for the meate that perisheth Iohn 6 but for the meate which endureth vnto euerlasting life Heb. 11 And couet thou with Moses rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of god then to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season We are born weeping and we shall die sorrowing and woulde we liue reioycing More sorrow then ioy doth that father taste of A similitude who in one and the selfe same day seeth his sonne both to be borne and buried and to haue no continuance The prodigal sonne spilt his goods like water that runneth apace it melted like wax before the heat of the fire it was no sooner gathered but it was scattered what ioy then could he haue therin when as coÌ„fort lasted but the twinkling of an eie but sorows endured for a loÌ„g season Wherfore for asmuch as this is our condition we are soon depriued of the grace of God our portion in this worlde lasteth not with vs The mirth of tabrets resteth Esai 24 the noyce of them that reioice endeth the ioy of the harp ceaseth 1. Cor. 9 Let vs vse this world as though we vsed it not vsing worldlie substaunce as wee vse oares to rowe with A similitude which wee vse to lay aside when wee come to land and as stanes in our hands whilst we trauaile by the way laying them away at our iourneyes ende The ninth Chapter Of the maner howe the prodigall sonne lauished out his portion vnder which the damnable effectes of whordom and riotous liuing are displaied THis ding thrift not only spent but mispent his portion he deuoured it with whores as it is in the clause and riotously concocted it as it is inserted in the beginning of the history It had beene well with him if hee had sustained but a temporall losse and had not lost God as well as his gold But running ouer the shooes he rested not till he was ouer the eares Beeing once impudent he grew past grace being fallen into Châ—ribdes hee desperately plunged himselfe into Scylla the merciles gulfe of perdition and destruction Oh how is it to be wished and feruently prayed for that worldlings who go spoiled of their riches to the graue might not goe spoiled of all vertue into hell Hee is taxed principallie for two grosse sinnes Whoredom and Ryot the very froath and fome of all sinne Hee liued riotously and the story sheweth how euen by lashing it on vppon harlots and knaues and inordinate companions And such mates such kind of men alwaies doe cull out For like will to like as it is in the olde prouerbe Such as are wantonly cockered from their cradles and are suffered to liued â—sely without awe or gouernment as they growe in yeares so will they grow in wantonnesse they will be then conso ted with none but wanton companions In that the story saith that he liuâ—d in ryotousnes Ryotousnes and Whordom the cause of all sinne it is as much as if it had saâ—â— that he liued in al wickednes For what wickedâ—es doth ryotousnesse omit or what mischiefe doth it not â—ommit It mispendeth all the giftes and graces of God in must fearful maner there is no grace of God to be found in such who wallowe in the mire and puddle of this sinne The Doue going out of the Arke of Noah Genes 8. finding no place for the sole of hir foote but vncleane carcasses would not rest there Math. 3 but returned to the Arke so the holy spirit of God who descended like a Doue willing to remaine and dwell in our hurts if he findeth them polluted with this carrion which is all abhomination it will sâ—e away from vs and not abide with vs. As the nature of Dones is to delight in cleane houses so the nature of Gods spirit is to delight in clean soules Aspicis vt veniant ad candida tecta columbâ—e Ouidius Accipiet nullas sordida turris aues This fire of the flesh is the fire of hell Note thâ— saying our ryotous diet gluttony and drunkennes are the coales that kindle it the flame therof is filthines the ashes vncleannes the smoake infamy the end of it a torment to the soule a destruction to the bodie a shortning of our life the corruption of good manners and an absolute transgression of the whole law of God Let one fire therefore put out another for the greater fire doth ouercome the lesser Ouercome this lesser fire which burneth in thy bodie by setting before thine eies the greater fire of hell which vtterlie shall burne thy body and thy soule Hee that keepeth not himselfe from this fire in earth shall bee sure to burne in the other fire in Hell for the Apostle hath flatâ—e concluded it That they that doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God The grieuousnesse of this sinne may be iudged of sufficiently by the grieuousnes of the punishment The grieuous punishment of whoredom Aug. lib. 2. â—ont Donaâ—stas which God at al times hath inflicted vpon it Hereupon saith saint Augustin Quis dubitauerit hoc esse sceleratius commissum quod est grauius vindicatuÌ„ Who doth doubt that that is hainously committed which is of the Lord so seuerely punished â—â—n 7 â—â—n 1â— For Ryot and Whoredome the Lord ouerwhelmed the first world with water and Sodome and Gomorrha and the cities round about he burnt vp with fire â—â—n 38 â—â—n 3â— He did smite Onah with suddaine death he wasted and destroied the city of the Sichemites and almost vtterly extinguished and raced out the whole tribe of Beniamin â—â—g 20. â—â—m â—3 â—in 11. â—â—g 16. 〈◊〉 13 This brought Ammon vntimely to his death Salomon to idolatry Samson to his blindnesse the aduersaries of Susanna to their iust destruction 2. Sam. 12 Num. 25 and Dauid Gods seruaunt vnto manifolde afflictions This caused a miserable massacre among the Israelites for by reason of this sinne three and twenty thousande soules were murdered without mercie and did fall in one day Nay further what may we thinke of this sinne which hath beene thus punished when as diuerse others verie grieuous sinnes haue escaped vnpunished Howe manie sinnes vngraciously committed in Christes sacred societie by his domesticall disciples did hee mercifullie remit and doe we reade how Ryot or Whoredom hath beene tolerated in any of them Incredulity is a foule fault Iob 20 yet Thomas Didymus was stained with this blot and al the disciples were tainted with this Mark 16 whome Christ doth vpbraide because of their vnbeliefe Ambition and Pride is a venemous Viper and doth more mischiefe then any man canne deuine Yet the two brethren Iames and Iohn swelled therewith Matth. 20 and the other tâ—nne were not a little blown and puffed vp with disdaine Finallie at the Passeouer and last supper what a broile Luke 22 and bitter brawle did breede among them about the primacie whilest each of them did striue for
preferment aboue others and communed contentiously which should be the greatest in the kingdom of heauen Malice Luke â— and sugred desire of reuenge is a maine mischiefe yet two of the Apostles were fiercely set vpon it and much misled with it when in their implacable and inexorable stomacks they called for a iudgement against the Samaritanes and would haue made Christ the patterne of their peeuishnes desiring his authority to command fire from heauen to burne vp his aduersaries Entry is a fretâ—ing and furious euill yet one of Christ his houshold was diseased therewith For Iohn did enuie it and seeme it very much that a man that was not one of their companie shoulde haue the liberty to vse Christes commâ—ssion and to practise in his name Maister saith hee to our Sauiour Christ we sawe one casting out deuils in thy name â—â—ke 5 and we forbaâ— him because hâ— followeth thee not with vs. Whaâ— shall I say of couetousnesse the root of â—ll euill with which his houshoulde disciple Iudâ— was mightilie bewiâ—ched 〈…〉 For he was a thiefe 〈◊〉 caried the bag Last of al apostasie and defection from the faÌ„â—â—â— and the open abiuration of a knowne truth is a sin exceeding dangerous yet Peter fâ—ll into it and at the voice of a damsell exceedingly raned and with bitter cursing periurie and banning did denie his maister Thus haue we laid open the nakednesse of the disciples and blowne ope their skirtes and haue noted such defectes which the scriptures giue vnto them which are odious and horrible yet find we none branded with this note of ryotousnesse or dodded in the face with the black coale of vncleannesse Reuel 21 For no vncleane thing shall enter saith saint Iohn into the kingdom of heauen The nature of this sinne differeth from al sinnes The difference of whordom from other sinnes for other sinnes only do â—â—ght against the soule but this sâ—â—ne sighteth against the whole man the body and the soule it admitteth no boies play to bar any 〈◊〉 Sâ—â—h as are giuen and deuoted to this sinne are bâ—â—â—sh and beastlie Psal 30 they are like as Dauid saâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the Horse and Mule without vnderstandâ—ng 〈◊〉 thine eyes therefore from beholding this 〈◊〉 it is vnlawfull for thee to see that which is vnlawfull for thee to desire Hier 9 Death entreth saieth Hieremy by the windowes of thine eies the eyes do shoot the arrow that doth wound thy hart Withstande thou therefore this temptation and auoide it let it not scale the walles and fortresse of thy heart for then will it raigne in thy mortall body Extinguish and put out this fire of concupiscence with a fountaine of teares There are fewe who are not in vouch or in age inticed to this sinne Be aduised therefore by the wisdome of Salomon who prescribeth this counsaile in elegant wise Say vnto wisdome thou art my sister Prou. 7 and call vnderstanding thy kinswoman that they may keepe thee from the strange woman euen from the stranger that is smooth in hir wordes Verse 25. Let not thine hart decline to h r pathes wander thou not in hir waâ—eâ— For she hath caused many to fall downe wounded the strong men are al slaine by hir hir house is the way vnto the graue which goeth downe to the chambers of death Now this temptation must bee subdued by eschewing and auoiding it We are not to wrastle against this sinne but to auoide it Other sinnes are vanquished as it were with force of armes by fighting against them but there is no wrestling and striuing against this enemie but wee must turne our backes and runne away from him Come not neere pitch least thou bee defiled with it this sinne will defile thee if thou commest anie thing neere it A similitude It is no credite for thee neither is it meet to wrastle and gripple in the field with him who hath wallowed in the mire and is all be smeared and dawbed with dirte for thou canst not choose but be berayed by his filth howsoeuer otherwise thou shouldest cast him to the grounde What king will not chuse to goe to warre abroade against the face of the enemy A similitude when he knoweth he hath false harted subiects at home wee nourish sinnes as traytors in our owne bosomes and wee carrie them about vs. The skirmish therefore and conflict will bee daungerous if wee fight at home let vs therefore goe abroade from our inwarde affections and then the victorie and conquest may bee ours Iudg. 4 Trust thou not in any case the wife of Heber for shee wil beguile thee shee will offer thee creame out of a Lordly dish but like a tyrant with a hammer shee will naile thee to the ground Thou hast many flatterers attending vpon thee who like Achabs courtiers wil daungerously deceiue thee If thou doest trust vnto such false prophets thou shalt with the Prophet sent to Ieroboam be eaten of a lyon and be deuoured whilest there is none to helpe thee 1. King 22 1. King 13 Run away therfore with a swift foot from this sin which is like a Crocodile who wil destroy thee if he seeth thee first The tenth Chapter The daunger that commeth by euill company expressed by the danger that the prodigall Sonne fell into WHereas the spirit speaketh euidentlie that ryotousnesse was the ruine and downfal of this man and that his ryotousnes consisted in the vaine bad company with whom he did conuerse with whom and among whom he deuoured his substance and consumed his inheritance not onely a fit but a necessarie exhortation from hence doth arise to auoid such companions by whome we may fal into the like calamitie Hee is an vnwise man who seeing his neighbours house on fire before his eyes A similitud will not in due time take heede vnto his owne Other mens daungers are faire warnings vnto vs and do plainlie teach vs if we will incur no such iudgementes to preuente such occasions as vsuallie doe enforce them As the company of vilde persons did worke this mans woe so will they bee like wise our bane and coâ—â—â—â—on if we follow them in their counsailes They are worser then theeues Euil coÌ„pany worser then thieues for they do but touch those things that are temporal they rob thee but of thy purse or at the extremity doe depriue thee of this life but these doe bereaue thee of graces spirituall they corrupt thy manners and not onely with not shorten thy mortall life More infectious then the plague but with many prouocations and allurements vnto sinne do depriue thee vtterly of thy eternall life both in body and in soule Vngracious companions doe infect more perniciouslie and contagiouslie then the plague For as a little sparke kindleth a great fire a little leauen sowreth much dowe so set thou an vngodly man in the midst of vs and let Sathan stande at his right hand he will kindle a fire
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
sanctifie them and that was the cause it came speedilie on them 〈◊〉 â—1 The Prophet Esaie declaring the office of Christ in preaching the Gospell sheweth that the subiect of this preaching is to publish Gods readinesse to pardon sinners and his vnwillingnes to take iudgement of them And to make proofe thereof hee compareth them together and maketh his clemencie to be far greater and of longer continuance towardes vs then his iustice For hee restraineth his vengeance and limiteth it to a daie but hee extendeth his mercie infinitelie beyonde it giuing a continuance of time vnto it the space of a yeere For thus the spirit speaketh Isai 54 To preach the acceptable yeere of the Lord and the daie of vengeance of our God The same Prophet in an other place confirmeth the same doctrin most comfortablie vnto vs when in the person of God himselfe hee saith A little while haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee for a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer The due regard hereof breedeth no admiration but it tendeth exceedinglie to our consolation for this is natural and proper vnto God to be gracious and mercifull it is a strange worke to him as the scriptures say of him to punish and shewe vengeance A similitudâ— Euen as a Painter when he hath elaboratelie finished a picture if so be he be constrained in regard of some faultes which he findeth in it vtterlie to blot out and deface all his worke hee is much grieued for it so when God seeth manie defaults and blemishes in vs who are his workmanship engrauen image vpon whome he hath bestowed such exceeding cost as varnishing vs and adorning vs with liuely colours which must be reformed for which cause he must marre that he hath made and begin his worke anew it cannot but bee grieuous and troublesome vnto him A similitude If thou wouldest place a stone of great waight vppon the roofe of thine house thou hast neede of pullies cables for to reare it but if thou wouldst throw it to the ground thou needest doe nothing but let it fall from thee for it will fall of his accord vnto the grounde for naturallie heauie things doe tend downeward as those that are light do ascend vpwarde It is as naturall with God to shewe mercie to a sinner as it is for a stone that is heauie to fall downewarde for the Sunne to shine for the fire to burne or anie other thing to performe his nature Wherefore thou readest euerie where in the historie of Christ of innumerable mercies which hee shewed vnto many but thou readest not of his punishments inflicted vpon any but only at one time when hee made him a whip â—n 2 and chased out of the temple such impure copesmates as had too abhominably prophaned the temple Was there euer any that intreated his mercy and did not obtaine it He healed graciously Malchus his eare â—â—ke 21 his professed and sworn enemie then one of the furious bloud thirsty souldiours who combined together intending his destruction The murmuring Israelites exasperated the Lord exceedingly against them when as the spies returning from Chanaan their tidings displeased them for they so mutinously muttered against God as they were threatned of him that they should not possesse the inheritance promised them or enter into the lande Yet after that when the people were in armes and prepared vnto battell in the middest of iudgement the Lorde could not vtterlie forget mercie hee is so naturallie disposed to bee mercifull and therefore both in anger and loue hee saieth vnto them Doe not ascende vp Num. 14 for I am not with you least yee fall before your enemies If he had not been with them he would not so graciouslie and louinglie haue warned them that they should not go vp but would haue suffered them to fall vpon the sword and bee a pray vnto their enemies Againe if so be he had beene with them and had not been angry with them he would not haue said so directly vnto them I am not with you He was with them and was not with them He was not with them that they should haue the conquest he was with them that they should not be conquered If the Lord be thus mercifull when men are so sinful it is thereby manifest that hee is soone satisfied The foure beasts which Ezechiel did see in a vision had the faces of a Lion Ezech. 1 also of a man in the right side to signifie vnto vs that as he looketh like a lion vpon a sinner that cannot repent vtterlie to destroy him whilest there is none to helpe him so when a sinner returneth from his sinnes and turneth vnto him he hath the louing and kinde face of a man and intreateth him familiarlie and kindlie as a man This father could not be more forwarde in fauor towardes this his lost sonne then to looke out after him and to cast his eyes about to espie where hee might see him and when he had happily seene him a far off to hic out vnto him to embrace him to fall on his neck and kisse him Al these are good notes of good nature and affections but when they do paâ—ley and talke together the zeale is admirable which he expresseth towards him For he is so soon pleased as no sooner the sonne beginneth to speak but the bowels of the father are so presentlie mooued as hee suffereth him not to vtter all he meditated for before he could come to this clause of his set speech Make me one of thy hired seruauntes the father interrupteth him and breaketh off his speech preuenting him graciouslie with his blessings of goodnes and granting infinitly more then he desired Thy God as so reaâ—â—e to shew â—is sinner â—h mercy The father in great wisedome vsed this great speede because his sonnes estate and neede so required it For when as a sinner through anguish of sinne is in extremity as this sinner was hee hath neede of present comfort to preuent despaire and ready encouragement to allaie the rage and furie of his passions which otherwise woulde bee verie dangerous vnto him For this cause God vseth no delay with such but immediatly vpon the forgiuenes of sinnes hee giueth therewithall the riches of his grace there is no time betwixt them but they come both together The remission of sin and the giftes of grace come together Before we can recouer our bodily health after a great sicknesse it is a long time by little and little and by degrees we leisâ—râ—ly attaine it for the body is not of that moment as the soule therefore there is no such vrgent necessitie of the present health of it for by lingering and time it may do wel enough It is otherwise with the soule which woulde languish with griefe
he imploieth all his seruants about him to adorne and set him forth and prouide a banquet for him He would thus cloath him to shew vs what account he maketh of him how highly hee honoreth him as his owne darling though the other woulde haue sued to be but his hyreling He willeth his officers to fetch him the best or the first roabe His roabe what it was and to adorne him with it This first roabe was his first dignitie which Adam lost and Christ redeemed Innocency and holinesse and the grace of God with the which he was first cloathed wherby he was cloathed like vnto the sun in beauty and brightnes With this roabe was Adam first inuested but by his wilful departure from his father he was stripped of it So as we his sonnes who do treade in his steps are subiect to his miseries and may with him bee ashamed of our nakednes But God in his Christ Christ is our roabe to vs his prodigall conuerted sonnes hath restored vs our robe for hee is the garment which we must put on according to that which the Apostle Paule saith Rom. 13 Put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ Hee is the wedding garment mentioned in the gospel Matt. 22 without which wee may not presse vnto the heauenly banquet His righteousnes in vs is the garment of our elder brother by which we must attaine the blessing of our father as Iacob by putting on the garment of Esau obtained the blessing of his father Isaack This is he vpon whom the kingly harper diuinelie descanteth in this dainty ditty O my God thou art exceeding glorious Psal 104 thou art cloathed with maiestie and honor In him behold the great wonder in heauen a woman cloathed with the sunne Reuel 12 If so bee therefore we doe weare his cloth and become his seruants if we put on his merits and obedience our sinnes shall be couered and our nakednes shall bee no more seene Wherefore bestow thou no more labor vpon the olde rags which Adam hath left thee Sowe no longer paultry fig leaues and rotten pieces together for thy paines will be lost and it will not acquite the cost which thou bestowest on them It happeneth sometime that a poore creature hath a garment so olde and spent with wearing A similitude as if it take a rent it cannot be stitched vp for the threads doe breake asunder they are so rotten and decaied with vse as they are not firme enough to sustaine a newe thread or to beare a needle so our robe of rebellion which wee doe carrie about vs hath beene worne so bare by our ancient and long continuance in sinne as there is no repairing it but wee must leaue it as beggars doe their rags 1. Cor. 1 and cast it vpon the hedge and wee must put on a new garment euen Iesus Christ Our wisdom iustification sanctification and redemption For he is as Chrysost very wel doth say vnto the people of Antioch Chrysost ad pop Antioche â—um hom 21 Rom. 6 all in all vnto vs our table our house our garment our head our roote To this ende doth Paule say Whosoeuer bee baptized in Christ must put on Christ as hee is raised vp from the deade by the glory of his father so wee also should walke in newnesse of life nowe we put on Christ Iesus by a liuely faith Ambrose and doe weare him about vs euen as Stephen beeing in earth touched him in heauen 2. Tim. 4 This is to bee diligently obserued of vs and the rather bicause there are erroneous spirits wholy led by the doctrine of Diuels who do bumbast themselues with their owne righteousnes destroying that righteousnes which is by faith Reuel 3 They do but flatter and deceiue themselues with a vâ—in opinion of that which is not in them as the Lâ—â—dâ—niaÌ„â— whoÌ„ the spirit taxeth saying Thou saiest I am rich and increased with goods haue need of nothing knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable and pâ—ore and blind and naked I counsaile thee to buy of me gold tried by the fire that thou maiest bee made rich and white raiment that thou maiest be cloathed and that thy filthy nakednesse do not appeare Such as go strouting ietting about bragging of their workes are like vnto the souldiours against whom in times past king Agesilaus did fight in battell who beeing the leanest and most carionlie creatures which the worldes eye coulde see they quilted and embossed the quarters of their garments with huge flappes and borders to appeare huge and mightie to terrifie their enemies but after they were vanquished and slaine in the field and stripped of these vestments their lanke and thinne sides appeared to their viewe and the enemie scorned them So if we disrobe iusticiaries and meritmongers of their bragging borders of their conceited and counterfeit righteousnes and lay them naked to the eye of the worlde they will appeare the most apish and ridiculous persons as anie one can beholde It is vanitie to sooth and please our selues in that which we ought to bee ashamed of for the wages of our merits is death Psal 51 We are borne in sinne and conceiued in iniquitie Iob. 9 Iob. 25. saith the kinglie Prophet I feared all my workes saith that iust man Iob. The starres in Gods sight are vncleane much more a vilde man saith the same saint If wee consider our owne merits wee must despaire sayth the auncient father Hierome Hieron in 6 Esay Hee that trusteth not to his good workes nor hopeth with himselfe by his workes to be iustified he hath onelie the hope of saluation and the mercies of the Lord sayth reuerend Basil Basilius Being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God through our Lorde Iesus Christ as the holie Ghost teacheth vs. Wherefore let vs with the foure and twentie Elders Reuel 4 spoken of in the Apocalips Take off the Crownes from our heads and lay them downe at the feete of the Lambe Whatsoeuer worke we do let vs lay it at the feete of Christ who woorketh in vs as Paule teacheth who speaking of his labours that they exceeded others he stoppeth and correcteth himselfe saying Not I but the grace of God in me We are of our selues as the prodigall sonne verie poorelie and filthily attyred It is God the father in his dear sonne who clotheth vs in costly and imbrodered garments with a vesture of gold wrought about with diuerse colours Wherefore giue glorie to God my sonne as Iosua Iosuâ— â— said to Achan and boast not of thy selfe The sixth Chapter Of his ring and shooes which were giuen vnto him AS he richly araieth him with a royall to be so he further graceth him adorning him with a ring This ring serued for a signet and seale of the couenant and last will which hee maketh with him namely that hee would become his God and hee should bee numbred among his people that he