is not receiued his praiers are not heard for God loueth more the loue agreement of men than his owne honour O the admirable goodnesse and mercie of our God and his vnspeakable loue towards men he resuseth his own honor for our charity one towards another If two be at enmity one with the other no man can bee a faithfull friend to them both and therefore God will not be a friend no not to the faithfull so long as they be in hatred one towards another so long as they professe Christ and yet are enemies God to the end he might impose vpon thee a greater necessity of reconciliation did not say If thou haue anie thing against thy brother for to a man that is willing it is a matter of no difficultie to forgiue an other but he said If thy brother hath any thing against thee go with a willing heart and a good conscience and an humble submission vnto him though he bee farre distant from thee or if thou canst not come where hee is in thy heart bee reconciled vnto him that when thou commest in his presence with thy loue thou maist make amends for the wrong thou hast done him which to a furious man that thinketh he hath iust cause to be angry is a matter very difficult But thy brother hath nothing against thee but thou bearest an intestine hatred against thy brother which thou maist easily pardon and bee reconciled if thou wilt And yet thou presumest with this hatred and malice not only to offer thy praiers vnto God but to come to the Communion of the body and blood of thy Sauiour Christ Iesus and that milde Lambe that peace maker that louer of peace thou presumest to â—eceine into thy cruell and bloody heart boiling with hatred malice against thy brother This thy hatred makes thee vnworthy that corporalll bread that thou eateft and doest thou presume to eat the bread of Angels It cannot bee well with thee if thou wickedly receiue that which is good Thou canst not haue life in thy self when the receiuing of life bringeth death Mat. 5.44 Loue saith the Lord your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them which hurt you and persecute you Whom then canst thou hate when thou art commanded to be good to thy enemies And yet thou hatest thy neighbour that art forbid to hate a stranger and thou persecutest thy brother being commanded to doe good to thy enemie Thou art enioyned to praie for him and darest thou to pray vnto God against him Canst thou call thy selfe a Christian and yet not keepe the preceps of Christ Neither is it sufficient for thee to make vp the heape of thy punishment by trangressing the commandement of Christ but thou praiest vnto him to doe so too God commandeth thee to loue thine enemy and thou praiest vnto him to kill thine enemie and whilest thou so praiest thou fightest with thy praiers against God who commandeth thee to forgiue whatsoeuer thou hast against thy enemie Mark 11. When ye shall stand saith he and pray forgiue if ye haue anie thing against any man but thou callest vpon God to do quite contrarie to his owne rule but so farre is he from doing that that thou requirest that he turneth the malicious darts of thy prophane mouth against thy selfe and that mischiefe that thou wishest to another lighteth vpon thine owne head He liues yet whom thou cursest and thou that cursest art alreadie made guiltie of his death because since thou canst not kill him with thy sword thou killest him with thy praiers If thou laie not aside thy anger against thine enemie at that instant when thou beggest mercie at Gods hands but euen then remembrest thy grudge when is there hope thou wilt be mercifull So long as thou nourishest this rancor in thy bosome no praier no work shal doe thee any good but euerie houre yea euery minute of an houre thou addest sinne vnto sinne whilest thou remembrest thy wrongs and forgiuest not thy neighbour but purposest to reuenge If euery one that is angrie with his brother be guilty of iudgment how much more shalt thou be guiltie which continuest a deadly hatred against him If it be not lawfull to be angry with thy brother or to say vnto him Raca Ephes 4. or fool much lesse to nourish hatred in thy heart against him Wherfore deare brother let not the Sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath and lest of a mote thou make a beame and thy soule a man-slaier as speedily as thou canst be reconciled to thy brother and pardon his wrongs Yea pray for thy enemie that pursueth thee and slandereth thee that either God wil turne his hart or rightly defend thee and preserue thee euer wishing his saluation whose iniquities thou doest detest that thou maiest be the sonne of the father which is in heauen CHAP. III. That it is not lawfull to strike him that striketh BVT perhaps thou wilt say hee hath wronged thee greatly not thou him he is a wicked man and not worthy to be forgiuen I had rather die than not to bee reuenged of him I will answer a foole according to his follie Res First my deare brother what shall it profit thee if being stroken thou strike thy striker Shall that make amends for thy blow If thou plucke out another mans eie thou recouerest not thy own but with thy eie thou losest thy patience and hast hurt thy owne soule more than thou hast hurt his body The Diuell procureth the wounds of the body to procure the wounds of the soule If thou strike not againe thou seemest to bee ouercome of thy enemie but in the mean time thou hast ouercome the Diuell thou hast lost a member of thy bodie but thou hast gotten honour by thy patience And therefore if thou spare thy enemie thou hast got more to thy selfe than to him and thou art not to consider so much thy owne losse as the gaine of thy patience Whereas if thou strike again thou procurest a losse to thy bodie and thy soule too and thou art not so much hurt by being stroken by thy enemy as thou hurtest thy selfe by thy own impatiencie Wheras outwardlie thou desirest not to be conquered inwardlie thou art grieuouslie wounded whilest outwardy thou desendest trifles inwardlie thou losest matter of moment and then thou art most ouercome when thou wilt not suffer thy selfe to bee ouer come because thou yeeldest to the dangerous passions of anger and canst not rule thy own affections But thou wilt say hee is worthie to bee stricken hee deserues blowes Res Be it so my deare brother but yet thou art not worthie to strike againe because thou art his disciple Exod. 21. that being stricken strucke not again who likewise abrogating that olde law A soule for a soule an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth Matt. 5.39 a hand for a hand a foot for a foot a wound for a
to turne vnto the Lord yea deferre it not vntill to morrow for the day of the Lord commeth as a theefe in the night and an houre that thou knowest not 1. Thes 5. If thou turne not vnto God Psalme 7. God wil draw foorth the sword of his vengeance hee will bend his bow and make ready his arrowes from whose anger to come that thou maiest flie do workes worthy repentance and that whilest the God of patience and long sufferance detaineth his anger whilest he deserreth to strike whilest he considereth thee a sinner and yet expecteth thy conuersion whilest hee beareth with thy iniquities in hope at the last to withdraw thee from them But thou the longer hee beareth with thy sinnes the longer thou continuest in thy sinnes whereby it commeth to passe that that long sufferance of God that should draw thee to repontance and out of the lawes of death and hell â—andeth thee the faster in the bands of death and because thou hast turned thy times of repentance vnto sin the seuere Iudge will turne those arguments of his loue and mercy into a punishment for by so much the more seuerely will hee come vnto iudgement by how much the more before it hee shewed himselfe patient and mercifull That which hee now winketh at with mildenesse and loue when he commeth to iudge hee will exact with straitnesse and seueritie Take heed therefore lest thou contemne those times that God hath giuen thee to repent and thou neglect the care of thy saluation lest thou turne the clemencie of the Iudge and those proroged times of mercy and repentance into arguments of thy greater damnation lest that long life which thou hast receiâ—ed from thy meâ—ciâ—◠〈…〉 God doe 〈…〉 greaâ—er increase or thy condemnation Behold now is the time of reconciliation and repentance not of pleasure and carnall delight heereafter shall bee the time of reward of retribution Behold now is the acceptable time the day of saluation and mercy heereafter shall be the time of rigor and vengeance Shall then these dales of saluation passe away as if thou thoughtest not of them There is nothing more precious than time and yet to thee nothing more contemptible It is the manner of such as get their liuing by their labour in the end of their labours when they looke for their hire to be most diligent and painful So thou forasmuch as thoâ— knowest not how soone thy labours shall haue an end whatsoeuer thy hand can do doe it instantly Luke 12. Be alwaies prouided for thou knowest not what houre the Sonne of man will come that when hee commeth atcording to thy workes hee may iudge thee Thou hast no long race to runne for whether thou wake or sleepe or whatsoeuer thou doest euerie houre and moment of thy life is a steppe vnto death which perhaps thou art neerer vnto than thou art aware of For when thou goest to sleepe thou art not sure thou sâ—alt awake again and when thou awakest thou art not â—ure thou shalt goe to 〈◊〉 rest vntill thou haue taâ—â—â—â—p thy last rest Where 〈…〉 thou bee wise in the whole course of thy lise learne to die and bee prepared thereunto euerie houre of thy life as if euerie houre were the houre of thy death Thinke euery moment thou must die because thou art sure though now thou liue thou must die Which if it bee so take no â—reat care by what accident then shalt die but dying whiâ—her thou must goe for nothing maketh death good or ill but that which followeth death Death is deadly to the wicked but precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 115. which death God of his infinite mercie giue vs euen for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake Amen The Second Part of the exhortation to repentance CHAP. I. That restitution is an excellent testimony of remission of sinnes SEcondly perhaps thou wilt say thou couldest be content to repent but thou canst not finde in thy heart to restore that which either by fraud or violence thou hast taken from another for now thou art rich and needest the helpe of no man Res Thou knowest not my deare Brother that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Consider with thy selfe that if God at the day of iudgement shall with such anger say vnto those that haue not giuen their goods vnto the poore Depart ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuel and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat Matth. 25. I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me not I was naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not how shall his anger increase when he shall say I was hungrie I was thirstie and yee took from me that sustinance that I had I was naked and you robbed me of that little that remained vnto me We read not of that rich man in the Gospell that hee got his goods vniustly but only that hee vsed that which hee had intemperatly and vnfruitfullie and yet he was tormented in hell fire and desired a drop of cold water but could not obtaine it How then shalt thou bee saued that hast vniustly scraped thy riches together Canst thou possibly thinke that thou shalt not bee more damned than hee Gather heereby how great a damnation hangeth ouer thy head that doest wrongfully detaine another mans goods if they vndergoe so heauy a iudgement that indiscreetly do vse their owne Consider how heauilie goods wrongfullie gotten doe presse thee downe if such as are lawfully come by not well bestowed bring so vnspeakable a torment What doest thou deserue for wronging another if charity not well vsed deserue such punishment And if he bee subiect to damnation that detaineth his owne what is hee that taketh away another mans If hee shall haue iudgement without mercy that doth no workes of mercy what iudgement may he looke for that is cruell and bloodie that taketh from the poore whereas hee should giue and decketh himselfe with the spoiles of other men that liues in plenty by the famine of the poor and pampers his bellie with that that should feed them The poore being oppressed crie for vengeance vnto the Lord and God who is a iealous and a mightie God will be their reuenger The Lord will come yea hee will come and not stay and in a time of vengeance hee will destroy him If thy body be diseased or thy friend fallen sicke thou art content to recouer it if need bee euen with the losse of all thy goods that thou hast now thy owne soule is falling into eternall damnation and for the saluation therof doest thou refuse to make restitution of a trifle which thou detainest from another man Thou sellest thy selfe at a base price if for another mans goods thou losest thy owne soule It is a folly to make thy siluer gold more precious than
wound hatred for hatred presently added But I say vnto you resist not euill but whosoeuer shall smite thee on thy right cheeke turne to him the other also Which law hee himselfe obseruing was readie for the saluation of vs all not only to turn the other cheek but in his whole bodie to be crucified that being taught by his example thou shouldest rather offer thy other cheeke than being stricken to strike againe for scholars must be followers of their master And yet wilt thou being stricken strike againe when thou art commanded rather to turne thy other cheeke But perhaps thou thinkest that if thou strike him thou hast giuen him cause to feare to strike againe yea thou hast prouoked him the rather to strike again for wrath is not pacified by wrath but more inflamed and an iniurie receiued by reuenge is not taken away but increased For what end can there be of mutuall iniuries if euery man proceed in the reuenge of his owne wrongs Enmitie on both sides increaseth hatreds grow strong reuenge more bloody If therefore he haue wronged thee haue recourse to thy superiours take a lawfull course against him by which meanes thou shalt right thy selfe better and hurt him more If hee haue iustly stricken thee be angry with thy own fault not with him because he persecuteth not thy selfe but thy sinne It is lighted vpon thee for thy owne correction Thou hast sinned but thou hast not yet receiued worthie punishment for thy sinne but thou art lesse hurt than thou deseruest and the reuenge is farre inferiour to thy sault the punishment comes farre short of thy desert It was his purpose perhaps to punish thy sinne it is thy part thankfully to accept of this discipline If thy conscience tell thee thou deseruest as much as he gaue thee why doest thou adde sinne vnto sinne by thy impatiencie Forgiue him therefore lest thou forgiue not thy self for hee could not persecute thee if hee were not permitted by the Lord either to punish some sin that is in thee or thereby to double thy ioy in that being wicked thou art corrected being good exerciseth If a childe had discretion hee would not hate the rod which his mother takes into her hand for his amendment But suppose thy enemie do offend thee vniustly perhaps thou hast as vniustly offended him and yet hee hath taken no indirect course to bee reuenged vpon thee but with patience hath borne thy wrongs or perhaps though he now wrong thee yet in former times hee hath pleasured thee as much and if so it is the part of an ingratefull minde by remembring one wrong to forget many benefits But let vs yeeld vnto thee that thou didst neuer offend him and that thou neuer receiuedst any benefit at his hands yet it is an vnworthy thing to make thy selfe more wicked by reuenging another mans wickednesse and to commit a new sinne by punishing another mans iniquitie Hee hath offended thee but yet such are his offences as they no way equall those for which thou beggest forgiuenesse at Gods hands As often as hee offendeth thee so often doth hee minister occasion to thee of the remission of thy sinnes at Gods hands if thou remit his Whereas if all men were perfect how couldest thou suffer any thing for Gods cause Many times it falleth out that thine enemie doth thee more good than thy friend for he whilest he accuseth thee of thy faults compelleth thee to flie from them ministreth vnto thee matter of patience and occasion to humble thy thoughts touching thy selfe whereas thy friend by flattering thee cheereth thee vp in thy infirmities prouoketh thee to iterate thy sinnes and whilest thou hearest thy selfe commended by him he is an occasion either of vaine glorie or error But perhaps thou wilt say that thy enemy is not worthy to be forgiuen Res Yea my deare brother is not thine enemy worthy to bee forgiuen and is there any worth in thee why God should pardon thee those manifold transgressions committed against him What wert thou when he laid down his life for thee wert thou not his enemie What hadst thou deserued at his hands that he should pardon thee The Creatour forgiueth his creature and shall not one creature forgiue another one sinner another sinner If God as often as thou hast offended him should as often haue reuenged himself vpon thee and entred into a strict examination of thy sinnes thou haddest long since perished and beene damned in hell With how great loue doth the Lord tolerate thee euerie day iterating thy old sinnes â— With how great mercy yea being grieuously offended doth he receiue him that repenteth him of his sinnes and turnes vnto him With how great liberalitie though thou euery day offend doth hee euery day suffer thee to inioy his benefits O euill seruant the Lord forgaue thee all thy debt Matth. 18.32 because thou praiedst him oughtest not thou also to haue pitie on thy fellowes euen as he had pitie on thee If therefore thine enemy be vnworthy to be forgiuen and that thou do good for ill yet there is worth enough in Christ that for his sake thou shouldest doe it with whom thou hast deserued to bee thus punished howsoeuer thou hast not deserued of thine enemie to be thus afflicted The good are scourged by God the Iudge of all by the ministerie and helpe of wicked men whom hee vseth as his torturers and the executioners of his iustice and as a louing father after the chasticement of his childe casteth the rod into the fire so our God the father of vs all those wicked that he vseth in this world for the chastisement of his children when hee hath finished his work he casteth into hell fire and reuengeth himselfe vpon them for the reuenge they haue done vpon his children according to that hee hath premised Rom. 12. Vengeance is mine and I will repay Hath not God sufficiently reuenged thy wrong vpon thy enemie in that for thy cause hee hath withdrawne from him his grace In that hee hath powred forth his wrath vpon him and condemned him to eternall punishment which deseruedly he inflicteth vpon him if without repentance hee depart out of this life And therefore thou hast not so much reason to be angrie with him as to bee mooued with compassion towards him Howsoeuer thine enemie rage against thee better is thy iust sorrow in bearing thy wrong than his vniust ioy in offering it Leaue therefore reuenge vnto God whose it is and when he hath reuenged thy quarrell sufficiently let not thy cruelty euer wound thine enemy and persecute him The seruant is not aboue his lord nor the disciple aboue his master nor man aboue God Thy fellow seruant thy condisciple thy brother the lord in his iustice hath corrected and murmurest thou that art in the same condemnation and contentest thou not thy selfe with his sentence but still thinkest the law is in thy owne hands and thou maiest bee Iudge in thy owne cause Perhaps by
Paradise vnto thee and thou wouldest not enter I haue offered thee my grace and thou hast neglected it I haue a long time forborne thee sinning being readie to receiue thee repenting Psal 147.20 and yet by all these testimonies of my loue thou hast not turned vnto me Matt. 11.21 I haue not dealt so with euerie nation neither haue they knowen my iudgements If these things had beene done in Tirus and Sidon they had repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes What could I haue done more for thee that I haue not done Tell mee ô mortall and passible man what hast thou euer suffered for mee thy Creator thy benefactor who being impassible and immortall haue suffered and died for thee and yet thy reprobate heart obdurate and obstinate so great benignitie so feruent loue so vehement a louer hath not mollified I that so loued such a one freely without desert how yea how without measure did I deserue to be beloued againe especially considering that when I was not beloued I first loued thee For these and other innumerable benefits bestowed vpon thee though thou canst neuer yeeld sufficient thanks yet I required no other at thy hands but that thou wouldest return loue for loue and that for my sake thou wouldest tender thine owne saluation and abstiane from those sinnes which I hate What I commanded theâ— was no way beneficiall to my self but to thee only that wert commanded for I had no need of thy goodnesse but thou of mine But thou neuerthelesse hast returned mee hatred for loue and euill for good yea thou hast fallen from mee to the diuell thine enemie vngratefull and inconsiderate of thine owne saluation and of thine own accord hast bound thy selfe to an vniust tyrannicall lord master Neuerthelesse al these thy foresaid wrongs and ingratitudes I haue patiently borne I haue a long time attended thy leisure to haue mercy on thee being alwaies readie to forgiue if in anie indifferent time thou hadst come vnto mee yea and to that end I called thee and in a manner intreated thee whilest I staied at the doore of thy minde knocking and calling thee Turne vnto mee and I will turne vnto thee yet thou wouldest not harken vnto my voice It is therfore iust and necessarie that thou that contemnest mee in thy life time shouldest bee contemned by mee being dead And therefore depart from mee thou accursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels there to remaine for euer and euer CHAP. VII Of the paines of hell IT remaineth my deare brother that thou heare what punishment in that bottomlesse pit of hell woorthy thy wickednesse thou wert or yet art to endure except in time by repentance thou auert the sentence of so seuere a Iudge First thou that hast not sinned but willingly in hell shalt endure all maner of torment vnwillingly There shal bee vnspeakeable varietie of tortures and miseries intollerable torments and eternity without end the affliction both of body and soule shall be diuers bitter and euerlasting Because thou hast committed diuers sinnes therfore thou shalt suffer diuers punishments for euery sinne thou hast heere committed shall haue a torment answerable therunto and according to the measure of thy offences shall the retribution of Gods vengeance be such as thy sinne hath been such shal be thy paine For notwithstanding the fire of hell bee one and the same for by a metaphor of fire doth the Holy Ghost especially expresse the torment of hell vnto vs yet it burneth and tormenteth not all the damned after one maner As euen in this world many liue vnder one and the same Sunne but yet all doe not equally feele the heat thereof because 〈◊〉 are not alike in the qualitie and constitution of their bodies And as with one and the same fire straw doeth otherwise burne than wood or iron so there in one and the same fire there is not one and the same heat because what heere the diuers qualitie of the bodie worketh there doth the diuersitie of sinnes the same But touching this fire of hell forasmuch as it is but a metaphor which the holiâ— Ghost vseth to expresse 〈◊〉 to vs the greatnesse of the torments that there are anâ— no materiall fire as some 〈◊〉 dreame giue me leaue as the spirit of God heerein humbleth it selfe to the capaciâ—â— of man so to expresse by this materiall fire that thou seest and feelest at the least some shadow of those torments thou shalt feele in hell For notwithstanding it bee beyond the capacitie of man to conceiue what these torments are yet by those things wee see and feele and can conceiue let vs gesse at those we know not The holy Ghost hath compared it to fire so let mee though I confesse there can be no proportion betwixt corruptible incorruptible things whether they be good or ill Neuerthelesse to the end thou maiest haue a taste of this fire of hel consider with thy selfe if thou put the tip of thy finger into this visible materiall fire neuer so little time what misery what paine what torment doest thou endure And yet this our fire to that euerlasting fire is as a painted fire to a true In the middle of which our visible materiall fire if thou shouldest put thy whole finger how great a torment shouldest thou endure how great if thy whole hand if thy whole arme how much more great if thy whole bodie one whole day together nay one weeke nay a whole yere together From hence gather if thou canst how vnhappie thy soule shall be which must bee tormented in so great and so durable a fire Measure by this temporall torment how intollerable it shall be to thy soule to endure the heat of that vnquenchable fire on both sides within and without that for euer and euer For in this doeth our materiall fire differ from that that ours consumeth whatsoeuer it fasteneth vpon that where it once taketh hold it alwaies tormenteth and reserueth it whole and entire to a paine eternall that doeth naturally yeeld heat and light this vnspeakable heat with palpable darknesse In this for euer and euer desolate land of burning pitch and sulphure to the miserable damned soules there is nothing but desolation from which desolation there ariseth despaire from despaire hatred of God and blasphemie eternall terment continuall lamentation hourely yelling There nothing can be heard but mourning and howling and weeping and gnashing of teeth They that in this life were glutted with satietie in hell shall bee totmented with famine they shal begge a drop of water and shall not obtain it By that they finned they shal be punished and in what they most offended God in that shall they bee most tormented They shall alwaies burne in vnquenchable fire but neuer die bee filled with stench and glutted with torment they shal haue no comfort no counsell no hope of euasion but the sorrowes of death shall for euer compasse them In this
helpe but he that refuseth it and neglecteth the asking of it Reade ouer the whole life of Christ and thou shalt find none that hath euer cried out Iesu thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me but presently he obreined mercy He healed the sicke fed the hungrie eased those that laboured strengthned the weake clensed the leprous gaue sight vnto the blinde raised the dead absolued the penitent Wherefore deare brother say no more heereafter vnto me I am proud couetous wanton polluted with all manner of iniquitie and therefore I cannot bee saued I will not haue thee alledge these or the like excuses thou hast examples of all sorts thou maiest flie vnto what hauen thou wilt If thou haue fainted in thy faith looke vpon Peter If thou haue robbed thy neighbour consider the theefe if thou haue beene vnchaste looke vpon Marie Magdalene and so of the rest who haue fallen into the same sinne that thou hast but yet haue not despaired of pardon as thou doest and therfore comming with faith and confidence in the merits of Christ Iesus to the throne of his diuine mercie haue found more grace and mercy than they had reason in respect of their owne sinnes to looke for Be thou likewise by their example as confident as they were faint not but by repentance turn vnto God If thou aske the same mercy that they did doubtlesse thou shalt obtaine the same mercy that they did Aske and thou shalt receiue seeke and thou shalt finde The Lord knoweth not how to deny it vnto him that with an humble and contrite hart shal beg it at his hands CHAP. IIII. That God denieth not merâ—â—â— him that conuerteth since 〈◊〉 inuiteth him that is auerted from him to conuersion BVt thou wilt say I consider with my selfe what a difference there is betwixt God and mee and that I am deseruedly excluded from his presence and therefore despairing to obtaine mercie and accounting my selfe vnworthy to come vnto him I dare not lift vp mine eies vnto heauen Res God my deare brother whose nature is goodnesse it selfe is altogether milde and mercifull and more prone to pitie and compassion than to reuenge he is rich in mercy and bountifull in grace It is his propertie alwaies to haue mercie and to forgiue and therefore he cannot denie him mercy that with a coÌ„trate hart beggeth it at his hands He despiseth no penitent sinner but him that doubreth whether hee may aske for no man hath hoped in him and hath be ene confounded No man in time hath begged mercy and hath taken the repulse If God did not heare sinners in vaine had that Publican said O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner He that iudgeth will bee intreated not to punish sinners hee that knoweth how much reason he hath to be angrie with vs looks that they that haue as much reason to intreat should by praiers obtaine mercy at his hands He will be pacified by intreatie that knows how insupportable his anger is He is a witnesse to himself that hee desireth to haue mercie on those that call vpon him in that he prouoketh vs therunto Ps 50.15 Call vpon me saith he in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shak glorifie me And in another place Math. 7.7 Aske and it shall bee giuen vnto you Seeke and yee shall finde Knocke and it shall be opened vnto you If our carnall parents yea which are euill can giue to their children good gifts how much more shall your Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him If thou doubt to come vnto God because of thy sinnes be confident to come because of that goodnesse which as a father hee oweth to his sonne Be bold with him in whose image thou seest thy selfe woonderfull in whose similitude surpassing excellent What fearest thou his Maiestie who maiest gather confidence from thy originall The generous alliance of the soule with God is not idle and the similitude is a witnesse of the â—lliance Euery like doeth willingly admit his like into societie and by nature like will to like The Mediatour betwixt God and man Christ Iesus made man for men sheweâ— himselfe milde and merciful to men And lest there shoulâ— remaine vnto thee any cause of despaire and to the 〈◊〉 hee might shew vnto the man what hope thou maieâ— haue with God God waâ— made man and thy aduocare thy Iudge He will not deny himselfe to him that asketh who of his own accord offered himself to him that asked not he seeking shall find him who gaue the meanâ— to finde to him that soughâ— not and will open to him that knocketh that stands a the doore and incessantly knocketh The conuersion 〈◊〉 a sinner delighteth him and canst thou conuerting despaire of forgiuenesse He desireth more to pardon â—han thou to be pardoned to â—orgiue thy sinnes than thou â—o forsake them and to reâ—ent thee of them He is more willing to sane thee by his â—ercy than thou to perish â—y thy sinnes thou wouldest â—ie by sinning but he wil not â—hy death but still expecteth hee to repentance He standâ—th with much loue and chaâ—itie at the doore of thy hart â—rying Pro. 23. My sonne giue mee â—hy heart and he professeth â—f himselfe Apoc. 3. If any man will â—pen vnto me I will come in vnto him If a poore man hauing â—ighly offended his king hall first be sollicited by his â—ing to peace and reconcilement it is a great argument of his princely benignitie now since with great conâ—â—dence a poore man should come vnto God doest thoâ— feare to bee conuerted vnto him that intreateth thee to turne vnto him and yet not only is not turned from those that turne vnto him but turneth to those that turne from him and exhorteth them to conuersion Eze. 18.31 Why will ye die saith the Lord ô house of Israel returne and come vnto me Iere. 3.1 and ye shall liue And iâ— another place If a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and become another mans shall he returne againe vnto her shall she not be polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many louers yet turne again to me saith the Lord. He bringeth in the similitude of a woman that hath been vntrue to her husband and is put away by him that he may tell vs how mercifull he is that he putteth not vs away Thou hast played the harlot with many louers yet turne againe to me saith the Lord. See here hee calleth vnto him that sinfull soule which before hee pronounced polluted to receiue it into the bosome of his pitie which is alwaies open neither doth he contemn a spotted life What tongue is sufficient to expresse the inward compassion of so mercifull a God What heart is not astonished at the riches of so vnspeakable mercie Hee is despised and yet expecteth seeth himselfe to be contemned yet ceaseth not to call Hee hath a long time stayed the sentence
and said Thus saith the Lord Put thy house in order for thou shalt die and not liue Then he turned his face to the wall and praied to the Lord and wept sore And afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle of the court the word of the Lord came vnto him saying Turne againe and tell Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father I haue heard thy praier and seene thy teares behold I haue healed thee and the third day thou shalt goe vp to the house of the Lord And I will adde vnto thy daies fifteene yeeres The Nineuites heard Ionah the Prophet threatning them Ionah 3. Yet fortie dayes and Nineuy shal be ouerthrowen but the men of Nineuie fainted not in their mindes but though they doubted whether the Lord would be intreated yet they did all flie to repentance as to the gate of saluation beleeued in the Lord proclamed a fast and from the least to the greatest put on sackcloth and sate in ashes saying Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turn away from his fierce wrath that wee perish not And God saw their works that they turned from their cuill wayes and he repented of the euill that he had sayd that he would do vnto them and he did it not Hezekiah by praier and tears obteined of God that hee recalled his sentence past The repentāce of the Nineuites preuailed with God so much that hee reuoked his sentence touching the destruction of that city yet neither were they false Prophets who at what time they had deserued to die for their sinnes foretolde it but the great bountie of the mercy of God deferred their death and ruine at that time which before all worlds he had preordained If therefore these barbarous and heathenish people despaired not and though their sentence were past against them yet fainted not in their hearts why doest thou wretch that thou art despaire why faintest thou Thou robbest GOD of his mercy without which kings are not kings but tyrants That sentence The soule that hath sinned shall die is to be vnderstood of that soule which hath not repented of her sinnes as is sayd of humane iudgements That if any man hath done this or that he shall die the death and yet alwaies it is to be vnderstood except the partie condemned by the kings mercy be pardoned The iustice of God is not as the iustice of man in this by how much the more a guilty man confesseth his fault by so much the more punishment doth hee draw vpon himselfe but in that of God by how much the more a sinner accuseth himselfe by so much the more doth he finde the mercy of God towards him as God repelleth him that defendeth his sinnes so hee receiueth him that confesseth them If thou knewest the power of repentance thou wouldest not despaire of the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes our mercifull God doth gladly forget that wee are nocent and he is alwayes ready to esteeme our repentance as innocencie for if we repent vs of our sinnes wee haue alreadie escaped the rigor of a seuere sentence God imputeth not vnto vs our former life so wee repent vs of it but seeing our works changed he gladly changeth his sentence because hee would the life of a sinner not the death neither doth he take pleasure in the perdition of soules but his will is our sanctification To those that stand if they fall he threatneth punishment that fearing that they may not fall but yet he promiseth mercie to those that fall that trusting thereon they may rise again those he terrifieth lest they presume in their goodnesse these he comforteth lest they should despaire in their wickednesse As a kinde and louing mother threatneth stripes to her beloued sonne whom if acknowledging his fault hee beg mercy at her hands her motherly loue doth easily pardon so likewise our mercifull God patient of great mercy though hee be iustly angry with our sinnes yet asking pardon with much facilitie he is pleased Can a mother forget her childe Isa 49.15 and haue no compassion on the sonne of her wombe though shee should forget yet will not I forget thee sayth the Lord. A louing mother doth greatly desire the health of her sicke sonne but much more doth God desire the saluation of a sicke soule Though no humane goodnesse may be compared to the infinite goodnes of God yet forasmuch as there can be no greater example found of affection in the highest degree than of a mothers towards her sonne therefore the loue of God towards sinners is compared to a motherly affection There is no man so inflamed with the loue of his spouse as GOD with the loue of thy soule Greater loue than this hath no man Ioh. 15.13 when any man bestoweth his life for his friends Christ if thou hadst been alone hee had suffered and died for thee before he would haue suffred thy soule to haue fallen into the iawes of the diuell For for whom died he For the iust Aske Paul Christ saith he died for sinners If there had been no sinne in the world Christ had not shed his blood for what necessitie had there beene that God should shed his blood but to redeeme both thine and the sinnes of the whole world The least droppe of his precious blood did abundantly suffice for the redemption of all mankinde but yet to the end he might expresse his great loue towards vs he powred out his whole blood for vs he spake many things he did many things hee suffered many things to redeeme vs though those whom he created with his only word he could likewise haue repared with his only word He tooke vpon him our death that he might giue vs life he gaue life vnto vs hee receiued death from vs and yet not for his owne desert but for vs. He came into the land of our perigrination to take vpon him what here abounded reproches scourgings blowes spittings in the face contumelies a crowne of thornes the crosse and death these abound in our countrey to these and the like merchandize he came What gaue he heere for that he heere receiued He gaue exhortation doctrine remission of sinnes he broght vnto vs from that countrey many good things and in ours he endured many euill So much his loue preuailed that he would be with vs where we were and where he is we shall be with him Where I am Ioh. 12.26 saith he there shall also my seruant bee What doth God promise vnto thee a man That thou shalt liue with him for euer and doest thou not beleeue it Beleeue beleeue it is more that hee hath done than that he hath promised It is more incredible that a dead man should bee eternall than that a mortall man should liue for euer Thou art to liue with him for euer for whose sake hee is dead that liues for euer Secure thy selfe that thou shalt receiue his life whose death thou hast for an earnest