his féete not scorched whosoeuer toucheth pitch must néeds be defiled therewithal euen so they that vse the society of the wicked must néedes smel of their wickednes as is prooued before Wept bitterly c. Now Peter béeyng conuicted of his sinnne and consideryng through the grace of Gods holye spirite that the guilt therof deserueth great and endles punishment beginneth to repent and turne vnto the Lord. This conuersion and turning is contained in thys word wept the outwarde token of hys sorrow expressing the inward griefe of his mind for we muste not thinke that his wéeping was the repentance it self least we make Iudas and Esau to be coÌ„uerted vnto the Lord by repentaÌ„ce But that the excéeding sorrowe of his minde did wring out his wéeping This repentaunce to pretermit all our aduersaries fond deuises concerning the same may be rightly thus defined It is a true turning of our life vnto god procéeding froÌ„ a pure and earnest feare of God which consisteth in the mortification of y e flesh and quickning of the spirite This was in Peter when he wept for his fault it is in all them that be truly called vnto the faith in Iesus Christ and ought to be in vs all coÌ„tinually because we cease not to transgresse the lawes of the Lord continually Now to explane the parts of this definition it is called a turning vnto God because so often as we sin we depart from God walking after the desires of our own flesh this turning must begin at the hart for the thoughtes of mans hart are altogither wicked naturally therfore y e turning vnto god must begin at the renuing of the same so commandeth the Lorde by the Prophet saying Make you a new hart in another place breake vp your fallow grounds sow not your séeds among thornes that is plucke out of your hartes your wickednes and impietie doo not receyue Gods mercies into your soules delighting still in wickednes this turning must be tried without any dissimulatioÌ„ or hipocrisie that if it be begun aright it maketh the hart to lothe detest and abhorre his former life and to sighe sob lament that his vngodlye demeanour hath so hainously transgressed the laws of his gentle and mercifull GOD and deserued such extreme paine torments this is that terror and feare that the prophet speaketh of Haue mercy vppon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are brused and there is nothing sound in my fleshe because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin and so forward in that psalme Dauid declareth how grieuously he was troubled in hys body and minde because he considered Gods iudgements against sin which indéede is in all the childreÌ„ of god in some measure but vtterly vnknowne and strange to secure and carelesse persons that sléepe in their owne iniquitie and for lacke of this doo neuer come to anye remorse in conscieÌ„ce but doo waxe worse and worse but it is vnto the Godlye a great cooÌ„fort for although they féele the heauy wrath of God against their sinne yet they knowe that is the beginning first entrance into Gods fauour againe for y e rigor of his wrath driueth vs back from our selues and maketh vs séeke vnto his mercy This must procéed from an earnest feare of God that is as before is declared from the consideration what God in iustice requireth of vs and how farre contrary we haue liued and also that he will execute iudgement agaynste all Sinne and Iniquitye The feare of this maketh vs to séeke what waye to haue Gods wrath appeased agaynste vs which is onely done by Fayth in Iesus Christe who came into y e world for that purpose that he might be a mediator and reconciler of sinners vnto God his Father so that euery one that shall come to the fauour of God again must certainly and stedfastly with out wauering beléeue that Christ his bloud hath béene shed for the satisfaction of Gods wrath agaynste hym for hys sins And so being perswaded hys conscience is at quiet with god and the terror of Gods wrathe whiche before dyd appéere is nowe pacified and satisfied in Iesus Christe But because mans harte is full of hypocrisie and a beast in his owne knowledge béeyng blinded through vaine confidence may perswade himselfe that God hath receiued him into his fauour when in déede it is not so Therefore it is said that this repentance consisteth in the mortifying of the fleshe and quickening of the spirit that is in crucifying and killing within himselfe the world and flesh to wit all sinne whatsoeuer and the quickening of the spirite which is by continuall endeuour to frame our liues precisely according to Gods word And because this can not be done perfectly no not in the best by reason of sin and iniquitie that cleaueth so fast vnto them therefore they thinke it their dutie so long as they carrie about with them this bodie of sinne to grone vnder the burthen thereof and to vse all those meanes that God hath set downe for them in his word to continue and abide in repentance and amendment of life without ceassing that Gods holie name may be glorified and their consciences surely setled in the mercies of the Lorde and sinne daily more and more abolished the whiche the Lorde God of his infinite mercie graunt vnto all them that earnestly séeke and labour for it Amen Let vs pray O Eternall GOD and our most louing and mercifull father whiche of thy great mercie hast reuealed vnto vs by the example of thy holy Apostle S. Peter that of our selues and in our owne imaginations wee wander daily further and further from thee Poure downe thy spirit O Lord into our hearts to perswade and certifie vs vnfainedly of the truth heereof and to bring vs by consideration of the same vnto a true acknowledgement of our owne misery and thereby to that humilitie which may declare vnto vs our wretched estate without thee that by the weying of the same aright we may knowe the necessitie of thy holy and blessed word which not only discouereth vnto vs all our naturall blemishes and corruptions but also teacheth how to knowe thee and to worship thee truly and therby be moued to haue an especiall care to heare the same taught publikely to reade it priuately for our comfort and to meditate in it continually that wee learning out of the same the absolute vprightnesse that thy law requireth may be cast downe and the mercie that thou offerest to repenting sinners may ground our vnfained faith vpon thy promises and by the consideration of thy greate mercies offered vnto vs in thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christe may endeuour diligentlie to glorify thy holy name with that obedience that thou requirest and to shunne all things both in our religion and conuersation that hath no warrant out of thy blessed will that abandoning all fancies of mans traditions and will-worshippers pleasant in the eyes of flesh and bloud we may cleaue vnto thy perfect will reuealed vnto vs by thy Prophets and Apostles and shewing forth thy prayse according therevnto heere in this world may thorough thy mercie be glorified in the world to come through Iesus Christ our Lord only Sauiour FINIS Odiss 17. Luke 16 8. Crates Bias. Diogenes Matth. 6 24. Iohn 3 4. Matth. 7 21. 2. Tim 3 5. Matth. 20 22. Iude verse 4. Reuel 18 4. Iude verse 2 3. Rom. 12 2. Tit. 2 10. Mat. 26.34 35. Luk. 22.54.55 56. 57. 58. Mat. 26.72 73. 74. Luke 22.60 61. 62. 2. Tim. 3 16. Rom. 15 4. Gen. 2 17. 3.23 4.8 2.24 4.19 1. Sam. 15 3. Exo. 16 2.17 3. Exod. 20 4. Deut. 5 8. Iohn 4 23. 2. Cor. 3 17. Ieremy 5 7. A note for them that sweare by faith Masse Saint c. Eccles. 23 11. Zach. 5 4. Heb 13 4. Psal. 1 2 Iosua 1. 8 Ephe. 6.17 1. Cor. 1.21 Mat. 13.31 Ier. 5.14 Exec. 4.3 Deut. 32.2 Luke 8.15 Pro. 4 4.5.6.7.8 c. to the 15. Psal. 19.8.5.10 11.12 Psal. 119 99. Heb. 12 1. Iohn 8.47 Gen. 11 3 Exod. 5.2.3.14.27 1. Sam. 17.8.49 2. Chron. 10.14 15.16 Deut. 8 17. Iudg. 7.2 Gen. 2 7. 1. King 8 46. Psal. 14 3. Iob. 7 1. Psal. 39 5 6. Gen. 18 27. Exod. 3 11. 1. Sam. 18 18. 1. Cor. 4.7 Iob. 1.21 1. Sam. 2.7 Exod. 31.3 Ephe. 2.8 Mat 25.20 Luke 12.19 Pro. 17 17 Ioh. 13 37. Exod. 17 3. Num. 13 28.29 Math. 20 21. 13.21 Iohn 6 Mat 7 16 Iude. 4. Luke 14 28. Hebr. 11 25. Psal. 84 10. 2. Tim. 3 12. Eccles. 27 5. Ephes. 6 13. Gen. 19 8. Gen. 20 2. Gen. 42 15. Dan. 6 21. Prou. 4 1â— 24 1. Exod. 34 1â— Iosua 9 15. â— Cro. 16 9. 18 31. Rom. 16 17. â— Iohn 10. Euseb. 3 25. Euseb. 4.14 Ieremy 15 17. Gen. 6 2. Psal. 120 5. Psal. 84 â— Gen. 19 15. verse 7 18. Psal. 73 2 3 4 5 c. Iob. 21 15. Psal. 73 17. 1. Sam. 19 8. 2. Sam. 11 1 2. 3 c. 2. Chro. 1 6. 1. King 11 4. 2. Chro. 14 1.2 3 4. c. 16 12. 1. Chro. 26 1. c. 16. verse Hose 13 6. Prou. 30 8. Psal. 119 71. Iob. 5 17. 1 King 19 10. Pro 29 12. Luke 16 8. Psal. 101 6.7 Gen. 17 13. Gen. 8 19. Act. 16 32 10.2 Psal. 56 12 Reuel 3 15. 1. Kings 28.21 Mat. 10.33 Rom. 2 24. Iohn 28 25. Act. 3 3. Act. 9.2 Mat 22.46.26.4 This is the let to reformation at this day Luke 23 12. Acts. 16.14 A question for a Papist to answere 2. Cor. 3 5. Iam. 1 17. Dan. 1 8. Iere. 31 18. Heb. 6 5. Saule Iulian the apostata and all heretikes Matth. 24 14. 20 16. Matth. 7 24. 1. Iohn 4 6. Iohn 8 47. Wisd 2 14. Luke 22 47. 1. Cor. 3 6. Exod. 33 19. Rom. 9 15. Acts. 13 48. With what minde wee should heare or reade the word Gen. 3 8 9. 2 Sam. 11 4.12 9. 2 Chro. 33.3 2. King 21 16. 1. Chro. 33.12 Act. 9 3.4 Ephe. 2 12. Ephes. 1.13 1. Sam. 5.4 Deut. 23.19 Nehem. 5.8 Reuel 12 11. Psal. 1 2. â—9 10 Act. 9.19.26 Act. 25.5 Pro. 6.27 Eccle. 13.1 The definition of repentance Gen. 6 5. Ezek. 18 31. Iere. 4 4. Psal. 238 2 1. Tim. 3 13. Gal. 5 19 20. 22 23.
AS there is nothing set downe in the worde of God which is not in his singular wisedome propounded vnto his children either to teache them the will of the Lord and the religion that they must professe or to furnish them with sufficient armour to conuince their aduersaries or to instruct them how to frame their liues and conuersation according to hys will or to reproue them that walke inordinately or lastly to comforte them being distressed and afflicted in this world so there is no example set before our eyes in the whole booke of God more necessary for vs continuallie to be meditated vpon then this of Peters fall For in the same is firste painted out vnto vs the miserable estate of man being left vnto himselfe then the excéeding mercie of God towards man Secondly we may sée in it the beginnings procéedings and manner how all men doo sinne whether it be the godly falling by infirmitie or the wicked transgressing thorough infidelitie and then how and by what degrées the godly be reclaimed and restored againe So that in this historie we haue two things offered to our considerations First Peters fall Secondly his rising againe In his fall we note the causes that mooued him therevnto and the maner how it was The causes be either in himselfe or accidentarie without himselfe within himselfe his presumption in departing from the word of God and leaning vppon his owne power and his slowe following the causes without himself be his companie the high Priests seruants and the place where he was y e warme fire The maner how he did fall is first in bare deniall then with binding it with an oth and lastly by curssing himselfe if euer he knew Christ. In his rising againe are likewise the causes and the maner how the causes without himself and within himselfe without himselfe the crowing of the Cocke the looking back of Iesus within himselfe his remembrance what Christ had said and what he had done the manner how he rise his going out and his sorrowing The firste cause of his fall as you sée was his presumption and that is also in two things The first is in not leaning vnto the wordes of his Lorde and maister For Christ told him that he should denie him But he notwithstanding being either blinded with the consideration of his owne power as hereafter shall appeare or else carried away with a preposterous zeale to follow him whether soeuer he went replyed that though all men should forsake him yet he would not And surely this is most worthy the consideration For if we beginne at the first man that euer was and continue thorough out the whole scriptures we shal finde that the little regarde giuen vnto the worde of God was the beginning of their fall The father of mankinde the firste founder of his misterie Adam hauing receiued this especiall commandement of the trée of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate Yet this béeing put out of his heart partly thorough the subtiltie of Sathan wherewithall he was assayled partly by the prouocation of the woman whome greatly he loued and partly with the beautie and delicacie of the Apple with whiche he was allured He notwithstanding did take of it and eating of the trée forbidden fell from the Lorde his God and was cast out of that place of pleasure where before he dwelled So did Caine forgetting the commandement of God yea and the law of nature kill his brother Abell Lamech not considering that the Lord God had made man and woman to bée one flesh tooke vnto him two wiues and so fell from the Lorde Saule hauing receyued a precept to destroy Amalecke and all that pertayned vnto them that he should haue no compassion on them but shoulde slaie both man and woman both infant and suckling both Oxen and Shéepe and Camels and Asses yet directing not hys dooings according to hys commission but yéelding vnto hys owne fantasie in sparing the King Agag and the better Shéepe and fat Oxen to sacrifice as was pretended vnto the Lorde was rewarded with depriuation from his Kingdome The lyke may be said of the rebellious Israelites in the wildernesse who hauing the promise of Gods speciall protection yet murmured often times The same is playne in the rebellious Iewes in the tyme of the Prophetes and brieflie thorough out the whole booke of God that when soeuer the Prophetes be resisted the Apostles persecuted or any other sinne whatsoeuer committed whether it be of the godlie falling by infirmitie or by the wicked offending of obstinacie The first originall and beginning is this that the worde of the Lorde in that respecte is eyther not knowen or not remembred and therefore Sathan strooke verie déepe and in verie déede at the surest roote of mans safegarde when he put it into the head of his sonne and heire Antichrist the childe of perdition the Pope of Rome to keepe the people from the knowledge of Gods word for he knew well ynough that the worde of God béeing manifest vnto all the world as the instrumente to kéepe man from grosse sinnes for verie shame and feare of punishment and many in faith and obedience vnto the Lord for loue and zeale vnto his glory and desire of their owne saluation whiche otherwise shoulde wander in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death because that they béeing blinde for want of knowledge should haue swallowed many moates of iniquitie but to let him goe and come nearer vnto our selues what is the cause that euen in this light and glorious Sunne beames of Christ his Gospell so many be so softed and drowned in idolatrie and superstition that they are not ashamed with whorishe faces not blushing to maintaine and defend the heathenish fashion of worshipping of God in Images for theyr owne shame hath fomed out the worshipping of the Image it selfe but only this that the seconde Commandement is blotted out of theyr heart and also out of their bookes and the true exposition that our sauiour Christ giueth vnto the same that the true worshippers shall worship in spirit and truth that as he is a spirit requiring spirituall seruice is either not knowne or else misconstrued or what is the cause that the blasphemer of Gods name hath such delight and pleasure in swearing cursing and prophaning or rather renting in péeces the dreadfull name of the most glorious God but only this that the commandement is not before his eyes which is enioyned vnto all them that be or be desirous to be called the children of God that they neuer presume to take his name into theyr mouth without a singular reuerence of hys Maiestie or the threatninges therevnto annexed For GOD pronounceth them that sweare by those which were no Gods to be none of his for he saith they haue forsaken him in so doing also a man that vseth much swearing shall be filled with wickednes and the plague of God shall not departe
followe thée now But when he seeth plainelye that hys Maister is in troubles indéede then he pulleth in the shoulder the burthen is heauye vnto hym before he féeleth it he is very desirous to serue Christ but he is not willing to take paynes wyth hym So were the Israelites very desirous to come to Canaan but loath to be troubled by the waye in the wildernes They that went to viewe the lande of Canaan with Caleb and Iosua coÌ„fessed it to bee a Countrey so fruiteful that it flowed with milke and honye and did desire to come thither neuertheles they were vnwilling to enter combate wyth the Iebusites Amalachites Cananites and other people that shoulde bee ouercome before they should possesse it The Sonnes of Zebedee did desire to sit at Christes elbowes in hys kingdome but they had forgotten that they must firste drinke of the cup that Christ did drinke of and to bee baptized with his Baptisme And therefore it is that our sauiour Christe termeth those hearers whome tribulation doth driue from the gospel to be like vnto the stony ground into the which the word of GOD can sende no roote because of the hardenes thereof Manye also dyd depart from Chryste whiche before did follow him willingly because their grosse capacity coulde not conceiue howe they shoulde eate the flesh of the son of man drinke his bloud and truly the worlde is ful of suche people at this daye that bee verye willing to heare and learne the worde of God because that they knowe that it is the waye to eternall life but if any troubles shoulde séeme to arise for the same they are gone they are willing to come to Christe by nighte because they feare troubles by daye but they are not discerned in these dayes by their reuolting in time of persecution because the Lordes name bee praysed for it all men may fréelye professe the Gospell but by theyr carnal and fleshly conuersation their contrarye life and dealing for the trée is knowne by the fruite they loue to heare how to come to Heauen but they like not thys that they muste addresse themselues to obedience that they muste forsake theyr wicked conuersation and frame theyr doynges to the rule of Gods worde and therefore they turne the grace of God into wantonnesse So there bee a greate number that be followers of Peter in thys poynte for he followed because of his promise but it was a farre off so they followe the Gospell because of their present safegard which else they could not enioy But as Peter durst not come neare for feare of troubles so dare they come no faster on for feare of after clappes they thinke that keeping themselues a loofe they maye bee safe at all seasons if a change comer for which they gape then they thynke they may with honestye change lykewyse whereas if they shoulde be desirous to pull downe Papistrie if they bée in any authoritie and earnestlye e +stablishe the preachyng of the Gospell they shoulde â—e ashamed in those dries whyche I truste shall neuer bée but in the meane whyle lette them knowe that they haue well profited towarde the Diuell when they be in that case for manye denye with Peter but few wéepe with hym Wel howsoeuer it be that the worlde doe thus fall from the Lorde and pull away theyr shoulder from hys obedyence yet they that feare God in déede and doo vnfaynedly beléeue that which they professe doo together with the profession thereof vndergo and willingly receyue all troubles which follow the same They first sit them downe and cast their accounts as Christ counsaileth them and not rashly adueÌ„ture they know not what as Peter did So did Moyses though he might haue had great preferment in Pharaoh his Court yet he chose rather to suffer affliction with the children of the Lord then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season knowing this to be most true that it is better to be a dorekéeper in the house of the Lorde then to dwel in the tabernacles of wickednes Then if we desire to come vnto that place whervnto these are gone we must followe their good examples I knowe it for a most certaine truth that all that will liue godly in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution And therefore we must endeuor our selues to indure the same for we shall haue Sathan continually to assaile vs with diuers temptations we shall haue the world alluring vs vnto the deuises thereof by sundry entisements yea and our owne flesh through the condition of our corrupt nature vncessantly pricking vs forward into all kindes of vanitie so true it is that Ecclesiasticus saith that temptation trieth the hearts of men now as the Lorde hath ordeined that these trials should befall his children in this world so he hath also left especiall consolation vnto them and ordeined meanes how they must be ouercome That one place of the Apostle Paule to the Ephesians is sufficieÌ„t for this matter to furnish the souldiour of Christe with complete armoure Firste his ioynes shoulde be girded with the truth that is a sincere mind and affection putting away all dissimulation whatsoeuer Secondly his brest must be fenced with righteousnes that is his life and conuersation must be holy and vpright Thirdly the preparation of the Gospell of peace that is the determination to depend vpon the reconciliation that the Gospell affoordeth Fourthly the shield of faith that is the safe protection that you may haue thorough an vndoubted faith Fiftly the helmet of saluation that is an earnest desire of the kingdome of heauen Sixtly the sword of the spirit which is the word of God It is called a sword because thorough it Sathan is beat back the worlde crucified vnto vs and our owne sinnes cut away Seauenthly the last and chiefest is continuall prayer vnto God for thereby his grace is obteined to ouercome all temptations and his protection to shielde vs from falling so that these things being taken vnto vs aright they will helpe vs to passe through all troubles or affliction in this world whatsoeuer And when they had made a fire c. It followeth to speake of those accidentarie causes which were without him or adioyned vnto hym which be in number two The first is the company with whome and the seconde the place where The company be the high Priests seruants for as it appeareth in this Chapter when they had taken Christ brought him to y e place apointed they hauing done their feate came into the hall and making a fire there to warme them Peter sate downe also amongst them marke how fitly Peter applieth himselfe to the time and companie with the professors of Christ he professeth but with persecutors he denieth Peter is not the first of the children of God that hath béene ouergone and taken tardie in this case of béeing corrupted with wicked companie For the seruant of God Lot being sore oppressed