affected that her very bowels were moued within her And the Apostle Peter as wee haue heard before seeing how grieuously hee had sinned in denying his Master went out Mat. 26.75 and wept bitterly If there had beene neither heauen nor hell neither reward nor punishment yet this very vnthankfulnesse to so kind a Master would haue caused him to sorrow as much as hee did when this affection is once in a man then hee beginneth truly to repent and neuer before Then hee is displeased with himselfe then hee loatheth and detesteth his sinnes whereby he hath offended God and then he beginneth seriously to bethinke himselfe what course he may take to please God So did Dauid being greiued because he had so hainously offended God he prayeth Psal 51.4.10 that God would create in him a cleane heart and renew a right spirit within him that so he might walke more acceptably before the Lord for the time to come So also the godly Israelites in Ezra his time Ezra 9. the whole Chapter 10.3 when they had with great griefe of heart bewailed their sinnes against God they resolue to make a couenant with God and solemnly to bind themselues to put away their strange wiues whereby they had so much dishonoured him And so is it withall the faithfull euen as a good child hauing by his vntowardnesse vexed his Father is carefull afterwardes to please him by all meanes possible There is another sorrow which the Apostle calleth a worldly sorrow which is alwayes ineffectual 2. Cor. 7.10 Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore Oderunt peccare mali formidine paenae Sunt quos peccasse paenitet propter presentia supplicia displicet enim latroni peccatum quando agitur de paena desit vindicta reuertitur ad crimina Huic concordant qui consitentur inuiti non amore boni sed vt sagiant damnum incommodum saeculi vtilis ergo erit paenitentia si sit spontanea De vera fulsa paenit cap. 9. Gen. 4.11.12.13 Exod. 9.27.34 10 16.17.20 1. Sam. 15.24 25 for it ariseth only of feare of punishment and when that is once taken away they returne to their former sinnes as greedily as the dog to his vomit Whereupon Saint Augustine saith well There are some that repent that they haue sinned by reason of present punishments For the robber is displeased with his sinnes when hee is brought to punishment for them but take away the punishment and hee returneth againe to his former faultes Like vnto him are they that confesse their sinnes against their willes not for any loue of good but to auoide the losse and punishment of the world So that repentance will bee profitable if it bee voluntarie And on the contrary side that which is extorted and wrung from a man for feare of punishment is alwayes vnprofitable Kain mourned exceedingly and cryed out saying My sinne is greater then can bee forgiuen me but it was not for his hypocrisie in Gods seruice no for his cruell murdering of his brother but because of the punishment that God inflicted vpon him Pharaoh howled and tooke on and confessed him selfe a sinner but it was not in any detestation of his sinne but for the great plagues that God had brought vpon him and his land and therefore when they were remoued hee was as wretched and as disobedient as euer he was before Saul was sorrowfull and acknowledged his sinne but it was onely in regard of Samuels threatning that God had reiected him and would take his Kingdome from him and therefore hee was so far from amendment of life that he became euery day worse and worse as appeareth in the whole course of the story Achab also humbled himselfe and put on sackcloath as though he had beene very penitent 1. King 21.27 but it was for feare of the vengeance that Eliah had denounced gainst him and therefore there was no reformation in him as may appeare in that hee persecuted the Prophet for telling him the truth 22.8.26.27 Vse This end may serue to stirre vs vp to labour for godly sorrow that wee may mourne for sinne because it is sinne and because it displeaseth God And this will be exceeding forcible to expell our sinnes for when this affectation once commeth into the heart sinne goeth out it will not lodge nor settle there vnlesse it bee cockered and made much of Zech. 12.10 When a man once bewaileth his sinnes and lamenteth for them as he would doe for the losse of his onely Sonne then hee cannot choose but detest them then euen his dearest sinnes wherein he hath taken most delight will bee bitter as gall and most odious vnto him Now the meanes whereby this sorrow may be attained are these First to consider the manifold blessings of God towards vs and our vnthankfulnesse to him Lament 3.23 When a man shal consider how gracious God hath beene vnto him renewing his mercies towards him euery morning and withall how vnthankfull hee hath beene rendering euill for good and hatred for his good will it cannot choose but much affect him 2. Sam. 12.7.8 When Dauid called to mind what great things God had done for him that hee had aduanced him to be King ouer Israel and had deliuered him out of the hands of Saul and as Nathan told him if that had beene too litle he would haue giuen him much more that wrought remorse and sorrow in his heart Ezra 9.8.9 Nehem. 9.7.8.9.10 c. Iere. 5.25 The like wee see in the people of the Iewes in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah Secondly to call to minde and throughly to waigh the ill effects that follow vpon sinne Namely that they hinder good things from vs Zech. 12.10 and pull downe many curses vpon our heads but especially that by them we peirced and crucified Christ Iesus When a man shal be perswaded of this it will make him mourne more then any thing Iames 4.9 It will cause him to afflict himselfe to sorrow and to weepe to turne his laughter into mourning and his ioy into heauinesse Thirdly to attend diligently vnto the Ministery of the word that so our sinnes may be laid open and our heartes smitten with greife for them Acts 2.36.37 Thus was it with the hearers of Saint Peter when they heard their particular sinnes and the haniousnesse of them discouered by his preaching it is said they were pricked in their hearts But it is not the bare hearing of the word that will effect this it must bee laid vp in the heart that so the continuall remembrance of it may wound the soule when neede requireth As the Lord saith by the Prophet he will write his lawes in their heartes by his spirit Jere. 33.31 Ezech. 36.27.31 and then shall they remember their owne wicked wayes and shall iudge themselues worthy to haue beene destroyed Last of all to take heede of presumptuous sinnes otherwise our heartes will cease to smite
young man in whom the heate of his affections is more violent Wherewith saith he shall a young man redresse his way in taking heed thereto according to thy word Psal 119.9 Wee read in the booke of Nehemiah that when the people of Israel had sinned in taking them wiues of the Idolatrous Nations and had lien in that sinne a long time without repentance Ezra that learned Scribe put them in minde of the hainousnesse of their sinne Nehem. 8.18 9.1.2 c. by rehearsing to them the law of God in that behalfe which wrought so vpon their consciences as presently they repented of the fact in sackecloath and ashes Yea though peraduenture while the word is in preaching it doth little affect a man yet if afterward by some occasion he can call it to his remembrance it will stirre him vp to repentance For the word as also the Sacraments doth not onely profit a man for the present while hee heareth it but it is many times effectuall afterwards And therefore it is called long-lasting foode the strength whereof abideth with a man euen all his life Yea as Physicke with a man taketh which no great desire nay many times euen against the stomacke doth yet worke profitably vpon the body So the word of God which a man at the instant heareth with no great deuotion may afterwardes be called to minde with great benefit Adam at the first did not regard the word of God as hee should when he tolde him Gene. 2.17 3 11. c. that in what day he tasted of the forbidden fruit hee should die the death but afterward when the Lord put him in minde of it againe hee remembred both what God had said and what himselfe had done and so came to repentance 2. Chro. 33.2 â— 2. King 21.16 Manasses thought it no sinne to commit Idolatrie and to cause the streets to swimne with innocent bloud euen from corner to corner But after God had humbled him by captiuitie the remembrance of the word brought him to a sight of his sinne and made him seeke reconciliation with God Yea which is more The remembrance of the word is a notable meanes to preuent the falling into sinne and not onely to recouer a man that is fallen As Dauid saith hee hid the word of God in his heart Psa 119.11.105 that he might not sinne against him And to this purpose hee calleth the word a lanthorne to his feete and a light vnto his path As a man that hath a candle and a lanthorne carried before him may keepe himselfe from falling in a dark night so if a man alwayes carry the word of God before him it will preserue him from falling into sinne Psal 19.11 And he affirmeth by his owne experience that the word had made him circumspect and warie in all his wayes that hee might not offend And Saint Iames saith James 1.25 that the hearing of the word with remembrance of it doth make a man a doer of the worke The word is a wonderful meanes being well remembred to keepe a man in a holy awe and order that he shal not breake out into sinne Yea it is possible by remembring the precepts of the word to be armed against all sinne whatsoeuer As Salomon testifieth at large Prou. 2.10.11 When wisedome saith he entreth into thy heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule Then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee And deliuer thee from the euill way c. 12. And a little further And it shall deliuer thee from the strange woman c. And againe 16. he exhorteth to binde the precepts of the word vpon our heart and to tie them about our neckâ— That is alwayes to haue them in remembrance and before our eyes and hee giueth this reason 6.21 It shall lead thee when thou walkest it shall watch for thee when thou sleepest 22. and when thou wakest it shall talke with thee 23. For the commandement is a lanthorne and instruction a light 24. c. to keepe from the wicked woman c. Where hee ascribeth a singular efficacy to the word of God diligently remembred to preserue a man not onely from sinne in generall but euen from that particular sinne of whoredome the inticements whereof are so pleasing to the flesh So that it is apparent that it will euen breake the necke of all our sinnes Whereas on the contrary side the forgetfulnesse of the word is the cause of all euill VVhen men are forgetfull hearers as Saint Iames faith and cast the word of God behind their backes Iam. 1.24.25 Psal 50.17 no maruell if they fall into any sinne And indeed what knowledge soeuer they haue of the word otherwise yet when they fall into sinne they forget all As Dauid no doubt knew well enough what a filthy sinne adulterie was 2. Sam. 11.4 yet for the present his eies were blinded that hee had not the vse of his knowledge and so occasion being offred he was ouercome If a Zech. 53. Ecclc. 23.11 swearers b Iere. 17.27 Nehem. 13.18 if prophaners of the Sabaoth c Gal. 5.21 1. Cor. 6 9.10 Ephe. 5.5.6 if couetous persons whoremasters and drunkardes could but remember the fearefull threatnings denounced in the word against those sinnes doubtlesse they would neuer be so cruel to their owne soules as to rush so desperately into these sinnes 2. Cor 4.4 or to continue so impenitently in them as they doe But the God of this world hath blinded their mindes and for the time raced out of their heartes the remembrance of the word and so holdeth them captiue in sinne This doctrine to make vse of it in a word Vse doth serue to admonish vs not onely to be carefull that the word may often sound in our eares but also to doe our indeauour to remember and lay vp the instructions thereof for the amendment and reformation of our liues And to the end wee may the better performe this dutie wee must often and diligently meditate of the word which we haue heard As the Lord commaunded Ioshua saying Iosh 1.8 Let not this booke of the law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou mayest obserue and doe according to all that is written therein c. A man can neuer performe the duties that God requireth nor auoide the sinnes that God forbiddeth vnlesse hee occupy himselfe in meditating of the word And therefore Dauid maketh it a propertie of a godly man Psal 1.2 to meditate in the law of the Lord day and night And hee saith it was his owne practise O how I loue thy law 119.97.101 it is my meditation continually And this made him refraine his feet from euery euill way This is a notable meanes to confirme and strengthen the memory that it may retaine the word Yea when the word is almost forgotten meditation of one
THE REPENTANCE OF PETER And IVDAS TOGETHER WITH THE FRAILTIE OF THE Faithfull and the fearefull ende of wicked Hypocrites PROVER 24.16 ¶ A iust man falleth seuen times and riseth againe but the wicked fall into mischiefe LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Ioseph Browne ANNO DOMINI 1612. TO THE VERTVOVS AND RELIGIOVS LADIE THE LADIE MILDRED SAVNDERSON WIFE TO THE HONOVRED SIR NICHOLAS SAVNDERSON Knight Baronet encrease of grace in this life and eternall glorie in the life to come GOOD MADAME there is such a satietie if not a surfet of books at this day that it may bee thought as superfluous to publish any new worke as to carrie timber to the Wood or water to the Sea In which respect I had neuer presumed to set pen to paper but only that I haue long desired to giue your Ladiship some testimonie of my thankefull heart for the fauours I haue receiued at your hands And though I know that as Plinie said of Traian the Emperour you are most sparing in prizing and valuing the benefits you bestow because you giue them freely and put them not out to vsurie yet if I should dissemble them I might iustly be condemned of grosse ingratitude I acknowledge you haue opened euen the fountaine of your good opinion to me which hath flowed as it were with a full streame of pietie and so many waies hath your vertue refreshed and relieued me that I may truly say as once Furnius said to Caesar I shall liue and die vnthankefull For when I haue done all I can I cannot sufficiently conceiue the thanks which you deserue I am bold therefore to present these poore fruits of my labours vnto your Ladiship to be a publike witnesse and pledge to all posteritie of my dutifull affection towards you And though this paper-gift bee too base a recompense for your vndeserued fauour Yet it being the best which my pouertie can affoorde I doubt not but according to your milde disposition you will accept of it respecting rather the affection of the giuer then the worth of the gift for if I were able to giue more I would performe it I am not ignorant that in publishing these my weake Meditations I shall expose my selfe to a thousand censures of curious and carping Readers but I had rather be taxed of rashnesse in this behalfe then iustly blamed for want of dutie How meane soeuer they be if they may any way benefit the Church of God especially if they may be any small meanes to further your godly endeauours in the way of Christianitie and to build you vp towards the Kingdome of heauen I shall gaine that which I most desire And thus I commend your Ladiship to God and to the Word of his grace beseeching him that whatsoeuer good beginnings hee hath wrought in you hee will perfit the same vntill the comming of Iesus Christ that your last worldly day may be your assured entrance to euerlasting glorie Your Ladiships in all Christian duties obliged CHARLES RICHARDSON or to manifest what is wrong only the one cannot demonstrate the right But Almightie God and his Ministers doe not onely shew the one but teach the other especially in this doctrine of Repentance without the knowledge whereof all knowledge in the minde is but like a dreame and all paines but the washing of the Moore Onely the true penitent when he awaketh shall be satisfied with the Image of God which made Otho the Emperour to cause his kitchin-boyes to treade vpon his necke Et vilissimam dei creaturam conculcare and trample vpon him the vilest creature of God The penitent man hath but seuen steps to heauen which are shewed out in the seuen penitentiall Psalmes the conscience and shame of sinne the feare of punishment the sorrow for the offence the desire of amendment the firme beliefe of pardon the mistrust of his strength the longing after heauen with the apprehension of Iesus Christ the way vnto it Hee that doth these things shall neuer faile But let me say of these treatises as the Angell said to Cornelius Simon Peter is at Ioppe send for him he shall shew thee what thou shalt doe This Booke in the sorrow of Peter shall teach thee to repent exemplarily and by the example of Iudas to dread hypocrisie the way to desperation Farewell EDW. TOPSELL THE REPENTANCE OF PETER AND IVDAS MATT. 26. VER 69.70 69 Peter sate without in the Hall and a maide came to him saying Thou also wast with Iesus of Galile 70 But he denied before them all saying I wote not what thou sayest c. To the end of the Chapter IN this Chapter and the next that followeth the Holy Euangelist doth at large set out the History of the passion and suffering of our Sauiour Christ together with all the circumstances and seuerall partes thereof Now in these words the course of the History is interrupted to inserte a briefe narration of the fall and repentance of the Apostle Peter which was necessarily done that the truth of that which Christ had foretold him Verse 34. namely that before the cocke crow he should denie him thrice might appeare It is worthy to bee obserued that all the foure Euangelists doe diligently describe this Story of Peters fall Manie things there are which some one of the Euangelists doe make mention of which are omitted by all the rest But here as if they had taken consent they all leaue this registred to all posteritie Shall we thinke that they are delighted in blasing and publishing this horrible and shamefull fault of their fellow Apostle Indeed carnall men loue to rippe vp other mens vices either to satisfie their owne enuie and malice whereby they are mooued to disgrace and defame their brethren or to commend their own righteousnesse and holinesse aboue other men as the proud Pharisie dealt with the poore Publican But farre be it from vs to imagine Luke 18.11 2. Tim. 3.16 2. Pet. 1.21 that so holy men being inspired and as it were led by the Holy Ghost should be carried either with enuie or arrogancie in this case But as their heart and pen was guided by the Lord in the rest of the Scripture so no doubt they were also directed in this particular and that for the publique benefit and great good of the whole Church Rom. 15.4 For as Whatsoeuer things are written they are written for our learning so this narration is richly furnished with many excellent and heauenly instructions for our vse For first of all it hath pleased the Lord in Saint Peter the chiefe of the Apostles to giue vs a memorable example of the frailtie and weaknesse of mans strength if he bee left neuer so little to himselfe Secondly we may see in it the beginning and progresse of sinne how being yeelded to at the first by degrees it commeth to the height Thirdly wee may behold as in a glasse the great loue of God towardes his children who will not suffer them to perish
there were no other proofe of it It was not the qualitie of Iudas his sinne that made it worse then Peters but his gracelesnesse that could not repent of it as Peter did Nay if all circumstances be considered it may be Peters sinne will bee found so hainous if not more hainous then the sinne of Iudas For Iudas was diuerse times crossed by our Sauiour Christ Iohn 12.6.7 as namely in the case of the ointment yea he was openly shamed and disgraced before all his fellowes when as in the hearing of them all our Sauiour discouereth him to bee a Traitor pulling him as it were out by the poll Mat. 26.23.24.25 Iahn 13.26 when hee gaue him a soppe c. Hence he conceiued dislike of his Master and no doubt began to stomacke him and then briberie working on his couetousnesse for the Priests offered him money he was easily drawne to doe that hee did Mat. 26.15 But Peter was euer well beloued and respected of his Master as hath beene said and was neuer out of grace and fauour with him and yet notwithstanding he denieth him 1. Sam. 13.14 Fearefull also and wofull was the fall of Dauid as the Scripture hath recorded it It may seeme strange that Dauid a man after Gods owne heart as the Lord himselfe testifieth could possibly fall so farre as he did 2. Sam. 11. the whole Chapter For if wee consider the circumstances and degrees of his sinne it will appeare that finall impenitencie excepted a reprobate could scarce commit a greater For first he committeth adulterie with Vriah his wife after that hee vseth very vile and sinfull shifts to saue his credit and to couer his sinne As hee sendeth for Vriah from the Campe where he was fighting the battels of God against his enemies and would haue had him to haue gone and layen with his wife that so hee might father the child When he could not perswade him to goe home hee causeth him to eat at his owne table and there maketh him drunke thinking that then hee would haue done it But when this would not preuaile neither he that before in the time of his affliction was so tender hearted that his conscience checked him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment 1. Sam. 24.6 doth now make no bones to cause Vriah an innocent and harmlesse man to be slaine and made away In like maner Gene. 7.1 2. Pet. 2.7.8 Noah and Lot both of thē righteous persons as is testified of them and both of them hauing had so good experience of Gods mercifull goodnesse in preseruing them Gene. 6.8 Gene. 19.16 9.21 19.33 c. the one from the destruction of the old world the other frō the ouerthrow of Sodom Gomorrah yet were both drunk in a shameful maner and Lot to his drunkennes added incest euen with his owne daughters Num. 12.7 Exod. 33.11 In a word that Moses was so faithful in the house of God he that found such grace in the sight of God that the Lord spake to him face to face as a man speaketh to his friend he that had so great experience of the mighty power of God in so many glorious miracles yea himselfe had beene Gods instrument in effecting them he that had with such a great patience and meekenesse ouercome so many prouocations of that froward and peruerse people yet at the last was so angred and his spirit so vexed Psal 106.32.33 Num. 20.10.12 Deut. 34.4 that he spake vnaduisedly with his lippes which sinne of his was so hainous as that the Lord would not therefore suffer him to enter into the land of promise Many examples might be produced for the further confirmation of this point but by these it may sufficiently appeare that though a man be neuer so deare to God and haue receiued neuer so great a measure of grace and sanctification yet if hee be left to himselfe by violence of temptation he may fall into great and fearefull sinnes Obiect 2. Thes 3.3 But some may say God is able to stablish his children as the Apostle saith and to keepe them from euill Why then doth he not alwaies preuent them with his grace but suffer them to fall thus fearefully to the dishonour of his name and the wounding of their owne soules Answere I answere as before that God is not bound to followe any man with his grace after he hath once regenerated and sanctified him And herein God dealeth with his children as a father doth with his prodigall sonne Though he be able to furnish him continually with money and to supply all his idle and wastfull expences yet when hee seeth that nothing will serue his turne but that still hee lasheth it out without any measure he giueth him ouer and leaueth him to himselfe to be beaten with his owne rod as that prodigall youth was in the Gospell that at the last comming home by weeping crosse Luke 15.14 15.16 bee may learne to bee a better husband And yet no man condemneth this father of cruelty or hard dealing to such a sonne but rather commendeth his wisdome So in like manner when the Lord perceiueth his children to waxe carelesse Enchir. ad Lau rent cap. 10. Rom. 8.28 Mala eis prosunt quae alijs facientibus obsunt Mag. Sentent lib. 1. disti 49. G. in husbanding the graces which he hath giuen them when they beginne to be negligent in vsing the meanes to preserue and increase them hee iustly witholdeth his grace from them and leaueth them to fall into grosse and grieuous sinnes And yet such is the mercifull goodnesse of our God that euen this maketh for our great and vnspeakable good That God that in the beginning by his diuine power brought light out of darkenesse is able also out of the greatest euill to bring the greatest good To which purpose Saint Augustine hath a good saying Almighty God being infinitely good would by no meanes suffer any euill to bee in his workes vnlesse by his power and goodnesse hee were able to dispose it to good And the Apostle also saith that all things worke together for the best to them that loue God yea euen sinne that is hurfull to others by Gods mercifull dispensation is profitable to them For first when the children of God are ouercome of the temptation which they striue against and so fall into some great sinne it maketh them displeased with themselues because they haue so dishonoured God and so they beginne to take a better vewe of their owne frailty and weakenesse and are exceedingly humbled thereby a Audeo dicere superbis vtile esse caderein aliquod apertū manifestumque peccatum vnde sibi displiceant qui iam sibi placendo ceciderant Salubrius enim Petrus sibi displicuit quendo sleuit quam sibi placuit quando praesumpsit iuxta illud Psa 83.16 De ciuit Dei lib 14. cap. 13. Sanctis vsque adeo Deus omnia cooperatur in
Other mens ruines should bee your examples Now to the end that wee may not abuse these examples of Gods children to the incouraging of our selues in sinne let vs consider first that this was no ordinarie thing with them to fall in this manner It is testified of Dauid euen by the Lord himselfe that hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the dayes of his life saue onely in the matter of Vriah 1. King 15.5 Dauid then made no occupation of sinning So wee doe not reade that euer Peter denied Christ Iesus any more no hee was most constant in confessing of his name euen vnto death Neither doe wee reade that Noah or Lot were euer ouertaken with drunkennesse againe And therefore the examples of their falles can bee no incouragement to them that continually adde sinne to sinne making whoredome and drunkennesse and such like horrible sinnes their ordinarie trade and common practise These men sinned indeede but it was of infirmitie through the violence of temptation and they did not lie along in their sinne but renued their repentance with griefe of heart and therefore God receiued them to mercy and forgaue them their sinnes But this is nothing to thee whosoeuer thou art that sinnest presumptuously with an high band and liuest and lyest in thy sinne impenitently God hath no mercy for thee so long as thou continuest in this estate Againe for our selues let vs consider what hurt wee receiue whensoeuer wee fall into any sinne For first of all that spirituall comfort and ioy in the holy Ghost which once wee felt 1. Pet. 1.8 and which before was in vs vnspeakeable and glorious vanisheth away and our soules are filled with horrour by reason of Gods displeasure and the conscience is made euen the picture of hell And therefore Dauid after his grieuous fall Psal 51.11.8 desireth the Lord to restore to him the ioy of his saluation And a little before in the same Psalme hee saith Make me to heare of ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce Insinuating that the the horrour of conscience that followeth vpon the committing of sinnes is like the breaking of a mans bones which is the greatest paine that can be Yea hee saith in an other Psalme Psal 130.1 Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee O Lord as though for the time hee had beene in the bottome of hell Secondly wee are made vnfit to any thing that is good so that till we be restored againe by repentance wee are made vnprofitable burdens of the earth There is no cheerefulnesse in Prayer no life in hearing the word no delight in receiuing the Lords supper Our soules are dull and lumpish within vs as if they were buried in the bottome of a dunghill that we cannot lift them vp with any feruencie in the performance of any holy duetie Thirdly on the other side we are made most apt and ready to runne into any sinne Whiles we lie impenitent in any transgression the deuill cannot offer a tentation to vs but wee are ready to yeeld as may appeare in this example of Peter as wee shall see afterward Fourthly we are sure to smart for it for God will correct vs with one rod or other till we bee throughly humbled as the Lord said to Dauid If thy children forsake my Law Psal 89.30.31.32 and walke not in my iudgements if they breake my statutes and keepe not my commandements Then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with scourges What a griefe thinke we Gen. 9.22.25 was it to Noah by reason of his sinne to become a laughing stocke to his owne sonne What a heart breaking was it to Dauid to bee thrust out of his Kingdome by Absalom his owne darling 2. Sam. 15.30 It is said that when he fled from him hee had his head couered and went barefooted and wept as he went Better were it therefore for a man to want all the pleasure that his sinnes can affoord then to endure the smart and shame that followeth after as the Apostle saith What fruite had yee then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed Rom. 6.21 Last of all when a man by his sinnes hath lost the feeling of Gods fauour it is hard to recouer it againe Peter wept bitterly Dauid crieth earnestly yea he caused his bed euery night to swim and watered his couch with his teares So will it be with thee whosoeuer thou art that hast by thy sinne lost the fauour of God it will cost thee many a broken sleepe many an aking heart and many a salt and bitter teare before thou canst bee reconciled againe And therefore to conclude in all these respects wee should bee carefull by all holy meanes to preserue our selues from sinne and not presume because God hath beene mercifull in forgiuing many great and grieuous sinners Before them all This is the maner of his deniall that hee doth it openly and publikely hee did not whisper it in the maides eare but spake it openly in the hearing of them all And this doth greatly aggrauate his sinne that hee is not afraid of a multitude of witnesses Hee is come to this passe that he careth not who heareth him denie his Master Doctr. These sinnes are most hainous that are openly committed Psal 139.12 Here then we may learne that as all sinnes are hainous so especially that which is openly and publikely committed The very sight and presence of men should somewhat keepe vs and restraine vs from sinne It is true that euen our most secret sinnes are odious in the sight of God because seeth them as well as if they were open For as Dauid saith The darkenesse hideth not from God Ier. 23.24 Psal 19.12 but the night shineth as the day the darkenesse and light to him are both alike he seeth as well at mid-night as at noone-day Neither can there be any place so secret wherein a man can hide his sinnes from the Lord. And therefore Hos 4.2 Jsa 3.9 Vultu morbum incessuque fatentur Iuuenal satyr 2. vnius cuiusque casus tantò maior ris est crim iniis quantò priusq is caderet maioris erit virtutis Bern. de conc aedif cap. 5 s 1 as Dauid prayeth for the pardon euen of his secret sinnes ackowledging that God could know and see sinnes in him when they could not see them himselfe But when mens sinnes breake out as the Prophet Hosea saith into the open vewe of the world and when once the triall of their countenance doth testifie against them when they are come to that height of impudency in sinning that they declare their sinnes as Sodome and hide them not then are their sins most odious The reason is because God thereby is most dishonored especially if they be professors of religion that doe offend For all that professe religion liue as it were vpon a stage where all men doe
in them without repentance a long while yet in the end hauing compassion on him Psal 103.13 as a tender hearted father hath compassion on his children he sent the Prophet Nathan to him to awake him out of his sinne and to call him to repentance And afterwards when his heart was lifted vp by reason of the strength of his people 2 Sam. 24.10.11.12 that hee must needs haue them numbred the Lord caused first his owne heart to smite him and then sent the Prophet Gad vnto him to humble him for the same Yea the Lord is so rich in mercy that he offereth this grace euen to the wicked also though they in their prophanesse contemne and reiect the same When Caines heart boyled with malice against his brother Abel the Lord said enough to him if hee had had grace to haue preuented any further mischiefe Gene. 4.6.7 Why art thou wroth saith he and why is thy countenance cast downe If thou doe well shalt thou not be accepted c. And after hee had slaine him indeed the Lord left him not 9.10 but laboured to bring him to remorse when he asked him what was become of his brother and told him that his bloud cried vnto him from the earth Gene. 6.3 When the Lord had purposed to destroy the olde world because the wickednesse thereof was very great hee did first vse all meanes to reclaime them He gaue them an hundred and twentie yeeres to repent in and in the meane while sent Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2. Pet. 2.5 Heb. 11.7 to forewarne them of the danger both by verball and also visible Preaching in making an Arke for the sauing of himselfe and his houshold So hee dealt with the filthy Sodomites Gene. 19. c. placing iust Lot among them to labour their conuersion if it might be When Saul had stubbornely transgressed the commaundements of the Lord and had thereby caused him to reiect him yet hee left him not so 1. Sam. 15.16.17 c. but sent Samuel to put him in mind of the heinousnesse of his sinne When Ahab by horrible crueltie had bereft poore Nabaoth of his life and liuing 1. King 21.18.19 the Lord sent Elias the Prophet to reproue him and to aggrauate his sinne against him that so hee might be humbled In a word the Lord offered his mercie to Iudas Iohn 13.26 when as before euer hee had effected any thing our Sauiour put him in mind of the horriblenesse of his bloudy thoughts against him making it manifest that hee was the man that should betray him If the Lord bee thus mercifull to make so large a proffer of his grace to such as he knoweth will despise it how much more will hee offer the same to his children who will thankfully embrace it And hereof we haue yet a most liuely example in Adam Gen. 3.6.8.9.15 and the Lords dealing with him When hee had disobeyed the commaundement of God in eating the forbidden fruit and perceiued that thereby he had forfeited that excellent glory of his creation for shame and feare hee was ready to runne away from God if it had beene possible But the Lord would not loose him for all that but sought him out in the garden and preached vnto him the glad tydings of saluation by Iesus Christ And hence is it that Dauid saith Psal 121.4 Hee that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe but continually watcheth for the preseruation of their soules and therefore vseth all good meanes whereby it may be effected As heere the crowing of the Cocke was a meanes to bring Peter to the sight of his sinne Mat. 26.34 for this was the signe that our Sauiour had giuen him of his deniall that before the cocke crewe hee should denie him thrice And it was so much the more effectuall because it fell out in the very moment and instant of his sinne He had no sooner denied his Master but as the Euangelist saith here immediatly the cocke crewe Yea Saint Luke saith that it was done before the worde was out of his mouth And immediatly Luke 22.60 saith hee Whiles hee yet spake the cocke crewe Now hereby are signified all outwarde meanes whatsoeuer they bee which God vseth to awake vs out of our sinnes that shaking off that drowsinesse which for the most part possesseth the flesh wee may bethinke our selues of our sinnes and of the wrath of God due vnto them and of some course to pacifie the same Which meanes if the Lord shoulde not vse towardes vs wee woulde for euer lie securely in our sinnes and thinke our selues in best case when our saluation is in greatest danger Many and diuerse are the meanes which it pleaseth the Lord to vse for this purpose As first and chiefely the Ministrie of his word Matth. 3.3 Jsa 58.1 Prou. 1.20.21 c. 8.1.2.3 c. 9.1.2.3 c. Hee sendeth his Misters as cryers as Iohn Baptist saith of himselfe commaunding them to crie aloud and to lift vp their voices like trumpets to preach the Doctrine of repentance and to tell the people of their sinnes And Salomon in many places bringeth in Christ Iesus the wisedome of God sometimes crying alowd in his owne person sometimes sending his messengers to summon men to repentance And for this cause the Apostle saith Ephes 4.11.12 that the Lord hath furnished Ministers with gifts for the worke of the Ministerie euen for the gathering together of the Saints and the aedification of the body of Christ Iesus 2. Sam. 12.1 24.1 Thus dealt the Lord with Dauid as wee haue heard before sending the Prophets Nathan and Gad vnto him after his two great sinnes to bring him to the sight of his sinne 2. Chron. 36.14.15 And thus dealt he with the rebellious Israelits when they had trespassed wonderfullie against him he had compassion on them and sent to them by his messengers to call them to repentance Yea hee sent the Prophet Ionah to preach repentance to the Niniuites Ion. 3.4 And hence is it that the Apostle calleth the Ministrie of the word Rom. 1.16 the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth And howsoeuer the wisemen of the world doe account it no better then foolishnesse 1. Cor. 1.23.21 yet it hath pleased God euen by that foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue Secondly the manifolde blessings and benefits wherewith he daily ladeth vs Psal 68.18 Lam. 3.23 and which he renueth towardes vs euery morning As there is neuer a one of vs that haue not good experience hereof continually both in our soules and in our bodies How liberally and bountifully doth the Lord sustaine and feede vs from time to time How carefully doth the eye of his prouidence watch ouer vs and how powerfully doth the hand of his mightie protection preserue vs from many dangers wherein by reason of our sinnes wee might haue perished
the night When he was in his bed in the night and could not sleepe then the Lord filled his heart with holy meditations This Doctrine serueth first to commend vnto vs the great Vse 1 goodnesse of GOD who dooth not by and by cast off all care of his children when they fall into sinne Psal 103.10 Neither dealeth with them according to their deserts but so louingly recalleth them by one meanes or other Yea it is as impossible for the Lord to forsake his children as it is for the most tender harted mother in the world to forget her own child and not to haue compassion on the sonne of her owne wombe Isa 49.15 Secondly it serueth to admonish vs that whensoeuer Vse 2 the Lord shall call vs by what meanes soeuer wee willingly obey and labour to reape profit by all his gratious administrations towards vs. Which way soeuer the Lord in mercy vseth to reclaime vs from our sinnes 1. Sam. 3.10 let vs be ready to answer with young Samuel Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth There should be an Eccho as it were between the heart of euery Christian man and the Lord to answer him at euery call Psal 40.7 Lo I come Lord as Dauid saith Vse 3 Thirdly it serueth for the iust reproofe of al those that rebell and resist the Lord when hee calleth As there are too many that giue the Lord cause to complaine as once he did of Ierusalem Mat. 23.37 O Ierusalem Ierusalem c. How often would I haue gathered thy children together as the Hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and ye would not They frustrate al the meanes that God can vse towards them for their good If hee call vpon them by the ministery of his word either like the deafe adder they stoppe their eares Psalm 58.4.5 and refuse to heare the voice of the charmer though he be most expert in charming or else for fashion sake they harken to it and attaine to some knowledge 50.17 yet they scornefully cast it behind their backs and hate to be reformed by it If hee allure them by his gratious benefits 2. Chron. 32.25 they doe most wretchedly abuse them not rendring vnto the Lord according to the reward bestowed vpon them as it was said of Hezekiah but turning the grace of God into wantonnesse Iude X 4. Râ—m 2.4 and despising the riches of his bountifulnesse not suffering it to lead them to repentance Yea when God hath redde them to the full Deut. 32.15 that they are waxen fatte they spurne with the heele and regard not the strong God of their saluation Psal 35 12. 109.4 Thus as Dauid saith of his enemies they render vnto the Lord euill for good and hatred for his great good will If he be angry with them for their sinnes and correct and chastice them they are neuer the better But with Ahaz wicked Ahaz 2. Chron. 28.22 in the time of their tribulation they trespasse yet more against the Lord. As the Prophet Ieremy said of the stubborne Iewes Ier. 2.30 They haue beene smitten in vain they haue receiued no correction Ier. 5.3 The Lord hath stricken them but they haue not sorrowed they haue made their faces harder then a stone and haue refused to returne If hee bring publike iudgements vpon the land they doe not regard them If a Lion doe but roare in the forrest all the beasts are afraid Amos 3.8 as the prophet Amos saith But the Lord hath roared from Heauen in his fearefull iudgements and yet no man trembleth Neuer age had more experience heereof then this wherein we liue How long hath the noysome pestilence ranged in all countries of the land what fearefull inundations of water What horrible fires in many places And yet as though all were nothing the most of vs passe our time in carnall security and sinfull pleasures Jsa 5.12 neuer regarding the worke of the Lord nor considering the operation of his hands In a word though God did raise vp in vs neuer so many good motions and holy desires yet by our carelesse negligence we strangle and extinguish them not suffering them to haue that blessed effect of grace in our harts which otherwise they might So that now the Lord may iustly take vp that complaint against vs which once he did against the Iewes Jsa 65.2 I haue spread out my hands all the day long vnto a rebellious people c. And therefore we may feare that as hee hath called vpon vs and we haue refused as hee hath stretched out his hand and we would not regard so the time shall come that we shall cry and call vpon him Pro. 1.24.26.28 euen till our harts ake and hee will not heare vs. Yea he will be so farre from pittying vs that he will laugh at our destruction as Salomon saith And therefore whensoeuer or howsoeuer it shal please the Lord to offer vs grace let vs pray vnto him to enlarge our hearts that wee may willingly and readily embrace it Then the Lord turned backe and looked on Peter This is omitted by our Euangelist but is recorded by Saint Luke Luke 22.61 And it is the second meanes of Peters repentance After the crowing of the cocke our Sauiour looked backe vpon Peter and by his beholding him prouoked him to bitter teares The cocke had crowne already and yet Peter neuer awaked nor remembred what Christ had said vnto him till hee looked backe Now wee are not to thinke that Christs bare looking backe did effect this Ioh. 13.26.27 For then Iudas might haue beene conuerted too For no doubt our Sauiour Christ looked vpon him Iohn 13.26.27 both when hee gaue him the soppe and made it knowne that hee was the man that should betray him and also when hee vttered that sweete and milde speech vnto him when hee came with souldiers to apprehend him Friend saith he Matth. 26.50 wherefore art thou come and after when hee offered to kisse him Luke 22.48 Iudas saith hee betrayest thou the sonne of man with a kisse a Horrore sceleris sui coâ—â—impij ferire voluit Bern feria 6. in Parasc words that might haue broken his heart if hee had not beene more then obdurate So the Lord looked vpon Cain when hee did so louingly admonish him both before and after his bloudy fact but without any profit But here as the outward and bodily eye of Christ beheld Peter so the influence of his grace and spirit fell vpon his heart By looking vppon him he deriued into him the secret efficacy of his spirit and peirced his heart with the beames of his grace and that preuailed with him to bring him to repentance b Non enim si eri poterat vt in negationis tenebris permaneret quem lux perspexerat mundi Glossa ordinaria For it could not bee that hee should remaine in the darkenesse of his denyall whom
the light of the world had so graciously looked vpon Doct. All outward meanes can do no good without Gods blessing Where we may obserue that all outward meanes which the Lord vseth towardes vs will doe vs no good vnlesse they be accompanied with the powerfull operation of his holy spirit The Ministerie of the worde is of all other meanes most likely to doe most good because it is Gods owne sacred ordinance which himselfe hath sanctified for the working of grace Rom. 1.16 as the Apostle saith I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth 1. Cor. 1.21 And It hath pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue And yet we see by experience that there is no profit by it without Gods blessing Whosoeuer he bee that is the preacher though he bee neuer so rare and excellent for his gifts Iob. 33.23 euen one of a thousand as Iob saith though his learning bee neuer so profound 1. Cor. 13.2 that hee knewe all secrets and all knowledge which the world can affoord Ezra 7 6. though hee bee neuer so prompt and export in the law of God as is said of Ezra that learned Scribe Acts 18.24 though hee bee as a mightie and as well instructed in the Scriptures as euer was Apollos though hee bee a Scribe neuer so well taught vnto the kingdome of Heauen Mat. 13.52 able to bring forth of his treasure at al times things both new and olde 2. Tim. 2.15 Againe though hee bee indued with neuer so good a dexteritie in opening and diuiding the word of God aright Col. 4.3 1. Cor. 13 1. like a workman that need not be ashamed though God haue opened vnto him neuer such a doore of vtterance yea though hee could speake with the tongues of men and Angels And though beside all these excellent gifts his paines were as great as could be imagined 2. Tim. 4.2 Though hee were neuer so instant in his labour preaching the word vpon all occasions Acts 20.20 in season and out of season and that not openly in the congregation but euen from house to house as the Apostle Paul did And whatsoeuer the diligence of the people be in hearing of the word though they all stand vp on their seete Nehem. 8.5 while the worde is in deliuering the better to shake off drowsinesse as the bearers of Ezra did Luke 4.20 and though all their eies be fastned vpon the Preacher as the eies of the Nazarites were vpon our Sauiour Christ Though after they haue heard it they search the scriptures neuer so diligently Acts 17.11 as the noble men of Berea did and vse neuer so many other good meanes of meditation and conference c to helpe their memories Last of all though the doctrin that is taught bee neuer so heauenly and gracious yet there is no good fruit can bee looked for without the blessing of God As euery good giuing and euery perfect gift so also the fruite and profite of the ministry of the word is from aboue Iam. 1.17 and commeth downe from the father of lights Hence it is that the Lord saith I create the fruit of the lippes to be peace Isa 57.19 peace to them that are farre off and to them that are neare The ministery of the worde cannot minister any sound peace or comfort to a distressed conscience nor work any other gracious effect in a mans heart vnlesse the Lord giue a blessing vnto it And therefore the Lord hath promised to giue his holy spirite as an inseparable companion to the worde to make it effectuall Isa 59 2◠My spirit that is vppon thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seede of thy seede from henceforth euen for euer * Nisi Deus interiori gratia mētē regat atque agat nihil prodest homini omnis praedicatio veritatis Aug. de Ciu. Dei lib. 15. cap. 6. Psa 139.13.16 So that vnlesse the Lord by his inward grace doe direct moue the heart the preaching of the truth will doe a man no good at all It is in the ministery of the word as it is in the procreation of children Though the naturall meanes thereof be by ordinary generation yet all mans endeuour is in vaine vnlesse the Lord by his omnipotent and almighty power doe fashion vs and giue vs a forme and couer all our members in our Mothers wombe As we see by common experience that many married persons of sound complexions of strong constitutions and able bodies doe notwistanding goe Gen. 15 2. childlesse to their graues as Abraham complained For this cause Dauid saith plainely that children are the inheritance of the Lord the fruit of the wombe his reward Psal 127.3.8 He giueth them and denieth them to whome hee will And the Prophet setteth a note of attention before it Behold as if he would haue all men to take notice of it And therefore when Rahel being barren and enuying the fruitfulnesse of her sister cryed out to her husband in a foolish and distempered passion Giue me children or else I dye Iacob was exceeding angry with her and said Am I in Gods stead which hath withholden from thee the fruite of the wombe When God hath shut vp thy wombe and made thee barren is it in my power to open it and make thee fruitfull Gen. 30 1.2 In like manner though the ministers of the word by Gods owne ordinance be our spirituall fathers to beget vs in Christ Iesus through the Gospell 1. Cor. 4.15 Yet all the fruite of their ministery is the gift of God The most excellent and worthy minister that liueth cannot beget nor conuert one soule to God without his blessing a Sicut corporis medicamenta que hominibus adhibentur non nisi ijs prosunt quibus Deus operatur salutem qui sine illis medijs potest Cum sine ipso illa non possunt et tamen adhibentur si officiosè fiat inter opera misericordiae deputatur ita et adiumenta doctrinae tunc prosunt animae adhibita per hominem cū Deus operatur vt prosint qui potuit Euangelium dare homini etiam non ab hominibus neque per hominem Aug. de doctr Christiana As medicines for the body which one man applieth and ministreth vnto an other doe onely profit them to whome God worketh health who is able to worke without those meanes whereas they can do nothing without him and yet they are vsed and if it be done in obedience to Gods ordinance it is accounted a worke of mercy so the helps of instruction being vsed by man doe then profit the soule when it pleaseth God to blesse them who could giue the Gospell vnto man
neither from men nor by men Wee see in the matter of Husbandry that the seede ordinarily fructifieth in the earth by the labor of man and the influence of the heauens and yet experience doth teach vs that though the husbandman be neuer so skilfull in plowing and tilling of the earth though he obserue the most fitte seasons and opportunities that may be and though he be neuer so carefull in making choice of the best and purest seed yet many times the earth deceiueth his expectation Isa 24.5 So that as the Prophet saith they sow much and bring in little Hag. 1.6 Yea the heauen and the earth the common parents of all things become barren and the Sunne and the Moone doe loose their operation vnlesse the Lord by his diuine power doe giue to euery seede his owne body 1. Cor. 15.38 Heereupon wee read that Isaak sowed corne in the land of Gerar and had by estimation an hundreth fold encrease but it was not his owne endeauour that caused it but as the reason is there rendred so the Lord blessed him Gen. 26.12 And therefore Dauid saith that it is God that visiteth the earth and maketh it very rich and fruitfull It is he that by his owne appointment prepareth corne for men it is he that maketh the earth soft with shewers and blesseth the bud thereof it is he that crowneth the yeare with his goodnesse and couereth the vallies with corne so as men shout for ioy and sing Psal 65.9.10.11.13 So is it with the ministery of the word though the Ministers bee Gods husbandmen and though they haue neuer so much both skill and will to discharge their duties as hath beene saide though the seed which they sow be none other but that immortall seed of the word of God 1. Pet. 1.23 yet vnlesse it please God to make it effectuall it will bring forth no fruite at all And therefore the Apostle saith to this same purpose Paul may plant and Apollos may water but it is God and God onely that must giue the encrease 1. Cor. 3.6 It is one thing to minister visible obiects to the eyes another thing to cause the eyes to see It belongeth to the outward teachers to minister matter to their hearers but it appertaineth to the inward Master to open the heart to vnderstand As it is said of Lydia that God opened her heart that shee attended to the things that Paul spake Act. 16.14 And as the eye and the obiect are not sufficient to cause actuall seeing vnlesse the eye be enlightned so besides the instruction of the outward teacher it is necessary that the blessed Sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 doe shine in our hearts by the gratious beames of his holy spirite a Non quicunque ostendit viaÌ„ praebet etiaÌ„ viaticum itineranti Aliud illi exhibet qui facit ne deuiet aliud 〈◊〉 praestat ne deficiat in via Ita nec quivis doctior statim dator erit boni quodcunque docueâ—it Porrò duo sunt mihi necessaria doceri iuuari Tu quidem homo recte consutis ignorantiae sed si verum sentit Apostolus spiritus adiuuat infirmitatem nostram Bern. de gra lib. arbitrio He that sheweth a man the way as Bernard saith hee doth not by and by furnish him with necessaries for his iourney It is one thing to direct a man that he goe not out of his way and another thing to helpe him that he faint not in the way So neither is euery Teacher by and by the giuer of the good that hee teacheth Moreouer two things are necessary for me to be taught and to be relieued Thou O man dost indeede prouide well for my ignorance but if the Apostle think aright it is the spirit that helpeth our infirmities And therefore it is said that when the Apostles by vertue of Christs commission went forth preached euery where the Lord wrought with them and gaue a blessing to their endeauours Mar. 16 20. b Joanne operante dabat Deus qui dando non defuit Et nunc operantibus cunctis humana sunt opera sed Dei sunt munera Optatus in Donatist lib. 5. Where hee intreateth largely on this point Non potest munus ab homine dari quod diuinum est ibid. We are onely instruments in the hands of God hee striketh the stroke and worketh the effect making our labour effectuall in the hearts of our hearers There must bee two Preachers to the working of grace in the heart The Minister to preach to the eare and the spirit of God to apply it and blesse it to the soule And hence it is that the preacher is not called the giuer but the Minister of grace Who is Paul saith the Apostle or who is Apollos but Ministers by whome ye beleeued euen as the Lord gaue to euery man 1. Cor. 3.5 It is the Lords prerogatiue which he hath reserued to himselfe to be the giuer of all grace as S. Peter saith 1. Pet. 5 10. c Ita plane conuersio animarum diuinae vocis est non humanae Simon piscator hominum in hoc ipsum vocatus constitutus est a domino incassum tamen ipse laborans tota nocte nil capiens donec in verbo domini rete iactans comprebendere possit multitudinem copiosam Bern. de conuers ad Schol. So then we see that the conuersion of soules belongeth to the voice of God and not of man As the Apostle Peter laboured all night in fishing and caught nothing but when as in the word of Christ hee let downe his net he straightway inclosed a great multitude of fishes Luk. 5.5.6 So the Ministers of the word whome God hath called to bee fishers of men Mat. 4.19 may long let downe their nets and make but a bad draught vnlesse the Lord vouchsafe his blessing vpon their labours This doctrine serueth first for the Ministers For Ministers and secondly Vse 1 for the hearers of the word For vs that bee Ministers first it serueth to abate that pride and high conceit that might arise in our hearts when it pleaseth God to worke by our Ministerie Wee must acknowledge that it was not our painefulnesse but Gods blessing that brought it to passe 2. Cor. 2.16 if any good be effected thereby For as the Apostle saith Who is sufficient for these things 2. Cor. 3.5 There is no man that of himselfe is able sufficiently to discharge his dutie in the worke of the Ministerie much lesse is hee able to make his Ministerie effectuall No all our sufficiency in this case is of God And this the Apostle confesseth where speaking of his great paines in Preaching the word namely that he laboured more abundantly then all the rest of his fellowes hee straight way correcteth himselfe as if hee had arrogated more then became him Yet not I saith he but the grace of God which is with me 1. Cor. 15.10 And in another place he saith
The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holds 2. Cor. 10.4 All those strange effects that were wrought by the word in the hearts of men to conuince their consciences and to humble them come not from the great gifts and paines of the Minister but it is God that maketh his word thus powerfull Wee reade of a great wonder that was wrought by the Apostle Peters Sermon Three thousand Soules were conuerted by it Act. 2.41 But it was not Peters zeale or learning or any thing else in him that wrought it but it was Gods worke As the Apostle said of another miracle that was wrought by him vpon the Creeple that lay begging at the beautifull Gate of the Temple Why looke yee so stedfastly on vs Act. 3.12.19 as though by our owne power or godlinesse we had made this man to goe The name of the Lord Iesus hath made this man sound c. So hee might say of this It was not my endeauor that conuerted these men but it was the Lord that gaue a blessing to his owne ordinance And therefore whensoeuer we see any comfortable fruit of our labours let vs take heede wee bee not lift vp to ouerweene of our selues but let vs say with Dauid Not vnto vs Lord Psal 115.1 not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory c. 2. Secondly it serueth to admonish vs that wee doe not contemne our brethren though peraduenture their gifts be farre meaner then ours For wee see by experience that Gods blessing is not tyed to great gifts but many times it pleaseth him to work most effectually by weake and simple meanes and all for this end that the excellency of that power might bee of God and not of vs 2. Cor 4 7. 1. Cor. 1.27.29 as the Apostle saith Yea God many times chooseth the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise and weake thinges to confound the mightie thinges to the end that no flesh should reioyce in his presence As wee see that many a weake and wearish man begetteth more children then hee that is strong and lustie so many a godly Minister of small gifts making a conscience of dutie doth conuert more soules to God then many a man of great and profound learning which is not spoken to derogate any thing at all from the gifts of learning which are necessarily required to the furnishing of a man with abilitie for his calling but onely to admonish all those with whom the Lord hath dealt liberally that way not to despise them that are inferiour vnto them in gifts but rather in the spirit of meekenesse and loue to embrace them and giue them the right hands of fellowship Gal. 2 9. that so they may all ioyne together in the edification of the body of Christ As St. Paul though he were a man of most excellent gifts Phil. 1.1 1. Thes 1.1 2. Thes 1.1 Cal. 1.7 no way inferiour to the greatest of the Apostles yet hee thinketh not scorne to ioyne with in the preaching of the Gospell Syluanus and Timotheus that were but Nouices as it were in comparison of himselfe Thirdly for the people that heare the word it serueth to Vse 3 admonish them to take heede For the herers of the word that they ascribe not that to the instrument which is onely proper to the efficient cause namely that they attribute not that to the Minister which is due to the Lord. It is a grosse kinde of Idolatrie which many men commit in this case to dote of some one man more then of all the rest and to haue such an high conceit of his gifts aboue others as to place him in a maner in stead of God It was a fault among the Corinthians 1. cor 1.12 which also the Apostle reprooueth in them that one said I am of Paul another said I am of Apollos and a third I am of Cephas c. They were too much addicted some to one Minister and some to another and in that respect did despise all the rest and did reuerence men rather then Christ himselfe So it is at this day Such a man saith one for my money nay hee for mine saith another and so euery man as his owne ptiuate affections lead him doateth of one Minister more then another It is true that God seldome or neuer worketh grace but by his owne ordinance as the Apostle saith Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God Rom. 19.17 Gal. 3.5 And the greater that any mans paines and faithfulnesse is in preaching the word the more likely it is that he should doe good in his place But yet notwithstanding whatsoeuer good effect is wrought by any mans Ministerie you must turne your eyes from the man to the Father of light from whom all good things doe proceed as hath beene said I doe not denie but that if men feele any blessed worke of grace begunne in their hearts by any mans Ministerie or if it haue pleased God to make any Minister an instrument of their conuersion they are bound in conscience to make much of that man Phil. 2.29 1. Thes 5.23 Non famulantibus sed inuitanti pascenti referendae sunt gratioe Optatus con Donat. lib. 5◠and to haue him in singular loue for his workes sake but still they must giue God the glorie and praise of all For as one saith well to this purpose The Ministers are but Gods seruants to attend vpon the guests that sit at his table All thankes and praise is due to the Lord that so kindly inuiteth vs and so bountifully feedeth vs and not to the Ministers whome hee hath appointed to serue vs. Vse 4 Last of all this doctrine serueth to admonish both vs that bee Ministers For Ministers and people together Et si loquamur iustitiam Dei gloriā Dei quaeramus effectum tamen ab eo solo sperare ab eo postulare necesse est vt voci nostrae suae vocem virtutis accommodet Ad hanc autem vocem interiorem aures cordis erigi admonemur vt loquentem Deum intus magis audere quam foris hominem studeamus Bern. de cōuers ad Schol. and you that bee hearers of the word that forasmuch as all the successe of our paines in preaching and of your indeauour in hearing dependeth onely vpon Gods blessing therefore before either wee come to preach or you come to heare we cōmend both our labours to God by prayer a For though wee speake the righteousnesse of God as Bernard saith and seeke nothing but the glory of God yet wee must needes hope for a blessing from him alone and wee must intreate of him alone that the voice of his grace may accompany our voice And to this inward voyce must you lift vp the eares of your soules and desire rather to heare God speaking inwardly then man speaking outwardly The neglect of this dutie is the cause
why the word is so ineffectuall in many places as it is For first many of vs that be Ministers come to preach our selues and not Christ Iesus and to vent our owne gifts and let them take winde and not to seeke the saluation of our hearers and therefore God denyeth to worke by our Ministerie Againe a number of you that bee hearers come for gapeseede to gaze the Minister in the face or to see the variety of mens gifts or to gleane vp some quaint phrases and witty sentencess and not with any desire to further your owne saluation and therefore you goe away as you come without Gods blessing And so the word is made fruitlesse and vnprofitable vnto you Whereas if wee would account the soules of Gods people deare and precious in our sight Phillip 18. and long after the saluation of them all from the very heart rootes as the Apostle saith and therefore before wee come to deliuer his word craue Gods blessing by earnest prayer vpon our labour and if you would come to heare the word with a desire to profit and to growe in grace by it and for that end would pray to God to open your heartes as hee did the heart of Lydia that you may diligently attend to that that shal bee taught it would appeare that you should reape more profit then by one sermon then you doe now by twentie Then Peter remembred c. The Apostle Peter neuer came to himselfe hee neuer began to bethinke himselfe of the hainousnesse of his fact before such time as the Lord by the meanes aforesaid had moued his heart But what did Peter in the meane while did hee any whit further or helpe forward himselfe to repentance Surely he did as much as lay in him to further himselfe to hell For as wee haue heard hee was swearing and cursing himsele in most horrible manner that he neuer knew Christ But after that he was outwardly rowsed by the crowing of the cocke and inwardly awaked by Christs looking backe vpon him then hee began to consider the danger of that estate wherein he stood From hence then wee learne Doct. The whole worke of our conuersion is frō God alone Rom. 9.16 Heb. 12 2. that the whole worke of our conuersion is from God alone There is not the least endeauour in any man to further the worke of grace in himselfe as the Apostle saith It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie And for this cause our Sauiour Christ is called both the authour and also the finisher of our faith Yea whatsoeuer good worke is wrought in any of Gods children Phil. 1.6 the Lord by his holy spirit doth both begin and performe the same Yea if there bee but any will or desire to doe good it is from the Lord. Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deede of his good pleasure And therefore wee read Act. 2.47 that in the Primitiue Church The Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should bee saued It was not in their power to ioyne themselues with the Church of God and to become true members thereof but it was the gratious worke of the holy spirit of God But most fully and clearely doth the Prophet Ezechiel set out the truth of this point speaking in the person of God A new heart saith he will I giue you Ezech. 36.26 and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I wil giue you an heart of flesh And I will put my spirit within you 27. and cause you to walke in my statutes c. Where the Prophet wholly disableth man for the worke of his regeneration and ascribeth both the beginning and progresse thereof vnto the Lord. For as there is not any softnesse in a stone nor the least disposition to bee made soft and pliable so in the stony heart of man there is no root from whence this blessed worke of grace might bee produced no inclination to good whereby it might be furthered no faculty wherewith it might be effected As we were not able at the first to effect our naturall generation and make our selues men or women nay as our Sauiour saith Mat. 5.36 wee cannot make our haire white or blacke So it is not in our power to effect our spirituall regeneration to make our selues the sonnes or daughters of God But we must confesse in both respects Psal 100.2 as Dauid saith It is he that hath made vs and not we our selues And for this cause the Apostle saith wee are his workmanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes c. Epbes 2.10 And this made Dauid to pray Create in mee a cleane heart O Lord and renue a right spirit within me Psa 51.10 acknowledging that there was nothing at all in him whereby this worke might bee furthered but God by his almightie power must miraculously create it of nothing § Sicut in natiuitate carnali omnem nascentis hominis voluntatem praecedit operis diuini formatio sic ia spirituali natiuitate nemo potest habere bonam voluntatem motu proprio nisi mens ipsa id est interior homo noster reformetur ex Deo Fulg de incarnat grā Christi cap. 19. And indeede if the matter bee well considered the worke of regeneration will be a farre more hard and difficulte worke and of greater labour then was the worke of creation For as Dauid saith By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Psal 33.6 and hee commaunded and they were created Psal 148.5 As we see in the story of the creation that when God beganne to raise this wonderfull and glorious frame of heauen and earth and to furnish them with varietie of creatures hee did but speake the word saying Let there bee this and that and presently it was so Gen. 1. But for effecting our regeneration there was a great deale more to doe Christ Iesus must leaue the heauens and the glory which hee had with his Father and bee incarnate in the forme of a seruant and suffer a shamefull and an accursed death to the killing and subduing of our sinnes and the efficacy of his resurrection to the reuiuing and quickning of vs to newnesse of life a Praegrauatus animus quasi pōdere suo a beatitudine expellitur nec redire potest effusts perditis viribus nisi gratia conditoris sui ad paenitentiam vocātis peccata cōdonātis Quis enim infelicem animū liberabit a corpore mortis nisi gratia Dei per Iesū Christum Aug. de Trin. lib. 12. cap. 11. And to this purpose S. Augustine hath many excellent sayings The soule of man saith he being as it were oppressed with the owne burden is expelled and banished from blessednesse and hauing
yet woe is that man by whom they come It were better for him that a great milstone were hanged about his necke and that he were cast into the Sea Luk. 17.1.2 So the Lord calleth the armie and tents of the Assyrians Gualt in Ioel. Homil. 5. which hee threatned to send against the Israelites his army his tents and he maketh that cruell tyrant Senacharib the executioner of his word Ioel. 2.11 And he calleth him the rod of his wrath and the staffe of his indignation Isa 10.5 Whereby wee see that when God will haue his iudgements executed he vseth many times the helpe of wicked men And yet they are not thereby excused when with sword and fire they make hauocke of all For it is their owne malice that carrieth them to wickednesse and the ambition the couetousnesse the cruelty or whatsoeuer other corruption did set them on is from themselues and is not instilled into them from aboue But God in his wisedome and iustice vseth their malice to a good end either to exercise the faith of his children or to punish the wicked If it be obiected that they fulfill the will of God which no man can resist Rom. 9.19 as the Apostle saith and therefore they may seeme to be without blame I answer howsoeuer this be true yet the actions of euill men doe differ in the ende which God and they doe properly aime at And that that they doe they doe it not in obedience to the will of God but to fulfill their owne desires howsoeuer God that bringeth light out of darknesse directeth their actions to the glory of his name And to this purpose the Maister of sentences saith well a Videtis quia non quid faciat home sed qua voluntate consider andum est In eodem facto inuenimus Deum quo Judam Deum benedicimus Iudam detestamur quia Deus cogitauit salutem nostram Iudas cogitauit pretium quo vendidit dominum c. lib. 3. dist 21. C. that we must consider in euery action not what a man doth but with what intent he doth it Wee finde God saith he in the same action wherin we find Iudas we blesse God but we detest Iudas because God intended our saluation and Iudas intended the price for which he betraied his master So that a diuers intent maketh diuers actions The like we see in Ioseph his brethren When they sold him into Egypt they fulfilled the will of God for by that meanes the Lord prouided for his Church in the famine as Ioseph saith Gen. 45.5.6.7 50.20 But did they intend this in selling of him Nothing lesse they onely did it in reuenge to satisfie the hatred they had conceiued against him So that though wicked men do the will of God yet it is both beside their knowledge and against their will and therefore they are without excuse b D. Whittakers answere to Camâ—ians 8. reason The will of God is euer fulfilled saith Hugo de Sancto Victore and wicked men are not therefore excused because the will of God is performed in them and by them for that they are not directed by their owne will to fulfill the will of God but by his secret c Omnes diâ—â—e prouidentiae seruiunt sed alij obediunt taquam filij faciunt cum ea quod bonum est alij ligantur vt serui fit de illis quod iustum est Ita Deus omnipotens dominus vniuersae creaturae qui fecit omnia sicut scriptuÌ„ est valde bona sic ea ordinauit vt de bonis de malis bene faciat Et paulo post Sic fit vt malus homo malus Angelus diuinae prouidentiae miluent sed nesciunt quid boni de illis operetur Deus Aug. de agone Christiano prouidence And in this case S. Augustine speaketh diuinely All men saith he doe serue the prouidence of God but some obey as children and doe with it that which is good and others are bound as slaues and seruants and there is done in them that which is iust Thus God almighty the Lord of all creatures who made all things as it is written exceeding good hath so ordered them that hee doth that which is good both in the good and in the bad And a little after Thus it commeth to passe saith he that both euill men and euill Angels do fight vnder the banner of Gods prouidence but they know not what God worketh by them Besides how could they know that that which they doe is the will of God seing God hath commanded the contrary in his lawe For not the secret but the reuealed will of God must be the rule of mens actions And therefore it is in vaine to pretend the will of God as any excuse for our sinnes So he went out This is the preparation whereby hee addresseth himselfe vnto his repentance Beeing now awaked as we haue heard and brought to the light of his sinne he presently departeth out of that wicked place There hee was first drawne to sinne and therefore hee cannot endure to tarry any longer in it Hee hath now conceiued such an hatred and detestation of his sinne that hee abhorreth euery thing that had been any occasion thereof Doct. When men repent they must auoide all occasions that might hold theÌ„ still in sinne From whence we learn that when a man once beginneth to repent of any sinne hee must carefully auoid all occasions that might hold him still in his sinne For as at the first wee are of our selues very apt and prone to fall into sinne as wee heard in the beginning so also after wee haue repented of our sinne we are as prone to fall backe againe into it if our care bee not the greater a Vt paenè extinctum cinerem si sulphure tangas viuet ex minimo maximus ignis erit c. Ouid de remed amoris It is with our corrupt nature as it is with the fire When the fire is almost out that there is but a little sparke left if you put gunpowder or brimstone or such like matter to it it will kindle againe and easily grow to a great flame so when a man by the grace of God and by dayly excercise of the work of mortification hath almost subdued his sinnes if he be not still carefull to auoid all occasions they will breake out againe and grow to as great an height as before Whatsoeuer it is that hath beene any occasion to draw vs to sinne at the first will easily preuaile with vs againe if wee bee not the more wary and vigilant When a man by taking cold hath fallen into some dangerous disease and is at the last recouered of it hee will be more heedfull euer after So should we bee in this case and the rather because as well in the soule as in the body a relapse is most dangerous b Ictus piscator sapit Terretur minimo penae stridore
them to coole againe they will not so easily receiue impression as at the first Eccles 5.3 Deut. 23.21 And therfore that which Salomon exhorteth in the case of vowes is generally to be practised in all holy purposes and good desires we must not deferre nor be slacke to performe them And heereof wee haue plentifull examples in the children of God Dauid saith of himselfe Psal 119.59.60 I haue considered my waies and turned my feete into thy testimonies I made hast and delayed not to keepe thy commandements And in another place I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord euen now in the presence of all his people 116.14 He would not take any daies with God but what soeuer good duety hee had purposed he would presently performe it So the prodigall sonne after he had beene beaten with his owne rodde and thereupon once resolued to goe and humble himselfe to his father Luk. 15.18.19.20 did not debate any longer about the matter but forthwith rose vp and went his way And Zaccheus hauing a great desire to see Christ 19.6 and beeing bidden by him to come downe from the tree it is said he came downe hastily and receiued him ioyfully The good Eunuch beeing once instructed in the knowledge of Christ by Philips preaching and finding opportunity that he might be Baptised would not let it slip Acts 8.36 but said to Philip see heere is water what doth let mee to be baptized And Cornelius that deuout captaine after that the Angel had commanded him to send for Peter that he might resolue him in the thing wherein he doubted did not deferre the time 10.33 but sent for him immediately Now as this is generally to be done in the performance of al holy duties so especially in the worke of repentance Whensoeuer God worketh in vs any good resolution to forsake our sinnes Heb. 12.1 we must admit of no delay least the allurements of sinne and the subtilty of Satan doe cause vs altogether to neglect it When we once beginne to thinke of parting with our sinnes they will entice vs strongly not to leaue them they will hang fast vpon vs and embrace vs as the Iuy doth the Oake that wee shall haue much adoe to shake them off Iudg. 19.5.6.7.8.9 c. As the father in law of the Leuite that came to seeke his Concubine when he saw him preparing himselfe to depart by earnest intreaty caused him almost to stay two daies longer then he would haue done So when our sinnes shall perceiue that wee are making preparation to depart from them they will set vpon vs to perswade vs if it bee possible to stay yet a while longer till at length if we take not heede the good motions of Gods spirit will be quite extinguished in vs. Wee must therefore be resolute in this case and stoppe our eares against all allurements though neuer so pleasing As Abrahams seruant that was sent to prouide a wife for his sonne Isaak when he had had good successe and had well effected the businesse which he came for hasted home again to his master And when Rebeccaes friends requested him to stay ten daies because they were loath to part with her on the sodain he wold not yeeld at any hand No Hinder me not saith he Gene. 24.54.55.56 seeing the Lord hath prospered my iourney but send me away that I may go to my master So should we suffer nothing at all to hinder vs from returning to the Lord by repentance but euen make hast to forsake our sinnes vpon the first motion thereunto Yea as the Apostle exhorteth we should euen betake vs to our wings 1. Tim. 6.11 if it were possible and fly away from them As Lot was warned to hast out of Sodome and to escape for his life Gene. 19.15.16.17 that he might not be destroied in that fearefull punishment of the City so should we make al possible speed to come out of our sinnes least otherwise persisting in them they be the destruction of our soules Make no tarrying saith Ecclesiasticus to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day Eccle. 5.7 for sodainely shall the wrath of the Lord breake forth and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed c. The vse of this doctrine is first generall Vs 1. general to reprooue all those that are carelesse and negligent this way who haue many good purposes put in their hearts by the Lord but for want of timely prosecuting of them they neuer profitte them As namely to giue instance in some particulars There are many that while they are hearing the word of God are very well affected they are conuinced in their consciences of the truth of it and the sinnes which they heare reproued for the present they purpose to forsake and the duries they heare commended they haue some desire to performe so that as Agrippa said to Paul Acts 26.28 thou hast almost persuaded me to be a Christian so they are almost persuaded to a better course But because they follow not these good motions but as our Sauiour saith in the parable of the seed they depart away about other businesse Luke 8.14 when they haue heard the word therefore they become altogether fruitlesse and ineffectuall Others there are who when the hand of God is vpon them by sicknesse or some other visitation so long as they feele the smart of the rod vpon their backes they purpose and promise great reformation but assoone as euer the Lord hath remoued his rod they neuer remember it more 2. Pet. 2.22 but returne to their former courses as the dog to his vomit And herein they deale with the Lord as the people of Israel did who when God brought any calamitie vpon them for their sinnes they presently returned and sought God early c. But they flattered him with their mouth Psal 78.33.34.35.36.37.56.57.58 and dissembled with him with their tongue For their heart was not vpright with him neither were they faithfull in his couenant For within a while they turned backe and dealt falsely starting aside like a broken bowe c. And for this cause the Lord compareth their repentance to the morning cloud Hos 6.4 which though it couer the face of the heauen for a time yet is in a moment dispelled and scattered with the wind and to the morning dewe which is soone dried vp with the heat of the sunne as if it had neuer beene Yea they are like vnto Mariners that are in danger of shipwracke by reason of some tempest Who because life is sweete and a man will giue skinne for skinne Iob. 2.4 Ionah 1.5 Acts 27.18.19 euen the dearest thing that he hath for the safegard of his life as the Deuill said of Iob doe cast ouer boord euen their richest wares to lighten the ship yea sometimes the very tackling of the ship which is most necessary for them but
must humble our selues euen belowe the ground in the acknowledgement of our sinnes comming to the Lord as it were with ropes about our neckes as Benhadad did to the King of Israel 1. King 20.32 But yet withall wee must craue the pardon of them And to this doth the Prophet exhort vs saying Hos 14.3 Take vnto you wordes and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all iniquity and receiue vs graciously And boldly may wee doe this because the Lord hath proclaimed himselfe to be so mercifull Exod. 34.7 that hee forgiueth iniquitie and transgression and sinne that is sinnes of all sorts though neuer so hainous in their nature Now this could not Iudas performe Hee confessed and aggrauated his sinne against himselfe but hee had not the heart to giue one rappe at the dore of Gods mercy for the pardon of them And therefore the Lord might iustly say to him as once hee said to an other Of thine owne mouth will I iudge thee O thou euill seruant Luke 19.22 Last of all we must confesse our sinnes with a purpose to forsake them As the Prophet exhorteth Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his waies and the vngodly his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord c. There must bee a desire to part with any sinne whatsoeuer else there is no true repentance But of this point enough hath beene spoken before in the repentance of Peter Vse 1. This doctrine serueth first for our instruction that if wee hope to speede better then Iudas did wee must confesse our sinnes better then hee did And that wee may doe it wee must first labour to see and acknowledge our sinnes a Quomodo culpam suam coÌ„fitebuntur quam nec essè putant Bern de grad humilit For how can a man confesse his sinnes when he thinketh them not to bee sinnes And therefore Dauid saith I know mine iniquities and my sinne is alway before mee Psalme 51.3 wee are apt to flatter our selues through selfe-loue and hardly are wee brought to take notice of our sinnes As wee can not see the spots that are in our owne faces so wee cannot discerne the sinnes of our owne soules In other mens sinnes wee are very quicke-sighted but in our owne wee are as blinde as Beetles And therefore in this case wee stand in neede of a glasse As proude persons vse their glasses to see their beautie so must wee vse the glasse of Gods law but to another end to shewe vs our deformitie VVee must therefore duely examine our selues by euery one of the Commandements that so wee may come to the sight of our sinnes And when once wee knowe our sinnes then without all dissembling wee must confesse them vnto God b Apparet toties opus miseraÌ„tis quoties fit coÌ„fessio poenitentis Aug. de vera falsa poenitent cap. 5. cap. 10. Quanto pluribus quis confitebitur in spe veniae turpitudinem criminis tanto facilius coÌ„sequitur misericordiam remissionis Homo per veritatem stimulatus peccata sua confitetur Deus autem per misericordiam slexus confitenti miseretur Omnis enim spes veniae misericordiae in confessione est Nec potest quis iustificari à peccato nisi prius fuerit confessus peccatum Bern. de conscien edif cap. 1. And so much the rather because otherwise there is no hope of pardon For this is the condition annexed vnto the promise of the pardon of our sinnes If wee acknowledge our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1.9 And Salomon saith Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall haue mercy Prouerb 28.13 And the Apostle telleth vs that if wee would iudge our selues wee should not be iudged 1. Cor. 11.31 It is not with the Lord as it is in earthly Courts Confesse and be hanged No the Lord will not take vs at the aduantage and condemne vs by our owne confession but if wee confesse hee will forgiue if wee iudge and condemne our selues hee will acquite and discharge vs. To which purpose Bernard hath a sweete saying a Video Dauidem dicentem peccaui audientem Dominus transtulit peccatum tuum Considero Mariam si non verbis tamen operibus sua publicè crimina consitentem dominum pro ea raspondentem dimissa sunt ei multa peccata Respicio principem Apostolorum negantem timidè stentem amarissimè Dominum respicientem Iâ—â—um felicem Latronem intueor se accusantem Christum Dominum promittentem Hodie mecum eriâ— in Paradise O quam sublimis ista confessio per quam de patibulo ad regnum de terra ad caelum de cruce ad paradisum latro daÌ„natus crucifixus ascendit Ber. de vijs vitae Est apud Deum pium iudicem ipsa agnitio culpe impetratio veniae Bern. Meditat. cap. 11. Ante Dei conspectum cuncta peccata sunt scripta sed quod tibi scribit transgressio hic delet confessio Bern. de consc aedif cap. 38. I see Dauid saith hee saying I haue sinned and receiuing answere from the Prophet The Lord hath taken away thy sinne thou shalt not die I consider Mary Magdalen if not in word yet in deede confessing her sinne and the Lord answering in her behalfe Many sinnes are forgiuen her for shee loued much I behold the chiefe of the Apostles denying fearefully weeping bitterly and Christ looking backe vpon him with the eye of his mercie I see that blessed theefe accusing himselfe and Christ the Lord promising him This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise Oh how notable was this confession wherby the theefe that was condemned and crucified ascended from the gallowes to a Kingdome from earth to heauen from the Crosse to Paradise This then is an high commendation of Gods mercie that when a man layeth open his sinne God couereth it when a man acknowledgeth his sinne God pardoneth it Besides if wee doe often confesse our sinnes vnto God it will not suffer us to goe farre nor to lye long in any sinne but will hunt it out before it be warme and setled in vs yea it will chaine vp the the vnrulinesse of our nature that it shall not breake out to the dishonour of God as otherwise it would Let vs therefore pursue our sinnes by this meanes and if wee desire to come to perfect health of our soules b Quicquid conscientiae stomachum grauat totum vomitu purae confessionis euomere ne differas Bern. ibid. cap. 56. whatsoeuer sinne doth surcharge the stomacke of the soule let vs not deferre to cast it vp by the vomit of a pure confession * Vse 2. Secondly this serueth for the iust reproofe of all those that will not confesse their sinnes Many will not confesse before God It is a corruption that wee all haue by kinde to dissemble our sinnes and to excuse our selues for them As Adam when he was examined posted the matter from himself to his
in locum First we see the hypocrisie of these wicked chiefe Priests that though they were no doubt conuinced in their consciences by this confession of Iudas yet are not brought to any acknowledgment of their sinne much lesse to repent of it Nay indeede they could neuer endure at any hand to be put in minde of their sinne that so they might come to amendment Which of all the Prophets could they heare with patience if once hee beganne to touch their sinnes Nay did they not persecute him in this case as an Heretike and a contemner of their sacred dignitie The reason was first vpon a false conceit they had that they could not erre nor doe amisse It was their saying of old The law shall not perish from the Priest Jerem. 18.18 Hos 9.7 nor the counsell from the wise c. Yea they counted themselues men of the spirit as though none had the spirit of God but they As Zidkijah said to Michaiah 1. King 22.24 When went the spirit of the Lord from me to speake vnto thee And these later ones were still of the same minde For when the Officers that were sent to apprehend our Sauiour Christ returned with this answere Ioh. 7.46.47.48 Neuer man spake like this man What say they are yee also deceiued Doth any of the rulers or of the Pharisees beleeue in him as though they could not bee deceiued And when the blinde man that had newly receiued his sight spake somewhat boldly vnto them concerning Christ Iesus they thought great scorne with it Iohn 9.34 Thou art altogether say they borne in sinne and doest thou teach vs Vnder this pretence they alwaies bare out the matter and would not endure that any body should reproue them When Pashur the Priest had heard that Ieremiah had prophecied against him he smote him and put him in the stocks Jere. 20.1 Amos 7.10 And when Amos the Prophet spake against the sinnes of Amaziah the Priest of Bethel he complained of him to the King Yea the Pharisees could not endure that our Sauiour Christ himselfe should reproue them for when hee had denounced many woes against them one of them steppeth vp and telleth him Master in saying thus Euke 11.45 thou puttest vs to rebuke as though that had beene a hainous matter And thus is it with the Pope at this day he cryeth out with open mouth that hee cannot erre and that all iudgement is in his power and that he must be iudged of none a Dist 40. cap. Si Papa Yea it is to be read in plaine wordes in his owne decrees That the Pope is not to be iudged of any man though being carelesse of his owne and his brethrens saluation he should draw innumerable soules with him to hell Secondly from this perswasion that they could not erre did arise a damnable pride which made them thinke it a shame to confesse any fault And therefore they maintained all their deeds though neuer so hainous Now from this particular example Doct. Wicked men cannot endure to heare of their sinnes wee may for our instruction gather this generall Doctrine that it is the propertie of all wicked men not to endure to heare of their sinnes especially if they be great persons or haue any authority b Peccasse se non anguntur obiurgari molestè serunt Cic. de amicitia As the Heathen Orator could say They are not grieued at al that they haue done amisse but it grieueth them to be rebuked for it They cannot abide the libertie of the Ministerie of the word in ripping vp and laying open their sins But they will chop Logick with him whatsoeuer he be that shall take vpon him to reproue them will iustifie themselues and their actions against him As Saul did when Samuel reproued him 1. Sam. 15.20 Yea saith he I haue obeyed the voyce of the Lord and haue gone the way which the Lord hath sent me as though Samuel had done him a great deale of wrong to challenge him in that manner So the Prophet Malachie bringeth in the people allwayes answering againe when they are accused Mal. 1.6.7 The Lord tels them they had despised his name 3.8.13 they answere very sawcily wherein haue we despised thy name He tels them they haue spoyled him wherein haue we spoyled thee And hee tels them their wordes had beene stout against him why say they What haue wee spoken against thee Hos 4 4. And the Prophet Hosea affirmeth as much of the people with whom hee had to deale that though their sinnes were hainous and such as caused the Lord to commence an action against them yet they might not be reproued for all that but were ready to flie in his face that should doe it Ezech. 13 10.1◠Yet saith he let none rebuke nor reproue another for thy people are as they that rebuke the Priest So long as the Minister doth stroake their heades in their sinne Iere. 6.14 so long as hee daubeth with vntempered morter and soweth pillowes vnder mens arme-holes healing their hurt with sweet wordes saying peace peace when there is no peace So long as hee will not open his mouth against them or if hee doe so long as hee goeth faire and farre off as we say or else frameth himselfe to please their humours 1. Kin. 22.13.14 1. Pet. 4.4 as Ahabs seruant would haue perswaded Michaiah or which is worse will be content to runne with them to all excesse of riot so long he is a man for their tooth and so long they affect and loue him But if hee will needes deale sincerely and will not spare the proudest of them Isa 58 1. but will lift vp his voice like a trumpet and shew them their sinns then as the Prophet Ieremiah complained Jere. 15.10 hee is a contentious man a man that striueth with the whole earth no body can endure him Prou. 15.12 As Salomon saith a scorner loueth not him that rebuketh him 1. King 13 4. Hence was it that when Ieroboam heard the Prophet inueighing against the altar that hee had set vp hee presently bids Lay hold on him And this was it that made Ahab hate Michaiah 22.8 euen because he would be so plaine with him Gal. 4.9.1 And the Galatians counted the Apostle Paul their enemie because hee told them the truth The reason hereof is first because as our Sauiour Christ said their deeds are so euill that they cannot endure the light of the word Euery man saith he that doth euill hateth the light Iohn 3.19.20 neither commeth to it least his deeds should be reproued Secondly because of the swelling pride of their flesh For as a toad if it bee pricked swelleth till it burst withall Eccles 12.11 so they being pricked with the goade of reproofe as Salomon calleth it they swell and cannot brooke it Thirdly they are so highly conceited of themselues that they
thinke scorne to be reproued of so base a man as they account the Minister As Amaziah King of Iuda when the Prophet reproued him from the Lord for his Idolatrie What saith hee 2. Chron. 25.15.16 Haue they made thee the Kings Counsellers cease why should they smite thee This doctrine may admonish vs Vse to take heede of this sinne There is in euery one of vs so much selfe loue as maketh vs very prone to it But wee must labour to subdue it and yeeld our selues meekely to the reprehension of the word that so wee may come to the acknowledgement of our sinnes without which as hath beene said there can be no true repentance If these cheife Priests as they could not but be conuinced in their conscience so they had freely and sincerely acknowledged their sinnes they might haue found sauour with the Lord but they rather as wee see maintaine their sinnes and therefore they perish in them a Qui ad mortem peccant tantam habent ignorantiam caecitatem vt nec turbentur in sceleribus nec paenitentiae dolâ—re crucientur Glossa ordinar in locum Heb. 13.22 As indeede it is a token that a man sinneth vnto death when hee is so ignorant and blinde that hauing his sinnes discouered to his conscience yet is not moued at all with them Let vs therefore suffer the wordes of exhortation as the Apostle saith and though we be sharply reproued let vs submit our selues Thus haue the children of God done from time to time 2. Sam. 12.13 When Nathan had ripped vp Dauids sinne to the quicke hee humbled himselfe with all meekenesse and said I haue sinned against the Lord. So when the Prophet Haggai had rebuked the people of his time Hag. 1.12 for neglecting to repaire the Temple of the Lord it is said they were so farre from stomacking the matter Acts 2.37 that they feared before the Lord. And the Iewes that heard the Apostle Peters Sermon wherein their very particular sinne was laid open they were pricked in their hearts and cryed out Men and brethren what shall we doe So the Corinthians being reproued by the Apostle Paul for suffering the incestuous person vnpunished were so farre from taking offence at it as that they humbled themselues by godly sorrow vnto repentance 2. Cor. 7.10.11 Yea we should indeede desire such a Minister as may awake vs to the sight of our sinnes and not suffer vs to sleepe securely in them As Dauid doth Psal 141.5 Let the righteous saith he smite me for this is a benefit and let him reproue me and it shall be a precious oile that shall not breake my head for within a while I shall euen pray in their miseries he would be so farre from being stirred thereby as that in token of his thankfulnesse he would pray earnestly to God for them What is that to vs As these chiefe Priests are not moued to any remorse for their sinne by Iudas his confession so they doe not comfort him whome they saw wounded in his conscience but leaue him to himselfe to sinke or swimme Which was another sinne of theirs Of which Saint Augustine speaketh in this manner a Iudas paenitens iuit ad Pharisaeos reliquit Apostolos Nihil invenit auxilij sed argumentum desperationis Dixerunt enim quid ad nos tu videris Si peccasti tibi sit non tibi succurrimus non peccata tua charitatiuè suscipimus non comportanda promittimus non qualiter deponas onus docemus Quid enim nobis misericordiae quinec opera sequimur iustitiae Isset ad fratres ad condiscipulos Juit ad diuisos diuisus perijt Aug. de vera fal paen cap 12. Iudas when he repented went to the Pharisees for comfort and left the Apostles but hee found no ease at their hands but rather matter of desperation For they said What is that to vs See thou to it If thou hast sinned at thine owne perill bee it wee will not relieue thee wee will not in charitie vndertake to beare thy sinnes wee will not teach thee how to cast off the burden of them For what haue wee to doe with mercy that follow not the workes of iustice Hee should haue gone saith hee to his brethren and fellow Disciples he went to the diuided ones and perished diuided alluding both to the manner of Iudas his end that burst asunder in the middest c. and also to the name of the Pharisees which as some b Caelius Rhodig lectionum antiquarum li. 5 c. 9. thinke were so called because by a strict kinde of life which they led they had sequestred and separated themselues from others And herein they verified that speech of our Sauiour which hee spake in another sense Mat. 23.4 They laid an heauie and a grieuous burden vpon him and would not helpe to ease him with one of their fingers From whence ariseth this doctrine Doct. They that are distressed in conscience should bee comforted Iere. 23.1.2 Ezech. 34.2.4 that it is a grieuous sinne not to comfort those that are distressed and afflicted in conscience The Prophets euery where reproue the neglect of it Woe bee to the Pastours that destroy and scatter the sheepe of my pasture saith the Lord ye haue scatered my flocke and haue not visited them And the Lord commaundeth the Prophet Ezechiel to prophecie against the shepheards of Israel because they had not strengthned the weake nor healed the sicke nor bound vp the broken c. And the Prophet Zechariah crieth out against Idole-shepheards that looke not for that which is lost Zech. 1.16.17 nor secke the tender lambes nor heale that which is hurt c. Whosoeuer he is that taketh vpon him to bee a Minister should haue both skill and will for the performance of this duety For his skill 2. Tim. 2.15 he must study to shew himselfe a workman that neede not be ashamed diuiding the word of truth aright Hee is the steward of the Lords house Luke 12.42 he must giue euery one his portion of meate in due season Hee must know the estate of all men and frame his instructions accordingly As all meate is not fit for all stomackes but they that are weake and sicke must haue food of more easie digestion and better nourishment then they that are strong and in health so all instructions will not serue for all men They that are sicke in their soules with a sight and feeling of their sinnes must haue the promises of the Gospell applyed vnto them for their comfort And therefore hee must pray to God to giue him a tongue of the learned Isa 50.4 that he may knowe to minister a word in season to him that is weary And for his will hee must knowe that this is one maine end of his calling whereunto withall diligence hee must apply himselfe euen to preach the Gospell to the poore to heale the broken hearted to preach deliuerance to
the captiue and recouering of sight to the blind c. Luke 4.18 Hee must bee like that good Samaritaine seeing men wounded in their consciences hee must bind vp their wounds Luke 10.33.34 and powre in wine and oile to supple them and refresh them He is a Physician for mens soules and therefore he must apply vnto them the blame of Gilead Iere. 8.22 euen the sweete comforts of the Gospell that the health of Gods disttessed people may bee recouered If it be the duety of all Christians to comfort the feeble minded 1. Thes 5.14 as the Apostle exhorteth much more doth it appertaine to the Ministers of the word that are chiefly set apart thereunto Yea it is ooe principall part of Prophesie 1. Cor. 14.3 that is the Ministerie of the word Hee that prophesieth saith the Apostle speaketh vnto men Rom. 15.4 to edifying and to exhortation and to comfort As it is one propertie of the word to minister comfort as the Apostle saith VVhatsoeuer things are written aforetime are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scripture might haue hope Psal 19.8 and Dauid saith The statutes of the Lord are right and reioyce the heart So the Minister must apply it in such sort as it may haue this comfortable effect in the heartes of those that stand in neede of it 1. Sam. 1.9 For this cause Eli the Priest sate vpon a stoole at the doore of the Tabernacle that he might be ready at all times to performe this duety Acts 9.17 16.28 c. Thus did Ananias comforte the Apostle Paul being exceedingly cast downe with the vision which he had seene And thus did Paul and Silas comforte the Iayler that was ready in the horrour of his conscience to make away himselfe Vse 1 This doctrine serueth first for the reproofe of all such Ministers as will not performe this duety but rather take pleasure in cutting and launcing in wounding and afflicting the poore consciences of men It is true wee cannot bee too seuere against obstinate and impenitent sinners but yet when it appeareth that they are humbled for their sinnes then they are to bee comforted and raysed vp If a Chyrurgion doe onely cut and launce mens sores and neuer bind them vp if he onely apply corrasiues and no lenitiues he is rather a Butcher then a Chyrurgion In like manner if a Minister doe onely beate men downe with the terrours of the law and neuer labour to rayse them vp with the comforts of the Gospell he is an hangman and an executioner rather then a Minister And therefore wee must labour to take a right course in administring the word We must not preach the lawe alone nor the Gospell alone but both together and yet both in their right order The law must goe before to beat downe the pride of mens hearts and the Gospell must follow after to minister comfort vnto them VVhen Nathan had throughly humbled King Dauid 2. Sam. 12.13 with denouncing Gods iudgements against him for his sinnes then hee spake peace vnto him againe saying The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not die Act. 2.37.28 c. When the Apostle Peter saw the effect of his Sermon that it had pricked and wounded the people in their hearts hee was most ready to comfort them againe with the promises of mercy Vse 2 Secondly this doctrine also serueth to teproue all those that haue no abilitie to performe this duety A number God knowes are ignorant persons of no gifts for this worke of the Lord and besides are so giuen ouer to the world as they haue no desire to come to knowledge So long as they may eate the fat Ezech. 34.3 and cloth themselues with the wooll they care not what becommeth of the poore sheepe They haue more regard of the gaine of riches a Apud eos non animarum salus sed lucrum quaeritur diuitiarum Bern. in Psal 91. Serm. 5. as one saith then of the saluation of mens soules But alas this intollerable defect neuer sheweth it selfe more shamefully or with greater hurt then when men stand most in neede of spirituall comfort namely at the houre of death or in the time of some great affliction For as shepheards that want skill to helpe a poore sheepe out of the ditch cut his throat in time to make it mans meate that it may not bee said it died in a ditch so these miserable comforters are driuen to take some indirect course whereby for want of knowledge they slay many a poore soule And thus in many places are the miserable and desperate calamities of the people prouided for when their necessitie doth most of all require better comfort Vse 3 Thirdly it serueth to admonish all of vs that bee Ministers of the word to labour diligently in this behalfe that we may releeue the distresses of Gods people Euery Minister of God should bee an Interpreter Iob. 33.23 2. Cor. 5.19 as Iob saith able to deliuer aright the reconciliation made betwixt God and man the word whereof is committed vnto him able to open the couenant of grace and rightly to lay downe the meanes how this reconciliation is wrought and to apply the same accordingly and so to declare to man his righteousnesse that is to say as that reuerend and worthy man of blessed memory Master Perkins doth expound it when a poore sinner by his sinnes is brought downe to the gates of hell and by the preaching of the law to a true sight of his misery then it is the duty of a Minister to declare to him his righteousnesse namely that howsoeuer in himselfe he be as he is as foule as sinne can make him and the law can discouer him to bee yet in Christ hee is righteous and by Christ so iustified as hee is no more a sinner in Gods account and also to maintaine the same for the quiet of his conscience against all the power of darknesse whatsoeuer Now this cannot be done without a speciall gift from God And therefore we are to pray earnestly vnto him that the knowledge of Christ Iesus and of heauenly things may not onely swimme in our braines but may also bee engrauen in our heartes and imprinted in our soules by the finger of God 2. Cor. 1.4 that so wee may bee able to comfort them that are in affliction out of the feeling of our owne heartes euen by the comfort wherewith wee our selues are comforted of God See thou to it The cheife Priests are so farre from comforting Iudas in his distresse that they doe rather despise him and in a manner laugh him to scorne They hired him and set him on worke Doct. Traitours are hated euen of those that haue benefit by thē and yet now that they haue effected what they would they doe not respect him Where we may obserue the iust reward and punishment of traytours they are odious euen to them
committed openly and with violence God commended his poore people to the mighty men of this world not that they should spoile them but that they should defend and releiue them And if he shall be cast into hell that hath not giuen of his owne whether shall he be sent Mat 25 41. Luke 16.19 that hath inuaded and seazed vpon that which was another mans If he shall burne with the Deuill that hath not cloathed the naked where shall hee burne that hath spoiled him of his cloathes If Christ say Depart yee cursed c. Mat. 25.41 for I was hungrie and ye gaue me no meate he may say to these oppressours I was hungry and ye tooke from me that which I should eate that which you gaue to to your hawkes and hounds ye tooke our of my mouth c. Wee doe not reade that the rich glutton tooke any thing from Lazarus onely hee gaue him nothing Neither doth Abraham say vnto him Sonne remember that the poore man had meate to eate thou tookest it from him c. and yet we see hee is in hell in torments What therefore shall become of such as make hauock of the poore And therfore as one saith a Multum metuenda est nobis illa sententia comminantis omnem arhorem non serentem c. Quod si sterilitas mittetur in ignem rapacitas quid meretur Et si iudicium sine misericordia crit illi qui non facit misericordiam quale iudicium crit illi qui fecerit rapinam Fulg. de dispensat Domi. wee haue great cause to feare that sentence of Christ that threatneth that euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shal be hewen downe and cast into the fire For if barrennesse must be cast into the fire what doth rauening crueltie deserue And if he shall haue iudgement without mercy that sheweth no mercy what iudgement shall hee haue that exerciseth oppression Neither will it auaile them to say they giue almes and relieue the poore for God abhorreth that almes that is giuen of the teares of other men b Illam Deus cleemosynum abhominatur reprobat quae de lachrymis praestatur alienis Quid enim prodest si tibi benedicat vnus vnde plures maledicunt Aug. de vita Christiana Prou. 14.28 And what good will it doe thee saith one to haue one or two to blesse the for that for which a great many curse thee As indeede the whole common-wealth hath cause to crie out of these men for their courses are iniurious and hurtfull vniuersally Salomon saith In the multitude of the people is the honour of the King and for want of people commeth the destruction of the Prince So that in the iudgement of the holy Ghost these depopulators that lay all wast before them are the greatest enemies to the state that can be Well in a word let them bee afraid of the voice of the oppressed The Lord charged the Isralites that they should not trouble any widow nor fatherlesse child For saith hee If thou vexe or trouble such Exod. 22.22.23.24 and so hee call and crie vnto mee I will surely heare his crie Then shall my wrath bee kindled and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shal bee widdowes Iob. 34.28 and your children fatherlesse And Iob saith of oppressours that they haue caused the voice of the poore to come before the Lord and hee hath heard the cry of the afflicted So that we see the wrongs and iniuries that are done to the poore doe ring a loud peale for vengeance in the eares of God And surely the Lord will not bee slacke to execute it vnlesse they doe preuent it by repentance There is a fearefull threatning in the prophecy of Habakkuk Hab. 2.9.10.11.12 against the crueltie of the Babylonians and in them against all oppressours Woe be to him saith hee that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house that hee may set his neast on high to escape from the power of euill Thou hast consulted shame to thine owne house by destroying many people and hast sinned against thine owne soule For the stone shall crie out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answere it Woe vnto him that buildeth an house with bloud and erecteth a Citie by iniquitie Where the Prophet giueth vs to vnderstand that howsoeuer wicked men by all their hard and vnmercifull dealing doe labour to aduance their houses and their posteritie and to make them great when they are gone yet they shall faile of their purpose for God will heape shame and contempt vpon them causing all the world to ring of their crueltie so that as Salomon saith their name shall rot and stincke Prou. 10.7 that they shall neuer bee mentioned but with disgrace And though by their vnconscionable courses they haue done much euill to others yet they haue hurt themselues most of all For by raking and scraping in this manner they haue brought vpon themselues a most irrecouerable losse euen the losse of their soules And though peraduenture their power and tyrany be such as no man dare once mute against them yet they shall not escape for that for their owne houses which they haue built with bloud and cruelty shall witnesse against them Yea euery stone in the wall and euery beame in the roofe shall with loud out-cries accuse their vnrighteousnesse Where by the way it is worth the obseruing that hee saith the stones and the timber shall as it were sing of these things by course As if hee should say These mightie men take great delight in Musicke and they haue their consorts in their houses But the Lord will raise vp other Song-men who by course as they doe in Quires shall chaunt out their grieuous oppressions with a lowde and shrill voyce and shall answere one another in this maner The one side shall sing Woe bee to him that buildeth a Towne with bloud and the other shall answere And to him that erecteth a Citie by iniquitie And haue wee not experience of this euen in our owne dayes Doe we not see a Nemo habet iniustum lucrum sin iusto damno August de connen 10. praecept Pauca malè parta malta benè comparata perdunt that goods heaped together in this maner doe seldome prosper But either the curse of God is vpon them while the owner is aliue or else if hee rest with them and leaue them to his children yet the third heire seldome enioyeth them Oh that all oppressours would seriously consider these things that seeing the examples of Gods iudgements in this case dayly before their eyes they might learne by other mens harmes to take heede to themselues Vse 2 Secondly this serueth to admonish all men Si Iudas resignat pecuniam malè acquisitam qua fronte retinet vsurarius vsuram c. Hugo in locum that possesse any thing vnlawfully to restore it otherwise this example of Iudas shal be
betrayed it had beene good for that man if hee had neuer beene borne Doct. It is a grieuous sinne to despaire of Gods mercie From whence wee may gather this inctrustion that it is a most grieuous sinne to despaire of Gods mercie As that wretched Kain did when hearing the iudgement which God had denounced against him for killing his brother hee cryed out in the horrour of his soule My sinne is greater then can bee pardoned Gen. 4.13 And indeede a Quid aliud est desperare quam Deum sibi comparare August de vera falsa paenit ca. 5. he that despaireth of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes what doth hee else but compare God to himselfe Which is a great derogation from the Lord that his high and glorious Maiestie should bee likened vnto a vile and sinnefull man Besides hee doth offer horrible indignitie and notorious iniurie vnto the Lord. For as much as in him lyeth hee denyeth many of his most glorious attributes and properties as namely his loue his truth his power his iustice and his mercie For his loue If it were such as our sinnes could hinder it it should bee inferiour to the loue of man For what offence can bee so great from one man to another but loue will easily procure the pardon of it As wee see especially betweene parents and children It is not possible for a childe to commit any offence so great but vpon his submission and reformation his Father will forgiue him Though his affection bee for a time estranged yet hee will easily receiue him into fauour againe And therefore the Prophet saith Can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion on the Sonne of her wombe Isa 49.15 as if he should say it is not possible But the loue of the tenderest and dearest mother in the world is but like a droppe of water to the maine Ocean in respect of that loue wherewith the Lord our heauenly father loueth vs that are his children So that wee may say of our greatest sinnes as the Apostle saith of all outward afflictions Rom. 8.39 they are not able to separate vs from the loue of God that is in Christ Iesus If the loue of the church to Christ Iesus her blessed spouse Cant. 8.8 be so strong as much water cannot quench it neither can the flouds drowne it 1. Pet. 8.8 much more is his loue to vs so feruent as an Ocean of our sinnes cannot quench or drowne it If the loue of men doe couer euen a multitude of sinnes 1. Pet. 8.8 yea all trespasses that can be committed Prou. 10.12 surely the infinite loue of God will couer our sinnes be they neuer so many Besides the Lord is no changling in his loue to loue a man to day and vpon some dislike to cast him off to morrow but whom he loueth once to the end he loueth them Job 13.1 and it is not our sinnes though many and great that can alienate his affection Nay hauing out of the abundance of his loue giuen vs his owne sonne Rom. 8.32 how shall he not with him giue vs all things necessarie for our saluation Secondly for his truth He hath made many gracious promises vnto vs that if we confesse and forsake our sinnes Prou. 28.13 we shall haue mercy Ezech. 18.21.22 that if we returne from all our sinnes which we haue committed c. all our transgressions which we haue committed shall neuer be mentioned vnto vs c. but as the Prophet saith God will haue mercy vpon vs Isa 55.7 2. Tim. 2.13 1. Ioh. 1.9 for hee is very readie to forgiue Now hee is faithfull in the performance of his promises as the Apostle saith Hee abideth faithfull hee cannot denie himselfe But if wee confesse our sinnes as he requireth he is faithfull to forgiue vs our sinnes And therefore for a man to distrust the forgiuenesse of his sinnes after he hath truly repented of them is to make God a lyer If we haue but the word of an earthly Prince it is a disgrace not to trust vnto it Much more is it a disgrace vnto the King of heauen and earth not to stay and relie our selues vpon his word For as St. Paul saith Let God be true and euery man a lyer Rom. 3.4 Thirdly for his power Wee know it is infinite And though our sinnes were as crimson yet hee is able to make them white as snow and though they were red like skarlet yet he is able to make them as white as wooll Isa 1.18 Hence is it that the Lord himselfe saith I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloude and thy sinnes as a mist Isa 44.22 insinuating that though our sinnes bee neuer so many yet he can as easily take them away as he can scatter the clouds with the wind or disperse the thickest mist with the heat of the Sunne And the Prophet Micah expresseth the same with great force of wordes saying Hee will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the Sea cap. 7.19 where he alludeth vnto that great ouerthrow which the Lord gaue Pharaoh and his host in the red Sea Giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that though our sinnes did march neuer so furiously against vs and exercise most cruell tyrannie in our soules and consciences yet the Lord is able to subdue them as hee did Pharaoh and his host whom he ouerwhelmed in the bottome of the Sea To this purpose St Augustine hath a good saying a Qui de Deo non praesumit veniam non animadvertit plus peccato suo Dei posse clemētiam Si enim sentiret Deum magis bonum quam se malum quicquid in se iustitia non inueniret à Deo magis bono expectaret Et quidem diffidit qui summi boni bonitatë maiorem sua nequitia non sentit Ille enim solus diffidat qui tantum peccare potest quantum Deus bonus est Cum sit autem nullus qui hoc possit qui timet de se malo praesumat de meliore Adbuc qui diffidit suam nequitiam Dei pietati comparat finem imponit diuinae virtuti dans finem infinito perfectionem diuinitatis auferens deo Aug. de vera fall poenit c. 5. 1. Pet. 2.24 Isa 53.5.6 Collos 2.14 1 Iob. 1.9 that hee that hopeth not for pardon at Gods hands doth not consider that Gods mercy is more powerfull then his sinne For if he thought that God is more good then himselfe is euill whatsoeuer righteousnesse hee findeth not in himselfe hee would expect him from God that is better And surely he is distrustfull that doth not thinke the goodnesse of the Lord to be greater then his wickednesse For let him only distrust that is able to sinne so much as God is good But seeing there is none that can doe this let him that feareth because himselfe is euil presume of him that is better Moreouer
doth not take aduantage against vs but still mercy pleaseth him as the Prophet speaketh c. This doctrine serueth to admonish vs to take heede of this fearefull sinne of desperation and to trust at all times in the mercy of God for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes For as wee haue heard God is as readie to forgiue as wee can bee to aske forgiuenesse And therefore Bernard saith well a Tardius videtur Deo veniam peâ—â—tori dedâ—sse quam illi accâ—passa Isa 30.18 Sic â—â—â—m festinat misâ—ricors Deus absolâ—cre reum à tormento conscientiae suae quasi plus cruciet misericordem Deum compassio miseri quam ipsum miserum compassio sui De conscient aedis cap. 38. It seemeth longer to God to giue the pardon of sinnes then it doth to a sinner to receiue it according to that of the Prophet The Lord standeth waiting that hee may haue mercie vpon vs. For the mercifull God doth make such hast to absolue a sinner from the torment of his conscience as though the mercifull God had more compassion of a poore wretch then hee hath of himselfe And Saint Augustine saith b Non possum terreri multitudine peccatorum si mors Domini in metem venerit quoniam peccata illum vincere non possunt Extedit bâ—achia tua in cruce expandit manus suas paratus in amplexus peccatorum August Manual cap. 23. I cannot be terrified with the multitude of my sinnes if I can but call to minde the death of our Lord because my sinnes cannot ouer-come him hee hath stretched out his armes vpon the Crosse and spred abroade his handes as being readie to embrace poore sinners So that c Quecunque necessitas coâ—â—t ad poenitudine nec quantitas criminis nec breuitas teporis nec horae extremitas nec vitae enormitas si vera contritio si pura suerit voluntatii mutatio excludâ—t à venia sed in amplitudine sinus sui mater charitas prodigos suscipit reuertetes omni sepore Dei gratia recipit poenitetes Cypr. ser de Coen Dom. as another Father saith Whatsoeuer necessitie driueth a man to repentance neither the greatnesse of his sinne nor the shortnesse of the time nor the extremitie of the houre not the enormitie of the life past if there bee true contrition and an holy change of his will doth exclude him from pardon but the Mother charitie admitteth her prodigall children into the largenesse of her bosome when they returne and the grace of God at all times receiueth sinners when they repent For the Scripture witnesseth that hee despised not the Theefe that confessed his sinnes nor Marie Magdalene that washed his feete with her teares nor the Woman of Canaan that besought him for her Daughter nor the Woman that was taken in adulterie nor Matthew sitting at the receit of custome nor his Disciple that denyed him nor Paul that persecuted his Disciples nor the wicked Iewes that crucified him But yet this must not encourage any man to presume too farre of Gods mercy as though hee might liue as hee list and yet haue the pardon of his sinnes For the Lord hath denounced a fearefull threatning against all such impenitent persons Hee that blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace Deut. 29.19 although I walke after the stubbernesse of mine owne heart The Lord will not bee mercifull vnto that man 20. but the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against him and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen So that the mercie of God how great soeuer is restrained only to repentant sinners Hanged himselfe This fearefull example of Iudas giueth vs occasion Question Whether it be lawfull for a man to kill himselfe in the last place to discusse that Question Whether it bee lawfull for any man to lay violent handes on him selfe and to procure his owne death Many causes there are which driue men to these desperate courses but they may bee reduced to two heads either for auoiding of euill or for procuring of good For the first Many there are that when some great calamitie is either threatned against them or lyeth heauie vpon them which they thinke they are not able to beare seeke to escape it by offering violence to themselues As some to preuent bondage and thraldome a Plutarch in cius vita as Cato Vticensis because hee would not bee in subiection to Caesar killed himselfe Some in a long and languishing sicknesse haue desperately ended their dayes to ridde themselues from their paine as Plinius Secundus maketh mention of one that in this case famished himselfe to death Some hauing made themselues odious in the world by their wickednesse with Nero when hee saw himselfe censured of the Senate and hated of all good men beginne to loath their liues as being ashamed to liue any longer And wee haue both heard and seene that many wretched misers hauing hoorded vp corne in hope of a dearth when it hath fallen out contrarie to their expectation haue for very griefe hanged themselues Againe some to preuent sinne whereunto they were like to be forced or being forced to shunne the reproach and infamie that might redound vnto them haue killed themselues as Lucretia did among the Romanes Nemo polluto queat Animo mederi morte sanandum est sed is Hercules furens apud Senecam when shee was rauished by Tarquinius Last of all some not able to beare the horrour of their conscience by reason of Gods wrath haue sought to free themselues by being their owne executioners as did Saul and Iudas and diuers others For the second Some in a preposterous desire of euerlasting happinesse haue wilfully shortened their liues As one Cleombrotus who hauing read Plato his booke of the immortalitie of the soule that hee might the sooner attaine to it cast himselfe headlong from a wall Others haue made away themselues for vaine glorie to get them a name As Curtius among the Romanes 2. Maccab. 14.41.42 c. and Razis among the Iewes and many others But wee are to know that it is not lawfull for any cause whatsoeuer for a man to depriue himselfe of life The truth whereof may appeare by many reasons First death in it selfe naturally is euill inflicted vpon mankinde for a punishment of sinne yea it is one of Gods enemies as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 15.26 The last enemie that shall bee destroied is death And therefore no man should wittingly and willingly procure it to himselfe Secondly that same naturall affection which is in all men should restraine them from so desperate cruelty against themselues Otherwise they rebell against God who is the author of nature which wee see the very brute beasts will not doe They may peraduenture goare and teare one another but whatsoeuer extremitie they are in they will neuer hurt themselues So that