Son of God did second him saying Repent for the Kingdome of beauen is at hand repent and beleeue the Gospell This we know was alwayes the manner of the Prophets before that time to call people to Repentance And it was the first and chiefest point of doctrine which the Apostles of Christ were commanded by our Sauiour to vrge after his Resurrection That Repentance and Remission of sinnes should be preached in the name of IESVS beginning at Ierusalem Luk. 2. Where our Prophet Ieremie prophesied long time before Ob. But if Ieremies minde and purpose were to exhort the Iewes vnto Repentance why doth he not vse plaine words to perswade thereunto Answ I answere that this Metaphor of washing which our Prophet vseth in this place is farre more significant then if he had exhorted to Repentance in plaine termes For now in stead of one word which he might haue vsed namely Repent he vseth such wordes whereby they are both exhorted to Repentance and also taught how to repent We will therefore consider the wordes in particular and take them both for an exhortation and as a direction to Repentance Only this one thing I would craue by the way of intreatie that hereafter in all this Sermon you would not take these wordes of our Prophet any more as spoken to the Iewes but directed vnto vs for whatsoeuer is written you know it is written for our learning And as Ierusalem to whom this was first spoken was a type and figure of the Church of God so doth this exhortation Wash thine heart from wickednesse belong to all Churches and Kingdomes Cities Countries Nations and People to all I say in generall and to euery one in particular euery one hath neede to haue his heart washed and clensed from wickednesse So that now in this third circumstance we must speake of three things Three things First of washing or clensing Secondly of washing or clensing of the heart Thirdly of vvashing or clensing the heart from vvickednesse And first of vvashing or clensing 1. Note Washing This Metaphor of vvashing as it is very significant so it is very vsuall among the Prophets The Prophet Esay vvhen he had most sharply reproued the same Nation of the Iewes calling the Princes thereof the Princes of Sodome and the People thereof the People of Gomorrah vpbrayding them that they were a finnefull Nation a People laden vvith iniquitie and corrupt children telling them plainely and peremptorily that the whole head vvas sicke and the vvhole heart vvas heauy that from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head there vvas no vvhole part but vvounds and swellings and sores of sinne full of corruption and so proceedeth on with such terrible menacings and threatnings as though the Lord had vtterly reiected them and would neuer receiue Prayer or Oblation more at their hands for it was a burthen vnto him Yet on a sudden the Prophet changeth his speech and exhorteth them to Repentance with these like vvordes of our Text Wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widdow Obser Where-hence I obserue that washing and clensing are fit vvordes to expresse the nature of true Repentance which thing also vvas plainely signified by the diuers vvashings in the Leuiticall Law Leuiticall Law for such indeede is the nature of sinne before it be truely repented of that it maketh man more vgly in the sight of God then the foulest Leper in the vvorld can be in the sight of man And indeede to speake all in a vvord sinne is a spirituall Leprosie and therefore if Naaman the Syrian had neede to vvash himselfe seuen times in the floud of Iordan vvhich signifieth the Riuer of Iudgement before the could be clensed from his bodily Leprosie how many times aboue seuentie times seuen times haue wee neede to be washed and clensed from our spirituall Leprosie which hath so taynted and soyled our bodies and soules that all the vvater in Iordan is not able to clense one soule from this disease of sinne but only the blessed bloud of our sweet Sauiour that was baptized in Iordan is it that must clense vs from all sinne For this cause Christ the true Physician of our soules did of his gracious goodnesse cure and clense many Lepers from the filth of their bodies that thereby he might make knowne to the world that it is he onely which was appointed by God to bee to the purgator and clenser of our soules as Saint Iohn sayth The bloud of Christ clenseth vs from all sinne 1. Iohn 1.7 And the same Apostle in the Reuelation signifyeth vnto the seuen Churches that it is Iesus Christ which loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud Reuel 1.5 This cleansing and washing of our sins in the bloud of Christ was prefigured in that bloud of the Paschall Lambe wherewith the Doore postes of the children of Israel were stricken Exod. 12.7 And also in the bloud of those sacrifices which Aaron was to offer part of the bloud whereof was to be put vpon the hornes of the Altar with his finger and the rest of the bloud to be powred on the foote of the Altar Exod. 19.12 Many such Ceremonies and prefigurations are euery where to be read in the old Testament the truth and substance whereof was accomplished in the new Therefore Saint Austen saide well The new Testament was wrapped vp in the olde and the olde vnfolded in the new Nouum in veteri obuolutum vetus in none explicatum All which are more plainely opened vnto vs by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where he sheweth that all things almost were by the Lawe purged by bloud and without sheading of bloud was no remission Hebr. 9.22.23 And hee addeth further that it was necessary that the similitude of heauenly things should be purified by such things but that the heauenly things themselues are purified with better sacrifices then these Moreouer Isaack Isaack who was readie to be sacrificed was a true figure of Christ which was the substance that was sacrificed for vs being both Priest and sacrifice who offered himselfe for our sinnes vpon the Altar of the crosse his holy body being the night before he suffered washed all ouer with his owne most precious bloud like as the high Priest was vsed to bee washed the night before hee came into Sancta Sanctorum And his sacred side when he hung vpon the Crosse to the very piercing of his harmelesse heart was opened with a speare or launce Vt pateant viscera per vulnera saith Saint Austen sweetely vt per foramina Corporis pateant arcana cordis Augustin That the bowels of Christs loue might appeare in his wounds and that the secret sweetnesse of his heart towards vs might be shewed foorth through the windowes
or holes of his body Hence issued saith the Scripture both bloud and water Iohn 19.34 bloud because without shedding of bloud there was no remission water to signifie the continuall washing of our sinnes in the bloud of Christ 1. Iohn 2. 5. This is that Iesus Christ saith Saint Iohn that came by water and bloud not by water onely but by water and bloud and it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse for the Spirit is truth For there are three which beare record in heauen The Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one And there are three which beare record in the earth The Spirit and Water and Bloud and these three agree in one If we receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater for this is the witnesse of God which hee testified of his Sonne He that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe Hee that beleeueth not God hath made him a lyer because hee beleeueth not the recorde which God witnessed of his Sonne And this is the record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne He that hath the Sonne of God hath life and he that hath not the Soune of God hath not life Here beloued is life here is water of life offered vnto vs. Ho euery one that is athirst come saith the Euangelical Prophet come buy without siluer that will not the Pope doe he will not sell his pardons without siluer but the Prophet saith Come buy without money without penny or pennie-worth Esay 55.1 Therefore it was that our Sauiour himselfe cried out in the last and great day of the feast If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke Iohn 7.37 And likewise saith vnto the vvoman of Samaria John 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that sayeth vnto thee Giue mee drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and hee would haue giuen thee water of life And in the last of the Reuelation The Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoeuer will let him take of the water of Life freely Reuel 22.17 Vse Now to make vse of all this let vs call to remembrance what the Eunuch saith vnto Philip in the eight of the Acts See saith he here is water What should let me to be baptized Philip answered If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou mayst Act. 8. So may you all say vnto me beloued Here you propose vnto vs Water and here you propose vnto vs water of Life What should let that wee should not bee saued I answere you all in generall and euery one in particular out of my Text If thou wash thine heart from wickednesse thou mayest be saued Thou art a Christian and the badge of a Christian is Baptisme As Water doth serue to wash away the filth of thy body so the effect of Baptisme is to wash away the filth of thy soule Thou art buried by Baptisme into the death of Christ that like as Christ was raysed vp by the glorie of the Father so thou shouldest walke in newnesse of life Rom. 6.3 1. Pet. 3.18 For Christ as St. Peter saith hath once suffered for our sinnes the iust for the vniust to bring vs vnto God and was put to death as concerning the flesh but was quickned in the Spirit By which Spirit he also went and preached vnto the spirits that are in prison which were in time passed disobedient when once the long suffering of God abode in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saued in the water To the which also the figure that now saueth vs euen Baptisme agreeth not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but in that a good conscience maketh request to God by the resurrection of IESVS CHRIST from the dead Allusion Gen. 7. By which allusion of the Apostle it is nothing obscure to be collected that the water wherein Noah was saued the Red Sea Exod. 14. and after the Riuer Iordan wherethrough the children of Israel passed Iosh 3. together with the two Prophets Elias and Elisha 2. King 2 5. whom St. Cyprian compareth to Christ and Christians Elias to Christ Elisha to Christians Also the Cloude which passed ouer the Israelites in the Wildernesse Exod. 17. The washing of Naaman the Assyrian the Poole of Bethesda in Ierusalem Ioh. 5. these all of them were types and figures of our Baptisme like as our Baptisme is and should be vnto vs a badge or token of our new Birth or Regeneration that so in the water of true Repentance we should daily wash our hearts from wickednesse The which mysterie the Apostle Paul doth make more plaine vnto vs in his first Epistle to the Corinthians and tenth Chapter where speaking of the Fathers liuing vnder the old Law he saith That they were all baptized vnto Moyses in the cloude and in the Sea and did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke of the same spirituall drinke meaning with vs Christians For they dranke saith he of the spirituall Rocke which followed them and that Rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10. But as in many of these Iewes God had no delight so with many of vs Christians that are baptized only with the outward Water of Baptisme God is not pleased because together with the signe of Baptisme wee doe not care for the thing signified that is to wash our hearts from wickednesse Saint Paul telleth vs that Circumcision vnto the Iewes was nothing but the keeping of the Commandements of God S. Paul Rom 7.19 What then can Baptisme be vnto vs Christians but the washing away of our sinnes in the bloud of Christ Which thing we shall doe if we truely repent and beleeue the Gospell and bring forth fruits worthy of Repentance daily and hourely labouring to wash our hearts from wickednesse As Dauid washed his Couch with weepings and as Mary Magdalen washed the feete of Christ with her teares which was a true token of her vnfayned repentance And thus much haue I spoken concerning washing or cleansing Note 2 Next we must consider what must be washed namely our hearts Cor pro anima sensu acceptum As the Prophet Ioel saith Rent your hearts and not your garments So saith Ieremie here Wash your hearts and not your clothes And a little before in this Chapter he saith Breake vp the fallow ground and sow not among thornes be circumcised to the Lord and take away the foreskin of your hearts Jerem. â— 4 The heart of Man as some thinke is the seate of the soule And true Repentance indeed must be from the heart and soule therefore God craueth that chiefely My sonne giue me thine heart Prouerb But whether the heart or the braine of man be the seate of the soule we
will not dispute sure I am now the heart of man is the sinke of sinne as our Sauiour saith Out of the heart proceede euill thoughts Adulteries Fornications Murther and the rest And God himselfe who is the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and onely searcher of the heart pronounceth that the heart of man is euill continually And our Prophet in another place affirmeth that the heart of man is deceitfull of all other things who can finde it out Ierem. 17.9 there are so many concauities and hollow places in the heart so many hidings and so many turnings that it hath neede of a great deale of skill and care to cleanse and wash the same and much filth is left behinde in secret foldings which we know not of Insomuch that he must be a very wise carefull and diligent Man that can finde out but euen the corruption of his owne heart Hence is it that there are so many Hypocrites in the world that hiding many foule and secret sinnes in their hearts can yet make shew to the world that they are very holy and religious Many men there are that desire to be taken for godly and faithfull men yet the question may still be demanded Where shall one finde a faithfull man such a one as Nathaniel was euen a true Israelite in whom there is no guile Ieremie is commanded in the next Chapter to our Text to runne too and fro by the streets of Ierusalem and to enquire in the open places of the same if he can finde a man that executeth iudgement and speaketh the truth from his heart that God might spare that Citie to punish it Ierem. 5.1 And in the two and twentieth Chapter of Ezechiel God complayneth that he sought for a man among them that should make vp the hedge and stand in the gap betwixt him and the Land that he might not destroy the same but could find none Therefore saith the Lord haue I powred out mine indignation vpon them and consumed them with the fire of my wrath their owne wayes haue I rendred vpon their owne pates saith the Lord. Ezech. 22.30 And it is greatly to be feared how we should fare if the Lord should looke downe from heauen vpon vs that liue in this last age of the world as he did vpon the old world a little before he destroyed it to see the greatnesse of the wickednesse of men vpon the earth and that all the imaginations of mans heart are euill continually And who knoweth whether the Lord be ready to come out from heauen or to send his Angels because the sins of our Land are exceeding grieuous and the crie thereof very great to inquire whether we haue done altogether according to the crie that is euen ascended to the heauens or no Let vs therefore beloued if we will haue any care to preuent the fierce wrath of the Lord which is readie to fall vpon vs returne speedily vnto the Lord by true and vnfayned Repentance or to vse the wordes of our Text Let vs wash our hearts from wickednesse that we may be saued Obiect But Christ saith vnto Peter He that is washed needeth not saue to wash his feete Ioh. 13. 10. Answ I answere that by feete there is meant all our filthy affections which proceede from the heart of man therefore with Christ to wash our feete and with Ieremie to wash our hearts from wickednesse is all one The Iewes about the time our Prophet preached this and afterward were very ceremonious and superstitious too in their washings they thought and perswaded themselues if they did or could obserue the outward rites or customes of their Fathers touching their eternall cleansings and washings it was well enough nay rather very well But Ieremie here wisheth them to wash their hearts because they drew neere vnto God with their mouthes but their hearts were farre from him Esay 29.13 Our Sauiour himselfe reproueth these Iewes very sharply Matth. 23. as we reade in the Gospell for this their hypocrisie for that they were ouer-carefull to make cleane the vtter-side of the cup and platter but their hearts were full of all rauening and wickednesse Therefore wisedome willeth vs to consecrate our hearts vnto God Not that God wil not haue the hand as wel as the heart the worke as well as the vvill the body as well as the soule and all the members and faculties both of body and soule sanctified vnto his seruice As St. Paul exhorteth to giue our bodies a liuely sacrifice vnto God but because the heart is the chiefest part and the fountayne from whence all our thoughts wordes and workes doe arise therefore the heart must first be washed and cleansed purified by faith in a good conscience to serue the liuing God For if the fountayne be foule the waters that issue from it cannot be cleane And as St. Austen saith well Deus magis cordis intentionem quà m actum operationis intendit God doth more respect the intention of the heart then the operation of the worke whatsoeuer Man iudgeth according to the outward appearance but God seeth the heart For he is the only searcher of the hearts and reynes All things are naked before him Can any hide himselfe in secret places Ierem. 23.24 saith the Lord He vnderstandeth all thy pathes yea euen thy priuy pathes of pride of dissimulation of disdayning thy brother of fornication of couetousnesse of briberie theft extortion and the like though acted by thee neuer so secretly God saw and discouered Achans vvedge of gold though hid in his Tent God saw Achab sicke at the heart for Naboths Vineyard God saw Gehesies heart and made Elisha to see him also Did not my heart go with thee saith the Prophet that is did not I see thee when thou rannest after Naaman for a bribe God grant we haue not among vs too many Achans too may Achabs too many Gehesies that couer many foule sinnes vnder their gownes or cloakes of hypocrisie that make a goodly shew to the world that they are godly but their hearts are full of wickednesse that wash their hands cleane euery day but their hearts scarce once in the yeere scarce once by their liues with the water of true repentance yet still my text saith Wash thine heart from wickednesse Wash thine heart If Pilate had washed his heart as cleane as he washed his handes he would neuer haue condemned an Innocent to death for feare of the people The feare of man chased away the feare of God as the Wiseman saith contrary wise As the face of the King chaseth away euill from his Throne so the feare of God driueth out wickednesse from the heart of man Prou. Vse The vse of all this is to haue God and his feare alwayes before our eyes so that what sinne soeuer we are tempred to commit wee may say with godly Ioseph How shall I commit this wickednesse and so sinne against God Therefore the Scripture sayth Blessed is
he that feareth alwayes The wicked all their care is to hide their sinne from man but the godly desire alwaies to haue a good conscience before God I will conclude therefore this point with a singular sentence of Saint Austen fitting for this purpose Austen Quum hoc diligeuter considero Domine Deus meus terribilis fortis When I consider this matter well namely how God looketh into the inmost intention of our hearts O Lord God saith he fearefull and terrible Timore pariter ingentirubore confundor I am sayth hee with feare and shame confounded quoniam nobis magna est indita necessitas iustè recteque viuendi because there is so great necessitie laid vpon vs to liue rightly and iustly quia cuncta facimus ante oculos Iudicis cuncta cernentis seeing whatsoeuer wee doe or intend to doe we doe the same before the eyes of our Iudge which seeth all things And so much also for the second circumstance the washing of the heart The third Circumstance The third followeth to bee considered From what we must wash or cleanse the heart namely from Wickednesse I trust I shall not neede to inlarge my speech very much vpon this point seeing all our speech hitherunto hath aymed at this to teach vs to wash our heartes from Wickednesse By wickednesse is meant in this place all sinne and vngodlinesse whatsoeuer that lyeth lurking in the heart of man The Word which our Prophet vseth is Ragnah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may signifie malum malitia or ira Wrath malice or any wickednesse whatsoeuer and so it is diuersly translated Montanus saith Laua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est a malitia cor tuum Wash thine heart from malice Hierome and others say Laua à malo cor tuum that is Wash thine heart from euill And agreeable to both is our translation Wash thine heart from Wickednesse from malice Whereby the Fathers are wont to meane the malignitie or poyson of sinne howbeit as I sayd before it may be taken for all sinne and iniquitie whatsoeuer yet because nothing doth poyson the heart of man more then malice and enuie therefore Saint Paul saith But now put you away all these things wrath anger crying and euill speaking farre from you with all maliciousnesse Ephes 4.25 Colos 3.38 And Saint Peter likewise exhorteth to lay aside all maliciousnesse and all guile and all dissimulation and all enuie and all euill speaking and as new borne babes to desire the sincere milke of the Word that wee might growe thereby vnto euerlasting life 1. Pet. 2.1 Vse 1 The summe of all is and this is the vse that wee must make of this point as of the whole exhortation to teach vs that wee must make a conscience of euery sinne and wash our hearts by Faith and true Repentance from all vngodlinesse not from one sinne or some sinnes but from all sinne as Dauid saith I haue turned my feete from euery euil way and all false wayes I vtterly abhorre Psal 119. Dissimulatio peccatum to dissemble with man is a sinne to equiuocate as Papists do in matters of Religion is a double sin but there is no mocking with God Non bonū nec tutum est ludere cum Sanctis there is no dallying with Saints Yet herein the most part of common Christians deceiue themselues thinking that God is well pleased with them yea beholding to them too if they can containe themselues within the lists or compasse of common Christians Some are of opinion that if they frequent publike prayers heare Sermons now and then when they can attend them receiue the Sacrament once or twice a yeere at the most though otherwise they bee giuen to many foule vices as Swearing Drinking Whoring Rayling and the like that then they may be taken indeed for good Christians notwithstanding they are as farre from the purity of the Gospel as Popish Recusants are from comming to the Church Others are of opinion that if they can giue themselues but leysure either from their profits or pleasures to heare Sermons if at least the Preacher please them though they neuer come to Prayers they can couer their couetousnes and many other sinnes vnder that mantle To be short I feare there be few liuing which haue not some Darling sinne or other which they both couer and cocker wherein they flatter themselues euen to the beguiling of their owne soules Let euery one therefore examine well his owne heart as the Apostle exhorteth and be a seuere officer in his owne house leauing no corner vnsearched and so labour by all meanes possible to wash and cleanse his ovvne heart from Wickednesse Obiect But heere may be obiected that as it is not in man as our Prophet saith elsevvhere to direct his ovvne vvaies Ier. 10.23 So is it not in man to vvash or cleanse his ovvn heart from vvickednes though he wash himselfe with Nytre take vnto himselfe much sope to vse the vvords of the Prophet in the second Chapter of this prophesie Ier. 2.22 I answere by a distinction that man must bee considered either as he is regenerate or not regenerate as hee is vnregenerate he can doe nothing in the worke of grace but indeed as he is Regenerate he is not altogether passiue in the workes of grace as mortification sanctification and the like but actiue also and working together with Gods grace who hauing renewed our wills doth will vs and command vs to repent to conuert to turne to worke out our saluation to wash our hearts from wickednesse and the like and yet this doctrine is so farre from Poperie as Poperie is from puritie or veritie it selfe howbeit we must know that euen this our working with God is a speciall worke of Gods Spirit working with vs and in vs the great worke of our Regeneration Therefore let Prayer and Repentance euer goe together by true Repentance we must turne to the Lord by Prayer we must craue grace to returne For this cause therefore though our Prophet in the beginning of this fourth chapter exhort Israel to returne vnto the Lord yet after hee betaketh himselfe vnto prayer saying Turne thou vs good Lord and wee shall bee turned conuert thou vs good Lord and we shall be conuerted Therefore godly Dauid purposing true repentance betaketh himselfe to earnest prayer saying Haue mercie vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassion put away mine iniquitie Wash mee throughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sinne Purge me with Hysope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51.1 Heere beloued is a perfect patterne for all poore Penitents that sobbe and sigh for their sinnes to exhort them to often zealous and faithfull Prayer which preuayleth euen with God also to teach vs to whom we must direct
our Prayers namely to the Lord onely and not to Saint or Angel as Popery teacheth but true Religion teacheth but true Religion teacheth vs otherwise to pray to God as Dauid did to wash vs throughly from our iniquities and to clense vs from all our sinnes To purge vs with hyssope with which the bloud of the Paschal Lambe was sprinkled Exod. 12.22 which must put vs in minde of the bloud of Christ which clenseth vs from all sinne Then shall wee heare of Ioy and gladnesse when our hearts are bruised and broken for our sinnes for a broken and a contrite heart God doth not dispise Therefore let vs seeke the Lord by faith and vnfayned Repentance whiles he may be found let vs call vpon him by instant and hearty prayer while hee is neere Esay 55.6 let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercie vpon vs and to our God for hee is very ready to forgiue a Out of which Text I perswaded vnto Repentance out of this place twentie yeeres sithence and now praise God with all my heart that hath yet lent vs so long a time of Repentance praying further his Maiestie together with the space now to giue vs the grace truly to repent Dauid In a word let vs all pray the Lord to wash our hearts from wickednesse that we may be saued And here I might very well end this part also sauing that there is one Maine point of doctrine more to be cōsidered which is that as it is not sufficient for a man to cease from euill as Esay speaketh but hee must also doe good so it is not sufficient for vs to pray the Lord to wash our hearts from wickednesse but also we must pray the Lord to fill our hearts againe with grace and goodnesse for that nullum vacuum in Philosophie doth hold also in this point of Diuinitie new wine must be put into new vessels they must not be left emptie Therefore when Dauid hath prayed GOD to create a new heart within him he also prayeth to be renewed that is that his heart may be filled with a right spirit that the spirit of sinne and wickednesse being expelled his heart may be filled with grace and goodnesse For the spirit of wickednesse may depart from a man for a time but if the heart bee not presently supplied with the good Spirit of grace the wicked spirit will quickely turne backe againe Luke 11.26 as our Sauiour teacheth vs and enter into that man with seuen worse spirits then himselfe and so the end of that man shall be worse then the beginning Therefore I say this point must diligently be obserued vve must not thinke our selues sure when wee haue but begun to leaue vvickednesse though I confesse that is a good beginning of goodnesse And dimidium facti qui bene caepit habet He is halfe the way vvho hath well begun But we must also apply our hearts our soules and our mindes vnto goodnesse and pray the Lord to replenish our hearts with faith and grace for it is a good thing saith the Apostle that the heart be stablished with grace With sauing grace for sinnes passed With preuenting grace for sinnes present With preseruing grace for time to come This vvas that good St. Austen prayed for when he said Sanctifica cor meum vas tuum euacua à malitia imple de gratia O Lord saith he sanctific thy vessell of my heart but first emptie the same from all malicious vvickednesse and then presently fill it vvith all grace and goodnesse And the same S. Austen hath a briefe and fine discourse of the filling and fast binding of this vessell of mans heart alluding to the Parable of our Sauiour of new and old vessells saying Quando vinum nouum in vtres nouas ponitur cauendum est primùm vt corda mundarentur ne infusum pollueretur postea vt ligarentur ne infusum amitteretur In vvhich wordes that holy Father doth warne and admonish vs of two things The first agreeing vvith our Text that we haue care to vvash and cleanse the vessells of our hearts before the new Wine of Gods grace be powred into them and yeeldeth the reason ne infusum pollueretur lest that vvhich be powred in be polluted Afterwards giueth like counsell that when the new Wine of Gods grace is infused into the vessells of our cleansed hearts that then we take care for the safe keeping and preseruing of the same and yeeldeth likevvise the reason thereof ne infusum amitteretur lest those graces should be lost againe and presently sheweth the vse both of this cleansing and fast binding vp of these vessells of our hearts vt mundarentur à gaudio iniquitatis that they may be freed from that sinne of reioycing in iniquitie vt ligarentur à gaudio vanitatis and that they may be preserued from the delights of vanitie And making this difference betweene reioycing in iniquitie and delighting in vanitie saith that gaudium iniquitatis polluit gaudium vanitatis effundit the ioy of iniquitie doth defile and pollute that good liquor which is in the vessell of the heart but the ioy of vanitie doth make it runne ouer Againe he saith that gaudium iniquitatis reddit vas sordidum gaudium vanitatis facit rimosum The ioy of iniquitie doth soile the vessells of our hearts with sinne and the ioy of vanitie doth make them crany or chinkey readie and capable to be soyled with sinne Last of all this good Father sheweth the naturall propertie both of the one and the other when he saith that gaudium iniquitatis est cum peccatum diligitur gaudium vanitatis est cum transitoria amantur That is ioy of iniquitie when we reioyce in sinne and that is ioy of vanitie when we set our hearts vpon things vaine and transitorie that soone fade away Therefore the conclusion may be Quae transitoria sunt proculdubio amanda non sunt Things vaine and transitorie are neuer to be beloued For which cause S. Iohn saith Loue not this world nor the things of this world for whosoeuer loueth this world the loue of the Father is not in him And indeede hinc lachrymae here is the woe of all many can be content to renounce the ioy of iniquitie but few there are liuing vpon earth which take not pleasure in vanitie more then is fitting one in one kinde of vanitie another in another kinde of vanitie so vaine a thing is man so vaine is euery man so full of vanitie is euery thing that it made Salomon the wisest of all men to cry out Vanitas vanitatum Vanitie of Vanitie all meere vanitie and vexation of spirit Ecclesiastes 1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our honors our riches our sports or pleasures that are not well seasoned with the salt of Gods grace are all but vanitie and vexation of minde from these little pollutions as
we thinke the best of vs all haue great neede to haue our hearts washed cleansed and purged together cum magna comitante caterua with an innumerable company of our secret sinnes which neuer come within the compasse of our knowledge to be repented of And if euery one haue neede to pray with Dauid that the Lord would forgiue vs our secret sinnes Psal 19.12 how much more neede haue we to pray the Lord of Lords to wash our hearts our tongues our hands our thoughts our wordes our workes being so grosly polluted and defiled with all manner of sinne and pollutions And thus much for the Exhortation Wash thine heart from wickednesse wherein if any shall thinke I haue beene too long and tedious let him know if so long time neede to be spent only in exhorting to such a businesse how much time had we need to spend to act and performe the same rightly and religiously as we ought to doe The fourth circumstance The reason Now come we to the reason why we should wash our hearts from wickednesse Which is in a word that we may be saued A reason of all reasons to be regarded for what should it gaine vs to win the whole world c And that we may the better consider of it let vs obserue from thence these three points Three things First the great patience mercy and loue of God towards vs in wayting for our Repentance that we might be saued Secondly the care of all good Pastors in all Ages to exhort Gods people to repentance that they may be saued Thirdly we may here-hence collect and plainely conclude that except we repent we cannot be saued Of these three particulars as briefly as I may and as the Lord shall inable me with his grace Touching the first To what thing else may we ascribe this so long forbearance of punishment for our so manifold transgressions but to the long patience and meere mercy of our so good and gracious a God for the earth is wearie to beare the burden of our sinnes the heauens are ashamed of them and the Angels of glorie blush to behold them Only God in his mercy and for his Sonnes sake turneth the face or edge of his iustice from them that so we might repent and be saued But sinfull man which either cannot or will not repent heapeth sinne vpon sinne to his owne destruction Whereof S. Paul giueth good warning in the second to the Romanes Rom. 2.4,5 aduising that we should not despise the riches of Gods bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferance vsing so many wordes to expresse Gods Ioue towards vs adding that this bountifulnesse of God should leade vs to repentance But thou saith the Apostle speaking to such despisers of Gods mercies after the hardnesse and heart which cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and declaration of the iust Iudgement of God And S. Peter saith likewise That the Lord is not slacke concerning his promise 2. Pet. 3.9 of comming to Iudgement but is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would haue all men to come vnto repentance for it is not mans merit but of Gods mercy that we are not daily consumed in our sinnes and as Esay saith Except the Lord of Hosts had reserued a remnant Esay 1.9 we should haue beene as Sodom and like vnto Gomorrah Whereby we are also taught that the wicked are oftentimes spared from punishment for the Godlies sake for Sodom it selfe should not haue beene destroyed if there could haue been but ten godly persons found in it Therefore the Prophet Ieremie is willed as we heard before to runne to and fro by the streets of Ierusalem and to inquire in the open places thereof if he could finde a man Ier. 5.1 And God himselfe complayneth in Ezechiel that he could not finde a man Ezech. 22.30 Wherein appeareth the infinite patience and mercy of God towards vs in expecting our repentance and staying his hand from punishing as long as possible may be The vse of this point may be Vse 1 To teach vs to be thankefull vnto God for this mercy who wayteth daily for our conuersion and to praise him continually for the same for if we be sinnefull and vnthankefull too then wo wo be vnto vs. Vse 2 To teach vs to loue heartily and to make much of such as feare the Lord for it is for the godlies sake many times that a whole Citie or Countrie is saued and preserued and when the godly Magistrates or Ministers are taken away it is a fearefull signe some imminent danger may insue for Aaron and Moyses may preuaile more in the Lords warres with feruent prayers then the people with all their Pikes Therefore Esay complayned not without cause That good men perished though he knew they were taken away from the euill to come Yea Dauid himselfe cryed out for helpe to God when godly men were diminished from the earth Psal 12.1 therefore I say still if thou canst not thy selfe attayne to be so godly as thou desirest yet pray heartily and praise God continually for them that are godly for God harkeneth and is attentiue to their prayers as Malachy speaketh Malach. â— And we know that S. Iames saith The prayer of one righteous man auayleth much if it be feruent Vse 3 The last vse must be to teach vs to call our selues to a reckoning how long God hath with-holden his iudgements from vs for any sinne which long since haply we haue iustly deserued to be powred vpon vs euery man is Conscius sibi best knowne to himselfe therefore following the counsell of S. Paul Let euery one examine himselfe for his owne sins and let him doe this businesse throughly as he ought to doe and he shall finde little leisure to prie into other mens faults which is the fault of all the World O deare Christians if this course of examination might be presently put in practice without fauour or affection to our selues what a crying of consciences would there be among vs seeing they are priuie to all our faults yea our owne soules would exclaime against our owne bodies and against euery member and facultie thereof One would crie out Oh my head for craftinesse another O my heart for couetousnesse another Oh my throate for drunkennesse another Oh my belly for beastlinesse another Oh my tongue for blasphemie another Oh mine eyes for adulterie another Oh my hands for briberie another Oh what shall become of my poore soule for vsurie To speake nothing of Enuie Malice Pride Theft Murther and Trecherie with an innumerable multitude of all sinnes which like a great floud haue ouer-flowne all our Countrie of all which sinnes we may I feare me too too truely say as the yong man did in the Gospell though in another sense All these sinnes haue we commited from our youth and it is only of Gods mercy that we haue not beene consumed in them and for
them long sithence Therefore if there be any sparke of grace left within vs if there be any feare of Gods iudgements if any dread of hell torments let vs now turne vnto the Lord by true vnfayned repentance for the quieting of our consciences in this life and for the sauing of our poore soules in the life to come And so much for the first point I obserued That it is of Gods infinite patience and mercy towards vs that he hath so long expected our Repentance that we might be saued The second point The second point I obserued was The care that all good Prophets and Pastors haue to exhort vs to Repentance for the saluation of our soules But vpon this point there is no need to stand long Noah and all the Patriarks Samuel and all the Prophets CHRIST IESVS and all his Apostles all their whole care and trauaile was to call people to Repentance Iohn Baptist began with this doctrine Repent and beleeue the Gospell CHRIST IESVS the Sonne of God did the same Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand And after Christ his resurrection he cōmanded his Apostles and all good Preachers to publish the vertue of his Death and Resurrection to this end as Luke reporteth it That Repentance and remission of sinnes Luke 24. should be preached in his name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem euen the same Ierusalem though not the same people which our Prophet Ieremie exhorteth here to wash their hearts from wickednesse that they may be saued And elsewhere he saith Be instructed O Ierusalem c. Ier. 6.8 Vse 1 The vse of this point may be first to teach all Pastors and Preachers not to thinke it any disgrace vnto them though they do not alwaies soare on high vpon the wings of speculatiue Diuinitie garnished with plumes of Rethoricke and Philosophie though either of them may well attend on Theologie but sometimes if not oftentimes to touch vpon the point of Repentance for the preaching of that doctrine did neuer that I reade of breede any Schisme in the Church of Christ Mens hearts rather then Christ his coate will be rent in pieces by the preaching of Repentance Vse 2 And a second vse may be here to warne all people to expect and desire no doctrine rather from the mouth of the Preacher then the preaching of Repentance though I grant such Preachers are called the playne Preachers now-adayes and indeede they that preach the doctrine of Repentance well had neede be playne that is haue no need to spare any Persons or Professors nor to colour or couer any vices whatsoeuer But it is not to heare such playne preaching that all people flocke so much to Sermons in this Age but it is either to heare newes or nouelties or invectiues that makes many people to presse so neere this place But beloued Christian one thing is necessary namely the saluation of thy soule and no doctrine more necessary for the sauing of soules then the preaching of Repentance The third point And so come we now to the third point lately proposed that is Though there be neuer so much preaching of Repentance except we repent with it and by it we cannot be saued The saying of our Sauiour is right well knowne Except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish Luke 13. Noah preached a long time to the old World and no doubt earnestly perswaded people to Repentance but it was not Noahs preaching that could saue the world from drowning because they repented not The like may be said of Sodom and Gomorrah where Lot doubtlesse gaue many good lessons of Repentance but that did not preuaile with them therefore were they fearefully destroyed with fire from heauen Now as it was in the dayes of Noah so is it come to passe in this last Age of the world as Christ foretold there is now much preaching and calling of people to Repentance but the not practising thereof is still the cause that so few are saued for except we repent we cannot be saued It was the preaching of Saint Peter that pricked the peoples hearts in the second of the Acts and made them to crie out What shall we doe Acts 2. meaning what shall we doe to be saued Then Peter said vnto them Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of your sinnes for without repentance there is no remission of sinnes and without remission of sinnes there is no saluation Further this must be noted by the way that when we vrge Repentance as chiefly necessary to saluation we exclude not faith and good workes for true Repentance is the Child of Faith and good Workes are both the fruits of Faith and the true tokens of Repentance Therefore Iohn Baptist preaching Repentance to the people did bid them to bring forth the fruits of Repentance because each tree is knowne by his fruit And when the Iaylor demanded of Paul and Sylas What he should doe to be saued They said vnto him Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy houshold Acts 16.31 Now that faith of his brought forth Repentance with the fruits thereof otherwise he could not haue beene saued For albeit it be true as our Church rightly teacheth that we are freely iustified before God by faith yet our Repentance and good Workes must testifie our faith to the world that it is no dead faith as S. Iames speaketh but such a faith as worketh by loue as S. Paul exhorteth Gal. 5.6 whereby it is manifest that the doctrine of S. Paul and S. Iames doe not differ touching our free Iustification by faith as many Papists pretend for that which S. Iames calleth a dead faith Iam. 2.20 is the same faith which S. Paul meaneth that worketh not by loue And howsoeuer our Aduersaries the Papists slander vs Heauen and Earth Men and Angels can witnesse with vs that we vrge good workes in our Sermons as much as they and to better purpose then they by good workes we meane bona opera benè operata such workes as are true tokens of our conuersion and fruits of our faith in Christ by whom only we are saued And we affirme with Saint Austen that bona opera non praecedunt iustificandos sed sequuntur iustificatos Good workes goe not before them that are to be iustified but follow them being iustified for first the person must be accepted with God before any thing that proceedeth from man be pleasing to his Maiestie And whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne We say also with S. Bernard Bernard that bona opera sunt viae ad regnum non causae regnandi Good workes accompany vs towards heauen but are not the causes of our comming thither And to conclude this point which by way of digression I haue pursued thus farre we all say with Saint Paul By grace we are saued through faith not of our selues it is the gift of
be so faint-hearted as Iether Gideons yongest sonne was who feared to slay Zebah and Zalmunnah the Lords enemies Iudg. 8.20 though his father commanded him so to doe Vse 2 A second vse must be to teach vs that if Preachers must be bold to reproue sinne yea to lance the heart of sinners with the knife of Gods Law and to teare them in pieces with the culter of Gods Word then people must be contented to suffer themselues to be reproued and to haue their impostumes of sinne taken out for it is for the health of their bodies and for the saluation of their soules The wounds of a friend are better then the kisses of a foe And who more foe to man then they that soothe vs in our sinnes and sow pillowes vnder our elbowes that sinners may sleepe the more soundly in their sinnes as the false prophets in old time were wont to doe Vse 3 Hereunto we might adde a third vse for Magistrates if it would please them to be intreated to draw out the sword of Iustice to meete and ioyne with the sword of Gods Word for the cutting off of those Hidra's heads I meane Swearing Drunkennesse and Prophanation of the Sabbath that euery day take life againe say and doe the Preachers herein what they can It is the sword of the Magistrate that can doe more good in one dayes punishment for these sinnes then the Preachers can doe with all their paynes And albeit we are to blesse God that we liue in such a Land where these sinnes are both spoken against by the Preachers and also punished by the Magistrates when they come to light yet surely many times too much remisnesse in this dutie may doe much hurt both in Citie and Countrie where all these sinnes abound like a Sea breaking ouer her bankes which must be looked vnto betimes for feare of drowning the whole Continent And thus much now for the manner of Reproofe being done with a vehement interrogation How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Matter Now come we to the matter of reproofe which consisteth of two parts Two things First it is for conceiuing and receiuing euill and wicked thoughts into our hearts for did we not receiue or conceiue them we could not harbour them Secondly for harbouring and retayning them there toolong How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you For the first it seemeth our Prophet Ieremie playeth too much the Cinicke and dealeth somewhat too austerely in his reprehensions What Had it not beene enough if he had only reproued actuall sinnes whether in word or worke though I know wicked thoughts consented vnto be actuall sins of the minde such sins as might haply haue come within the compasse of his owne knowledge or such sinnes whereof the World might take notice of but must he come to such secret sinnes as neuer came within the compasse of mens knowledge except they that commit them for no man knoweth the heart of man but the spirit of man that is within him no not the Deuills themselues The Deuills know not our thoughts but by signes except it be such thoughts as the Deuills themselues suggest I answere for the Prophet that he doth herein performe the part of a good Teacher and like a skilfull Surgeon or Physician doth not content himselfe to take away only outward Vlcers or coole the heate of a Feuer with outward coolings but looketh vnto the inward causes of all these mischiefes and so doth labour to take away the cause that the effect may follow Now who knoweth not that the seede of all sinnes and the Well-spring of all wickednesse riseth from the heart of man as our Sauiour right well teacheth Out of the heart proceede euill thoughts Adulteries Thefts Murthers Matth. 15.19 and the like Therefore as the heart must be washed from all wickednesse so from all wicked thoughts which are the originalls of all vnrighteousnesse for the imaginations of mens hearts are euill continually and no man can say his heart is cleane nay I thinke euery one will confesse that the wicked thoughts of his heart are worse then his workes because either feare or shame want of occasion or one thing or other doth hinder the wicked worke when the heart doth burne or boyle in wickednes as in lust furie malice enuic or the like which are the maladies of the minde And little doth man know how much he is bound to the goodnesse of God that the Deuill doth not know our wicked thoughts farther then we bewray our selues vnto him or by gessing at our complexions wherein he is not vnskilled I shall not neede to relate the opinion of the Schoolemen concerning the thoughts of men euen in wicked things Aquinas saith Cogitatio de opere illicito non est semper peccatum The thought of an vnlawfull thing is not alwayes sinne his reason because saith he Tales cogitationes dupliciter considerandae Such thoughts are to be considered in a double sense Aliquando sunt cum aliqua affectione concupiscentiae aliquando horroris Sometimes they are accompanyed with affection of Concupiscence and then they are sinne sometimes with a thought of horror and detestation and then it is no sinne Also some wicked thoughts are cast into our mindes by Satan whereunto we neuer yeeld any consent these are not our wicked thoughts But it is not against these latter thoughts that our Prophet speaketh for such thoughts to thinke vpon the ouglinesse and foulenesse of sinne come too little into our mindes but it is against wicked thoughts which either proceede of our owne corrupted nature or suggested into our mindes by the malice of Satan whereunto we giue consent and liking or the allurements of the World which we cherish and delight in that our Prophet doth here reproue withthis vehemencie of an interrogation when he saith How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Such wicked thoughts whereof Saint Iames speaketh When lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Iam. 1.15 These wicked thoughts of ours are the Cockatrice egs which in short time breake forth into sinnefull Serpents and must be killed in cold Winter when they seeme to be dead otherwise if we heate them long in our brests and bosomes they will bite and sting vs as bad as Scorpions Which is one good vse that we must make of this doctrine Vse 1 Therefore take we heede how we either conceiue or receiue wicked thoughts into our hearts for euill thoughts separate from God and such a heart as is taken vp with such foule and filthy ghests the Spirit of grace and of glorie will neuer rest in Vse 2 A second vse we must make hereof namely To keepe watch and ward as well ouer our thoughts as ouer our wordes or workes and not thinke we are in a good case if we commit not actuall Adulterie Theft Murther and the like for our Sauiour saith