disease that nothing would heale but the heart blood of his owne childe he would presently judge his owne case to be dangerous and would also vowe if ever he recovered to use all meanes whereby he might avoid that disease So likewise seeing nothing could cure the deadly wound of our sinne but a plaister made of the heart blood of Christ it must make us acknowledge our pitifull case and the hainousnesse of the least of our sinnes and stirre us up to newnesse of life Againe considering the end of the redemption wrought by Christ was to deliuer us from our euill conuersation in sinne and unrighteousnesse we are not to continue and as it were lie bathing our selues in sinne for that were as if a prisoner after that he had bin ransomed and had his boltes taken of and were put out of the prison to go whither he would should returne againe and desire to lie in the dungeon still The second motive is that God hath made a promise to such as truly repent I. Of remission of sinnes Wash you make you cleane take away the evill of your workes from before mine eyes cease to doe evill c. though your sinnes were as crimsin they shall be made a◠white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shal be as wooll And Seeke the Lorde while he may be found call upon him while he is neere Let the wicked for sake his wayes the vnrighteous his own imaginations returne vnto the Lord and he will have mercie on him for hee is very plentifull in forgiving II. Of life everlasting I will not the death of a sinner but rather that hee repent and live And Thus saith the Lord vnto the house of Israel Seeke yee me ye shall live III. Of mitigating or remooving temporall calamities Stand in the courte of the Lordes house speake vnto all the cities of Iudah c. If so be they will hearken and turne every man from his evill way that I may repent me of the plague which I have determined to bring upon them because of the wickednesse of their workes As God hath made these mercifull promises to penitent sinners so he hath faithfully perfourmed them so soone as they have but begun to repent Exāple of David Then David said to Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David thy sinne is forgiven thee Of Manasses When he was in tribulation he prayed vnto the Lord his God humbled him selfe greatly before the Lord God of his fathers and prayed unto him an◠God was intreated of him heard his prayer Of the Publicane The Publicane c. smot◠his breast saying O God be mercifull to me sinner I tell you this man departed iustified t◠his house rather then the other Of the thiefe He said unto Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest to thy kingdome Then Iesus sai◠unto him verely I say unto thee to day shall thou be with me in paradise Having such notable promises made to Repentance no man is to drawe backe from the practise of it because of the multitude o◠his sinnes but rather to doe it The Pharise◠said to Christs disciples why eates your master with Publicanes and sinners When Iesu◠heard it he said unto them the whole need no◠the Phisition but they that are sicke And I am come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And Verely I say unto you that Publicanes and harlots shall goe before you into the kingdome of God CAP. IX Of the time of Repentance THe time of repentance is the time present without any delay at all as the holy Ghost saith To day if ye will heare his voyce And Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfullnesse of sinne Reasons hereof are these I. Life is uncerten for no mā knowes at what houre or moment after what manner he shall goe forth of this world Be ye also prepared therefore for the sonne of man wil come at an houre when ye thinke not This one thing should make a man to hasten his repentance and the rather because many are dead who purposed with them selves to repent in time to come but were prevented by death and shall never repent II. The longer a man lives in any sin the greater danger because by practise sin gets heart strēgth Custome is of such force that that which men use to do in their life time the same they doe and speake when they are dying One had three pounds owing to him to be paid three seuerall yeres when he was dying nothing could be got of him but three yeres three pounds Againe by deferring repentance men treasure up wrath against the day of wrath As if a malefactour for his punishment should be appointed to cary every day a sticke of wood to an heape to burne him twentie yeeres after III. The more the time is prolonged the harder it is to repent the longer a man goes in his sicknesse without phisicke the harder is the recoverie And where the devill dwells long hee will hardly be remooved The best way to kill a serpent is to cruse it in the heade when it is young IIII. It is as meat and drinke to the devill to see men liue in their sinnes deferring repentance as on the contrary there is great ioy among the angels of god in heaven when a sinner doth repent V. Late repentance is seldome or never true repentance For if a man repent when he cannot sinne as in former time as namely in death then hee leaves not sinne but sinne leaves him wherefore the repentance which men frame to them selues when they are dying it is to be feared least it die with them And it is very iust that hee should be contemned of God in his death who contemned God in his life Chrysostome sayeth that the wicked man hath this punishment on him that in dying hee shoulde forget himselfe who when hee was living did forget God VI. We are with Abel to giue unto God in sacrifice even the fatte of our flocke now they which deferre repentance to the end do the contrary Late repenters offer the flower of their youth to the deuill and they bring the lame and broken sacrifice of their old age to God CAP. X. OF CERTAINE CASES in Repentance I. Case of a revolt WHether a man that hath professed Christ and his religion yet afterwarde in persecution denies Christ and forsweares the religion may repent and be saved Answere It is a grievous estate yet a man may come to repentance afterward Manasses fell away to idolatry and witchcraft and yet was received to mercie So did wise Salomon and yet no doubt recovered and is received to life everlasting My reason is because God vouchsafed him to be a pen-man of some parts of holy scripture And the sctiptures were written not by
in practise when men fall into any enormous capitall or grievous offences whereby they doe very grievously wound thir owne consciences giue great offence to the Church Of this sort was the repentāce of Peter when he went forth wept bitterly Davids repentāce after that he had committed adultery murdered Vriah CAP. V. Of the persons which must repent MEn be of two sortes the naturall man and the regenerate Repentance is needefull for both For the naturall man that hee may be brought frō his sinnes and the Image of God renewed in him Some may say that many naturall men live civilly absteining from all outragious behaviour and therefore neede no repentance I graunt indeede they doe so yet repentance must goe withall For civil life without grace in Christ is nothing else in Gods sight but a beautifull abomination The Pharises were civill yet Christ saith of them Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises yee shall not see the kingdome of heaven Repentance is also required in the regenerate because they have many knowen and privie corruptions in them which must be mortified and otherwhiles they fall greevously and therefore that they may rise againe they must be daily practised in the spirituall exercises of repentance CAP. VI. Of the practise of Repentance IN the practise of Repentance foure speciall duties are required The first is a diligent and serious examination of the consciēce by the Lawes commandementes of God for all manner of sinnes both originall and actuall Example of the children of Israel Wherefore is the living man sorowfull man suffereth for his sinne let vs search trie our wayes turne againe to the Lorde Of David I considered my wayes turned my feete to thy testimonies Touching Originall sinne this must be well remembred that one man hath not one part onely of originall sinne and another man an other one man this corruption another that but every man as he received from Adam the whole nature of man so also he received originall sinne wholly And therefore every man not one excepted saving Christ who was extraordinarily sanctified by the holy ghost in the womb of the virgin hath in him from his parents the corruption and seede of all sinne which is a naturall disposition pronesse to commit any sinne whatsoeuer Take a view and consider all the horrible sinnes that be practised in any part of the world either against the first or second table whatsoeuer they are the spawne and seede of them all is euen in that man that is thought to be best disposed by nature Some may say that experiēce shewes the contrary because among men that want all maner of religion some are more civill orderly some againe more lewdly disposed I answere that this comes to passe not because some men are by nature lesse wicked then others but because God by his providence doth limit and restraine mens corruption more or lesse which he doth for the good of mankind For if men might be wholly left to themselves corruption woulde so exceedingly breake out into all maner of sinnes that there should be no living in the world Touching actuall sinnes they shalbe found by examinatiō to be innumerable as the haires of a mans head as the sands by the sea shore if any will but search themselves a litle by the ten commandements of the Decalogue for all their sinful thoughts words and deeds against God and man A DIRECTION FOR EXAmination of the conscience I. COM. Thou shalt have none other gods c. He breakes this commandement THat knowes not the true God Ier. 4. 22. That denies God in his hart by denying his presence iustice mercy c. Ps. 14. 1. That hates God and shewes it by disobedience Exod. 20. 5. Rom. 1. 30. That doe not feare God and stand in awe of him That feare men or other creatures more then God Matth. 10. 31. Apoc. 21. 8. That liue in open sinnes securely not fearing Gods worde or iudgements 1. Thess. 5 6 7. That is sorrowfull for his sinnes onely in respect of the punishment 2. Cor. 7. 10. That feares God by mens traditions Isa. 29. 13. That doe not beleeue Gods word but call the Canonicall scripture in question That despaires of Gods mercie That hath a dead faith without works Iam. 2. That puts faith in the devill and his workes as seekers to wisardes doe That loues the creatures as riches honour and his owne filthy pleasures more then God Ephes. 5. 5. That puts confidence in his strength wisdom riches phisitions 2. Chron. 16. 9 11. That is impatient under the crosse Mat. 10. 38. That temptes God Matth. 4. 7. That seekes for the things of this life more then for Gods kingdome Matth. 6. 33. That murmures against God 1. Cor. 10. 10. That disputes and holdes there is no God That holdes and maintaines opinions against the auncient faith set downe in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles As did the Maniches Donatistes Arrians Anabaptists c. That so holdes one religion as he is ready to follow another 1. King 18. 21. That is full of presumption of Gods mercy Isa. 7. 12. That falles away from the knowen trueth 2. Pet. 2. 20. That addes to Canonicall scripture Deut. 12. last ver II. COM. Thou shalt make to thy selfe no graven Image c. He breakes this commandement THat represents God in an image Exod. 32. 6 8. That worships God in or at images as crucifixes and such like 2. King 18. 4. That kneles downe before an image That is bodily present at Masse keeping his heart to God 1. Cor. 8. 9. That reteines the monuments of idolatrie Exod 23. 13. That marrieth with infidels or such like Gen. 6. 2. That makes leagues of amitie with such 2. Chron. 19. 1. That worships God according to his owne fantasie Col. 2. 23. That worships God with lip-service Isa. 29. 13 That hath the power of godlinesse but denies the force of it 2. Tim. 3. 5. That gives Gods worshippe to creatures as Saintes and Angels Psal. 115. 8. That refuseth to heare the preaching of the Gospell Luk. 14. 19. That negligently worships God Rev. 3. 16. That omits invocation of Gods name Isai. 64. 7. That heares sermons but when he is reprooved railes and rages and profits nothing Amos. 5. 10. That changes the worship of God in whole or in part Deut. 12. 32. That makes either open or secret league with the devill Psal. 58 That useth witchcraft sorcery or inchantments Deut. 18. 11. Lev. 19. 26. That consults with wisards Lev. 20. 6. That weares Amulets or Characters about his necke and puts confidence in them That hinders schooles of religion and good learning That seekes not within the compasse of his calling the good estate of Gods Church but seekes his owne things Psal. 132. 3 4. III. COM. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord c. He breakes this commandement THat doth
the preaching of repentance and the preaching of the gospell are put one for another And our Saviour Christ divides the gospell into two partes the preaching of repentance and remission of sinnes in his name IIII. That part of the worde which workes repentance must reveale the nature of it and set out the promise of life which belongs unto it But the law neither reveales faith nor repentance this is a proper worke of the gospell If it bee said that the law is a schoolemaster to bring us to Christ the answere is it brings men to Christ a not by teaching the way or by alluring them but by forcing and urging them Neither do we abolish the law in ascribing the worke of repentance to the gospell only for though it be no cause yet is it an occasion of true repentance Because it represents unto the eye of the soule our damnable estate and smites the conscience with dolefull terrours and feares which though they be no tokens of grace for they are in their owne nature the very gates and the downe-fall to the pit of hell yet they are certen occasions of receiving grace The Phisition is otherwhiles constrained to recover the health of his patient by casting him into some fits of an ague So man because hee is deadly sicke of the disease of sinne he must be cast into some fittes of Legall terrours by the ministerie of the law that he may recover his former estate and come to life everlasting Repentance also is furthered by calamities Iosephs brethren when they were in distresse in Egypt said one to another We have verily sinned against our brother in that we sawe the anguish of his soule when hee be sought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come upon vs. And the Lorde saith in Oseah I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their fault seeke me in their affliction will they seeke me diligently And The Israelites say my soule had them namely afflictions in remembrance is humbled in me Example of Manasses And when hee was in tribulation hee prayed to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly And David saith It is good for me that I have ben afflicted that I might learne thy statutes CAP. III. Of the partes of Repentance REpentance hath two parts Mortification and Rising to newnesse of life Mortification is the first part of repentance which concernes turning from sinne Men turn from sinne when they do not only abstaine frō actuall sinne but also use all means whereby they may both weaken suppresse the corruption of nature Surgeons whē they must cut of any part of the body use to lay plai sters to it to mortifie it that beeing without sense and feeling it may be cut off with lesse paine In the same maner wee are to use all helpes remedies prescribed in the worde which serue to weaken or kill sinne that in death it may be abolished And it must not seeme strange that I say we must use meanes to mortifie our owne sinnes For howsoever by nature we can not doe ane thing acceptable to God yet ' being quickened and moved by the holy ghost we stirre and moove our selves to doe that which is truly good And therefore repentant sinners haue grace in them whereby they mortifie their owne sinnes Paul saith I be at down my body and bring it in subiection And They which are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the affections and the lustes thereof And Mortifie therefore your earthly members fornication uncleannesse the inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse And If any man purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessell unto honour And S. Iohn saith Everyone which hath this hope in him purgeth him-selfe even as hee is pure And He which is begotten of God preserveth himselfe and the wicked one toucheth him not Mortification hath three partes A purpose in minde an inclination in will and an indeavour in life and conversation to leave all sinne Rising to newnesse of life is the second part of repentance concerning sincere obedience to God And it hath also three partes The two first are a resolution in the minde and an inclination or lust in the will to obey God in all things Barnabas exhorts them of Antiochia That with purpose of heart they would cleave vnto the Lord. Examples of both these are many in scriptures Of Ioshua If it seeme evill vnto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whome yee will serve whether the gods which your fathers served or the gods of the Amorites c. but I and my housholde will serve the Lorde Of David O Lorde thou art my portion I have determined to keepe thy commandements And I have sworne and will perfourme it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements And When thou saidst Seeke ye my face mine heart answered unto thee O Lord I will seeke thy face And I have applyedmine heart to fulfill thy statutes alwayes even to the end The third parte is an indeavour in life and conversation to obey God Example of Paul And herein I take paines to have alwayes a cleare conscience towardes God towardes men Of David I have respect vnto all thy commandements And I haue chosen the way of truth thy iudgements have I laid before me And I have cleaved to thy testimonies And Direct me in the path of thy commandements for therein is my delight No man must here thinke that a repentant sinner fulfilles the lawe in his obedience for their best workes are faultie before God And whereas the faithfull in scriptures are said to be perfect we must know that there be two degrees of perfection perfection in substance and perfection in the highest degree Perfection in substance is when a man doth sincerely indeavour to perfourme perfect obedience to God not in some but in all his commandements And this is the only perfection that any man can have in this life A Christian mans perfection is to bewaile his imperfection his obediencee more consistes in the goodwill then in the worke and is more to be measured by the affection then by the effect CAP. IIII. Of the degrees of repentance REpentance hath two degrees It is either ordinarie or extraordinary Ordinary repentance is that which every christian is to per forme every day for as men fall daily either more or lesse so the graces of God are proportionally weakened day by day wherefore the continuall reparation therof must be made by a daily renuing of repentance A christian man is the temple house of Gods spirit hee must therfore once a day sweepe it that it may be sit to entertaine so worthy a ghest Extraordinary repentance is the same in nature with the former it differs onely from it in degree and measure of grace And this is to be put
or pawned Levit. 6. 3. That being lustie liues by begging That releeveth such 2. Thess. 3. 10. That for gaine defendes bad causes That layes burden on the people without measure Isa. 1. 23. Ezech. 22. 27. That spends the Church goods in riot 1. Tim. 6. 9. That makes marchandise of Gods word and sacrament Mich. 3. 11. 2. Cor. 2. last That gets goods by gaming That gets his living by casting of figures and by playes Eph. 4. 28. That is rash in surety-ship Prov. 11. 15. 17. 18. That steales mens children to dispose them in mariage 1. Tim. 1. 10. That takes by stealth the least pin though it be for the best end That is a receiver of things stolne and gives consent to the fact any way Rom. 1. 29. That useth deceit in bargaining 1. Thess. 4. 6. That restores not things evill gotten Ezech. 33. 15. That keeps back goods given to the Church Acts 5. 3. That waites for a dearth to sell his things dearer Amos. 8. 5. IX COM. Thou shalt not beare c. He breakes this commandement THat envies at the prosperity of his neighbour 1. Tim. 6. 4. That seekes only his own good report That is suspicious 1. Cor. 13. 5. That gives rash or harde sentence against others Matth. 7. 1. That takes mens sayings doings in worse part Matth. 26. 60. That accuseth one salsly 1. King 21. That maketh or reporteth tales openly or in a whispering manner Levit. 19. 16. That receiveth tales Exod. 23. 1. That speakes the truth of malice Psal. 52. 1 2. That blazeth abroad mens infirmities Matth. 18. 17. That useth quipping and taunting Eph. 5. 4. That useth flattery Prov. 26. 19. That lyeth though it be for neuer so good an end Zach. 13. 3. That defends an euill cause and impugnes the contrary That writes or spreds libels X. COM. Thou shalt not lust He breakes this commandement That thinkes an euill thought against his neighbour though he meane not to doe it That conceives some inward delight in some euill motion though he give not consent to practise it SINNES DIRECTLY Against the Gospell He sinnes against the Gospell That denies either directly or by consequent that Christ is come in the flesh 1. Ioh. 4. 3 8 That treads under foote the blood of Christ. Hebr. 10. 29. That beleeves not the remission of his owne sinnes and acceptation to life everlasting 1. Ioh. 3. 23. That repents not but hardens himselfe in all his bad wayes Rom. 2. 4. 5. Ierem. 8. 6. Thus much of examination now followes the second duty which is confession of sinne unto God which is very necessary For the right way to haue our sinnes covered before God is to uncover and acknowledge them unto him For hee will iustifie vs if we condemne our selues he will pardon us if we as being our owne enemies accuse our selues he forgets our sinnes if wee remember them when we are vile in our owne eyes wee are pretious in his and when we are lost to our selues we are found of him That confession may be rightly performed a notable duety is to be put in practise in it namely the arraignment of a repentant sinner whereby he iudges himselfe that he may not be iudged of the Lord. This arraignment hath three speciall pointes in it For first of all hee must bring himselfe forth to the barre of Gods iudgement which thing hee doeth when he sets himselfe in the presence of God as though even now the day of iudgement were As Saint Hierome did who alwayes thought with himselfe that hee heard this voice sounding in his eares Rise yee dead and come to iudgement Secondly he must put up an inditement against himselfe by accusing him-selfe before God by acknowledging his knowne sinnes particularly and his unknowen generally without any excuse or extenuatiō or defence or hiding of the least of them Example of David I know mine iniquitie and my sinne is ever before me against thee against thee only have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight c. behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceived me And I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing but now I beseech thee remoove the iniquitie of thy servant for I have done very foolishly Of Ezra O my God I am ashamed confounded to lift up mine eyes vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our heads our trespasse is growen vp vnto heaven Thirdly he must with heavinesse of heart give sentence against himselfe acknowledging that hee is worthy of everlasting hell death and damnation As the prodigall child Father I have sinned against heaven against thee am not worthy to be called thy child And Daniel Wee haue sinned and committed iniquitie have done wickedly yea wee have rebelled have departed from thy precepts from thy iudgements c. O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee vnto vs open shame Of Iob Beholde I am vile what shall I answere thee I will lay my hande upon my mouth And I abhorre my selfe I repent in dust ashes Of the Publicane Who standing a farre off woulde not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven but smote his brest saying Lord be mercifull to me a sinner As for confession of sinne to men it is not to be used but in two cases First when some offence is done to our neighbour secondly when ease and comfort is sought for in trouble of conscience The third dutie in the practise of repentance is Deprecation whereby we pray to God for the pardon of the sinnes which haue bene confessed with contrition of heart with earnestnesse and constancie as for the weightiest matter in the world And here we must remember to behaue our selues to God as the poore prisoner doth at the barre who when the iudge is about to giue sentence cries unto him for favour as for life and death And we must doe as the cripple or lazar man in the way sit downe vnlappe our legges and armes and shew the sores of our sinnes crying to God continually as they doe Looke with your eye and pity with your heart that wee may finde mercy at Gods handes as they get almes at the hands of passengers Thus Oseah instructeth the people O Israel returne unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie take unto you words and turne vnto the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquitie and receive vs graciously so wee will render thee the calves of our lips Of Daniel Wee doe not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousnes but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord consider and doe it defer not for thine owne names sake O my God Of David Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities The last duty is to
pray to God for grace strength whereby wee may be inabled to walke in newnesse of life Of David Behold I desire thy commandements quicken me in thy righteousnesse And Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God let thy good spirit lead me into the land of righteousnes CAP. VII Of legall motives to repentance MOtives to repentance are either Legall or Evangelicall Legall are such as are borrowed from the law they are 3. especially The first is the misery and cursed estate of euery impenitent sinner in this life by reason of his sinnes His miserie that I may expresse it to the conceit of the simplest is seven-fold 1. within him 2. before him 3. behind him 4. on his right hand 5. on his left hand 6. over his head 7. vnder his feete His miserie within him is twofold The first is a guiltie conscience which is a very hell vnto the ungodly man For hee is like a silly prisoner and the conscience like a Iayler which followes him at the heeles and dogges him whither soever he goes to the end he may see and observe all his sayings and doings It is like a register that sits alwaies with the pen in his hand to record and inrole all his wickednesse for everlasting memory It is a litle iudge that sittes in the middle of a man even in his very heart to arraigne him in this life for his sinnes as he shall be arraigned at the last iudgement Therfore the pangs terrors and feares of all impenitent persons are as it were certaine flashings of the flames of hell fire The guiltie conscience makes a man like him which lies on a bedde that is too strait and the covering too short who would with all his heart sleepe but can not Belshazzar when he was in the middest of his mirth seeing the hand-writing on the wall was smitten with great feare so as his countenance changed his knees smote togither The second evill within man is the fearefull slaverie and bondage vnder the power of Satan the Prince of darkenesse in that his mind will and affections are so knit and glued to the will of the devill that he can doe nothing but obey him rebell against God And hence Satan is called the prince of this world which keepes the hold of the heart as an armed Captaine keepes a sconse or a castle with watch and ward The misery before man is a daungerous snare which the devill layes for the destruction of the soule I say it is dangerous because he is in setting of it twentie or fortie yeres before he strikes when as God knowes men do little thinke of it It is made of three cords with the first he brings men into his snare and that he doeth by covering the miserie and the poyson of sinne and by painting out to the eie of the minde the deceitfull profits pleasures thereof With the second he hopples and insnares them for after that a man is drawen into this or that sinne the devill hath so sugered it over with fine delightes that he can not but needes must live and lye in it By the third he drawes the snare and indevours with all his might to breake the necke of the soule For when he seeth a fitte opportunitie especially in grievous calamities and in the houre of death he takes away the vizar of sinne and she weth the face of it in the true fourme as ouglie as him selfe then withall he beginneth as we say to shewe his hornes then he rageth in terrifying accusing that the soule of man may be swallowed up of the gulfe of finall despaire The miserie behinde him is the sinnes past The Lord saith to Cain If thou doest not well sinne lyeth at the doore Where sinne is compared to a wilde beast which followes a man whither soever he goeth and lyeth lurking at his heels And though for a time it may seeme to be hurtlesse because it lyeth asleepe yet at length unlesse men repent it will rise up sease on them and rent out the very throtes of their soules Iob in his afffliction saith Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me possesse the sinnes of my youth And David prayeth Forgive me the sinnes of my youth If the memorie of sinnes past be a trouble to the godly man oh what a racke what a gibbet wil it be to the heart of him that wants grace The miserie on the right hand is prosperitie and ease which by reason of mans sinne is an occasion of many iudgements In it men practised the horrible sinnes of Sodome it puffes up the heart with divelish pride so as men shall thinke themselves to be as God him selfe as Senacherib Nebuchad-nezzar Antiochus Alexander Herode Domitian did It steales away mans heart froÌ„ God quenches the sparkes of grace As the Lord complaineth of the Israelites I spake unto thee when thou wast in prosperitie but thou saydest I will not heare this hath bene thy manner from thy youth It is like the Ivie that embraces the tree and windes rounde about it but yet drawes out the iuice and life of it Hence is it that many turne it to an occasion of their destruction Salomon saith Prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them When the milt swelles the rest of the body pines away and when the heart is puft with pride the whole man is in danger of destruction The sheepe that goes in the best pasture soonest comes to the slaughter-house and the ungodly man fattes himselfe with continuall prosperity that he may the sooner come to his owne damnation The misery on the left hand is Adversitie which stands in all manner of losses and calamities in goods friends good name and such like Of this read at large Deut. 28. The miserie over his head is the wrath of God which he testifies in all maner of iudgements from heaven in danger of which every impenitent sinner is every houre And the danger is very great The scripture saith It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God He hath store-houses full of all maner of iudgements and they watch for secure sinners that they can not scape Gods wrath is â—s a fire making havocke and bringing to nought whatsoeuer it lights on yea because he is slow to anger therefore more terrible as a man therefore stayes his hand for a time that he may lift it higher and fetch a deeper blowe When the dumb creatures melt as wax and vanish away at his presence when he is angry as the huge mountaines and rockes doe fraile man must never looke to stand If the roaring of a lyon make men afraid and the voice of thunder be terrible oh how exceedingly should all be astonished at the threatnings of God The misery under his feete is Hell fire for every man till he repent is in as great danger of damnation as the traitour apprehended of
they can not discerne between good and euill nor tremble at Gods iudgements but rather fret and rage against them till God in his wrath either destroy them or cast them to finall despaire As it befell Iulian the Apostata who died blaspheming and casting his own blood into the aire Between the two extremes Repentance Impenitencie is placed counterfeit repentance For the wicked nature of man can dissemble counterfeit Gods grace As the Lord complains of the Iewes Her rebellious sister Iudah hath not returned vnto me with her whole heart but fainedly saith the Lord. Ierem. 3. 10. Counterfeit repentance is either Ceremoniall or Desperate Ceremonial when men repent in outward shew but not in the truth of heart As Saul Then said Saul to Samuel I haue sinned for I haue transgressed the commandements of the Lord thy words because I feared the people obeyed their voice Now therfore I pray thee take away my sin turn again with me that I may worship the Lord c. Again I haue sinned but honour me I pray thee before the elâ—ers of my people Of Ahab When Ahab heard these words â—e rent his clothes and put on sackcloath fasted went softly And the word of the Lord came to Elijah saying seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me Dissembled repentance may be discerned because men after a time returne to their old byas againe Pharao king of Egypt said unto Moses Aaron Pray unto the Lord that he may take away the frogges from me from my people And when Egipt was smitteÌ„ with haile he saide I have now sinned and the Lorde is righteous but I and my people are wicked pray ye unto the Lord that there be no more mighty thunders and baile Againe troubled with grashoppers he said I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you and now forgive me my sinne onely this once c. Now marke the issue of all when Pharao saw that he had rest given him he hardened his heart and harkened not unto them as the Lorde had said This is the ordinary common repentance that most men practise in the world Desperate repentance is when a man hauing only gods iudgements before his eyes is smitten with horrour of conscience wanting assurance of Gods mercy despaires finally This was Iudas Repentance who when he had brought again the 30. peeces of silver confessed his fault went and hanged himselfe CAP. XII Of corruptions in the doctrine of Repentance THe Church of Rome at this day hath corrupted the ancient doctrine of repentance being one of the speciall points of religion The corruptions are specially sixe The first that they make repentance or penance to be a sacrament which can not be because it wants an outward signe And though some say that the words which the priest rehearseth in absolution are the signe yet that can not be because the signe must be not only audible but also visible The second that a sinner hath in him a naturall disposition which being stirred-up by Gods preventing grace he may and can work togither with Gods spirit in his owne repentance But indeed all our repentance is to be ascribed to Gods grace wholly The soule of man is not weak but starke dead in sinne therefore it can no more prepare it selfe to repentance then the body being dead in the grave can dispose it self to the last resurrectioÌ„ The third corruption that contrition in repentance must be sufficient A thing impossible For sinne doth so greatly offend Gods maiesty that no man can ever mourne enough for it The fourth that contrition doth merit remission of sinne An opinion that doth derogate much from the all-sufficient merites of Christ. The fift that he that repents must confesse all the sinnes that he can remember with all their circumstances to his owne priest or one in his stead if he will receive pardon This kind of confession is a mere forgery of mans brain I. There is neither precept nor example of it in the Scriptures II. David and others haue repented and haue receiued remission of their sinnes without confessing of their sinnes in particular to any man The last that the sinner by his workes and sufferings must make satisfaction to God for the temporall punishment of his sinnes A flat blasphemie The scriptures mention no other satisfaction but Christs and if his be sufficient ours is needlesse if ours needful his imperfect Papists write that both may stand togither Christs satisfaction they say is as a plaister in a boxe unapplyed mans satisfaction as a meanes to apply it because it prepares us to receiue it Ah good divinity for euen in common sense the satisfaction of Christ must first be applyed to the person of man that it may please God before the workes which they terme satisfactions can any way be acceptable to God To conclude the Romish doctrine of repentance is the right way to hell For when a sinner shall be taught that he must haue sufficient sorow for his sinne and withall that he must not beleeue the remission of his owne sinnes particularly when sorow comes upon him and he wants sound comfort in Gods mercy he must needs fall into desperation without recovery Therfore the papists in the houre of death as we haue experience are glad to leaue the trumpery of humane satisfactions and to rest only for their iustification on the obedience of Christ. LAVS DEO THE COMBAT OF THE FLESH AND SPIRIT Gal. 5. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh these are contrary one to another so that ye can not doe the things which ye would THe Apostle Paul from the beginning of this chapter to the 13. verse exhorts the Galatians to maintaine their christian liberty froÌ„ theÌ„ce to the end of the chapter he perswades theÌ„ to other speciall duties of godlines In the 13. verse he stirs them up to be serviceable one to another by loue in the 15. verse he disswades them froÌ„ contentions doing of iniuries In the 16. verse he shewes the remedy of the former sinnes which is to walk according to the spirit In this seventeenth verse he renders a reason of the remedie the force whereof is this The flesh and the spirit are contrary wherfore if ye walke according to the spirit it will hinder the flesh that it shall not carry you forward to do iniuries liue in contentions as otherwise it would In this verse we haue to obserue 5. points The first that there is a combat betwene the flesh the spirit in these words The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The second is the maner of this combat which stands in the contrary lusting of the flesh and the spirit The third is the cause of the combat in these words and these are contrary The fourth is the subiect or person in