therfore to praier for gods feare the tootynge in gods glas and the tagge thereto wyll not burste open thy blockysh hearte yet I trowe the tossinge to and fro of these examples and specially of our late kynge and this troublesome tyme wyll tomble some teares oute of thyne hart yf thou styll praye for Gods spirite accordynglye For who arte thou thynke alwayes with thy selfe that GOD shoulde spare thee more then they whose examples thou hast harde what frendes haste thou were
muche wickednesse yet the Lorde shewed mercye vpon hym beyng in preson as his praier doth teach vs. Nabugodonozar thoughe for a time he bare gods anger yet at y e length he founde mercy The citie of Niniue also founde fauour with God as did manye other which I wil omit for tymes sake and wil bringe forth one or twoo out of the new testamēt that we maye se God the same God in y e new testament he was in tholde I myght tell you of manye yf I shoulde speake of y e Lunatike such as were possessed w t deuyls lame blinde domme deaf lepers c. but tyme wyll not suffice me one or two therfore shall serue Mary Magdalene hadde seuen deuylles but yet they were caste oute of hyr and of all others she was the fyrst that Christ appeared vnto after his resurrection Thomas would not beleue christes resurrection though manye tolde hym whiche had seene and felte hym by reason whereof a man myght haue thoughte that his synnes woulde haue cast him awaye except I shulde see fele sayeth he I wyl not beleue Ah wylfull Thomas I wyll not sayeth he but Christe appeared vnto hym and woulde not leese hym as he will not do thee good brother yf that with Thomas thou wylte kepe companie with the disciples as Thomas dydde Peter his falle was vgglie he accursed hym selfe if euer he knew Christe and that for feare of a gyrle and this not once but euen three dyuers tymes and that in the hearynge of Christe his maister but yet the thyrd time christ loked backe and cast on hym his eye of grace so that he went out and wept bitterly and after christes resurrection not only dydde the aungels wyll the wemen to tell Peter that Christ was risen but Christ hym self appeared vnto hym seuerallye suche a good Lorde is he The theefe hangynge on the crosse sayde but thus Lord whē thou comest into thy kyngedome remembre me and what aūswer had he This daye sayth Christe shalte thou be with me in paradyce What a comfort is this in that he is now the same Christe to thee and me and vs all yf we wyll runne vnto him For he is the same Christ to daye to morowe vntyll he come to iudgement Then in dede he wylbe in exorable but nowe is he moore ready to geue then thou to aske yf thou crys he heareth thee yea before thou crye Crye therfore be bolde man he is not parciall call sayth he and I wyll heare thee Aske and thou shalte haue seke and thou shalt fynd though not at the fyrst yet at the length yf he tarry a whyle it is but to trye thee Nam veniens ueniet et non tardabit He is commynge and wyl not be longe Thus haue you iiii meanes which you must vse to that tayning of fayth or certaine perswasiō of gods mercy towards you whiche is the second part of pennaunce namely prayer the fre vniuersall promises of Goddes grace the recordation of the benefites of god past and presente the exāples of gods mercy whiche although they myght suffice yet wyl I put one moo to them whiche alonelye of it selfe is full sufficiente I meane the death of the sonne of God Iesus Christe which yf thou set before the eyes of thy mynd it wyl confyrme thy plackarde for it is the great seale of Englande as they saye yea of all the worlde for the confyrmation of all patentes and perpetuities of the euerlastynge lyfe whervnto we are all called Yf I thoughte these whyche I haue before recited were not sufficient to confyrme your faith of gods loue towardes suche as do repente I woulde tarry longer herein But because both I haue bene longe and also I trust you haue some exercyse of conscience in this daylye or els you are to blame I wyll but touche and go Consider with youre selues what we are misers wretches and enemies to God Consider what God is euen he whiche hath al power maieste might glorye ryches c. perfectlye of hym selfe and neadeth nothyng but hath all thinges Consider what Christ is Concernyng his godhead coequall w t his father euen he by whō al thynges were made are ruled gouerned Concerninge his manhode the only dearlyng of his father in whom is all his ioye Nowe syr what a loue is this that this God whiche neadeth nothyng wold geue wholly his owne selfe to thee his ennemy wreakyng his wrath vpon hym selfe in this his sonne as a man maye saye to spare the to saue thee to wyn thee to bye thee to haue thee to enioye thee for euer Because thy synne had seperated the from hym to the ende y u myghteste come eftsones into his company agayne and therin remayne he hym selfe became as a man wolde saye a synner or rather synne it self euen a malediction or a curse that we synners we accursed by his sinne that by his oblation or offeringe for our synnes by hys curse might be delyuered from synne from malediction For by synne he destroyed synne killinge death sathan and synne by theyr owne weapons and that for thee me man if we cast it not awaye by vnbeleif Oh wonderful loue of God who euer harde of suche a loue The father of heauen for vs his ennemies to geue his owne deare sonne Iesus Christ and that not onely to be our brother to dwell amonge vs but also to the death of the crosse for vs Oh wōderful loue of Christ to vs all that was contēt and wylling to work this feate for vs Was there any loue lyke to this loue God in dede hathe commended his charitie and loue to vs herein that when we were very ennemyes vnto hym he woulde geue his own sonne for vs That we beyng men might become as you would saye gods God wold become man That we being mortall might become immortal the immortal God wold become mortal man That we earthlye wretches might be sitizens of heauen the Lorde of heauen woulde become as a man wolde say earthlye that we beynge accursed myght be blessed God wolde be accursed That we by our father Adam beyng brought oute of paradice into the puddel of al pain myght be redemed and brought into paradyce agayne god wold be our father and an Adam ther vnto That we hauyng nothing might haue all thinges God hauynge all thinges woulde haue nothyng That we being vessels and slaues to al euen to sathan y e fend myght be lordes of all and of Sathan the lorde of al would become a vassall and a slaue to vs all and in daunger of Sathan Oh loue incomprehensible who can otherwyse thinke nowe but yf the gratious good Lorde disdayned not to geue his owne Sonne his own hartes ioye for vs his very ennemies tofore we thought to begge any such thing at his hands ye tofore we were who I say can thinke otherwise but that with him he wil geue vs all good
see it a foule spotte in our soules not onelye to be a manqueller in hatered malyce proude lookes bragges backbiting raylinge or bodely slaughter but also no to loue oure neyghbours yea oure enemies euen in our hartes and to declare y e same in al our iesture wordes and workes In Gods law we see it a foule spot to oure soules not onelye to be a whoremonger in lusting in our heartes in wanton loking in vncleane or wanton talking in actuall doing vnhonestly with out neyghbors wife daughter seruaunt c. but also not to be chast sobre temperate in heart lokes tonge apparell deedes and to helpe others there vnto accordinglye c. In Gods law we see it is a soule spot to our soules not onely in hearte to couet in loke or worde to flatter lye colour c in dede to take away any thing whiche pertayneth to another but also in heart countenaūce word dede not to kepe saue and defend that which pertayneth to thy neyghbour as thou wouldest thine own In Gods law we maye see it a foule spot not only to lie or beare false witnes agaynst any mā but also not to haue as greate care ouer thy neyghboures name as ouer thine owne Sinne in gods law it is we may se a foule spot not only to consent to euil lust or carnal desyres but euē the verye natural or carnal lustes desires thēselues for so I may cal thē natural it self beyng now so corrupted as self loue many such like by reason wherof I trow ther is none ▪ that toteth well herein but though he be blameles to y e world fayre to y e shew yet certaynely inwardly his face is foule araied so shamful saucie māgie pocked skabbed y t he cānot but be sory at the cōtēplaciō therof that so much more by how much he continueth to loke in this glas accordingly And thus much cōcernīg the secōd mean to y e stirring vp of sorowe for our sinne y t next vnto praier we shuld tote in gods law spiritually y t which toting yf we vse w t praier as I said let vs not doubt but at y e lēgth gods spirit wil worke as now to such as beleue for to y e vnbeleuers al is in vayn Their eyes ar starke blind they can see nothing to suche as beleue I say I trust somthing is done euē already But yf nether by praier nor by tooting in Gods law spiritually as yet thy harde vnbeleuing hart fealeth no sorow nor lamēting for thy sinne Thirdly loke vpon y e tagge tied to gods law for as to mās lawes there is a tagge tied y t is a penaltie So is there to Goddes lawe a tagge tyed that is a penaltie and that no small one but suche a greate great one as cānot but make vs to cast our currish tayles betwen our legges yf we beleue it for all is in vayne yf we be faythles not to beleue before we feele This tage is Gods maledictiō or cursse maledictus omnis sayth it qui nō permanet in omnibus quae scripta sunt in libro legis ut faciat eam Loe accursed saith he is al no acception al sayth God which continueth not in al thinges for he that is giltie of one is giltie of the whole layeth S. Iames In all thinges therefore sayeth the holy ghost which are written in the boke of the lawe to do them he sayeth not to heare them to talke of them to dispute of them but to doe them Who is he now that doth these Rara auis fewe such byrdes yea none at all For all are gone oute of the way though not outwardlye by word or dede yet inwardly at the least by defaulte wantinge of that which is requyred so that a chylde of one nightes age is not pure but by reason of byrth sinne in daunger of Gods malediction Moch more thē we which halas haue dronken in iniquitie as it were water as Iob sayeth but yet halas we quake not Tell me nowe good brother why do you so lightely consyder Gods cursse that for your sinnes past you are so careles as though you had made a couenaunt with death and damnatiō as the wicked dyd in Esayes time what is Gods cursse At the popes cursse with boke bell candle oh howe trembled we which harde it but onely though the same was not dyrected vnto vs but vnto others but to this Goddes cursse which is incōparably more fell importable is directed yea hāging ouer vs al by reason of our sinnes halas how careles ar we Oh faythles hard harts Oh Iezabels gestes rocked and layd a slepe in her bed Oh wicked wretches whiche being come into the depe of sinne do cōtēpne thesame Oh sorowles sinners shameles shrinking harlots Is not the anger of a kinge death and is y e anger of the king of al kinges a matter to be so lightlye regarded as we doe regard it which for our sinnes are so recheles y t we slug slepe it oute As waxe melteth away at the heate of y e fyre saith Dauid so do the wicked perishe at the face or countenaūce of the Lord Yf dearly beloued his face be so terrible and intollerable for sinners y e wicked What trowe we his hand is At the face or apearing of gods anger the earth trembleth but we earth earth yea stones yron flintes trēble no thinge at al yf we wil not trēble in hearinge wo vnto vs for then shal we be crasshed a peces in feelinge yf a lyon rore the beastes quake but we are worsse thē beastes which quake nothing at the roring of the lion I meane y e lord of hostes And why because the cursse of God hardenes of heart Chreno iij is already fallē vpon vs or els we could not but lamēt trēble for our synnes yf not for the shame and foulenes thereof yet at the least for the maledictiō and cursse of God which hāgeth ouer vs for our synnes Lorde be mercyfull vnto vs for thy Christes sake and spare vs in thyne anger remembre thy mercy towardes vs. Amen And thus much for the thyrde thing to the mouing of vs to sorow for oure sinnes that is for y e tagge tied to Gods law I mean for the malediction and cursse of God But yf our heartes be so hard that thorow these we yet fele not harty sorow for our synnes Let vs fourthlye set before vs examples past and present old new that therby the holy spirite may be effectual to worke in his time this worke of sorowing for oure sinne Loke vpon Gods anger for synne in Adam and Eue For eating a pece of an apple Were not thei the dearest creatures of god cast oute of Paradyse were not they subiect to mortalitie traueil labour c was not the earth accursed for theyr sinnes Doe not we all men in laboure women in traueling with chylde and all in death