degree of our turning unto God that when we rise out of the mire of sin we begin to see our owne foulenesse and then wash our selves with our teares And if Christ who never laught wept thrise and yet had no sinne of his owne how many teares need we who often laugh and yet do nothing else but sinne If one we love die passion presently leapes out at our eyes and we weepe much Alas our soules by sinne die dayly and do we not take it so heavily as to weepe Can we loose a neerer freind To have sinnes past number and so few teares as perhaps will not make a number this is a strange disproportion Weepe then a Sea of teares that so the ship of your soule may saile to heaven in her owne sorrow and for our speedier arivall let 's raise our selves a prosperous gale and with deepe and hart-breaking sighes fill her â—ayles But the ship of our soules is of greate burthen sinne hath loaded us we draw much water and every complection is not fit for teares if therefore we stick aground for want of water we must returne by flying hence David calles for wings and what wings are they but the wings of a Dove because that is the most mournefull creature and this is another quality of our Conuersion it must bee in planctu with mourning strong sobbes deepe groanes such inward Compunction as if our hearts were stucke with needles All cannot weepe but all must mourne or one day gnash their teeth But the morning growes old and I must hasten If we returne rightly the heart must be rent and not the garments that 's but Iewish madnesse The sorrow of the outside is but the outside of sorrow the very heart of sorrow is the sorrow of the heart without which we make a stage play of religion every man seeming something else not that which hee is and then God will not behold us or if he doe 't will bee oculo reprobationis not oculâ— approbationis with an eie of dislike not of love behold us a farre off and what is further from heaven then hell No no when God look's upon us we must be miserable objects our hearts are only beautifull in his sight when they are broken Paenitentia est quaedam dolentis vindicta Repentance is a kind of revenge and we doe no lesse then stabb the soule in harty sorrow there must be first {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} indignation wrath and anger against our selves then {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} very revenge Thinke then what a holy excesse necessarily concurr's to true repentance that no one word will expresse the Nature of it but we are forced to make it up vvith many Do de me paenas ut ille parcat saith Saint Aug I punish my selfe that so thou O God mayst spare me Broken hearts are not sufficient vvee must have contrite hearts hearts ground to povvder for remorse of sinne And then heere 's the happinesse that turning to God thâ—s broken thus bruised he vvill binde us up See Saint Origâ—n lying on the floore in the Church Porch crying out Calcate me trample upon me all ye people as unsavorie salt made by sinne fit for nothing but the dunghill and truely so pittifull was the state of the primitive penitents in this kinde that transform'd with greife they became such aruefull spectacle that men had not the hearts to behold them but turned away their eyes from those who were thus turning to the Lord But heere 's the comfort that God will never turne away his eyes from those that thus turne unto him and that we may doe so wee are put in minde of it now againe by the turning of the text for the beginning of the text is wheel'd about to the end of it And turne to the Lord your God And that wee may doe so heer 's two enforcing arguments one of terror the other of love of terror hee is the Lord powerfull in punishing such a stone as when hee falls upon thee in the execution of his judgements he will grinde thee to powder make thee so miserable and so neere nothing that thou shalt be nothing but in misery Then an argument of love for hee assaies all meanes to 〈◊〉 us he is your God your God who created you your God who redeemed you your's by all promises of favour to refresh you when you come laden unto him not to despise you when you are broken harted not to Iudge you if you Iudge your selves not to laugh at your Calamity if you timely weepe for it not to send you away empty when you hunger and thirst after righteousnesse if wee performe our parts he will doe his This this is the way to appease his wrath for though the Prophet's phrase seeme to question it Quis scit as it followes the text who knoweth if he will returne and leave a blessing behind him Yet we know that interogations of this Nature are equiualent to affirmations and so heer 's the sense wee know that he will returne and have mercy upon us and for our turning unto him with fasting â—he will returne unto us with a meate and drinke offering as it followes in our Prophet that if we turneâ—nto him with weeping hee will fâ—â—l us with fulnesse of ioy Not that our soules shall or can comprehend the joyes of heaven that were to narrow our happinesse but our soules which is more shall bee possest of joy Totum gaudium non intrabit in gaâ—dentes sed toti gaudentes intrabunt in gâ—udiuâ— saith Peter Lombard out of Saint Aug O think then what the joyes of heaven are into which the soule shall be plung'd as into an Ocean and so bee devoured of happinesse Heer 's fayre invitation he will bee ours by making us his and we may give the state of Grace a glimp's of the state of Glory by turning to him as he is our God for then he will turne to us as his people and his indignation ceasingâ— to begin our heaven joy in a degree shall heere on earth descend into our soules and we not charioted up to heaven with Elias nor rap't thitheâ— with Saint Paulâ— shall by a cheaper and easier state weare every day a taste of happinesse in our hearts Thus thus shall peace be setled in the Kingdome our hearts all united in the true Religion all our feares expelled and the voyce of ioy retourne into our dwellings and that it may be thus Turnâ— thou us O good Lord and so shall wee be turned turned from sinne unto righteousnesse heere and one day translated from Earth to Heaven Even so Lord Iesus Amen Amen FINIS Errata PAge 4. line 29. reade withdraw p. 5. l. 21. r. for what we now have p. 6. l. 4. r. put on our p. 10. l. 11. for yeild r. yeilded p. 11. l. 8. r. of his l. 33. r. will be then p. 13. l. 5. for an r. And. and for And an. p. 15. l. 18. r. we thinke we have it p. 20. l. 8. for no r. so l. 32. for mortall r. morall p. 27. l. 31. for famously r. furiously
importance of the message he expects it Now not any time this yeare for we may dye this Moneth and bring our yeares to an end now in the beginning of this not any time this moneth for we may be benighted in our graves before the next Moone gives us light Nay not any time this Weeke for this night our Soules may be reqâ—ired of us and so we change our bed for a grave But Now this minute this very moment for we cannot promise to our selves the enjoyment of another and this lost can never be recalled Time is a thing that 's lost before we have it and if learned men have found such difficulty to discover what time is for Saint Augustine a rare wit strugleth in this question as a bird in a string Quid est tempus si nemo ex me quaerat Scio si quaerenti explicare velim nescio 11. Book of his confession Chap. 14. He knowes enough to hold his peace but not enough to speake And if he could not give a certaine definition of it by reason of the uncertaine and vicissitudinarie Nature of it how shall we thinke to possesse it This Nunâ— of so little lasting that 't is lost while we speak it how then can we be Masters of that whose very being is not to be Like a swift river it comes not but to passe away And yet so necessary is this time that measures allour actions that Pythagoras calls it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the very soule of all things but the neglect of this soule to often ensnares our soule and so two Soules perish both together How many are over-whelmed for want of the true imployment of time with anguish with remorsse and sadnesse when as time well imploy'd makes a man without arrogancy reioâ—ce in the workes of his owne hands This is one of the great confusions which at this day swayes the lives and actions of great men who are so over-whelmed with the multiplicity of affaires from morning untill night that they have leasure to thinke of every thing but themselves Others rowle themselves in vaine occupations never understand the principall businesse of their time which is to turne to our angry God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} wee labour in the maine point as if it were but an accessorie and take the accessories as if they were the choicest principalls All the petty trifles which concerne the ease accommodation of our bodyes have their regulartiâ—e and seldome are forgotten as to eate when we are hungry to drinke when we are thirsty to sleepe when we are weary to sport when the Iocound fiâ—t comes on us we give to all thâ—se their time but for the great affaire of Salvation we set apart no time as if that were not worth the wearing out a day God hath reserved to himselfe the Government of the worlds great Dyall Time he alone determines the howers and will give this commission to no man If the Sunne were stayed in the timeâ— of Ioâ—uaâ— it was done saith Saint Chrisostome in honour to Iesus of whom this great captaine was a figure And if it recoâ—led baâ—kâ— 10. Degrees in the time of Hezekiah it was to â—ignifie the 〈◊〉 of the Incarnation when the eternal Word abased â—imself below the 9. Quires of Angels and united himselfe with humane Nature the Tenth and last of reasonable Creatures Time indeed went backward when Etâ—rnity came into the world but the course of Time was never stop't unlesse for some speciall mistery of our faith To dreame then that such a change should be produced for us to repaire our Precious losâ—es were such a mad folly that whosoever thinkes it shall finde his error to soone that is when it is to late If a Iâ—well be lost iâ— may be found if a house be buâ—nt downe it may bee reedified and perhaps flourish most after ruine But O God why should we loose that which we can never finde Let 's catch the time while the Sunne striketh upon our line or we are lost for ever Antigonus spake wisely when he said his was the warefare of time as well as of armes for truly all our Christian warfare Consists but in well managing our time then to haue the brest-plate of righteousnesse when the diuill thrusts at us then to haue the Sword of the spirit when we need to resist then to haue the helmet of saluationâ—hen our heads are quite under water that so we sinke but to Death not do Despaire this is to suite the time well and punctually to employ it Gregory Nazianzen tells us â—agely {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. that life is an open fayre for all the world to trade in where we may barter a Vale of teâ—res for a Paradice of ioy earth for heauen a moment for Eternitie but reason rerequires that we should com while the fairâ— lasts before the shops are shut before the tents of our bodies be pulâ—d downe before the Night of Death approacheth or we lose our market But O wretched men that we are sin robb's us of our time to preuent our repentance 〈◊〉 cheates us at last of heauen One man spends his time in plotting misâ—heife against another wâ—â—n as that time 〈◊〉 employ'd might haue saued his â—oule Another bestowâ—â—â—im selfe wholy on his pleasure as if he would flie at heauen with his Hawke to which he seldom lookes but in his sport Do we not see Ladies who in the morning when they should offer to God the first fruits of the day will Consult an howre or two with their looking glasse and scarse a minute with their prayer booke as if they louâ—d the shaddow of their owne face which allwayes is not the best better then the vision of God himself These are houses still at reparations the face which is the forefront of the house and next the street must be new painted this or that wrâ—nkle in the wall new plaâ—stred over to which they add so much of the Tyre-woman till at last they are quite lost in lime and haire and the whole fabrick strew'd with sweets shewes that the powder quite forgets the dust Is this to spend the time well Can this trifling to call it no worse fit us for eternity Will not the Saints of the primitive times who as if the day were to little destin'd the nights to devotion in their Vigills will not these rise up in judgement against us who make our whole life a trade of sinne or doing nothing Thinke I beseech you and tremble while you thinke how many damned soules are now broyling in hell fire which the whole Ocean cannot extinguish for the contempt and misuse of time who because they have ill and vainely spent their time are now swallowed up of the worst Eternity And thinke againe what time can there be imagined for repentance the most needfull worke of all when all our life is swallowed up of impiety And therefore 't
away from such a sight if there were but any way to turne And if so God knowes wee must runne away from our selves and unlesse we runne away from our selves wee shall run from all that is God's except his judgements and those we cannot scape unlesse we turne from our selves by repentance we shall turne from God by dispaire and that 's the worst turning O whether then shall they be turned that will not turne to the Lord Truly I am loth to tell you David will doe it for me The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the people that forgâ—t God But Quo me vertam ut convertar ad te Domine is Saint Bernards question Lord which way shall turne that I may turne to thee for thou art every where Supra â—n infra ad dextram an ad sinistram shall I turne upward or downeward to the right hand or to the left All these waies we have gone from God and therefore all these waies let us returne First let us returne upward by raising our soules from earth to heaven esteeming all things but drosse and â—ung to those treasures which are above Then let 's tuâ—â—e dowâ—ewards by descending low into our soules in horror and humiliâ—tion for our sinnes acknowledging it were just with God to cast us into the bottomlesse pit and in expression of this humility to 〈◊〉 with Iobe on the Dunghill to lye with David on the earth nay with the Primitive Christians to lye under the earth by strowing ashes on our heads God himselfe was humbled disdaine not then to walke the path that hee hath troden wee cannot turne to God better then in his owne way Humiliare apprehendisti saith Saint Bernard bee but humbled and thou hast him Turne next upon the right hand in the true use of prosperity imploy the blessings of God the right way and if with the prâ—digall we have spent our portion let 's returne to our father Specially if we have wasted our stocke of Grace nothing left but the miserable inheritance of wanting it and a snatch now and then with the swine the proper punishment of our sensuality O then 't is high time to returne he hath Shoes he hath a Robe he hath a Ring Shoes to stay at home in and wander this way no more a Robe of righteousnesse that shall cover all our sinnes a Ring which shewes our wandring hath beene circular and that wee are now come in where we went out And by this Ring to testifie that our soules are married to our Saviour for ever never to part againe Lastly we must turne ad sinistram to the left hand by a willing patience to endure afflictions Christ was rayl'd on despised spited on and beaten and wounded and all for our transgressions and shall we repine at our iust punishment Heare but Bonaventur's passion in this point Nolo viuere sine Vulnerecumte videam vulneratum O my god my wounded God as long as I see thee wounded I â—will never liue with out a wound Crist's Crosse is the Christians inheritance and therefore it is obseruable that he bare it not all the way himselfe but part of the way Simon caried it for him we have and shall keepe an interest in this to the world's end O disturbe not the joy of the Martyrs by shunning Christian sufferings Make not the Confessors blush in heaven to behold our tergiversations But let us march barefoot through the path that leades to Heaven though the way be strow'd with thornes go through fire water Goe upon the point of swords Nay passe through hell it self if that were the way to heaven any thing any thing for Christ and if any of us have beene apt to recoyle from our faith for any feare of danger let us now turne to him in a willingnesse to endure the worst this will be a brave Conversion and a true testimony that we do not turne only Complementally but Cordially without heart And indeed the Prophet makes that the condition of our Conversion we must turne In câ—rde with ouâ—heart a Corporall Conversion will not advantage us God regards not much the outside of the platter I doubt not Herodias charger was faire and cleane without but there was bloud Murther within it If revenge and mallice thirst of ruine more then reformation lurke within our hearts for all our cunning complying in the outside of Religion wee doe but offer to God Iohn Baptists head in a platter In the choice of friends we desire hartines let 's then measure our duty to God by our own desire If we should unbowell our selves and pull out our own hearts and give them to God a sacrifice for our sinnes it were to little But God requires a cheaper sacrifice that we would turne to him with the affections of our heart and shall we not doe that O yes I know you 'le say you will and Iâ—le put you to your tryall presently Can you first but take off your heart from the things of this world and make your treasure in Heaven Could you be content now if God should require it to sell all you have and give to the poore would you not begin to shrug and with the young man in the Gospell gâ—e away sorrowfull Could you be content now to sit downe and wash all your servants feete yet Christ did it Could you be content to kill your only son and make a burnt offering of him yet Abram did it did it in his willingnesse to doe it did it though he did it not Nay more could you give your only sonne to your enemies to your enemies to kill him and yet that death rightly apply'd to save the Murtherers yet God him selfe did it Once more could you be Crucified and revil'd and mockt and wounded have your hands and your feete peirc't so that the Iron should enter into your soule and in the midst of all this pray heartily to your Father to forgive your tormentors Yet Christ did it Are you not startled now O Lord who is sufficient for these things I see I must descend lower Can you pray fervently and send your heart up to Heaven in desire of mercy Are you sorrie when you thinke upon your sinnes and doe you thinke upon them Nay more and that 's lesse when you finde a defect of these can you heartily wish you could performe them If you finde that you do not greive sufficiently for your sinnes can you grieve hartily that you cannot grieve Well if but so this is a hearty turning and God accepts it But heer 's one Condition more it must be in toto Corde with all the heart that is with all the foure affections of the hart First that we love him so that we love nothing else but for him Secondly that we feare him and no other no not those that kill the body Thirdly that we make him the ioy of our harts and Lastly to sorrow for nothing so much as that by sinne we have