one sinner that conuerteth more then for ninetie and nine iust men Yea let this aboue all the rest pricke thee vp vnto repentance considering both how greatlie the verie Angels desire thy conuersion and how much they reioice when thou dost amend But that in the Psalmes likes thee passing well where it is saide Thou O Lord art a pittifull God and mercifull slowe to anger and great in kindnes Seeing you saie so hearken vvhat in the same booke of Psalmes is vvritten Thou hatest all them which worke iniquity Againe The face of the Lord is against them that doo euill Some vvill yet saie it is in the Gospel after Iohn that He which beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life But vvhat saith the same Iohn in an other place He that commiteth sinne is of the Diuel And He that saith I knowe God and keepeth not his commaundementes is a liar and the truth is not in him Iohn Baptist witnesseth of Christ saying Behold the Lambe of God which taketh awaie the sinnes of the world But what saith he beside Repent And Bring foorth fruites worthy amendment of life You vrge further that of Peter in the Actes saying VVe beleeue through the grace of the Lord Iesus to be saued But marke you not what in the same booke is written Amend your liues therefore and turne that your sinnes maie be put awaie Doth not Christ in the Gospel after Iohn saie God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onlie begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life But doth he not saie in Matthewe also Not euerie one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth my Fathers wil which is in heauen You beleeue I am sure that which Paule saith That Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners beleeue also that neither enchaunters nor whooremongers nor murtherers nor idolaters nor theeues nor couetous nor proude persons nor dronkards nor railers nor the factious nor enuious nor euil-willers shall inherite the kingdome of God For if you beleeue that Paule or the holie spirite rather by the mouth of Paule doth speake the truth you see plainlie that you can haue no hope of mercie at Gods hand or assurance to be saued liuing awicked filthie life For as faith through the Gospel acknowledgeth God to be mercifull to the penitent so doth it know that he is angrie and displeased with such as obstinatelie proceede in sinne There is no cause then why through hope and confidence of pardon at Gods hand thou shouldest prolong thy conuersion and flatter thy selfe Repent come into the waie againe and then doubt thou no whit but thou maist make thy selfe a large promise of Gods fauour and kindnes And as no man can trulie repent but he which hopeth to be forgiuen as it is well saide by Ambrose so none maie hope to beforgiuen which doth not vnfeinedlie repent This one thing I will ad now out of Iesus the sonne of Sirach before I proceede vnto the rest Saie not saith he I haue sinned and what euil hath come vnto me For the Almightie is a patient rewarder but he wil not leaue thee vnpunished Because thy sinne is forgiuen be not without feare to heape sinne vpon sinne And saie not the mercie of God is great he wil forgiue my manifold sinnes For mercie and wrath come from him and his indignation commeth downe vpon sinners Make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from daie to daie For suddenlie shall the wrath of the Lord breake foorth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroied and thou shalt perish in the time of vengeance Hetherto Ecclesiasticus Cap. 12. ¶ A remedie against the custome of sinning which is the third cause of deferring repentance as aboue in the fourth Chapter hath bene showed BVt custome of sinning doth hinder thee that thou canst not amend returne from sinne vnto godlines For commonlie it falleth out that looke what a man hath bene vsed vnto from his youth he pursueth in his age Because as Cyprian saith that is not quicklie and speedelie laide off which is growen to ripenes through long vse For when will he learne to be a good husband which hath spent his time in riottousnes and daintie fare And he which glittereth in braue apparel gloriouslie set out with gold and purple will hardlie attire him-selfe after the facion of the simple sort It cannot be but that with forceable intisementes as the manner is wine must inuite pride puffe vp anger set on fite couetousnes vnquiet cruelty prick forward ambitiō delight lust bring downe head-long and so foorth So that it maie seeme verie hard by anie meanes to alter custome which in a manner is become another nature Notwithstanding if you loue your owne wel-fare you must endeuor yet But you wil aske how you maie so do Euen if you cast off that by litle and litle through good custome which you haue got through euil custome and if you labour to plucke vp that by good custome which euil custome hath ingraffed And nothing is so hard as Seneca doth saie which the minde of man cannot ouercome VVhat-soeuer the mind went about it hath brought to passe VVherefore to breake this almost inuincible strength of custome you must addresse your minde chieflie there-vnto and not striue and labour onlie by force to ouercome the same And yet you must striue withall if you would weaken and plucke vp and roote out a thing which is fastened and sticketh to the rootes VVherefore set there-vpon couragiouslie at the least wise begin vpon good hope endeuor with a sure trust in God doubt thou not but thou shalt blessedlie go forward For before thou begin thine olde custome perhaps wil seeme vnuincible but when you come vnto the triall straight-waie that which you thought would hardlie be done will seeme nothing so or at least not so difficult So often-times that which at the first we thinke heauie when we once go about the same proueth light Brieflie what the most excellent Poet speaketh of Mnestheus companions to this effect Their good successe doth make them bold and stoute They able are Because they seeme to be Nothing their courages can dare Thinke without peraduenture will fitlie be applied to thee Onlie as I haue saide go about the same with a courage hope wel and euerie daie thy care and minde to liue godlie wil like thee more and more and the loue of vertue than which as one trulie saith nothing is more beutiful nothing more faire more louelie nothing is wil maruelouslie inflame and rauish thy mind And in the ende thou wilt vse much ioiful gratulations to thy selfe for addressing to reforme thy manners Such a pleasure and euerie daie more profite then others shall you reape thereby So that you wil confesse that to be true which our Lord and sauiour Christ said vnto his Disciples in these
which Publius saide Fortune makes him extreamelie foolish whom she fauoureth then it appeareth euidentlie how prosperitie dooth not onelie make men secure but is the mother of all wickednes For hence it is that we perceaue not the wrath of God against sinne which we ought continuallie to feare hence dooth drousines so occupie our mindes that we neither dread the vengeance of God nor think that we shall either die or appere before the iudgement seate of Christ. Our Sauior in the Gospell after Luke dooth by an elegant similitude paint foorth as it were this securitie of welthie men where that rich man whose ground had brought foorth fruits plenteouslie neuer thought of amending his life nor of repentaunce nor yet of helping the poore but fixing his cogitations vpon building greater barnes and of gathering his fruites into them thought thus with himselfe I will gather all my fruites and heape my goods together and I will saie to my soule Soule thou hast much goods laide vp for manie yeeres liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime But in this securitie and opinion of continuall felicitie which the churle conceaued in his minde what saith God at the lenghth Euen thus he saith O foole this night will they fetch awaie thy soule from thee Thus you plainlie see how the riche man while he dreameth of a secure and quiet life of dyning and supping and faring deliciouslie liuing delicatelie while he thinketh all was well Sudden destruction came vpon him as Paule dooth saie Therefore the holie Scripture biddeth vs to VVatch continuallie and euermore to be readie against the comming of the Lord. A goodlie admonition did we set therebie But as it fell out in the time of Noe VVhen as they did eate drinke marrie and were married so vpon the sudden were taken all awaie by the flood And as they all suddenlie were destroied with fire from heauen when Lot was departed from among the Sodomits so euerie mans last daie of life commeth vpon him vnawares when he looketh not therefore When S. Iames would driue awaie this securitie from rich and fortunate men what saith he Go to now yee rich men saith he weepe and houle for your miseries that shall come vpon you Your riches are corrupt and your garments are moth-eaten Your golde and siluer is cankred Yee haue liued in pleasure on the earth and in wantonnes Yee haue nourished your harts as in a daie of slaughter Here call into thy minde that rich man in the Gospell who after his delight in wearing purple and fine linen and in faring well and delicatelie euerie daie being dead is now in hell tormented For wealth pleasure and ouermuch prosperitie would not suffer him to thinke of amending his life Hetherto maketh that of our Sauiour in Matthewe A rich man shall hardlie enter into the kingdome of heauen and It is easier for a camell to goe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God Our Sauiour as Marke recordeth expounding the same dooth saie Children how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdome of God! It maketh also to this purpose that Christ calleth riches and pleasure of this life thornes which cheake the seede of the worde and make it vnfrutefull This then is the cause why God sometime sendeth aduersitie and as he saith chasteneth whom he loueth namelie that they maie shake off securitie and both be stirred vp to feare and call vpon God whom oftentimes in prosperitie they forget be also compelled to confesse their sinne to repent and to thirste after heauenlie thinges despising earthlie For in them which haue the world at will there dooth raigne a maruelous securitie which is nombred among the deadlie offences and their mindes be inuaded with sloth and carelesnes and with a certaine nummednes and sencelesnes whereby they neglect heauenly things finallie idlenes faintnes rechlesnes vnwildenes sleepines and if you will haue it so for by all these names I see I cannot sufficientlie expresse what I thinke drowsines taketh them in such sorte that they haue no minde to doo well nor to liue honestlie Such is the greatnes of this vice The Scripture also showeth that prosperitie maketh men not onelie secure but blinde also and vngodlie manie-times which made Moses to saie VVhen he waxed fat he spurned with his heele thou art fat thou art grose thou art laden with fatnes therefore he forsooke God that made him and regarded not the strong God of his saluation They prouoked him with straunge gods and so foorth This made Dauid hauing ouercome his enimies on all sides when he was quiet and thought all things well not onlie to fall into adulterie but also to defile himselfe with the murder of an innocent man And he who in the persecution of Saule behaued himselfe well in prosperitie prooued wicked So greatlie hath he to looke that he fall not which thinketh he dooth stande Yea after he had committed those sinnes how secure was he for a long space For though there hung no daunger ouer his head forsomuch as God is mercifull he went as well as the best vnto the tabernacle he kept the Sabaoth and other holie daies he was at sacrifices making and offered giftes to be breefe his minde was without care But when God by the Prophet Nathan denounced vengeance and punishment and stroke him with feare and terror then at the length comming againe vnto himselfe he considereth what he had committed and waieth the greeuousnes of the sinne and therfore conceaueth much sorowe through the remembraunce thereof and plainelie confesseth his offence and humblie craueth pardon of God and desireth to be washed from his sinne to be clensed from his wickednes to haue the filth of his vncleanes wiped awaie yea he neither refuseth reuengement which God had threatened nor praieth to escape the punishment which he had deserued Would to God the like securitie were not in vs who for the moste parte liue so without care as if all were well we neither confesse our sinnes nor yet feare the sharpe iudgement and heauie hande of God against wickednes So farre be we from weeping so aboundantlie as we haue greeuouslie transgressed as that holie Martyr of Christ Cyprian dooth saie But to returne vnto our matter and to conclude in fewe words No man can be saued but they whose sinnes be forgiuen And no mans sinnes be forgiuen except he aske forgiuenesse No man dooth aske forgiuenes but he who desireth to come into Gods fauor againe And no man desireth that from his hart vnlesse he be touched with a sense and feeling of his wickednes And no man is sorie for his wickednesse but he that confesseth them and perceaueth the wrath of God against sinne But this dooth not a secure man for he is touched with no care of his saluation Hee to whom all things fall out prosperouslie is as
to amendment of life Wherein we haue iust occasion offered to lament and bewaile the condition of vs all and to maruaile at our foolishnes blindnes and madnes who in such a shortnes and vncertaintie of this present life so behaue our selues that no not in crooked old age when the vttermoste daie of our life cannot be farre off much lesse in our youth while we are lustie doo we take anie care of reforming our manners I therefore calling this follie or madnes rather of men in deferring the amendment of life into minde haue thought it good to search out the causes whie in a matter of such importance as the saluation of the soule is we are so rechlesse and secure For these being founde and brought foorth it will be an easie thing as I thinke to finde a remedie for this euill Cap. 2. The first cause why man dooth not repent IN my iudgement the principall and cheefest cause hereof is our incredulitie For did wee beleeue those things which are writtē in the sacred Scripture of the iudgement to come of the voice of the Archangel and Trumpe of God of the tribunall seate of Christ before which all the sorte of vs are to appeare of the paines of the reprobate of the endles condition and felicitie of the righteous of the resurrection to come bothe of body and soule to an assured part either of glorie or of shame did we beleeue these things I say not to be a vaine or old wiues tale sure I am we would studie to leade an other kind of life and not diferre the amendment of our life so as we doo from daie to daie For who is there so wicked but will either quake in bodie or shake in minde and harte when he considereth the iudgement to come At which iudgement all men must giue an accompt before the tribunall seate of Iesu Christ not onelie of their words and deedes but also of euerie thought and cogitation where euery man as I may say shall pleade for his owne life O horrible iudgement to the vngodlie The remembraunce whereof at no time should slip out of our minde For as he saith If the righteous scarcelie be saued where shall the vngodlie and the sinner appeare The sonne of God himselfe shall sitte a Iudge vpon all mankinde that haue beene from the beginning of the world then will he be seuere sharpe not intreated which now is an aduocate for sinners with God his Father All men shalbe summoned to giue an accompt of their life spent vea the hartes of all shalbe opened euerie mans conscience shall accuse reprooue and condemne himselfe Laste of all God seuerelie yet righteouslie shall punish the wicked and of his mercie preserue the godlie that is will rewarde euerie man according to his workes as Paule dooth saie Neither at this iudgement shall wicked deedes onelie be iudged as adulterie whoredome incest witchcrafte murther backbiting thefte robberie sacriledge quaffing riotousnes dronkennes vsurie and such other sinnes nor euerie idle scurrilous vaine filthie beastlie light fonde foolish rash vnmodest and babling worde onlie and such like wherewithall the godly eares are iustlie offended but also the secret will vngodlie wishinges and cogitations with the wicked affections of the minde striuing against the lawe of God as anger hatred dissimulation enmitie spight enuie euil-wil disdaine couetousnes desire of that which is an other mans and such like Therefore who beleeueth that one day there shalbe a iudgement and will not by the remembrance thereof either be reclaimed if he haue beene wicked or detained backe if he be inclined to fall into sinne Well saide one of the ancient Doctors VVhether I eate or drinke or whatsoeuer els I doo me thinkes I alwaies heare this sounde in mine eares Arise yee dead and come vnto iudgement As often as I call into minde the daie of iudgement I shake againe euen at the verie harte and all my bodie ouer and so foorth If the flesh then prouoke anie man whether it be vnto lecherie and vile pleasure or vnto gluttonie and surfetting or to any other vices and wickednes let him remember the day of the last iudgement If either prosperitie puffe vp the minde as commonlie it dooth or wealth make hautie and cruell or honour worship or auctoritie engender pride in any man let him foorthwith remember the iudgement of Christ If either anger vnto reuengement or enuie vnto disdaine or couetousnesse vnto couen and theft or the world vnto ambition pride or bely cheere or the Diuell tempt thee vnto blaspheming the name of God and to other sinnes and wicked facts thinke straight waie of the voice of the Archangel beleeue how thou must pleade thine owne cause before the bench of Gods iudgment and frō thy verie hart do thou feare the heauy sentēce of that Iudge who doubtles will condemne the wicked vnto euerlasting fire Would to God oh would to God this day of iudgement were at no time forgotten then would euerie man doo his dutie Both Magistrates then would seeke the wealth and welfare defend the libertie and maintaine the lawes and rightes of the people committed to their charge and Subiects then would giue lawfull obedience to their Magistrates and at no time either repine at their Gouernors or withhold tribute or custome but willinglie would render all feare and due honor vnto them Both Husbandes then would loue their wiues euen as themselues And also wiues would feare their husbands and be subiect to them as vnto the Lord. Then would Parents bring vp their children in instruction and information of the Lord as the Apostle teacheth and children in the Lord would obey their Parents and honor them with all humilitie Seruaunts then would be obedient vnto them which are their Maisters according to the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenesse of their harts as vnto Christ as the same Paule doth admonish and Maisters would be more milde and gentle toward them knowing that euen their Maister also is in heauen Pastors then would haue that care of the Lords flock which they ought to haue Rich men would supplie the lacke of the poore Widowes would continue in supplications and praiers night and daie The poore would patientlie endure pouertie sithe it hath pleased the Lord to allot the same vnto them He which hath a wife would so deale as if he had none and he that is vnmaried care onelie for those thinges which may please the Lorde To be shorte There is no man but would doo his dutie did he alwaies remember the daie of the laste iudgement at which time God will aske an accompt of vs of our whole life and of euerie deede which we haue doone and so appoint either punishment or reward according to euerie mans desert In the time of a great plague when death is before mens eies we see how all men be they not dissembling Christians are carefull to reforme and amende their manners VVhat then Ought
we not at all times euerie hower yea and euerie moment to thinke of the amendement of our life to be touched with a true and bitter sorowe for our sinnes and to pacifie the wrath of God by repentance especiallie seeing in respect of vncertaine chances death continualie is imminent and hangeth euerie howre ouer the heads of all and euerie of vs as we are certainely to thinke Therefore who so is wise will haue such a care as I haue shewed as men commonlie haue in a great pestilence at which time as it were wakened out of the sleepe of securitie they are wonte to take care and to thinke how to chaunge their wicked liues howe to flie and auoide sinne how to followe righteousnesse and godlines finallie how to please God by repentance who is displeased through our sinnes Let euery man then perseuere so when he hath escaped the plague as he purposed to be when the sicknes was hot All men acknowledge that the houre of death is vncertaine yet is it moste certaine that one daie we shall die Nowe what foolishnes is it to feare death which euerie moment hangeth ouer our heads and in the meane time not to thinke of amendment of life But thus it is In aduersitie as in the time of the plague of famine of warre of Earthquake of any greeuous and dangerous sicknes of the body we can acknowledge the iust anger displeasure of God against wickednes but whē things flowe foorth according to our harts desire we blush no whit to abuse his goodnes and liberalitie neither doo we call into minde neither death ready to take vs euery howre Nor the last iudgement nor the voice of the Archangell whereof Paule maketh mention writing vnto the Thessalonians Nor the Trumpet of God nor of Hell either the euerlasting punishment or the vnquencheable fire nor finallie that vtter darkenes where shalbe weeping and gnashing of teeth The memorie wherof should be fresh in our minde both when we rise from our beds in the morning and when we go vnto bed in the euening both when we dine and when we suppe when we are washed for health sake when we deale in matters that are serious yea and when we doo recreate our minde with honest sporte But these things to wit the last iudgement the Lords tribunall seate the voice of the Archangell the Trumpet of God the euerlasting torments of hell these I saie are but a meere fable to the vngodlie And as the Ethnicks in old time esteemed all fained whatsoeuer the Poets mentioned of Tartarus of Phlegeton of the Iudges Minoes and Rhadamanthus of the place and region of the wicked and of the paines of the vngodlie whereof sprang that of Seneca saieng The Poets haue battered and terrified our mindes with vaine feares So verie manie count all toies and fables yea and thinke all but idle threates which at this daie we reade in the sacred Scripture concerning Hell euerlasting death Hell fire where shalbe weeping and gnashing of teeth and touching the covniting hereafter of the soule and bodie either vnto paine or glorie VVhereas contrariwise these things strike a maruelous terror without doubt into the godlie and such as feare God yea being but named as the Poet saith Thus you haue the firste and principall cause as I thinke whie we so deferre the amendment of our life as we doo Cap. 3. The second cause why we doo not repent vs of our wickednes NOw let vs goe vnto another cause which is to wit a great yet a false and vncertain hope of pardō at Gods hand Through this hope Satan the continuall enimie of mankind deteineth mā in wickednes and by laieng daily before his eies the mercie and lenitie of God forbiddeth him to dread his iustice But as God mercifullie dooth pardon the penitent and like a father forgiueth such as returne from vice vnto wel-doing so doth he leaue them neither vnpunished nor vnreuenged who obstinatelie persist in wickednes So that in vaine doo they hope for pardon which repent not from the harte Notwithstanding by proposing this vaine hope the diuell dooth so bring it about that man becommeth secure in naughtines and neuer taketh anie care at all of amending his life but vtterlie despiseth the riches of Gods bountifulnes and patience and long sufferaunce not knowing that the bountifulnes of Godle◠deth him vnto repentance to vse S. Paule his wordes vnto 〈◊〉 Romanes Heere that would be remembred which Iohn the Baptist as it is recorded by Matthew dooth saie Repent your former euil conuersation for the kingdome of heauen is at hand so would that also which the Lord in Esaiah speaketh Vnto whom shall I looke Euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirite and trembleth at my words Christ saith moreouer by Luke Except you amend your liues ye shall all likewise perish And Peter in the Actes Amend your liues therefore and turne that your sinnes maie be put awaie I omit sixe hundred places of Scripture tending to prooue that no man should haue hope or trust to haue their sinnes pardoned but he which repenteth For as I said in vaine dooth he looke for pardon who doth not repent from his hart And although there is no time too late to aske forgiuenes at Gods hande as plainelie appeareth by the example of that Theefe of whom the Euangelists make mention For God desireth not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his waie and liue yet who knoweth not how dangerous a thing it is to prolong amendment of life from day vnto day For as the Poet saith No man so in Gods fauour is That to liue an other daie he can promis Death taketh men oftentimes when they little thinke thereof insomuch that they haue no space to repent and amend their liues Here I will not recite what Plinie in his naturall Historie speaketh of suddaine death because in these daies nothing is more common Manie yeares are not passed since two old men dwellers in one towne together hauing on a certaine night had vnlawfull copulation with two harlotes whom they haunted died both of them sudēlie the one of an Apoplexie the other thrust through with a Dagger Now in what dāger their soules were let euerie mā consider with himself for his profit I am not ignorant that good men as wel as wicked may suddenlie be taken and that though the righteous as he saith be preuented with death yet shall he be at rest notwithstanding how horrible is it for an impenitent person suddenlie to be ouertaken after such a sort How manie haue we heard of murthered through contention euen when they haue beene at good cheere How manie slaine foorth-with taken in adulterie How manie at the Dice and Cardes suddenlie dispatched euen of such as they haue plaied withall That I speake nothing of them which falling from their Horse haue brake their neckes which through Shipwrack haue perished suddenlie which finallie either