and said Thus saith the Lord Put thy house in order for thou shalt die and not liue Then he turned his face to the wall and praied to the Lord and wept sore And afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle of the court the word of the Lord came vnto him saying Turne againe and tell Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father I haue heard thy praier and seene thy teares behold I haue healed thee and the third day thou shalt goe vp to the house of the Lord And I will adde vnto thy daies fifteene yeeres The Nineuites heard Ionah the Prophet threatning them Ionah 3. Yet fortie dayes and Nineuy shal be ouerthrowen but the men of Nineuie fainted not in their mindes but though they doubted whether the Lord would be intreated yet they did all flie to repentance as to the gate of saluation beleeued in the Lord proclamed a fast and from the least to the greatest put on sackcloth and sate in ashes saying Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turn away from his fierce wrath that wee perish not And God saw their works that they turned from their cuill wayes and he repented of the euill that he had sayd that he would do vnto them and he did it not Hezekiah by praier and tears obteined of God that hee recalled his sentence past The repentāce of the Nineuites preuailed with God so much that hee reuoked his sentence touching the destruction of that city yet neither were they false Prophets who at what time they had deserued to die for their sinnes foretolde it but the great bountie of the mercy of God deferred their death and ruine at that time which before all worlds he had preordained If therefore these barbarous and heathenish people despaired not and though their sentence were past against them yet fainted not in their hearts why doest thou wretch that thou art despaire why faintest thou Thou robbest GOD of his mercy without which kings are not kings but tyrants That sentence The soule that hath sinned shall die is to be vnderstood of that soule which hath not repented of her sinnes as is sayd of humane iudgements That if any man hath done this or that he shall die the death and yet alwaies it is to be vnderstood except the partie condemned by the kings mercy be pardoned The iustice of God is not as the iustice of man in this by how much the more a guilty man confesseth his fault by so much the more punishment doth hee draw vpon himselfe but in that of God by how much the more a sinner accuseth himselfe by so much the more doth he finde the mercy of God towards him as God repelleth him that defendeth his sinnes so hee receiueth him that confesseth them If thou knewest the power of repentance thou wouldest not despaire of the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes our mercifull God doth gladly forget that wee are nocent and he is alwayes ready to esteeme our repentance as innocencie for if we repent vs of our sinnes wee haue alreadie escaped the rigor of a seuere sentence God imputeth not vnto vs our former life so wee repent vs of it but seeing our works changed he gladly changeth his sentence because hee would the life of a sinner not the death neither doth he take pleasure in the perdition of soules but his will is our sanctification To those that stand if they fall he threatneth punishment that fearing that they may not fall but yet he promiseth mercie to those that fall that trusting thereon they may rise again those he terrifieth lest they presume in their goodnesse these he comforteth lest they should despaire in their wickednesse As a kinde and louing mother threatneth stripes to her beloued sonne whom if acknowledging his fault hee beg mercy at her hands her motherly loue doth easily pardon so likewise our mercifull God patient of great mercy though hee be iustly angry with our sinnes yet asking pardon with much facilitie he is pleased Can a mother forget her childe Isa 49.15 and haue no compassion on the sonne of her wombe though shee should forget yet will not I forget thee sayth the Lord. A louing mother doth greatly desire the health of her sicke sonne but much more doth God desire the saluation of a sicke soule Though no humane goodnesse may be compared to the infinite goodnes of God yet forasmuch as there can be no greater example found of affection in the highest degree than of a mothers towards her sonne therefore the loue of God towards sinners is compared to a motherly affection There is no man so inflamed with the loue of his spouse as GOD with the loue of thy soule Greater loue than this hath no man Ioh. 15.13 when any man bestoweth his life for his friends Christ if thou hadst been alone hee had suffered and died for thee before he would haue suffred thy soule to haue fallen into the iawes of the diuell For for whom died he For the iust Aske Paul Christ saith he died for sinners If there had been no sinne in the world Christ had not shed his blood for what necessitie had there beene that God should shed his blood but to redeeme both thine and the sinnes of the whole world The least droppe of his precious blood did abundantly suffice for the redemption of all mankinde but yet to the end he might expresse his great loue towards vs he powred out his whole blood for vs he spake many things he did many things hee suffered many things to redeeme vs though those whom he created with his only word he could likewise haue repared with his only word He tooke vpon him our death that he might giue vs life he gaue life vnto vs hee receiued death from vs and yet not for his owne desert but for vs. He came into the land of our perigrination to take vpon him what here abounded reproches scourgings blowes spittings in the face contumelies a crowne of thornes the crosse and death these abound in our countrey to these and the like merchandize he came What gaue he heere for that he heere receiued He gaue exhortation doctrine remission of sinnes he broght vnto vs from that countrey many good things and in ours he endured many euill So much his loue preuailed that he would be with vs where we were and where he is we shall be with him Where I am Ioh. 12.26 saith he there shall also my seruant bee What doth God promise vnto thee a man That thou shalt liue with him for euer and doest thou not beleeue it Beleeue beleeue it is more that hee hath done than that he hath promised It is more incredible that a dead man should bee eternall than that a mortall man should liue for euer Thou art to liue with him for euer for whose sake hee is dead that liues for euer Secure thy selfe that thou shalt receiue his life whose death thou hast for an earnest
desireth the more to haue thy companie to death whom thou canst not better obey than if thou daily sinne by his suggestion and being fallen carest not to rise againe Wherein whilest thou yeeldest thy consent thou seemest to haue made a sure bargaine with him and because thou art irrecouerably fallen thou must necessarily be his companion in his fall too To liue to thee that art infected with the dangerous plague of so many sinnes is not to liue but to confound life and to approch neerer and neerer to the gates of hell Thou art aliue in thy bodie but dead in thy minde That life is not to be called life whereby thou liuest only vnto death for it were better for thee that euery day doest die in thy soule that in bodie thou die quickly better that thou liue not at all that thou wert not borne than by sinne to die daily As often as thou sinnest so often thou deseruest eternall death which if for one sinne thou deserue what doest thou for many for millions of sinnes For so manie and so great sinnes how intolerable shall hell be when for one so many and so vnspeakeable torments must be endured For there shall euerie man haue his damnation so much the more intolerable by how much the greater iniquitie he hath heere But to thee that hast no good thing to alleage for thy selfe but whole mountaines of sinne against thy selfe it is not possible to vtter what plagues and punishments do belong I can not woonder sufficiently how thou canst sleepe securely and enioy thy pleasures without feare For if thou wert odious to a King whom thou hast offended and diddest euery houre expect from him the sentence of a cruell death wouldest thou laugh and attend thy pleasures Now then â—ince for thy many and great offences the sentence of eternall death is pronounced against thee and the Lord to the end he may haue mercy on thee still expecting thy conuersion hath deferred his sentence which perhaps to day nay this very houre he will execute vpon thee how canst thou as it were in an assured peace be secure Thou art in greater danger that goest to thy rest with a conscience clogd with one mortall sinne than with seuen of thy deadliest enemies Doubtlesse if thou diddest but see thine owne soule thou wouldest blush at the foulenesse thereof and if thou knewest how great dangers thou runnest into by sinne thou wouldest thinke of nothing more than how to auoid it By sin thou makest God thine enemie the diuell dry lord and thou that wert first by adoption the sonne of God after sinne art made the seruant and slaue of the diuel yea of sinne it selfe and that which is woorst of all of so many lords as of sins Whosoeuer committeth sinne Ioh. 8.34 is the seruant of sinne A wicked man though he reigne is a seruant of sinne a iust man though he serue is a free man nay hee wanteth not kingly power that knoweth how to rule his owne affections God so hateth sinne that for the hatred thereof he destroyed almost all his works the whole world by a generall flood yea to the end he might vtterly kill it he gaue vnto death yea the shamefull death of the crosse his only begotten sonne And is not his hatred great towards his enemie that to be reuenged vpon him will kill his owne sonne God neither in heauen nor vpon earth hath a friend so deare vnto him but if he finde him polluted with mortall sinne he is presently odious vnto him and that vessell of sinne that is that sinner hee throweth downe into hell fire for a wicked man and his wickednesse are alike odious vnto God As if thou haddest rather to cast a vessel ful of corruption yet of great price into the sea than to scoure and clense it of the filth therof must not that filth and corruption be very hatefull vnto thee for which thou art content to lose so precious a vessell And as a louing mother if shee should cast her little infant whom she dearly loueth into a burning furnace there to perish must it not be some great matter very hatefull vnto her that can vrge her to such crueltie against her owne childe Sinne as much as it displeaseth God so much it pleaseth the diuel insomuch that from the creation of the world he hath euer watched without wearinesse how to allure men vnto sinne and though he obtein his purpose with innumerable numbers of men yet he is neuer satisfied After thou hast once sinned thou art so farre foorth in the power of the diuell that presently by his owne right he may challenge thee to be his and cartie thee with him to eternall torments if he were not staied by the great mercie of God expecting thee to repentance It were better for thee to haue a thousand diuels in thy body than one deadly sinne in thy minde And therefore saith Anselme If I should here see the shame of sinne and there the horror of hell and that I must necessarily bee ouerwhelmed by the one I would rather cast my selfe into hell than suffer my selfe to fall into an insensible feeling of my sinnes yea I had rather being purged and purified from sinne to enter into hell than polluted with the contagion of sinne if it were possible it might be so possesse the kingdome of heauen If sinne be more to be detested than hell what can be more detestable than sinne If there were no sinne there were no torment in hel No aduersitie could hurt if no iniquitie did beare rule for it is only sinne that can hurt and bring to passe that no other thing can do good So long as thou continuest in sinne thou canst doe nothing that is good For as a root giueth no moisture to a rotten bough nor the sunne any light to a blinde eye so thou as a rotten and dead member of the Church for who will say thou art liuing that hast no feeling of compunction in thy heart art depriued of al that good that is or can be in the Church and thou art robbed of all that good that euer thou hast done in thy whole life and of all those virtues and graces which at the first thou receiuedst at Gods hands in as much as they stand thee in no stead to the attainment of eternall life as a dead man hath no power either to enioy his owne goods or to get others And besides a thousand other euils that follow sinne the miserable torment of thine owne conscience followeth thee whithersoeuer thou goest For sinne whilest it is committed pleaseth being committed it tormenteth for the worme thereof neuer dieth and in this life the torment thereof is but an entrance to that which is to come Ps 49.20 O man when thou wert in honour thou vnderstoodest not but wert compared to the beasts that perish and art made like vnto them Thou that through the merits of Christ Iesus wert made woorthy of heauen and all
the sight of God and he found no stedfastnesse in his saints Ps 143.2 In his sight shall none that liueth bee iustified We euery day descrie in our selues many sinnes and yet cannot know how often wee sinne For who can vnderstand his faults and therefore it followeth Ps 19 1â— Clense me ô Lord from my secret sinnes Forasmuch therefore as there is no man which hath not sinned he onely is blessed Psa 32.2 to whom the Lord imputeth no iniquitie and whose sinne is couered Let it be sufficient to vs to the attainment of all righteousnes to haue him propitious vnto vs whom onely we haue offended Whatsoeuer he hath decreed not to impute vnto vs is as if it neuer had beene for who shall accuse-them whom God hath absolued Neuerthelesse lest any man should please himselfe as being innocent and so by extolling himselfe should fall the more he is put in remembrance that he sinneth daily in that hee is commanded to pray daily for his sinnes saying Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. When a man heareth a sentence out of the Word against couetousnesse being pricked in heart he hateth that couetousnesse he commendeth the contempt of all things and he accounts no more of golde than of the dust but so soone as his minde shall beholde what it may desire he forgetteth that which before hee commended Wee are manie times fraighted with our sinnes and wee confesse them vnto God but presently wee returne to the same sinnes againe for the most part wee repreliend our owne liues and yet we gladly doe that which wee reprooue in our selues The spirit raiseth vs vp to righteousnesse and the flesh bindeth vs to the custome of sinning the minde withstandeth the delights of the flesh but presently with the delights thereof it is captiuated Woe be euen to the laudable life of men if they should bee iudged without mercy because they many times offend God with that whereby they imagine they please him for many times our righteousnesse being brought to the touchstone of his diuine iustice is vnrighteousnesse and that is loathsome in the sight of a seuere Iudge that shines in the eyes of him that doth them Esa 64. All our righteousnesse is like a menstruous cloth If our life should be strictly examined in that fearefull examination none should bee found iust If God should only shew seueritie and in his iudgement should not adde mercie if he should obserue our iniquities and not pardon our transgressions no man could expect the glory of eternall felicitie no man could endure the rigour of so strict an account If the mercy of God were not extended ouer all no man could euer be saued for aâ— their own merits could not create them so their own righteousnesse can not saue them for whosoeuer is saued must be saued by the mercy of God and not his owne merits Perhappes it was good for thee as to such as are proud that thou hast fallen to the end that thou that were caried by pride beyond thy selfe to which condition by sinne thou wert obnoxious by thy fall thou mightest be put in minde of thy selfe and being taught to know who thou art lay aside the pride of thine owne presumption And as for a little durt thou makest not cleane thy garment but thou staiest vntill it hath gathered more filth so thou art fallen into greater sinnes that thou maist clense thee of thy lesse For a great offence by how much the sooner it is known by so much the sooner it is amended but a small fault whilest it is thought to bee none at all is so much the woorse by how much the more securely it is kept in vse and at the last a minde accustomed to small sinnes feareth not to commit the greatest and by so much the more is he carelesse in great sinnes to feare by how much the more he hath learned in light by not fearing to sinne Wherefore deare brother distrust not faint not despair not thou art fallen but thou maiest rise againe thou hast offended God but by repentance thou maiest please him againe He gaue thee commandements that thou shuldest not sinne and yet hee hath giuen to thee sinning the remedy of repentance that thou mightest not despaire for how much soeuer thou sinnest God will pardon if thou do repent CHAP. II. That there is no sinne so great but by true repentance it may be pardoned BVT perhaps thou wilt say I haue offended God more than any man and my sinnes are more in number than the sands of the sea many of my sinnes are of that nature of which S. Matthew speaketh in his twelfth chapter If any man sinne against the Holy Ghost he shall not bee forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come My iniquity is greater than that it can be forgiuen Res My deare brother thou liest as Cain did Gen. 4. the pietie of God is greater than thy impietie his mercie greater than thy miserie and therefore doubt not but thou maiest obtein pardon for thy sinnes because the goodnesse of GOD ouercommeth the malice of man All the sinnes that haue beene committed from the beginning of the world vnto this day are finite both in qualitie and number but the mercy of God hath neither number nor measure and therefore it farre exceedeth the number and greatnesse of all our sinnes God can pardon more than man can sinne All sinnes if they be compared to the mercy of God are as a drop of warâ—â— to the whole sea and as a spiders webbe which when the winde bloweth vanisheth away Thou seest the greatnesse of thy disease but not the power of the Physitian and therfore thou despairest of pardon and comparest the mercy of God vnto thy sinnes To despaire is nothing else than to compare God to our sinnes If God being ouercome by the greatnesse of our sinnes can not forgiue thou detractest from his omnipotencie if he will not what hee can thou makest him a lier in that hee will not performe that which by the mouthes of so many his Prophets he hath so often promised vnto vs saying I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities Esa 43.25 and will remember them no more Put thou mee in remembrance I despaire more of thee because thou despairest and thou condemnest thy selfe more by despairing than by all the sinnes thou hast committed Thou vndoest thy selfe for euer if with the father of mercy thou haue not recourse to the remedies of repentance It is the death of the soule to commit any sin but to despaire of pardon is to descend into hell it selfe and therefore Iudas is sayd to offend God more in that he despaired of mercy and hanged himselfe than in that out of malice he betrayed him for despaire maketh a maâ— accursed and vnworthy the protection of God But lest thou shouldest gather from hence that God will not pardon thy despaire and thy greater
into the broad and spacious way that would haue led them to destruction afterwards to haue found the strait way that leadeth vnto life thou shouldest not despaire to finde the same as they did and when thou seest many vnrighteous men by the grace of God iustified and saued thou likewise shouldest not cast away the hope of thy saluation Aaron Exod. 28. Numb 15. Marie Aaron after his repentance for the molten Calfe was chosen by God to be high Priest Marie his sister after she was stricken with a leprosie because she murmured against Moses by repentance was cured and receiued her ancient gift of Prophesying Dauid Dauid who was a king and a prophet a man that God had found out according to his own heart and out of whose loynes the Messias was promised to come into how foule and grieuous sinnes did he fall Hee receiued by the mouth of the Prophet Nathan strange comminations of a grieuous reuenge and yet all that anger of GOD with two words hee turned into mercy I haue sinned saith hee against the Lord and presently the Prophet did not onely answer him The Lord hath remoued thy sinnes from thee but that spirit of prophecie which by sinne he had lost he recouered againe and for Dauid his seruants sake God turned away much euil from the children of Israel Achab. Achabs hart was hardned he many times contemned the Lord chiding him he added sinne vnto sinne 1. Kin. 21. and Naboth being slaine hee possessed his vineyard yet at the last being terrified by the threatnings of God and guilty of his owne sinne hee repented in sackecloth and ashes and so prouoked the Lord God vnto mercy And the word of the Lord came to Eliah saying Seest thou how Achab is humbled before mee because he submitteth himselfe before mee Manasseh I will not bring that euill in his daies Manasseh exceeded all that were before him in the impiety of his sinnes 2. Chro. 33. ouer threw the obseruation of the Law and the worship of God and yet after those bloody finnes hee was reduced to his kingdom and numbred amongst the sonnes of God Nabuchadnezzar Dan. 4. Nabuchadnezzar of all men the proudest acknowledging no Lord did arrogate to himselfe diuine honour and yet God being willing to reclaime him after he had beene seuen yeeres a madde man and liued like a beast hee brought him to himselfe againe and restored him to his kingdome who being thus restored and hauing thus made triall of the mercy of God hee praised and glorified his holy name But to omit innumerable examples in the old Testament The prodigal child Luke 15. The prodigall childe who had consumed his substance with harlots being returned to his father by repentance receiued not onely a kisse from him but had the fat calfe killed and receiued his former grace and fauour Zacheus Luke 19. Zacheus a Publican yea the chiefe amongst them made restâ—tution foure fold of all he had taken from other men and receiued Christ into his house Mathew Mathew of a Publican became an Apostle and an Euangelist Marie Magdalen Mary Magdelen consumed the vnlawful loue of the flesh that was in her with the firie zeale of the loue of God and so much fauour she found with God that she was a messenger to the Apostles themselues of the resurrection of our Sauiour Peter Peter an Apostle and pillar of the Church 〈◊〉 Christ but he went forth and wept bitterly and so was receiued vnto mercy Paul Paul of a persecutor of the Church of God became a Doctor and an Apostle of the Gentiles Dismas the theefe Luke 23. But that which giueth vs greatest hope of remission is the theefe vpon the crosse who euen by his own iudgement had deserued death whose offence was certaine and therefore had deserued both temporall and eternall damnation who now was condemned to a temporall death and was neere an eternall and yet at the verie instant of death acknowledging Christ he only said Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome and presently it was answered This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise To a theefe hee promised a kingdome to one crucified heauen and to one condemned paradise The grace of God promising was more abundant than the praier of the theefe intreating for he promised more than the theefe asked Hee that came such vnto the crosse by sinne see what hee departed from the crosse by grace From the prison he ascended to the crosse and from the crosse into paradise from the punishment of his offence hee mounted to the reward of his vertue But to what end doe I produce so many examples so many testimonies of the mercy of God There is not a leafe in the booke of God wherein the mercie of the Lord doth not shine yea the whole earth is replenished therwith Thou that hearest how many there haue beene cured of their sinnes what receiuest thou else but an earnest penny of the mercie of God Therefore hath the omnipotent God permitted his elect in some fiâ—â— to fall that as they haue risen againe so they that haue fallen in the like should likewise hope to arise and whom they followed sinning they should likewise follow repenting What other thing in all these canst thou see but the vnspeakable mercie of our Redeemer who hath set those before thine eies as examples of true conuersion whom after their fall by repentance he made to liue But if yet thou heare mee not and beleeuest not that a sinner can bee saued heare God rather than my selfe beleeue him not me he is the trueth it selfe hee cannot be deceiued hee cannot deceiue I will not saith he the death of a sinner but that hee conuert and liue God will not the death of a sinner who would die for his sinnes his will is that his death be fruitfull and by it his redemption plentifull Yea the verie name of Iesus that is our Sauiour what else doth it promise to a sinner than mercie and saluation He came into the world to faue sinners and to free them from that damnation wherewith they were held Mat. 9. The whole need not the Physician but they that are sicke and therefore hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Mat. 15. He was sent vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel It is not the will of the sheapheard that one of his sheepe should perish who hauing a hundred sheepe if he lose one of them leaueth ninetie nine in the wildernesse and seeketh him that he hath lost vntill hee haue found him Euen so it is the will of our Father and our Creatour that not one of his children perish and if he perish it is by his owne will not the will of God for the mercy of God is common to all granted to euerie one that asketh and he offereth himselfe to euery one that seeketh him No man wants his
made the first and farre excelled those who being sooner were more slow in their proceedings And therefore feare not but that it is likewise as possible for thee to outrun the first and to be before them in the kingdome of heauen Though thou forsake not thy sinnes till thy sinnes be ready to forsake thee yet if thou then repent despaire not of mercie for though thy conuersion be short and momentarie yet it shall not be vnprofitable But as hee that giueth a cup of cold water loseth not his reward Matt. 10. so notwithstanding thy repentance be no way answerable to the waight of thy sinnes yet that moment of repentance be it neuer so small shal not want reward No man can make any satisfaction vnto God answerable either to his greatnesse or to those sinnes hee hath committed against him Sin deserues a greater sorow and contrition of heart than to bee lamented euen of those that truly repent for an infinite offence against God requireth an infinite reconciliation but yet forasmuch as the finite capacity of mans wit is not capable of that which is infinite therefore our righteousnesse not sufficing the passion of Christ supplieth it which abundantly satisfieth for the sins of the whole world God for our sinnes requireth no other price than the precious blood of his onely begotten sonne for there is no sinne so deadly but by his death is forgotten forgiuen 1. Ioh. 2. Christ himselfe is the propitiation for our sinnes and not onely for ours but for the sinnes of the whole world for as if some poore and wretched creature being afflicted with a grieuous disease should be aduised by his Physitian to take such physicke for his recouerie as were beyond his abilitie to reach vnto and he shall answer the Physitian that he is not able by reason of his pouertie to buy it whereupon the Physitian out of the goodnesse of his nature shall replie saying Doe thou what thou canst and I will supply the rest euen so our mercifull GOD who much desireth the saluation of thy soule requireth of thee nothing but what thou mayest doe and yet mayest not doe neither without his gracious assistance the rest out of his goodnesse he supplieth and being easily pleased and contented with a little at thy hands hee pardoneth both the sinne and the punishment of thy sinnes He giues that that thou shalt giue vnto him and is pleased with that which hee giueth thee for his vnspeakable mercy towards vs hee onely requireth this at our hands To do that which by his assistance lieth in vs to performe There is a man of high and eminent honour whom though according to his worth thou canst not honor thogh thou spend al that thou hast yet thou offendest not if thou honour him according to thine owne abilitie if thou doe what thou canst not what hee deserueth So our Lord God because he is infinitely good deserues an infinite loue and reconciliation but yet hee willingly receiueth the least that we can doe because he knoweth our inabilitie and therefore refuseth not the least repentance that may be that proceedeth out of an humble and contrite heart For if hee should not haue respect of our weaknesse wee could neuer satisfie him for the least of our sinnes But hee as the Psalmist speaketh is mercifull and forgiueth sinners Ps 78.38 and destroieth them not but often times calleth backe his anger and doeth not stirre vp all his wrath for hee remembreth that they are but flesh But where mercie is there iudgement is not rigorous where mercy is graunted there punishment is pardoned Wherefore deaâ—â— brother though thou be at the point of death lose not thy hope of saluation so long as thou seest this light thou hast time to repent and afterwards too but when thou art departed this life and art condemned by the irreuocable sentence of God it will be too late to repent It is true that thou wilt repent in hell but there it will not helpe for in hell there is no redemption CHAP. VII Of the ioyes of Heauen BVt because hope which is contrarie to despaire is a certaine expectation of future blessednesse proceeding from the grace and mercy of God and this vertue my deare brother thou wantest without which thou canst not be saued it remaineth that I confirme this hope in thee and stirre vp thy minde to the desire of the ioies of heauen that if thou turne not vnto God for feare of punishment yet at the least thou doe it in an assured expectation of so great a reward Our good and gratious God out of his onely goodnesse not constrained by necessitie would that others should bee partakers of that blessednesse wherewith he is eternally blessed in himselfe which he saw might likewise be communicated to others and yet in nothing diâ—â—â— shed Hee created thereforâ— in the beginning of the world that tenth heauen â—â—moueable and of exceeding brightnesse and glory which so soone as hee had created he replenished with Angels And as the beautie of an house is a solace and delight to the inhabitants so the glorie and riches of heauen encrease much the ioy of the blessed If the glory and ornament of the earth and firmament be such that of Paradise can not but bee farre more great for because God created it for his friends he gaue it a greater beautie than to other things There is a continual light and splendor not such as is heere but so much greater than this as the light of the Sun exceedeth that of a candle There is not the Sunne to shine by day but the Sunne of righteousnesse who shineth for euer full of all sweetnes a sweet light delightfull to our eies to see the Sonne of righteousnes both God and man the Creatour of mankind Of this blessed estate of the Saints of God in heauen I had rather not speake than derogate from the vnspeakable excellencie thereof by speaking too little The eye hath not seene the care hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for those that loue him What can a man say more to commend that which hee knoweth not how to commend sufficiently Yet giue mee leaue by the shadow to iudge of the substance and by that happinesse wee enioy vpon earth to ghesse at that wee shall enioy in heauen Because such as are condemned haue need of a strait prison Bar. 3.24 and kings of a large palace therefore great is the house of God and large is the place of his possession It is great and hath none end it is high and vnmeasurable The kingdome of God exceedeth all report all praise For there is all good and no euill there nothing that is beloued is wanting and whatsoeuer can be desired is present I can more easily expresse what is not there than what there is There is no death no disease no wearinesse no mourning there is no hunger no want no aduersitie no
know not the end of thy life who canst not comprehend the beginning thereof Thou knowest not with what beginning thou enterest Man is a bubble because that like a bubble the life of man vanisheth in a moment and thou art as ignorant with what end thou â—halt depart out of this life And therefore it is rashnesse â—o promise vnto thy selfe maâ—y yeeres a long life when â—hou hast not manie dayes nay not an houre in thy own power And therefore why doest thou think to liue long when thou canst not be secured of a day of an houre Nay why art thou greedy of life and a wicked life too as if thou wert immortall The dayly death of many Euery day thou seest such as are yoong and lustie and sound of body suddenly to be arrested with an vnexpected death euen in the middest of their delights insomuch that of those infinite numbers that euery day come into the world almost three parts die before they come to the age of fiftie yeeres The good are called of the Lord that they may no more bee oppressed by the wicked The wicked are taken away that they may no longer persecute the godly Tell mee where are all those wordlings which not long since haue liued with thee Iob 21. They haue spent their dayes in wealth and suddenly they are gone downe to their graue and nothing remaineth of them but dust and ashes and an intollerable stench O how much care did they take to prouide for this present life How long a race did they promise vnto themselues but suddenly and vnlooked for death hath ouertaken them whereas if they had alwaies looked for it death could neuer haue hurt them And cannot that feuer that death that came so suddenly vpon them as suddenly oppresse thee and thy procrastinations draw vpon thee as sudden a damnation The bird that sits singing vpon a bough A similitude of a bird vpon a bough thinks he hath libertie to flie whither he will but before he can stretch out his wings an arrow strikes him to the heart and downe he falles So thou promisest vnto thy selfe a long life many and happie dayes and thou hast a purpose to worke woonders in the world and yet thou knowest not whether thou shalt liue till night till thou canst stirre thy foot from the place where thou standest To morrow vncertaine and though thou know what thou art to day yet how knowest thou what thou maiest be to morrow If thou be not prepared to die to day how wilt thou be ready to morrow Qui non est hodiè cras minus aptus erit He that is not fit to day will bee lesse fit to morrow It may be God hath appointed this day to be the end of thy life and it can not possiblie be auoided which if it bee so why art thou secure why doest thou not set thy house in order 2. Kin. 10. for thou shalt die and not liue Doest thou not see the inutilitie of thy life past the little comfort that there is in thy earthly blessings The losse of time the preciousnes of thy time misspent and lost the wickednesse of thy sins committed and to conclude all thy age thy yeeres thy monethes thy dayes nay thy moments past and spent in sinne and iniquitie If therefore thou put off thy conuersion to the last houre ten to one thy last houre wil be thy worst houre and thy procrastination hasteneth thy condemnation for thou must appeare before the tribunall seat of God in the presence of a seuereiudge whom thou hast many a time offended and crucified with the wicked Iewes by iterating those sinnes that brought him to the crosse There is no auoidance but thou must stand to the fearefull iudgement of God and that perhaps euen this verie day where and when thou shalt giue an account of all thou hast done What wilt thou say what canst thou doe when thou shalt appeare emptie void of all goodnes before so great a Iudge O how fearfull shall hee be at this houre whose presence is incomprehensible whose power infallible whose iustice inflexible whose anger implacable Consider with thy selfe how fearefull a thing it would be vnto thee if one should tell thee and assure thee of it that some great and cruell Iudge were resolued to burne thee aliue for some great offence thou hast committed doubtlesse vpon the hearing thereof if there were but one daies respit left vnto thee thou wouldest leaue nothing vnattempted to auoid so heauie a sentence such as were friends vnto the Iudge thou wouldest endeuour to make thy friends that by their intercession thou mightest haue hope to escape thou wouldest leaue no stone vnturned no way vntried to free thy selfe from so cruell a doome yea so thou mightestwin thy life thou wouldest willingly lose all that thou hast And aboue all things thou wouldest not faile to call to minde and to consider with thy selfe what might be obiected against thee and what thou couldest answer thereunto that thou maiest not appeare gultie before thy Iudge And why wouldest thou doe all this The preposterous seare of the iudgement of God of man Is it because there thou art free from all doubt assured thou must die if thou acquit not thy selfe the better but of the iudgement of God thou art euer in doubt O wretched man and of a preposterous beliefe doest thou beleeue man rather than God who is the Creatour of man Doth God threaten an euerlasting torment and doest thou neglect it thy earthly Iudge a temporall and doest thou feare and tremble at it For who or what is he Euen he that after he hath beene a man must be a worme and hauing been a worme must bee turned into stench and rottennesse Since then thou must appeare not before a man a worme rottennesse it selfe but before thy Creator and the sentence thou art to heare is the eternall damnation of thine owne soule how canst thou be secure How canst thou still giue thy selfe to thy delights and pleasures and not feare the immutable sentence of so seuere a Iudge If thou be ashamed and confounded at the iudgement of a man of dust and ashes what wilt thou do when thou shalt stand to the iudgement of thy Maker Creator The sentence of God irreuocable The sentence of a humane Iudge may be reuoked but this is irreuocable Thou shalt giue an account to this seuere Iudge of all thy yeeres euen in the bitternesse of thy own soule and for thy many and great offences committed against him hee shall deliuer thee to the diuell and his angels to bee tormented in hell fire Who shall then take thee from that place shall free thee from those that descend into the pit For in hell there is no redemption But perhaps thou wilt fay that God is louing and mercifull Ezâ—ch 33. and by his Prophets hath promised that at what time soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his
sinnes from the bottome of his heart The mercy of God towards sinners hee will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance Res This deare Brother I confesse to be true yea that he is more gentle and mercifull than can bee imagined or beleeued and that hee pardoneth whomsoeuer in time returnes vnto him but yet he that hath made this promise to him that repenteth hath not promised to morrow to him that puts off his repentance till to morrow and persists in his sinnes Did he not expresse his mercy and louing kindnesse sufficiently vnto thee in that with such patience so long a time hee hath tolerated so many iniuries done vnto him by thee and giuen thee time to repent Doubtlesse great is the mercy of God towards thee in this his long stay and attendance for thy repentance For hee staid not at all for the Angels when they should repent but in a moment in the twinkling of an eie hee cast them downe into Hell he staid not for Adam when hee sinned but instantly hee thrust him out of Paradise But thee hee hath tolerated and attended many yeeres God is slow to reuenge he hath dissembled forborne deferred to punish thee being alwaies ready to forgiue Esay 14. but yet this thou must know that as he is gentle in forbearing so he is iust in punishing and whom hee attendeth to conuert not conuerted with a heauy iudgement hee condemneth For God doth so much the more sharply and seuerely punish by how much longer he forbeareth a sinner and his sentence is so much the more heauy by how much greater his patience hath been in forbearing and for the most part by the iust iudgement of God it falleth out that he dying forgets himselfe who liuing forgot God how miserable then is the state of that man who presenting himselfe before so seuere a Iudge hath not so much time as to bewaile those sinnes hee hath committed It is therefore deare Brother a dangerous thing to make thy houre of death thy houre of repentance and to thinke that thou maist not die in thy sinne though thou cease not from thy sinne but still continuest in that estate wherein if death should suddenly assaile thee as many times it falleth out thy soule were vtterly lost and for that moment of time wherin thou art to liue thou leauest thy soule to the danger of eternall damnation which should be dearer vnto thee than the whole World CHAP. II. How dangerous a thing it is to deferre our conuersion to the houre of death BVt be it deare Brother that thou bee mindefull both of God and of thy selfe at the houre of thy death A hard thing truly to conuert at the boure of death and that God doe then giue thee sometime of repentance yet it is to bee feared that thou canst hardly in so short a time so momentary a contrition sufficiently bewaile all the sinnes of thy long life It will hardly bee brought to passe that thou that in the whole course of thy life hast beene accustomed to sinne shouldest vpon the sudden at an instant be made perfect that thou shouldest so speedily quit thy selfe of the snares of the Diuel wherwith in thy whole life forespent thou hast intangled thy selfe that thou shouldest then at the last fall from the Diuell and begin to fight vnder Christ his banner when the war is at an end Doest thou thinke that that tree that neuer was green neuer did flourish or yeeld any fruit can then begin to grow yeeld any when hee is cut downe and cast into the fire Neither can that man that in his whole life time neuer did any good then yeeld fruits worthy repentance when the axe is laid to the root to cut him off from the land of the liuing and to cast him into that fire that shall neuer bee quenched But how dangerous a thing it is and how neere to vtter destruction to put off our repentance to the houre of death S. Augustine telleth vs. August de poenitentia distinct 7. If any man in the extremity of his sicknesse shall repent him of his sins and be reconciled vnto God and so depart out of this life I confesse vnto you we cannot deny that he requireth but yet wee cannot presume that hee departeth the childe of God whether he depart secure out of this life I know not repentance wee may impose security wee cannot giue Shall I say he is damned No and yet I will not say hee is saued Wilt thou therefore bee freed from this doubt auoid this vncertainty Repent whilest thou art in health which if thou doe I dare boldly affirme thou maist be secure because thou repentest at that time when thou couldest haue sinned But if thou wilt repent when thou canst not sin thy sinnes haue forsaken thee not thou them Thus far S. Augustine Deferre not therefore thy repentance vntill thou cannot sin Seneca Plerique metu peccare cessant non innocentia profecto tales timidi non innocentes dicendi sunt for though it bee the will of God to pardon thy sinnes yet hee requireth a willingnesse in thy selfe not a necessity loue and charity not only feare They that at their end compeld by necessity turne vnto God seeme not to repent for loue of God but for feare of hell Then they 〈◊〉 vnto God when in the â—orld which all their life â—me they haue serued they â—n no longer continue â—heras if they might longer â—â—ide therein they would â—ot yet forsake those delights which they are neuer content â—o leaue till they can keepe â—hem no longer They leaue â—ot their sinnes but their sins â—caue them who are not led by their owne wils but necessity In the whole volume of the booke of God there is only one Luke 11. and that was the good theefe that truly repented at the houre of his death Ille vt nullus desperet solus vt nullus praesâ—emat He is left vnto vs for an example that no man should despaire he only that no man should presume Who thogh hee were by this last confession of his acknowledgement of Christ vpon the Crosse after a sort baptized and in that innocent state so departed yet such as are already baptized haue no warrant from thence to sin and to persist in their sinnes For they that would neuer bee conuerted when they might being conuerted when they could not sinne doe not so easilie attaine that they would For a sicke man hath many lets and hinderances that withdraw him from repentance Impediments to repentance First the presence of his carnal friends whom perhaps hee hath loued vnlawfully and beyond measure â—he remembrance of his pasâ—â—d pleasures and temporall â—essings which hee leaueth â—t without much griefe of â—eart an vnspeakable sorrow 〈◊〉 the separation of the soule â—om the burthen of the boâ—y insomuch that a man â—an hardly think of any thing â—lse but that griefe wherewith hee is tormented in his
â—ody For thither is the whole intention of the minde carried where the griefe is What astonishment of heart â—s there at that houre What â—emembrance of all fore-passed sinnes What forgetfulnesse of pleasures past What â—orror and fearefull consideration of the Iudge Doubtlesse the griefe of the disease and the feare of the iudgements of God doe hinder the true vse of our sense and vnderstanding insomuch that at that houre there can hardly bee any true contrition of heart Then is the Diuell most diligent to tempt vs The assaults of the Diuell are most violent at the houre of death and to lay his snares to intrap vs when hee perceiueth our end to be at hand and when he seeth it standeth him vpon to win or lose that soule which so many yeeres by so many sleights so many suggestions he hath endeuoured to make sure vnto him then especially he tempteth him touching the verity of his beleefe and perswadeth him to infidelity setteth before the eies of his minde the greatnesse of his sinnes the seuerity of the Iudge the inequality of all the good he hath done in his whole life to that eternall blessednes which God hath prepared for those that are his children Thus and by these meanes hee assaieth to driue a miserable sinner into despaire and whom in his â—ife time he deceiued by flatâ—eries at his death hee tyranâ—iseth ouer him The feare of a iust man at the houre of death And this is â—he cause why many godly â—nd zealous men who in the whole course of their life â—aue serued God doe neuerâ—helesse feare this last houre â—f death lest that then they â—hould yeeld to those violent â—mptations of the Diuell or opeare emptie before so â—eat a Iudge And yet doest thou thinke at that houre to be conuerted when the iustest men that are feare to be peruerted Wilt thou aduenture the state of thy saluation to that time wherin thou art subiect to greatest danger And thinkest thou to perfect that great and difficult worke of thy conuersion which in the best strength of thy body and in the whole race of thy life thou couldest hardly performe in a moment of time when thou art compassed with so many griefes so many dangers The departure of a sinfull soule out of his body not one but innumerable legions of Diuels doe attend to require their hire for their seruice presenting before his eies those sinâ— they haue tempted him vnto so carry him with them into vtter darknesse Ioh. 14. Yea they faile not to attempt the souls of Gods children when they depart out of their bodies alleging vnto them that this and this they haue done for them and that they haue returned this and this seruice vnto them If the Prince of this world the Diuell sought after something of his euen in Christ himselfe dying according to the flesh though nothing hee could finde confider how carefull and cruell â—e will be to require his own of thee at thy houre of death â—t is apparent and thou canst â—ot deny but that hee may â—inde much of his in thy selfe â—nd miserable and wretched man that thou art what wilt thou then do when he shal arrest thee for that that is his own what wilt thou answer Doest thou thinke that the Angels of God will be ready at hand to rescue thee and to deliuer thee out of his hold Forasmuch therefore deare Brother as it cannot but plainly appeare vnto thee that death lies in wait for thee in all places and at all times and that it followeth thee as thy shadow doth thy body if thou be wise doe thou likewise expect it in all places and at all times being euery day euery houre ready as iâ— euery day euery houre were the houre of thy death Thou knowest not in what place at what houre it will encounter thee and therefore expect it in all places and at all times If it hasten to come vnto thee doe thou make as good speed to be ready for it to liue well and like a good debtor bee euer prepared to pay Nature hir due whensoeuer it shall bee demanded So husband and order euerie day as if it were the last day of thy life when thou risest in the morning thinke not thou shalt liue till night and when thou goest to thy bed thinke thou goest to thy graue and that thou shalt neuer see the morning light From this time forward so liue that at the houre of death thou maist rather reioice than feare and that thou maist die well learne to liue well that thou maist flie from the vengeance to come yeeld fruits worthie repentance before it come That feare that vseth to be in a man dying let it be alwaies in thee liuing So shalt thouvanquish death when it comes if before it come thou alwaies feare it CHAP. III. That our last day is hidden from vs to the end that all the daies of our life should bee as our last BVT perhaps thou wilt say that I tell thee that death attends thee and euerie houre of thy life hangs ouer thy head like a sword hanging by a haire point pendant that I perswade thee to bee as readie to fall vpon thee that thou hast obeied my counsell and oftentimes prepared thy selfe to entertaine it whensoeuer it come but it hath as often deceiued thee and neuer came and therefore I do thee wrong to perswade thee by an euerlasting cogitation of death to liue a dying life and to let slip the pleasures and delights of this world Resp O my good brother suspend thy iudgement a while for I dare make good vnto thee that by this continuall cogitation of death thou losest not the delights of this World Prouer. 15 For a good conscience is a continuall feast and thou shalt receiue greater coÌ„fort by seruing the God of all comfort consolation than this wretched world replenished with miseries yea there is no torment greater than a wicked conscience for where God is not there can no comfort be found No tormeÌ„t to a wicked conscience O that thou haddest but tasted euen with the tip of thy toong the vnspeakable sweetnesse of a spirituall delight thou wouldest contemne all the fading pleasures of this life Cantic 1. and runne after the sweet odours of those heauenly comforts Thou seest the crosses and afflictions of spirituall men their wounds but not their ointments thou seest them outwardly cast downe like abiects but inwardly thou discernest not their happinesse Outward torments of spirituall men inward ioies for their spirituall ioy is as insensible as it is vnspeakable and can neuer be in any man that admitteth any other Be not therefore so peremptorie in thy censures and thinke not that the feare of death and the seruice of God doe robbe thee of the ioies of this life But be it as thou saiest we will yeeld so much vnto thy obstinacie A continuall preparation for death is good Why doest
thou complaine and afflict thy selfe that thou hast many times liued well and beene prouided for death when death came not That the remembrance of thy end hath taken often times from thee those pleasures and delights that in themselues are to a man wicked and deceitfull O how happy wert thou and again and again blest of God if in this maner thou diddest alwaies expect death if thou wert euery day such a one as thou wishest to bee at the point of death if from thy youth thou barest the yoke of the Lord if thou didst alwaies watch and stand vpon thy guard because thou knowest not at what houre the Lord will come for blessed wert thou if when hee commeth hee shall finde thee waking God would that the houre of our death should bee hidden from vs The day of death vucertain to the end that wee being vncertaine when wee shall die should bee alwaies found ready for death that whilest the last day is vnknowen wee should obserue all as if all were the last If thou were set at a Table where there are many dishes set before thee to eat among which thou art told that one hath poison in it wouldest thou not abstaine from them all lest thou shouldest happen to light vpon that that is poisoned There is one day of death a dangerous day vnto thy soule which because thou knowest not is it not wisedome in thee to suspect euery day For if thou knewest at what houre thou shouldest depart out of this world thou wouldest diuide thy times some to pleasure some to praier some to repentance and knowing how long thou hast to liue thou woldst likewise know when to abstaine from thy delights and pleasures But forasmuch as a present life is alwaies vncertaine by so much the more whilest it stealingly comes vpon vs it is to bee feared by how much the lesse it may bee foreseene and therfore of all other times the houre of death is most to be feared because it can neuer bee foreseene Matth. 24.43 and woorse auoided If the goodman of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to bee digged thorow Therefore be ye also ready for ye know not the houre when the Son of man will come whether in the euening or at midnight at the crowing of the cocke or in the morning lest when he commeth suddenly vpon you hee shall finde you fleeping When hee gaue that commandement to his Disciples saying Watch and pray Luke 12.36 â—ee afterwards added That which I say vnto you I say vnto all Watch. Watch therfore my deare Brother like vnto that man that waiteth for his master when hee will returne from the wedding that when hee commeth and knocketh he may open vnto him immediately Which thou canst not better do than to be prepared at all houres as if euery houre were the houre of thy death If any greeuous sicknesse happen vnto thee A sicke man desires that time of repentance which a sound neglecteth that hath in it any apparent tokens of death thou presently crauest a truce for a time and desirest to liue that thou maist bewaile thy sinnes and thy time mispent and thou promisest repentance and amendment of life which thou hast no sooner obtained but as soone thou forgettest and with the dog thou returnest to thy vomit againe The time of repentance is granted thee and God expecteth a time to pardon thee and yet thou doest not onely not bewaile thy sinnes past but thou takest a greater ioy and comfort in those that are past in those that are to come Esay 30. If thou borrow a thing of another man thou takest a care to vse it whilest thou hast it because thou knowest it shall shortly be taken from thee and yet this corruptible body of â—hine which God hath lent â—hee for the vse of thy soule and for the saluation thereof is not thine but shall shortâ—y be taken from thee thou dâ—est not only not vse to the health of thy soule but thou euery day abusest to the vtter ruine and damnation therof and by how much thy life is longer by so much thy sinnes are greater yea they increase not with the daies but the houres and moments of thy life Yesterday thou mightest haue died Pro lucro tibi pone diem quicâ—nque 〈◊〉 and yet thou art nor dead Inasmuch therfore as thou art aliue to day account it amongst thy gaines Why our daies are prolonged for therfore doth the Lord prolong thy daies of grace that thou maist repent and attaine the greater glory For as the very sleep of the Saints of God is not without goodnesse so thou shouldest not let passe a moment of time without the practise and performance of some good Rich men and such as are able to keepe and maintaine a great family vse neuerthelesse to belong to those that are richer and mightier than themselues in whose seruice they depriue themselues of many benefits and freedomes of nature in hope and expectation only which many times deceiueth them of bettering their fortunes and ioining house vnto house and land â—nto land If then such as aâ—ound in â—â—hes are content with the losse of liberty and so much labour to increase â—heir riches which then increase most when the least commodities are not neglected how much doth it stand â—hee vpon that art the seruant of Christ Iesus to heape vp vnto thy selfe those spiritual riches that must saue thy soule Though thou haue liued well and art rich in good workes yet when thou art dying thou couldest be content thou haddest liued better and for one good worke thou hast done thou wishest thou hadst done a thousand why then doe that now whilest thou liuest that thou wouldest be glad thou hadst done when thou art dying One starre differeth from an other starre in glory 1. Cor. 15.41 there are many mansions in the kingdom of heauen by how much the more good then thou doest vpon earth by so much the greater glory shalt thou haue in heauen As no sinne escapeth vnpunished so no good that thou doest vnrewarded Matth. 10.30 All thy daies are no lesse numbred than the haires of thy head and as a haire of thy head shall not perish so not a moment of time God rewardeth great labours with great bounties which though in appearance they seeme to be small yet in effect and operation they are vnspeakable Thy labours are but short the crowne eternall set that which thou here sufferest Repentance crucifieth Righteousnesse pacifieth Life eternall glorifieth to that that thou there hopest to obtaine The afflictions of this life are not worthie the sinne passed that for them is remitted the present comfort that for them is giuen the future glorie that for them is promised Thou labourest heere for a time that thou maiest not labour for euer with the damned thy labour is momeÌ„tary thy ioy eternall
way If aâ—â— man will follow mee saiâ— Christ let him denie himseâ— let him put off the old maâ— and put on the new let hiâ— begin to be that he was not and cease to bee that which before by sinne hee was let him take vp and alwaies beare his owne crosse and therewith crucifie his owne flesh with the concupiscence thereof let him bee crucified vnto the World and the World vnto him liue vnto mee die vnto the World So at the last let him follow mee crucified and for the loue of me be content to beare what 〈◊〉 haue borne for the loue of him For hee that by the deâ—ights and pleasures of this world wil saue his soule shall for euer lose it But he that in â—his life for my sake shall lose his soule by refusing the carâ—all pleasures of this life and â—f need be by suffering death for my sake shall find it again in heauen and eternall happines This my deare brother is a strait way and a narrow gate which leadeth vnto life and few they are that finde it and therfore thou must not so much consider how crooked and thorny it is as whither it leadeth nor how narrow it is as where it endeth for by how much the more strait and troublesome it is by so much the more large and pleasant thou shalt finde it in the progresse of thy iourney for it shall not onely by custome but by the labour and passion of thy Sauior be made easie It is a broad way to the hope of the faithfull a strait way to the vanity of vnbeleeuers and in that thou thinkest it laborious and painfull it is no excuse of thine infirmity but an accusation of thy sloth backwardnesse By many trdâ—ulations wee must enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. But yeeld that it bee painfull must wee not thorâ—w many tribulations enter into the kingdome of God And yet thou by the broad and spacious way of pleasure which leadeth vnto death hopest to obtaine life Thou canst not heere sport it with the world and there raigne with Christ enioy future and present blessings passe froÌ„ the delights of this world to the ioies of heauen They that haue their coÌ„fort in this world are vnworthy diuine consolation but they that for the name of Christ Iesus endure affliction feele in themselues the vnspeakable comforts of God for they that partake with Christ in his passions are likewise made partakers of his comforts No man can be happie in both worlds but he that wil haue the one must want the other otherwise the rewards of chastity and luxurie gluttonie and temperance humility and pride were not diuers That fat and purple rich man in the Gospell had his pleasure in this life Lazarus pain but after their death their portions were not alike the pleasure of the one is turned into misery the miserie of the other into pleasure eternall happines Bodily pleasure nothing to a dying soule But suppose thou wouldest gaine the whole world and glut thy selfe with all maner of delights and pleapleasures what are all these vnto thee at the houre of thy death If thou being in extremitie of sicknesse shalt see thy seruants fare deliciously what gainest thou by their dainty fare Wilt thou say that thou art the better or gainest the more because thou art their Lord and Master No doubtles Apply this then vnto thy own soul If thy body florish and grow fat thy soule growing leane this plenty of external things what belongs it vnto thee For as the pleasure of a seruant doth no way benefit the miserie of a master nor costly apparell a weake body So whilest thou gluttest and pamperest thy bodie with pleasure and abundance of all things and sufferest thy soule to starue whereby it is subiect to eternall damnation how doe the pleasures of the body pleasure thee what canst thou giue for recompence of thy soule Math. 16.26 Hast thou any other which thou canst giue for it If thou wert the Lord and King of the whole world and wouldest offer it for a ransome for thy soule thou couldest not therewith redeeme it from eternal damnation What benefit then is it vnto thee though thou win the whole world and lose thy owne soule Or what good is it vnto thee for a few daies to rule and raigne vpon the earth and thereby to lose the kingdome of heauen Christ hath shed his most precious blood for thy soule Nothing more precious than the soule which hee would not doe for the whole world besides and and therfore thinke the price of thy soule to be very great since it could not bee redeemed but by the blood of Christ Iesus And wilt thou then lose this thy soule and damne it too buie a moment of pleasure with euerlasting torments What comparison can there bee betwixt that which is finite and that which is infinite betwixt breuitie and eternitie Wherfore deare brother it shall be good for thee to indure some paine in this life by repentance if that which bringeth a spirituall ioy may bee called a paine lest thou feele eternall paine in the life to come by reuenge By sorrow thou shalt come to ioy for Truth it selfe hath spoken it Matth. 5. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall bee comforted and by ioy and pleasure thou shalt come to sorrow the same Truth affirming it Luk. 6.25 Woe bee vnto you that laugh for yee shall waile and weepe He that sorroweth not when he is a stranger shall not laugh being a Citizen because the desire of his countrey is not in him and therefore whilest thy body is detained in this world send thy heart before into heauen But it is one thing to goe before or to go foorth in body another in heart hee goeth foorth in body that by the motion of his body changeth his place he goeth foorth in heart that changeth the affections of the heart Wherefore my deare brother for these causes The conclusion of these former Chapters manie more that might heere be spoken of thou maiest plainly see how fraile and vnconstant the condition of this life is insomuch that thou canst not secure thy selfe of a moment of time Which since so it is it cannot but be dangerous for thee to liue in that state wherin thou wouldest not willingly depart out of this life especially considering that the time of thy departure may happen at this verie houre or the next nay euery moment of thy life Whilest thou art sound healthfull thy repentance is sound when thou art weak and sickly that is weake too when thou art dead that is dead too The time of life is short which though thou passe well and blessedly yea suffer much affliction for thy Sauiour Christ Iesus yet at the houre of thy death thou wilt wish thou hadst suffered much more Eccles 12. Remember therfore thy Creator in the daies of thy youth and be not slow
thy selfe that art aboue all price Christ once died for our sinnes the iust for the vniust and doest thou thinke the heaping together of riches to bee more precious than the redemption of thy soule by the blood of Christ For when thou takest another mans goods thou art taken by the Diuell and as long as thou detainest them thou art detained by the Diuell Thou possessest gold and losest heauen thou detainest another mans goods vniustlie and iustlie losest thy heauenlie inheritance The gaine is vniust the losse iust the gaine in thy chest the losse in thy conscience and therefore if thou be wise let that worldly gaine perish that bringeth with it the losse of thy soule What good is it vnto thee if thou gaine the whole world and lose thy owne soule if thou get vnto thy selfe whatsoeuer is without thee and damnest thy inward essentiall part euen that that thou art Woe to thee that spoilest Esay 33.1 when thou shait cease to spoile shalt thou not bee spoiled Those riches that thou hast deuoured When wee die wee leaue all behind vs. thou shalt vomit vp and God will draw them out of thy belly When thou shalt sleepe in death thou shalt carie nothing with thee thou shalt open thine eies and finde nothing Naked thou camest into the world and naked thou goest out thy riches were neither born with thee neither must they depart with thee for as when thou fittest downe at a rich mans table there are set before thee vessels of gold and siluer the vse whereof thou only hast which if out of simplicity thou thinkest to bee thy owne and wilt take them away with thee thou shalt not bee permitted so to doe but rather as a theefe bee apprehended and cast into prison Euen so thou broughttest nothing into the world neither shalt thou carrie any thing out for poore thou camest into the world and poore thou shalt depart At thy death all that thou hast shall bee diuided into three parts Thy body which thou hast so carefully pampered shall be giuen to the wormes Thy soule which thou hast so carelesly neglected shall goe to the Diuell Thy temporall goods which by deceit and villanie thou hast scraped together shall be left vnto thy heires either prodigall or vnthankful who shall make themselues merrie with the fruit of thy labours thy vnrighteousnes whilest thou for them art tormēted in hell Heere they shall enioy thy gooods whilest thou in hell art depriued of all ioy and euerlastinglie tortured for getting those goods heere they shall laugh whilest thou in hell doest weepe Thine heires too if God bee not the more mercifull when they haue heere runne their race shall bee companions in thy torments which companie of theirs shall bee no comfort vnto thee but because thy goods ill gotten were a helpe to their damnation thy damnation shall still be increased If therefore thou pity not thy selfe yet pitie thy children and thy childrens children to the third and fourth generation ouer whose head there must euer hang a iudgement so long as thy euill gotten goods which like a cankar fret and consume the rest of their substance stickes by them And by their wils it is likelie they shall euer sticke by them for how should they after so manie yeeres past make restitutiō of that which is lawfully descended vpon them though vnlawfully gotten by thy selfe Yea it is likely that a long successiue inheritance will so knit their affections thereunto that if they knew the restitution of them would free thee from thy torments they would not doe it And no maruell neither if others loue their owne riches more than another mans soule since thou louest them more than thy owne soule How many like vnto thy selfe haue endeuored to bee rich in this world and haue no sooner gotten them but are inforced as soone to leaue them From whom sudden death hath suddenly and together taken away what soeuer their wickednesse hath neither suddenly nor together gotten to themselues They haue left their riches ill gotten found punishment neuer sought for Their bodies in the graue are deuoured with wormes their souls in hell tormented by diuels And euen so thou deteinest with thy selfe many things vniustly gotten which perhaps because thou art shortly to die thou shalt neuer spend and yet thou shalt giue an account of them vnto God and for them bee damned in hell and it shall nothing pleasure thee among thy torments nay it shall hurt thee much that thou didest heere possesse them But behold almightie God who iudgeth our transgressions and hath called those first to iudgement doth still expect thee to repentance and doth beare with thee that thou maist turne vnto him He hath already pronouneed his sentence against them lest thy soule should likewise perish with theirs hee patiently expecteth thy conuersion and prorogeth his vengeance But thou still persistest in thy sinnes nay thou euery day heapest sinne vpon sinne For as often as thou thinkest with thy selfe that thou keepest another mans goods wrongfully against the wil of the true owner and yet purposest still to keep it not restore it so often thou committest a new sinne Now consider with thy selfe how often by this meanes thou hast sinned Thou hast many times since the detention and possession of thy vnlawfull gaine repented thee of thy sinne but God knoweth to small purpose for thy repentance is sinne August And therfore saith S. Augustine If goods vnlawfully gotten may bee restored and are not repentance is not done but dissembled If thou haue a troublesome creditor thou speedest thy paiments thou giuest him what thou hast and thou borrowest of others if thou want thou fearest if thou shouldest defer thy paiment anie longer he will bee more troublesome and either defame thee or cast thee into prison Fearest thou then a temporall punishment and doest thou presently make satisfaction and yet nothing fearing the eternall punishment of thy soule doest thou not care to make restitution O miserable man and of a preposterous iudgement doest thou feare the punishment of this life and fearest thou not the sorrowes of hell Wherefore deare brother quit thy selfe of those fading corruprible goods which thou vniustly deteinest restore vnto thy neighbor that which is his owne that thou maiest be restored vnto God lest thou lose thy temporall riches and finde the eternall damnation of thy own soule Without the great mercy of God thou canst not attaine to the ioies of heauen except thou make restitution of the vttermost farthing The way to come vnto thy owne is to restore that which is another mans CHAP. II. That man must not feare his confusion with men that will finde grace and fauour with God BVt perhaps thou wilt say if I should make restitution for all the wrong I haue done I should wrong my selfe and whereas I am rich become poore and vnable to maintame my charge and that pompe and credit I liue in and
consider how great ioies are promised vnto thee in heauen how great torments are prepared for thee in hell which that thou maiest auoid and attaine the ioies of heauen see how easie a thing it is that is required of thee in this world that is Psal 51.4 onely with a contrite heart and an assured faith in the merits of Christ Iesus to cry out against thee Psal 32.5 O Lord against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse Which if from thy hart thou vtter vnto God he will remit thy sinnes and will remember thy iniquities no more yea before thy mouth can vtter this confession thou shalt feele in thy hart thy remission and with ioy comfort thou shalt assure thy selfe thy sinnes are forgiuen thee God requireth this confession out of a pure heart to no other end but to forgiue The mercy of our redeemer hath tempered the seueritie of the old law wherein it is often written Exod. 19. Hee that doth this or that shall be stoned to death But our Creator who hath turned the rigour of the law into mercy hath appeared in our flesh Leuit. 20. and hath promised mercy not death to as many as shall truely repent and confesse their sinnes O wonderfull compensation strange vicissitude of things That a man should reueale those sinnes vnto God that were neuer hidden from him and yet for so poore a seruice receiue so vnspeakeable a reward as remission of sinnes The prophet Dauid hauing committed that heinous and blooddy sinne against Vriah had no sooner cried out vnto the Lord I haue sinned but presently hee receiued comfort The Lord hath remooued thy sinne from thee The prodigall sonne Luke 15. who departing from his father spent his substance with riotous liuing did only say Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and presently his father running out to meet him kissed him O short speech I haue sinned three words that shut the mouth of hell and open the gate of Paradise O pity ô clemency ô the vnspeakable mercie of our God who in many things is grieuously offended and with one word of repentance is presently pleased forgiueth all our sinnes and openeth his bosom of mercy vnto vs There is no offence so grieuous but by repentance it may be pardoned and the Lord knoweth not how to denie him that with an humble contrite heart falleth downe before him for he that before this humble confession was the God of reuenge becommeth afterwards the Father of mercie and of a seuere Iudge hee is made a pitifull Father It changeth the sentence of his diuine iustice and openeth to the bottomlesse depth of thy miserie the bottombles depth of his mercies to the fountaine of thy iniquitie the fountaine of his goodnesse It giueth vnto thee to whom neither the heauens nor the earth are secure refuge and securitie in the bowels of Christ Iesus Christ hath opened his side vnto thee doe thou likewise open thy mouth vnto him and say Loe I will not refraine my lips ô Lord thou knowest And therefore my deare brother why fearest thou to confesse thy sins vnto God since by not confessing thou canst not hide them By confessing thou shalt make God propitious vnto thee whom by denying thy sinnes thou canst not make ignorant of them In his iudgement hee will spare thee if in thy confession thou spare not thy self If we acknowledge our sins 1. Ioh. 1.9 hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse CHAP. II. That nothing is hidden from God and that at the day of iudgement the secrets of all hearts shall bee reuealed THou slaue of sin whither fliest thou Thou carriest with thee thy selfe whither soeuer thou fliest Thine own conscience flies thee not it hath no place to flie vnto It followeth thee it departs not from thee The sinnes it hath committed are within which do miserably afflict it and whilest the gnawing worme dies not in it euen in this life it feeles the torments of hell The corruption that is in an vlcer greeues not being cast out and sin tormenteth not when by confession it is detected But thou thinkest otherwise and so long as thy sins are secret vnto thy selfe all is well But thou must vnderstand that howsoeuer men are ignorant of thē yet from God they cannot be hid Men look vpon the outside God searcheth the hart God seeth not as man seeth man lookes vpon the face God vpon the heart There is no creature inuisible to his eies but all things are naked and open vnto him He seeth he beholdeth all things neither is there any place hidden from his omnipotencie To him all hearts lie open all wils speake and hee pierceth into the depth of euery mans thoughts he inquireth more exactly into them than the heart it self knoweth them more inwardly And therfore there can bee no place to lying none to dissimulation and it profiteth nothing to include thine own sinnes within thine owne conscience for thy inward parts lie open vnto God and as thy eares are to thy voice so the eares of God are to thy thoughts Canst thou then thinke thy selfe hid from God since the secrets of thy heart lie open vnto him Canst thou thinke hee sees thee not committing vncleannesse that saw thy first thought when thou wentest about it He knowes all things before they are and canst thou thinke he knowes them not when they are Before thou diddest commit these sinnes hee knew them when thou diddest commit them hee was present and canst thou think if thou confesse them not he can be ignorant of them Yea by how much the more thou refusest to confesse thy sinnes by so much the more doest thou lay them open before God Thou hidest not thy selfe from the Lord but the Lord from thee for thou takest a course not to see him that seeth all things not that hee should see thee Thou canst not see him but yet inuisibly hee seeth all that thou doest Doest thou thinke thy sinnes are not seene by him because they are not punished by him Yea hee is so much the more angrie with thee because hee vouchsafeth not euen now to bee angrie with thee Now is the begining of thy damnation because thou abusest the patience and long sufferance of so good and mercifull a God For the Lord hath seene thy sinnes not that he might approoue them but condemne them not to fauour them but to punish them not that hee might alwaies suffer and attend but at the last punish thee with a more heauie reuenge For doest thou thinke that God is like vnto thee That he seeth thy sinnes and will let them passe vnpunished Indeed he were like vnto thy selfe if he would do so but assure thy selfe he doth but deferre the punishment he taketh it not away Thou on the other fide wilt not only not punish them but
of her Form attend my miserable soule when it shal depart out of the prison of this my bodie that they may catch it and carrie it to bee tormented in hell O wretch that I am where shall my soule be this night Out alas hell is my house for euer and euer there I must dwell because whilest I daily sinned against mine owne conscience I made my selfe a fit inhabitant for so infernall a place Psa 18.4 The sorrowes of death haue compassed mee the snares of hell haue ouertooke me O great God to what end diddest thou make mee and broughtest mee into the world Why was I not carried from my baptisme to my graue It had been better for me neuer to haue been born and therefore let the day perish wherein I came into the world Cursed be my creation and thou accursed Satan be thou more accursed with all thy hellish rabble all thy suggestions cursed be the earth that bred mee the wombe that bare me the parents that begot mee cursed be euery creature vpō earth What is that my friends you talke together Do you not counsell mee to confesse my sinnes Do you not tell me that the mercy of God is great That is true I confesse but yet my sinnes are greater than that they can be forgiuen by the iust iudgement of God I am condemned what hee hath written hee hath written his sentence is irreuocable When I was in health and the strength of my bodie I could hardlie confesse my sinnes they were so numberlesse much lesse now in this agonie of death the sentence of my condemnation being pronounced am I able to do it O repentance where art thou By the iust iudgement of GOD heereafter I can not repent when I might I would not now I would I can not All yee that are present my friends learne to be wise by my fall and deferre not your repentance till your dying day lest doing as I haue done ye suffer as I doe Remember my iudgement such shall be yours also mine to day yours to morrow happie is he that by other mens harmes can learne to beware For euer farewell my friends and againe and againe fare ye well Beholde the diuels take holde of my miserable soule and carry it with them into hell Isa 30.10 I go to the gates of the graue I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing I shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the world Now heare how God vpbraiding thee with his benefits condemneth thee O wretched man of no worth vnprofitable worme of the earth what could I haue done for thee that I haue not done I created thee not a stone a tree a toad a bird nor any other creature but a man capable of reason according to mine owne image similitude and forsomuch as I made thee like my selfe by nature it was thy part to haue done thy best endeuour to make thy selfe like vnto me by will which forasmuch as thou hast not conformed to my will thou hast prophaned my similitude in thee Neuerthelesse though thou louedst me not I loued thee yea thou displeasing me I so loued thee as to work that in thee wherby thou mightest please me being proud thou didst contemne my commandements but I thus contemned ceased not to loue thee though thou wert proud but to the end I might recall thee vnto me I gaue thee my law and my faith To thee I sent my preachers nay for thee I once appeared visible to the world in the flesh of thy mortalitie and from the abundant plenitude of the kingdome of heauen I descended poore vpon the earth I raised the dead gaue sight vnto the blinde reduced the wanderers and iustified the wicked Three and thirty yeeres being seene vpon the earth and conuersant with men I refused not to serue thee and to procure thy saluation by preaching by labour by watching by fasting and that I might take away thine infirmities I willingly became weake for thee I was solde betrayed bound spit vpon hudwinckt buffeted scourged crowned crucified derided of all dranke vineger and gaule and that I might be the death of thy death for the nocent I died innocent For thee base worme as thou art I powred out not my golde nor my siluer but my pretious blood and for the redemption of so base a worm I spent my most pretious wares yea I spared not my selfe but I willingly offered me wholly to redeem thee all my members I gaue to the redemption of thee but thou hast imployed all thine to offend me for thee I gaue mine eyes to weeping wheras thou hast giuen thine to beholde the vanitie of this world I gaue mine eares to the hearing of wrongs and opprobrious speeches wheras thou hast giuen thine to the hearing of detractations and filthy speeches I gaue my mouth to taste vineger mixt with gaule whereas thou hast giuen thine to gluttony and lying and blasphemie I gaue my hands and my feete to be fastned with nailes to the crosse whereas thou hast giuen thine to murther and the spoile of the poore I gaue my hart to be wounded with a launce whereas thou hast giuen thine to the delights and pleasures of this life I haue loued more thy saluation than mine owne glorie with men whereas thou hast loued more a vile base creature than thy Creator to whom if thou be indebted for thy creation how much doest thou owe mee for thy recreation thy redemption ◠If thou did dest owe thy selfe vnto me when I gaue thee to thy selfe thou shouldest twice owe thy selfe vnto mee for restoring thee to thy selfe when thou wert lost Because thou wert both giuen and restored to thy selfe thou doest owe thy selfe wholly vnto me once and againe to mee I say who gaue thee thy life thy senses thy vnderstanding who made thee made thee good gaue thee thy being and thy well being Neither was it enough for me to offer my selfe for thee an oblation to God my Father but that I must-euerie day offer my selfe vnto thee to be seene and kissed and handled yea eaten too by a liuely faith though not carnally Comming into the world I gaue my self vnto thee as a companion Iam. 1.17 more stricken in yeres as thy sustenance dying as thy prise reigoing as thy reward What better thing could I euen I from whom euery good gift and euery perfect gift commeth bestow vpon thee than my selfe What should I say more Tit. 3.5 My Angels I haue giuen vnto thee as thy gardians but thou contemnest their charge By the washing of the new birth I clensed thee from all thy sinnes I haue instructed thee in my faith hauing often died a spirituall death I haue often raised thee and iustly depriued of the kingdome of heauen I haue restored thee to thine ancient inheritance I haue often spared thee and thou fallest the more often I haue opened
sinnes but onely thy lesser heare what he sayth in the three and thirtieth of Ezekiel At what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart I will put out all his wickednes out of my remembrance Hee excepteth no maner of sinnes neither litle nor great for hee that died for all can pardon all only be thou sorrowfull and turne vnto God and he is ready to forget and to forgiue If thy sinnes are many and great the mercies of the Lord are more in number and greater than they God will bee mercifull vnto thee and according to the multitude and magnitude of his mercies will hee pardon the multitude and magnitude of thy sinnes Whereas thou obiectest vnto me that in the twelfth by S. Matthew Whosoeuer shall sinne against the Holie Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him c. I answer that it is true That the sinne against the Holy Ghost that is that committed out of malice against the goodnes and mercie of God which is properlie attributed to the Holie Ghost is therefore said to be irremissible because it directly oppugneth the goodnesse and mercy of God which is the beginning of the remission of sinnes and so that is excluded whereby sinne should be forgiuen as that disease is said to be incurable which directly taketh away the remedies of the cure This sinne is said to be irremissible not because it can not be forgiuen to him that repenteth but because hee that so sinneth doth either despaire or presume of the mercy of God and so addeth sinne vnto sinne and neuer repenteth and so being obstinate in his wickednesse as seldome or neuer he comes to repentance so seldome or neuer he obteineth remission of his sinnes But yet we are not to despaire of any sinner whatsoeuer so long as he liueth and the long sufferance of God expecteth him to repentance He is a Pagan or a lew to day may he not be a Christian to morrow He is an heretike to day may hee not be a true Professour to morrow He is a Schismatike to day may he not embrace the peace of the Church to morrow We are not therefore to despaire of any man so long as hee remaineth in this life because sometimes that repentance which by the diffidence of our age is deferred by more mature counsel is perfected Whilest we are in this life there is no sinne no iniquitie which may not bee healed by the medicine of repentance if it be pure and sincere What offence can be greater in a man that is sicke than to kâ—â— his Physitian and if this may be forgiuen what may not be pardoned Christ Iesus being fastened to the Crosse prayed for his crucifiers saying Luk. 23. Father forgiue them they know not what they do If there were hope of saluation in those that killed their Sauior who should despaire of saluatioÌ„ The Lord inuited Iudas that betraied him to repentance to beg mercy at his hands when hee forewarned him of his treason when hee washed his feete when hee called him friend when he tooke a kisse at 〈◊〉 hands If then our Sauior diâ— not onely forgiue his crucifers but prayd vnto his father for them if he inuited Iudas to repentance how much more will hee pardon thee if thou do repent thou that art an adorer of his Maiestie not his murtherer a lamenter of his death not a derider of his passion a contempler of his mercies not a contemner of his infirmities Wherfore my deare brother let neither the qualitie nor the quantity of thy sinnes discourage thee from the assurance of thy hope yea though thou wert guiltie of all the sinnes which haue beene committed since the beginning of the world yet â—hou oughtst not to despaire because the goodnes of God farre exceedeth the malice of man If thou couldest sinne as much as God is good thou mayest despaire but since that can not be thoâ— that despairest of thy selfe being wicked trust in God who is better than thy selfe Hast thou sinned repent thee of thy sinnes Hast thou sinned a thousand times repent a thousand times Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand GOD would neuer haue exhorted thee to repentance if his purpose were not to pardon thee if thou doe repent Betweene repentance and the kingdome of heauen there is no distance of time but repent thou of thy sinnes and instantly the gate of mercie is set wide open vnto thee Thy sinnes make a separation betweene thee and GOD which obstacles if by repentance thou take away thou shalt sticke vnto God and be one spirit with him Yeeld fruits woorthy repentance contraries redeeme with contraries and thou which before diddest that which was contrary to God doe now that which is opposite to the diuell CHAP. III. Examples of such as haue grienously sinned afterwards haue beene saued by repentance BVt thou wilt obiect that in the 7. by S. Matthew Mat. 7 1â— Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and few there be that finde it And that in the 4. of the first by S. Peter If the righteous scarsely be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Res It is true my deare brother that few find the way of life but what is the reason Doubtlesse because few there are that seeke it But euery one that seeketh findeth that asketh receiueth and to euery one that knocketh it shall be opened Who is he therefore that findeth it not who receiueth not or to whom is it not opened Certes only to him that seeketh not that asketh not that knocketh not The reason why the righteous shall hardly be saued is this because there is no man found worthy saluation by his own righteousnesse for God will not saue vs by the works of righteousnesse which wee haue done but according to his free mercie in Christ Iesus It is the worke of God not our endeuour that we are saued for that little of goodnesse that is in vs nay which God worketh in vs is nothing if it be compared to that eternall blessednesse in the life to come Heauen belongs to the righteous only by the rigor of Gods instice but to the end that all may be saued it belongeth vnto sinners also by the bountie of Gods grace Christ hath deserued Paradise for vs all and hath restored vnto vs by his death his fathers inheritance Luk. 14. Hee calleth vs to that heauenly banquet hee will haue his house filled with ghests yea hee compelleth the weake and the blinde and the lame to come in that it may appeare that no man is shut out from those celestâ—all and eternall ioyes the number of the saints of God being out of the number of sinners euer supplied But forasmuch as examples moue more than words there is hope that thou that hearkenest not vnto my words wilt be stirred vp by the examples of other men that when thou shalt see many that were sometimes entred