before they be withered Wisd 2 7,8 And take our fill of love Prov. 7.18 Shall I poyson the sweet flower of my youth with that bitter herb of grace Repentance No away Repentance Thou comest to torment me before my time By this time thou art become a man what sayest thou to Repentance yet Quin importuna abi poenitentia Unmannerly Repentance I never had more businesse in my life Horat. de art◠Aetas animúsque virilis Quaerit opes amicitias inservit honori My head is wholly taken up with affairs of State I am raising a family I am contriving to get into some great Office either in Church or State When I have got that it may be I shall have more leisure but certainly more cause to repent Therefore good Repentance spare me for a while Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee Come to me somewhat about my Old age Nay Old age it self will not be old enough Nemo tam senex saith the Oratour Age hopes for an Evening even after an Afternoon Thus we post off Repentance from day to day from Age to Age as if it were fit onely for our dotage Well I will not say that Repentance then is either impossible or unacceptable But this I 'le say he is stark mad that trusts to that O it is the most Incongruous most Difficult most Hazardous thing in all the world Most incongruous What sing matins to the devil and even-song to God Hast thou nothing for him but the fag end of a life the dregges of Age Most Difficult Dost thou think that thou wilt be fit to turn to God when thou canst scarcely turn thee in thy bed and that sinne and Satan the sole companions of thy life will shake hands with thee when thou art shaking hands with the world But above all it is most hazardous Fond men that we are we talk of a noon an afternoon yea and an evening too but my Text hath onely a morning and a night to teach us not onely the shortnesse but withall the uncertaintie of life Thou hast a Morning now how soon mayest thou be overtaken with a Stulte hâc nocte God hath not warranted thee a noon of life much lesse a noon of Grace O then take heed lest thou that neglectest this morning beest not surprised by night Be thy age what it will haec hora est tua Mart. this houre is thy morning Gallicinium When this Gospel sounds the cock doth crow the next houre for ought thou knowest may be Conticinium the dead of night and thou heare no other musick but the scrichowls note Lord teach us therefore so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdome Psal 90.12 And our wisdome is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not Providence but Repentance Let us therefore repent for our life passeth our death approacheth The Morning cometh and also the Night That is the first motive from the words taken Naturally Secondly Morally The Morning of Prosperitie and of Gods mercie that comes The Night of Adversitie and of Gods temporall judgements that comes Therefore Repent Per MANE praesentis vitae prosperit as designatur saith S. Gregorie Moral 16. cap. 27. In prosperis in adversis hoc est in die ac nocte Hieron in locum Every of Gods severall blessings which he bestows on any of us in this life as Health or Wealth or Peace or the enjoyment of his Word and Ordinances they are a kind of Morning to a Christian They bring light to his eyes heat to his heart they help to chear his spirits and to warm his bloud Heavinesse may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Psal 30.5 Yet the truth is there is none no not all of these are more then a Morning no blessing of this life can shine forth unto a perfect day their light is never full and often changing ever in danger of a night No the perfect day is onely the blisse of heaven Lux haec perpetua est sine nocte dies All the best dayes of this life put together make but a Christians morning Yet there is none of these morning rayes but should cause rorem matutinum a morning dew upon our souls Look how the lowly earth when the early sunne salutes it first sends forth her vapours and exhalations towards heaven as it were in a due acknowledgement of her own basenesse in her self and in a reall thankfulnesse for those rayes of light just so the humble soul when it considers the undeserved blessings and mercies of what kind soever that God vouchsafeth unto it cannot forbear to send forth some sighs and groans towards heaven Lord I am a sinfull and a wretched creature I was born in sinne and still live in it as thou hast added dayes unto my life so have I each day added sinnes to sinnes and yet behold thou still dost visit me even every morning with thy loving kindnesse O adde this blessing to all the rest give me an heart truly sensible of thy goodnesse and my own unworthinesse O let me spend my self in heavenly sighs and groans O let thy grace bedew my soul O let me melt into repentant tears O let me live no longer in the fog of my old sinnes The night is farre spent the day is come let us walk therefore as children of the light 1. Thess 5.5 God in this morning hath sent thee a ray of health thou hast an able bodie a firm and chearfull constitution take heed thou dost not abuse that health to riot and intemperance to surfeting and drunkennesse to lust and lasciviousnesse if thou dost thou cloudest thy morning God in this morning hath sent unto another a ray of wealth thou hast riches in abundance O then abuse not thy wealth to pride and vanitie to avarice or worldlinesse if thou dost thou cloudest thy morning God in this morning hath sent to others a ray of peace they sit with quiet under their own vine and figtree O then abuse not this peace to idlenesse and security be not senselesse of thy poore brethrens misery Wo be to them that lie upon their beds of Ivorie and stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall That chaunt to the sound of the viol and invent to themselves instruments of musick That drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the chief ointments but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph Amos 6.4 What is this but to cloud thy morning Above all God sends unto us the sunshine of his Gospel the light of his heavenly truth O let us not shut our eyes against that light and turn our backs upon it O let us not loath our manna and look back to Egypt when light is come into the world
let us not love darknesse more then light Heredian lib. 4. Plato 10. de Leg. But as the Persians Parthians and other heathens were wont every morning to adore the Sunne so let us look to our God through every severall blessing every morning salute the sunne of Righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rhodiginus lib. 15. the Grecians were wont to say at every approach of light then let every ray of Gods gracious light every blessing direct thine eyes upward even to the Father of lights from whom comes every good and perfect gift James 1.17 Especially those whom God hath encompassed with his blessings especially that Nation which above all others under heaven hath enjoyed health and wealth and peace and truth and all together those to whom God hath given both the dew of heaven and the fatnesse of the earth the blessings of the right hand and of the left too When Gods countenance shines not onely on our souls but even on our bodies and our estates withall O surely this is a pleasant Morning When the light of Gods favour does not onely appear bright in heaven but even gilds our very earth When with the Gospel we enjoy all besides VVhen as the voice of the turtle is heard in our land Cant. 2.12 so the voice of joy and health is in our dwellings Cùm prata rident When our valleys do stand so thick with corn that they even laugh and sing Psal 118.15 Cùm ipsa suas mirantur Gargara messes Virg. when our garners be full and plenteous with all manner of store when our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets when our oxen be strong to labour and there is no decay no leading into captivitie and no complaining in our streets Psal 144.13 O this surely is a gladsome Morning Jane clarum mane fenestras Intrat angustas extendit lumine rimas Stertimus Pers Sat. 3. O me thinks this Morning should invite even a drowsie soul to rise to arise in thankfulnesse toward heaven When our God appears to us not as the Poets Jupiter to Semele Ovid. but as to Danae not in a crack of thunder but in a showre of gold when God speaks to us not out of a whirlwind as to Job of old Job 38.1 and to our neighbour Countreys now of late but as to Eliah in a still small voyce 1. Kings 19.12 VVhat is all this but a sweet wooing of us to Repentance Suidas tells us that when the morning rayes when the beams of the rising sunne in the morning lighted upon Memnons statue cut out of stone in Egypt the very stone did speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas and lest we should take it for a fable Tacitus affirms as much Memnonis saxea effigies ubi radiis solis icta fuerit vocalem sonum reddit Tacit. Annal. 2. there be that adde that this voyce was both a melodious and a dolefull voice neseio quid sonabat lacrymabile Nat. Com. Myth 6. What though our hearts be hard yea hard as stone corda lapidea Ezek. 11.19 the Prophet called them so harder then the nether milstone Job 41.24 yet me thinks if there be any thing of Memnons statue of Christs image engraven on them this morning-light the light of Gods countenance the rayes of so many blessings which in our Halcyon dayes he hath heaped upon us should even make these stones to speak to answer him aut nescio quid sonare lacrymabile at least for our not answering to mourn in sighs and melt into repentant tears Good David his heart even melted within him yea there was a heart of wax My heart in the midst of my body is even like melting wax Psal 22.14 That is a sweet temper of a heart when it melts in the sunshine of Gods favours But what then is that heart that is hardned by them O surely those are corda lutea ex meliore shall I say or ex duriore luto It is durt it is durt that hardens in the sunne And to be obdurate notwithstanding so many mercies is impenitence died in ingratitude a sinne in grain What is this but to despise the riches of Gods goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance Rom. 2.4 But if thou wilt not lead God will try if thou wilt drive Ducunt volentem futa nolentem trahunt Sen. Trag. God hath not a Morning onely but a Night also The Morning cometh and also the Night The Night of Adversitie the Night of Judgements For God as in the midst of judgement he remembers mercy so at the end of mercy he remembers judgement If by the extending of the golden sceptre of his mercy he cannot reclaim us then he summons as with his Black rod the Night of judgements and afflictions It was ingratitude not to listen to the musick of his mercy but it is open defiance to stand one against the thunder of his judgements What is that but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giant-like to bid battel to the God of heaven In what case are they then that outface both Yet such there be Thus God sent Moses with a message and withall Aaron with a rod to Egypt and if Pharaoh do still stand out he turns that rod into a serpent If his message take not place God often sends his rod not onely to his open enemies but to his disobedient children not onely unto Egypt but to Israel If Israel break my statutes and keep not my commandments then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their sinne with scourges Psal 89.31 And the Prophet Jeremy speaks it of himself I am the man that have seen affliction by the rod of his wrath Lam. 3.1 And that rod it seems was the black rod too for so it follows He hath led me and brought me into darknesse and not into light Lam. 3.2 There be that think that the same rod which God imployed in Egypt he afterwards used in Israel Rabbi Simeon apud Galat. 1.6 and that it is the same rod which is sometimes called in Scripture the rod of Moses sometimes the rod of Aaron sometimes and most properly the rod of God But sure I am if they be divers whatsoever is become of the rod of Aaron or of the rod of Moses the rod of God is not yet lost For the rod of Aaron the Apostle tells us that it was laid up in the Ark of the Covenant Heb. 9 4. I know that place is much disputed by reason that we reade in the Kings That there was nothing in the Ark save the two tables of stone 1. Kings 8.9 How was the rod in the Ark when there was nothing in the Ark but the tables Not to trouble you with the conjectures of others I conceive that the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which relating to the Ark not
passe that the heaven was black with clouds and wind and there was a great rain 45. When we first imploy our souls in this businesse of inquiry how things stand betwixt God and us whether no cloud of known sinne do intercept his favour what with self-flattery what with negligent inquiry we have no other answer but all is well Non est quicquam There is nothing How many here present be there that never as yet made so much as a scruple of their salvation no they think themselves as sure of heaven and the blessed life to come as of this present life they count themselves as deep in Gods favour as they are in their own I pray God you have cause But hast thou inquired man hast thou inquired throughly hast thou inquired again and again seven times If thou hast I dare say thou wilt discry a cloud Shall I say a little cloud of the bignesse of a mans hand Nubes sicut vola hominis yes all our clouds all our sinnes are measured by our own hands they are the works of our fingers perhaps little at the first appearance but soon after when the conscience is well awakened the whole heaven is black with clouds and wind Like S. Paul and his companions in the storm neither sunne nor starres in many dayes appear and no small tempest lieth on us all hope that we shall be saved is taken away Acts 27.20 Behold I am overshadowed saith one with a cloud of ignorance how negligent have I been all my life in the reading and meditating of Gods word how have I profaned his day and despised his ordinances Is there any hope that I should be saved Behold I saith another have been hurried with a tempest of wrath envy and maliciousnesse I have imbrued my hands in my brothers bloud for which Christ shed his own Is there any hope that I should be saved Alas saith a third how have I been benighted in a cloud of lust and smothered my conscience for how long together in the unlawfull bed Is there any hope that I should be saved And I saith a fourth have been puffed up with a proud and ambitious wind as though in despight of God I would climbe up to heaven by the same way that Lucifer fell down What hope is there for us that we should be saved Yes poore souls there is good hope nay more hope of these that have thus upon inquiry found their state then of a thousand carelesse wretches or proud justiciaries that either do not search or will not find What though the heavens be black with clouds and wind Remember what follows in the Text And there was a great rain 1. Kings 18.44 Let that rain follow upon thy inquirie Showre down thy tears and they will spend the cloud alay the storm and clear the skie I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sinnes return unto me for I have redeemed thee Isaiah 44.22 If thou upon this inquiry wilt cry peccavi God will cry veni Do thou return and God crieth Come and therefore If thou wilt inquire inquire Return Come It is impossible to Return unlesse we first Inquire and it is unprofitable to Inquire unlesse we also Turn And therefore Let us search and try our wayes and Turn saith the Prophet Jeremy Lam. 3.40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Convertimini so S. Hierome reads the Text Revertimini saith Junius Be ye Turned or Turnye or Return The truth is there is all in the Text We must be Turned we must Turn we must Return There is a turning wherein we are onely passive Et hîc cardo salutis vertitur This is the main hinge of all God must first turn us by breathing a new spirit into us the Spirit of Regeneration and that is gratia praeveniens or gratia operans saith S. Augustine August Turn thou me and I shall be turned saith the Prophet Jeremie Jer. 31.8 Being thus turned by God we together with him must act and turn our selves by the imployment of Gods grace in us and that is gratia cooperans or gratia subsequens Now by the assistance of this grace we must so Turn that we Return even from our sinnes and towards God All this is included in our Conversion The first of the three is here supposed God doth not stirre us up to do his peculiar part to work the first act of our conversion that were mere Pelagianisme No man hath quickened his own soul Psal 22.30 But you hath God quickened who were dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2.1 But being by him quickned and turned from death to life by the assistance and cooperation of his grace he calls upon us to do the parts of living men actually to turn And a happy turn it is though not so easie a matter as the world thinks Most think to Repent with the turning of a hand It is not the turning of our habits the changing of our clothes from colours into blacks if that were all we had store of converts here this day no not from silks to sackcloth Rend your hearts and not your garments saith the Prophet Joel 2.13 It is not the turning of our diets from flesh to fish The kingdome of heaven consists not of meats and drinks saith the Apostle Rom. 14.17 It is not the change of our countenance the turning up of our eyes Philostratus tells us of a Rhetorician who committed a solecisme spake false Latine with his finger he cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O heavens and pointed to the earth Philostratus Huc alludit Quintil lib. Instit 11. Many too many look demurely but live wickedly Curios simulant Bacchanalia vivunt No it is not the bare turning or lifting up of our hands the doing of some seeming charitable good works None of all these turnings will serve our turn the reason is because all these turnings may be and yet we not Turn If you will have it in a word it is the turning of our heart even of all our heart Therefore also now saith the Lord Turn ye unto me with all your heart Joel 2.12 With the heart and therefore sincerely without hypocrisie with all the heart and therefore intirely without partiality A man is said to turn that way his face turns The heart is the face of the inward man that is his visage toward God Man looketh upon the outward appearance but God looketh upon the heart 1. Sam. 16.7 If thy heart do not turn that is the resolution and inclination of thy understanding will and affections whatsoever thy outward actions be thou dost not turn But if thy heart detest the sinnes thou hast committed formerly If thou seest their foulnesse If thou abhorrest their vilenesse If what was wont to be a pleasure to thee be now a pain and grief to think on If thou canst resolve for ever hereafter not onely to forsake
them but to loath them then thou Turnest nay then thou Returnest that is thou dost Turn homeward from whence thou wert strayed by sinne thou removest from sinne and drawest home to God-ward This is that Godly sorrow that worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of For behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulnesse it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge 2 Cor. 7.11 Why what ado is here with these Corinthians could they not repent without so great a stirre O be not mistaken where true Repentance is it sets the whole man awork and so it had need for it rendreth him a clean other man new thoughts new desires new resolutions Ask not me ask your own hearts whether ye are returned or not Ask thy self what was the last thought that went to bed with thee last night and was up this day most early stirring in thy breast Was it of heaven or earth Was it a thought of vanity or of pietie Was it for the committing or the crucifying of some sinne Did it savour of worldly pleasure or godly sorrow Didst thou think of thy old sinnes as thy sworn enemies or as thy sweet companions which though now asunder for a Fast-day or so yet should meet ere long and be as merry as ever If you can think of your old sinnes with patience I dare not tell you what I think of you But if you be now truly grieved for them seriously resolved to abandon them Behold I come a messenger of good news good news unto thy soul good news to heaven Heus tu peccator bono animo sis vides ubi de tuo reditu gaudeatur Tertullian Tertull. de poen Heaven joyeth to see a returning sinner it is tripudium coeli The blessed Angels joy Lacrymae poenitentium sunt vinum Angelorum Bernard Serm. 30. in Cant. When thou returnest they in troups come forth to meet thee Nay the blessed Trinity doth joy God the Father joyes at thy return Why this saith he is my lost sonne my returning prodigall Tam pater nemo tam pius nemo Tertullian Tertull. ibidem God the Sonne rejoyceth Why this saith he is my lost sheep returning to the fold Vna pastoris ovicula sed grex unâ carior non est Idem ibidem God the Holy Ghost doth joy Why this saith he is my renewed temple returning to the beautie of its first erection And therefore God the Father he crieth Come God the Sonne he crieth Come and God the Holy Ghost he cryeth Come The Father he crieth Veni ad me Come unto me for I am the End The Sonne he crieth Veni per me Come by me for I am the Way The Holy Ghost crieth Veni cum me Come with me for I am the Guide All cry Come and all cry Welcome And therefore If you will Inquire Inquire Return Come Come This word onely remaineth of the Text onely one word of it and I have done Ye have heard that the penitent sinner now returning from his sinne every person of the Sacred Trinitie inviteth him God the Father thy Creatour he cryeth Come God the Sonne thy Redeemer he cryeth Come And God the Holy Ghost thy Sanctifier he cryeth Come Thy Almighty Creatcur calleth thee by the voice of Nature Therefore come in humilitie to so great a Majestie Thy gracious Redeemer calleth thee by the voyce of Scripture Therefore come in faith to so dear a Saviour Thy blessed Sanctifier calleth thee by his secret motion in thy heart Therefore come in holinesse and new obedience to thy holy guide Behold a convoy of three heavenly virtues Holinesse in life Humilitie in heart and Faith in Christ If thou comest to God thou must Come with these Take heed thou leavest not Holinesse behind Without Holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 11.6 Yet in no case forget Humilitie Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven Matth. 5. But above all bring Faith For without Faith it is impossible to please God and he that cometh to God must believe Heb. 11.6 These three Virgin-sister-Graces all joyn hand in hand and make a ring and so convey the Christian soul to heaven between them Holinesse taketh fast hold of Humilitie Humilitie takes hold of Faith and Faith again of Holinesse Be sure thou partest no hand if thou dost thou mayest fall out between them and they fall out between themselves Holinesse without Humilitie will soon be proud Humilitie without Faith will soon despair Faith without Holinesse without works is dead James 2.26 O let us labour for an humble Holinesse a faithfull Humilitie and a holy Faith Come with these to God and I dare be bold in his name to bid thee welcome Come with these this day and he will denie thee nothing These never are denied accesse to the King of Kings Holinesse that is a pure conscience within an unspotted life without it is the daughter of the King of heaven The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought gold Psal 45.14 Shall she be denied accesse to her heavenly father No she shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needle-work 15. But shall she come alone No the virgins that be her fellows Humilitie and Faith shall bear her company and shall be brought unto thee With joy and gladnesse shall she be brought and enter into the Kings palace 16. Blessed soul that comest thus accompanied These are the Kings Daughters Thou art more thou art made his spouse his bride his wife Heare how he wooes thee My sister my love my dove my undefiled Cant. 5.2 When thou thus comest to God what is it but even the marriage of thy soul with Christ Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to the Lord for the marriage of the Lambe is come and his wife hath made her ready Revel 19.7 Made her ready how what hath she put on It followeth in the next verse She is arayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousnesse of the Saints 8. Why then is the righteousnesse of the Saints so clean and white I thought with the Prophet That all our righteousnesse had been as a menstruous cloth Isaiah 64.6 Stillamus quotidie super telam justitiae nostrae saniem concupiscentiae nostrae Bernard How then is our righteousnesse clean and white Yes all is true Our holinesse and inherent righteousnesse is fine linen being the work of the Holy Ghost it must not be denied but God knows how much soyled and spotted by the flesh till it be made clean and white and therefore Humilitie must be ever at hand to scoure our righteousnesse and Faith to wash it Humilitie doth daily rince it in a stream of tears and makes it clean Faith doth wash it in the bloud of Christ and makes it white These are they that have washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb. Revel 7.14 Christs bride hath made her ready she hath put on righteousnesse that is stolam sanctorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word the outward-garment the righteousnesse of good works But withall she must put on interulam humilitatis the inward garment of humilitie Be clothed with humilitie 1. Pet. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is saith Beza be ye inwardly adorned estote intus ornati be ye clothed inwardly with humilitie Beza in locum And over both even in the sight of God to cover both she hath put on velum or peplum fidei the veil of faith whereby to Gods justice she presents Christs righteousnesse for hers That is fine linen indeed clean and white And to the bride it is granted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the word that she should be arayed in this When she comes covered with this veil she comes with boldnesse to the throne of grace With this veil of faith she passeth through the veil and hath boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus Heb. 10.19.20 The Spouse did once complain of the watchmen that they robbed her of her veil The watchmen that went about the citie found me they smote me they wounded me the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me Cant. 5.7 If we have any such Watchmen that would take away from the Church the veil of Christs imputed righteousnesse our righteousnesse by faith O let such Watchmen watch no more they smite they wound Christs Spouse so that she cannot do what the Watchman in the Text doth bid her she cannot come with confidence to God But so she must even Come with Holinesse Come with Humilitie and especially Come with Faith or else she will never come home As good not Come at all as not come thus and as good not Return as not Come and as good not Inquire as not Return Our Watchman therefore hath joyned all together Inquire if you will Inquire Return Come And now the Watchman hath said You have seen the Watchman and have heard the Watchword You have seen the Watchmans Charge and his Discharge You have heard the Watchword as it is Monitory and Directory As it is Monitory it tells us that the Morning cometh and also the Night The Morning of Life and Night of Death The Morning of Prosperitie and Gods mercie The Night of Adversitie and Gods judgements As it is Directory it calls upon us to Inquire Return and Come What remains but that we practice what we have heard and seen And that we may the better do it that we turn the Sermon into a prayer even to the Watchman of Israel That our Watchmen may stand where God hath set them That our Watchmen may say what God doth shew them That we all may be thankfull for our Morning and prepare for our Night That we may Inquire into our selves Return from our sinnes and Come home to God The Watchman said The Morning cometh and also the Night if ye will Inquire inquire Return Come FINIS