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A07452
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A sermon of repentance. Preached by George Meriton Doctor of Diuinity, and one of his Maiesties chaplaines in ordinary
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Meriton, George, d. 1624.
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1607
(1607)
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STC 17839; ESTC S112669
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18,865
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40
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without faith a sorrow without conuersion whereas sorrow faith and new obedience they should go together The first driueth to the second sorrow to faith The second to the third fayth to conuersion Sorrow without faith is hopelesse faith without conuersion is fruitlesse the one killing the other dead all must concurre in true repentance As it must haue the knowledge of sinne in the soule rising from the Law of GOD and a sorrow for sinne in the heart proceeding from the feare of punishment goe before it so must it spring from faith and by faith bee finished from the faith of science wherby wee giue credance vnto the Gospell must it spring and by the faith of confidence by which the heart is conuerted vnto GOD is it fully perfected There is no part of Christian religion of that maine importance wherein men doe more voluntarily deceiue themselues then commonly they doe in this duty of Repentance In consideration whereof it will not be amisse to deliuer vnto you certaine infallible fignes and vnseparable frutes whereby we may assure our selues that wee haue repented S. Paul nameth seuen fruites which in some measure alwaies follow where true amendment goeth before Behold saith hee your godly sorrowes what care 1 it hath 2 Cor. 7. 11 wrought in you yea what clearing 2 of your selues yea what indignation 3 yea what feare 4 yea how great desire 5 yea what Zeale 6 yea what punishment 7 Those then who are true conuertes who doe vnfaynedly amend their liues they are not sluggish or secure in sinne but Carefull to redresse what is amisse not hiders or excusers of cuill but Confessors and by humble supplication Clearing theyr offences They are not contented to dwell in wickednesse but vexed in soule and full of Indignation against them-selues for their sins committed they stand in awe and are affraid of GODS iudgments They Desire his fauour as the Hart desireth the water Brookes they labour by religious Zeale to approue their liues to GOD and good Men and they are so farre from fauoring of their faults as that they seuerely punish them vpon them-selues These bee good Conuerts indeede But those who haue not this care to keepe the Law of GOD. Who vse not the meanes to cleare the score who be not angry with them-selues for their sinnes who feare not GODS iudgements who desire not his mercie who contend not to go before others in Zeale and honesty of life who reuenge not their sinnes vppon them-selues irridentes sunt non paenitentes saith Gregory they are proud mockers not true repenters Must then amendment of life yeelde such worthy fruites Is Care Is Clearing Is Indignation Is Feare Is Desire Is Zeale Is Punishment required heere-vnto O then My beloued to repent can bee no light matter nor trifling labour which a man may haue at command or performe when hee list No noe As sixe dayes went before the creation of Man-kind so must wee thinke of our Recreation not as if wee were then conuerted when as Euening and Morning make the second or third or fourth day it is a sixt dayes worke that is much toyle and trauaile belongs vnto it Sinne cannot be cast off as an vpper garment The heartes of sinners must suffer an Earth-quake with-in them and tremble and rende There must bee mortifying and crucifying and sacrificing both of Bodyes and Soules Strange wordes Mortifiyng Crucifying Sacrifyeing arguing as strange actions That must torment vs at the Heart which delighted vs in our Bodies that must bee sower to our Soules which was sweete in our Liues wee must change our Vices into as manye Vertues and so turne vnto our GOD as if wee neuer more would returne vnto sinne Many are there saith Fulgentius which are sorrowfull for their sinnes yet leaue not their sinning but these take not awaye their sinnes by sorrowing because they leaue not sinning after sorrowing For as Saint Augustine speaketh nihil prosunt lamenta vbi replicantur peccata Mourning is in vaine if wee sinne againe But more alas are there which seldome or neuer are sorrie for theyr sinnes at all Which will not learne to drinke Gall with CHRIST which cannot abide a bitter Soule nay in steed of sorrowing for sins they glory in them they say vnto them as GOD said vnto his Creatures increase multiplie proclayming with a Trumpet their own reprobation O let vs remember that the hearts of Eccl. 20. foolish sinners are like broken vessells which cannot be mended till they must first bee melted That as Beda sayth we must plowe vp our groundes before wee can ridde them from thornes That as Saint Ambrose speaketh great sinnes craues great weeping great lamentation If Naman will bee cleansed from his leprosie hee must wash him-selfe seauen times in the water and if wee will purge vs from the filthinesse of our sinne wee must rench our selues often with teares wee must vnder-goe the Agonie of Repentance mingle our Drinke with weeping water our Couches with Teares yea the very bloud as it were of our soules must gush out of our eyes we must be grieued that wee cannot alwayes be grieued When CHRIST considered the sinnes of Ierusalem Luk. 13. 34 he wept ouer it O Ierusalem Ierusalem c. When Dauid heard that his Sonne was slaine in his sinne he 2 Sam. 18. lamented for him O Absolon my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Haue these wept for the sinnes of others much more ought wee then to mourne for our owne transgressions Michah followed the souldiers crying because they had stolne away his Idols and the question beeing moued why he cryed so piteously Iudges 17. Why saith he yee haue carried my gods away and aske yee me why I crie Did this Idolatrous wretch thinke it cause sufficient to lament for the losse of his false gods which his owne handes had made Iudge you then Beloued how we should be grieued for our sinnes which depriue vs of the true GOD whose handes haue framed Heauen and Earth Wil examples moue vs to the performance of this duty Looke vpon repenting Dauid and behold there are ashes vpon his head and sack-cloth vpon his backe he did not braue it in atire nor lay streaking vpon his bed with a bare Lord helpe mee in his mouth Looke vpon the repenting Nineuites and behold King and people are strangely humbled Men and beasts fast and drinke water they sat not bealching at their bordes saying Pardon Sir so post it ouer Looke vpon repenting Magdalen and behold saith Gregory quot habuit in se oblect amenta tet de se fecit hollocausta so many pleasures as shee found in her selfe so many sacrifices shee made of her selfe Shee had abused her eyes to wanton lookes and therefore nowe she caused them to flow-ouer with teares shee had made her lips the weapons of lasciuiousnes and gates of vanitie and therefore now shee caused them to kisse her Saniour her hayre once set out and frizeled after the newest
A SERMON OF REPENTANCE Preached By GEORGE MERITON Doctor of Diuinity and one of his Maiesties Chaplaines in Ordinary Imprinted at London for Thomas Clarke and are to be sold at the signe of the Angell in Paules Church-yard 1607. To the Right Honourable the Lord Sheffeild Lord President of Yorke and Knight of the Honorable Order of the Garter increase of Comforts in this life and after death a Crowne of Glory RIght Honourable my desire is to cast my Mite into the Treasury of the Church and for want of Gold Pearle or Pretious stones to bring a Rams skinae or twaine and a little Goats Exod. 35. 23. haire to the building of the Lordes Tabernacle I may seeme perhaps to passe the boundes of modesty in crauing your Honors protection for so smal a thing The smaller it is the more needefull to be protected And sithence you vouchsafed not long since to heare part of it with patience I will now presume vpon your L fauoure for the whole I doe not dedicate it vnto you as doubting of your Honours care in this point of Repentance your loue to Religion Zeale to the Truth practise of Piety haue made you Honourable not in your selfe alone but also as Samuel 1. Sam. 9. 6. was in the heartes of the people Yet giue mee leaue 2. Pet. 3. 1. Ibeseech you to stirre vp and warne your pure mind That as you haue begun to cleaue vnto CHRIST with a good purpose of heart So you would continue to aoe it still and to do it more and more Remember alwayes Noble Lord that bloud vnstayned before Men is stayned bloud before GOD if it be not continually restored by the bloud of CHRIST This Sermon then I commend vnto your Honour and it to the good blessing and holy protection of GOD. Hadleigh in Suffolke May the 26. 1607. Your Honours to bee commanded GEORGE MERITON Except yee amend your lines yee all shall likewise perish Luk. 13. vers 5. OTher Mens afflictions are our instructions and the punishments which are laid vpon some are or should be profitable vnto vs all The Dogge is beaten in the presence of a Lyon that by the stripes and cries of a Dogge a Lyon might bee tamed The Thunder bolt falleth and burneth but in a narrow Iud. vers 7. compasse yet is it terrible to a great number round about so the calamities of a few are set forth for ensamples vnto the rest to worke amendment in them This true vse of iudgements did not many of the Iewish people make Pilate had destroyed some and mingled their blood with their sacrifices The Towre of Siloam fell downe vpon others and bereaued them of Vers 4. their liues Those who escaped these punishments as the Nature of man is fauouring them selues too much beeing wise abroad and fooles at home as the Poet speaketh hauing their eyes in their purses when they should behold their owne deformities like Lamia in the Fable and staring in their heades to gaze vpon the sinnes of others with the proud Pharesie in the Gospell concluded from hence like badde Logitians from weake and slender premises that Therefore they were more righteous and holy then their fellowes Our Sauiour CHRIST to crosse this vaine supposall answereth them heere Laconically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay And least that beeing ouer-blinded in themselues they should all fall into the ditch to preuent their ruine hee denounceth out a threatning that Vnlesse they amended they should all likewise perish Threatnings they are forcible meanes to draw sinners vnto GOD For although good promises are alurements vnto good men yet such for the most part is the corruption of our heartes as that wee are more mooued with feare then with loue more with the rodde of Aaron then with heauenly Manna more with seuere threatnings then with friendly promisings Injuries do worke a deeper griefe in vs then benefits do affect vs with delight Sicknesse doth more weary vs then health doth refresh vs and wee are wont to esteeme rightly of prosperity by the harmes of aduersity For this cause therfore are these misdeeming Iews fore-told that vnlesse they amēded their liues their destruction was at hand CHRIST launceth them for to heale them hee threatneth them for to draw them hee denounceth iudgements against them for to saue them his wordes are like the Arrowes of Ionathan which were shot after Dauid not 1. Sam. 20. to wound him but to giue him warning In olde times thus was GOD accustomed to reclaime his people The writinges of the Prophets are euen stuffed with woes Take a booke saith GOD vnto Ier 36. 16. Ieremy and write therein all the euill that I determine to doe vnto the house of Iudah that they may returneeuery man from his euill way and in the same Chapter it is recorded that when they heard the wordes of the booke they were amazed The like course hath GOD vsed in latter times Iohns manner of preaching was as rough as himselfe Now is the Axe saith he laid vnto the rootes of the trees and euery tree that bringeth Mat. 3. 5 6. not forth good fruit shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire What followed herevpon Ierusalem all Iudea and the region about Iordaine were baptized of him confessing their sinnes CHRIST also in this place threatneth the Iewes and in them euerie one of vs for that which stoode good against them standeth still in force against vs Except we amendour liues we shall all likewise perish How this wrought to the conuersion of these Iewes it is not mentioned in the Scripture how farre it will preuaile for the bettering of vs I am not able to coniecture This am I sure of that in former times threatnings haue preuailed and I beseech our GOD to make them profitable now The partes of my Text are these foure First there is a duty required Amendment of life Secondly the necessity thereof inforced vnlesse Thirdly the time prescribed Amend not haue amended and fallen againe not will amend I know not when but vnlesse you Amend doe it speedily and continually without delaye or interruption sorrow for sin without hope of grace where there is knowledge of guiltinesse without amendment of life where there is a killing of the old mā without a quickning of the newe where there is the sentence of death in the Soule not of life in the Sauiour Though we should recount vnto GOD all our sinnes ouer ouer againe euen in the bitternes of our soules M. ch 1. 8 though we lament with Dragons and mourne like Ostriges yet had we but that part of this grace which euen the wicked and reprobates haue Cain Saul Iudas Heb. 12. 17 were greatly grieued for theyr sinnes Esau lift vp his voice and howled out yet found hee no place to repentance though hee sought a blessing with teares What was the cause of this my beloued but that there was in him penance without desire of repētance griefe