inward godly sorrow is knowen by the Effects thereof namely such things as it worketh in vs and they are seuen mentioned by the Apostle to the Corinthians m 2 Cor. 7. 11. For behold this selfe same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulnesse it wrought in you yea what cleering of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea what vehement desire yea what zeale yea what reuenge The first effect of godly sorrow is carefulnesse After 1 Carefulnesse that a sinner hath done amisse and truely repented of his sinne he is euer after more carefull to auoyd sinne carefull lest he fall into sinne any more According to that saying of S. Ambrose n Qui poenitet solâ—â—â—â—us est ne denno peccâ—t Amb. in 2 Cor. 7. Hee that doth truely repent is very carefull that he offend not againe The second is cleering our selues When a sinner maketh 2 Clearing our selues an o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apologie and Defence for himselfe which apologic and defence of himselfe stands not in the defending of himselfe in his sinne nor in the excusing of his sinne nor in shifting off his sinne from himselfe that 's farre from him now but in the humble acknowledgement and confession of his sinne with feruent prayer and earnest suite vnto Almighty God for the pardon of his sinne that so he may be acquitted and cleered from his sinne The third is Indignation against our sinnes yea a displeasure 3 Indignation against our selues for our sinnes The fourth is Feare Henceforward to feare the 4 Feare Lord to stand in awe of God to set the feare of God before our eyes and to be afrayd of sinning any more for feare of offending God As a louing wife hauing offended her husband and being now reconciled vnto him againe is euer after more fearefull of offending and greeuing him lest she should lose his fauour againe 5 Desire The fift is a vehement desire to serue and please God p Desiderat reformari se qui se scit factum perpeccatum deformem Amb. A sinner knowing how foule hee is and deformed by reason of sinne desires to be reformed And therefore hath now an earnest desire after God a desire to doe the will of God and to walke in the waies of God The sixt is Zeale To bee zealous in good workes Zeale zealous in good things and zealous to prouoke others to doe good Being conuerted our selues to strengthen our brethren in a word to be zealous in all things that concerne the glorie of God The seuenth is Reuenge When a sinner so hateth 7 Reuenge sinne as some hate their very enemies so to hate our sinnes as to be reuenged on them Which Reuenge we take by a voluntary afflicting and punishing the body As when any haue offended in meats and drinkes to reuenge themselues of their gluttony of their surfetting and drunkennesse by abstinence and fasting when any haue offended through pride of apparell to reuenge themselues of their pride by abating their pride and betaking themselues to more plaine more decent and comely apparell when any haue offended through filthie lusts or haue defiled their bodies by fornication or any vncleannesse to reuenge themselues of their filthinesse and vncleannesse by beating downe the bodie through fastings watchings and paines-taking An example of taking such reuenge vpon our selues for our sinnes is that weeping Saint who was noted to be a q Luk. 7. 37. 38. sinner a verie notorious sinfull lewd woman But repenting shee commeth to Christ and stood at his feete behinde him weeping and began to wash his feete with teares and did wipe them with the haires of her head and kissed his feete and annointed them with the oyntment See what reuenge the repenting sinner now takes vpon her selfe her eyes that before were wanton wandering and adulterous eyes are now so set a weeping that they trickle downe teares in such aboundance that her teares yeeld her water sufficient to wash her Sauiours feete Her haire so faire and beautifull which formerly she set forth as a net to catch her louers in now she is so displeased at it and will be so auenged on it that she makes it a towell to wipe Christ's feete Her lips wherewith before shee kissed her wanton louers now therewith she kisseth Christs feete And her costly oyntment which before she bestowed vpon her selfe to giue a sweete perfume to allure her louers now she brings to Christ and therewith annointeth the feet of Christ Thus the good woman tooke reuenge vpon her selfe for her former sinfull life Now follow the motiues to perswade to contrition 4 Motiues to contrition or inward godly sorrow or inward godly sorrow and they are these First God requires it So saith the Lord by the Prophet Ieremie r Iâ—re 4. 1. 4. If thou wilt returne O Israel saith the Lord returne vnto me And it followeth circumcise your selues to the Lord and take away the foreskinne of your heart More 1 God requireth it plainely the Prophet Ioel. Å¿ Ioel 2. 13. rent your heart and not your garments and turne vnto the Lord your God Secondly All penitent sinners that haue truly repented and turned vnto the Lord haue had true contrition 2 All penitent sinners haue had it and inward godly sorrow more or lesse but all in truth Dauid had it he had a t Psal 51. 17. broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart Paul had it for after that the Lord had appeared vnto him and sayd u Act. 9. 4. 5. 6 9. 11. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Paul trembled and was astonished and for three daies space humbled himselfe with fasting prayer Before this Paul persecuted the Church but now he sorroweth and grieueth for what he had done now he humbleth himselfe before the Lord for three daies space and to this inward humiliation and sorrow of heart for his sinnes he ioyneth fasting and prayer The penitent Publicane had this contrite spirit and broken heart for hee would not so much as lift vp his eyes to Heauen but x Luk 18. 13. smote vpon his breast saying God be mercifull to me a sinner Thirdly Contrition or inward goodly sorrow is necessarie 3 It s necessarie For for First except the heart be truly and throughly humbled for sinne yea rent and broken with godly sorrow Except the hart be rent sinne still remaineth in the heart it is euident that sinne still remaines in the heart For like as a tree which is pluckt vp by the rootes rents and breakes the earth about it so sinne that sticks fast in the heart of a sinner and hath taken rooting in the heart when it is rooted out of the heart by repentance it cannot chuse but make a rent and a breach in the heart it will trouble and afflict the heart for a season And therefore wheresoeuer this contrition of heart this renting and
46. l. 24. the for their p. 58. l. 19. do for doth p. 103. l. 34 of for in p. 114. l. 28. present for patient p. 124. l. 22. then for they and l. 23. blot out that p. 128. l. 23. read in Christ p. 140. l. 15. a religious for in a righteous Lib. 2. p. 152. in marg for Bern. r. â—â—z p. 155. l. 3. waile for bewaile p. 170. in marg the letters d e f are misplaced p. 1â—8 l. 6. griefe for griâ—ue p. 182. l 22. blot out to p. 184. l. 23. and for are p. 191. in marg soluendâ—â— for solùm dic p. 192. l. 30. thoughts for thoughtest p. 202 l. 18. for hypocrisie r. in hypocrisie p â—17 l. 25. continueth for commeth p. 221. l. 13. from for to p. 223. in marg after â— delere is wanting and l. 29. continueth for continuance Lib. 3. p. 281. l. 21. name for man p. 289. l. 21. be for is p. 328. l. 25. in the middle of the line blot out shall p. 330. in marg Hoas for Hâ—ushold prayer p 342. l. 15. read a gesture p. 355. l 2. waueth for wauereth p. 380. l. 26. are men for men are p. 387. in marg John 1. for 17. THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE WAY TO THE CELESTIALL PARADICE Concerning Faith in IESVS CHRIST Which is the first and principall meanes wherby a Sinner may be saued and come to life euerlasting CHAP. I. The preface shewing in generall the way to the Celestiall Paradice and the meanes of obtaining euerlasting life with the diuision of the whole Treatise I Am the Way the Truth and the Life Ioh. 14. 6. saith our Sauiour No man commeth vnto the Father but by mee The way that leadeth to the Celestiall Paradice is Christ called by the Apostle the new and the liuing way For he saith a Heb. â—0 1â— We haue boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Iesus Christ by a New and Liuing Way which he hath consecrated for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh There are many b Joh. 14 2. mansions in the Lords house which is aboue in the heauenly City the City of God many pleasant places and sweet roomes are prepared for Gods Elect there to solace themselues after the manifold afflictions of this troublesome life But forasmuch as the way to Heauen is not a c Mat. 7. 13. 14. broad but a narrow way not a soft pleasant delightfull way but vneuen hauing many hard steps and vnpleasant paths rough wayes and high mountaines to passe ouer before wee can come to the high mountaine of Heauen for d Acts 14. 22. through much tribulation wee must enter into the Kingdome of God for this cause Christ Iesus our blessed Sauiour who is a Guide to the blinde and an Instructor to the simple stands as a Guide at the entrance into the way of life and saith I am the Way I am the true and liuing Way if you know not the way I will be your Guide follow me I am the Way If you haue gone astray and wandred from the right way follow me I am the Truth I will lead you in the true way And if you haue gone so farre in the broad way that leadeth to destruction that you are neere to the gates of death ô turne againe I am the liuing Way follow mee and I will lead you to lâ—fe euerlasting So mercifully speakes our mercifull Sauiour to sinners that are out of the right way and whereas through the disobedience of the first Adam the e Gen. 3. 24. entrance into the earthly Paradice was stopt and the gate shut the second Adam Christ Iesus hath giuen vs entrance into the Holiest He hath opened the gate of the heauenly Paradice with his owne bloud f Sanguis Christi est clauis Paradisi The bloud of Christ is the key â—f Paradice for we haue entrance into the Holiest by the bloud of Iesus Christ is the Way Hee is the true Way the new and the liuing Way g Nique enim alia ventenâ—i via est Chrys Hom. 72 in Joh. There is no other way but by Christ saith S. Chrysostome h Ponit tres graduâ— ac si principium se esse dicoreâ— aâ— mâ—dium finem vnde sequitur ab ipso incipâ—â—ndum esse in eodem pergendum desinendum Calu. in Ioh. c. 14. Christ is the Beginning the Middle and the End of this celestiall and heauenly Way and therefore whosoeuer will come to Heauen must begin in Christ goe on in Christ and end in Christ Now as the way is so must our walking bee in the way the way is spirituall and our comming to God and walking in the way to the Kingdome of Heauen is not with corporall and bodily feet but with spirituall and our spirituall feet on which wee must walke in the way that leadeth to the Kingdome of Heauen are thâ—â—e two Repentance and Prayer and Faith is the staffe to hold vs vp in our heauenly iourney And hee that hath Faith in his heart Repentance in his life and Prayer in his mouth walkes as a true Israelite to the land of Canaan with his shooes on his feet and his staffe in his hand These three are all of absolute necessity in this our long pilgrimage to the celestiall Paradice No man can walke on one leg alone and two will be weary and faint except a man haue a staffe in his hand to case an support him to helpe and further him in his way Repentance alone is but as one leg to walke on for a sinner that hath repented of his sinnes and is in some measure â—eformed in his life yet because no man in this life is perfectly sanctified through ignorance or infirmity and by occasion he hath his often slips many failings and some falls into sinne and therefore hath neede of Prayer as another leg to support him that hee may repaire and renue his Repentance by deuouâ— Praier confessing his sinnes praying for the pardon of his sinnes and crauing ayde from aboue that hee may bee able hence-forward to striue against his corruptions to ouercome sinne and to walke in newnesse of life And forasmuch as through often sinning Deuotion may wax cold Prayer may faint and there may fall a drowzy security vpon the soule so that a man may wax weary of well-doing for this cause a sinner hath need of Faith to purifie the heart to stirre vp his Zeale and Deuotion to make him pray more earnestly and to cause him to walke more circumspectly redeeming the time and to serue the Lord hence forward in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life So then there is but one right way to the celestiall Paradice there is but one direct way to Heauen and that way is Christ Whosoeuer goeth out of that way cannot come to Heauen And our walking in that way is First by Faith apprehending Christ for our Iustification The parts of
cannot escape the iudgement of God And many in this agonie being not able to deliuer themselues and their soules refusing comfort are swallowed vp with abundance of worldly sorrow and without the great mercy of God are plunged into the gulfe of despaire But there is also an Euangelicall sorrow for sinne 2 Euangelicall Two-fold which is properly Godly sorrow and this is twofold Inward and Outward Inward sorrow for sinne is called Contrition Outward is mourning lamenting and weeping for sin First of Contrition or inward sorrow for sinne In 1 Contrition or inward sorrow for sinne handling whereof I will shew First what Contrition is Secondly how it is wrought in vs. Thirdly the signes and markes of it Fourthly the motiues to perswade vnto it For the first Contrition or inward sorrow for sinne 1 What Contrition is is a sorrow of the heart specially for this that a sinner hath offended God and being truely humbled with a sence and feeling of his sinnes is displeased with himselfe for his sinnes and doth now not onely dislike but from his heart detest and abhorre sinne This is properly called c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorrow according to God or sorrow after a godly sort and godly sorrow and sorrow to repentance It is called d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7. 9 10. compunction of heart It is also called the e Acts 2. 37. renting of the heart And it is called a f Ioel 2. 17. broken spirit g Psal 51. 17. a broken and a contrite heart For the second How Contrition is wrought in a sinner The meanes whereby a sinner is brought to Contrition 2 How Contrition is wrought in a sinner and inward hearty sorrow for his sinnes are two The one is the gracious working of the Spirit of God giuing a sinner a liuely sence and feeling of his sinnes giuing him grace to see and know how by his 1 By the working of the Spirit of God sinnes he hath offended God and grieued the Holy Spirit of God soâ—ming also his hard heart that hee may greeue lament and mourne for his sinnes after a godly manner This is that which the Lord saith by his Prophet Zachary h Zach. 12. 10. I will powre vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne A sinner looking vpon Christ whom by his sinnes he hath pierced and wounded and hauing a true feeling of his sinnes greeueth and mourneth he is sorry after a godly manner but how is this godly forrow wrought in him the Lord saith that he will powre the spirit of grace and of supplications vpon the sinnefull soule and when the Lord hath put such grace into the soule of a sinner to see his sinnes and to perceiue how that by his sinnes hee hath offended God and pierced the Sonne of God then hee is inwardly grieued at the heart then his heart melts into teares This is the first meanes whereby a sinner is brought to Contrition The second meanes is the preaching of Christ crucified 2 By preaching Christ crucisied as appeareth in the example of those first Conuerts to whom Peter preached Christ crucified For hauing testified against them that they had crucified Christ i Acts 2. 37 38. They were pricked in their hearts and sayd vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall wee doe their consciences were so stricken with the terrour of this that they should be guilty of shedding the innocent bloud of the Sonne of God that they were at their wits end they knew not what to doe yet were they desirous to finde ease to their troubled consciences but knew not how till they called to remembrance the words of the Apostle how that Iesus of Nazareth whom they had crucified and slaine was the Sonne of God whom God raised vp who ascended to Heauen and is exalted at the right hand of God and hearing also that he is Iesus the Sauiour that he is the true Messias Christ the Anoynted of the Lord heereupon they are pricked in their hearts and touched in their consciences with a feeling of their sinnes yet so as they doe not despaire of all mercy but trusting in the goodnesse and mercy of God through Christ and being desirous to know how they may finde comfort to their troubled consciences they said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Menand brethen what shall we doe ô teach vs what we must doe to be saued Now they are sorrowfull after a godly manner now they are of a contrite spirit and an humble soule now they are exceeding sorrowfull that they haue crucified the Lord of life now they haue bleeding hearts for that they haue shed the bloud of the innocent Lambe of God now they are exceedingly displeased with themselues for that they haue done so wickedly and now they so abhorre their sinnes and wickednesse that they purpose neuer to doe wickedly againe So that their compunction was not onely a bare pricking of the heart such as Cain and Iudas had but as they had a feeling of their sinnes so also had they a feeling of the mercy of God in Christ Iesus Moreouer to the compunction and pricking of their hearts there was ioyned a readinesse to obey the will of God and to doe whatsoeuer the Lord should command them and therefore it is that they say Men and brethren what shall we doe to the end that a sinner may be brought to Contrition its necessary that the Word of God which is k Heb. 4. 12. quicke and powerfull and sharper then any two-edged sword piercing euen to the diuiding a sunder of soule and spirit and of the ioynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart doe pierce the heart and wound the conscience making the sinner to feele his sinnes to know that by his sinnes he hath offended God who hath beene so gracious a God and so louing and mercifull a Father vnto him and to acknowledge that by his sinnes he hath pierced and wounded the Sonne of God who was content to be pierced and wounded yea and to suffer his bloud to be shed for his sinnes The Adamant the hardest stone which will neither bee bruized with iron nor melted with fire is notwithstanding dissolued with l Gemin lib. 2. cap. 26. Goats-bloud What heart is there so hard and stony so adamant-like that will not bee mollified and softned that will not be rent and broken yea dissolued into teares being washed and soaked in the bloud of Christ this ô man this must or nothing will soften thy hard heart Thus Contrition is wrought in the heart The third thing is concerning the signes and marks 3 Signes of contrition or inward godly sorrow of Contrition Contrition or
spirit will I put within you saith the Lord to the Scribes and Pharisies those hypocrites which outwardly did appeare righteous vnto men but within were full of hypocrisie and iniquities our Sauiour saith f Mat. 23. 26. cleanse first that which it within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be cleane also The reason of this is because the heart of a sinner not yet renewed nor sanctified is no better then a filthie puddle sending forth stinking smels and loathsome sauours like a corrupt fountaine from whence floweth vnsauorie and vnwholesome water Hence it is that our Sauiour saith g Mat. 15. 19. Out of the heart proceede euill thoughts murders adulteries fornication thefts false witnesse blasphemies Wherefore reformation and amendment of life must necessarily beginne within whosoeuer would amend his life must first cleanse his heart Thus it appeares both by what meanes and also after what manner amendment of life is wrought in a sinner In the third place I endeauour to mooue the hearts of sinners to amendment of life by these motiues and 3 Motiues to perswade to amendment of life perswasions First the Scripture doth make it manifest that a sinner is not onely to repent of his sinnes past and to forsake his former sinfull life but he must also change his 1 God requireth it euill course amend his life and lead a new life The Prophet Dauid saith h Psal 37. 27. depart from euill and doe good To depart from euill and to doe good are here coupled together The Prophet Esai's exhortation is i Isa 1. 16. 17. cease to doe euill learne to doe well After ceasing from euill followeth learne to doe well Ezechiel saith k Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right c. Heer 's not onely required a turning from sinne but also a keeping of the statutes of the Lord and a doing of that which is lawfull and right Iohn Baptist preacheth Repentance in this order first he saith l Mat. 3. 2. 8. Repent ye and after this bring forth fruits meete for repentance Iohn Baptist cals vpon the people first exhorting them to repent and then to amend their liues and to bring forth better fruits S. Paul's exhortation to the Romanes is this m Râ—m 6. 19. as you haue yeelded your members seruants to vncleannesse and to iniquitie vnto iniquitie euen so now yeeld your members seruants to righteousnesse vnto holinesse Manasseh King of Iudah was at the first a verie wicked and idolatrous King n 2 Chro. 33. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. He built againe the hie places which Hezekiah his father had broken downe and he reared vp altars for Baalim and made groues and worshipped all the hoste of heauen c. And he caused his children to passe through the fire in the valley of the sonne of Hinnom also he obserued times and vsed inchantments and vsed Witch-craft and dealt with a familiar spirit and with Wizards he wrought much euil in the sight of the Lord to prouoke him to anger And he set a carued image the Idole which he had made in the house of God Such was his sinful and wicked life for which the Lord deliuered him into the hands of the King of Assyria and he was carried to Babylon And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers and prayed vnto him and he was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his Kingdome And after this Manasseh Ver. 15. 16. tooke away the strange gods and the idole out of the house of the Lord c. And he repaired the Altar of the Lord and sacrificed thereon peace-offerings and thank-offerings and commanded Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel Here was his reformation and amendment of life Peter who through fearfulnesse denied Christ saying p Mat. 26. 74. I know not the man afterward vpon his repentance doth with great boldnesse q Act. 4. 8. 9. 10. c. confesse Christ and preach Christ So Paul once r Act. 9. 1. 2. 3. 4. persecuted Christ but afterwards vpon his repentance Å¿ Per. 20. preached Christ to be the Sonne of God Before this he was a Lyon now he is a Lambe before a Wolfe deuouring the flocke now a Pastor and shepheard feeding the flocke before a persecutour of them that professed the name of Christ now a preacher and an earnest perswader of all men to beleeue in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and saluation of their soules Thus the Scripture exhorteth to amendment of life and setteth before our eies examples of penitent sinners who haue not onely forsaken their sinnes but also amended their liues that thereby wee also might be prouoked to amendment of life Secondly to perswade vs to amendment of life consider 1 The necessitie of amendment of life is great For that its necessarie for euery sinner not onely to forsake his sinnes wherein he hath formerly liued but also to reforme himselfe to redresse his wayes and to amend his life For First we are by nature in a corrupt state t Psal 51. 5. shapen in iniquitie 1 By nature we are in a corrupt state and conceiued in sinne u Ephe. 2. 1. 3. dead in trespasses and sinnes children of wrath And therefore haue neede to be renewed and reformed that by grace we may be children of our heauenly Father and sonnes of God It is said of Moab that x Iere. 48. 11. he hath setled on his lees Moreouer his taste remained in him and his sent was not changed It s a dangerous state of the soule when a sinner still remaineth the same and is not changed for if he be not altered and changed from his former euill state and condition if he be not renewed nor reformed then he settles vpon his lees then his taste remaines and his old corruption abides in him still 2 Except we be renewed and reformed we cannot see the kingdome of God Secondly a sinner not renewed nor reformed shall neuer see the kingdome of God for y Joh. 3. 3. 5. except a man be borne againe saith our Sauiour he cannot see the kingdome of God And againe except a man be borne of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Thirdly except that a sinner redresse his wayes reforme 3 A sinner that will not be reformed casts away his soule his life and bring forth better fruits he casts away his soule and shall vtterly perish The Lord God as one pittying the state and condition of those sinners who will not be perswaded to amend their liues sayth z Ezek. 18. 31. cast away from you all your transgressions whereby you haue transgressed and make you
vnto the end haue continued in their goodnesse vnto the end It is said of King Asa that k 1 Kin. 15. 14. his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes Paul saith l 2 Tim. 4. 7. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith And Dauid speakes thus of his perseuerance m Ps 119. 1â—2 I haue inclined mine heart to performe thy statutes alway euen vnto the end These are examples left for our instruction to teach vs to labour for the grace of perseuerance that we may continue to the end as they did 3 The necessity of perseueraÌ„ce Thirdly this grace of perseuerance is exceeding necessary for 1 All that begin well doe not end wâ—ll First All that beginne well doe not continue in well-doing many fall away from their former goodnesse and grow worse and worse of which S. Paul forewarneth Timothie saying n 2 Tim. 3. 13. 14. Euill men and seducers shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued but continue in the things which thou hast learned and hast beene assured of o Incipere muâ—torum â—st finire vero paucorum Auth. operis impert in Math. Hom. 24. Many beginne well saith one but few end well Which ought to be a caueat for vs to take heed lest hauing begunne well we should waxe wearie of well-doing The fall of others should be our admonition to stand fast in the faith and to hold on our course of godlinesse to the end Secondly except we perseuere and continue to the 2 Except wee continue to the end we cannot obtaine the crowne of glory end we cannot obtaine the crowne of immortall glory nor possesse that kingdome which is prepared for them that do perseuere continue to the end To the Angell of the Church in Philadelphia Christ saith p Reu. 3. 11. Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crowne Such is the necessity of perseuerence Fourthly to perswade vs to perseuere and continue 4 The benefit of perseuerance in goodnesse consider the benefites that come by continuing in well doing to the end The benefit of perseuerance is great For First It brings Saluation q Math. 24. 13. Hee that shall endure vnto 1 Saluation the end saith our Sauiour the same shall be saued r Salus inâ—piâ—ntibus promiâ—titur praemium perseuerantibus datur Saluation is promised to them that begin well but the reward is giuen to them that perseuere and continue to the end Secondly they that continue to the end shall haue a kingdome So our Sauiour promiseth to his Disciples and in them to all that continue to the end saying Å¿ Luke 22. 28. 29 30. Yee are they which haue contined with me in my temptations and 2 A kingdome I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my Father hath appointed vnto me that ye may eate and drinke with me at my table in my kingdome Thirdly through perseuerance wee shall come to 3 A Crowne weare a crowne in the kingdome of heauen Of which S. Paul speakes thus t 2 Tim. 4. 7. 8. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Here 's perseuerance Now heare what the reward of perseuerance is Henceforth there is laid vp for me a Crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day And not to mee onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing Fourthly Perseuerance in grace and continuing in 4 Eternall life holinesse vnto the end brings eternall life Of which S. Paul saith u Rom. 6. 12. But now being made free from sinne and become seruants to God ye haue your fruit vnto holinesse and the end euerlasting life The consideration of this that a Christian may perseuere Vse and continue in goodnesse vnto the end and Against those who fall backe from grace and goodnesse that he ought so to doe as hath beene prooued serues to reprooue those who fall backe from grace and former goodnesse for which going backeward S. Paul reprooues the Galathians and layes folly to their charge x Gal. 3. 3. Are ye so foolish hauing begunne in the spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh No man saith our Sauiour hauing y Luke â— 62. put his hand to the Plow and looking backe is fit for the kingdome of God z Gen. 19. 26. Lots wife looking backe from Sodome became a pillar of Salt Ephraim and Iudah are both reprooued by the Prophet Hosea for their want of perseuerance and continuance in goodnesse a Hosea 6. 4. O Ephraim what shall I doe vnto thee O Iudah what shall I doe vnto thee for your goodnesse is as a morning cloude and as the early deaw it goeth away Our goodnesse should bee of more continuance then the morning deaw which being drawne vp by the heate of the Sunne vanisheth and is gone Our goodnesse should rather bee like the greene Bay tree which is greene and flourishing both Winter and Summer Such ought our perseuerance in goodnesse to be that neither in the cold winter of aduersity nor in the hote Summer of prosperity wee lose the greenenesse of grace and vertue but for goodnesse be still the same and continue in well-doing in all states and conditions through the whole course of our life What shall it profit thee O man to enter into the good way and to turne backe againe To beginne to doe well and to be weary of well-doing To beginne well and to end ill Wretched Iudas that Sonne of perdition made shew of a very good beginning but his last end was fearefull and damnable Paul beganne ill but he ended well More happy was Paul who though he beganne ill ended well then Iudas who began well and ended ill Wherefore if wee bee going with the Israelites to the Land of Canaan let vs not thinke on the b Exod. 16. 3. flesh-pots of Aegipt If we be going with Lot towards Zoar see wee doe not with c Gen. 19 22. 26 Lots wife looke backe to Sodome And if with d Ruth 1. 14. 15. 16. Naomi wee bee going to the Land of Iudah let vs not goe backe againe with Orpah to Moab But hold on with Ruth to Iudah Yea let vs goe on walking in holinesse and righteousnesse towards the promised Land the new Ierusalem the Citty whose builder and maker is God And hauing escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ let vs take heede that wee be not againe intangled therein and ouercome lest the latter end be worse with vs then the beginning And to encourage vs herein let it be remembred that except we doe perseuere in goodnesse and continue in a godly course of life vnto the end we cannot obtaine the Crowne of immortall glory which God hath prepared for them that loue him But if we
almightie God e Rom. 2. 4. 5. despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest vp vnto thy selfe wrath vnto the day of wrath Giuing vs to vnderstand that if a sinner will not repent when the Lord graciously calleth him to repentance yea whiles the Lord sheweth his patience and long-suffering towards him waiting for his repentance but obstinately refuseth grace and despiseth the patience and long suffering of God the Lord may so strike him and that iustly with hardnesse of heart that he cannot repent Thus it befell that man who leading an vngodly life was wont to boast that he could repent at the last houre And if he had but time to say three words f Domine miserâ—â—â— mei Stapl. prâ—mp Mor. Dom. 7. post pentect 3. Lord haue mercie on me it was enough this wicked wretch as he was riding ouer a water vpon a broken bridge his Horse stumbled and Horse and Man fell into the water and were drowned yet before their drowning he had leasure to pronounce three words but not those three words which he spake of in his life time Lord haue mercie on me but three other words more fearefull g Capiat omnia Damon The Deuill take all and so perished in the water So fearfull a thing is it to deferre repentance till the last houre Fiftly a sinner who hath all his youth-full dayes giuen 5 He that hath serued sin all his life time knoweth not whether God will accept his seruice in his old age himselfe to his lusts and pleasures who in his best dayes hath serued the flesh the world and the Deuill if in his old age he offer his seruice vnto God knoweth not whether God will accept it h Rom. â—2 1. I beseech you brethren sayth the Apostle by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God God must haue a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable and if it be of the worst sort as i Gen. 4. 3. 5. Cains was it is not acceptable to God now to giue the youth and strength of our dayes to serue the flesh the world and the Diuell and to reserue the weakenesse of our dayes euen our old age for God is to giue him of the worst sort of our offerings To denie vnto God the best of the flocks and fattest of the heards for sacrifice and to offer him the blind the lame and the sicke will not be acceptable to God as he saith by Malachie k Mal. 1. 8. If ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not euill and if ye offer the lame and the sicke is it not euill offer it now vnto thy gouernour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hoste Now to serue sinne all the dayes of a mans life while he hath health and strength and to beginne to serue God when he is sicke and diseased when he is lame and blind and deafe will God be pleased with this seruice will he accept thy person What great thing is it for thee to giue away thy goods when thou canst keepe them no longer to leaue drunkennesse when thou art come to pouertie and wantest meanes to maintaine thy drinking or what praise is it for thee now to put away thy Concubine when lust faileth and not to leaue sin till sin leaue thee For l Jam te peccata dimittunt non tu illa now it may be rather said thy sinnes leaue thee then thou thy sinnes And although it be true that late repentance if it be sound and serious is neuer too late yet late repentance is seldome sound repentance For m Sâ—ra poenitâ—â—ia aut nulla aut ficia aut dâ—ffiâ—â—â—s late repentance is either none at all or fained or very hard and difficult But some may say the theefe on the Crosse repented at the last houre and was saued I ansâ—ere the sauing Obiect of the theefe on the Crosse at the last houre was an extraordinary Luk. 23. 42. 43. act of Christ to be reckoned amongst his Answ wonders and is left recorded for our consolation letting vâ— thereby know that God is mercifull to sinners that doe repent though it be late and that it is possible for a sinner to be saued at the last houre onely vpon this condition if God then giue him grace to beleeue and repent Wherefore it is said n Vâ—â—s misericordiam invenit hora vâ—tima ne quis despâ—reâ— vnicus ne qâ—i prâ—sumâ—t Aug. one found mercie at the last houre lest any should despaire of the mercies of God and but onely one lest any should presume of Gods mercie Now seeing that there is such folly and danger in deferring repentance let the counsell of Solomon be acceptable vnto vs o â—ccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth And let vs not make light of the counsel of the wise sonne of Syrach saying p Eccles 5. 7. make no tarrying to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroied and perish in the day of vengeance S. Ambrose thus reasoneth with the sinner that would still deferre his repentance q Agens poenitentiam ad vltimum reconciliâ—tus si exterit an seâ—â—rus â—â—nc exâ—at â—go non sum securus c. nunquid dico damnabitur non dico Sed nec liberabitur dico c. vis te fraterâ—a dubio liberari vis quod incâ—rtiâ— est euadere age poenitentiam dum sanus es Si enim agis poenitentiam dum sanus es inuenerit te nouissimus dies securuses quia egisâ—â— poenitentiam eo tempore quo peccare potuisti Amb. ad poenitentiam agendam exhort he that repenteth at the last houre and is reconciled and so departeth out of this life whether he be secure and safe from condemnation I am not certains Doe I say he shall be damned I say not so Neither doe I say hee shall be saued But wilt thou my brother be out of doubt concerning thy saluation And wilt thou be deliuered from vncertaintie Repent while thou art in health For if thou doest truely repent in thy health and the last day so finde thee then thou art safe because thou hast repented whilst yet thou mightst haue sinned I wiâ—h that this good counsell of this good Father were receiued of all then would not men be so foolish to hazard their soules to the last houre and venture their saluation vpon vncertaintie then would they not deferre their repentance nor make any tarrying to turne to the Lord but with holy Dauid would r Psal 119. 60. make hast and would not delay to keepe his Commaundements CHAP. XII Of the impediments of Repentance of
whether they be good or bad O then consider how doth it stand Vse euery one of vs in hand to cast vp our accounts before To cast our account and make our reckoning aforehand hand now to make euen reckoning and now to repent of our transgressions and iniquities that our sinnes may be blotted out of Gods booke and that when we come to iudgement our sins be not laid to our charge This vse S. Paul teacheth vs to make of the certaintie of the iudgement to come in his sermon to the Athenians e Act. 17. 30. 31 the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commaundeth all men euery where to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse Because God hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world therefore all men euery where ought to repent The certaintie of the iudgement to come should mooue vs to repentance Seauenthly It s necessarie for a sinner to repent to 7 The vncertaintie of the day of iudgement turne from sinne and to returne vnto the Lord in regard of the vncertaintie of the day of Iudgement Certaine it is there shall be a day of iudgement but when that day shall be is vnknowne to vs it s well knowne to God but from vs its hidden and kept secret Our Sauiour Christ saith f Mat. 24. 36. Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of heauen but my Father onely And againe g Mat. 25. 13. ye know neither the day nor the houre wherein the Sonne of man commeth When the Disciples asked our Sauiour h Act. 1. 6. 7. Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the kingdome to Israell He said vnto them It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his owne power Saint Paul compares the comming of Christ to Iudgement for the vncertaintie and suddennesse thereof to the trauaile of a woman i 1. Thes 5. 3. When they shall say peace and safetie then suddaine destruction commeth vpon them as trauaile vpon a woman with childe S. Peter to the comming of a theefe in the night k 2. Pet. 3. 10. The day of the Lord will come saith he as a theefe in the night Thus vncertaine is the day of iudgement And that this vncertaintie of the day of iudgement ought to mooue vs to repentance appeareth in the reproofe of the Angell of the Church of Sardis l Rom. 3. 3. Remember therefore how thou hast receiued heard and hold fast and repent If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a theefe and thou shalt not know what houre I will come vpon thee This serues to reproue those who though they know Vse that there shall be a iudgement yet liue wickedly and Against those who thinke that Christ will still deferre his comming to iudgement vainely perswade themselues that the day of iudgement is farre off and that Christ will not make such hast to come to Iudgement But take heed thou prophane man beware of scoffing at the comming of Christ to Iudgement Say not thou m 2 Pet. 3. 4. 9. Where is the promise of his comming For the Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long-suffering to vs-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Though the Lord be in thy account slacke in comming it is not slacknesse it is but forbearance it is his long-suffering because the Lord is not willing that thou shouldest perish but that thou shouldest come to repentance But if thou shalt deferre they repentance and still do wickedly and say in thy heart with that bad seruant n Luk. 12. 45. 46 my Lord delateth his comming and shalt begin to beat the men-seruants and maidens and to eat and drinke and to be drunken The Lord will come in a day when thou lookest not for him and at an houre when thou art not ware and will cut thee in sunder and will appoynt thee thy portion with the vnbeleeuers But let all them that hope to speed well at the day of iudgement watch and wait daily and hourly for the comming of Christ to Iudgement because we know neither the day nor the houre of his comming And thus our Sauiour exhorteth vs o Mat. 24. 42. Watch therfore for ye know not what houre your Lord doth come And againe he saith p Ver. 44. be ye also readie for in such an houre as ye thinke not the Sonne of man commeth Seeing we are sure that the Lord will come and we know not when not what day nor what houre of the day not what night nor what watch of the night therefore we should watch hauing our q Luke 12. 35. 36. 37. loynes girded about and our lights burning and our selues like vnto men that wait for their Lord when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh we may open vnto him immediately Blessed are those seruants whom the Lord when he commeth shal find watching r Luk. 21. 36. Watch ye therefore and pray alwayes that ye may be accompted worthie to escape all those things that shall come to passe and to stand before the Sonne of man The wicked shal not stand in the iudgement the countenance of the Iudge shall be so terrible and fearefull vnto them that they shall not be able to hold vp their heads but looke downe and turne away from his presence and say to the ſ Ren. 6. 16. 17. Mountaines and Rockes fall on vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand But as for the righteous they shall lift vp their heads and stand with boldnesse of face because they haue in their life time made euen their reckoning they are washed from their sinnes in the bloud of the Lambe their transgressions and their misdeedes are blotted out of Gods booke their debts are paid the Bookes are canceld nothing can now be laid to their charge they are in fauour with God and Iesus Christ the Iudge who sitteth on the Throne lookes fauourablie vpon them speakes comfortablie vnto them and bids them t Mat. 25. 23. enter into the ioy of the Lord. O then blessed are those seruants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde watching CHAP. XXI Of the punishment of impenitent sinners of their Temporall and spirituall punishment and how these ought to moue vs to repentance THe eight and last motiue to repentance in regard 8 The punishmēt of impenitent sinners of the necessity thereof I take from the punishment of impenitent sinners It s necessarie for a sinner to repent and amend his waies in regard of the certaine punishment that shall befall him
deserued punishment of sinne St Paul saith of the Gentiles p Rom. 1. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. they changed the glory of the vncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and foure footed beasts and creeping things wherefore God gaue them vp to vncleannesse through the lusts of their owne hearts c. For this cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections c. And God gaue them ouer to a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not conuenient Againe in his Epistle to the Ephesians he sheweth that the q Ephe. 4. 17. 18. 19. Gentiles walked in the vanitie of their minde hauing the vnderstanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorace that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart who being past feeling haue giuen themselues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse Pharaoh's r Exod. 4. 21. heart was hardned that he would not let Israell goe And to the sinner that hath despised the riches of Gods goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering which should haue led him to repentance the Apostle saith Å¿ Rom. 2. 5. after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest vp vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath shewing thereby that when God hath shewed his patience and long-suffering towards a sinner and the sinner repenteth not but still deferreth his repentance in the end the Lord will lay a heauie and sore iudgement vpon him hardnesse of heart so that now his heart is hardned he hath an impenitent heart a heart that cannot repent And sometimes the impenitent sinner is so forsaken of God and left to himselfe that he growes to desperation and then through the strong temptations of the Deuill he workes meanes to bring himselfe to some vntimely death as t 2 Sam. 17. 23. Ahitophel and u Mat. 27. 5. Iudas Now whereas the Lord doth iustly punish impenitent Vse sinners with such spirituall iudgements blinding To pray that God would soften our hard hearts their minds hardning their hearts and leauing them to themselues this should teach vs to pray vnto the Lord that he would giue vs grace to lay aside all pride of heart and stubbornnesse of minde and that the Lord would take away from vs our hard and stonie hearts and that by his good Spirit he would soften our hard hearts that we might be mooued to repentance when God calleth vs to repentance and that we might humble our selues before the Lord and tremble at his word For x Isa 66. 2. to this man will I looke faith the Lord euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word To this end let vs heare and receiue the exhortation of the Apostle to the Hebrewes y Heb. 3. 12. 13 take heede brethren lest there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe in departing from the liuing God but exhort one another daily while it is called To day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne CHAP. XXII Of the eternall punishment of impenitent sinners and of the paines of hell And how this ought greatly to mooue vs to Repentâ—nce THe third punishment belonging to impenitent 3 Eternall Herein Two things sinners is eternall punishment concerning which I consider these two things First the place of their punishment Secondly the greatnesse and grieuousnesse of their punishment The place of punishment appointed for the wicked 1 The place of eternall punishment Two fold eternally to be punished and tormented is two-fold The one is the place from whence they shall be excluded The other is the place whither they shall be cast Touching the first The place from whence the wicked shall be excluded is the kingdome of God a 1 Câ—r 6. 9. The 1 The place from whence the wicked shall be excluded vnrighteous saith S. Paul shall not inherite the kingdome of God The wicked shall haue no possession or inheritance in heauen they shall be shut out of the kingdome of heauen they shall be cast from the glorious presence of God they shall be depriued of the cleare vision of God and they shall not see the face of God but shall be b 2 Thes 1. 9. punished as the Apostle saith with euerlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power And this losse of the kingdome of heauen to be depriued of the glorious presence of God neuer to see God to be excluded from the fellowship of the holy Angells and blessed Saints in heauen in a word to be thrust out of the place of happinesse neuer to see good day neuer to haue comfort any more is an vnspeakeable punishment yea a very hell In so much that a Father saith c Nâ—â—i autem quâ—a 〈◊〉 pâ—rtâ—â—escanâ— Gelienâ—â—nt ego tâ—men gloriae amissiâ—nem multo amarius 〈◊〉 ipsius Gelâ—enâ—â—â— dicâ—â—sse supplicium Chrysâ—n Math. Hom. 24. I know that many doe greatly stand in feare of hell but I say that the losse of glory in heauen is more bitter and grieuous then the punishment of hell it selfe This of the place from whence the wicked shall be excluded For the second the place whither they shall be cast 2 The place whither the wicked shall be cast is into vtter darkenesse as our Sauiour saith d Mat. 25. 30. cast ye the vnprofitable seruant into outer darkenesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And of this place our Sauiour againe saith e Mat. 13. 49. 50. at the end of the world the Angels shall come forth and seuer the wicked from among the iust and shall cast them into the furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth This is that f Isa 30. 33. Tophet which is ordeined of old yea for the king it is prepared he hath made it deepe and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it as saith the Prophet Isaiah And this place is said in the Reuelation to be a g Reu. 19. 20. lake of fire burning with brimstone And the h Reu. 20. 10. lake of fire and brimstone Now if the place prepared for the tormenting of the wicked and vngodly after this life be a place of outer darknesse where there is weeping gnashing of teeth if it be a furnace of fire if there be fire and much wood if the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone 2 The greatnesse and grieuousnesse of the punishment of the wicked in hell Their torment shall be doth kindle it and if it be a lake of fire and brimstone O then sure this must needs be a most fearefull place a place full of intollerable paine and torment And such is the place whither all impenitent sinners euen all wicked and vngodly men which haue liued wickedly and haue
his wâ—yes and we will walke in his pathes And all Christian people are bouâ—d to frequent and diligently to come vnto the Reasons to moâ—ue vs to frequent the house of God house of God the publique place of Gods worship there to make supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes there to heare the word of God and â—o be partakers of the Sacraments and that for these reasons First the Scripture exhorteth vnto it the Psalmist 1 Scripture saith q Psâ—l 14â— 1. Sing vnto the Lord a new song and his praisâ— in the congregation of Saints Againe r Psal 150. 1. Praise God in his Sanctuarie And againe he saith Å¿ Psal 95. 2. Let vs come before his presence with thankesgiuing t Verse 6. O come let vs worship and bow downe let vs kneele before the Lord our maker Thus the Scripture exhorteth to come to the house of God and to worship God in the publique place of Gods worship Secondly it was the custome of the people both in 2 Custome of the Church of God Christs time and after to come to their Synagogues euery Sabboth day to worship God and to heare the word of God read and preached vnto them for S. Luke saith that Iesus u Luk. 4. 16. came to Nazareth where he had beene brought vp and as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabboth day and stoode vp for to reade And in the Acts of the Apostles he saith x Acts 15. 21. Moses of the olde time hath in euery Cittie them that preach him being read in the Synagogues euery Sabbath day Thirdly good men haue had great loue to the house of 3 Good men haue had great loue to the house of God God to the publique place of Gods worship insomuch that when they might haue free accesse to the house of God they haue reioyced and beene exceeding glad as Dauid saying y Psal 122. 1. I was glad when they said vnto me let vs goe into the house of the Lord. Contrariwise when they could not come to the house of God to the publique place of Gods worship to ioyne with the congregation in praying and praising God they haue beene exceeding sad and sorrowfull heauie hearted their soules haue beene euen cast downe within them Such was Dauids zeale to the house of the Lord saying z Psal 42. 1. 2. 3 4. 5. As the Hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God for the liuing God When shall I come and appeare before God My teares haue beene my meate day and night while they continually say vnto mee where is thy God when I remember these things I powre out my soule in me for I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the house of God with the voice of ioy praise with a multitude that kept holy day Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted in me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance And againe he saith a Psal 84. 1. 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hostes my soule longeth yea euen fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crieth out for the liuing God Fourthly It is meete and right that vpon the Lords 4 It is meete and requisite on the Lords day to be in the Lords house day we be found in the Lords house for what house can a man be in better then in Gods house What better company can a man desire to haue then the companie of the godly or what better fellowship then the fellowship of the faithfull what talke what communication what conference can be better then to speake vnto God by prayer and to heare God speake vnto vs out of his holy word or what better mirth then in Gods house to sing Psalmes to the praise of God Now the consideration of these things should make vs euery one more diligent in frequenting the house of God Secondly seeing that there are places consecrated and 2 To come into Gods house with reuerence and humility set apart for the publike worship of God this may teach vs to come into the house God with all reuerence and humility when we come for these holy ends to pray to God to praise God to heare his holy word and to bee partakers of the Sacraments for in the performance of these sacred duties the Lord is present and the holy Angels are present and God is holy his Angels are holy and his word is holy for this cause Moses comming into the presence of the Lord is commanded to put his shoes off his feete b Exod. 3. 5. Put off thy shoes from off thy feet for the place wheron thou standest is holy ground And Salomon giues vs this direction about the manner of our comming into the house of God c Eccles 5. 1. Keâ—pe thy foot when thou goest to the house of God Wherefore when we are going into the house of God it is good to say with Dauid d Psal 5. 7. In thy feare will I worship toward thy holy temple Secondly this serues for reprehension and it reprooues Vse 2 First Those that are negligent in comming to the 1 Against those who are negligent in comming to the house of God house of God many haue little care to frequent Gods house and make no conscience of sanctifying the Sabboth and keeping holy the Lords day Who dedicate that day not to God but to Bacchus and Venus making it a day of reuelling and banquetting a day of wantonnesse and wickednesse who instead of saying one to another Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob say Come let vs goe to the Alehouse let vs sit there let vs eate and drinke and rise vp to play Is not this plainely to despise Gods house and to set light by the place of Gods worship Others are so ouercome with worldlinesse that they are loath to spare so much time as to consecrate one day of seauen to the seruice of God Hence it is that some cannot keepe their hands from doing some seruile worke vpon the Sabbath day and that others lest they should misse their market or not come to their iournies end at the set time labour and trauaile and ride on their iourney vpon the Lords day and that when there is no absolute necessity but that their iourney and businesse might be otherwise conueniently disposed of if worldlinesse had not taken too great a rooting in their hearts Such people had therfore need to repent of their neglect in comming to the publique place of Gods worship and to be carefull that they henceforward e Isay 5â— 13. turne away their foot from doing their owne pleasure and doing their owne waies on the Lords holy-day Secondly seeing that our
the Sea-shore and of Ionah in the Whales belly in the depth of the sea And for those that lie sicke on their beds or are diseased with any infirmitie and paine of bodie so that they cannot come to the Church but necessarily remaine at home herein is their comfort the Lord can heare and doth heare in secret in the house and chamber as well as in the Church as the Lord seeth in all places so doth he also heare at all times and in all places and if they lift vp as the Apostle saith holy pure hands without wrath and doubting no doubt but the Lord heareth their prayers though through necessitie they pray at home The place hinders not euerie place is pure if the heart be pure it is the mind the heart and the affection of him that prayeth which God regardeth more then the place where he prayeth And this concerning the place of Prayer CHAP. XIII Of the manner how we are to pray aright and First of preparation before we pray and of Attention in praying THE Seuenth thing in the treatise of Prayer is concerning the manner how we may pray aright 7 The manner how we may pray aright Nine things required therevnto that our praiers may be acceptable and well pleasing vnto almighty God And in the framing of our praiers aright their are nine things required all of absolute necessitie to the making of a good and acceptable prayer The first whereof is Preparation 1 Preparation Standing in two things And the preparing of our selues aright for prayer stands specially in these two things First in withdrawing the minde from the buisie cares 1 A with drawing the mind from the world of the world Secondly in setting the heart vpon God thinking with our selues and seriously meditating both of the Lord God to whom we pray as also for what we pray 2 A drawing the heart vp vnto God considering with our selues in whose presence we are to appeare when we fall downe to praier praying to the Lord to direct vs by his holy spirit that we may pray aright and aske such things as are agreeable to his will Now when the minde is not buâ—ie about the cares of the world and the thoughts of the heart are thus drawne vp vnto God then is the soule more fit and better prepared to pray vnto God To this preparation Salomon exhorteth vs saying a Eccles. 5. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hastie to vtter any thing before God to which agreeth the saying of the sonne of Syrach b Ecclus 18. 23. Before thou praiest prepare thy selfe and be not as one that tempteth the Lord. Where the wise man sheweth two things the one is the dutie required namely to prepare our selues for praier before we pray the other is the necessitie of this preparation for if we doe not prepare our selues before we pray we are to be reckoned in the number of those that tempt God This serues to reprooue all rash suddaine and hastie manner of praying when men come to pray and doe Vse Against hastie rash praying not prepare themselues before hand but come to the performance of that dutie rashly without meditation and due preparation Consider with me if a man haue a petition to preferre to the Kings Maiesty and hath that fauour granted him that he may haue accesse into the Kings presence or if his suite be but to some great Lord and honourable person what preparation will that man make before hand how carefull will he be to looke to his apparrell that it be handsome to see to his hands and face that they be cleane and how carefull will he be of his gesture and behauiour thinking with himselfe how shall I behaue my selfe when I come into the presence of so great a man and how circumspect will he be of his words to place his words aright that so he may receiue a good answere And if a man be thus carefull and circumspect to prepare himselfe when he shall come into the presence of an earthly King or before some great Lord ô how carefull and how circumspect ought euery one to be when we come to appeare before the Lord the great God and King of â—â—â—he earth when we come to tread in the courts of the 〈◊〉 house and to call vpon his holy name either publiquely or priuatly how carefull ought we to be to looke to the inward garment of our conscience that it be white and cleane to wash our hands in innocency before we come to the altar of the Lord to looke to our gesture and behauiour that it be with all reuerence and to be watchfull ouer our words that we be not rash with our mouth nor hastie to vtter any thing before God and this of preparation before we pray The Second thing required in the framing of our 2 Attention in praying praiers aright is Attention in praying Before we pray we must make preparation for prayer and in praying we must be carefull to pray with attention to pray with the heart affection lest we be in the number of those who c Isa 29. 13. Standing in three things draw neere to God with their mouth and with their lips doe honour him but haue remooued their heart farre from him And this attention in praying stands specially in three things 1 Attending the matter of prayer First in praying wee must carefully attend to the words which we vtter lest we erre in the matter of praier and so may pray amisse Secondly in praying wee must haue regard to the 2 Hauing respect to the sence vnderstanding what we pray sence and meaning of the words which we vtter vnderstanding what we pray that we may pray as the Apostle saith d 1 Cor. 14. 15. With the Spirit and pray with the vnderstanding also Thirdly in praying our mind must be aboue and 3 The heart must be fixed vpon God our heart so fixed vpon God that it do not wander from God through by-thoughts These three things are requisite for our attention in praying The consideration of this attention in praying reprooues Vse those who in time of praying either publiquely Against those who in praying giue liberty to their wandring thoughts or priuately haue many wandring thoughts and worldly cogitations So that although they bow their knees yet their hearts are little mooued though their bodies be in the Church their minds are abroad and though their mouths vtter words and their lips mooue apace yet their hearts are on the world and the things on the world either on the profits or pleasures of the world Here some may say it is true I confesse in praying whether in publique or priuate I haue sundry distractions Quest and many wandring thoughts which trouble mee and hinder my deuotion how should I be rid of them or what remedie is to be vsed against them I answere the best remedy is earnestly to
soules Consider with your selues that y 2 Sam. 12. 16. Dauid a King fasted mourned when his child was sicke and lay all night vpon the earth that z Esth 4. 4. 16. Esther a Queene fasted and did neither eat nor drinke three daies night nor day and that a Luk. 2 36. 37. Anna a woman of great age serued God with fastings and praiers night and day But where is our fasting or where shall we finde one of an hundred fasting truly after the right manner and to the â—ight ends that can say with S. Paul I haue bene b 2. Cor. 11. 27. Infastings often or can say with Dauid c Psal 109. 24. My knees are weake through fasting and my flesh faileth of fatnesse Some hope to excuse themselues from fasting saying each one for himselfe though I cannot fast yet I can pray but tell me not of thy deuotion in praying except thou canst also tell me of thy daily abstinence and of some time set a part for the taming of thy rebellious flesh and bringing vnder thy bodie by fasting for fasting is as hath bene declared a great helpe and furtherance to prayer and therefore where abstinence is not vsed and fasting neglected there doubtlesse praier either is not or is verie weake cold and formall And this of Fasting as it is a help and furtherance to praier CHAP. XX. Of the Third help and further ance of prayer Diuine Meditations GOdly Meditations are a third help and furtherance to our praiers which I will make manifest 3 Diâ—ine Meditations considered two waies First in generall Secondly by a particular enumeration of sundry profitable meditations For the First All godly meditations are a helpe and 1 Generally furtherance to our praiers as appeareth by the words of the prophet Dauid saying a Psal 39. 3. 4. My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned then spake I with my tongue Lord make me to know mine end c. and againe he saith b Psal 77. 1. I cried vnto God with my voice euen vnto God with my voice he gaue eare vnto me But before he called cried vnto the Lord he declareth what thoughts meditations he had he c Ver. 3. remeÌ„bred God he could not sleepe for thinking vpon God he d Vers 6. 7 8 9. Communed with his owne heart his spirit made diligent search wil the Lord cast off for euer wil he be fauourable no more c. To this agreeth the saying of the sonne of Syrach e Ecclus. 39. 1. He that giueth his mind to the law of the most high and is occupied in the meditations thereof will seeke out the wisdome of all the ancient c. and it followeth f Vers 5. He will giue his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him and will pray before the most high and will open his mouth in prayer and make supplication for his sinnes Thus holy and diuine meditations generally considered are a helpe and furtherance to our praiers Secondly that diuine meditations are a great help 2 Particularly Twofold furtherance to dâ—uout praier I will manifest by the particular enumeration of sundry diuine meditations which I reduce to these two heads Godly meditations concerne either God or Ourselues 1 Concerning God Threefold Those that concerne God are of three sorts The first concerne his nature or Attributes The second his word The third his workes Touching the First The consideration of the attributes 1 Concerning the Attributes of God as of God may stirre vs vp to Inuocation either to pray to God or to praise God as First when we thinke vpon the eternitie and immortalitie of God the consideration of this that God is eternall 1 Eterniue of God and immortall that he is euerlasting without beginning and without ending may raise our thoughts to thinke on the life euerlasting which the eternall and euer-liuing God hath prepared for his elect and then to pray that we may liue eternally with God in his eternall and euerlasting kingdome Secondly when we meditate on the power of God 2 Power of God consider that he made the world of nothing and that he doth what soeuer it pleaseth him both in heauen and earth this should teach vs to pray that we may depend vpon Gods prouidence for the things of this present life because God is al sufficient to pray that in time of trouble we may waite vpon God for deliuerance because he is a God of might and power able to doe all things yea and to pray that we may feare that powerfull God to seeke to please him and to glorifie him both in our bodies and in our solues because he is g Mat. 10. 28. able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell Thirdly when we meditate on the iustice of God and 3 Iustice of God consider how iust the Lord is in all his waies that he is a iust God hating sinne and iniquitie and punishing the transgressors h Exod. 34 7. That will by no meanes cleare the guilty i Nahum 1. 3. And will not at all acquit the wicked the consideration hereof should mooue vs to pray that we may alwaies k Psal 4. 4. Stand in awe of his maiesty and not sinne against him lest we prouoke his wrath and indignation against vs. Fourthly when we thinke on the mercy of God and 4 Mercie of God consider with our selues that God is l Ioel. 2. 13. Gracious and mercifull this meditation should moue vs to pray that the Lord would be gracious and mercifull vnto vs that he would shew mercie vpon vs and pardon our sinnes as Dauid prayeth m Psal 51. 1. Haue mercy vpon me ô God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Fiftly when we thinke on the patience long suffering 5 Patience of God and forbearance of God considering how long we haue liued in our sinnes how often we haue done wickedly and still the Lord hath shewed his patience and long suffering and waiting for our repentance hath forborne to cut vs off in our sinnes then we should pray that this n Rom. 2. 4. Goodnesse of God in forbearing vs might be a meanes to lead vs to repentance Sixtly when we thinke on the wisedome of God and consider how wisely the Lord hath made all things and 6 Wisdome of God how prudently he ruleth and gouerneth the world this meditation should bring vs into admiration of the Lords wisedome and cause vs to lift vp our hearts on high praising the Lord and saying with Dauid o Psa 104. 24. O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all Thus the deuour soule may be carried aloft in heauenly meditations concerning these and the rest of the Attributes of God and in all he may be stirred vp
Eternall glorie ibid. Vse 1. To trie our selues whether wee bee come to Amendmenâ— of life pag. 214. Vse 2. Against those who onely câ—ase from some euill but doe no good pag. 216. 6. Perseuerance in grace Or Continuance in well-doing to the end chap. 10. Therein two things 1. That a Christian may perseuere and continue to the end For 1. A good and sound Christian shall not be mooued p. 218 2. God that hath giuen grace will finish it ibid 3. They that are iustified shall bee glorified ibid. 4. The Elect are reserued vnto saluation in Heauen ibid. 2. Motiues to perswade to perseuerance foure 1. God requireth it p. 219. 2. Holy men haue continued in their goodnesse vnto the end ibid. 3. The necessitie thereof two-fold 1. All that begin well doe not end well p. 219. 2. Except wee continue to the end we cannot obtaine the crowne of life p. 220. 4. The Benefit thereof four-fold 1. Saluation ibid. 2. A Kingdome ibid. 3. A Crowne ibid. 4. Eternall life ibid. Vse Against those who fall backe from grace and goodnesse p. 221. 4. The time of Repentance Chap. 11. three-fold 1. The time of this present life p. 223. Vse Against Purgatorie ibid. 2. The time of grace p. 224. Vse Not to harden our hearts against the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance ibid. 3. The time present p. 225. Vse Against those that deferre their Repentance pag. 226. And they that defer their Repentance doe foolishly For 1. Thereby a sinner longer continueth in his sinnes pag. 226. 2. No man is certaine of the time to come p. 227. 3. Hee that deferreth his repentance till olde age is then vnfit to repent ibid. 4. No man is sure that hee shall haue grace to repent heereafter p. 228 5. He that hath serued sin all his life time knoweth not whether God will accept his seruice in his old age p. 229. 5. Impediments which hinder sinners from Repentance chap. 12. And they are foure 1. Doing euill and escaping pag. 231. two-fold 1. In their owne experience pag. 231. 2. In the example of others pag. 233. Vse Against those that doe euill and thinke alwayes to goe vnpunished ibid. 2. Presuming on Gods mercy cha 13. Where consider two things 1. That God is onely mercifull to penitent sinners p. 234. 2. As God is mercifull so hee is also iust pag. 235. Vse Against those that presume on Gods mercy ibid. 3. Custome in sinning Chap. 14. Vse Not to accustome our selues to any sinne p. 237. 4. Hope of long life chap. 15. Vse Not to deferre our Repentance vpon hope to liue long p. 239. 6. Motiues and perswasions to Repentance Chap. 16. And they are foure 1. Testimonies of Scripture p. 240. 2. Examples of penitent sinners ibid. Vse To reprooue Those who are willing to imitate the Saints in their sinnes but not in their repentance p. 241. 3. The necessity of Repentance cha 17. In regard of 1. The Benefits of God p. 243. Vse Gods benefits should worke in vs repentance and binde vs to obedience p. 244. 2. The patience and long suffering of God chap. 18. Vse Against those who abuse the patience of God p. 246. 3. The shortnesse of mans life Chap. 19. pag. 248. Vse Against those who spend the short time of their life ill pag. 250. 4. The certainty of death ibid. 5. The vncertainty of the day and houre of death p. 251. Vse To prepare for the day of death ibid. 6. The certainty of the Iudgement to come chap. 20. pag. 252. Vse To cast our account and to make our reckoning afore-hand pag. 254. 7. The vncertainty of the day of Iudgement ibid. Vse Against those who thinke that Christ will still deferre his comming to Iudgement pag. 255. 8. The punishment of impenitent sinners Chap. 21. three-fold 1. Temporall three-fold in 1. Body pag 258. 2. Goods pag. 259. 3. Both. ibid. Vse To cease to doe euill that it may bee well with vs and ours p 260. 2. Spirituall ibid. Vse To pray that God would soften our hard hearts pag. 261. 3. Eternall chap. 22. Where two things 1. The place two-fold 1. From whence the wicked shall bee excluded p. 262. 2. Whither the wicked shall bee cast pag. â—65 2. The greatnesse grieuousnesse of the punishment of the wicked in Hell Where their torment shal be 1. Vniuersall ibid. 2. Easelesse p. 264 3. Hoâ—elesse ibid. 4. Remedilesse p. 265. 5. Endlesse For 1. Hell-fire can neuer be quenched ibid. 2. After the Resurrection the bodie shall bee incorruptible ibid. Vse 1. Against those who liue so as if there were no Hell pag. 266. Vse 2. To feare God ibid. 4. The Benefit of Repentance chap. 23. two-fold 1. It remooueth iudgements three-fold 1. Temporall p. 268. 2. Spirituall ibid. 3. Eternall pag. 269. Vse That wee may escape the iudgement of God wee must repent of our sinnes ibid. 2. It procureth blessings chap. 24. three-fold 1. Temporall pag. 271. 2. Spirituall ibid. 3. Eternal where of 1. The excellency of the place of happinesse p. 272. 2. The greatnes of their happines For 1. They shall bee partakers of glory p. 273. 2. They shall see God in his glory p. 274. 3. They shall bee with Christ ib. 4. They shal haue blessed company ibid. 5. They shal haue eternall felicity p. 275. 6. They shall haue no euill nor want any good thing pag. 275. Vse 1. To repent of our sinnes and amend our waies if we would bee either happy on earth or blessed in Heauen pag. 276. Vse 2. Consolation to the righteous which are afflicted in this life pag. 277. THE ANALYSIS OF THE THIRD BOOKE Of the way to the Celestiall Paradise Concerning Prayer THE third booke consisteth of 2. parts 1. The Preface containing two things 1. The order of the Treatise Chap. 1. pag. 279. 2. The partition thereof pag. 280. 2. The subiect matter wherin tenne things are to be considered 1. What Prayer is Chap. 2. p. 281. 2. The diuers sorts and kinds of Prayer threefold in regard of 1. The matter of prayer fourefold 1. Supplications pag. 282. 2. Prayers ibid. 3. Intercessions ib. 4. Thankesgiuings pag. 283. 2. The affection of him that prayeth prayer is fourefold 1. Fearefull ib. 2. Luke-warme ibid. 3. Rash ibid. 4. Feruent ibid. 3. The place of prayer two-fold 1. Publique ibid. 2. Priuate two-fold in the 1. House p. 284. 2. Chamber or secret place i. 3. The persons who prayer doth concerne chap. 3. and they are 3. 1. The persons praying therin two things 1. All are bound to pray without exception pag. 248. 2. Wee our selues must please God before our prayers can bee acceptable to God To which 2 things are required 1. Faith p. 285. 2. Repentance For Sin not repented of hindreth Prayer and that 2 wayes 1. In generall ibid. 2. In particular as 1. Idolatry pag. 286. 2. Cruelty and vnmercifulnes ibid. 3. Wrath. ibid. 4. Vaine-glory ibid. 5. Hypocrisie p. 287. 6. Want of pitie
c. 6. to them that beleeue This is called an historicall faith For they that haue this faith doe acknowledge the History of the Bible and all things contained therin to be true by this faith they acknowledge that what God hath done is true and what he hath sayd and promised shall surely come to passe they haue a generall knowledge they haue their vnderstanding inlightned with knowledge but not with renewing grace nor sauing knowledge this bare knowledge alone may bee in Reprobates and wicked men yea in the Deuils In wicked men for it is sayd of Simon that p Acts 8. 13. hee beleeued Did he beleeue what faith had hee was it a true faith No his faith was but a generall knowledge with an assent to the things which hee heard the Apostles preach that they were true but they wanted the true sauing faith as appeares by Peters sharp rebuking of him for that his q Verse 21 23. heart was not right in the sight of God but was still in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity yea this generall faith is in Deuils as S. Iames witnesseth r Jam. 2. 19. thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest well the Deuils also beleeue and tremble That is the Deuils haue a generall knowledge of the Word of God and the things contained therein and beleeue that whatsoeuer is written in the Word of God is true they beleeue according to the Scriptures that God is a iust God and will punish sinners yea they know and beleeue that God hath prepared Hell for the tormenting not onely of wicked and vngodly men but for the euerlasting tormenting of the Deuill and his Angels this they beleeue and beleeuing tremble but they want the true faith to apprehend the mercy of God in Christ Iesus Wherefore one saith of the faith of Deuils that it is Å¿ Fides in Daemonibus coacta Tho. 1. q. 64. ar 2. not voluntary but forcibly drawne from them Secondly some haue not onely a knowledge of the 2 Temporary faith Word and doctrine deliuered in the Scriptures but do giue their assent thereunto by open profession of the Gospell and that with ioy and delight but it is onely Parae explic catech Vrsin for a time and in time of trouble and temptation their faith failes and they go away and fall backe from their faith and profession This is called a Temporary faith because it is but temporary it is not permanent it continueth not These are resembled by the stony ground vpon which the seed of Gods Word falleth and they receiue it with ioy yet haue no root in themselues and therfore t Matth. 13. 10 21. dure but for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by they are offended as our Sauiour speakes in the Parable of the seede And as S. Luke hath it u Luk. 8. 13. for a while they beleeue and in time of temptation fall away Thirdly some haue had power giuen them from aboue 3 Miraculous faith to doe wonders and worke miracles and that by the gift of Faith which faith was a speciall gift of God either to doe some strange and extraordinary worke Parae which could not be done by ordinary meanes or else a gift of fore-telling things to come by diuine reuelation By this faith Peter restored the x Acts 3. 9 7. lame to his limbs And raised y Acts 9. 40. Tabitha from death to life And by this faith Paul healed the man that had beene z Acts 14. 8 9 10. a Cripple from his mothers wombe But this faith alone though it bee great in power and mighty in working doth not iustifie a sinner nor saue a soule and therefore wee finde that wicked men and such as haue not had true sauing faith haue had power to doe miracles and to worke wonders It is held that Iudas wrought miracles as did also the rest Pola Synt. t. 2. l. 9. c. 6. of the Apostles for Christ gaue this power to the a Matth. 10. 1. twelue Disciples and yet Iudas was a Deuill and so Christ calls him b Ioh. 6. 70 71. Haue not I chosen you twelue and one of you is a Deuill he spake of Iudas Iscariot Our Sauiour hath told vs that very Hypocrites and wicked men may doe wonders and will glory in the same and plead for themselues at that great day what wonderfull things they haue done c Mat. 7. 22 23. Many will say to me saith Christ in that day Lord Lord haue we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name haue cast out Deuils and in thy name done many wonderfull workes and then I will professe vnto them I neuer knew you depart from mee yee that worke iniquity And S. Paul speaking of Antichrist saith that d 2 Thess 2. 9. his comming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders Fourthly some haue faith whereby they doe not 4 Iustifying faith onely beleeue the Word of God to be true and giue assent thereunto with ioy for a time but the Spirit of God worketh such grace in their hearts that they doe apprehend Christ Iesus for their Iustification and are perswaded of the mercy of God in Christ for the remission of their sinnes and saluation of their soules and in this faith they continue to the end these haue a true iustifying and sauing faith Of this faith and the nature of it more is to be spoken in the next place where I come to shew what the true faith is CHAP. VI. Shewing that there is but one true sauing Faith and what it is with the titles giuen vnto it and the properties belongging thereunto THe diuerse sorts and kinds of Faith being made 3 There is but one true faith knowen the order of the Treatise requires that in the third place I make it manifest that notwithstanding there bee diuerse kindes of faith yet there is but one true faith For concerning Faith we are to consider two things the one is touching the things about which faith is conuersant which is the obiect of faith the other is concerning the subiect persons in whom faith is Faith is as hath beene shewed diuersly in diuerse men some haue a great and some a little faith some haue a strong and some a weake faith some haue an effectuall working faith a liuing faith and some haue but an vnfruitfull faith a dead faith some haue a fained and some an vnfained faith some haue but an historicall some a temporary and some a true iustifying and sauing faith In regard of men therfore faith is diuerse but inasmuch as the a Cum obiectum fidei sit prima veritas fides necessario vna Tho 22 a. q. 4. ar 6. obiect of faith is as one saith the first truth because faith is conuersant about the Truth and that there is but one Truth from
is the true knowledge of God this is eternall life to know thee the only true God in the later part there is contained the mystery of the incarnation of Christ and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent And because the true sauing faith which brings life eternall c In two things stands in these two the knowledge of God and of Iesus Christ for this cause one saith that d Fides est vita aeterna Bren. in Ioh. 17. Faith is life eternall Because by faith we apprehend Christ and possesse Christ who is our Righteousnesse our Saluation and our Life Againe concerning the former the knowledge of God S. Paul saith e Heb. 11. 6. he that commeth to God must beleeue that God is Of the later the knowledge of Christ our 1 In the right knowledge of the true God Which knowledge of God is two-fold Sauiour Christ himselfe saith f Ioh 14. 1. Yee beleeue in God beleeue also in mee The first thing then wherein true faith consisteth is the right knowledge of the true God Now the knowledge of God is two-fold Generall and 1 The generall knowledge of God two-fold Particular The generall knowledge of God is also two-fold The first generall knowledge of God is to know and 1 To know that there is a God Which may be knowne acknowledge that there is a God which generall knowledge of God men may attaine vnto not onely by the cleere light of the Scriptures but by the very light of Nature and not onely by the Word of God but also by the workes of the Creation First by the very light of Nature men haue a generall 1 By the light of Nature knowledge that there is a God for naturally the knowledge of God is written in the mindes of men and euery mans conscience doth couince him that there is a God and no nation was euer so rude and barbarous but hath acknowledged that there is a God as some Heathen men themselues haue testified Of this generall knowledge of God the Scripture speakes thus g Rom. 1. 19. that which may be known of God is manifested in thē for God hath shewed it vnto them Againe the Apostle saith h Rom. 2. 14 15. When the Gentiles which haue not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these hauing not the Law are a Law vnto themselues which shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts the meane while accusing or else excusing one another Secondly men may come to this generall knowledge 2 By the workes of the creation of God by the workes of the Creation when men lift vp their eyes towards the Heauens and behold the Firmament the Sunne the Moone and the Starres those rious lights and consider the excellent frame of Heauen Earth take a view of the things contained therein they may in the workes of God as in a faire large booke read in capitall letters that there is a God which made Heauen and Earth the Sea and all things therein Of which the Apostle thus speaketh to the Romanes i Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearely seene being vnderstood by the things that are made euen his eternall power and God-head The consideration of this generall knowledge of Vse God that there is a God both by the light of Nature Against Atheists which deny God and by the book of the Creatures may serue for the iust reprehension of Atheists who deny God Of which there are three sorts The first are such as deny God in heart 1 In heart The second which deny God in words The third which deny God by their works Touching the first sort There are some so much wanting in the knowledge of God and so farre from acknowledging the very true God that they deny God and though some dare not be so wicked to blaspheme the Deity with open mouth to say there is no God yet in their hearts they thinke so and say so secretly within themselues Of such it is sayd in the Psalmes k Psal 14. 1. the foole hath sayd in his heart There is no God This Atheisme of the heart is when men conceiue euill thoughts and imaginations against God as when they see the diuerse conditions of men in the world and marke how some liue in prosperity and others in aduersit◠how some flow in wealth and others spend their dayes in misery how for the most part wicked men flourish and haue what their heart can wish and good men are afflicted they begin to thinke with themselues if there be a God where is his Prouidence that should rule and gouerne all things in the world why doth God suffer things to bee so heere the foole saith in his heart there is no God because he cannot discerne the Prouidence of God which extends it selfe to all things in the world so that not so much a◠a Sparrow can fall to the ground l Matth. 10. 29. without your father as saith our Sauiour When men see and perceiue that wicked and vngodly men through pride exalt themselues aboue others and grow to be oppressors of the poore wronging the righteous hurting the fatherlesse and the widdowes they say within themselues where is the Iustice of God if God be a iust God why are not such wicked men punished why doth not some iudgement fall vpon such cruell oppressors thus the foole saith in his heart there is no God because hee hath not patience to waite the appointed time of Gods Iustice to see the end of the wicked and to consider that though the wicked prosper for a time yet the Lord hath set them m Psal 73. 18. in slippery places and in the end will cast them downe Further when wicked men commit sinne and doe not feele the hand of God vpon them punishing and plaguing them for their sinnes they begin to deny the knowledge of God and the presence of God and conceiue wicked thoughts against God that God sees not that God knowes not all the wickednesse that they do and therfore they are bold to continue in sinne and to goe on in their vngodly course of life and say n Psal 10. 11. in their heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will neuer see it Again o Verse 13. he hath sayd in his hert thou wilt not require it Moreouer they say p Psal 73. 11. How doth God know is there knowledge in the most High now to deny the prouidence of God the Iustice of God the knowledge of God and presence of God to deny that God knowes all things and sees all things is to deny God Wherefore to the end that this sinne of Atheisme in the heart may be remedied it behooues euery one to looke carefully to his heart to watch ouer his heart that no such wicked thought against God
one onely true God to acknowledge the Vnity of the God-head and the Trinity of Persons but to know and acknowledge the one only What it is true God to be our God that God the Father hath elected vs in Christ hath redeemed vs by Christ and sanctifieth vs by his Holy Spirit To acknowledge that God the Father is our Heauenly Father who hath created preserued and doth continually by his prouidence sustaine vs that God the Son is our Sauiour and Redeemer and that the Holy Ghost is our Sanctifier and Comforter and to know and acknowledge that God of his mercy through the merits of Christ will assuredly saue our soules and giue vs life euerlasting So that a man hauing true sauing Faith and being endued with this true sauing Knowledge may say vnto the Lord with Dauid a Psal 22. 10. Thou art my God Againe b Psal 25. 2. O my God I trust in thee Yea may say with Thomas c Ioh. 20. 28. My Lord and my God This is not onely to d Credere Dâ—um credâ—re Deâ—â— credere in Deum beleeue there is a God that God is and that there is one God nor onely to giue credit to the word and promise of God but this is to beleeue in God That is so to beleeue as that euery one that hath true faith can say in particular for himselfe I beleeue that the one onely true God is my God and therfore I trust in him I feare him I loue him I worship him I call vpon him I depend vpon his prouidence for temporall things and rest vpon his mercy for forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life This particular knowledge of God is sauing knowledge bringing comfort health and saluation to the soule as our Sauiour saith e Ioh 17. 3. In the knowledge of God foure things to be considered This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God And to the end that we may seeke after and attaine vnto this sauing knowledge I will shew foure things concerning the knowledge of God First how necessary it is to haue the true knowledge 1 The true knowledge of God is necessary For of God Secondly how profitable it is Thirdly how dangerous it is to want it Fourthly the meanes of obtaining it Touching the first the true knowledge of God is necessary for First God requireth it Salomon saith f Prou. 3. 6. In all thy wayes 1 God requireth it acknowledge him Dauid giueth his sonne Salomon this counsell g 1 Chro. 28 9. Know thou the God of thy Father and serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde And S. Paul prayeth for the Colossians that they might increase in the h Col. 1. 10. knowledge of God 2 God complaines of the want of it Secondly the Lord complaines of the want of the knowledge of God by Ieremie thus i Ier. 4. 22. My people is foolish they haue not knowne me And by Hosea hee saith k Hos 4 1. The Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land Thirdly the Lord prefers the knowledge of God before 3 It s better then sacrifice sacrifice and burnt offerings l Hos 6. 6. I desired mercy and not sacrifice saith the Lord and the knowledge of God more then burnt offerings Fourthly the knowledge of God is so necessary that 4 Without it we cannot be saued without it wee cannot bee saued S. Paul affirmes that m 1 Tim. 2. 4. God will haue all men to be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth God who hath appointed the end hath also ordained meanes to the end the end is the saluation of our soules that 's the end of our Faith that 's the blessed end that we desire and long for now the meanes of obtaining saluation is to come to the knowledge of the truth to know and acknowledge the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom hee hath sent So necessary is the knowledge of God For the Second how profitable the knowledge of 2 The knowledge of God is profitable For God is appeareth by the benefits that come thereby Which are specially these two First the true knowledge of God worketh peace and concord amongst men of contrary dispositions and 1 It maketh peace amongst men of contrary dispositions correcteth the froward natures of men making them of fierce and wrathfull to become gentle and patient This was fore-shewed by the Prophet Esay saying n Isa 11. 6 7 8 9. The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe the Leopard shall lie downe with the Kid and the Calfe and the young Lyon and the Fatling together and a little childe shall lead them And the Cow and the Beare shall feed c. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine for the earth shall bee full of the knowledge of the LORD Where the knowledge of God is it will work a great alteration and change if by nature men be like Wolues giuen to deuoure and destroy their neighbours the the knowledge of God will cause them to cease from their rauinous greedy deuouring of others if they bee by nature like Lyons and Beares fierce wrathfull bloudy-minded the true knowledge of God will tame them and make them meeke and gentle Wherefore if any now in the time of the Gospell be like Wolues and Lyons and Beares towards their brethren and neighbours it is because they haue not the true knowledge of God But heere it will be sayd that some that haue knowledge Obiect are wrathfull cruell and hard-hearted towards their brethren I answer their knowledge is not sanctified they haue Answ knowledge but not grace to put their knowledge in practice they know God but will not doe the will of God They haue the knowledge of God in their heads but not in their hearts For certaine it is if men had the true knowledge of God aswell in their hearts and mindes as in their heads and tongues they would not they durst not be to their brethren as Wolues and Lyons and Beares the knowledge of the Lord would make them more peaceable more quiet and patient Secondly the true knowledge of God brings eternall 2 Eternall life commeth therby life so saith our Sauiour o Ioh. 17. 3. This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God The third thing concerning the knowledge of God is the hurt and danger that comes through the want 3 The want of the knowledge of God is hurtfull and dangerous for it causeth thereof As the knowledge of God is necessary and profitable so the want therof is hurtfull and dangerous First because the want of the knowledge of God causeth mourning and languishing desolation and destruction as the Lord sheweth in Hosea complaining that there was p Hos 4. 1 3. no knowledge of God in the land he
saith therefore 1 Mourning and desolation shall the land mourne c. Againe he saith q Verse 6. My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge Secondly where the knowledge of God is not men are giuen ouer to a reprobate minde to doe things that 2 A reprobte minde are not conuenient This S. Paul sheweth speaking of the Gentils r Rom. 1. 28 29. Euen as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge God gaue them ouer to a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not conuenient being filled with all vnrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse couetousnesse maliciousnesse full of enuy c. Thirdly to them that know not God there remaines 3 Punishment nothing but iudgement punishment and euerlasting destruction as saith the Apostle Å¿ 2 Thess 1. 7 8 9. The Lord Iesus shall be reuealed from Heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall be punished with euerlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power The fourth thing concerning the knowledge of God 4 Meanes wherby we may come to the right knowledge of the true God is the meanes whereby wee may come to the true knowledge of God That there is a God may be knowen as hath beene already shewed by the light of Nature and by the book of the Creatures and that there is one true God is manifest by the Scriptures the Word of God reuealeth the Vnity of the God-head and the Trinity of Persons but to the attaining to the right knowledge of the one only true God by a particular knowledge to know him to be God vnto vs to acknowledge the one onely true God to bee our Lord and our God as hath beene formely more fully declared there is required more then the light of Nature more then the booke of the Creatures and more then bare knowledge of the Scriptures for this particular knowledge of God is attained vnto partly Two by the Word of God and partly by the Spirit of God the one being an outward the other an inward 1 By the Scriptures meanes to teach vs the true knowledge of God The true knowledge of God then is attained vnto First by the Scriptures and that both by the Law and the Gospell For t Per Legem cognitiopeccati nostri per Enangelium cognitio gratiae Dei Zanch. de Natu. Dei lib. 3. cap. 3. By the Law as one saith wee come to the knowledge of our sinnes and of our misery by the Gospell we come to the knowledge of the grace and mercy of God shewed vs in Christ Iesus According to that saying of S Iohn u Ioh. 1. 17. The Law was giuen by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ And to the end that wee may come to the true knowledge of God by the Scriptures there are foure things necessarily required at our hands And that by First that we diligently read the Scriptures concerning 1 Reading the Scriptures which our Sauiour Christ hath sayd x Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee This was the practise of those noble Bereans who hauing heard Paul preach vnto them Iesus y Aâ—ts 17. 11. searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Secondly that wee carefully and attentiuely heare 2 Hearing the Word of God the word of God preached Eor * Rom. 10. 17. Faith as saith the Apostle commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Our Sauiour saith z Ioh. 17. 8. I haue giuen vnto them the words which thou gauest mee and they haue receiued them and haue knowne surely that I came out from thee and they haue beleeued that thou didst send me In which words he sheweth three things first he gaue them his Word secondly they receiued it and thirdly by the Word of God they knew God and Iesus Christ whom hee had sent Thirdly that wee seriously meditate vpon the Word 3 Meditating vpon the Word of God which we haue read or heard Dauid saith a Psal 119. 99 I haue more vnderstanding then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation By meditating vpon the Word of God he got vnderstanding and attained to the true knowledge of God Fourthly that we ioyne vnto all these deuout praier 4 Praying for a blessing vpon these meanes crauing the blessing of God in reading and hearing the Word and meditating vpon the same Thus the knowledge of God is attained unto by the Scriptures Secondly the true knowledge of God is attained vnto 2 By the Spirit of God through the gracious working of the Spirit of God in our hearts for God must first put it into our hearts to know him before wee can know him As the Lord speakes by Ieremy the Prophet b Jer. 24. 7. I will giue them an heart to know me that I am the Lord. Againe hee saith c Ier. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Our Sauiour Christ saith d Ioh. 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets and they shall bee all taught of God This is called e Cognitio per gratiam Tho. 1. q. 12. ar 14. knowledge by grace or gracious knowledge because it is wrought in our hearts by the Spirit of God the Worker of grace as the Apostle also saith f 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 9 10. We speake the wisdome of God in a mystery euen the hidden wisdome which God ordained before the world vnto our glory Which none of the Princes of this world knew c. But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither haue entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him But God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his Spirit This of the particular knowledge of God Now the consideration of the great necessity of the Vse knowledge of God and the benefit thereof with the danger of the want thereof and the means of obtaining it serues for reprehension and it reproues First those who content themselues with the generall 1 Against those that content themselues with a generall knowledge of God knowledge of God that there is a God that there is one God that God made all things that God is to bee worshipped c. but are not carefull to come to a particular knowledge of God to know God to be their God and so to know God as to beleeue in him to feare him and to loue him to trust in him and to depend vpon him But if we would be saued and come to euerlasting life we must labour to attaine to a particular knowledge of God for the bare generall knowledge of God will not saue vs for
without faith we cannot be saued True 3 Without faith we cannot be saued faith is so necessary that if a man haue the true faith he is saued he cannot perish but if he want the true faith he is damned he cannot be saued The Scripture witnesseth the truth of this Our Sauiour Christ saith g Mark 16. 16. he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned Againe he saith h Joh. 3. 18. he that beleeueth on him is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie because he hath not beleeued in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God So great is the necessitie of true sauing Faith The consideration of this great necessitie of Faith is Vse profitable for instruction it teacheth vs to be carefull To get faith into our hearts by all meanes to get faith into our hearts If we would haue any true assurance that we are not still dead in sin but are quickned by the Spirit and liue in Christ if we would haue our workes our seruice and sacrifices to be acceptable to God or if we would escape condemnation and come to life euerlasting then it s necessarie that we labour to haue true sauing Faith for without faith as I haue proued we are but dead in sinnes and trespasses and haue no true life of grace in vs without faith nothing that we doe can please God and without faith we cannot be saued Seeing then that faith is so necessarie how doth it stand euery one in hand to labour for true sauing faith The Apostle to the Hebrews saith i Heb. 3. 18. 19. to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that beleeued not So we see that they could not enter in because of vnbeliefe And hereupon he exhorteth to labour for true faith lest wanting faith we k Heb. 4. 1. 2. 3. come short of that euerlasting rest of our soules When Martha had receiued Christ into her house and was diligent in prouiding for him and her Sister Marie in the meane time was sitting at Christs feete hearing his word Martha was offended that her Sister should sit downe and not put to her helping hand whereupon Martha comes to Christ and saith l Luk. 10. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. Lord doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to serue alone bid her therefore that shee helpe me And Iesus answered and said vnto her Martha Martha thou art carefull and troubled about many things but one thing is needfull and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her There are many both men and women like Martha verâ—e busie yea cumbred and troubled about many things the world ouercomes them and the cares of the world carrie away their minds that for the most part they neglect that which is most needfull That one needfull thing is with Mary to heare the word of Christ to get true faith that by true faith in Iesus Christ our soules may be saued and we may come to life euerlasting This one thing is needfull and whosoeuer they are that haue set their hearts to seeke the Lord to heare the word of Christ and to get true faith whereby they may saue their soules they haue made a good choice they haue with Mary chosen the better part euen that good part which shall not be taken away from them CHAP. XIII Of the benefits of Faith shewing what great good comes to a Christian through true sauing Faith HOw necessary true sauing Faith is hath beene shewed The seuenth thing in the treatise of Faith is 7 The benefits of true faith Which are diuerse concerning the benefit and good that comes thereby The benefits of true sauing Faith are exceeding great and many First I mention the benefit of Iustification True faith 1 Iustification apprehending Christ Iesus iustifieth a sinner in the sight of God acquitteth and dischargeth him from his sinnes and causeth him to bee accepted righteous not for his owne righteousnesse but for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto him So witnesseth S. Paul to the Galatiaus a Gal. 2. 16. Knowing saith hee that a man is not iustified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ euen wee haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that wee might bee iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the Law The third and fourth chapters of the Epistle to the Romans stand vpon this argument affirming that we are iustified by Faith without the workes of the Law and proouing in the example of Abraham that righteousnesse is imputed vnto vs by Faith If it be obiected that S. Paul speaking of Iustification Obiect 1 by faith without workes speakes of workes done before a mans conuersion before he be regenerate and of those workes which goe before faith and not of those which follow after I answer that not onely the workes which are done Answ before faith are excluded from our Iustification before God but also workes done after faith euen in the state of grace for S. Paul writing both to the Romanes and Galatians writes to them that had receiued the Gospell and did now beleeue And speaking of Abrahams faith saith b Heb. 11. 17. By faith Abraham when hee was tryed offered vp Isaak Heere was a worke pleasing God namely the offering of his sonne Isaak when God commanded him and this was done by faith when Abraham had true faith it was a worke proceeding from faith and a fruit of faith But did this worke of Abraham iustifie him be fore God No c Rom. 4. 2 3. For if Abraham were iustified by workes as saith S. Paul he hath whereof to glory but not before God For what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse If it be further obiected out of S. Iames that workes Obiect 2 doe iustifie because S. Iames saith d Iam. 2. 21. Was not Abraham our father iustified by workes when he had offered Isaak his sonne vpon the altar And againe he saith e Verse 24. Yee see then how that by workes a man is instified and not by faith only I answer first there is a twofold Iustification the one Answ 1 before God the other before men The former Iustification before God or in the sight of God is by faith onely without workes and so we are iustified f Apprehensiuè apprehensiuely that is by apprehending the righteousnesse of Christ for our iustification for to speake properly only the Righteousnesse of Christ doth iustifie a sinner and faith is but the instrument whereby we lay hold on the righteousnesse of Christ for our iustification and of this Iustification it is that S. Paul saith g Rom 4. 3. Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse There is also a Iustification before men and this is by workes
one to venture the saluation of his soule vpon the extraordinary working of God when as God in great wisdome and mercy to mankinde hath appoynted ordinary means to beget faith and to worke our saluation which ordinary meanes is the hearing of the Word for faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God CHAP. XV. Of the meanes by which true sauing Faith may be increased continued and preserued AS Faith hath it meanes whereby it is begotten and procured so hath it also meanes whereby it is nourished increased continued and preserued This is the ninth point in the Treatise of Faith 9 Meanes wherby true faith is increased and preserued Three The meanes whereby Faith is nourished increased and preserued are three The Word Sacraments and Prayer 1 The Word of God And that by Touching the first The word of God is a meanes to increase faith and that diuerse waies First by reading the word the diligent reading of the Scriptures is necessarie for them that doe beleeue to 1 Reading the Scriptures the increasing and preseruing of their faith St. Paul writing to the Colossians who had receiued the faith and did now beleeue giues them commandment concerning the reading of his Epistle and chargeth that others should read it also for he saith a Coloss 4. 16. When this epistle is read amongst you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea and S. Paul chargeth young Timothie to b 1 Tim. 4. 13. giue attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Secondly by hearing the word of God for as the 2 Hearing the word of God hearing of the word of God is an effectuall meanes to beget faith so is it also a powerfull meanes to nourish strengthen and preserue faith It is a rule in nature c Ex ijsdem nutrimur ex quibus sumus we are nourished by the same things of which we are begotten Now spiritually we are begotten by the word of God as saith S. Iames d Iam. 1. 18. of his owne will be gate he vs with the word of truth and therefore we are spiritually nourished by the word of God For this cause the word of God is said to be the meate of the soule it is both milke for young babes and strong meate for strong men They that are but young children in religion babes in grace may suck milke out of Gods word to nourish their soules they that are strong in faith and growen in grace may from the word of God receiue strong meat to strengthen them more Of which the Apostle speakes to the Hebrewes e Heb. 5. 13. 14. euery one that vseth Milke is vnskilfull in the word of righteousnesse for he is a babe but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age S. Peter giueth this exhortation f 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2. Therefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisie and enuies and euill speakings as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby as a new borne babe desires the mothers breasts and by sucking wholsome milke out of her breasts is nourished and growes thereby so a Christian though he be but newly begotten by the word of truth be but a young christian a beginner and be but as yet a weake christian yet if he diligently heare the word of God and if his soule doe earnestly desire to sucke the sincere and wholsome milke of the word this is a powerfull meanes to nourish his soule to strengthen his faith and make him grow in grace Thirdly by deuine meditation It is noted to be a property of a godly man to meditate on the word of Diuine Meditation God g Psal 1. 2. His delight is in the law of the Lord saith the Psalmist and in his law doth he meditate day and night the word of God is compared to meate which to the end that it may giue nourishment to the body its necessarie that it not onely enter into the mouth and be chewed with the teeth but that it go downe into the stomacke and be digested so likewise to the end that the word of God may giue true and substantiall nourishment to our soules its necessary not only that we heare the word with our outward eares but suffer it to enter into our heart and inwardly digest it by meditation It was one propertie of cleane beasts mentioned in the leuiticall law to h Leuit. 11. 3. chew the cud and he is such a cleane creature who hauing heard the word of God and committed it to his memorie doth afterward meditate vpon the same ponder it in his mind to the end that his faith may be increased that he may be nourished in the truth grow in grace Fourthly by Godly conference the two disciples to 4 Godly conference whom Christ appeared after his resurrection and talked with them said one to another i Luk. 24. 32. did not our heart burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way and while he opened to vs the Scriptures the spirituall communication and heauenly conference which Christ had with the Disciples did heate them inwardly and made their hearts burne within them godly conference spirituall speech and heauenly communication doth inflame the heart with the loue of God doth stirre vp the affections and kindle good desires yea increaseth knowledge and strengthneth faith thus the Word of God which begetteth faith doth also increase nourish and preserue the same The second meanes of increasing faith is the vse and 2 Vse of the Sacraments partaking of the Sacraments For First the Word and Sacraments are as the two brests of the Church whereout the faithfull soule suckes spirituall 1 Nourishing the soule nourishment strength of faith and increase of grace Baptisme giues a Christian admission and entrance into the Church of God whereby he is ingraffed into the mysticall body of Christ and made a member of Christ and by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the members of Christ are nourished to eternall life Of which nourishment receiued spiritually by faith it is that our Sauiour saith k Ioh. 6. 53 54. Except yee eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you Who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life Secondly the Sacraments are a meanes of increasing 2 Confirming the promises of the Gospell and strengthening our faith for they confirme the promises made vnto vs in the Gospell for which cause they are called Seales for like as a man making a grant to another in writing of house or lands for the better confirmation and strenthening of the deede he puts to his seale so the Lord our God to his gracious and mercifull promises made vnto vs in his written Word hath annexed the Sacraments as seales to assure vs of
children of God because their faith shall not vtterly faile cannot finally fall away this yeildeth exceeding great consolation to the children of God The faith of a Christian is not strong at all times but sometimes it may be very weake and scarcely felt as after the committing of some great sinne or in time of sore temptationâ— when as with Dauid a man may be in great heauinesse his soule may be g Psal 42. 11. cast downe yet notwithstanding faith is neuer so quenched in the true beleeuer but some sparke remaines yea a seede remaines that immortall incorruptible seed that in time will quicken and reuiue Like as a sicke man that is brought very low with sicknes his stomacke failes him he loaths his meat the Phisitian forsaks him all men hold him not a man for this world notwithstanding while breath is in his body there is hope many times such a one reuiues recouers and comes to his strength againe so a Christian sore wounded with sinne and in grieuous temptations giues few comfortable words but sends forth sighes and â—obs and many times doe proceed from him desperate speeches so that they that see and heare him might feare least all faith were gone yet afterwards in time the sparke of faith is kindled and flameth the immortall seed is quickned and the Spirit puts new life of grace into the distressed soule making the sinner to beleeue in Christ to hope in Gods mercy to trust in God to call vpon God and cry Abba Father To conclude a Christian who vpon good ground is assured that hee hath true iustifying faith may confidently say with St Paul h Rom. 8. 38. 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. CHAP. XVII Of the signes and markes of true iustifying faith and first of the inward signes thereof THe tenth and last point in the Treatise of faith 10 Signes of true faith is touching the signes and marks of true iustifying faith How a man may know whether he hath the true faith The signes and markes of faith are two-fold Two-fold The first are inward The second outward There are inward signes of faith whereby a man may know and find in himselfe that he hath faith and there are also outward signes whereby not onely he himselfe may be assured but others also may vnderstand and perceiue that he hath faith First of the inward signes The inward signes of true iustifying faith are diuerse 1 Inward signes as The first is the witnesse of the Spirit euen the Spirit of God Of which St Iohn sayth a 1. Job 5. 10. he that beleeueth on 1 The witnesse of the Spirit the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe Now the Spirit of God is a true and infallible witnesse a witnesse that cannot deceiue the same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Some may here demand How may I be assured that Quest it is the good Spirit of God which certifies me that I am the child of God and haue faith or that it is not a fancie or bare coniecture of mine owne or that it is not some delusion How shall I be able to discerne betweene Answ these I answere the Spirit of God the true witnesse doth certifie our spirit and assure our conscience that we haue indeed true iustifying faith that we are the adopted sonnes of God and shall certainly be saued specially by these two things First the Spirit of God perswades our conscience inwardly that we haue faith vpon good ground and sound reason taken not from our owne works or worthinesse but from the goodnesse and bountifulnesse of God towards vs from the mercie of God and grace in Christ and so neither the flesh nor the Deuill doth perswade Secondly the Spirit of God perswades vs of the certaintie of faith by the effects which it worketh in vs. As namely the purifying of the heart purging out sinne so that no sinne hath rule and dominion in the heart likewise stirring vp in our hearts a loue of God a hatred of sinne an earnest desire to pray vnto God and an endeuour to please God also an inward spirituall ioy and peace of conscience c. All which are true effects and manifest fruits of the Spirit and cannot come eyther from the flesh or the Deuill and therefore the testimony of the Spirit is a true and sure witnesse to assure vs that we haue the true faith and he that beleeueth on the son of God hath this witnesse in himselfe The second is an inward feeling of spirituall grace 2 A feeling of grace a feeling of faith in a mans selfe When a man is perswaded of the truth of the Gospell and all the promises contained therein and in particular is perswaded for himselfe that his sinnes of the mercie of God and through the merites of Christ are pardoned and he receiued into fauour with God the inward feeling and perceiuing of this in the b Menti nosirae fides nostra conspicua est heart is a signe of faith This was in Dauid after that he had confessed his sinnes vnto God as he witnesseth saying c Psal 32. 5. I acknowledge my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquitie haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne The third is a godly desire and a holy resolued purpose to walke in obedience to Gods commandements 3 A godly desire and purpose to obey Gods commandements to please God and to doe his will This was also in David for he saith d Psal 119. 6. 4 I haue respect vnto all thy Commandements The fourth is deuout prayer calling vpon the name of the Lord with confidence that God will heare our prayers and grant our requests For faith if it be in the 4 Deuout prayer heart indeed will set the heart a-working to thinke on God to pray vnto God and to call vpon his name For this cause the Spirit of God is called the spirit of grace and supplications the Lord by the Prophet Zacharie sayth e Zach. 12. 10. I will poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications And it is called the spirit of grace and supplications because it is of the gracious working of Gods holy spirit that sinners are brought to repentaÌ„ce of their sins that they mourne sorrow for their sins and that they seeke vnto the Lord and call vnto him for grace and mercy This is the same Spirit which f Rom. 8 26. helpeth our infirmities as S. Paul speakes For we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit
suffering is commendable and acceptable before God which is First for Christ's sake and the Gospels sake When a 1 To suffer for the name of Christ Christian suffers tribulation persecution for the name of Christ Of this our Sauiour saith d Math. 5. 11. blessed are ye when men shall reuile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of euill against you falslie for my sake To which agreeth the saying of S. Peter e 1. Pet. 4. 14. if ye be reproched for the name of Christ happie are ye this was the honour and glorie of those Christians who haue beene persecuted tormented and suffered death for Christs sake For they rather yeelded to suffer death then to denie Christ This is the Crowne of Martyrdome for it was not their bare f Non paena sed causa verum facit Martyrem Cypr. suffering that made them Martyrs but their cause Because they suffered for the name of Christ Wherefore Heretiques though they suffer neuer so manie and sore torments yet they are not Martyrs neither are their sufferings acceptable to God because they suffer not for Christ's sake nor for the truth but against the truth Secondly sufferings are acceptable to God when they 2 To suffer for well-doing are for well-doing and when we are afflicted perfecuted and troubled wrongfully As S. Peter saith g 1. Pet. 2. 19. This is thanke-worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully Againe he saith h 1. Pet. 3. 17. it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well-doing then for euill doing And againe i 1. Pet. 4. 15. 16 let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a theefe or as an euill doer or as a busibodie in other mens matters yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed The third thing which makes our sufferings acceptable to God is to suffer patiently Whether it be for 3 To suffer patiently Christ's sake or whether it be in any other righteous cause it is the part of a Christian not onely to suffer but to suffer patiently For this is the difference betweene the wicked and the godly concerning their sufferings both may suffer afflictions as sicknesse infirmitie and paine of bodie pouertie and such like but not both alike both may suffer the same things but not with the same mind The wicked suffer afflictions of necessitie because they cannot helpe themselues and know not how to be ridd of their paine and troubles their suffering is a constrained suffering and their patience patience perforce But the godly suffer afflictions patiently they endure all afflictions which the Lord layes vpon them with a willing minde a meeke heart and quiet patience Such ought our sufferings to be that they may please God In the second place I am to vse motiues to perswade 3 Motiues to perswade to patience Taken from to Patience in suffering afflictions Which I take First from the Scriptures Secondly from the necessitie of afflictions Thirdly fromt the benefit thereof For the first The Scripture perswades to patience in 1 The Scriptures And suffering afflictions both by testimonies and examples First by testimonies Solamon giues this wise counsell k Pro. 3. 11. my sonne despise not the chastning of the Lord Our Sauiour 1 Testimonies Christ saith l Luk. 9. 23. if any man will come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his crosse daily and follow me Saint Iames is verie earnest in exhorting to Patience m Iam. 5. 8. 9. be patient therefore brethren vnto the comming of the Lord behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it vntill he receiue the early and latter raine Be ye also patient Examples also we haue hereof in the Scriptures Iob is a Mirrour of patience for when he had lost all his goods 2 Examples and substance his sheepe his oxen his camells and asses yea when his children were slaine his patience was such that he blessed God For he n Iob 1. 20. 21. fell downe vpon the ground and worshipped and said naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. And when his wife who should haue beene a helper and a comfort vnto him came vnto him vexing his soule bidding him o Iob 2. 9. 10. Curse God and die His answere was What shall we receiue good at the hand of God and shall we not receiue euill Shall we receiue all blessings and no crosses All prosperitie and no aduersitie All health and no sicknesse Wherefore S. Iames exhorting to patience sets before our eyes the example of Iob for imitation p Iam. 5. 10. Ye haue heard of the patience of Iob and haue seene the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitifull and of tender mercy S. Paul is also an example of suffering when the Christian brethren heard from the mouth of Agaâ—us a Prophet of the sufferings of Paul which he was to suffer at Ierusalem they laboured to disswade him from going vp to Ierusalem but Paul answered q Act. 21. 13. What meane yee to weepe and to breake mine heart For I am readie not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus And to the Corinthians he sheweth his great patience in suffering many afflictions in this present world For he saith r 1. Cor. 4. 11. 12. 13. euen vnto this present houre we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and haue no certaine dwelling place and labour working with our owne hands being reuiled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat we are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things vnto this day But no example is like that of our Sauiour Christ for he as the Prophet Esay saith Å¿ Isa 53. 7. is brought as a lambe to the slaughter and as a sheepe before the shearer is dumbe so he openeth not his mouth And S. Peter saith t 1. Pet. 2. 21. 22. 23. Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that ye should follow his steps who did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth Who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but commitied himselfe to him that iudgeth righteously Such was the patience of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ These are examples written for our instruction to teach vs patience Wherunto we may adde the worthy examples of the seruants of the Lord those faithfull ones mentione by the Apostle to the Hebrewes who through faith endured great trials some were u Heb. 11. 35. 36. 37. 38. tortured others had triall of cruell mockings and scourgings yea moreouer of bonds and imprisonment
They were stoned they were sawen asunder were tempted were slaine with the sword they wandred about in sheepe-skinnss and goat-skinnes being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in deserts and in mountaines and in dens and in caues of the earth And they that suffered such things were no euill doers they were the seruants of the Lord Iesus they beleeued in Iesus and they suffered such things for the name of Iesus as a testimonie of their faith in Iesus Thus first the Scripture exhorteth vs to patience in suffering The second motiue to perswade vs to patience in suffering 2 The necessitie of afflictions afflictions I take from the necessity of afflictions Afflictions are very necessarie for Christians and For afflictions are therefore are to be endured with patience for First they are trials of our faith and patience God 1 Trials of our faith and patience trieth his children with many afflictions and hard trials trying thereby the constancie of their faith and patience So he tried Abrahams faith when he commanded him to offer his x Gen. 22. 1. 2. sonne his onely sonne Izaak And S. Iames saith y Iam. 1. 3. the triall of your faith worketh patience Afflictions are as necessarie for a Christian as the furnace is for gold of which Solamon hath a Prouerbe z Pro. 17. 3. the fining pot is for siluer and the furnace for gold but the Lord trieth the hearts As the Gold smiths fire trieth which is good gold separating the gold from the drosse so the fire of affliction trieth who is a good christian and who is not discerneth who hath faith and patience and who hath not The Psalmist saith a Psal 66. 10. 11. Thou O God hast prooued vs thou hast tryed vs as siluer is tryed And it followeth thou layedst affliction vpon our loynes The later words expound the former the Lord trieth and prooueth vs by laying affliction vpon vs. How can a mans patience be seene but in time of affliction he is not the patient man who can onely speake of patience and commend patience for a vertue and perhaps exhort others to patience but when affliction is vpon a mans selfe when the burthen of affliction lies heauie vpon his owne shoulders and presseth him downe if he can then struggle against afflictions if he can shew the strength of hiâ— faith and patience to beare the afflictions that lie vpon himselfe patiently and if he can now shew patience himselfe when God trieth his patience this is patience indeede Thus afflictions are necessarie for the triall of our faith and patience Secondly afflictions are necessary to cleanse and purifie 2 Meanes to cleanse our hearts from sinne our hearts to purge our hearts of inward corruptions and to scoure out the filthinesse of sinne that stickes in the heart For this cause afflictions are compared to fire that purgeth and purifieth the Lord shewed Ezekiel the great filthinesse and vncleannesse of the Inhabitants of Ierusalem by a boyling pot whose scum was in it b Ezek. 24 3 4 5 6. Wo to the bloudy City to the Pot whose scum is therein and whose scum is not gone out of it By which was signified that there was much filthinesse amongst the people which must be consumed by the fire of affliction and tribulation Wherfore Iob who was exceedingly afflicted and as it were cast into the very fire of affliction saith c Job 23. 10. When he hath tryed me I shall come forth as gold Afflictions are as necessary for the soule as physicke is for the body If the body bee ouerpressed with grosse and â—uâ—ll humors its necessary that it be purged by phyâ—icke so the souâ—e that is oppressed with the euilâ— humoâ—â—s of sinne with the filthinesse and vncleannes of vâ—câ— iniquity must be purged by afflictions to recouer the health of the soule d Tunc anima purgatur cum propter Deum tribulatur Chrysost ad pop Antiocâ— Hom. 66. The soule is then purged when it is troubled by afflictions and suffers for God The aire if it were not cleansed with windes would prooue infectious the body of man if it want exercise breeds ill humours and standing waters gathers filth so it iâ— with the soule if some windes of afflictions doe not blow vpon vs if we be not exercised with some crosse and be not troubled with some sort of tribulations wee shall abound with the ill humours of vice and iniquity and our hearts will bee a very puddle of filthinesse and vncleannesse Yea without afflictions we shall be euen like Moab of whom it is sayd c Ier 48. 11. Moab hath beene at ease from his youth and he hath setled on his lees and hath not beene emptied from vessell to vessell neither hath he gone into captiuity therefore his taste remained in him and his sent is not changed Thirdly afflictions are necessary for except we suffer 3 Without suffering afflictions we cannot come to Heauen for Christ we cannot raigne with Christ We are spirituall souldiers of Iesus Christ now a man is f 2 Tim. 2. 5. not crowned except he striue lawfully If we would ouercome we must striue if wee would bee crowned in Heauen wee must endure the hardnesse of afflictions on earth and if we would weare the crowne of glory wee must bee content to carry the crosse on our shoulders and to goe after Christ bearing his reproch S. Paul saith g Rom. 8 17. And if wee be children then heires heires of God and ioynt-heires with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that wee may bee also glorified together No glory in heauen without some sufferings on earth But h 2 Tim. 2. 12. if wee suffer wee shall also raigne with him Suffering for Christ goeth before raigning with Christ The way to heauen is by afflictions and tribulations i Acts 14. 22. We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God If we will come to heauen we must goe as the Israelites went k Psal 66. 12. through fire and through water that is through hard and great afflictions the Israelites are promised the land of Canaan but first they endure much hardnesse in Aegypt they must passe thorow the red sea goe thorow a wildernesse fight many battels and ouercome many enemies before they enioy the promised land Heauen is our promised land but before we can come thither wee must endure much trouble in the world passe thorow a sea of troubles go thorow a wildernesse of thorny tribulations fight many battels against our spirituall enemies the flesh the world and the Deuill and by Faith get the victory and ouercome before wee can sit with Christ in his Throne As Christ also saith l Reu. 3. 21. To him that ouercommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne euen as I also ouercame and am set downe with my Father in his Throne Fourthly if we haue
that they care not greatly of what religion they be so they be of any There are others who as they would not be too irreligious and profane not exceedingly wicked and vile in their life so they are afraid of being noted to be too precise in their carriage too zealous too holy such are luke-warme Christians neither hote nor cold neither so cold as to be of no religion nor so hote as to be sincere in the profession of godlinesse Such luke-warme professours are abhominable in the sight of God and euen loathed of him As is manifest in the reprehension of the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans p Reu. 3. 14. 15. 16. I know thy workes that thou art neither colde nor hote I would thou wert cold or hote So then because thou art lukewarme and neither cold nor hote I will spew thee out of my mouth here are two things said of these Laodiceans one is concerning the state of that Church for their profession of religion they are noted to be lukewarme neither cold nor hote the other is there iudgement and punishment for their lukewarmenesse in religion except they be more zealous and repent the Lord will spew them out of his mouth that is the Lord will loath and abhorr them and will cast them out from him euen as a mans stomacke loathes lukewarme water casting it vp againe And this of the confession of Christ before men in 2 In time of persecution time of peace There is also a confession of Christ to be made of euery good christian in time of persecution And that Twofold is also twofold The first is to stand boldly in the defence of our 1 To stand to our faith when we are called in question for it faith and religion if we be called in question for it This our Sauiour Christ taught his Disciples q Math. 10. 17. 18. 19. Beware of men for they will deliuer you vp to the Councills and they will scourge you in their Synagognes And ye shall be brought before gouernours and Kings for my sake for a testimony against them and the Gentiles But when they deliuer you vp take no thought how or what ye shall speake for it shall be giuen you in that same howre what ye shal speake A worthy example hereof there is in Peter and Iohn the Apostles of Christ who preaching Iesus Christ and working miracles through his name were called before the rulers of the Iewes and examined about the healing of the creeple r Act 4 7. by what power or by what name haue ye done this then Peter with great courage and boldnesse answered ſ ver 8. 9. 10. Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel if we this day be examined of the good deede done to the impotent man by what meanes he is made whole be it knowne vnto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Iesus Christ of nazareth whom ye crucifie whom God raised from the dead euen by him doth this man stand heere before you whole Here was the constant confession of Christ by these Apostles standing to their faith when they were called in question for it and that with courage and great boldnesse yea further when the rulers called the Apostles t ver 18. 19. 20. And commanded them not to speake at all nor teach in the Name of Iesus Peter Iohn answered said vnto them whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken vnto you more thē vnto God iudge yee For we cannot but speake the things which we haue seene heard See still their cōstant cōfession of ther faith in Iesus Christ they beleeued therfore they spake this is the first kind of confessing Christ in time of persecution The second i◠to stand boldly in the defence of our 2 To stand in the defence of our faith vnto the death faith euen vnto death and not to deny Christ though we loose our life for Christs sake Memorable is the example of the three children of the Captiuity who being threatned to be cast into the fiery fornace because they would not worship the golden Image which Nebuchadnezzar had set vp did notwithstanding sticke fast vnto the worship of the true God of Heauen and earth when the King threatned them with the fiery furnace they were not afraid of the fier but with courage and boldnesse thus confidently answered the king u Dan. 3. 16. 17. 18. O Nebuchad-nezzar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter If it be so our God whom we serue is able to deliuer vs from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliuer vs out of thine hand ô King But if not be it knowne vnto thee o King that we will not serue thy Gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set vp This was the constancy of the Apostle S. Paul when the Prophet Agabus tooke Pauls girdle and bound his owne hands and feete prophecied that so the Iewes at Ierusalem should binde the man that owed that girdle and when the beleeuers with whom Paul was heard these things and wept and besought him that he would not goe to Ierusalem Paul answered x Acts. 21. 13. What meane ye to weepe and to breake mine heart For I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Such was the constancy of the faithfull in the times of the most cruell persecutions both before Christ and since Before Christ as is manifest in the diuerse sufferings of the Saints of God mentioned by the Apostle to the Hebrewes y Heb. 11. 35. 36. 37. 38. others were tortured not accepting deliuerance that they might obtaine a better resurrection And other had triall of cruell mockings and scourgings yea moreouer of bonds and imprisonment They were stoned they were sawen a sunder were tempted were staine with the sword they wandred about in sheepe-skins goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in deserts and in mountaines and in denns and caues of the earth And after Christ from Steuen Protomartyr the first that suffered for the name of Christ so downward to these times as many as haue suffered in deede and in truth for the testimony of Iesus haue with constancy and boldnesse with courage and reioycing endured any torments that cruell persecutors could inuent against them and spared not their liues for his sake that gaue his life for them z Acts. 7. 59. 60 Steuen was stoned to death and and praied for his persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge a Euseb l. 2. c. 25. Paul was beheaded b id l. 3. c. 1. Peter was crucified with his head downeward c Acts. 12. 2. Iames the brother of Iohn was killed with the sword Ignatius was cast to the wild beasts it was he that said d
breaking of the heart with godly sorrow for sinne is not felt at least in some measure there sinne sticks fast in the heart Secondly if any be so tender ouer themselues that 2 Except we breake our hearts God will breake vs in his wrath they will not suffer their hearts to be vexed and disquieted with the remembrance of their sinnes and thinke it a grieuous thing to rent breake their hearts with godly sorrow for their sinnes they may iustly feare least the time shall come when the Lord shall y Psal 2. 5 9. speake vnto them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure And least the Lord will breake them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessell Fourthly to mooue vs to Contrition and inward 4 The benefits of contrition godly sorrow let vs consider the benefits that may come vnto vs thereby First Contrition or inward sorrow for sinne is a sacrifice acceptable to God when we doe in 1 It is a sacrifice to God secret humble our soules before God and sit sighing and groaning sorrowing and grieuing for our sinnes when we are labouring to rent and breake our earthly carnall fleshly hearts to roote vp some great master-sinne out of our hearts we then offer a sacrifice well-pleasing to God such a sacrifice as Dauid offered when he humbled himselfe for his sinnes z Psal 51. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Secondly worldly sorrow and griefe may hurt a man 2 Godly sorrow hurts not but godly sorrow hurteth not For a 2. Cor. 7. 10. godly sorrow worketh repentance to saluation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh Death as saith the Apostle and Dauid saith b Psal 147. 3. the Lord healeth the broken in heart and bindeth vp their wounds Thirdly the renting and breaking of the heart with 3 Sorrowing for sinne in this life will keepe vs from sorrowing in the life to come godly sorrow in this life is a meanes to keepe vs from sorrowing and grieuing after this life For after this life c Râ—u 21. 4. there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away In the Booke of Wisedome the wicked being in hell in torments are described by sorrow and anguish of spirit when they shall see the righteous whom they despised on earth in ioy and felicitie and themselues cast into outer darknesse Then they shall groane for anguish of spirit and say within themselues d Wis 5. 4. 5. c. We fooles accounted his life madâ—â—sse and his end to â—e without honour How is he numbred among the children of God and his lot is among the Saints therfore haue we erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnesse hath not shined vnto vs and the Sunne of righteousnesse râ—se not vpon vs. We wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction yea we haue gone through deserts where there lay no way but as for the way of the Lord we haue not knowne it What hath pride profited vs or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought vs all those things are passed away like a shaddow c. They that will not sorrow nor grieue after a godly manner for their sins in this life they that will not rent their hearts and turne to the Lord while they haue space for repentance granted them on earth after death shall lie in the place of outer darkenesse sighing and sorrowing grieuing and groaning renting and breaking their hearts when it is too late Blessed then and happie are they Vse who now in this life doe sorrow after a godly manner Against those who breake their hart with worldly sorrow but haue little sorrow of heart for their sinnes for their sinnes that they neede not sorrow nor grieue after this life Now whereas God requireth contrition and inward sorrow for sinne seeing all penitent sinners haue had it more or lesse and seeing that it is so necessarie and profitable for euery sinner as hath beene declared the consideration hereof serues to reproue those who for some worâ—dly calamiâ—ie or losse are so inwardly vexed and grieued at the heart that they euen breake their heart with sorrow griefe and yet are little or nothing mooued to sorrow and griefe for their sinnes they breake their hearts with worldly sorrow but not with godly sorrow And yet worldly sorrow is hurtfull and godly sorrow is necessarie and profitable Be not deceiued with the vaine and false opinion of those who thinke that this sorrowing for sinne will make a man Melancholike all the dayes of his life not so For the Lord will e Psal 147. 3. heale the broken in heart and they that f Mat. 5. 4. mouâ—ne shall bee comforted Yea godly sorrow brings the best ioy and soundest comfort Of worldly ioy and mirth Solomon saith g Pro. 14. 13. the end of that mirth is heauinesse But h 2. Cor. 7. 10. godly sorrow St Paul saith worketh repentance to saluation not to be repented of A sinner that hath truly repented and beene sorrowfull after a godly manner shall neuer repent that he hath repented nor euer be sory that he hath bin sorry after a godly sort For though a sinner sorrowing and grieuing for his sinnes be in heauinesse for a time yet in the end the Lord will send him comfort and refreshing to his soule and the end of that sorrow will be peace and ioy peace of conscience and ioy in the holy-Ghost CHAP. VI. Of Godly sorrow which is outward in mourning and weeping for sinne HItherto of Godly sorrow which is inward 2 Outward sorrow for sinne Therein two things Godly sorrow is also outward and it stands in outward mourning lamenting and weeping for sinne In the handling whereof I will First shew the manner how a penitent sinner may expresse his godly sorrow aright by outward mourning lamenting and weeping Secondly vse motiues to perswade thereunto First of the manner how a sinner that is sory after a 1 How a penitent sinner may rightly mourne for his sinnes godly sort ought to mourne and weepe and therein I consider foure things First for whome we are to mourne and weepe Secondly for what Thirdly the time when Fourthly the measure how much and how greatly Therein foure things a sinner is bound to mourne and weepe Touching the first we are to mourne and weepe for our selues and others for our owne sinnes and for all 1 For whom the abhominations that are done by others Dauid wept and mourned not only for his owne sins but also for the sinnes of others So he saith a Psal 119 136 Riuers of waters run downe mine eies because they keepe not thy law In Ezekiel the man cloathed with linnen which had
t Heb 5. 7. In the deyes of his flesh he offered vp praiers supplications with strong crying and teares u Fâ—entem illum frequenter â—nue nias nuâ—quam verò â—identem Chrys in Math. 2. Hom. 6. we may often finde him weeping as a Father saith but seldome or neuer laughing Yet he wept not for himselfe and for his owne sinnes for x 1. Pet. 2. 22. he did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth But for vs and for our sinnes to teach vs to weepe and mourne for our selues and for our owne sinnes Thirdly to consider the necessity of outward sorrowing 3 The necessity of mourning for sinne and mourning for sinne First our sinns haue bene the cause of crucifying Christ as saith the Prophet Esay y Isa 53. 5. He was wounded for our transgressions 1 In regaâ—d of our sinnes which were the cause of crucifying Christ he was bruised for our iniquities The serious consideration of this should moue vs to lament mourne this should cause vs to sheede abundance of teares to consider the grieuousnesse of our sinnes how by them we haue crucified and pierced Christ and certaine it is the remembrance hereof will so worke with true penitent sinners that they will breake forth into mourning as saith the Prophet Zacharie z Zach. 12. 10. I will poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne In that day there shall be a great mourning in Ierusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon and the land shall mourne euery family apart c. Secondly our eyes conuey much euill to the heart 2 Our eies conuay much euill to the heart and therefore must weepe much as they let in sinne so they must as much as they can let it out In worldly griefe the heart is eased by weeping so by teares shedde for sinne the soule is eased Thirdly Sinne is the cause of affliction and miserie 3 Sinne is the cause of misery the cause of trouble and calamitie that befals vs in the course of our life Wherefore as we mourne and weepe for the paine and miserie so ought we much more to mourne to lament and weepe for sinne which is the cause of our miserie Fourthly consider that now euen in this present life 4 Either now we must mourne weepe or we shall hereafter we must mourne and weepe for our sinnes least we be constrained to mourne and weepe in that dolefull and heauie place of mourning where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth And they that will not now weepe and mourne for their sinnes shaâ—l hereafter As our Sauiour saith a Luk 6. 25. Woe to you that laugh now for ye shall mourne and weepe And yet more to perswade vs to this godly sorrow to 4 Benefits of mourning and weeping for sinne weepe and mourne for our sinnes consider the Benefits that come thereby Weeping and mourning may weaken and hurt the bodie but it strengthens and helpes the soule it may harme the bodie for a time but it doth the soule good for euer And the Benefits thereof are these First outward sorrow for sinne arising from the inward 1 Mourning weeping for sinne is a meanes to obtaine mercy sorrow of the heart is a meanes to obtaine mercie with God It is said of Hezekiah that b Isa 38. 3. he wept sore But his sore weeping was a meanes of obtaining mercie and fauour with the Lord. For praysing the Lord he saith c ver 17. Thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backs Marie Magdalene weepes and sheeds teares in abundance but this her mourning and weeping for her sinnes is a meanes of obtaining mercy with the Lord for the Lord saith vnto her d Luk. 7 38. 48. thy sinnes are forgiuen Secondly * Mitigâ—ntâ—ram Dei lachrymae Teares of grace are a meanes to pacifie Gods 2 A meanes to pacifie Gods anger anger against vs for our sinnes and to turne away his wrath from vs. The Lord by the Prophet Ioel sayth turne ye euen to mâ— with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning And rent your heart and not your garments and turne vnto the Lord your God for e Ioel 2. 12. 13. he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the euill As if he should haue said If you will be sorrie for your sinnes after a godly sort and if you will turne to the Lord by renting the heart and with fasting and weeping and mourning then the Lord will turne away â—is wrath from you then the Lord will be gracious and mercifull vnto you Thirdly teares shed for sinne are not shed in vaine 3 Teares shed for sinne are pleasing to God delightfull to the Angels but they are respected of the Lord they are well pleasing both to God and Angels they are acceptable and well pleasing to God God maketh reckoning and account of them for though they be shed yet they are not lost f Psal 56. 8. Put thou my teares into thy bottle saith Dauid Teares of grace and not as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered vp againe but the Lord hath a vessell to receiue the teares that we sheede for our sins not one of them iâ— lost This heauenly dew of deuotion neuer fals but the Sunne of righteousnesse drawes it vp And the teare of penitent sinners are delightfull to the Angels who reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner Insomuch that the deuout Father cals the g Lâ—chrymâ— pâ—â—nitentium Angelâ—rum vinum Bern. teares of penitent sinners the Angels wine Fourthly they that mourne and weepe for sinne though they haue sorrow and heauinesse for a time in the end shall be comforted their sorrow shall be turned 4 They that mourne shall be comforted into ioy Christ is sent as saith the Prophet Esay to h Isa 61. 2. 3. comfort all that mourne to giue vnto them beautie for ashes the oile of ioy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse And Christ when he was come sayth i Mâ—â— 5. â— Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted k 〈◊〉 â— 6. 5. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy saith the Psalmist They that now weepe and sheede teares for sinne shall hereafter be truly comforted For l Reâ— 21. 4. God shall wipe away aâ—l teares from their eyes As after much raine and great stormes the heauens waâ—e cleare the ayre is more milde and the Sunne breakes forth comfortably to refresh the things that are vpon the earth so after much weeping mourning
two sorts 2 The sorts and kinds of it Two-fold Generall and Particular Generall when a Sinner doth onely in a generall manner confesse that he is a sinner that hee hath offended 1 Generall God that he hath broken Gods commandements and done wickedly c. Particular confession of sinne is an acknowledgement 2 Particular of our particular sinnes when hauing made diligent search by the law of God to finde out our sinnes we doe then confesse those sinnes which our owne conscience witnesseth against vs that we are guilty of as Dauid when hee had committed adultery with Bathsheba confessed his sinne in particular saying d Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight The Iewes confessed their sinnes both in generall and particular In generall e Isa 59 12. Our transgressions say they are multiplyed before thee and our sinnes testifie against vs for our transgressions are with vs and as for our iniquities wee know them And in particular they confesse and say f Vers 13. in transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from our God speaking oppression and reuolt conceiuing and vttering from the heart words of falshood The third thing in Confession is the manner how a 3 The manner of making Confession aright sinner is to make confession of his sinnes that his confession may be acceptable to God Dauid saith g Psal 32. I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord. The vulgar Latine translation readeth it thus g Psal 32. I said I will confesse against my selfe mine vnrightousnesse vnto the Lord. From whence sixe things are obserued to bee necessary in the confession of sinne First that our Confession of sinne be done with premeditation 5 h Dixi confitebor aduersum me iniustitiam meam Domino Six things are necessary in the Confession of Sinne. that we doe not rashly and rudely thrust our selues into the presence of the Lord but first search our hearts try our wayes finde out our sinnes take notice of them view them consider them and haue them before our eyes when wee come to make confession of them This is noted in the beginning of the sentence i Dixi. I said before I confessed my sinnes I first thought with 1 That it be with premeditation my selfe I considered in my minde the sinnes which I was to confesse I said within my selfe I will confesse my sinnes Secondly Confession of sinne must be in truth without 2 That it be in 〈◊〉 guile not hiding sinne but plainely and truely confessing our sinnes wherfore he saith k Confitâ—bor I will confesse I will make knowne my sinne I will hide nothing I will search euery corner of my heart I will lay open all and euery sinne I will confesse my sinne Thirdly our Confession must be accusing not excusing 3 That it be accusing not excusing noted in the next words l Aduersum me against my selfe Our confession must be against our selues Howsoeuer it be dangerous for any one to accuse himselfe before men yet euery sinner must accuse himselfe before God iudge himselfe to haue broken the commandements of God and condemne himselfe to be worthy of death For this cause a sinner must come before the Lord in all humility and lowlinesse of mind with shame and confusion of face being ashamed to lift vp his eyes to heauen for the multitude of his sinnes and transgressions saying with Ezra m Ezra 96. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift vp my face to thee my God for our iniquities are encreased ouer our heads and our trespasse is growen vp vnto the heauens And must be like the penitent Publican who comming before the Lord to confesse his sinnes n Luk 18. 13. Stood a farre off and would not lift vp so much as his eyes to heauen but smote vpon his breast saying God be mercifull to me a sinner Fourthly Confession must be made of sinne and iniquity 4 Confession must be of Sinne and iniquity noted in the word o Iniustitiam vnrighteousnesse or transgresgressions Wee must not with the Pharisee boast our good deeeds and praise our well-doing but with the Publicane confesse our sinnes and our selues sinners and earnestly pray for the pardon of our sinnes Fiftly Confession must be made of our owne sinnes 5 That we confesse our owne sinnes wherefore he saith I will confesse against my selfe p Meam mine vnrighteousnesse or my transgressions Sâ—xtly Confession of our sinnes must be made vnto the Lord our God wherefore he saith I will confesse my 6 That our confessioÌ„ be made vntâ— God transgressions q Domino vnto the Lord. Confession must be made vnto God to the honour of God that God may haue the glory and we the comfort Of this Dauid speakes thus in another place r Psal 51 4. Against thee thee onely haue I sinned So also when he had numbred the people his heart smote him and Dauid said vnto the Lord Å¿ 2 Sam. 24. 10. I haue sinned greatly in that I haue done Daniel said t Dan. 9 4. 4. I praied vnto the Lord my God and made my confession and said O Lord we haue sinned and committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly c. Chrysostome taught the same doctrine u Deâ— sâ—luendis peâ—catum Chrys de paeâ—it Hom. 9. Tell thy sinne onely vnto God Againe he saith * Sâ—luâ—te Deus confiâ—entâ—m vidâ—aâ— Chrys de paeâ—it confâ—s Let God onely see the confessing of thy sinnes After this manner we are to make Confession of our sinnes In the fourth place I come to the motiues which may perswade vs to confesse our sinnes vnto God Which I take 4 Motiues to coÌ„fesse our sinnes vnto God First from the necessity Secondly from the benefite thereof For the first Confession of Sinne vnto God is necessary 1 〈◊〉 necessâ—ry For for First God is chiefly and principally offended by our sinnes wherefore it is that Dauid hauing committed 1 God is principally offâ—nded by our sinnes adultery and thereby hauing not onely offended God but wronged man comming to make confession saith y Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee onely haue I sinned Now because sinne is chiefly and principally committed against God therefore it 's necessary that wee make our confession chiefly and principally vnto God Secondly without confession of sinne we can looke 2 Without Confession we can haue no remission for no remission of sinne Salomon saith z Pro. 28. 13. He that couereth his sinnes shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy Giuing vs to vnderstand that he onely obtaineth mercie of the Lord that confesseth his sinnes but if any one will not confesse but hide and couer his sinnes he shall not prosper it shall not be well with him the Lord will shew him no fauour nor mercie
Wherefore Dauid saith of himselfe a Psal 32. 3. 4. 5. When I kept silence my bones waxed olde c. But I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne Dauid after he had sinned for a time kept silence held his tongue and opened not his mouth to confesse his sinne but that was paine and griefe vnto him befound no comfort in it but when he acknowledged his sinnes and confessed his transgressions then the Lord shewed mercy on him and forgaue him and Dauid did not obtaine mercie and forgiuenesse at the hands of God till that hee confessed his sinne to the Lord. b Nos alitâ—r salui esse non possumus nisi confiteamur paenitentes quod iniquè gessimus negligentes Aug. We cannot otherwise be saued saith one but by humble acknowledgement of our sinnes which through our negligence we haue so wickedly committed Before the sicke man can finde ease and remedie for the recouering of his health he must make his griefe knowne vnto the Physitian and the Creeple is not ashamed to lay open his soares to the passenger to mooue him to haue pitty on him so likewise it 's necessarie for a sinner by confession of his sinnes to make knowne the inward diseases the infirmities and sores of his soule to the chiefe and best Physitian of our soules Christ Iesus and bee as earnest with the Lord to beg mercy and craue pardon and forgiuenesse of his sinnes as the poore beggar by the high-way side is importunate to beg a penny of the Passenger Thirdly Confession of our sinnes to God is necessary 3 If we doe not confesse our sinnes yet wee cannot hide them froÌ„ God for God both seeth knoweth them for if we doe not confesse them vnto God yet God knowes them and sees them yea c Quando iâ—â—mâ— celat Dâ—us â—â—dat when sinners doe foolishly hide and couer their sins then the Lord layes them open to the view of the world The Lord said vnto Dauid d 2 Sam. 12. 12. Thou didst it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before the Sunne When thou didst commit thy sinne of adultery thou didst it secretly thou thoughts that no eye had seene thee but I beheld thy wickednesse which thou didst in secret and I will punish thee openly because thou hast sinned and not confessed thy sinne I will bring thy sinne to light and thy selfe to shame Secondly as Confession of sinne is necessary so is it 2 It 's good and profitable For also good and profitable for a sinner for First by Confession of sinne a sinner obtaineth remission and forgiuenesse of sinne so saith Salomon By confession we obtaine remission e Pro. 28. 13. Who so confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall haue mercie S. Iohn saith f 1 Iohn 1. 9. If wee confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes And Dauid witnesseth of himselfe g Psal 32. 5. I said I will confesse my transgression vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne h Vâ—i Confessio ibi remissio Quaâ—dâ—â—â—mo detâ—giâ— Dâ—us â—egiâ— quando homo agnoscit Deus ignâ—scit Where there is true hearty and humble confession of sinne there is remission and forgiuenesse When a sinner vncouereth and layeth open his sinnes God couereth and hideth his sinnes When a sinner acknowledgeth and confesseth his sinnes God doth pardon and forgiue him his sinnes Vpon Dauids confession i 2 Sam. 12. 13. I haue sinned against the Lord Nathan the Prophet saith vnto Dauid in the word of the Lord The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not die Secondly Confession of sinne is a meanes to pacifie 2 Confession of sin is a meanes to turne away Gods turne away Gods wrath heauie displeasure the anger and to asswage the wrath of Almighty God Yea to auert and turne away the iudgements of God which arâ— threatned against and hang ouer the head of sinners When Ionah the Prophet cried against Nineueh k Io. 3. 4. 8. 9. 10. Yet â—ortie dayes and Nineueh shall bee ouer throwne The Niniuites humbled themselues before the Lord with fasting and mourning confessing their sinnes and crying mightily vnto God and when God saw their workes that they turned from their euill way then God repented of the euill that be had said that he would doe vnto them and hee did it not Hereupon is that saying of Chrysostome l Niniuitae confitentur viuuÌ„t Sodomitae obdurantur pereunt Chry. in Psal 106. The Niniuites confesse their sinnes and liue the Sodomites are hardned in their sinnes and perish Thirdly Confession of sinne is profitable to a sinner for thereby his conscience is pacified and his soule eased Like as a man being discontent in his mind and sore troubled in his thoughts can take no quiet rest 3 By Confession the soule is cased and the conscience pacified his stomacke faileth him and his sleepe departeth from him till meeting with a faithfull trustie friend hee maketh his minde knowen vnto him layeth open the griefe of his heart and by mutual conference together findeth comfort and ease so a sinner that is greatly distressed in soule and afflicted in conscience with the remembrance of his sinnes by humbling his soule in secret before the Lord confessing his sinnes laying open his iniquities and not hiding his sinnes doth finde great case for vpon â—he sinner's humble confession the Lord who is the best friend that a poore sinner hath doth marucilouslâ— comâ—ort and refresh the soule of the sinner So that the heart of the poore sinner is now comforted his soule is cased and his conscience pacified Such benefit commeth by confessing our sinnes vnto God And sâ—â—ing that Confession of our sinnes vnto God Vse is so necessarie and profitable the consideration hereof serues iustly to reproue First those who will not acknowledge and confesse 1 Against those who will not confesse but hide and couer their sinnes their sinnes vnto God but hide and couer them as Adam when he had eaten of the forbidden fruit m Gen. 3. 8. bid himselfe among the trees of the garden thinking to hide himselfe and his transgression from the Lord wherefore Iob saith n Iob 31. 33. If I couered my transgressions as Adam by hiding minâ— iniquitie in my bosome Iob counts it a haynous thing to couer his transgressions and to hide his iniquitie And indeed for any one to couer his transgressions and to hide his iniquitie is both foolish and dangerous Foolish for no man can so hide his sinne but God knoweth and seeth it A notable example hereof we haue in Dauid It is wonderfull to consider what deuises what 1 Foolish shifts and inuentions o 2. Sam. 11. Dauid vsed to couer and hide his sinne of adulterie with Bathsheba Whn Dauid committed that sinne of adulterie with Bathsheba
to doe euill And to forsake the euill way t Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way Zophar's counsailero â—oâ— is to put iniquity from him u Iob. 11. 14. if iniquity be in thy hands put it fâ—â—r away and let not wickednesse dwell in thy tabernatles Ezekiel exhorteth to cast away our sinnes and transgressions x Ezeck 18. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions wherby you haue transgressed Our Sauiour Christ saith to the man whom he had healed y Ioâ— 5. 14. sinne no more Giuing vs to vnderstand that a sinner ought to forsake his sinnes to cease from euill and to doe wickedly no more Thus the Scripture exhorteh to the forsaking of sinne 2 The necessitie of forsaking sinne Secondly the forsaking of sinne is very necessarie for First It puts a difference betweene the true and sound repentance of penitent sinners and the counterfeite 1 It puts a difference betwene true and false repentance fained repentance of hypocrites Pharao seemed to repent for he said z Lxod 9. 27. I haue sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked But yet his repentance was not sound nor true for after this a ver 34. He sinned yet more and hardned his heart He did not forsake his sinne So Ahab made a good outward shew of repentance when he bumbled himselfe with b 1. kin 21 27 29. Fasting and lying in sackcloth Yet his heart was not right in the sight of the Lord for he did c ver 25. Sell himselfe to work wickednesse And after that he had thus humbled himselfe he d 1 Kin. 22. 8. hated the Prophet of the Lord Micaiah and e ver 27. put him in prisou But such is not the repentance of the children of God for they do not only humble themselues and confesse their sinnes but they forsake their sinnes they cease to doe euill and sinne no more We read not that Noah was drunken more then once Dauid after that he was reproued by Nathan the Prophet for his adulterie with Bathsheba committed adultery no more Peter after that he had wept bitterly for denying his master denied him no more and Paul when he repented of persecuting the Church ceased from his sinne and persecuted no more Thus by the forsaking of sinne it may be discerned who are truely turned vnto God and who are not Secondly except we forsake our sinnes and cease to 2 Except we forsake our sins nothing that we doe can please God doe euill nothing that wee doe can be acceptable and well pleasing vnto God I instance in prayer a dutie of piety a thing commanded by the Lord himselfe yet to the Iewes he saith f Isa 1. 15. 16. When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare your hands are full of bloud Wash ye make you cleane c. Shewing thereby that as long as they remained in their sins without repentance and amendement of life and would not cease from their euill waies nor forsake their sinnes their prayers were powred out in vaine The Scribes and Pharisees those hypocrites did in outward shew performe many good duties for they gaue g Mat. 6. 1 c. almes they fasted and prayed which were all good in themselues duties required of God but inasmuch as they did them for hypocrisie and for vaine-glory seeking the praise of men they had no reward from God Wherefore one saith h Seducunt scipsos qui Eleemosynas dant a peecatis non cessant Aug. Euch. cap 74. They deceiue themselues who giue almes and yet cease not from their sinnes Such is the necissity of forsaking sinne Thirdly the forsaking of sinne is good and profitable for a sinner both in regard of his temporall and spirituall state 3 The benefit of forsaking sin Two-fold First in regard of a mans temporall state the forsaking of sinne and iniquity brings outward prosperity and happinesse Of this Zophar speakes thus to Iob i Iob 11. 14. 15. c. if iniquitie 1 To a mans temporall estate Prosperity be in thy hands put it farre away and let not wickednesse dwell in thy Tabernacles Here 's putting away iniquitie and forsaking of sinne Now heare what benefit comes thereby Thou shalt lift vp thy face without spot c. Thou shalt not feare thou shalt forget thy miserie Againe hee saith Thou shalt take thy rest in safety thou shalt lye downe and none shall make thee afraid yea many shall make sute vnto thee Such outward blessings and benefites come by the forsaking of sinne Secondly concerning a mans spirituall state the 2 To his spirituall state soule of him that forsaketh his sinnes shall bee blessed For First he shall obtaine mercy of this Salomon saith 1 Mercie k Pro. 28. 13. He that couereth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy Secondly his sinnes shall be remembred no more So 2 No more remembrance of sinne hath the Lord promised by Ezekiell l 1 〈◊〉 18. 21. 22 If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statues and doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue he shall not die all his transgressions that he hath committed shall not be mentioned vnto him This doctrine of the forsaking of sinne serues to reprooue Vse First those sinners which continue in sinne and goe 1 Against those that continue in sinne on in an vngodly course of life for many will not bee reformed but hate instruction and despise counsell they will not bee brought to repentance neither will they forsake their sinnes But a sinner that continueth Continuance in sinne is dangerous for still in his sinnes and goeth on in an vngodly course of life knoweth not into what a dangerous state he bringeth his soule for First by continuing in sinne hee clogges his conscience 1 It ouer-burdeneth the soule with sinne and presseth his soule with an intollerable burden of sinne the wiseman saith m Ecclus. 7. 8. The soule groweth worse thereby Binde not one sinne vpon another for in one thou shalt not be vnpunished A wise man will not ouer-load his beast lest his beast fall downe vnder his burden What a foolish man is he then that will ouer-load his soule with the most waighty burden of sinne Secondly by continuing in sinne the soule growes worse for by a continuall committing of sinne there is a continuall decaying of grace and the harder will it be to repaire againe the spirituall state of the soule Like as when a mans house beginnes to decay if it be not repaired in time the longer that it continueth so the more chargeable will it be in repairing it and if a man haue any infirmity and disease in his body or any wound or sore if
Lord promised mercie and comforted his soule with the assurance of saluation y Luke 19. 8. 9. This day is saluation come to this house Herein is that saying verified z Non tollitur peccaâ—â—m nisi restâ—â—uatur ablatum Sinne is not remitted vnlesse that which was vniustly taken away be restored Fourthly they are here reprooued who forsake sinne onely for a season and afterwards either wittingly and 4 Against those who leane sin for a season after fall to their sins again wilfully or of infirmity and by occasion fall into sinne againe If men after that they haue seemed to repent and to cease from sinne doe willingly and wilfully fall into sinne againe and euen run themselues headlong into sinne their repentance is no better then the repentance of Pharaoh this is with the Dog to returne to his vomite with the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire And then as S. Peter saith a 2 Pet. 2. 20. 21. 22. The latter end of such is worse with them then the beginning But if their falling into sinne againe be of infirmity and by occasions though I denie not but such sinners may be restored by repentance yet ceâ—taine it is their case is dangerous by reason of their falling againe into sinne For like as a sâ—cke man hauing recouered his sicknesse if hee afterwards fall sicke againe that relapse is very dangerous and shewes a very weake state of his body So a sinner if vpon occasion and prouocation if through infirmity he fall into the same sinne againe This is very dangerous and if it be often the more dangerous it shewes the state of that soule to be very weake it argueth a great weakenesse of grace in resisting of sinne and if there be no resisting of sinne no striuing against inward corruptions but men giue way to their passions and lusts and yeeld the reines to their vnruly affections those wild horses I demaund where is the forsaking of sinne where is ceasing from euill wherefore a Christian feeling this infirmity in himselfe that he is subiect to often falls should be diligent to search and trye his owne wayes to finde out the deceitfulnesse of his owne heart and be exceeding warie ouer himselfe watching ouer his thoughts ouer his words and ouer his actions that hee offend not As our Sauiour said to the lame man whom he had healed b Ioh. 5. 14. Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee So a sinner hauing repented of his former sinnes and being washed from his sinnes should say vnto himselfe Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee And he may fitly turne the words into a Prayer Lord I confesse I haue sinned and done wickedly but vpon my true repentance thou hast pardoned my sinne and healed my soule Now Lord keepe mee I beseech thee from falling into sinne any more I am now made whole Lord strengthen me with thy grace that I sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto me CHAP. IX Of Reformation or amendment of life THe fift step of grace whereby a sinner returnes 5 Amendment of life from sin vnto God and riseth higher towards Heauen is Reformation or Amendment of life In handling whereof I will First shew by what meanes a sinner may come to amendment There in three things of life Secondly declare how and after what manner amendment of life is wrought 1 Meanes whereby a sinner may come to amendment of life Thirdly vse motiues and perswasions whereby a sinner may be mooued to amend his life Touching the first The meanes whereby a sinner may come to amendment of life are two The first is the operation and working of the holy 1 The working of the holy Spirit Spirit of God renuing the minde and putting new life of grace into the soule Of this the Lord speaketh thus by Ezechiel a Ezek 36. 26. 27. A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will giue you an heart of flesh And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes It is the Spirit of God that makes our spirit new that softneth the heart and giueth grace to walke in the statutes in the wayes and commaundements of the Lord. The second is the word of God whereby we are begotten 2 The word of God to a new life Of which S. Iames faith b Iam. 1. 18. Of his owne will begate he vs with the word of Truth The second thing concerning amendment of life is 2 After what manner amend ment of life is wrought in a sinner How and after what manner this blessed change of life is wrought in a sinner Reformation or amendment of life is wrought thus First before amendment of life there must goe an vnfained forsaking of our former euill conuersation wee 1 There must be an vtter forsaking of our old euill conuersation must first die to sinne before we can be quickened to a new life we must first cease from dead workes before we can doe good workes First cease to be bad trees bearing euill fruit before we can be good trees bringing forth good fruit Of this S. Paul saith c Ephe. 4. 22. 23. 24. put off concerning the former conuersation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your minde and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse d Non potest ficri homo noâ—â—us nisi desierit esse vetus Author operis imperf in Math. 6. Hom. 15 Before we can put on the new man we must first put off the old man We must first put off the raggs of sinne before we can put on the robe of righteousnesse This must necessarily first be before we can be renewed and reformed Secondly amendment of life is wrought in the whole 2 It must be in the whole man man in soule and in bodie in the minde in the will and affections in the cogitations and thoughts of the heart in the eye in the eare in the tongue and in the hands in life and conuersation As the mind must be renewed so the life must be reformed Thirdly amendment of life must haue it beginning within By Ezechiel the Lord saith e 〈◊〉 36. 26. 27. A new heart will I It must haue it beâ—inning wiâ—hin giue you and a new spirit will I put within you c. and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes Causing the people henceforward to walke in the statutes of the Lord is their reformation and amendment of life But this reformation and amendment of life was first begunne within A new heart will I giue you and a new
perseuere and continue to the end then through the mercy of God and the merites of Christ our Sauiour wee shall obtaine saluation inherite a Kingdome and be crowned with glorie CHAP. XI Of the time of Repentance HItherto of the manner how a Sinner may truly repent and of the steps of grace whereby a sinner returneth vnto God and ascendeth vp to the high mountaine of heauen The fourth thing in the treatise of Repentance is 4 The time of Repentance concerning the time of repentance And the time when a sinner ought to repent is threefold The First is the time of this present life Threefold The Second is the time of grace The Third is the time present Touching the First The time of this present life euen 1 The time of this present life the short time that we haue to liue heare on earth is the time yea the longest and largest time that God hath granted vnto vs for our repentance as is euident by the Scriptures Dauid saith a Psa 6. 5. In death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall giue thee thanks Christ our Sauiour saith b Iâ—h 9. 4. I must worke the workes of him that sent me while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke where by day is meant the time and space of this present life and by night the time after this life c Diâ— sumê° in hac vita nos iuuari a vobis possumus vos potestu in nos conferre beneficia cum autem abierimus illuc ibi neâ— amicus neque frater neque pater idoneus erit ad liberandum cum qui â—uplicijs deputetur aeternis Chrys de coÌ„punct cordis l. 2. while we are in this life saith Chrysostome you may helpe vs and doe vs good but when we shall depart thither there neither friend nor brother nor father will be found fit to deliuer him that is deputed to eternall torments Theophilact vpon those words of our Sauiour Christ d Luk. 52. 4. Quandâ—â— super tâ—rram sumus potermus peccata nostra at posiquam eterra migrauerimus non vltra c clausa enim est ianua Theophil in Luk. 5. The sonne of man hath power vpon earth to forgiue sinnes saith e while we are vpon earth we may haue our sinnes blotted out but not after we are departed out of this life for then the gate is shut and another saith * either here saluation is won or lost Now whereas the time of this present life is the time of our repentance yea the longest largest time that God hath granted vnto any one to repent and amend his life this serues for confutation of that Popish doctrine of Purgatory whereby they make the simple people beleeue that their sinnes may be purged away after this life that satisfaction may be then made for temporall punishment whereas the true purging away of sinnes is onely in this life Now in this life while God giueth vs time and space to repent while the light of the Gospell shineth and whiles that God offereth vs the meanes of saluation is the onely time for vs to worke f Aut his salus acquiritur aut amittitur Cypr. out our saluation now is the time for vs to runne that we may obtaine now is the time to fight against our Vse spirituall enemies that we may ouercome and winne Against Purgatorie the crowne of righteousnesse now is the time either to winne of loose the kingdome of heauen and now is the time to aske seeke and knock afterwards when the gate is shut it will be to late Secondly the time of our repentance which God 2 The Time of Grace hath granted vnto vs in this present life is not any time of our life when we our selues will but it is the time of Grace euen that blessed time wherein God doth gratiously offer vnto vs the meanes of saluation calling vs to repentance and all that space of time wherein God sheweth his patience and long suffering forbearing vs and waiting when we will turne vnto him S. Paul preached thus to the Athenians who had liued in idolatrie and ignorance saying f Acts. 17. 30. the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men euery where to repent Now when Christ is reauealed and the Gospell preached it is time for all men euery where to repent And to the Corinthians he saith g 2. Cor. 2. 6. behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of saluation the h Gen. 6. 3. hundred twenty yeeres while the arke was preparing was the time of repentance for the old world wherein Noah a preacher of righteousnesse warned them to repent And the i Ion. 3. 4. forty dayes granted to the Niniuites was their time of repentance whiles that Ionah the prophet of the Lord threatned them with the ouerthrow of there city except they repented The consideration whereof may admonish vs not to Vse harden our hearts against the word of the Lord but to Not to harden our hearts against the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance hearken to the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance that we doe not willfully passe ouer the time of grace offered vnto vs and that we doe not despise the patience and long suffering of almighty God inuiting vs to repentance this carelesse passing ouer the time of grace and not turning to the Lord when he called to repentance was the sinne of Ierusalem noted by our Sauiour Christ in his dolefull lamentation for them saying k Luk. 19. 42. If thou hadst knowne euen thou at least in this thy day the things which belong vnto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eies In that he saith in this thy day he giueth vs to vnderstand that they had their day and time of repentance wherein God offered them grace and mercie hauing long and often called them by his prophets and now in the last daies hauing sent his owne sonne to call them to repentance but they regarded it not and therefore wofull misery befell them and their citie l Ver. 43. 44. For the daies shall come vpon thee saith our Sauiour that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on euery side and shall lay thee euen with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon another because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Let their example be our warning to take heede of neglecting or despising the meanes of our saluation that we doe not refuse grace offered but hearken to the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance as the Apostle exhorteth m Heb. 3. 15. 16 To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your harts as in the prouocation for some when they had heard did prouoke When the Lord said n
Psal 27. 8. Seeke ye my face Dauids heart said thy face Lord will I seeke So when the Lord cals to repentance we should hearken to the voice of the Lord and when the Lord saith returne and repent the heart of a sinner should answere and say Lord I returne Lord I repent Thirdly the time limited for our repentance is the time present now yea the o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very instant of time in regard 3 The time present of our dutie for the practise of repentance This time of repentance is expressed in the Scriptures by these tearmes To day and now p Heb. 3. 15. To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts q Ioel. 2. 12. Therefore also now saith the Lord turne ye euen to me with all your heart thus speakes S. Ambrose concerning the time of our repentance r Agenda est paenitentia non solum solicitè sed etiam maturè Amb. de poeuit l. 2. c. 1. We ought to be carefull not only to repent but to repent betimes The consideration of this that the time pâ—esent is the time of repentance serues to reprooue the follie of those who deferre their repentance and put off their amendment Vse of life from day to day manie deferre their Against those that deferie their Repentance repentance till they be sicke thinking that they may both make their wills and repent all on a day Young men thinke its to soone for them to repent and old men thinke its soone enough there 's no time ouerpast As the sluggard saith f Pro. 6. 10. Yet a little sleepe a little slumber so the couetous man saith yet a little gaine the licentious yet a little pleasure and euery sinner that is loath to part with his sinnes deferres the time with God and puts off his repentance from day to day and is vnwilâ—ing to repent now or to day but promiseth to repent tomorrow and heereafter though perhaps he meane it not Like to the men of Iabesh Gilead who being besieged be Nahash the Ammoniâ—e said t 1 Sam. 11. 10. To morrow we will come out vnto you and ye shall doe with vs all that seemeth good vnto you when as they meant nothing lesse for they had aide promised them by Saul for this deferring of repentance the Lord reprooued the people of Ierusalem and cried woe against them u Jer. 13. 27. Woe vnto thee ô Ierusalem wilt thou not be made cleane when shall it once be for this cause the virgines that did not prepare to meete the bridegrome Christ the Lord but carelesly delaied and deferred the time are called x Math. 25. 2. 3. foelish virgins And indeede whosoeuer doe deferre their repentance and put of their turning to the Lord from day to day they are not wise but foolish They that deferre their repentance doe foolishly their folly appeareth in diuerse things First A Sinner by deferring repentance continueth longer in his sinnes and continuâ—â—â— in sinne 1 By deferring repentance a sinner continueth longer in sinne as hath bene shewed before is very dangerous the longer that a sinner deferreth his repentance the more sinnes hath he to repent of y Quid enim quod diffâ—ratian vt plura peccata committas Ano. de pauit l. 2. c. 11 Wherefore is it saith a Father that thou still deferrest thy repentance is it that thou maiest commit more sinnes the more sinnes that any one committeth the harder will be his repentance the more enemies he hath to fight against the greater striuing shall he haue to get the victorie and the greater sorrow must he haue for his sinnes Secondly whosoeuer deferreth this repentance till 2 No man is certaine of the time to come herafter doth foolishly for he is not certaine of the time to come to day is our day to repent in and now is the time that the Lord would haue vs to turne vnto him and no man can assure himselfe of to morrow Wherefore Solomon saith z Pro. 27. 1. boast not thy selfe of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth That foolish rich man boasted of many yeeres a Luk. 12. 19. soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares When as God said vnto him b Ver. 20. thou foole this night thy soule shall be required of thee God hath giuen vs to day to repent in but hath not promised to wait for our repentance till to morrow How foolish then are we to deferre our repentance till hereafter hauing to day and not being sure of to morrow Thirdly to deferre repentance till a man be olde till 3 He that deferrs Repentance till old age is then vnfit to repent the euill dayes come vpon him and till death be readie to cease vpon him is foolish and dangerous for whoso doth so makes himselfe vnfit to repent If the yong man deferre his repentance till his middle age and the Lord then strike him with sicknesse and death Cease vpon him before he haue repented how hard will it be for him then on a suddaine to repent How hardly will he be perswaded to leaue his old companions To part with his friends and acquaintance To forsake the world To denie himselfe And to yeeld vnto death But how much harder will this be in an old man that hath deferred his repentance to the end of his dayes when sicknesse and old age meete together When as Moses saith c Psal 90. 10. their strength is labour and sorrow And when those euill dayes are come and those yeares draw nigh as Solomon saith d Eccles 12. 1. when thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them â—n yong age when a man hath quicknesse of sight readinesse of hearing sharpnesse of wit strength of memory then is it a fit time for a man to apply his heart vnto wisedome to seeke to saue his soule to vse the meanes of saluation to get faith and repentance and not foolishly to deferre all till olde age when as experience shewes old folkes are vsually heard complaining of the paine of their body ake of their bones lamenes of their limmes dimnesse of sight and dulnesse of hearing And certaine it is if men haue not repented before these euill dayeâ— come vpon them they will be very vnfit now to beginne to learne this lesson of Repentance when they are so grieued with paine and ake yea when they are lame and blind and deafe Fourthly a sinner that will not now repent but saith 4 No man is sure that he shall haue grace to repent hereafter he will repent hereafter is not sure that he shall repent hereafter for God may so harden his heart that he cannot repent because that in his life time he contemned the meanes of his saluation and despised the patience of God waiting for his repentance St Paul speaks thus to the impenitent sinner that hath despised the patience of
Repentance presuming on Gods mercie PResuming on Gods mercy is the second impediment 2 Presuming on Gods mercy Where consider two things that hindreth many from Repentance The wicked man that liueth in sin leadeth an vngodly life because he feeles no iudgement of God fall vpon him for his sinnes presumes to sinne still and pleads for himselfe God's mercifull Christ dyed for sinners c. It is true God is mercifull He is a â—xod 34. 6. 7. the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and aboundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiuing 1 God is onely mercifull to penitent sinners iniquity transgression and sinne But vnderstand First that God is mercifull onely to penitent sinners to such as b Isay 1. 16. 17. 18. cease to doe euill and learne to doe well to such as c Isay 55. 7. forsake their euill way and returne vnto the Lord to such as d Ezek. 8. 21. turne from all the sinnes which they haue committed and doe that which is lawfull and right And although it be true that God hath mercy and plenty of mercy for sinners though neuer so wicked and vngodly if they truely and vnfainedly repent them of their sinnes yet the mercy of God is not extended to impenitent sinners to such as are obdurate and hardned in their sins not to such as are growne obstinate rebellious and disobedient against the Lord. Impenitent Kaine hard-hearted Pharao and despairing Iudas these find no mercy these dye in their sinnes without mercy onely penitent sinners find mercy Dauid Peter Marie Magdalene and such sinners as haue truely repented of their sinnes haue obtained mercy Secondly God is mercifull indeed but as he is mercifull 2 As God is mercifull so hee is also iust so is he also iust as he is mercifull he is very ready to pardon iniquity and to forgiue sinne but as he is iust he will punish sinners and will in no case spare them that presumptuously goe on in their sinnes As Moses tells the presumptuous sinner e Deu. 29. 19. 20 And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that hee blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walke in the imaginations of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst the Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this Booke shall lye vpon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heauen This serues to reproue those who by no admonition Vse or counsell will be brought to repentance and amendment Against those that presume on Gods Mercy of life but still liue in sinne doe wickedly goe on in sinne from day to day and say God's mercifull but doest thou not heare O man that God is mercifull only to repenting sinners And vnderstandest thou not that as God is mercifull so he is also iust A mercifull Father but also a iust God How then darest thou be so venturous so bold yea so presumptuous to do wickedâ—◠〈…〉 in thy euill course of life yet to bleâ—se thy 〈◊〉 in the euil◠〈◊〉 flatter â—â—y selfe in thy sinnes 〈…〉 well Goâ—â— mercifull because 〈…〉 wil◠〈◊〉 theâ—efore doe wickedly and 〈…〉 Nay â—â—ther because God is mercifull 〈…〉 of our sinnes that we may 〈…〉 â—nd since mercy with the Lord. He that â—â—â—th 〈◊〉 mercifull and yet still sinneâ—h against God shall one day finde that God is a God of â—ustice and will not suffer the sinner to goe vnpunished Whâ—â—â—fore the 〈◊〉 Sonne of Sirâ—ch giueth the presumptuous sinner 〈◊〉 admonition f 〈…〉 Say not his mercy is great hee will be 〈◊〉 for the multitude of my sinnes for mercie and wrath 〈◊〉 from him and his indignation resteth vpon sinners CHAP. XIIII Of the third impediment of Repentance Custome in sinning CVstome in sinning is the third impediment of 3 Custome in sinning Repentance A sinner hauing once gotten a habite and custome of sinning is loath to leaue and very hardly perswaded to forsake his sinne a Consâ—â—tâ—do est altera natura Custome is another nature Through long continuance in sinne sinne groweth to bee a vsuall thing with a sinner As it is vsuall and naturall with him to eate and drinke and sleepe so is it vsuall and euen naturall with him to sinne Custome preuailes with him The Lord greatly reprooues the Iewes for this their custome in sinning comparing them to the Ethiopian and Leopard b Jerem. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may ye also doe good that are accustomed to doe euill Letting vs thereby see the Custome in sinning and giuing vs to vnderstand what a great impediment and bindâ—â—â—nce custome in sinning is to repentance and 〈◊〉 of life Were it not an exceeding â—iâ—â—â—cult 〈…〉 for any one to take in hand to waâ—â— the 〈…〉 till it were white So iâ— it an exceeâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—o alter and change 〈…〉 that hâ—â—h accustomed â—â—â—selfe 〈…〉 to dâ—e euill 〈…〉 wiâ—l waâ—â— away the thicke 〈…〉 soule saâ—e onely that pure and 〈…〉 the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleaâ—â—â—tâ— vs â—rom all sinne What hinders the common sâ—earer from repenting 〈…〉 â—â—earing what is the cause that he 〈…〉 â—â—earing that euen in hiâ— ordinary communication 〈…〉 with him 〈…〉 as to speake but custome of sâ—earing what hinders the lyer thaâ— hee cannot leaue his lying but custâ—â—e and what makes the drunkard that he 〈◊〉 not leaâ—e his drunkennesse but custome drinking he hath so long continued in that course of life and so accustomed himselfe vnto its that now he cannot leaue it Whosoeuer then would truely repent him of his sins Vse let hiâ— take heâ—d of accustoming himselfe to any sinne Not â—â— accustâ—â—â—â—ur seluâ—â— tâ— any sinâ—â— and that hee doth not vse himselfe to any vicious and sinnefull course of life And to that end euery one of vs ought to be carefull to preuent sinne betime c 〈…〉 Stay the first beginnings of sinne Let not thy heart bee entiâ—ed to delight in euill thoughts suggested by Sathan or if thou pleasest thy selfe in those entising thoughts for a moment yet consent not vnto them Or if thou suffer thy heart to consent yet beware of the practise of sinne or if through the subtill suggestions of Sathan and the corruption of thine owne heart thou hast yeelded to commit iniquity and to doe the euill deed O repent betimes forsake thy euill way continue not in wickednesse lest by thy long continuance in sinne thou accustome thy selfe to doe euill and then it will bee hard for thee to leaue thy sinne hard for thee to do good which hast accustomed thy selfe to doe euill CHAP. XV. Of the fourth impediment of Repentance Hope of long life HOpe of long life is the fourth impediment of 4 Hope of long life Repentance This hope hinders many men
from repentance but this their hope is a vaine hope and men build this their vaine hope vpon a very weake and deceaueable foundation Some vpon their yong age some vpon the strength of their body and others vpon the pure and good complection One reasons thus I neede not repent yet I am but young I am in my youthfull dayes in the prime of my age in my flourishing yeares I hope to liue yet many yeares I shall haue time enough to repent hereafter it will be time enough for mee to repent when olde age commeth Another thus I feele my body to be strong and lusty I am healthfull I haue no paine nor ake I feele no infirmity neither am I troubled with any disease I shall liue long I neede not repent yet it will be time enough for me to repent when my strength faileth when I feele my selfe grow weake and when sicknesse commeth vpon me Another thus I am of a pure and good complection of a ruddie countenance death will not come neere me I may take my pleasure yet a long time And as for repentance when I beginne to waxe pale and wanne and when I perceiue wrinkles to appeare in my face then I will repent Thus foolish are we to put off our repentance till olde age till the day of death and till the last houre But grant that God suffer the sinner to liue in his vngodly course of life euen till he be olde yet he will hope still to liue a little longer there 's no man so olde but thinkes he may liue yet one yeare longer So vainely doe men please themselues with the hope of long life And this hope of long life harmes many a soule and hinders thousands from speedy repentance They hope to liue long and to enioy many dayes and yeares they say a Isa 56. 19. To morrow shall be as this day b Iam. 4. 14. Whereas they know not what shall be on the morrow The consideration hereof may admonish vs not to Vse deferre our repentance from day to day and from yeare Not to deferre our repentance vpon hope to liue long to yeare vpon hope to liue long for that is but a vaine hope Salomon admonisheth vs well concerning this c Pro. 27. 1. Boast not thy selfe of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth That foolish man that boasted himselfe in the multitude of his riches saying d Luk. 12. 19. Soule thou hast much goods layd vp for many yeares take thine ease eate drinke and be merrie and hoped to liue long and to see many yeares found by lamentable experience that his hope was but a vaine hope for he liued not till the next morning For e Ver. 20. God said vnto him thou foole this night thy soule shall be required of thee Let not then the hope of long life encourage thee still to sinne and to doe wickedly but now betimes repent while God giueth thee time and space to repent While God giueth thee to day deferre not till to morrow But repent to day f Heb. 3. 13. While it is called to day lest as the Apostle saith any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne CHAP. XVI Of Motiues and perswasions to repentance of the two first motiues THe Sixt and last thing in the treatise of Repentance 6 Motiues and perswations to Repentance Foure is concerning the motiues and perswasions to repentance which I reduce to foure heads The first I take from testimonies of Scripture The Second from examples of penitent sinners The third from the necessity and The fourth from the benefite of repentance Touching the first the Scripture is plentifull in exhorting 1 Testimonies of Scripture to repentance perswading to turne from sinne and to returne vnto the Lord. Esay saith a Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne vnto the Lord. Ezekiel saith repent and b Ezek. 18. 30. turne your selues from all your transgressions Hosea saith c Hos 14. 1. O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God Ioel saith d Ioel. 2. 13. Rent your heart and not your garments and turne vnto the Lord your God And so the rest of the prophets in the old Testament In the new testament we finde Iohn Baptist the voice of the crier in the wildernesse the preparer of the way of the Lord preaching repentance vnto sinners e Mat. 3. 2. repent ye for the kingdome of heauen is at hand And againe f Vers 8. bring forth fruits meete for repentance And when Christ Iesus himselfe began to preach his first Sermon was of Repentance g Mat. 4. 17. repent ye for the kingdome of heauen is at hand The Apostles of Christ walke in the same steps preaching repentance to sinners S. Peter preached repentance to the Iewes h Acts. 2. 38. repent and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes Againe he saith i Acts. 3. 19. repent ye therefore and be conuerted that your sinns may be blotted out so S. Paul exhorteth the Athenians to repent k Acts. 17. 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men euery where to repent And S. Iames exhorteth saying l Iam. 4. 8 9. cleanse your hands you sinners and purifie your hearte you dooble minded be afflicted and mourne and weepe Thus the Scripture exhorteth to repentance The second motiue to perswade vs to repentance I 2 Examples of peniteÌ„t sinners take from the example of penitent sinners to mooue vs to repentance it is profitable for vs to set before our eyes the examples of penitent sinners who though they haue sinned and done wickedly yet haue repented and returned vnto God Manasseh King of Iudah was a great sinner and for his great sinnes carried to Babylon but being in affliction m 2 Câ—ron 33. 12. 13. He besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and praied vnto him and he was entreated of him and heard his supplication c. Dauid though he committed adulterie with Bathsheba yet he repented and said n 2 Sam. 12. 13. Psal â—1 4. I haue sinned against the Lord though Peter denied his master Christ yet he repented he was sorrie for his sinne o Mat. 26. 75. He went out and wept bitterly And what shall I more say for the time would faile me to tell of Noah Lot and of Solomon of Marie Magdalen and Zaccheus of the conuerted Iewes of the keeper of the prison conuerted by Paul and of Paul himselfe who as he himselfe confesseth p 1 Tim. 1. 13. Was before a blasphemer a persecutor and inturious but through repentance obtained mercy These are examples written for our instruction that we should not liue in sinne nor goe on in any wicked and vngodly course of life
God daily doe vs good feeding and nourishing vs prouiding things needfull for vs graciously preseruing and defending vs and shall we still vexe and grieue the Lord by our sinnefull course of life hath he not mercifully giuen his Son Christ Iesus to die for vs to saue our soules and shall we foolishly runne headlong into sinne to the vtter destruction and willfull casting away of our soules O consider this yee that set light by the benefits which God hath done for vs. As Moses vpon the rehearsall of the benefits of the Lord done for Israel speakes thus vnto them i Deut. 10. 12. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to loue him and to serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule So I say vnto thee O man to whom the Lord hath shewed great mercy and goodnesse vpon whom hee hath bestowed incomparable benefits whom God hath created redeemed and doth continually preserue what doth the Lord thy God require of theâ— for creating redeeming and preseruing thee but to repent of thy former sinnefull life and to turne to thâ— Lord thy God What doth hee require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to â—oue him and to serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule CHAP. XVIII Of the patience and long-suffering of God and how it ought to lead vs to Repentance SEcondly in regard of the patience and long-suffering 2 The patience and long-suffering of God of God its necessary for a sinner to cease from his sinnes to repent to turne from sinne and to turne vnto the Lord for the patience and long-suffering of God is exceeding great towards a sinner The Scripture witnesseth the great patience of God Dauid saith a Psal 103. 8. The Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger Of the Iewes the Lord saith thus by Esay b Isa 65. 2. I haue spread out my hands all the day vnto a rebellious people St. Paul plainely calls God c Rom. 15. 5. the God of patience The patience of God was great to Niniuch giuing them d Ioh. 3. 4. fortie dayes space to repent And to the Iewes e Act 13. 18. fortie yeares suffering their manners in the Wildernesse But his patience was exceeding great to the olde world giuing them an f Gen. 6. 3. hundred and twenty yeares space to repent How patient the Lord is to sinners how slow hee is to wrath and how he forbeares to punish sinners Chrysostome sheweth comparing the destruction of Iericho with the Creation of the world g Cum struit Deus velociter struit When God buildâ—th saith hee hee buildeth swiftly but when he destroyeth he destroyeth slowly Cum destruit tarde destruit velox Deus struens tarde destruens c. Chrys de panit Hom. 5. God is swift in rearing vp slow in pulling downe In six daies he made the world in six daies he created heauen and earth the Sea and all things therein but God who in a short time made such a great and glorious frame of Heauen and Earth and created such an innumerable companie of Creatures yeâ— purposing to destroy but one Citie in the world Iericho hee tooke the space of seauen daies h Quare num potentia imbecillier sed clementia diutius tolerat Chrys ibid. What was it because hee could not destroy lericho in shorter space No. Hee could haue destroyed it in a moment but hereby he shewed his clemencie his patience his forbearance and long-suffering Now whereas the Lord is so patient and long-suffering towards sinners it should be a forcible motiue to perswade euery sinner to repent of his sinnes to liue no longer in sinne but to turne from sinne and to turne to the Lord that so the Lord might be gracious and mercifull vnto him Thus saith the Prophet Esay i Isay 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord waite that hee may bee gracious vnto you The Lord is gracious and mercifull hee waiteth for our repentance and expecteth when a sinner will turne vnto him that vpon his repentance the Lord may be gracious vnto him and shew mercie vpon him So exhorteth the Prophet Ioel k Joel 2. 13. Rent your heart and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God for hee is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the euill So S. Peter saith l 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long-suffering to vs-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Wherefore is it that the Lord is patient and long-suffering it is because the Lord is so gracious and mercifull that hee would not haue sinners to perish in their sinnes but rather that they should come to repentance and be saued So then the patience and long-suffering of God should bring sinners to repentance Which serues to reprooue those who abuse the patience Vse and long-suffering of God to licenciousnesse to Against those who abuse the Patience and long-suffering of God wantonnesse and wickednes Because the Lord is gracious and mercifull patient and long-suffering therefore sinners ought to repent and turne to the Lord that he might shew mercy vpon them but wicked and vngodly men perceiuing that they doe wickedly and that God layes no punishment vpon them but suffers them to goe vnpunished Hence they take occasion to sinne the more and so abuse the patience of GOD which should lead them to repentance as the Apostle reasoneth against such a sinner m Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance The sinner that despiseth the patience and long-suffering of God being nothing mooued to repentance for all the patience and long-suffering of Almighty God shewed vnto him is like to an vngracious Childe who hauing done euill and being reprooued of it by his Father and admonished to amend regardeth not his Fathers admonition maketh light of his words and the more that his Father fauours and spares him the worse he growes So a wicked and vngodly man liuing in sinne regardeth not the admonition of the Lord setteth light by the word of God calling him to repentance despiseth the patience and long-suffering of God yea and the longer that the Lord suffers him forbears to punish him the worse he growes It is as the Prophet Esay saith n Isay 26. 10. Let fauour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnes The Iewes in their affliction remembring their sins say o Lam. 3. 22. It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed And surely if we call to mind our manifold sins iniquities which wee daily commit
except he repent For though the Lord be so patient to suffer a sinner to go on in his wicked course of life for a time and doth not punish him for euery transgression yet if for all the long suffering and forbearance of God the sinner will not be brought to repentance but will doe euill still in the end such an impenitent sinner shall be sure to feele the hand of God against him punishing and plagueing him for all his wickednesse according to that saying of Solomon a Eccle. 8. 12. 13. Though a sinner doe euill an hundred times and his daies be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that feare God which feare before him But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his daies which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God So in Esay The Lord saith b Isa 42. 14. I haue long time holden my peace I haue bene still refrained my selfe now will I crie like a trauailing woman I will destroy deuoure at once The Lord is c Supplicij sumeÌ„di tarditatem grauitate compensabit Sâ—uâ—t in Isa flow in comming to inflict punishment vpon wicked and vngodly men yet he will come and when he commeth they shall be sure to feele his heauie hand Thus speakes the Lord concerning that woman Iezebell d Ren. 2. 20. 21. 22. I gaue her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not Behold I will cast her into a bed and them that commit adulterie with her into great tribulation except they repent of their deedes When some told our Sauiour Christ of the e Luk. 13. 1. 2. 3. Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices Iesus answering said vnto them Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners aboue all the Galileans because they suffered such things I tell you Nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Giuing vs to vnderstand thereby that if men liue wickedly and repent not of their wicked and vngodly life they cannot auoide the iudgement of God but the heauie hand of God will be vpon them except they repent Except they repent they shall perish and the consideration of this that impenitent sinners shall be surely and soundly punished should be a strong motiue to perswade euery sinner to cease from his sinnes to repent of his wicked life and to amend his waies and to the end that this motiue of the punishment of impenitent sinners may pearce more deepely let vs consider the seuerall punishments wherewith God doth vsually plague and seuerely punish impenitent sinners The punishment of impenitent sinners is of three Of three sorts sorts Temporall Spirituall and Eternall The first punishment of impenitent sinners is Temporall 1 Temporall Threefold and that is threefold The first in their bodies The second in their goods and outward state The third In both Touching the first wicked and vngodly men impenitent sinners are iustly punished and plagued in their 1 In Bodie Bodies with some sore disease and grieuous sicknesse to consume and destroy them as the Lord saith in Leuiticus If ye shall dâ—spise my statutes or if your soule abhorre f Leui. 26. 15. 16. my iudgements so that you will not doe all my commandements but that ye breake my Couenant I also will doe this vnto you I will euen appoint ouer you terrour consumption and the burning â—gue that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart Salomon disswadeth the yong man to auoyd the company of the strange woman by this motiue g Pro. 5. 11. Lest thou mourne at the last when thy flesh and thy bodie are consumed Secondly in their goods and temporall state the Lord 2 In goods and temporall state threatneth the Israelites if they will not hearken vnto him and will not doe his Commaundements but despise his statutes and in the stubbornnes of their hearts walke contrarie vnto him and will not be reformed then he will h Leuit. 26. 16. 18. 20. punish them seuen times more for their sinnes they shall sow their seede in vaine their strength shall be spent in vaine For the Land shall not yeeld her increase neyther shall the trees of the land yeeld their fruits Iob saith of the sinne of Whoredome i Iob 31. 12. it is a fire that consumeth to destruction and would root out all mine increase And Solomon saith k Pro. 23. 21. the glutton and the drunkard shall come to pouertie and drowsinesse shall cloath a man with rags Thirdly sometimes wicked and vngodly men are punished 3 In both both in their bodies and goods in the destruction and ouerthrow of all that they haue because they haue done wickedly and haue not repented of their wickednesse Witnesse the olde world l Gen. 7. 23. euen the world of the vngodly who were drowned in the floud and they their wiues and children their beasts and cattell and all that they had ouerwhelmed in the waters and did vtterly perish m Gen. 19. 24. 25. Sodome and Gomorrah also were distroyed with fire and brimstone from heauen the Lord ouerthrew those cities and all the plaine and all the inhabitants of the cities and that which grew vpon the ground And for their impenitencie are punished with such a sore iudgement that as the Apostle saith the Lord hath made them an n 2. Pâ—t 2. 6. ensample vnto those tâ—â—t after should liue vngodly Thus the Lord punisheth wicked and vngodly men which will not be brought to repentance and amendment of life but continue still in their impenitencie sometimes in their bodies sometimes in their goods and temporall state and sometimes in both Which may admonish vs to liue no longer in sin but Vse to cease from euill to repent vs of our sinnes wherein To cease to do euil that it may be well with vs and ours we haue formerly liued and to amend our liues as wee desire the good and well-fare of our bodies as we wish well to our dearest friends and as we would haue the blessing of God vpon our substance and increase that it may be well with vs and that the Lord may prosper vs in all our wayes For impenitent sinners draw vpon their owne heads temporall punishments yea not onely vpon themselues but likewise vpon their wiues and children and all that they haue The second punishment belonging to impenitent sinners 2 Spirituall is spirituall The Lord oft punisheth impenitent sinners with spirituall iudgments as blindnesse of mind hardnesse of heart and desperation When God iustly leaues the sinner to himselfe And God iustly forsaketh the sinner and leaueth him to himselfe because the sinner hath first forsaken God for o A Deo deserti Deum priores deserunt Pola Synt. t. 2. l. 6. c. 4. wicked men first forsake God before God forsaketh them Now to be forsaken of God and to be left to themselues is a
him that would be deliuered from spirituall or freed from eternall iudgements and that would be saued from hell and condemnation to repent of his sinnes to purge and cleanse his heart from wickednes that he may be saued as saith the Prophet Ieremie l Iere. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saued Consider then O man if the hand of God be vpon thee afflicting thee with any outward calamitie and affliction in thy bodie goods and outward state thy remedie is to humble thy selfe before the Lord with Hezekiah to pray vnto thy God and to weepe for thy sinnes with the Niniuites to fast and weepe and pray and to turne from all thy euill wayes that so the Lord may be gracious vnto thee and turne away his anger from thee that thou maiest be preserued Moreouer if the Lord lay vpon thee spirituall iudgements afflicting thy soule and wounding thy conscience with the bitter remembrance of thy sinnes the way to finde rest and comfort to thy soule is to seeke to Christ to come to Christ by faith and repentance confessing thy sinnes and earnestly suing for the pardon of thy sinnes that so Christ may giue thee rest And if thou standest in feare of hell and condemnation if thou bee fearefull of that lake of fire the way and meanes to escape hell and condemnation is now to repent of thy sinnes now to cleanse thy heart from wickednesse now to rise from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and now to haue thy part and portion in the first resurrection and then the second death shal I haue no power ouer thee In a word if we would be preserued from the wrath of God in this life and saued from hell and condemnation in the life to come we must now repent and returne to the Lord now be renewed in minde and reformed in life or else we cannot be saued CHAP. XXIIII Shewing that Repentance procureth blessings Temporall Spirituall and Eternall where of the ioyes of Heauen how these ought to be a most forcible motiue to perswade euery one to repent and to serue God and what comfort they bring THat Repentance remooueth Iudgements hath beene shewed Secondly repentance is also profitable for 2 It procureth blessings Threefold the procuring of blessings And those also threefold Temporall 1 Temporall Spirituall and Eternall Repentance is a meanes to procure First temporall blessings The Prophet Esay hauing exhorted to repentance and amendment of life a Isa 1. 16. 17. Wash ye make you cleane c. Annexeth this promise b Vers 19. If yee be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the land So Ieremie c Jer. 7 5 6. 7. If ye throughly amend your waies and your doings c then will I cause you to dwell in this place so likewise the Prophet Ioel hauing exhorted to repentance d Ioel. 2. 12. 13. therefore now saith the Lord turne ye euen to me with fasting and weeping and with mourning c. annexeth a promise of temporall blessings e Vers 19. The Lord will answere and say vnto his people behold I will send you corne and wine and oyle ye shall be satisfied therewith Secondly spirituall blessings as mercy pardon and 2 Spirituall forgiuenesse of sins the Lord by his prophet Isaiah exhorteth to repentance and vpon repentance maketh a large promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes f Isa 1. 16. 17. 18. Wash ye make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well c. Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll Againe g Isa 55 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercie vpon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon S. Peter in his Sermon to the Iewes hauing laid to their charge the crucifying of Christ exhorteth them to repentance with a promise of mercie and forgiuenesse h Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes Againe he saith i Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be conuerted that your sinnes may be blotted out Mercie is promised to penitent sinners yea and that free mercy and forgiuenesse so promiseth the Lord by Ezekiel k Eze. 18. 21. 22 If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue he shall not die All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him And by Ieremy hee saith l Ier. 31. 34. I will forgiue their iniquitie and I will remember their sinne no more Thirdly eternall blessednesse Which eternall blessednesse 3 Eternal where of is to be considered First in regard of the excellency of the place of happinesse prepared for all those that haue repented of their 1 The excellency of the place of happinesse sinnes and are washed from their wickednesse The place of eternall happinesse is Heauen whither Christ ascended S. Marke speaking of the ascension of Christ saith m Mar. 16. 19. Hee was receiued vp into Heauen And whither Christ the head is ascended thither shall his members also ascend they shall be where he is As hee himselfe saith n Iohn 14. 2. 3. I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also Many excellent things are spoken of this heauenly place It is called a Kingdome o Mat. 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you It is called the kingdome of God p 1 Cor. 69. Know ye not saith S. Paul that the vnrightous shall not inherite the kingdome of God It is called the kingdome of Heauen q Math. 7. 21. Not euery one saith our Sauiour that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter inthe kingdome of heauen And it is called an r 1 Pet. 1. 4. Inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fâ—â—deth not away reserued in heauen for vs And this place of happinesse is all glorious and beaâ—fuâ—l So S. Iohn describeth the heauenly Ierusalem the Cittie of God Å¿ Reu. 21. 18. 19. 20. 21. The building of the wall of it he saith was of Iâ—sper and the Cittie was pure gold like vnto cleaâ—e glasse And the foundations of the wall of the Cittie were gaâ—â—â—shed with all manner of precious stones c. And the twelue gates were twelue Pearles euery seuerall gate was of one â—earle and the street of the Cittie was pure goâ—â— as it were transparent
on earth or blessed in Heauen we desire to be blessed with temporall and spirituall blessings and to be patakers of eternall happinesse For thougâ— temporall blessingâ— be common to all to good and bad yet the blessing of God vpon the outward blessings which God bestoweth is giuen onely to them that repent of their sinnes to them that feare the Lord and â—eâ—d a godly life aâ— it is said in the Psalmes n Psâ—l 34. 9. There is no want to them that feare him Againe o Psal 84. 11. No good thing will he with-hold from them that walkâ— vprightly For spirituall blessings mercie pardon and forgiuenes of sinnes these belong to none but to penitent sinners to such as hâ—ue repâ—â—ted oâ— their sinnes and are washed from their wickedâ—â—sse as appeareth in that large promise of meâ— forgâ—uenesse in Esay p Isay 1. 18. Though your sinnâ—s be as carlet they shall as white as snowe though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll But to whom is this gracious promise made but to penitent sinners Euen to such as haue washed and cleansed their â—eâ—â—ts from wickednesse to such as haue put away the euiâ—l of their doings from before the eyes of the Lord and to suâ—h â—â— haue ceased to doe euill and hâ—ue learned to doe welâ— for to such the Lord saith Comâ— nâ—w and let vs reason tâ—gâ—ther sâ—ith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet c. And as for eternâ—ll blessednesse and euerlasting happâ—nâ—sse none can be paâ—takers thereof but penitent sinners The kingdome oâ— heâ—uen is giuen to no wicked and vngodly man onely they which haue repented of their sinnes and are washed from their wickednesse shall enter into the kingdome of heauen As it is said in the Reuelation q Reu. 21. 27. There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defilâ—th neither whatsoeuer worketh abhomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambes booke of life Againe it is said r Reu. 22. 14. 15. Blâ—ssed are they that doe his commaundements that they may haue right to the tree of lift and may enter in through the gates into the Cittie For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoeuer loueth and maketh a lye Wherefore it greatly stands vs in hand to repent of our sinnes to wash and cleanse our hearts from wickednesse to amend our wayes and to walke in obedience to Gods commandements to serue the Lord and to feare him if wee desire either to be happy on earth or blessed in heauen As the Apostle also exhorteth vs saying Å¿ Hâ—b 12. 28. Wherfore we receiuing a kingdome which cannot be mooued let vs haue grace whereby we may serue God acceptably with reuerence and godly feare Vse 2 Secondly whereas true penitent sinners haue the Consolation to the righteous which are afflicted in this life promise not onely of temporall benefitâ— and spirituall blessings but also of eternall happinesse and euerlasting felicity in the kingdome of heauen this doth minister great consolation to the righteous which are afflicted and troubled in this present life for though they endure sorrow and sicknesse paine and griefe though they suffer tribulation or persecution or whatsoeuer affliction they vndergoe it is but for this present life it is but for a short time it is but for a moment it wil haue an end And then after that this short life is ended the righteous which haue patiently suffered with Christ shal also raigne with Christ and shall inherite a kingdome The time shal come that they shal haue no paine nor sorrow but shall enter into eternal ioy shall be partakers of euerlasting glory shall liue blessedly for euer in heauen So saith S. Paul t Rom. 8. 17. And if children then heires heires of God and ioynt-heires with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together This was Dauids comfort in his afflictions u Psal 27. 13. I had fainted saith he vnles I had belieued to see the goodnes of the Lord x Anciently expounded Heauen Aug. Hug. in the Land of the liuing This comforted S. Paul in all his tribulations and sufferings as he himselfe witnesseth saying y 2 Tim. 4 6. 7. 8 I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departing is at hand I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith henceforth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue mee at that day and not to me onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing And this ought to be our great consolation comfort in all distresse knowing that glory in heauen will be a full recompence for all our sufferings As S. Paul also saith z Rom. 8. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be reuealed in vs. a 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for vs a farre more exceeding eternall waight of glory The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE WAY TO THE CELESTIALL PARADISE Concerning Prayer Which is the third meanes whereby a Sinner may be saued and come to life euerlasting CHAP. I. The Preface with the Partition of the whole Treatise of Prayer The order of this Treatise THe a Rom. 11. 13. Apostle of the Gentiles writing to the Romanes saith b Rom. 10. 13. 14. whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued How then shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a Preacher Which Rhetoricall gradation is adorned with these fiue beautifull ascending steps First Christ must be preached Secondly being Preached men beginne to heare of Christ Thirdly hearing of Christ they beleeue in him Fourthly beleeuing in Christ they beginne to call vpon the name of the Lord. Fiftly by calling vpon the name of the Lord they ascend vp to the highest step saluation After that a man by hearing the word preached hath gotten faith and is brought to Repentance then and not before is he sit to make an acceptable Prayer vnto God for except the heart be purified by faith and purged by Repentance God will not regard our prayers but will hide his eyes and stop his eares when we crie vnto him but a sinner hauing true faith to beleeue in Christ and through true and vnfained Repentance hauing his sinnes washed away in the bloud of Christ may boldly come to the throne of grace with assurance to preuaile with God not onely for temporall blessings but for spirituall graces and not onely for grace in this life but also for glorie and saluation in the life to come For whosoeuer shall call
Priuate Twofold Either in the house with the familie and houshold Or in the chamber or some secret place alone These are the seuerall sorts kindes of praier which 1 House I haue now barely mentioned but shall haue iust occasion offered in the treatise following to handle more 2 Chamber or secret place at large CHAP. III. Of the Persons whom prayer doth concerne and first of the persons praying shewing what things are necessarily required of them that pray that their prayers may be acceptable to God HAuing shewed what Praier is and declared the seuerall sorts and kindes thereof 3 The persons whom prayer doth concerne Three The third thing to be handled is touching the persons whom praier doth concerne and they are three First the persons praying Secondly to whom we are to pray 1 The persons praying Therein Two things Thirdly for whom we ought to pray First concerning the persons praying two things are to be obserued First all men are bound to pray without exception no man is exempted from the performance of this holy 1 All are bound to pray without exception dutie neither King nor subiect noble nor ignoble rich nor poore fathers nor children maisters nor seruants and not only all of all sorts but euery one in particular 2 We our selues must please God before our praiers can be acceptable vnto God for himselfe must call vpon the name of the Lord if he will be saued Secondly the persons praying are to be so qualified that they themselues may please God and be acceptable in his sight before they can make any acceptable praier vnto God it is said of Abel a Gâ—n 4. 4. The Lord had respâ—ct vnto Abel and to his offring First to Abel and then to his offering The Apostâ—e sheweth the reason â—herefoâ—e Aâ—els sacrifice was more exceptable to God then Cains saying b Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered vnto God a more excellent sacrifiâ—e then Cain by which he obtained witnesse that he waâ— righteous God testifying of his gifts Because Abel had faiâ—h was righteous therefore was his sacrifice accepted of God Abel himselfe pleased God and that made his sacrifice the better to please God So Abrahams offering was accepted of God because as S. Iâ—mes saith c Iâ—m 2. 22. 23. Hiâ— faith wrought with his workes c. and he was called the friend of God For this cause it is that Salomon saith d Pro. 15 8. the sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination to the Lord but the prayer of the vpright is his delight Now to the end that we our selues may please God and that our praiers may To which Two things are required be acceptable vnto God two things are specially required of vs. The first is faith for S. Paul saith * Heb. 11. 6. He that commeth 1 Faith to God must beleeue that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him But more of this heereafter when I come to shew the manner how we ought to pray in faith The Second is repentance for as it is necessarie in euery 2 Repentance For Sinne not repented of hindereth prayeâ— and that one that praieth that he haue faith to beleeue so likewise that he haue true and vnfained repentance of his sinnes past and that he doe not now liue in any knowne sinne For sinne hindereth praier and that whether we consider it in generall or in particular First in generall sinne hindereth praier So saith the 1 In generall Prophet Esay e Isâ— 59 2. your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare The man that was borne blinde could tell the Iewes so much f Iâ—h 9. 31. we know saith he That God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshiper of God and doth his will him he heareth And Dauid saith g Psa 66. â—â— If I regard iniquitie in my heart the Lord will not heare me Secondly diuerse particular sinnes hinder Prayer 2 In particular As which we must cast off and put away farre from vs if we would haue the Lord to heare our Prayers and they are these The first is Idolatrie worshipping of Idoles in stead 1 Idolatrie of the true God Of this the Prophet Ieremie saith h Iere. 11. 13. 14 according to the number of thy Citties were thy gods ô Iudah and according to the number of the streets of Ierusalem haue ye set vp altars to that shamefull thing euen altars to burne Incense vnto Baal Therefore pray not thou for this people neither lift vp a cry or prayer for them for I will not heare them in the time that they cry vnto me for their trouble The second is crueltie vnmercifulnesse blood-guiltinesse 2 Crueltie and vnmercifulnesse Of this the Lord saith by the Prophet Esay i Isa 1. 15. When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many Prayers I will not heare your hands are full of blood Because they had bloudie hands and were not washed from their hainous transgressions therefore the Lord would not heare them The third is wrath of which the Apostle saith * 1. Tim. 2. 8. I will 3 Wrath. therefore that men pray euery where lifting vp holy hands without wrath He saith without wrath to giue vs to vnderstand that if any one come to make his Prayer vnto God hauing wrath towards his neighbour hating his brother in his heart the Lord will not hearken vnto his Prayer The fourth is vain-glory this was the fault of those 4 Vaine glorie hypocrites of whom our Sauiour warneth his Disciples to beware k Math. 6. 5. When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are for they loue to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seene of men Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward If men pray for this end to be seene of men and heard of men and that they may haue prayse of men they may haue the reward which they looke for men may commend them but they haue no reward from God their vain glorie hinders the successe of their requests and makes their prayers vnacceptable to God The fift is hypocrisie when men pray vnto God fainedly 5 Hypocrisie not in truth of heart Of this the Lord complaineth by the Prophet Hosea l Hosâ—a 7. 14. they haue not cried vnto me with their heart when they howled vpon their beds they assemble themselues for corne and wine and they rebell against me In their necessitie when they wanted corne and wine they cryed and wailed and made a pitifull noise in the eares of the Lord but yet they liued wickedly still rebelled against the Lord they cried not to the Lord with their heart and therfore the Lord would not
heare them The sixt is want of pittie and compassion not shewing 6 Want of pittie and compassion mercie to the poore and needie of this Salomon saith m Pro. 21. 13. who so stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe but shall not be heard The seauenth is the wilfull neglect and contempt of the word of God of this also Salomon saith n Pro. 28 9. he that 7 Contempt of Gods word turneth away his eare from hearing the law euen his Prayer shall be abhomination In the eight and last place I bring forth Ieremie's Catalogue 8 Theft murther adulterie c. of sundry more particular sinnes all hindering Prayer o Iere. 7. 9. 10. Will ye steale murther and commit adulterie and sweare falsely and burne Incense vnto Baal and walke after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say we arâ— deliuered to doe all these abhominations As if the Lord had said What shall it profite you to come into the Temple to approach vnto the house of prayer and there call vpon my name and pray for blessings when as you are giuen to stealing to murther to commit adulterie to sweare falsely and liue in Idolatrie All these sinnes are hinderances to your Prayers and do rather bring downe curses Vse then procure any blessings Before we pray to see that our hearts be purged from our sinnes by Repentance Seeing then there are so many impediments and hinderances of Prayer it behooueth vs euery one before we come into the presence of the Lord to make any Prayer vnto him to labour to haue our hearts purified by faith and purged by repentance to remooue farre from vs all impediments and hinderances of Prayer to remooue our sinneâ— from before the eyes of the Lord which stand as a thicke cloud betweene God and vs hindering our Prayers that they cannot ascend vp to the throne of God and staying the blessings of God from descending downe vpon vs. If then thou be a worshipper of Idoles if thou keepest by thee in a secret corner some painted or grauen image to bow downe before it pull it downe call it from thee away with it if thou wouldest haue the Lord to heare thee when thou cryest vnto him in the time of thy trouble If through crueltie oppression vnmercifulnesse c. thou hast bloudie hands O wash thee and make thee cleane lest the Lord haue no delight in thee but hide his eyes and deny to heare thee though thou makest manie Prayers Take heede that thou come not before the Lord to pray vnto him hauing wrath and hatred malice and grudging against thy brother lest thou prouoke the Lord to wrath against thy selfe Beware of vain-glorie lest when thou prayest thou goe away vnrewarded And see thou purge thy heart of the leauen of hypocrisie lest it be laid to thy charge that thou drawest neere vnto God with thy lips when thy heart is farre from him Further if thou wilt haue the Lord to heare thy prayer and hearken vnto thy crie see that thou turne not thy face from any poore man and stop not thine eares at the crie of the distressed soule lest the Lord stop his eares at thy crie And if thou wilt haue God to heare thee when thou speakest vnto him by Prayer see that thou refuse not to heare God speaking vnto thee by Preaching For if thou make light account of Gods word when he speaketh vnto thee by Preaching be well assured that God will make as light account of thy words when thou speakest vnto him by Prayer The theefe must repent of his stealing the murtherer of his blood shed the adulterer of his whoredome the drunkard of his drunkennesse the swearer of his swearing in a word euery sinner whosoeuer and whatsoeuer he be that liueth in any manner of sinne must repent of his sinne if he will euer haue the Lord to be gracious vnto him either for his soule or body For sinne hindreth prayer and causeth that God will neither regard the praier nor accept the person of him that praieth till sinne be remooued from before the eies of the Lord. And this of the persons praying CHAP. IIII. Shewing to whom we ought to pray THE second thing in regard of the persons 2 To whom we ought to pray whom prayer doth concâ—rne is to whom wee ought to pray Wherein I will shew First that we are to pray vnto God Secondly that we are to pray to none other Thirdly wherefore we are to direct our prayers to the true God and to none other besides him First we are to make our prayers vnto God namely 1 To God to the true God to Iehouah the Lord which be manifest by these Scriptures a Psal 50. 15. Call vpon me saith the Lord in the day of trouble And Dauid directeth vs to whom we ought to pray saying b Psal 32. 6. For this shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee that is to the Lord. Daniel prayeth on this wile c Dan. 9. 17. 18. 19. Now therefore O our God heare the prayer of thy seruant c. And againe O my God encline thine eare and heare c. And againe O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord hearken and doe When our Sauiour taught his Disciples to pray he said d Luke 11. 2. When ye pray say Our Father teaching them therby to whom they ought to direct their prayer And S. Paul telleth vs to whom he vsed to pray c Ephe. 3. 14. I bow my knees vnto the Father our Lord Iesus Christ Thus it is euident by the Scriptures that we are to make our prayers vnto God and to call vpon the name of the Lord. And as we are to pray vnto God and to call vpon the name of the Lord. So Secondly we are to make our prayers to God alone 2 To God alone and to none other and to none other This likewise the Scripture maketh manifest Dauid saith f Psal 65. 2. O thou that hearest prayer to thee shall all flesh come And againe g Psal 73. 25. Whom haue I in heauen but thee In Esay the Church prayeth thus h Isa 63. 15. 16. Looke downe from heauen and behold c. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel acknowledge vs not thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy name is from euerlasting The third thing yet remaineth which is to shew 3 Reasons wherfore wee are to pray vnto Go and to none other wherefore we ought to make our praiers vnto God and to him alone The reasons are these First It is Gods commandement bidding vs to call vpon him and none other i Psal 50. 15. Call vpon me saith the Lord in the day of trouble 1 God commandeth vs. Secondly we haue not onely Gods commandement bidding vs call
vnto death In a word then we are to pray for all men as Saint Paul exhorteth vs yea were they neuer so wicked as long as there is any hope of their amendement and as long as they 2 In particular for diuers sorts of people doe not sinne vnto death Thus in generall we are to pray for all Secondly we are to pray in particular for diuerse 1 For kings and all that are in authoritie sorts of persons and people First for Kings for rulers and gouernours of the land for Magistrates and for all that are in authoritie This the Apostle teacheth vs laying k 1. Tim. 2. 1. 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authoritie And there 's great reason to perswade vs to pray for For Kings and for all that are in authoritie for First Gods word bindes vs thereunto As is manifest Gods word commandeth so in S. Paules exhortation formerly mentioned Secondly By the King and through the good rulers 2 By the King and good Rulers we receiue much good and gouernours of the Land we receiue much good By the King we haue peace and quietnesse in our Land By the King we enioy the inestimable benefit of the Gospell in our coasts By the rulers of the Land and those that are in authoritie we haue the execution of good lawes and by them transgressors of the Law are punished and by their punishments others are warned so that quiet minded men may walke in their callings without feare and lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie First then we are to pray for Kings and for all that are in authoritie Secondly we are to pray for the Citie the towne and 2 For the Cittie and place of our dwelling place where we inhabite and dwell as the captiue Iewes liuing in Babylon were commanded to doe l Jere. 29. 7. Secke the peace of the citie whither I haue caused you to be caried away captiue and pray vnto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye haue peace The Iewes at this time were in a strange Land in bondage to another Nation and yet the Lord appointeth them to pray for the good and prosperous estate of the citie where they dwelt Thirdly we are all bound to pray for the state of the 3 For the church of God Church of God militant here on earth this is Dauids exhortation m Psal 122. 6. pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee And Dauid himselfe prayeth saying n Psal 51. 18. Doe good vnto Sion Fourthly we are bound to pray for all that are in need in want and distresse in affliction and miserie in sicknesse or paine in perfecution or tentation When S. For all that are afflicted Peter was in affliction and distresse when he was persecuted and cast into Prison o Act. 12. 5. Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church vnto God for him And Saint Iames teacheth vs to pray for the sicke and diseased p Iam. 5. 14. 15. 16. Is any sicke among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him anointing him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the Prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and againe he saith pray one for another that ye may be healed Lastly we are bound to pray for our enemies this our 5 For our enenemies Sauiour Christ teacheth vs saying q Mat. 5. 44. loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully vse you and persecute you and this is not onely the precept of our Sauiour Christ but also his practise for at his passion and suffering he prayed saying r Luk. 23. 34. father forgiue them So doth St Steuen pray for his persecutours saying Å¿ Act. 7. 60. Lord lay not this sinne to their charge The consideration of this that we are to pray for others Vse 1 and chiefly for Kings and those that are in authoritie To pray for the Kings Maiestie with a stee heart and willing minde may teach vs that it is our bounden dutie with an open heart with a willing mind and free voice to pray vnto God for our Soueraigne Lord the KING for the most Noble and Illustrious PRINCE and Princely progenie The captiue Iewes obtaine licence of King Darius to goe to Ierusalem and to build the house oâ— God that they might offer sacrifices vnto the God of Heauen t Ezr. 6. 10. and pray for the life of the King and of his sonnes In Turtullian's time the Christians were slanderously reproached that they did not houour the Emperour but were enemies to the State to which the Father making an Apologie for the Christians answereth shewing that Christians did pray for the Emperours for they u Vitam illâ—â— prolixam impâ—rtum securum dâ—mum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum c. precantes Tertul. Apolog. prayed that God would giue them a long life a secure Empire a safe house strong armies a faithfull Senate a good People c. Now these Kings and Emperours were heathenish and persecutours of Christians and yet they prayed for them how much more then are we O England bound to prayse the God of Heauen for giuing vs so wise so learned so religious a King so powerfull a defender of the Faith and so great a maintainer of the Gospell of Christ And we are not onely bound to blesse and praise God for the manifold blessings wherewith the Lord our God blesseth vs in our Soueraigne Lord the King but also to pray earnestly vnto the Lord for the preseruation and prosperitie of our King that in his safetie we may haue safetie in his prosperitie we may haue prosperitie and in his peace we may haue peace Secondly whereas we are bound as hath bin prooued Vse 2 to pray for the whole Church and any in distresse Against those that will not pray for their enemies for all men yea for our enemies this serues to reproue those who although it may be they may pray for their friends yet beare such a grudge and hatred to their enemies that they will in no case be perswaded to pray for them But consider ô man whosoeuer thou art that canst not pray for thine enemies Christ commandeth thee to pray for thine enemies obey him Yea Christ himselfe prayed for his enemies to giue thee an example of praying for thine enemies imitate thou him Or if thou thinkest it hard to imitate Christ the Lord in a matter so hard to flesh and bloud then imitate Steuen the seruant of Christ who imitated his Lord and Maister Christ in praying for his enemies For as Christ said concerning his enemies Father forgiue
for our soules health or an eternall blessing for the life to come As when wee pray for foode and rayment and things needfull for the preseruation of this life when we pray for repentance for faith hope and charity for patience humility c. When we pray for the enlarging of Christs kingdome for increase of Rules in praying for temporall and spirituall things grace and eternall life Concerning which these rules are to be held First Spirituall and heauenly things may be prayed 1 Spirituall things are to be prayed for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply temporall things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with condition for and asked at Gods hands simply absolutely and without condition but corporall blessings and temporall benefits must be asked and prayed for in respect and regard of something else and conditionally namely if God will and if it be good and profitable for vs. So the Leper prayed p Math. 8. 2. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane I know Lord thou canst make mee cleane if it be thy will so to doe 2 In temporall things we must be content with things necessary not â—â—auing superfluity but in spirituall things we are not limitted Secondly concerning temporall things we must not pray for superfluitie but onely for things necessary so Agur prayeth q Prou. 30. 8. Giue me neither pouerty nor riches feed me with foode conuenient for mee But in spirituall things there 's neither condition nor limitation For we may pray that we may r Colos 1. 10. increase in the knowledge of God that we may Å¿ 1 Thes 4. 1. abound more and more in grace and goodnesse and that we may be t Phil. 1. 11. filled with the fruites of righteousnesse This is profitable for our information in the matter of Prayer and that First to discerne aright what manner of prayers wee Vse make whether they bee supplications or petitions whether 1 To discerne what manner of prayers we make they be prayers and requests made against euils to be auerted remoued or mittigated or whether they be prayers made for the obtaining of any blessing and benefit either for soule or body that so wee may haue a feeling and vnderstanding of what we pray for Secondly to consider well with our selues before we 2 To consider whether the things that we pray for be lawfull pray what things we pray for whether they be things lawfull or vnlawfull whether they be pleasing or displeasing vnto God and whether they be agreeable to the will of God or not Thirdly that we discerne put difference betweene 3 To put difference between temporall blessings and spiriâ—all graces temporall blessings and spirituall graces If wee craue temporall things not to bee greedy of to much but to be content with things necessary and to referre the successe of obtaining the things we desire to Gods will because he knoweth better what is good for vs then wee our selues And for spirituall graces to craue them absolutely for gifts of grace are absolutely necessary to saluation CHAP. VIII Of Thankesgiuing WHat wee are to pray for hath beene shewed The second thing in the matter of 2 Thanksgiuing and praising God for his benefits Prayer is of praising God and giuing him thankes for the benefits receiued Which kind of pâ—ayers the Apostle calleth giuing of thankes or thankesgiuing a 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort saith hee that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men Now concerning Thankesgiuing I will shew First how many wayes wee may and are bound to giue God thankes and praise Therein two things Secondly the reasons which may moue and perswade vs to thankesgiuing For the first Thankesgiuing is three fold Or three 1 How many wayes we may praise God Three wayes manner of waies we may and ought to shew our thankefulnesse vnto God The first is with the heart 2 with the tongue 3 by our deeds First Wee are to shew our thankefulnesse vnto God 1 With the heart with the heart we must praise God with our heart and with all our heart with our soule and all that is within vs so Dauid teacheth vs by his owne example saying b Psal 86. 12. I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart And againe c Psal 103. 1. Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Secondly We are to blesse and praise God with the 2 With the tongue tongue and mouth our lips must shew forth his praise our mouth must be filled with his praise our tongue must sing of his praise When the Lord had brought the children of Israel through the red sea on dry ground and had ouerthrowen the Aegiptians in the midst of the sea d Exod. 15. 1. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel a song of thankesgiuing vnto the Lord. So e Iudg. 5. 1. 2. Deborah and Barak sang a song of thankesgiuing Praising God for their deliuerance from Sisera And Dauid often in his Psalmes praiseth God and stirreth vp others to praise God for blessings and for deliuerances For this cause praises and thanksgiuings are called by the Prophet Hosea f Hos 14. 2. The calues of our lips Signifying thereby that the Lord our God is more delighted with the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing then with the killing of oxen or shedding the bloud of Calues Thirdly there is a thanksgiuing to God and a prayfing 3 By our deeds and workes of God by our deedes and workes Our very life conuersation may bring praise and glory to Gods name according to that saying of our Sauiour Christ g Math. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen And this praising and glorifying of God by our deedes and workes is twofold First by our good workes holy life and godly conuersation Twofold we edefie others we incite and stirre vp others 1 Edifying others and prouoking them to doe good by our good example to goodnesse our good example prouokes and drawes on others to doe good to the praise and glory of God this was the commendation of the Church of Corinth for their forwardnesse in contributing to the necessity of the distressed Saints for the Apostle saith h 2 Cor. 9 2. Your zeale hath prouoked very many Secondly they that liue well are an example of vertue 2 Our godly life is a meanes to conuert the wicked and being conuerted to glorifie God and goodnesse to them that are vitious and wicked and as yet vnconuerted the godly life of the righteous is as a light shining vnto them that walke in the waies of wickednesse to prouoke them if at any time God would open their eies that they might turne from darknesse to light and from Sathan to God Wherefore S.
Peter giueth this exhortation i 1 Pet. 2. 12. Hauing your conuersation honest among the gentiles that whereas they speake against you as euill doers they may by your good workes which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation After this manner we are to praise God and to testifie our thankfulnesse 2 Reasons to perswade to thanksgiuing vnto God for his benefits and for all his goodnesse and mercies towards vs. In the second place I am to vse reasons to perswade to this dutie of thanksgiuing and they are these First The Scripture exhorteth to it saying k Psal 50. 14. 15. Offer 1 The Scripture exhorteth to it vnto God thanksgiuing and pay thy vowes to the most high and call vpon me in the day of trouble I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Againe the Psalmist exhorteth those that are deliuered from diuers calamities and afflictions l Psal 107. 8. to praise the Lord saying k O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men So the Apostle exhorteth saying m Coloss 3. 17. Whatsoeuer ye doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God and the Father by him Secondly Examples of good men may mooue vs to 2 Good men haue practised it imitate them in their thankfulnesse to God Dauid in sundrie Psalmes praiseth God saying in one place n Psal 103. 1. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits And againe he saith o Psal 116. 12. 13. What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. And againe he saith p Ver. 17. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thankesgiuing and will call vpon the name of the Lord. Hezekiah prayseth God after that he was recouered of his sicknesse saying q Isa 38. 19. the liuing the liuing he shall prayse thee as I doe this day the father to the children shall make knowne thy truth When our Sauiour Christ had restored a blind man to his sight it is said that he r Luk. 18. 43. followed him glorifying God and all the people when they saw it gaue prayse vnto God Thirdly the Creatures may teach vs thankefulnesse 3 The very creatures in their kinde doe prayse God and mooue vs to prayse God for the verie Creatures in their kinde and manner doe prayse God and obey his will the Sunne keepeth his course and the Moone obserueth her seasons her full and change as saith the Psalmist Å¿ Psal 104. 19. He appointed the Moone for seasons the Sunne knoweth his going downe The birds and feathered fowles prayse God in singing and keeping their time as sayth the Prophet Ieremie t Iere. 8. 7. the Storke in the heauen knoweth her appointed times and the turtle and the crane and the swallow obserue the time of their comming the u Psal 33. 9. earth stands fast as God hath commaunded neither is it x Psal 104. 5. remooued for euer And the sea ouer flowes not the bankes which God hath set to keepe it in as it is also said of the great and deepe waters of the Sea y Ver. 9. thou hast set a bound that they may not passe ouer that they turne not againe to couer the earth And the Creatures doe not onely iustruct vs in this dutie of thankfulnesse to God by their obedience but the creatures which we haue the vse and benefit of for food and raiment and other necessarie vses doe as is obserued teach vs our dutie of thankfulnesse vnto God in three words z Accipe râ—dde caue accipe beneficium redde debitum caue nisi reddideriâ— supplicium Ludon Granat lib. 1. par 1. receiue restore beware that is receiue this benefit and blessing from God restore vnto God that which is due render him thankes and prayse for it and take heede beware of punishment if thou be vnthankfull vnto God for his benefits Fourthly Thankesgiuing and praysing God for benefits receiued is profitable vnto vs For first to prayse God for benefits receiued is a meanes to preserue and 4 It is profitable for vs to prayse God for continue those blessings which we haue alreadie receiued God is pleased to blesse his blessings vnto vs because we blesse and prayse him for his blessings Secondly thankesgiuing to God for former blessings 1 To praise God for blessings receiued is a meanes to preserue and blesse them vnto vs. is a meanes to procure more blessings yea increase of blessings as it was said to that seruant that had gained fiue talents a Mat. 25. 21. well done thou good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull ouer a few things I will make thee ruler ouer many things so he that is thankefull to God for the gifts and graces which he hath alreadie receiued and vseth 2 To praise God for former blessings is a meants to procure more blessings them wel shall haue not onely the same continued but likewise more gifts and more graces added Now seeing that thankesgiuing is a dutie commaunded seeing that good men haue practised the same yea seeing that the very creatures doe stirre vs vp to thankfulnesse and seeing that it is so profitable vnto vs The consideration hereof serues greatly to reproue all those Vse who are vnthankfull vnto God for benefits receiued Euen Against those which are vnthankfull vnto God for benefits receiued amongst men it is a hateful thing for a man to proue vnthankfull and it s a grieuous thing for a man to doe well to him that will neuer giue him thanks much more odious and hatefull a thing it is for vs to be vnthankeful vnto our God for all his benefits it is a grieuous thing to the Lord to see vs daily receiue his blessings and not lift vp our hearts nor open our mouthes to prayse the Lord and giue him thankes And they are to be reckoned in the number of vnthankfull people who hauing receiued blessings from the God of heauen doe daily sin against him who in stead of opening their mouthes to prayse God doe open their mouthes wide to blaspheme God and in stead of seruing the Lord in holines and righteousnesse all the dayes of their life doe spend all or most part of their dayes in vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse This was the great plea that the Lord had against Israell b Isa 1. 2. 3. Heare O heauens and giue eare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I haue nourished brought vp children and they haue rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Maisters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider One of those â—enne Lepers which came to Christ to be
cleansed hath his prayse for that perceiuing himselfe healed hee c Luk. 17. 15. 16 turned backe and with a lowd voice glorified God and fell downe on his face at his feete giuing him thankes But the other nine which returned not to giue God thankes are iustly reprooued by our Sauiour d Ver. 17. were there not tenne cleansed but where are the nine Certainly if we doe well waigh and seriously consider the great blessings and vnspeakeable benefits of almightie God towards vs sinfull men there is none but onely a verie vnthankfull man that will not be mooued with heart and voice to prayse God and to expresse his thankfulnesse by holy obedience in his life and conuersation for we cannot but confesse that the Lord did at the first create man in his e Gen. 1. 27. owne image and when as through the sinne and transgression of our first parents we had brought vpon our selues miserie death and damnation except some remedie were found out for our restauration and saluation then f Ephe. 2 4. God who is rich in mercie for his great loue wherewith he loued vs sent vs a g Mat. 1. 21. Sauiour euen h 1. Joh. 4. 9. his onely begotten Sonne that we might liue through him And that we might haue i Rom. 3. 24. redemption through Iesus Christ which redemption was wrought by the death of Christ and the shedding of his most precious bloud as St Peter witnesseth saying k 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by tradition from your fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ so great was our offence so hainous our transgression that it cost the precious bloud of Christ to redeeme our soules It is the Lord our God that first formed vs in our mothers wombe he brought vs to light he hath preserued our liues since our birth he it is that daily and yeerely prouideth for vs foode and raiment and things necessarue for this present life he it is that giueth vs health and strength of bodie he it is that hath and doth deliuer vs from many perils and dangers and preserueth vs from our enemies both corporall and spirituall yea he it is that giueth vs foode for our soules the bread of life that giueth vs habitation on earth and hath l Joh. 14. 2. prepared for vs mansions dwelling places in heauen In a word he hath giuen vs his Sonne and with him all things as saith the Apostle m Rom. 8. 42. He that spared not his owne Sonne but deliuered him vp for vs all how shall he not with him also freely giue vs all things Now what shall we render vnto the Lord for all these his benefits done vnto vs Shall we recompence him with vnthankefulnesse Shall we requite him with vndutifulnesse disobedience and rebellion And shall we reward euill for good O ingratitude nay rather let vs render him the calues of our lips Let vs take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord and let vs offer to the Lord the sacrifice of thankesgiuing CHAP. IX Of the Time of Prayer THe fift thing in the Treatise of Prayer is concerning 5 The time of Prayer the Time of Prayer when and at what times we are to make supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes vnto God The time of Prayer I consider two wayes Considered two wayes First in regard of the present day 1 in regard of the present day Secondly in regard of the present neede For the first Euery day must haue his time of Praier The Lord requireth at our hands praier euery day and I find that holy men of God religious and deuout men the seruants of the Lord haue vsed to pray often in the day some more and some lesse times in the day In the old Testament the Priests offered sacrifice twice a day morning and euening as the Lord gaue commandement a Exod. 29. 38. 39. Now this is that which thou shalt offer vpon the Altar two lambes of the first yeere day by day continually The one lambe thou shalt offer in the morning and the other lambe thou shalt offer at euen And they vsed to burne Incense twice a day morning and euening as the Lord also appointed b Exod. 30. 7. 8. And Aaron shall burne thereon sweete Incense euery morning when he dresseth the Lampes hee shall burne Incense vpon it And when Aaron lighteth the Lampes at euen he shall burne Incense vpon it Now the deuout praiers of the Saints are Incense wherefore Dauid saith c Psal 141. 2. let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense Yea and the people assembled themselues together to pray twice a day for thus it is said of the people in the dayes of Zacharius the Priest d Luk. 1. 9. 10. according to the custome of the Priests office his lot was to burne Incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord and the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of Incense Now whereas it was the custome of the Priests to offer sacrifice and to burne incense twice a day morning and euening and that the people were praying without at the time of Incense it is apparent that the people came together to pray twice a day To such diligent seruice of God the people were tyed in former times Daniel vsed to pray three times a day which he ceased not to doe no not when the decree was signed against him for euen then e Dan. 6. 10. he went into his house and his windowes being open in his chamber toward Ierusalem hee kneeled vpon his knees three times a day and prayed and gaue thankes before his God as he did aforetime Dauid also vsed to pray three times a day and he names the three set times morning and euening and at noone so he saith f Psal 55. 17. Euening and morning and at noone will I pray In the new Testament there is often mention of our Sauiour Christ's praying sometimes we find him praying early in the morning for S. Marke saith that g Mar. 1. 35. in the morning rising vp a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitarie place and there prayed Sometimes late in the euening S. Mathew saith h Mat. 14 23. when he had sent the multitudes away he went vp into a mountaine apart to pray and when the euening was come he was there alone And sometimes he spent the whole night in Prayer For S. Luke saith that i Luk. 6. 12. he went out into a mountaine to pray and continued all night in Prayer to God S. k Chry. de crando Deum l. 1. Chrysostome agreeing with these Scriptures teacheth vs a necessity of praying manietimes in the day morning and euening and all times in the day whensoeuer we receiue our meate In
serued that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell But as for me and my house we will serue the Lord. Now this is one principall part in the worship and seruice of God to pray to the Lord and to call vpon his name For this cause those housholds and families which haue made conscience of worshipping God in their houses haue beene called Churches as the houshold of Priscilla and Aquila is called by the name of a Church g Rom. 16. 3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila h Ver. 5. likewise greet the Church that is in their house The second reason I take from the necessitie of performing this dutie Praier in our houses is necessarie to be vsed for Houshold praier is necessary For First without Praier we can expect no blessing nor be assured of any good successe vpon our labours and businesse which we take in hand wherefore it is said in 1 Without praying to God we can looke for no blessing vpon our labours the Psalmes * Psal 127. 1. 2. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord keepe the Cittie the watch-man waketh but in vaine It is vaine for you to rise vp early to sit vp late to eate the bread of sorrowes for so he giueth his beloued sleepe The meaning is that the affaires the labours businesse which men take in hand doe not prosper except the Lord giue a blessing to their labours and the meanes to procure a blessing is by praier In the morning before we begin our worke to pray to the Lord for a blessing and in the euening before we lie downe to praise God for his blessings S. Iames tells vs that l Iam. 1. 17. euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights and againe he saith m Jam. 4. 2. ye lust and haue not ye kill and desire to haue and cannot obtaine ye fight and warre yet ye haue not because ye aske not Giuing vs to vnderstand that if we would haue any blessing from God we must aske it at Gods hands we must pray to God and call vpon the name of the Lord. Secondly Families that call not vpon the name of the 2 Families that call not vpon the name of the Lord are heathenish and subiect to Gods wrath Lord are noted to be heathenish and the wrath of God hangs ouer them which the Prophet Ieremie sheweth saying n Iere. 10. 25. powre out thy furie vpon the heathen that know thee not and vpon the families that call not vpon thy name He saith two things first they that doe not call vpon the name of the Lord are like to heathen men which know not God secondly he lets all such as doe not call vpon the name of the Lord know and vnderstand that they are in a verie fearefull and dangerous case for the furie and wrath of God hangs ouer those countries cities and townes ouer those houses and families that call not vpon the name of the Lord. Now whereas houshold prayer ought to be vsed and is so necessarie as hath beene shewed the consideration Vse hereof serues to reproue those who neglect and omit Against those who neglect house-hold prayer this dutie o Gen. 12. 8. Abraham in the place where he pitched his tent there he builded an altar vnto the Lord and called vpon the name of the Lord. All men are for the most part carefull enough to prouide them houses but when they haue built them houses they are not carefull with Abraham to build an altar they doe not set vp the worship of God in theiâ— houses This is held by some to be too much adoe and they that vse prayer in their houses are thought by some to be too precise and many are afraid if they should vse Praier in their houses lest they should be accounted so too this hindereth manie from the practise of this religious dutie But consider ô man in what a dangerous case thou art if thou doest negligently omit or wilfully contemne this godly and religious dutie for thou canst looke for no fauour from God nor expect any blessing vpon the labours busines which either thou or any of thy houshold goeth about except that supplications and praiers be made vnto God And what fearest thou nothing the wrath and vengeance of God which hangeth ouer thee and thy house as long as thou callest not vpon the name of the Lord O consider these things and repent of this neglect Wherefore if any one hath altogether omitted this dutie let him now at the length with Abraham build an altar to the Lord let him set vp the worship of God in his house and call vpon the name of the Lord. If any one hath beene negligent in performance of this dutie let him repent of that neglect and be more diligent in the practise of the same and whosoeuer doth vse it let him be encouraged to be constant in the same Knowing this that no man shall serue the Lord in vaine but as the Prophet Malachie saith the day shall come when ye shall p Mal. 3. 18. discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serueth God and him that serueth him not And this of domesticall or houshold Prayer The second place for priuate Prayer is the secret place 2 The secret place for â—ecret Prayer for as there is a publike place for all the Congregation to pray together which is the Church and as there is a place for the houshold and familie to pray together which is euery mans owne house so there is a more priuate and secret place for a man to pray alone which is his chamber or closet or any other secret place Of this place our Sauiour Christ speaketh enioyning vs to pray in secret q Mat. 6. 6. When thou prayest enter into thy closet when thou hast shut thy doore pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Now this place of Prayer is said to be secret First because a Christian may be in his chamber closet or other secret place so priuate to himselfe that no eye of man can see him neither any eare of man heare him onely God seeth and heareth him Secondly because there a sinner may without feare or shame make knowne vnto God the verie secrets of his heart may powre out the griefes of his soule before the Lord and not be ashamed to confesse his sins whatsoeuer they are how fowle soeuer they be how hainous or how grieuous soeuer they be Because the Lord hath promised that the Prayer which is made in secret the Father which seeth in secret will reward it openly And yet he that prayeth alone in secret if he pray in sinceritie and truth of heart is not alone for God is with him
God seeth and heareth him God doth regard him and will reward him God regardeth his Prayer in secret and will reward him openly This serues to reproue Vse First those who neglect this dutie of praying in secret 1 Against those who pray not in secret Some thinke that praying in the Church is sufficient and that they need not at least so much and so often to be praying in the house or chamber Others are so highly conceited of house-hold Prayer that they esteeme lesse of publique Prayer and often omit prayer in secret but we ought to know and vnderstand that there is a necessitie in this as well as in the other Secondly here they are reprooued who sinne in secret 2 Against those who sinne in secret but doe not pray in secret but doe not humble themselues in secret before the Lord confessing their sinnes and crauing pardon at Gods hands Tell me thou that sinnest in secret and hast so little deuotion to pray to God in secret what hope canst thou haue that God will reward thee with any blessing nay rather for thy secret sinnes expect an open punishment yea woe vnto thee except thou repent of thy secret sins and pray vnto God that God in mercie may couer them and not lay them open to thy perpetuall shame CHAP. XII Of the place of Prayer more generall and vnlimited HItherto of the place of Prayer as it is ordinarily vsed to be in some certaine set place as in the Church house chamber closet or any secret place Secondly the place of Prayer more generally is in any 2 The place of Prayer more generally in any place place euery where and in euery place as necessitie requireth and as occasion is offered Our Sauiour saith a Mat. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them St Paul saith b 1. Tim 2. 8. I will therefore that men pray euery where lifting vp holy hands without wrath and doubting So that now in the time of the Gospell we are not limited to any certaine set place but a Christian may pray euery where or c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in euery place And this praying euery where or in euery place is to be considered two wayes Considered two wayes First when any one vpon a iust occasion doth vpon 1 In regard of the present occasion in any place the suddaine lift vp his heart and pray vnto God for some temporall blessing or some spirituall grace or feeling some present temptation makes a present supplication against it or being in any present danger prayeth for deliuerance or when he meditateth of the goodnesse of the Lord toward him he presently blesseth God in his heart These are prayers which for the shortnes and suddennesse of them are called eiaculations spirituall darts of the hart arising from the motion of the good Spirit These prayers a man may make yea and the godly man doth make at all tiâ—es when occasion is offered and in all places wheresoeuer he is whether he be in the Church or in the chamber whether in the house or in the field whether he be sitting or walking whother going or riding whether lying downe or rising vp Secondly a man may pray euery where or in euery place 2 In regard of the present necessiâ—e â—indering him from the publique place of Prayer when as by some vrgent occasion or extraordinarie employment or for want of libertie or by reason of sicknesse or infirmitie he cannot come to the house of God to ioyne with the Congregation nor yet be present with his Familie in his owne house in such cases wheresoeuer a man prayeth the place hindereth not his prayers from ascending vp to the throne of God For Gods eares are open to the righteous that call vpon him in all places alike and God heareth the Prayers of the righteous as well in one place as in another Hezekiah lying sicke on his bed prayed vnto the Lord for it s said that d Isa 3â— 1. 2. he turned his face to the wall and prayed vnto the Lord Ieremie prayeâ—h in the dungeon e Lam. 3. 55. I called vpon thy name O Lord out of the low dungeon Daniel prayeth in his f Dan. 6. 10. Chamber Ionah prayeth to the Lord his God g Ion. 2. 1. out of the fishes belly Cornelius prayed h Act. 10. 30. in his house Paul and Silas beâ—ng in i Act. 16. â—4 25 prison prayed and sâ—â—g praises vnto God Paul k 〈◊〉 2â— â— kneeled downe on the Sea shore and prayed Now these were all holy and deuout men and had their Prayers heard God regarded and heard the Pâ—ayerâ— which they made some on their beds some in the prison some in the dungeon some in their houses some in their chambers and some on the Sea shore So then although ordinarily the Church be the place for publique prayer a mans house for houshold prayer and the chamber or closet for more priuate or secret Prayer yet in case of necessitie noâ— onely the Church or house or chamber but any place may be the place of Prayer in what place soeuer a man be he may pray lifting vp as the Apostle saith holy and pure hands to which agreeth the saying of St Ambrose l Non locus orationem câ—â—mendaâ— sed 〈…〉 Amb. in Rom. 1. It is not the place that commendeth a mans Prayer but the dâ—uout mind of him that prayeth The considâ—ration of this that God heareth in euery Vse place and that the Apostle will haue vs to pray euery Consolation to those who vpon iust occasion and meere necessitie are hindered from comming to the house of God where doâ—◠〈…〉 consolation and great comfort vnto those 〈…〉 regard of some present necessitie or infirmitie 〈…〉 to the house of God to ioyne with the Congregation in the publique place of Gods worship as captiuâ—â— and prisoners souldiers sailers passengers as sicâ—â— peâ—â—ons lying sicke on their beds or being diseased with â—nfiâ—mitie paine the case of all these is such that they cannoâ— come to the publique place of Gods worship to the house of Prayer What then are they therefore barâ—â—d from Prayer and are they therefore depriued of the benefit of calling vpon the name of the Lord or if they pray will not God heare their prayers because they come not to the Church to pray nay not so but if the Prisoner that lieth in prison fast bound with chaines can with Paul and Silas pray and prayse God God can and will heare his Prayer euen in the prison and in the dungeon so Merchants sailers passengers on the seas and souldiers in the field though they be farre from any Church if they can deuoutly and hartily call vpon the name of the Lord whether it be on the sea or on the land the Lord can heare them all as well as he heard the Prayer of Paul on
striue against Answ them to be displeased at them to striue against them and to driue them away as e Gen. 15. 11. Abraham droue away the Fowles which would haue deuoured his sacrifice For to giue a willing consent vnto wandring thoughts and worldly cogitations which arise in the minde at the time of praier and to please our selues therewith is sinfull it sheweth small deuotion and argueth little or no preparatio before hand but to haue a sence feeling of our wandring thoughts withall to dislike theÌ„ to striue against them to labour to driue them away is a signe of grace and argueth a heart deuoutely affected CHAP. XIIII Of Humilitie in praying and of auoiding vaine repetitions THe third thing required in praying is Humilitie 3 Humilitie in praying Twofold And humiltie in praying is two fold The one is outward The other Inward First of outward Humilitie Outward humilitie in 1 Outward humilitie Shewed by out ward gestures as praying is shewed by our outward gesture Now the Scripture mentioneth diuers sorts of gestures which haue beene vsed in praying but the Scripture doth not binde vs by precept to the strict obseruance of any certaine gesture in praying onely it lets vs see by examples what hath been the custome of the Church of God concerning gesture in praying 1 Standing First Standing hath beene a gesture vsed in prayer a Luk 18. 11. The Pharisee stood and prayed And of the Publican it s said that he was b Vers 13. standing a farre off And I finde it decreed in a generall Councell that according to the custome of the Churches the people c Pâ— siantes ad orationem vâ—ta Domino reddamus Concil Nicen 1. Can. 20. should pray standing Secondly Kneeling is a gesture commended vnto vs by the practise of godly and deuoute men Salomen in his prayer at the dedication of the Temple kneeled 2 Kneeling downe and praied for it is said d 1 Kin. 8. 54. When Salomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication vnto the Lord he arose from before the altar of the Lord from kneeling on his knees Dauid saith e Psal 95. 6. O come let vs worship and bow downe let vs kneele before the Lord our maker So Daniel f Dan. 6. 10. kneeled vpon his knees three times a day and prayed And Paul when he was ready to take ship g Acts. 21. 5. kneeled downe on the shore and prayed And Christ himselfe h Luk. 32. 41. kneeled downe and prayed Thirdly Lifting vp of the hands is gesture vsed in 3 Lifting vp of the hands prayer Dauid vsed it for he saith i Psal 28. â— Heare the voice of my supplications when I crie vnto thee when I lift vp my hands towards thy holy Oracle And St. Paul saith k 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray euery where lifting vp holy hands Fourthly Looking vp to heauen is a gesture vsed in 4 Looking vp to Heauen prayer this gesture our Sauiour Christ vsed when hee sed the fiue thousand with fiue loaues and two fishes l Math 14. 19. Looking vp to heauen hee blessed and brake and gaue the looues to his Disciples and the Disciples to the multitude Besides these to pray m â— Cor. â—1 4. bareheaded to n Luk 18. 13. smite vpon the breast testifying thereby the sorrow and griefe of the heart and such like are outward gestures vsed in prayer But notwithstanding this diuersity of gesture in praying and that a Christian hath more libertie for his gesture in priuate yet both in publique and priuate wee are to vse such outward gesture as may manifest the inward humilitie of the heart and in publique wee are to conforme our selues to the same gesture which is vsed in the Church where we liue lest vsing a gesture different from that which is receiued and vsed in the Church wee giue occasion of offence and the rather because the Apostle speaking of the well ordering of the Church saith o 1 Cor. 14. 40. Let all things be done decently and in order Now for a man in time of publique prayer to vse a gesture different from the rest of the Congregation as to sit when the rest kneele to be couered when the rest are baâ—â—headed c. is no decency nor order but vnseemlinesse and disorder The consideration of this diuersity of gesture in praiing Vse and that a Christian is not limitted to the vsing of Consolation to sicke persons and lame people this or that certaine gesture at all times doth yeeld consolation to all sicke persons and lame people to all that are so holden with infirmitie in their limbes or are so weake in body that they cannot bow their body nor bend their knees according to the vsuall custome of the Church for God doth not somuch regard the outward gesture of bowing the body and bending the knee as the bowing and bending of the heart and therefore if the heart be right in the sight of God and if the minde be attentiue in praying God will not despise the prayer of him that prayeth though hee doe not kneele If through sicknesse or infirmity he cannot bend the knee of his body it is sufficient before God if hee bend the knee of his heart And therefore we finde Dauid praying and that earnestly with teares not kneeling vpon his knees but lying vpon the p Psal 6. 6. bed of his sicknesse so likewise Hezekiah being q 2 Kin. 20. 1. 2. sicke vnto death turned his face to the wall and prayed vnto the Lord. And it is recorded of Iacob that when he blessed the two sonnes of Ioseph Ephraim and Manasses that is when he prayed to God to blesse them and foretold their future state hee r Gen. 48. 2. 15. sate vpon the bed Necessity then dispenseth with the outward gesture in prayer And this of outward humility in praying The other kinde of Humility in praying is Inward 2 Inward humilitie which inward humility is the humblenesse of the heart the lowly bowing of the heart and the bending of the knees of the heart Of this humility it is that the Lord speakes to Salomon saying Å¿ 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselues and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes then will I heare from heauen and will forgiue their sinne and will heale their Land If the people in their distresse would haue the Lord to be gracious and mercifull vnto them and deliuer them they must pray but they must pray with humility and humblenes of mind they must bring downe the stubbornnesse of their heart humble their soules they must humble themselues and pray And this is done by an humble acknowledgement of our owne vnrighteousnesse wickednesse and vnworthinesse As Iacob doth saying t Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the
prayeth in feruencie of spirit e Dan. 9. 19. O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord hearken and doe Where the doubling and trebling of their requests argueth the feruencie of their Praiers The two blind-men mentioned by S. Mathew hearing that Iesus passed by cried out saying f Mat. 20. 30. 31 Haue mercie on vs O Lord thou sonne of Dauid And when the multitude rebuked them it s said They cryed the more saying haue mercie on vs O Lord thou sonne of Dauid Thus earnestly did the woman of Canaan pray for her daughter Shee comming vnto Christ g Mat. 15. 22. cried vnto him saying haue mercie on me O Lord thou sonne of Dauid my daughter is grieuously vexed with a Deuill But he answered her not a word Then his Disciples pittying her spake vnto him in her behalfe beseeching him to helpe her and he giues a cold answere saying h Ver. 24. I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Notwithstanding this she commeth againe and cries vnto him saying i Ver. 25. 29. 27. Lord helpe me but he answered and said It is not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs And she replied saying truth Lord yet the dogs eate of the crummes which fall from their masters table By which it is euident that his woman was verie feruent in making her petition and verie earnest with the Lord for the obtaining of her request And although at the first the Lord did not grant her request yet at the last he did though Christ did at the first refuse to giue her of the childrens bread yet at the length k Tamâ—n dedit quia illa etiam vehementer exegit Chrys in Math. Hom. 23. he did giue her because as a Father saith shee did so earnestly craue it Elias also is an example vnto vs of praying feruently St Iames saith l Jam. 5. 17. 18. Elias was a man subiect to the likâ— passions as we are and he praied earnestly that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeeres and sixe moneths And he praied againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruit Elias praied and the Lord heard his Praier But how did Elias pray he praied earnestly He m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayed and prayed he praied with great feruencie Thus it is manifest by the Scriptures that feruencie is required in praying And here it is to be considered that this feruencie in praying is shewed and appeareth diuers waies Sometimes by the lifting vp of the hands as Dauid doth saying n Psal 28. 2. heare the voice of my supplications when I crie vnto thee When I lift vp my hands toward thy hâ—ly Oracle Sometimes by lifting vp of the eies and looking vp to heauen Which also Dauid vsed o Psal 5. 3. In the morning saith he will I direct my praier vnto thee and will looke vp Sometimes with smiting on the breast as did the Publicane who p Luk. 18. 13. smote vpon his breast saying God be mercifull to me a sinner Sometimes this feruencie of praier is expressed by crying a lowd as we may finde Dauid in sundrie Psalmes praying crying to the Lord in his Praier q Psal 18. 6. In my distresse saith he I called vpon the Lord and cried vnto my God So the Niniuites in their distresse fasted and praied and in their praiers r Ion. 3. 8. cryed mightily vnto God Sometimes this feruencie is shewed by teares and weeping so Christ Iesus our Sauiour in his Agonie praied with teares as witnesseth the Apostle Å¿ Heb. 5. 7. who in the daies of his flesh saâ—th he when he had offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares And sometimes a feruent praier may be made with fewer outward signes and with lesse noise euen with inward groanes and sighes without voice and words heard when the heart being deuoutâ—y affected sendeth forth requests vnto the throne of grace such was the Praier that Moses made when the Lord said vnto him t Exod. 14 15. wherefore criest thou vnto me We finde not that Moses vttered any words when he praied onely his heart prayed and that earnestly and the lowd crie of his heartie Prayer entred into the eares of the Lord. Such was the praier of deuout Hannah of whom it is said u 1. Sam. 1. 13. shee spake in her heart onely her lips mooued but her voice was not heard Hannah spake not alowd when shee praied onely her heart praied and that feruently S. Luke recordeth that a x Luk. 7. 37. 38. woman in the citie which was a sinner that notorious sinfull woman stood at Christ's feete behinde him weeping And by the ansâ—ere of our Sauiour Christ vnto her y Ver. 48. Thy sins are forgiuen it is euident that she wept for her sinnes and praied earnestly for the pardon of her sinnes yet we heare no words that she vttered onely her eies wept and her heart praied z Legâ—mus quae â—â—cit noâ— lâ—gimuâ— quae dixit Stell in Lu. We read saith one what she did but we read not what she said This dutie of praying is performed oftimes more with sighs and groanes then with words and more with weeping then with speaking Now whereas in praying it is required that we pray feruently the consideration hereof serues to stirre vp Vse our deuotion to enflame our zeale to make vs more earnest in Praier For as it hath beene shewed before in the kinds of Praier there is a luke-warme Prayer some in praying are neither hote nor cold but luke warme neither so cold in deuotion as to make no praier at all nor yet so hote in deuotion as to make an earnest Prayer But such luke wâ—rme Prayers are vneffectuall and obtaine nothing at Gods hands but the praier that obtaineth any thing of God is the effectuall feruent and earnest Prayer The feruent Prayer is such as is able to pierce the clouds neither can the stormie winds blow it away nor the thicke clouds keepe it backe nor yet the spirits in the aire hinder the passage of a feruent earnest and deuout prayer but it mounteth vp to the throne of grace and returneth not emptie of the blessings of God Whosoeuer then would obtaine mercie with the Lord and find grace to helpe in time of neede must come to the Lord by Prayer but he must not content himselfe to pray sleightily and carelesly but feruently and earnestly striuing with God by earnest Prayer as Iacob wrestled with the Angell and preuailed to whom he also said a Gen. 32. 26. I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me b Haec vis Deo grata est Chrys in Mat. Hom. 23 This forcible striuing with God by earnest Prayer is as a Father saith acceptable and well pleasing vnto God Like as a Father when his child commeth vnto him to
craue something of him delighteth to heare his childe how earnestly he calleth vpon him father good father I pray you Father and to see how he will hang vpon his Father and follow him and will giue him no rest till he haue what he desireth and though the child's importunitie be a trouble to the Father yet for the loue that he hath to his child he counts it no trouble but rather delighteth in it and in the end granteth his childe what he desired so almightie God our heauenly Father is delighted and well pleased when we come vnto him to craue any lawfull and needfull thing if we craue it earnestly crying Abba father heauenly father mercifull father and then the Lord because he is delighted in vs his children and knoweth our neede of his goodnesse and mercie will heare our prayers and grant our requests And this of feruencie in Prayer The sixt thing required in making our Prayers is Perseuerance in praier not ceasing nor fainting in praier Perseuerance or continuing in Prayer but holding out and continuing in prayer till the Lord be gracious vnto vs and heare vs and grant our requests And to this perseuerance in Praier the Scripture perswadeth vs both by testimonies and examples S. Paul exhorteth to c Coless 4. 2. continue in Prayer And to d 1. Thes 5. 17. pray without ceasing And S. Luke recordeth that Iesus e Luk. 18. 1. spake a parable to this end that men ought alwaies to pray and not to faint By which phrases of continuing in prayer praying without ceasing and not fainting in prayer the holy Ghost giueth vs to vnderstand that if we would haue the Lord to heare vs and grant our requests we must pray with perseuerance we must continue in Praier we must not waxe faint in praying neither cease praying till the Lord fauourably in mercie looke vpon vs and heare vs. And of this perseuerance in praier we haue examples in the Scriptures Dauid prayeth thus f Psal 13. 1. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for euer How long wilt thou hide thy face from me In that Dauid saith how long wilt thou forget me O Lord for euer how long wilt thou hide thy face from me It is euident that Dauid being in trouble and distresse prayed vnto the Lord for helpe and deliuerance and that long and often before he was heard he prayed but the Lord delayed the time and deferred to helpe him yet Dauid fainted not neither waxed wearie in praying but praied still he continued in praier though it was long before the Lord heard him How we ought to perseuere and continue in praier without ceasing and not to faint in Praier our Sauiour sheweth in the parable of the widdow who had a suite to an vnrighteous Iudge crying and saying vnto him g Luk. 18. 3 4. 5. 6. 7. Auenge me of mine aduersarie And he would not for a while but afterward he said within himselfe though I feare not God nor regard man yet because this widdow troubleth me I will auenge her lest by her continuall comming she wearie me And the Lord said heare what the vniust Iudge saith and shall not God auenge his owne elect which cry day and night vnto him though he beare long with them The woman of Canaan endured three repulses yet would not be repelled nor driuen backe she had three denials but would take no deniall neither would cease following after Christ still calling vpon him and crying vnto him h Mat. 15. 25. Lord helpe me till in the end the Lord answered her graciously i Ver. 28. O woman great is thy faith he it vnto thee euen as thou wilt S. Paul in his temptation prayed with perseuerance for he saith k 2. Cor. 12. 8. for this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me And our Sauiour Christ in his agonie praied thrice that the cup might passe from him for it s said that he l Mat. 26. 44. prayed the third time saying the same words And this perseuerance and continuing in Prayer is fitly resembled by Moses holding vp his hands when Israel fought against Amalek For it is said that m Exod. 17. 11. when Moses held vp his hand Israel preuailed and when he let downe his hand Amalek preuailed Moses holding vp his hands resembleth a deuout man praying with feruencie and earnestly making supplication vnto God and the letting downe of his hands figureth a man fainting in prayer and as it was with the Israelites when they fought against the Amalekits that so long as Moses held vp his hands they preuailed and when he let downe his hands Amalek preuailed so it is with vs in our Prayers As long as we continue in praier holding vp our hands lifting vp our hearts earnestly calling vpon the Lord for helpe we preuaile against our spirituall enemies the flesh the world and the Deuill and in the end shall haue deliuerance and shall find the Lord readie and willing to helpe vs but if we faint and waxe wearie in praying and are vnwilling to pray any longer then we are in danger to be ouercome of our enemies and then we depriue our selues of those blessings and helpes which otherwise the Lord in mercie would haue bestowed vpon vs if we had continued in Prayer The consideration of this perseuerance and continuing in Prayer serues First for instruction to teach vs to wait vpon the Lord Vse 1 for helpe and deliuerance so Dauid exhorteth saying To wait vpon the Lord for helpe and deliuerance n Psal 37. 7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him And the Psalmist saith o Psal 130. 5. I wait for the Lord my soule doth wait And the Church in distresse prayeth thus p Isa 33. 2. O Lord be gracious vnto vs we haue waited for thee This is illustrated by a similitude of men-seruants and maid seruants waiting vpon their masters and mistresses q Psal 123. 2. behold as the eyes of seruants looke vnto the hand of their masters and as the eyes of a maiden vnto the hand of her mistresse so our eyes wait vpon the Lord our God vntill that he haue mercie vpon vs. Secondly this serues to reproue all such as are impatient Vse 2 in their trouble and are not content to stay the Against those who are impatient in their trouble and will not stay the Lords leasure Lords leisure and wait till the Lord haue mercie vpon them and send them deliuerance like to the Bethulians who being besieged by the enemie limited the Lord prescribing him a set time wherein to helpe them namely the space of r Iudeth 7. 30. 31. fiue dayes and if the Lord did not send them helpe within that space then they would yeeld vp the citie into the hand of the enemie But this their doing was sinfull and Iudeth reprooueth them for it saying Å¿ Iudeth 8. 14. 15. 16. 17. nay