visitation Our Sauiour Christe wepte ouer Ierusalem because they knew not the time of their visitation Hée reproueth the Iewes because they coulde discerne the face of the Skye but could not discerne the signes of the times And surely in the ende it will turne to our destruction if wée will not knowe this to bee the daie of mercie the time of Grace wherein God stretcheth foorth his hande vnto vs and wisedome crieth out in the stréetes Therefore nowe whilest wée haue the light let vs walke as children of the light the nighte commeth when no manne can woorke It shall be too late to call for mercie after this life when the gates of mercy are shut vp and Repentaunce will bée too late Oh deare christians let vs remember the fiue foolishe Virgins whiche because they forslowed the time had heauen gates barred vp against them Let vs also remēber the fearefull dolefull example of the riche Glutton which beeing in Hell torments yelled and yelped for the least ease and help that might be and could not haue it An hundred thousande times therefore better it is for vs to leaue our sinnes now to mourne for them now and now to Repente then hereafter alas when it shall be too late Better nowe a great deale to take some paine to strayne our selues to leaue our sinnes and to make our hearte smarte for them then to bee condemned for euer and to cry in the bottome of Hell we haue wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and Destruction and wee haue gone through daungerous waies But we haue not knowen the way of the Lorde What hath pride profited vs Or what profite hath the Pompe of riches brought vs All these thinges are possed awaie like a shadowe and as a Paste that passeth by We haue set our selues against the children of God we had them in derision and in a parable of reproch Wée fooles thought their life madnesse and their ende without honour but loe they are counted emongst the children of God and their portion is emonge the Sainctes Therefore let vs knowe the tyme of our calling and let vs not be worse thē the foules of the ayre the Storke knoweth her appointed tyme the Turtle the Crane and the Swallowe obserue the time of their comming The Husbandman taketh his times The Mariner watcheth his tide Therefore let vs also take the time turne vnto the Lorde whilest it is saide to day which grace God graunt vs. Nowe let vs returne vnto the fourth pointe concerning the causes which may moue vs vnto Repentance Herein I haue obserued nine especiall thinges First the great mercie of God leadeth vs vnto Repentaunce As Rom. 2. The bountifulnesse of God leadeth vs vnto Repentance sayth the Apostle God doth continually followe vs with his mercies and benefites both concerning our soules bodies wée haue no good thinge which wee haue not receyued at his hands we hold all that we haue of him and to him wee are beholding for all Great is his mercie towarde our bodies but much greater towardes our soules and euerie mercie and benefit eyther towarde soule or body calleth vs to repenaunce Hée giueth vs meate drinke and clothing these call vs to repentaunce Hée kéepeth vs at his owne costes and charges here below this calleth vs to Repentance the Sunne the Moone and the Starres calleth vs to Repentance The birdes of the ayre the fishes of the Sea the fruites of the yearth crie out vpon vs both loude and shrill Repent repent All creatures mooue vs to Repentaunce Our creation calleth our redemption crieth our sanctification knocketh and our Election mooueth to Repentaunce What could God do more for his vineyard y ◠he hath not done Therefore let vs repent Secondly the iudgements of God moue vs vnto repentance for al y e thunderbolts plagues and punishments which God hath throwen downe vppon obstinate sinners from the beginning of y e world are so manie warning péeces vnto vs to awake vs out of the dead sléepe of sinne to prick vs to Repentaunce As in the 1. Cor. 10. When the Apostle hath cited diuers greate iudgementes of God against the olde Israelites for diuers sinnes he concludeth now all these things came vnto them for examples and were writtē to admonishe vs vppon whome the endes of the worlde are come So that all the Iudgementes wee reade of in the Scriptures are so many admonitions and as it were carteropes to drawe vs to Repentaunce All the iudgementes we haue read of heard of do sée and heare of euery day knocke with mayn strokes beate downe right vpon our consciences to repentance The vgly monsters straunge byrthes fiery constellations vnknowen Cometes sodaine deathes marueilous droughtes vnwonted snowes horrible inundations forraine wonders straunge apparitions threatning of heauen aboue w e streaming and shooting fire trembling of the earth vnder our féete and our houses ouer our heades as of late dayes What are al these but as it were great Cranes with beams and Cable Ropes to drawe vs vp to the Lord by Repentance Thirdly the word of God haleth vs to repentance For as God in olde time sent his Prophets both early and late to call the rebellious Iewes to Repentaunce so he sendeth abroad his preachers and messengers in those daies to sounde vp the trumpe of his word to ring the swéet bel of Aaron emongst thē to awake thē to repentance but alas how lightly are they regarded Who heareth their voice But surely this is the last remedie y t God hath apointed if this wil not moue vs to repentance if this wil not cure vs then are we altogether vncurable Fourthly the infinite number of sinnes we haue committed ought to be so manie spurres in our sides to pricke vs to repentaunce It is sufficient saith Saint Peter that we haue spēt the time past of our life after the lustes of the Gentiles walking in wantonnesse lustres drunkennes gluttonie drinkinges and abominable Idolatries Therfore it is time now to repent Oh that men would looke backe to themselues and consider themselues as they were fortie thirtie twentie or ten yeares ago Oh that they would call to mind theyr open secret sins me thinketh it should make their heart bléed within their belly to thinke vpon them Oh y t they would consider how much time they haue mispent how many good things they haue neglected and altogether omitted Fiftly the shortnesse of our life calleth earnestly vpon vs to repent The time of our life is sixtie yeares ten if they bee of strength eightie yeeres yet the strength is but labour and sorrowe so it is cut off quickly and we flie away saith the Prophet Dauid we haue spent our yeres as a thought Therefore he addeth Teach vs to number our dayes that wee may apply our heartes vnto wisdome Our life for the shortnesse and inconstancie of it in the scripture is compared to grasse to a vapour to smoke and to a Weauers
shuttle which glideth away swiftly Euen so the daies of man passe away no man knoweth how Man is of short continuaunce saith Iob full of trouble Experience teacheth that to day a man to morowe none Hence away we must al here is no abiding place for vs how soone we know not Therefore let vs repent Sixtly the small number of those which shal be saued ought to thrust vs forward to repentance Striue to enter in at the narrow gate for many I say vnto you will séeke to enter in and shal not be able saith Christe Luke 13. 24. And in an other place he saith the gate is straight and the way narrowe that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it If men would consider of this it would make them looke better about them and trie with them selues whether they be of that small number or no. Seuenthly Death threatneth vs who is very terrible to the flesh and the remembraunce of it very bitter to a man that is soused and soked in the pleasures of this worlde It flattereth no man it regardeth not persons it weigheth not friendship it careth not for rewardes it is very grim vglie and cruel and killeth downe right where it hitteth Therefore let vs repent Eightly the day of iudgement and seconde appearing of the Sonne of man ought to quicken vs. The day of the Lord will come as a Théefe in the night in the whiche the heauens shal passe away with a noyse and the Elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shal be burnt vp séeing therefore that all these things must be dissolueâ— what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and Godlines saith S. Pet. 2. 3. The Lorde Iesus shall shewe himselfe from heauen with his mighty angelles in flaming fire rendering vengeaunce vnto them that know not God and obeye not vnto the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ saith the Apostle 2. Thes 1. I sawe saieth Saint Iohn Apoc. 20. A great white Throne and one that sate on it from whose face fledde away both the earth and the heauen and their place was no more founde And I sawe the deade both great and small stand before GOD and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those thinges which were written in the bookes according to their woorkes And the Sea gaue vp her deade whiche were in her and death and hell deliuered vp the deade which were in them and they were iudged euery man according to his woorkes In these places we sée both the sodainnesse the fearefulnesse and glory of Christs comming For he shall not come poorely and contemptuously as in his first visitation but he shall come very princely royally and triumphantly to the great terrour of all his enemies when a consuming fire shall goe before him and ten thousand thousands of Angels waite vpon him at what time the Kinges of the earth the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men and euery bondman and euery fréeman shall hyde themselues in dennes and amongest the rockes of the mountaines and say to the rockes and mountaines fall on vs hide vs from the presence 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 can stand Apoc 6. Therfore let vs repent The last thing is Hell tormentes then the which nothing is more vntollerable Therefore saith Christe Marke 9. If thine hand cause thee to offende cut it off It is better for thee to enter into life maymed then hauing two handes to goe into Hell into the fire that neuer shall bee quenched where the worme dieth not and the fire neuer goeth out The Scripture speaketh very terribly to our senses concerning the estate of the damned persons calling it hel fire damnation the lake that burneth with fire brimstone for euer In 30. cha of the prophesie of Esai it is called Tropheth and it is euen prepared of old it is euen prepared for y e king he hath made déepe large y e burning therof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lorde like a Riuer of Brimstone doeth kindle it these spéeches are terrible to our senses may maruellously amaze vs. But if I had the tongue of an hundred men nay of an hundred Angels yet were I not able to vtter them as some shall one day féele them much lesse were you able to conceiue theÌ„ If al the tortures and cruel torments that can be deuised by the wit of man were executed vpon some one yet were it nothing to this We poore wretches thinke there is no paine to a Collike or a cruell Ague But if all Collikes Agues and all other strange diseases could possibly light vpon one man yet were it but a fleabiting to that which is to come The pain is endlesse easelesse and remedilesse The daies of their hellish torments shal neuer weare â—ut nor their yeares come to an ende the longer they continue the lesse hope haue they When as many yeres are expired as there be men in the world starres in the heauens when as many thousand yeares are ended as there be stones and sands by the Sea shore yet still there be ten huÌ„dred thousande times so many moe to come Those that wil not now be moued in hearing shall then be crushed to péeces in féeling Al dronkards swearers whoremongers vsurers extortioners liers mockers contemners secure persons iolly felowes roisting ruffians lustie bloudes the braue laddes of this world and all other vnbeleuers shal one day be apprehended and arraigned before the barre of Gods tribunal seate where the Maiesty of GOD shall stand aboue them with a naked sworde of vengeance and a scepter of Iustice The Deuil that olde Satanas shal stand on the one side to accuse them and their own conscience on the other side to condemne theÌ„ and the gasping gulfe of Hell vnderneath them ready to swallow them vp for euermore Then shall the dreadfull sentence of eternall woe and damnation procéede against them Go ye cursed into hel fire c. There they shall drinke as a iuste recompence for their iniquitie the bitter cup of Gods eternall wrath and indignation in the kingdom of darknes and in the fearefull presence of Sathan all the cursed enemies of Gods grace where the dolefull Droome of Gods anger shall euer sounde through their eares where shalbe wéeping gnashing of téeth where shall bée confusion woe and endles lamentation Their gripes shall bée so greate their groanes so déepe and their garboiles so vntollerable that they shall grinne like a Dog in their infernall conuâ—lsions and with howling and yelling crie out woe alas that euer I was borne Oh that I had neuer béene borne or that my mother had borne mee a Tode For then should my condition haue bin better
and stoppeth his nose at the stincke of it wheresoeuer he smelleth it The fourth thing is feare whiche is a certaine awe of God when a man is afraide to displease him For the penitente person feareth alwaye and beeing priuie to his owne infirmity and weaknesse wheÌ„ God neuer so litle withdraweth his grace and leaueth him alone worketh his Saluation with feare and trembling He will not presume vpon former grace to commit any sinne nor flatter himself in the mercy of God and in the thinges that he hath alreadie tasted of God to yeeld to some litle sinne thinking he may doe that and bee the child of God wel enough because some of Gods children haue fallen into greater but rather he trembleth at the least motion of sinne and is afraid of the temptations whiche Sathan trumpeth in his waye and is afraide when the temptations of sinne are vppon him to satisfie the hunger of sinne but rather he fighteth against sin when sin fighteth against him and presenteth the feare of God before his eyes as godly Ioseph in the assault of Putiphars wife to be as it were a Tower of defence Welspring of life to auoide the snares of Death The fift thing is Desire that is a hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse For the penitent man is rauished with desire of good thinges Hee desireth to be euery day better then other He desireth to leaue euery day some sinne He desireth to praye He desireth newe knoweledge and newe vnderstanding of heauenly things He desireth to heare Sermons and wil straine himselfe to heare theÌ„ He desireth the company of the godly he thinketh him selfe in heaueÌ„ when he is emongest them He desireth the saluation of his very enemies and prayeth for them All these and many other such like desires are in the penitent man The first qualitie is zeale which consisteth in the earnest imbracing of vertue and hatred of vice so that the penitent person is zealous in euery good thing Zealous of Gods glory in all places in all coÌ„panies and emongest all persons hee cannot abide that Gods honour should be impeached or his name blasphemed or his glory trampled vnder foote by wicked meÌ„ but he will open his mouth to reproue the wicked and stand stoutly in the defence of Gods glorie Hee is not like these Atheistes and dissemblers which are alwayes as is the companie that is godly emongst the Godly A Protestant emongest Protestantes wicked amongest the wicked a Papist emongest Papistes a worldling emongest worldlinges and a Swearer emongest Swearers a Weathercocke that turneth with euery wynde The penitent man I say is not of this stampe but he is constant and zealous in all good things Hee is zealous both against the pleasures and profites of sinne though he might winne a whole worlde or pleasure himselfe neuer so much by committing a sinne against God yet will he refuse it for he hath learned from Christes mouth that it shall not profite a man to winne all the whole worlde and to loose his owne soule The last thing is Reuenge that is the penitent person is so offended with the sinne he hath committed that hee will be reuenged of himselfe for it As for example if he haue offended in gluttony he wil Reuenge himselfe by fasting two or thrée daies after If he haue offended in whoredome hee will be reuenged of his lustes by haltring and bridling them euer after If he haue offended in couetous catching and polling of other mens goodes he will he reuenged of himselfe by restitution as was godly and penitent Zacheus and this in déed is a speciall fruite of Repentaunce to reforme our selues in 〈◊〉 thinges wherein we haue moste offended Nowe then you see my deare brethren what lieth in the bellie of repentance and which be her inwardes so that wee must needes now come to the vnlasuÌ„ng and vnbowelling of Christes wordes Except ye repent sayth he ye shall all perishe that is except ye haue this forenamed care you shall all be damned Except ye haue this clearing of your selues you shall be damned Except you haue this indignation you shall all he damned except you haue this feare you shalbe damned Except you haue this desire you shal aâ— be damned Except you haue this zeale you shall all be damned Except you haue this reuenge you shall all be damned For our Sauiour Christe doeth not speake of the bare name of Repentaunce But of Repentance withal his â—urnâ—â—â—re and appurtenances so that who so euer hath not Repentaunce with all his qualities and effectes or at leaste some measure of them he hath no Repentaunce indeed and therefore shall be damned For except ye repent ye shall all perishe But me thinketh I here some man say Here is nothing but damnation damnation You preach nothing but the law Let vs heare of the Gospell My brethren I protest vnto you that I speake of loue whatsoeuer I speake I desire the saluation of you all if I could win but two in all this congregation I woulde count my selfe happy thinke that God had greatly blessed my labours And vndoubtedly if I knewe any neerer way to bring you vnto GOD then by preaching the Lawe to make you knowe your selues surely surely I would vse it Or if I could be perswaded that the preaching of the Gospel and mercie would doe you more good you shoulde heare of nothing but Gospel Gospel mercie mercie But alas I sée that euerie carelesse and euerie ignorant man presumeth vppon Gods mercy I sée that euerie filthy liuer and notorious blasphemer abuseth Gods mercy in applying it to him selfe without Repentaunce so that they woulde make Gods mercie a cloake for their sinnes I sée that euerie man would faine be flattered in his sinne heare of it no more but haue the Gospell preached which in déed belongeth not vnto them continuing in their stubburnes but only to the penitent sinner which forsaketh himselfe and groneth and panteth vnder the burden of his sinne Therefore when I sée you humbled with the conscience of your sinnes and grone and pant vnder the burden of them when I sée your faces blubbered with weping and your hearts mollified and sorrowing with care then will I comforte you and cease to preach the lawe But I praye you will you steale murther and commit adultery and yet heare of mercy Will ye Mocke Sweare blaspheme and Rayle and yet heare of mercy Will you serue sinne hate vertue and followe your owne lusts and yet heare of mercy Would you haue Plaisters before you haue woundes Would you haue Phisicke before you bee sicke Would you be let bloud before you haue néede Would you not account him a foolish Physitian that wil minister Phisicke to a whole man Woulde you not thinke him an vnskilfull Surgion that will applie a gentle salue to an olde festered sore and not rather Corsie it Then knowe my brethren that because you are ful of grosse humors you must haue strong purgations Because ye are