in Ezech. 1827. When the wicked turneth awaye from his wickednesse that hee hath committed and doeth that which is lawfull and righte he shall saue his soule aliue And againe Esay 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lorde and hee will haue mercy vppon him So here we see to whom forgiuenesse of sinnes and the mercies of God belongeth Namely to the penitent sinners to those that leaue sinne and imbrace Godlines to those that forsake his owne waies and imaginations turne vnto the Lord. And as for such as walk on in their owne wayes and follow y e delightes of sin without any sorrow or purpose to leaue them they haue nothing to doe with the mercie of God though Iesus Christe had â—â—â—â—red an hundred deathes which could not bee yet shal no vnpenitent sinner haue remission of his sinnes by his death nor any other benefites of his Passion for they belong onely to his Churche and chosen people here vpon the earth He therefore that is not of the Church he that is not grafted into Christ by fayth he that is not a member of his mystical hody can inioy nothing by Christes death If any man abide not in me he is east foorth as a braunch and withereth and men gather them and caste them into the fire and they burne Iohn 15. 9. We reade in the 29. of Deuteronomie Howe God barreth all stubburne sinners from his mercie and doeth most terrible shoote out against them Hee that heareth the wordes of this curse and blesseth him selfe in his heart saying I shal haue peace although I walke according to the stubburnnes of our owne heart thus adding dronkennesse to thirste the Lord will not be mercifull vnto him but then the wrath of the Lorde and his iealousie shall smoke against that manne and euery curse that is written in this booke shal light vppon him So that God saith playnely hee hath no mercie for such as walke in the vayne delights of sinne and in the stubbornes of their owne heart adding drunkennesse to thirst that is one horrible sin to another Yet for all this it is a wonder to sée how y e blind wormes of this earth deceiue theÌ„ selues For they thinke whatsoeuer they say whatsoeuer they doe be it good be it euill whether they repeÌ„t or not repent yet they shalbe saued by christs death as thogh they would make it a baud to their sinnes so worke that villany against Christ I hope to be saued by Christs death aswell as the best of them all sayth some But where is thy repentaunce thou miserable wretche Doest thou thinke that Gods mercy is common to all and Christs death a baude for thy sinnes No no when it conuneth to the vpshotte thou shalt stoppe shorte For it will proue farre otherwise for thou shalt finde Gods mercye turned into Iustice and Christes death into Wormwood because thou hatedst knowledge and choosedst not the feare of the Lorde Thus you sée my deare brethren that Repentaunce must néedes go before forgiuenesse of sinnes where it leadeth not the way there the gates of Gods mercie are shutte vp and this is the first qualitie of repentance It hath also another condition and that is to alter and chaunge men from that they were before not in the substance and proportion of the body but in the qualities conditions of the minde For whosoeuer hath truely repented you shall by and by sée a moste marueilous and wonderfull chaunge in him so that he will not doe as he hath done nor speake as he hath spokeÌ„ nor companie as he hath companied nor play the good fellowe as they terme it as he was wont to do nor runne to the same excesse of riot he was wont And this is it that amazeth the world and causeth them to bristle and fome at the mouth like wild Bores and to speake euil of them that are turned vnto God For the worlde loueth his owne and cannot abide that GOD should plucke one feather froÌ„ his Wings But repentaunce doth violently pull men out of the clawes of Sathan and chaunge them from the conditions of the world for it maketh of proude humble of hurtefull harmelesse of cruell méeke of Wolues Lambes of Lions Sheepe of adulterers Chaste liuers of Drunkardes sober men of Swearers reuerent speakers of Haters Louers of Despisers Imbracers of Scoffers Followers of Earthly Heauenly of Deuils Sainctes All this worketh Repentance Paul trauelled towards Damascus a Woolfe a Persecuter a bloodsucker an hater a despiser but ere he came there he was quite chaunged and cleane of an other mind So mighty was he that met him by the way When Iesus Christ sent downe the holy Ghost vpon his Disciples according to his promise there were some scoffers at Hierusalem which mocked and said they are ful of new wine But the same men cryed out by and by after men and brethren what shal we doe to be saued Here was a moste wonderfull and sodaine chaunge See then the force of Repentaunce when God striketh it into the heart of man and driueth the nayle to the head as they say It effecteth that which all the wisedome and policie of man is not able to bring to passe no when they haue prolled heâ—her and thether and â—â—ide their heades together and sought al the corners of their wits yet can they not tell which way to turne their hande or where to begin to chaunge the hearte of a man and to conuerte him to God Therefore Repentaunce is stronger then all the whole worlde and woorketh that whiche all men with their naturall wittes 〈◊〉 heades and deepe deuises can not compasse for the conuersion of a Sinner is a woorke supernaturall Here then we haue a glasse to beholde our selues in whethereuer we haue Repented or no. For if wee find not this change and alteration in vs we haue not repented and so consequently remaine vnder Damnation Therefore let euerie man looke vnto himselfe for marke how muche he is chaunged and altred from his former euill wayes so much hath he repented And he that is the same man he was three foure eight nay thictie yeares agoe surely surely hee hath not repented and therefore abideth in damnation I maruell then howe those menne which neuer felt anie change or alteration wrought in them nay whose consciences tell them that they are not chaunged ne knowe what it meaneth can have any hope of saluation Vnlesse peraduenture they beléeue not this doctrine or think it to be false But I will sende ouer these men to suche as haue bene in the like case they nowe are and yet thought they might doe well enough for all that although both blinde in Iudgement and corrupt in conuersation I haue knowen and doe knowe men which before their conuersion and inward chaunge were counted as honeste men as euer brake breade and as substantiall men as any coulde bée as true dealers vpright liuers
A Sermon of repentaunce A very godly and profitable Sermon preached at Lee in Essex by Arthur Deut Minister of Gods word And published at the request of sundrie Godly and vvell disposed persons 1581. the 7. of March Ionah chap. 2. ver 8. They that waite vpon lying vanities Forsake their owne mercie Imprinted at London for John Harison and are to bee solde at the white Greihound in Paules Church-yard 1582. To the Reader ALthough I was moste vnwilling that this poore Talent and trauaile of myne should euer haue bene broched abroade and come to light both because it maye seeme as a Candle lighted at no one day as also because many other mennes doinges might more worthely a great deale haue ben published and committed vnto letters Yet because diuers which heard it preached with a liuely voice were very instant yea and more then importunate with mee to haue it published vsing suche reasons as I coulde not well gainesay I did at the last yeelde to their request and so this vntimely fruite is come abroade to be solde in open markettes Let no man be offended that I haue not strained my selfe to flye an high pitch to fome out the froth of mans wisdome and to make a great shew of learning by blowing the bladder of vanity till it burst with swelling For that is not my vse I seeke especiall the saluation of the simple and ignorant and therefore stoupe downe to their reach and capacitie Therefore I beseeche thee gentle Reader accepte my good meaning Reade this without preiudice like it as thou profitest so shalte thou haue praise of God comforte in thy conscience A. D. The Text. Luke 13. 5. I tell you nay but except you repent you shall likewise perish THE occasion of these wordes of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe was bicause there were certayne that shewed him of the Galileans whose bloud Pilate had mingled with their owne Sacrifices That is murthered them as they were sacrificing and so their bloude was mingled with the bloud of the beastes whiche were sacrificed Those men therefore though that these Galileans were greater sinners then all other Galileans because they had suffered suche thinges And that those xviii also vppon whome the Tower in Siloam fell and slue them were sinners aboue all men that dwelte in Hierusalem Wherein they did vtter a secret corruptiō naturally ingendred in all men that is verie sharply to see into the sinnes of others seuerely to censure thē but in the meane while to flatter themselues to bée blindfold in séeing their owne sinnes For these men thought because the like iudgmentes did not fall vpon them therfore they were safe inough they were not so great sinners but rather highly in the fauour of GOD. According as many doe falsly suppose that those are alwayes the worst sort of people whome God doeth moste strike and presse with his punishing hande hauinge forgotten that God doeth not kéepe an ordinarie rate here belowe to punishe euery man as he is worst or to fauour and cocker him as he is best but onely taketh some examples as he thinketh good for the instruction and aduertisement of all others and to be as it were looking glasses wherein euerie man may sée his owne face yea and his owne cause handeled that God is a seuers reuenger of sin that all men maie learne by the example of some to tremble beware least peraduenture they bée worthily constrayned to kéepe their owne turnes and to knowe what they haue deserued These men whiche broughte these newes to our Sauiour Christ had not taken foorth this lesson wherevpon our Sauiour in iustlye occasioned to correcte their erroneous and sinister Iudgement and to teach them that they must not reioice at the iuste punishement of others but rather to bée instructed thereby to repentance And further to signifie that God doeth not alwayes most punishe the moste notorious offenders as Murtherers Théeues Robbers Whoremaisters Blasphemers Quarrellers Scoffers and suche like but reserueth them vnto the iudgement of the greate daie and as it wéere fatteth them against the daie of slaughter and therefore he answereth them negatiuely and sayeth nay or not so but excepte you repente you shal all likewise perish as if he should say are you of this opinion indéede that onelie monstruous Sinners are punished in this worlde others let alone or that the Galileans and these eightéene vppon whome the Tower in Siloā fel were greater sinners then all others Or doe you thinke because the same Iudgementes haue not light vpon you therefore you shal steale away in the darke escape the Iudgement of God No no you are deceyued For I saie vnto you that except you mourne and lament for your sinnes and fall to some agreement with God in time you I say euen you whiche are so readie to condemne others and iustifie your selues shall not onely perish with the like iudgementes in this presente worlde but be euerlastingly condemned in the world to come So that our Sauiour in so saying doeth thunder downe a moste dreadfull sentence vpon all our heades for he concludeth and setteth it downe that all men liuing vpō the face of the earth whether they bee highe or lowe rich or poore young or olde noble or vnnoble learned or vnlearned simple or polyticke of what estate degree and condition soeuer they bee liuing and dying without repentaunce shall perish and bee damned in hell fire for euer The Scriptures are full of suche Thunderboltes Iohn 3. 18. Hee that beleeueth not is damned alreadie And 2. Cor. 13. verse 5. Prooue your selues whether you are in the Fayth examine your selues Knowe yee not your owne selues that Iesus Christ is in you except yee bee reprobates Where the Apostle flatlie setteth downe that all those whiche haue not Christ dwelling in their harts by faith which is the houshold sister of repentance are no better then reprobates castawayes and condemned persons But because the most people in those dayes are groslye deceiued in repentaunce both concerning what it is what it meaneth what it woorketh what bee the qualities conditions of it which be the causes and which be the lets and hinderances and also why when and wherefore we should repent Therfore I haue in presēt infent to teach first what is repentaunce Secondly which bee his qualities and effectes Thirdly when wee should repense Fourthly wherefore wee should repent And last of all what letteth vs from Repentaunce whiche order and methode of teaching although some maye mislike as indeede with me it is not ordinary yet considering the matter I haue in hand I thinke it not inconuenient But the matter Repentance is an inward sorrowing and continuall mourninge of the heart and conscience for sinne ioyned with fayth and both inwarde and outwarde amendement Inward I say in chaunging the thoughtes and affections of the hearte and outwarde in chaunging the woordes and woorkes from euill to good This repentaunce no doubte was in
Dauid who wheÌ„ he was couertly reproued by the prophet Nathan and his sinnes laid before his eyes did not stubbornly defende them and so iustle against God nor yet secretlie excuse them and daube them ouer but cryed out in the bitternesse of his hearte I haue sinned and thervpon made the 51. Psalm A Psalme indéed full of dolour and heauines Wherein the Prophet bewayleth his falles lamenteth his sinnes and praieth euen for a newe hearte and a newe spirite newe thoughtes newe affections newe purposes of amendment of life So that in Dauid wée maie sée an inward sorrowing a lasting griefe as the booke of Psalmes doeth euerie where declare whiche layeth him out as it were in an Anotamie yea and greate reformation both in inwarde outward sinnes Héere therefore beholde what is Repentaunce Likewise S. Peter through infirmity hauing denied his Lord and Mayster Christ and béeing punched of his owne conscience wakened with the alaram of a poore Cockes crowing wente out of the Courte of Pilate with a heauie heart wéeping bitterlie euer after stoutlie professing Christe euen vnto the death Sée then what is Repentaunce The Prophetes in the olde Testament exhortinge y e rebellious Iewes vnto Repentance vse commonly an Hebrew verbe which signifieth turne ye or returne yee come backe again by the which Metaphore is meant that like as a man that is strayed farre out of his way must turne quite backe againe the contrary way So those y t haue strayed from the wayes of Godlinesse to the way of sinne must come backe againe as fast as euer they went forwarde altogether change the course of their life so that Repentaunce is an earnest turninge vnto God with all our hearte soule and minde Saint Iohn Baptist and the Apostles in the Newe Testament exhorting vnto Repentaunce vse a Gréeke woorde which signifieth a chaunging of the minde afterwarde or afterwitte so that those whiche through their follie want of former wit haue slipped into the déepe pit and daungerous gulfe of sinne when they come to themselues haue recouered their wits will bée wise afterward take héede they neuer come there againe according to the Proneth The burnt childe will take heed of the Fire By this time I hope you see what is repentaunce It is not euery sorrowe but sorrowe for sinne not for some sinne but for all sinne not for an houre but for euer not for a day but continually not for a week but as longe as we liue Some thinke euerie sorrow is repentance but so should worldlinges repent Some thinke euery litle pante for sinne is repentaunce so should Pharaoh repente Some thinke all weeping and lamenting for sinne is repentaunce so should Esau Iudas Caine repent Some thinke euery litle humbling of our selues is repentaunce but so should Achab repent Some think y t good woords and good purposes is Repentaunce but so shoulde euerie sicke man repent Some thinke y e reformation of words and deeds is Repentaunce but so shoulde ciuill men repent Some thinke that crye God mercie is repentaunce and so shoulde euerie foole repent You see therfore hows many are deceiued in repentaunce but if you will see what it is indeede looke backe to y t which hath beene said afore For hee that will repent in good earnest must not hang down his head like a Bulrushe for a daye onely and so haue doone nor crie from the teeth outwarde Lord haue mercie on me and so away but he must make a back reckoning with diligente consideration of his former life As did the Prophet Dauid Psal 119. ver 59. I haue considered my wayes and turned my feete vnto thy testimonyes So must euerie one that meaneth to repeÌ„t sinke aside into some corner or out place that there hee may haue roome enough to beate his owne conscience to make his heart smart for his sinnes by aggrauation thereof weighing all the circumstances as in the 9. of Daniel The Church of God confesseth her sinne not lightlye but with woonderfull great exaggeration and heaping of one thinge to another So that it is not enough to say I haue sinned but to say I haue most traitrously sinned I haue most obstinatly carelesly and rebelliously sinned I haue moÌ„strously offended in such a place in such a houre in such companie in such a day In suche a corner in the darke I committed adulterie closly when I thought none had seene mee In suche a Chamber I defiled my neighbours wife mine owne conscience doeth accuse me of it In suche and such companie I haue bene dronke I haue spoken and railed against Gods worde I haue mocked the preachers I haue spared no othes nor filthy spéech and now O Lorde Lorde what an vgley monster and wretched villaine am I. Here I stand before thy presence all naked blinde wounded poore wretched and miserable hauing deserued a thousand damnations if thou shouldest enter into iudgement and trie the lawe with me Therefore I beséeche thée shewe pitie and compassion vpon me Ancient my woundes with the oyle of mercy restore mee my sight cloath my nakednes enrich me that am poore strengthen me that am weake helpe mee that am fallen oh bid me not farewell The infant ouercoÌ„meth his mother with crying the child his father with wéeping the seruant his master by entreaty wilt not y u be intreated O Lord Thus I say if euerie man would speak in his conscience to God thus narrowly or more narrowly examine himself vndoubtedly he were in the way of repentaunce But alas it is a worlde to sée how the blinde Bussards and crooked cancrewormes of this worlde go awrye from this rule deceiuing themselues with the bare title and naked name of repentance Many in déede can talke of it but few walke it it Many speake of it but fewe féele it Many describe it but fewe know it It is hidde and locked vp from the worlde and reuealed onely to Gods children Many think they haue caught it when they haue but the shadow of it It is so high that few can reache it It is so déepe that few can come to the bottome of it It is so narrow that fewe can pearce into it So wide that few can comprehend it So slippery that fewe can holde it So scerete that few can finde it Therefore my deare brethren I beséech you let vs pray vnto our God that hee woulde reueale vnto vs this mystery which is hid from the world that we may truly sée it and know it find it féele it to our endles comfort through Christ Iesus which grace he graunt vs. But now to the seconde point concerning the qualities and fruites of repentance One speciall qualitie of repentance is alwayes to bringe with it remission sinnes for where true repentance 〈◊〉 before there remission of sinnes muste â—â—cessarily followe after not that repentance deserueth remission of sinne but because where God worketâ— repentance there hee pardoneth sin because of his promisse At
great multitude that in a maner the whole world agréeth w e them to practise our death Thus the diuell doth cast a mist before their eies and closly lead them away from repentaunce Therefore â—éere brethreÌ„ let vs stand fast in the word of the Lord and not be caried away or bowed quite down with this raging stream of the multitude but let vs knowe it to be one speciall engine of Sathan whereby he driueth vs from repentaunce The fourth let vnto repentance is long custome of sinne For that taketh away all sense féeling of sinne making it as 〈◊〉 were another nature vnto vs So that we may aswel alter nature as shake it of wheÌ„ it is once thus soldred vnto vs through loÌ„g custome Therefore it is saide Iere. 13. 23. Can the blake-More chaunge his skin or the Leopard his spots theÌ„ may ye also doe good that are accustomed to do euil Here the Prophet affirmeth that it is as hard to cure an old disease that is bred in the bone and to remedie a sinne that hath béene hatched and brought vp with vs as to washe a black-more white or to change the spots of a Leopard which cannot be with out destroying of nature And surely trie it who will hee shall finde it as harde a matter to leaue an old custom whether it be of swâ—â—ring of gaming of lying of whoring of euill company or of any other sinne as to wash an Aethiopian Therfore it is written Prou. 27. Though thou shouldest bray a foole in a morter emonge wheaâ—e brayed with a pestell yet will not his foolishnes depart from him So that as longe as we are in custome with sinne the doore of repentance is barred vp against be The fifth hinderance is long escaping of punishmeÌ„t for the wicked therby are staâ—â—â—ed in sinne and driuen of from repentance euen as an olde théefe that hath stollen a long time and escapeth both prison and gallows is animated more boldely to procéede in his wickednesse thinking he shall so alwayes escape So many filthy loose liuers go forward in their abhominations without repentaunce thinking that because God doth not incontineÌ„tly punish them and shew some manifest iudgments signe of his wrath vpon them therefore they shalbe acquited for altogether Wheras contrariwise if God should by and by strike thÌ„ down assone as they had sinned by thundering vpon one and lightning vpon another and raining fire brimstone vpon the third it would make them afraid Hereupon it is said in Pet. 2. 3. 4. This first vnderstand that there shal come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their lustes and say where is the promise of his comming For since the fathers died al things continue alike from the beginning of the creation But let these men well knowe that when God hath delayed along time prolonged the terme of the wicked at length he will shew y t althoughâ— he waited for their repentance yet he foâ—â—gate not their misdéedes but registreâ— them before him and packed them vp 〈◊〉 a great heape to increase the terrour oâ— his wrath The sixt hinderance is the beholding 〈◊〉 other mens endes For when some meâ— that haue liued a wicked an vngratiouâ— life and haue bene notorious sinners euen to the worldward so that euery man couâ— point at them yet if vpon their death 〈◊〉 they can say a fewe good wordes and crye God mercy and say their praiers and for giue al the world and so die quietly It is merueilous to heare howe the foolish people of the world will exalt them iustifye them saying hee made a very good ende as any man could make and died as quiâ—â— as a Lambe set all things in good orâ—â—â— before he died Herevpon an other wâ—â—ked monstrous verlet is encouraged 〈◊〉 sinne For thinketh he such a man liued 〈◊〉 loosely as I or any man else and yet 〈◊〉 made a verie good ende and why may not I do so too But alas these mens eyeâ— are bleared For to die quietly is no to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to crie God mercie for fashion is not to haue God mercifull to say a fewe â—â—â—yers with téeth outwarde is not to die in the faith of Christ for many may doe all this and yet die miserably The last let is hope of long life for while men féede and besette them selues in this hope they waxe dronken in sin and defer the day of Repentance As the riche man in the Luke 12. dreaming of his long life cast off all thought of God and of the other life and of Christes comming and of Repentaunce and all good thinges and sayid within himselfe Soule thou hast muche goods laid vp for many yeres liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime Thus the bleareyed men of this world choke vp Repentance quite smother it by doting themselues with hope of long life Therefore my deare brethren I beséech you by the mecies of God in the bowels of Iesus Christ that none of all these common lets may stay you from spéedy and vnfeigned Repentance But that you may ouerstride them all least vnhappily you being found without Repentance and taken tardie in your sinnes should all perish and be damned according to Christs sentence Whâ—â—â— fore in conclusion let vs with godly Eâ—chias be afraide of Gods threateninges sorrow aforehand stand in awe of GOD examine our conscience mourne for our sinnes lament inwardly that when the wicked which haue swimmed in pleasures here belowe shall enter into their eternal paynes we may then I say there haue euerlasting peace rest that when Iesus Christ shall appeare from heauen with all his holy Angels we may haue crownes of glory and victory clapped on our heades and raigne with our God our sauiour his sonne and all his Sainctes and Angels in the middest of all ioy in the heauens for euermore To the which ioy he bring vs all which hath so bearely bought vs Iesus Christ the righteous to whom with the father the holy Ghost be all honour glory praise power empire and dominion now and for euermore Amen FINIS