whereto we can attribute no greater either praise or power then that it worketh the same vpon earth which GOD himselfe worketh in heauen by making men happie by deliuering them from eternall perdition and by bringing them to vnspeakeable and endlesse ioy And herein it is singular and eminently alone herein all other vertues are but handmaides to attend it For albeit loue be exceeding powerfull albeit the fire of loue bee of merueilous force to consume sins yet doth it neuer attaine this effect but by vertue of Repentance In this action of loue Repentance is the principall worker loue is a testimonie and declaration not a proper cause of remission of sinnes Remission of sinnes is rather the cause of loue then loue the cause of remission of sinnes It is a very hard thing which GOD cannot doe But herein hath GOD restrained his power GOD cannot be mercifull vnlesse sinners repent without repentance it is impossible that sinners should be pardoned because it is impossible without repentance to abandon euill and turne to GOD. For sinne is nothing else but an auersion from GOD and a conuersion to creatures an auersion from an inestimable and immutable good and a conuersion to a vaine and variable euill This sinne is neuer pardoned but by forsaking creatures and by applying our selues againe to GOD by turning againe from euill to good by inward loathing the transitory euill whereto by pleasure wee did adhere and by fixing our delight vpon that infinite good which will neuer either varie or faile But this is a proper worke of repentance this is repentance it selfe Whosoeuer is thus conuerted in soule he is truely penitent hee is blessed in this life the LORD will impute no sinne vnto him And the reason is because he imputeth sinne to himselfe hee preuenteth the imputation of the LORD by imputing sinne to himselfe he chargeth iudgeth condemneth himselfe and therefore he shall neuer be either condemned or questioned by the LORD For a superiour Iudge will neuer examine that offence which hee knoweth to be both examined and iusticed by his commission But GOD hath giuen to sinners not onely commission but command to examine and iudge themselues which if they will vnpartially doe hee hath promised that hee will neuer iudge them that hee will neuer impute sinne to their charge The Iustice of GOD requireth that sinne should be examined condemned and punished but the great mercie of GOD hath made sinners their owne Iudges their owne executioners and tormentors It putteth them in choise either to iudge and condemne their sinne or to bee iudged and condemned for their sinne either to put sinne to death in this world or to die for sinne in the world to come But blessed is hee who embraceth this mercie who doeth examine and condemne his sinnes who doeth impute sinne to himselfe that GOD may not impute his sinnes vnto him Blessed is he I say who hauing sincerely iudged himselfe may boldly looke GOD in the face and say vnto him Condemne me not tell me wherefore doest thou thus iudge me Wilt thou proceed against thine owne appointment Wilt thou violate the direct rule of thy iustice Thy iustice requireth but one condemnation and thy mercy hath giuen me power to condemne my selfe This I haue already done I did daily iudge my selfe before thee and now I did securelie expect thee I expect not now to bee iudged by thee For feare of thy iudgment I haue iudged my selfe I haue not stayed for thy sentence I haue preuented it in giuing sentence against my selfe Wherefore then doest thou thus iudge me Thou maiest iudge my iudgement if thou thinkest meet how truely and triely I haue examined my cause before thee and thy causeagainst me What good I haue receiued from thee and what euill I haue returned to thee Iudge my iudgement I say if thou wilt but doe not iudge I pray thee my sinnes For herein especially we must be regardfull that we iudge vprightlie that we giue no false sentence whether by negligence or by partialitie and selfe-loue that our iudgement be not either muzled by the one or misse-led by the other For he only is in this blessed estate who maketh a serious search in his soule who is not deceiued in making his search who dissembleth not what there he findes Blessed is he who deceiueth not himselfe who dissembleth not with GOD. Who deceiveth not himselfe in blinding or abusing his owne iudgement either by a stupendious stupiditie that he hath no sinne or by a negligent enquirie after them or by a fauourable estimation of them or lastly by a false conceite that he may at leisure and in good time repent Who dissembleth not with GOD either in concealing or extenuating any part of his euill but humbling himselfe before his presence laieth open to his view euery vncleane corner within him and as a poore petitioner as one who beggeth for a piece of bread as one who sueth for his very life rather aggrauate then extenuate his wretched condition For it is in singlenesse and sinceritie of soule It is by true sence and acknowledgement of our sinnes that we must both inuocate and obtaine GODS mercy If we flatter our selues that we are innocent If knowing our sinnes we cancell or conceale them as if we could deceiue GOD so easilie as we can blinde the world If to win opinion we compose our behauiour to an outward fashion of pietie and not with the most inward sences of our soule not with the verie heart of our heart acknowledge and bewaile our fault If we doe not rather seeke after righteousnes then make shew thereof If we do not both promise and purpose and endeauour to amend If our mind and our mouth and our outward actions doe not agree we are but hypocrites the worst of all sinners VVe increase wrath we shall neuer come to the presence of GOD. VVolues are neuer more wolues then when they are apparrelled like sheepe It is extreame wickednesse to be empty of all goodnesse and yet aspire to be esteemed good GOD requireth in his Law confession of sinne before the sinner could be purged He commanded also that the high Priest should confesse his owne sins and the sins of the people vpon the head of a Goare and then permit it to escape For assuredlie albeit GOD be exceeding mercifull in forgiuing our debts yet is he hard seuere in taking our accompts That which in deed wee cannot in desire wee are obliged to performe we must by acknowledgement make tender of that debt which otherwise we are vnable to discharge He that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtaine mercy If we dissemble our sinnes we double our punishment because we double our offence Euen as not onely he that stealeth is an offender but he also that concealeth a theft If we dissemble part of our sins if we keepe backe part and say that
cast it into a drunken dreame They soare aboue the sphere of earthly delights they neuer stoope vpon so course carrion but aspire to prey vpon Angels food And they are no lesse free from the dangers of the world then from the delights no more troubled with the feare of the one then with desire of the other They may bee hated but harmed they cannot bee they may bee persecuted but they cannot perish For nothing killeth the soule but sinne sin only is the sword that killeth the soule that soule which sinneth shall die But nothing is sinne vnlesse it be voluntary Take away the will and all actions are equall and therefore a soule doth not perish vnlesse it will vnlesse voluntarilie it committeth euill So it followeth that they cannot perish because they will not Because they will not returne to their sinnes they cannot incurre the penaltie of sinne And this they will not doe because their spirit is gouerned by thy grace because their will is subiect to thy will because thy will and their will are twisted together as it were into a fast twined threed VERS IX I will informe thee and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt goe and I will guide thee with mine eye THE effects of Repentance in regard of the wicked 2 GOD is most intelligible yet hardest to be vnderstood 3 GOD directeth the vnderstanding 4 Correcteth the will 5 Not only instructeth but leadeth with his hand 6 Enlightneth and guideth with his eie 7 To what end GOD fixeth his eies vpon the righteous 8 The eies of the LORD are working eyes 9 They make a soule both beautifull and rich 10 The incredible goodnesse of GOD. 11 The eyes of the LORD not onely teach but enable 12 A heauenly voice 13 Our eyes must also be firmely fixed vpon GOD. 14 But first they must be made cleane COME hither now all ye who want vnderstanding the very forme and essence of man and I will instruct you I will instruct you in that which is most intelligible and yet hardest to bee vnderstood For as nothing is more visible then GOD yet nothing lesse seene by reason of his exceeding brightnesse so nothing is more intelligible then GOD yet nothing lesse vnderstood by reason of his surpassing greatnesse Come hither I say all yee who know not the trueth all ye who wander out of the right way come hither to me come all ye who are desirous to attaine a happie life whereto all the passage of our life is nothing else but a toylesome trauaile I will enforme you in the pure trueth which experience of mine owne errours hath taught mee I will direct you in the right way which after long wandring I haue beaten out I will point vnto you the cleare Sunne of Life which after many stiffe stormes hath disclosed to me a most louely light whose bright beames haue dispelled all darke pitchie cloudes of despaire and reduced my thoughts to a quiet calme All yee who would taste the great goodnesse of GOD who would be made happie by remission of your sinnes ye who would obtaine his ayde in your necessities his comfort in your distresse heare mee whom experience hath taught Or rather heare the LORD himselfe Listen well what hee saith vnto you and lodge vp his words carefully in your breasts Come vnto me thou miserable man If thou hast any care of thine owne estate If thou hast any loue and desire of thine owne safetie come vnto me and thou shalt see what I will doe for thee I will enforme thy vnderstanding in what errours and in what dangers thou passest thy life and how thou maiest in best manner amend the one and auoid the other I will instruct thee to know the euill which I hate and the good which I require the miseries which awaite the one and the happinesse which is prepared for the other But because men do not commonly offend through want of vnderstanding but through peruersenesse of will For that the knowledge may well bee furnished partly by the benefit of nature and partly by instructions from other men but both these are not of power to rectifie the will and restraine the appetite They may point out the way but they cannot giue either appetite or strength to trauaile therein they may set good meate before thee but they cannot giue a stomacke to eate Come therefore vnto mee and I will not onelie direct thy vnderstanding but I will correct the appetites and inclinations of thy will I wil not onely informe thy iudgement to discerne what is best but I will conforme thy will to embrace and execute what thou doest discerne I will not onely remooue errours from thy knowledge but disorders also and dulnesse from thy desires And because the way which thou pacest is both difficult and darke full of intricate turnings full of rough and broken places wherein thou maiest easily wander or fall full of stoppes to impeach thee full of snares to entangle thy feet some of pride some of auarice some of riot some of lust and other trumperies of the world so as none can escape but by my illustration and aid I will therefore lead thee vpon my hand I will both stay and direct thy steppes I will conduct thee to eternall felicitie and life I will not commit this charge to my Angels but as I did lead my people of Israel in the day by a pillar of a cloud and in the night by a pillar of fire so day and night I will be thy guide In the day of prosperitie with my grace of moderation in the night of aduersitie with my grace of comfort these two pillars shall neuer forsake thee I will remooue all impediments from before thee I will make thy passage both streight and smooth Let great persons of the world send their harbengers before them to make their iournalls both easie and safe But I my selfe will leuell thy way I will remooue and auoide all hinderances I will make thy walke both pleasant and plaine Anchore not thy minde to things of this world Let not thy thoughts bee troubled either with hope or with feare Arrest thy selfe wholy vpon mee and I will take the charge into my hands I will haue a care ouer thee as a father hath ouer his child I will neuer turne my countenance from thee thou shalt walke alwayes in my sight I will firmely fixe mine eyes vpon thee I will watch ouer thee so as nothing shall faile which may aduance thee to a happy life Mine eye shall enlighten thee mine eye shall direct thee mine eye shall furnish thee with all supplies vntill thou arriue at the place where thou shalt want nothing but what thou wouldest not haue where thy aboundance shall equall thy desires O sweete wordes and what frozen heart can receiue them and not bee melted into delight and not bee enflamed with the loue of his creator What Wilt thou fixe thine eyes vpon vs indeede Yes verely The
side walled with rockes aboue beaten with terrible tempests You must be not onlie skilfull but carefull of your course you must alwaies beare your hand on the helme your eie on the compasse lest it come to passe that you neuer escape If you doe not this for the loue of GOD doe it then for the loue of your selues whereunto by all rules of reason and nature you are stronglie bound If you doe not loue or regard your good at lest bee not in loue with your euill The loue of miserie is farre worse then miserie it selfe Assuredly in case you continue in this carelesse course in case you still beare your selues either desperate in running from GOD or dull and heauie in comming to him in case neither his benefits can allure nor his chasticements enforce you to a change of life he will cast his plagues vpon you so thicke as haile which will make you more miserable then you can imagine VERS XI Great plagues remaine for the vngodly but who so putteth his trust in the LORD mercy embraceth him on euery side 1. GODS heauie hammers vpon obstinate sinners 2 The multitude of GODS punishments 3 The seuerity of them 4 It is most easie for GOD to pardon sinnes and wherfore 5 It is not possible but that penitent persons should be forgiuen 6 The confidence of true penitents 7 Their saciety 8 Their ioy 9 Albeit the contray appeares 10 Penitents enioy most perfect pleasure in this life and wherefore 11 The pleasures of the wicked are worse then brutish 12 Penitents aâ—e blessed in their chasticements 13 The first reason hereof 14 The second reason 15 The afflictions of this life are both momentany and light 16 A short prayer CErtainely if you wil not embrace this friendly aduice If you esteeme these warnings to be of no weight If blinded either with dulnesse or with malice you perseuere in your sinnes If neither benefits nor scourges can hold you in obedience If neither promises nor threats can any deale mooue you If you can be reteined in order neither by hope nor by feare If like vntamed beasts you still wildlie runne through the thorny thickets of all vices and esteeme euerie lustfull thing lawfull to be done hee hath heauier hammers to breake your obstinacie to bridle your boldnesse and pride and to beate downe your rebellion against him Verely not the starres in the firmament not the sands of the earth not all the creatures in heauen and vpon earth are so manie in number so vnresistable in force as are the punishments which the obstinate shall endure Their infelicity houereth ouer their heads their curse traceth them step by step vntill it shall ouertake them in hell Here the most pleasant retreits are full of hideous hurlements nothing but terrours torments and teares without intermission or end Here is griefe without remedie complaint without pity repentance without mercy Here death alwaies liueth and life alwaies dieth death here life are immortall together life in dying and death in enduring Here both body and soule shall eternally liue in eternall death they shall liue together in a double death and both eternall the death of sinne and the death of punishment due to sinne On the other side they who contemne the vanitie of the world and apply themselues onlie to GOD they who repent them of their sinnes be they neuer so great if they doe not despaire shall vndoubtedlie be receiued to pardon and mercy For this is most easie for GOD to doe by reason of his goodnesse and the greatnesse of his mercies in comparison wherof all the sinnes of the world are nothing so little as a point in regard of the largest circumference as one sparke of fire in comparison of the vast Ocean So as if the greatest sinner in the world be penitent If he desire and sue for mercie all the water in the sea cannot so easilie extinguish one sparke of fire as the mercies of GOD will abolish his sinnes Verelie if a good man will be mercifull to his beast our good GOD will much more bee mercifull to his creature to his seruant to his childe Yea it is not possible but that mercy should be imparted to them that repent For the infinite mercies of Almightie GOD abound in all places they fill all things if they be not excluded and locked foorth But nothing excludeth mercie but impenitencie and hardnesse of heart And therefore if a man be penitent mercie will foorthwith enter because the impediment is remooued because nothing then remaineth in the soule which may resist or repell mercie If the window be opened the roome will be light and if the floudgates be vnbarred the streames will presentlie ouerflow But they who haue receiued mercy who are vnder the protection and guard of grace in what assurance doe they stand how boldlie do they walke with what confidence are they caried in all the passages of their life Mercy encreaseth confidence and coÌ„fidence againe encreaseth mercy As guiltines is the cause of feare so from mercie proceedeth confidence As all wickednesse is full of feare so the iust is confident as a Lion And whosoeuer receiueth mercie they shall be filled therewith They shall be so filled as they shall ouerflow they shal be enuironed with mercy on euery side And being vnder the peace protection of mercie hauing firme trust that their sins are forgiuen O good GOD to what felicitie are they aduanced what treasures are there in heauen which shall not be opened and imparted to them They shal be placed by the side of GOD they shall be apparrelled and adorned with so great glory so great happines shal be heaped vpon them as the spirit of man is vnable to apprehend much lesse to expresse The desire the hope the full faith and assurance hereof cannot but worke in them incredible ioy before they attaine the full fruition euen whilest they are vpon their passage to it Oh! with what cheerefulnesse with what delight doe they either remooue or surmount all difficulties which lie before them Howsoeuer their trauaile seemeth troublesome and hard yet the loue of their iourneyes end maketh it not onely tolerable but delightfull The onely thought of the end of their trauaile seasoneth all the meanes with sweetnesse through which they are enforced to wrestle to that end It may be conceiued indeed that the iust are plagued and that the wicked chiefly flourish in this life It seemeth to be so but it is not so It is so onely in appearance and shew but in very deed it is not so They are either blinded with grosse mists of ignorance or abused with deceiuable colours and shewes who thinke it so It appeareth so only to those who are so rowled vp in flesh and bloud that they esteeme nothing good or euill but that which appertaineth to the body Assuredly they whose sinnes are forgiuen enioy the most perfect pleasure euen in this life which in this sort doeth plainely appeare As the inward
Their thoughts being once acquainted with this reall trueth they neither desire nor regard the supplie of shadowes They cannot but bee strangers to worldly delights in which they see nothing but some scattered crummes and hungry morsels of the heauenly banket O LORD of hostes how great are the pleasures which they enioy who are reconciled by repentance to thee which albeit they be properly receiued into the soule yet sometimes they are so great that as riuers encreased by the fall of raine ouerflow their bankes so they cannot be contayned within the soule but are imparted also to the bodie I will therefore reioyce in the mercies of my GOD I will place all my pleasure in the contemplation of those felicities which he reserueth in his treasurie of heauen to enrich to adorne to crowne the iust This shal be the food of my thoughts the ambition of my highest hopes and desires Vpon confidence that I am in the fauour of GOD I will accompt GOD himselfe to be mine because his loue is mine For to whomsoeuer he giueth his loue he giueth himselfe because loue is no guift vnlesse the louer be giuen therewith Yea loue is no loue vnlesse he that loueth be no lesse liberall to impart that which hee is then that which he hath vnlesse I haue the partie I can neuer haue his loue To this ioy I inuite you all who stand sworne to the seruice of the LORD who loue his goodnesse who reuerence his iustice All ye who are vpright both in action in hearâ— I inuite you to two things First that you reioyce Secondly that you reioyce not in your selues not in any thing that the world affoords but onely in the LORD You I say who walke not in the crooked and craggie wayes of sinne but in the right path of righteousnesse who in this passage commit your selues altogether to the power and goodnesse of GOD. All you I inuite to reioyce to power forth your spirits into ioy and that for two causes First because you enioy a sweet quiet of conscience which is to you a perpetuall feast Secondly because you expect both an end and a reward of all your trauailes You expect that in short time you shall exchange the thornes and thistles of this wretched life for the flowers of eternall felicitie that the sweat of afflictions shall bee wiped from your faces and that you shall bee both clothed and crowned with heauenly honour Assuredly gold runneth not so pure out of the flames of the furnace to be cast into the image of some great Prince or to serue for the ornament of some rich iewell as the soule of one who loueth GOD doth beautifully sort out of the miseries of this world to behold to participate to be fully satisfied with the glorious presence and maiesty of GOD. But all the wicked I forbid to reioyce Away hence you may freely depart because you haue no part in this ioy you haue time little enough to lament For albeit sinners reioyce in doing ill and take most delight in worst things yet is not this the ioy that I meane This is no true ioy this is no ioy at all It is only a fained and forced appearance of ioy It is as the ioy of hypocrites short and sowre It is but a flash to lighten them to their death First because it proceedeth from an euil conscience which hath so many thornes as it hath thoughts alwaies pricking sometimes tearing the soule and crying out in the midst of their mirth Oh impure pleasure Oh vnlawful ioy Oh iust reuenge that must ensue Secondly because it is both short and the symptome of a deadlie disease For they ioy at their sinnes which will eternally ruine both their bodies and soules they ioy in that condition of life for which they cannot sufficientlie lament Therfore the ioy of sinners is like the witlesse laughter of fooles when they are lashed like the sencelesse laughter of mad men when they either doe or suffer some mischiefe like the sicke laughter of some diseased persons euen when they lie at the point of death When Dolphins leape and plaie in the sea it is a sure signe of tempests approaching and when the wicked sport and solace in their sins it is an infallible argument of their ruine at hand If Epicures reioice who deny that GOD doth either order or regard the affaires of this world If Athiests reioice who are of opinion that the soule and bodie determine together It maie beare some appearance of ioy But when they reioice in their sinnes who beleeue the immortalitie of the soule who know both the iustice and power of GOD who know how horrible it is to fall into his hands after separation from him by sinne It beareth no shadow of ioy It is a plaine token of a minde either sencelesse or madde So then it is proper to you onelâ—e O yee righteous to bee glad it is neither lawfull nor possible for any other truely to reioyce But because this your ioy is the treasure of your soules you must in any case be carefull to place it well As treasures must be safely laide vp so your ioy must bee lodged safe and that cannot be but onely in GOD. For if you place it in honour riches beautie power or any other faire fauour of this world it cannot be safe because these things are transitory and subiect to variations and dangers because they will passe away and perish in a moment And therefore the ioy that riseth from them is neuer dureable and many times lesse then the griefe which they cause when they forsake vs. As they who ioy in GOD need not feare any euill because all their euils are conuerted to their good so should they not hope for any good from the world because the Diuell GODS professed enemie is the great Prince of the world and will endeuour to conuert that good to their euill Goe too then reioyce onely in GOD who forgiueth your iniquities who doeth tolerate and conceale your weakenesses who liberally imparteth his mercies to you Settle all your delights vpon him settle all your pleasures and wishes in the loue of his goodnesse For hee imbraceth you with a fatherly loue and will then chiefely stand by you when all other comforts and supports will forsake you Ioyne no partener with him in the small possession of your ioy Ioy onely in him whom you shall alwayes finde aboue you powerfull beneath you plentifull before you watchfull behinde you carefull on this side bountifull on that side mercifull on all sides wonderfull Reioyce not in your owne worthinesse but in his infinite goodnes who driueth all dangers from your bodies and soules who so prouideth for you that you want nothing necessarie for this life and doe assuredly expect blessed abundance in the life to come Reioice onely in him who doeth comfort and relieue you in your passage through this world and will conduct you to the ioy of his
to kindle O desire of my soule thou knowest my tribulations my thoughts lie naked in thy sight thou seest how for thee my heart sorroweth my breast sigheth mine eie weepeth my body fainteth and my soule languisheth And wherfore tariest thou wherfore dost thou prolong my longing wherefore dost thou martyr me with delay VVhy sufferest thou me thus long to be vexed Is the cause heereof in thee or is it in my selfe Are thy mercies spent is thy louing kindnesse at an end wilt thou no more bee intreated by sinners or am I only cancelled out of thy conceit No no I doe not so feelinglie want thee I doe not so ardentlie desire thee as my case requires Verelie the cause is in my selfe and not in thee There is some trespasse in my teares my sorrow is seasoned with some sinne thou seest some cause for which I cannot see thee else wouldest thou not thus estrange thy selfe else thus thou wouldest not giue me ouer I am rather vnworthy to entertaine thee then thou vnwilling to come vnto mee VVell then I will still stir vp the coales of my dull deuotion I will heape on more fewell I will not cease blowing vntill it rise to a full and constant flame I will not entreat onely but I will importune thee I will wrestle with thee as Iacob did with the Angel I will not let thee goe vntill thou blesse me VERS IIII. Turne thee O LORD and deliuer my soule Oh saue me for thy mercies sake 1 A Prayer 2 The pleasures of this life how vnprofitable they are 3 The great distance betweene GOD and a sinner 4 How brought together 5 How grieuous it is to be separate from GOD. 6 An earnest desire of the soule after GOD. 7 The absence of GOD worse then his anger 8 How GOD is to be desired 9 What mooueth GOD to pitie and relieue 10 The great mercy of GOD. 11 To whom his mercy is properly due 12 Mercy to sinners is a due 13 GOD is most liberall and wherefore 14 How wee should desire GOD to turne to vs his face O Come mercifull LORD come and turne vpon me thy fauourable face come exercise vpon me the worke of mercie Regard me not as sinfull but as sorrowfull for my sin punish not my offences but pity the weaknesse from whence they proceed pity the distresse whereinto they haue cast me pitifullie regard my weakenesse and distresse For I feele my soule plunged in a vast sea of sinne I feele how fast it sinketh how violentlie it is swallowed I haue greedily grasped at the floating comforts of this life but I finde no stay in them I finde they rather pester then releeue me I finde them like a flash of lightning in a darke stormy night which serueth to shew the present infelicity and to increase the horror of ensuing darknesse And therefore doe I now streine out my voice and stretch foorth my hand vnto thee for helpe Gladlie would I turne to thee but I am not able for there is so great a distance betweene a sinner and thee that by his owne forces he cannot return and come neere thee Depart from thee and adhere to euill of our selues we may but we cannot forsake euill and turne to thee but by thy speciall power No man by his proper vertue is able to saue and consequently to iustifie himselfe thy grace must alwaies preuent him thou must first call him before he be able to cal vpon thee The beginning of our conuersion must be from thee from thy preuenting and inciting grace And therefore turne to me and then shall I be turned to thee Turne vnto me not by any change in thy selfe for thou art immutable but turne to me by thy goodnesse and grace and I will turne to thee by repentance and amendment of life Oh! how grieuous is it to bee separated and estranged from thee what good can comfort what euill will not annoy when thou art turned away Thou art the rock of my faint faith the anchor of my wauering hope the center of my languishing desire and loue In thee I trust vpon thee I relye I am so earnest in desiring thee that I neither desire nor almost thinke vpon any other thing But where art thou In what cloud doest thou hide thy selfe what meanest thou to suspend thy comfort so long to punish my desire so much with delay Wherefore hidest thou thy face and takest me for thine enemie Albeit thou art angrie with me yet would not I haue thee depart from me I had rather enioy thee angrie then not at all because thou art most extreamely angrie when thou turnest from vs. When thou art angrie and present then doest thou instruct vs then reforme vs but when thou turnest from vs then thou giuest vs ouer then thou leauest vs to innumerable and vnauoidable euils Albeit my friends forsake me albeit my enemies persecute me albeit all the societies of men and of Diuels tumult against mee yet doe not thou forsake me doe not thou depart from me For woe to them from whom thou departest But take heed O troubled soule and consider well what thou requirest of the LORD Art not thou a sinner a grieuous sinner is not GOD a searcher of sinnes a grieuous punisher of grieuous sinnes Doest thou not pray to him to turne away his face from thy sinnes Did not holy Iob say where shall I hide me from thy countenance because I haue sinned And wouldest thou haue him turne his face to thee being a most heynous sinner Yes yes I know well enough what I desire I know that GOD hath more faces then one He hath a face of Maiestie which no man can see and liue This face I cannot see He hath a face of iustice This face I would not see It is terrible to sinners this face is vpon them who doe euill to destroy their memoriall from the earth But hee hath another face of compassion and mercie And this face is like the Sunne exceeding full both of beautie and of vertue This face hee hideth from sinners This face I desire to be displayed vpon me be it neuer so cloudie neuer so angrie the anger of this face is to make sinners pure LORD make this face to shine vpon mee and be mercifull to mee LORD this face doe I seeke oh hide not thou thy face from mee nor cast away thy seruant in displeasure Come come gracious LORD with-hold no longer O water of life O shower of our saluation distill into mee one drop of thy dewe Seeing I am nothing without thee let me taste the benefit of being thine I desire thee and not thine for thy selfe not for thy gifts I desire thee onely not thee for any thing nothing for thee nothing with thee nothing beside thee Come deliuer my soule from the chaines of sinne wherewith I am bound to satisfie the rigour of thy iustice by eternall death and damnation Deliuer me from long custome
of sinne deliuer mee both from the pleasures and cares of this world which are cables to tye me fetters to hold mee captiue from turning to thee Deliuer my soule and saue me First deliuer my soule from present distresse then addresse me in the right way of thy saluation It is true that there is no desert no goodnes in me that should any wayes mooue thee to pitie or relieue mee For I haue loosely abandoned thee I haue trayterously conspired against thine honour I am altogether vnworthy but in wrath and reuenge to bee regarded of thee But I entreat thee by thine infinite goodnesse which is sufficient to abolish all the sinnes in the world euen in the lowest descent of humilitie for thy mercies sake I beseech thee to saue mee LORD I crie to thee in the confidence of thy mercies and not of my merits whereto no saluation but eternall death and destruction is due And if thou wilt not absolutely be entreated yet this word mercie is a maine argument to mooue thee or to assure me at the least that thou wilt saue me For thou art merciful both inwardly in thy selfe outwardly to others It is thy proper nature to beê merciful it is more proper for thee to do good to impart thy selfe to al things then it is for the Sun to enlighten then for the fire to giue heat thou canst not but exercise the actions of mercie But vpon whom vpon righteous persons what needeth that For they haue no miserie because they haue no sinne which only is misery which onely needeth mercie Is it then vpon small offenders is it to a certaine degree and measure of sinne Why but thou art exceeding mercifull infinite in mercie no lesse infinite in mercie then in nature for thou art mercy Verely as the rich man oweth his reliefe to the poore and the greater his riches are the greater is his debt as also the more poore a man is the more right hee hath to demaund reliefe euen so the greater thy mercies are the more must thou exercise the same vpon miserable sinners and the more miserable and sinfull a man is the more boldly may he come to thee for mercie The miserable sinner ouercharged with sinnes may confidently make his suit vnto thee to doe thy duty to exercise thy action to take away his misery to impart to him thy mercie that where sinne abounds grace also may more then abound Men doe therefore giue sparingly or at the least in some measure because the more they giue the lesse they reteine but thy treasure cannot be either exhausted or diminished thou departest with nothing by imparting to others by giuing abundantly thou hast nothing the lesse Thou art a fountaine of pitie and mercie from whence innumerable streames proceede the waters whereof are infinite both in quantitie and in vertue as well to cure our wounds and infirmities as to wash away our filthines and refresh our weakenesse O infinite fountaine how canst thou bee dried O sweetnesse O sacietie of desires what languishing soule came euer to thee and was not both cured and clensed and fully refreshed Doubtlesse O Lord thou art exceeding mercifull and wilt both readily and largely distribute thy mercies among offenders Thou wilt deliuer them saue them if they turne vnto thee if with penitent hearts they desire thy mercie Thou art more liberall to giue then they can be either desirous or willing to receiue VERSE V. For in death no man remembreth thee and who will giue thee thankes in the pit THE wisedome of GOD bindeth our assurance 2. To what end man was created 3. The time of life limited for repentance 4 Paine causeth forgetfulnesse of any thing but of it selfe 5. As after death repentance is vnprofitable so at the instant of death it is very doubtfull 6. The discommodities of late repentance AND it is not onely thy mercie which bindeth my reason but also thy wisedome For I am thy creature the worke of thy hands the worke which thy wisedome hath framed to some end Thy wisedome hath framed nothing in vaine nothing but to some end without attayning which end it should not perish But it is all one if I had beene created for nothing and in vaine and if I should not attaine to the end for which I was created To what end then did thy Wisedome create mee in this World Certainely that I should know thee and that by knowing thee I should loue thee and that in louing thee I should neuer cease to remember thee neuer cease to praise thee neuer cease to sorrow when I offend thee To this end I was created and I am desirous to accomplish this end I am desirous to be an instrument for extolling thy praise and setting foorth thy glory But in case I die thus charged with sinne before thou turnest thy mercie to me before I turne to thee by repentance what honor will thereby rise to thee what benefit to my selfe How shall I then partake of thy goodnesse How shall I publish and praise the same For so long as we enioy the benefit of life We nay repent we may leaue our sinnes we may returne to the state of grace But after death followeth iudgement when no error can be either repented or repaired but euery man shall suffer according as hee hath done In this liâ—e we may both dispose our selues and incite others to blazon thy praise but in the dungeon of death who will thanke thee who will thinke on thee who will sing thy praises in the bosome of Hell This is not a proper place for the sweet harmony of thy praise for the ioyfull memoriall of thy name Thy praise consisteth in a thankefull publication of thy grace goodnesse and mercie But this is the house of horror heere thy full furie and vengeance inhabite here can bee neither thankfull nor ioyfull remembrance of thee It is familiar to the pleasures of this life if they be great to cause vs to forget both thee and our selues But we are far lesse sensible of pleasure then of paine paines are more sharpe to vs in a high degree then pleasures are sweet Sharpe paines doe so strongly affect the bodie they doe so viòlently possesse the minde that it cannot once thinke of any other thing Who may then remember thee as he should being vnder the hand of thy terrible wrath Who shall either loue thee or laud thee in the ouglie den of death where the eies are possessed with hideous hurlemeÌ„ts the eares with desperate fruitles wailings all the faculties and parts both with intolerable and endlesse torments VVhere nothing is either suffered or done but effects of thine implacable wrath Assuredlie they are cursed by thee who are condemned to this place and heere againe they curse and blaspheme thee For this cause the wiseman exhorteth vs to turne to thee to forsake our sinnes and to make our prayers before thy face But what is it to do all these
declare that difference which nature hath set betweene thee and bruit beasts not in outward appearance and behauiour but chiefly by the disposition of thy mind Vnderstand thy state vnderstand thy dangers and then expresse some iudgement care and industry how to auoid them For assuredly thou wantest either faith if thou doest not beleeue thy danger or vnderstanding if with all care and diligence thou doest not endeauour to auoid it Aboue all be not halfe a man be not carefull and regular in thy life to halfes for such a one liueth most miserably because he enioyeth neither GOD nor the world He enioyeth not GOD because he hath not grace enough to make him his owne The world he doth not enioy for that hee hath so much taste of grace as to discouer the vanitie and iniquity of his pleasures Thou mayest happily obserue foure degrees of sinne the desire the action the custome the obstinacy or contempt Desire bringeth forth action frequencie of action draweth on custome custome runneth into habite habite into nature from whence proceedeth obstinate contempt Whensoeuer therfore thou fallest into any degree of sinne lie not still beware of custome for this will soone rise into contempt which is not pardonable because so long as contempt standeth it is not possible that the sinne should bee remitted Obstinate impenitencie is said to bee impardonable for that thereby a sinner disesteemeth and despiseth the mercie of GOD which if he would entertaine and embrace then is hee not obstinate then are his sinnes both possible and easie to be forgiuen For no sinne is vnpardonable with GOD when with sinceritie and humility of heart the sinner desireth mercie which contempt will neuer permit him to doe And therefore at the very first summons that GOD shall make range thy selfe readily vnder his obedience Doe not struggle against his directions be not slow in performing his pleasure Doe not either by obstinate rebellion resist or by cold dulnesse extinguish the good motions of his grace enspired into thee Doe not constraine him by afflictions to constraine thee to his seruice as a beast is constrained by bridle and whippes to be seruiceable to man Be not good onely vpon compulsion and feare neither let compulsion and feare deterre thee from goodnesse But be like a sure blade whereof albeit the point bee bowed to the hilts yet will it not so stand but returne foorthwith to the straightnesse againe Weigh thine actions with vnderstanding do them with loue walke cheerefully in the wayes of the LORD bee readie be desirous and ioyfull to be guided by him For GOD who is a spirit respecteth the spirit he desireth he accepteth principally the heart he is better pleased with the manner of our doing then with that which we can possible doe Certainely of all the creatures vnder heauen which haue receiued being from GOD none degenerate none forsake their naturall dignity and being but onely man Onelie man abandoning the dignitie of his proper nature is changed like Proteus into diuers formes And this is occasioned by reason of the libertie of his will which is a facultie that transformeth men into so many things as with violent appetite it doth pursue Hence it proceeded that in the creation of other things GOD approoued them and saw that they were good because he gaue them a stable and permanent nature But of the goodnesse of man no mention at all Mans goodnesse was left vnapprooued at the first because GOD gaue him libertie of will either to embrace vertue and be like vnto GOD or to adhere to sensualitie and be like vnto beasts And as euery kinde of beast is principally inclined to one sensualitie more then to any other so man transformeth himselfe into that beast to whose sensualitie he principallie declines For as the first matter is apt to receiue the impression of any forme so man by reason of his affection and will is apt to be transformed into any beast This did the ancient wisemen shadow foorth by their fables of certaine persons changed into such beasts whole crueltie or sottery or other brutish nature they did expresse And what else did others signifie by seeking for a man with a candle in the greatest assemblies of a most populous city but that all were degenerated into beasts Run to and fro saith the Prophet Ieremie by the streets of Ierusalem and behold now and know and enquire in the open places thereof if ye can finde a man And againe the same Prophet saith Euery man is a beast by his owne knowledge And againe The Pastors are become beasts and haue not sought the LORD therefore haue they no vnderstanding And hereby thou maiest discerne O man the deformitie of thy most seemely sinnes which raseth the image of GOD out of thy soule and transformeth it into the image of beasts For Man being in honour and without vnderstanding is compared to the foolish beasts and is made like vnto them O sonnes of Adam created after the image of GOD adorned with many naturall and supernaturall gifts Doe not abandon your selues Doe not abandon reason to embrace sensualitie doe not cast off the dignitie of your condition and state to follow the base fashion of beasts Euery thing naturally loueth the life You haue no similitude with beasts but GOD hath created you to his owne image to the end you should loue him GOD hath endued you with reason to make you differ from beasts vse it and vse it well If you doe not vse it then are you beasts If you vse it not well but abuse it then are you worse then beasts then are you deuills If it pleaseth you not to be as you are I will tell you how you shall best transforme your selues endeauour to resemble GOD to transforme your selues into him by imitation so much as it is possible of his sanctity and puritie Euen as he hath said be ye holy as I am holy This is a blessed change this is the greatest perfection that can be either wrought or wished to a reasonable creature What man will desire or endure to serue his enemie his fellow or his seruant The Diuell is your enemie the flesh your fellow the world your seruant The first seruice is vnprofitable for it affoordeth no wages but death the second vncertaine for you are alwayes menaced to be turned out of dores the third is most base and vaine for suppose you could atchieue all the world what is it A needles point a moat a mite a nothing You are now in your passage through a wide and wilde forrest wherein you may be easily lost wherein easily you may lose the vse of that sunne which should both enlighten and direct you to your iourneyes end You are trauersing through an intricate labyrinth out of whose entaglements you can neuer winde neuer free your feet vnlesse you follow that pathe which GOD hath lined foorth vnto you You aâ—e sailingin a dangrous sea beneath paued with shelues on euerie
wherein then lieth the difference Not in the summe of the debt but in the dayes of payment All agree that repentance is due but most perswade themselues that the payment may be made at leasure But assuredly there is no time so fit as the present For what stupendious stupiditie is it to deferre the most weightie worke of repentance to a future time whereby besides that the time may bee taken from thee thou shalt daily growe more vnfit to repent For by reason of long continuance and frequencie of acts custome will grow strong and inuincible whereby nature is corrupted grace estranged and the power and tyrannie of the Diuell much confirmed Obserue hereof a familiar example If a childe be brought from a distant country he will perfectly pronounce our language in a very short time If hee be a man of yeeres hee will hardly or neuer rightly pronounce it What is the cause confirmed custome which can hardly be broken we are hardly drawen either to forget or forsake that whereto of long time we haue bin enured And assuredly change of life is no lesse vneasy then change of language and therefore repentance must needs bee so much the harder by how much it is later Oh! how many would gladly forsake their wicked liues but being fast locked and chained in the prison of euill custome they are not able to breake from themselues He who hath a great estate may well endure some wast expence but he who oweth more then hee is worth had neede be a good husband of that which he hath Thou art not well assured to liue one houre and darest thou make to thy selfe a prodigall promise of manie yeeres Such promises haue bin â—he destruction of many a sinner vpon such hope is little better then a sinner vpon despaire for both sinne alike vpon different reasons The desperate sinneth because he thinketh hee must bee damned the presumptuous because he hopeth he may at pleasure repent he sinneth because he despaireth this hopeth because he will sinne Woe to this hope woe to that presumption both are fearefull and dangerous alike GOD hath promised pardon to repentance but he hath not promised either time or abilitie or mind to repent Hee hath alreadie giuen thee a faire time to repent but he hath put times and seasons in his owne power and will assuredly shorten them if they be not well imployed For so in the dayes of Noah he gaue 120. yeeres for man to repent which because they did abuse he strooke off 20 yeeres and raised the deluge in the hundreth yeere Thou art carefull to cure the least hurts of thy bodie forthwith and wilt thou neglect or deferre to remedie the mortall and immortall woundes of thy soule When euery day thy miserable soule is hewen burnt poisoned precipitated torne in pieces when euery day it perisheth a thousand wayes wilt thou be nothing sensible thereof wilt thou be like Pharao who when all Aegypt as wel in the fields as in the houses swarmed with frogges yet would haue prayer deferred vntill to morrow O mad delay nay verely To day heare his voice and harden not your hearts Deferre not repentance vntill to morrow for this will harden your hearts indeed Our life is compared by Iob to the day of a hireling A labourer worketh from morning vntill night and then taketh his rest So thou O sinner labour hard in the workes of repentance whilest thy day lasteth suffer not the darkenesse of death the night of nature to steale vpon thee but earely in the morning of thy health strength and age flie to the LORD attend seriously thy worke and doe not loiter for the night will come when no man can labour If the world calleth thee aside to riches honour pleasures or any other of her entising harlotries tell her thou canst not come thou hast a great important busines in hand and but a small time to performe it thou hast neither leisure nor lust to listen to her When Ioab had defeated Abner and chased his armie with a long execution Abner cried to him Shall the sword deuoure for euer to whom Ioab answered As GOD liueth if thou hadst spoken in the morning the people had gone away euery one from following his brother The like may GOD answer to sinners who all the day of their life beare armes against him and at the night of their death desire to bee at peace As I liue if you had spoke to mee in the morning if in seasonable time you had desired mercy I would haue spared you but now execution is in the heate you come somwhat late you must neuer stand to the courtesie of iustice you come now vpon ineuitable necessitie vpon base seruile feare which neuer iustifieth Your repentance now is not froÌ„ the heart You are now like merchants who when their ship is in danger throw their riches ouerboard but when the tempest is ouer search euery shoare to find them againe Your apprehension of present danger hath perswaded you against your wils to disgorge your consciences and cast vp your pleasures but if the feare blow ouer if you recouer your former estate you will foorthwith returne to your former life Thus may GOD say and thus for the most part it happeneth We neuer examine our great accompt wee neuer addresse our selues to bee at peace with GOD so long as we haue one vanitie vnspent But when time hath beaten from vs both youth pleasure and health when it hath made vs both insociable to others and burthensome to our selues when our attendants are variable sickenesses and paines when the soule loathes her ruinous and excrementall lodging then looking into our consciences which pleasure and sloth had locked before we behold therein the fearefull images of our actions past and withall this terrible sentence engrauen that GOD will bring euery worke to iudgement But how dare wee trust to our repentance at that time when the will by long custome is stiffe and almost inflexible when the vnderstanding partly weakened partly amazed is vnable to behold diuers obiects perfectly Assuredly to neglect GOD to offend him willingly casting our hopes on the peace which wee trust to make at our parting is a high presumption or which is worse a scornefull conâ—â—mpt Of all things that can be desired eternall felicity is the chiefe No man but doeth naturally desire it No man with deliberate reason would lose it for the empire of all the world no merchant is so foolish who would exchange the hope thereof for any aduantage that can be set foorth no man vpon any condition would bee quite cast out of that hope Now the ordinary way which GOD hath appointed to attaine felicitie is a long and laboursome walke a great iourney from vertue to vertue from strength to strength vntill wee appeare before GOD in Sion This was figured by the ladder which Iacob saw in a vision extending from earth to heauen and consisting doubtlesse