we thinke the best of vs all haue great neede to haue our hearts washed cleansed and purged together cum magna comitante caterua with an innumerable company of our secret sinnes which neuer come within the compasse of our knowledge to be repented of And if euery one haue neede to pray with Dauid that the Lord would forgiue vs our secret sinnes Psal 19.12 how much more neede haue we to pray the Lord of Lords to wash our hearts our tongues our hands our thoughts our wordes our workes being so grosly polluted and defiled with all manner of sinne and pollutions And thus much for the Exhortation Wash thine heart from wickednesse wherein if any shall thinke I haue beene too long and tedious let him know if so long time neede to be spent only in exhorting to such a businesse how much time had we need to spend to act and performe the same rightly and religiously as we ought to doe The fourth circumstance The reason Now come we to the reason why we should wash our hearts from wickednesse Which is in a word that we may be saued A reason of all reasons to be regarded for what should it gaine vs to win the whole world c And that we may the better consider of it let vs obserue from thence these three points Three things First the great patience mercy and loue of God towards vs in wayting for our Repentance that we might be saued Secondly the care of all good Pastors in all Ages to exhort Gods people to repentance that they may be saued Thirdly we may here-hence collect and plainely conclude that except we repent we cannot be saued Of these three particulars as briefly as I may and as the Lord shall inable me with his grace Touching the first To what thing else may we ascribe this so long forbearance of punishment for our so manifold transgressions but to the long patience and meere mercy of our so good and gracious a God for the earth is wearie to beare the burden of our sinnes the heauens are ashamed of them and the Angels of glorie blush to behold them Only God in his mercy and for his Sonnes sake turneth the face or edge of his iustice from them that so we might repent and be saued But sinfull man which either cannot or will not repent heapeth sinne vpon sinne to his owne destruction Whereof S. Paul giueth good warning in the second to the Romanes Rom. 2.4,5 aduising that we should not despise the riches of Gods bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferance vsing so many wordes to expresse Gods Ioue towards vs adding that this bountifulnesse of God should leade vs to repentance But thou saith the Apostle speaking to such despisers of Gods mercies after the hardnesse and heart which cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and declaration of the iust Iudgement of God And S. Peter saith likewise That the Lord is not slacke concerning his promise 2. Pet. 3.9 of comming to Iudgement but is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would haue all men to come vnto repentance for it is not mans merit but of Gods mercy that we are not daily consumed in our sinnes and as Esay saith Except the Lord of Hosts had reserued a remnant Esay 1.9 we should haue beene as Sodom and like vnto Gomorrah Whereby we are also taught that the wicked are oftentimes spared from punishment for the Godlies sake for Sodom it selfe should not haue beene destroyed if there could haue been but ten godly persons found in it Therefore the Prophet Ieremie is willed as we heard before to runne to and fro by the streets of Ierusalem and to inquire in the open places thereof if he could finde a man Ier. 5.1 And God himselfe complayneth in Ezechiel that he could not finde a man Ezech. 22.30 Wherein appeareth the infinite patience and mercy of God towards vs in expecting our repentance and staying his hand from punishing as long as possible may be The vse of this point may be Vse 1 To teach vs to be thankefull vnto God for this mercy who wayteth daily for our conuersion and to praise him continually for the same for if we be sinnefull and vnthankefull too then wo wo be vnto vs. Vse 2 To teach vs to loue heartily and to make much of such as feare the Lord for it is for the godlies sake many times that a whole Citie or Countrie is saued and preserued and when the godly Magistrates or Ministers are taken away it is a fearefull signe some imminent danger may insue for Aaron and Moyses may preuaile more in the Lords warres with feruent prayers then the people with all their Pikes Therefore Esay complayned not without cause That good men perished though he knew they were taken away from the euill to come Yea Dauid himselfe cryed out for helpe to God when godly men were diminished from the earth Psal 12.1 therefore I say still if thou canst not thy selfe attayne to be so godly as thou desirest yet pray heartily and praise God continually for them that are godly for God harkeneth and is attentiue to their prayers as Malachy speaketh Malach. â— And we know that S. Iames saith The prayer of one righteous man auayleth much if it be feruent Vse 3 The last vse must be to teach vs to call our selues to a reckoning how long God hath with-holden his iudgements from vs for any sinne which long since haply we haue iustly deserued to be powred vpon vs euery man is Conscius sibi best knowne to himselfe therefore following the counsell of S. Paul Let euery one examine himselfe for his owne sins and let him doe this businesse throughly as he ought to doe and he shall finde little leisure to prie into other mens faults which is the fault of all the World O deare Christians if this course of examination might be presently put in practice without fauour or affection to our selues what a crying of consciences would there be among vs seeing they are priuie to all our faults yea our owne soules would exclaime against our owne bodies and against euery member and facultie thereof One would crie out Oh my head for craftinesse another O my heart for couetousnesse another Oh my throate for drunkennesse another Oh my belly for beastlinesse another Oh my tongue for blasphemie another Oh mine eyes for adulterie another Oh my hands for briberie another Oh what shall become of my poore soule for vsurie To speake nothing of Enuie Malice Pride Theft Murther and Trecherie with an innumerable multitude of all sinnes which like a great floud haue ouer-flowne all our Countrie of all which sinnes we may I feare me too too truely say as the yong man did in the Gospell though in another sense All these sinnes haue we commited from our youth and it is only of Gods mercy that we haue not beene consumed in them and for
God not of workes lest any man should beast Ephes 2.8 but yet so as followeth in the same Text that God hath ordayned good workes for euery good Christian to walke in And therefore let euery one that beleeueth in Christ be carefull to bring forth good workes to testifie his Faith Repentance without which he cannot be saued Vse 1 The vse of this point may then serue To teach all people to take heede that they linger not their Repentance and put it off from day to day because euery houre they are in danger of death and if they dye without Repentance they cannot be saued Vse 2 To teach vs all neuer to soothe our selues in any sinne though neuer so sweet though neuer so pleasing though neuer so profitable for that is not Repentance that only sorroweth for sinne but that which causeth vs to hate all sinne and to labour to leaue the same to the vttermost of our power In a word true Repentance or conuersion as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth is the whole conuersion of the minde vnto God with a full purpose and holy resolution to denie all vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Vse 3 Lastly seeing except we thus repent we cannot be saued let vs pray night and day for this grace of Repentance for it is not in our selues to turne vnto the Lord for euen Ieremie himselfe prayeth Conuert thou vs good Lord and we shall be conuerted turne thou vs good Lord and we shall be turned Let vs know that this is a businesse that of necessitie must be done whatsoeuer be left vndone if we will be saued and the sooner it is done the easier it is to be done and the better accepted put not off thy Repentance therefore any longer lest Gods wrath fall vpon thee to thine euerlasting destruction Thinke vpon the end of thy Creation thinke vpon the price of thy Redemption it was to this end that thou mayest be saued for this end was Prayer Preaching and Sacraments commanded and ordayned that thou mayest be saued In a word this is the end of thy faith as S. Peter saith The saluation of thy soule Therefore not without great cause is it that our Text saith Wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saued And so much for the Exhortation being the first generall part of our Text. Wherein we haue obserued first Who exhorteth Ieremie secondly Who is exhorted Ierusalem thirdly Whereunto to Repentance fourthly For what end That they may be saued Second part Now come we to the second and last part of our Text which is the Reprehension in these words How long shall thy wicked thoughts remayne within thee The Prophet hauing so louingly exhorted vs to Repentance by willing vs to wash our hearts from wickednesse he falleth now to reprouing vs for lingring so long our Repentance saying How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Wherein we may obserue things worthy of obseruation both in the manner and in the matter of this reproofe The manner In the manner I obserue the dutie of a good Pastor and Teacher who must often-times ioyne with Doctrine and Exhortation Reproofe and Reprehension as also the Apostle S. Paul exhorteth when he saith Improue rebuke exhort 2. Tim. 4.2 Examples of this kinde of teaching we haue store in all the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles which being so well knowne to all I shall not neede to relate any of them but in stead thereof will take vp a reproofe which I thinke euery one of vs must be cōtent to beare of what estate or calling soeuer we are of either in the Church or Common-weale that is That euery one almost can be contented to heare the Preacher patiently so long as he is in his generall doctrine and exhortation or if sometime he reproue sinne in some generall sort for that which seemeth to be spoken to all is taken many times as spoken to none But if the Preacher once begin to fall vnto more particular reprehension As haply when there is great cause to reproue the Magistrate and Gouernors of some remissenesse in their duties that they suffer sinne and sinners as Idolaters Adulterers Drunkards Swearers Prophaners of the Sabbaths and the like to goe vnpunished yea vncontrolled and that not in corners but in publike places to the great offence of Almightie God and to the scandall of our holy profession Or when sometimes many zealous Preachers taxe others of their owne profession for neglecting of their callings or reproue Merchants and men of Trades for their seuerall deceits or Land-lords for inhansing their Rents or Lawyers for delaying of their Clyents or mightie Men for oppressing the poore or Noble men and Gentlemen for sacriledge or Rich men for vsurie or Gentlewomen for their excessiue pride in their apparel or women of lower degree for following of the fashion or any one of these or the like for their seuerall sinnes whatsoeuer Oh then that Preacher is either too precise or peremptorie he leaueth his Text and falleth to rayling as some thinke Notwithstanding like a paynefull Silke-worke he draweth his reprehension out of the very bowells of his Text and doth no more then God commands him To shew the people their sinnes and the house of Iacob their transgressions Esay 58.1 O beloued if this gentle kinde of preaching vsed in our dayes be so hard to be digested how would you take it if Preachers should take libertie by the example of the Prophets to reproue sinne and sinners in such playnenesse and boldnesse that they single them out by name as Esay Amos Ieremie Iohn Baptist haue done though it cost them full deare for their labour But they knew their reward was with the Lord and their labour with the Almightie One thing more we may not passe vnremembred in the manner of the reproofe and that is the vehemencie of the interrogation which our Prophet vseth when he saith How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Text. for it is a reproofe with a certayne kinde of indignation striking to the very heart of them whom he reproueth such force doth the Maiestie of Gods Word carry with it When it is preached with authoritie and in the zeale of Gods Spirit It is then liuely and mightie in operation Heb. 4.12 as the Apostle speaketh and sharper then any two-edged sword and entreth through euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Vse 1 The vse drawne here-hence may be First to teach Preachers which are to fight the Lords battell against the sinnefull Amalekites to take courage vnto themselues and like Samuel the Lords Prophet in pieces To cut and hew Agag 1. Sam. 15.33 with the sword of Gods Spirit and not to
will not dispute sure I am now the heart of man is the sinke of sinne as our Sauiour saith Out of the heart proceede euill thoughts Adulteries Fornications Murther and the rest And God himselfe who is the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and onely searcher of the heart pronounceth that the heart of man is euill continually And our Prophet in another place affirmeth that the heart of man is deceitfull of all other things who can finde it out Ierem. 17.9 there are so many concauities and hollow places in the heart so many hidings and so many turnings that it hath neede of a great deale of skill and care to cleanse and wash the same and much filth is left behinde in secret foldings which we know not of Insomuch that he must be a very wise carefull and diligent Man that can finde out but euen the corruption of his owne heart Hence is it that there are so many Hypocrites in the world that hiding many foule and secret sinnes in their hearts can yet make shew to the world that they are very holy and religious Many men there are that desire to be taken for godly and faithfull men yet the question may still be demanded Where shall one finde a faithfull man such a one as Nathaniel was euen a true Israelite in whom there is no guile Ieremie is commanded in the next Chapter to our Text to runne too and fro by the streets of Ierusalem and to enquire in the open places of the same if he can finde a man that executeth iudgement and speaketh the truth from his heart that God might spare that Citie to punish it Ierem. 5.1 And in the two and twentieth Chapter of Ezechiel God complayneth that he sought for a man among them that should make vp the hedge and stand in the gap betwixt him and the Land that he might not destroy the same but could find none Therefore saith the Lord haue I powred out mine indignation vpon them and consumed them with the fire of my wrath their owne wayes haue I rendred vpon their owne pates saith the Lord. Ezech. 22.30 And it is greatly to be feared how we should fare if the Lord should looke downe from heauen vpon vs that liue in this last age of the world as he did vpon the old world a little before he destroyed it to see the greatnesse of the wickednesse of men vpon the earth and that all the imaginations of mans heart are euill continually And who knoweth whether the Lord be ready to come out from heauen or to send his Angels because the sins of our Land are exceeding grieuous and the crie thereof very great to inquire whether we haue done altogether according to the crie that is euen ascended to the heauens or no Let vs therefore beloued if we will haue any care to preuent the fierce wrath of the Lord which is readie to fall vpon vs returne speedily vnto the Lord by true and vnfayned Repentance or to vse the wordes of our Text Let vs wash our hearts from wickednesse that we may be saued Obiect But Christ saith vnto Peter He that is washed needeth not saue to wash his feete Ioh. 13. 10. Answ I answere that by feete there is meant all our filthy affections which proceede from the heart of man therefore with Christ to wash our feete and with Ieremie to wash our hearts from wickednesse is all one The Iewes about the time our Prophet preached this and afterward were very ceremonious and superstitious too in their washings they thought and perswaded themselues if they did or could obserue the outward rites or customes of their Fathers touching their eternall cleansings and washings it was well enough nay rather very well But Ieremie here wisheth them to wash their hearts because they drew neere vnto God with their mouthes but their hearts were farre from him Esay 29.13 Our Sauiour himselfe reproueth these Iewes very sharply Matth. 23. as we reade in the Gospell for this their hypocrisie for that they were ouer-carefull to make cleane the vtter-side of the cup and platter but their hearts were full of all rauening and wickednesse Therefore wisedome willeth vs to consecrate our hearts vnto God Not that God wil not haue the hand as wel as the heart the worke as well as the vvill the body as well as the soule and all the members and faculties both of body and soule sanctified vnto his seruice As St. Paul exhorteth to giue our bodies a liuely sacrifice vnto God but because the heart is the chiefest part and the fountayne from whence all our thoughts wordes and workes doe arise therefore the heart must first be washed and cleansed purified by faith in a good conscience to serue the liuing God For if the fountayne be foule the waters that issue from it cannot be cleane And as St. Austen saith well Deus magis cordis intentionem quà m actum operationis intendit God doth more respect the intention of the heart then the operation of the worke whatsoeuer Man iudgeth according to the outward appearance but God seeth the heart For he is the only searcher of the hearts and reynes All things are naked before him Can any hide himselfe in secret places Ierem. 23.24 saith the Lord He vnderstandeth all thy pathes yea euen thy priuy pathes of pride of dissimulation of disdayning thy brother of fornication of couetousnesse of briberie theft extortion and the like though acted by thee neuer so secretly God saw and discouered Achans vvedge of gold though hid in his Tent God saw Achab sicke at the heart for Naboths Vineyard God saw Gehesies heart and made Elisha to see him also Did not my heart go with thee saith the Prophet that is did not I see thee when thou rannest after Naaman for a bribe God grant we haue not among vs too many Achans too may Achabs too many Gehesies that couer many foule sinnes vnder their gownes or cloakes of hypocrisie that make a goodly shew to the world that they are godly but their hearts are full of wickednesse that wash their hands cleane euery day but their hearts scarce once in the yeere scarce once by their liues with the water of true repentance yet still my text saith Wash thine heart from wickednesse Wash thine heart If Pilate had washed his heart as cleane as he washed his handes he would neuer haue condemned an Innocent to death for feare of the people The feare of man chased away the feare of God as the Wiseman saith contrary wise As the face of the King chaseth away euill from his Throne so the feare of God driueth out wickednesse from the heart of man Prou. Vse The vse of all this is to haue God and his feare alwayes before our eyes so that what sinne soeuer we are tempred to commit wee may say with godly Ioseph How shall I commit this wickednesse and so sinne against God Therefore the Scripture sayth Blessed is
our Prayers namely to the Lord onely and not to Saint or Angel as Popery teacheth but true Religion teacheth but true Religion teacheth vs otherwise to pray to God as Dauid did to wash vs throughly from our iniquities and to clense vs from all our sinnes To purge vs with hyssope with which the bloud of the Paschal Lambe was sprinkled Exod. 12.22 which must put vs in minde of the bloud of Christ which clenseth vs from all sinne Then shall wee heare of Ioy and gladnesse when our hearts are bruised and broken for our sinnes for a broken and a contrite heart God doth not dispise Therefore let vs seeke the Lord by faith and vnfayned Repentance whiles he may be found let vs call vpon him by instant and hearty prayer while hee is neere Esay 55.6 let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercie vpon vs and to our God for hee is very ready to forgiue a Out of which Text I perswaded vnto Repentance out of this place twentie yeeres sithence and now praise God with all my heart that hath yet lent vs so long a time of Repentance praying further his Maiestie together with the space now to giue vs the grace truly to repent Dauid In a word let vs all pray the Lord to wash our hearts from wickednesse that we may be saued And here I might very well end this part also sauing that there is one Maine point of doctrine more to be cōsidered which is that as it is not sufficient for a man to cease from euill as Esay speaketh but hee must also doe good so it is not sufficient for vs to pray the Lord to wash our hearts from wickednesse but also we must pray the Lord to fill our hearts againe with grace and goodnesse for that nullum vacuum in Philosophie doth hold also in this point of Diuinitie new wine must be put into new vessels they must not be left emptie Therefore when Dauid hath prayed GOD to create a new heart within him he also prayeth to be renewed that is that his heart may be filled with a right spirit that the spirit of sinne and wickednesse being expelled his heart may be filled with grace and goodnesse For the spirit of wickednesse may depart from a man for a time but if the heart bee not presently supplied with the good Spirit of grace the wicked spirit will quickely turne backe againe Luke 11.26 as our Sauiour teacheth vs and enter into that man with seuen worse spirits then himselfe and so the end of that man shall be worse then the beginning Therefore I say this point must diligently be obserued vve must not thinke our selues sure when wee haue but begun to leaue vvickednesse though I confesse that is a good beginning of goodnesse And dimidium facti qui bene caepit habet He is halfe the way vvho hath well begun But we must also apply our hearts our soules and our mindes vnto goodnesse and pray the Lord to replenish our hearts with faith and grace for it is a good thing saith the Apostle that the heart be stablished with grace With sauing grace for sinnes passed With preuenting grace for sinnes present With preseruing grace for time to come This vvas that good St. Austen prayed for when he said Sanctifica cor meum vas tuum euacua à malitia imple de gratia O Lord saith he sanctific thy vessell of my heart but first emptie the same from all malicious vvickednesse and then presently fill it vvith all grace and goodnesse And the same S. Austen hath a briefe and fine discourse of the filling and fast binding of this vessell of mans heart alluding to the Parable of our Sauiour of new and old vessells saying Quando vinum nouum in vtres nouas ponitur cauendum est primùm vt corda mundarentur ne infusum pollueretur postea vt ligarentur ne infusum amitteretur In vvhich wordes that holy Father doth warne and admonish vs of two things The first agreeing vvith our Text that we haue care to vvash and cleanse the vessells of our hearts before the new Wine of Gods grace be powred into them and yeeldeth the reason ne infusum pollueretur lest that vvhich be powred in be polluted Afterwards giueth like counsell that when the new Wine of Gods grace is infused into the vessells of our cleansed hearts that then we take care for the safe keeping and preseruing of the same and yeeldeth likevvise the reason thereof ne infusum amitteretur lest those graces should be lost againe and presently sheweth the vse both of this cleansing and fast binding vp of these vessells of our hearts vt mundarentur à gaudio iniquitatis that they may be freed from that sinne of reioycing in iniquitie vt ligarentur à gaudio vanitatis and that they may be preserued from the delights of vanitie And making this difference betweene reioycing in iniquitie and delighting in vanitie saith that gaudium iniquitatis polluit gaudium vanitatis effundit the ioy of iniquitie doth defile and pollute that good liquor which is in the vessell of the heart but the ioy of vanitie doth make it runne ouer Againe he saith that gaudium iniquitatis reddit vas sordidum gaudium vanitatis facit rimosum The ioy of iniquitie doth soile the vessells of our hearts with sinne and the ioy of vanitie doth make them crany or chinkey readie and capable to be soyled with sinne Last of all this good Father sheweth the naturall propertie both of the one and the other when he saith that gaudium iniquitatis est cum peccatum diligitur gaudium vanitatis est cum transitoria amantur That is ioy of iniquitie when we reioyce in sinne and that is ioy of vanitie when we set our hearts vpon things vaine and transitorie that soone fade away Therefore the conclusion may be Quae transitoria sunt proculdubio amanda non sunt Things vaine and transitorie are neuer to be beloued For which cause S. Iohn saith Loue not this world nor the things of this world for whosoeuer loueth this world the loue of the Father is not in him And indeede hinc lachrymae here is the woe of all many can be content to renounce the ioy of iniquitie but few there are liuing vpon earth which take not pleasure in vanitie more then is fitting one in one kinde of vanitie another in another kinde of vanitie so vaine a thing is man so vaine is euery man so full of vanitie is euery thing that it made Salomon the wisest of all men to cry out Vanitas vanitatum Vanitie of Vanitie all meere vanitie and vexation of spirit Ecclesiastes 1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our honors our riches our sports or pleasures that are not well seasoned with the salt of Gods grace are all but vanitie and vexation of minde from these little pollutions as
plainely He that lusteth after a Woman hath committed adulterie alreadie in his heart and S. Iohn saith He that hatesh his brother in his heart is a Murtherer And the same God that saith Thou shalt not steale saith also Thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours goods Therefore our Prophet when he exhorteth to Repentance he willeth vs to wash our hearts from wickednesse And Christ coÌ„demned the filthie Pharises for that they would wash the vtterside of the cup and platter but leaue the inside foule and filthy Matth. 23.25 comparing them to rotten Sepulchres which were garnished with an outward shew of holynesse but were within full of all wickednesse whatsoeuer Therefore when the Prophet Esay doth exhort the people to Repentance and bids them to seeke the Lord whiles he may be found and to call vpon him whiles he is neere he doth not onely command the wicked to leaue their wicked workes but also the vnrighteous their owne euill imaginations and so to turne vnto the Lord for that indeed is true and sound conuersion when the minde is rectified and the body mortified to serue the Lord. Therefore is it that the Apostle prayeth for the Thessalonians that their whole spirit soule and body may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Vse 3 And hereupon ariseth a third vse seeing we are commanded to wash our hearts from wicked thoughts and haue no power in our selues to doe it therefore being priuy to our owne thoughts and wicked cogitations which rise one vpon anothers necke like the waues of the Sea we should flie continually vnto the Lord by instant and vncessant prayer day and night for grace strength acknowledging also Gods great mercy toward vs that doth keepe vs and preserue vs from running out into all euill with the wicked seeing we haue the seedes of all sinnes naturally in our selues except they be suppressed by grace and by the holy and sanctifying Spirit of God And so much briefly for the first part of the Reprehension of our Prophet which is against such as soule and soyle their hearts and soules with sinnefull thoughts whereby their hearts and consciences are defiled and make themselues vnapt and vnfit for euery good worke The 〈◊〉 part The second part of the Reprehension is for harbouring and retayning such euill thoughts too long in our hearts How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Not that it is lawfull to giue consent vnto any euill thoughts or to harbour them in our hearts no not a moment of time But as it is said of Couetousnesse Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit So it may be said of euill thoughts Crescit amor peccati Sinne it selfe doth grow and increase so long as any euill thought is cherished within vs. Simile The seede must be cast into the ground and take rooting before it grow vpward to any blade and the blade must grow to a stemme and Eare too before it blow or bring forth any fruit so the seedes of sinne are first sowne in the heart of man and there takes roote before it breake out and bring forth fruit but if these seedes of sinne be weeded and taken away before the roote haue taken fast holding then they rot and die and bring no more detriment to the ground Therefore good Christians must be skilfull in this spirituall husbandrie namely oftentimes to teare vp their fallow grounds as the Prophet speaketh with the Share and Culter of true Repentance lest those seedes and weedes of sinne which doe continually spring vp in the furrowes of our hearts doe ouertop and ouer-grow that little grace and goodnesse which we seeme to haue Therefore if it cannot be auoided but that euil thoughts must arise in our hearts by reason of our natiue corruption Simile for as the earth doth bring forth weedes without sowing bryers without planting so the heart of man doth yeeld forth the seedes of sinne without dressing It should be our chiefe care euen in the spring of our yeeres to weede out as much as possibly we may these sinfull weedes of wicked thoughts out of the Garden of our hearts that the seede of Gods Word may grow in the same being indeede the immortall seede whereby we must grow vp into euerlasting life And this is one good vse that we should make of this reprehension Vse 1 How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Now as this first vse doth serue to instruct the yonger sort of Christians to timely Repentance before sinne haue taken too deepe rootes in them So the second vse Vse 2 must be to reproue those which together with their age and yeeres haue suffered euill thoughts to grow as old as themselues and haue taken such rooting in their hearts that they are now passed weedes and growne into great Trees insomuch that nothing but the Axe of Gods iudgements can cut them downe Therefore is the Axe saith Iohn Baptist put to the roote of the Tree and the fall of such a tree must needes be fearefull for there is no hope of any recouery againe To this sort of people it is especially that our Prophet speaketh How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you How long a yeere or two or ten or twentie Oh that were too long but what say you then to thirtie fortie fiftie Oh fearefull But what if they hold out till sixtie seuentie eightie O God be mercifull vnto them O deare Christians let vs feare to grow old in sinne Dauid prayeth God to forgiue him the sinnes of his youth and to cleanse his heart from secret sinnes which were many of them his euill thoughts But we are not afraid of the sinnes of our age which were begun in our youth and continued in our strength and now dragge after vs euen to our graue So vnwilling is Satan to lose any one of his old Souldiers he knoweth they are cunning skilfull craftie full of hypocrisie able to deceiue the world themselues and their owne soules but cannot deceiue God which seeth their hearts and daily cryeth out vnto them How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you O deare Christians how strange a thing is it that we can neuer be wearie of wickednesse that the elder many grow the worser they grow verifying the saying of a Heathen Rarò senes Deos timent which indeede may seeme to be a meere Paradox and therefore I will not English it for old men should be examples to the yonger sort to serue God to loue Religion to bring vp their Families and Children in the feare of the Lord as Abraham Isaac and Iacob together with the rest of the Patriarkes and the faithfull ones of all ages haue done Last of all we must not thinke or imagine that euill thoughts rest only in old age and that this reproofe of our Prophet doth not reach to euery one of vs to old to yong to rich to poore to men to women for euery one may accuse himselfe of this sinne that he hath suffered his euill thoughts too long to continue within him Wherefore to conclude let vs labour betimes to suppresse those sinfull seedes of sinne which haue filled this Land of ours full of wickednesse from the Court to the Countrie as Amos basket was full of Summer fruit Amos 8.1 let vs dash out the braines of these Babylonish Babes and Brats before they breede vs to greater mischiefes for of sinnefull thoughts come all our sinnefull wordes all our wicked workes all our Treasons and Trecheries all our priuie plots and conspiracies all our poysonings and villanies whatsoeuer they be Therefore the wiseman giueth counsell not so much as to speake or thinke euill no not in thy priuie chamber and what is more priuie then the chamber of our hearts where all euill thoughts are hatched The Prophets of God complayne of such as lie musing of wickednesse vpon their beds by night and in the day time they put the same in practice If needs euil thoughts like so many Souldiers must muster through the Countrie of our hearts let them only passe as strangers giue them nor bread nor water for intertaynement then they will not care greatly to come againe but as the brute beast and euery man is a beast in his owne knowledge will willingly come againe after once he hath beene well intertayned so these beastly thoughts and affections if they be any thing comforted or cherished will neuer tarry long away they are the harbingers of Satan and like vnto their Master for though he goe away for a time if he finde the house swept and garnished that is prouided for him he will surely come againe with seuen spirits worse then himselfe and so the end of that man shall be worse then the beginning Peâ—â—ratio Now God of his mercy make vs all wary and wise vnto saluation strengthen vs with grace against all wicked thoughts and sinnefull temptations pardon vs for our passed transgressions finish soone these dayes of sinne and bring vs to his euerlasting peace and rest through IESVS CHRIST our LORD to whom with the FATHER and the holy GHOST three persons in most glorious TRINITIE but one GOD in essentiall VNITIE be rendred and ascribed of all Saints and Angels in heauen and in earth all honor glorie praise power and thanksgiuing from this time forth and for euer Amen FINIS Laus Deo trin-vno in aeternum Amen