too late yet late repentance is sâ—ldome or neuer sound Hee that hopes to finde mercie as the theefe did at the last gaspe though hee liue lewdly all his life time may as well by spurring of his Asse looke that hee shoulde speake because Balaams Asse did so on a time Euery man with Pamphilus desires to bee rid of his feare with as much speede as may bee What greater feare can any man bee possest with then the fâ—are of dâ—mnation from which no man can before his conuersion assure himselfe to bee freed If a thorne bee in our foote or a moate in our eâ—e without delay wee seeke to pull it out Why then shuld wee not bee as diligent to haue our sinnes pluckt ouâ— of our hearts seeing they are as thornes and moates vnto our soules If any thing disquiet vs wee doe presently seeke to remoue it There is no quietnesse in sinne no peace in sinning Therefore as Paul wisheth the Galaâ—ians Woulde to God they were euen cut off which doe disquieâ— you so let vs now wish labour that our sinnes may be destroyed for they do distemper and disquiet vs. The Elephant hauing swallowed downe a Lizard goeth straightway to a wilde Oliue for a remedie The Hinde feeling himselfe poisoned with some venemous weede goeth without delay to the Artichoke for cure Men are verie ready to send or to runne to the Phisiâ—ian or the Chirurgeon for the dâ—seases and wounds which can only kill the body why then should wee not be as ready to seeke to God for the cure of the diseases and wounds of the soule which if they be not cured and repented of will kâ—ll both soule and body We all desire that GOD should turne to vs with speede when he frowneth vpon vs and speakes roughly to vs as Ioseph did to his brethren wee would not that hee should hide the light of the Sunne or holde vp the water in the cloudes long from vs we would not haue him vnkind vnto vs a moment wherefore then shoulde wee be vnkinde vnto him why should we any time neglect his seruice or reiect his worde Why should we prorogue the time of turning to him Can wee be too soone in his court too soone in his loue too soone in his seruice If wee cannot as indeede wee cannot then let vs with speed make haste vnto him The longer we tarry the more vnfit wee make our selues to turne For Censuetudo peccandâ— tollit sensum peccati A custome in sinning takes away the sense of sinne and when men become sencelesse they proue sensuall and sottish feeling no miserie therefore affecting no change And this shall suffice for the fift point The sixt to be considered is how we must turne to God For that any good worke may bee well done and so accepted of God it must bee done in due manner Ahab and Iudas repented after a fashion but it was not the right fashion Many men make many turnings but they bee not good and gracious The wicked doe many good thinges but none well and therefore their goodly workes are but goodly sinnes Lastly the wicked doe not onely wiâ—ked things but they haue withall a guise in doing them wickedly Dauid speaketh of some that transgresse maliciously The wise man maketh mention of some that are Iewd in their paths Salomon saith It is a pastime to a foole to doe not that onely which is wicked but to doe it also wickedly The sacrifice of the wicked saith he is an abhomination to the Lord how much more when hee bringeth it with a Wicked Minde The wicked as Enoch sheweth doe not only commit wicked actions but they doe them wickedly Considering therefore that the wicked haue a custome or fashion in their working not onely to doe a sinfull action but sometimes also if not alway to doe it sinfully wee on the contrary are taught not onely to see that all the works we do be good but that they be withall well and not wickedly done as many vse to do and so marre that by the manner which was good for the matter To come then to the point in hand Wee must not onely turne to the Lord but we must turn handsomely and holily If Ahab had turned as he ought to haue done hee should neuer haue beene reiected That wee therefore turne aright from euerie euill vnto the Lord we must obserue these rules that follow First wee must turne in faith For Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Wee must beleeue that our turning is both good in it selfe and good in vs yea and for vs yet not for any merit in it but by the meere mercy of God that doth in loue accept it and of his mercie promise life and prosperitie if wee will turne Secondly we must turne in the name of Christ Whatsoeuer yâ— doe saith Paul whether in word or deede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus If wee would haue God accept and approue our conuersion wee must conuert in the name of Christ If a man behold the Rain-bow or the Sun being ready to set through a groue of trees the trees will seeme brighter then otherwise they doe and if a man looke through a blew glasse all that hee seeth will seeme blew so if the Lord behold our conuerting to him in or through the righteousnesse of Christ he will accept of it nothing regarding the weaknesse of it as being hidden is it were from his eyes in the blood of Christ Thirdly wee must turne to God in consciencence of his commandement euen because hee dooth commaund vs to turne vnto him Fourthy we must turne in sinceritie vprighteousnesse of heart for if wee tâ—rne in shew and not in truth wee make a mocke of God like those of whom God saith This people draw neere vnto mee with their lippes but their heartes are farre from mee If we condemne sinne with our tongues and take pleasure in it in our hearts wee make our selues abhominable to the Lord before whose sight all things lie bare and naked Therefore Dauid saith If I regard wickednes in my heart the Lâ—rd will not heare me Let vs â—herefore beloued turne with the heart heartily and sincerely Cast aside saith Peter all deceit and hypocrisies They that deale truly saith Solomon are Gods delight so they that turne truly do please him at the heart Iosiah is sâ—id to haue turned to the Lord With all his heart with all his soule and with all his might according to the Law of Moses Wâ—e cannot deceiue thâ— Lord. For though the heart bâ—e deceitfull and wickâ—d aboue all things yet the Lord doeth search it out and see it and rewardeth euery man according to the fruit of his workes Now a man may know whether he turne â—â—ncerely or but in shew and superficially by these three notes of true turning First if hee turne to God because hee loueth him and for his
Castles of our soules and preserue them from battery and being taken hauing so many enemies within vs without vs before and behinde yea on euery side vnlesse we doe well obserue the in-rodes of our senses the out-rodes of our affections the flight of our thoughtes the cries of our consciences the workes of our handes and the waies of our feete Otherwise we may as soone keepe a foe to molest vs as a friend to maintaine vs a Iudas to betray vs as a Ioseph to befriend vs a false-hearted Dalila as a faithfull Ionathan Wherefore brethren as we either respect the glory of God or desire our own peace and prosperitie let vs make conscience of this dutie Shal many men take paines to commit wickednesse and shall not wee take paines to please God by dooing of his will But as Peter saith This is the will of God that by well doing yee may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men So I say this is the will of God that by diligent searching of your waies ye may be prepared to repent of your ignorance and to forsake all your follies and so to stop the mouth of your accusing consciences and silence those that condemne your profession for your notorious vices Know ye not that all the duties of Christianitie must bee performed with zeale and diligence Hee that requires a sound conuersion cannot away with slack and slothfull searching Wee must striue to enter in at the strait gate if wee will be partakers of heauenly glorie euen so wee must striue to finde out our waies if we desire eyther to walke aright in the way of life or to change our waies if they tend to death Must men as Salomon aduiseth bee diligent to know the state of their flockes and must they take heede to their heards and doth it beseeme vs to neglect the knowledge of our waies and to be carelesse in keeping of our hearts Shall we roll euery stone and vse the vtmost meanes to raise our selues in this world and shall wee not vse this first meanes that wee may be reclaimed to God in this world and may bee raised by him in the worlde to come No pardon no peace no penitencie no pardon no repentance no remission And doe we thinke to repent of our waies before wee know them And is it possible to know them without faithfull searching of them What is the cause men turne so much and returne so little What is the reason that men moue so fast but moue not forward Surely one reason is because they do not vnderstand their state aright which no man can attaine vnto without accurate and faithfull searching of his waies Hee that would know the cause why his corne thriueth not why his vines flourish not and why his trees prosper not must search diligently for weedes for superfluous branches and other annoyances So he that would know why hee groweth not in grace and thriueth not in knowledge why he doth either goe backward as the shadow did in the diall of Ahaz or stand still as Ioshuas sunne did and not goe forwardes as Dauids did which commeth forth as a bridegrooms out of his chamber and roioyceeh like a mighty man to run his race hee must diligently ransacke his heart and search his waies and so he shall perceiue the reason and discerne the lets Therefore beloued as wee desire the grounds of our harts should bee fertill the vine of Gods graces should spread and the tree of our soules should flourish as wee desire the peace of conscience and that we should returne to God and God to vs let vs with all fidelitie search and finde out our waies For though it be no cause to worke it no merit to deserue it yet is it by the blessing of God a notable furtherance and preparation euen the first stone towards our spirituall building and the first step to the true conuersion of our hearts and mindes vnto God And this shall suffice for the first branch of the Prophets exhortation The second followeth And trie our waies The originall worde of that which is translated Trie signifieth to search out trie or examine to the ground or bottom of a thing Whence I conclude that wee ought to the vtmost examine and proue all our waies whether they be foule or faire right or wrong And here I will first shewe why wee ought to make this triall and then by what For the first this triall is a meanes of thankfulnesse For if after serious examination wee doe finde them good we shall be stirred vp to magnifie the name of God for directing our â—eete aright in the paths of his precepts and for preseruing vs from falling downe and wandring out If we finde them euill yet then we shall be prouoked to praise him for sparing of vs and not taking vs away in our sins as we did deserue A seruant or child cannot but commend his maisters and his fatherâ— leuitie that with patience doth bear his offences and forbeare to punish him as he hath transgressed So we that are the sonnes and seruants of the Lord cannot if there bee but one graine of grace within vs but extoll his loue and long-suffring towards vs in bearing with our sinnes and sparing of his iudgements farre otherwise then by triall of our waies we finde that wee could either merit or expect And as the man that considereth by day what daungers hee did escape by darke is occasioned to giue thankes to God for preseruing of him so when we shall duly consider how near we were to the pit of destruction by reason of our sinnes and yet how fauourable God hath bene vnto vs euen then when we could not see to walke aright as that hee did not confound vs in our waies wee are occasioned and prouoked also to glorifie the name of God for moderating his iustice towards vs Secondly the true triall of our waies will be a meanes to further our seeking of God and his grace For when a man after triall perceiueth his tickle estate by sinne hee is prepared if not prouoked to seeke out for safe deliuerance As a man perceiuing the danger of his disease seeketh to the skilfull Phisitian for a remedie so when a man by diligent and faithfull searching and examination of his waies shall discerne his defectes and the daungerous diseases of his soule hee is incited to seeke to Christ the only true Phisitian of our soules for cure And as the swallow perceiuing her selfe almost blinde presently seeketh out the hearbe Celandine and the Hart feeling himselfe shot with arrow doth as some say by by run to the hearb Ditany or Dictandor so when a man findes himselfe by trial almost blind with sinne and his soule stricken with the dartes of iniquitie he is prepared if not perswaded to seeke out to Christ our Celandine our Dictander yea our Panacaea which healeth all our spirituall maladies and diseases the Plethory of pride thâ—
the Lord are right his commandements giue light vnto the eyes By them are his seruants made circumspect and purchase vnderstanding Thy word saith Dauid is a lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my paths the righteousnesse of thy testimonies is euerlasting and all thy commandements are true Gods precepts must be our practise and his law must bee the line of our obedience His word must bee the rule of our workes and the determiner of all our waies All is not gold which glisters all coine that hath Caesars image vpon it is not currant but sometimes counterfet neither is all good corne that so seemeth Wee must therefore take vnto vs the Touch-stone of Gods word and the Fanne of his law and make our triall by them and so wee shall discerne which is gold which is gilded copper which is of Gods owne stamping and which hath come from the Mint-house of our flesh and from the forge of the diuell and which is good and cleane wheate and which corrupt and chaffie The consideration of these points teacheth vs in the first place to bee carefull to know and vnderstand all the commandements of God legall and Euangelicall because by these we must prooue our waies as malefactours are tried by the Law Dauid saith I wil meditate in thy precepts and consider thy waies Open my eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law and teach me thy statutes Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellers Giue me vnderstaÌ„ding that I may learn thy commandements Shall we labour to know the lawes of men to â—â—derstand the secrets of nature and shall wee not labour to learne Goâ—â— law and to vnderstand the secrâ—tâ— thereof Shall we get stones to trie our golde whether it be pure mettall or but base and shall we haue scales and weights to proue whether it bee light or weightie And shall we not get the knowledge of Gods worde that wee may proue our waies It will shew vs their nature and is able to sound our hearts to the bottome Therefore all ignorant persons are farre froÌ„ the performance of this weightie dutie Secondly the consideration of these thinges serueth to conuince and condemne the multitude of negligence and frowardnesse Some cannot trie their waies because they want the eye of vnderstanding and the true touchstone of of all truth and falshood of vice and vertue therefore though they sometimes attempt to trie theyr waies yet because their eyes are out and gesse by groping as Isaac did in an other matter they are vsuallye if not alwayes deceiued as well or rather worse then hee Some againe will not make this triall like many men that haue run long much on the score cannot endure to heare of a reckoning Thirdly there are some that dare not view the Lawe it seemes vexed with the gripes of a guiltie conscience and possessed with the spirit of slauish feare like the Elephant who being guiltie to his owne deformitie cannot abide to see his face in faire water and like slaues that being afraide of the whip cannot endure to haue theyr offences scanned or themselues examined Finally some will indeede trie their waies but not throughly onely coldly and ouerly and some will trie one way but not an other some but not all Whereas the Prophet exhorteth vs to make an exact and perfect triall of all and not of some onely and therefore he saith Let vs trie our wayes and not way or some of them Wherefore brethren let vs vse all care and conscience in this dutie Let vs learne to knowe Gods will and labour to vnderstand his commaundements and withall let vs faithfully try All our waies so neare as is possible by them Wouldest thou see the face of thy soule then behold it in the Glasse of Gods lawe and thou shalt easily perceiue whether it be faire or foule whether pale or fresh Wouldest thou discerne the bottome of thy heart whether it be cleare and grauelly or muddie and clammy sound it with the long line of Gods lawe with the weightie plummet of his precepts and thou shalt obtaine thy desire Wouldest thou know the condition of thy waies then measure them with the met-wand of his word and examine them by the old and auncient way of the faithfull Patrairkes and Prophets chalked out in the sacred scriptures Wouldest thou turne out of by-pathes and walke aright and with an euen foote then view thy waies with diligence I haue considered my waies saith Dauid and turned my feete vnto thy testimonies Surely that man which proueth his waies aright is in the high way to heauen and in a faire forwardnesse to make a sound conuersion Now hee proueth his waies aright that doth it sincerely cheerefully diligently maturely constantly and in conscience of Gods commaundement desiring pardon in the name of Christ for the imperfection of his worke and striuing daily to amend it And thus much for this third Doctrine A fourth followeth In that Ieremy saith Let VS search and trie our waies I gather first that no place or priuiledge no calling or discent whatsoeuer can exempt a man from the performance of this dutie These were Israelites the seede of Abraham men of diuers ages degrees and himselfe a Prophet The yoke of Gods commaundements is laiâ— vpon euery necke And why should not gold be tried as well as meaner mettall 2. I conclude againe that pouertie penury crosses and calamities must not so dismay vs as that wee doe forget or should thinke it too late to searche and examine our waies as if God had vtterly cast vs off These people were in extreame distresse Ierusalem was become a tributary Iudah was carried away captiue All the habitions of Iacob were destroied Their children and sucklinges swooned in the streetes and perished in their mothers bosom through hunger The women were constrained to eate their owne children The olde men lay in the streetes the young men and virgins were slaine with the sword The tongue of the sucking childe claue to the roofe of his mouth for thirst They that were brought vp in scarlet embraced the dung The hands of the pittifull women did seethe their owne children for meate They dranke their water for money and their neckes were vnder persecution Their Princes were hanged vp and their Elders were disgraced All the pallaces of Israel were consumed Ierusalem was hissed at All their enemies barked against them The Temple of the Lord was prophaned The Prophets were slaine in the sanctuary No mercie was shewed to the Elders and no reuerence giuen to the Priestes Yet notwithstanding all this their miserie the Prophet exhorts them to searche and trie theyr wayes and to returne vnto the Lorde thereby shewing that there was hope of recouerie and no time past to ransacke and reforme themselues For the Lorde is rich in loue the doore of his grace and the bowels of his mercie
rise vp against vs and make vs also take vppe armes against the Lord Hâ—â—e that hateth suertâ—â—hippe saith Salomon is sure but hee that hateth sinne is surer For if it bee a a righâ— hâ—tred it is an infallible demonstrationâ— of our loue to God and of the gâ—atious operation of his Spirit within vs and the ready way to scape the greatest euill If it be the badge of a man predestined to glorie to contemne a vile person then he which despiseth sinne which makes men vile despiseable may assure himselfe of glory if he do despise it for the vilenesse of it and for that it is derogatorie to the glory of God Wouldst thou therefore be sure of the mercy of God to the saluation of thy soule then turne from thy sinnes and hate them For hee that confesseth his sinnes and doth forsake them shall finde mercy What life more ioyfull can a man wish to leade whilst hee lines in this world then in this life to be assured of an euerlasting ioyfull liâ—e in the world to come What greater pleasure can a man take and taste of in a world of woâ— then to beleeue and know that vnspeakable and perpetuall pleasures are prepared for him in a world of weale What sweeter sweetnesse and more pleasing pleasure can a man in this life feele and enioy vpon the earth below then in beeing certainly perswaded in his conscience that he shall be partaker of the sweete and amiable communion of the Lord in the life to come aloâ—t in the heauens What greater comfort can comfortlesse wretches as all men are by nature receiue of the God of comfort then by his word to bee surely certified of eternall comforts What greater glorie can a mortall man bee glad of and more truly glory of in his inglorious vale of miserie then that hee is by the King of glory secured and by the word of his own mouth assured of immortall glorie in his glorious kingdome vpon his high and holy mountaine With what sweeter mercy can a miserable sinner bee refreshed in his soule then of the God of mercy to receiue a promise of the euerlasting mercy But God doth promise life libertie health and happinesse to euery man that will forsake his sinnes Neither doth he onely promise vs if we doe turne from our sinnes felicitie in the heauens but also peace and prosperitie vpon the earth Therefore Dauid saith What man is he that desireth life and loueth long daies to see good Let him eschew euil and doe good c. And the Lord by Ieremy saith Amend your waies and your workes and I will let you dwell in this place Whensoeuer the Israelites truely repented of their sinnes then GOD changed his frowning countenance and smiled vpon them but when they prouoked him by their sinnes then he turned their estates and oftentimes gaue them vp vnto their enemies So that our sinnes doe make a diuorcement betweene vs and Gods benefits Let vs therefore like valiant princes labouâ— to subdue them When sinnes begin to die then the sinner beginnes to liue Let not sinne reigne within vs let it not defile vs. But as our Sauior ouerthrew the tables of the mony changers and cast out those that profaned the temple by marchandizing in it so let vs his seruants scourge out our sins out of the temple of our hearts and let vs labour to ouerturne and conquer them The Lord saith that his pleople shall dwell in safetie when hee hath executed his iudgements vpon all their enemies so we shall liue in peace when our sinnes are executed and put vnto the sworde And when we haue ouermastered one sinne then wee must set vppon another like the Ichneumon which as Pliny writeth hauing ouercome one enemie prepareth himselfe to combat with another Let vs neuer be content till we haue gotten the victory of them all being like minded to Alexander th great who as Lucane recordeth thought nothing done whiles any thing remained vndone Hee that turneth from all his sinnes and laboureth to subdue them all dooth shew himselfe a true conuert a prince of spirit and an vtter enemy to the kingdome of Sathan Wee all desire to escape all outward dangers and to haue our bodies free from wormes bâ—les botches and all other deformities of body wherefore should we not then be as carefull to anoyd the dangers and dangerous diseases deformities and enormities of our soules The least bodily disease is shunned why should wee not then feare and preuent the least spirituall disease Many sands though small will sinke a shippe as soone as a fewe great milstones so many sinnes though little in comparison of other will destroy our soules as well as a fewe great ones Foxes are enemies to sheepe as well as wolues though not so dangerous so smaller sinnes are enemies vnto our soules as well as the greater Christ will haue both the great and the little Foxes taken for he saith both destroy the vines so let vs take and turne from all our sinnes little and great for all are noysome to the vineyard of our heartes and hinder our spirituall growth Kill them all and the vines of Gods graces shall flourish and abound within vs. And though one sinne be sometimes câ—â—â—rary to another as couetousnesse and prodigalitie and looke diuerse wayes as Sampsons foxes yet are they ioyned in their tailes with a firebrand of vengeance in the midst wherewith without speciall care they wil fire mens soules as Sampsons Foxes did the Philistines come Wouldest thou not offend thine heauenly Father that did create thee that doth preserue thee that hath bestowed his only sonne vpon thee then forsake thy sinnes A gracious childe forbeareth all thinges which are offensiue to his father Wouldest thou escape the whirl-winde of Gods wrath then flie from sinne Wouldest thou bee deliuered of an intollerable burthen then cast away thy sinnes which are a burthen to thy soule and will otherwise presse thee downe to hell Those which are vexed with the Night-mare feele as it were a mountain vpon them and wish earnestly to haue it remoued But there is more oddes betweene the weight of sinne and that weight which they suppose they feele then there is betwixt a mountaine and a mole-hill Wouldest thou not bee iudged of those in the ende of this world whom now perhaps thou doost contemne yea and condemne Wouldest thou not haue thy religious wife to iudge thee that hath laine in thy bosome thy gracious childe that hath come out of thy loynes thy seruant which hath bene at thy becke wouldest thou not I say be one day iudged of these then iudge thy selfe and turne from thy sinnes For the Saints shall iudge the worlde yea and the wicked Angels Wouldest thou haue the holy Angels sing a song for thee in the heauens as Deborah did for Iael then turne from thy sinnes for there is ioy in heauen at the conuersion
of a sinner And strike a naile as it were through the temples of thy sinnes as she did one indeede through her enemies Wherefore did Iohn the Baptist begin his ministery with Repent and our Sauiour with Amend your liues And why are the Apostles so frequent and earnest in dehorting vs from sinne if this dutie of turning from it were not of very great importance Dost thou thinke that God is not able to be reuenged of thee Is he not the Lord of Hostes and an Essence as well infinite in power as in time And what is man but a worme an impotent and silly wretch Doest thou imagine that he will not punish thee God is a consuming fire and it is a fearefull thing to fall into his hands The Lord hath said That if the wicked turne not vppon the Prophets warning from his wickednesse nor from his wicked way he shall die in his inquitie Doest thou hope to hide thy sinnes from his sight The waies of a man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereâ—h all his paths Thou vnderstandest my thought a farre off saith Dauid and there is not a word in my tongue but loâ— thou knowest it wholly O Lord. Doest thou thinke with thy cunning and close behauiour either to deceiue him or to shift him off Hee trieth the wise in their craftinesse hee trieth the heart and the reines His eyes are as a flame of fire which doe pearce into all the corners of the heart He can tell when thou drawest neare vnto him with thy lips but keepest thy loue for an other Yea but thy birth or beautie wealth or wisedome will preuaile with him Be not deceiued For God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh vpon the outward appearance but the Lorde beholdeth the heart I the Lord search the heart and trie the reines but why euen to giue euery man according to his waies He will saith Salomon recompence euery man according to his works Though hand ioyne in hand the wicked shall not be vnpunished And whosoeuer followeth euill seeketh his owne death God respecteth neither strength nor stature neither face nor fashion nor any other circumstance in the person of any man Yea rather these will aggrauate thy punishments and augment thy paines if thou wilt not forsake thy sinnes because thou hast not vsed them to the honour of God that did honor thee with them We see now beloued that there is no safetie in continuing in our sinnes let vs therefore turne from them And as there is is irreconciliable hostilitie betweene the Ichneumon and the serpent Aspiâ— between the Dolphin and the Crocodile as God doth hath the diuell with an euerlasting hatred so let there bee perpetuall combating betweene vs and our sinnes let vs abhor them and striue against them till God by death as by a sword strike off the head of sinne and vtterly demolish it as Ezekiah did the brazen serpent It is a godly flight to take the wings of the mourning and to flie from sinne it is a good turning to turne from vngodlinesse it is a lawfull rebellion to rebell against the tyrant Sinne as the good king Hezekiah did against the king of Ashur and would not serue him This is the only tirant which a man may lawfully stabbe and kill For For sinne is a meere vsurper all her lawes are wrâ—tten in blood as Dracoes was and shee rewardeth all her vassalls with death Therefore howsoeuer wee haue in times past giuen our selues vnto sin as the ten kings were foretolde to giue their power to the beast yet let vs now reuolt and turne from it as they shoulde from the whore of Babylon and let vs make it desolate and destroy it as they shall do that purple whore For as Peter saith It is sufficient for vs that wee haue spent the time past of our life after the lust of the Gentiles walâ—ing in wantonnesse lusts drâ—nkennâ—sse in gluttony drinkings and in abhominable idolatries The night is past saith Paul and the day is at hand let vs therefore cast away the works of darknesse and let vs put on the armouâ— of light so that we waâ—ke honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkenneâ—â—e neither in chambring and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuie Thus then wee haue seene from what we must turne First from Sathan for hee dooth either assaults vs with violence to deuour vs like a Lion or else with subtiltie like a Leopard And if at any time hee please our corrupt humors or make faire as if he would doe vs good it is but in policie like Herod that pretended to worship Christ but intended to kill him or like Dauus in the comedie whom Simo saith did studie rather to crosse him then to please his sonne So Sathan by satisfying our sinfull lusts dooth rather seeke to displease God and to exasperate him against vs then indeede to please vs. When hee comes vnto thee with I will giue thee it is onely with a minde to get thee When hee dooth transforme himselfe into an Angel of light it is but to decâ—iue thee as hee did sometime appeare in the shape of Samuel to Saul the king but not with any purpose to doe him good When he doth salute a man it is onely as Iudas dealt with his Master to betray him or like Ioab who spake courteously to Amasa and tooke him by the beard to kisse him but suddenly slew him with a sword Therefore wee haue good cause to take heed of him and to turne from him Secondly wee must turne from the world which like the whore of Babylon is indeed arrayed in purple and skarlet and guilded with golde and beset with pearles and precious stones yet is she with all the sinke of sinne and a notorious harlot alluring all men to commit fornication with her and to goe a whoring after her from God Thirdly from the waies of the wicked for they lead vs to the house of woe and bring vs to the pit oâ— perdition into which many fall but out of which none doe come none can come Fourthly from all our sinnes both great and â—mall For alâ— are the works and instruments of the diuel They are all deceitfull like a broken tooâ—h and a sliding foote They are all of an imperious disposition like the bramble that delighted to be king or like to Crocodiles that take themselues to be kings as Plinie writeth in the riuer Nilus as if it were their pecular Kingdome Finally they are all enemies to our christian race like stones in our shooes thornes in our legges moats in our eyes flints in our way or not vnlike to the fish called Remora which though it bee not very great yet cleauing to the keele of a shippe vnder water dooth as some report cause her to goe more slowly and doth oftentimes make her to stay as Trebius Niger affirmeth Thus much
loue feareth to displease him and not so much for feare of punishment as the reprobate vse to doe Secondly if he turne because he detesteth sin as an enemy to the glory of God and to the saluation of his owne soule and therefore laboureth with heart and hand against all his sinnes without exception Thirdly if he turne not like the old Israelites of whome the Psalmist saith that when God slew them they returned and sought him early but they flattered him with their mouth for their heart was not vpright with him therefore as many with vs vse to do after their solemne protestations of their repentance in the extreamitie of some sicknesse they fell againe to their old byas and started aside like a deceitfull bow Fiftly wee must turne to the Lord cheerefully and willingly Dauid commands his son Salomon to serue his God with a perfit heart and with a willing mind As we must turne sincerely without simulation so wee must turne cheerefully not heauily willingly not as by constraint As God loueth a cheerefull giuer so hee loueth a cheerefull conuert Feed the flock of God saith Peter caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind so I say turne to the Lord with care and willingnes of mind not as it were by compulsion or for feare turn readily not being mooued with hope of gaine or credite with men as many doe If there be a willing mind and a cheerefull affection it is accepted yea a coÌ„stant setled wil to turne is of God accounted turning indeede Now this alacrious and willing turning is perceiued two waies First by speedy turning For cheerefulnes will be quicke nimble and speedy not sluggish and lither Dauid saith I made haste delaied not to keep thy commandements so we to shew our selues alacrious conuerts must turne without delay The Spider espying a Serpentlying vnder the shade of the tree where she spinneth maketh presently vnto her and poisoneth her so we must deale with our sins For if they bee but let alone awhile they will get shelter within vs and wil not very easily be remoued like the sea-Dragon which if he be let goe vpon the land maketh with his snowt a hollow trough with admirable celeritie Secondly this cheereful turning is likewise very laborious A willing mind makes a man very painefull He that turnes vnto God cheerefully wil striue exceedingly against his corruptions and labour to please God in all things He will not say with the sluggard there is a Lion in the way a Lion is in the streetes He will not say yet a little sleep a little slumber The slouthfull man turneth vpon his bed as a doore vpon the hinges but so doth not he But hee makes haste to his businesse and is very diligent and painefull in his workes The wicked are actiue liuely forward industrious in working wickednesse wherefore then should not we be painefull and ready to do that which is good as to turne from sinne and returne vnto God Lastly wee must turne to the Lord daily Wee must renew our repentance euery day Reioyce euermore saith Paul and pray continually So I say repent euermore return continually For we do sin daily we transgresse continually we offend euermore So long as we liue vpoÌ„ the earth we shall not be free from sinne we cannot bee free from sinning Therefore we had need to repent and turne to God continually Blessed are those which doe perseuere in turning vnto the ende There is no shame in turning to God all the shame is in turning from him And thus much concerning the sixt point It remaineth now to speake of the seuenth and the last to wit Wherefore we must turne For whosoeuer worketh must in reason propound the end of his worke vnto himselfe And he that will doe any good worke well must doe it not onely in a good maner by good means but also to a good ende The ende why wee must turne to the Lord is double supreme and subordinate greater or lesser The maine and highest end of our turning ought to be the glory of God Therefore Paul saith Whether yâ— eate or drinke or whatsoeuer else ye doe â—oe all to the glory of God The subordinate and inferiour end is manifold First that wee may shewe our selues of the number of Christs sheepe which must all be gathered together into one fold and conuerted from their indirect and crooked waies Secondly that we may gather assurance to our selues of our eternall predestination to perpetuall blessednes and that we are out of the ranke of reprobates whom God hath reiected and prepared for the day of euill Thirdly that we may adorne the profession of Christianitie which wee haue taken vpon vs. Fourthly that wee may stop the mouthes of Atheists Papists and all dissolute and desperate catiues that take vpon them with open mouthes to blaspheme bark against our religion for the sinnes and irregularities of the multitude amongst vs. Fiftly that we may allure men to the liking both of vs and of our contemned profession and also to stir them to conuert and glorifie God Therefore our Sauiour saith Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaueÌ„ And likewise Peter Abstain from fleshly lusts and haue your couersation honest among the Gentils that they which speake euil of you as of euil doers may by your good workes which they shal see glorifie God in the day of visitation This shall suffice for these seuen points and for this doctrine of turning to the Lorde Let vs now see how this doctrine may be applied for our vse and benefit and so we will conclude The vse is either of reprehension or exhortation First the consideratioÌ„ of these things serueth to condemne al those which refuse to turne but wil notwithstanding al admonitions run on without repentance to the dishonour of God the offence of his people the griefe of their friends and destruction of their owne soules These men to vse the words of the Prophet doe draw iniquitie with cords of vanity and sinne as with caâ—tropes These meÌ„ as the Lord speaketh of the Israelites are wise to the diuell but to doe well they haue no knowledge They take great paines to doe wickedly and as Dauid saith of Doeg they loue euil more then good These are the fooles that make but a mock of sinne These are they that esteeme the Prophets words as wind and their mâ—nacies as mockes These like those of whom the Prophet Ieremy speaketh haue made their faces harder then a stone and haue refused to returne A stone will be battered with an hammer and worne in the end with continuall dropping but these men will neither be brused with the hammer of the law nor mollified with the oyly drops of the Gospel which are daily falling vpon them