see with a pure intention of the minde the beautie of his glorie and the honour of his regall power They behold him without wearinesse they enioy him without tediousnosse and euer thirst to enioy him By so much the more hee is desired by those that possesse him by how much the more hee is possessed by those that desire him By the abundant fulnesse of his vnspeakable goodnesse they are satisfied and with a continuall desire of his fruition they are neuer sat is fied There is sacietie and hunger together that takes away want this lothsome wearinesse A thousand yeeres in the fruition of God are as yesterday that is past God is so delightfull to be seene so sweet to bee possessed and so pleasant to bee enioyed that his continuall presence bringeth no tediousnesse with it Secure fâ—uition the second gift of the soule but rather sorasmuch as the blessed are for euer secure therof it is an addition to their happinesse The blessed fruition of God without end continuall delight without interruption eternall possession without amission secure temptation without doubt of hope follow one another because the blessed enioy that which sometimes they did hope to inioy then at the last are their desires satisfied whilest the glory of God appeareth vnto them God who is the end of all desires can onely satisfie their hearts without him nothing is sought for because in him there is whatsoeuer can bee desired Being made companions with angels and partakers of the kingdome of heauen they reigne with their king Christ and desiring nothing possesse all things without couetousnesse they are rich and without money in plentifull abundance If the teares of the penitent bee sweeter in this life than all the delicates of the rich and if heere it be so pleasant a thing to weepe for it how pleasant thinkest thou it is to reioice with it If the least taste of the ioyes of heauen in this life bee so delightfull how great a measure of perfect ioy and delight haue the blessed in heauen where with a ful mouth as it were they taste and see how sweet the Lord is They feare not to lose the fruition of so great a good otherwise they should not bee truely blessed The ioyes of that eternall citie are eternall where they are secure of that glorie that neuer withereth which neither varieth nor shall slide away because they shall enioy an immutable peace None stronger than themselues can assaile them to cast them from thence neither will God who is their chiefest good withdraw himselfe from them for he loueth them with a more indissoluble band of loue than they loue themselues and they loue God more than themselues And as it is one thing to see a thing Charitie the third gife of the soule another to possesse it another to loue it because wee see many things which we possesse not and possesse many which we loue not so there are three distinct gifts three rewards and three glories The cleere light and fruition of God which succeedeth faith secure fruition which succeedeth hope and perfect charitie which neuer falleth away because it continueth euen in heauen Now the thing it selfe not which is beleeued hoped but which is seene and possessed followeth faith and hope but charitie which is greater than they doth neuer decay but is perfect and increaseth hauing attained what it hoped If beleeuing and hoping wee loue that so much which as yet wee see not and to which wee haue not yet attained how much more shall wee loue it when we shall see it and possesse it In that fulnesse of loue that commandement of louing God with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde shall be fulfilled whilest the whole man no way entangled with carnall concupiscence as hee is now shall wholly and incessantly be carried vnto God whilest with a kinde of vnspeakable sweetnes the blessed shall loue God more than themselues and one another as themselues In all there shall be one and the same will because there there shall be no other but the will of GOD. They will that which God willeth and not that which hee will not and as God can do what he will by himselfe so whatsoeuer they will they can do by God As many as are there are one Church one spouse of Christ and one bodie How then shall the head be at variance with the bodie or the bodie with the head As one eye can not be turned but the other must turne with it so whatsoeuer one willeth to that doe all other willes consent And as the eye would not bee the hand nor the hand the eye so though there be a difference in their glory yet euerie one is satiâ—fied with that he hath and being perfect in their ioy and glory are capable of no more than they 〈◊〉 And therefore no infeâ—â—â—â— enuieth his superior as the angels enuie not the archangels there is no enuie by reason of inequalitie in glorie where the vnitie of charitie euer reigneth because all loue all others as themselues the good of euery one by charitie is made the good of all and euery one what in himselfe he hath not he reioyceth to haue receiued in another How great then thinkest thou the ioy is in that perfect charitie of innumerable angels and men because no man loues another lesse than himselfe and reioiceth no otherwise for all than for himselfe Doubtlesse if any other whom thou louest as thy selfe should enioy that reward of happinesse that thou doest thy ioy would be doubled because thou reioicest no lesse for him than for thy selfe but if two or three or more should possesse the same ioy with thee how doest thou thinke thy heart which is scarce capable of thine owne ioy should be capable of so many How many then and how great ioies hath euery Saint in heauen who ioieth more in the glorie of God than in his own and of euery one whom he loueth not lesse than himselfe he ioieth not lesse than of his owne glory If the capacitie of a creature were capable of what is infinite the eie of euery particular person would be infinite and neuerthelesse it is immeasurable vnspeakable and incomprehensible according to the capacitie of euerie particular soule The ioy it hath aboue it selfe is the fruition of God beneath it selfe the euasion of hell within it selfe glorification and blessednesse The number of the blessed diminisheth not that inheritance whereof they are coheires nor in any thing makes it the lesse It is as much to manie as to few as much to euerie particular person as to all because it is one and the same to all and all to euerie one yea and by so much the greater it is by how much greater the number is of coheires There our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus according to his deitie whereby he is God siteth at the right hand of his father in glory coequall in like maiestie in essence consubstantiall
â—ody For thither is the whole intention of the minde carried where the griefe is What astonishment of heart â—s there at that houre What â—emembrance of all fore-passed sinnes What forgetfulnesse of pleasures past What â—orror and fearefull consideration of the Iudge Doubtlesse the griefe of the disease and the feare of the iudgements of God doe hinder the true vse of our sense and vnderstanding insomuch that at that houre there can hardly bee any true contrition of heart Then is the Diuell most diligent to tempt vs The assaults of the Diuell are most violent at the houre of death and to lay his snares to intrap vs when hee perceiueth our end to be at hand and when he seeth it standeth him vpon to win or lose that soule which so many yeeres by so many sleights so many suggestions he hath endeuoured to make sure vnto him then especially he tempteth him touching the verity of his beleefe and perswadeth him to infidelity setteth before the eies of his minde the greatnesse of his sinnes the seuerity of the Iudge the inequality of all the good he hath done in his whole life to that eternall blessednes which God hath prepared for those that are his children Thus and by these meanes hee assaieth to driue a miserable sinner into despaire and whom in his â—ife time he deceiued by flatâ—eries at his death hee tyranâ—iseth ouer him The feare of a iust man at the houre of death And this is â—he cause why many godly â—nd zealous men who in the whole course of their life â—aue serued God doe neuerâ—helesse feare this last houre â—f death lest that then they â—hould yeeld to those violent â—mptations of the Diuell or opeare emptie before so â—eat a Iudge And yet doest thou thinke at that houre to be conuerted when the iustest men that are feare to be peruerted Wilt thou aduenture the state of thy saluation to that time wherin thou art subiect to greatest danger And thinkest thou to perfect that great and difficult worke of thy conuersion which in the best strength of thy body and in the whole race of thy life thou couldest hardly performe in a moment of time when thou art compassed with so many griefes so many dangers The departure of a sinfull soule out of his body not one but innumerable legions of Diuels doe attend to require their hire for their seruice presenting before his eies those sinâ— they haue tempted him vnto so carry him with them into vtter darknesse Ioh. 14. Yea they faile not to attempt the souls of Gods children when they depart out of their bodies alleging vnto them that this and this they haue done for them and that they haue returned this and this seruice vnto them If the Prince of this world the Diuell sought after something of his euen in Christ himselfe dying according to the flesh though nothing hee could finde confider how carefull and cruell â—e will be to require his own of thee at thy houre of death â—t is apparent and thou canst â—ot deny but that hee may â—inde much of his in thy selfe â—nd miserable and wretched man that thou art what wilt thou then do when he shal arrest thee for that that is his own what wilt thou answer Doest thou thinke that the Angels of God will be ready at hand to rescue thee and to deliuer thee out of his hold Forasmuch therefore deare Brother as it cannot but plainly appeare vnto thee that death lies in wait for thee in all places and at all times and that it followeth thee as thy shadow doth thy body if thou be wise doe thou likewise expect it in all places and at all times being euery day euery houre ready as iâ— euery day euery houre were the houre of thy death Thou knowest not in what place at what houre it will encounter thee and therefore expect it in all places and at all times If it hasten to come vnto thee doe thou make as good speed to be ready for it to liue well and like a good debtor bee euer prepared to pay Nature hir due whensoeuer it shall bee demanded So husband and order euerie day as if it were the last day of thy life when thou risest in the morning thinke not thou shalt liue till night and when thou goest to thy bed thinke thou goest to thy graue and that thou shalt neuer see the morning light From this time forward so liue that at the houre of death thou maist rather reioice than feare and that thou maist die well learne to liue well that thou maist flie from the vengeance to come yeeld fruits worthie repentance before it come That feare that vseth to be in a man dying let it be alwaies in thee liuing So shalt thouvanquish death when it comes if before it come thou alwaies feare it CHAP. III. That our last day is hidden from vs to the end that all the daies of our life should bee as our last BVT perhaps thou wilt say that I tell thee that death attends thee and euerie houre of thy life hangs ouer thy head like a sword hanging by a haire point pendant that I perswade thee to bee as readie to fall vpon thee that thou hast obeied my counsell and oftentimes prepared thy selfe to entertaine it whensoeuer it come but it hath as often deceiued thee and neuer came and therefore I do thee wrong to perswade thee by an euerlasting cogitation of death to liue a dying life and to let slip the pleasures and delights of this world Resp O my good brother suspend thy iudgement a while for I dare make good vnto thee that by this continuall cogitation of death thou losest not the delights of this World Prouer. 15 For a good conscience is a continuall feast and thou shalt receiue greater coÌ„fort by seruing the God of all comfort consolation than this wretched world replenished with miseries yea there is no torment greater than a wicked conscience for where God is not there can no comfort be found No tormeÌ„t to a wicked conscience O that thou haddest but tasted euen with the tip of thy toong the vnspeakable sweetnesse of a spirituall delight thou wouldest contemne all the fading pleasures of this life Cantic 1. and runne after the sweet odours of those heauenly comforts Thou seest the crosses and afflictions of spirituall men their wounds but not their ointments thou seest them outwardly cast downe like abiects but inwardly thou discernest not their happinesse Outward torments of spirituall men inward ioies for their spirituall ioy is as insensible as it is vnspeakable and can neuer be in any man that admitteth any other Be not therefore so peremptorie in thy censures and thinke not that the feare of death and the seruice of God doe robbe thee of the ioies of this life But be it as thou saiest we will yeeld so much vnto thy obstinacie A continuall preparation for death is good Why doest
way If aâ—â— man will follow mee saiâ— Christ let him denie himseâ— let him put off the old maâ— and put on the new let hiâ— begin to be that he was not and cease to bee that which before by sinne hee was let him take vp and alwaies beare his owne crosse and therewith crucifie his owne flesh with the concupiscence thereof let him bee crucified vnto the World and the World vnto him liue vnto mee die vnto the World So at the last let him follow mee crucified and for the loue of me be content to beare what 〈◊〉 haue borne for the loue of him For hee that by the deâ—ights and pleasures of this world wil saue his soule shall for euer lose it But he that in â—his life for my sake shall lose his soule by refusing the carâ—all pleasures of this life and â—f need be by suffering death for my sake shall find it again in heauen and eternall happines This my deare brother is a strait way and a narrow gate which leadeth vnto life and few they are that finde it and therfore thou must not so much consider how crooked and thorny it is as whither it leadeth nor how narrow it is as where it endeth for by how much the more strait and troublesome it is by so much the more large and pleasant thou shalt finde it in the progresse of thy iourney for it shall not onely by custome but by the labour and passion of thy Sauior be made easie It is a broad way to the hope of the faithfull a strait way to the vanity of vnbeleeuers and in that thou thinkest it laborious and painfull it is no excuse of thine infirmity but an accusation of thy sloth backwardnesse By many trdâ—ulations wee must enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. But yeeld that it bee painfull must wee not thorâ—w many tribulations enter into the kingdome of God And yet thou by the broad and spacious way of pleasure which leadeth vnto death hopest to obtaine life Thou canst not heere sport it with the world and there raigne with Christ enioy future and present blessings passe froÌ„ the delights of this world to the ioies of heauen They that haue their coÌ„fort in this world are vnworthy diuine consolation but they that for the name of Christ Iesus endure affliction feele in themselues the vnspeakable comforts of God for they that partake with Christ in his passions are likewise made partakers of his comforts No man can be happie in both worlds but he that wil haue the one must want the other otherwise the rewards of chastity and luxurie gluttonie and temperance humility and pride were not diuers That fat and purple rich man in the Gospell had his pleasure in this life Lazarus pain but after their death their portions were not alike the pleasure of the one is turned into misery the miserie of the other into pleasure eternall happines Bodily pleasure nothing to a dying soule But suppose thou wouldest gaine the whole world and glut thy selfe with all maner of delights and pleapleasures what are all these vnto thee at the houre of thy death If thou being in extremitie of sicknesse shalt see thy seruants fare deliciously what gainest thou by their dainty fare Wilt thou say that thou art the better or gainest the more because thou art their Lord and Master No doubtles Apply this then vnto thy own soul If thy body florish and grow fat thy soule growing leane this plenty of external things what belongs it vnto thee For as the pleasure of a seruant doth no way benefit the miserie of a master nor costly apparell a weake body So whilest thou gluttest and pamperest thy bodie with pleasure and abundance of all things and sufferest thy soule to starue whereby it is subiect to eternall damnation how doe the pleasures of the body pleasure thee what canst thou giue for recompence of thy soule Math. 16.26 Hast thou any other which thou canst giue for it If thou wert the Lord and King of the whole world and wouldest offer it for a ransome for thy soule thou couldest not therewith redeeme it from eternal damnation What benefit then is it vnto thee though thou win the whole world and lose thy owne soule Or what good is it vnto thee for a few daies to rule and raigne vpon the earth and thereby to lose the kingdome of heauen Christ hath shed his most precious blood for thy soule Nothing more precious than the soule which hee would not doe for the whole world besides and and therfore thinke the price of thy soule to be very great since it could not bee redeemed but by the blood of Christ Iesus And wilt thou then lose this thy soule and damne it too buie a moment of pleasure with euerlasting torments What comparison can there bee betwixt that which is finite and that which is infinite betwixt breuitie and eternitie Wherfore deare brother it shall be good for thee to indure some paine in this life by repentance if that which bringeth a spirituall ioy may bee called a paine lest thou feele eternall paine in the life to come by reuenge By sorrow thou shalt come to ioy for Truth it selfe hath spoken it Matth. 5. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall bee comforted and by ioy and pleasure thou shalt come to sorrow the same Truth affirming it Luk. 6.25 Woe bee vnto you that laugh for yee shall waile and weepe He that sorroweth not when he is a stranger shall not laugh being a Citizen because the desire of his countrey is not in him and therefore whilest thy body is detained in this world send thy heart before into heauen But it is one thing to goe before or to go foorth in body another in heart hee goeth foorth in body that by the motion of his body changeth his place he goeth foorth in heart that changeth the affections of the heart Wherefore my deare brother for these causes The conclusion of these former Chapters manie more that might heere be spoken of thou maiest plainly see how fraile and vnconstant the condition of this life is insomuch that thou canst not secure thy selfe of a moment of time Which since so it is it cannot but be dangerous for thee to liue in that state wherin thou wouldest not willingly depart out of this life especially considering that the time of thy departure may happen at this verie houre or the next nay euery moment of thy life Whilest thou art sound healthfull thy repentance is sound when thou art weak and sickly that is weake too when thou art dead that is dead too The time of life is short which though thou passe well and blessedly yea suffer much affliction for thy Sauiour Christ Iesus yet at the houre of thy death thou wilt wish thou hadst suffered much more Eccles 12. Remember therfore thy Creator in the daies of thy youth and be not slow
then what will the speech of the people bee of mee and how ridiculous shall I be to my best friends Res Men perhaps my deare brother will speake ill of thee but yet onely euill men who for the most part thinke those mad men whose example they cannot yet ought to imitate who dispraise that vertue they will not follow commend that vice which they embrace If this they did out of iudgement not rather out of ignorance and malice there were reason why thou shouldest be mooued therewith It is a commendable thing to bee commended by commendable men and there is no greater dispraise than the praise of the wicked But let vs yeeld so much to thy obstinacie that thou art heereby made ridiculous to good men too yet this should bee no reason to deter thee from that which is iust and right For the speech of men and their slanders cannot deliuer thee from the fire of hell A mans conscience a thousand witnesses but the feare of God and thy iust dealing proceeding from a liuely faith in the merits of Christ Iesus whether thou bee praised or dispraised returne into thy selfe and thy owne conscience if there thou finde not any thing that is woorthy commendations thou art rather to be pitied than admired and if there thou finde not that euill for which thou art dispraised thou art to reioice in the Lord and to contemne the bad speeches of other men For what is it to thee though men praise thee if thy conscience accuse thee Or why shouldest thou bee sorrie if all men accuse thee when thy owne conscience shall defend thee Our glory and our reioycing 2. Cor. 1. Iob 17. saith Saint Paul is the testimonie of our conscience And Iob saith Loe my witnesse is in heauen and my record is on high Why art thou troubled with the censures of men so long as thou knowest God to bee thy Iudge that must iudge them and thee If thy witnesse bee in heauen and in thy heart suffer fooles to speake their pleasure and grieue not at it So long as thou seekest the glory and praise of men and to please their eie and their eare thou carest not to please him that seeth thee from heauen if thou wilt serue men thou canst not be the seruant of Christ What is more vile more base than to affect glorie and honor amongst men and not to feare confusion ignominie in the presence of the highest Iudge Thou art more carefull to satisfie the eie of man than of God and thou art not afraid to do that before God which before man thou art ashamed of yea thou louest more the outward applause of the people than the inward peace of thy minde the puritie of thy conscience Amongst men thou desirest to seeme that thou art not pure when thou art most impure outwardly rich when thou art inwardly poore outwardly full when inwardly emptie outwardly gaie when inwardly naked outwardly a Lord when inwardly a seruant outwardly the seruant of God when inwardly the seruant of the diuell outwardly a man inwardly a beast outwardly a saint when inwardly execrable and odious to God and man If thou didest desire glorie in heauen thou wouldst not feare shame and ignominie vpon earth for euery man where he seeketh glorie there hee feareth confusion What shall it profit thee if the world shal commend thee and extoll thee to the heauens since the praises of men cannot heale a wounded conscience nor the opprobrious speeches of a slanderer wound a good conscience What good shall the glorie of this world doe thee if in hell where thou shalt be thou bee ignominiously tormented and in the world where thou art highly extolled It is a folly to measure thy owne worth by the opinion of the common people in whose power it is at their pleasure to praise and dispraise to giue honour and to take it away againe And therefore if thou place thy glory in their lips thou shalt be sometimes great somtimes little sometimes nothing at all as it shal please the toongs of flatterers to commend or condemne thee Glory flies him that followeth it and followeth him that flies it There is one only honour to bee desired of a Christian man and that is not to bee praised of men but of God And if thou contemne humane glory be sure that God will glorifie thee liuing and dead too It is a dishonourable thing for thee being a Christian and a follower of Christ to be affected with the scornes and slanderous speeches of other men and thereby to bee withdrawen from good works since thou knowest that thy Sauiour Christ Iesus endured the like scornes and woorse Matth. 10. For if they call the master of the house Beelzebub how much more his houshold seruants Christ Iesus contemning the vaine praises of men refused the offered glory of a Kingdome and was content to take vpon him the ignominious death of the Crosse and being the Sonne of God was called the sonne of a carpenter a transgressour of the law a seducer of the people a blasphemer of God a wine bibber a friend of sinners and Publicans and yet fearest thou a base worme of the earth the slanders of men for that for which the God of Maiestie and the Lord of the Saboth hath suffered by men so opprobrious speeches Doest thou feare to displease those whom Christ displeased for thee Wilt thou seeme glorious in the world when Christ would be contemned and scoft at for thee Christ was mocked of the Iewes and wilt thou be honored Wilt thou deck thy selfe with goodly apparell when Christ by the Iewes was clothed with ignominious garments hung naked vpon the Crosse for thee Matth. 10. The disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his lord Why then art thou proud thou dust and ashes why gloriest thou in thy gay clothes the worme is spred ouer thee and the wormes couer thee Esay 14.1 But to say the trueth thou that thinkest thy selfe so goodly a creature when thou hast trimmed thy selfe in thy best attire what art thou but a pain̄ted sepulchre painted without but full of stench and rottennesse within For though thy flesh be adorned with pretions garments what is it more than flesh that is a stincking seed a sacke of corruption worms meat Flesh is dissolued into rottennesse rottennesse into wormes wormes into dust what is more stincking than a dead mans carcase what more horrible than a dead man That countenance which in life was most beautifull in death is most gastly most horrible Thou art earth in thy original a sparke in the breuitie of thy life dust and ashes in the condition of thy death As fire speedily turnes stubble into sparks so death as speedily turnes thee and thy glory into ashes O if thou couldest truly consider what thou art according to thy body thou wouldest presently be ashamed of the beautie and riches of thy garments and thou wouldest vse them
this time hee hath repented and God hath pardoned and if God haue wilt not thou Wilt thou still persecute him whom God hath absolued and require that debt that God hath pardoned God is made a friend to thy penitent brother and art thou still his enemie Wilt thou hurt him whom God loueth Take heed I say for if thou bee contrarie to God in his works thou art not Gods friend but his enemy What good would this thy furious and reuengeful mind do thee if to day which may fall out thou shouldest happen to die Doest thou think that when thou art buried in hell thou canst hurt thy enemy yet liuing and reuenge thy wrongs Yea rather he is strongly reuenged of thee in that thy hatred towards him hath brought thee to that place and that hee whilest thou art in torment hath time to begge mercy at Gods hand to obtaine his grace in this life and his glory in the life to come Wherfore deare brother that thou maiest truely loue thy brother being hurt hurt not being slandered slander not hate not him that hateth thee detract not from him that detracteth from thee for it is a more grieuous thing to ouercome a wrong by patience than by reuenge Whether the wrong be iustly or iniustly offered beare it patiently euer remembring that thou hast deserued more greater things for thy sinnes Which thy great and manifold sinnes if thou wilt haue forgiuen thou must needes forgiue those few and small trespasses thy enemie hath committed against thee CHAP. IIII. That by the example of Christ it is no hard matter for a man to pardon his neighbour as often as he offendeth BVT perhaps thou wilt say it is not once that he hath wronged me but many and sundrie times and still he hates me and persecutes me and therfore who can indure it Resp My deare brother as often as thy brother shall sinne against thee Matth. 18 21. so often doeth the Lord command thee to forgiue him To whom Peter came and said Master how oft shal my brother sinne against mee and I shall forgiue him Vnto seuen times Iesus said vnto him I say not to thee vnto seuen times but vnto seuen times seuen times See heere hee setteth downe a finite number for an infinite as if he should say as often as thy brother shall sinne against thee so often forgiue him How greatly and how often soeuer thou sinnest against God so often out of an humble and contrite spirit and an assured hope in the mercies of Christ Iesus thou asking forgiuenesse hee forgiueth and yet shall it seeme a greeuous and an irkesome thing vnto thee a vile and base worme to forgiue thy brother Man can but lightlie wrong thee and seemeth it so heauy a thing to thee not to bee reuenged If thy brother sinne against thee seuentie times seuen times forgiue him yea if a hundred times nay how often soeuer yet forgiue him As often as hee offends thee so often forgiue him if thou wilt that Christ shall forgiue thee as often as thou offendest If thy brother hate thee hate not thou him if hee persecute thee persecute not him but arme thy self against him with the armour of patience not of furie that if he will needs perish thou perish not with him but he die and be damned aliue without thy company But thou wilt say it is a hard thing euer to beare and forbeare and to bridle thy wrath against him Res Yea rather my deare brother it is a more hard and difficult thing to keepe malice rancor in thy heart than to quit thy selfe of it there is no labour in learning it much in retaining it To be freed from anger brings rest and peace to the mind and it is an easier thing to forget iniuries than to remember them There is nothing more greeuous to a man than the remembrance of forepassed wrongs and one man cannot wish a greater mischiefe to another than to wish him haunted with this diuell malice and desire of reuenge For as the first thing that a worme feeds vppon is the wood wherein he is bred so wrath doth first hurt and afflict his hart from whence it springeth Thy minde of it selfe is vnquiet enough and doest thou with hatred and malice increase and exasperate it Thou hast many other crosses from outward causes and yet thou increasest thy burthen and art not at peace with thy owne heart First suppresse thy familiar enemie that is thy carnall concupiscence before thou prouide to make warre against others For though thou be able to ouercome all the enemies thou hast yet new will arise whereof some will sooner oppresse thee than thou all See now which of the two is the more easie to retaine rancour or to leaue it As it is easie and light for an humble man to quit himselfe of enuie and malice so is it a matter of great difficultie to a man of a proud spirit If thou call to mind the passion of Christ there is nothing so hard that with a willing mind thou maist not beare Doest thou not remember how much more hard and bitter things Christ hath suffered when he laid downe his own soule for thee How great and how many slanderous reproches sufferered he of the Iewes How many blowes How many scourgings being mute and silent How patientlie turned hee not his face from the prophane spittings of wicked men How meekly did he yeeld his diuine head to the crown of thorns How contentedly when hee was thirsty did hee take the bitternesse of gall How willingly being life it selfe did he suffer death But who and by whom hath hee suffered these cruelties The creator by his creatures God by men the lord by his seruants the giuer of all good things by vngrateful wretches than which what thing can bee more intolerable And yet being scourged with whips crowned with thorns wounded with nailes crucified being vnmindfull of all these his miseries and torments hee still pitieth those that pitie not him healeth those that wound him giueth life to those that kil him when with a pleasing acceptance much deuotion of spirit fulnesse of charity hee doth not only spare vnto his enemies the life of that holy Lambe but praieth vnto his Father for them saying Luke 23. Father forgiue them they know not what they doe Heere consider the manifold miseries of his body there the manifold mercies of his heart and neuer forget his abundant charitie and wonderfull patience for he tolerateth those hee could punish and cast into the bottomlesse pit of hell Hee that iudgeth and to whom the Father hath giuen all iudgement will not reuenge himselfe but forgetteth and forgiueth his wrongs yea praieth for his persecutors leauing vnto vs an example of his patience that we may follow his steps that as often as others shall offend vs we may bee stirred vp to patience not reuenge For if our master when hee was murdered did loue his enemies how much more
consider how great ioies are promised vnto thee in heauen how great torments are prepared for thee in hell which that thou maiest auoid and attaine the ioies of heauen see how easie a thing it is that is required of thee in this world that is Psal 51.4 onely with a contrite heart and an assured faith in the merits of Christ Iesus to cry out against thee Psal 32.5 O Lord against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse Which if from thy hart thou vtter vnto God he will remit thy sinnes and will remember thy iniquities no more yea before thy mouth can vtter this confession thou shalt feele in thy hart thy remission and with ioy comfort thou shalt assure thy selfe thy sinnes are forgiuen thee God requireth this confession out of a pure heart to no other end but to forgiue The mercy of our redeemer hath tempered the seueritie of the old law wherein it is often written Exod. 19. Hee that doth this or that shall be stoned to death But our Creator who hath turned the rigour of the law into mercy hath appeared in our flesh Leuit. 20. and hath promised mercy not death to as many as shall truely repent and confesse their sinnes O wonderfull compensation strange vicissitude of things That a man should reueale those sinnes vnto God that were neuer hidden from him and yet for so poore a seruice receiue so vnspeakeable a reward as remission of sinnes The prophet Dauid hauing committed that heinous and blooddy sinne against Vriah had no sooner cried out vnto the Lord I haue sinned but presently hee receiued comfort The Lord hath remooued thy sinne from thee The prodigall sonne Luke 15. who departing from his father spent his substance with riotous liuing did only say Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and presently his father running out to meet him kissed him O short speech I haue sinned three words that shut the mouth of hell and open the gate of Paradise O pity ô clemency ô the vnspeakable mercie of our God who in many things is grieuously offended and with one word of repentance is presently pleased forgiueth all our sinnes and openeth his bosom of mercy vnto vs There is no offence so grieuous but by repentance it may be pardoned and the Lord knoweth not how to denie him that with an humble contrite heart falleth downe before him for he that before this humble confession was the God of reuenge becommeth afterwards the Father of mercie and of a seuere Iudge hee is made a pitifull Father It changeth the sentence of his diuine iustice and openeth to the bottomlesse depth of thy miserie the bottombles depth of his mercies to the fountaine of thy iniquitie the fountaine of his goodnesse It giueth vnto thee to whom neither the heauens nor the earth are secure refuge and securitie in the bowels of Christ Iesus Christ hath opened his side vnto thee doe thou likewise open thy mouth vnto him and say Loe I will not refraine my lips ô Lord thou knowest And therefore my deare brother why fearest thou to confesse thy sins vnto God since by not confessing thou canst not hide them By confessing thou shalt make God propitious vnto thee whom by denying thy sinnes thou canst not make ignorant of them In his iudgement hee will spare thee if in thy confession thou spare not thy self If we acknowledge our sins 1. Ioh. 1.9 hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse CHAP. II. That nothing is hidden from God and that at the day of iudgement the secrets of all hearts shall bee reuealed THou slaue of sin whither fliest thou Thou carriest with thee thy selfe whither soeuer thou fliest Thine own conscience flies thee not it hath no place to flie vnto It followeth thee it departs not from thee The sinnes it hath committed are within which do miserably afflict it and whilest the gnawing worme dies not in it euen in this life it feeles the torments of hell The corruption that is in an vlcer greeues not being cast out and sin tormenteth not when by confession it is detected But thou thinkest otherwise and so long as thy sins are secret vnto thy selfe all is well But thou must vnderstand that howsoeuer men are ignorant of thē yet from God they cannot be hid Men look vpon the outside God searcheth the hart God seeth not as man seeth man lookes vpon the face God vpon the heart There is no creature inuisible to his eies but all things are naked and open vnto him He seeth he beholdeth all things neither is there any place hidden from his omnipotencie To him all hearts lie open all wils speake and hee pierceth into the depth of euery mans thoughts he inquireth more exactly into them than the heart it self knoweth them more inwardly And therfore there can bee no place to lying none to dissimulation and it profiteth nothing to include thine own sinnes within thine owne conscience for thy inward parts lie open vnto God and as thy eares are to thy voice so the eares of God are to thy thoughts Canst thou then thinke thy selfe hid from God since the secrets of thy heart lie open vnto him Canst thou thinke hee sees thee not committing vncleannesse that saw thy first thought when thou wentest about it He knowes all things before they are and canst thou thinke he knowes them not when they are Before thou diddest commit these sinnes hee knew them when thou diddest commit them hee was present and canst thou think if thou confesse them not he can be ignorant of them Yea by how much the more thou refusest to confesse thy sinnes by so much the more doest thou lay them open before God Thou hidest not thy selfe from the Lord but the Lord from thee for thou takest a course not to see him that seeth all things not that hee should see thee Thou canst not see him but yet inuisibly hee seeth all that thou doest Doest thou thinke thy sinnes are not seene by him because they are not punished by him Yea hee is so much the more angrie with thee because hee vouchsafeth not euen now to bee angrie with thee Now is the begining of thy damnation because thou abusest the patience and long sufferance of so good and mercifull a God For the Lord hath seene thy sinnes not that he might approoue them but condemne them not to fauour them but to punish them not that hee might alwaies suffer and attend but at the last punish thee with a more heauie reuenge For doest thou thinke that God is like vnto thee That he seeth thy sinnes and will let them passe vnpunished Indeed he were like vnto thy selfe if he would do so but assure thy selfe he doth but deferre the punishment he taketh it not away Thou on the other fide wilt not only not punish them but
castest them behind thy backe lest thou shouldest see them And as a man with a deformed countenance refuseth to look in a glasse lest he should loath himselfe so doest thou turne thine eies from thine ownesinnes lest thou shouldest grow sad with the sight of their pollution and so because thou seest them not thou thinkest that God is blinde too But thou art deceiued my deare brother and much deceiued for God searcheth the very hidden secrets of thy heart and hee knoweth not only thine outward actions but thine inward intentions that God that thou hast now a witnes of thy sinnes thou shalt haue one day a reuenger of them He is a Iudge a iust Iudge and a reuenger of iniquitie How then shall he iudge vniustly Hee hath held his peace shall hee euer hold his peace Hee hath beene silent because he hath proroged his mercy because he hath not presently punished thy sins but hee hath dissembled thy iniquities and giuen a time of repentance but will hee euer bee silent No hee will call thee to an account and in a time of vengeance hee will destroy thee The day will come yea it will come and not stay when with angels and archangels and thrones and dominations and with all the host of heauen the great Iudge will appeare 1. Cor. 4.5 the heauens and earth being on fire and all the elements armed for their Creator against his creatures Then will the Lord lighten things that are hid in darkenesse and make the counsels of the hearts manifest and euery mans actions words and thoughts shall be layd open mens hearts shal speak their tongues shall be silent In that fearefull day shall all the pollutions of sinnes bee discouered in the sight of the whole world Esai 47.3 Then shall thy filthinesse be discouered and thy shame shal be seene of all the angels good and euill of all men elect and reprobates The day will come wherein thy whole life shall bee set downe as in a table and thou shalt stand before the tribunall seat of God where it shal appeare vnto all how thou hast liued Thou shalt carrie the booke of thine own condemnation and shalt shew it open to all the world Consider therefore thine end and in what maner thou shalt stand before so seuere a iudge to whom nothing is hid frō whom thou canst hide nothing by holding thy peace and whom thou canst not deceiue by denying who is not pleased with gifts and taketh no excuses but what is iust that he iudgeth There it shal be impossible to be hid intollerable to appeere Then as a straight Iudge hee shall require what as a kinde and louing father he now commandeth as masters teach children the first elements of their learning with flatterie but if they profit not vse the rodde Now the admonitions of God calling vs are pleasing and flattering but then the iustice of him that iudgeth iustly shall bee strait seuere By how much the more gentle he hath bin dissembling thy sins the more patient in expecting thy cōuersion the more ready to cōfer his grace vpon thee by so much the more cruell will he be in his chasticement the more hard to heare and the more implacable to punish What terrour doest thou thinke there shall then bee when without thou shalt see a seuere Iudge within before thine eies thine owne sinnes What feare when there shall be no remedy in punishment What astonishment to see him angrie whom the mind of man can not conceiue be-being milde and mercifull What confusion when by reason of the guilt of thy owne conscience thou shalt blush and be ashamed in the presence of men and angels Thou art ashamed to see the secret parts both of the soule and bodie much more to see those of another man how much then wilt thou be ashamed that thine owne should be seene of all A modest and chaste matron would blush though shee were neuer so beautifull if to her shame she should be stript naked before as many as can behold her much more if she were deformed in her bodie but most of all if besides all this all the infirmities and corruptions of her heart should bee laid open Heereby gather what thy shame shall be when be-before all men and angels thou shalt appeere naked of good works nay ouerladen with many grieuous and enormous sinnes euen horrible to thy selfe If a man should now aske thee whether in the sinne of pride or auarice or luxurie or any other sin thou be the seruant of the diuell though it be so yet thou wilt blush to confesse it how much more wilt thou bee ashamed at the day of iudgement when thy works shall prooue thee a slaue to the diuell It wil happen vnto thee as to children who being asked of their parents denie their offence and therefore are more grieuously punished for their lie than for their offence and so being compelled with stripes they confesse the trueth whereas if at the first they had confessed and craued pardon they had escaped the rodde Wherfore deare brother set before thine eies thy fearfull Iudge feare hee is coming that when hee is come thou be secure and not fearefull to appeare before him For as here vpon earth when two shall stand before a Iudge the one fearefull by reason of his guiltie conscience the other secure by reason of his innocencie the one to be punished the other rewarded so in that fearefull day the elect and reprobate shall both stand before their Iudge but not both after one maner because hee shall bee a milde and a mercifull God vnto the iust a God of vengeance vnto the wicked they shall receiue the reward of eternall blessednesse these cast out from the presence of God to eternall torment in hel fire Feare therefore now lest thou feare then and let his feare prouoke thee to confesse thy sinne and banish the feare of men By so much the more secure shalt thou be in his presence by how much the more carefull thou art here of thy conscience Look therefore now vpon the foulnesse of thy soule that thou maiest amend it lest heereafter thou see it and be ashamed of it Ascend into the tribunall of thy own soul and set thy selfe before thy selfe bee thine owne impartiall Iudge And so in this iudgement let thine own thoughts be thy accusers and thy conscience thy witnesse Let the feare of God vrge this iudgement reason iudge and repentane mortifie thee For if in the world to come thou wilt flie the iudgement of God in this present world iudge thy selfe for if thou iudge thy selfe thou shalt not bee iudged of God If thou wilt flie from the anger of God flie vnto his mercie by confessing thy sinnes not by concealing thē Thou maiest confesse hide thou canst not Begin therefore with an humble confession of thy sins to enter into the mercy of God and to the end thou maiest be iustified bee thine owne accuser For God is
iust and hateth sin and will not suffer it to goe vnpunished but yet he is likewise mercifull and pardoneth sinne to him that repenteth hee keepeth iustice in mercy and mercy in iustice and therefore it cannot bee but that a iust God will iustly haue mercy vpon thee And therfore can it seeme vnto thee but iust requisite that thou confesse thy selfe a miserable creature that thou maist obtaine mercy Wilt thou that thy sinnes be forgiuen thee and yet wilt thou not seem a sinner What can it profit thee to haue a close a hidden conscience since thou hast God a witnesse of all thy wickednesse Whatsoeuer thou doest God is a spectatour and a perpetuall obseruer of all euen the least thoughts of thy heart And as when wee know that our enemy lies in wait for vs by so much the more we fear him by how much the lesse we see him when we cannot find his snares where they are we fear them where they are not So the creatour of Heauen and Earth who being whollie euerie where seeth thee and cannot be seen of thee is so much the more to be feared by how much the more being inuisible when and how and what he seeth of thy actions thou knowest not Sin there where thou knowest him not to be and if there be no such place but that hee is euer present with thee and seeth all thy secrets how much reason hast thou to watch thy hands and thy tongue and thy hart too that doest all things in the presence of an alseeing God Which if thou wouldest duly consider of thou wouldest bee ashamed of many shamefull actions thou committest in the sight of so great and so omnipotent a God The Fifth Part of the exhortation to repentance CHAP. I. That God is not subiect to passion and neuer forsakes a sinner before a sinner forsakes him FIftly thou wilt say that thou couldest bee content to repent but that God who hath mercy on whom he wil Rom. 9.18 whom he wil he hardneth for thy manifold and grieuous offences hath withdrawen his grace from thee hath forsaken thee and hardned thee in thy sins And therfore since it is not in him that willeth Ibidem nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy to shake off the yoke of sinne from thy shoulders thou despairest of power to decline from euill and to do good because thou hast made God without whom thou canst not so much as thinke a good thought thine enemie Ibidem Res O man who art thou that pleadest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made mee thus Forasmuch 〈…〉 is made of the earth 〈…〉 worthy to enter into the bottemelesse depth of the iudgements of God neither are the senses of thy flesh sufficient to penetrate into the secrets of so high a maiestie Better is faithfull ignorance though ignorance of good things cannot be good than rash knowledge God hath created thee not to prie into him but to honour him to the end thou shouldest bee an obedient seruant to his precepts not a Iudge of his actions It should suffice a Christian who liueth by faith and as yet seeth not what is perfect but onely hopes to see it to beleeue that with God there can bee no iniustice though the cause of his iustice may bee vnknowen otherwise he that searcheth into the maiesty of God shall bee oppressed by his glory But yet thou iudgest of God in whom there is no gall nor bitternesse who is immutable impassible as thou iudgest of men It seemeth iust vnto man to reuenge his wrong to God to remit and forgiue an offence to him that is penitent It is the maner of a master when he is offended by his seruant to forbidde him his sight to turne his face from him to denie him forgiuenesse but yet betwixt God and thee it is otherwise for thogh thou by the pride of thy heart be turned from God and God in iustice turned from thee yet when with an humble contrite heart thou turnest to him hee disdaineth not with mercie and compassion to turne vnto thee And yet notwithstanding he that from all eternities hath beene alwaies immutable is no way subiect to change or alteration the simplicitie of his nature no perturbation can wound no passion can affect But forasmuch as wee can not speake of God but after the maner of men therefore wee call the temporall punishment of God his anger the sentence of eternall damnation his furie the free bountie of his goodnesse his mercie and so of the rest because these are the works of a man angrie furious mercifull and diuersly affected but yet so that alwayes we censure him a good God we seeke him in the simplicitie of our hearts and we assure our selues there is nothing in him that is not God himselfe For he executeth a heauy iudgment without passion and punisheth the vnrighteous being milde and mercifull Neither in these or any his other works whatsoeuer is there in him any alteration or shadow of changing And as heere by the heat of the sunne manie things are brought to passe without any change in it self or in the heat thereof but onely in those things vpon which it worketh so the God of the whole world according to his eternall will doth euery day create many things and giues them existence without any motion or change of himselfe But yet as a mariner when the ship lancheth from the shore thinks the shore parts from him whereas that remaines firme and immoueable he departeth from it And as if a man shut his eyes refusing to beholde the sunne there is no alteration in the sun but in his eyes so God whilest he doth any thing that seemeth new vnto vs though it were in his will before all beginnings and either sheweth mercie or powreth his vengeance vpon a man whilest man by sinne is turned from God there is no change in God but only in man carying himselfe after a diuers maner But thou departest from God not by any locall distance because as the soule of a man is all in all the body and all in euery part thereof and yet because it hath the greatest operation in the hart is sayd especially to reside there so God though especially he be said to be in heauen because there hee communicateth his glorie to his saints yet he is wholly euery where substantially and filleth the globe of the whole world though to our carnall eyes the simplicitie of his nature bee inuisible This his presence in all places is knowen euery where whilest in all things that are created there appeareth his cooperation sustentation and gubernation without which they would presently vanish and fall to nothing as the presence of our owne soules can no otherwise bee descried than by the vitall operations thereof in it own body Thou departest therfore from God not by any locall separation because thou
helpe but he that refuseth it and neglecteth the asking of it Reade ouer the whole life of Christ and thou shalt find none that hath euer cried out Iesu thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me but presently he obreined mercy He healed the sicke fed the hungrie eased those that laboured strengthned the weake clensed the leprous gaue sight vnto the blinde raised the dead absolued the penitent Wherefore deare brother say no more heereafter vnto me I am proud couetous wanton polluted with all manner of iniquitie and therefore I cannot bee saued I will not haue thee alledge these or the like excuses thou hast examples of all sorts thou maiest flie vnto what hauen thou wilt If thou haue fainted in thy faith looke vpon Peter If thou haue robbed thy neighbour consider the theefe if thou haue beene vnchaste looke vpon Marie Magdalene and so of the rest who haue fallen into the same sinne that thou hast but yet haue not despaired of pardon as thou doest and therfore comming with faith and confidence in the merits of Christ Iesus to the throne of his diuine mercie haue found more grace and mercy than they had reason in respect of their owne sinnes to looke for Be thou likewise by their example as confident as they were faint not but by repentance turn vnto God If thou aske the same mercy that they did doubtlesse thou shalt obtaine the same mercy that they did Aske and thou shalt receiue seeke and thou shalt finde The Lord knoweth not how to deny it vnto him that with an humble and contrite hart shal beg it at his hands CHAP. IIII. That God denieth not merâ—â—â— him that conuerteth since 〈◊〉 inuiteth him that is auerted from him to conuersion BVt thou wilt say I consider with my selfe what a difference there is betwixt God and mee and that I am deseruedly excluded from his presence and therefore despairing to obtaine mercie and accounting my selfe vnworthy to come vnto him I dare not lift vp mine eies vnto heauen Res God my deare brother whose nature is goodnesse it selfe is altogether milde and mercifull and more prone to pitie and compassion than to reuenge he is rich in mercy and bountifull in grace It is his propertie alwaies to haue mercie and to forgiue and therefore he cannot denie him mercy that with a coÌ„trate hart beggeth it at his hands He despiseth no penitent sinner but him that doubreth whether hee may aske for no man hath hoped in him and hath be ene confounded No man in time hath begged mercy and hath taken the repulse If God did not heare sinners in vaine had that Publican said O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner He that iudgeth will bee intreated not to punish sinners hee that knoweth how much reason he hath to be angrie with vs looks that they that haue as much reason to intreat should by praiers obtaine mercy at his hands He will be pacified by intreatie that knows how insupportable his anger is He is a witnesse to himself that hee desireth to haue mercie on those that call vpon him in that he prouoketh vs therunto Ps 50.15 Call vpon me saith he in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shak glorifie me And in another place Math. 7.7 Aske and it shall bee giuen vnto you Seeke and yee shall finde Knocke and it shall be opened vnto you If our carnall parents yea which are euill can giue to their children good gifts how much more shall your Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him If thou doubt to come vnto God because of thy sinnes be confident to come because of that goodnesse which as a father hee oweth to his sonne Be bold with him in whose image thou seest thy selfe woonderfull in whose similitude surpassing excellent What fearest thou his Maiestie who maiest gather confidence from thy originall The generous alliance of the soule with God is not idle and the similitude is a witnesse of the â—lliance Euery like doeth willingly admit his like into societie and by nature like will to like The Mediatour betwixt God and man Christ Iesus made man for men sheweâ— himselfe milde and merciful to men And lest there shoulâ— remaine vnto thee any cause of despaire and to the 〈◊〉 hee might shew vnto the man what hope thou maieâ— haue with God God waâ— made man and thy aduocare thy Iudge He will not deny himselfe to him that asketh who of his own accord offered himself to him that asked not he seeking shall find him who gaue the meanâ— to finde to him that soughâ— not and will open to him that knocketh that stands a the doore and incessantly knocketh The conuersion 〈◊〉 a sinner delighteth him and canst thou conuerting despaire of forgiuenesse He desireth more to pardon â—han thou to be pardoned to â—orgiue thy sinnes than thou â—o forsake them and to reâ—ent thee of them He is more willing to sane thee by his â—ercy than thou to perish â—y thy sinnes thou wouldest â—ie by sinning but he wil not â—hy death but still expecteth hee to repentance He standâ—th with much loue and chaâ—itie at the doore of thy hart â—rying Pro. 23. My sonne giue mee â—hy heart and he professeth â—f himselfe Apoc. 3. If any man will â—pen vnto me I will come in vnto him If a poore man hauing â—ighly offended his king hall first be sollicited by his â—ing to peace and reconcilement it is a great argument of his princely benignitie now since with great conâ—â—dence a poore man should come vnto God doest thoâ— feare to bee conuerted vnto him that intreateth thee to turne vnto him and yet not only is not turned from those that turne vnto him but turneth to those that turne from him and exhorteth them to conuersion Eze. 18.31 Why will ye die saith the Lord ô house of Israel returne and come vnto me Iere. 3.1 and ye shall liue And iâ— another place If a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and become another mans shall he returne againe vnto her shall she not be polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many louers yet turne again to me saith the Lord. He bringeth in the similitude of a woman that hath been vntrue to her husband and is put away by him that he may tell vs how mercifull he is that he putteth not vs away Thou hast played the harlot with many louers yet turne againe to me saith the Lord. See here hee calleth vnto him that sinfull soule which before hee pronounced polluted to receiue it into the bosome of his pitie which is alwaies open neither doth he contemn a spotted life What tongue is sufficient to expresse the inward compassion of so mercifull a God What heart is not astonished at the riches of so vnspeakable mercie Hee is despised and yet expecteth seeth himselfe to be contemned yet ceaseth not to call Hee hath a long time stayed the sentence
good God is since it can be well with none that depart from him Let vs returne at the last vnto our selues and descending as it were from heauen let vs looke a litle vpon what is our owne Doe wee thinke wee shall go into the house of the Lord What are we that we should goe thither Mortall and abiect creatures earth and ashes But yet he that hath promised is our father and is omnipotent Can not he make an angell of a man who made a man of the earth By life we are men by hope angels to whom in our countrey we shall be like and equall A merchant when he buyes a thing and takes assurance for it though as yet he haue not his wares yet he secures himselfe he shall haue them God the Father hath promised vnto vs his glorie and for an earnest pennie in the meane time he hath giuen vs his only Sonne in the Sacrament of his bodie and blood and hath inspired into our hearts his holy Spirit There with an open face we shall see him with greater ioy and more securely whom heere we see mystically yet fruitfully in his Sacrament Despaire not therefore to come to this place and expect the promise of thine inheritance Hope is necessarie for a wandring pilgrime it is that that comforts him in the way for a traueller that laboreth in his iourney is therfore content with patience to beare his labour because at last he hopes to come to the end thereof take away his hope of the end and his strength failes him hee is presently wearie with going A Physitian drawes forth his instrument to lance a wound and he sayth to his Patient Be patient and beare a little in the paine he requires patience but after the paine he promiseth health but the sicke bodie except he proposed vnto him hope of recouery he would faint in that paine which he endureth In the warres the hope of honor mitigateth the griefe of the wounds so to those that beare the yoke of Christ the hope of glory is a great comfort raiseth the minde vnto God and that euill which they outwardly beare inwardly they feele not Hope brings no small pleasure when that which was hoped is once attained Temporall things not had afflict when they are had seem base and contemptible Thou louest thy wife not yet maried whom perhaps thou hatest when thou hast her What is the reason thereof Because she appeareth not such being maried as thou didst conceit her to be before thou hadst maried her But God who is beloued being absent growes not more base being present the fruition findes more in him than the cogitation could forme or imagine of him We shall loue God more when we shall see him if we can loue him before we see him he is more feruently beloued being gotten than desired Except he be first loued he can not afterwards be possessed and yet he is not therefore possessed because he is beloued because it is necessarie and our dutie that aboue all things he be beloued Vanitie of vanities and all is vanitie how great a miserie is it to lose the Creatour for the creature to follow the shipwrack of this world and not rather flie to the Sanctuarie of God and to taste how sweet the Lord is and how great the multitude of his mercies If thou wouldest consider what and how great things are promised thee in heauen all things thou enioiest vpon earth would seeme base and contemptible What then is the reason dear brother that thou runnest not vnto heauen where thou shalt see God without end possesse him without losse loue him without loathing Many of thy parents brethren sisters and friends expect thee there millions of saints desire thy company now seâ—â—â—ed of their owne happines carefull of thine Of whose company lest thou shouldest be deceiued thou must vse thy best indeuor it is no difficult matter if thou wilt not burthensome if thou attend it Only repent and the kingdome of heauen is at hand To which he bring vs that liues and reigneth without end Amen By that which hath beene spoken The Conclusion of the sixth part thou plainly seest my dear brother how good and mercifull God is how ready to pardon sinnes The riches of whose goodnes the 〈…〉 considering calleth him not only a merciful God but mercy it selfe Thou God hast taken me vp thou art a mercifull God nay mercy it selfe Consider the bosome of his diuine goodnesse how open the lap of his mercy is and despaire not cast not downe thy selfe faint not with mourning the gate of mercy and the treasury of his goodnes is set wide open vnto thee and wilt thou fall into the bottomlesse pit of despaire God inuiteth thee to repentance he offereth forgiuenesse he putteth foorth the right hand of his helpe and doest thou turne thy face from him Heauen is set wide open vnto thee and wilt thou descend into the pit of hell The diuell knowing how excellent a thing repentance is hath tempted thee to this despaire hath taken from thee thy hope which is the foundation and anchor of thy saluation and the conductor of our iourney vnto God If therefore thou desire to escape the snares of the diuell and by hope to take holde of the mercies of God only depart from euill and do good for the first step to saluation is to decline from euill the second to hope for pardon Which hope of Gods mercie is not sufficient to saue thee without the feare of his iustice for in vaine shalt thou hope in his mercie except thou likewise feare his iustice For God who is mercifull is likewise iust and therefore considering how mercifull he is despaire not considering how iust neglect not thy sinnes There is no securer way than vnder hope to feare and to ioyne those two together lest perhaps an vnwarie minde may deiect it self by despair or fall by presumption It is to be feared lest thou fall into another bottomlesse pit and thou die by presuming of the mercy of God that couldest not die by despairing of it and thou haue in thy heart cogitations diuers from the former but not lesse dangerous and so thou beginnest in thy heart to say At what houre soeuer I shall repent God will put out all my wickednesse out of his remembrance and therefore why should I rather conuert to day than to morrow But my deare brother what if thine end bee before to morrow For hee that promiseth vnto thee so much mercy if thou repent promiseth not to morrow if thou persist in thy sinnes It is to bee feared lest whilest conuersion is put off to the end an vnexpected death may rather preuent then repentance helpe Lest therefore by hoping thou shouldest encrease thy sinne the day of thy death is vncertaine and lest by despaire thou shouldest encrease it there is offered vnto thee the hauen of repentance Which notwithstanding that in the 〈◊〉 of thy daies it bee good yet that
is better that is before thy end and a much more assured way to attaine vnto heauen where wee shall see God without end loue him and praise his holy name for euer and euer Amen The conclusion of this exhortation to repentance WIth the helpe and assistance of God I haue at the last according to that little measure of knovvledge that is in me my deare brother ansvvered thy obiections Novv it is time to grow to an end and to conclude these labours if I shall first admonish thee vvhen these exhortations vvhich vvere vvritten for thy good shal come into the hands of many that shall bee bettered by them not to suffer them to die in thee and to do thy selfe no good For as it is a dangerous thing vnto the body not to be able to receiue corporall sustenance so is it more dangerous to the soule to loath spirituall delicacies I knovv and am vvel assured that vvhen this my exhortatory Epistle shall come vnto thy hands thou vvilt call thy friends together and shevv it vnto them of them take counsell vvhat thou shalt doe who vvhilest they loue not thee but that vvhich is thine vvil speake nothing that may offend but flatter thee vvhich thou maiest the rather thinke because their former counsels euen in thine ovvn iudgment haue corrupted thee vvho to the end they may vvithdravv thee from that good counsell I giue thee to follovv theirs they vvill perhaps say vnto thee I see a mote in thine eie but cannot see the beame in mine ovvne that I dispraise thee being to bee commended and praise my selfe being no vvay praise vvorthy and that I goe about to heale others being full of vlcers and corruption my selfe I ingenuously and from my heart confesse my deare brother that those hands had need bee cleane that goe about to clense others and he had need to see the light that vvill iudge of darknesse and such a one I am not for I haue pictured out a faire man being a foule painter and I confesse I haue not alvvaies so liued as not to haue vvithin mee an accusing conscience But yet I direct thee to the shore of repentance vvhilest I flote in the sea of mine ovvn sins I am austere about thy life ouer gentle about mine ovvne vvhereas thou shouldest rather heare mee commanding thee vvhat is easie practising that is hard and difficult in my selfe Neuerthelesse he that hath said Doe vvhat they say Mat. 23. not vvhat they doe doeth thereby forbid vs to neglect the sound counsels of the righteous For as a good master by the seruice of a bad seruant may giue good a 〈◊〉 so by me though impenitent 〈◊〉 mercifull God may call thee to repentance But forasmuch as the authoritie of the speaker is lost vvhen the voice is not assisted with the vvorke it selfe and that voice doeth more pleasingly penetrate the hearts of men vvhich the life commends let me desire all that shall either read or heare this short exhortation and gather comfort vnto their soules out of these my labours to pray vnto God for me and to beg at his hands that vvhat I preach vvith my tongue or vvrite vvith my pen I may in deed performe that vvhilest I endeuour to raise others I may rise my selfe from my sinnes to the glorie oâ— Gods holy name and the saluation of mine ovvne soule Amen ERRATA PAg. 10. lin 17. guiltie before thy Iudge p. 97. l. 18. shalt cease to spoile p. 185. l. 9 more glorious p. 187. l. 3. â—eâ—enty times seuâ— times p. 189. l. 19 damned alone p. 190. l. â— in leauing it p. 330. l. 6. of a sinner p. 45â— l. 17. from the beginning
with his grace It is a hard thing and onely possibly to the power of God to soften the heart of a man for that which neither by the patience and long sufferance of God is woon to repentance nor is toucht with compunction that which is not broken with feare nor sofrned with loue but is hardned as well with scourges as with benefits lastly that which feareth neither God nor man who can rent in sunder but he that in his passion rent the vaile of the Temple Matt. 27 51. and cloue the stones Who can take away a stonie heart and giue a fleshy heart but hee from whom commeth euerie good and perfect gift euen the Father of light A great sinner hath need of great mercie that where sinue did abound grace may superabound The Lord is faithfull Wisd 1.13 hee hath not made death neither hath hee pleasure in the destruction of the liuing hee will not the death of a sinner but that he conuert and liue For he whose desire it is that sinners doe repent and therby returne vnto God wil not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue our strength but with the temptation will giue vs power to resist and by how much the more fraile we are and in greater necessitie so much the more ready is he to helpe vs if the fault bee not our owne as in the siege of a citie the greatest aide is sent to defend that place that is weakest and where the enemie is strongest The Lord is faithfull and hee that saieth Come vnto mee all yee that labour and are heauie laden and I will refresh you cannot denie himselfe For as a Physician suffereth many wrongs and railing speeches of his lunatike patient and yet is not angry with him but doeth neuerthelesse whatsoeuer the nature of the disease doeth require to the curing thereof wherewith though the sicke man bee afflicted yet on the part of the Physician his affliction is no reuenge of the wrongs receiued from his patient but the cure of his infirmitie in as much as if the sicke man being to recouer health the Physician receiueth ioy and comfort therat with greater alacritie proceedeth in his cure and forgetteth his former iniuries euen so our Lord God whose propertie it is to haue mercy and to forgiue who iudgeth with loue and with great respect disposeth of vs when we are in our greatest madnesse of sinne is neuer moued against vs with any affection of reuenge for those sins we hane committed And forasmuch as he is impassible he punisheth not our sinnes in this life with passible anger but with vnspeakable clemencie with the affection of a Physician not a torturer and that hee doeth not for himselfe as reuenging his wrongs for the nature of God is not capable of any such thing but for our correction and benefit As a louing mother is angry with her sonne that hath offended her reprehendeth him chidech beateth him whom neuerthelesse if she shall see to runne into any danger of his estate or life she presently helpeth him putteth foorth her hand nay endangereth her owne life to saue his and that childe whoÌ„ being angry she did beat as if she had not loued him now she holdeth him vp and saueth him as if she had not been angry when shee beat him Euen so God chastiseth vs for our finnes to protect vs sinners and for the most part out of his mercy he sendeth a temporal punishment lest out of his iustice he should inflict an eternall reuenge And if any man shall persist in his hardnesse and with Pharo grow more whose 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 hath long expected not connerted he adiudgeth to â—ernall damnation As a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his garden or 〈◊〉 planteth a tree not that 〈◊〉 should bee cut downe 〈◊〉 cast into the fire and 〈◊〉 when after a long expestâ—â— on he seeth it to bring 〈◊〉 no fruit he cutteth it down and burnes it So our 〈◊〉 full God cutteth off no 〈◊〉 from the land of the 〈◊〉 that yeeldeth any fruit 〈◊〉 testimonie of a true faith 〈◊〉 in that hee willeth the 〈◊〉 of a sinner it is by 〈…〉 sinne committed not of 〈◊〉 selfe but by his conseqâ—â—â— will as Diuines call it 〈◊〉 by he willeth for some 〈◊〉 alreadie done or before all beginnings foreseene and according to this will he would that all reprobates should bedamned whoÌ„ afterwards by his anteced ent will he would saue by al meanes ministing them occasion to attaine saluation As it is the will of a Law-giuer that all his Citizens should bee good and peaceable farre from committing those offences which vpon paine of death he hath forbidden and yet if his ownsonne bee he neuer so deare vnto him transgresse the law hee must die the death though it bee much against the will of his 〈…〉 by his owne 〈…〉 serued death 〈…〉 ture which in our 〈◊〉 rents was whole and entire by their sinne is wholly corrupted and hath altogether lost both righteousnesse and immortality wherby it could beget no other but corrupt vnrighteous and mortal children who as in Adam sining they haue sinned so in the same Adam dying they are dead And therfore whosoeuer hee bee that hath escaped death let him giue thanks vnto God in that hee hath escaped death that was due vnto him and found life not due vnto him To him that is deliuered mercie is shewen without desert to the end hee may giue thanks vnto God vpon him that his damned iustice is executed with desert to the end hee should reprehend nothing in God that neither he should glory in his owne worth nor this complaine of his owne vnwoorthinesse For how should God iustly be accused in his iudgements when hee iustly condemneth a guiltie offender When a debt is truly demanded how can the creditour be iustly condemned So that neither in requiring nor remitting what is due is God with whom there can be no iniustice vniust There is mercy acceptable where reuenge is iust that thereby it may more plainly appeare to him that is freed from iust punishment freely iustified how great a benefit is conferred vpon him in that another not more guiltie than himselfe without any iniustice in him that punisheth is iustly chastized Ro. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome knowledge of Godâ— how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out For who hath knowen the waies of the Lord or who hath beene his counsellour From that which hath been spoken thou maiest gather deere brother how thou runnest from one sinne into another and by long custom art hardned in them thou working it in thy selfe and God withdrawing hiâ— speciall grace from thee God is patient and of lonâ— sufferance hee tollerateâ— thee for beareth and expecteth thee to repentance being alwaies readie to take from thee thy stonie heart and to giue vnto thee a fleshie hart and to mollifie thy benummed insensible hardnesse with the deaw of his grace And though he
be Lord ouer all and hath care of all prouiding for all and euery particular person and gouerning al by his prouidence yet so maiest thou see him wholly imploied to the custodie and preseruation of thy selfe if thou stand vpon thy owne guard and apply thy wil vnto his will as if hee entended onely thy selfe and nothing els Onely doe thou depart from euill and doe good repent thee of al thy sinnes that thou hast committed and keepe the commandements of God and thou shalt liue and not die for it is not the will of God thou shouldest die but that thou return from thy wicked waies and liue Contemne not the treasures of the goodnesse and patience of God for the will of God prouoketh thee to repentance and inuiteth thee to amendement of life but thy hardnesse whereby thou obstinately perseuerest in thy sinnes increaseth the seuerity of thy iudgement to the end thou maiest receiue the due reward of thy sinnes Forasmuch therefore as thou art wicked and hast so good a father continue not alwaies wicked lest with Pharaâ— if thou persist in thy obduration thou purchase to thy selfe eternall damnation CHAP. III. That there is no man so great a sinner but by the power of the Creatour he may be conuerted BVT perhaps thou wilt say I haue beene so long accustomed to sinne that I can hardly change my life and turne from mine iniqui-quities According to that in the 22. of the Prou. Teach a child in the trade of his way and when hee is old hee shall not depart from it And in the 13. of Ieremiah Can the blank-more change his skin or the leopard his spots that may yee also doe that are accustomed to doe euill Res I confesse deare brother that it is a hard thing to make him that is old in euill daies yoong in good because the custome of sinning doth so enthrall the minde that it can hardly be set at libertie neuerthelesse faint not nor despaire at all if thou be either ouercome by the concupiscence of thy flesh or deceiued by errour or slipt into the way of iniquitie because there is no impossibilitie but that thou maiest bee reduced into the right waie and freed from thy sinne There haue beene many other grieuous offenders who by the right hand of the most high haue beene changed in their old age from the sinnes of their youth and of the seruants and slaues of sin haue beene made the sonnes of God Of drunkards they haue beene made sober men of cruell mercifull of oppressors liberall of proud humble of incontinent chaste of negligent diligent and whom the concupiscence of the flesh hath made base and vile the grace of God hath made beautifull In as much that they haue been willing to suffer wrong that were wont to offer it to giue their owne that were woont to take away other mens to punish their bodies by abstinence that were woont to pamper them to loue their persecuters that were wont to hate those that loued them Nabuchadnezzar after his great fall from a man to a beast Dan. 4. came to himselfe after innumerable afflictions repented and was restored to that kingdome which he had lost Mary Magdalen after many slips of humane fragilitie by true repentance was so kindled with the loue of Christ that of a proud and vnchaste harlot she was suddenly changed into an humble and chaste matron Matthew of a Publican became an Euangelist and the theefe of a wicked transgressor a true conuertite an inheritor of the kingdom of heauen wheÌ„ Stephen by the consent assistance of Paul was stoned Stephen was good and Paul wicked yet Paul became a more zealous preacher of the Gospell than Stephen and afterwards hee was made the Apostle of the Gentiles and he that before was a blasphemer and a persecuter was made a zealous and humble furtherer of the Gospell of Christ Iesus The beginnings amongst Christians are not looked into but the end these beganne ill but ended well The beginning of Iudas was commendable the end damnable from his Apostleship hee fell into hell the theefe from the crosse ascended into paradise What need I say more The Holy Ghost doth not onely set down the good deeds of the saints of God but their euill too that the fall of the iust may be the hope of the wicked and when thou readest that a righteous man sinned and repented thou mayest not despaire of thine owne saluation Wee often times see men spotted with infamie rise to honor and dignitie and iron eaten with rust recouer his ancient brightnesse gold and siluer purified with the fire and trees cut and lopped adorned with boughs leaues The merchant after his losses at sea returnes to sea againe and repaires his losses he despaireth not hee is not cast down but many times made rich by his new aduentures After a desperate sicknesse many recouer health and after desperate sinnes many recouer the health of their soules That in the Prouerbs Teach a childe in the trade of his way c. is therefore spoken because a vessel doth a long time keep the sent and relish of that liquor that is first put into it and by nature we keepe those things best which we haue learned in our yonger yeers not that it alwayes falleth out so but for the most part whilest the age of a man is vnsetled and the minde easily led it is a happy thing to be led vnto the best to the studie of virtue lest being stricken in yeeres hee hardly shake off those sinnes which hee gaue himselfe vnto in his youth An Ethiopian can hardly change his skinne nor alâ—â—pard his spots neither canst thou that of thy selfe art fallen into sinne of thy selfe rise again except God who raiseth the needie out of the dust Psa 113.7 and lifteth vp the poore out of the mire put forth his right hand to helpe thee by which his helpe thou shalt be able to doe any thing but yet not thou but the grace of God which is in thee For how should he want power to raise thee being fallen that was able of nothing to create all things With him all things are possible that with men are impossible his power is no lesse than his will if hee will hee can make thee cleane who as hee clenseth and healeth so he saueth with his onely word If thou despaire of thy disease presume of the omnipotencie of thy Physitian the power of thy Physitian is greater than thy disease is dangerous the danger of thy disease thou seest but the power of thy Physitian thou seest not his power to conuert thy will vnto God is greater than thy inueterate custome of sinning to inthrall thee to sinne If the diuell were able to plucke thee downe from the highest step of virtue to the nethermost depth of all sinne iniquitie how much more is God able to raise thee to thy former height and perfection and not onely restore thee to