that giveth the more to his enemies will he not give the lesse to his friends God hath given his own Son then which nothing is greater even to us his enemies and we now being become his friends will he deny us faith and pardon of our sinnes which though they be great yet in comparison they are nothing at all to the price given Christ Jesus would give his own selfe for us when we willed it not and will he now deny us Faith if we will it This will is his earnest that he hath given us truly to look indeed for the thing willed And look thou for it indeed for as he hath given thee to will so will he give thee to doe Jesus Christ gave his life for our evils and by his death he delivered us O then in that he liveth now and cannot dye will he forsake us his heart blood was not too deare for us when we asked it not what can then be now too deare for us asking it Is he a changeling Is he mutable as a man is Can he repent him of his gifts Did he not foresee our falls Paid not he therefore the price Because he saw we should fall sore therefore would he suffer sore Yea if his suffering had not been enough he would yet once more come again God the Father I may say if the death of his sonne incarnate would not serve would himselfe and the Holy Ghost also become incarnate and dye for us This Death of Christ therefore look on as the very pledge of Gods love towards thee whosoever thou art how deepe soever thou hast sinned See Gods hands are nailed they cannot strike thee his feet also he cannot run from thee his armes are wide open to embrace thee his head hangs down to kisse thee his very heart is open so that therein looke nay even see and thou shalt see nothing therein but love love love love to thee hide thee there lay thy head there with the Evangelist This is the clift of the Rock wherein Elias stood This is for all aking heads a pillow of downe Anoint thy head with this oile let this oyntment embalme thy head and wash thy face Tarry thou on this firme rock and I le warrant thee Say with Paul What can separate me from the love of God can death can poverty can sicknesse hunger or any misery perswade thee now that God loveth thee not Nay nothing can seperate thee from the love wherewith God hath loved thee in Christ Jesus whom he loveth he loveth to the end So that now where abundance of sin hath been in thee the more is the abundance of grace But to what end Certainly that as sinne hath reigned to death as thou seest to the killing of Gods Sonne so now Grace must raigne to life to the honouring of Gods Sonne who is now alive and cannot dye any more So that they which by faith feele this cannot any more dye to God but to sinne whereto they are dead and buried with Christ As Christ therefore liveth so doe they and that to God to righteousnesse and holinesse The life which they live is In fide Filii Dei in the faith of the Sonne of God whereby you see that now I am slipt into that which I made the third part of repentance namely newnesse of life which I could not so have done if that it were a part of it selfe indeed it is an effect or fruit of the second part that is of faith or trust in Gods mercy For he that beleeveth that is is certainly perswaded sinne to be such a thing that is the cause of all misery and of it selfe so greatly angreth God that in Heaven nor in earth nothing could appease his wrath save onely the death and precious bloodshedding of the Sonne of God in whom is all the delight and pleasure of the Father he I say that is perswaded thus of his sinne the same cannot but in heart abhorre and quake to doe or say yea to think any thing willingly which Gods Law teacheth him to be sinne Again he that beleeveth that is is certainly perswaded Gods love to be so much towards him that where through sinne he was lost and made a firebrand of Hell the eternall Father of mercy which is the omni-sufficient God and needeth nothing in us or of any thing that we can doe to deliver us out of Hell and to bring us into Heaven did send even his own most deare Sonne out of his bosome out of heaven into hell as a man would say to bring us as I said from thence into his own bosome and mercy we being his very enemies he I say that is thus perswaded of Gods love towards him and of the price of his redemption by the deare blood of the Lamb immaculate Jesus Christ the same man cannot but love God againe and of love doe that and heartily desire to doe better the which might please God Think you that such a one knowing these things by Faith will willingly insist and wallow in his wilfull lusts pleasures and fantasies Will such a one as knoweth by Faith Christ Jesus to have given his blood to wash him from his sinnes play the Sow to nuzle in his puddle of filthy sinne and vice againe Nay rather then he will be defiled againe by his wilfull sinning he will wash often the feet of his affections watching over the vice still sticking in him which as a spring continually sendeth out poyson enough to drowne and defile him if the sweet water of Christs passion in Gods sight did not wash it and his blood satisfy the rigour of Gods justice due for the same This blood of Christ shed for our sinnes is so deare in the sight of him that beleeveth that he will abhorre in his heart to stamp it and tread it under his feet He knoweth now by his beleefe that it is too much that hitherto he hath set too little by it and is ashamed thereof Therefore for the residue of his life he purposeth to take better heed to himselfe then before he did Because he seeth by his faith the grievousnesse of Gods anger the foulenesse of sin the greatnesse of Gods mercy and of Christs love towards him he will now be heedy to pray unto God to give him his grace accordingly that as with his eyes and tongue hands and feet c. he hath displeased God doing his own will even so now with the same eyes tongue c. he may displease his own selfe and doe Gods will Willingly will he not doe that which might renew the death of the sonne of God He knoweth he hath too much sinne unwillingly in him so that thereto he will not adde willing offences This willing and witting offending sinning whosoever doth flatter himselfe therein doth evidently demonstrate and shew that he never yet indeed tasted of Christ truly He was never truely perswaded or beleeved how foule a thing sinne is how grievous a thing Gods anger
will endeavour my best now to helpe you by Gods grace But first because we cannot well tell what repentance is through ignorance and for lack of knowledge and false teaching I will to begin withall shew what Repentance is Repentance is no English word but we borrow it of the Latinists to whom it is an after thinking in English in Greeke a being wise afterwards in Hebrew a conversion or turning the which conversion or turning cannot be true and hearty unto God especially without some good hope or trust of pardon for that which is already done and past is therefore after hearty sorrow an earnest purpose to amend and to turne to God with a trust of pardon This definition may be divided into three parts 1. First a sorrowing for our sinnes 2. Secondly a trust of pardon which otherwise may be called a perswasion of God's mercy by the merits of Christ for the forgivenesse of our sinnes 3. And thirdly a purpose to amend or a conversion to a new life The which third or last part cannot be called so properly a part as an effect of that repentance we now speake of as towards the end ye shall see by Gods grace But yet lest such as seeke for occasion to speake evill should have any occasion if they tarry not out the end of this sermon I therefore divide repentance into the three foresaid parts 1. Of sorrowing for our sinne 2. Of good hope or trust of pardon 3. Of a new life Thus you may see what the thing is a sorrowing for sinne a purpose to amend with a good hope or trust of pardon This penance not only differeth from that which men commonly take to be penance in saying and going over our enjoyned Ladies Psalters seaven penitentiall Psalmes superstitious Fastings Pilgrimages Almes-deeds and such like things but also from that which the more learned have declared to consist of three parts namely contrition confession and satisfaction Contrition they call a just and a full sorrow for their sinne For this word just and full is one of the differences between Contrition and Attrition Confession they call a numbering of all their sinnes in the eare of their ghostly Father for as say they a judge cannot absolve without knowledge of the cause or matter so cannot the Priest or ghostly Father absolve from other sinnes then those which he doth heare Satisfaction they call amends making unto God for their sinnes by their undue works Opera indebita workes more then they need to doe as they terme them This is their penance which they Preach Write and allow But how true this stuffe is how it agreeth with Gods word how it is to be allowed taught Preached written let us a little consider If a man repent not untill he have a just and full sorrowing for his sinnes dearly beloved when shall he repent For in as much as hell fire and the punishment of the Divels is a just punishment for sinne In as much as in all sinne there is a contempt of God which is all goodnesse and therefore there is a desert of all ilnesse alas who can beare or feele this just sorrow this full sorrow for our sinnes this their contrition which they doe so discerne from their attrition shall not man by this doctrine rather despaire then come to repentance If a man repent not untill he have made confession of all his sinns in the eare of his ghostly Father if a man cannot have absolution of his sins untill his sins be told by tale and number in the Priests eare in that as David saith none can understand much lesse then utter all his sins Delicta quis intelligit Who can understand his sins In that David complaineth of himselfe elsewhere how that his sinnes have overflowed his head and as a heavy burthen doe oppresse him alas shall not a man by this doctrines be utterly driven from repentance Though they have gone about something to make a plaister for their sores of confession or attrition to asswage this stuffe bidding a man to hope well of his contrition though it be not so full as is required and of his confession though he have not numbred all his sinnes if so be that he doe so much as in him lieth dearely beloved in that there is none but that herein he is guilty for who doth as much as he may think yee that this plaister is not like salt to sore eyes Yes undoubtedly alas when they have done all they can for the appeasing of consciences in these poynts this is the summe that we yet should hope well but yet so hope that we must stand in a mammering and doubting whether our sins be forgiven For to beleeve remissionem peccatorum that is to be certaine of forgivenesse of sinnes as our Creed teacheth us they count it a presumption O abomination and that not onely therein but in all their penance as they paint it As concerning satisfaction by their Opera indebita undue workes that is by such works as they need not to doe but of their own voluntarinesse and willingnesse wilfulnesse in deed who seeth not monstrous abomination blasphemy and even open fighting against God For if satisfaction can be done by man then Christ died in vaine for him that so satisfieth and so reigneth he in vaine so is he a Bishop and a Priest in vaine Gods law requireth love to God with all our heart soule power might and strength so that there is nothing can be done to God-ward which is not contained in this commandement nothing can be done over and above this Again Christ requireth to man-ward that we should love one another as he loved us And think you beloved that we can doe any thing to our Neighbourward which is not herein comprized Yea let them tell me when they do any thing so in the love of God and their Neighbour but that they had need to cry Remitte nobis debita nostra forgive us our sinnes So farre are wee off from satisfying Doth not Christ say When you have done all things that I have commanded you say that ye be but unprofitable servants Put nothing to my word saith God Yes workes of supererogation yea superabomination say they Whatsoever things are true saith the Apostle Saint Paule Whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things pertaine to love whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise have you them in your minde and doe them and the God of peace shall be with you Beloved this lesson well regarded would pull us from Popish satisfactory Works which doe deface Christs treasures and satisfaction In heaven and in earth was there none found that could satisfie God's anger for our sinnes or open heaven for man but onely the Son of God Jesus Christ the Lion of the Tribe of Juda who by his bloud hath wrought the work of
is how joyfull and precious a thing Gods mercy in Christ is how exceeding broad wide high and deepe Christs love is Perchance he can talke and Preach of Faith but yet truly in heart he never felt it effectually for if he did once feele this ravishing consolation indeed then would he be so farre from continuing in sinne willingly and wittingly that wholly and heartily he would give over himselfe to that which is contrary I meane to a new life renewing his youth even as the Eagle doth For as we being in the servitude of sinne demonstrate our service by giving over our members to the obaying of sinne from iniquity to iniquity even so we being made free from sinne by faith in Jesus Christ and endued with Gods spirit a spirit of liberty must needs demonstrate this freedome and liberty by giving over our members to the obedience of the spirit by the which we are lead and guided from vertue to vertue and all kind of holinesse As the unbelievers declare their unbeleefe by the working of the evill spirit in them in the outward fruits of the flesh even so the believers declare their faith by the working of Gods Spirit in them outwardly the fruits of the Spirit For as the Divell is not dead in those which are his but worketh still to their damnation so is not God dead in them which be his but worketh still to their salvation The which working is not the cause of the one or the other being in any but only a demonstration a signe a fruit of the same As the Apple is not the cause of the Apple tree but the fruit of it Thus then you see briefely that newnesse of life is not indeed a part of repentance but a fruit of it a demonstration of the justifying faith a signe of Gods good spirit possessing the heart of the penitent as the old life is a fruit of impenitency a demonstration of a lipfaith or unbeliefe a signe of Sathans spirit possessing the heart of the impenitent which all those be that be not penitent For meane I know none He that is not penitent the same is impenitent he that is not governed by Gods spirit the same is governed by Sathans Spirit For all that be Christians are governed with the spirit of Christ which spirit hath its fruits All other that be not Christs are the Divels He that gathereth not with Christ scattereth abroad Therefore my dearely beloved I beseech you to consider this and deceive not your selves If you be not Christs then pertaine you to the Divel of which things the fruits of the flesh doth assure you as whoredome adultery uncleannesse wantonnesse idolatry witch-craft envy strife contention wrath sedition murther drunkennesse gluttony blasphemy slothfulnesse vaine talking slandering c. If such like fruit as these grow out of the trees of your hearts surely surely the Divell is at Inne with you you are his birds whom when he hath well fed he will broach you and eat you chaw you and champ you world without end in eternall woe and misery But I am otherwise perswaded of you all I trust you be all Christ Jesus his people and his children yea and his brethren by faith As you see your sins in Gods Law and tremble and sigh sorrow and sob for the same even so you see his great mercies in his Gospel and free promises and therefore are glad merry and joyfull for that you are accepted into Gods favour have your sins pardoned and are endued with the good spirit of God even the seale and signe Manuel of your election in Christ Jesus even before the beginning of the World The which spirit for that he is the Spirit of life is given to you to work in you with you and by you here in this life sanctification and holinesse whereunto you are called that so ye might be holy even as your heavenly father is holy I beseech you all by admonition and warning of you that you would stirre up the gifts of God given to you generally and particularly to the edifying of his Church that is I pray you that you would not molest the good Spirit of God by rebelling against it when it provoketh and calleth you to goe on forward that he which is holy might yet be more holy he which is righteous might be more righteous as the evill spirit moveth and stirreth up the filthy to be yet more filthy the covetous to be more covetous the wicked to be more wicked Declare you now your repentance by workes of repentance Bring forth fruits and worthy fruits Let your sorrowing for your evils demonstrate it selfe departing from the evils you have used Let your certainty of pardon of your sins through Christ and your joy in him be demonstrated by pursuing of the good things which Gods word teacheth you You are now in Christ Jesus Gods workmanship to doe good works which God hath prepared for you to walk in For the grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men hath appeared and teacheth us that we should deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should live soberly righteously godlily in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the mighty God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ which gave himselfe for us to redeeme us from all unrighteousnesse and to purge us a peculiar people unto himselfe fervently given unto good workes Again Titus 3. For we our selves also were in times past unwise disobedient deceived serving lusts and divers pleasures living in maliciousnesse and envy full of hate and hating one another But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour to man-ward appeared not by the deeds of righteousnesse which we wrought but of his mercy he saved us by the fountain of the new birth and with the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that we once justified by his grace should be heires of eternall life through hope This is a true saying But I will make an end for I am too tedious Dearely beloved repent your sinnes that is be sorry for that which is past beleeve in Gods mercy for pardon how deepely soever you have sinned and both purpose and earnestly pursue a new life bringing forth worthy and True fruits of Repentance As you have given over your members from sin to sin to serve the Divel your tongues to sweare to lye to flatter to scold to jest to scoffe to beastly talke to vain jangling to boasting c. Your hands to picking griping idlenesse fighting c. Your feet to skipping going to evill to dancing c. Your eares to heare Fables lyes vanities and evill things c. So now give over your members to godlinesse your tongues to speak your eares to heare your eyes to see your mouthes to tast your hands to worke your feet to goe about such things as may make to Gods glory sobriety of life and love to your brethren and that daily more and more diligently for in this way to stand you cannot either better or worse you are to day then you were yesterday But better I trust you be and will be if you marke my Theme that is repent you The which thing that you would as before I have humbly besought you even so now yet once more I doe again beseech you and that for the mercies of God in Jesus Christ our Lord Repent you repent you for the Kingdome of heaven that is a Kingdome full of riches pleasures mirth beauty sweetnesse and eternall felicity is at hand The eye hath not seen the like the eare hath not heard the like the heart of man cannot conceive the treasures and pleasures of this Kingdome which is now at hand to such as Repent that is to such as are sorry for their sinnes beleeve Gods mercy through Christ and earnestly purpose to lead a new life The God of mercy through Christ his Sonne grant us his holy spirit and work in our hearts this sorrow faith and new life which through his grace I have spoken of both now and for ever AMEN FINIS Marc. 4.33 Lumen orationis perspicuitas Aug. who would call a bone ossum to avoid the ambiguity in os in Psal. 138. secundum Aug. Mr R. Ca. of Tentat 1. Resipiscentia 2 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 3 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Deut. 6.2 Mat. 22. Mark 20. Luke 10. Ioh. 3. Mat. 6. Luke 17. Apoc. 22. Deut. 4.1 Phil. 4. Isai 45. 1 Joh. 2. Iames 2. Rom. 7. Gen. 6. Gen. 19. Gen. 19. Josua Caleb Num. 14. Lev. 24a Num. 13. 1 K. 5. 3 Reg. 21.22 4 Reg. 21. 4 Reg. 10. Isai 31. Mat. 7. Heb. 10.
ensuing Treatise Read it and read it againe with prayer and Meditation and the Lord teach thee to profit by it And so I commend thee to the grace of God and bid thee heartily Farewell entreating thy prayers for him who in love to thy soule hath revived this Treatise and remaines Thy servant for Christs sake H. W. To the Reader BEing over entreated to Preface something to this Peece I crave a little patience whilest I speak a little both to the Worke and Workman In the Work there is 1. The Matter 2. the Frame or composure considerable the subject matter is Repentance and that 's a thing which will never be out of season till sin which never is in season be out of mens hearts and lives Some men indeed have thought in temptation only I hope this a worke for some at least in these daies too legall and below their Gospel priviledges but if it be rightly stated and understood it will be found a Gospell both duty and priviledge beyond the mercy of Law and never more seasonable then in times of Grace Act. 17. 30 much pressed by the Lord of Preachers and his forerunners by his Apostles and their successors down to our Authors time who frequented no one doctrine or duty more For the forme and manner of handling this Theme we referre thereunto his method his stile or phrase In the first we must allow a latitude to him to others according to each mans gift and genius so long as curiosity and confusion be avoided and the capacity of the hearer considered Much I know is written about the Method of Preaching and it must be granted that nothing contributes more to the memory both of the speaker and hearer then method doth Howheit the rule holds that the greatest art is to dissemble art and that Preacher who studies himself and his people most usually speaks most to the heart and to edification a Workman may fetch his stuffe from anothers shop but if he will make the suit fit he must apply himselfe to the party concerned and take measure of him I mean this a Teacher must fetch all his materials from the word but his application from the Auditory and herein this good man was his crafts master Nor will his Method I am confident be quarrelled by any true Artist he begins with a description of the Term of the Thing and that done he casts it into the parts vindicating them from false glosses and mistakes and restoring them to their proper sense and the way thus cleared he bears down all before him with strength of argument and application wherein lies the life of this of any Sermon For his Phrase that 's suited to the times wherein he lived and to the matter that lies before him and whilst 't is so it was not needfull either to alter a tearme unlesse it were super annuated or to adde a word unlesse it were to make up a gappe where the Coppy seemed defective It is confessed on all hands his persecutors not gainsaying it that the Author was in those times a master of speech but he had learned of his Master not to speak what he could speake but what his hearers could heare he knew that clearnes of speech was the excellency of speech and therefore resolved with a good Orator to speak beneath himselfe rather then above his Auditory and with the nurse to speake broken words rather then obscure and doubtfull otherwise his eloquence was confessedly great that is Native Masculine Modest in one Heavenly for if you marke him he savours and breaths nothing but Heaven yea he sparkles thunders lightens pierces the soft breaks only the stony heart The blessing of God hath been signally eminent upon this land in her Preachers I had almost said beyond all lands since the Reformation the Lord make us sensible of it really thankefull for it to the encouragement of all such Amongst these I have in my time met with foure mighty men upon this very argument now all with God for I forbeare to instance in the living the men are John Bradford John Udall Arthur Dent Dan. Dyke and if I might be pardoned for for comparing dead men which I doe not practice towards the living I should think that as Mr Bradford is before them all in time so not behinde any one of them in this way of Preaching he was of a most sweet humble and melting spirit who I know not how will be in a mans bosome ere he be aware and willingly winne him from himselfe to Christ Many years are now past since I first read this Tract and it is not to be stranged if still I affect it t is the first Printed Sermon that affected me to purpose and I were to blame if I should be unwilling to carve and convey it to others which whilest I doe it is not to be expected that I should engage either for or against every punctilio in it he shall shew little ingenuity and lesse Charity who cannot look upon such a Brother dissenting in some opinion or expression without some abatement of affection or respect It was the frequent profession of my ever honoured Predecessor where I see most of Christ there will I love most whether the party be of my opinion or of a different judgement so he so I but of the Work enough shall I speak a little of the Workman This blessed Martyr who beautisied his sufferings with his meeknesse humility was doubtles one of a thousand whether a better Preacher or Scholler is to me a great question after his conversion his whole life was a continued Sermon of Repentance in his addresses to the Vniversity to the Citty to his Country men and kinsmen he Preacht Repentance he liv'd Repentance and in his last farewell to this land he breathed out his last thus O England England Repent Repent of thy sins I am much ashamed when I read his workes and life penned by many and cannot without sad reflections upon my selfe consider how farre our meanes helps opportunities are beyond his times and how infinitely I to censure none but my selfe fall short of him in the practice of godlinesse and power of exhortation Truly if Luthers three engredients 1. Prayer 2. Meditation 3. Temptation make up either Preacher or Christian you may find them all in him who was a man of prayer of meditation of temptations as his workes speak him and they found him who have made use of him in their temptations and desertions The man who most in my mind resembled him in Preaching conference prayer temptation every way was the man whose society I sometimes enjoyed this blessed man now with Christ hath often told me that he himselfe whose ability and dexterity in setling and satisfying troubled spirits was certainly great hath been at one time so overwhelmed with temptations and at another so becalmed into a flatnesse and listlesnes of spirit that he hath been enforced to adopt M. Bradfords
Satisfaction and he onely is worthy all honour and glory and praise for he hath opened the book with the seaven seales and done all Dearely beloved therefore abhorre this abhomination even to think that there is any other satisfaction to God-ward for sinne then Christs blood only Blasphemy it is and that horrible to think otherwise The blood of Christ purifieth saith St John from all sinne And therefore he is called the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the World because there was never sinne forgiven of God nor shall be from the beginning untill the end of the World but onely through Christs death Prate the Pope and his Prelates as please them with their Pardons Purgatory Purgations Trentalls Diriges workes of supererogation superabomination c. I am he saith the Lord which putteth away thine offences and that for my own sake and will no more remember thine iniquities Put me in remembrance for we will reason together and tell me what thou hast for thee to make thee righteous Thy first father offended sore c. And thus writeth St John If any man sinne we have an advocate saith he with the Father even Jefus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation or sat is faction for our sinnes As in the fourth chapter he saith that God hath sent his sonne to be a propitiation or satisfaction for our sinnes According to that which Paule writeth where he calleth Christ a mercifull and faithfull Priest to purge the peoples sins So that blind Bussards and perverse Papists they be which yet will prate that our merits or Workes do satisfy for our sinnes in part or in whole before Baptisme or after For to omit the testimonies I brought out of John and Paul which the blind cannot but see I pray you remember the Text out of Esay which even now I rehearsed being spoken to such as were then the people of God and had been a long time but yet were fallen into grievous sins after their adoption into the number of Gods Children It is for mine own sake saith God that I put away thy sinnes Where is your parting of the stake now If it be for Gods own sake if Christ be the propitiation then recant except you will become Idolaters making your works God and Christ Say as David teacheth not to us Lord not to us but to thy name be the Glory And it is to be noted that God doth cast in their teeth even the sinne of their first Father least they should think that yet perchance for the righteousnesse and goodnesse of their good Fathers their sinnes might be the sooner pardoned and so God accept their works If they had taken satisfaction for that which is done to the Congregation publikely by some notable punishment as in the Primitive Church was used to open offendors shadowes whereof and some pore Traces yet remaine when such as have sinned in Adultery go about the Church with a Taper in their shirts Or if they had taken satisfaction for restitution to Man ward of such goods as wrongfully are gotten the which true repentance cannot be without or if by satisfaction they had meant a new life to make as it were amends to the Congregation thereby as by their evill life they did offend the Congregation in which sense the Apostle seemeth to take that which he writeth in 2 Cor. 7. where the old interpreter calleth Apologian satisfaction which rather signifies a defence or answering againe If I say they had taken satisfaction any of these waies then they had done well so that the satisfaction to God had been left all only to Christ Againe if they had taken confession either for that which is to God privately either for that which is to the Congregation publiqucly either for that which is a free consultation with some one learned in Gods booke and called thereunto as first it was used and I wish were now used among us either for that which is a reconciliation of one to another it had been something yea if they had taken it for faith because it is a true demonstration of Faith as in Paul we may see when he calleth Christ the Captaine of our Confession that is of our Faith and so confessors were called in the Primitive Church such as manfully did witnesse their faith with the perill of their lives if I say they had taken it thus then had they done rightwell And so Contrition if they had left out their subtill distinction between it and Attrition by this word just or full making it a hearty sorrow for their sinnes then we would never have cryed out against them therefore For we say repentance hath three parts Contrition if you understand it for a hearty sorrow for sinne Confession if you understand it for faith of free pardon in Gods mercy by Jesus Christ and Satisfaction if you understand it not to God-wards for that only to Christ must be left alone but to man-ward in restitution of goods wrongfully or fraudulently gotten of name hindred by our slaunders and in newnesse of life although as I said before none will shew more plainely by Gods grace that this last is not so much a part indeed as a plain effect or fruit of true repentance I might here bring in examples of their penance how perilous it is to be embraced but let the example of their grand-sire Judas serve in whom we see all the parts of their pennance as they describe it and yet notwithstanding he was damned He was sory enough as the effect shewed he had their contrition fully out of the which he confessed his fault saying I have betrayed innocent blood and thereunto he made satisfaction restoring the mony he had received But yet all was but lost he hanged up himselfe his bowells burst out and he remained a child of perdition for ever I would wish that this example of Judas in whom ye see the parts of their Pennance contrition confession and satisfaction would move them to repentance and to describe it a little better making hope or trust of Gods free mercy a piece thereof or else with Judas they will marre all Perchance these words contrition coufession and satisfaction were used as I have expounded them at the first But in that we see so much danger and hurt by using them without expositions either let us joyne to them open expositions alwaies or else let us not use them at all but say as I write that repentance is a hearty sorrow for our sinnes a good hope or trust of pardon through Christ which is not without an earnest purpose to amend or a new life This repentance is the thing whereto all the Scripture calleth us This repentance do I now call you all unto this must be continually in us and not for a Lent-season as we have thought this must increase daily more and more in us without this we cannot be saved Search therefore your hearts all all swearers blaspheamers lyers flatterers lewd
and present old and new thereby the holy spirit may be effectuall to worke in his time this worke of sorrowing for our sinne Look upon Gods anger for sinne in Adam and Eve for eating a peece of an apple or some such fruit Were not they the dearest creatures of God cast out of Paradise Were not they subject to mortality travaile labour c. Was not the earth accursed for their sinnes Doe not we all men in labour women in travailing with child and all in death mortality and misery even in this life feele the same And was God so angry for their sinne and he being the same God will he say nothing to us for ours alas more horrible then the eating once of one peece of an apple In the time of Noah and Lot God destroyed the whole world with Water and the Citties of Sodom with Gomorrah Seboim and Adama with fire and brimstone from heaven for their sinnes namely for their Whoredomes pride idlenesse unmercifulnesse to the poore tyranny c. In which wrath of God even the very babes birds fowles fishes herbs trees and grasse perished and think we that nothing will be spoken to us much worse and more abominable then they For all men may see if they will that the Whoredomes pride unmercifulnesse tyranny c. of England farre passeth in this age any age that ever was before Lots wife looking back was turned into a salt stone and will our looking back againe yea our turning back againe to our wickednesse doe us no hurt If we were not already more then blind Beetles we would blush Pharaoh his heart was hardned so that no miracle could convert him if ours were any thing soft we would beginne to sobbe Of six hundred thousand men only two entred into the Land of promise because they had ten times sinned against the Lord as he himselfe saith and think we that God will not sweare in his wrath that we shall never enter into his rest which have sinned so many ten times as we have toes and fingers yea haires on our heads and beards I feare me and yet we passe not The man that sware and he that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day were stoned to death but we think our swearing is no sinne our bribing rioting yea whore-hunting on the Sabbath day pleaseth God or else we would something amend our manners Elies negligence in correcting his sonnes nipped his neck in two but ours which pamper up our Children like puppets will they put us to no plunge Elies sonnes for disobaying their Fathers admonition brought over them Gods vengeance and will our stubbornnesse doe nothing Sauls malice to David Acabs displeasure against Naboth brought their blood to the ground for dogges to eate yea their Children were hanged up and slaine for this cause but we continue in malice envy and murther as though we were able to wage warre withthe Lord Davids adultery with Bathsheba was visited on the child borne on Davids daughter defiled by her brother and on his children one slaying another his Wives defiled by his own sonne and himselfe driven out of his Realme in his old age and otherwise also although he most hartily repented his sin But me thinks we are more deare unto God then David which yet was a man after God's own heart or else we could not but tremble and beginne to repent The rich glutton who insatiatly delighted in gluttony what did it availe him it brought his soule to hell and have we any preheminence that God will doe nothing to us Achans subtil theft provoked Gods anger against all Israel and our subtilty yea open extortion is so fine and politick that we think God cannot espie it Gehezi his covetousnesse brought it not the Leprosy upon him and on all his seed Judas also hanged himselfe But the covetousnesse of England is of another cloth and colour Well if it were so the same Taylor will cut it accordingly Ananias and Saphyra by Lying linked to them suddain death but ours now prolongeth our life the longer to last in eternall death The false witnesses of the two Judges against Susanna lighted on their own heads and so will ours doe at length But what goe I about to avouch ancient examples where daily experience doth teach The sweat the other yeare the stormes the Winter following will us to weigh them in the same ballances Men hanging and killing themselves which are alas too rife in all places require us to register them in the same roules At the least Children Infants and such like which yet can not utter sinne by word or deed we see Gods anger against sinne in punishing them by sicknesse death mis-hap or otherwise so plainly that we cannot but grone againe in that we have poured out these sinnes in word or deed more abundantly And here with me a little look on God's anger yet so fresh that we cannot but smell it although we stoppe our noses never so much I pray God we smell it not more fresh hereafter I meane it forsooth for I know you look for it in our deare late Soveraigne Lord the Kings Majesty you all know he was but a child in years defiled he was not with notorious offences Defiled said I nay rather adorned with so many good gifts and wonderfull qualities as never Prince was from the beginning of the World Should I speake of his wisdome of his ripenesse in judgement of his learning of his Godly zeale Heroicall heart Fatherly care for his Commons Nurse-like solicitude for Religion c. Nay so many things are to be spoken of Gods exceeding graces in this Child that as Salust writeth of Carthage I had rather speak nothing then too little in that too much is too little This gift God gave unto us Englishmen before all Nations under the Sunne and that of their exceeding love towards us But alas alas for our unthankfulnesse sake for our sinne sake for our carnality and prophane living Gods anger hath touched not only the body but also the mind of our King by a long sicknesse and at length hath taken him away by death death cruell death fearefull death O if Gods judgement be begun on him which as he was the chiefest so I think the holyest and godliest in the Realme of England alas what will it be on us whose sinnes have overgrowne so our heads that they are climed up to heaven I pray you my good brethren know that Gods anger towards us for our sinnes cannot but be great yea too fell in that we see it was so great that our good King could not beare it What befell Jewry after the death of Josias Lord save England and give us repentance my heart will not suffer me to tarry longer herein I hope this will cause some repentance If therefore the prayer for Gods feare the looking in God's glasse and the tagge thereto will not burst open the blockish heart yet hope I that the repetition
doe Now unto this prayer use thou these means following After prayer for Faith which I would should be first Secondly because the same springeth out of the hearing not of Masse Mattins Canons Councells Doctors Decrees but out of the hearing of Gods word get Gods word but not that part which serveth specially to Contrition that is the Law but the other part which serveth specially to consolation and certain perswasions of Gods love towards thee that is the Gospell or publication of Gods mercy in Christ I mean the free promises But here thou must know that there are two kindes of promises one which is properly of the Law another of the Gospel In the promises of the Law we may indeed behold Gods mercy but so that it hangeth upon the condition of our worthinesse as if thou love the Lord withall thy heart c. thou shalt find mercy This kind of promise though it declare unto us Gods love which promiseth where he needeth not yet unto him that feeleth not Christ which is the end of the Law they are so farre from comforting that utterly with the Law they bring man to great despaire so greatly we are corrupt for none so loveth God as he ought to doe From these therefore get thee to the other promises of the Gospel in which we may see such plenty and franke liberality of Gods goodnesse that we cannot but be much comforted though we have very deeply sinned For these promises of the Gospel doe not hang on the condition of our worthinesse as the promises of the Law doe but they depend and hang on Gods truth that as God is true so they cannot but be performed to all them which lay hold on them by Faith I had almost said which cast them not away by unbeliefe Marke in them therefore two things namely that as well they are free promises without any condition of our worthinesse as also that they are universally offered to all I say which are not so stubborne as to keep still their hands whereby they should receive this almes in their bosomes by unbeliefe As concerning Infants and children you know I now speak not but concerning such as be of years of discretion and under the Gospel And now you look that I should give you a tast of these promises which are both free and universall except none but such as except themselves Well you shall have one or two for a say In the 3d of John saith our Saviour So God the Father loved the World that he would give his Deareling his one only sonne that all that believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life Loe Sir he saith not that some might have life but all saith he And what all all that love him with all their hearts all that have lived a good life Nay all that beleeve in him Although thou hast lived a most wicked and horrible life if now thou believe in him thou shalt bee saved Is not this sweet grace Againe saith Christ Come unto me all ye that labour and are laden and I will refresh you Let us a little look on this letter Come unto mee Who shall come Lords Priests Holy men Monkes Friars yea Coblers Tinkers Whores Theeves Murtherers also if they lament their sinnes Come unto mee saith he all ye that labour and are laden that is which are afraid and weary of your sinnes And what wilt thou doe Lord And I shall refresh you saith he Oh what a thing is this And I will refresh you Wot you who spake this He that never told lie He is the truth there was never guile found in his mouth and now will he be untrue to thee good brother which art sorry for thy greivous sinnes No forsooth heaven and earth shall passe and perish but his word shall never faile Saint Paul saith God would have all men saved Loe he excepteth none And to Titus the grace of God bringeth salvation to all men as from Adam all have received sinne to damnation so by Christ all have grace offered to Salvation if they reject not the same I speak not now of Infants I say nor need I enter into the matter of Predestination In preaching of repentance I would gather where I could with Christ As surely as I live saith God ' I will not the death of a sinner art thou a sinner Yea Loe God sweareth he will not thy death How canst thou now perish Consider with thy selfe what profit thou shouldest have to believe this to be true to others if not to thy selfe also Sathan doth so Rather consider with Peter that the promise of Salvation pertaineth not only to them which are nigh or to such as are falne a little but also to all to whom the Lord hath called be they never so farre off Loe nowby me the Lord calleth thee thou Man thou Woman that art very farre off The promise therefore pertaineth to thee needs must thou be saved except thou with Satan say God is false and if thou doe so God is faithfull and cannot deny himselfe as thou shalt feele by his plagues in hell for so dishonouring God to think that he is not true Will he be found false now The matter hangeth not on thy worthinesse but it hangeth on God's truth Clap hold on it and I warrant thee Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes yea for the sins of the whole World of Jew and Gentiles believe this Man I know thou believest it say therefore in thy heart still Domine adauge mihi fidem Lord encrease my faith Lord help my unbeleefe Blessed are they which see not by reason this but yet believe Beloved we must hope above hope as Abraham did And thus much for a tast of the promises which are every where not only in the new Testament but also in the Old Read the last end of Leviticus 26. The Prophet Isaiah 30. Where he saith God tarryeth looking for thee to shew thee mercy also the 40 and so forth to the 60. Read also 2 Kings 24. Ps. 33. Joel 2. c. Howbeit if all this will not serve and if yet thou feelest no faith no certaine perswasion of Gods love then prepare thy selfe unto Prayer and diligent considering of the free and universall promises of the Gospel Thirdly set before thee those blessings which heretofore and at this present God hath given thee Consider how he hath made thee a Man or a Woman which might have made thee a Toade or a Dogge And why did he this Verily because he loved thee and thinkest thou if he loved thee when thou wast not to make thee such a one as he most graciously hath and will he not now love thee being his handy work Doth he hate any thing that he made Is there unablenesse with him Doth he love for a day and so farewell No beloved God loveth to the end his mercy endureth for ever Say therefore with Job Operi manum tuarum porrige dextram that is to the work