without faith a sorrow without conuersion whereas sorrow faith and new obedience they should go together The first driueth to the second sorrow to faith The second to the third fayth to conuersion Sorrow without faith is hopelesse faith without conuersion is fruitlesse the one killing the other dead all must concurre in true repentance As it must haue the knowledge of sinne in the soule rising from the Law of GOD and a sorrow for sinne in the heart proceeding from the feare of punishment goe before it so must it spring from faith and by faith bee finished from the faith of science wherby wee giue credance vnto the Gospell must it spring and by the faith of confidence by which the heart is conuerted vnto GOD is it fully perfected There is no part of Christian religion of that maine importance wherein men doe more voluntarily deceiue themselues then commonly they doe in this duty of Repentance In consideration whereof it will not be amisse to deliuer vnto you certaine infallible fignes and vnseparable frutes whereby we may assure our selues that wee haue repented S. Paul nameth seuen fruites which in some measure alwaies follow where true amendment goeth before Behold saith hee your godly sorrowes what care 1 it hath 2 Cor. 7. 11 wrought in you yea what clearing 2 of your selues yea what indignation 3 yea what feare 4 yea how great desire 5 yea what Zeale 6 yea what punishment 7 Those then who are true conuertes who doe vnfaynedly amend their liues they are not sluggish or secure in sinne but Carefull to redresse what is amisse not hiders or excusers of cuill but Confessors and by humble supplication Clearing theyr offences They are not contented to dwell in wickednesse but vexed in soule and full of Indignation against them-selues for their sins committed they stand in awe and are affraid of GODS iudgments They Desire his fauour as the Hart desireth the water Brookes they labour by religious Zeale to approue their liues to GOD and good Men and they are so farre from fauoring of their faults as that they seuerely punish them vpon them-selues These bee good Conuerts indeede But those who haue not this care to keepe the Law of GOD. Who vse not the meanes to cleare the score who be not angry with them-selues for their sinnes who feare not GODS iudgements who desire not his mercie who contend not to go before others in Zeale and honesty of life who reuenge not their sinnes vppon them-selues irridentes sunt non paenitentes saith Gregory they are proud mockers not true repenters Must then amendment of life yeelde such worthy fruites Is Care Is Clearing Is Indignation Is Feare Is Desire Is Zeale Is Punishment required heere-vnto O then My beloued to repent can bee no light matter nor trifling labour which a man may haue at command or performe when hee list No noe As sixe dayes went before the creation of Man-kind so must wee thinke of our Recreation not as if wee were then conuerted when as Euening and Morning make the second or third or fourth day it is a sixt dayes worke that is much toyle and trauaile belongs vnto it Sinne cannot be cast off as an vpper garment The heartes of sinners must suffer an Earth-quake with-in them and tremble and rende There must bee mortifying and crucifying and sacrificing both of Bodyes and Soules Strange wordes Mortifiyng Crucifying Sacrifyeing arguing as strange actions That must torment vs at the Heart which delighted vs in our Bodies that must bee sower to our Soules which was sweete in our Liues wee must change our Vices into as manye Vertues and so turne vnto our GOD as if wee neuer more would returne vnto sinne Many are there saith Fulgentius which are sorrowfull for their sinnes yet leaue not their sinning but these take not awaye their sinnes by sorrowing because they leaue not sinning after sorrowing For as Saint Augustine speaketh nihil prosunt lamenta vbi replicantur peccata Mourning is in vaine if wee sinne againe But more alas are there which seldome or neuer are sorrie for theyr sinnes at all Which will not learne to drinke Gall with CHRIST which cannot abide a bitter Soule nay in steed of sorrowing for sins they glory in them they say vnto them as GOD said vnto his Creatures increase multiplie proclayming with a Trumpet their own reprobation O let vs remember that the hearts of Eccl. 20. foolish sinners are like broken vessells which cannot be mended till they must first bee melted That as Beda sayth we must plowe vp our groundes before wee can ridde them from thornes That as Saint Ambrose speaketh great sinnes craues great weeping great lamentation If Naman will bee cleansed from his leprosie hee must wash him-selfe seauen times in the water and if wee will purge vs from the filthinesse of our sinne wee must rench our selues often with teares wee must vnder-goe the Agonie of Repentance mingle our Drinke with weeping water our Couches with Teares yea the very bloud as it were of our soules must gush out of our eyes we must be grieued that wee cannot alwayes be grieued When CHRIST considered the sinnes of Ierusalem Luk. 13. 34 he wept ouer it O Ierusalem Ierusalem c. When Dauid heard that his Sonne was slaine in his sinne he 2 Sam. 18. lamented for him O Absolon my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Haue these wept for the sinnes of others much more ought wee then to mourne for our owne transgressions Michah followed the souldiers crying because they had stolne away his Idols and the question beeing moued why he cryed so piteously Iudges 17. Why saith he yee haue carried my gods away and aske yee me why I crie Did this Idolatrous wretch thinke it cause sufficient to lament for the losse of his false gods which his owne handes had made Iudge you then Beloued how we should be grieued for our sinnes which depriue vs of the true GOD whose handes haue framed Heauen and Earth Wil examples moue vs to the performance of this duty Looke vpon repenting Dauid and behold there are ashes vpon his head and sack-cloth vpon his backe he did not braue it in atire nor lay streaking vpon his bed with a bare Lord helpe mee in his mouth Looke vpon the repenting Nineuites and behold King and people are strangely humbled Men and beasts fast and drinke water they sat not bealching at their bordes saying Pardon Sir so post it ouer Looke vpon repenting Magdalen and behold saith Gregory quot habuit in se oblect amenta tet de se fecit hollocausta so many pleasures as shee found in her selfe so many sacrifices shee made of her selfe Shee had abused her eyes to wanton lookes and therefore nowe she caused them to flow-ouer with teares shee had made her lips the weapons of lasciuiousnes and gates of vanitie and therefore now shee caused them to kisse her Saniour her hayre once set out and frizeled after the newest
A SERMON OF REPENTANCE Preached By GEORGE MERITON Doctor of Diuinity and one of his Maiesties Chaplaines in Ordinary Imprinted at London for Thomas Clarke and are to be sold at the signe of the Angell in Paules Church-yard 1607. To the Right Honourable the Lord Sheffeild Lord President of Yorke and Knight of the Honorable Order of the Garter increase of Comforts in this life and after death a Crowne of Glory RIght Honourable my desire is to cast my Mite into the Treasury of the Church and for want of Gold Pearle or Pretious stones to bring a Rams skinae or twaine and a little Goats Exod. 35. 23. haire to the building of the Lordes Tabernacle I may seeme perhaps to passe the boundes of modesty in crauing your Honors protection for so smal a thing The smaller it is the more needefull to be protected And sithence you vouchsafed not long since to heare part of it with patience I will now presume vpon your L fauoure for the whole I doe not dedicate it vnto you as doubting of your Honours care in this point of Repentance your loue to Religion Zeale to the Truth practise of Piety haue made you Honourable not in your selfe alone but also as Samuel 1. Sam. 9. 6. was in the heartes of the people Yet giue mee leaue 2. Pet. 3. 1. Ibeseech you to stirre vp and warne your pure mind That as you haue begun to cleaue vnto CHRIST with a good purpose of heart So you would continue to aoe it still and to do it more and more Remember alwayes Noble Lord that bloud vnstayned before Men is stayned bloud before GOD if it be not continually restored by the bloud of CHRIST This Sermon then I commend vnto your Honour and it to the good blessing and holy protection of GOD. Hadleigh in Suffolke May the 26. 1607. Your Honours to bee commanded GEORGE MERITON Except yee amend your lines yee all shall likewise perish Luk. 13. vers 5. OTher Mens afflictions are our instructions and the punishments which are laid vpon some are or should be profitable vnto vs all The Dogge is beaten in the presence of a Lyon that by the stripes and cries of a Dogge a Lyon might bee tamed The Thunder bolt falleth and burneth but in a narrow Iud. vers 7. compasse yet is it terrible to a great number round about so the calamities of a few are set forth for ensamples vnto the rest to worke amendment in them This true vse of iudgements did not many of the Iewish people make Pilate had destroyed some and mingled their blood with their sacrifices The Towre of Siloam fell downe vpon others and bereaued them of Vers 4. their liues Those who escaped these punishments as the Nature of man is fauouring them selues too much beeing wise abroad and fooles at home as the Poet speaketh hauing their eyes in their purses when they should behold their owne deformities like Lamia in the Fable and staring in their heades to gaze vpon the sinnes of others with the proud Pharesie in the Gospell concluded from hence like badde Logitians from weake and slender premises that Therefore they were more righteous and holy then their fellowes Our Sauiour CHRIST to crosse this vaine supposall answereth them heere Laconically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay And least that beeing ouer-blinded in themselues they should all fall into the ditch to preuent their ruine hee denounceth out a threatning that Vnlesse they amended they should all likewise perish Threatnings they are forcible meanes to draw sinners vnto GOD For although good promises are alurements vnto good men yet such for the most part is the corruption of our heartes as that wee are more mooued with feare then with loue more with the rodde of Aaron then with heauenly Manna more with seuere threatnings then with friendly promisings Injuries do worke a deeper griefe in vs then benefits do affect vs with delight Sicknesse doth more weary vs then health doth refresh vs and wee are wont to esteeme rightly of prosperity by the harmes of aduersity For this cause therfore are these misdeeming Iews fore-told that vnlesse they amēded their liues their destruction was at hand CHRIST launceth them for to heale them hee threatneth them for to draw them hee denounceth iudgements against them for to saue them his wordes are like the Arrowes of Ionathan which were shot after Dauid not 1. Sam. 20. to wound him but to giue him warning In olde times thus was GOD accustomed to reclaime his people The writinges of the Prophets are euen stuffed with woes Take a booke saith GOD vnto Ier 36. 16. Ieremy and write therein all the euill that I determine to doe vnto the house of Iudah that they may returneeuery man from his euill way and in the same Chapter it is recorded that when they heard the wordes of the booke they were amazed The like course hath GOD vsed in latter times Iohns manner of preaching was as rough as himselfe Now is the Axe saith he laid vnto the rootes of the trees and euery tree that bringeth Mat. 3. 5 6. not forth good fruit shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire What followed herevpon Ierusalem all Iudea and the region about Iordaine were baptized of him confessing their sinnes CHRIST also in this place threatneth the Iewes and in them euerie one of vs for that which stoode good against them standeth still in force against vs Except we amendour liues we shall all likewise perish How this wrought to the conuersion of these Iewes it is not mentioned in the Scripture how farre it will preuaile for the bettering of vs I am not able to coniecture This am I sure of that in former times threatnings haue preuailed and I beseech our GOD to make them profitable now The partes of my Text are these foure First there is a duty required Amendment of life Secondly the necessity thereof inforced vnlesse Thirdly the time prescribed Amend not haue amended and fallen againe not will amend I know not when but vnlesse you Amend doe it speedily and continually without delaye or interruption sorrow for sin without hope of grace where there is knowledge of guiltinesse without amendment of life where there is a killing of the old mā without a quickning of the newe where there is the sentence of death in the Soule not of life in the Sauiour Though we should recount vnto GOD all our sinnes ouer ouer againe euen in the bitternes of our soules M. ch 1. 8 though we lament with Dragons and mourne like Ostriges yet had we but that part of this grace which euen the wicked and reprobates haue Cain Saul Iudas Heb. 12. 17 were greatly grieued for theyr sinnes Esau lift vp his voice and howled out yet found hee no place to repentance though hee sought a blessing with teares What was the cause of this my beloued but that there was in him penance without desire of repētance griefe
and feeling the effect of both is this you shall loose the ioyes of Heauen you shall feele the paines of hell The ioyes of Heauen are these of such valewe or the losse of them so great as should moue vs to repentance what those ioyes are and by consequence how great their losse is wee may behold as in a Glasse darkely but tongues of men and Angells can in noe wise expresse S. Paul being rapt into the third 2. Cor. 12. Heauen heard there such things as cannot bee vttered First we may roue at them by that high price which is set vpon them CHRIST the Sonne and onely Sonne of GOD not by Adoption but by nature louing and best beloued bought them not with money but with bloud not with the bloud of Goates and Rammes but with his own blood not with the bloud of head handes or feete but with his owne heart bloud And as hee prayed soundly for them him-selfe so hath hee prized them vnto his Friends and Children None can enter into them but by many tribulations They cost Paul a beheadding Peter a A 14. 22 crucifiyng Steuen a stoning millions of Martirs a racking or burning a torturing a tormenting GOD 1. Cor. 10. who is faithfull and true hath not deceiued his Son nor ouer-sold his ioyes vnto his Saints And therfore vnspeakeable are those ioyes which CHRIST hath purchased and his Children obtayned thorowe a world of miseries Secondly we may conceiue of them by taking a view of inferior beauties Looke vpon the meddows consider sayth our Sauiour the Lillies of the field how they growe and florish I say vnto you that Salomon in all his glory was not like to one of these all Salomons glory not like to one Lilly Hath GOD put such glory and gladnesse vpon the grasse of the field hath hee so gorgiously attired them which to day haue a being but to morrow are cut downe and cast into a furnace how much more then shal Luk. 12. 2â— be the glory and ioy of you O yee of little faith Thirdly wee haue a resemblance of these ioyes in CHRISTS transfiguration when as his face did Mat. 17. shine as the Sunne and his rayment was as white as snowe For hereby we learne what glory our bodyes shall haue in the day of the resurrection when as S. Paul tells vs wee shall beare the image of the heauenly 1. Cor. 15. and bee like the Sonne in glory Fourthly the place of blessednesse doth informe vs of these ioyes First it is a place of puritie and holinesse no vncleane thing shall enter thereinto Secondly Apo 21. a place of beauty and brightnesse as cleare as cristal glistring as Iasper the twelue gates are twelue pearles the sireetes like gold and shining glasse Thirdly a Apo. 22. place of roomth and largenesse O Israel how great is the house of GOD and how large is the place of his possession Baruch 3â— into this pure bright large place of glorie shall true Conuertes enter for where I am saith CHRIST there shall my seruants bee and that is Ioh. 12. not all but Kingdomes shall bee giuen vnto them Come yee blessed of my Father possesse a Kingdome Luk. â—2 29 and in this Kingdome the Lord him-selfe will honor Luk. 12. 37 them with his owne attendants and there shall they raigne for euermore Fiftly wee may make coniecture of these ioyes by reflecting our eyes vpon those innumerable perilles which we haue heere escaped For if such as are deliuered from the daungers of the Sea do wonderfully reioyce when they come vnto the shore Much greater then is the ioye of those who hauing beene tossed in the waues of this World troubled with sinnes with Sathan with the fraylties of the flesh with the feare of hell Quorum periculum probat periuntium multitudo saith Gregorie whose dangers appeares by the multitude of those that perish are nowe arriued at Heauen for their Hauen and are wholie freed from all their miseries Quanto fuit maius periculum in praelio tanto maius gaudium in triumpho as Saint Augustine well speaketh the more dangers escaped the more ioyes increased as the most doubtfull battell maketh the most ioyfull victory Lastly though wee knowe not what it is to behold the Face of GOD yet herein consisteth the Exo. 33. 18 highest degree of happinesse and therefore are the ioyes of the Saintes in Heauen super-Superlatiue Esa 33. 17. because their eyes doe alwayes see their King in his glorie It is a pleasing sight and delight-some vnto the eye to behold the Sunne Sed illud est verum gaudium saith S. Bernard non quod ae creatura sed quod de creatore concipitur but that is the true and onely ioy indeede which is conceiued from the Creator not from the Creature Iohn leapt in his Mothers wombe when but the Mother of his maker came neere vnto him the Wise-men reioyced exceedingly when they but sawe his Starre The Bethshemits were comforted at the sight of his Ark were these causes of great and vnwonted gladnesse Then are the Saints rauished with ioy in Heauen who behold theyr Creator face to face If the people shouted for ioy so as the earth did ring againe with the sound of their noyse when Salomon was 1. King 1. proclaimed King O what a Hallaluiah is there in Heauen at the sight of the King of Peace crowned in his Throne of Glorie Huic comparata omnis aliunde iucunà itas maeror est omnis suauitas dolor omne dulce amarum omne decorum foedum saith Saint Bernard In comparison of this all ioy is sadnesse all sweetnesse sowernesse all beauty blacknesse yea all the delights in the World put them together which haue beene which are which shall bee to the day of Iudgement all are but as a droppe of water to the mayne Ocean in respect of that blessednesse which wee shall drinke from the euer liuing fountaine of the face of GOD. For if wee finde such store of sweetnesse in a peece of one little Creature bee it Sugar or Honie or such like what shall wee not finde in the Creator if the foote-steppes of the goodnesse of GOD abound in pleasures what hath not the fountaine of goodnesse GOD himselfe The consideration whereof caused Moyses to sue vnto GOD that hee might see his glory Compelled Dauid oftentimes humbly to request that hee might behold the face Psa 27. 8. of his GOD and when GOD said vnto him Psa 80. seeke my face his heart answered as an Eccho O Lord I will seeke thy face And as a man not contented hee trebleâ—h his request O thou shepheard of Israel cause thy face to shine vpon mee that I may bee saued Twice more hee prayeth O thou shepheard of Israel c. His saluation and eternall happinesse hee reposeth in the sight of GOD for hee knewe full well that in his presence there was fulnes of ioy for euermore Let mee
Psa 16. 11. but shewe you now what Saint Augustine speaketh of the ioyes of Heauen and so will I passe vnto that which followeth Wee may saith hee sooner tell you what they are not then what they are Yet take a surusie of those manifolde benefits which GOD bestoweth vpon our base and ignoble bodies Shed out both vpon good and badde from the Heauens from the Ayre from the Earth from the Waters from light from darkenesse from heate from coldnesse from all the creatures shed also out by succession to exclude a loathing Doth GOD bestow vpon our bodies and promiscuaily vppon all these excellent benefits Then O Lord howe great and wonderfull are those good things which thou hast laid vp for thine Elect in the Kingdome of Heauen if these be so good which thou hast giuen to good and badde what shall they bee which thou hast reserued onely for the good if they bee soe pleasant which thou sendest to friendes and enemies howe sweete are those which thy friends shall enioy if there bee so many comfortes in the valley of teares what shall there bee in the day of marriage if thou beest so kind vnto vs in this prison of ours how wilt thon imbrace and hugge vs when we come into thy Kingdome Into that euerlasting Kingdome where euerlasting glory shall bee vpon our heads where that which we would haue shal be present with vs and that we would not haue shal be as sent from vs where there shal be a measure of ioy heaped vp shaken together pressed downe running ouer mensura sine mensura as Bernard speaketh a measure without measure Where we shall haue health without sicknesse strength without weakenesse freedome without bondage beautie without blacknesse Knowledge without ignorance plenty without want peace without trouble safety without feare life without death glory without shame Where wee shall be filled with ioy yet beeing filled wee shall still desire least our fulnesse procure a loathing and in desiring wee shall alwayes bee filled least our desire beget a greeuing to conclude neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor heart of man can conceiue those excellent things that are prepared for vs. Neyther can GOD giue more nor man receiue more then we shall there inioy And is not this then a most lamentable losse to bee debarred from these ioves of Heauen Mee thinkes the remembrance of it should dismaye the heart of a wicked man When hee recounteth with himselfe that hee shall bee shutte out off doores with Dogges that hee shall be excluded from those vnspeakable ioyes which CHRIST IESVS hath bought with his pretious heart bloud that hee shall bee bereft of that glory whereof the beauty of the most glorious Creatures is but a simple shadow that hee shall be cast out from that pure bright and large place of happinesse from an Eternall Kingdome Did the losse of the Arke of 1. Sam. 4. GOD cause Elye to breake his neck This then is inough to breake a Pharaohs heart in peeces to know that after troubles heere there is no hope of harbour of rest of safty in the world to come that he shal be depryued of the face of GOD the sight of CHRIST the fellowship of the Spirit the company of holy Angells and blessed Saintes finally that hee shall haue no part in that great measure of ioy which is so infinite as it cannot enter into vs but wee must enter into it Thou good and faithfull Mat. 25. 21 seruant enter into thy Maisters ioy O wofull and vnsufferable losse more then can bee counternayled by the gayning of ten thousand Worldes Nay all the teares which shall be in Hell will saith Chrisostome neuer be sufficient to bewayle the losse of Heauen And is this all the punishment the impenitent shall sustaine shall they onely loose the ioyes of Heauen we may not stay heere They shal perish they shall likewise feele the terrible paines of Hell Many motiues are there saith Saint Hierom to stirre vs vp to amendment of our liues The consideration of the teares and of the bloud which CHRIST shedde for sinners our owne ennumerable offences the weaknesse of our bodies and frailty of our liues GODS continued mercy towardes vs his Iustice and reuenging power but especially the feare of loosing the ioyes of Heauen All these are as spurres to prick vs forward to repentance and as Trumpets to rowse vs vp from our carnall securitye Yet such is the dulnesse of many and so dead a sleepe are some in their sinnes as such motiues as these will worke but small effect in them Let CHRIST weepe till his Head and Heart ake let him suffer neuer so extreame Torments let sinnes bee as redde as scarlet and liues of all thinges most vncertaine shewe GODS mercies tell of his iudgments Preach of the losse of Heauen Yet were there no Hell to receiue them or Tortures prouided for them they would easily put off all these with a Tush and bee as resolute for their owne destruction as Hester was for the sauing of her people If wee perish wee perish Oderunt peccare mali formi dine paenae Wicked Hest 4. 16. ones must bee scarred from sinne with feare of punishments let them then set before their eyes the fearefull and horrible paines of heil These in the Scriptures are expressed by diuers Apoc. 10. names Sometimes they are called fire hee that is not written in the booke of life is sent into a lake of fire Esa 66. 14. Sometimes they are tearmed a Worme their worme shall not die Verme roditur conscientia igne cremantur corpora saith Bernard with the worme is their consciences gnawed and with the fire are their bodies burned Sometimes againe are they set out by the loathsome stench of Brimstone vppon the wicked hee Psal 11. 6. will raine fire and brimstone Otherwhiles by weeping Mat. 13. 42 and gnashing of teeth Weeping because of the fire that will not be quenched and gnashing because of the worme that wil not bee killed the one comming from Esa 65. 13. 14. griefe the other from rage Sometimes they beare the names of thirst of hunger of sorrow of shame And such penury is there in hell as there is nothing to relecue the damned which are therein The rich man begged a droppe of water and could not haue it guttam petijt saith Gregory qui micam negauit hee craued a droppe that denied a crumme Neyther is it a little torment to bee imprisoned and tortured by the vgglie Fiendes of hell by those Etheopian Angelles as Cyrill calleth them whose armes saith Cassian are like the heades of Dragons whose eyes shoote forth arrowes of fire whose teeth are like the teeth of Elephants whose tayles are like the tayles of Scorpions that is gushfull and grisly Diuils if the sight of one of them be able to bereaue a man of his wittes O how great will the horrour be when they shall all appeare And what doth the