Bradford a Preacher and an example of that repentance which he dyd preach Ionas preached to Niniue repentance and al Niniue the King Princes people old and yong repented To England Bradford dyd peeache and yet doth preach repentaunce and surely England hath now much more cause to repent then it had when Bradford lyued preached repentance For all states sortes of parsons in England are now more corrupt shen they were then Let therefore now Bradfordes sermon his lyfe his death moue thée O England to repent al thy peryll I wish warne that as in Niniuie so in England al from the highest to the lowest do vnfainedly repent They which are of the Lourt they which are of the Church they whiâ—a are of the Citye they which are of the cuntrey Princes Prelates and people let all and euery one repent and depart from that euyll which he hath in hand and turne wholy to the Lorde And I do humbly beséech thy Maiesty oh glorious Lord Iesus which diddest come to blesse Israell turniug euery one of them from their synnes to worke now by thy spirite in our hartes the same sound repentance which the holynes dyd preache to men when thou saydest Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand This worke in vs O gracious God our Sauionr Amen And uow Reader I leaue thée to the reading and practising of that repentance which Bradford heare teacheth ¶ TO THE CHRIstian Reader Iohn Bradforde wysheth the true knowlsdge and peace of Iesus Christ our alone and omni sufficient Sauiour GReat and heauy is Gods anger against vs as the most greeuous plague of the death of our late King a Prince of all that euer was sitheÌ„ Christs ascension into heaueÌ„ in any Region peereles now fallen vpoÌ„ vs doth prognosticate For when Gods iudgement hath begun with his Childe this our deare dearlyng let other men thinke as they can I surely cannot be perswaded otherwise but that a greeuous and bitter cup of Gods vengeaneis ready to be poured out for ve English men to drinke of The whelpe God hath beaten to fray the bandeg Iudgement is begun at Gode house In Gods mercy to himwardes he is taken away that his eyes should not sée the miseries which we shall feele He was to good to tary with vs so wicked so froward so peruers so obstinate so malicious so hipocriticall fo couetous vncleane vntrue proude and carnall a generation I wyll not go about to paynt vs out in our colours All the world which neuer saw England by hearesay seeeth England God by his plagues and vengeaunce I feare me wyll paynt vs out and point vs out We haue so mocked with him and his Gospel that we shall féele it is no bourding with him ¶ Of long tyme we haue couered our couetousnes and carnalitie vnder the cloke of his Gospell so that all men shal see vs to our shame when he shall take his Gospel away geue it to a people y wil bring forth y fruites of it then shal we appeare as we be To let his Gospel tary with vs he cannot for we despise it contemne it are giuâ—ted with it We disdaine his Manna it is but a vile meate thinke we We would be againe in Egypt and sâ—t by the greasy steshpots to eute againe our Garlike Onions and Léekes â—ithens Gods Gospell came amongest vs we say now he had neuer plenty therefore againe let vs go and woyrship the Queene of heauen Chyldren begynne to gather stickes the Fathers kindle the fire and the women make the cakes to offer to the Quéene of heauen to prouoke the Lord to anger The earth cannot abide now the wordes Sermons of Anios the cause of all rebelliou is Amos his preaching It is Paule and his felowes that makes all out of order Sumnia the Gospel is now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the out cast eursse of the Realme so are the Preachers therefore out of the doores with them So that I say God cannot let his Gospell tary with vs but must néedes take it away to do vs some pleasure therein for so shall we thinke for a tyme as the Sodomitanes thought when Lot departed froÌ„ them as the olâ— world thought when Noe crept into his Arke as the Ierosolomitanes thought wheÌ„ the Apostels went thence to Pâ—â—tis Then wâ—r they mery then was at pastime When Moises was absent then went they to eating and drinking and rose againe â—â— play Then was all peace all was wel nothing amysse But alas sodainlye came the floud and drowned them Gods wrath wared hote against them Then was weale away mourning and woe then was crying out wringing of hands renting of clothes sobbing and fighyng for the miseries fallen out of the which they could not scape But oh ye mourners and cryers out ye renters of clothes why mourne ye What is the cause of your misery The Gospell is gone Gods word is little preached you were not disquieted with it Noe troubleth you not Lot is departed the Apostels are gone What uow is the cause of these your miseries Wyl you at the length confesse it is your syunes Nay now it is to late God called vpon you and you would not heare him therfore yell and cry out nowe for he wyll not heare you You bowed your eares from hearing of Gods law therefore your praier is execrable But to come againe to vs Englishmen I feare me I say for our vnthaukfulues sake for our impietie and wyeednes as God hath taken away our King so wyll he take away his Gospel yea so we would haue it then should all be well thinke many Well if he take that away for a tyme perchaunce we shall be qutel but at length we shall féele the want to our wee at length he wyll haue at vs as at Sodeme at Ierusalem and other places And now he beginneth to brue such a bruing wherin one of vs is lyke to destroy an other and so make an open gappe for forren enemies to deuour vs and destroy vs The father is agaynst the sonne the brother against the brother and Lord with what conscience Oh be thou mercyfull vnto vs and in thine anger remember thy mercy suffer thy selfe to be intreated be reconciled vnto vs nay reconcile vs vnto thée Oh thou God of iustice iudge iustly oh thou Sonne of God which camest to destroy the works of Satan destroy hys furours nowe smoking and almost set on fyre in this Realme We haue syuned we haue synned and therefore art thou angry O be not angry for euer Geue vs peace peace peace in the Lord set vs to wâ—â— against synne against Satan against our carnall desires and geue vs the victory this way Thys victorye we obtayne by faith This faith is not without repentaunce as her Gentlemau Ussher before her Before her I say in disceruing true fayth from false faith â—yp faith Englishmens faith for els if
thou first of all looke for thy request at Gods hand without any doubting though forthwith thou feelest not the same for oftentimes we haue thynges of God geuen vs long before we feele them as we would do Now vnto this praier vse thou these meanes folowing After praier for faith which I would should bee first secondly because the same springeth out of the hearing not of Masses Mattins Cannons Councels Docttors Decrees but out of the hearing of Gods woord get thee Gods woord but not that part which serueth spetially to contrition that is the law but y other part which serueth specially to consolation and certain perswasion of Gods loue towards thee that is the Gospel or publication of Gods mercy in Christ I mean the free promises But here thou must know that there is two kindes of promises one which are property of the law an other which are properly of the Gospell In the promises of the law we may in deede behold Gods mercy but so that it hangeth vpon the coÌ„dition rfour worthynes as if thou loue the Lord with all thy hart c. thou shalt finde mercy This kinde of promises though it declare vnto vs Gods loue whych promyseth where he needeth not yet vnto him that feeleth not christ which is the ende of the law they are so far from comforting that vtterly with the law they bring man to great dispaire so greatly we are corrupt for none so loueth God as he ought to doo From these therfore get thee to the other promises of the Gospel in which we may see such plenty and franke lideralitie of Gods goodnes that we cannot but be much comforted though we haue very deepely synned For these promises of the Gospel do not hang on the condition of our worthines 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 all them which lay hold on them by fayth I had almost sayd which cast them not away by vnbeliefe Marke in them therefore two things namely that as wel they are free promises without any condition of our worthines as also that they are vniuersal offered to all al I say which are not so stubburne as to keepe styll theyr handes whereby they should receiue this almes in their bosoms by vnbeliefe As concerning Infantes and children you know I now speake not but concerning such as be of yeares of discretiou And now you looke that I shuld geue you a fast of these promises which are both free vniuersall excepting none but such as excepe themselues Well you shall haue one or two for a say In the third of Iohn sayth our Sauiour So God the Father loued rhe world that he would geue his dear lyng his own onely sonne that all that beleue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting lyfe Loe syr he saith not that some might haue life but all sayth he And what al Al that loue hym with al their harts al that haue lyued a godly life Nay al that beleue in him Although thou hast liued a most wicked and horrible lyfe if now thou beleue in him thou shalt be saued Is not this sweete geare Againe sayth Christ Come vnto me al ye that labour and are laden and I wyll refresh you Let vs a little looke on this letter Come vn to me Who should come Lords Priestes Holy men Moonkes Friers Yea Coblers Tinkers whores theeues murtherers also if they lament their synnes Come vnto me saith he all ye that labour and are laden that is which are afrayd of your synnes And what wylt thou do Lord And I wyll refresh you sayth he Oh what a thing is thys And I wyll refresh you Wot you who spake this He that neuer told lye He is the trueth there was neuer guile found in his mouth and now wyll hee be vntrue to thee good brother which art sory for thy greeuous syns no forsoth Heauen and earth shal passe perish but his word shal neuer faile Saint Paule sayth 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 receiued synne to damnation so by Christ all haue grace offred to saluation if they reiect not the same I speake not now of infantes I say nor I neede not to enter into the matter of predesâ—inatioÌ„ In preaching of repeÌ„â—auce I would gather wher I could with Christ As surely as I lyue sayth God I wyll not the death of a synner Are y a synner Yea. Lo God sweareth he wyll not thy death How canst thou now perish Consider with thy selfe what profit thou shouldest haue to beleue thys to be true to others if not to thy self also Sathan doth so Rather coÌ„sider with Peter that the promise of saluation pertayneth not onely to them which are nye that is to such as are fallen a litle but also to all whom the Lord hath called be they neuer so farre of Loe now by me the Lorde calleth thee thou man thou woman that art very far of The promise therfore pertaineth to thee nedes must thou be saued except thou with Sathan say God is false and yet if thou do so God is faith ful and cannot deny him selfe as thou shalt feele by his plagues in hell for so dishonouring God to think that he is not true Wyl he be found false now The matter hangeth not on thy worthynes but it hangeth on Gods truth Clap hold on it and I warrant thee Christ is the propitiatioÌ„ for our syns yea for the syns of the whole world beleue this man I know thou beleued it say therefore in thy hart styl Domine adauge mihi sideÌ„ Lord increase my faith Lord help my vnbeliefe Blessed are they which see not by reasoÌ„ this geare but yet beleue Hope man past all hope as Abraham did And thus much for a taste of these promises which are euery wher not onely in the new testament but also in the old Reade the last ende of Leuiticus 26. The Prophet Esay 30. where he saith God tarieth looking for thee to shew thee merâ—y Also the. 40. and so fourth to the. 60. Reade also the 2. Regum 24. Psal 33. Ioel 2. c. How be it if this geare wyl not serue if yet thou feelest no fayth no certaine perswasion of Gods loue then vnto prayer and diligent considering of the free and vniuersal promises of the Gospel thirdly set before thee those benefites which God hath â—ofore geuen thee presently geueth thee Consider how he hath made thee a man or a woman which might haue made thee a Toade a Dog And why did he this Uerely because he loued thee And trowest thou that if he loued thee when thou wast not to make thee such a one as he most graciously hath made thee wyll he not now loue thee being hys handy woorke Doth he hate any thing that he
would make this hys sonne being coequal with him in diuinity a mortall man for vs that we might be made immortal by him What a kindnes is thys that the almighty Lord should send to vs his enemies hys deare darlyng to be made poore that we by him might be made ritch What bowels of compassiō was this that the omnipotent Creator of heauen and earth would delyuer his own onely beloued sonne for vs creatures to be not onely flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones that we myght by hym through the holy Ghost be made one with him and so wyth the Father by communicatyng the merites of his flesh that is righteousnes holynes innocency and immortality but also to be a stayne sacrifice for our syns to satisfy his iustice to conuert or turue death in to lyfe our syn into righteousnes hell into heauen misery into felicitye for vs What a mercy is this that God wyll rayse vp this his sonne Christ not onely to iustify and regenerate vs but also in his person to demōstrate vnto vs our state which we shall haue ▪ for in hys comming we shall be lyke vnto hym Oh wonderfull mercy of God whych would assume this his Christ euen in humane body into the heauens to take and keepe ther possession for vs to leade our captiuity captiue to appeare before hym alwayes praying for vs to make the throne of Iustice a throne of mercy the seate of glory a seate of grace so that with boldnes we may come and appeare before God to aske and finde grace in tyme conuenient Againe what a verity and constant truth in God is thys that he would accordyng to hys promise made fyrst to Adam and so to Abraham and others in his time accomplish it by sending his sonne so graciously Who would doubt hereafter of any thing that he hath promised And as for Christes loue oh whose hart can be able to thinke of it any thing as it deserueth He beyng God wold become mā he beyng ritch would become poore he beyng Lord of all the world became a seruaunt to vs all he being immortall would become mortall myserable and fast of all Gods curses yea euen of hell it seife for vs His bloud was nothyng to deare hys lyfe he nothing considered to bryng vs from death to lyfe But thys hys loue needeth more harty waying then many wordes speaking and therefore I omit and leaue it to your considerations So that in the receiuing of this supper as I would you wold tremble at Gods wrath for syn so would I haue you to couple to that terrour and feare true fayth by which ye myght be assured lye perswaded of Gods mercy towardes you Christes loue though al thinges els preached the contrary Do euery of you surely thinke when you heare these wordes Take eate this is my body broken for your synnes Drinke this is my bloud shed for your syns that God the eternal father embracing you Christ calleth and cleppeth you most louingly makyng himselfe one with you and you one wyth hym and one wyth another amongest your selues You ought no lesse to be certayne now that God loueth you pardoneth your syns and that Christ is all yours then if you dyd heare an Angell out of heauen speakyng so vnto you And therefore reioyce and be glad and make thys Supper Eutharichiam a thankes geuing as the Fathers named it Be no lesse certaine that Christ and you now are all one then you are certayne the bread and wyne is one wyth your nature and substaunce after you haue eaten and dronken it Howbeit in thys it differeth that you by fayth are as it were chaunged into Christ and not Christ into you as the bread is for by fayth he dwelleth in vs we in hym God geue vs fayth in the vse of this Sacrament to receyue Christ as he geueth vs handes to receiue the element symbole and visible Sacrament God graunt vs not to prepare our teeth and belly as S Augustine sayth but rather of his mercy he prepare and geue vs true and lyuely fayth to vse thys and all other his ordinances to his glory our comfortes He sweepe the houses of our hartes make them cleane that they may be a woorthy harborough and lodging for the lord Amen Now let vs come and looke on the third and last thing namely wherefore the Lord did institute this Sacrament Our nature is very obliuious of God and of all his benefites And agayne it is very full of dubitation and doubting of Gods loue of his kyndnes Therefore to the end these two thinges might be something reformed and holpen in vs the Lord hath institute this Sacrament I meane that wee myght haue in memory the principal benefites of all benefites that is Christes death that we might be on all partes assured of communion with Christ of all kyndnes the greatest that euer God dyd geue vnto man The former to be the end wherfore Christ did institute this Sacrament he him selfe doth teache vs saying Do ye this in remembraunce of me The latter the Apostle doth uo iesse set forth in saying The bread whih we brake is it not the partaking or communion of the body of Christ Is not the cup of blessyng which we blesse the partaking or cōmunion of the bloud of Christ So that it appeareth the end wherefore this Sacrament was instituted was and is for the reformacion and helpe of our obliuion of that which wee should neuer forget and of our dubitation of that wherof we ought to be most certayne Concerning the former namely of the memory of Christes deare what cōmodity it bringeth with it I wyl purposely for times sake omit Onely a lirle wyll I speake of the commodities cōming vnto vs by the partaking and communion we haue with Christ First it teacheth vs that no man can cōmunicate wyth Chryst but the same must needes communicate with Gods grace fauour wher thorow syns are forgeuen Ther fore this cōmoditye cōmeth here-thorow namely that we should ve certaine of the remission pardon of our synnes The which thing we may also perceue by the cup in that it is called the cup of the new Testament to whych Testament is properly attributed on Gods behalfe obliuion or remission of our syns First I say therefore the supper is instituted to this ende that he which worthely receiueth should be certaine of the remission pardon of hys syns and iniquities how many and great soeuer they be Now great a benefit this is onely they know which haue felt the burthē of syn which of all heauy thinges is the most heauye Agayne no man can cōmunicate with Christes body and bloud but the same must communicate with his spirite for Christes body is no dead carcase Now he that cōmunicateth with Christes spirit cōmunicateth as with holynes righteousnes innocency immortalitie and wyth all the merites of Christes body so doth he with God and all his glory
Repentance or penante is no English woord but we borow it of the Latinistes to whom penance is a forethinking in Englysh in Greeke a beyng wyse afterwardes in Hebrew a conuersion or turning the which conuersion or turning in that it cannot be true harty vnto God especially without some good hope or trust of pardon for that which is already done and past I may well in thys sort define it namely that penance is a sorowing or forethinking of our sinnes past an earnest purpose to amend or turning to God with a trust of pardon This definition may be diuided into three partes First a sorowing for our syns Secondly a trust of pardon which otherwise may be called a perswasion of Gods mercy by the merites of Christ for the forgeuenes of our syns And thirdly a purpose to amend or conuersion to a new life The which third or last part cannot be called properly a part for it is but an effect of penance as towardes the end ye shall see by Gods grace But least suche as seeke for occasion to speake euyll should haue any occasion though they tary not out the end of thys Sermon I therefore diuide penauce into the three foresayde partes of sorrowing for our syn of good hope or trust of pardon and of a new life Thus you now see what penance is a sorowing for syn a purpose to amend with a good hope or trust of pardon This penance not onely differeth from that which men commonly haue taken to be penance in saying doing our enioyned Lady Psalters seuen Psalmes fastynges pylgrimages almes deedes and such like things but also from that which the more learned haue declared to consist of three partes namely Contrition Confession Satisfaction Contrition they cal a iust a ful sorow for their sin For this word iust ful in one of the differences betwene contritioÌ„ and attrition Confession they cal a numbring of al their sins in the eare of their ghostly father for as say they a Iudge cannot absolue without knowledge of the cause or matter so cannot the Priest or ghostly father absolue from other synnes then those which he doth heare Satisfaction they calamendes making vnto God for their syns by their vndue workes opera indebita woorkes more then they neede to do as they terme them This is their penaÌ„ce which they preach write alow But how true this geare is how it agreeeth with Gods woord how it is to be alowed taught preached and writteÌ„ let vs a litle consider If a man repent not vntil he haue a iust and full sorrowing for his syns dearely beloued when shal he repent For in asmuch as hell fire the punishment of the Deuils is a iust punishment for syn In as much as in all syn there is a contempt of God which is all goodnes and therefore there is acontempt deserte or all ylnes alas who can beare or feele this iust sorowe this full sorow for our syns this their contricion which they do so discern froÌ„ their attrition Shal not man by this doctrine rather dispaire then come by repentaÌ„ce If a maÌ„ repent not vntil he haue made confession of all his syns in the eare of his ghostly father if a man cannot haue absolution of his syns vntil his sins be told by tale and number in the Priestes eare in that as Dauid saâ—â—h non can vnderstand much lesse then vtter all his syns Delicta quis intelliget who can vnderstand his sins in that Dauid of him selfe complaineth els where how that his syns are ouerflowed his head as a heauy burthen doo oppresse him alas shal not a man by this doctrine be vtterly driueÌ„ from repentaÌ„ce Though they haue gon about somthing to make plaister for their sores of confession or attrition to aswage this geare bidding a man to hope wel of his coÌ„trition though it be not so full as is required and of his confession though he haue not numbred all his syns if so be the hee do so much as in him lyeth dearely beloued in that there is none but y herein he is gilty for who doth as much as he may trow ye that this plaister is not lyke salt for sore eyes Yes vndoutedly when they haue done al they can for the appeasing of conscieÌ„ces in these points this is the summe that we yet should hope wel but yet so hope that we must hand in a maÌ„mering douting whether our syns be forgeuen For to beleue remissioneÌ„ pecca tornm that is to be certain of for geuenes of synnes as our Crede teacheth vs they count it a presumption Oh abomination and that not onely herein but in all their penance as they paynt it As concerning Satisfaction by their opera indebita vndne works that is by such workes as they neede not to do but of their own voluntarines wylfulnes wylfulnes in deede who seeth not monsterous abhomination blasphemy and euen open fighting agaynst God For if satisfction caÌ„n be done by man then Christ died in vaine for him that so satisfieth so raigneth he in vaine so is he a Bishop a Priest in vain Gods law requireth loue to God with all our hart soule power might strength to that ther is nothing can be done to â—â—dward which is not conteined in this coÌ„mauÌ„dement nothing can ve don ouer aboue this Againe christ requireth to manwarde that wee should loue one another as he loued vs. And trow we the we can do any good thing to our neighborwarâ— whych is not herein comprised Yea let them tel me when they do any thing so in the loue of god their neighbour but that they had nede to cry Remitte nobis debita nostra Forgeue vs our syns So far are we of froÌ„ satisfying Doth not Christ say VVhen you haue done althings that I haue commaunded you say that you be but vnprofitable feruantes Put nothing to my word saith god Yes workes of supererogation yea superabomination say they VVhat soeuer thinges are true sayth the Apostle saint Paul whatsoeuer thinges are honest whatsoeuer thinges are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer thinges pertaine to loue whatsoeuer thinges are of good report if there be any vertue or if ther be any praise haue you them in your minde and do them and the God of peace shal be with you I wene this wel looked on wyl pull vs from popish satisfactory workes which do deface Christes treasures satisfaction In heauen and in earth was there none found that could satisfie Gods anger for our sinnes or get heaueÌ„ for man but onely the sonne of God Iesus Christ the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda who by hys bloud hath wrought the worke of satisfactioÌ„ and alonely is worthy all honour glory and praise 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 Godward for synne then Christes bloud
the tooting in Gods glas the tag therto wyl not burst open thy blockish hart yet I trow the tosâ—ing to and fro of these examples and specially of oue late Kyng and this troublesome time wyll tumble some teares our of thyne hart if thou styll pray for gods spirit accordingly For who art thou thinke alwayes wyth thy selfe that God should spare thee more then them whose examples thou hast heard What friends hast thou Were not of these Kings Prophets Apostels learned and come of holy stockes I deceiue my selfe think thou with thy selfe if I beleue that God being the same God y he was wyl spare me whose wickednes is no sesse but much more then some of theirs He hateth synne now as much as euer he did The longer he spareth the greater vengeance â—il fal the deper he draweth his dow the sorer wil the shaft pearce But if yet thy hart be so hardened that all this geare wyll not moue thee surely thou art in a very euil estate and remedy now know I none What said I none know I none Yes there is one which is suresby as they say to serue if any thyng wyl serue You looke to know what this is Forsoth the passion and death of Iesus Chriâ—â— You know the cause why Christ became man and suffered as he suffered was the sins of his people that he might saue them froÌ„ the same Consider the greatnes of the sore I mean syn by the greatnes of the Surgion and of the salue Who was the Surgion No Angel no Saint no Archangel no power no creature in heauen nor in earth but onely he by whom althings wer made all thinges are ruled also euen Gods own dearling onely beloued sonne becomming man. Oh what a great thing is thys that could not be done by the Angels ArchaÌ„gels Potestates powers or al the creatures of God without his own sonne who yet must needes be thrust out of heauen as a man would say to take our nature become man Here haue ye the Surgion great was the cure that thys mighty Lord tooke in hand Now what was the salue For soth deare geare of many compositions I cannot recite al but rather must leaue it to your harty conâ—idetations Three and thirty yeares was he curyng our sore He sought it earnestly by fasting watching praying c. The same night that he was betrayed I reade how busy he was about a plaster in the garden when he liing sâ—at on the ground praying with teares that of bloud not a few but so manye as dyd flow down on the ground againe criing on this sort Father saith he if it be possible let this cup depart frâ— me that is if it be possyble that els the syns of mankinde can be taken a way graunt that it may be so Thou heardest Moises criyng for the idolaters Thou hear dest Lot for the Zoarites Samuel Dauid and many other for the Israelites and deare father I onely am thine own soâ—ne as thou hast said in whom thou art well pleased wylt thou not heare me I haue by the space of three thirty yeres done alwayes thy wyl I haue so humbled my selfe that I would become an abiect a mongest men to obey thee Therfore deare father if it be possible graunt my request saue maÌ„kind now without any further labour salues or plasters But yet sayth he not as I wyll but as thou wylt But sir what herd he Though he swet bloud water in making his plaster for our sore of syn yet it framed not Twyse he cryed without comfort yea though to comfort him God sent an Angel we yet know y this plaster was not allowed for sufficient vntyll hereunto Christ Iesus was betrayed forsaken of all his Disciples for worne of his dearly beloued bound lyke a theefe belyed on buffered whipped scourged crowned with thornes derided crucified racked nayled hanged vp betwene two theeues cursed and rayled vpon mocked in misery and had geuen vp the ghost then bowed dowue the head of Christ that is God the Father which is the head of Christ then alowed he the plaster to be sufficient good for the healing of our sore which is syn Now would God abide our breth because the stinck that is damuation or giltynes was taken away by the sweete sauer of the breth of thys Lamâ—e thus offered once for al. So that here dearely beloued we as in a glasse may see to the broosyng of our blockyshe hard hartes Gods great iudgement and anger agaynst synne The Lord of Lords the King of Kings the brightnes of Gods glory the sonne of God the dearling of his Father in whom he is wel pleased haÌ„geth betwene two theues crying for thee me and for vs al My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh hard harts that we haue which make tuts for syn Looke on this toote in the very hart of Christ pâ—arced with a speare wherein thou maiest see and reade Gods horrible anger for synne Woe to thy hard hart that pearred it And thus much for the first part of repentaunce I meane for the meanes of working contricion First vse prayer then looke on Gods law thirdly see his curse fourthly set examples of his anger before thee and last of all set before thee the death of Christ From this and prayer cease not tyl thou fecle some harty sorrow for thy syn The which wheÌ„ thou feelest then labour for the other part that is fayth on this sort As first in contrition I wylled shee not to trust to thy free wyll for the assayning of it so doo I wyll thee in thys Fayth is so far from the reach of mans free wyl that to reason it is plaine foolishnes Therfore thou must first go to God whose gyft it is thou must I say get thee to the father of mercy whose worke it is that as he hath brought thee downe by contrition and humbled thee so he would geue thee fayth raise thee vp and exalt thee On this maner therefore with the Apostles and the pore man in the Gospell that cryed Lord encrease our fayth Lord helpe my vnbeliefe pray thou and say O mercyfull God and deare Father of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in whom as thou art wel pleased so hast thou commauÌ„ded vs to heare him for asmuch as he often byddeth vs to aske of thee and thereto promiseth that thou wylt heare vs and grauÌ„t vs that which in his name we shall aske of ther loe gracious Father I am bold to beg of thy mercy thorow thy sonne Iesus Christ one sparckle of true faith and certaine perswasioÌ„ of thy goodnes loue towardes me in Christ wherethrough I beyng assured of the pardon of al my syns by the mercies of Christ thy sonne may be thankfull to thee loue thee and serue thee in holynes and righteousnes al the daies of my lyte On this sort I say or otherwise as God shalmoue thee pray
before we were who I say can thinke otherwyse but that with him he wyl geue vs al good thinges If when we hated him â—led away from him he sent his sonne to seeke vs who can thinke otherwise then that now we louing him and lamenting because we loue him no more but that he wyl for euer loue vs He that geueth the more to his enemies wil not he geue the lesse trow you to his friends God hath geuen his own sonne then which thing nothing is greater to vs hys enemies we now being becom his friendes wyll he deny vs fayth pardon of our sins which though they be great yet in comparison they are nothing at al Christ Iesus would geue his own selfe for vs when we willed it not wyll he now deny vs faith if we wyll it This wyl is hys earnest that he hath giuen vs truly to looke in deede for the thing wylled And looke thou for it in deede for as he hath geuen thee to wyl so wil he geue thee to do Iesus Christ gaue his lyfe for our euyls by his death delyuered vs Oh then in that he liueth now and cannot dye wyll he forsake vs â–ª His hart bloud was not to deare for vs when we asked it not what can then bee now to deare for vs asking it Is he a chaungeling Is he inutable as maÌ„ is Can he repent him of his gifâ—es Dyd he not foresee our falles Payd not he therefore the price Because he saw we should fal sore therefore would he suffer sore Yea if his suffering had not bene inough he would yet once more come again God the father I am sure if the death of his sonne incarnate would not serue wold himselfe the holy ghost also becom incarnate dye for vs This death of Christ therfore looke on as the very pledge of Gods loue towards thee whosoeuer thou art how deepe soeuer thou hast sinned See Gods hands are nailed they cannot strike thee hys feete also he cannot run troÌ„ thee his armes are wyde open to embrace thee his head hangs down so kysse thee his very hart is opeÌ„ so that therin see toâ—te looke spy peâ—pe and thou shalt see nothing therin but loue loue loue loue to thee hyde thee therfore lay thy head there with the Euangelist This is the clyft of the rocke wherein Helias stoode This is the pillow of down for all akyng heades Anoynt thy head wyth this oyle let this oyntment enbaulme thy head wash thy face Tary thou here cock sure thou art I warrant thee Say with Paul what can separate me from the loue of God Can death can pouerty sycknes hunger or any misery perswade thee now that God loueth thee not Nay nothing can separate thee from the loue wher wyth God hath loued thee in Christ Iesus whom he ioueth he loueth to the end So that â—ow where aboundaunce of syn hath â—en in thee the more is the aboudance of grace But to what end â–ª Forsoth that as syn hath raigued to death as theâ— seesâ— to the kylling of Gods sonne so now grace must raigne to lyfe to the honouring of Gods sonne who is now a lyue and cannot dye any more So that they which by â—ayth feele this caÌ„not any more dye to God â—â—t o syn whereto they are dead and buried with Christ As Christ therefore liueth so do they and that to God to righteousâ—â—s and holynes The life which they lyue is In fide filii bei in the faith of the sonne of God Wherby you see that now I am slipt into that which I made the third part of penance namely newnes of lyfe which I could not so haue done if that it were a part of it selfe in deede as it is au effect or fruit of the second part that is of fayth or trust in Gods mercy For hee that beleueth that is is certainly perswaded synne to be such a thing that it is the cause of al misery and of it self so greatly angereth God that in heauen nor in earth nothing could appease his wrath saue alonely the death and precious bloud sheddyng of the sonne of God in whom is all the delight and pleasure of the father he I say that is perswaded thus of syn the same caÌ„not but in hart abhor quake to do or say yea to thinke any thing willingly which Gods law teacheth him to be syn Agayne he that beleueth that is is certainly perswaded Gods loue to be so much to wards him that where through syn he was lost made a firebraÌ„d of hell the eternal father of mercy which is the omnisufficient God nedeth nothing to vs or of anithing that we can do to deliuer vs out of hel and to bring vs into heauen dyd send euen hys owne most deare sonne out of hys bosome out of heauen into hel as a man would say to bring vs as I sayd from theÌ„ce into his own bosom mercy we being hys very enemies he I say that is thus perswaded of Gods loue towards hym of the price of his redemptioÌ„ by the deare bloud of the Lambe imaculate Iesus Christ the same man cannot but loue God againe of loue do that hartely desire to do better the which myght please god Trow you that such a one knowing this geare by faith wil willingly walter wallow in his wilful lusts pleasures faÌ„tasies Wyll such a one as knoweth by faith Christ Iesus iâ— haue geuen his bloud to wash hym from hys syns play the Sow to walter in his puddle of filthy syn vyce againe Nay rather then he wil be defiled againâ— â–ª by wilful synning he wil wash often the feete of his affections watching ouer y vice styll sticking in hym which as a spring continuallye sendeth out poison inough to drown defile him if the sweete water of Christes passioÌ„ in Gods syght did not wash it his bloud satisfy the rigour of Gods iustice due for the same Thys bloud of Christ shed for our sins is so deare in the sight of him that beleueth that he wyâ—l abhorre in his hart to stampe it tread it vnder his feete He knoweth now by his beliefe that it is to much that he therto hee hath set to little by it and is ashamed therof Therefore for the residue of hys lyfe he purposeth to take better beede to himselfe then before he did Because he seeth by hys faith the greuousnes of Gods anger the foulnes of syn the greatnes of Gods mercy of Christes loue towardes him he wyll now be heedye to pray to God to geue hym his grace accordingly that as with his eyes toung handes feete c. he hath displeased God doing his own wyl euen so now with the same eyes toung eares handes feete c. he may displease his own selfe and do Gods wyll Willingly wyll hee not doo that which myght renue the death of the sonne of God He