Bradford God hath given thee a penitent and beleeving heart that is an heart which desireth to repent and beleeve for such an one is taken of him for a penitent and beleeving heart he accepting the will for the deed 2 Cor. 8. For if there bee first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not Kâ—mnit When I have a good desire though it doth scarcely shew it self in some little slender sigh I must be assured that the Spirit of God is present and worketh his good worke He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Psal 145. he will also heare their cry and save them His comming unto God HEe that commeth unto God Hebr. 11. must beleeve that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him Let us draw neere with a true heart 10. in full assurance of faith In Christ we have boldnes Ephes 3. and accesse with confidence by the faith of him The first comming to God Hom. de fiâ— is through faith whereby we be justified before him For the faith of the Catholike Religion Chrysost is the light of the soule the doore of life the foundation of eternall salvation Aug. Without it no man can come neere the number of the sons of God without it all the endevour of man is void Gal. 3. For ye are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Beda It commeth not from the wisdome of eloquent words but from the gift of the heavenly calling Phil. 1. For unto you it is given in the behalfe of CHRIST not onely to beleeve on him but also to suffer for his sake Mark 1â— When the Scribe said that to love GOD with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soule and with all the strength And to love his neighbour as himselfe is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices Jesus said unto him Ibid. thou art not farre from the Kingdome of heaven If thy heart can onely sobbe unto GOD despaire not Knox. thou art not destitute of Faith for that onely sobbe is an acceptable Sacrifice unto GOD. The Faith which the Scripture commendss is nothing else but Ferus To trust in the free mercy of GOD. Come unto mee all yee that labour Mat. 11. and are heavie laden and I will give you rest Incline your eare Isa 55. and come unto mee heare and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David His Repentance 2 Pet. 3. THe Lord is long suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Act. 3. Repent ye therfore and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out Glos ord Repentance is a bewayling of our former sins and a care not to commit the like againe Chrysost God never despiseth repentance if it bee offered unto him intirely and simply Hieron For the Lord respecteth not the length of time but considereth the upright affection of him that repenteth When we feele the burthen of our sins Vdall and be grieved in heart for them it is the worke of the holy Ghost and in time will bring forth fruit worthy of repentance There are foure parts of true repentance Hom. de poenit Contrition which is an unfained sorrow conceived in the heart for our sinnes committed Confession which is an humble and unfained acknowledging of our sins unto God Faith whereby we stedfastly beleeve that God for his Sonne Christ Jesus sake will forgive us all our iniquities Amendment of life which is to become new creatures and to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance Aug. Neither is it sufficient to repentance to change our manners into better and to depart from our evill waies unlesse GOD be satisfied for our sins past by the sorrow of repentance by the groane of humility by the sacrifice of a contrite heart Almes deeds accompanying Chrysost Not to bee grieved for thy sins doth more displease God and provoke his anger than the sinne which before thou diddest commit Ioel 2. Therfore now also saith the Lord Turne ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning Ibidem And rent your heart and not your garments and turne unto the LORD your GOD for he is gratious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse When thou so repentest Aug. that thy soule hath a bitter taste of that which before was pleasant in thy life and what before was delightfull to the body the same tormenteth thee in thine heart even now dost thou lament and mourne before GOD. If a man be never so great a sinner Latimer yet if he have true repentance with faith and hope in GODS mercy he shall be forgiven GODS mercy hath no limits at all Chrysost if any doe call for helpe there is one that will heare readily If any doe repent there is one that will shew mercy Lyra moral As the Palme tree which is rugged in the stocke and hath pleasant fruit in the top even so a righteous man beginneth in the roughnesse of repentance and endeth in the sweetnesse of heavenly comfort Hom de poenit Let us therefore repent for straying from so good a Lord let us confesse our unworthinesse before him but yet let us trust in Gods free mercy for Christ Jesus sake for the pardon of our sins Gregor For Gods mercy doth helpe those who repent in this world but in that which is to come we doe not repent but give account of our works Rom. 2. Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance His Confession HE that covereth his sins Prov. 28. shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercie Confesse thy sinnes before God Chrysost and declare thine offences with prayer to the true Judge not with thy tongue but with remembrance of thy conscience That confession delivereth from death Ambr. which is made by repentance David said unto the Lord 2 Sam. 24. I have sinned greatly in that I have done And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done foolishly Basil I doe not confesse with my lips that I may manifest my selfe to many but inwardly in my very heart shutting mine eyes to thee alone that seest the things that are in secret do I shew my groanes roaring within my selfe for the groanes of mine heart and the lamentations sent to thee my God from the depth of my soule suffice for a confession Hom. de poenit This is the chiefest and most principall Confession
are no vessels for Christ to dwell in Humilitie is a signe of worth but pride Bernard of emptinesse and vanity If the minde be constantly directed to GOD Greg moral whatsoever in this life is bitter unto us through patience wee account it pleasant Let a man looke into his heart Aug. and see if he have Charity and then let him say I am borne of GOD. Charity is a desire of the minde to love GOD for himselfe Idem and to love our neighbour for GOD. It is the stay of wisdome Idem the fruit of Faith the riches of the poore and the life of them that are dying Luther A Christian life consisteth in this that we deale with faith and with the heart in things apperteyning to GOD but use our life and works towards our neighbour Ephes 2. For wee are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordeined that we should walke in them Hom. de fid oper There is one work in which be all good works that is faith which worketh by charity If thou have it thou hast the ground of all good works Luther GOD will have works done freely not that wee may merit any thing therby but that we may doe them to the profit of our neighbours and witnes our sincere faith by them Aug. No man doth good works to receive grace by them but because he hath first received grace therefore consequently he doth good works Behold Iohn 5. thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing happen unto thee Which penance wee shall never be able to fulfill Hom. de poenit without the speciall grace of him that saith Ioh. 15.5 without me ye can doe nothing It is therfore our parts Hom de poenit if at least wee bee desirous of the health and salvation of our own soules most earnestly to pray to our heavenly father to assist us with his holy spirit that we may bee able to hearken to the voice of the true Shepheard and with due obedience to follow the same Let us heare the conclusion of the whole matter Eccl. 12. feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole duety of man His assurance of Salvation Iohn 3. HE that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlasting life 1 Pet. 1. Whom having not seene ye love in whom though now yee see him not yet beleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Ibidem Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your soules Bish Fisher If wee will enter into heaven we must not come with a double heart or wavering faith but with that which is altogether without doubting and most certain Hillar The LORD will have us hope for the Kingdome of Heaven without any doubting for otherwise there is no justification of faith if faith be uncertaine The just living by faith Fulgent saith confidently I beleeve to see the goodnesse of the LORD in the land of the living We have hope Heb. 6. as an Anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that which is within the Vaile Because ye are sons Gal. 4. GOD hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba father Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son Ibidem and if a son then an heire of God through Christ Wee leave not a sinner in Stapleton the middest of wavering doubtfulnesse but we place him in good and firme hope when once his conscience witnesseth with him that he hath truely repented Aug. There is a kind of glorying in thy conscience when thou knowest thy faith is sincere thy hope certain thy love without dissembling Altisiodor Wee may discerne we are in grace by our good desire comfort of minde and good works Bernard The spirit by faith revealeth to a man the eternall purpose of God concerning his future salvation which revelation is nothing else but the infusion of spirituall grace whereby the deeds of the flesh are mortified and the man prepared to the kingdome of heaven Gods truth and his power Vdall is the cause of our assurance of salvation his truth because we doe not doubt but he will keepe his promise his power because all things are possible to him Herein we looke not upon our own worthines Idem for then we must needs doubt but upon him that promised who will faithfully performe God hath promised to thee Aug. O man that thou shalt live for ever dost thou not beleeve it Beleeve it beleeve it for that which he hath already done for thee is a greater matter than that which he hath promised These things have I writâ—en unto you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God 1 Ioh. 5. that yee may know that yee have eternall life and that ye may beleeve on the name of the Son of GOD. Rom. 15 Now the GOD of hope fill you with all joy and hope in beleeving that yee may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Gods mercy Lam. 3. IT is the LORDS mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Psal 103. Hee hath not dealt with us after our sinnes nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Lam. 3. But though hee send affliction yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies Psal 103. For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy towards them that feare him This is the glory of man Hieron that hee may know and understand that GOD is the LORD who giveth mercie and justice upon the earth The omnipotency of God excelleth two waies Hieron in granting mercy to the penitent and punishing such as continue in sin according to their desert Hee rejoyceth not of his owne gaine Chrysost but of our salvation hee is not grieved for his owne displeasure but for our destruction When hee punisheth Idem and taketh vengeance he doth it not with passionate anger but with all unspeakable clemency with the affection of an healer not of a destroyer How rich art thou O Lord GOD in mercy how great in justice how bountifull in grace Bernard Thou beholdest the humbie with favour the Innocent thou judgest righteously savest sinners mercifully Kempis dial inter Deum peccator de imitat Christi si 4. cap. 18. Although a sinner do abide still in the flesh yet doe I receive him into my favour so that he is not to feare the utter confusion for his sins coÌ„mitted but rather to thanke praise God that old things bee passed away and that all things are become new Ibid. So gracious and mercifull am I that alwaies I am more ready to forgive than thou art to begge forgivenesse at my hands more ready to
give than thou art to aske To hope well of my goodnesse Ibidem is a very token of true humilitie and of great faith What Ibid. looke you to bee all worthy before you make accesse unto mee And of your selfe when will you bee so If onely such as are good Ibid. and worthy and great and perfect should approach unto mee to whom should sinners and publicans approach So then Luke 15. what saith the Gospell Then drew neere unto him all the publicans and sinners for to heare him Therfore let the unworthy approach Kempis that they may become worthy let the wicked approach that they may bee made good let the weake and unperfect approach that they may prove strong and perfect yea let all and every one approach that they may receive from the abundant streames of the well of life Iohn 7. Hee which is a thirst let him come to me and drinke Isay 55. And he which hath nothing let him come and buy without silver and without money Mat 9. Hee that is sicke let him come to be healed Mark 9. Hee that is neither hot nor cold let him come to be inflamed Kempis Hee that is fearfull let him come to bee encouraged Hee that is sorrowfull let him come to bee comforted Idem Hee that is wearied with cares Idem let him come to be refreshed with joy Loe my delight is Idem to bee with the children of men And therefore bee ever mindfull both of your fraile condition Idem and of my glorious Majestie and so with humble reverence approach boldly into my presence For I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities Isa 43. and will not remember thy sins It is I that justifie the ungodly Rom. 4. and this I doe for my holy Name sake yea and I am still ready to minister greater gifts of mercy unto thee Because I doe ever chuse Kempis to shew favour rather than displeasure as one who had rather spare than punish 2 Cor. 1. Blessed bee God even the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST the Father of mercies and GOD of all comfort Death Heb. 13.14 HEre have wee no continuing City but wee seeke one to come Luk. 12.4 Be yee prepared for the Sonne of man will come at an houre that yee thinke not Aug. All men know that the day of death will come yet all or almost all doe notwithstanding labour to put it off yea even those who beleeve that after death they shall live more blessedly So great power hath the sweet fellowship of the flesh and soule Take heed watch and pray Mar. 13 33. for yee know not when the time is The last day of our life is unknowne August that all daies may be observed the remedies are too late provided when the dangers of death approach Plato his opinion is Hieron that the whole life of wise men is the meditation of death Wee ought therefore to premeditate what we shall be hereafter and that whether we will or not death cannot be longer from us Hee which is assured hee shall dye Gregor opposeth himselfe against all the desires of this life For the perfect life is a meditation of death which while just men doe performe they escape the snares of sin Aug. That death is not accounted evill which a good life hath gone before Colos 3.2 Set your affection on things above not on things of the earth Gregor If wee consider what and how great things are promised to us in heaven all things in earth will be vile and base in our estimation For earthly substance compared to the heavenly felicity is but an heavy burthen not an helpe and succour This temporall life compared to the eternall is rather to bee accounted a death than a life Eccl. 12.7 Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it They which desire to bee dissolved Aug. and to bee with Christ doe live patiently and die cheerfully They are not lost Ambros but sent before whom eternity hath received All the daies of my appointed time will I wait Iob 14.14 till my change come For to me to live is Christ Phil. 1.21 and to die is gaine When Christ Colos 3.3 who is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory The last Iudgement Heb. 9. IT is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the Judgement Rom. 14. Wee shall all stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ Eccles 12. For GOD shall bring every worke to judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee evill Hieron It is not in us to know the day of Judgement but being alwayes uncertaine of the comming of the Judge let us so live as if we were to bee judged the next day Idem If there bee any joy in this present life let it be so used that the bitternesse of the Judgement to come do not at any time depart out of our memory Nothing doth more set forward an honest life Ambros than to beleeve he shall be judged whom hidden things doe not deceive evill things doe offend and good things doe delight That judge is not prevented by favour Aug. nor led now by mercy nor corrupted with money nor appeased by satisfaction or repentance let the soule while it hath time here labour for it selfe by repentance so long as here is place for mercy because there is the place of Justice God doth so behold our waies and number our steps Greg. moral that evē our smalest thoughts and least words remaine not unexamined in his Judgemēt Psal 37. The Lord knoweth the daies of the upright and their inheritance shall be for ever Ibid. But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of Lambs they shall consume into smoke shall they consume away Chrysost In that day wee have nothing to answer for our selves where Heaven and Earth the Aire and Water and the whole world shall witnesse our sinnes against us And if all else doe hold their peace our thoughts themselves and our works especially shall stand before our eies accusing us before God Bernard That day will come in which upright hearts shall more prevaile than eloquent words a good Conscience more than a full purse because that Judge will not bee deceived by words nor turned by gifts On the right hand Anselm will bee our sinnes accusing us on the left hand innumerable Divels underneath us the terrible deepnesse and darknesse of Hell above the Judge offended without the world burning within the conscience tormenting there shall the just scarce be saved Alas miserable sinner being thus taken unawares whither wilt thou fly for to hide thy selfe is impossible and to appeare