A DOVBLE SVMMONS THE ONE To vnfained REPENTANCE THE OTHER To the worthie receiuing of the LORDS SVPPER Deliuered in two notable Sermons MADE By that worthy Martyr of Christ IOHN BRADFORD Who suffered in Smith-field Ano. Domini 1555. MAT. 4.17 Amend your liues for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand LONDON Printed by George Purslowe 1617. To the Christian Reader IOHN BRADFORD wisheth the true knowledge and peace of Iesus Christ our alone and sufficient Sauiour GREAT and heauy is Gods anger against vs as the most grieuous plague of the death of our late King a Prince of all that euer was since Christs ascension into Heauen in any Region peerlesse doth Prognosticate For when Gods iudgement hath begun with his Childe let other men thinke as they can I surely cannot be perswaded otherwise but that a grieuous and bitter cuppe of Gods vengeance is ready to be poured out for vs English-men to drinke The whelpe God hath beaten to fray the bandogge Iudgement is begun at Gods house In Gods mercie to him-wards hee is taken away that his eyes should not see the miseries which we shall feele He was too good to tarry with vs so wicked Heb. 11. so froward so peruerse so obstinate so malicious so hypocriticall so couetous vncleane vntrue proud and carnall a generation I wil not goe about to paint vs out in our colours God by his plagues and vengeance I feare me will paint and point vs out Wee haue so mocked with him and his Gospell that we shall feele it is no bourding with him Of long time we haue couered our couetousnesse and carnality vnder the cloake of his Gospell so that all men shall see vs to our shame when he shall take his Gospell away and giue it to a people that will bring forth the fruits of it To let his Gospell tarry with vs he cannot for we despise it contemne it are glutted with it Since his Gospell came amongst vs we say now we had neuer plenty therefore againe let vs goe and worship the Queene of heauen and to prouoke the Lord to anger The earth cannot abide now the words and Sermons of Amos. Amos 7. Acts 17. The cause of all rebellion is Amos and his preaching It is Paul and his fellowes that make all out of order Summa the Gospell is now Panto on peripsema catharma tou cosmou The our-east and curse of the Realme and so are the Preachers therefore out of the dores with them So that I say God cannot let his Gospell tarry with vs but must needes take it away to doe vs some pleasure therein for so shall we thinke for a time as the Sodomitanes thought when Lot departed from them as the old world thought Gen. 19. Gen. 7 when Noe crept into his Arke as the Ieruâ—olomitanes thought when the Apostles went thence to Peltis Then were they merry then was all pastime When Moses was absent then went they to eating and drinking and rose againe to play But alas Exod. 32 suddenly came the floud and drowned them Gods wrath waxed hot against them Then was lamentation mourning and woe then was crying out wringing of hands renting of clothes sobbing and sighing for the miseries fallen out of the which they could not scape Well if hee take that away for a time perchance we shall be quiet but at length we shall feele the want to our woe at length hee will haue at vs as at them O bee thou mercifull vnto vs and in thine anger remember thy mercy We haue sinned we haue sinned and therefore art thou angrie ô be not angry for euer Giue vs peace peace peace in the Lord set vs to worke against sin against Sathan against our carnall desires and giue vs the victory this way This victory we obtaine by faith This faith is not without Repentance as her Gentleman-Vsher before her This Vsher then Repentance if wee truely possessed wee should be certaine of true faith and so assured of the victory ouer death hell and Sathan His workes then which hee hath stirred vp would quaile God would restore vs politique peace right should be right and haue right Gods Gospell should tarrie with vs Religion should bee cherished Superstition suppressed and so we yet something happy notwithstanding the great losse of our most gracious Liege souereigne Lord. All these would come to passe you see if the Gentleman-Vsher I speake of I meane Repentance were at Inne with vs. As if he be absent we may be certaine that Lady Faith is absent Wherefore we cannot but be vanquished of the world the flesh and the diuell and so wil Sathans workes prosper though not in all things to bleare our eyes yet in that thing which he most of all desireth Therefore to Repentance for our selues priuately and for the Realme and Church publickly euery one shall labour to stirre vp both our selues and others This to the end that for my part I might helpe I haue presently put forth a Sermon of Repentance which had lyen by me halfe a yeere at the least for the most part of it For the last Summer as I was abroad preaching in the Countrey my chance was to make a sermon of Repentance the which was earnestly of diuers desired of me that I should giue it them written or else put it forth in print which I could not doe for I had not written it and so I told them But when no nay would serue I promised to write it as I could at my leisure this leisure I prolonged so long that as I think I offended them so did I please my selfe as one more glad to reade other mens writings then in such sort to publish mine owne for other men to reade not that I would others not to profit by mee but that I knowing how slender my store is would be loth the enemies should therby take occasion of speaking But when I considered this present time to occasion men now to look vpon all things in such sort as might mooue them to godlinesse rather then to any curious questioning I for the satisfying of my promise and profiting of the simple ignorant and rude haue now caused this Sermon to be printed the which I beseech God for his Christs sake to vse as a mean whereby of his mercie it may please him to worke in me and many others true hearty repentance for our sinnes to the glory of his name Thus fare thou well in the Lord The xij of Iuly 1553. To the Christian READER Thomas Samson wisheth the felicity of speedy and full conuersion to the LORD GOdly Learned men doe write publish bookes to profit the age in which they liue and the posterity This desire was in the Authour of this Treatise M. Iohn Bradford who preached published this Sermon of Repentance And now that we which do liue after him and are the posterity may take as much or more profit by it then they did for whom it was first preached
in this Faith is so farre from the reach of mans free-will that to reason it is plaine foolishnesse Therefore thou must first goe to God whose gift it is thou must I say get thee to the Father of mercy whose worke it is that as he hath brought thee down by Contrition and humbled thee so hee would giue thee faith raise shee vp and exalt thee On this manner therefore with the Apostles and the poore man in the Gospell that cryed Lord encrease our faith Lord helpe my vnbeliefe pray thou and say O mercifull God and deare Father of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in whom as thou art well pleased so hast thou commanded vs to heare him forasmuch as he often biddeth vs to aske of thee 2. Tim. 2. and therto promiseth that thou wilt heare vs and grant vs that which in his name we shall aske of thee loe gracious Father I am bold to begge of thy mercy through thy Sonne IESVS CHRIST one sparkle of true faith and certaine perswasion of thy goodnesse and loue towards me in Christ wherethrough I being assured of the pardon of all my sinnes by the mercies of Christ thy Son may be thankfull to thee loue thee and serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life On this sort I say or otherwise as God shall moue thee pray thou first of al and look for thy request at Gods hand without any doubting though forth-with thou féelest not the same for oftentimes we haue things of GOD giuen vs long before we féele them as we would doe Now vnto this prayer vse thou these meanes following After prayer for faith which I would should be first secondly because the same springeth out of the hearing no of Masses Mattins Cannons Councels Doctours Decrées but out of the hearing of Gods word get thée Gods word but not that part which serueth specially to Contrition that is the Law but the other part which serueth specially to consolation and certaine perswasions of Gods loue towards thée that is the Gospell or publication of Gods mercie in Christ I meane the free promises But here thou must know that there are two kinds of promises one which is properly of the Lawe another of the Gospell In the promises of the Law we may indeed behold Gods mercie but so that it hangeth vpon the condition of our worthinesse as if thou loue the Lord with all thy heart c. thou shalt finde mercy This kinde of promise though it declare vnto vs Gods loue which promiseth where he néedeth not yet vnto him that féeleth not Christ which is the end of the Law they are so farre frnm comforting that vtterly with the Law they bring man to great despaire so greatly we are corrupt for none so loueth God as he ought to doe From these therfore get thee to the other promises of the Gospell in which we may see such plenty and franke liberality of Gods goodnes that we cannot but be much comforted though we haue very deeply sinned For these promises of the Gospell doe not hang on the condition of our worthinesse as the promises of the Law do but they depend and hang on Gods truth that as God is true so they cannot but be performed to al them which lay hold on them by faith I had almost said which cast them not away by vnbeliefe Marke in them therefore two things namely that as well they are free promises without any condition of our worthinesse as also that they are vniuersall offered to all all I say which are not so stubborne as to kéepe still their hands whereby they should receiue this almes in their bosoms by vnbeliefe As concerning Infants and children you know I now speak not but concerning such as be of years of discretion And now you looke that I should giue you a taste of these promises which are both frée and vniuersall except none but such as except themselues Well you shall haue one or two for a say In the 3. of Iohn saith our Sauiour So God the Father loued the world that he would giue his Dearling his own only Sonne that al that beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Loe sir he saith not that some might haue life but all saith he And what all All that loue him with all their hearts all that haue liued a godly life Nay all that beléeue in him Althogh thou hast liued a most wicked and horible life if now thou beleeue in him thou shalt be saued Is not this sweet grace Againe saith Christ Come vnto me all yee that labour and are laden and I will refresh you Let vs a litle looke one this letter Come vnto me Who should come Lords Priests Holy men Monkes Friers Yea Coblers tinkers whores theeues murtherers also if they lament their sinnes Come vnto me saith he all ye that labour and are laden that is which are afrayd of your sinnes And what wilt thou do Lord And I will refresh you saith he Oh what a thing is this And I will refresh you Wot you who spake this He that neuer told lye He is the truth there was neuer guile found in his mouth and now wil he be vntrue to thee good brother which art sorie for thy grieuous sinnes No forsooth heauen and earth shal passe and perish but his word shall neuer fayle Saint Paul saith God would haue all men saued Loe he excepteth none And to Titus The grace of God bringeth saluation to all men As from Adam all haue recieued sin to damnation so by Christ all haue grace offered to saluation if they reiect not the same I speak not now of Infants I say nor I neede not enter into the matter of Predestination In preaching of repentance I would gather where I could with Christ As surely as I liue sayth God I wil not the death of a sinner Art thou a sinner Yea Loe God sweareth he will not thy death How canst thou now perish Consider with thy selfe what profit thou shouldst haue to beleeue this to be true to others if not to thy selfe also Sathan doth so Rather consider with Peter that the promise of saluation pertaineth not only to them which are nie that is to such as are fallen a little but also to all to whom the Lord hath called bee they neuer so farre off Loe now by mee the Lord calleth thee thou man thou woman that art very farre off The promise therefore pertaineth to thee needs must thou be saued except thou with Sathan say God is false And if thou do so God is faithful cannot deny himselfe as thou shalt feele by his plagues in hell for so dishonouring God to think that he is not true Will he be found false now The matter hangeth not on thy worthinesse but it hangeth on Gods truth Clap hold on it and I warrant thee CHRIST is the propitiation for our sins yea for the sins of the whole world beleeue this man I
very Passion of Christ should be as present beholden with the eyes of Faith For which end Christ our Sauiour did specially institute this Supper saying Doe ye this in remembrance of mee or as Paul saith Shew you the Lords death till he come The Supper of the Lord then is not simply Christs body and blood but Christs body broken and his blood shedde Wherefore broken Wherefore shedde Forsooth that teacheth Christ himselfe saying Broken for you Shed for your sinnes and for the sins of many Here now then we haue occasion in the vse of the Sacrament to call to mind the greatnes and grieuousnesse of sinne which could not be taken away by any other meanes then by the shedding of the most precious bloud and breaking of the most pure body of the only begotten Sonne of GOD Iesus Christ by whome all things were made all things are ruled and gouerned c. Who considering this thing shall not be touched to repent Who in the receiuing of this Sacrament thinking that Christ saith to him Take eate this is my body which is broken for thee This is my blood which is shedde for thy sinnes can but tremble at the grieuousnesse of his sinnes for the which such a price was payd If there were no plague at all else to admonish man of sinne how grieuous a thing it is in Gods sight surely that one were enough But alas how are our hearts bewitched through Sathans subtilties and the custome of sinne that we make sinne a thing of nothing God open our eyes in time and giue vs repentance which wee sée this Sacrament doth as it were enforce vs vnto in the reuerence and true vse of the same Againe in hearing that this which we take and eate is Christs body broken for our sinnes and his bloud shed for our iniquities we are occasioned to call to mind the infinite greatnesse of GODS mercy and truth and of Christs loue towards vs. For what a mercie is this that God would for man beeing lost through his wilfull sinnes be content yea desirous to giue his owne onely Sonne The Image of his substance the brightnesse of his glorie being in his own bosome to be made man for vs that we men by him might be as it were made Gods What a mercie is this that God the Father should so tender vs that he would make this his Sonne being equall with him in diuinitie a mortall man for vs that wee might bee made immortall by him What a kindnesse is this that the Almighty Lord should send to vs his enemies his deare Darling to bee made poore that wee by him might bee made rich What bowels of compassion was this that the omnipotent Creator of Heauen and earth would deliuer his owne onely beloued Sonne for vs creatures to be not onely flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones that we might by him through the holy Ghost be made one with him and so with the Father by communicating the merits of his flesh that is righteousnesse holinesse innocencie and immortalitie but also to bee a slaine Sacrifice for our sinnes to satisfie his iustice to conuert or turne death into life our sinne into righteousnes hell into Heauen misery into felicitie for vs What a mercy is this that GOD will rayse vp this his Sonne CHRIST not onely to iustifie and regenerate vs but also in his person to demonstrate vnto vs our state which wee shall haue for in his comming we shall be like vnto him Oh wonderful mercy of God which would assume this his Christ euen in humane body into the heauens to taken and kéepe their possession for vs to leade our captiuitie captiue to appeare before him alwaies praying for vs to make the throne of Iustice a throne of mercy the seat of glory a seat of grace So that with boldnesse we may come and appeare before God to aske and finde grace in time conuenient Againe what a verity and constant trueth in God is this that he would according to his promise made first to Adam and so to Abraham and others in his time accomplish it by sending his sonne so graciously Who would doubt hereafter of anything that he hath promised And as for Christs loue oh whose heart can be able to thinke of it any thing as if deserueth He being God would become man He being rich would become poore He being Lord of all the world became a seruant to vs all hee being immortall would become mortall miserable and taste of all Gods curses yea euen of hell it selfe for vs. His bloud was nothing too deare his life nothing considered to bring vs from death to life But this his loue néedeth more heartie weighing then many words speaking and therefore I omit and leaue it to your considerations So that in the receiuing of this Supper as I would you would tremble at Gods wrath for sin so would I haue you to couple to that terror and feare true faith by which ye might be assuredly perswaded of Gods mercie towards you and Christs loue though all things else preached the contrary Do euery of you surely think when you heare these words Take eate this is my body broken for your sinnes Drinke this is my bloud shed for your sins That God the eternal Father embracing you Christ calleth clippeth you must louingly making himselfe one with you and you one with him and one with another amongst your selues You ought no lesse to be certaine now that God loueth you pardoneth your sinnes and that Christ is all yours then if you did heare and Angell out of heauen speaking so vnto you And therefore reioyce and be glad and make this Supper Eutharichiam a thankesgiuing as the Fathers named it Be no lesse certaine that Christ and you now are all one then you are certaine the bread and wine is one with your nature and substance after you haue eaten and drunke it Howbeit in this it differeth that you by faith are as it were changed into Christ and not Christ into you as the bread is for by faith he dwelleth in vs and we in him God giue vs faith in the vse of this Sacrament to receiue Christ as he giueth vs hands to receiue the element simbole and visible Sacrament God grant vs not to prepare our féeth and belly as Saint Augustine saith but rather of his mercy he prepare and giue vs true and liuely faith to vse this and all other his ordinances to his glory and our comforts He sweep the houses of our hearts and make them cleane that they may bee worthy Temples and lodgings for the Lord. Amen Wherefore the Sacrament was instituted Now let vs come and looke on the third and last thing namely wherefore the Lords did institute this Sacrament Our nature is very obliuious of GOD and of all his benefits And againe it is very full of dubitation and doubting of GODS loue and of his kindnesse Therefore to the end these two things might be something
that I haue commanded you say that you be but vnprofitable seruants Put nothing to my word sayth God Apoc. 22 Deu. 4.1 Yes works of supererogation yea superabomination say they Whatsoeuer things are true saith the Apostle S. Paul whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue or if there be any praise haue you them in your mind and doe them and the God of peace shall be with you Beloued this lesson wel regarded would pull vs from popish Satisfactory works which do deface Christs treasures and Satisfaction In heauen and in earth was there none found that could satisfie Gods anger for our sins or get heauen for man but only the Son of God IESVS CHRIST the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda who by his bloud hath wrought the worke of Satisfaction and he only is worthy all honour glory and prayse for hee hath opened the booke with the seuen Seales Dearely beloued therefore abhorre this abomination euen to thinke that there is any other satisfaction to God-ward for sin then Christs bloud only Blasphemy it is and that horrible to think otherwise The bloud of Christ purifieth sayth Saint Iohn from all sinne And therefore hee is called the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world because there was neuer sinne forgiuen of God nor shall bee from the beginning vntill the end of the world but onely through Christs death Prate the Pope and his Prelates as please them with their Pardons Purgatorie Purgations Placeboes Trentalles Diriges workes of Supererogation Superabomination c. I am hee saith the Lord which putteth away thine offences Esay 45. and that for mine owne sake and will no more remember thine iniquities Put me in remembrance for we will reason together and tell me what thou hast for thee to make thee righteous Thy first Father offended sore c. 1. Iohn 2. And thus writeth Saint Iohn If any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate sayth he with the Father euen Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation or satisfaction for our sinnes As in the fourth Chapter hee saith That God hath sent his Sonne to bee a propitiation or satisfaction for our sinnes According to that which Paul writeth where hee calleth Christ a mercifull and faithful Priest to purge the peoples sinnes Heb. 2. So that blinde Bussards and peruerse Papists they be which yet will prate our merits or works to satisfie for our sinnes in part or in whole before Baptisme or after For to omitte the testimonies I brought out of Iohn and Paul which the blinde cannot but see I pray you remember the text out of Esay which euen now I rehearsed being spoken to such as were then the people of God and had bin a long time but yet were fallen into grieuous sinnes after their adoption into the number of Gods children It is for mine owne sake saith God that I put away thy sinnes Where is your parting of the stake now If it be for Gods owne sake if Christ bee the propitiation then recant except you wil become Idolaters making your workes God and Christ Say as Dauid teacheth Not to vs Lord not to vs but to thy name be the glory And it is to be noted that God doth tast in their feeth euen the sinne of their first father lest they should think that yet perchance for the righteousnesse and goodnesse of their good fathers their sinnes might bee the sooner pardoned and so God accept their workes If they had taken Satisfaction for that which is done to the Congregation publikely by some notable punishment as in the Primitiue Church was vsed to open offendors sparkles whereof and some traces yet remaine when such as haue sinned in adultery go about the Church with a Taper in their shirts Or if they had made Satisfaction for restitution to man ward of such goods as wrongfully are gotten the which true penance cannot be without Or if by Satisfaction they had meant a new life to make amendes to the Congregation thereby as by their euill life they did offend the Congregation in which sence the Apostle séemeth to take that which he writeth in 2. Cor. 7 where the old Interpreter calleth Apologian Satisfaction which rather signifieth a defence or answering againe If I say they had taken Satisfaction any of these wayes then they had done well so that the Satisfaction to God had béene left all onely to Christ Againe If they had made Confession either for that which is to God priuatly either for that which is to the Congregation publiquely either for that which is a frée consultation with some one learned in Gods booke and appointed thereunto as first it was vsed and I wish were now vsed amongst vs either for that which is a reconciliation of one to another it had béene some thing yea if they had made it for faith because it is a true demonstration of faith as in Paul wée may sée when hee calleth Christ the Captaine of our Confession Rom. 1. that is of our faith and so Confessors were called in the Primitiue Church such as manfully did witnes their faith with the peril of their liues if I say they had taken it thus then had they done right well And so Contrition if they had left out their subtill distinction betwéene it and Atttirion by this word iust or full making it a hearty sorrow for their sinnes then wee would neuer haue cryed out against them therfore For wee say penance hath thrée parts Contrition if you vnderstand it for a hearty sorrowing for sin Confession if you vnderstand it for faith of frée pardon in Gods mercy by Iesus Christ Satisfaction if you vnderstand it not to God-wards for that onely to Christ must be left alone but to man ward in restitution of goods wrōgfully or fraudulently gotten of name hindred by our slaunders and in newnesse of life although as I sayd before anon will shew more plainly by Gods grace that this last is no part of penane in deed but a plaine effect or fruit of true penance I might here bring in examples of their penance how perilous it is to be embraced but let the example of their graund Sire Iudas serue in whome we sée all the parts of their pennance as they describe it and yet notwithstanding he was damned He was sorie enough as the effect shewed he had their contrition fully out of the which he confessed his fault saying I haue betrayed innocent blood and thereunto he made satisfaction restoring the money he had receiued But yet all was but lost he hanged vp himselfe his bowels burst out and he remained a child of perdition for euer I would wish that this example of Iudas in whom ye see the parts of their penance contrition confession and satisfaction would moue them to penance and to describe it a little better making
Fatherly care for his Commons Nurcely solicitude for Religion c. Nay so many things are to be spoken in commendation of Gods exceeding graces in this Child that as Salust writeth of Carthage I had rather speake nothing then too little in that too much is too little This gift God gaue vnto vs English men before all nations vnder the Sunne and that of his exceeding loue towards vs. But alas alas for our vnthankfulnes sake for our sins sake for our carnality and prophane liuing Gods anger hath touched not only the body bâ—â— also the mind of our King by a long sicknesse and at length hath taken him away by death death cruell death fearefull death O if Gods iudgement be begun on him which as he was the chiefest so I thinke the holiest and godlyest in the Realme of England alas what will it be on vs whose sinnes haue ouergrowen so our heads that they are climed vp to heauen I pray you my good brethren know that Gods anger towards vs for our sins cannot but be great yea too fell in that we sée it was so great that our good King could not beare it What befell Iewry after the death of Iosias Lord saue England and giue vs repentance my heart will not suffer me to tarry longer herein I hope this will cause some repentance If therefore the prayer for Gods feare the looking in Gods glasse and the tag thereto will not burst open the blockish heart yet hope I that the repetition of these examples especially of our late King and this troublesom time will moue some teares out of thine heart if thou wilt pray for Gods Spirit accordingly For who art thou thinke alwaies with thy selfe that God should spare thée more then them whose examples thou hast heard What friends hast thou Were not of these Kings Prophets Apostles learned and come of holy Stockes I deceiue my selfe thinke thou with thy selfe if I beléeue that God being the same God that he was will spare me whose wickednesse is no lesse but much more then some of theirs Hee hateth sinne now as much as euer hee did The longer he spareth the greater vengeance will fall the deeper he draweth his Bow the sorer will his shaft pierce But if yet thy heart be so hardened that all this will not moue thee then surely art thou in a very euill estate and remedy now I know none What sayd I none Know I none Yes there is one which is suresby as they say to serue if any thing will serue You looke to know what this is Forsooth the Passion and Death of IESVS CHRIST You know the cause why CHRIST became man and suffered as hee suffered was the sinnes of his people that hee might saue them from the same Consider the greatnesse of the sore I meane sin by the greatnesse of the Chyrurgion and the salue Who was the Chyrurgion no Angel no Saint no Archangel no power no creature in heauen nor in earth but onely he by whom all things were made all things are ruled also euen Gods own Deareling and only beloued Son becomming man Oh what a great thing is this that could not be done by the Angels Archangels Potentates Powers or all the creatures of God without his owne Sonne who of necessity must come downe from heauen to take our nature become man Here haue ye the Shyrurgion great was the cure that this mighty Lord tooke in hand Now what was the salue Certainly of an inestimable valew and of many compositions I cannot recite al but rather must leaue it to your hearty consiberations Thirty-three yeares was he curing our sore Hee sought it earnestly by fasting watching praying c. The same night that he was betrayed I read how busie he was about a plaister in the Garden when he lying flat on the ground praying with teares and that of bloud not a few but so many as did flow downe on the ground againe crying on this sort Father sayth he if it bee possible let this Cup depart from me That is If it be possible that else the sinnes of mankind can be taken away grant that it may be so Thou heardest Moses crying for the Idolaters Thou heardest Lot for the Zoarites Samuel Dauid and many other for the Israelites And deere Father I onely am thine owne Sonne as thou hast sayd in whom thou art well pleased wilt thou not heare me I haue by the space of thirty-three yeares done alwaies thy Will I haue so humbled my selfe that I would become an abiect amongst men to obey thee Therfore deere Father if it be possible grant my request saue mankind now without any further labour salues or plasters But yet sayth he not as I will but as thou wilt But Syr what heard he Though he sweat bloud and water in making his plaister for our sore of sinne yet it framed not Twice he cryed without comfort yea though to comfort him God sent an Angell wee know that yet this plaister was not allowed for sufficient vntill hereunto Christ Iesus was betrayed forsaken of all his Disciples forsworne of his dearely beloued bound like a Thiefe belyed on buffeted whipped scourged crowned with thorns crucified racked nailed hanged vp betweene two theeues cursed and railed vpon mocked in misery and had giuen vp the ghoâ—t then bowed downe the head of Christ that is God the Father which is the head of Christ then allowed he the plaister to bee sufficient and good for the healing of our sore which is sinne Now would God abide our breath because the stinke that is damnation or guiltinesse was taken away by the sweet sauor of the breath of this LAMBE thus offered once for all So that here dearely beloued we as in a glasse may see to the brusing of our blockish hard hearts Gods great iudgement and anger against sin Gen. 6. Gen. 19. The Lord of lords the King of kings the brightnesse of Gods glory the Son of God the Deareling of his Father in whom he is well pleased hangeth between two theeues crying for thes me and for vs all My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Oh hard hearts that we haue who delight in sin Look on this see the very hart of Christ pierced with a speare wherein thou maist see reade Gods anger for sin Woe to thy hard heart that pierced it And thus much for the first part of Repentance I meane for the meanes of working contrition First vse prayer then looke on Gods Lawe thirdly Gen. 19. see his curse fourthly set examples of his anger before thee and last of all set before thee the precious death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ From this and prayer cease not til thou feele some hearty sorrow for thy sinne The which when thou feelest then labour for the other part that is faith on this sort As first in Contrition I willed thee not to trust to thy free will for the attaining of it so doe I will thee
Was there any loue like to this loue God indeede hath commanded his charitie and loue to vs herein that when wee were very enemies vnto him he would giue his owne Sonne for vs. That wee being men might become as you would say Gods God would become man That we being mortall might become immortall the immortall God would become mortall man That we earthly weretches might be Citizens of Heauen the Lord of Heauen would become as a man would say earthly That we being accursed might be blessed God would be accursed That we by our father Adam being broght out of Paradise into the puddle of al pain might be redeemed and brought into Paradise againe God would be our Father and an Adam thereunto That wée hauing nothing might haue al things God hauing al things would haue nothing That we being vassailes and slaues to all euen to Sathan the Fiend might be Lords of all and of Sathan the Lord of all would become a vassaile and a slaue to vs all and in danger of Sathan Oh loue incomprehensible Who can otherwise thinke now but if the gracious good Lord disdained not to giue his owne Sonne his owne hearts ioy for vs his very enemies before wée thought to begge any such thing at his hands yea before we were who I say can thinke otherwise but that with him hee will giue vs all good things If when we hated him and fled away from him hee sent his Son to séek vs who can thinke otherwise then that now we louing him and lamenting because wee loue him no more but that he wil foreuer loue vs Hee that giueth the more to his enemies will not he giue the lesse to his friends God hath giuen his owne Sonne then which nothing is greater euen to vs his enemies and wée now being become his friends wil ne deny vs faith and pardon of our sins which though they be great yet in comparison they are nothing at all Christ Iesus would giue his owne selfe for vs when we willed if not and will he now deny vs faith if wee will it This will is his earnest that he hath giuen vs truly to looke indeed for the thing willed And looke thou for it in deed for as he hath giuen thée to will so will he giue thee to doe Iesus Christ gaue his life for our euils and by his death hee deliuered vs. O then in that hee liueth now and cannot dye will hee forsake vs his heart bloud was not too deare for vs when we asked it not what can then be now too deare for vs asking it Is he a changeling Is he mutable as man is Can he repent him of his gifts Did he not foresée our falls Payd not he therefore the price Because hee sawe wee should fall sore therefore would he suffer sore Yea if his suffering had not béene enough he would yet once more come againe God the Father I am sure if the death of his Sonne incarnate would not serue would himselfe and the holy Ghost also become incarnate and dye for vs. This death of Christ therefore look on as the very pledge of Gods loue towards thee whosoeuer thou art how déep soeuer thou hast sinned Sée Gods hands are nayled they cannot strike thee his féete also hée cannot run from thée his armes are wide open to embrace thee his head hangs downe to kisse thée his very heart is open so that therin look nay euen spy and thou shalt sée nothing therein but loue loue loue loue to thee hide thee therefore lay thy head there with the Euangelist This is the clift of the Rock wherin Helias stood This is for all aking heads a pillow of downe Anoint thy head with this oyle let this oyntment enbalme thy head and wash thy face Tarry thou on this firme Rocke and I le warrant thee Say with Paul What can separate me from the loue of God Can death can pouertie can sicknesse hunger or any misery perswade thee now that God loueth thee not Nay nothing can separate thee from the loue wherwith God hath loued thee in CHRIST IESVS whom he loueth he loueth to the end So that now where abundance of sin hath bin in thee the more is the aboundance of grace But to what end Certainly that as sinne hath reigned to death as thou seest to the killing of Gods Son so now Grace must reigne to Life to the honouring of Gods Son who is now aliue and cannot dye any more So that they which by faith feele this cannot any more dye to God but to sin whereto they are dead and buried with CHRIST As Christ therefore liueth so doe they and that to God to righteousnesse and holinesse The life which they liue is In fide Filij Dei In the faith of the Sonne of God Whereby you see that now I am slipt into that which I made the third part of penance namely newnesse of life which I could not so haue done if that it were a part of it selfe indeed as it is an effect or fruit of the second part that is of faith or trust in Gods mercy For he that beléeueth that is is certainely perswaded sin to be such a thing that is the cause of all miserie and of it selfe so greatly angreth God that in heauen nor in earth nothing could appease his wrath saue alonely the death and precious bloud-shedding of the Sonne of God in whom is all the delight and pleasure of the Father hee I say that is perswaded thus of his sin the same cannot but in heart abhorre and quake to doe or say yea to thinke any thing willingly which Gods Lawe teacheth him to be sinne Againe he that beleeueth that is is certainly perswaded Gods loue to be so much towards him that where through sinne he was lost and made a fire brand of hell the eternall Father of mercy which is the omni sufficient God and néedeth nothing to vs or of any thing that we can do to deliuer vs out of hell and to bring vs into heauen did send euen his owne most deer Sonne out of his bosome out of heauen into hell as a man would say to bring vs as I sayd from thence into his own bosome and mercy we being his very enemies hee I say that is thus perswaded of Gods loue toward him and of the price of his redemption by the deare bloud of the Lamb immaculate IESVS CHRIST the same man cannot but loue God again and of loue doe that and heartily desire to doe better the which might please God Thinke you that such a one knowing these things by faith wil willingly insist wallow in his wilfull lusts pleasures and fantasies Will such a one as knoweth by faith Christ Iesus to haue giuen his bloud to wash him from his sins play the Sow to nuzle in his puddle of filthy sin and vice againe Nay rather then hee will bee defiled againe by his wilfull sinning he will wash often the feet of his affections watching