made the first and farre excelled those who being sooner were more slow in their proceedings And therefore feare not but that it is likewise as possible for thee to outrun the first and to be before them in the kingdome of heauen Though thou forsake not thy sinnes till thy sinnes be ready to forsake thee yet if thou then repent despaire not of mercie for though thy conuersion be short and momentarie yet it shall not be vnprofitable But as hee that giueth a cup of cold water loseth not his reward Matt. 10. so notwithstanding thy repentance be no way answerable to the waight of thy sinnes yet that moment of repentance be it neuer so small shal not want reward No man can make any satisfaction vnto God answerable either to his greatnesse or to those sinnes hee hath committed against him Sin deserues a greater sorow and contrition of heart than to bee lamented euen of those that truly repent for an infinite offence against God requireth an infinite reconciliation but yet forasmuch as the finite capacity of mans wit is not capable of that which is infinite therefore our righteousnesse not sufficing the passion of Christ supplieth it which abundantly satisfieth for the sins of the whole world God for our sinnes requireth no other price than the precious blood of his onely begotten sonne for there is no sinne so deadly but by his death is forgotten forgiuen 1. Ioh. 2. Christ himselfe is the propitiation for our sinnes and not onely for ours but for the sinnes of the whole world for as if some poore and wretched creature being afflicted with a grieuous disease should be aduised by his Physitian to take such physicke for his recouerie as were beyond his abilitie to reach vnto and he shall answer the Physitian that he is not able by reason of his pouertie to buy it whereupon the Physitian out of the goodnesse of his nature shall replie saying Doe thou what thou canst and I will supply the rest euen so our mercifull GOD who much desireth the saluation of thy soule requireth of thee nothing but what thou mayest doe and yet mayest not doe neither without his gracious assistance the rest out of his goodnesse he supplieth and being easily pleased and contented with a little at thy hands hee pardoneth both the sinne and the punishment of thy sinnes He giues that that thou shalt giue vnto him and is pleased with that which hee giueth thee for his vnspeakable mercy towards vs hee onely requireth this at our hands To do that which by his assistance lieth in vs to performe There is a man of high and eminent honour whom though according to his worth thou canst not honor thogh thou spend al that thou hast yet thou offendest not if thou honour him according to thine owne abilitie if thou doe what thou canst not what hee deserueth So our Lord God because he is infinitely good deserues an infinite loue and reconciliation but yet hee willingly receiueth the least that we can doe because he knoweth our inabilitie and therefore refuseth not the least repentance that may be that proceedeth out of an humble and contrite heart For if hee should not haue respect of our weaknesse wee could neuer satisfie him for the least of our sinnes But hee as the Psalmist speaketh is mercifull and forgiueth sinners Ps 78.38 and destroieth them not but often times calleth backe his anger and doeth not stirre vp all his wrath for hee remembreth that they are but flesh But where mercie is there iudgement is not rigorous where mercy is graunted there punishment is pardoned Wherefore deaâ—â— brother though thou be at the point of death lose not thy hope of saluation so long as thou seest this light thou hast time to repent and afterwards too but when thou art departed this life and art condemned by the irreuocable sentence of God it will be too late to repent It is true that thou wilt repent in hell but there it will not helpe for in hell there is no redemption CHAP. VII Of the ioyes of Heauen BVt because hope which is contrarie to despaire is a certaine expectation of future blessednesse proceeding from the grace and mercy of God and this vertue my deare brother thou wantest without which thou canst not be saued it remaineth that I confirme this hope in thee and stirre vp thy minde to the desire of the ioies of heauen that if thou turne not vnto God for feare of punishment yet at the least thou doe it in an assured expectation of so great a reward Our good and gratious God out of his onely goodnesse not constrained by necessitie would that others should bee partakers of that blessednesse wherewith he is eternally blessed in himselfe which he saw might likewise be communicated to others and yet in nothing diâ—â—â— shed Hee created thereforâ— in the beginning of the world that tenth heauen â—â—moueable and of exceeding brightnesse and glory which so soone as hee had created he replenished with Angels And as the beautie of an house is a solace and delight to the inhabitants so the glorie and riches of heauen encrease much the ioy of the blessed If the glory and ornament of the earth and firmament be such that of Paradise can not but bee farre more great for because God created it for his friends he gaue it a greater beautie than to other things There is a continual light and splendor not such as is heere but so much greater than this as the light of the Sun exceedeth that of a candle There is not the Sunne to shine by day but the Sunne of righteousnesse who shineth for euer full of all sweetnes a sweet light delightfull to our eies to see the Sonne of righteousnes both God and man the Creatour of mankind Of this blessed estate of the Saints of God in heauen I had rather not speake than derogate from the vnspeakable excellencie thereof by speaking too little The eye hath not seene the care hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for those that loue him What can a man say more to commend that which hee knoweth not how to commend sufficiently Yet giue mee leaue by the shadow to iudge of the substance and by that happinesse wee enioy vpon earth to ghesse at that wee shall enioy in heauen Because such as are condemned haue need of a strait prison Bar. 3.24 and kings of a large palace therefore great is the house of God and large is the place of his possession It is great and hath none end it is high and vnmeasurable The kingdome of God exceedeth all report all praise For there is all good and no euill there nothing that is beloued is wanting and whatsoeuer can be desired is present I can more easily expresse what is not there than what there is There is no death no disease no wearinesse no mourning there is no hunger no want no aduersitie no
be Lord ouer all and hath care of all prouiding for all and euery particular person and gouerning al by his prouidence yet so maiest thou see him wholly imploied to the custodie and preseruation of thy selfe if thou stand vpon thy owne guard and apply thy wil vnto his will as if hee entended onely thy selfe and nothing els Onely doe thou depart from euill and doe good repent thee of al thy sinnes that thou hast committed and keepe the commandements of God and thou shalt liue and not die for it is not the will of God thou shouldest die but that thou return from thy wicked waies and liue Contemne not the treasures of the goodnesse and patience of God for the will of God prouoketh thee to repentance and inuiteth thee to amendement of life but thy hardnesse whereby thou obstinately perseuerest in thy sinnes increaseth the seuerity of thy iudgement to the end thou maiest receiue the due reward of thy sinnes Forasmuch therefore as thou art wicked and hast so good a father continue not alwaies wicked lest with Pharaâ— if thou persist in thy obduration thou purchase to thy selfe eternall damnation CHAP. III. That there is no man so great a sinner but by the power of the Creatour he may be conuerted BVT perhaps thou wilt say I haue beene so long accustomed to sinne that I can hardly change my life and turne from mine iniqui-quities According to that in the 22. of the Prou. Teach a child in the trade of his way and when hee is old hee shall not depart from it And in the 13. of Ieremiah Can the blank-more change his skin or the leopard his spots that may yee also doe that are accustomed to doe euill Res I confesse deare brother that it is a hard thing to make him that is old in euill daies yoong in good because the custome of sinning doth so enthrall the minde that it can hardly be set at libertie neuerthelesse faint not nor despaire at all if thou be either ouercome by the concupiscence of thy flesh or deceiued by errour or slipt into the way of iniquitie because there is no impossibilitie but that thou maiest bee reduced into the right waie and freed from thy sinne There haue beene many other grieuous offenders who by the right hand of the most high haue beene changed in their old age from the sinnes of their youth and of the seruants and slaues of sin haue beene made the sonnes of God Of drunkards they haue beene made sober men of cruell mercifull of oppressors liberall of proud humble of incontinent chaste of negligent diligent and whom the concupiscence of the flesh hath made base and vile the grace of God hath made beautifull In as much that they haue been willing to suffer wrong that were wont to offer it to giue their owne that were woont to take away other mens to punish their bodies by abstinence that were woont to pamper them to loue their persecuters that were wont to hate those that loued them Nabuchadnezzar after his great fall from a man to a beast Dan. 4. came to himselfe after innumerable afflictions repented and was restored to that kingdome which he had lost Mary Magdalen after many slips of humane fragilitie by true repentance was so kindled with the loue of Christ that of a proud and vnchaste harlot she was suddenly changed into an humble and chaste matron Matthew of a Publican became an Euangelist and the theefe of a wicked transgressor a true conuertite an inheritor of the kingdom of heauen wheÌ„ Stephen by the consent assistance of Paul was stoned Stephen was good and Paul wicked yet Paul became a more zealous preacher of the Gospell than Stephen and afterwards hee was made the Apostle of the Gentiles and he that before was a blasphemer and a persecuter was made a zealous and humble furtherer of the Gospell of Christ Iesus The beginnings amongst Christians are not looked into but the end these beganne ill but ended well The beginning of Iudas was commendable the end damnable from his Apostleship hee fell into hell the theefe from the crosse ascended into paradise What need I say more The Holy Ghost doth not onely set down the good deeds of the saints of God but their euill too that the fall of the iust may be the hope of the wicked and when thou readest that a righteous man sinned and repented thou mayest not despaire of thine owne saluation Wee often times see men spotted with infamie rise to honor and dignitie and iron eaten with rust recouer his ancient brightnesse gold and siluer purified with the fire and trees cut and lopped adorned with boughs leaues The merchant after his losses at sea returnes to sea againe and repaires his losses he despaireth not hee is not cast down but many times made rich by his new aduentures After a desperate sicknesse many recouer health and after desperate sinnes many recouer the health of their soules That in the Prouerbs Teach a childe in the trade of his way c. is therefore spoken because a vessel doth a long time keep the sent and relish of that liquor that is first put into it and by nature we keepe those things best which we haue learned in our yonger yeers not that it alwayes falleth out so but for the most part whilest the age of a man is vnsetled and the minde easily led it is a happy thing to be led vnto the best to the studie of virtue lest being stricken in yeeres hee hardly shake off those sinnes which hee gaue himselfe vnto in his youth An Ethiopian can hardly change his skinne nor alâ—â—pard his spots neither canst thou that of thy selfe art fallen into sinne of thy selfe rise again except God who raiseth the needie out of the dust Psa 113.7 and lifteth vp the poore out of the mire put forth his right hand to helpe thee by which his helpe thou shalt be able to doe any thing but yet not thou but the grace of God which is in thee For how should he want power to raise thee being fallen that was able of nothing to create all things With him all things are possible that with men are impossible his power is no lesse than his will if hee will hee can make thee cleane who as hee clenseth and healeth so he saueth with his onely word If thou despaire of thy disease presume of the omnipotencie of thy Physitian the power of thy Physitian is greater than thy disease is dangerous the danger of thy disease thou seest but the power of thy Physitian thou seest not his power to conuert thy will vnto God is greater than thy inueterate custome of sinning to inthrall thee to sinne If the diuell were able to plucke thee downe from the highest step of virtue to the nethermost depth of all sinne iniquitie how much more is God able to raise thee to thy former height and perfection and not onely restore thee to
penny And therfore saith S. Paul Rom. 5.10 If when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to GOD by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saued by his life It is a greater thing to die for sin than to take away sinne To the reparation of the celestiall mansions not to eternall damnation hath the Lord created and redeemed thee For if hee had desired thy damnation when thou sinnedst hee had cast thee into hell Heereby thou maiest gather that he delighteth more in thy reparation than thy damnation that there is greater ioy with him and his Angels for one sinner that conuerteth Luk. 15.7 than for ninetie and nine iust men that need no amendment of life Which the Lord himselfe hath prooued by a threefold example of the lost sheepe which being found the shepheard with ioy laid vpon his shoulders and brought him to his fold of the lost groat which being found she calleth her friends and neighbours saying Reioice with mee for I haue found the piece which was lost and of the prodigall childe for whom being returned to his father the fat calfe was killed which was not done for that sonne which continued with his father By how much the more we are sorry for a thing lost by so much the more do wee reioice when it is found and therefore there is more ioy in heauen for a sinner that repenteth than for a iust man that needeth no amendment For a repentance inflamed with loue after sinne is more acceptable vnto God than an innocency dull carelesse with securitie by grace As a captaine in the warres loues more that souldier that after his flight returneth and valiantly encountreth his enemie than him that did neuer flie and neuer performed anie valorous exploit A husbandman loueth more that ground that after the thorns and brambles be digged vp yeeldes a plentifull increase than that ground which neuer had thornes and neuer gaue any increase If therfore thy teares vpon earth bee so great a ioy to God and his Angels how great a ioy shall thy pleasures in heauen be to them This is the meat they feed vpon the fruites they are delighted with if by a true contrition of heart thou mortifie thy sinnes and by a true and vnfained repentance turne vnto God Wherfore deare brother though thou thinke thy selfe condemned by Gods iustice appeale vnto his mercy for it sometimes commeth to passe that whom iustice accuseth mercy absolueth and that punishment which the Lord may iustly inflict hee doeth mercifully pardon For those whom God freely created and redeemed he wil not willingly oppresse and therefore if thou repent thee of thy sinne hee repenteth him of his sentence The vnchangeable God will change his sentence if thou change thy life So shalt thou conquer the inuincible binde the omnipotent and a fearefull Iudge thou shalt change into a mercifull father CHAP. VI. That euen at the point of death repentance may be profitable to saluation BVT perhaps thou wilt say I come too late I haue spent my whole life in sinne I am now at the brinke of death and therefore it is too late at my last houre to turne vnto God Res Thou art a yoong man my deare brother in the strength of thy yeeres thou maiest yet liue many a yeere and haue time enough to repent But yet because there is no man be hee neuer so yoong that can assâ—redly promise to himselfe to liue till night and a sudden death may euerie houre of the day ouertake thee wherein despairing thou maiest obiect this vnto me therefore I haue thought good to satisfie this obiection though thou haddest neuer obiected it Whilest thou liuest whilest thou yet breathest yea when thou liest in thy bed at the point of death thou maiest repent yea and then especially there is yet hope of mercy time of forgiuenes place of repentance God witnesseth of himselfe Eze. 33. that at what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes hee will blot out all his wickednesse out of his remembrance He that hath said he will put out all his wickednesse out of his remembrance hath excepted no kinde of sinne Though thou want time to confesse thy sinnes vnto God yet in a moment euen in the twinckling of an cie he can haue time to pardon all thy sinnes Thy will is accounted for thy worke and the gronings of thy heart for thy words If therefore at the houre of death thou cease to bee wicked by repentance thou needest not despaire of pardon because thou art neere thine end For God whoconsidereth the end of all men iudgeth euery man according to his end not his former life neither doeth he respect so much what wee haue beene heeretofore as what we are at the end of our life It is no matter how long but how well a man liueth neither doth the quantitie of the crime nor the enormitie of a mans life nor the breuity of the time nor the extremity of the houre exclude a man from pardon if repentance in the end be true and perfect The great and manifold mercy of God is neither limited by time nor equalled by our great and manifolde offences He that truly repenteth and is loosed from that band of sinne wherewith hee was tied and liueth well after his repentance whensoeuer he dieth he may secure himselfe hee goeth to God he shall not be depriued the kingdome of God hee shall not be separated from the people of God Matt. 20. For as they that went into the Vineyard to labour at the eleuenth houre of the day receiued a penny for their hire as well as they that began their labour the first houre and did beare the burthen and heat of the day so not onely to those that from their childehood doe beare the yoke of the Lord is the reward promised but to the last too who in the end of their life turne vnto God is the earnest pennie of eternall life giuen The innumerable sinnes of the Nineuites a short repentance wiped away and the Publican went presently out of the Temple iustified Marie Magdalen was so great a sinner that the Pharisey disdained to see her and yet in a short time she was iustified and clensed from all her sins The theefe hung vpon the Crosse and being instantly to die despaired not of saluation he confessed the Lord vpon the Crosse and euen with the words of his confession he ended his life and yet the Lord possessed him of Paradise before Peter and lest any man should thinke repentance too late hee turned the punishment of murther into a martyrdome It is true that his repentance was late but yet his pardon came not too late he made speed in turning vnto God and God was as speedie in pardoning These shew thee the fruit of repentance the fountaine of mercy the celeritie thereof for they began late to repent and to do good and yet by doing it truly of the last they are
see with a pure intention of the minde the beautie of his glorie and the honour of his regall power They behold him without wearinesse they enioy him without tediousnosse and euer thirst to enioy him By so much the more hee is desired by those that possesse him by how much the more hee is possessed by those that desire him By the abundant fulnesse of his vnspeakable goodnesse they are satisfied and with a continuall desire of his fruition they are neuer sat is fied There is sacietie and hunger together that takes away want this lothsome wearinesse A thousand yeeres in the fruition of God are as yesterday that is past God is so delightfull to be seene so sweet to bee possessed and so pleasant to bee enioyed that his continuall presence bringeth no tediousnesse with it Secure fâ—uition the second gift of the soule but rather sorasmuch as the blessed are for euer secure therof it is an addition to their happinesse The blessed fruition of God without end continuall delight without interruption eternall possession without amission secure temptation without doubt of hope follow one another because the blessed enioy that which sometimes they did hope to inioy then at the last are their desires satisfied whilest the glory of God appeareth vnto them God who is the end of all desires can onely satisfie their hearts without him nothing is sought for because in him there is whatsoeuer can bee desired Being made companions with angels and partakers of the kingdome of heauen they reigne with their king Christ and desiring nothing possesse all things without couetousnesse they are rich and without money in plentifull abundance If the teares of the penitent bee sweeter in this life than all the delicates of the rich and if heere it be so pleasant a thing to weepe for it how pleasant thinkest thou it is to reioice with it If the least taste of the ioyes of heauen in this life bee so delightfull how great a measure of perfect ioy and delight haue the blessed in heauen where with a ful mouth as it were they taste and see how sweet the Lord is They feare not to lose the fruition of so great a good otherwise they should not bee truely blessed The ioyes of that eternall citie are eternall where they are secure of that glorie that neuer withereth which neither varieth nor shall slide away because they shall enioy an immutable peace None stronger than themselues can assaile them to cast them from thence neither will God who is their chiefest good withdraw himselfe from them for he loueth them with a more indissoluble band of loue than they loue themselues and they loue God more than themselues And as it is one thing to see a thing Charitie the third gife of the soule another to possesse it another to loue it because wee see many things which we possesse not and possesse many which we loue not so there are three distinct gifts three rewards and three glories The cleere light and fruition of God which succeedeth faith secure fruition which succeedeth hope and perfect charitie which neuer falleth away because it continueth euen in heauen Now the thing it selfe not which is beleeued hoped but which is seene and possessed followeth faith and hope but charitie which is greater than they doth neuer decay but is perfect and increaseth hauing attained what it hoped If beleeuing and hoping wee loue that so much which as yet wee see not and to which wee haue not yet attained how much more shall wee loue it when we shall see it and possesse it In that fulnesse of loue that commandement of louing God with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde shall be fulfilled whilest the whole man no way entangled with carnall concupiscence as hee is now shall wholly and incessantly be carried vnto God whilest with a kinde of vnspeakable sweetnes the blessed shall loue God more than themselues and one another as themselues In all there shall be one and the same will because there there shall be no other but the will of GOD. They will that which God willeth and not that which hee will not and as God can do what he will by himselfe so whatsoeuer they will they can do by God As many as are there are one Church one spouse of Christ and one bodie How then shall the head be at variance with the bodie or the bodie with the head As one eye can not be turned but the other must turne with it so whatsoeuer one willeth to that doe all other willes consent And as the eye would not bee the hand nor the hand the eye so though there be a difference in their glory yet euerie one is satiâ—fied with that he hath and being perfect in their ioy and glory are capable of no more than they 〈◊〉 And therefore no infeâ—â—â—â— enuieth his superior as the angels enuie not the archangels there is no enuie by reason of inequalitie in glorie where the vnitie of charitie euer reigneth because all loue all others as themselues the good of euery one by charitie is made the good of all and euery one what in himselfe he hath not he reioyceth to haue receiued in another How great then thinkest thou the ioy is in that perfect charitie of innumerable angels and men because no man loues another lesse than himselfe and reioiceth no otherwise for all than for himselfe Doubtlesse if any other whom thou louest as thy selfe should enioy that reward of happinesse that thou doest thy ioy would be doubled because thou reioicest no lesse for him than for thy selfe but if two or three or more should possesse the same ioy with thee how doest thou thinke thy heart which is scarce capable of thine owne ioy should be capable of so many How many then and how great ioies hath euery Saint in heauen who ioieth more in the glorie of God than in his own and of euery one whom he loueth not lesse than himselfe he ioieth not lesse than of his owne glory If the capacitie of a creature were capable of what is infinite the eie of euery particular person would be infinite and neuerthelesse it is immeasurable vnspeakable and incomprehensible according to the capacitie of euerie particular soule The ioy it hath aboue it selfe is the fruition of God beneath it selfe the euasion of hell within it selfe glorification and blessednesse The number of the blessed diminisheth not that inheritance whereof they are coheires nor in any thing makes it the lesse It is as much to manie as to few as much to euerie particular person as to all because it is one and the same to all and all to euerie one yea and by so much the greater it is by how much greater the number is of coheires There our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus according to his deitie whereby he is God siteth at the right hand of his father in glory coequall in like maiestie in essence consubstantiall