followe the steppes prescribed by him Where vpon it commeth as dayly experience declareth too manifestly that infinite numbers yea almost the whole worlds is drowned in sinne and iniquity For either they be Papistes blind with superstition or carnall gospellers contented with bare profession or Athiests addicted to no religion thinking it the safest way to meddle no whitte that way and all these agrée in one conclusion to delight in sinne and iniquity so that to find one that maketh a conscience of sinne that striueth for sincere reformation wrestleth against his owne corruptiō to please God is very hard euen among a great number and he whome God hath inlightned to take that course What is he a precision a puritane one that taketh himselfe to be without sinne a wayward body and busie controller a medler and what not Which is the cause that sinne euery where so reigneth and truth and godlinesse so generaly decayeth that vnlesse a generall and spéedy repentance preuent it the wrath of God must néeds fall vpon this land and vtterly roote out this most diuelish generation Therefore let them that haue any sparke of Gods grace mourne houle and lament for the desolations of Iacob and the transgressions of Israell that at least they may escape the rodde of Gods visitation Thus wee sée both the reasons that the holy Ghost vseth to moue vs to sorrowe for sinne and the temptations wherewithall Sathan séeketh to kéepe vs backe and stay vs in the delight of the flesh Let euery one of vs examine himselfe which preuaileth most with him Whereby we may sée our selues in what state wée stand before the Lorde our God The ende of thie sorrowe for sinne is not to deserue thereby the fauour of God or y ◠the force thereof shoulde merit iustification for the debter that did fall downe at his maisters féete deserued not thereby to haue his debte forgiuen him And therefore the true end of this sorrow for sin is twofold First it is to shew our humilitie to the Lord for by nature we be proud high minded not bending one whit notwithstanding our huge masse heape of sin but walk with stiffe necks therefore it is néedful y ◠the Lord should lay open before our eies the miserable estate and condition that we stande in to the ende that we séeing his maiestie both great and terrible and his iustice bēt vpon vs to pronounce our condemnation may haue our proud lookes abated our peacockes feathers pulled and our hauty stomackes quailed to beholde Gods wrathfull countenance bente vppon vs tha wée may be caste downe before his throne with vnfained humilitie abasing our selues whome wée haue well thoughte of and ascribing all glorye and power to him whome wée haue little regarded Secondly it is to make way for the grace of GOD to come neare vnto vs and his greate mercy in Christe Iesus our Lord and Sauiour to dwell in our heartes for as it is vnpossible for fyre and water to agrée togither for Heauen and Earth to méete in their naturall motions for Lighte and Darkenesse to be matched as yoke-fellowes so vnpossible is it to lincke the naturall Man and Christe in one or to finde any abode for the spirite of God in the hearte of that man or womā who hath not bene touched w t the griefe of cōscience for his sins nor the terrours of Gods iudgements for the same which to be true our Sauiour himselfe hath affirmed when he said that he came not to call the righteous meaning such as deemed themselues righteous but sinners to repentance for sayth he the poore that is such as are naked in their owne eies receiue the glad tydings of the Gospell and those shalbe blessed that are poore in hearte which also is manifest by the Pharesey who leaned vpon his owne workes and the Publicane that fell downe and prostrated himselfe before the Lord shewing nothing to be in himselfe but sinne and therefore sued vnto the Lord for his mercy and pardon Therefore the doctrine of mercy in Christ Iesus appertayneth not to them that boast in their owne strength and are merit-mongers neither yet vnto the stony and hard hearted who haue no touch of conscience no sorrow for sinne but a continuall delight and pleasure in the sweetnesse thereof striuing to fulfill the déeds of the flesh and to offend euen with gredinesse But vnto the broken hearted the wounded soule the grieued hart and sorrowing spirit that féeleth it selfe by desert in the gulfe of condemnation that be cast downe and truly humbled by the sight of his owne offences to suche when they aske the Lorde giueth when they séeke he is found when they cry he heareth and when they mone their case he with his mercy doth comforte them Let then euery one of vs enter into consideration of his owne estate and trye what effecte the iudgmentes of God for sinne worketh in him assuring our selues that vnlesse it beat vs downe in humility we are no vessels for Christ to dwel in neyther doth the doctrine of faith now folowing in any respect appertainie vnto vs. Lette vs pray The Second Sermon of amendment of life THE second branch of this amendment doth now follow which is faith in Iesus Christ whereby they in whome the former doctrine worketh terrour for their sinnes are erected and comforted of the which before I speake it shall not be amisse to declare the diuers vses of the word fayth in the scriptures least we should take that for faith in Christ which is not it is taken especially in thrée significatiōs First it is vsed for beleuing the word of God to be true called commonly a historicall fayth whereby man is perswaded that the things done and recorded in the scriptures are not fayned going no further this faith is most properly in deuils for they know and beleue that all the things there spoken shall be performed but because they haue no comfort therein they tremble at the consideration thereof which thing we sée also vttered by the deuils through the mouth of the possessed saying art thou come to torment vs before our time whereby they acknowledg that they looked for torments but they would haue the time prolonged so longe as they could this fayth is hardly to be found in mankinde for Satan can teach them that be wicked a lessō that he could neuer learne him self namely that the word of God is not true that it is but a fable And therefore you shall sée heare them being reprooued by the ministery of the word either to be as blockes not mouing abit or sung a sléepe with the voice of the minister or else openly blaspheme and mocke the word These be notable Schollers that haue learned more then their maister the Deuill It must néedes be therefore that they be as neare condempnation as he Secondly it is taken for the working of miracles in which sense it is vsed where it
calleth such Idell shéepeheardes dumbe Dogges that cannot barke Salt with out saltnesse not good for the Dunghill and yet this churche of Englande a grieuous thinge to bée considered is euen pestered with suche and they swarme like Locustes lette oute of the lake The Lord for his mercy sake either conuert them to better vses or in his good time send an east winde to blow them into the bottome of the sea and place séeing watchmen and painefull labourers in his vineyarde that will dresse it and not fast themselues therein Amend your liues This is the counsell of Peters a sentence very shorte in wordes but long in matter containing the very substance of all religion and the whole 〈◊〉 of Christianitie the originall word signifieth to recouâ—â— with griefe it is commonly translatâ—â— repent and the mâ—â—ter called repentance which is a turning of our liues vnto God procéeding from a true feare of his iudgments for sinne imbracing God his promises in Iesus Christ and reforming the life according to the prescript rule of Gods worde the which that we may the more orderly procéed consisteth of these thrée principall partes 1. A sorrow for sinne 2 Faith in Christ and 3. Godlinesse of conuersation which laste in truth is rather a fruite of faith as in a place conuenient shall be proued then any part of the whole all which things in some measure more or lesse are to be found in all them that are Gods children and haue receyued any tast of his grace The first Sorrowe for sinne may be thus defined it is a griefe of the soule for sinne wrought by the iudgementes of God layed out in his word whereby the party conuicted is truly humbled I call it a griefe of the soule because it bringeth man euen into the gulfe of condemnation and setteth before his eies the heauie wrath of God and hell torments that his owne conscience telleth him he hath iustly deserued This was wrought in Dauid when his owne mouth condemned him to be the child of death It was in Iosias when his heart melted at the hearing of the Lawe expounded vnto him It was in Marie that washed our Sauiour Christ Iesus his féete with hir teares it was in these that cried out in the anguishe of their hearts men and brethren what shall we doe it is in all them among vs that haue any working of Gods spirit in them when they consider God to be a iust God a reuenger of iniquitye and themselues to be most horrible and wretched sinners Whereby we may take good occasion to examine our selues whether we be of God or no which we shall do thus If I do not tremble at Gods iudgments if my sins grieue me not surely I am hardned but if they make me sigh grone vnto the Lord vnder the weight thereof if I loth them both in my selfe others then I haue a marke of Gods grace in me that he worketh my saluation and sealeth it vnto me This sorrowe may after a sorte be in a man and yet not the true sorrowe for many are grieued because they they are not better for that through their naughtinesse they forgette preferment or credit that else they shoulde haue and therefore it is saide that this muste be wroughte by the iudgementes of God laid out in his worde that is when by Gods Lawe I perceiue the straighte lyne that is inioyned to me and the cursse of God that hang ouer my heade for my disobedience that bringeth with it condemnation of bodye and soule this is the thing wherefore I shoulde be grieued And if wée wey the matter well it carryeth with it iust cause of sorrowe for though I inioye all the delightes and pleasures that bee in the worlde I shall haue them a very shorte time and the rewarde of sinne is eternal wo without ease or intermission which all men haue iustly deserued and from which none shall be deliuered that is not broughte to sorrowe for sinne and to séeke to Iesus Christe the life of them that rightelye séeke him This being the firste steppe to God and entrance into his fauour is mightely gainesaid by the subtile enimie Sathan that would haue vs make a sporte of sinne Secondly by the world that blereth our eies with the poysoned baits of vanities 3. by our owne flesh y â— lusteth after those things that bring perdition and therefore the Lord who hath a care that his chosen should not be deceyued by all these or any of them hath in his word set downe many most strong reasons and forcible persuasions to induce vs to this sorrow for sinne as first his seuere iudgementes executed vppon others Idolators were giuen ouer into the handes of spoilers Blasphemers consumed by the Angell of God Corrupters of Gods sincere worshippe presently strooke downe dead Disobedient rebells swallowed vppe quicke into the earth Murderers requited with murther Generally the whole world except eyght persons drowned for sinne Sodome and Gomorrah burned with fire and brimstone from heauen because of pride riotte idlenesse and contempte of y â— poore Foure sins that now I am perswaded are as rife as euer they were in those Citties and al these as they receyued suddaine punishment in this worlde so to vs no other is knowen but that eternall condemnation followed Now how must these thinges bring vs to sorrowe for sinnes Thus we haue committed the same sinnes in some pointe that they did and therfore being guilty of the same condemnation there is no way for vs to escape it but to flée to the Lorde with penitent heartes and sorrowing soules Saint Paule teacheth vs this doctrine the same vse of it saiing these are written as exampls for vs that we sinne not as they did least we receyue the same condemation Whereby we learne that the scriptures of God are not written to vs as histories to read and heare for pleasure but for our learning and instruction that we may learne by the example of the wicked there mentioned to leaue sinne and of the godly to be stirred vp vnto godlines Againe when we consider how mercyfull God hath bene vnto vs that whereas in his iuste iudgemente be might haue not onely cutte vs of and cast vs into eternal condemnation when first we began to conceiue any inclination vnto sinne but euen before we were borne haue drowned vs in originall guilte and neuer sufferd vs to come to any knowledge of good or euill hath so long a time we committing so many and infinite sinnes against his maiesty yet spared vs not dealt rigorously with vs this shoulde make vs very sory that we haue so long prouoked so merciful a God vnto anger which vse S. Paule setteth downe saying that the mercy of God leadeth to repentance But alas we take occasion to sin by the same and so are carelesse to amend euer hauing this in our mouths God is mercifull and
so we incurre the danger of the seuere denunciation following in the same place where it said that such heap vp wrath against the day of wrath For we must know that as God is mercifull to all penitent sinners so is he iust to all carelesse and loose people that withhold the truth of God in vnrighteousnes therefore let vs not be so abused by Satā to think y ◠God hath mercy in store for him that goeth on stil in his wickednesse But let vs try our selues by y e touch stone of Gods word how the consideration of Gods great mercy worketh in vs. Besides this we sée that when or wheresoeuer the word of God hath béene preached it hath wrought either to their conuersiō comfort or hardning and condemnation it was to Noe a safegard because he beléeued to y e worldes ouerthrow for y ◠they harkned not to the Israelites deliuerance to the Egiptians destruction to the apostles saluation to the Scribes and Phareseis condemnatō The due consideration of this must bring vs to sorow for sin for thus we must reason w t our selues we haue the word preached out of which y t iudgements of God are threatned to fall on the wicked contrarywise his promises to be performed to the godly of which sort am I if of the godly then the word preached hath moued me to amēdment cōtinuall griefe of heart y ◠I can amend no better if I be not thus moued thereby surely thē I am of the worst sort to whom the gospel is folishnes and in whom it sauoureth to death Thē I may not abide in sin thus but by sorow for the same I must conceiue a loathing of al iniquitie And to the end that this remorse may take déeper holde in me I must enter into a vew of my former conuersatiō and that by the candle of Gods lawe whereby I cannot choose but sée the vgly deformities of mine owne heart the corrupt desires of my mind the fruitelesse if not blasphemous speaches of my tounge the god lesse actions of my conuersation all which heretofore euery one of vs haue taken pleasure in and estéemed them as our great felicitie and this being truely viewed and withall the reward thereof in his owne nature considered must if any sparke of grace be in vs not only pinch vs at the very hearte but also make vs say with the Apostle that it is sufficient that we haue spente the time past after the will of the fleshe And so much the rather for that our time is very short and a great parte thereof already mispense and therefore we may not differre any longer to beginne the seruice of our God in gloryffyng his holy name in these our mortall bodyes Neither may this be a remisse or slacke sorrowe which is ordinarily almost in al men for if y ◠would serue then should al or the greatest number be saued and yet we sée both by the course of Gods worde and also euident sentences of the same that the least number are accepted of God for where eyght were saued thousandes were drowned Where Abraham and his family were there was the Church the Israelites were the peculiar people of God a small handfull in respecte of the worlde so it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles and yet euen of them that were outwardly of the number many were hipocrites and dissemblers So true is that saying vttered by the month of Christ Iesus our Sauiour Straighte is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it And wide is the gate and broade is the way that leadeth to distruction and many goe that way And therefore this same vsuall and ordinary saying I am sory and it grieueth me when yet they amend not cannot be the sorrowe to repentance which is not to be sorrowed for seing besides that the pangs of death shall try whether we haue sorrowed vnfainedly or no. Iesus Christ who séeth the darkest corner of our hearts shal be the Iudge and will giue sentence of euery one as they are and not as they séeme to the world to be And lastly eternall torments are prouided both for hipocrites and hard hearted persons Let vs not deceiue our selues with an outward shewe of religion let vs not like glowormes make boast of that we are not But all pleasures and vanities set a side let vs beginne to rippe vp our owne heartes returne to the Lord our God with earnest and hearty sorow for our former transgressions with ful purpose of taking a better course then yet we haue done I know that as this is the entrance vnto God and so the first slip that we giue vnto Sathan so he lacketh not his perswasions glorious baits to trump in our way whereby our eyes may be turned and our hearts alienated from this course For sayeth he doest thou beléeue y ◠there be so many torments prouided for them that take their pleasure in y ◠things of this world will God be so seuere as so will he marke so diligentlie what is done amisse Is there such knowledge in the most highest No no it is but the cholerick rayling of these precise and wayward preachers that loue to be alwayes chiding God is mercifull he knoweth man cannot kéepe his Lawes in all pointes and therefore he will beare with him Doest thou not sée and beholde greate men yea and learned men they beleeue no such matter and they be wiser then thou arte being a simple man for they take all the delighte and pleasure that canne be Thou haste taken greate delighte in sinnne and wickednesse thus longe and if thou shouldest doe as they say it were euen to make a metamorphosis of thy selfe and thou haddest better be out of the worlde then to leaue thy former companions thy delectable past-times and merrimentes Thus oulde thou art and thus many yeares thou hast liued at thy pleasure what hath hapned vnto thée for it if it were such a grieuous thinge in the sight of God thou shouldest neuer haue enioyed it so longe without punishement for behold there be no men vnder the Sunne more void of calamities then they be y ◠are not so precise but follow their owne desires And though it did offend the Almightie which is to be doubted yet thou mayest returne vnto him many yeares hence he wil receyue thée at any time yea if thou doe but cry Lord haue mercy vpon me when thou liest sicke and séest no other way but death it will serue Were it not greate pitty that thou being a gallant young and comelie person shouldest be abandoned from the pleasures that thine estate both require Yes doubtles These with infinite such like motions doeth Sathan put into the heades and heartes of naturall men which are so fitte to their nature and so agreable to their complexion that they quickly assente and
these wordes We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the law The prophet also sayeth that a iust man liueth by his faith The reasons that the Apostle vseth to proue this are many I will onelie set downe three of them which are most apparant and euident The first is this by the testimonie of the old testament it is proued that al men haue erred and done amisse there is none that doth good no not one so that al hauing sinned and be that hath sinned in one is guiltie in all it muste needes follow that none can be saued by their workes and therefore either by faith or not at all The second is by the sentence and promise of the Lawe This doe and thou shalt liue but curssed is he that abideth not in all these commandementes to doe them but none is able to doe so for then Christe dyed in vaine and his death had béene to no purpose therefore al men beyng by nature vnder the cursse and not able to redéeme themselues it followeth that he who was without sin Iesus Christ must be their redemption and applied vnto them by faith Thirdly by the nature of the promise made to our father Abraham thus The same way that Abraham was iustified and acquited from sinne the same way are all his children iustified but he was iustified by faith for he beléeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and therefore must all the godly for euer be iustified by faith so that this must stand for an vndoubted truth that he which séeketh any other way to haue his sinnes put away whether it be by pardons merits or any way else then onely by faith apprehending the merites of Christ cannot be comforted in his soule by certaine persuasion but must néeds stagger and wauer continually The second inward fruite of faith is the loue of God the father which commeth vnto vs when our sinnes are forgiuen for as man is separated from God by reason of sinne and iniquitie so the same being remoued and taken away God and Man are made one and be reconciled togither againe by which reconciliation the loue of God is precured by the reconciler Iesus Christ to haue his full course and passage vnto man The which our Sauiour ment when he saied the father loueth you because ye haue loued mée and beleued in me which thinge S. Iohn also ment when he said that y e effecte of the Gospell is that we mighte haue fellowshippe with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christe Of which thing whosoeuer is truly perswaded he shall haue in his soule and conscience an vnspeakable comforte for as there is nothing more grieuous vnto man if he cōsider it well then to haue the heauie hād of God vpon him and his seuere countenance against him so nothing can bée more swéete and comfortable then to bée perswaded of his fauour and fatherlye loue towardes him Out of which ariseth to the godly that peace of conscience and ioy in soule that passeth all vnderstanding which thing our Sauiour ment whē he said to his disciples peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the worlde giue giue I vnto you Let not your heartes be troubled nor feare which also S. Paule ment when he said being iustified by faith we haue peace toward God and in another place peace is reckened vp among the fruites of the spirit Examples whereof we haue in the scriptures the Eunuch of Ethiopia being instructed in the faith and baptised by Phillip the Euangelist it is saide that he went on his way reioycing The same is reported of the Iayler that was conuerted by the preaching of Paule that he reioyced because that he with all his houshold beléeued in God Marie likewise ieioyced not so much in that she was the mother of Christ but in God hir Sauiour So that this being by the word of God proued to be one of the fruites of a true faith it resteth that euery one of vs doe wey our selues examining our hearts how great we finde this ioy in vs the which although I doubt not it is found in great measure in the heartes of some yet I feare in the most it is very little or nothing at all For if we may iudge the trée by the fruites some haue so so great pleasure and delighte in scraping worldly pelfe togither other in banquetting and dronkennesse and many in chambering and wantonnesse y ◠it is hard to finde that man or woman that sheweth forth vnto the worlde the signes of ioy in the holy ghost which argueth vs to be carnal and fleshly minded not sauouring of the spirit of God The third inward fruite is a promise that God hath made vnto vs that he will heare our praiers and graunt our requests which thing is promysed by the mouth of Christ Iesus vnto al beléeuers saying verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye aske the father in my name he will giue it you which thing wée sée veryfied vnto the Centurion to whome it was said as thou haste beléeued so bée it vnto thée and his seruaunt was made hole the same houre And likwise to the two blind men who cried sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs to whome he aunswered according to your faith be it vnto you Which doctrine must néedes be vnto the faithfull an exceading comfort for we sée the manifold daungers wherevnto we be subiect the diuerse temptations wherewithall Satan laboreth to ouerthrow our soules and the manifold tribulations that doe dayly befal to the bodye as the slaunders and iniuries done vnto vs by the wicked the sicknesse pouerty and néede that lay hold vpon vs against all which we haue no shield nor defence but only to fly vnto the Lord by humble and hearty praier the which if he should not regard our state were miserable and we of all other most wretched if wee shold not be heard of him for whose sake we hazzard all our liberties in the world and oppose our selues against his soes then could we looke for nothing but vtter confusion both of body and soule but in that he hath promised that if we call vpon him in y ◠day of our trouble he wil heare and deliuer vs we gather thereby an vndoubted comfort against al afflictions that either the Lord will remoue them from vs or else graunte vs suche strength and patience that we shall not onely sustaine and beare them but also triumph ouer them to his greate glory and our owne exceading comfort where vpon we resting as vpon an anchor both sound and stedfast doe most willinglye lay downe our neckes vnder the yoke of Gods correction being certainely persuaded that all things shall fall out for the best vnto vs if we doe vnfainedly feare him Yet this doctrine giueth no warrāt to the carnall and fleshly praiers of naturall men who when