God not of workes lest any man should beast Ephes 2.8 but yet so as followeth in the same Text that God hath ordayned good workes for euery good Christian to walke in And therefore let euery one that beleeueth in Christ be carefull to bring forth good workes to testifie his Faith Repentance without which he cannot be saued Vse 1 The vse of this point may then serue To teach all people to take heede that they linger not their Repentance and put it off from day to day because euery houre they are in danger of death and if they dye without Repentance they cannot be saued Vse 2 To teach vs all neuer to soothe our selues in any sinne though neuer so sweet though neuer so pleasing though neuer so profitable for that is not Repentance that only sorroweth for sinne but that which causeth vs to hate all sinne and to labour to leaue the same to the vttermost of our power In a word true Repentance or conuersion as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth is the whole conuersion of the minde vnto God with a full purpose and holy resolution to denie all vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Vse 3 Lastly seeing except we thus repent we cannot be saued let vs pray night and day for this grace of Repentance for it is not in our selues to turne vnto the Lord for euen Ieremie himselfe prayeth Conuert thou vs good Lord and we shall be conuerted turne thou vs good Lord and we shall be turned Let vs know that this is a businesse that of necessitie must be done whatsoeuer be left vndone if we will be saued and the sooner it is done the easier it is to be done and the better accepted put not off thy Repentance therefore any longer lest Gods wrath fall vpon thee to thine euerlasting destruction Thinke vpon the end of thy Creation thinke vpon the price of thy Redemption it was to this end that thou mayest be saued for this end was Prayer Preaching and Sacraments commanded and ordayned that thou mayest be saued In a word this is the end of thy faith as S. Peter saith The saluation of thy soule Therefore not without great cause is it that our Text saith Wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saued And so much for the Exhortation being the first generall part of our Text. Wherein we haue obserued first Who exhorteth Ieremie secondly Who is exhorted Ierusalem thirdly Whereunto to Repentance fourthly For what end That they may be saued Second part Now come we to the second and last part of our Text which is the Reprehension in these words How long shall thy wicked thoughts remayne within thee The Prophet hauing so louingly exhorted vs to Repentance by willing vs to wash our hearts from wickednesse he falleth now to reprouing vs for lingring so long our Repentance saying How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Wherein we may obserue things worthy of obseruation both in the manner and in the matter of this reproofe The manner In the manner I obserue the dutie of a good Pastor and Teacher who must often-times ioyne with Doctrine and Exhortation Reproofe and Reprehension as also the Apostle S. Paul exhorteth when he saith Improue rebuke exhort 2. Tim. 4.2 Examples of this kinde of teaching we haue store in all the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles which being so well knowne to all I shall not neede to relate any of them but in stead thereof will take vp a reproofe which I thinke euery one of vs must be cōtent to beare of what estate or calling soeuer we are of either in the Church or Common-weale that is That euery one almost can be contented to heare the Preacher patiently so long as he is in his generall doctrine and exhortation or if sometime he reproue sinne in some generall sort for that which seemeth to be spoken to all is taken many times as spoken to none But if the Preacher once begin to fall vnto more particular reprehension As haply when there is great cause to reproue the Magistrate and Gouernors of some remissenesse in their duties that they suffer sinne and sinners as Idolaters Adulterers Drunkards Swearers Prophaners of the Sabbaths and the like to goe vnpunished yea vncontrolled and that not in corners but in publike places to the great offence of Almightie God and to the scandall of our holy profession Or when sometimes many zealous Preachers taxe others of their owne profession for neglecting of their callings or reproue Merchants and men of Trades for their seuerall deceits or Land-lords for inhansing their Rents or Lawyers for delaying of their Clyents or mightie Men for oppressing the poore or Noble men and Gentlemen for sacriledge or Rich men for vsurie or Gentlewomen for their excessiue pride in their apparel or women of lower degree for following of the fashion or any one of these or the like for their seuerall sinnes whatsoeuer Oh then that Preacher is either too precise or peremptorie he leaueth his Text and falleth to rayling as some thinke Notwithstanding like a paynefull Silke-worke he draweth his reprehension out of the very bowells of his Text and doth no more then God commands him To shew the people their sinnes and the house of Iacob their transgressions Esay 58.1 O beloued if this gentle kinde of preaching vsed in our dayes be so hard to be digested how would you take it if Preachers should take libertie by the example of the Prophets to reproue sinne and sinners in such playnenesse and boldnesse that they single them out by name as Esay Amos Ieremie Iohn Baptist haue done though it cost them full deare for their labour But they knew their reward was with the Lord and their labour with the Almightie One thing more we may not passe vnremembred in the manner of the reproofe and that is the vehemencie of the interrogation which our Prophet vseth when he saith How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Text. for it is a reproofe with a certayne kinde of indignation striking to the very heart of them whom he reproueth such force doth the Maiestie of Gods Word carry with it When it is preached with authoritie and in the zeale of Gods Spirit It is then liuely and mightie in operation Heb. 4.12 as the Apostle speaketh and sharper then any two-edged sword and entreth through euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Vse 1 The vse drawne here-hence may be First to teach Preachers which are to fight the Lords battell against the sinnefull Amalekites to take courage vnto themselues and like Samuel the Lords Prophet in pieces To cut and hew Agag 1. Sam. 15.33 with the sword of Gods Spirit and not to
plainely He that lusteth after a Woman hath committed adulterie alreadie in his heart and S. Iohn saith He that hatesh his brother in his heart is a Murtherer And the same God that saith Thou shalt not steale saith also Thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours goods Therefore our Prophet when he exhorteth to Repentance he willeth vs to wash our hearts from wickednesse And Christ coÌ„demned the filthie Pharises for that they would wash the vtterside of the cup and platter but leaue the inside foule and filthy Matth. 23.25 comparing them to rotten Sepulchres which were garnished with an outward shew of holynesse but were within full of all wickednesse whatsoeuer Therefore when the Prophet Esay doth exhort the people to Repentance and bids them to seeke the Lord whiles he may be found and to call vpon him whiles he is neere he doth not onely command the wicked to leaue their wicked workes but also the vnrighteous their owne euill imaginations and so to turne vnto the Lord for that indeed is true and sound conuersion when the minde is rectified and the body mortified to serue the Lord. Therefore is it that the Apostle prayeth for the Thessalonians that their whole spirit soule and body may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Vse 3 And hereupon ariseth a third vse seeing we are commanded to wash our hearts from wicked thoughts and haue no power in our selues to doe it therefore being priuy to our owne thoughts and wicked cogitations which rise one vpon anothers necke like the waues of the Sea we should flie continually vnto the Lord by instant and vncessant prayer day and night for grace strength acknowledging also Gods great mercy toward vs that doth keepe vs and preserue vs from running out into all euill with the wicked seeing we haue the seedes of all sinnes naturally in our selues except they be suppressed by grace and by the holy and sanctifying Spirit of God And so much briefly for the first part of the Reprehension of our Prophet which is against such as soule and soyle their hearts and soules with sinnefull thoughts whereby their hearts and consciences are defiled and make themselues vnapt and vnfit for euery good worke The 〈◊〉 part The second part of the Reprehension is for harbouring and retayning such euill thoughts too long in our hearts How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Not that it is lawfull to giue consent vnto any euill thoughts or to harbour them in our hearts no not a moment of time But as it is said of Couetousnesse Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit So it may be said of euill thoughts Crescit amor peccati Sinne it selfe doth grow and increase so long as any euill thought is cherished within vs. Simile The seede must be cast into the ground and take rooting before it grow vpward to any blade and the blade must grow to a stemme and Eare too before it blow or bring forth any fruit so the seedes of sinne are first sowne in the heart of man and there takes roote before it breake out and bring forth fruit but if these seedes of sinne be weeded and taken away before the roote haue taken fast holding then they rot and die and bring no more detriment to the ground Therefore good Christians must be skilfull in this spirituall husbandrie namely oftentimes to teare vp their fallow grounds as the Prophet speaketh with the Share and Culter of true Repentance lest those seedes and weedes of sinne which doe continually spring vp in the furrowes of our hearts doe ouertop and ouer-grow that little grace and goodnesse which we seeme to haue Therefore if it cannot be auoided but that euil thoughts must arise in our hearts by reason of our natiue corruption Simile for as the earth doth bring forth weedes without sowing bryers without planting so the heart of man doth yeeld forth the seedes of sinne without dressing It should be our chiefe care euen in the spring of our yeeres to weede out as much as possibly we may these sinfull weedes of wicked thoughts out of the Garden of our hearts that the seede of Gods Word may grow in the same being indeede the immortall seede whereby we must grow vp into euerlasting life And this is one good vse that we should make of this reprehension Vse 1 How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Now as this first vse doth serue to instruct the yonger sort of Christians to timely Repentance before sinne haue taken too deepe rootes in them So the second vse Vse 2 must be to reproue those which together with their age and yeeres haue suffered euill thoughts to grow as old as themselues and haue taken such rooting in their hearts that they are now passed weedes and growne into great Trees insomuch that nothing but the Axe of Gods iudgements can cut them downe Therefore is the Axe saith Iohn Baptist put to the roote of the Tree and the fall of such a tree must needes be fearefull for there is no hope of any recouery againe To this sort of people it is especially that our Prophet speaketh How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you How long a yeere or two or ten or twentie Oh that were too long but what say you then to thirtie fortie fiftie Oh fearefull But what if they hold out till sixtie seuentie eightie O God be mercifull vnto them O deare Christians let vs feare to grow old in sinne Dauid prayeth God to forgiue him the sinnes of his youth and to cleanse his heart from secret sinnes which were many of them his euill thoughts But we are not afraid of the sinnes of our age which were begun in our youth and continued in our strength and now dragge after vs euen to our graue So vnwilling is Satan to lose any one of his old Souldiers he knoweth they are cunning skilfull craftie full of hypocrisie able to deceiue the world themselues and their owne soules but cannot deceiue God which seeth their hearts and daily cryeth out vnto them How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you O deare Christians how strange a thing is it that we can neuer be wearie of wickednesse that the elder many grow the worser they grow verifying the saying of a Heathen Rarò senes Deos timent which indeede may seeme to be a meere Paradox and therefore I will not English it for old men should be examples to the yonger sort to serue God to loue Religion to bring vp their Families and Children in the feare of the Lord as Abraham Isaac and Iacob together with the rest of the Patriarkes and the faithfull ones of all ages haue done Last of all we must not thinke or imagine that euill thoughts rest only in old age and that this reproofe of our Prophet doth not reach to euery one of vs to old to yong to rich to poore to men to women for euery one may accuse himselfe of this sinne that he hath suffered his euill thoughts too long to continue within him Wherefore to conclude let vs labour betimes to suppresse those sinfull seedes of sinne which haue filled this Land of ours full of wickednesse from the Court to the Countrie as Amos basket was full of Summer fruit Amos 8.1 let vs dash out the braines of these Babylonish Babes and Brats before they breede vs to greater mischiefes for of sinnefull thoughts come all our sinnefull wordes all our wicked workes all our Treasons and Trecheries all our priuie plots and conspiracies all our poysonings and villanies whatsoeuer they be Therefore the wiseman giueth counsell not so much as to speake or thinke euill no not in thy priuie chamber and what is more priuie then the chamber of our hearts where all euill thoughts are hatched The Prophets of God complayne of such as lie musing of wickednesse vpon their beds by night and in the day time they put the same in practice If needs euil thoughts like so many Souldiers must muster through the Countrie of our hearts let them only passe as strangers giue them nor bread nor water for intertaynement then they will not care greatly to come againe but as the brute beast and euery man is a beast in his owne knowledge will willingly come againe after once he hath beene well intertayned so these beastly thoughts and affections if they be any thing comforted or cherished will neuer tarry long away they are the harbingers of Satan and like vnto their Master for though he goe away for a time if he finde the house swept and garnished that is prouided for him he will surely come againe with seuen spirits worse then himselfe and so the end of that man shall be worse then the beginning Peâ—â—ratio Now God of his mercy make vs all wary and wise vnto saluation strengthen vs with grace against all wicked thoughts and sinnefull temptations pardon vs for our passed transgressions finish soone these dayes of sinne and bring vs to his euerlasting peace and rest through IESVS CHRIST our LORD to whom with the FATHER and the holy GHOST three persons in most glorious TRINITIE but one GOD in essentiall VNITIE be rendred and ascribed of all Saints and Angels in heauen and in earth all honor glorie praise power and thanksgiuing from this time forth and for euer Amen FINIS Laus Deo trin-vno in aeternum Amen
be so faint-hearted as Iether Gideons yongest sonne was who feared to slay Zebah and Zalmunnah the Lords enemies Iudg. 8.20 though his father commanded him so to doe Vse 2 A second vse must be to teach vs that if Preachers must be bold to reproue sinne yea to lance the heart of sinners with the knife of Gods Law and to teare them in pieces with the culter of Gods Word then people must be contented to suffer themselues to be reproued and to haue their impostumes of sinne taken out for it is for the health of their bodies and for the saluation of their soules The wounds of a friend are better then the kisses of a foe And who more foe to man then they that soothe vs in our sinnes and sow pillowes vnder our elbowes that sinners may sleepe the more soundly in their sinnes as the false prophets in old time were wont to doe Vse 3 Hereunto we might adde a third vse for Magistrates if it would please them to be intreated to draw out the sword of Iustice to meete and ioyne with the sword of Gods Word for the cutting off of those Hidra's heads I meane Swearing Drunkennesse and Prophanation of the Sabbath that euery day take life againe say and doe the Preachers herein what they can It is the sword of the Magistrate that can doe more good in one dayes punishment for these sinnes then the Preachers can doe with all their paynes And albeit we are to blesse God that we liue in such a Land where these sinnes are both spoken against by the Preachers and also punished by the Magistrates when they come to light yet surely many times too much remisnesse in this dutie may doe much hurt both in Citie and Countrie where all these sinnes abound like a Sea breaking ouer her bankes which must be looked vnto betimes for feare of drowning the whole Continent And thus much now for the manner of Reproofe being done with a vehement interrogation How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Matter Now come we to the matter of reproofe which consisteth of two parts Two things First it is for conceiuing and receiuing euill and wicked thoughts into our hearts for did we not receiue or conceiue them we could not harbour them Secondly for harbouring and retayning them there toolong How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you For the first it seemeth our Prophet Ieremie playeth too much the Cinicke and dealeth somewhat too austerely in his reprehensions What Had it not beene enough if he had only reproued actuall sinnes whether in word or worke though I know wicked thoughts consented vnto be actuall sins of the minde such sins as might haply haue come within the compasse of his owne knowledge or such sinnes whereof the World might take notice of but must he come to such secret sinnes as neuer came within the compasse of mens knowledge except they that commit them for no man knoweth the heart of man but the spirit of man that is within him no not the Deuills themselues The Deuills know not our thoughts but by signes except it be such thoughts as the Deuills themselues suggest I answere for the Prophet that he doth herein performe the part of a good Teacher and like a skilfull Surgeon or Physician doth not content himselfe to take away only outward Vlcers or coole the heate of a Feuer with outward coolings but looketh vnto the inward causes of all these mischiefes and so doth labour to take away the cause that the effect may follow Now who knoweth not that the seede of all sinnes and the Well-spring of all wickednesse riseth from the heart of man as our Sauiour right well teacheth Out of the heart proceede euill thoughts Adulteries Thefts Murthers Matth. 15.19 and the like Therefore as the heart must be washed from all wickednesse so from all wicked thoughts which are the originalls of all vnrighteousnesse for the imaginations of mens hearts are euill continually and no man can say his heart is cleane nay I thinke euery one will confesse that the wicked thoughts of his heart are worse then his workes because either feare or shame want of occasion or one thing or other doth hinder the wicked worke when the heart doth burne or boyle in wickednes as in lust furie malice enuic or the like which are the maladies of the minde And little doth man know how much he is bound to the goodnesse of God that the Deuill doth not know our wicked thoughts farther then we bewray our selues vnto him or by gessing at our complexions wherein he is not vnskilled I shall not neede to relate the opinion of the Schoolemen concerning the thoughts of men euen in wicked things Aquinas saith Cogitatio de opere illicito non est semper peccatum The thought of an vnlawfull thing is not alwayes sinne his reason because saith he Tales cogitationes dupliciter considerandae Such thoughts are to be considered in a double sense Aliquando sunt cum aliqua affectione concupiscentiae aliquando horroris Sometimes they are accompanyed with affection of Concupiscence and then they are sinne sometimes with a thought of horror and detestation and then it is no sinne Also some wicked thoughts are cast into our mindes by Satan whereunto we neuer yeeld any consent these are not our wicked thoughts But it is not against these latter thoughts that our Prophet speaketh for such thoughts to thinke vpon the ouglinesse and foulenesse of sinne come too little into our mindes but it is against wicked thoughts which either proceede of our owne corrupted nature or suggested into our mindes by the malice of Satan whereunto we giue consent and liking or the allurements of the World which we cherish and delight in that our Prophet doth here reproue withthis vehemencie of an interrogation when he saith How long shall your wicked thoughts remayne within you Such wicked thoughts whereof Saint Iames speaketh When lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Iam. 1.15 These wicked thoughts of ours are the Cockatrice egs which in short time breake forth into sinnefull Serpents and must be killed in cold Winter when they seeme to be dead otherwise if we heate them long in our brests and bosomes they will bite and sting vs as bad as Scorpions Which is one good vse that we must make of this doctrine Vse 1 Therefore take we heede how we either conceiue or receiue wicked thoughts into our hearts for euill thoughts separate from God and such a heart as is taken vp with such foule and filthy ghests the Spirit of grace and of glorie will neuer rest in Vse 2 A second vse we must make hereof namely To keepe watch and ward as well ouer our thoughts as ouer our wordes or workes and not thinke we are in a good case if we commit not actuall Adulterie Theft Murther and the like for our Sauiour saith
or holes of his body Hence issued saith the Scripture both bloud and water Iohn 19.34 bloud because without shedding of bloud there was no remission water to signifie the continuall washing of our sinnes in the bloud of Christ 1. Iohn 2. 5. This is that Iesus Christ saith Saint Iohn that came by water and bloud not by water onely but by water and bloud and it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse for the Spirit is truth For there are three which beare record in heauen The Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one And there are three which beare record in the earth The Spirit and Water and Bloud and these three agree in one If we receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater for this is the witnesse of God which hee testified of his Sonne He that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe Hee that beleeueth not God hath made him a lyer because hee beleeueth not the recorde which God witnessed of his Sonne And this is the record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne He that hath the Sonne of God hath life and he that hath not the Soune of God hath not life Here beloued is life here is water of life offered vnto vs. Ho euery one that is athirst come saith the Euangelical Prophet come buy without siluer that will not the Pope doe he will not sell his pardons without siluer but the Prophet saith Come buy without money without penny or pennie-worth Esay 55.1 Therefore it was that our Sauiour himselfe cried out in the last and great day of the feast If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke Iohn 7.37 And likewise saith vnto the vvoman of Samaria John 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that sayeth vnto thee Giue mee drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and hee would haue giuen thee water of life And in the last of the Reuelation The Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoeuer will let him take of the water of Life freely Reuel 22.17 Vse Now to make vse of all this let vs call to remembrance what the Eunuch saith vnto Philip in the eight of the Acts See saith he here is water What should let me to be baptized Philip answered If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou mayst Act. 8. So may you all say vnto me beloued Here you propose vnto vs Water and here you propose vnto vs water of Life What should let that wee should not bee saued I answere you all in generall and euery one in particular out of my Text If thou wash thine heart from wickednesse thou mayest be saued Thou art a Christian and the badge of a Christian is Baptisme As Water doth serue to wash away the filth of thy body so the effect of Baptisme is to wash away the filth of thy soule Thou art buried by Baptisme into the death of Christ that like as Christ was raysed vp by the glorie of the Father so thou shouldest walke in newnesse of life Rom. 6.3 1. Pet. 3.18 For Christ as St. Peter saith hath once suffered for our sinnes the iust for the vniust to bring vs vnto God and was put to death as concerning the flesh but was quickned in the Spirit By which Spirit he also went and preached vnto the spirits that are in prison which were in time passed disobedient when once the long suffering of God abode in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saued in the water To the which also the figure that now saueth vs euen Baptisme agreeth not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but in that a good conscience maketh request to God by the resurrection of IESVS CHRIST from the dead Allusion Gen. 7. By which allusion of the Apostle it is nothing obscure to be collected that the water wherein Noah was saued the Red Sea Exod. 14. and after the Riuer Iordan wherethrough the children of Israel passed Iosh 3. together with the two Prophets Elias and Elisha 2. King 2 5. whom St. Cyprian compareth to Christ and Christians Elias to Christ Elisha to Christians Also the Cloude which passed ouer the Israelites in the Wildernesse Exod. 17. The washing of Naaman the Assyrian the Poole of Bethesda in Ierusalem Ioh. 5. these all of them were types and figures of our Baptisme like as our Baptisme is and should be vnto vs a badge or token of our new Birth or Regeneration that so in the water of true Repentance we should daily wash our hearts from wickednesse The which mysterie the Apostle Paul doth make more plaine vnto vs in his first Epistle to the Corinthians and tenth Chapter where speaking of the Fathers liuing vnder the old Law he saith That they were all baptized vnto Moyses in the cloude and in the Sea and did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke of the same spirituall drinke meaning with vs Christians For they dranke saith he of the spirituall Rocke which followed them and that Rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10. But as in many of these Iewes God had no delight so with many of vs Christians that are baptized only with the outward Water of Baptisme God is not pleased because together with the signe of Baptisme wee doe not care for the thing signified that is to wash our hearts from wickednesse Saint Paul telleth vs that Circumcision vnto the Iewes was nothing but the keeping of the Commandements of God S. Paul Rom 7.19 What then can Baptisme be vnto vs Christians but the washing away of our sinnes in the bloud of Christ Which thing we shall doe if we truely repent and beleeue the Gospell and bring forth fruits worthy of Repentance daily and hourely labouring to wash our hearts from wickednesse As Dauid washed his Couch with weepings and as Mary Magdalen washed the feete of Christ with her teares which was a true token of her vnfayned repentance And thus much haue I spoken concerning washing or cleansing Note 2 Next we must consider what must be washed namely our hearts Cor pro anima sensu acceptum As the Prophet Ioel saith Rent your hearts and not your garments So saith Ieremie here Wash your hearts and not your clothes And a little before in this Chapter he saith Breake vp the fallow ground and sow not among thornes be circumcised to the Lord and take away the foreskin of your hearts Jerem. â— 4 The heart of Man as some thinke is the seate of the soule And true Repentance indeed must be from the heart and soule therefore God craueth that chiefely My sonne giue me thine heart Prouerb But whether the heart or the braine of man be the seate of the soule we
he that feareth alwayes The wicked all their care is to hide their sinne from man but the godly desire alwaies to haue a good conscience before God I will conclude therefore this point with a singular sentence of Saint Austen fitting for this purpose Austen Quum hoc diligeuter considero Domine Deus meus terribilis fortis When I consider this matter well namely how God looketh into the inmost intention of our hearts O Lord God saith he fearefull and terrible Timore pariter ingentirubore confundor I am sayth hee with feare and shame confounded quoniam nobis magna est indita necessitas iustè recteque viuendi because there is so great necessitie laid vpon vs to liue rightly and iustly quia cuncta facimus ante oculos Iudicis cuncta cernentis seeing whatsoeuer wee doe or intend to doe we doe the same before the eyes of our Iudge which seeth all things And so much also for the second circumstance the washing of the heart The third Circumstance The third followeth to bee considered From what we must wash or cleanse the heart namely from Wickednesse I trust I shall not neede to inlarge my speech very much vpon this point seeing all our speech hitherunto hath aymed at this to teach vs to wash our heartes from Wickednesse By wickednesse is meant in this place all sinne and vngodlinesse whatsoeuer that lyeth lurking in the heart of man The Word which our Prophet vseth is Ragnah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may signifie malum malitia or ira Wrath malice or any wickednesse whatsoeuer and so it is diuersly translated Montanus saith Laua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est a malitia cor tuum Wash thine heart from malice Hierome and others say Laua à malo cor tuum that is Wash thine heart from euill And agreeable to both is our translation Wash thine heart from Wickednesse from malice Whereby the Fathers are wont to meane the malignitie or poyson of sinne howbeit as I sayd before it may be taken for all sinne and iniquitie whatsoeuer yet because nothing doth poyson the heart of man more then malice and enuie therefore Saint Paul saith But now put you away all these things wrath anger crying and euill speaking farre from you with all maliciousnesse Ephes 4.25 Colos 3.38 And Saint Peter likewise exhorteth to lay aside all maliciousnesse and all guile and all dissimulation and all enuie and all euill speaking and as new borne babes to desire the sincere milke of the Word that wee might growe thereby vnto euerlasting life 1. Pet. 2.1 Vse 1 The summe of all is and this is the vse that wee must make of this point as of the whole exhortation to teach vs that wee must make a conscience of euery sinne and wash our hearts by Faith and true Repentance from all vngodlinesse not from one sinne or some sinnes but from all sinne as Dauid saith I haue turned my feete from euery euil way and all false wayes I vtterly abhorre Psal 119. Dissimulatio peccatum to dissemble with man is a sinne to equiuocate as Papists do in matters of Religion is a double sin but there is no mocking with God Non bonū nec tutum est ludere cum Sanctis there is no dallying with Saints Yet herein the most part of common Christians deceiue themselues thinking that God is well pleased with them yea beholding to them too if they can containe themselues within the lists or compasse of common Christians Some are of opinion that if they frequent publike prayers heare Sermons now and then when they can attend them receiue the Sacrament once or twice a yeere at the most though otherwise they bee giuen to many foule vices as Swearing Drinking Whoring Rayling and the like that then they may be taken indeed for good Christians notwithstanding they are as farre from the purity of the Gospel as Popish Recusants are from comming to the Church Others are of opinion that if they can giue themselues but leysure either from their profits or pleasures to heare Sermons if at least the Preacher please them though they neuer come to Prayers they can couer their couetousnes and many other sinnes vnder that mantle To be short I feare there be few liuing which haue not some Darling sinne or other which they both couer and cocker wherein they flatter themselues euen to the beguiling of their owne soules Let euery one therefore examine well his owne heart as the Apostle exhorteth and be a seuere officer in his owne house leauing no corner vnsearched and so labour by all meanes possible to wash and cleanse his ovvne heart from Wickednesse Obiect But heere may be obiected that as it is not in man as our Prophet saith elsevvhere to direct his ovvne vvaies Ier. 10.23 So is it not in man to vvash or cleanse his ovvn heart from vvickednes though he wash himselfe with Nytre take vnto himselfe much sope to vse the vvords of the Prophet in the second Chapter of this prophesie Ier. 2.22 I answere by a distinction that man must bee considered either as he is regenerate or not regenerate as hee is vnregenerate he can doe nothing in the worke of grace but indeed as he is Regenerate he is not altogether passiue in the workes of grace as mortification sanctification and the like but actiue also and working together with Gods grace who hauing renewed our wills doth will vs and command vs to repent to conuert to turne to worke out our saluation to wash our hearts from wickednesse and the like and yet this doctrine is so farre from Poperie as Poperie is from puritie or veritie it selfe howbeit we must know that euen this our working with God is a speciall worke of Gods Spirit working with vs and in vs the great worke of our Regeneration Therefore let Prayer and Repentance euer goe together by true Repentance we must turne to the Lord by Prayer we must craue grace to returne For this cause therefore though our Prophet in the beginning of this fourth chapter exhort Israel to returne vnto the Lord yet after hee betaketh himselfe vnto prayer saying Turne thou vs good Lord and wee shall bee turned conuert thou vs good Lord and we shall be conuerted Therefore godly Dauid purposing true repentance betaketh himselfe to earnest prayer saying Haue mercie vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassion put away mine iniquitie Wash mee throughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sinne Purge me with Hysope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51.1 Heere beloued is a perfect patterne for all poore Penitents that sobbe and sigh for their sinnes to exhort them to often zealous and faithfull Prayer which preuayleth euen with God also to teach vs to whom we must direct
our Prayers namely to the Lord onely and not to Saint or Angel as Popery teacheth but true Religion teacheth but true Religion teacheth vs otherwise to pray to God as Dauid did to wash vs throughly from our iniquities and to clense vs from all our sinnes To purge vs with hyssope with which the bloud of the Paschal Lambe was sprinkled Exod. 12.22 which must put vs in minde of the bloud of Christ which clenseth vs from all sinne Then shall wee heare of Ioy and gladnesse when our hearts are bruised and broken for our sinnes for a broken and a contrite heart God doth not dispise Therefore let vs seeke the Lord by faith and vnfayned Repentance whiles he may be found let vs call vpon him by instant and hearty prayer while hee is neere Esay 55.6 let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercie vpon vs and to our God for hee is very ready to forgiue a Out of which Text I perswaded vnto Repentance out of this place twentie yeeres sithence and now praise God with all my heart that hath yet lent vs so long a time of Repentance praying further his Maiestie together with the space now to giue vs the grace truly to repent Dauid In a word let vs all pray the Lord to wash our hearts from wickednesse that we may be saued And here I might very well end this part also sauing that there is one Maine point of doctrine more to be cōsidered which is that as it is not sufficient for a man to cease from euill as Esay speaketh but hee must also doe good so it is not sufficient for vs to pray the Lord to wash our hearts from wickednesse but also we must pray the Lord to fill our hearts againe with grace and goodnesse for that nullum vacuum in Philosophie doth hold also in this point of Diuinitie new wine must be put into new vessels they must not be left emptie Therefore when Dauid hath prayed GOD to create a new heart within him he also prayeth to be renewed that is that his heart may be filled with a right spirit that the spirit of sinne and wickednesse being expelled his heart may be filled with grace and goodnesse For the spirit of wickednesse may depart from a man for a time but if the heart bee not presently supplied with the good Spirit of grace the wicked spirit will quickely turne backe againe Luke 11.26 as our Sauiour teacheth vs and enter into that man with seuen worse spirits then himselfe and so the end of that man shall be worse then the beginning Therefore I say this point must diligently be obserued vve must not thinke our selues sure when wee haue but begun to leaue vvickednesse though I confesse that is a good beginning of goodnesse And dimidium facti qui bene caepit habet He is halfe the way vvho hath well begun But we must also apply our hearts our soules and our mindes vnto goodnesse and pray the Lord to replenish our hearts with faith and grace for it is a good thing saith the Apostle that the heart be stablished with grace With sauing grace for sinnes passed With preuenting grace for sinnes present With preseruing grace for time to come This vvas that good St. Austen prayed for when he said Sanctifica cor meum vas tuum euacua à malitia imple de gratia O Lord saith he sanctific thy vessell of my heart but first emptie the same from all malicious vvickednesse and then presently fill it vvith all grace and goodnesse And the same S. Austen hath a briefe and fine discourse of the filling and fast binding of this vessell of mans heart alluding to the Parable of our Sauiour of new and old vessells saying Quando vinum nouum in vtres nouas ponitur cauendum est primùm vt corda mundarentur ne infusum pollueretur postea vt ligarentur ne infusum amitteretur In vvhich wordes that holy Father doth warne and admonish vs of two things The first agreeing vvith our Text that we haue care to vvash and cleanse the vessells of our hearts before the new Wine of Gods grace be powred into them and yeeldeth the reason ne infusum pollueretur lest that vvhich be powred in be polluted Afterwards giueth like counsell that when the new Wine of Gods grace is infused into the vessells of our cleansed hearts that then we take care for the safe keeping and preseruing of the same and yeeldeth likevvise the reason thereof ne infusum amitteretur lest those graces should be lost againe and presently sheweth the vse both of this cleansing and fast binding vp of these vessells of our hearts vt mundarentur à gaudio iniquitatis that they may be freed from that sinne of reioycing in iniquitie vt ligarentur à gaudio vanitatis and that they may be preserued from the delights of vanitie And making this difference betweene reioycing in iniquitie and delighting in vanitie saith that gaudium iniquitatis polluit gaudium vanitatis effundit the ioy of iniquitie doth defile and pollute that good liquor which is in the vessell of the heart but the ioy of vanitie doth make it runne ouer Againe he saith that gaudium iniquitatis reddit vas sordidum gaudium vanitatis facit rimosum The ioy of iniquitie doth soile the vessells of our hearts with sinne and the ioy of vanitie doth make them crany or chinkey readie and capable to be soyled with sinne Last of all this good Father sheweth the naturall propertie both of the one and the other when he saith that gaudium iniquitatis est cum peccatum diligitur gaudium vanitatis est cum transitoria amantur That is ioy of iniquitie when we reioyce in sinne and that is ioy of vanitie when we set our hearts vpon things vaine and transitorie that soone fade away Therefore the conclusion may be Quae transitoria sunt proculdubio amanda non sunt Things vaine and transitorie are neuer to be beloued For which cause S. Iohn saith Loue not this world nor the things of this world for whosoeuer loueth this world the loue of the Father is not in him And indeede hinc lachrymae here is the woe of all many can be content to renounce the ioy of iniquitie but few there are liuing vpon earth which take not pleasure in vanitie more then is fitting one in one kinde of vanitie another in another kinde of vanitie so vaine a thing is man so vaine is euery man so full of vanitie is euery thing that it made Salomon the wisest of all men to cry out Vanitas vanitatum Vanitie of Vanitie all meere vanitie and vexation of spirit Ecclesiastes 1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our honors our riches our sports or pleasures that are not well seasoned with the salt of Gods grace are all but vanitie and vexation of minde from these little pollutions as