Bradford God hath given thee a penitent and beleeving heart that is an heart which desireth to repent and beleeve for such an one is taken of him for a penitent and beleeving heart he accepting the will for the deed 2 Cor. 8. For if there bee first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not Kâ—mnit When I have a good desire though it doth scarcely shew it self in some little slender sigh I must be assured that the Spirit of God is present and worketh his good worke He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Psal 145. he will also heare their cry and save them His comming unto God HEe that commeth unto God Hebr. 11. must beleeve that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him Let us draw neere with a true heart 10. in full assurance of faith In Christ we have boldnes Ephes 3. and accesse with confidence by the faith of him The first comming to God Hom. de fiâ— is through faith whereby we be justified before him For the faith of the Catholike Religion Chrysost is the light of the soule the doore of life the foundation of eternall salvation Aug. Without it no man can come neere the number of the sons of God without it all the endevour of man is void Gal. 3. For ye are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Beda It commeth not from the wisdome of eloquent words but from the gift of the heavenly calling Phil. 1. For unto you it is given in the behalfe of CHRIST not onely to beleeve on him but also to suffer for his sake Mark 1â— When the Scribe said that to love GOD with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soule and with all the strength And to love his neighbour as himselfe is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices Jesus said unto him Ibid. thou art not farre from the Kingdome of heaven If thy heart can onely sobbe unto GOD despaire not Knox. thou art not destitute of Faith for that onely sobbe is an acceptable Sacrifice unto GOD. The Faith which the Scripture commendss is nothing else but Ferus To trust in the free mercy of GOD. Come unto mee all yee that labour Mat. 11. and are heavie laden and I will give you rest Incline your eare Isa 55. and come unto mee heare and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David His Repentance 2 Pet. 3. THe Lord is long suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Act. 3. Repent ye therfore and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out Glos ord Repentance is a bewayling of our former sins and a care not to commit the like againe Chrysost God never despiseth repentance if it bee offered unto him intirely and simply Hieron For the Lord respecteth not the length of time but considereth the upright affection of him that repenteth When we feele the burthen of our sins Vdall and be grieved in heart for them it is the worke of the holy Ghost and in time will bring forth fruit worthy of repentance There are foure parts of true repentance Hom. de poenit Contrition which is an unfained sorrow conceived in the heart for our sinnes committed Confession which is an humble and unfained acknowledging of our sins unto God Faith whereby we stedfastly beleeve that God for his Sonne Christ Jesus sake will forgive us all our iniquities Amendment of life which is to become new creatures and to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance Aug. Neither is it sufficient to repentance to change our manners into better and to depart from our evill waies unlesse GOD be satisfied for our sins past by the sorrow of repentance by the groane of humility by the sacrifice of a contrite heart Almes deeds accompanying Chrysost Not to bee grieved for thy sins doth more displease God and provoke his anger than the sinne which before thou diddest commit Ioel 2. Therfore now also saith the Lord Turne ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning Ibidem And rent your heart and not your garments and turne unto the LORD your GOD for he is gratious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse When thou so repentest Aug. that thy soule hath a bitter taste of that which before was pleasant in thy life and what before was delightfull to the body the same tormenteth thee in thine heart even now dost thou lament and mourne before GOD. If a man be never so great a sinner Latimer yet if he have true repentance with faith and hope in GODS mercy he shall be forgiven GODS mercy hath no limits at all Chrysost if any doe call for helpe there is one that will heare readily If any doe repent there is one that will shew mercy Lyra moral As the Palme tree which is rugged in the stocke and hath pleasant fruit in the top even so a righteous man beginneth in the roughnesse of repentance and endeth in the sweetnesse of heavenly comfort Hom de poenit Let us therefore repent for straying from so good a Lord let us confesse our unworthinesse before him but yet let us trust in Gods free mercy for Christ Jesus sake for the pardon of our sins Gregor For Gods mercy doth helpe those who repent in this world but in that which is to come we doe not repent but give account of our works Rom. 2. Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance His Confession HE that covereth his sins Prov. 28. shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercie Confesse thy sinnes before God Chrysost and declare thine offences with prayer to the true Judge not with thy tongue but with remembrance of thy conscience That confession delivereth from death Ambr. which is made by repentance David said unto the Lord 2 Sam. 24. I have sinned greatly in that I have done And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done foolishly Basil I doe not confesse with my lips that I may manifest my selfe to many but inwardly in my very heart shutting mine eyes to thee alone that seest the things that are in secret do I shew my groanes roaring within my selfe for the groanes of mine heart and the lamentations sent to thee my God from the depth of my soule suffice for a confession Hom. de poenit This is the chiefest and most principall Confession
are no vessels for Christ to dwell in Humilitie is a signe of worth but pride Bernard of emptinesse and vanity If the minde be constantly directed to GOD Greg moral whatsoever in this life is bitter unto us through patience wee account it pleasant Let a man looke into his heart Aug. and see if he have Charity and then let him say I am borne of GOD. Charity is a desire of the minde to love GOD for himselfe Idem and to love our neighbour for GOD. It is the stay of wisdome Idem the fruit of Faith the riches of the poore and the life of them that are dying Luther A Christian life consisteth in this that we deale with faith and with the heart in things apperteyning to GOD but use our life and works towards our neighbour Ephes 2. For wee are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordeined that we should walke in them Hom. de fid oper There is one work in which be all good works that is faith which worketh by charity If thou have it thou hast the ground of all good works Luther GOD will have works done freely not that wee may merit any thing therby but that we may doe them to the profit of our neighbours and witnes our sincere faith by them Aug. No man doth good works to receive grace by them but because he hath first received grace therefore consequently he doth good works Behold Iohn 5. thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing happen unto thee Which penance wee shall never be able to fulfill Hom. de poenit without the speciall grace of him that saith Ioh. 15.5 without me ye can doe nothing It is therfore our parts Hom de poenit if at least wee bee desirous of the health and salvation of our own soules most earnestly to pray to our heavenly father to assist us with his holy spirit that we may bee able to hearken to the voice of the true Shepheard and with due obedience to follow the same Let us heare the conclusion of the whole matter Eccl. 12. feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole duety of man His assurance of Salvation Iohn 3. HE that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlasting life 1 Pet. 1. Whom having not seene ye love in whom though now yee see him not yet beleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Ibidem Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your soules Bish Fisher If wee will enter into heaven we must not come with a double heart or wavering faith but with that which is altogether without doubting and most certain Hillar The LORD will have us hope for the Kingdome of Heaven without any doubting for otherwise there is no justification of faith if faith be uncertaine The just living by faith Fulgent saith confidently I beleeve to see the goodnesse of the LORD in the land of the living We have hope Heb. 6. as an Anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that which is within the Vaile Because ye are sons Gal. 4. GOD hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba father Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son Ibidem and if a son then an heire of God through Christ Wee leave not a sinner in Stapleton the middest of wavering doubtfulnesse but we place him in good and firme hope when once his conscience witnesseth with him that he hath truely repented Aug. There is a kind of glorying in thy conscience when thou knowest thy faith is sincere thy hope certain thy love without dissembling Altisiodor Wee may discerne we are in grace by our good desire comfort of minde and good works Bernard The spirit by faith revealeth to a man the eternall purpose of God concerning his future salvation which revelation is nothing else but the infusion of spirituall grace whereby the deeds of the flesh are mortified and the man prepared to the kingdome of heaven Gods truth and his power Vdall is the cause of our assurance of salvation his truth because we doe not doubt but he will keepe his promise his power because all things are possible to him Herein we looke not upon our own worthines Idem for then we must needs doubt but upon him that promised who will faithfully performe God hath promised to thee Aug. O man that thou shalt live for ever dost thou not beleeve it Beleeve it beleeve it for that which he hath already done for thee is a greater matter than that which he hath promised These things have I writâ—en unto you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God 1 Ioh. 5. that yee may know that yee have eternall life and that ye may beleeve on the name of the Son of GOD. Rom. 15 Now the GOD of hope fill you with all joy and hope in beleeving that yee may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Gods mercy Lam. 3. IT is the LORDS mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Psal 103. Hee hath not dealt with us after our sinnes nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Lam. 3. But though hee send affliction yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies Psal 103. For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy towards them that feare him This is the glory of man Hieron that hee may know and understand that GOD is the LORD who giveth mercie and justice upon the earth The omnipotency of God excelleth two waies Hieron in granting mercy to the penitent and punishing such as continue in sin according to their desert Hee rejoyceth not of his owne gaine Chrysost but of our salvation hee is not grieved for his owne displeasure but for our destruction When hee punisheth Idem and taketh vengeance he doth it not with passionate anger but with all unspeakable clemency with the affection of an healer not of a destroyer How rich art thou O Lord GOD in mercy how great in justice how bountifull in grace Bernard Thou beholdest the humbie with favour the Innocent thou judgest righteously savest sinners mercifully Kempis dial inter Deum peccator de imitat Christi si 4. cap. 18. Although a sinner do abide still in the flesh yet doe I receive him into my favour so that he is not to feare the utter confusion for his sins coÌ„mitted but rather to thanke praise God that old things bee passed away and that all things are become new Ibid. So gracious and mercifull am I that alwaies I am more ready to forgive than thou art to begge forgivenesse at my hands more ready to
no more helpe by fasting no more calling to penance no more exhibition of Almes Epiphan It is as the corne that swelleth not after it is reaped neither can bee spoiled with the wind The garners are sealed up the time is past Idem the combat is finished the lists are voided and the garlands are given Aug. Let us therefore bee at one with the word of God while we are in this life for when we are gone out of this world there shall bee no more compunction or satisfaction there remaineth no more but the Judge the Gaolour and the Prison When wee were enemies Rom. 5.10 we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son Heb. 9.26 Once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sinnes Bellar. Wee confesse that Christ hath truly yea most fully satisfied God the Father for us and for the whole world Aug. JESUS CHRIST taking upon him the punishment but not the fault hath therby blotted out both the fault and the punishment Let us hold fast the profession of our faith Heb. 10. without wavering for hee is faithfull that promised The rule of Catholike faith is certain known Bellar. There is nothing more knowne Idem nothing more certain than the holy Scriptures which are contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles They are Catholikes Aug. which be of sound Faith and good life Idem Hereticks doe violate faith by beleeving false things of God Tertul. Whatsoever favoureth against the truth is an heresie be it never so ancienta custome Aug. And schismatiks though they beleeve the same things with us yet doe fly from brotherly Charitie by their wicked divisions Idem Wherefore neither doth the Heretick belong to the Catholike Church because hee loveth not God Nor the Schismatike Idem because he loveth not his neighbour Pure Religion Ja. 1.27 and undefiled before GOD and the Father is this To visit the fatherlesse and the widowes in their affliction and to keepe himselfe unspotted from the world If true charity Casarius and humility be wanting we ought not to presume and trust to the habit only of Religion Let us search Lam. 3.40 and try our waies and turne againe unto the Lord. 25. The Lord is good to them that wait for him to the soule that seeketh him 30. For hee doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of Men. 1 PET. 2.17 Feare God Honor the King The contents are these viz. THe Sinners conversion Pa. 1 His godly desire 4 His comming unto God 7 His Repentance 10 His Confession 15 His Absolution 19 His amendment of life 23 His assurance of Salvation 30 Gods mercy 34 Death 40 The last Iudgement 44 4. Helps to the amendment of life 1. Prayer 51 2. Reading the Scriptures 55 3. Hearing the Word preached 59 4. Sacraments 62 The holy Eucharist or Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of our Lord. 64 A remembrance of the death and passion of our Saviour Christ 68 Worthy Receivers 70 Vnworthy Receivers 74 Transubstantiation 76 To be received in both kinds 80 The Prayer before receiving the Communion 83 The Prayer after receiving the Communion 85 A Prayer before reading the holy Scriptures 87 A Prayer for faith 88 For Repentance 89 A short and effectuall Prayer 90 The generall Confession 91 A Prayer for the Morning 93 A Prayer for all times 95 A Prayer before going to bed 96 A Psalme of contrition and confession 98 A Psalme for remission 100 A Psalme for mercy and direction 102 A Psalme of confidence in Gods mercie 104 A Psalme of praise 106 THE SINNERS Conversion O Israel Hos 14.1 returne unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Returne unto mee Malac. 3.7 and I will returne unto you saith the Lord of Hosts Our conversion will alwaies finde him prepared August Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God Iam. 4.10 that hee may exalt you in due time Lyra in Eph. Humility is the foundation of the spirituall building Iam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Greg. Naz. O the readinesse of Gods gratious love O the easinesse of his exorable reconcilement Perkins A man beginning to bee converted is at that instant the childe of God Idem Inward motions and inclinations of Gods Spirit are the materiall beginning of a Sinners conversion Phil. 3.13 For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Luke 15. The prodigall son when he came to himselfe said I will arise and goe to my father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee And am no more worthy to be called thy sonne Ibidem make me as one of thy hired servants And he arose Ibidem and came to his father But when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Though a man come to the height of vice Chrysost and yet be willing to returne into the way of vertue God receiveth and embraceth him willingly None ought therefore to despaire of pardon Greg. if about the end of their life they turne to repentance And although our conversion be good in our last sicknesse yet is that better Idem which is performed long before our death that wee may with more security passe out of this world Hieron God grant the sinner may be as soone turned to repentance as the Lord is ready to change his determined judgement Ezech. 33. Turne yee turne ye from your evill waies for why will ye dye O house of Israel Lam. 15. Turne thou us unto thee O Lord and wee shall bee turned His godly desire Psal 42. AS the Hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God 84. My soule longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God The more earnestly God is desired of us Gregor the more sweetly is hee delighted in us Our desires doe sound more powerfully in the secretest eares of God Idem than our words Hee that searcheth the heart Rom. 8. knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God God hath annexed a promise of blessednesse Perkins and life everlasting to the desire of grace Blessed are they which doe hunger Mat 5. and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled August The whole life of a good Christian is an holy will and desire
of GOD and regard to your owne soules and the life that is to come apply your selves chiefly above all things to read and heare GODS Word Marke diligently therein what his will is you shall doe and withall endevour apply your selves to follow the same Blessed is he that readeth Revel 1.3 and they that heare the words of this Prophecie and keepe those things which are written therein 3. Hearing the Word preached EArly in the morning Jesus came into the Temple Ioh. 8.2 and all the people came unto him and he sate downe and taught them In the day time Jesus was teaching in the Temple Luk. 21.37 and at night he went out and aboad in the Mount that is called the Mount of Olives 38. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the Temple to heare him Acts 13.44 The next Sabbath day came almost the whole City of Antiochia together to heare the word of God preached by Paul and Bâ—rnabas Acts 8.5 Then came Philip into the City of Samaria preached Christ unto them 6. And the people gave heed unto those things which Philip spake with one accord Acts 17.11 The Jewes of Berea were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readinesse of minde and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Wickliff That the hearing of the Word and Law of GOD is commmanded to the people it is evident both by the old and new Law Take opportunity to heare preaching and to prove Grashop by the Scriptures that which is taught The first Bayne and principall meanes to uphold a Christian life in godlinesse is the Word of GOD read preached and heard as the Lord prescribeth Where there is a good order of teaching Idem with diligence skill love and plainnesse we must be attentive and reverent in hearing As drinke is pleasant to them that be dry Hom. de leg Scriptur and meat to them that be hungry so is the reading hearing searching and studying of the holy Scriptures to them that bee desirous to know God or themselves and to doe his will Bayne The ordinarie preaching of the Word is a singular meanes provided for the perfecting of GODS elect and for their growing in a Christian life 4. Sacraments Eccles Ang. CHrist hath ordained in his Church two Sacraments onely as generally necessary to Salvation that is to say Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Cosler A Sacrament is an outward and visible signe of a divine invisible grace instituted by Christ by vertue whereof the receiver obtaineth grace and sanctification In Sacraments Bellar. both the matter and words must bee instituted by GOD and are not alterable by man either by addition or diminution They are therefore called Sacraments August because one thing is seene in them and another thing understood That which is seene hath a bodily kinde forme and shew but that which is understood hath spirituall fruit Wee must not consider Idem what they be but what they signifie It is a dangerous matter Idem to take the signe in stead of the thing that is signified The holy Eucharist or Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of our Lord. Mat. 26. AS they were eating Jesus tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to his disciples and said Take eat this is my body Ibidem And he tooke the cup and gave thankes and gave it to them saying Drinke yee all of it Ibid. For this is my Blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins In stead of the Flesh Beda and Blood of the Lambe Christ hath ordained the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud in the figure of bread and wine Neither doe wee receive them as common bread Iust Mart. nor as common drinke The bread which is of the earth Iren. receiving the invocation of God is not now common bread but the Eucharist consisting of two things earthly and heavenly Christ taking bread Tertul. and distributing it to his disciples made it his body saying this is my Body that is to say this is a figure of my body It is evident Bertram that the bread and wine are figuratively the body and bloud of Christ By the commandement and Isidor authority of Christ we call it the Body and Bloud of Christ because that though it bee made of the fruits of the earth it is yet notwithstanding sanctified and so become a Sacrament GODS Spirit working invisibly therein Bertram That body wherein Christ suffered was his proper and true body having no mysticall or figurative matter in it But this latter is a mysticall body shewing one thing outwardly in figure and inwardly representing another thing through the understanding and apprehension of faith Eccle. Angl. The body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the Supper onely after an heavenly manner And the meane whereby the body of Christ is received in the Supper is Faith To beleeve in Christ Aug. is the eating of the Bread of Life prepare not your mouths prepare your hearts This is to eat that living bread to beleeve in Christ Clem. Alex. that is to say with love to cleave fast unto him This is to drinke the bloud of Jesus Idem to be made partaker of his immortality This is therefore Aug. to eat that meat and drinke that drinke To dwell in Christ and to have Christ dwelling in us A remembrance of the death and passion of our Saviour Christ. 1 Cor. 11. THe LORD JESUS the same night in which he was betrayed tooke bread Ibid. And when hee had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my body which is broken for you this doe in remembrance of me Ibid. After the same manner also hee tooke the cup when hee had supped saying This cup is the new Testament in my bloud this doe as oft as yee drinke it in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11. For as often as yee eat this bread and drink this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he come The Sacrament of the Lords Supper was ordained for the continuall remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ Eccles Ang. and the benefits which we receive thereby This bread and this cup Bertram which is called the body and blood of CHRIST doe lively represent or set out the remembrance of the Lords passion or dâ—ath even as himselfe hath said in the Gospell Luke 22. Do this in remembrance of me which the Apostle Paul expoundeth saying 1 Cor. 11. As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye shew the Lords death till hee come Our Lord gave unto his disciples Walfrid Strab. the SacrameÌ„t of his body and Bloud in the substance of bread and wine