our teares that they shoulde not gush out of our soules to water and refresh vs in the middest of our extremitie Matt. 2 Wherefore kil Herode that Christ may liue slay thy sinnes that thy soule may liue If wee liue after the flesh we shal die Gal 5. but if we die to the flesh wee shal liue and Herod being dead Christ wil returne againe into Egypt As Iacob was called Iacob which signifieth a supplanter â—en 3â— before hee was called Israel which is seeing God so wee must first bee Iacob and supplant our sinnes and take them by the heeâ—â— as Iacob did Esau and giue them a fall before wee can be Israelites and see God and be partakers of his kingdome â—od 19 As God gaue commandement to stone the beast which would approch and touch the mountaine so we drawing neere by heauenly meditations to Gods most holy mountaine it is enioined vs to kill the beast our sensuall pleasures and sinfull lusts which are nothing else but beastly Wherefore poure out thy heart like water We must repent our selues of all our sinnes Lament 2 as Hieremy exhorteth thee before the face of God like water not like honie oyle or wine If any other liquour beside water bee poured out of a vessell somewhat of the liquour will hang vnto the sides or remaine in the bottome especiallie clammy and limie substance as oyle and honey or at the least the sauour of that liquour is still retained and remaineth in the cup if both these faile yet will the glasse vessell or cup draw vnto it the outward colour of that liquor as it were wholie altered and changed into that colour But water doth none of these for it runneth out clearely it leaueth neither substance colour or sauour at all behind it Therefore we must as the Prophet warneth poure forth our spirits like water as to our power we may leaue no remainder no dregs no substance no shewe of sinne behind vs but poure it out al out of the vessels of our hearts Wherefore as God commanded Saul to destroy Amalech and to reserue no creature aliue 1. Sam 15 neither sheepe or oxen or any other thing Rom. 6. so God commandeth vs vtterly that we doe abolish the whole body of sinne that no part of sinne bee kept aliue in vs. When as the Israelites were vnder Pharao his bondage Exod. 10 and when as Israell was to sacrifice vnto the Lorde Pharao spake thus vnto Moses and to Aaron Go sacrifice vnto the Lord only let your sheep and cattel remaine Hee would haue a pledge and assurance of their returne and so would the Diuell haue of his captiues whome hee holdeth in there sinne when they should depart from their sinne by true repentance and returne vnto GOD. Hee would haue some sinne that wee shoulde not repent of that we may leaue as a pawne in his hande of our comming againe But aunswere thou the Diuell as Moses and Aaron did aunswere Pharao All our Cattell shall goe with vs their shall not remaine a hoofe behinde vs there shal no sinne tarrie behinde vs all shall be slaine and vtterly destroied As the Angell when he deliuered Peter out of prison Act. 1â— hee willed him to girde himselfe and to binde on his sandales not to leaue them behind him least hee should bee mooued to retire againe for them so wee going out of the prison of sinne let vs not leaue anie sinne behinde which maie cause vs to returne and may drawe vs backe after it Leuit. 8 The Bullocke that was slaine by Aaron the priest for a sinne offering was not onelie sacrificed but also all the fatte that was vppon the inwardes the kall of the liuer and the two kidneyes with their fatte were burnt vppon the altar yea the Hyde the flesh the doung was burnt with fire without the hoast as the Lord had commaunded Moses So wee for our attonement must offer this sinne offering wee must burne with fire and consume all our sinnes the very doung and excrements must be done away there must bee nothing left We must serue sin as the altars of idolatry Deut. 7 which God commanded should be throwne downe and crushed in peeces Our sinnes which we haue worshipped must be serued as the Calfe which the Israelites adored Moses grinded it to powder and gaue it to the people of Israel to drinke that so hee might be sure nothing should remaine of it But this tractate of true repentaunce Obiection will seeme needlesse to some to whome repentance it selfe seemeth needles For there be those who think that it needeth not or booteth not to repent themselues of that which cannot bee helped to bee sorrowfull for that which cannot bee called backe sinnes that are done cannot bee vndone and therefore it is in vaine to bee sorrowfull for them This is a lewd and vngodly obiection and the argument most weake Trewe it is Answere that euill deedes and actions committed cannot bee reuersed yet are they not so paste as if nothing remained present for the memorie the remorse the guilt of them remaineth It was sometime tolde a Philosopher that he ought not to mourne for his dead son because there was no remedie all the sorrowe and lamentation that he made could not reuiue him but the Philosopher answered that therefore hee had iust cause of lamenting because it coulde not bee otherwise so ought the godly to grieue that they haue sinned and also because it could not be otherwise Obiection Othersome there be who when as they see that of their sinne there hath come good as God out of euill thinges can bring good thinges to passe they thinke this kind of sinne hath a priuiledge and protection and that it is not to bee repented of of vs. Shall we repent our selues say they of that which hath done vs so much good nay let vs rather bee glad of it and reioice There was a religious woman by profession who hauing had two base children being willed by hir confessour in time to bee sorrowfull for this loose and lewde behauiour she answered that there was no reason of that for as much as those children proued so good men the one beeing the great schooleman Gratian and the other Peter Lombarde the maister of the Sentences she rather wished that she had more such children shee was so far from sorrowing for those which she already had Answere But this conceite is as idle as the former and hath no reason in it The Apostle setteth it down as a flat conclusion and Canon in diuinitie that we must not sinne that good may come of it Shall we sinne then saith he that grace may abound Rom. 6 Nay God forbid How shall wee that are dead to sinne liue yet therein Wherefore let vs who are burdened with our sinnes come before God in a godlie sorrowe for them that he might ease vs of them Let the straie sheepe returne vnto his shepheard the sicke
patient to his Phisitian the sinner to his Sauiour the lost sonne to his mercifull father and the creature to his Creator who is blessed for euer The third Chapter That wee must with the Prodigall sonne ioine faith to our repentance the better to incite and pricke vs forwarde to rtturne vnto our father VNlesse a sinner witâ— the knowledge of his sinne and his godly sorrowe conceiued for the same doeth also strengthen himselfe with faith and hopeth of the pardon and forgiuenesse of it it nothing at all auaileth him it rather serueth as a sworde to wounde him then a medicine for to heale him It is to no purpose for a man to knowe where hee may haue a sworde to take awaie his life rather let vs seeke where wee maie haue a salue to cure our deadlie woundes and to preserue our life But our only comfort and remedy is our faith which withstandeth all temptations ouercommeth all assaultes and preuenteth desperation Faith is vnto vs Exod. 14 as the fire and clowdy piller was vnto the Israelites seruing to conduct them in their way out of Egypt thorough the vaste wildernesse it guideth vs in the right way whilest wee trauaile in the solitarie desart of this world towards the heauenly Canaan â— similitude The strength of an house is in the foundation and if that bee sure the building will not shake for anie storme and tempest that doeth beate against it Faith is the foundatâ—on and substance of our building Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. â—â— and the euidence of thinges that are not seene Whilest the sterne and maine Mast of a ship is founde if in a mightie tempest the marriners shall caste out their Anchors into the sea and disburden the shippe of her heauie fraight it is to bee preserued and saued from shipwracke but if these faile and suffer wracke by the weather it cannot bee that it shoulde escape destruction so men that are emptied as it were of their vertues and suffer their godlinesse dailie to diminish yet so long as faith lasteth and remaineth stedfast they cannot quite perish but let them loose this there is no helpe for them they loose altogether This similitude is Paules which hee vseth to this ende writing thus to Timothie 1. Tim. 1 This commaundement commit I vnto thee sonne Timotheus that thou shouldest sight a good fight hauing faith and a good conscience which some haue put away and as concerning faith haue made a shipwrack As Merchauntes albeit they haue susteined great losses similitude for two yeares together yet a thirde lucky yeare maketh vp all againe so though wee haue lost the good graces of God with this prodigall sonnâ— yet if at length wee haue a good faith with him we shall well enough ouercome and recouer our former losse and be in good estate and happinesse againe What faith this man hath appeareth by his wordes For after hee acknowledged his fathers bountie to his hired seruants he harteneth himselfe with the hope of greater kindnesse to bee extended towardes him vppon his returne beeing a sonne And therefore premising and meditating vppon this Howe manie hyred seruauntes in my Fathers house haue bread enough and I die for hunger Hee cheereth himselfe with a confidence of comfort saying to himselfe I will arise and go to my Father Hee placed his wordes in verie good ranke speaking to great purpose to mooue affections I a Sonne They Seruauntes They haue enough I die for hunger They manie and yet are replenished I but one and loe I am famished Therefore it must needes bee well with me if I returne home as it is with them who are now at home I wil therefore hie me home and appeare before my father Wherfore vnto the true repentance of our sinne consequentlie of necessitie a true faith must bee adioyned which onelie discerneth trueth from falsehoode true repentance from hypocrisie which stayeth it selfe wholie vppon the worde of GOD the foundation thereof this word being the argument and subiect of our faith If therefore we do repent and bewaile our sinnes it is manifest that we are moued and touched with Gods word that it hath pricked our hearts And this good tree cannot but bring forth good fruit it cannot be idle in the harts of the faithful In this respect learned men do make Faith and Contrition the two essential parts and members of repentance Contrition whereby we repent that is past and faith wherby we hope of grace to come Wee goe not so fa re with them as to make faith a part of repentance but wee hold it needefull that it bee matched with repentance that it goe hande in hand with it that it be not diuorced and diuided from it In man there are two partes whereuppon hee doth consist â—â—militude the minde and the bodie yet we saie not that the minde is a parte of the bodie or the bodie of the minde The like may be said of faith and repentaunce In the Sunne there is his orbicular and rounde proportion similitude and his light and brightnesse yet though they bee conioyned neither is the forme of it a parte of this his brightnesse neither is his brightnesse anie part of his forme So faith and repentaunce goe togither in the faithfull and are not separated yet one of them is not a member of the other faith is ioyned to it as the originall of it the only motiue of it like vnto a Captaine that giueth the onset This holdeth vp our slipperie feet from falling and this lifteth vp those that are downe this maketh vs to goe thorough fire and water and ordereth our goings this is the victorie that ouercommeth the world This maketh vs to march out couragiouslie with Dauid against Goliah of Gath that vncircumcised Philistine it teacheth our handes to war and our fingers to fight and our armes to breake euen a bowe of steele Marcellinus Bishop of Rome Marcellinus B. of Rome hauing before sacrificed vnto Idols and by faith moued to repentance boldly preached that which he denied before became a martyr for the trueth sake and confirmed it with his deaths Cyprian in his sermon and treatise de lapsis maketh mention of Castus Aemilius Castus Aemiliuâ— who violentlie coacted to an abiuration of the trueth through extremity of tormentes afterwarde beeing reclaimed thorough remorse of conscience repenting themselues exceedinglâ—e of their weakenesse grewe so strong in the faith as they ouercame the fire and brake the yce valiantlie and couragiouslie did vndergoe the tyrannie of their tormentors But what need we heape vp forreine examples seeing wee haue so many domesticall The late time of Queene Mary affordeth vs many Master Foxe in his booke of Monuments doth largely intreat of them among others in London there was a certaine priest who thorough feare of the crueltie and bitternesse of death which was before his eies abiured and renounced the true religion and embraced Popery But the
As if hee should haue sayd I dare not and I doe not make sute vnto thee to bee as I was before and to bee taken for thy sonne I am vnworthie of such fauour I haue so disgraced my selfe I haue beene so dislike thee that I cannot bee thy sonne vouchsafe mee that mercie that I maie belong vnto thee that I maie haue a roome and seruice in thy house among the companie of thy hyred seruants I will not bee thy sonne but Lorde make mee thy seruaunt Psal 85 For better it is for mee to be a doore keeper in thy house then to keepe swine abroade One thing therefore doe I desire of thee euen that I may dwel in thy house for euer For there the swallow hath found her a nest and the sparrow a place wherein to hide her selfe euen thy altars ô Lord my king and my God Of this example let vs make a godlie vse and let vs learne humilitie it will auaile vs much as it did this man Matt. 7 Enter saith Christ into the straite gate which must bee by humilitie For we cannot passe through a narrow gate but by stowping low vnto it And better it is to stoupe too much then an â—uch too little otherwise he may receiue a knocke and be repelled backe Matt. 4 Our Sauiour Christ preached often of humilitie because it might be better learned of vs Of whome did he make choice to be his followers but humble and base fishermen Whom hee so peremptorilie charged with this dutie as he told them flâ—tlie that vnlesse they were lowlie and humble like children Matt. 18 they should not be saued Luk. 2 Christ by humilitie was exalted to all dignitie When he was borne in a stable and laide among beasts he was applauded and glorified by Angels When as hee was circumcised the eight day as a sinner he was then named Iesus which signifieth a Sauiour When he was numbred among the wicked and betweene two theeues crucified the whole heauen was then obscured Matt. 27 and the Sunne and Moone eclipsed and hee was by his father by signes and woonders glorified and by the Centurion standing by and seeing them publiquelie magnfied A lowlie man without pride is like an innocent Doue without gall 〈◊〉 similitude 〈◊〉 similitude A tree that is planted in the lower ground is safer then that which standeth higher vpon a loftie mountaine for the windes and tempestes haue more power ouer it He that is the lesser is the greater saith Christ Luk. 14 The greater because his rewarde shall be greater the greater because he is like vnto Christ who is greatest of all A similitude As ashes do keep and preserue fire so our humilitie whereâ—y wee consider our selues to be but ashes keepeth and cheerisheth the fire of the spirit The deeper and lower that the pit is A similitude the holesomer and sweeter the water of it is so the lowlier and humbler thou art the more delightfull and gracious art thou vnto God Thou canst neuer loose by thy godly humilitie for it will extoll thee and bring thee vnto dignitie Paul who in humilitie confessed himselfe to be the least of the Apostles 1. Cor. 15 in labours through God who wrought mightilie with him hee exceeded and surpassed all the rest of the Apostles The Baptist who thought so meanlie of himself Matt. 3 as hee thought his hande not woorthie to vntie Christes shooe Christ vsed that hand to a higher office and did put it to his heade and was baptized of it The Centurion who adiudged himselfe vnworthie to receiue Christ into his house Mat. 8 Christ did commend him and did preferre him aboue all the people of Israell Matt. 18 But Capernaum that looked proudly and stared vp to heauen the Lord depressed and threw it downe to hell When Christ was to manifest his tranfiguration Matt. 17 which made to his glorie hee shewed it but to three but when he was crucified which made to his contempt he was seene of all he would be lifted vppe and hanged in the ayre that all the worlde might seâ— him It is not amisse to conceale such things which maie tende vnto our praise and to make them knowne to fewe but it is to good purpose to publish our defectes and manifest them vnto all Thou hast no iust cause and argument of thy pride but thou hast matter inough to prouoke thee to be humble Vide vnde veneris crubesce vbi es ingemisce â—ernard quò vadis contremisce Looke from whence thou art and bee ashamed where thou art and be grieued and whither thou shalt and be terrified We see sometimes a man in respect of his wit little wiser then an Asse and yet be setteth and rufleth in his silkes and is adorned with his rings and costlie iewels his outward burthen is better then himselfe and this man is proude because of his riches which an Asse might bee as well that is his sumpter Iade and carrieth vpon his backe more riches then his maister The proudest vpon earth when hee is buried in the earth is as meane as the vildest here on earth A similitude In Chesse play there are diuers degrees of persons There is the King the Bishop the knight the rooke and there is the abiect and paultrie pawne these haue their differences and roomes by themselues according to their degrees while the game lasteth but they are all one when they are put into the bagge Death maketh the begger the King alike all are one with him when he hath vs in his bagge There are eares of corne in the time of haruest to be seene in the fielde that are higher then others A similitude but when the Reapers cutte them downe they are bounde vppe togither and then this difference appeareth no more betweene them for they are threshed and beaten out togither Let vs therefore laying aside all pride bee humble and meeke as it becommeth Christians and as Christ himselfe by his owne example teacheth vs. The eight Chapter How God out of euill things bringeth forth good as making the sinnes of the prodigall sonne the occasion of his humble and dutifull confession IF the prodigal sonne had not beene so sinful he had not returned to his father so sorowfull From the excesse of his iniquitie did spring this his dutifull and conformable humilitie This commendeth both the goodnes and wisdom of God to vs who can make our sinnes redound to his praise and from a matter so vilde can extort and wring out such a vertue from vs. Is not hee a wise workeman who cannot onely skilfully graue in golde and siluer A similitudâ— and improoue the purer substance but also can make vse and benefite of the drosse and can applie it to good seruice It is so with God who is this cunning craftsman who not onelie engraueth in the hearts of his Saints his refined mettall the markes of
the wisedome and knowledge of God What is man that he is so mindfull of him or the sonne of man whom he should visit and see a farre off For our condition is the selfe same which this prodigal mans was For when we were all a farre off from him Ephes 2 straungers from his couenaunt of promise aliants from the common wealth of Israel Ephe. 8 when wee were deade in sinne God who is rich in mercie hath quickened vs by graciouslie beholding vs. He hath chosen vs from all eternitie to bee his people and the sheepe of his pasture but not by our merits but by his mercies not that wee chose him but that hee chose vs and saw vs a farre off when wee did not see him Did not the Lord see Abraham a far off whenas he liued among the idolatrous Chaldeans and called him from thence and made a couenant of saluation with him that he would be his God and the god of his seed was not Adam before him seen a farre off whenas hee turning his eyes from him and fleeing from his presence God called him vnto him and lifted him vp being desperately deiected with the shame of sinne which hee newlie had committed with the promise of his grace by the seede of the woman by which this his sinne should againe be remitted Was not Dauid much exorbitant and exceeding far from God when as the Prophet Nathan was sent vnto him to call him home againe and bring him vnto God Did not God behold the Israelites afarre off from the habitation of his dwelling when hee did see the miserie of them in captiuitie and deliuered them out of the hands of their enemies brought their feete into a large roome by planting them in the pleasant promised lande of Canaan What should I rippe vp such varietie of examples as may serue this purpose Thus he beheld Mathew the customer Matt. 9 â—uk 19 â—phâ— 2 Zacheus the vsurer Paul the persecuter and vs the Gentils when we were as the Apostle saith a far off being without hope without god in the world calling vs his people who were not his people and his beloued who were not his beloued The grace of God therefore seeing vs a far off being in our sins draweth vs froÌ„ our sins calleth vs to a confession and repentance of our sinnes and pardoneth all our sinnes Without this there is nothing that we can doe of our selues being not able to thinke a good thought God must loose the bondes of thy necke O captiue daughter of Syon 〈◊〉 52 Peter denied his maister and wept not for God did not looke vpon him he denied him the second time and yet 〈◊〉 not weepe for why as yet the Lord did not looke vpon him hee denied him the thirde time and hee wept bitterly but the text saith that the Lord did look vpon him Luke 22 O Lord our God then looke vpon vs and then wee shall with Peter weepe bitterly for our sinnes The second Chapter Of the mercie and compassion by this father shewed vnto the prodigall sonne THe circumstance of the father his seeing his sonne whilest he was a farre off beeing first of all remembred in good order this inference of his compassion shewed him as an exposition of the same is immediatelie adioyned For God his seeing vs is no superficiall and bare sight of vs it consisteth not in an idle speculation but hee seeth vs to shewe mercie and compassion of vs and to worke our saluation God seeth not his seruants as hee doth the wicked caitifes Aâ—nas Caiphas Pilate and such like who stil remaine obdurate and hardened in their sinnes but he seeth them by bestowing his graces vppon them as Peter and Andrew Iames and Iohn Mat. 4 Ioh. 1 Luke 5 Nathanael and Matthew who forthwith left their nettes the seate of custome and vngodlie trade of sinne making them Apostles vessels and ministers of his great mercie There is verie great oddes betweene God his Great difference theâ— is betweene god his seeing vs and man his seeing vs. seeing vs and man his seeing vs. Oftentimes one Courtier is heard to say vnto another Did the Prince to day see thee and eftsoones he answereth I. But what of that for hee often is neuer a whit the better for it for infinite people doe crowde to see the Prince and the Prince eieth many of them and yet thereby benefiteth not any of them But if God seeth vs it is well with vs it cannot bee in vaine but effectuall vnto vs. For the eyes of the lord are the portall doores of pittie the windowes and casements that haue a prospect to saluation He alwaies beholdeth vs with the eyes of kindnesse Gen 19 Exod 3 Luke 19 Mark 14 Actes 9 as Abraham in Chaldea Loth in Sodome Zachee vpon the figge tree Peter in the high Priests hal the theefe vpon the crosse and Paul when he was Saul in his iourney to Damascus Howe happie was this for the prodigall sonne for his father to see him for immediatelie he had compassion of him so is it with vs hee hath mercie on vs as soone as hee seeth vs. Genes 26. That we maie say with Agar Thou Lord lookedst on me The issue whereof was that the Lorde did heare her tribulation Did God at any time looke vpon anie and did not shewe him mercie â—â—od 3 He looked vpon the Israelites and presentlie hee deliuered them from the Egyptians â—ark 14 He behelde Peter and the yse which before couered his heart when he abiured his Maister melted at the heate and fire of his spirit and made a great thawe so as streames of water and brinish teares issued from thence Hee saw Mathew as he went by the way gathering vp of mony Matt. 9 and forthwith he bestowed a better office of him and charged him to gather vp soules vnto him He sawe certaine fishermen Matt. 4 Iohn 9 and he ordained them fishers of men Hee saw him that was blind from his birth and his sight was restored him He sawe multitudes following him Matth. 5 and hee opened his mouth and taught them Iohn 6 Hee lifted vppe his eyes and sawe another multitude following him and hee communed with Philip about bread and prouision of victuals for them Luke 1 Hee did looke on the low estate of his handmaid and hereupon the virgin peremptorilie concludeth that All generations shall call her blessed Gods eyes are compared to the Doues eyes vpon the riuers of water Cant. 5 because they are most pure cleane and simple farre from all euill and full of all goodnesse Matt. 3 In respect whereof the holie Ghost when he descended assumed vnto himselfe the forme of a Doue Dauid vniteth and knitteth togither Gods sight and Gods mercie because towardes his Saints they cannot bee sundred Oh Lorde looke vpon mee Psal 24 and bee mercifull vnto me for I am poore and in miserie Else where hee singeth