streight tree must streighten it when it is tender If thou wouldst bee fit to serue God when thou art old invre thy selfe to his seruice whiles thou art young If thou desirest to bee a farre and straight tree in thy crooked daies turne from thy crookednesse betimes and streighten thy selfe in thy youth The Lord required a sacrifice in which was offered eares of corne dried by the fire and wheate beaten out of the greene eares Abel brought for an offring vnto God of the first fruites and fat of his sheepe so wee must giue God the greene eares of our yeares the prim-rose of our age the first fruits of our life and the fat of our daies He that would haue God kinde vnto him when he is old let him turne vnto him whiles he is yong It is vnseemely for a man to giue his youth vnto Sathan and to keepe his olde rotten bones and feebled spirits for God The Lord disliketh that men should bring him lame torne and sicke thinges for offrings yea hee saith Cursed be the deceiuer which hath in his flocke a male and voweth and sacrificeth vnto the Lord a corrupt thing Sixtly all men haue soules as well as bodies therefore all men must be carefull for them as well as for these yea rather more carefull because the soule is the more excellent and more diuine and noble part of man Aguâ— shewed himselfe regardfull of both in his praier when he saith Two things haue I required of thee denie me them not before I die Remoue farre from mee vanitie and lies here appeareth the care of his soule Feede me with foode conuenient for me here he sheweth the honest care hee had of both soule and body Foode makes for the good of the bodie conuenient foode makes for the good oâ— both He that carketh for his bodie and careth not for his soule maketh a God of his belly and resembleth the Pharisies who were diligent in tithing of mint and annise but omitted the weightier things of the Law as faith and mercy Now wherein can our care for the wealth and weale of our soules more easily appeare then in our true repentance and vnfeined conuersion Hee that saith he hath care of the health of his soule and will not turne to God dooth as if a man beeing ready to perish in the water should professe that hee would gladly liue and yet wil vse no meanes or take no paines to come out All men doe wish the welfare of their friendes And art thou not thine owne friend It thou be so then art thou bound to conuert Nature teacheth euery man to seeke the good of his own country so grace will teach a man if hee haue but one droppe thereof in his heart to seeke the prosperitie of that common-wealth country which is within himselfe Now the prosperitie of any country consisteth in freedome from euills and the fruition of good things And whosoeuer turneth truly shall bee deliuered from the greatest euills and shall inioy the greatest good euen God who is goodnesse it selfe who with the strength of his arme and by the power of his grace will fetch them out of Aegipt the land of spirituall seruitude and deliuer them from thraldome vnder Pharoah and the Aegiptians from bondage vnder Satan and sinne and will conduct them safely through the wilde wildernesse of this wretched worlde into celestiall Canaan whither our elder brother Christ Iesus is gone before vs to prepare mansions for vs. Seuenthly euerie man complaines that the worlde is naught therefore euery man to stay this complaint must amend conuert If euerie complainer woulde turne from his sinnes vnto GOD the world would bee good The world is not naught but the people in the worlde as a goodly Citie may haue godlesse Citizens a faire house may haue a foule inhabitant and a good Landlorde may haue bad tenants There is no reason for a man to complaine of the world till hee haue forsaken the sinnes committed in the world Hee that exclames against the world before hee doth renounce the fashions of worldlings discouers the skirtes of his mother and defileth his owne nest If euery one will needes accuse the world as naught let them first reuoult from the world and shake hands with the worlde let them come out of the world as the Israelites came out of Aegipt and as all true Israelites are commaunded to come out of Westerne Babylon and then let them not spare to censure and condemne the worlde First turne from thine owne naughtinesse and then say the worlde is naught and that the wisedome of the world is enmity to God Moreouer euery man was in Adam created according to the image of God and euery man by Adam was depriued of this image neither is it repaired in any man nor any man restored to it till he doe conuert and repent and then the Holy Ghost beginnes to graue and draw it vppon the tables of hearts and faces of our soules But almost euery man will say that he doth desire the reparation of this revnited image within him and without doubt if a man could with these fleshly eies behold this image as Peter beheld Moses and Elias with Christ vppon the mount it would exceedingly moue him as that sight did Peter it is so faire and louely to behold so as that if his heart were not made of marble it would so fill it with delight and so rauish his soule with the loue thereof that as Peter said vpon that glorious sight Master it is good for vs to be here so he would wish from his heart to be partaker of it and thinke no price too costly for it For it is as a mirrour wherin a man may in part beholde the fâ—â—e of the inuisible God and a glasle wherein wee may see the countenance and colour of our first estate If any therfore lust as he doth professe to bee partaker of this glorious Image consisting in holinesse and righteousnesse of heart and hand let him turne his feete from the wayes of sinne into the wayes of God and he shall not faile of that which he saith he doth long after To conclude this point all men couet peace therfore let them all conuert Wouldest thou haue true peace of conscience thou fayest thou wouldest Then I say vnto thee turne For There is no peace saith God vnto the wicked who doe not turne Wouldest thou be at peace with thine enemies then turne for When the waies of man please the Lord hee will make also his enemies at peace with him And without doubt there is no peace comparable to that peace and amitie which is among the faithfull so that if all that seeme to desire peace would repent turne the Lion would become a Lambe and the Wolfe a sheepe all cruell conditions would be cast away and the whole world would bee at perfect peace within it selfe both for outward agreement and
is comprehended in the last words And turne again vnto the Lord. That is after exact inquiry faithfull examination let vs relinquish and abandon all that is amisse repenting of it and relenting for it and let vs come home againe vnto our father and turne backe vnto his waies from which we haue gone astray like stragling sheepe Then instructions are many both excellent and profitable For so much as the holy Ghost doth in the fore-front of this exhortation aduertise vs to search out our waies I conclude and gather that this is a duty necessary to bee performed of euery sinner that desireth to make a sound conueâ—sion of his sinnes Because it is a dutie so much neglected I wil vse some arguments to incite and perswade you to the practise of it In the first place consider that it is not man but GOD which commandeth vs to make this search For the whole Scripture whereof this sentence is a part is giuen by inspiration from God and the holy men of God whereof this Prophet was not the last nor yet the leasâ— did all of them speake and preach as they were carried and directed by the spirit of God Homage belongeth to a King honour to a father and obedience to a maister God is our King our Father our Lord Maister He is the onely law-giuer that is onely able to saue and destroy He exhorteth vs to search our waies therefore as we respect his grace feare his anger as we would not be reputed regarded as disloyal subiects disobedient children rebellious and refractary seruants let vs in al humility of heart and sincerity of soule and conscience submit and obey Secondly wee shal not know our waies what they are and whither they lead vnlesse we take some paines in searching of them out A Prince cannot know the state of his kingdom a phisitian cannot discern the constitution and habit of a mans body without some good coÌ„petent search and inquisition so no man can iudge of the condition and state of his soule and body know the case and quality of the kingdom of his heart except by searching he doe labour to attaine thereunto He that knoweth not his waies cannot examine them how then shall he be able to reuert and turne from them if they be not good On the contrarie our searching of them is a very good furtherance preparatiue to our triall of them and turning from them like the needle which prepares a way for the threed which followeth it For as a man perceiuing himselfe to be wounded or any way diseased is moued to seeke about for a remedie euen so when a sinner by ransacking his life and heart findeth out his spirituall wounds and diseases hee is by the grace of God prepared prouoked to seeke for cure and to be deliuered of his grieuances Thirdly he that intends to build will search the foundation whether the ground be sound or sandy whether fast or false Saluation is a faire and goodly building Now he that builds it vpon ignorant conceits blind presumptions deceiueth himselfe and dishonoureth his Sauiour therefore it is good for a man to search himselfe lay a firme foundation the toppe will fare the better for the bottome If the ground-worke bee not stable the building cannot stand and where there is no sure searching there can be no sure working Moreour he that desireth a plentifull Crop must view his seed and search it for Chaffe Cockell and other noxious and infestant seeds so he that desireth to be fruitfull in good works must search himselfe for the seeds of sin which ingendreth nothing but stinking weedes A discreete and faithfull Magistrate will search his kingdome for treacherous rebellious and other pernitious persons specially if hee haue had certaine intelligence of them so wee that are made Kings and spirituall Magistrates by Iesus Christ should search all the corners of our kingdome for our sins which lurke within vs like traitors and are ready to pull the crowne from our heades and snatch the scepter out of our hands yea and blowe vp the whole ParliameÌ„t of our soules God hath giuen a man reason to be as a Prince to rule him it being ruled by the line of his Lawe the supreame faculties of the soule be the Peeres or Nobles the senses are the guard and attendants the outward part are as the Commons and our Sins sinfull Affections are traitours rebells and as factious and infectious persons which disturbe the peace of the Common-wealth and being desperate and irreconciliable enimies vnto the State doe striue to dismount the Prince from her Throne and vtterly to ruinate and subuert the kingdome which God by his holy spirit hath begun to plant within vs. Wherefore like politique and faithfull Princes it behoueth vs to make search in all the parts of our kingdomes and as it were with Hoe and Crie to pursue our enemies that by searcâ—ing hauing found them out they may be brought to their triall and at the barre of Conscience â—eceiue sentence as they haue deserued Finally the searching of our waies is a meanes to preuent the iudgements of God For when men will not search themselues then God searcheth them out by crosses and afflictions When men forget to search their waies then God doth oftentimes put them in minde of this dutie by his rods and leadeth them as it were by the lip When men run headlong on an end in irregular and wretched courses neuer thinking of their way hee doth sometimes thrust them forward into desperate and irrecouerable casualties calamities yea many times to the losse of their dearest liues as the diuell did violently driue the the Gadarens swine into the sea Sometimes hee thrusts them into the mire of affliction and maketh them to stumble and fall vpon some stone in their way or pricketh their feete with the thorne of some sharp and grieuous crosse and so puts them in minde of their way and teacheth them to think of their vngodly courses When men suffer Sathan to ride them as the Asse did Balaam and to abuse them to Gods dishonour then God dooth often cause his Angell as I may speake to stand in their way with the naked sword of aduersitie and so hindreth their enormious proceedings Therefore it is a point of christian wisedome and wise christianitie to cal our selues in time to a reckning and to make a mature and faithfull inquisition and disquisition of all our waies Search your selues saith Zephany euen search you O nation not worthy to be loued before the decree come forth and yee be as chaffe that passeth in a day and before the fierce wrath of the Lord come vpon you The consideration of these things serueth to conuince and condemne the common custome of most men who walk on securely in ignorance and other vngodlinesse and either sildome or neuer take true notice of their waies as if a man did not
for his sinnes For the bookes wherein all mens actions are as it were recorded shal be opened and euery man shall be iudged of those things whicâ— are registred in the bookes of Gods knowledge and mans conscience according to their works And euery man without exception shall receiue the things which are done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it bee good or euill The riches of Laban the wealth of Nabal the wisedome of Achitophel the beauty of Absolon the crown of Saul the strength of Lamech the kingdomes of Nebuchadnezar the eloquence of Tertullus the miter of Caiaphas will than stand them in no stead at all For the Lord is no accepter of persons he hath prepared Tophet of olde for wicked princes and hee will rebuke the vngodly of all their wicked deedes Now as death dooth leaue them so the last iudgement shall find them If therefore wee would either fit our selues for death or frame our selues to the last iudgement let vs abandon our sinnes and iudge our selues If wee will accuse and condemne our sins and execute them as Iosiah did the priests of the high places wee shall not neede to feare the terrour of death which is appointed for all nor the sentence of the iudge which shall onely be pronounced against the wicked Lastly I say wee must turne from all our sinnes and not from some onely For so is the will of God Cast away from you all your transgression for why will yee dis O house of Israel Euery sinne displeaseth God and deserueth death euery sin doth staine the soule and wound the conscience It is not possible for a man to carry fire in his bosome and his clothes not bee burnt and impossible for him to goe vppon coales and his feete not be scorched so is it impossible to fauour any sin and not to be infected As euery enemie is dangerous and as the least drop of poison is hurtfull and the least plague-sore infectious so the smallest sinne wil smart the least offence is pernicious pestilent infectious Secondly we vowed to God in our baptisme that we would turn from all our sinnes and from all the workes of the diuell Hee that will not keep touch with God must neuer looke that God will keep touch with him For his promise of pardon belongs onely vnto penitent persons And therefore he saith If the wicked will returne from all his sins hee shall surely liue and shall not die Thirâ—ly the Lorde in expresse tearmes forbiddeth not onely greater but aâ—so smaller sinnes He doth not onely condemne drunkennes but hee doth also pronounce a woe vnto them that are mighty to drinke wine and are strong to powre in strong drinke Saint Peter doth not onely râ—quire vs to forbeare drunkennesse but also drinkings Saint Paul doth not onâ—ly forbid vs filthines but foolish talking The Lord commandeth the wicked to forsake their very imaginations Christ telleth vs that we must giue account of euery idle word Peter warneth vs to lay aside all malitiousnesse and all guile and all euill speaking Dauid saith I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes A froward heart shall depart from me I will know none euill And according to this his resolution hee saith againe I haue refrained my feete from euery euill way and do hate all false waies And desireth God to let none iniquitie to haue dominion ouer him The Lord hateth all our sins Christ hath suffered for all our sins therefore let vs abandon them all If we entertaine but one we open a casemenâ— for another and animate the diuell to sally a fresh vppon vs who like a Crocodile flieth if hee be resisted but if we yeeld vnto him in the least sinne hee will very falsely assault vs and seeke to swallow vs vp Must wee abstaine from all appearance of euill Must wee hate the very garment which is spottâ—d by the flesh Then good reason haue wee to abstaine from all things that are meerely euill in themselues and to detest the flesh which defiles the man and lusteth against the Spirit Shall kings fight against their quarrellous despitâ—ful enemies which onely seeke to depriue them of their earthly kingdomes and shall not we contend and war against our fleshly lusts which fight against our soules and seek to defeat vs of our heauenly kingdome Will euery man by the vertue of his nature like Chariâ—us in the Comedie proue euery way before they will perish or lose their liues in this world and shall not wee take any paines to escape eternall paines and to saue our soules in the world to come Shall Christ lament yea and die for our sinnes and shall we make our selues mery with them as many doe Or rather shall we not mourne for them and seeke to bee deliuered from them Shall Dauids eyes gush out with riuers of water because other men kept not Gods law and doth it beseeme vs to be drie cheeked and not lament for our owne sinnes whereby wee haue broken his law and battered the castles of our owne consciences Shall Ieremy wish that his head were full of water and his eyes a fountaine of teares that he might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of his people and shall wee neuer lament weepe for our sinnes which displease our friend and please our foe which did once slay our soules and doe daily wring them would consume them vâ—terly if the Lord who hath restored them to life in Christ did not guard them by his grace Doe we not see what an antipathy there is amongst the creatures One of them by a secret instinct of nature doth hate and persecute another Nay doe wee not see that many men are as wolues each to other Wherefore then should we not persecute and hate our sinnes seeing that they be our mortall enemies and will neueâ— become our friends The fish called Lepus is as some write poisoâ— to a man and man to him Sinne is poison vnto vs so let vs be as poison vnto it Shall tâ—e wicked lay wait for blood and swallow the innocent vppe like a graue and shal not we seeke to mortifie our siâ—nes which are noxious vnto vs and offensiue vnto God Mortifie therefore your members which are on earth fornication vncleannesse the inordinate affection euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is idolatry If wee will not mortifie them they will mortifie vs If we will not part from them God will part from vs. Surely saith Dauia God will wound the head of his enemies and the hairie pate of him that walketh in his sinnes Shall Dauid hate the desperate enemies of God and earnestly contend with those that rise vp against him and shall not wee hate sinne which makes men hatefull vnto God and haters of God Shall not we earnestly contend against our sins which do both
rise vp against vs and make vs also take vppe armes against the Lord Hâ—â—e that hateth suertâ—â—hippe saith Salomon is sure but hee that hateth sinne is surer For if it bee a a righâ— hâ—tred it is an infallible demonstrationâ— of our loue to God and of the gâ—atious operation of his Spirit within vs and the ready way to scape the greatest euill If it be the badge of a man predestined to glorie to contemne a vile person then he which despiseth sinne which makes men vile despiseable may assure himselfe of glory if he do despise it for the vilenesse of it and for that it is derogatorie to the glory of God Wouldst thou therefore be sure of the mercy of God to the saluation of thy soule then turne from thy sinnes and hate them For hee that confesseth his sinnes and doth forsake them shall finde mercy What life more ioyfull can a man wish to leade whilst hee lines in this world then in this life to be assured of an euerlasting ioyfull liâ—e in the world to come What greater pleasure can a man take and taste of in a world of woâ— then to beleeue and know that vnspeakable and perpetuall pleasures are prepared for him in a world of weale What sweeter sweetnesse and more pleasing pleasure can a man in this life feele and enioy vpon the earth below then in beeing certainly perswaded in his conscience that he shall be partaker of the sweete and amiable communion of the Lord in the life to come aloâ—t in the heauens What greater comfort can comfortlesse wretches as all men are by nature receiue of the God of comfort then by his word to bee surely certified of eternall comforts What greater glorie can a mortall man bee glad of and more truly glory of in his inglorious vale of miserie then that hee is by the King of glory secured and by the word of his own mouth assured of immortall glorie in his glorious kingdome vpon his high and holy mountaine With what sweeter mercy can a miserable sinner bee refreshed in his soule then of the God of mercy to receiue a promise of the euerlasting mercy But God doth promise life libertie health and happinesse to euery man that will forsake his sinnes Neither doth he onely promise vs if we doe turne from our sinnes felicitie in the heauens but also peace and prosperitie vpon the earth Therefore Dauid saith What man is he that desireth life and loueth long daies to see good Let him eschew euil and doe good c. And the Lord by Ieremy saith Amend your waies and your workes and I will let you dwell in this place Whensoeuer the Israelites truely repented of their sinnes then GOD changed his frowning countenance and smiled vpon them but when they prouoked him by their sinnes then he turned their estates and oftentimes gaue them vp vnto their enemies So that our sinnes doe make a diuorcement betweene vs and Gods benefits Let vs therefore like valiant princes labouâ— to subdue them When sinnes begin to die then the sinner beginnes to liue Let not sinne reigne within vs let it not defile vs. But as our Sauior ouerthrew the tables of the mony changers and cast out those that profaned the temple by marchandizing in it so let vs his seruants scourge out our sins out of the temple of our hearts and let vs labour to ouerturne and conquer them The Lord saith that his pleople shall dwell in safetie when hee hath executed his iudgements vpon all their enemies so we shall liue in peace when our sinnes are executed and put vnto the sworde And when we haue ouermastered one sinne then wee must set vppon another like the Ichneumon which as Pliny writeth hauing ouercome one enemie prepareth himselfe to combat with another Let vs neuer be content till we haue gotten the victory of them all being like minded to Alexander th great who as Lucane recordeth thought nothing done whiles any thing remained vndone Hee that turneth from all his sinnes and laboureth to subdue them all dooth shew himselfe a true conuert a prince of spirit and an vtter enemy to the kingdome of Sathan Wee all desire to escape all outward dangers and to haue our bodies free from wormes bâ—les botches and all other deformities of body wherefore should we not then be as carefull to anoyd the dangers and dangerous diseases deformities and enormities of our soules The least bodily disease is shunned why should wee not then feare and preuent the least spirituall disease Many sands though small will sinke a shippe as soone as a fewe great milstones so many sinnes though little in comparison of other will destroy our soules as well as a fewe great ones Foxes are enemies to sheepe as well as wolues though not so dangerous so smaller sinnes are enemies vnto our soules as well as the greater Christ will haue both the great and the little Foxes taken for he saith both destroy the vines so let vs take and turne from all our sinnes little and great for all are noysome to the vineyard of our heartes and hinder our spirituall growth Kill them all and the vines of Gods graces shall flourish and abound within vs. And though one sinne be sometimes câ—â—â—rary to another as couetousnesse and prodigalitie and looke diuerse wayes as Sampsons foxes yet are they ioyned in their tailes with a firebrand of vengeance in the midst wherewith without speciall care they wil fire mens soules as Sampsons Foxes did the Philistines come Wouldest thou not offend thine heauenly Father that did create thee that doth preserue thee that hath bestowed his only sonne vpon thee then forsake thy sinnes A gracious childe forbeareth all thinges which are offensiue to his father Wouldest thou escape the whirl-winde of Gods wrath then flie from sinne Wouldest thou bee deliuered of an intollerable burthen then cast away thy sinnes which are a burthen to thy soule and will otherwise presse thee downe to hell Those which are vexed with the Night-mare feele as it were a mountain vpon them and wish earnestly to haue it remoued But there is more oddes betweene the weight of sinne and that weight which they suppose they feele then there is betwixt a mountaine and a mole-hill Wouldest thou not bee iudged of those in the ende of this world whom now perhaps thou doost contemne yea and condemne Wouldest thou not haue thy religious wife to iudge thee that hath laine in thy bosome thy gracious childe that hath come out of thy loynes thy seruant which hath bene at thy becke wouldest thou not I say be one day iudged of these then iudge thy selfe and turne from thy sinnes For the Saints shall iudge the worlde yea and the wicked Angels Wouldest thou haue the holy Angels sing a song for thee in the heauens as Deborah did for Iael then turne from thy sinnes for there is ioy in heauen at the conuersion
the meane time to serue his enemie Beloued the profession of pietie is as it were the Lordes cloath and Baptisme is his badge Shall wee weare his cloath beare his badge shall wee enter into his house and eate his meate and in the meane while serue our lostes and fulfill the fancie of our flesh which is an enemie to God and godlinesse If wee account this course vnreasonable as in deede it is then hauing set our feete within the territories of the Church which is the house of God and hauing taken of him his liuerie and recognisance let vs now cease to serue his enemies and truly turne vnto him The longer wee stay the more vnreasonable wee shewe our selues to be and the more iniurious we are to him Fourthly God doth often withdrawe the outward sigâ—es of his fauour from them which wander from him â—â—d forget to turne againeâ— yâ—a though they bee his deere children Thereâ—ore hee saith that if they breake his sâ—atues hee will then visite their transgression with rods and so he doth vsually As wee therefore feare Gods correction and dread his rods let vs beware of sinning against him and if wee be ouertaken at anytime as who is not let vs without delay repent and recouer our selues A good childe hauing iniustly vexed his father will not be quiet till they be reconciled againe Fiftly when wee liue in sinne and hasten not to turne from it vnto God then we distemper our consciences Were it not then better to returne with speede then either to dull or disquiet them What is more intollerable then a disturbed conscience The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare it An euill conscience is a mans prison his Iailer his accuser his Iudge yea and executioner also Though a man could dissemble his griefe and seeme to laugh yet euen in that laughing the heart is sorrowfull And though the countenance doe not alway bewray the anguish and agony of the minde perplexed yet The heart knoweth the bitternesse of his soule Now then were it not better for a man with speede to turne then by delay to purchase and procure that to be his foe which hee ought to make his surest friend and deeme a daily delight For a good conscience is a continuall feast and a ioyfull heart which is not without the other maketh a cheerfull countenance Sixtly though God haue pardoned all the sinnes of his children by his decree promise and merits of his sonne yet he doth not actually apply this pardon to their faith and feeling till they do turne vnto him For though I doe forgiue my brother though hee doe not aske forgiuenesse yet I thinke I need not alway tell him so till he doe aske so though God did indeede pardon our sinnes in his decree and in the purpose of his heart yet doth he neuer seale the pardon actually vnto vs till we turne vnto him and desire it The father of the Prodigall sonne did not goe to meete his sonne till his sonne had first determined to returne vnto him Seuenthly there is a day of grace a day of saluation a time wherein God will be found Therefore Esay counselleth vs to seeke the Lorde whiles he may be found and to call vpon whilest hee is neare And Wisedome saith They shall seeke mee early but they shall not finâ—e mee because they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. Beloued this is the day of saluâ—tion this is the day of obtâ—ining present grace and future glory yet the trumpet or the Gospell is sounded amongst vs yet the Lorde like a Nurse holdeth out his naked breastes vnto vs yet wee heare his voice â—inging in our eares Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Let vs therefore redeeme the time and serue the season Take the tide which stayes for no man and strike the Iron whiles it is hote it is yet sommer winter will come it is yet light but night draweth on the Sun seâ—meth to descend the shadowes are long Draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you To day if ye heare his voyce harden not your hearts And as Paul saith While wee haue time let vs doe good to all men So I say while we haue time let vs doe this good vnto our selues let vs leaue our sinnes and turne to God He that hath a long iourny to goe and but a little time to finish it in as wee haue will take the day before him and set foote forward betimes Eightly let the ensample of the Saints be considered Dauid was no sooner admonished by Nathan but hee presently repented Peter no sooner considered his hainous offence but hee did relent The Prodigall sonne feeling his smart forthwith resolued to turne home vnto his Father The Niniuites hearing the short but sharpe Sermon of Pâ—ophet Ionah beleeued God and repentâ—d yea their King did immediately vppon his intelligence by proclamation commâ—nd euery man to turne from his euill way And God sawe their workes that they turned from their euill waieâ— The good Iewes hauing heard their sinnes discouered by Peter were presently pricked in their heartes as if his wordes had beene swordes and cried out vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Then Peter saide Amend your liues and be baptized And as the Scripture saith they receiued his wordes gladly Here are hearers indeede happie teachers happy bearers worthy of our imitation But our hearers for the most parte are like brasse and yron their heartes are made of marble insomuch that wee may in some sort say with the Prophet The bellowes are burnt the leade is consumed in the fire the Founder melteth in vaine our oyle is wasted our labour spent vppon them is lost wee light a candle to the walles and speake to the stones for they will not forgoe their drosse part from their sins But the word of the Lord shall not returne voyd but shall accomplish that which he will and shal prosper in the thing whereto hee sent it It must be the sauour of life vnto life by his grace to some and the sauour of death vnto death by their corruption to others The sunne doth whiten flaxe but blacke the face and fire will stiffen clay but soften waxe But I returne from whence I haue digressed To conclude this point Samuel and Timothy and Ioseph began to serue the Lord in their tender yeres Shall wee giue the strength of our dayes vnto Sathan and keeepe our rotten bones and withered age for God Will any man entertaine a seruant that seekes vnto him in his olde age but refused his seruice all his life before though hee was by many messengers desired Can a man be happy to soone Can a man bee holy too soone Young diuells sildome make olde Saintes Though sound repentance bee neuer
loue feareth to displease him and not so much for feare of punishment as the reprobate vse to doe Secondly if he turne because he detesteth sin as an enemy to the glory of God and to the saluation of his owne soule and therefore laboureth with heart and hand against all his sinnes without exception Thirdly if he turne not like the old Israelites of whome the Psalmist saith that when God slew them they returned and sought him early but they flattered him with their mouth for their heart was not vpright with him therefore as many with vs vse to do after their solemne protestations of their repentance in the extreamitie of some sicknesse they fell againe to their old byas and started aside like a deceitfull bow Fiftly wee must turne to the Lord cheerefully and willingly Dauid commands his son Salomon to serue his God with a perfit heart and with a willing mind As we must turne sincerely without simulation so wee must turne cheerefully not heauily willingly not as by constraint As God loueth a cheerefull giuer so hee loueth a cheerefull conuert Feed the flock of God saith Peter caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind so I say turne to the Lord with care and willingnes of mind not as it were by compulsion or for feare turn readily not being mooued with hope of gaine or credite with men as many doe If there be a willing mind and a cheerefull affection it is accepted yea a coÌ„stant setled wil to turne is of God accounted turning indeede Now this alacrious and willing turning is perceiued two waies First by speedy turning For cheerefulnes will be quicke nimble and speedy not sluggish and lither Dauid saith I made haste delaied not to keep thy commandements so we to shew our selues alacrious conuerts must turne without delay The Spider espying a Serpentlying vnder the shade of the tree where she spinneth maketh presently vnto her and poisoneth her so we must deale with our sins For if they bee but let alone awhile they will get shelter within vs and wil not very easily be remoued like the sea-Dragon which if he be let goe vpon the land maketh with his snowt a hollow trough with admirable celeritie Secondly this cheereful turning is likewise very laborious A willing mind makes a man very painefull He that turnes vnto God cheerefully wil striue exceedingly against his corruptions and labour to please God in all things He will not say with the sluggard there is a Lion in the way a Lion is in the streetes He will not say yet a little sleep a little slumber The slouthfull man turneth vpon his bed as a doore vpon the hinges but so doth not he But hee makes haste to his businesse and is very diligent and painefull in his workes The wicked are actiue liuely forward industrious in working wickednesse wherefore then should not we be painefull and ready to do that which is good as to turne from sinne and returne vnto God Lastly wee must turne to the Lord daily Wee must renew our repentance euery day Reioyce euermore saith Paul and pray continually So I say repent euermore return continually For we do sin daily we transgresse continually we offend euermore So long as we liue vpoÌ„ the earth we shall not be free from sinne we cannot bee free from sinning Therefore we had need to repent and turne to God continually Blessed are those which doe perseuere in turning vnto the ende There is no shame in turning to God all the shame is in turning from him And thus much concerning the sixt point It remaineth now to speake of the seuenth and the last to wit Wherefore we must turne For whosoeuer worketh must in reason propound the end of his worke vnto himselfe And he that will doe any good worke well must doe it not onely in a good maner by good means but also to a good ende The ende why wee must turne to the Lord is double supreme and subordinate greater or lesser The maine and highest end of our turning ought to be the glory of God Therefore Paul saith Whether yâ— eate or drinke or whatsoeuer else ye doe â—oe all to the glory of God The subordinate and inferiour end is manifold First that wee may shewe our selues of the number of Christs sheepe which must all be gathered together into one fold and conuerted from their indirect and crooked waies Secondly that we may gather assurance to our selues of our eternall predestination to perpetuall blessednes and that we are out of the ranke of reprobates whom God hath reiected and prepared for the day of euill Thirdly that we may adorne the profession of Christianitie which wee haue taken vpon vs. Fourthly that wee may stop the mouthes of Atheists Papists and all dissolute and desperate catiues that take vpon them with open mouthes to blaspheme bark against our religion for the sinnes and irregularities of the multitude amongst vs. Fiftly that we may allure men to the liking both of vs and of our contemned profession and also to stir them to conuert and glorifie God Therefore our Sauiour saith Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaueÌ„ And likewise Peter Abstain from fleshly lusts and haue your couersation honest among the Gentils that they which speake euil of you as of euil doers may by your good workes which they shal see glorifie God in the day of visitation This shall suffice for these seuen points and for this doctrine of turning to the Lorde Let vs now see how this doctrine may be applied for our vse and benefit and so we will conclude The vse is either of reprehension or exhortation First the consideratioÌ„ of these things serueth to condemne al those which refuse to turne but wil notwithstanding al admonitions run on without repentance to the dishonour of God the offence of his people the griefe of their friends and destruction of their owne soules These men to vse the words of the Prophet doe draw iniquitie with cords of vanity and sinne as with caâ—tropes These meÌ„ as the Lord speaketh of the Israelites are wise to the diuell but to doe well they haue no knowledge They take great paines to doe wickedly and as Dauid saith of Doeg they loue euil more then good These are the fooles that make but a mock of sinne These are they that esteeme the Prophets words as wind and their mâ—nacies as mockes These like those of whom the Prophet Ieremy speaketh haue made their faces harder then a stone and haue refused to returne A stone will be battered with an hammer and worne in the end with continuall dropping but these men will neither be brused with the hammer of the law nor mollified with the oyly drops of the Gospel which are daily falling vpon them