or idle talkers jesters bribers covetous persons drunkards gluttons whoremongers theeves murtherers slanderers idle livers negligent in their vocations c. All such and all other as lament not their sinnes as hope not in Gods mercy for pardon and purpose not heartily to amend to leave their swearing drunkennesse whoredome covetousnesse idlenesse c. All such I say shall not or cannot enter into God's Kingdome but hell fire is prepared for them weeping and gnashing of teeth whereunto alas I feare mee very many will needs goe in that very many will be as they have beene let us even to the wearing of the tongue to the stumpes Preach and Pray never so much to the contrary and that even in the bowels of Jesus Christ as now I beseech you all all and every Mothers Child to repent and lament your sinne to trust in Gods mercy and to amend your lives Now me thinkes ye are somewhat astonished whereby I gather that presently you desire this repentance that is this sorrow good hope and newnesse of life The which that you may the rather attaine and get to your comforts as I have gone about to be a mean to stirre up in you by Gods grace this desire of Repentance so through the same grace of God will I goe about now to shew you how you may have your desire in this behalfe And first concerning this part namely sorrow for our sinnes and hearty lamenting of the same For this if you desire the having of it you must beware that you thinke not that of your selves or of you own free will by any meanes you can get it You may easily deceive your selves and mock your selves thinking more of your selves then is seemely All good things and not peeces of good things but all good things saith St James come from God the Father of light If therefore repentance be good as it is good then the parts of it be good From God therefore doe they come and not of our free will It is the Lord that'mortifieth that bringeth down that humbleth saith the Scripture in sundry places After thou hadst stricken me saith Jeremy I was ashamed Loe he saith After thou hadst stricken me and therefore prayeth he even in the last words almost he writeth Turne us O Lord and we shall be turned The which thing David used very often Wherefore first of all if thou wouldest have this part of repentance as for the whole because it is Gods gift so for this part goe thou unto God and male some little prayer as thou canst unto his mercy for the same in this or like sort Mercifull Father of our Saviour Jesus Christ because I have sinned and done Wickedly yet through thy goodnesse have received a desire of repentance whereto this thy long-sufferance doth draw my hard heart I beseech thee for thy mercies sake in Christ to work the same repentance in me and by the spirit Power and Grace so to humble mortify and feare my conscience for my finnes that in thy good time thou maist comfort and quicken me againe through Jesus Christ thy dearely beloved Sonne AMEN After this sort I say or otherwise as thou thinkest good if thou wilt have this first part Contrition or sorrow for thy finnes do thou begge it of God through Christ And when thou hast asked it as I have laboured to drive thee from trusting in thy selfe so now I goe about to move thee from flattering of thy selfe from sluggishnesse and negligence to be diligent to use these meanes following Unto prayer which I would thou shouldest first use as thou canst Secondly get thee Gods Law as a glasse to look in for in it and by it cometh the true knowledge of sinne without which knowledge there can be no sorrow For how can a man sorrow for his finnes which knoweth not his finnes As when a man is sick the first steppe to health is to know his sicknesse even so to salvation the first step is to know thy damnation due for thy many sinnes The law of God therefore must be gotten and carefully looked in we must look in it spiritually and not carnally as the outward word or letter doth declare and utter and so our Saviour teacheth us in Matthew expounding the sixth and seaventh Commandements not only after the outward deed but also after the heart making there the anger of the heart a kind of murther lusting after another mans wife a kind of adultery And this is one of the differences betweene Gods Law and mans Law that of this man's law I meane I am not condemnable so long as I observe outwardly the same But Gods Law goeth to the roote and to the heart condemning me for the inward motion although outwardly I live most holily As for example if I kill no man though in my heart I hate man's law condemneth me not but otherwise doth Gods Law And why for it seeth the root from whence the evill doth spring If hatred were taken out of the heart then loftinesse in lookes detraction in tongue and murther by hand could never ensue If lusting were out of the heart curiosity in countenance wantonnesse in words loathsome boldnesse in body would not appeare In that therefore this outward evill springs out of the inward corruption seeing Gods Law also is a law of liberty as saith St James and spirituall as saith St Paule perfectly and spiritually it is to be understood if we will truely come to the knowledge of our sinnes For of this inward corruption reason knoweth little or nothing I had not known saith Paul that lusting which to reason and to them which are guided only by reason is thought but a triste I had not knowne saith he this lusting to have been sinne if the Law had not said Non concupisces thou shalt not lust To the knowledge therefore of our sinne without which we cannot repent or be sorry for our sinne let us secondly get us God's law as a glasse to look in and not only literally outwardly or partly but also spiritually inwardly and throughly Let us consider the heart and so shall we see the foule spotts we are stained withall at lest inwardly whereby we the rather may be moved to hearty sorrow and sighing For as St Augustine saith it is a glasse which feareth no body but even look what a one thou art so it painteth thee out In the Lawe we see it is a foule spot not to love the Lord our God with all I say our heart soule power might and strength and that continually In the Law it is a soule spot not only to make to our selves any graven image or similitude to bow thereto c. but also not to frame our selves wholly after the word and image whereto we are made In the Law we see that it is soule spot not only to take Gods name in vaine but also not earnestly heartily and even continually to call upon his name only to give thankes unto him only to
The Good Old Way OR An Excellent and Profitable Treatise of REPENTANCE MADE By that Pretious man of God and faithfull Martyr of Jesus Christ Mr. JOHN BRADFORD in the yeare 1553. Now published with two Prefaces relating the life of the Author and the excellency of the WORKE Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13.5 The times of this Ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to Repent Act. 17.30 OXFORD Printed by LEON LICHFIELD Printer to the Vniversity 1652. To all faithfull Mnasons old Disciples and all those who desire and endeavour to walk in the good old Gospel-way of Faith and Repentance Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord JESUS CHRIST IT is a common Proverb that good Wine needs no Ivy bush No more doth this good old Wine this excellent Treatise of that Saint of God Mr Bradford need any letters of commendation Yet it will be requisite to speak something and I hope it will be interpreted a deed of charity if I interpose as an Advocate for the truth of this Orphan Tract whose Father was a Saint on earth and now reignes as a glorious Saint in heaven The work is legitimate transcribed after an exact Copy and it 's sutable to the stile and savours of the Authors spirit The many choyce breathings in his letters and this Treatise are all of a peece good old gold more pretious then that of Ophir Something I shall briefely speake of the Author and then of this Tract For the Author what his learning was is upon Record how solid and sinuous his disputations were with the Popish Prelates Spanish Friars and others that visited him in prison and how dextrously he managed all his Disputations with Wisdome judgement and zeale you may read largely in Mr Foxes Martyrology He was a man of an acute witt penetrating judgement and had the approbation and advice of Martin Bucer to enter into the Ministery His piety was rare and eminent As was the man so was his communication holy and usefull Who so reads his spirituall breathings I might almost call it a transcendent style in his Epistles must needs confesse that he was one of the holiest men that ever lived since the Apostles time Take a tast of him in these few characters 1. He was a zealous plaine profitable Preacher of Gods word He knew how to divide the word aright and walke accordingly He had those two rare Qualifications of a Preacher {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} He was a Boanerges a sonne of Thunder to impenitent obdurate sinners but a Barnabas a sonne of consolation to the children of God 2. He was of an humble selfe-denying spirit I never read of any that had a meaner opinion of himselfe then he had You shall finde the subscription of his letters Miserrimus peccator a very hypocrite the most hard-hearted unthankefull sinner a very painted hypocrite John Bradford So cheap an esteeme had he of himselfe This humility is an adorning grace next to the garment of Christs righteousnesse none like to it wherefore the Apostles phrase is Emphaticall 1 Pet. 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Be ye cloathed with humility Let it be your uppermost garment Cyprian saith Fundamentum sanctitatis est humilitas This holy man's example is worthy of our imitation 3. He was much acquainted with God and enjoyed a holy communion and familiarity with him in Prayer Meditation He meditated much and Meditation is the spirituall digestion of the soule It 's a divine ruminating upon the word read or Preached when we meditate seriously on the Promises Attributs or such choyce subjects we are up in the Mount with Moses we soare aloft even to heaven being carryed by the wings of holy meditation This meditation is an uphill duty Isaack Moses Paul and other Saints of God have found sweet consolation flowing from it And he joyned prayer to Meditation he was frequently upon his knees and he would not rise up till he felt something coming in some spirituall illapse darted upon his soule His practice was sutable to Bernard's resolution Nunquam Domine discedam a te sine te He studied usually upon his knees and prayed much in his study and indeed he studies well who praies well And he can take the most comfort of his study who reaps the fruits of his paines as Returnes of his prayers 4. He was of a melting tender heart He wept much and mourned that he could not bring his dull heart to love Jesus Christ more At table as he sate at meat he usually pulled his hat down before his eyes and poured forth abundance of teares upon his trencher He had a tender heart bowells opened to the Prisoners he had a tender care both of their bodies and soules When he was in Prison he visited frequently his Fellow-Prisoners and spent much time in praying for them exhorting of them and contributing liberally out of his purse unto them I need adde no more for what I can say is too little beneath the Authors worth of whom the World was not worthy He lived a Saint and died a Martyr Now for this worke which I here present to the Reader I am assured that it s not spurious but the genuine issue of this worthy Author Herein is handled The Doctrine of Repentance with many moving considerations thereunto Perhaps his plaine Phrase may not suite this curious age which is too too much given to affectation of words Sed distinguenda sunt tempora Those times were not used to set forth or garnish their dishes as now they are yet the food is wholsome plaine and profitable And if our palates cannot relish such food I feare there 's some distemper in them and it 's our duty to pray for the removall thereof I shall not make a Panegyrick on the Treatise The work will abundantly commend it selfe Here 's Evangelicall Repentance prest home unto the Conscience with many cogent convincing Arguments It was then spoken in season and it 's a Doctrine that can never be prest our of season These are Gospel daies The Kingdome of heaven is at hand and of all times Gospel times are peculiar times of Repentance The Lord calls upon all rankes of men Magistrates Ministers People Repent Repent Various dispensations call on us to repent some times God speaks in the Thunder of judgement sometimes in the Musick of mercy Both by mercies and judgements we are called to Repentance The last words of this holy Martyr were Repent England And truly the words of a dying man should be much set by Especially of a dying Saint who bequeaths this Legacy to England in his last breath Now whoever thou art that readest this book and art hereby won to think on thy waies and turne unto God give God the glory and look on it as a speciall hand of providence in bringing this book to thy sight I will not detaine thee longer from reading this
ensuing Treatise Read it and read it againe with prayer and Meditation and the Lord teach thee to profit by it And so I commend thee to the grace of God and bid thee heartily Farewell entreating thy prayers for him who in love to thy soule hath revived this Treatise and remaines Thy servant for Christs sake H. W. To the Reader BEing over entreated to Preface something to this Peece I crave a little patience whilest I speak a little both to the Worke and Workman In the Work there is 1. The Matter 2. the Frame or composure considerable the subject matter is Repentance and that 's a thing which will never be out of season till sin which never is in season be out of mens hearts and lives Some men indeed have thought in temptation only I hope this a worke for some at least in these daies too legall and below their Gospel priviledges but if it be rightly stated and understood it will be found a Gospell both duty and priviledge beyond the mercy of Law and never more seasonable then in times of Grace Act. 17. 30 much pressed by the Lord of Preachers and his forerunners by his Apostles and their successors down to our Authors time who frequented no one doctrine or duty more For the forme and manner of handling this Theme we referre thereunto his method his stile or phrase In the first we must allow a latitude to him to others according to each mans gift and genius so long as curiosity and confusion be avoided and the capacity of the hearer considered Much I know is written about the Method of Preaching and it must be granted that nothing contributes more to the memory both of the speaker and hearer then method doth Howheit the rule holds that the greatest art is to dissemble art and that Preacher who studies himself and his people most usually speaks most to the heart and to edification a Workman may fetch his stuffe from anothers shop but if he will make the suit fit he must apply himselfe to the party concerned and take measure of him I mean this a Teacher must fetch all his materials from the word but his application from the Auditory and herein this good man was his crafts master Nor will his Method I am confident be quarrelled by any true Artist he begins with a description of the Term of the Thing and that done he casts it into the parts vindicating them from false glosses and mistakes and restoring them to their proper sense and the way thus cleared he bears down all before him with strength of argument and application wherein lies the life of this of any Sermon For his Phrase that 's suited to the times wherein he lived and to the matter that lies before him and whilst 't is so it was not needfull either to alter a tearme unlesse it were super annuated or to adde a word unlesse it were to make up a gappe where the Coppy seemed defective It is confessed on all hands his persecutors not gainsaying it that the Author was in those times a master of speech but he had learned of his Master not to speak what he could speake but what his hearers could heare he knew that clearnes of speech was the excellency of speech and therefore resolved with a good Orator to speak beneath himselfe rather then above his Auditory and with the nurse to speake broken words rather then obscure and doubtfull otherwise his eloquence was confessedly great that is Native Masculine Modest in one Heavenly for if you marke him he savours and breaths nothing but Heaven yea he sparkles thunders lightens pierces the soft breaks only the stony heart The blessing of God hath been signally eminent upon this land in her Preachers I had almost said beyond all lands since the Reformation the Lord make us sensible of it really thankefull for it to the encouragement of all such Amongst these I have in my time met with foure mighty men upon this very argument now all with God for I forbeare to instance in the living the men are John Bradford John Udall Arthur Dent Dan. Dyke and if I might be pardoned for for comparing dead men which I doe not practice towards the living I should think that as Mr Bradford is before them all in time so not behinde any one of them in this way of Preaching he was of a most sweet humble and melting spirit who I know not how will be in a mans bosome ere he be aware and willingly winne him from himselfe to Christ Many years are now past since I first read this Tract and it is not to be stranged if still I affect it t is the first Printed Sermon that affected me to purpose and I were to blame if I should be unwilling to carve and convey it to others which whilest I doe it is not to be expected that I should engage either for or against every punctilio in it he shall shew little ingenuity and lesse Charity who cannot look upon such a Brother dissenting in some opinion or expression without some abatement of affection or respect It was the frequent profession of my ever honoured Predecessor where I see most of Christ there will I love most whether the party be of my opinion or of a different judgement so he so I but of the Work enough shall I speak a little of the Workman This blessed Martyr who beautisied his sufferings with his meeknesse humility was doubtles one of a thousand whether a better Preacher or Scholler is to me a great question after his conversion his whole life was a continued Sermon of Repentance in his addresses to the Vniversity to the Citty to his Country men and kinsmen he Preacht Repentance he liv'd Repentance and in his last farewell to this land he breathed out his last thus O England England Repent Repent of thy sins I am much ashamed when I read his workes and life penned by many and cannot without sad reflections upon my selfe consider how farre our meanes helps opportunities are beyond his times and how infinitely I to censure none but my selfe fall short of him in the practice of godlinesse and power of exhortation Truly if Luthers three engredients 1. Prayer 2. Meditation 3. Temptation make up either Preacher or Christian you may find them all in him who was a man of prayer of meditation of temptations as his workes speak him and they found him who have made use of him in their temptations and desertions The man who most in my mind resembled him in Preaching conference prayer temptation every way was the man whose society I sometimes enjoyed this blessed man now with Christ hath often told me that he himselfe whose ability and dexterity in setling and satisfying troubled spirits was certainly great hath been at one time so overwhelmed with temptations and at another so becalmed into a flatnesse and listlesnes of spirit that he hath been enforced to adopt M. Bradfords
and present old and new thereby the holy spirit may be effectuall to worke in his time this worke of sorrowing for our sinne Look upon Gods anger for sinne in Adam and Eve for eating a peece of an apple or some such fruit Were not they the dearest creatures of God cast out of Paradise Were not they subject to mortality travaile labour c. Was not the earth accursed for their sinnes Doe not we all men in labour women in travailing with child and all in death mortality and misery even in this life feele the same And was God so angry for their sinne and he being the same God will he say nothing to us for ours alas more horrible then the eating once of one peece of an apple In the time of Noah and Lot God destroyed the whole world with Water and the Citties of Sodom with Gomorrah Seboim and Adama with fire and brimstone from heaven for their sinnes namely for their Whoredomes pride idlenesse unmercifulnesse to the poore tyranny c. In which wrath of God even the very babes birds fowles fishes herbs trees and grasse perished and think we that nothing will be spoken to us much worse and more abominable then they For all men may see if they will that the Whoredomes pride unmercifulnesse tyranny c. of England farre passeth in this age any age that ever was before Lots wife looking back was turned into a salt stone and will our looking back againe yea our turning back againe to our wickednesse doe us no hurt If we were not already more then blind Beetles we would blush Pharaoh his heart was hardned so that no miracle could convert him if ours were any thing soft we would beginne to sobbe Of six hundred thousand men only two entred into the Land of promise because they had ten times sinned against the Lord as he himselfe saith and think we that God will not sweare in his wrath that we shall never enter into his rest which have sinned so many ten times as we have toes and fingers yea haires on our heads and beards I feare me and yet we passe not The man that sware and he that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day were stoned to death but we think our swearing is no sinne our bribing rioting yea whore-hunting on the Sabbath day pleaseth God or else we would something amend our manners Elies negligence in correcting his sonnes nipped his neck in two but ours which pamper up our Children like puppets will they put us to no plunge Elies sonnes for disobaying their Fathers admonition brought over them Gods vengeance and will our stubbornnesse doe nothing Sauls malice to David Acabs displeasure against Naboth brought their blood to the ground for dogges to eate yea their Children were hanged up and slaine for this cause but we continue in malice envy and murther as though we were able to wage warre withthe Lord Davids adultery with Bathsheba was visited on the child borne on Davids daughter defiled by her brother and on his children one slaying another his Wives defiled by his own sonne and himselfe driven out of his Realme in his old age and otherwise also although he most hartily repented his sin But me thinks we are more deare unto God then David which yet was a man after God's own heart or else we could not but tremble and beginne to repent The rich glutton who insatiatly delighted in gluttony what did it availe him it brought his soule to hell and have we any preheminence that God will doe nothing to us Achans subtil theft provoked Gods anger against all Israel and our subtilty yea open extortion is so fine and politick that we think God cannot espie it Gehezi his covetousnesse brought it not the Leprosy upon him and on all his seed Judas also hanged himselfe But the covetousnesse of England is of another cloth and colour Well if it were so the same Taylor will cut it accordingly Ananias and Saphyra by Lying linked to them suddain death but ours now prolongeth our life the longer to last in eternall death The false witnesses of the two Judges against Susanna lighted on their own heads and so will ours doe at length But what goe I about to avouch ancient examples where daily experience doth teach The sweat the other yeare the stormes the Winter following will us to weigh them in the same ballances Men hanging and killing themselves which are alas too rife in all places require us to register them in the same roules At the least Children Infants and such like which yet can not utter sinne by word or deed we see Gods anger against sinne in punishing them by sicknesse death mis-hap or otherwise so plainly that we cannot but grone againe in that we have poured out these sinnes in word or deed more abundantly And here with me a little look on God's anger yet so fresh that we cannot but smell it although we stoppe our noses never so much I pray God we smell it not more fresh hereafter I meane it forsooth for I know you look for it in our deare late Soveraigne Lord the Kings Majesty you all know he was but a child in years defiled he was not with notorious offences Defiled said I nay rather adorned with so many good gifts and wonderfull qualities as never Prince was from the beginning of the World Should I speake of his wisdome of his ripenesse in judgement of his learning of his Godly zeale Heroicall heart Fatherly care for his Commons Nurse-like solicitude for Religion c. Nay so many things are to be spoken of Gods exceeding graces in this Child that as Salust writeth of Carthage I had rather speak nothing then too little in that too much is too little This gift God gave unto us Englishmen before all Nations under the Sunne and that of their exceeding love towards us But alas alas for our unthankfulnesse sake for our sinne sake for our carnality and prophane living Gods anger hath touched not only the body but also the mind of our King by a long sicknesse and at length hath taken him away by death death cruell death fearefull death O if Gods judgement be begun on him which as he was the chiefest so I think the holyest and godliest in the Realme of England alas what will it be on us whose sinnes have overgrowne so our heads that they are climed up to heaven I pray you my good brethren know that Gods anger towards us for our sinnes cannot but be great yea too fell in that we see it was so great that our good King could not beare it What befell Jewry after the death of Josias Lord save England and give us repentance my heart will not suffer me to tarry longer herein I hope this will cause some repentance If therefore the prayer for Gods feare the looking in God's glasse and the tagge thereto will not burst open the blockish heart yet hope I that the repetition
is how joyfull and precious a thing Gods mercy in Christ is how exceeding broad wide high and deepe Christs love is Perchance he can talke and Preach of Faith but yet truly in heart he never felt it effectually for if he did once feele this ravishing consolation indeed then would he be so farre from continuing in sinne willingly and wittingly that wholly and heartily he would give over himselfe to that which is contrary I meane to a new life renewing his youth even as the Eagle doth For as we being in the servitude of sinne demonstrate our service by giving over our members to the obaying of sinne from iniquity to iniquity even so we being made free from sinne by faith in Jesus Christ and endued with Gods spirit a spirit of liberty must needs demonstrate this freedome and liberty by giving over our members to the obedience of the spirit by the which we are lead and guided from vertue to vertue and all kind of holinesse As the unbelievers declare their unbeleefe by the working of the evill spirit in them in the outward fruits of the flesh even so the believers declare their faith by the working of Gods Spirit in them outwardly the fruits of the Spirit For as the Divell is not dead in those which are his but worketh still to their damnation so is not God dead in them which be his but worketh still to their salvation The which working is not the cause of the one or the other being in any but only a demonstration a signe a fruit of the same As the Apple is not the cause of the Apple tree but the fruit of it Thus then you see briefely that newnesse of life is not indeed a part of repentance but a fruit of it a demonstration of the justifying faith a signe of Gods good spirit possessing the heart of the penitent as the old life is a fruit of impenitency a demonstration of a lipfaith or unbeliefe a signe of Sathans spirit possessing the heart of the impenitent which all those be that be not penitent For meane I know none He that is not penitent the same is impenitent he that is not governed by Gods spirit the same is governed by Sathans Spirit For all that be Christians are governed with the spirit of Christ which spirit hath its fruits All other that be not Christs are the Divels He that gathereth not with Christ scattereth abroad Therefore my dearely beloved I beseech you to consider this and deceive not your selves If you be not Christs then pertaine you to the Divel of which things the fruits of the flesh doth assure you as whoredome adultery uncleannesse wantonnesse idolatry witch-craft envy strife contention wrath sedition murther drunkennesse gluttony blasphemy slothfulnesse vaine talking slandering c. If such like fruit as these grow out of the trees of your hearts surely surely the Divell is at Inne with you you are his birds whom when he hath well fed he will broach you and eat you chaw you and champ you world without end in eternall woe and misery But I am otherwise perswaded of you all I trust you be all Christ Jesus his people and his children yea and his brethren by faith As you see your sins in Gods Law and tremble and sigh sorrow and sob for the same even so you see his great mercies in his Gospel and free promises and therefore are glad merry and joyfull for that you are accepted into Gods favour have your sins pardoned and are endued with the good spirit of God even the seale and signe Manuel of your election in Christ Jesus even before the beginning of the World The which spirit for that he is the Spirit of life is given to you to work in you with you and by you here in this life sanctification and holinesse whereunto you are called that so ye might be holy even as your heavenly father is holy I beseech you all by admonition and warning of you that you would stirre up the gifts of God given to you generally and particularly to the edifying of his Church that is I pray you that you would not molest the good Spirit of God by rebelling against it when it provoketh and calleth you to goe on forward that he which is holy might yet be more holy he which is righteous might be more righteous as the evill spirit moveth and stirreth up the filthy to be yet more filthy the covetous to be more covetous the wicked to be more wicked Declare you now your repentance by workes of repentance Bring forth fruits and worthy fruits Let your sorrowing for your evils demonstrate it selfe departing from the evils you have used Let your certainty of pardon of your sins through Christ and your joy in him be demonstrated by pursuing of the good things which Gods word teacheth you You are now in Christ Jesus Gods workmanship to doe good works which God hath prepared for you to walk in For the grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men hath appeared and teacheth us that we should deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should live soberly righteously godlily in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the mighty God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ which gave himselfe for us to redeeme us from all unrighteousnesse and to purge us a peculiar people unto himselfe fervently given unto good workes Again Titus 3. For we our selves also were in times past unwise disobedient deceived serving lusts and divers pleasures living in maliciousnesse and envy full of hate and hating one another But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour to man-ward appeared not by the deeds of righteousnesse which we wrought but of his mercy he saved us by the fountain of the new birth and with the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that we once justified by his grace should be heires of eternall life through hope This is a true saying But I will make an end for I am too tedious Dearely beloved repent your sinnes that is be sorry for that which is past beleeve in Gods mercy for pardon how deepely soever you have sinned and both purpose and earnestly pursue a new life bringing forth worthy and True fruits of Repentance As you have given over your members from sin to sin to serve the Divel your tongues to sweare to lye to flatter to scold to jest to scoffe to beastly talke to vain jangling to boasting c. Your hands to picking griping idlenesse fighting c. Your feet to skipping going to evill to dancing c. Your eares to heare Fables lyes vanities and evill things c. So now give over your members to godlinesse your tongues to speak your eares to heare your eyes to see your mouthes to tast your hands to worke your feet to goe about such things as may make to Gods glory sobriety of life and love to your brethren and that daily more and more diligently for in this way to stand you cannot either better or worse you are to day then you were yesterday But better I trust you be and will be if you marke my Theme that is repent you The which thing that you would as before I have humbly besought you even so now yet once more I doe again beseech you and that for the mercies of God in Jesus Christ our Lord Repent you repent you for the Kingdome of heaven that is a Kingdome full of riches pleasures mirth beauty sweetnesse and eternall felicity is at hand The eye hath not seen the like the eare hath not heard the like the heart of man cannot conceive the treasures and pleasures of this Kingdome which is now at hand to such as Repent that is to such as are sorry for their sinnes beleeve Gods mercy through Christ and earnestly purpose to lead a new life The God of mercy through Christ his Sonne grant us his holy spirit and work in our hearts this sorrow faith and new life which through his grace I have spoken of both now and for ever AMEN FINIS Marc. 4.33 Lumen orationis perspicuitas Aug. who would call a bone ossum to avoid the ambiguity in os in Psal. 138. secundum Aug. Mr R. Ca. of Tentat 1. Resipiscentia 2 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 3 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Deut. 6.2 Mat. 22. Mark 20. Luke 10. Ioh. 3. Mat. 6. Luke 17. Apoc. 22. Deut. 4.1 Phil. 4. Isai 45. 1 Joh. 2. Iames 2. Rom. 7. Gen. 6. Gen. 19. Gen. 19. Josua Caleb Num. 14. Lev. 24a Num. 13. 1 K. 5. 3 Reg. 21.22 4 Reg. 21. 4 Reg. 10. Isai 31. Mat. 7. Heb. 10.