lusts and fleshly delights and that is the cause why you are deafe on this care I will therefore adde a word or two more out of the Oracles of God to that which hath beene spoken Pro. 6.31 〈◊〉 The wise King saith Hee that committeth adultery with women destroyeth his owne soule and so is accessâ—ry to his owne death which is no small matter For we use to say if a man hang himselfe drowne himselfe or any manner of way make away himselfe that he was cursed of God that Gods hand was heavie against him that the Divell ought him a shame and now he hath paid it him And all the countrey rings of such a strange accident when and where it falleth out and the Crowner of the countrey doth sit upon it How much more may all the world wonder at this that a man should destroy his owne soule and wittingly and willingly cast away himselfe for ever Now the holy Ghost saith The adulterer doth such an act giveth such a venture and willingly murthereth himselfe Oh therefore woe unto him that ever hee was borne for sure it is that the great Crowner of heaven that crowns whom hee will crowne shall one day sit upon it and give judgement Moreover as the adulterer sinneth against his soule so also hee sinneth against his bodie after a speciall manner 1 Cor 6.13 as witnesseth the Apostle Also hee sinneth against his goods and outward estate as the holy man Job testifieth saying Job 5â— 12 Adulterie is a fire that devoureth to destruction and it will root out all our increase Furthermore hee sinneth against his name Prov. 6.33 For the Adulterer shall finde a wound and dishonour and his reproach shall never be put away Item hee sinneth against his wife who is his companion Mâ—â—â— 14 15. and the wife of his covenant And God saith in the same place Let none trespasse against the wife of his youth keep your selves in your spirit and transgresse not Last of all hee sinneth against his children and posterity as the Lord said to David Because thou hast despised mee 2 Sâ—â— 12 1â— and done this therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house Behold I will raise up evill against thee out of thine owne house Now therefore to conclude this point wee may see how many deadly wounds men make themselves by committing of adulterie They wound themselves in their soules they wound themselves in their bodies they wound themselves in their goods they wound themselves in their names they wound themselves in their wives and in their children What man except hee were stark mad would thrust in himselfe in so many places at once The Adulterer with his one sinne of adultery maketh all these deadly wounds in himselfe and it is an hundred to one hee will never get them cured but will die and bleed to death of them Lo thus you see the dangerous quality and condition of this sin Shall wee now therefore make light of it Shall wee say It is but a trick of youth Shall wee smooth over the matter with sweet words when the holy Ghost maketh it so hainous and capitall Shall wee make nothing of that which draweth downe Gods wrath upon the soule body goods name wife and children That were an intolerable blindnesse and most extreme hardnesse of heart An ancient Writer hath long agoe passed sentence upon us Basil in Epist who make so light of this sinne for saith hee Adultery is the very hook of the Divell whereby hee draweth us to destruction And another godly Father saith Gregor that adultery is like a furnace whose mouth is gluttony the flame pride the sparkles filthy words the smoak an ill name the ashes poverty and the end shame And so wee plainly see that howsoever wee regard not this sinne but flatter our selves in it yet those whose eyes the Lord hath opened have in all ages condemned it as most flagitious and horrible yea the very Heathen wil rise up in judgment against us who have spoken and written many things against this filthy and beastly vice Phil. Now indeed you have sufficiently branded the vice of adultery and laid out the uglinesse thereof that all men may behold it stark naked and abhorre it If any man notwithstanding all this will venture upon it hee may be said to be a most desperate monster For what doth hee else but as it were put his finger into the Lions mouth and as it were take the Beare by the tooth and they may well know what will follow and what they may look for Let all men therefore in time take heed to themselves and to their own soules as they will answer it at their uttermost perill at the dreadfull day of judgement when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed But now one thing resteth to wit that you should shew us the speciall roots and causes of adultery Theol. There be five speciall causes of it The first is our naturall corruption for the very spawne and seed of all sinne is our corrupt nature and this of all other is a most inherent sinne as witnesseth the Apostle James saying James 1.15 When lust hath concâ—ived it bringeth forth sinne and sin when it is perfected bringeth forth death The second is gluttony and fulnesse of bread for when men have filled their bellies and crammed their paunches as full of good cheere wine and strong drinke as their skinnes can hold what are they meete for or what minde they else but adultery and uncleannesse And therefore well saith one Great nourishment and grosse food is the shop of lust The Heathen Poet could skill to say Sine Cerere Baccho sâ—igeâ— Venus without meat and drinke lust waxeth cold And to this effect the wise King saith Prov 23 â— 35 that their eyes shall behold strange women whose hearts are set upon wine and belly cheere And therefore he adviseth all men not to looke upon the wine when it appeareth red when it sheweth his colour in the cup or stirreth very kindly and that for feare of this after-clap An ancient writer saith to the same purpose Gregoriâ—s Nâ—â—â—anâ— Hee that delicately pampereth his belly and yet would overcome the spirit of fornication is like to him that will quench a flame of fire with oyle Therefore to close up this point sure it is though men pray heare and read much and be otherwise well disposed yet except they be abstemious in diet they will bee much troubled with lust The third cause of adultery is Idlenesse for when men are lazie luskish and idle having nothing to doe they lye wide open to adultery and lust creepeth into them Some Historiographers write the Crab-fish is very desirous to eate Oysters but because shee cannot perforce open them shee watcheth her time when they open themselves unto the sun after the tide and then shee putreth in her claw and pulleth out the Oyster Even so Satan watcheth
no man is to be proud of his gifts because they are none of his own he hath but received them to use We count him worthy to be laughed at as a fool who having borrowed brave apparell of others as a silk gown a sâ—tten doublet a chain of gold velvet breaches c. should proudly jet it in the streets in them as if they were his own even so are they worthy to be chronicled for fools which are proud of good gifts which are none of their own Therefore the Prophet Jeremy saith Jer. 25.3 Thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom not the strong man in his strength neither the rich man in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me To this point also well saith the heathen Poet Tâ—eoâ—tiâ—us No man can escape the punishment of pride therefore in greatest prosperity be not puffed up Phil. Yet it is a world to see how proud surly haughty stately insolent and thrasonicall some be because of their gifts they think they touch the clouds with their heads and that the earth doth not beare them they take themselves to be petty angels or some wonderfull wights they contemne and disdaine all others which have not the like gifts they doe contemptuously over-look them as a lion should over-look a mouse a King a begger or as we say in a proverb as the Divell looked over Lincoln Theol. Oh proud dust Oh haughty wormes meat If they would bring their hearts before God and their consciences thoughts and affections to be judged by his law it would soon cool them and take them down well enough they should see their wants and imperfections to be so great that they indeed should have no more cause to boast of their gifts then the Blackmoor hath of his whitenesse because his teeth are white The holy Ghost ours all our combs and plucketh down all pride of flesh when he saith Job 26.14 How â—mall a thing doth man understand of God Phil I pray you let us proceed to speak of the outward and grosse pride of the world and first of all tell me what you think of pride in apparell Theol I think it to be a vanity of all vanities and a folly of all follies For to be proud of apparell is as if a thiefe should be proud of his halter a beggar of his clouts a child of his gay or a fool of his bable Phil. Yet wee see how proud many specially women be of such bables For when they have spent a great part of the day in tricking and trimming pricking and pinning pranking and pouncing girding and lacing and braving up themselves in most exquisite manner then out they come into the streets with their pedlers shop upon their back and carry their crests very high taking themselves to be little angels or at least somewhat more then other women Whereupon they doe so exceedingly swell with pride that it is to bee feared they will burst with it as they walk in the streets And truly we may think the very stones in the street and the beams in the houses doe quake and wonder at their monstrous intolerable and excessive pride For it seemeth that they are altogether a lump of pride a masse of pride even altogether made of pride and nothing else but pride pride Theol. You seeme to be very hot in the matter Asun Marry Sir I like him the better for the world was never so full of pride as it is now adayes Theol. Alas alas indeed who can hold his peace at the pride of this age What a thing is it that flesh and bloud worms meat dust and ashes dirt and dung should so brave it out with their 〈◊〉 clouts and that in the sight of â—od Angels and men For the time will come when both they and all their gay clouts shall be buried in a grave Yea as Job saith Iob 12.13,14 The grave shall be their house and they shall mâ—ke â—heir bed in the dark And â—hâ—n tâ—ey shall say to corruption Thou art my Father and to the worm Thou are my Mother and my sister What then shall it availe them thus to â—aâ—e râ—â—fled it out in all their bravery wâ—o as suddenly they shall 〈…〉 struction What did it prove tâ—e riâ—h man to bee sumptuously clothed and fare deliciously every day when his body was buried in the dust and his soul in hell fire Asun I pray you Sir what say you to these great ruffes which are born up with supporters and rebatoes as it were with post and rail Theol. What should I say but God be mercifull unto us For such things doe draw down the wrath and vengeance of God upon us all and as the Apostle saith Gal. 5.6 For such things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience And truly truly we may wel fear that God wil plague us for our abominable pride Asun What say you then to these doubled and r doubled ruffes which are now in common use strouting fardingales long locks fore-tufts shag hair â—nd all these new fashions which are devised and taken up every day Theol I say they are far from that plainnesse simplicity and modesty which hath been in former ages our fore-fathers knew no such things It is recorded of William Rufus Graftous 〈◊〉 â—4 sometime King of this land that when his Chamberlain on a time brought him a new pair of hose he demanded of him what they cost who answered three shillings Whereat the King being somewhat moved commanded him to prepare him a pair of a mark If Kings were then thought to exceed that bestowed a mark upon a pair of hose what is it to be thought of many mean men in these our dayes yea such as have no living and are scarce of any good calling which bestow as much upon a pair as the King did upon two when he was thought most of all to exceed But alas alas we have passed all bounds of modesty and measure there is no hee with us Our Land is too heavie of this sinne For the pride of all Nations and the follies of all countries are upon us how shall we bear them And as for these new fashions the more new they be the more foolish and as foolish they that use them For with our new fashions we are grown clean out of fashion If we had as many fashions of our bodies as we have of our attire we should have as many fashions as fingers and toes But vain men and women do apparently shew their vain minds by following so greedily such vain toyes and fashions Asun It was never a good world since starching and steeling busks and whale-bones supporters and rebatoes full moons and hobby-horses painting and dying with selling of favour and complexion came to be in use For since these came in covetousnesse oppression and deceit have increased For how else should pride bee maintained and
otherwise with a thousand oathes Antil It is the custome to sweare Theol. But a wicked and divellish custome Antil I hope Sir wee may sweare as long as we swear truly and swear by nothing but that which is good Theol. It hath beene answered before that in vain matters you may not swear at all Antil As long as wee do no worse than that I hope God will hold us excused Theol. God will not hold you excused when you break his commandements and continue so doing Antil What say you then to them that sweare wounds and bloud and such like in a bravery thinking that it setteth out their speech very well Theol. Hell gapeth for them and they shall know one day what it is to blaspheme God Antil What may wee thinke of such as sweare by Gods life Gods soule Gods body Gods heart Theol. That their case is most wofull and dangerous and I quake at the naming of them They are most horrible monstrous and outragious blasphemies enough to make the stones in the street to cracke and the clouds to fall upon our heads And wee may thinke that all the Divels in hell are in a readinesse to carry such blasphemous villaines headlong into that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for ever Antil Do you find in Scripture that God will so severely punish swearers Theol. Yes verily For besides that which hath beene spoken before wee have diverse other examples First of Senacherib the King of Ashur who for his outragious blasphemies against the God of Heaven was in most fearfull and tragicall manner slaine by his owne sons Adramalech and Sharezor and that in the temple when hee was worshipping his Idol-god Nisroch And yet behold a more fearfull example of Gods wrath against blasphemers 2 Kin. 19.37 Wee read that an hundred thousand of the Aramites were slaine by the Israelites in one day for blaspheming God 1 King 20.29 and seven and twenty thousand being left and flying into the city of Aphek for refuge were all slaine by the fall of an huge great wall What shall I here speake how the seven sonnes of Saul the King of Israel were hanged up before the Lord in mount Gibeah for the breach of the oath made to the Gibeonites long before 1 Sâ—â— â—1 In these examples we may plainly see that the just God even in this life somtimes will be revenged of blasphemers and oath-breakers And therefore the very heathen in all ages have beene very carefull for the performing of oathes as Pharaoh King of Egypt willed Joseph to go up into the land of Canaan to bury his father according to his oath made to his father Phil. Mee thinketh these so terrible and fearfull examples of Gods vengeance against swearers and blasphemers should strike some terrour into the hearts of our blasphemers Theol. One should think so indeed if any thing could do it But alas they are so hardened in it and in all other sinne that nothing can move them except peradventure there were a law made that every swearer and blasphemer should hold his hand a quarter of an houre in boyling lead This or some such like severe law might peradventure curb them a little and make them bite in their oathes But otherwise they will never feare any thing till they are in hell fire when it will be too late to repent Phil. What may be the cause of this so often and great swearing for surely it is no inherent and inbred sin in our nature as some of the other sinnes be Theol. No verily But these three I judge to be the causes of it Custome Want of admonition Want of punishment Phil. What then are the remedies of it Theol. The remedies are these Disuse Prayer Friendly admonition Some sharpe Law Phil. Well Sir now wee have heard enough of swearing I pray you proceed to the next sign of condemnation which is lying Theol. Swearing and lying bee of very neere kindred For hee that is a common swearer is for the most part a common lyer also For hee that maketh no conscience of swearing will make no conscience of lying And as the Lord hateth the one so also he hateth the other And as he punisheth the one so will hee punish the other Therefore Solomon saith Prov. 12.23 Lying lips are an abomination unto the Lord. Rev. 21.25 St. John saith Without shall be dogges enchanters whore-mongers murtherers and whosoever loveth or maketh lyes Rev. â—1 8 Againe the same holy man of God saith The lyers shall have their part and portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Phil. These Scriptures which you alledge doe manifestly declare that God abhorreth lyers and hath reserved great torments for them Therefore the Princely Prophet David saith that hee would banish all lyers from his house Psal 101.7 He that telleth lyes saith hee shall not remain in my sight Prov. 6.16 17. A lying tongue is one of the six things which God doth hate and his soule abhorre Yet for all this we see by lamentable experience how many have even taught their tongues to lye as the Prophet saith and there is no truth in their lips Jer. 9. This vice is almost as common as swearing For it is hard to finde a man that will speake the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth from his heart in simplicitie and plainnesse at all times in all places and amongst all persons without all glozing or dissembling either for feare gaine flatterie men-pleasing hiding of faults or any sinister respect whatsoever Where I say is thâ—s man to bee found I would faine see him I would faine looke upon such a man it would doe my heart good to behold him I would rejoyce to set mine eyes upon such a man Theol. Such a man as you speake of is hardly to bee found among the sons of men They bee bâ—ack Swans in the earth they bee white Crowes they be rare birds For there bee very few that will speake the truth from their heart yet some such I hope there be But for the most part and amongst the greater sort lying dissembling and fraud doe beare all the sway There is no truth no honesty no conscience no simplicity no plaine dealing amongst men in these most corrupt times Faith and truth are parted cleane away And as the Kingly Prophet saith Psal 1â— The faithfull are failed from among the children of men They speake deceitfully every one with his neighbour flattering with their lips and speaking with a double heart Men now adayes study the art of lying flattering fawning glozing and dissembling they have a heart and a heart They have honey in their mouth and gall in their heart Their tongues are as soft as butter and oyle but their hearts are full of bitternesse poyson and worme-wood They are full of outward courtesie and civility full of Court-holy-water when there is no truth nor plainnesse in their inward
thy God Deuâ— 38. cursed shalt thou be in the towne cursed also in the field cursed shall be thy basket and thy store cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy land and the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in and cursed also when thou goest out The Lord shall send upon thee cursing trouble and shame in all that thou settest thy hand unto Deut. 27. And further he saith That he will breake the staffe of their bread that ten women shall bake their bread in one oven and they shall deliver their bread againe by weight and they shall eat and not be satisfied You do therefore apparently see that these sins will draw down Gods wrath upon us and all that we have Phil. What hurt do these sinnes to our good name Theol. They bring reproach shame and infamy upon us and cause us to be abhorred and contemned of all good men They do utterly blot out our good name For as vertue makes men honourable and reverend so vice makes men vile and contemptible This is set downe where the Lord threatens Israel 2 Kin. 197. that for their sinnes and disobedience hee will make them a proverb and common talke yea a reproach and astonishment among all people Ezek. 5.5 In sundry other places of the Prophets hee threatens for their sins to make them a reproach a shame an hissing and nodding of the head to all Nations Phil. I do verily thus think that as sinne generally doth staine every mans good name which all are chary and tender of so especially it doth blot those which are in high places and of speciall note for learning wisedome and godlinesse Theol. You have spoken most truly and agreeable to the Scriptures For the Scripture saith E cles 10.1 As a dead Flie causeth the Apothecaries oyntment to stinke so doth a little folly him that is in estimation for wisdome and for honour Where Solomon sheweth that if a Flie get into the Apothecaries box of oyntment and die and putrifie in it shee marreth it though it be never so precious even so if a little sin geâ— into the heart and breake out in the forehead of a man of great sinne for some singular gifts it will blurre him though hee be never so excellent Phil. Shew me this I pray you more plainly Theol. Wee observe this in oll experience that if a Noble-man be a good man and have many excellent parts in him of curtesie patience humility and love of Religion yet if he be covetous the common people will have their eye altogether upon that and they will say Such a Noble-man is a very good man but for one thing hee is exceeding covetous oppresseth poore men and dealeth hardly with his Tenants keepeth no house doth little good in the Countrie where he dwelleth And this is it that marreth all Moreover let a Iudge a Iustice or a Magistrate be endued with excellent gifts of prudence policy temperance liberality and knowledge in the low yet if they be given to anger or taking of bribes oh how it will disgrace them amongst the people for they will say He is a worthy man indeed but there is one thing in him that marreth all hee is an exceeding angry and furious man hee is as angry as a waspe he will be in a pelting chase for every trifle he will fret and fume if you do but blow upon him And besides this hee is a very corrupt man he is a great taker of bribes hee loveth well to be bribed hee will do any thing for bribes Furthermore if any Preacher be a man of great gifts the common people will say of him Oh he is a worthy man indeed an excellent Scholar a profound Divine a singular man in a Pulpit but yet for all that he hath a shrewd touch which marreth all he is an exceeding proud man he is as proud as Lucifer He hath very great gifts indeed but I warrant you he knoweth it well enough For hee carrieth his crest very high and looketh very sternly and disdainfully upon all other men He is unmeasurably puft up with overweening and thinketh that he toucheth the clouds with his head Thus therefore wâ—â—re how the dead Flies marre all and how some one sinne doth disgrace a man that otherwise doth excell Phil. What is the cause why some one sin doth so blot and smut the most excellent men Theol. The reason hereof is because such men are as a candle set upon a candlesâ—icke or rather upon a scaffold or mountaine for all men to behold and looke upon And sure it is they have a thousand eyes upon them every day and that not onely gazing upon them but also prying very narrowly unto them to spy out the least mote that they may make a mountaine of it For as in a cleane white paper one little spot is soone espied but in a piece of browne paper twenty great blurs scant discerned even so in Noble-men Iudges Magistrates Iustices Preachers and Professors the least spot or speck is soone seene into but among the baser sort and most grosse livers almost nothing is espied or regarded Phil. Sith the eyes of all men are bent and fixed upon such men as are of some note therefore they had need very heedfully to look to their steps that they may take away all advantage from them that seek it Theol. Yes verily And furthermore they had need to pray with David alwaies Psal 119.13 Direct my steps O Lord in thy word and let no iniquity have dominion over mee Psal 41.12 And againe Order my goings that my foot-steps slip not uphold mee in my integrity For if such men be never so little given to swearing to lying to drinke or to women it is espied by and by and therewithall their credit is cracked their fame over-cast their glory ecclipsed and the date of their good name presently expired Phil. Now as you have shewed what great hurt these sins doe bring upon our soules bodies goods and name so also I pray you shew what danger they bring upon the whole Land Theol. Questionlesse they pull downe the wrath of God upon us all and give him just cause to break all in pieces and utterly to subvert and overthrow the good estate both of Church and Common-wealth yea to make a finall consumption and desolation of all For they be the very fire-brands of Gods wrath and as it were touch-wood to kindle his anger and indignation upon us For the Apostle saith Col. â— 6. For such things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Phil. Declare unto us out of the Scriptures how the Lord in former times hath punished whole nations and Kingdomes for these and such like sins Theol. In the fourth of Hosea Hos 4.1 the Lord telleth his people that hee hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land and the reason
he is heavie-hearted and troubled in his mind How doe you Asunetus how doe you feele your selfe Me thinkes you are very sad Asun I am the better for you Sir I thanke God I never knew what sinne meant till this day It hath pleased God now to give mee some sight and feeling thereof I am greatly distressed in my conscience to thinke what I have been The remembrance of my former sinnes doe strike an horrour into mee When I consider how ignorantly and profanely and how farre off from GOD I have lived all my life it stings and gripes mee to the heart I doe now see that which I never saw and feele that which I never felt I doe plainly see that if I had died in that state wherein I have lived all my life I should certainly have been condemned and should have perished for ever in my sinne and ignorance Theol. I am very glad that God hath opened your eyes and given you the sight and feeling of your misery which indeed is the very first step to eternall life It is a great favour and speciall mercy of God towards you that hee hath so touched your heart you can never be thankfull enough for it It is more then if you had a million of gold given you It is the onely rare priviledge of Gods elect to have the eyes of their soules opened that they may see into heavenly and spirituall things As for the world it is just with God to leave them in their blindnesse Asun I doe feele the burthen of my sinnes I am greatly grieved for them I am weary of them I am sorry that ever I sinned against God or that I should be such a wretch as to incurre his displeasure and provoke his Majestie against mee But I pray you good Master Theologus such you are a spirituall Physician and I am sick of sinne that you would minister unto me out of Gods Word some spirituall physicke and comfort Theol. Truly I must needs thinke that the promises of mercy and forgivenesse of sinne made in the Gospel doe belong unto you and that Iesus Christ is yours that you are truly interessed in him and have a proper right unto him For hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance You doe now feele your selfe to be a sinner you are grieved for your sins you are weary of them therefore Iesus Christ is for you all the benefits of his passion belong to you Mat. 9.12 Againe he saith The whole need not the Physician but they that are sicke But you doe acknowledge your selfe to be sick of sinne therefore Iesus Christ will be your Physician he will swaddle you he will lap you hee will bind up all your sores hee will heale all your wounds hee will anoint them with the oyle of his mercy hee will smile upon you and shew you a joyfull countenance hee will say unto you Your sins are forgiven In him you shall have rest and peace to your soule Through him you shall have ease and comfort For hee takes pitie of all such as mourne for their sinnes as you doe Hee biddeth you and all that are in your case to come unto him Mat. 11.28 and hee will helpe you Come unto me saith hee all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you You are one of them that are bidden to come for you are weary of your sinnes you feele the burthen of them Christ is altogether for such as you are Hee regardeth not the world that is the profane and unregenerate men Hee bids not them come hee prayeth not for them Joh. 18. â— I pray not for the world saith hee They have no part nor interest in him They have nothing to doe with him or with his merits and righteousnesse Hee is onely for the penitent sinner and such as mourne for their sinnes He is a Pillow of Down to all aking heads and aking consciences Be of good comfort therefore feare nothing for assuredly Christ and all his righteousnesse is yours He will clothe you with it Hee will never impute your sins unto you or lay any of them to your charge though they be never so many or so great hee will forget them and forgive them as hee saith by the Prophet Esay â—â—ay 1 1â— Though your sins were as crâ—mson they shall be made as white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll And againe he saith by the same Prophet â—â—ay 4 2â— I have put away thy transgressions as thicke as clouds and thy sinnes as a mist By another Prophet he saith Micah 7.19 Hee will lay aside our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea Againe he saith by the Prophet Esay Esay 43.25 I even I am he that put away thine iniquities for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And yet more sweetly hee speakes to us by the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 3 12. saying Turne againe unto mee and I will not let my wrath fall upon you For I am mercifull and will not alway keep mine anger And againe by the Prophet Hosea hee saith Hos 11.6 I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am GOD and not man Be of good cheere therefore comfort your selfe with these promises you have cause to rejoyce seeing GOD hath wrought in you a dislike and a griefe for your sins which is a certaine token that your sins shall never hurt you for sinnes past cannot hurt us if sinnes present doe not like us You are growne to an hatred and dislike of your sins you mourne under the burthen of them therefore you are blessed For blessed are they that mourne Why therefore should you be so heavie and sad Remember what Saint John saith If any man sinne 1 Joh 1. we have an Advocate Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes Saint Paul saith Rom. 3.13 that Jesus Christ is set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Againe the holy Ghost saith Heb. â— 1â— Hee is perfectly able to save all those that come unto God by him seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for us The Apostle saith Hee is made of GOD for us 1 Cor 1 3â— wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Marke that hee saith All is for us all his for his Church for every member of his Church and therefore for you Christ is made of God righteousnesse sanctification and redemption for you Christ is your Mediator and your high Priest and hath offered up the everlasting sacrifice even for you that he might pay your ransome and redeem you from all iniquity Heb. 9 1â— By his owne bloud hath hee entred once into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for you Christ is not entred into the holy places which are made with hands which are similitudes of
the true Sanctuary but is entred into the very Heaven Heb. 9. to appeare now in the sight of God for you The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sinne for you that knew no sinne that you might be made the righteousnesse of GOD in him Gal 3.13 Christ was made a curse for you that he might redeeme you from the curse of the Law Oh therefore how happy art thou that hast such a Mediatour and high Priest Rest therefore wholly upon him and upon that perfect eternall and propitiatory Sacrifice which he hath once offered Apply Christ apply his merits apply the promises to your selfe and to your owne conscience so shall they doe you good and bring great comfort to your soule For put case you had a most excellent and soveraigne salve which would cure any wound if it were laid to yet if you should locke it up in your chest and never apply it to your wound what good could it doe you Even so the righteousnesse and merits of Christ are a spirituall salve which will cure any wound of the soule but if wee doe not apply them to our soules by faith they can doe us no good You must therefore apply Christ and all the promises of the Gospel to your selfe by faith and stand fully perswaded that whatsoever hee hath done upon the Crosse hee hath done for you particularly For what is justifying faith but a full perswasion of Gods particular love to us in Christ The generall and confused knowledge of Christ and his Gospel availes not to eternall life Labour therefore to have the true use of all these great and precious promises and sticke fast to Christ for through him onely wee have remission of sins and eternall life Acts 10.45 To him all the Prophets give witnesse saith Saint Peter that through his Name all that beleeve shall receive remission of their sins Where the Apostle tells us that if a great Iury of Prophets were pannelled to testifie of the way and meanes to eternall life they would all with one consent bring in a verdict that remission of sins and eternall life are onely in Christ Let us heare the Fore-man speake and one or two of the rest for in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand The Prophet Esay saith Esay 54.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes wee are healed This great Prophet we see plainly affirmes that Christ suffered for our sins and by his suffering we are saved The Prophet Jeremy testifies the same thing Jer. 23 5. saying Behold the day is come saith the Lord that I will raise to David a righteous branch and a King shall reigne and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse This Prophet jumps with the other For he saith that Christ is the righteous branch and that he is our righteousnesse which is all one as if hee had said our sinnes are pardoned onely through him and through him we are made righteous Moreover hee affirmes that Juda and Israel that is the Church shall be saved by him The Prophet Zachary that I may speake it with reverence telleth the same tale word for word He avoucheth the same thing with the other two Prophets for hee saith In that day a fountaine shall be opened to the house of David Zach. 13.1 and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse The meaning of the Prophet is that in the dayes of Christs Kingdome the fountaine of Gods mercy in Christ should be opened and let-out to wash away the sinnes and uncleannesse of the Church So then we see that these three great witnesses doe all agree in this that through Christ onely we are washed from our sinnes and through him onely wee are made righteous Seeing then that eternall life is onely in the Sonne therefore he that hath the Sonne hath life Be of good courage therefore O Asunetus for no doubt you have the Sonne and therefore eternall life Feare not your sinnes for they cannot hurt you for as all the righteousnesse of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the most righteous men that ever lived on the face of the earth if it were yours could doe you no good without Christ so all the sinne in the world can doe you no hurt being in Christ Rom. 8.1 For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Plucke up a good heart therefore be no more heavie and sad for if you be found in Christ clothed with his perfect righteousnesse being made yours through faith what can the Divell say to you what can the Law doe They may well hisse at you but they cannot sting you they may grin at you but they cannot hurt you For who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifies Rom. â— 33 who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead or rather which is risen againe who also sitteth at the right hand of God and makes request for us Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord therefore againe I say Rejoice for greater is hee that is in you then hee that is in the world Our Lord Iesus is stronger then all None can pluck you out of his hands hee is a strong Mediator hee hath conquered all our spirituall enemies hee hath overcome hell death and damnation hee hath led captivity captive Col. 1.15 hee hath spoyled principalities and powers and hath made an open shew of them and triumphed over them on his crosse Hee hath most triumphantly said O death Hos 13.14 I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction O death where is thy sting 1 Cor. 15.55 O hell where is thy victory Seeing then you have such a Mediator and high Priest as hath conquered the hellish army and subdued all infernall power what need you to doubt what need you to feare any more Moreover you are to understand and to be perswaded that Gods mercy is exceeding great towards penitent sinners and all such as mourne for their transgressions according as hee saith At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart hee will put them all out of his remembrance The Prophet David doth most lively and fully describe unto us the mercifull nature of God in the 103. Psalme where hee saith The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindnesse hee will not alwaies chide neither keepeth his anger for ever hee hath not dealt with us after our sinnes nor rewarded us according to our iniquities For as high as the heaven is above the earth so great is his mercy towards those that feare him
The answers of ignorant men to the grounds of religion pag. 334 The meanes to get out of ignorance pag. 346 347 Ignorance a most dangerous thing pag. 348 The charge of Ministers exceeding weighty and most carefully to be looked unto pag. 353 What is the best course for Ministers to take to bring the people out of ignorance pag. 357 What is the best course for the people to take that they may be brought out of the bondage of sinne and captivity of Sathan pag. 358 359 Preaching a matter of absolute necessity unto eternall life pag. 363 Without preaching the people are in great danger of losing their souls pag. 364 Satans cunning in frustrating the hearing of the Word and making all preaching utterly unprofitable pag. 365 The Preachers counsell to the ignorant man pag. 367 Six great dangers of sin pag. 368 Six most fearfull events of sin pag. 369 God in all ages hath severely punished the transgressors of his Law pag. 370 371 Every sin though never so little in our eyes is hainous and capitall because it is against a person of infinite Majesty pag. 371 Nine profitable considerations pag. 372 If men would leave words and fall to doing great good would come of it pag. 374 Nine things much to be thought upon pag. 376 The description of Christs comming to judgment pag. 376 377 The terror the suddennesse the end the manner and the use of Christs second coming described pag. 378 379 The torments of hell with the extremity perpetuity and remedilesnesse thereof described pag. 389 The ignorant man upon the hearing of the day of judgement and hell fire laid open is pricked in his conscience bewailes his former life repents earnestly for his sin and ignorance and desires spirituall physicke and comfort of the Preacher pag. 398 The Preacher ministers unto him much spirituall comfort and doth in ample manner lay open unto him all the sweet promises of the Gospel and the infinite mercy of God in Christ to all true penitent and broken-hearted sinners pag. 402 403 The ignorant man being afflicted in his conscience is exceedingly comforted with the hearing of Gods abundant mercy preached unto him and thereupon gathers great inward peace converts unto God with all his heart and exceedingly blesseth God for the Preachers counsell pag. 422 FINIS A Morning Prayer to be used in private Families O Lord our God and heavenly Father we thy unworthy children do here come into thy most holy and heavenly presence to give thee praise and glory for all thy great mercies and manifold blessings toward us especially for that thou hast preserved us this night past from all the dangers and fears thereof hast given us quiet rest to our bodies and brought us now safely to the beginning of this day and dost now afresh renew all thy mercies upon us as the Eagle reneweth her bill giving us all things abundantly to enjoy as food raiment health peace liberty and freedome from many miseries diseases casualties and calamities which we are subject to in this life every minute of an houre and not onely so but also for vouchsafing unto us many good things not onely for necessity but even for delight also But above all dear Father wee praise thy name for the blessings of a better life especially for thy most holy Word and Sacraments and all the good wee enjoy thereby for the continuance of the Gospel amongst us for the death of thy Sonne and all that happinesse which wee have thereby also because thou hast chosen us to life before wee were and that of thy meere goodnesse and undeserved favour toward us and hast called us in thine appointed time justified us by thy grace and sanctified us by thy Spirit and adopted us to be thine owne children and heires apparent to the great Crowne O Lord open our eyes every day more and more to see and consider of thy great and marvellous love to us in all these things that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may be drawne yet neerer unto thee even more to love thee feare thee and obey thee that as thou art enlarged towards us in mercy so we may be enlarged towards thee in thanksgiving and as thou dost abound towards us in goodnesse so we may abound towards thee in obedience and love And sith deare Father thou art never weary of doing us good notwithstanding all our unworthinesse and naughtinesse therefore let the consideration of thy great mercy and fatherly kindnesse towards us even as it were force our hearts and compell us to come into thy most glorious presence with new songs of thanksgiving in our mouthes Wee pray thee O most mercifull God to forgive all our unthankfulnesse unkindnesse profanenesse and great abusing of all thy mercies and especially our abuse and contempt of thy Gospel together with all other the sinnes of our life which we confesse are innumerable and more then can be reckoned up both in omission of good things and commission of evill We most humbly entreat thee to set them all over to the reckoning which thy Son Christ hath made up for them upon his Crosse and never to lay any of them to our charge but freely forget all and forgive all Naile down all our sinnes and iniquities to the Crosse of Christ bury them in his death bathe them in his bloud hide them in his wounds let them never rise up in judgement against us Set us free of the miseries that are upon us for sin and keep back the judgements to come both of soule body goods and good name Be reconciled unto us in thy deare Sonne concerning all matters past not once remembring or repeating unto us our old and abominable iniquities but accept us as righteous in him imputing his righteousnesse to us and our sins to him Let his righteousnesse satisfie thy justice for all our unrighteousnesse his obedience for our disobedience his perfection for our imperfection Moreover wee humbly beseech thy good Majesty to give us the true sight and feeling of our manifold sins that we may not be blinded in them through delight or hardened in them through custome as the reprobates are but that we may be even weary of them and much grieved for them labouring and striving by all possible meanes to get out of them Good Father touch our hearts with true repentance for all sinne Let not us take any delight or pleasure in any sinne but howsoever we fall through frailty as wee fall often let us never fall finally let us never lye downe in sin nor continue in sin but let us get up on our feet againe and turne to thee with all our hearts and seek thee whilest thou maist be found and whilest thou dost offer grace and mercy unto us O Lord increase in us that true and lively faith whereby wee may lay sure hold on thy Sonne Christ and rest upon his merits altogether Give us faith assuredly to beleeve all thy great and precious promises made in the