zealous of good workes That is the ende why God gaue so great a price as the blood of his owne sonne that we might be a peculiar people zealous vnto him Then they that know this in liew of that mercie will grow zealous and think that they cannot be too zealous for him that hath paid so great a price for them Vse 1. Now by this truth for the vse of it we may first condemne our age as that which promiseth or performeth little repentance because there is so little zeale amongst vs for seeing repentance bringeth forth zeale where there is little zeale there is little repentance and where no zeale there no repentance And that I may iustly challenge our age of want of this zeale appeareth thus because it is growne to that in our times that nothing is so much condemned as the zeale here spoken of Zeale for any thing and any person saue for God and his truth is reputed commendable and in any course saue in the way of pietie They are commended who are zealous so their prince and his crowne and accounted good subiects so they who are zealous for their captaine and his honour and esteemed good souldiers so they who are zealous for their father and master and his credit and are reckoned good sonnes or seruants but if they bee zealous for God and his glorie or seruice they shall be reuiled and derided yea Papists if they be deuout and zealous in their superstitious vanities are commended of many and yet Protestants if they bee zealous and forward in the way of truth and godlines they are scorned and mocked as Isaac was of Ismael euen of those who liue in the same kingdome citie Church and house The people condemne thir Minister as too zealous and on the contrarie the Minister the people as too forward so the master the father the husband condemne the seruant the child and the wife and these againe the other How may wee thinke then that they are zealous themselues verily if they were they would not condemne zeale in others nay they could not For though a man in his hypocrisie may condemne that euill in another which he allowes in himselfe yet can hee not condemne the good hee is indued withall for good cannot but reloyce and delite in her like Therfore to prooue these voide of zeale we neede no further proofe or euidence then their condemning of zeale in others When then we haue so many condemners of zeale wee must needs haue many voide of zeale Few we haue who can say as Iehu when he met with Iehonadab saying vnto him when he took him vp into his chariot 2. King 10.15.16 Is thy heart vpright as mine is towards thine then giue me thy hand and come and see the zeale that I haue for the Lord of hosts Few I say that can take others into their houses chambers and companie and shew them how zealous they are for God and his glorie in reading and conferring of the scripture in prayer and other practise of pietie nay they can rather shew them how zealous and feruent they are for their pleasure and profit for themselues and their owne states But the zeale for the Lord of hosts they condemne in others and therfore cannot haue it in themselues and so cannot haue true repentance Vse 2. 2. By this may euery one trie whether they haue repentance or not euen whether they haue fire or no by this heate If they be not cold nor luke-warme but striue to bee hot and zealous in Gods seruice and in the way of piety respecting rather what God calleth for then fearing what men condemne Obiect But there may well be zeale without repentance neither is al zeale good for there is a bad as well as a good zeale how will zeale prooue it then Answ I answere it is true that as the sea water and the raine water agree in the matter yet they differ by diuers qualities and properties as sweet and salt thicke and thin light and heauie So a good zeale and bad are both affections but they differ in many seueral things And first as the Moralist speaketh of other affections that they are so farre good as they are guided by wisdome and kept within the bounds limited by it and on the contrarie they are euill when they passe those bounds So in this zeale it is so farre good as it is gouerned by true knowledge and faith and so far bad as it is depriued of this As the Apostle Paul saith of the Iewes Rom. 10.2 I beare them witnes that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge that is their zeale was not ruled by reason nor grounded vpon the word of God but according to their owne fancie teaching vs thereby what is good and what is bad zeale Zeale is then euill and bad when it will not be nor is ruled by true knowledge that is not subiect to the word but by custome tradition our own affections and wils and of this may be said as before Rom. 10.2 that such haue zeale but not according to knowledge and they may be prayed for as Christ prayed for the Iewes Luke 23.34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe And this zeale argueth no repentance but that which is according to knowledge submitted to the word of God is good and wil prooue a man to haue repentance Againe zeale consisteth of two affections loue and sorrow loue for the glorie of God and his seruice sorrow when it is not performed May wee compare spirituall things with earthly things wheresoeuer there is this loue it is speedie for the compassing of that it desireth Therefore wee reade when Shechim loued Dinah Iacobs daughter Genes 34.19 he was speedie in compassing that by which he might obtaine her though the thing was very sore and grieuous which he was to doe so where there is this affection in the heart of man it maketh a man forward and speedie to procure the glorie of God and to accomplish his seruice Secondly loue hath another propertie wheresoeuer it is notwithstanding all difficulties discouragements or dangers yet will that man goe forward for the procuring of that hee loueth and dreadeth not for any feare or discouragement so he may obtaine the thing hee affecteth So it is said of Iacob he serued seuen yeeres for Rachel and being deceiued by her father in giuing vnto him Leah in stead of Rachel hee was content to serue seuen yeeres more Gen. 29 20. and yet those yeeres seemed vnto him but a few daies hauing borne the cold of the winter the heate of the summer the chilling of the Moone and the burning of the Sunne the dangers both by night and day and all this was because he loued her So if there be this loue of God in men it will neuer shrinke for all difficulties that may be he that hath it will not faint nor be hindred with
repentance ariseth from the knowledge of a mans spirituall estate But to cōceiue this point more fully we must vnderstand that there are three parts of this knowledge or three things are required to make a man know himselfe and his estate throughly 1. That he know his sinne 2. That he haue the sense of his sin that is of the punishment and curse due to his sinne 3 The knowledge of his owne inability to free himselfe either from the sinne or from the punishment due to sinne The first of these is the knowledge of a mans sinfulnes his naturall sinfulnesse that by nature without temptation he is inclinable to all euill and vtterly vnable to doe good Then his inward sinfulnes that is his secret motions which should bee towards God and agreeable to his law are altogether auerse from him toward sinne and disobedience these are his thoughts lust and concupiscence of the soule Lastly his outward actions both his sinnes of omission and commission his apparent euill and his imperfect good things The knowledge of all which are to be had by the law for Rom. 3.20 by the law commeth the knowledge of sin The 2. part of this knowledge is the sense of sin that is the knowledge of the curse and punishment due vnto sin for that is it which makes sinne sensible to a man Thus God dealt with the wicked when he had laid before them their sins as it is in the 50. Psalm vers 18. Psalm 50.18 When thou seest a theese thou runnest with him c. Then he threatneth his iudgements against them vers 22. Verse 22. I will teare you in peeces c. To make them the more sensible Now these are either spirituall plagues or ourses vpon their bodies goods wiues children friends or vpon their name memorie and posteritie All which may bee found in the Word as Deut. 28. and such like The 3. part is the knowledge of a mans owne inabilitie either to free himselfe from the sinne or the punishment due vnto it that howsoeuer he may by his naturall strength represse the rage of his corruption prune and lop it cutting off the superfluous bowes and branches of it yet the roote and the whole bodie will remaine still in his heart and soule and will as occasion is offered breake forth into all his members And this is it which made Dauid to repent and pray so earnestly to the Lord to purge him Psalm 51.2.7 Wash me throughly from mine iniquities and purge me from my sinne And againe Purge me with hyssope and I shall be cleane And that hee is as little able to auoid the punishment either by hiding himselfe or by any wit or powet or any meanes whatsoeuer which was in them whom Peter preached to and made them come with this note to Peter and the other Apostles Act. 2.37 Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saued The like was in the gaoler who came trembling to Paul and Silas and said Act. 16.30 Sirs what may I doe to be saued So that it is manifest that the knowledge and sense of sinne and the conscience of a mans owne inabilitie to free himselfe from either will make a man turne to God and repent Now the reasons of this truth are these Reason 1. 1. Because the ignorance of a mans estate is seldome or neuer separated from a false opinion of a mans good estate of his inward holinesse and integritie of nature of the goodnes of his actions hauing a shew and semblance of some good Now a man in his error will neuer seeke for the change of his estate As hee that thinks himselfe whole though he be heart-sicke will neuer seeke to a Physitian or vse any meanes to mend and better himselfe But when he knowes his estate seeth how falsely he was conceited of himselfe then will he hasten to seeke change and amendment For as a state cannot be continued if it were good vnlesse it were thoroughly and fully knowne so being vnknowne can it not bee amended being now amisse Reason 2. 2 Because though the fight of sinne would not driue them to this men not disliking sinne by nature yet the sense of punishment would because euery thing naturally feareth the destruction of it selfe and would by all meanes preserue it selfe much more man who discerning in this case that his escaping must be by turning will addresse himselfe to it for the safetie of himselfe Reason 3. 3 Because though the punishment would not moue him to this dutie or remoue him from his sinne so long as he felt it not because hee might hope by some meanes to escape it as by hiding and couering his sinne or by fleeing I know not whither or by Gods mercie and indulgence for some bountie to religion or charitie to the poore or such like yet if hee once come to know that as he can free himselfe no more from his sinnes then a Leopard from his spots and a blacke More from his skinne so can he as little free himselfe from the punishment of sinne by any other meanes whatsoeuer it being impossible that God shuld let him goe vnpunished because hee cannot bee vniust and so bee brought into a strait as Baalam was then will he endeuour to performe repentance by which onely he may escape and flee the vengeance to come Now the vse wee haue to make of this point is this Vse 1. First to informe vs that the world and the Church hath many thousand impenitent sinners such as neuer haue repented neither yet in the case wherein they are are they capable of repentance because they are ignorant of their spirituall estate and that which is worst they cannot be perswaded to looke into it though they often cast vp their estate to know what it is I meane their worldly estate yet they neuer ballance their spirituall estate being either slothfull and negligent or else being possessed with a false opinion of the vnnecessarines of it or with feare of the desperatenesse of it like as bankerupts who are not able to pay a penie in the pound dare not looke into their estate lest they procure griefe and discontentment to themselues Whatsoeuer the cause is the thing is not done and so they are without the knowledge of it and whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues if impenitent sinners must perish they cannot bee safe feeing they cannot repent which they cannot doe as long as they are ignorant of themselues and of their spirituall estate If any man think it strange that man who knoweth so many things should be ignorant of himselfe when this is proper and peculiar to him to know himselfe 1. Cor. 2.11 For what man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him he considereth not that when the obiect is nie to or laid vpon the sense it nothing so well discerneth it and the eie of the bodie though it behold all other things
this So the aspiring mind who perswades himself that it is a thing impossible to ouercome his ambition and so neuer goes about it will on hands and knees on foote and horse backe toile like a horse following of Princes courtes for one step of honour more then he hath So if thou call vpon a couetous man to subdue his couetousnes and labour to be crucified to the world hee holds out difficulties and saith it is a labor not to be indured and yet takes hee much more paines rising earely and going to bed late eating the bread of care and sorrow to scrape that together which had will no more satisfie him then waters of the sea will quench his thirst No maruell then if many men remaine stil impenitent and lie in their sinnes Vse 2. 2. This may instruct him that would repent to labour to remoue this and to steppe ouer or breake thorow this hedge which is made against him and to gather his spirits vnto him and take courage to goe about it for the difficultie of this lieth more in his faintnesse and sloth then in the thing As Chrysostome spoke of a commandement of the Law Difficile mandatum non suapte natura sed audientium desidia mel natura dulcedinē habet c. Chrysost hom 8. de Poenitent The commandement is hard not in it owne nature but by the sloth of the hearer Honie by nature is sweet yea most lussious but to those who are sicke it is bitter and not to be tasted which is not from the nature of it but from their infirmitie So the law is not burdensome by nature but by our sloth and negligence which will be much more true of this being a precept of the Gospell which is much more assisted by the spirit and more giuing grace then the other Besides if it be now difficult and hard and he vnable for it can he thinke to make himselfe more able by despairing or delaying in his diffidence when as sinne will grow the stronger and himselfe the weaker Tam bona quā mala cum fuerint plurimùm immorata potentiora sunt c. Chrysost hom 80. ad popul Antioch As well good things as euill if they long continue grow stronger as a tree in the ground the longer the more vnremooueable as an ague the more fits the more incurable and a beast the elder the more vntameable And if the multitude doe now discourage him what will they doe when they are growne to be more And if his youth be not able to ouercome them but he falleth before them how shal he stand when he is old But that which must best incourage him is that which Christ spake to take this diffidence from his Disciples In the Gospell of S. Matthew Matth. 19.26 With man this is vnpossible but with God all things are possible Which is as much as if hee had told them that though it were impossible for any man to repent and turne yet with God it is not onely possible but also easie And therefore they ought not to bee discouraged from seeking nor despaire of attaining it but account it an easie thing and though this hedge were a stone wall yet by the helpe of God he may leape ouer it or breake thorow it And the rather should a man labour against this difficultie and discouragement because if he doe not kill and crucifie them they will certainely kill him and is it not better to kill then bee killed If a Physition should tell his patient that he must change his diet and take physicke and purge away his corrupt humors of choler or melancholie or he must die for it though it were verie vnpleasant yea very difficult and hard yet would hee not sticke to doe it how much more ought men to doe this for the soule A certaine Philosopher when hee found his goods and riches to hinder him he could not goe the way of vertue as he desired threw them into the sea with this farwell I had rather drowne you then you should drowne me How much more ought a Christian to part with his sins and giue them such a farwell though it bee somewhat more difficult And to conclude as Hierom counselled Heliododorus to go on in the course of pietie and following after Christ Licèt paruulus ex collo pendeat nepos licèt sparso crine scissis vestibùs vbera quibus te nutriebat mater ostendat licèt in limine pater iaceat perculcatum perge patrem siceis oculis ad vexillum crucis euola Solum pietatis genus est in hac re esse crudelem Hieron ad Heliodorū epist. 1. Though his little nephew should hang about his necke though his mother should with her haire about her head and her garments rent shew him the teates which gaue him sucke though his father should lie vpon the threshold to stop vp his passage yet he would haue him trample vpon his father and with drie eies follow after Christ For this is a special kind of pietie to be cruell in this thing So would I counsell euery one though his sinnes were as deare as his father and mother and dearest friends though it be neuer so difficult to part with them yet that he should cast them away and trample vpon them to follow after Christ and performe true obedience to him for this is a speciall kinde of pietie to be cruell in this execution Presumption is the third impediment to repentance The third impediment is presumption of Gods mercie whereby they are perswaded he will accept them whensoeuer they come and returne And that this is such a let needeth no further proofe then of sinners themselues who often alleage for themselues why they should not seare to deferre their repentance and still to follow their pleasures the sweet promises of Gods mercie at all times as these First the Lord speaketh by his Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 18.32 That he desireth not the death of a sinner And againe by the same Prophet Ezech. 33.11 As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue And Christ saith in the Gospell of S. Matthew Matth. 9.13 I will haue mercie and not sacrifice And againe in the same Euangelist our Saniour speaketh Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and heauie laden and I will ease you And S. Paul to Timothie hath these words 1. Tim. 2.4 Who will that all men should be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Then what needs such haste to repentance what needs all this care and speed they shall be receiued at all times and by the abuse of these they abuse God and themselues and still are kept from returning and that by these meanes also Reason 1. 1. Because they so remember and their mindes so runne on his mercie that hee is mercifull that they vtterly forget his iustice and that
he is iust They think so much of the promises of the Gospell that they forget the curses of the Law and gather poison out of the sweeâ—e flowers of Gods promises which makes them neuer feare any danger though they remaine still without returning and so they adde drunkennes to thirst Reason 2. 2 Because they louing their sinnes for the pleasure profit or preferment or such things as they bring in doe willingly lay hold of any thing that may harten them still in them and will not see that which should draw them from them Reason 3. 3. Because repentance is so hard a thing and vnpleasant and therefore men can be willing to auoid the labour and paines of it so long as they haue any hope to auoid the danger of their sins and haue any hope of inioying life and space to returne and repent Now for the vses of this point they are these Vse 1. 1. This teacheth that this age is ful of impenitencie their wordes and works declare it manifestly and how should it be otherwise for if they had no other let yet this that they are full of presumption of the mercie and goodnesse of God is impedimentenough They haue not any true faith in the promises and mercies of God for if they had they would not so abuse them but would rather returne to him and seeke the pardon of that is past and to please him in future time But only they haue a meere presumption of it which appeareth as by their speeches as afore so by alleaging other examples of it telling vs Gods mercie is aboue all his workes which things are set downe in the Scripture for the comfort of the weake and not to incourage the wicked written for the penitent and not for the obstinate Therefore for them to take hold of them is presumption when they were neuer intended to them being childrens bread and not for dogges to deuoure But another thing manifesting their presumption is their impatience vnder the rod of the Law and the reproofes of the Word arguing they are like those whose palats are vsed to sweet meats so long that they can endure nothing that is sharpe like those who as Augustine saith August in Psalm 48. hauing eaten sowre grapes haue their teeth set on edge that they cannot eate or delight in bread so they being giuen to sinne cannot endure the word specially as it is thus against them of whom there is a great deale lesse hope than of any other that is raging in despaire Vse 2. 2. This may admonish all men to take notice that this is a maine let and hinderance from this dutie and then to labour to ouercome it which one shall best do if he wil conceiue of God aright namely that he is as just as mercifull and that if the gratious promises shew the one then the seuere and grieuous threatning of the Law manifest the other And why should not one eye be vpon this as well as another vpon that they should consider that place of Nahum Nahum 1.3 That the Lord is slow to anger but hee is great in power and will not surely cleere the wicked Bernard saith Deus duos pedes habet misericordiam iustitiam neutrum solum apprehendere debemus Bern. serm 56. inter paruos God hath two feet mercy and iustice we must not take hold of either of them alone for iustice without mercie will not make men so feare as mercy without iustice doth make men continue and perseuere in a corrupt life Therefore he that would be saued and truly repent he must kisse both these feete the one will make him come with boldnes the other wil make him hasten with feare and keep him from presuming Others speake of God as hauing two armes mercie and iustice one as long as the other vnlesse we make him a monster and vnperfect And if he thus conceiue of God aright hee may preserue himselfe from this Againe it is good for him to consider those promises hee auowes whether hee hath any part in them or no and let him know that while he remaineth impenitent hee hath no part in them at all and so preyes vpon another mans right For those were made to the repentant and not to the impenitent as the places do expound themselues as it is in that of Ezechiel thus set downe Ezek. 33.11 As I line faith the Lord I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his waies and line turne you turne you from your euillwaies for why will yee die ô ye house of Israel The latter part sheweth he speaketh not of al sinners but of those who turne vnto him from their wicked waies Also that of Matthew where Christ saith Matth. 9.13 I will haue mercie and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance He she weth that whosoeuer are called to him that in him they may haue saluation are called also to repentance And againe our Sauiour Christ faith in the same Euangelist Matth. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye that are weary and laden and I will ease you Hee meaneth not all without exception but who find their sinne irkesome and grieuous vnto them and desire nothing more than to be freed from that intollerable burden So S. Paul to Timothie saith 1. Tim. 2.4 That God would haue none to bee saued but such as come to the knowledge of the truth such as beleeue the word and haue redemption by Christ and so turne to God Likewise Dauid in the 73. Psalm beginneth the Psalme with the admiration of Gods goodnesse to the godly where he saith Psalm 73.27 That God is good to Israel euen to the pure in heart And yet in the whole Psalme following he she weth nothing but the heauie iustice of GOD to the wicked euen when he giueth them most prosperitie and wealth concluding so of them in the 27. verse of the same Psal For loe saith he they that withdraw themselues from thee shall perish thou destroyest all them that goe a whoring from thee Therefore to the ignorant obstinate impenitent and secure sinners these belong not at all Againe admit it be as they say that God will be so mercifull to them and is so gratious how vngratefull and wicked a consequence is this to reason from his loue to rebellion that therefore men may bee gracelesse towards him because he is so gracious to them they neuer learne this in the schoole of the Scripture but the contrarie As in that of Paul to the Romans Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnes and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnes of God leadeth thee to repentance Teaching men to looke for more iustice and not the continuance of mercie Nay nature itselfe if it haue any sparke of the image of God remaining teacheth otherwise If a man haue a father or but a