the course of many in these times when as happily the Preaching of the word of God hath so stung them that they must needes submit and yeelde they haue forsaken much of their former vanities and finfull practises yet their dearest beloued their darling Sinne they reserue that must needes be dispensed withall either couetousnesse or pride reuenge or some such other and that to masked ouer with some plausible pretence or other as frugalitie hansomenesse iustice and the like so wilie are men in this age to beguile themselues But then it may be demaunded that if these motions towards Repentance though but in part be of God then are they good if they be not of God from whence doe they proceede For answere whereunto we must consider that there are three principall actiue faculties in the soule of man the vnderstanding the will and the conscience the vnderstanding to direct the will to obey and the conscience a faithfull and indifferent arbitratour betweene God and man conerning both Now the vnderstanding being inlightned partly by the grounds of nature partly by the word of God of dueties to be done of euils to be auoided if the will doe obey the conscience doth continually cheere and comfort vs in what estate or miserie soeuer we are But if the will be peruerse and will not submit and obey then is the conscience as a continuall torment euer accusing and condemning vs of high treason against God and therefore when as our will is not nor cannot be brought vnto a true reformation we are of necessitie forced to counterfeit and delude the conscience with some kinde of degrees of deuotion and outward seruices euen to still those cries which if they were not staied were little better then a very entrance into hell So that for the most part those same vsuall and common sighes and fained groanes which many men would faine make themselues beleeue are signes and tokens of Repentance are but the vpbraidings and exprobrations of conscience which doe then accuse them and those same flashes of light and hope which from the same they conceiue vnto themselues of the loue and fauour of God 1 King 22. are but the suggestions of that false spirit which was in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets that by their lying and false incouragement they may be hardned in their sinnes that so their fall might be the greater A third deceit whereby men flatter themselues is a conceit or rather a misconceit of their faith attributing so much vnto it that they thinke there is scarce any thing else absolutely and necessarily required of them and that because by it alone they are ioyned to Christ nothing can disioyne them and therefore that the strict exaction of so seuere a course of repentance is needelesse Wherein they discouer their vaine ignorance that though they thinke they see yet are they still groaping in the darke and are going they know not well which way For without Repentance their faith is false and vaine For we must know that there are three seuerall acts or degrees required to the perfection of faith according to which it is distinguished to be threefold either fides apprehensionis or fides approbationis or fides applicationis the one being the act of the vnderstanding the other of the will and the last of the conscience The first apprehends the promises of God as true the second approues them as good and the third applies them vnto our selues in particular assuring vs they doe belong vnto vs. All these seuerall dueties and degrees are required vnto the compleate essence of faith And as the last cannot be where the two former first are notso the two first without it are fruitlesse and imperfect Now the two first degrees of faith namely to apprehend the promises of God to be true and approue them as good may be in a man without repentance But neither of these are that true sauing euangelicall faith which can assure vs that the benefits of Christs merits doe belong vnto vs in particular These are onely generall motiues vnto all kinde of good actions these are that generall beliefe which is required by the Law of nature of euery man as well heathen as Christian for the preseruation of a good conscience in all actions whatsoeuer as well legall as euangelicall To illustrate this by an example Suppose this to be the proposition Hee that confesseth his sinnes and forsaketh them shall finde mercie Pro. 28.13 Where the promise of mercie is made vnto repentant sinners Now the first act of faith in reference therunto is by the vnderstanding to apprehend it as true Iames 2.20 but this faith is not perfect nor sauing for the diuels haue it the diuels beleeue and tremble saith Saint Iames. The second degree of faith is by the will to approue and like it as good and yet is this neither that true sauing faith for it was in Balaam Herod Agrippa and it is in euery carnall professour none excepted Rom. 10.15 Neither of these therefore nor both of these are of any force or validitie to confirme the promise of mercie vnto our ownesoules in particular which is the chiefest propertie of faith And yet those are all that faith which is in any Christian man afore repentance and the chiefe motiue by which the spirit of God doth stirre vp the heart of man vnto repentance Now after repentance at least the beginning thereof followes the third act of faith by the conscience that applies the promise vnto our selues and so our faith is made perfect as Saint lame speaketh He that repenteth of his sinnes saith the holy Ghost shall sinde mercie that 's the Thesis Now after repentance the conscience makes the assumption but I haue repented of my sinnes and then the conclusion directly followeth that therefore the promise of mercie belongs vnto me This then is that true liuely and sauing faith that assures vs of the grace of God this is that faith whereby the spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that wee are the adoped sonnes of God Yet would I not be thought to inferre hereby that there are in a Christian three kindes but onely three degrees of faith For although that both the apprehending and approuing faith as they are in diuels and wicked men are things different from a true sauing faith yet in a regenerate man they are not distinct faiths they doe not differrespecie they are not of different kines but onely in reference vnto a true and perfect faith are as disposuiones in ordine ad habitum as dispositions towards a habite or as media tendentiaad finem as meanes tending vnto the end of their perfection Differing from the sauing faith no otherwise then the power of vegetation and sense being distinct essences in other creatures doe from the reasonable soule vnto which they onely are as subordinate faculties in man There growes many difficulties and much confusion in the vnderstanding of the sacred misteries of our saluation for
want both of obseruation of the order of the working of grace within vs and also of distinct explication what kinde or degree of grace the seuerall merits of Christ doe procure vs. To conclude this point therefore as the children of nature walke in darkenesse and confusion so the children of grace should walke in light and distinction and not onely talke wildely and confusedly of their faith in Christ of their hope and other their great vertues but also be able to discerne of the manner and order of the working of Gods spirit within them and distinguish of the seuerall changings of their affections and not that onely but also feele the power thereof in their owne soules and then shall they know whether they can certainely beleeue that their sinnes are forgiuen afore they be repented of Fourthly for the hypocriticall heart of man hath many windings it may be conceited as it is by some that they haue already repented that time is already past For there are some Anabaptisticall and fanaticke spirits that haue limited a certaine time for sorrow and repentance that imagine and affirme that men are to continue and lie vnder the terrours of conscience euen vntill they be ready to vndertake some desperate attempt and then affter they haue once escaped that danger they thinke they are safe they are so throughly seasoned that euer after they remaine secure all their drosse is purged out going on continually afterwards in a course of obseruing and censuring other mens imperfections and in the meane time neglect themselues altogether Whereas certaine it is that so long as we liue in this world we shall shew our selues euery one of vs to be but men full of frailtie and instabilitie and therefore that our repentance is daily to be renewed For as the naturall life of man doth consist vpon that which is called by the Physitians humor radicalis and calor naturalis naturall heate and radicall moisture for indeede all life is sustained by motion and motion is betweene contrarieties so in our spirituall life there must of necessitie be two contrary qualities repentance continually to put off our own vnrighteousnesse and faith to put on Christs righteousnesse the one to worke vpon the other so to preserue life by mofect of good within vs must repentance and faith be encreased which must be vnto the end of our liues for death onely is the end and complement of our repentance and mortification euen as our resurrection shall be the end and complement of our faith and viuification Now the last shift worth the speaking of which men frame vnto themselues thereby to slippe the bridle of mortification is one vnworthy any man that is euen but of meane capacitie in vnderstanding the sacred misteries of his saluation and vnworthy also either the answering or so much as mentioning were it not so common as it is indeede being fitter to scare crowes then Chrislians And it is this that in asmuch as repentance is so harsh vnto flesh and blood and practised of so few and that the auerse nature of man can hardly be drawne to vndergoe the same that therefore the indispensable necessary exaction therof is a doctrine which might bring men to despaire and so exceeding dangerous to be vrged wherein it is strange to see that men should be so strongly deuoted to their owne distruction that they should not acknowledge the meanes of their restitution but the Prophesie of the Apostle is fulfilled herein where he foresheweth that the time should come when men would not suffer wholesome doctrine 2 Tim. 4.3 but hauing eares itching shall get themselues teachers after their owne lusts But to returne and satisfie this great doubt What needes any man to feare despaire 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God remaineth sure saith the Apostle and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his Luke 21.18 and there shall not one hayre of their heads perish How then shall the ordinance of God disanull and ouerthrow the purpose of God Indeed if any man should goe about to deceiue and ouercharge simple soules by a deniall or extenuation of Gods mercy insinuating that it were eyther hopelesse or a hazard to trust vnto the same it were dangerous and like enough to swallow them vp with distraction or dispaire but so long as Repentance is but taught truely for the remission of sinnes and that remission of sinnes is not obtayned without it Let Paul plant and Apollos water let euery man doe his duety and performe his charge and referre the euent and successe to him that is able to dispose of all things to his owne glory Fphes 1.11 and worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will And then let what will fall out it is our part to giue praise vnto God thereby knowing this 2 Cor. 2.15.16 that the Gospell as it is ordayned the sauour of life vnto life vnto such as shall be saued euen so by Gods owne purpose is it the sauour of death vnto death vnto those that shall be damned And therefore this scruple is but a cracke that doth more feare then hurt discouering both folly in the heads and prophanesse in the hearts of those that obiect the same For it is certaine that when mens affections are so strongly set vpon vanitie that by no meanes they will be drawne from the same they inuent and imagine continually how to oppose and disable the force of that which they thinke doth any way checke or restraine their vnbridled lusts and so especially ayme to disproue and gaine-say the necessitie of repentance and mortification by such friuolous and ridiculous arguments as these and yet as they thinke wisely to For of this sort some there are that are in their owne conceits of so refined and sublimated temper that they thinke they are too wise and account it as a disparagement for their high spirits to submit themselues to the foolishnesse of God for the preaching of the Crosse of Christ is to them that perish foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.18 saith the Apostle and therfore doe they alwayes as much as in them lyes discountenance and disharten any that are of stricter and more conscionable carriage then themselues Others of them there are also so farre from imbracing repentance that they oppose by all meanes against it and like iearing Ismaels set themselues to scorne and diride the same so that whosoeuer vndertaketh that holy course exposeth himselfe to all the censure and obloquie that such wicked and prophane hearts can inuent Yea to so strange a height of Atheisme are men growne in these times that ordinarily they deeme and tearme others curious and precise not because they are busie Polypragmons hauing an Oare in euery mans Boat and iudging of euery mans conscience neyther for their affected singularitie and nice curiositie nor for that bold and blinde zeale of Vzza in medling with that which belongs onely vnto the Priests office nor yet for their rebellious
A SERMON OF THE NATVRE AND END OF Repentance Shadowed in the Ministerie of John the Baptist Preached the Sunday afore Lent 1613. IOHN 3.3 Verely verely I say vnto thee except that a man be borne of water and the Spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God LONDON Printed by T. S. for Edmund Weauer and are to sould at the great South-dore of Pauls 1616. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God THOMAS Lord Bishop Elect of CHESTER my very good LORD My Reuerend Lord BEing heretofore moued for some considerations to publish this Sermon I remained somewhat doubtfull in the Dedication thereof vntill the newes of your Lordships aduancement quickly setled my resolution For where better could I haue implor'd Patronage then where both eminent authoritie of Place as also your Lordships particular fauour towards me seemed no lesse enforcedly to inuite by loue then compell by dutie For which respect I haue now presumed vpon your Lordships acceptance trusting the rather to obtaine pardon for this my bold intrusion and also indulgent censure of these my vnworthy labours presented to your learned view as chalenging the goodnesse of your Lordships disposition and freely offered courtesie guiltie of this my attempt and a chiefe cause hereof The Lord God guide and assist your Lordship with the blessed directions of his most holy spirit in the discharge of your high calling in this life and in the life to come giue you the reward of immortalitie and euerlasting glory Your Lordships in all duetie to be commanded WILLIAM CASE OF THE NATVRE AND END OF REpentance shadowed in the Ministerie of IOHN the BAPTIST IOHN 1. Ver. 31. Therefore am I come Baptizing with Water THe life of a Christian in this world is a medlie consisting of much varietie a continuall entercourse of changeable succession Eccles 3.2 c. For there is a time to be borne saith Salomon and a time to die a time to plant and a time to plucke vp a time to kill and a time to heale a time to breake downe and a time to build vp A time to weepe and a time to laugh a time to daunce and a time to mourne Sic tristia secundis secunda tristibus vicissitudo acerba sortis temperat So wise is the euer admirable Creatour in all his workes saith one as to temper the actions of the life of man with such proportion and counterpoyse that no prosperitie shall be without his succeeding inconuenience no aduersitie without his comfort to chase out of mans minde securitie and despaire the onely enemies of all wise and vertuous courses That time beloued is but a small whiles past when there was nothing heard in your gates but the voice of ioy and gladnesse of mirth and solace and that vpon so good a cause as a better the world was neuer made partaker of the memorie of the blessed Incarnation of the worlds Redeemer But now least the proud heart of man should be exalted aboue measure and puffed vp through aboundance of consolations Behold there is a contrary occasion of a contrary affection the sinne of man to counteruaile the grace of God that as afore we haue had cause of reioycing and feasting so now the time approacheth and is at hand wherein we haue inuitation to lamenting and fasting So that hauing already celebrated with mirth and great ioy the memorie of Christs comming into the world it remaines in the next place that now by sorrow and repentance we prepare for his comming vnto vs. For it is the same path which our Euangelist hath trodden out vnto vs in this Chapter Wherein after he had in the beginning thereof Diuinely proposed the comming of that light into the world which the world being shut vp in blindenesse was not able to comprehend in the next place immediately he proceedeth vnto the Ministerie of Iohn Baptist the Ministerie of humiliation and repentance the better to prepare the soules of men to entertaine that heauenly guest for which in that estate they naturally were in they were most vnfit For indeede it was the meere scope of Iohns Ministerie to prepare those by repentance which by the ministerie of Christ were afterwards to be sanctified by faith and other graces of the spirit Which thing as the Baptist vpon occasion diuers times in sundrie passages of this Chapter specifieth and witnesseth of himselfe so specially in this place vpon the sight of Iesus comming towards him as you may see in the coherence he inferreth this same testimonie of his owne Ministerie in the words which I haue now read vnto you Therefore am I come Baptizing with water intimating vnto his Disciples two things which are now also of vs to be considered His Office and the end of his office His Office and Ministerie in these words I am come Baptizing with water and the end of his Office implied and included in the illatiue particle therefore that is to say that Christ might be made manifest vnto Israel therefore am I come Baptizing with water So that in these words now read vnto you I haue occasion giuen to speake of the Office of Iohn Baptist in a twofold respect First of the positiue absolute nature of it what it is and the parts thereof And secondly of the relatiue nature of it how of it selfe it is but a rudiment and a preparatiue to a further degree of perfection and yet notwithstanding so necessarie that the other without it is likewise imperfect The absolute nature of his office and ministerie is here noted out vnto vs to be the Baptisme of water which as it is many times taken figuratiuely in the Scriptures in diuers significations so especially in this place by a synechadoche it is taken for the whole course of Iohns calling and Ministerie Whereof thereare two parts The substance of it which was the doctrine of repentance for the remission of sinnes And secondly the ceremonie of it or the seale of that doctrine the outward administration of the Sacrament of Baptisme To speake therefore properly of the substance of Iohns Baptisme is to speake of Repentance which hee Preached onely in the whole course of his Ministerie Now what repentance is where should we better learne then of him who was the Preacher of Repentance of the Baptist himselfe the precursor of the worlds Sauiour who teacheth it first by Precept secondly by the parts of it and thirdly by Patterne in his owne example By Precept shewing that it must be by parts of it shewing what it must be and by patterne shewing how it must be practised of all that hope to reape benefit by the incarnation of Christ Iesus And first he taught it by precept in the third of Mathew ver 3. When he saith Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand Which sentence seemeth not so much a precept imposing by commandment a duety necessarily to be performed as a counsell because a reason is annexed for then he might haue said Repent and no more Neither
contempt of the Church-gouernment and Gouernours all which might giue iust occasion to suspect hypocrisie in any one but onely for this cause because they were not eyther so monstrous blasphemers or so great carousers at leastwise so carelesse and dissolute liuers as themselues But leauing such monsters of Nature to the mercy of him who is onely able to transforme and amend them let it neuer be heard amongst vs beloued that any truely vertuous and Christianly disposed minde should euer so much as once open his mouth to gaine-say that which Christ hath spoken Luke 13.3.5 that if wee repent not we shall all surely perish The least sinne eyther in thought word or deed is death without repentance Let not therefore the falsenesse of our owne hearts delude vs nor the feare of despaire discourage vs nor the imputation of mopish Melancholy which the world casts vpon Repentance withhold vs from vndertaking the same for it is the Harbinger of the King of Heauen it is the beginning of the Gospell of Christ it is an entrance into those heauenly spirituall ioyes wherewith the Saints vpon the earth are endued being such as the world can neyther giue vnto vs nor take away from vs. For there is neuer any heart more filled with the ioyes of the Spirit then that heart that hath taken the greatest sorrow for his sinnes Neyther is the portion of Grace giuen vnto any by a greater measure then vnto him in whom there is the greatest measure of repentance And though the naturall man that perceiues not the things of God thinkes it a Paradoxe that a Christian should reioyce in mourning yet the Holy Ghost hath recorded it by S. Peter as a consolation for the Saints of God vnto the end of the world 1 Pet. 1.6.8 that though for a season they be in heauinesse if need require through manifold tentations yet doe these beleeue and reioyce with ioyes vnfpeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selues therefore saith S. Peter vnder the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time Iames 4.9.10 Sorrow yee and weepe saith S. Iames let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauinesse Cast downe your selues before the Lord and hee will lift you vp Else will hee saith Iob Iob 40.5 who sitteth in the heauens decked with maiestie and excellencie and arrayed with beauty and glory cast abroad the indignation of his wrath and behold euery one that is proud and abase him and looke on euery one that is arrogant and bring him low And for conclusion of all let euery man liuing yea euen the greatest despiser remember that it is an euerlasting truth registred in the sacred Booke of God Whereof Luke 16.17 the heauens and earth shall passe afore one iot or tittle shall fall away That Amos 6.1 woe is vnto them that are at ease in Sion and Luke 6.25 woe vnto them that now laugh for they shall weepe And on the contrary They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Psal 116.5 Mat. 5.4 and blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Now the Lord for his infinite mercy sake so preuaile in vs and ouer-rule vs by the power of his holy Spirit that in the due and serious consideration of our owne miserie by sinne wee may so partake with him in his sorrowes and sufferings in this life that wee may hereafter be made partakers with him of those vnspeakable and euerlasting ioyes in the life to come which hee reserueth in the Kingdome of heauen for all those onely that long and waite for his apearing Which the Lord grant vnto vs for Chirst his sake vnto whom with the Father and his most blessed Spirit bee all glory and maiestie all prayse and thanksgiuing both now and for euer FJNJS
diametro directly opposed vnto those foure generall diuine graces from whence all other doe spring Faith Obedience Loue and Patience Our earthly and base affections being so fastened vnto the pleasures and delights of this world that our faith cannot be stedfast concerning the pleasures of a better world and so we sinne against our Lord and Sauiour Secondly our pride and high conceit of our selues is repugnant vnto that obedience which wee owe vnto Gods Law and so we offend our Lord and Creatour Thirdly by the vnrighteousnesse of our actions we are defectiue in our Charitie and thereby we offer wrong vnto our Brethren And last of all the peruersenesse and frowardnesse of our wils doth trouble our hope and patience and so we disquiet our selues and the peace of our owne consciences Briefely wee are hence to learne Math. 3.3 that the Preaching of Iohn who came to prepare the waies of the Lord and to make his pathes straight doth in that place intimate thus much vnto vs that all these foureirregularities are to be rectified if we hope to haue the spirit of Christ to inhabite and possesse vs. And therefore these our affections must be wained from the things of this world for we cannot serue two Maisters saith our blessed Sauiour Luk. 16.13 We cannot serue God and Mammon Secondly Iam. 4.6 the pride of our hearts is to be abased for God resisteth the proud and giueth grace vnto the humble Thirdly the vnrlghteousnesse of our actions is to be rectified Mark 4.24 for With what measure we meite vnto others the same will God meite vnto vs. And lastly the peruersenesse of our wils is to be moderated Iames 1.20 for the wrath of man cannot accomplish the will of God but a meeke and a quiet spirit is a thing before God much set by 1. Pet. 3.4 In fine this is the summe of all that in asmuch as whiles we are in the flesh that is afore we are renewed by Repentance the motions of sinne which are by the Law doe preuaile in our members to bring forth fruit vnto death so now when as grace doth appeare and that the kingdome of God is at hand all impediments are to be remoued which might hinder the worke of the spirit of grace within vs so that we may he euery way fitted that we may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height that we may be filled withall fulnesse of God as the Apostle speaketh Ephes 3 18. And the Baptist doth not onely teach wherein Repentance doth consist and what it must be but hee also confirmes his Doctrine by his owne example shewing how it must be practised of all true penitentiaries and that especially in their particulars The place where he liued and Preached and that was in the wildernesse The meate whichhe ate and that was locusts and wilde honie And lastly the garments which he wore and that was a rough raiment of Camels haire girt about his loynes with a leatherne girdle In all which he signified vnto all men what he was and what all true Repentants should be euen euery way mortified vnto this world for All that is in this world saith Saint Iohn is the lust of the flesh the iust of the eyes or the pride of life 1 Ioh. 2.16 The lust of the flesh he subdued for he pampered not his body with varietie of delicacies neither troubled hee his thoughts with prouiding the dainties of these times but contented himselfe with such meane refreshment as would onely but sustaine nature such as that wilde desart would afford nothing but locusts and wilde honey The lust of the eyes he preuented for he dclighted not in the garish shewes and vaine spectacles of this world neither desired he the societie of good-companions and merrie consorts but sequestred himselfe into the wilde wildernesse a desart place from all occasions of sinne auoiding all allurements that might withdraw him and all oppositions that might prouoke him to froget the duetie of his vocation And lastly the pride of this life he mortified for those soft and costly raiments whereby the pride of mans heart is aduanced and openly manifested vnto the world did hee contemne and apparelled himselfe in such a garment as befitted one whose profession did acknowledge himselfe vnworthy of any and therefore contented himselfe in humilitie with the meanest euen a rough coate of camels haire girt about his loynes with a leatherne belt His practise is an example vnto vs and that so plaine that there are few I am perswaded but doe vnderstand it and can easily make application thereof vnto themselues and therefore the time calling me on I will not further exemplifie things so manifest and ordinary as the necessitie and dueties of Repentance which though practised sincerely of few yet the doctrine thereof is a high-way so much beaten and so plaine that a further guide were needelesse Onely afore I proceede of the ceremoniall part of Iohns Doctrine Hook Eccl. pol. lib. 5. the outward administration of the Sacrament of Baptisme thus much That the administration of the outward signes is occasioned by the weakenesse of our faith and vnderstanding which as they doe much depend vpon sense so must they haue some kinde of sensible obiect to conuey vnto the vnderstanding what is to be beleeued And therefore sith God in himselfe is inuisible and cannot by vs be discerned working therefore I say when it seemeth good in the eyes of his heauenly wisedome that men for some speciall intents and purposes should take notice of his glorious presence he giues vnto vs some plaine and sensible tokens whereby to know what we cannot see So communicating by sensible meanes those blessings that are incomprehensible assuring vs thereby in this particular that as water doth wash away the filth of the flesh so doth the blood of Christ cleanse our soules from all pollution of sinne by repentance and faith in his name Now these things being considered what should I hence inferre but euen take vp the complaint of the Prophet Esay in the first verse of his 53. Esay 53.1 Chapter Who will beleeue our report when as there are so many professours and so few practisers of true and vnfained Repentance Euery man almost as Herod harbouring in his brest some minion sinne or other from whence he will not be diuorced when as the vallyes of some are not raised but that their affections doe yet lie groueling vpon the earth raking and rooting in the mire of this world and latogether neglecting the golden treasures of heauen The swesling pride of others being such that they can thinke worthily of none but themselues The iniquitie of others likewise banishing all truth and honesty from their dealings and lastly the boisterous and outragious passions of some giuing assured testimony that as yet their roughnesse hath not beene made smooth by the power of Repentance Neither doth the outward face