yet forasmuch as he is willing to minister vnto thee an occasion of pity and meeknesse hee considereth thy charity and mercie towards thy neighbour that hee may conferre vpon thee his charity and mercy And therefore hee commandeth When ye shall stand and pray forgiue if ye haue anie thing against anie man that your father also which is in Heauen may forgiue you your trespasses Mark 11.25 For if you will not forgiue your father which is in Heauen will not pardon you your trespasses So that thou seest that to obtaine forgiuenesse at Gods hands thou needest not to passe the Seas to make long iourneies to clime high mountaines to disburse great summes of money but the Lord that desireth rather to finde him that hee may pardon than that hee may punish putteth it as it were in thy own power to auoid the seuerity of his iudgement As long as thou continuest in this life thou canst not be without sinne and therefore it were wisdome in thee to embrace so gentle a condition as by forgiuing another mans sinnes to blot out thy owne being offended by another man to forgiue him if thou desire to be forgiuen of God to pardon a light offence to thy neighbour for whatsoeuer one man can commit against another is but light that God may pardon thee so manie millions of sinnes There is no better meanes after thy sinne to bee reconciled vnto God than that thou being offended with thy brother bee reconciled vnto him If thou seeke after the multitude and magnitude of the mercies of God doe thou likewise multiply and magnifie thy owne mercies towards thy neighbour that shewing mercie thou maiest receiue mercie For though God haue need of no mans helpe and be free from all sin yet he forgiueth his seruant those infinite wrongs hee receiueth how much more then oughtest thou that hast need of remission and art guilty of a thousand sinnes to forgiue the wrong that is offered by thy fellow seruant With what face canst thou looke that God should pardon thee thy sinnes when thou wilt not pardon thy neighbour his Wilt thou haue God to exercise his mercy vpon thee and wilt thou exercise thy seuere iudgement vpon thy neighbour Thou shalt haue no excuse at the day of iudgement because thou shalt be iudged according to thy owne sentence that thou halt done vnto others thou shalt suffer thy selfe Thou shalt haue iudgement without mercie that shewest no mercie vnto thy brother For what punishment art thou not woorthy of who maiest with so great facilitie obtain mercie at Gods hands and yet art content to betray thy owne saluation Our Sauiour Christ Iesus when hee prescribed a forme of praier vnto vs and taught vs to pray promised his fatherly mercy but yet he added a law that we should so begge forgiuenesse for our trespasses as wee forgiue those that trespasse against vs. Yea sorasmuch as hee knew that all men are lyers and that if their sins should bee first forgiuen them they would not afterwards forgiue their trespassers hee commanded we should first forgiue them before we aske forgiuenesse at his hands But thou with what hope canst thou pray that still reseruest rancour in thy heart against another For as thou praying liest when thou saiest I forgiue others their trespaspasses yet forgiuest them not so when thou praiest that thy trespasses may bee forgiuen thee of God they are not forgiuen For it is as much as if thou shouldest say forgiue not mee my trespasses committed against thee because I forgiue not others their trespasses against mee When thou powrest out such praiers vnto God who considereth the heart not the word thou art for a threefold cause made guiltie First because thou art a begger and goest about to deceiue God whilest thou praiest vnto him to forgiue thy debts as thou forgiuest thy debtors and yet thou forgiuest them not thou sparest them in nothing Secondly because though thou madest not this praier vnto God yet thou oughtest to forgiue thy brother his debts Thirdly though it were not thy dutie to doe it yet forasmuch as being warned by thy Iudge thou ceasest not thou exasperatest the anger of the Iudge against thee What hope of forgiuenesle canst thou haue if at that very instant when thou praiest vnto God and beggest mercy at his hands thou minister greater occasion to stirre vp his anger against thee As if a man should fall downe before thee and begge mercie at thy hands and in the middest of his petition should espie his enemie and surceasing to intreat thee should go about to murther him would it not mooue thee to greater anger against him than before Couldest thou possibly think him worthy of mercy thinke it is thus no otherwise with God himselfe But perhaps thou wilt say from this time forward or so long as I am not in charity I wil not say the Lords praier or at leastwise I wil omit that condition As wee forgiue those that trespasse against vs. Resp Except thou praie as Christ hath taught thee thou art not Christs disciple Hee that made this praier is hee that heares it if thou shalt omit this condition Christ will not know that praier that he hath made and as thou hast shut out mercy in thy praiers towards thy neighbour so God wil shut the gate of mercy against thee Wherfore deare brother if thou wilt haue thy sins forgiuen thee of God forgiue thou thy brother not onely with thy outward lippes but thy heart too not with a fained peace but a sincere loue so as by thy actions thou worke no reuenge and in thy heart thou reserue no malice Driue away all hatred from thy minde and loue thy enemie with all thy heart And forasmuch as the proofe of thy loue is the performance thereof in thy actions thou shalt alwaies do him good in thy affections wishing him the blessings of grace and of glorie of nature and of fortune as they may bee helpes and furtherances to saluation And thou shalt doe him good in effect too as time place shall serue especially in those things that appertaine to the health of his soule CHAP. II. That no work that a man doth be it neuer so good can bee acceptable vnto God so long as he is not in charity with his neighbour FOrasmuch as all sins are extinguished and blotted out by subsequent good works proceeding out of a true and liuely faith the sin of discord must bee verie great which if it be not vtterly extinct it suffereth no good worke to follow it For it is written Mat. 5.25 If thou bring thy gist vnto the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering before the altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift Iudge then how great an euill discord is for which that must bee vndone by which sinnes are released the gift of an vncharitable man
is that thou hast loued Wherefore my deare brother prefer the grace of God before the remporal blessings of this life lose these to get that Restore to thy neighbour what is thy neighbours to God what is Gods So possesse the things of this world that thou bee not possessed by them so passe by thy tēporall blessings that thou lose not the eternall vse thy temporall goods desire eternall those thou must lose whether thou wilt or no these thou shall neuer lose except thou wilt Let the world bee thy peregrination heauen thy rest * ⎠* CHAP. IIII. Almes vnlawfully gotten pleaseth not God BVt perhaps thou wilt say I confesse that I vniustly deteine other mens goods but yet I giue much almes do much good with them I comfort those that are in prison I cloath the naked I receiue strangers Res Thou doest benefit thy selfe nothing at all my deare brother if thou comfort one by wronging another Thou thinkest thou giuest thou giuest nothing that is thine owne take not away and thou hast giuen Doest thou thinke to iustifie thy theft thy extortion if out of the goods of the poore thou giue a small almes One is fedde where many hunger and with the spoiles of many few are clothed Hee to whom thou giuest reioyceth hee from whom thou takest mourneth hee prayeth for thee the other crieth for vengeance vnto the Lord against thee which of these two will the Lord heare Feare thou that he will heare him that curseth as the Lord himselfe witnesseth There was a Iudge saith he in a certaine citie which feared not God neither reuerenced man and there was a widow in that citie which came vnto him saying Luke 18. Do me iustice against mine aduersarie And hee would not doe it for a time but afterward hee sayd with himselfe Though I feare not God nor reuerence man yet because this widow troubleth me I will do her right lest at the last shee come and make me wearie And the Lord sayd Heare what the vnrighteous Iudge sayeth Now shall God auenge his Elect which cried day and night vnto him yea though hee suffer long for them I tell you he will auenge them quickly Thou seest heereby that God approoueth not such almes neither doth it please him that one should be releeued out of the losse of another or that that should bee violentlie taken from one which is mercifully giuen to another That almes is not acceptable vnto God which is gotten by vnlawfull and vniust meanes but that only which is giuen by a iust possessour out of goods iustlie gotten And this is the reason that sacrifices gotten by robbery the Lord refuseth saying Esay 61.8 I the Lord loue iudgement and hate robbery for burnt offering Which Salomon doth likewise insinuate saying Eccl. 34.21 Whoso bringeth an offering of the goods of the poore doth as one that sacrificeth the sonne before the fathers eies With how great hatred God beholdeth such a sacrifice appeareth in that it is compared to the sorrow of a father for the death of his childe for what thing can bee more intolerable than a slaine sonne before the eies of his father But thou that gettest by violence what out of pitie thou giuest vnto God thinkest with thy selfe how much thou giuest but not how much thou hast taken away thou numbrest thy gift but thou thinkest not of thy sinne Thou giuest thine nay another mans vnto God thou giuest thy selfe to the diuell Thou thinkest that God puts his iustice to sale if whilest thou giuest vnto God for thy oppression thou thinkest thou mayest therefore oppresse scotfree yea thou makest God a companion in thy sinne in that thou thinkest he consenteth to thy sinne by accepting an almes of goods gotten by sinne It is one thing to doe the workes of mercy for sinne another to sinne to doe mercie if that may bee called mercy which by an interposed sinne of robberie or oppression confoundeth whatsoeuer good there is in mercy But suppose thy goods are lawfullie gotten and thou hast neuer wronged and mā yet canst thou thinke that it is lawfull for thee to keepe those goods vnprofitablie that may doe good to manie wherof thou art made by thy heauenlie master not a lord but a steward When thou ministrest necessarie things to those that want thou giuest not thine but thou restorest to them their own thou doest rather pay a debt of iustice than execute a worke of mercy and in doing otherwise thou doest euery day almost kill as many as die for want of comfort when thou canst giue it them But thou when thou giuest a small matter to thy God in his poore members that giueth all thou hast vnto thee hauing oppressed thy neighbour canst thou thinke him abundantly satisfied if thou giue that vnto him thou hast wrongfully taken from another Thou must not helpe one with the hurt of another Though thou giue much to the poore yet thou art not quit of thy theft vntill thou haue giuen to him from whom thou hast taken Thou oughtest not to detaine vnto thy selfe that thing thou hast found if thou bee any way assured that the right master thereof hath not forsaken it but seeketh after it And therefore saith S. Austin That which thou hast found and restored not thou hast robbed hee that denies it being demanded if hee could hee would take it God searcheth the heart not the hand Wherefore deare brother thinke not thy selfe heereafter iustified in this if of thy goods wrongfully gotten thou giue vnto the poore if thou violently take from one and mercifullie giue vnto an other for almes out of thy goods well gotten cannot iustifie as being but the fruits of that faith that must iustifie The Third Part of the exhortation to repentance CHAP. I. That God doth not forgiue vs our trespasses except wee forgiue those that trespasse against vs. THirdly thou wilt perhaps say thou art content to repent Matth. 7 but thou canst not forgiue him that hath offended thee yea thou art resolued to reuenge thy wrongs Res First thou must vnderstand my deare brother that according to that measure that thou measurest to others it shal be measured to thee againe this is a certain rule set down by God himselfe that as thou wilt haue thy sinnes forgiuen thee so must thou forgiue the trespasse committed against thee Thou art in debt and others indebted vnto thee Thou art a debtour to God for manie and greeuous offences thy brother is indebted vnto thee for small and sleight iniuries Behold then how louing and easie a condition God offereth that is that thou shouldest forgiue what is owing thee and what thou owest shall bee forgiuen vnto thee Otherwise thy sinnes can no way bee forgiuen thee if thou shew thy selfe inexorable to forgiue thy neighbour in vaine thou hopest of pardon for thy sins except thou first pardon his For though the God of peace and consolation can without this forgiue all thy sinnes
this time hee hath repented and God hath pardoned and if God haue wilt not thou Wilt thou still persecute him whom God hath absolued and require that debt that God hath pardoned God is made a friend to thy penitent brother and art thou still his enemie Wilt thou hurt him whom God loueth Take heed I say for if thou bee contrarie to God in his works thou art not Gods friend but his enemy What good would this thy furious and reuengeful mind do thee if to day which may fall out thou shouldest happen to die Doest thou think that when thou art buried in hell thou canst hurt thy enemy yet liuing and reuenge thy wrongs Yea rather he is strongly reuenged of thee in that thy hatred towards him hath brought thee to that place and that hee whilest thou art in torment hath time to begge mercy at Gods hand to obtaine his grace in this life and his glory in the life to come Wherfore deare brother that thou maiest truely loue thy brother being hurt hurt not being slandered slander not hate not him that hateth thee detract not from him that detracteth from thee for it is a more grieuous thing to ouercome a wrong by patience than by reuenge Whether the wrong be iustly or iniustly offered beare it patiently euer remembring that thou hast deserued more greater things for thy sinnes Which thy great and manifold sinnes if thou wilt haue forgiuen thou must needes forgiue those few and small trespasses thy enemie hath committed against thee CHAP. IIII. That by the example of Christ it is no hard matter for a man to pardon his neighbour as often as he offendeth BVT perhaps thou wilt say it is not once that he hath wronged me but many and sundrie times and still he hates me and persecutes me and therfore who can indure it Resp My deare brother as often as thy brother shall sinne against thee Matth. 18 21. so often doeth the Lord command thee to forgiue him To whom Peter came and said Master how oft shal my brother sinne against mee and I shall forgiue him Vnto seuen times Iesus said vnto him I say not to thee vnto seuen times but vnto seuen times seuen times See heere hee setteth downe a finite number for an infinite as if he should say as often as thy brother shall sinne against thee so often forgiue him How greatly and how often soeuer thou sinnest against God so often out of an humble and contrite spirit and an assured hope in the mercies of Christ Iesus thou asking forgiuenesse hee forgiueth and yet shall it seeme a greeuous and an irkesome thing vnto thee a vile and base worme to forgiue thy brother Man can but lightlie wrong thee and seemeth it so heauy a thing to thee not to bee reuenged If thy brother sinne against thee seuentie times seuen times forgiue him yea if a hundred times nay how often soeuer yet forgiue him As often as hee offends thee so often forgiue him if thou wilt that Christ shall forgiue thee as often as thou offendest If thy brother hate thee hate not thou him if hee persecute thee persecute not him but arme thy self against him with the armour of patience not of furie that if he will needs perish thou perish not with him but he die and be damned aliue without thy company But thou wilt say it is a hard thing euer to beare and forbeare and to bridle thy wrath against him Res Yea rather my deare brother it is a more hard and difficult thing to keepe malice rancor in thy heart than to quit thy selfe of it there is no labour in learning it much in retaining it To be freed from anger brings rest and peace to the mind and it is an easier thing to forget iniuries than to remember them There is nothing more greeuous to a man than the remembrance of forepassed wrongs and one man cannot wish a greater mischiefe to another than to wish him haunted with this diuell malice and desire of reuenge For as the first thing that a worme feeds vppon is the wood wherein he is bred so wrath doth first hurt and afflict his hart from whence it springeth Thy minde of it selfe is vnquiet enough and doest thou with hatred and malice increase and exasperate it Thou hast many other crosses from outward causes and yet thou increasest thy burthen and art not at peace with thy owne heart First suppresse thy familiar enemie that is thy carnall concupiscence before thou prouide to make warre against others For though thou be able to ouercome all the enemies thou hast yet new will arise whereof some will sooner oppresse thee than thou all See now which of the two is the more easie to retaine rancour or to leaue it As it is easie and light for an humble man to quit himselfe of enuie and malice so is it a matter of great difficultie to a man of a proud spirit If thou call to mind the passion of Christ there is nothing so hard that with a willing mind thou maist not beare Doest thou not remember how much more hard and bitter things Christ hath suffered when he laid downe his own soule for thee How great and how many slanderous reproches sufferered he of the Iewes How many blowes How many scourgings being mute and silent How patientlie turned hee not his face from the prophane spittings of wicked men How meekly did he yeeld his diuine head to the crown of thorns How contentedly when hee was thirsty did hee take the bitternesse of gall How willingly being life it selfe did he suffer death But who and by whom hath hee suffered these cruelties The creator by his creatures God by men the lord by his seruants the giuer of all good things by vngrateful wretches than which what thing can bee more intolerable And yet being scourged with whips crowned with thorns wounded with nailes crucified being vnmindfull of all these his miseries and torments hee still pitieth those that pitie not him healeth those that wound him giueth life to those that kil him when with a pleasing acceptance much deuotion of spirit fulnesse of charity hee doth not only spare vnto his enemies the life of that holy Lambe but praieth vnto his Father for them saying Luke 23. Father forgiue them they know not what they doe Heere consider the manifold miseries of his body there the manifold mercies of his heart and neuer forget his abundant charitie and wonderfull patience for he tolerateth those hee could punish and cast into the bottomlesse pit of hell Hee that iudgeth and to whom the Father hath giuen all iudgement will not reuenge himselfe but forgetteth and forgiueth his wrongs yea praieth for his persecutors leauing vnto vs an example of his patience that we may follow his steps that as often as others shall offend vs we may bee stirred vp to patience not reuenge For if our master when hee was murdered did loue his enemies how much more
the sight of God and he found no stedfastnesse in his saints Ps 143.2 In his sight shall none that liueth bee iustified We euery day descrie in our selues many sinnes and yet cannot know how often wee sinne For who can vnderstand his faults and therefore it followeth Ps 19 1â— Clense me ô Lord from my secret sinnes Forasmuch therefore as there is no man which hath not sinned he onely is blessed Psa 32.2 to whom the Lord imputeth no iniquitie and whose sinne is couered Let it be sufficient to vs to the attainment of all righteousnes to haue him propitious vnto vs whom onely we haue offended Whatsoeuer he hath decreed not to impute vnto vs is as if it neuer had beene for who shall accuse-them whom God hath absolued Neuerthelesse lest any man should please himselfe as being innocent and so by extolling himselfe should fall the more he is put in remembrance that he sinneth daily in that hee is commanded to pray daily for his sinnes saying Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. When a man heareth a sentence out of the Word against couetousnesse being pricked in heart he hateth that couetousnesse he commendeth the contempt of all things and he accounts no more of golde than of the dust but so soone as his minde shall beholde what it may desire he forgetteth that which before hee commended Wee are manie times fraighted with our sinnes and wee confesse them vnto God but presently wee returne to the same sinnes againe for the most part wee repreliend our owne liues and yet we gladly doe that which wee reprooue in our selues The spirit raiseth vs vp to righteousnesse and the flesh bindeth vs to the custome of sinning the minde withstandeth the delights of the flesh but presently with the delights thereof it is captiuated Woe be euen to the laudable life of men if they should bee iudged without mercy because they many times offend God with that whereby they imagine they please him for many times our righteousnesse being brought to the touchstone of his diuine iustice is vnrighteousnesse and that is loathsome in the sight of a seuere Iudge that shines in the eyes of him that doth them Esa 64. All our righteousnesse is like a menstruous cloth If our life should be strictly examined in that fearefull examination none should bee found iust If God should only shew seueritie and in his iudgement should not adde mercie if he should obserue our iniquities and not pardon our transgressions no man could expect the glory of eternall felicitie no man could endure the rigour of so strict an account If the mercy of God were not extended ouer all no man could euer be saued for aâ— their own merits could not create them so their own righteousnesse can not saue them for whosoeuer is saued must be saued by the mercy of God and not his owne merits Perhappes it was good for thee as to such as are proud that thou hast fallen to the end that thou that were caried by pride beyond thy selfe to which condition by sinne thou wert obnoxious by thy fall thou mightest be put in minde of thy selfe and being taught to know who thou art lay aside the pride of thine owne presumption And as for a little durt thou makest not cleane thy garment but thou staiest vntill it hath gathered more filth so thou art fallen into greater sinnes that thou maist clense thee of thy lesse For a great offence by how much the sooner it is known by so much the sooner it is amended but a small fault whilest it is thought to bee none at all is so much the woorse by how much the more securely it is kept in vse and at the last a minde accustomed to small sinnes feareth not to commit the greatest and by so much the more is he carelesse in great sinnes to feare by how much the more he hath learned in light by not fearing to sinne Wherefore deare brother distrust not faint not despair not thou art fallen but thou maiest rise againe thou hast offended God but by repentance thou maiest please him againe He gaue thee commandements that thou shuldest not sinne and yet hee hath giuen to thee sinning the remedy of repentance that thou mightest not despaire for how much soeuer thou sinnest God will pardon if thou do repent CHAP. II. That there is no sinne so great but by true repentance it may be pardoned BVT perhaps thou wilt say I haue offended God more than any man and my sinnes are more in number than the sands of the sea many of my sinnes are of that nature of which S. Matthew speaketh in his twelfth chapter If any man sinne against the Holy Ghost he shall not bee forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come My iniquity is greater than that it can be forgiuen Res My deare brother thou liest as Cain did Gen. 4. the pietie of God is greater than thy impietie his mercie greater than thy miserie and therefore doubt not but thou maiest obtein pardon for thy sinnes because the goodnesse of GOD ouercommeth the malice of man All the sinnes that haue beene committed from the beginning of the world vnto this day are finite both in qualitie and number but the mercy of God hath neither number nor measure and therefore it farre exceedeth the number and greatnesse of all our sinnes God can pardon more than man can sinne All sinnes if they be compared to the mercy of God are as a drop of warâ—â— to the whole sea and as a spiders webbe which when the winde bloweth vanisheth away Thou seest the greatnesse of thy disease but not the power of the Physitian and therfore thou despairest of pardon and comparest the mercy of God vnto thy sinnes To despaire is nothing else than to compare God to our sinnes If God being ouercome by the greatnesse of our sinnes can not forgiue thou detractest from his omnipotencie if he will not what hee can thou makest him a lier in that hee will not performe that which by the mouthes of so many his Prophets he hath so often promised vnto vs saying I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities Esa 43.25 and will remember them no more Put thou mee in remembrance I despaire more of thee because thou despairest and thou condemnest thy selfe more by despairing than by all the sinnes thou hast committed Thou vndoest thy selfe for euer if with the father of mercy thou haue not recourse to the remedies of repentance It is the death of the soule to commit any sin but to despaire of pardon is to descend into hell it selfe and therefore Iudas is sayd to offend God more in that he despaired of mercy and hanged himselfe than in that out of malice he betrayed him for despaire maketh a maâ— accursed and vnworthy the protection of God But lest thou shouldest gather from hence that God will not pardon thy despaire and thy greater
AN EXHORTATORY Instruction to a speedy resolution of repentance and contempt of the vanities of this transitory life BY SAMSON LENNARD LONDON Printed by M. B. for Edw. Blount and W. Barret 1609. TO THE RIGHT honorable my very good Lady the Lady Dacre of the South I Am not ignorant right honorable virtuous Ladie how poore a help the light of a candle giues vnto the cleere light of the Sun nor how meane a meanes these my labours are to eternize the memory of those your honourable virtues which like the Sun in his sphere disperse their gracious raies to as many as know you or heare of your name You are like the Sun adorned with your owne light as with a garment like the rose in the garden an ornament to your selfe Your honorable progenitors honor you your honorable virtues your progenitors And therfore far be it from you to thinke that my meaning is hereby to giue light to the Sun honor to your honors but as Dauid out of a consideration of the manifolde blessings he had receiued at Gods hands cried out What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits bestowed vpon me and presently answered I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord so I entring into a consideration with my self what I might returne for those great and manifolde bounties receiued from the hands of your worthie and honorable husband when I had considered what I might consider being guiltie of mine owne inabilities to returne one for a thousand I was inforced to say with Dauid I will take and not giue I will requite by asking more My humble petition therefore to your Ladiship is that you would be pleased to honor this little booke with your honorable protection which though it be offered to the publike view of the world yet it was written for you as not vnbefitting your yeers your zeale your vnderstanding your religion your honour This if you do you shall adde vnto the heape of your manifolde virtues and if with an honourable minde you shall take this from his hands whose custome it hath euer been rather to receiue than giue you shall double your bounties be liberall in receiuing and giuing too And thus wishing to your Ladiship a long life in this world and an eternall in the world to come I rest Your Ladiships in all dutie to be commanded Samson Lennard THE CONTENTS The first part CHAP. I. THat the life of man is vnstable and therefore repentance not to be deferred pag. 1 CHAP. II. How dangerous a thing it is to deferre our conuersion to the houre of death 17 CHAP. III. That our last day is hidden from vs to the end that all the daies of our life should be as our last 30 CHAP. IIII. The great inequalitie betwixt our present pleasures and the paines of hell 50 CHAP. V. That it is better to repent when we are yoong than to put it off vntill we be old 63 CHAP. VI. â—hat no man can repent and yet follow his pleasures 72 The second part CHAP. I. THat restitution is an excellent testimonie of remission of sinnes 91 CHAP. II. That man must not feare his confusion with men that will finde grace and fauour with God 106 CHAP. III. That the grace of God is to be preferred before all temporall riches 123 CHAP. IIII. Almes vnlawfully gotten please not God 140 The third part CHAP. I. THat God doeth not forgiue vs our trespasses except we forgiue those that trespasse against vs. 149 CHAP. II. That no worke that a man doeth be it neuer so good can be acceptable vnto God so long as he is not in charitie with his neighbour 161 CHAP. III. That it is not lawfull to strike him that striketh 169 CHAP. IIII. That by the example of Christ it is no hard matter for a man to pardon his neighbour as often as he offendeth 186 The fourth part CHAP. I. THat God forgiueth sinnes when with a true and contrite heart we consesse them vnto God 206 CHAP. II. That nothing is hidden from God and that at the day of iudgement the secrets of all hearts shall be reuealed 217 The fifth part CHAP. I. THat God is not subiect to passion and neuer forsakes a sinner before a sinner forsakes him 235 CHAP. II. A sinner how he falleth from one sinne into another and so is hardned in his sinnes 256 CHAP. III. That there is no man so great a sinner but by the power of the Creatour he may be conuerted 277 CHAP. IIII. That God is faithfull who suffereth vs not to be tempted aboue our power 292 CHAP. V. That the feare of backesliding should not hinder the rising of him that is fallen 311 CHAP. VI. â—ow miserable the despaire of a sinner is at the point of death 330 CHAP. VII â—f the paines of hell 364 The sixth part CHAP. I. THat we are sinners and haue need of the mercy of God 398 CHAP. II. That there is no sinne so great but by true repentance it may bee pardoned 410 CHAP. III. Examples of such as haue grieuously sinned and afterwards haue beene saued by repentance 421 CHAP. IIII. That God denieth not mercy to him that conuerteth since be inuiteth him that is auerted from him to conuersion 438 CHAP. V. That a sinner being changed God changeth his sentence 453 CHAP. VI. That euen at the point of death repentance may bee profitable to saluation 472 CHAP. VII Of the ioyes of Heauen 484 THE FIRST PART of the exhortatory instruction to repentance and first of the speed to be vsed therein CHAP. I. That the life of man is vnstable and therefore repentance not to be deferred FIRST thou wilt perhaps alledge against thy selfe deare brother â—hat thou canst not vpon the â—udden free thy selfe from â—hy accustomed pleasures What a sinner obiecteth against himselfe and that when thou art old thou wilt be more willing to withstand the temptations and allurements of pleasure and repent thee of thy sinnes Res What man is there that liueth and shal not see death The necessitie of Death Heb. 9. It is appointed vnto men that they should once die from which generall sentence that no man should wax proud no man is exempted Which if it bee true I would but know of thee how long thou thinkest the pleasures of this transitory life may continue with thee For my part I can not imagine that the vttermost thou canst hope can be aboue fifty yeeres The vncertaintie of the day of death in which time see how many dangers hang ouer thy head First there is no man be hee neuer so yoong that can assuredly promise vnto himselfe to liue vntill night Death vshereth an olde man goeth before him comes behinde a yoong man takes him vnawares and to them both nothing is more certaine than death nothing more vncertain than the houre place meanes and maner of death Varro in his prouerbs Neither is it maruell if thou
wound hatred for hatred presently added But I say vnto you resist not euill but whosoeuer shall smite thee on thy right cheeke turne to him the other also Which law hee himselfe obseruing was readie for the saluation of vs all not only to turn the other cheek but in his whole bodie to be crucified that being taught by his example thou shouldest rather offer thy other cheeke than being stricken to strike againe for scholars must be followers of their master And yet wilt thou being stricken strike againe when thou art commanded rather to turne thy other cheeke But perhaps thou thinkest that if thou strike him thou hast giuen him cause to feare to strike againe yea thou hast prouoked him the rather to strike again for wrath is not pacified by wrath but more inflamed and an iniurie receiued by reuenge is not taken away but increased For what end can there be of mutuall iniuries if euery man proceed in the reuenge of his owne wrongs Enmitie on both sides increaseth hatreds grow strong reuenge more bloody If therefore he haue wronged thee haue recourse to thy superiours take a lawfull course against him by which meanes thou shalt right thy selfe better and hurt him more If hee haue iustly stricken thee be angry with thy own fault not with him because he persecuteth not thy selfe but thy sinne It is lighted vpon thee for thy owne correction Thou hast sinned but thou hast not yet receiued worthie punishment for thy sinne but thou art lesse hurt than thou deseruest and the reuenge is farre inferiour to thy sault the punishment comes farre short of thy desert It was his purpose perhaps to punish thy sinne it is thy part thankfully to accept of this discipline If thy conscience tell thee thou deseruest as much as he gaue thee why doest thou adde sinne vnto sinne by thy impatiencie Forgiue him therefore lest thou forgiue not thy self for hee could not persecute thee if hee were not permitted by the Lord either to punish some sin that is in thee or thereby to double thy ioy in that being wicked thou art corrected being good exerciseth If a childe had discretion hee would not hate the rod which his mother takes into her hand for his amendment But suppose thy enemie do offend thee vniustly perhaps thou hast as vniustly offended him and yet hee hath taken no indirect course to bee reuenged vpon thee but with patience hath borne thy wrongs or perhaps though he now wrong thee yet in former times hee hath pleasured thee as much and if so it is the part of an ingratefull minde by remembring one wrong to forget many benefits But let vs yeeld vnto thee that thou didst neuer offend him and that thou neuer receiuedst any benefit at his hands yet it is an vnworthy thing to make thy selfe more wicked by reuenging another mans wickednesse and to commit a new sinne by punishing another mans iniquitie Hee hath offended thee but yet such are his offences as they no way equall those for which thou beggest forgiuenesse at Gods hands As often as hee offendeth thee so often doth hee minister occasion to thee of the remission of thy sinnes at Gods hands if thou remit his Whereas if all men were perfect how couldest thou suffer any thing for Gods cause Many times it falleth out that thine enemie doth thee more good than thy friend for he whilest he accuseth thee of thy faults compelleth thee to flie from them ministreth vnto thee matter of patience and occasion to humble thy thoughts touching thy selfe whereas thy friend by flattering thee cheereth thee vp in thy infirmities prouoketh thee to iterate thy sinnes and whilest thou hearest thy selfe commended by him he is an occasion either of vaine glorie or error But perhaps thou wilt say that thy enemy is not worthy to be forgiuen Res Yea my deare brother is not thine enemy worthy to bee forgiuen and is there any worth in thee why God should pardon thee those manifold transgressions committed against him What wert thou when he laid down his life for thee wert thou not his enemie What hadst thou deserued at his hands that he should pardon thee The Creatour forgiueth his creature and shall not one creature forgiue another one sinner another sinner If God as often as thou hast offended him should as often haue reuenged himself vpon thee and entred into a strict examination of thy sinnes thou haddest long since perished and beene damned in hell With how great loue doth the Lord tolerate thee euerie day iterating thy old sinnes â— With how great mercy yea being grieuously offended doth he receiue him that repenteth him of his sinnes and turnes vnto him With how great liberalitie though thou euery day offend doth hee euery day suffer thee to inioy his benefits O euill seruant the Lord forgaue thee all thy debt Matth. 18.32 because thou praiedst him oughtest not thou also to haue pitie on thy fellowes euen as he had pitie on thee If therefore thine enemy be vnworthy to be forgiuen and that thou do good for ill yet there is worth enough in Christ that for his sake thou shouldest doe it with whom thou hast deserued to bee thus punished howsoeuer thou hast not deserued of thine enemie to be thus afflicted The good are scourged by God the Iudge of all by the ministerie and helpe of wicked men whom hee vseth as his torturers and the executioners of his iustice and as a louing father after the chasticement of his childe casteth the rod into the fire so our God the father of vs all those wicked that he vseth in this world for the chastisement of his children when hee hath finished his work he casteth into hell fire and reuengeth himselfe vpon them for the reuenge they haue done vpon his children according to that hee hath premised Rom. 12. Vengeance is mine and I will repay Hath not God sufficiently reuenged thy wrong vpon thy enemie in that for thy cause hee hath withdrawne from him his grace In that hee hath powred forth his wrath vpon him and condemned him to eternall punishment which deseruedly he inflicteth vpon him if without repentance hee depart out of this life And therefore thou hast not so much reason to be angrie with him as to bee mooued with compassion towards him Howsoeuer thine enemie rage against thee better is thy iust sorrow in bearing thy wrong than his vniust ioy in offering it Leaue therefore reuenge vnto God whose it is and when he hath reuenged thy quarrell sufficiently let not thy cruelty euer wound thine enemy and persecute him The seruant is not aboue his lord nor the disciple aboue his master nor man aboue God Thy fellow seruant thy condisciple thy brother the lord in his iustice hath corrected and murmurest thou that art in the same condemnation and contentest thou not thy selfe with his sentence but still thinkest the law is in thy owne hands and thou maiest bee Iudge in thy owne cause Perhaps by
ought the disciple to loue them whilest he liueth But thou a base contemptible worme a polluted peece of dung when thou seest the King of glory forgiuing his contumelies pardoning the agonies and torments of his Crosse art yet being prouoked with the least wrong that may be stirred vp to furie and desire of reuenge and offerest greater wrongs than thou hast receiued Thou doest what hurt thou canst and thou threatnest more than thou canst and when thou canst not or darest not openly to reuenge thy wrongs thou inwardly frettest and boilest with malice and in vain thou afflictest thy selfe and not thy enemie For as the good will of a man when there wants ability of performance hath a reward so thy ill will seeking after reuenge scapes not vnpunished because God considereth not so much what thou hast done as what thou wouldst haue done if thou hadst been able Wherfore deare brother incline the obstinacy of thy impatient minde to mercy and following the steps of our lord and master let it not seeme hard vnto thee to forgiue thy enemy as often as thy enemy shall offend thee that euery day those sinnes may bee remitted that thou doest euery day commit that whilest thou pardonest thy neighbor light and small wrongs God may pardon thee great and greeuous For if thou truly repent thou must prepare thy self to endure wrongs and neuer be mooued when thou hearest thy sinnes obiected against thee By this which hath beene spoken thou plainly seest in how damnable a state thou liuest so long as thou harborest malice and rancor in thy heart against thy neighbour To the end therefore thou maiest become a new man The conclusion if thou haue any thing against thy neighbour forgiue it and God will forgiue thee which if thou doe not thinke it is vaine for thee to beg forgiuenesse at Gods hands for such as thou art towards thy fellow seruant thou shalt finde him Thou hast power nay there is a necessity imposed vpon thee to forgiue any man that shall wrong thy selfe for any cause whatsoeuer but if he shall sinne against God or his neighbour it is not in thy power to remit but thou art to vse thy best indeuour to haue him punished by law not out of ill will but out of that will wherewith a father correcteth his childe whom hee cannot hate But thou contrarily in the wrongs of God and thy neighbour art calme and quiet but in thy owne thou art furious and violent wherein thou expressest thy little loue towards God and thy neighbor Neither is it any wonder at all if thou louest not God whom thou canst not see when thou canst not loue thy neighbour whom thou seest knowest whom if thou haue first offended bee first reconciled vnto him if he be thy enemy be friendly to him that thou maiest so win him to bee thy friend and though hee haue first offended thee yet bee thou first reconciled vnto him and so thou shalt winne vnto thy selfe a twofold blessing one because thou hast patiently endured wrong another because thou art the first that inuitest thine enemy to vnity and concord Consider with thy selfe what S. Paul for our instruction saith 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then are we Embassadours for Christ as thogh God did beseech you through vs wee pray you in Christs stead that yee bee reconciled to God So that we see that by sin we haue made an enmitie betwixt God and vs and yet God preuenteth vs and first sendeth his messengers of peace vnto vs that we that haue sinned may bee at peace with God Blush therfore if thou be backward since thy Sauior Christ Iesus is so forward who is blessed for euer and euer The Fourth Part of the exhortation to repentance CHAP. I. That God forgiueth sins when with a true and contrite heart wee confesse them vnto God FOurthly it may be thou wilt saie thou couldest bee content to repēt but that it is necessarie to repentance that thou confesse thy sinnes vnto God that thou art ashamed to do Resp First my deare brother let me propose this example vnto thee A theefe stealeth before the king and is taken in his theft and yet though his theft be manifest hee will not confesse it whereupon hee is condemned to die and being bound hand and foot conueied to his execution His king being moued to compassion saith vnto him my friend thou knowest that I tooke thee with the theft in thy hands but thou fearing least by mee thou shouldest bee thought a theefe obstinately deniest thy offence whereof I am an eie witnesse and for this cause as thou seest art thou condemned Neuerthelesse to the end that my good nesse may ouercome thy wickednesse I wil haue mercy vpon thee and deliuer thee from this shamefull death If thou wilt acknowledge thy offence and say I haue sinned O Lord and done wickedly in thy sight What thinkest thou it is fit this theefe should do vpon so kinde and so mercifull an offer Should hee not confesse his offence and say I haue sinned But if he be so obstinate that hee will rather die than acknowledge his offence hath not this king reason to execute his iudgement vpon him is not the theefe for his obstinacie woorthie to be hanged Thou art this wicked wretch who in the presence of God to whose eies all things are naked and open Heb. 4.13 Psal 118. and in whose sight are all thy wares hast greenously offended and art apprehended in the works of thy hands And because the reward of sinne is death Rom. 6. and the soule which hath sinned shall die therefore the sentence of eternall death is pronounced against thee And whilest thou refusest to foresee those imminent dangers that interrupt thy present ioies thou runnest blindfold to the pit of hell being fast bound in thine iniquities with no other irons than thy iron will The diuel hath captiuated thy will whereby hee hath made an iron chaine wherewith hee draweth thee fast bound to the pit of hel But behold the goodnesse of God hath couered thy wickednes his piety thy impietie hee hath seene thee sinning and yet forbeareth he tollerateth thee resisting him and still calleth thee vnto him by his Prophet Esai 43.25 I euen I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Put mee in remembrance let vs bee iudged together count thou that thou maiest be iustified O vpon how easie a condition doth the Lord promise to forget thy sinnes Onely call thou to remembrance and count them and thou shalt bee iustified Onely forget not thy sinnes and hee forgiues vncouer and he couereth thy shame with righteousnesse open and hee shuteth Preuent the wrath of an angrie Iudge by accusing thy selfe yea be angry with thy selfe and let not thy owne mouth spare thee for then thou beginnest to bee iustified when thou beginnest to be thy owne accuser Open the eies of thy faith and
consider how great ioies are promised vnto thee in heauen how great torments are prepared for thee in hell which that thou maiest auoid and attaine the ioies of heauen see how easie a thing it is that is required of thee in this world that is Psal 51.4 onely with a contrite heart and an assured faith in the merits of Christ Iesus to cry out against thee Psal 32.5 O Lord against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse Which if from thy hart thou vtter vnto God he will remit thy sinnes and will remember thy iniquities no more yea before thy mouth can vtter this confession thou shalt feele in thy hart thy remission and with ioy comfort thou shalt assure thy selfe thy sinnes are forgiuen thee God requireth this confession out of a pure heart to no other end but to forgiue The mercy of our redeemer hath tempered the seueritie of the old law wherein it is often written Exod. 19. Hee that doth this or that shall be stoned to death But our Creator who hath turned the rigour of the law into mercy hath appeared in our flesh Leuit. 20. and hath promised mercy not death to as many as shall truely repent and confesse their sinnes O wonderfull compensation strange vicissitude of things That a man should reueale those sinnes vnto God that were neuer hidden from him and yet for so poore a seruice receiue so vnspeakeable a reward as remission of sinnes The prophet Dauid hauing committed that heinous and blooddy sinne against Vriah had no sooner cried out vnto the Lord I haue sinned but presently hee receiued comfort The Lord hath remooued thy sinne from thee The prodigall sonne Luke 15. who departing from his father spent his substance with riotous liuing did only say Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and presently his father running out to meet him kissed him O short speech I haue sinned three words that shut the mouth of hell and open the gate of Paradise O pity ô clemency ô the vnspeakable mercie of our God who in many things is grieuously offended and with one word of repentance is presently pleased forgiueth all our sinnes and openeth his bosom of mercy vnto vs There is no offence so grieuous but by repentance it may be pardoned and the Lord knoweth not how to denie him that with an humble contrite heart falleth downe before him for he that before this humble confession was the God of reuenge becommeth afterwards the Father of mercie and of a seuere Iudge hee is made a pitifull Father It changeth the sentence of his diuine iustice and openeth to the bottomlesse depth of thy miserie the bottombles depth of his mercies to the fountaine of thy iniquitie the fountaine of his goodnesse It giueth vnto thee to whom neither the heauens nor the earth are secure refuge and securitie in the bowels of Christ Iesus Christ hath opened his side vnto thee doe thou likewise open thy mouth vnto him and say Loe I will not refraine my lips ô Lord thou knowest And therefore my deare brother why fearest thou to confesse thy sins vnto God since by not confessing thou canst not hide them By confessing thou shalt make God propitious vnto thee whom by denying thy sinnes thou canst not make ignorant of them In his iudgement hee will spare thee if in thy confession thou spare not thy self If we acknowledge our sins 1. Ioh. 1.9 hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse CHAP. II. That nothing is hidden from God and that at the day of iudgement the secrets of all hearts shall bee reuealed THou slaue of sin whither fliest thou Thou carriest with thee thy selfe whither soeuer thou fliest Thine own conscience flies thee not it hath no place to flie vnto It followeth thee it departs not from thee The sinnes it hath committed are within which do miserably afflict it and whilest the gnawing worme dies not in it euen in this life it feeles the torments of hell The corruption that is in an vlcer greeues not being cast out and sin tormenteth not when by confession it is detected But thou thinkest otherwise and so long as thy sins are secret vnto thy selfe all is well But thou must vnderstand that howsoeuer men are ignorant of thē yet from God they cannot be hid Men look vpon the outside God searcheth the hart God seeth not as man seeth man lookes vpon the face God vpon the heart There is no creature inuisible to his eies but all things are naked and open vnto him He seeth he beholdeth all things neither is there any place hidden from his omnipotencie To him all hearts lie open all wils speake and hee pierceth into the depth of euery mans thoughts he inquireth more exactly into them than the heart it self knoweth them more inwardly And therfore there can bee no place to lying none to dissimulation and it profiteth nothing to include thine own sinnes within thine owne conscience for thy inward parts lie open vnto God and as thy eares are to thy voice so the eares of God are to thy thoughts Canst thou then thinke thy selfe hid from God since the secrets of thy heart lie open vnto him Canst thou thinke hee sees thee not committing vncleannesse that saw thy first thought when thou wentest about it He knowes all things before they are and canst thou thinke he knowes them not when they are Before thou diddest commit these sinnes hee knew them when thou diddest commit them hee was present and canst thou think if thou confesse them not he can be ignorant of them Yea by how much the more thou refusest to confesse thy sinnes by so much the more doest thou lay them open before God Thou hidest not thy selfe from the Lord but the Lord from thee for thou takest a course not to see him that seeth all things not that hee should see thee Thou canst not see him but yet inuisibly hee seeth all that thou doest Doest thou thinke thy sinnes are not seene by him because they are not punished by him Yea hee is so much the more angrie with thee because hee vouchsafeth not euen now to bee angrie with thee Now is the begining of thy damnation because thou abusest the patience and long sufferance of so good and mercifull a God For the Lord hath seene thy sinnes not that he might approoue them but condemne them not to fauour them but to punish them not that hee might alwaies suffer and attend but at the last punish thee with a more heauie reuenge For doest thou thinke that God is like vnto thee That he seeth thy sinnes and will let them passe vnpunished Indeed he were like vnto thy selfe if he would do so but assure thy selfe he doth but deferre the punishment he taketh it not away Thou on the other fide wilt not only not punish them but
with his grace It is a hard thing and onely possibly to the power of God to soften the heart of a man for that which neither by the patience and long sufferance of God is woon to repentance nor is toucht with compunction that which is not broken with feare nor sofrned with loue but is hardned as well with scourges as with benefits lastly that which feareth neither God nor man who can rent in sunder but he that in his passion rent the vaile of the Temple Matt. 27 51. and cloue the stones Who can take away a stonie heart and giue a fleshy heart but hee from whom commeth euerie good and perfect gift euen the Father of light A great sinner hath need of great mercie that where sinue did abound grace may superabound The Lord is faithfull Wisd 1.13 hee hath not made death neither hath hee pleasure in the destruction of the liuing hee will not the death of a sinner but that he conuert and liue For he whose desire it is that sinners doe repent and therby returne vnto God wil not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue our strength but with the temptation will giue vs power to resist and by how much the more fraile we are and in greater necessitie so much the more ready is he to helpe vs if the fault bee not our owne as in the siege of a citie the greatest aide is sent to defend that place that is weakest and where the enemie is strongest The Lord is faithfull and hee that saieth Come vnto mee all yee that labour and are heauie laden and I will refresh you cannot denie himselfe For as a Physician suffereth many wrongs and railing speeches of his lunatike patient and yet is not angry with him but doeth neuerthelesse whatsoeuer the nature of the disease doeth require to the curing thereof wherewith though the sicke man bee afflicted yet on the part of the Physician his affliction is no reuenge of the wrongs receiued from his patient but the cure of his infirmitie in as much as if the sicke man being to recouer health the Physician receiueth ioy and comfort therat with greater alacritie proceedeth in his cure and forgetteth his former iniuries euen so our Lord God whose propertie it is to haue mercy and to forgiue who iudgeth with loue and with great respect disposeth of vs when we are in our greatest madnesse of sinne is neuer moued against vs with any affection of reuenge for those sins we hane committed And forasmuch as he is impassible he punisheth not our sinnes in this life with passible anger but with vnspeakable clemencie with the affection of a Physician not a torturer and that hee doeth not for himselfe as reuenging his wrongs for the nature of God is not capable of any such thing but for our correction and benefit As a louing mother is angry with her sonne that hath offended her reprehendeth him chidech beateth him whom neuerthelesse if she shall see to runne into any danger of his estate or life she presently helpeth him putteth foorth her hand nay endangereth her owne life to saue his and that childe whoÌ„ being angry she did beat as if she had not loued him now she holdeth him vp and saueth him as if she had not been angry when shee beat him Euen so God chastiseth vs for our finnes to protect vs sinners and for the most part out of his mercy he sendeth a temporal punishment lest out of his iustice he should inflict an eternall reuenge And if any man shall persist in his hardnesse and with Pharo grow more whose 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 hath long expected not connerted he adiudgeth to â—ernall damnation As a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his garden or 〈◊〉 planteth a tree not that 〈◊〉 should bee cut downe 〈◊〉 cast into the fire and 〈◊〉 when after a long expestâ—â— on he seeth it to bring 〈◊〉 no fruit he cutteth it down and burnes it So our 〈◊〉 full God cutteth off no 〈◊〉 from the land of the 〈◊〉 that yeeldeth any fruit 〈◊〉 testimonie of a true faith 〈◊〉 in that hee willeth the 〈◊〉 of a sinner it is by 〈…〉 sinne committed not of 〈◊〉 selfe but by his conseqâ—â—â— will as Diuines call it 〈◊〉 by he willeth for some 〈◊〉 alreadie done or before all beginnings foreseene and according to this will he would that all reprobates should bedamned whoÌ„ afterwards by his anteced ent will he would saue by al meanes ministing them occasion to attaine saluation As it is the will of a Law-giuer that all his Citizens should bee good and peaceable farre from committing those offences which vpon paine of death he hath forbidden and yet if his ownsonne bee he neuer so deare vnto him transgresse the law hee must die the death though it bee much against the will of his 〈…〉 by his owne 〈…〉 serued death 〈…〉 ture which in our 〈◊〉 rents was whole and entire by their sinne is wholly corrupted and hath altogether lost both righteousnesse and immortality wherby it could beget no other but corrupt vnrighteous and mortal children who as in Adam sining they haue sinned so in the same Adam dying they are dead And therfore whosoeuer hee bee that hath escaped death let him giue thanks vnto God in that hee hath escaped death that was due vnto him and found life not due vnto him To him that is deliuered mercie is shewen without desert to the end hee may giue thanks vnto God vpon him that his damned iustice is executed with desert to the end hee should reprehend nothing in God that neither he should glory in his owne worth nor this complaine of his owne vnwoorthinesse For how should God iustly be accused in his iudgements when hee iustly condemneth a guiltie offender When a debt is truly demanded how can the creditour be iustly condemned So that neither in requiring nor remitting what is due is God with whom there can be no iniustice vniust There is mercy acceptable where reuenge is iust that thereby it may more plainly appeare to him that is freed from iust punishment freely iustified how great a benefit is conferred vpon him in that another not more guiltie than himselfe without any iniustice in him that punisheth is iustly chastized Ro. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome knowledge of Godâ— how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out For who hath knowen the waies of the Lord or who hath beene his counsellour From that which hath been spoken thou maiest gather deere brother how thou runnest from one sinne into another and by long custom art hardned in them thou working it in thy selfe and God withdrawing hiâ— speciall grace from thee God is patient and of lonâ— sufferance hee tollerateâ— thee for beareth and expecteth thee to repentance being alwaies readie to take from thee thy stonie heart and to giue vnto thee a fleshie hart and to mollifie thy benummed insensible hardnesse with the deaw of his grace And though he
1. Cor. 10.13 that ye may be able to beare it If God be with thee what can the diuell doe against thee Temptations if thou looke into thy selfe are great if vnto God a strong and a mightie warriour they are a play and a shadow Looke vpon little Dauid fighting with great Goliah in the name of the Lord and killing him and from Gods assistance therein hope thou for the like Thou must not feare a strong enemie so long as thou hast GOD thy helper stronger than he but watch and pray lest thy confidence in a stronger than hee make thee too carelesse of thy strong aduersarie against whom if thou fight valiantly thou art stronger than hee but if thou neglect him thou art weaker The negligence of man makes the diuell strong not his owne power for he tempteth daily that whom by force hee can not conquer hee may at the last ouercome by a tedious pursute Take thou onely heed thou consent not to his suggestions remembring alwaies that he is a lier and the father of lies but rather resist him valiantly which if thou do trusting vpon Gods assistance thou shalt easily supplant him Christ was tempted of the diuell in the desert Matt. 4 that making experience of our infirmities hee might learne to compassionate them hee ouercame his temptations that he might likewise giue vs power to ouercome ours as hee was willing on the crosse to suffer death that by his death hee might destroy ours If then the tempter was not afeard to tempt his Lord God how much more will he dare to tempt others Thy Lord GOD was not freed from temptation how then canst thou a poore worme of the earth thinke to escape it Thou art therefore prouoked by his example to beare thy temptations whose helpe thou wantest to ouercome them Wherefore deare brother when thou art tempted flie with faith vnto Christ that was tempted Go vnto his throne of grace that thou maiest obteine mercy and thou shalt easily obteine it Lay open thy afflictions before him reueale vnto the Lord thy waies and hope in him and hee will helpe thee and hide thy sinnes For who hath called vpon the Lord and hath beene forsaken Who hath hoped in him and hath beene confounded Psal 37. The Lord is a mercifull protector vnto all that call vpon him in trueth CHAP. V. That the feare of backesliding should not hinder the rising of him that is fallen BVT thou wilt say that thou art assured thou canst not wholly abstaine from sinne and therefore because thou fearest thou shalt fall againe thou wilt not begin to repent lest thy last errour be woorse than the first Res There are two vessels my deare brother that are often times polluted with filth whereof the one is manie times made cleane the other neuer toucht which of these two wilt thou say is the fouler or the more hardly scoured and clensed Doubtles thou wilt say that which is often fould and neuer made cleane Applie this to thy selfe Canst thou thinke it shal be more happy for thee if without repentance thou neuer cease to adde sinne vnto sinne than if thou often fall and often rise againe and as often haue thy sinnes forgotten and forgiuen thee He that often riseth cannot fal so often as another because by a frequent repentance hee is withdrawen from manie of his sins and offendeth God with more feare neither is he burthened with so manie sinnes who of God is absolued of many by repentance But he that taketh no care to arise from sinne is ouerladen with the heauie burthen of al his sinnes and out of the malice of his owne will sinnes incessantly and many times that is turned into sin which in another is a helpe and furtherance to saluation As a spider turnes holsome sustenance into poison Ro. 8.28 but all things work together for the best vnto them that loue GOD. For in the good all things are good euen those things that to the euil would be cuill And no otherwise with the wicked many things are done wickedly which with the godly are free from sinne As wee see that poison is death to a man that is life to a serpent and that fire taketh awaie the rust from iron that consumeth a softer matter It is not so great a sinne to fall as being fallen to lie still or to be vnwilling to rise and it is a woorse thing to contemne repentance than to transgresse the law of God for so indeed the last errour is woorse than the first If being cast into prison thou refuse to come forth because thou fearest to be committed againe will not men thinke thee a foole or a madde man If thou shouldest lie sicke of a dangerous sicknesse wouldest thou refuse to haue thy health restored because thou fearest to fall into the same disease againe If therefore thou art fallen arise If thou cease not to fall againe cease not to rise againe The ship that doeth often times take a leake is as often emptied and thou brushest thine apparell as often as it is fouled Pro. 24. The iust man falleth seuen times a day and as often hee riseth but yet hee loseth not the name or title of a iust man that alwaies riseth by repentance So thou so soone as thou knowest thy selfe to sinne presently flie backe to an inward contrition of hart haue but a desire to repent and to amend thy life in which desire if sudden death shall preuent thee thy soule is at rest which otherwise being taken in thy sinnes by sudden death is damned in hell Doest thou not know that it is not the condition of a combate that a man doe neuer fall but that hee neuer yeeld for hee is not said to bee ouercome that is often ouerthrowen but that cannot rise againe to renue the fight And canst thou repaire thy strength or make resistance when hauing left thy target and cast off thine armour thou yeeldest thy selfe to thy enemies and submittest thy selfe to their willes when as soone as thou art wounded thou fliest and returnest not to the battell If in the middest of the fight thou art fallen make speed to rise againe If thou art wounded applie presently a medicine thereunto If the diuell haue giuen thee a fall by tempting thee to sinne arise againe by repentance and make head against him Dauid fell into the sinne of adultery to adultery he ioyned murther but what fell out afterwards Did he lie still and continue therein Did he not arise again and became more strong against his enemy and at last ouercame him The diuell as much as in him lieth helpeth thee sinning giues the means opportunity lest if thou shouldest desist from sinne and rise by repentance thy soule should escape out of his hands and his labors should bee frustrate The diuell by how much the longer he possesseth a man by so much the more hardly doeth he let him goe for because he cannot arise vnto life he
spirituall graces by sinne art made vnworthy the bread that thou eatest and being depriued of thy greatest good art fallen into thy greatest miserie As vertue is the beauty of the soule so sin is the deformity thereof If thou sawest thy soule thou wouldest blush at the basenesse and misery thereof and wouldest endeuour to recouer the grace of her ancient dignitie If thou haue an arrow in thy body thou hastenest to plucke it out and if thou fall into the durt thou arisest presently The hurt silth of thy bodie doest thou with such diligence desire to free thy selfe of and yet art thou content to suffer thy soule to wallow in her pollution And though the soule was not made for the bodie but the bodie for it yet thou neglectest the care of thy soule and followest that of the bodie with all that is in thee Thou that neglectest thy soule though thou take care to trim vp thy body yet thou neglectest them both whereas if thou tookest care to adorne thy soule though thou neglect thy body thou sauest both CHAP. VI. How miserable the despaire a sinner is at the point of death Consider a little my deare brother how often and how grieuously thou hast offended thy Lord God yea more often more grieuously than many who are now deseruedly tormented in the fire of hell and then call vnto minde how great a benefit God hath bestowed on thee in staying and attending that he might haue mercy on thee in yeelding vnto thee out of his mercy a time of repentance who long since shouldest haue beene tormented in hell fire Whereas if God a iust Iudge strong and patient in al those houres and moments wherein thou hast offended him had permitted thee as he hath diuers others to haue died a sudden death alas where had thy soule beene The Lord hath brought thy soule out of hell Psal 30. hee hath reuiued thee from them that goe downe into the pit and yet thou ceasest not to sinne but more and more thou drawest neere to the gates of hell If all that are damned in bel had but halfe an houre of thy life that by repentance they might rise to a glorious life dost thou think that as thou doest so they would spend it vnprofitablie and neglect their present opportunitie What would they not doe to free themselues from the torment of that fire But thou on the other side whilest the merciful God giueth thee a time of repentance abusest it out of the malice of thy nature to the committing of greater wickednesse The daies will come yea they wil come and not faile Luk. 23. wherin despairingly thou shalt say to the hilles fall vpon me to the mountaines couer mee and then thou shalt crie out for a time of repentance but thou shalt crie not be heard For it is iust that thou that wouldest not turne vnto God whilest â—hou mightest shouldest not haue power to doe it when thou wouldest doe it too late God after death forgiueth not him that before death thought scorne to aske forgiuenesse Wherefore whilest thou hast time doe good for the night will come when thou canst not labour Consider a little vnhappie man that thou art if sudden death should haue inuaded thee impenitent ouerladen with many sinnes not giuing thee any time of repentance in the time instant of death how miserable had thy despaire beene How great had the terror of thy mind been how vnspeakable the feare of the Iudge how great a horror of imminent torment in hell had inuaded thee Then with million of teares thou wouldest thus haue bewailed thine owne damnation O fading and deceitful life full of many snares The complaint of a sinner dying Yesterday I did reioice now I am sorie then I laught now I weepe then I was strong now I am weake then I liued now I die then I seemed happie now am serable and a wretched creature I do not so much lament my departure out of this life as the losse of those daies and moneths and yeeres wherein I haue laboured in vaine and in vaine haue spent the strength of my daies All the time that was giuen mee to liue I haue spent in all maner of sinne and iniquitie and so long as I liued I rather obeied mine own concupiscence than the inspirations precepts of God This rotten carcase of mine which the wormes are presently to denoure I euer tooke care to helpe and to comfort but my soule which presentlie shall be brought before God and his Angels vnto iudgement I contemned 2 King 4.27 tooke no care with vertue and religion to adorne it and this is the cause why my soule is vexed within mee O my vanitie ô my pride ô my pleasure whether are yee gone what haue you profited me What haue you left vnto me for all the seruice I haue done vnto you in the whole course of my life Nothing but a gnawing and tormenting conscience For your seruice I made my selfe an enemie vnto God a slaue to the diuell I lost heauen and got hell I lost infinite ioies and got eternall lamentation I am depriued of the societie of Angels and haue made my selfe a companion to the citizens of nell Pleasures and riches and honors with all the fading allurements of this deceitful world are past and gone and they are as if they neuer had been Wisd 1. they quickly appeared and as speedily they vanish yea they are past away like a shadow like an arrow flying in the aire like a messenger that passeth and is gone like a ship in the sea whose path is not seene The time of my life is past and glided away it cannot return in whose though shortest delay ô how much good could I haue done ô how great a treasure of spirituall goods could I haue gathered vnto my selfe which now in my fading time might haue made mee friends in the eternall tabernacles of God! of the least whereof I should now more reioice than of millions of gold and siluer But a good purpose without a beginning a will without worke good promises without execution and the expectation of a morrow that neuer came haue vndone me Wo be vnto me that so long put it off so long delayed my conuersion How happie is a mature repentance and conuersion because secure Whereas hee that repenteth too late can neuer bee sure because hee knoweth not whether hee repent truely or fainedly for it is likely that hee rather repenteth out of a feare of punishment than out of loue towards God O my gold and siluer ô my possessessions my precious garments wherein I was wont to content my selfe I faile you you faile not me I leaue you I can not carrie you with mee Oh that I had beene so happie as neuer to haue seene you that of all men liuing I had beene the poorest for then had I neuer beene called to an account either for misspending or vniustly detaining you O
that I had beene of all the shepheards in the field the basest and had had the charge but onely of my selfe for then would not the Lord require at my hands the souls of those my subiects whose saluation I haue neglected O my riches my honours my delights yee cannot free me from death from stench from worms from rottennes yee cannot plucke me out of the hands of the liuing God O death dost thou oppresse mee vnawares How bitter vnto me is the remembrance of thee how fearefull is thy presence Whereas if liuing and in health I had foreseene thee and by liuing well had learnt to die well I had not now feared thee Blessed art thou Arsenus who alwaies haddest this houre before thine eies Three things there are which I now greatly feare First when my soule shall depart out of the prison of this my bodie into a place which it knoweth not Secondly when it is to appeare before the Iudge and to bee presented before his tribunall seat Thirdly when it is to heare that irreuocable sentence either with it or against it But thou my Lord and Sauior Christ Iesus whose propertie it is alwaies to haue mercy and to forgiue who hast said That at what time soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinne thou wilt put out all his wickednesse out of thy remembrance though I haue contemned those times of repentance that thou hast affoorded me of all other men haue most offended thee am altogether vnwoorthy to be called thy sonne yet mindefull of thy mercies which haue beene from the beginning giue mee thy assistance to escape this death some small time to my wished repentance Adde some few yeeres to my life some moneths or at least some daies Giue mee leaue a little that I may lament my sinnes and call to minde my forepassed yeeres in the bitternesse of mine owne soule because if I die in this state I am now in my end must needs be eternall damnation But if out of thy meere mercy goodnesse thou shalt pardon mee I will be bold with thy gracious assistance to promiseamendement of life onely in this state let not my soule die lest it bee buried in the bottomlesse pit of hell Now heare how the malignant spirits laugh at thy miseries and with one voice say vnto thee Behold the man that took not God for his strength Psa 52.7 but trusted to the multitude of his riches put his strength in his malice Let vs sing to this miserable caitife a dirge of death because hee is the sonne of death and his mear is vnquenchable fire he is an enemie of the light and a friend of darknesse He hath laboured for vs hath alwaies bound himselfe vnto vs hath gotten vs many followers let vs therefore pay him the due hire of al his labors But what other reward haue we to bestow vpon him but that eternal vnquenchable fire which is prepared for vs and our consorts He is ours because hee was apprehended in our seruice full of sinne and iniquitie Why doe wee staie Why stand wee heere idle Come let vs binde him hand and foot cast him into vtter darknesse where shall bee weping gnashing of teeth Come let vs preferre him to plagues and punishment enough and neuer bee there peace with him For what other end doe we staie but to see his wretched soule seperated from his body that passing out we may receiue it and together draw it to the bottomlesse pit of hell there to remain in vnspeakable torment for euer and euer Now heare how in thy discomforts they comfort thee O wretched poore and miserable man since those pleasures which thou hast folowed in thy whole life haue forsaken thee not thou them since vnwillingly for feare of punishment thou turnest vnto God fearest any longer to serue the world which thou wouldest not doe if yet thou haddest any hope to liue any longer Euery man hath his time appointed to die and this is thy time for thou shalt die and not liue Looke a little vpon the multitude of those sinnes which as yet thou hast neuer confessed vnto God which as yet haue neuer touched thy hart with the least contrition that may bee how dying canst thou for shame confesse them when liuing and in health thou wouldest neuer Looke vpon the small number of thy good works in respect of thy wicked and how mean a proportion thy good deeds carry to the infinite ioies of the elect Looke vpon the seuere iustice of a iust Iudge which requireth a strait account euen of an idle word In the whole race of thy life thou hast persecuted God and now thinkest thou that a momentarie repentance can winne him to mercie No no neuer doubt but that thou art surely ours for in our seruice thou wert apprehended day and night thou hast serued vs yeelded to our suggestions thou hast performed the works of darknesse gotten vs manie soules greatly enlarged our kingdome Come therefore come into that furnace of fire into a land of burning pitch and sulphure where we may giue thee the due reward for all thy labors make thy condition like ours for like lords like seruants O wretched creature that thou art why diddest thou yeeld to our perswasions See he ere the reward that thou hast for it and see the coÌ„pany that thou hast made châ—â—ce of with whom thou must for euer burne in hell fire O thou proudest amongst men Why art thou not now proud Why takest thou not from other men that is not thine owne Why reuengest thou not thy wrongs Why dost thou not giue thy selfe to gluttony drunkennesse Why art thou not sorrie for another mans felicitie Where is thy immoderate appetite to libidinous pleasures Where thy inordinate loue of riches Where are thy precious garments and ornaments where thy daintie fare thy plaies sportings Thy immoderate ioy how it is vanished whether is it departed from thee Luk 16. Remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure thou hast plaied enough thou hast eat and drunke enough there is no rest for thee after death no pleasure Thou art ours let God take thee out of our handes if hee can Come therefore come with vs into the land of miserie and darknesse where is no order but euerlasting horror where thou must remaine for euer and euer Now heare into what despaire of saluation thou fallest by these diuellish insultations saying Truce till to morrow ô truce till to morrow Now at the last I see that I can liue no longer that the last day of my life is come which cannot be past I would stay but I am compelled to goe The way of saluation is shut vp from mee mercie is denied me and all hope is taken away from me Now there is no time of repentance or changing my life for the diuels haue coÌ„passed me about frighting me with strange horrible apparations who as dogges watch a Hare when she is put foorth
of her Form attend my miserable soule when it shal depart out of the prison of this my bodie that they may catch it and carrie it to bee tormented in hell O wretch that I am where shall my soule be this night Out alas hell is my house for euer and euer there I must dwell because whilest I daily sinned against mine owne conscience I made my selfe a fit inhabitant for so infernall a place Psa 18.4 The sorrowes of death haue compassed mee the snares of hell haue ouertooke me O great God to what end diddest thou make mee and broughtest mee into the world Why was I not carried from my baptisme to my graue It had been better for me neuer to haue been born and therefore let the day perish wherein I came into the world Cursed be my creation and thou accursed Satan be thou more accursed with all thy hellish rabble all thy suggestions cursed be the earth that bred mee the wombe that bare me the parents that begot mee cursed be euery creature vpō earth What is that my friends you talke together Do you not counsell mee to confesse my sinnes Do you not tell me that the mercy of God is great That is true I confesse but yet my sinnes are greater than that they can be forgiuen by the iust iudgement of God I am condemned what hee hath written hee hath written his sentence is irreuocable When I was in health and the strength of my bodie I could hardlie confesse my sinnes they were so numberlesse much lesse now in this agonie of death the sentence of my condemnation being pronounced am I able to do it O repentance where art thou By the iust iudgement of GOD heereafter I can not repent when I might I would not now I would I can not All yee that are present my friends learne to be wise by my fall and deferre not your repentance till your dying day lest doing as I haue done ye suffer as I doe Remember my iudgement such shall be yours also mine to day yours to morrow happie is he that by other mens harmes can learne to beware For euer farewell my friends and againe and againe fare ye well Beholde the diuels take holde of my miserable soule and carry it with them into hell Isa 30.10 I go to the gates of the graue I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing I shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the world Now heare how God vpbraiding thee with his benefits condemneth thee O wretched man of no worth vnprofitable worme of the earth what could I haue done for thee that I haue not done I created thee not a stone a tree a toad a bird nor any other creature but a man capable of reason according to mine owne image similitude and forsomuch as I made thee like my selfe by nature it was thy part to haue done thy best endeuour to make thy selfe like vnto me by will which forasmuch as thou hast not conformed to my will thou hast prophaned my similitude in thee Neuerthelesse though thou louedst me not I loued thee yea thou displeasing me I so loued thee as to work that in thee wherby thou mightest please me being proud thou didst contemne my commandements but I thus contemned ceased not to loue thee though thou wert proud but to the end I might recall thee vnto me I gaue thee my law and my faith To thee I sent my preachers nay for thee I once appeared visible to the world in the flesh of thy mortalitie and from the abundant plenitude of the kingdome of heauen I descended poore vpon the earth I raised the dead gaue sight vnto the blinde reduced the wanderers and iustified the wicked Three and thirty yeeres being seene vpon the earth and conuersant with men I refused not to serue thee and to procure thy saluation by preaching by labour by watching by fasting and that I might take away thine infirmities I willingly became weake for thee I was solde betrayed bound spit vpon hudwinckt buffeted scourged crowned crucified derided of all dranke vineger and gaule and that I might be the death of thy death for the nocent I died innocent For thee base worme as thou art I powred out not my golde nor my siluer but my pretious blood and for the redemption of so base a worm I spent my most pretious wares yea I spared not my selfe but I willingly offered me wholly to redeem thee all my members I gaue to the redemption of thee but thou hast imployed all thine to offend me for thee I gaue mine eyes to weeping wheras thou hast giuen thine to beholde the vanitie of this world I gaue mine eares to the hearing of wrongs and opprobrious speeches wheras thou hast giuen thine to the hearing of detractations and filthy speeches I gaue my mouth to taste vineger mixt with gaule whereas thou hast giuen thine to gluttony and lying and blasphemie I gaue my hands and my feete to be fastned with nailes to the crosse whereas thou hast giuen thine to murther and the spoile of the poore I gaue my hart to be wounded with a launce whereas thou hast giuen thine to the delights and pleasures of this life I haue loued more thy saluation than mine owne glorie with men whereas thou hast loued more a vile base creature than thy Creator to whom if thou be indebted for thy creation how much doest thou owe mee for thy recreation thy redemption ◠If thou did dest owe thy selfe vnto me when I gaue thee to thy selfe thou shouldest twice owe thy selfe vnto mee for restoring thee to thy selfe when thou wert lost Because thou wert both giuen and restored to thy selfe thou doest owe thy selfe wholly vnto me once and againe to mee I say who gaue thee thy life thy senses thy vnderstanding who made thee made thee good gaue thee thy being and thy well being Neither was it enough for me to offer my selfe for thee an oblation to God my Father but that I must-euerie day offer my selfe vnto thee to be seene and kissed and handled yea eaten too by a liuely faith though not carnally Comming into the world I gaue my self vnto thee as a companion Iam. 1.17 more stricken in yeres as thy sustenance dying as thy prise reigoing as thy reward What better thing could I euen I from whom euery good gift and euery perfect gift commeth bestow vpon thee than my selfe What should I say more Tit. 3.5 My Angels I haue giuen vnto thee as thy gardians but thou contemnest their charge By the washing of the new birth I clensed thee from all thy sinnes I haue instructed thee in my faith hauing often died a spirituall death I haue often raised thee and iustly depriued of the kingdome of heauen I haue restored thee to thine ancient inheritance I haue often spared thee and thou fallest the more often I haue opened
with the shadow of death a land of miserie mourning and lamentation where is darknesse and death and no order but euerlasting horror from which Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour saue and defend vs Amen By this and much more that may bee spoken The conclusion of the fifth part thou plainly seest deare brother how much it stands thee vpon whilest thou hast time to turne vnto God Wherefore thou that wouldest not staie whilest thou wert well returne whilest thou haft time and thou that wouldest not stand when thou wert vpon thy legges now thou art fallen rise againe What sinnes soeuer thou hast committed in thy youth bewaile with teares wash away the spots of thy forepassed life what thy workes haue polluted let thy lamentations purifie As a new borne babe 1. Pet. 2. desire the sincere milk of the word returne as a little childe into the lappe of thy mother the eternall wisedome of God and sucke the teats of his diuine mercy that so thou maiest grow vnto saluation taste how sweet the Lord is Be sorrie for what is past endeuour to auoide what is to come which that thou maiest doe in all thine actions remember thy last end and thou shalt neuer sinne Labor by so much the more to recouer that thou hast lost by how much the more thou haft endamaged thy selfe by sin Thou that knowest thy selfe to haue committed things vnlawfull endeuour likewise to abstain from some things that are lawfull thou that hast committed things forbidden forbid thy selfe things granted and reprehend thy selfe in small matters who hast offended in great Thou must euerie day by little and little banish vice First determine one daie to abstaine from gluttonie and luxurie which by the assistance of God shall succeed well which day being happily ended resolue with thy selfe to continue two daies together and it shall succeed more easily then a whole weeke then a moneth at the last the grace of God preuenting thee and following thee it shall bee no difficult matter for thee to spend whole yeeres in abstinence and continencie And if euery yeere in this maner thou quit thy selfe but of one sinne in a short time thou wilt grow to be a perfect man in Christ Iesu For by this means thou shalt euery day root out thy sinnes and grow in goodnesse For not to profit in the discipline of maners is to wax worse and worse not to goe forward is to goe backeward When the minde of a man endeuoreth the bettering of it selfe the ship saileth as it were against the streame which if it once cease to ascend without labour it is caried downward for in ascending is paine in descending idlenesse Euen so except by ascending from vertue to vertue thou goe about to attaine the toppe of righteousnes tumbling from one sinne into another thou fallest into a headlong downfall Take heed therefore lest after repentance thou please thy selfe too much and being secure thou liue more loosely but rather bee the more warie and settle thy saluation in the hauen of tranquillitie and though the grace of God giue thee daily victorie yet it taketh not from thee matter of combat but lest thou shouldest wax proud as if the battell were at an end the mercie of God protecting thee alwaies remaineth to assist thee that how often soeuer thou ouercome thou shouldest neuer cease to fight alwaies thinking that there is somewhat behinde that thou shouldest ouercome vntill that which is perfect happen vnto thee and thou bee quit of that which is imperfect in that perfect glory of happines Amen The Sixth Part of the exhortation to repentance Against despaire of remission of sinnes CHAP. I. That we are all sinners and haue need of the mercy of God SIXTLY and lastly thou wilt saie perhaps that thine iniquitie is greater than that it may be forgiuen and therefore being sure of thy damnation thou takest no care to repent Res I cannot but congratulate thy happinesse my deare brother and giue thanks vnto God that thou art not as many other men are who daily sin yet know not that they sinne who alwaies doe wickedly and are neuer toucht with that they haue done who as it were blindfolde runne the race of their life and neuer know what state they are in till they feele the punishment For what thing can be more vnhappie than for a man not to know his owne vnhappines among all the dangers of this life to feele no griefe no infirmitie to be ignorant of his owne disease Euen so there is nothing more dangerous than not to know when we sinne There is now in thee the beginning of saluation in that thou acknowledgest thine owne sinnes Thou hast made no small iourney to eternall felicitie in that thou knowest thine infelicitie Now thou appliest thy self to inward purity in that thou deniest not thine inward pollution and impuritie For by so much the more precious is a man in the eies of God by how much the more contemptible he is in his own eies Not to thinke thy selfe a sinner is to make thy selfe the greater offender and thou wert much to be bewailed if thou diddest not bewaile thy selfe The God of mercy and compassion preuenting thee by pittying thee setteth before the eies of thy minde thine owne sinnes and foretelleth thee what danger there hangeth ouer thy head for them in time to come by all meanes that may bee ministring occasion of thy conuersion that at the least by the fear of punishment thou maiest turne vnto him since thou wilt not do it for the loue of himselfe and so by little and little thou maiest turne thy seruile feare into filiall loue If GOD would strictly punish thy sinnes he would not present them to thy selfe to bewaile them For to that end doeth he offer them to thine owne view that thou maiest be sorie for them and by true repentance blot them quite out of sight This is the mercie of God preuenting sinners to the end they may arise from their sinnes There is no man so circumspect but that he sometimes falleth into sinne and therefore God knowing our weaknesse hath prouided a medicine against this necessitie which the infirmitie of the flesh is subiect vnto It is a humane thing to sinne but a diuellish thing to persist in sinne So long as we beare about vs this fraile bodie of ours we can not bee without sinne no man can saie My heart is cleane I am pure from sinne 1. Ioh. 2. But if wee shall say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs because we all haue offended in manie things He cannot be in the world without sinne that came into the world with sinne he that is conceiued in iniquitie cannot liue without iniquitie for in this flesh of sinne no man can challenge a freedome from sinne No man liues without it no not the infant that is but a day old Iob 15.15 the heauens are not pure in
sinnes but onely thy lesser heare what he sayth in the three and thirtieth of Ezekiel At what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart I will put out all his wickednes out of my remembrance Hee excepteth no maner of sinnes neither litle nor great for hee that died for all can pardon all only be thou sorrowfull and turne vnto God and he is ready to forget and to forgiue If thy sinnes are many and great the mercies of the Lord are more in number and greater than they God will bee mercifull vnto thee and according to the multitude and magnitude of his mercies will hee pardon the multitude and magnitude of thy sinnes Whereas thou obiectest vnto me that in the twelfth by S. Matthew Whosoeuer shall sinne against the Holie Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him c. I answer that it is true That the sinne against the Holy Ghost that is that committed out of malice against the goodnes and mercie of God which is properlie attributed to the Holie Ghost is therefore said to be irremissible because it directly oppugneth the goodnesse and mercy of God which is the beginning of the remission of sinnes and so that is excluded whereby sinne should be forgiuen as that disease is said to be incurable which directly taketh away the remedies of the cure This sinne is said to be irremissible not because it can not be forgiuen to him that repenteth but because hee that so sinneth doth either despaire or presume of the mercy of God and so addeth sinne vnto sinne and neuer repenteth and so being obstinate in his wickednesse as seldome or neuer he comes to repentance so seldome or neuer he obteineth remission of his sinnes But yet we are not to despaire of any sinner whatsoeuer so long as he liueth and the long sufferance of God expecteth him to repentance He is a Pagan or a lew to day may he not be a Christian to morrow He is an heretike to day may hee not be a true Professour to morrow He is a Schismatike to day may he not embrace the peace of the Church to morrow We are not therefore to despaire of any man so long as hee remaineth in this life because sometimes that repentance which by the diffidence of our age is deferred by more mature counsel is perfected Whilest we are in this life there is no sinne no iniquitie which may not bee healed by the medicine of repentance if it be pure and sincere What offence can be greater in a man that is sicke than to kâ—â— his Physitian and if this may be forgiuen what may not be pardoned Christ Iesus being fastened to the Crosse prayed for his crucifiers saying Luk. 23. Father forgiue them they know not what they do If there were hope of saluation in those that killed their Sauior who should despaire of saluatioÌ„ The Lord inuited Iudas that betraied him to repentance to beg mercy at his hands when hee forewarned him of his treason when hee washed his feete when hee called him friend when he tooke a kisse at 〈◊〉 hands If then our Sauior diâ— not onely forgiue his crucifers but prayd vnto his father for them if he inuited Iudas to repentance how much more will hee pardon thee if thou do repent thou that art an adorer of his Maiestie not his murtherer a lamenter of his death not a derider of his passion a contempler of his mercies not a contemner of his infirmities Wherfore my deare brother let neither the qualitie nor the quantity of thy sinnes discourage thee from the assurance of thy hope yea though thou wert guiltie of all the sinnes which haue beene committed since the beginning of the world yet â—hou oughtst not to despaire because the goodnes of God farre exceedeth the malice of man If thou couldest sinne as much as God is good thou mayest despaire but since that can not be thoâ— that despairest of thy selfe being wicked trust in God who is better than thy selfe Hast thou sinned repent thee of thy sinnes Hast thou sinned a thousand times repent a thousand times Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand GOD would neuer haue exhorted thee to repentance if his purpose were not to pardon thee if thou doe repent Betweene repentance and the kingdome of heauen there is no distance of time but repent thou of thy sinnes and instantly the gate of mercie is set wide open vnto thee Thy sinnes make a separation betweene thee and GOD which obstacles if by repentance thou take away thou shalt sticke vnto God and be one spirit with him Yeeld fruits woorthy repentance contraries redeeme with contraries and thou which before diddest that which was contrary to God doe now that which is opposite to the diuell CHAP. III. Examples of such as haue grienously sinned afterwards haue beene saued by repentance BVt thou wilt obiect that in the 7. by S. Matthew Mat. 7 1â— Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and few there be that finde it And that in the 4. of the first by S. Peter If the righteous scarsely be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Res It is true my deare brother that few find the way of life but what is the reason Doubtlesse because few there are that seeke it But euery one that seeketh findeth that asketh receiueth and to euery one that knocketh it shall be opened Who is he therefore that findeth it not who receiueth not or to whom is it not opened Certes only to him that seeketh not that asketh not that knocketh not The reason why the righteous shall hardly be saued is this because there is no man found worthy saluation by his own righteousnesse for God will not saue vs by the works of righteousnesse which wee haue done but according to his free mercie in Christ Iesus It is the worke of God not our endeuour that we are saued for that little of goodnesse that is in vs nay which God worketh in vs is nothing if it be compared to that eternall blessednesse in the life to come Heauen belongs to the righteous only by the rigor of Gods instice but to the end that all may be saued it belongeth vnto sinners also by the bountie of Gods grace Christ hath deserued Paradise for vs all and hath restored vnto vs by his death his fathers inheritance Luk. 14. Hee calleth vs to that heauenly banquet hee will haue his house filled with ghests yea hee compelleth the weake and the blinde and the lame to come in that it may appeare that no man is shut out from those celestâ—all and eternall ioyes the number of the saints of God being out of the number of sinners euer supplied But forasmuch as examples moue more than words there is hope that thou that hearkenest not vnto my words wilt be stirred vp by the examples of other men that when thou shalt see many that were sometimes entred
helpe but he that refuseth it and neglecteth the asking of it Reade ouer the whole life of Christ and thou shalt find none that hath euer cried out Iesu thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me but presently he obreined mercy He healed the sicke fed the hungrie eased those that laboured strengthned the weake clensed the leprous gaue sight vnto the blinde raised the dead absolued the penitent Wherefore deare brother say no more heereafter vnto me I am proud couetous wanton polluted with all manner of iniquitie and therefore I cannot bee saued I will not haue thee alledge these or the like excuses thou hast examples of all sorts thou maiest flie vnto what hauen thou wilt If thou haue fainted in thy faith looke vpon Peter If thou haue robbed thy neighbour consider the theefe if thou haue beene vnchaste looke vpon Marie Magdalene and so of the rest who haue fallen into the same sinne that thou hast but yet haue not despaired of pardon as thou doest and therfore comming with faith and confidence in the merits of Christ Iesus to the throne of his diuine mercie haue found more grace and mercy than they had reason in respect of their owne sinnes to looke for Be thou likewise by their example as confident as they were faint not but by repentance turn vnto God If thou aske the same mercy that they did doubtlesse thou shalt obtaine the same mercy that they did Aske and thou shalt receiue seeke and thou shalt finde The Lord knoweth not how to deny it vnto him that with an humble and contrite hart shal beg it at his hands CHAP. IIII. That God denieth not merâ—â—â— him that conuerteth since 〈◊〉 inuiteth him that is auerted from him to conuersion BVt thou wilt say I consider with my selfe what a difference there is betwixt God and mee and that I am deseruedly excluded from his presence and therefore despairing to obtaine mercie and accounting my selfe vnworthy to come vnto him I dare not lift vp mine eies vnto heauen Res God my deare brother whose nature is goodnesse it selfe is altogether milde and mercifull and more prone to pitie and compassion than to reuenge he is rich in mercy and bountifull in grace It is his propertie alwaies to haue mercie and to forgiue and therefore he cannot denie him mercy that with a coÌ„trate hart beggeth it at his hands He despiseth no penitent sinner but him that doubreth whether hee may aske for no man hath hoped in him and hath be ene confounded No man in time hath begged mercy and hath taken the repulse If God did not heare sinners in vaine had that Publican said O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner He that iudgeth will bee intreated not to punish sinners hee that knoweth how much reason he hath to be angrie with vs looks that they that haue as much reason to intreat should by praiers obtaine mercy at his hands He will be pacified by intreatie that knows how insupportable his anger is He is a witnesse to himself that hee desireth to haue mercie on those that call vpon him in that he prouoketh vs therunto Ps 50.15 Call vpon me saith he in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shak glorifie me And in another place Math. 7.7 Aske and it shall bee giuen vnto you Seeke and yee shall finde Knocke and it shall be opened vnto you If our carnall parents yea which are euill can giue to their children good gifts how much more shall your Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him If thou doubt to come vnto God because of thy sinnes be confident to come because of that goodnesse which as a father hee oweth to his sonne Be bold with him in whose image thou seest thy selfe woonderfull in whose similitude surpassing excellent What fearest thou his Maiestie who maiest gather confidence from thy originall The generous alliance of the soule with God is not idle and the similitude is a witnesse of the â—lliance Euery like doeth willingly admit his like into societie and by nature like will to like The Mediatour betwixt God and man Christ Iesus made man for men sheweâ— himselfe milde and merciful to men And lest there shoulâ— remaine vnto thee any cause of despaire and to the 〈◊〉 hee might shew vnto the man what hope thou maieâ— haue with God God waâ— made man and thy aduocare thy Iudge He will not deny himselfe to him that asketh who of his own accord offered himself to him that asked not he seeking shall find him who gaue the meanâ— to finde to him that soughâ— not and will open to him that knocketh that stands a the doore and incessantly knocketh The conuersion 〈◊〉 a sinner delighteth him and canst thou conuerting despaire of forgiuenesse He desireth more to pardon â—han thou to be pardoned to â—orgiue thy sinnes than thou â—o forsake them and to reâ—ent thee of them He is more willing to sane thee by his â—ercy than thou to perish â—y thy sinnes thou wouldest â—ie by sinning but he wil not â—hy death but still expecteth hee to repentance He standâ—th with much loue and chaâ—itie at the doore of thy hart â—rying Pro. 23. My sonne giue mee â—hy heart and he professeth â—f himselfe Apoc. 3. If any man will â—pen vnto me I will come in vnto him If a poore man hauing â—ighly offended his king hall first be sollicited by his â—ing to peace and reconcilement it is a great argument of his princely benignitie now since with great conâ—â—dence a poore man should come vnto God doest thoâ— feare to bee conuerted vnto him that intreateth thee to turne vnto him and yet not only is not turned from those that turne vnto him but turneth to those that turne from him and exhorteth them to conuersion Eze. 18.31 Why will ye die saith the Lord ô house of Israel returne and come vnto me Iere. 3.1 and ye shall liue And iâ— another place If a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and become another mans shall he returne againe vnto her shall she not be polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many louers yet turne again to me saith the Lord. He bringeth in the similitude of a woman that hath been vntrue to her husband and is put away by him that he may tell vs how mercifull he is that he putteth not vs away Thou hast played the harlot with many louers yet turne againe to me saith the Lord. See here hee calleth vnto him that sinfull soule which before hee pronounced polluted to receiue it into the bosome of his pitie which is alwaies open neither doth he contemn a spotted life What tongue is sufficient to expresse the inward compassion of so mercifull a God What heart is not astonished at the riches of so vnspeakable mercie Hee is despised and yet expecteth seeth himselfe to be contemned yet ceaseth not to call Hee hath a long time stayed the sentence
made the first and farre excelled those who being sooner were more slow in their proceedings And therefore feare not but that it is likewise as possible for thee to outrun the first and to be before them in the kingdome of heauen Though thou forsake not thy sinnes till thy sinnes be ready to forsake thee yet if thou then repent despaire not of mercie for though thy conuersion be short and momentarie yet it shall not be vnprofitable But as hee that giueth a cup of cold water loseth not his reward Matt. 10. so notwithstanding thy repentance be no way answerable to the waight of thy sinnes yet that moment of repentance be it neuer so small shal not want reward No man can make any satisfaction vnto God answerable either to his greatnesse or to those sinnes hee hath committed against him Sin deserues a greater sorow and contrition of heart than to bee lamented euen of those that truly repent for an infinite offence against God requireth an infinite reconciliation but yet forasmuch as the finite capacity of mans wit is not capable of that which is infinite therefore our righteousnesse not sufficing the passion of Christ supplieth it which abundantly satisfieth for the sins of the whole world God for our sinnes requireth no other price than the precious blood of his onely begotten sonne for there is no sinne so deadly but by his death is forgotten forgiuen 1. Ioh. 2. Christ himselfe is the propitiation for our sinnes and not onely for ours but for the sinnes of the whole world for as if some poore and wretched creature being afflicted with a grieuous disease should be aduised by his Physitian to take such physicke for his recouerie as were beyond his abilitie to reach vnto and he shall answer the Physitian that he is not able by reason of his pouertie to buy it whereupon the Physitian out of the goodnesse of his nature shall replie saying Doe thou what thou canst and I will supply the rest euen so our mercifull GOD who much desireth the saluation of thy soule requireth of thee nothing but what thou mayest doe and yet mayest not doe neither without his gracious assistance the rest out of his goodnesse he supplieth and being easily pleased and contented with a little at thy hands hee pardoneth both the sinne and the punishment of thy sinnes He giues that that thou shalt giue vnto him and is pleased with that which hee giueth thee for his vnspeakable mercy towards vs hee onely requireth this at our hands To do that which by his assistance lieth in vs to performe There is a man of high and eminent honour whom though according to his worth thou canst not honor thogh thou spend al that thou hast yet thou offendest not if thou honour him according to thine owne abilitie if thou doe what thou canst not what hee deserueth So our Lord God because he is infinitely good deserues an infinite loue and reconciliation but yet hee willingly receiueth the least that we can doe because he knoweth our inabilitie and therefore refuseth not the least repentance that may be that proceedeth out of an humble and contrite heart For if hee should not haue respect of our weaknesse wee could neuer satisfie him for the least of our sinnes But hee as the Psalmist speaketh is mercifull and forgiueth sinners Ps 78.38 and destroieth them not but often times calleth backe his anger and doeth not stirre vp all his wrath for hee remembreth that they are but flesh But where mercie is there iudgement is not rigorous where mercy is graunted there punishment is pardoned Wherefore deaâ—â— brother though thou be at the point of death lose not thy hope of saluation so long as thou seest this light thou hast time to repent and afterwards too but when thou art departed this life and art condemned by the irreuocable sentence of God it will be too late to repent It is true that thou wilt repent in hell but there it will not helpe for in hell there is no redemption CHAP. VII Of the ioyes of Heauen BVt because hope which is contrarie to despaire is a certaine expectation of future blessednesse proceeding from the grace and mercy of God and this vertue my deare brother thou wantest without which thou canst not be saued it remaineth that I confirme this hope in thee and stirre vp thy minde to the desire of the ioies of heauen that if thou turne not vnto God for feare of punishment yet at the least thou doe it in an assured expectation of so great a reward Our good and gratious God out of his onely goodnesse not constrained by necessitie would that others should bee partakers of that blessednesse wherewith he is eternally blessed in himselfe which he saw might likewise be communicated to others and yet in nothing diâ—â—â— shed Hee created thereforâ— in the beginning of the world that tenth heauen â—â—moueable and of exceeding brightnesse and glory which so soone as hee had created he replenished with Angels And as the beautie of an house is a solace and delight to the inhabitants so the glorie and riches of heauen encrease much the ioy of the blessed If the glory and ornament of the earth and firmament be such that of Paradise can not but bee farre more great for because God created it for his friends he gaue it a greater beautie than to other things There is a continual light and splendor not such as is heere but so much greater than this as the light of the Sun exceedeth that of a candle There is not the Sunne to shine by day but the Sunne of righteousnesse who shineth for euer full of all sweetnes a sweet light delightfull to our eies to see the Sonne of righteousnes both God and man the Creatour of mankind Of this blessed estate of the Saints of God in heauen I had rather not speake than derogate from the vnspeakable excellencie thereof by speaking too little The eye hath not seene the care hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for those that loue him What can a man say more to commend that which hee knoweth not how to commend sufficiently Yet giue mee leaue by the shadow to iudge of the substance and by that happinesse wee enioy vpon earth to ghesse at that wee shall enioy in heauen Because such as are condemned haue need of a strait prison Bar. 3.24 and kings of a large palace therefore great is the house of God and large is the place of his possession It is great and hath none end it is high and vnmeasurable The kingdome of God exceedeth all report all praise For there is all good and no euill there nothing that is beloued is wanting and whatsoeuer can be desired is present I can more easily expresse what is not there than what there is There is no death no disease no wearinesse no mourning there is no hunger no want no aduersitie no
enticement to sin There is life without death rest without labor vnspeakable ioy without sorrow charitie without discord securitie without care beautie without deformitie How happie is that citie wherein there is euerlasting solemnitie and how pleasant a court that knowes no care Heere is neither labour nor old age nor deceit nor feare of enemies but one voice of reioicing one agreement feruencie of hearts because God shall wipe away al tears from their eies and sorrow from their hearts There veritie reigneth eternall saluation aboundeth there no man deceiues nor is deceiued none that is blessed cast out none that is accursed admitted There is assured securitie secure peace peaceable delight delightful happinesse happy eternitie in that blessedly eternall and eternally blessed life There the essentiall reward which belongs to the essence of blessednesse and without which the soule can not bee truely blessed consisteth in the cleere sight presence of God The sight or presence of God the first gift or grace of the soule and this is the reward of faith because those things that are heere beleeued bâ— faith are there seene in theâ— true forme and likenesse But both these are the gift of the inward man because God whilest we are in the waie is knowen of vs in spirit as it were in a glasse obscurely but in heauen our true home hee is seene face to face not with corporall cies but spirituall as the Prophets being absent in bodie saw manie things done in the spirit and by dreames sleeping knew many things by the spirit though their outward senses were bound And as in a glasse we see onely the image of the thing and that imperfectly so whilest wee heere know as it were by a similitude the inuisible things of God by those things that are made we come to the knowledge of God as it were by a glasse and obscurely but there directly-looking one vpon another wee shall see God cleerely and nakedly euen face to face one in substance three in the difference of persons As many as are there shall together see the whole essence of God bet forasmuch as by reason of his infinitenes he cannot totally be comprehended therefore he shall not be equally seene of all but by a spiritual vision of one more darkly than of another according to that measure wherewith euerie one shall be more or lesse enlightned with the light of glory For as the materiall sunne which equally offereth it selfe to the eies of all is not seene without the emission of the light or beame thereof into the eie of a man and yet all doe not alike see it and looke vpon it but diueisly more or lesse according to the diuers disposition of the eie to see so the eie of the minde being weake is not capable of that excellent light of God except it bee strengthned of God by a created and infused light of glory as it is written In thy light shall wee see light The light of the diuine substance is seene in the light of glory whereby the naturall light of the vnderstanding and the spirituall eye is eleuated more or lesse to the knowledge of God according to that great or lesse faith and charitie whereby it is caried vnto him The face therefore and forme of God shall bee seene more cleerely by one than by another as one and the same thing is better seene from farre by one than by another and one and the same writing beeing read by diuers is diuersly vnderstood which diuersitie proceedeth not from the thing or wrâ—ting but the diuers disposition of the seer and the reader And because God is euery where present by essence therefore he shall not there be seene by distance but whersoeuer the soule is there shall it see God present with it It shall see God in it selfe and it selfe in God God in others and others in God By an vnspeakable meanes shall it depart from it selfe and be turned wholly into the similitude of God Otherwise how shall God be in all if in man there remaine any thing of man 1. Cor. 15. The substance of man shall continue but in another forme another glorie For as a small quantitie of water powred into a great deale of wine loseth it owne nature and is turned into the taste and colour of the wine as burning iron changeth his proper forme and is made like vnto fire as the aire being inflamed by the beames of the Sunne is transformed into the same cleerenesse of light insomuch as that it seemeth not to be inlightned but light it self and as a looking glasse directly stricken with the beames of the sunne receiueth into it selfe the similitude of the sunne insomuch that a man may thinke it another sunne so the saints of God in heauen are totally penetrated with the cleere light of God in their inward parts and so being deiformed are transformed into the similitude of God So to bee affected is to bee deified as it is written Psal 82. I haue said yee are Gods that is by participation for there is one onely God by essence You are deified by him he deifying you And in another place 1. Iob. 32 When he shall appeare we shall be like vnto him for we shall see him as he is And as looking in a glasse a man seeth himself many things besides there present about him so the blessed seeing God together and at once with one and the same vision see themselues and whatsoeuer is necessarie to the perfection of their happinesse They see that their sinnes are forgiuen them not to their confusion but to glorifie the great mercy of God whereby whilest they reioice for their deliuerie from so great a miserie they alwaies magnifie his holy name For how should they giue thanks vnto God if they should not remember why they are to doe it If there bee there so great comfort for sinnes forgiuen how great is there for good works done Though euery mans conscience lie open to one another yet there is no man there more ashamed of his sinnes than he is heere of his wounds that are healed or than an old man of those things he did in his infancie as Peter is no way abashed at his triple deniall nor Mary Magdalene and diuers others at their sinnes formerly committed now pardoned Touching their knowledge if the Prophers as yet mortall men could know manie things past present and to come how much more can God who is a voluntarie and free looking glasse represent whatsoeuer to whomsoeuer and whensoeuer and therefore an old doting decrepid woman in that glory knoweth more than all the Philosophers in the world can know in this life There they know by what meanes the father begot the sonne equall vnto him and that from both the holy Ghost proceeded coequall vnto both What doe not they know that know him that knowes all things They haue alwaies libertie to behold God alwaies to haue him alwaies to possesse him alwaies to