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
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
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