in thy selfe art perfectly good and doest nothing but good yet to a sinner thou art grieuous thy goodnesse can doe no other then trouble and torment him not through any euill influence from thee but by reason of euill disposition in himselfe And therfore O gracious goodnesse O mercifull LORD O louer of mankinde not onely in pity pardon my weakenesse but in power remoue it that I may bee strong and able to enioy thy goodnesse that thy goodnesse be not greeuous vnto me LORD I resort vnto thee not only as to a Iudge for pardon but as to a Physitian for cure My weakenesse hath taken a deepe surfet of sinne and it is now growne to a desperate disease All the faculties of my soule are infected and the poyson is dispersed through all the members of my body I can feele no strength I can feele no quiet not onely my feeble parts but they that are most strong are troubled alike Haue mercy vpon mee and heale mee O GOD Haue mercy vpon my imperfection and heale my infection I humbly entreat thee Let thy mercie extend not only to pardon mee but to heale mee not onely to pardon my sinnes that are past but to make mee strong and able against sinnes heereafter For what good will pardon doe mee if presently I returne to my sinne againe What will it auaile that I bee washed if foorthwith I plunge my selfe in the mire LORD I present my selfe vnto thee in the lowest degree of humility and griefe my eies charged with teares my breast with sighes my tongue with complaints my whole bodie with disquiet Let thine indignation now cease looke vpon mee with a more calme countenance Helpe me vp and I will rise hold me vp and I will stand comfort and confirme my sin-oppressed sences Haue mercy vpon me and heale me giue me thy health and strength that vnder confidence of thy mercy I may boldly looke thy iustice in the face VERS III. My soule is also sore troubled but LORD how long wilt thou delay 1 THE torments of the soule how great they are 2 The effects of vnfayned contrition 3 A resort to GOD. 4 How offensiue sin is to GOD. 5 Wheâ—efore sinne is the cause of trouble 6 A prayer 7 The cause of GODS delay 8 The remedie AND yet the trouble of the bodie might bee borne well enough a mans courage may suffice to beare out any bodily griefe but who can beare the vexation of the soule The paine of the body is but the body of paine the sorrow of the soule is the soule of sorrow Now thy terrours haue also surprised my soule Not onely my body is cruelly crushed both with the sence of my sin and feare of thy wrath but my soule also is very grieuously afflicted with the one and affrighted with the other This soule which thou hast created to praise thee is astonished to behold thee astonished to thinke on thee this soule which is the breath of thy mouth is vnable to endure the breath of thy displeasure this soule which thou hast created to represent thy likenesse hath no liking no power to sustaine thy presence The loue thereof is extinguished with feare it hath neither roome nor respite to hope in thee In thee it dares not rest assured in any other thing it cannot For assuredly whensoeuer earnest and vnfained contrition seazeth vpon the soule it disturbeth all ioy it taketh away pleasure in any thing but teares it permitteth not to thinke on any thing but what is terrible And as they who are in danger of shipwracke cast ouer board their rich and best esteemed Merchandises to saue their liues so they who are tossed with the tempest of GODS anger to saue their soules doe not onelie abandon but hate those things which formerly were either most delightfull or deere vnto them Out alas how am I oppressed into what perplexities is my poore sorrow-beaten soule plunged how is it abandoned how are all the powers thereof laide waste The vnderstanding is darkened the will dazled the memory confounded the courage broken and beaten downe dread and amazement haue dulled my sences But aboue all my conscience is goared with the sting of sinne It anguisheth it lanceth it stretcheth it teareth it crucifieth the very heart of my soule It stirreth all vpside downe Verely I finde it to be very true That the heart of a sinner is as the raging sea which neuer hath rest The waues whereof are alwaies in motion and one alwaies dashing against another I leade a life euer dying and I feele a death neuer ending all my choice is concluded in this whether I will stand still without helpe or stirre any waies without hope And as a fearefull Doue shaketh at the roaring of thunder and shrinketh into some obscure hole supposing it self most safe when it is least seene so my amazed soule trembling at the dreadfull sound of thy threats looketh about for some place of retreit either to defend or to hide it from thy furious face It would flie from thee but it knoweth not whither it would be protected against thee but it knoweth not by whom O my GOD I cannot flie from thee but by flying to thee And therefore I flie from thee offended to thee appeased I flie from thee through the gate of thy iustice and I flie to thee thorow the gate of thy mercie I flie from a iust reuenging Iudge to a mercifull and indulgent father whose goodnes is infinite whose mercie is a spring a streame an Ocean that cannot be exhausted the goodnes no lesse liberall then the mercie is abundant O sweetnesse of desiâ—e O safetie of soules open to me thy distressed suppliant Let thy fauour receiue me running from thy furie Let thy pitie protect mee against thy seueritie comfort my troubled soule with one gentle cast of thy countenance for I shall neuer recouer againe either my safetie or my quiet vntill I recouer thy most louing and louely looke For sinne is so offensiue so odious vnto thee that wheresoeuer thou findest it thou canst not affoord a kinde countenance thou must needes turne away thine amiable eies thou wilt not displaie thy beautie vpon so filthie a dunghill And this is the cause why wee are so troubled For when thou turnest away thy face they shall be troubled Assuredlie the vexation of my soule can haue neither end nor ease vntill thou turnest to mee thy appeased countenance All other appliancies are as the handling of vlcers and wounds they doe but draw more humours to my sore they rather inflame then any waies asswage it But how long O LORD how long will thine indignation how long O LORD shall my anguish endure how long wilt thou with-hold thy comfort from me Thou who hast alwaies beene slowe to wrath art thou slow now to lay downe thy wrath Thou who hast euer beene patient art thou now become inflexible Is thine anger no lesse hard to quench now then heeretofore it hath beene
number in number equall to those which I haue sayd but farre exceeding them in variety The summe of them is the manifold breach of euery branch of thy Commandements whereof many of the most haynous sticke stiffe in my conscience like sharpe stitches in a sicke mans side whereof the pleasure lieth heauy in my Soule like sweet meats of extreame hard digestion The most especiall of these are either blasphemous and prophane or light and vaine vsing of thy most blessed Name vile and vaine behauiour and speech vnthankefulnes couetousnesse cruelty pride ambition anger malice enuie riot sloath violence hypocrisie flatterie c. These particulars I vnfold before thee in euery of these I haue many times offended yea many times whereof I was neuer sensible For what man knoweth how oft hee offendeth More also would I acknowledge to thee if more I could call to my remembrance and therefore O cleanse thou me from my secret sinnes Which assuredly are so much the more dangerous in that they lurke within mee secret and vnseene awaiting aduantage alway to intrap mee and finally to breake foorth to my destruction But see the milde mercies of our GOD see the greatnesse of his goodnesse towards vs see how prone he is to pardon our sinnes how ready to reconcile vs to his fauour For I did but say I will confesse my sinnes and so he forgaue the wickednesse of my sinne I had scarce addressed my heart to confesse my sins scarce let one teare drop from my breast but I obtained fauour and forgiuenesse of him I sayd I will confesse my sinnes and thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne Oh! that wee were such seruants to thee as thou art to vs a LORD so ready so willing to confesse our sinnes as thou art fauourable to forgiue them Thou regardest not the measure but the trueth of our repentance not the extension but the intension not how ceremonious it is but how sincere Our purposes thou takest oftentimes for full performances oftentimes thou acceptest our designments for deeds thou who art a spirit regardest only the spirit the outward actions are many times supplied by thy grace And this especially maketh vs vnexcusable if we doe not repent because pardon may be so easily obtained because it requireth so little paines To obtaine pardon of all our sinnes a full confession is not alwaies necessarie but a full and sufficient griefe is required If the griefe be sufficient it is of force to abolish sinnes Such is the vertue of a true contrite heart that if it be ioined onelie with a will and endeuour to confesse it blotteth out it wipeth away the guiltines of sinne so as the sinner shall neuer be damned if he returne not to his wickednesse againe But confession of sinnes with all the workes of satisfaction which a man can either effect or imagine without a contrite heart are nothing auaileable nothing worth A contrite heart is so necessarie for the remission of sinnes that without it no man hath euer beene saued no sinnes haue beene euer remitted For as GOD is offended onely with the heart so with the heart onelie is he pleased he desireth nothing but the heart Sonne giue me thy heart Nothing offendeth GOD but the heart take away the will and intention of the heart and all our actions are indifferent and therfore from the heart must satisfaction proceed The medicine must be applied where the disease is setled the sinner must vse iustice vpon the same part where sinne was first hatched and where it raignes Euen as offenders are commonlie punished or branded vpon the same parts of their bodies wherewith they did offend Because we sinne with the heart GOD requireth the punishment of the heart which is done by full and true contrition To obtaine remission of our sinnes something is required on our part and something from GOD. From vs sorrow and detestation of our sinnes and a liuely Faith in our great SALVATION from GOD the imparting of his grace neither of which require any long trace of time both of them may be done in an instant For the sorrow of contrition requireth no determinate continuance of time but as a man is damned by one peruerse act of his will so by one contrarie act of his will hee is made fit on his part to bee iustified Otherwise it would follow which the mercy of GOD will neither allow nor endure that the way of saluation through shortnesse of time should bee blocked vp against sorrowfull sinners and that at what time soeuer a sinner doeth truely mourn he should not be releeued As for the grace which proceedeth from GOD much lesse doeth it either require or beare the very least protraction of time For because his vertue is infinite it is not included it is not excluded by any compasse or measure of time If there bee no defect of sorrow in vs there is neuer defect of grace in him hee doeth iustifie a sinner and restore him to his fauour in a very instant euen whensoeuer hee is rightly disposed by sorrow to receiue his grace GOD is so plentifull in mercies and so prone to impart them to vs that wee neede but to open our hands and they shall bee filled euen as wee neede but to open our eyes to enioy the bright beauty of the Sunne The Grace of GOD is so farre from defect that it preuenteth our dull desires it knocketh at our heauy hearts it worketh in our sluggish spirits wee can neuer bee so ready to entertaine it as that is to enter When our sinnes expell GOD out of our soules hee will not goe farre he will stand at the doore he will there knock and hourely expect to be receiued againe Blessed bee thou O omnipotent GOD who so aboundest in mercie and in loue who art so easie to bee intreated for great offences so ready to bee receiued of those who did despitefully both driue and for a long time keepe thee out of their gates Oh! how vndue on thy part how vndeserued on our is thy goodnesse how farre beyond all expectation all hope Certainely wee can neuer bee left so drie and emptie of thy grace but out of thy plenty or rather plenitude and fulnesse wee may easilie againe be stored O searcher of soules I haue so far as my weaknesse sufficeth confessed my sinnes vnto thee I haue disgorged my stomacke stuffed with loathsome and dangerous humours I haue discouered those vnseemely soares which heeretofore I endeuoured to conceale And now mee thinke I beginne to reuiue my feare now beginneth to change into hope As heeretofore I desired to auoid thee as a sharpe searcher as a seuere iusticer of my offences so now I runne after thee and cast my selfe into thy armes as my onely assured refuge and defence Blessed be the houre wherein I was first enlightned first emboldned to acknowledge my sinnes In this houre haue I receiued a singular testimony a sweet taste both of thy loue and care and
my secrets to all the world The longer time I haue liued the more I finde my life couered and ouergrowen with sinne euen as a riuer the further it runneth from the head the more waters it gathereth and the greater doeth the streame encrease or as a man riding in dustie waies the further hee rideth the more dust he gathereth vpon him I can finde in my selfe no light of goodnesse no calme of righteousnesse I haue bin so loaden with the yron yoake of the Diuell the troupes of my sinnes so muster vpon mee that out of the depth of my miserable estate I am enforced with sighes groanes and teares to cry vnto thee Oh! I am a most grieuous sinner I thinke my selfe the most grieuous sinner in the world I think my self which I tremble to speake a more grieuous sinner then the Diuell himselfe For albeit the Diuell participateth of all sinnes whereto he draweth miserable men yet of his owne nature he is not a glutton not a drunkard not sloathfull not libidinous not coueteous of riches or honoâ—s or any other worldly thing For because nothing is affected with that which is not agreeable to the nature thereof it followeth that a spirituall substance cannot bee affected with goods properly corporall but onely with those which are spirituall But in affecting spirituall goods there can bee no sinne vnlesse the rule of a superiour be thereby transgressed and this is by the sinne of pride in being disobedient to a superiour and in affecting a singular excellencie But consequently enuie may ensue by enuying the good of others whether in GOD or in man as a hindrance to their proper ends But so enuy must not be taken for a passion but for a will wrestling against anothers good And hereby it appeareth that the Diuell properly and in his owne nature sinneth onely in pride and in enuie which onely are pure spirituall sinnes But besides these I haue committed so manie other sinnes that I am both vnable and vnworthy particularlie to confesse them much more vnworthy to receiue pardone for them I haue made so great ruine and waste in all the faculties of my soule that it seemeth impossible they should be repaired Oh wretch what haue I done what did I entend to haue done The law accompted those beasts vncleane which did not chew the cudde not lesse vncleane cleane are they who will not ruminate and consider either the condition of their present state or what in future is either necessarie or in aduenture to ensue But alasse I neuer thought on my danger vntill all hope of remedie was past I neuer regarded my steps vntill I was in the snares of hell And now what death can I feare when I haue lost the life of my soule without which any other life is death and which maketh death a pleasant passage to life Being deepely wounded with the greatest griefe what sence can I haue of ordinary euill my deepe miseries haue drowned both my minde and my memorie in so deepe sorrow that all hope of reliefe is ouerwhelmed with the thicke throng of present discomforts And yet I will not cast downe my hope in the LORD I will not despaire of his gracious helpe For he hath not cast me downe to cast mee away hee hath not thus terrified mee to the end I should abandone all hope to the end I should be swallowed vp in the monstrous mouth of despaire but rather he calleth mee to him to the end that I should call vpon him The first worke that the LORD did in the conuersion of Saint Paul was the casting of him to the ground whereby thou doest instruct vs O LORD that our deiection in our selues is the first step of our aduancing to thee And assuredly thou wouldest neuer haue giuen me this grace to be sorrowfull if thou haddest not therewith intended to giue me life And therefoâ—â— albeit I bee cast downe to the verie gates of hell yet will I call vpon thee to raise mee againe albeit I bee crushed and broken to pieces yet will I call vpon thee to heale mee I can neuer bee so low driuen neuer so ouercharged with sorrow or with feare but still I will call vpon thee for comfort For what other remedie haue wee feeble wretches tossed in the vaste gustie sea of this world beaten with most raging tempests driuen among so many rockes and shelues so many infernall monsters gaping to deuoure vs what other remedie haue wee I say but to call and crie to thee with the distressed disciples awake LORD least wee perish Assuredly if out of these depths of danger and distresse we cry not out to thee for helpe then are we neere the greatest depth that can bee then are wee slipping into the depth wherein Cain was eternally swallowed then are wee readie to roare out his cursed complaint my sinnes are greater then can be forgiuen It is true Cain indeede thy sinne in it selfe was very great but in comparison of the infinite goodnesse of GOD it was not great Thy sinne might haue bin pardoned well enough but thy opinion and conceit that it did exceede the mercies of GOD that impious opinion so long as it stood could not be forgiuen Thy despaire was a greater sinne then the murther of thy brother thy despaire was the cause wherefore the murther of thy brother could not bee forgiuen Thy damnable repentance left no place for repentance to life The same trace followed they whom the Prophet described to speake in this manner Our sinnes are vpon vs and in them we consume how then should wee liue But O Omnipotent GOD is this a good reasoning with thy goodnesse My sinnes are vpon me how then shall I liue Desirest thou then the death of a sinner desirest not thou rather that sinners should liue I know rightwell that my sinnes are vpon me But I expect againe thy mercie vpon my sinnes My iniquities I know are gone ouer my head but they haue not ouergone thy goodnesse They are a burthen too heauie for me to beare and therefore I resort to thee who hast promised to ease me My sinnes shall neuer driue me to despaire but rather to repaire to thee for reliefe But is it not vsuall that GOD listneth not to sinners that he turneth away his eare and will not heare them Yes verelie But this is by reason of the cry of their sinnes this is when the cry of their sinnes drowneth the cry of their complaints Fauorable LORD stop thine eare I beseech thee against the crie of my sinnes but graciously incline it to the cry of my complaint Silence my sinnes LORD for a while bid them stand aside vntill I haue fullie confessed them to thee vntill I haue manifested my contrition for them and then let them appeare againe if they will for then they shall not appeare alone They shall be then accompanied with my teares and my griefe which will abate if not abolish their crie They shall not then prouoke thy
to kindle O desire of my soule thou knowest my tribulations my thoughts lie naked in thy sight thou seest how for thee my heart sorroweth my breast sigheth mine eie weepeth my body fainteth and my soule languisheth And wherfore tariest thou wherfore dost thou prolong my longing wherefore dost thou martyr me with delay VVhy sufferest thou me thus long to be vexed Is the cause heereof in thee or is it in my selfe Are thy mercies spent is thy louing kindnesse at an end wilt thou no more bee intreated by sinners or am I only cancelled out of thy conceit No no I doe not so feelinglie want thee I doe not so ardentlie desire thee as my case requires Verelie the cause is in my selfe and not in thee There is some trespasse in my teares my sorrow is seasoned with some sinne thou seest some cause for which I cannot see thee else wouldest thou not thus estrange thy selfe else thus thou wouldest not giue me ouer I am rather vnworthy to entertaine thee then thou vnwilling to come vnto mee VVell then I will still stir vp the coales of my dull deuotion I will heape on more fewell I will not cease blowing vntill it rise to a full and constant flame I will not entreat onely but I will importune thee I will wrestle with thee as Iacob did with the Angel I will not let thee goe vntill thou blesse me VERS IIII. Turne thee O LORD and deliuer my soule Oh saue me for thy mercies sake 1 A Prayer 2 The pleasures of this life how vnprofitable they are 3 The great distance betweene GOD and a sinner 4 How brought together 5 How grieuous it is to be separate from GOD. 6 An earnest desire of the soule after GOD. 7 The absence of GOD worse then his anger 8 How GOD is to be desired 9 What mooueth GOD to pitie and relieue 10 The great mercy of GOD. 11 To whom his mercy is properly due 12 Mercy to sinners is a due 13 GOD is most liberall and wherefore 14 How wee should desire GOD to turne to vs his face O Come mercifull LORD come and turne vpon me thy fauourable face come exercise vpon me the worke of mercie Regard me not as sinfull but as sorrowfull for my sin punish not my offences but pity the weaknesse from whence they proceed pity the distresse whereinto they haue cast me pitifullie regard my weakenesse and distresse For I feele my soule plunged in a vast sea of sinne I feele how fast it sinketh how violentlie it is swallowed I haue greedily grasped at the floating comforts of this life but I finde no stay in them I finde they rather pester then releeue me I finde them like a flash of lightning in a darke stormy night which serueth to shew the present infelicity and to increase the horror of ensuing darknesse And therefore doe I now streine out my voice and stretch foorth my hand vnto thee for helpe Gladlie would I turne to thee but I am not able for there is so great a distance betweene a sinner and thee that by his owne forces he cannot return and come neere thee Depart from thee and adhere to euill of our selues we may but we cannot forsake euill and turne to thee but by thy speciall power No man by his proper vertue is able to saue and consequently to iustifie himselfe thy grace must alwaies preuent him thou must first call him before he be able to cal vpon thee The beginning of our conuersion must be from thee from thy preuenting and inciting grace And therefore turne to me and then shall I be turned to thee Turne vnto me not by any change in thy selfe for thou art immutable but turne to me by thy goodnesse and grace and I will turne to thee by repentance and amendment of life Oh! how grieuous is it to bee separated and estranged from thee what good can comfort what euill will not annoy when thou art turned away Thou art the rock of my faint faith the anchor of my wauering hope the center of my languishing desire and loue In thee I trust vpon thee I relye I am so earnest in desiring thee that I neither desire nor almost thinke vpon any other thing But where art thou In what cloud doest thou hide thy selfe what meanest thou to suspend thy comfort so long to punish my desire so much with delay Wherefore hidest thou thy face and takest me for thine enemie Albeit thou art angrie with me yet would not I haue thee depart from me I had rather enioy thee angrie then not at all because thou art most extreamely angrie when thou turnest from vs. When thou art angrie and present then doest thou instruct vs then reforme vs but when thou turnest from vs then thou giuest vs ouer then thou leauest vs to innumerable and vnauoidable euils Albeit my friends forsake me albeit my enemies persecute me albeit all the societies of men and of Diuels tumult against mee yet doe not thou forsake me doe not thou depart from me For woe to them from whom thou departest But take heed O troubled soule and consider well what thou requirest of the LORD Art not thou a sinner a grieuous sinner is not GOD a searcher of sinnes a grieuous punisher of grieuous sinnes Doest thou not pray to him to turne away his face from thy sinnes Did not holy Iob say where shall I hide me from thy countenance because I haue sinned And wouldest thou haue him turne his face to thee being a most heynous sinner Yes yes I know well enough what I desire I know that GOD hath more faces then one He hath a face of Maiestie which no man can see and liue This face I cannot see He hath a face of iustice This face I would not see It is terrible to sinners this face is vpon them who doe euill to destroy their memoriall from the earth But hee hath another face of compassion and mercie And this face is like the Sunne exceeding full both of beautie and of vertue This face hee hideth from sinners This face I desire to be displayed vpon me be it neuer so cloudie neuer so angrie the anger of this face is to make sinners pure LORD make this face to shine vpon mee and be mercifull to mee LORD this face doe I seeke oh hide not thou thy face from mee nor cast away thy seruant in displeasure Come come gracious LORD with-hold no longer O water of life O shower of our saluation distill into mee one drop of thy dewe Seeing I am nothing without thee let me taste the benefit of being thine I desire thee and not thine for thy selfe not for thy gifts I desire thee onely not thee for any thing nothing for thee nothing with thee nothing beside thee Come deliuer my soule from the chaines of sinne wherewith I am bound to satisfie the rigour of thy iustice by eternall death and damnation Deliuer me from long custome
of sinne deliuer mee both from the pleasures and cares of this world which are cables to tye me fetters to hold mee captiue from turning to thee Deliuer my soule and saue me First deliuer my soule from present distresse then addresse me in the right way of thy saluation It is true that there is no desert no goodnes in me that should any wayes mooue thee to pitie or relieue mee For I haue loosely abandoned thee I haue trayterously conspired against thine honour I am altogether vnworthy but in wrath and reuenge to bee regarded of thee But I entreat thee by thine infinite goodnesse which is sufficient to abolish all the sinnes in the world euen in the lowest descent of humilitie for thy mercies sake I beseech thee to saue mee LORD I crie to thee in the confidence of thy mercies and not of my merits whereto no saluation but eternall death and destruction is due And if thou wilt not absolutely be entreated yet this word mercie is a maine argument to mooue thee or to assure me at the least that thou wilt saue me For thou art merciful both inwardly in thy selfe outwardly to others It is thy proper nature to beê merciful it is more proper for thee to do good to impart thy selfe to al things then it is for the Sun to enlighten then for the fire to giue heat thou canst not but exercise the actions of mercie But vpon whom vpon righteous persons what needeth that For they haue no miserie because they haue no sinne which only is misery which onely needeth mercie Is it then vpon small offenders is it to a certaine degree and measure of sinne Why but thou art exceeding mercifull infinite in mercie no lesse infinite in mercie then in nature for thou art mercy Verely as the rich man oweth his reliefe to the poore and the greater his riches are the greater is his debt as also the more poore a man is the more right hee hath to demaund reliefe euen so the greater thy mercies are the more must thou exercise the same vpon miserable sinners and the more miserable and sinfull a man is the more boldly may he come to thee for mercie The miserable sinner ouercharged with sinnes may confidently make his suit vnto thee to doe thy duty to exercise thy action to take away his misery to impart to him thy mercie that where sinne abounds grace also may more then abound Men doe therefore giue sparingly or at the least in some measure because the more they giue the lesse they reteine but thy treasure cannot be either exhausted or diminished thou departest with nothing by imparting to others by giuing abundantly thou hast nothing the lesse Thou art a fountaine of pitie and mercie from whence innumerable streames proceede the waters whereof are infinite both in quantitie and in vertue as well to cure our wounds and infirmities as to wash away our filthines and refresh our weakenesse O infinite fountaine how canst thou bee dried O sweetnesse O sacietie of desires what languishing soule came euer to thee and was not both cured and clensed and fully refreshed Doubtlesse O Lord thou art exceeding mercifull and wilt both readily and largely distribute thy mercies among offenders Thou wilt deliuer them saue them if they turne vnto thee if with penitent hearts they desire thy mercie Thou art more liberall to giue then they can be either desirous or willing to receiue VERSE V. For in death no man remembreth thee and who will giue thee thankes in the pit THE wisedome of GOD bindeth our assurance 2. To what end man was created 3. The time of life limited for repentance 4 Paine causeth forgetfulnesse of any thing but of it selfe 5. As after death repentance is vnprofitable so at the instant of death it is very doubtfull 6. The discommodities of late repentance AND it is not onely thy mercie which bindeth my reason but also thy wisedome For I am thy creature the worke of thy hands the worke which thy wisedome hath framed to some end Thy wisedome hath framed nothing in vaine nothing but to some end without attayning which end it should not perish But it is all one if I had beene created for nothing and in vaine and if I should not attaine to the end for which I was created To what end then did thy Wisedome create mee in this World Certainely that I should know thee and that by knowing thee I should loue thee and that in louing thee I should neuer cease to remember thee neuer cease to praise thee neuer cease to sorrow when I offend thee To this end I was created and I am desirous to accomplish this end I am desirous to be an instrument for extolling thy praise and setting foorth thy glory But in case I die thus charged with sinne before thou turnest thy mercie to me before I turne to thee by repentance what honor will thereby rise to thee what benefit to my selfe How shall I then partake of thy goodnesse How shall I publish and praise the same For so long as we enioy the benefit of life We nay repent we may leaue our sinnes we may returne to the state of grace But after death followeth iudgement when no error can be either repented or repaired but euery man shall suffer according as hee hath done In this liâ—e we may both dispose our selues and incite others to blazon thy praise but in the dungeon of death who will thanke thee who will thinke on thee who will sing thy praises in the bosome of Hell This is not a proper place for the sweet harmony of thy praise for the ioyfull memoriall of thy name Thy praise consisteth in a thankefull publication of thy grace goodnesse and mercie But this is the house of horror heere thy full furie and vengeance inhabite here can bee neither thankfull nor ioyfull remembrance of thee It is familiar to the pleasures of this life if they be great to cause vs to forget both thee and our selues But we are far lesse sensible of pleasure then of paine paines are more sharpe to vs in a high degree then pleasures are sweet Sharpe paines doe so strongly affect the bodie they doe so viòlently possesse the minde that it cannot once thinke of any other thing Who may then remember thee as he should being vnder the hand of thy terrible wrath Who shall either loue thee or laud thee in the ouglie den of death where the eies are possessed with hideous hurlemeÌ„ts the eares with desperate fruitles wailings all the faculties and parts both with intolerable and endlesse torments VVhere nothing is either suffered or done but effects of thine implacable wrath Assuredlie they are cursed by thee who are condemned to this place and heere againe they curse and blaspheme thee For this cause the wiseman exhorteth vs to turne to thee to forsake our sinnes and to make our prayers before thy face But what is it to do all these
things bâ—fore thy face euen in this life in which time thy face shineth vpon vs in which time wee walke before thy face and may easilie obtaine thy mercie But the wicked after death are cast behind thy backe they are drowned in perpetuall obliuion neuer to be remembred either for pardoÌ„ or forbearance They are as the handfull behind the backe of the Mower which no man gathereth When hay falleth before the face of the Mower it maie be gathered vp againe but when it falleth behind his backe it is not regarded it is cast awaie and perisheth During this life whilest wee are before thy face we may easilie be recouered and restored to mercie but afterdeath no hope of reliefe no expectation but of iudgment The LORD commanded that if any man had sold a house in a walled city within a yere he should haue power to redeeme it But after the yere his power to buy it againe was cut off Now if for the pleasures of sin we haue sold our eternall habitatioÌ„ not made with hands we haue power to redeem it by repentaÌ„ce during the yere of our life that tearm expired we haue no abilitie to recouer it again Then shall that of the Prophet take place Doest thou shew wonders among the dead or shall the dead rise againe and praise thee shall thy louing kindnes be shewed in the graue or thy faithfulnes in â—estruction shall thy wondrous works be shewen in the darke and thy righteousnesse in the land where all things are forgotten Assuredlie as after death teares are fruitlesse repentance vnprofitable as after death no mercy is to be expected nothing but misery nothing but wrath so is it doubtful very daÌ„gerous that our teares sighes groanes are of little force at the verie neere approach of death whether by age or by extremities of disease For at that time when our powers are either distracted or spent when wee lie either struggling or panting vnder the arrest of death when no part is free either from the sence or feare of his cruell gripe we may well be said to be in death or at least wise in such a condition and state as doth lesse participate of life then of death And therfore it is doubtfull at the least lest at that time we shall not remember thee lest our repentance at that time shal be too late A good husband will repaire his house whilest the weather is faire and not deferre vntill Winter shall approach a carefull Pilote will furnish his ship whilest the seas are calme and not staie till tempests are in rage and a prouident man will repent his sinnes in the seasonable time of health and strength and not protract vntill he be in the very armes and embracements of death when manie occasions may cut from him either his mind or power or time to repent For we haue iust cause to feare that if we would not when we might we shall not be able when we would that by our will to doe euill we maie happilie loose the power to doe good that in trouble and necessitie we shall not find that helpe which in prosperitie and peace we did not endeauour to prouide This hath our Sauiour declared by a familiar example For that no king making warre with one stronger then himselfe but will indeauour to haue peace whilest his enemie is farre off And not expect vntill the sword shall threaten his throat Darest thou then O vnfortunate worme O improuident sinner Who makest war against the omnipotent LORD who hath all the powers in heauen earth and hell at his command darest thou I say deferre the making of thy peace with him vntill the point of his furious approach Vntill the very houre of his encounter How vaine is thy confidence How sottish thy sence Wherefore wilt not thou make thy peace in time whilest he is far off Wherfore wilt thou not intreat his mercy before thou coÌ„mest to feele his power Assuredly the day will come when thou shalt goe from chamber to chamber from one auoidance to another to hide thee and yet shalt find neither couert nor defence Alas who dares trust to the broken reede of extreame sickenesse or age bruised by originall but altogether broken by our actuall sinnes Repentance is often vnprofitable euen in the best time and state of our life by reason of defect of a right intention therefore we haue good cause not to trust to this late and last time of repentance For if Esau could not finde repentance albeit hee sought it with Teares how reasonable may wee suspect our extreame late seeking for repentance Not because true repentance is euer too late but because late repentance is seldome true as proceeding rather from feare then from loue from necessitie rather then from willingnesse and desire rather outwardly pretended then intended from the heart LORD turne to me and deliuer my soule Enlighten my vnderstanding from this grosse darkenesse free my desires from these massie yron fetters of â—inne That I may turne to thee in the seasonable time of sanity and strength and not deferre the waighty worke of my repentance vntill either by long custome of sinne or by debilitie of bodie and minde I shall not be able to thinke on thee VERS VI. I am weary of my groning euery night wash I my bed and water my couch with my teares 1. ASsurance from the Iustice and power of GOD. 2 Iustice requireth not a double condemnation 3 The arraignment of a conscious soule 4 When sinnes hurt vs. 5 A true resolution 6 The vertue of perseuerance 7 Repentance must be answerable to our fall 8 Teares a precious liquor and wherin chiefly to be bestowed 9 An incitement for teares 10 When teares are profitable 11 A prayer addressed with teares NOT onely thy mercy and wisedome may mooue thee to saue me not onely doe I relie and rest vpon them but I haue found a hony combe in the mouth of a Lion thy iustice and thy power which were so terrible to me affoord me also great comfort and assurance For tell mee if thy iuâ—tice findeth a man condemned and vnder execution what will it then doe Surely it will prosecute no further it will put vp the sword and be at peace Thy iustice requireth not a double condemnation it sufficeth that an offender hath iudgement once thou neuer iudgest them whom thou findest iudged But I am now iudged alreadie I haue preuented thy iudgement by iudging my selfe Behold O searcher of hearts how my sinfull soule hath beene arraigned at the barre of mine owne iudgement how by the euidence of my conscience it is found guilty of many grieuous offences against thee against many men and against it selfe How it is committed close prisoner to sorrow How by solemne sentence it is enioined neuer to cease groaning neuer to cease weeping vntill it hath procured thy pardon Loe now I am come to thy presence and put vp my penitent
from the tyrannie of feare or desire Happie is heonly who in soule liues contented and he most of all vnhappie whom nothing doth content But this quiet is neuer attained but by remission of sinnes whosoeuer hath this mouthfull he is fully satisfied he doth not hunger after other things he no more regardeth either the fauours or persecutions of this life then doth a dead lumpe of flesh This is both truely and aptly termed A stood of peace A very flood indeed in regard both of the quality and of the abundance For it quencheth the flames of our appetites and desires then which we haue none more deadly enemies none which more torture and teare our hearts especially if they be of such things as either possibly or easily we cannot attaine But these appetites are drowned and extinguished in this flood they are either satisfied or silenced by the iustice of this peace This peace can no man vnderstand but he that enioyeth it because it exceedeth whatsoeuer the vnderstanding is able of it selfe to comprehend Againe happinesse and miserie are perfect contraries But sinners because they are vpon their way to miserie are already miserable they are already in hell or rather haue a hell within them And therefore it followeth that penitents because they are vpon their way to felicitie are alreadie happie already in heauen or rather haue a heauen within them For there are two wayes out of this world one through the pleasures of sinne to eternall miserie the other through the sorrowes of repentance to eternall glory Blessed are they who are in this sorrowfull way for onely they trauaile to eternall happinesse They are blessed I say by faith and by hope For they haue not the full fruition of felicitie but they enioy it by faith and by hope and therfore by faith and by hope they are blessed This onelie is the difference betweene Saints in heauen and sinners that repent vpon earth the one haue their happinesse in hand the other in hope they are at their iourneyes end these are vpon their way they haue their blessed estate in possession these in election Neuerthelesse they are truely blessed euen as a Bishop elect hath both the title and honour of a Bishop albeit he be not stalled in his place Verely as sinne is no small or ordinarie matter so is forgiuenesse of sinne no ordinarie blessing Sinne is so hainous a thing that it is a lesse euill to destroy all the creatures in the world then to commit one sinne against GOD. Yet such is the power of repentance that by meanes thereof GOD will not onely forgiue our sinnes but he will forget them Hee will so deale with penitent sinners either as if hee had neuer seene their sinnes or as if he had perpetually forgot them Hee will neuer either behold or remember their sinnes to iudge them Marueilous is the mercy and goodnesse of GOD towards sinners that repent The more they remember their sinnes the more doth he forget them the readier they are to acknowledge their offences the readier is he to couer and conceale them It is a verie great blessing to haue our sinnes couered because nothing is more hardly kept secret then sinne Sinne is not couered by cunning contriuance not with the vaine veile of colourable excuses the more we endeauour by these meanes to couer it the more doth it manifest and bewray it selfe Adam did hide himselfe but his sinne hee could not hide hee couered his bodie with figge tree leaues but could finde no couering for his sinne The more hee endeauored to hide himselfe the more did his transgression appeare the very hiding of himselfe did bewray his sinne For if he had not sinned hee would neuer haue shrunke aside he should neuer haue beene attached either with shame or with feare For this cause also GOD said to Cain If thou doest euill sinne lieth at the doore For assuredly sinne will not keepe house It will not lie quiet in a corner It will abroad It will stand at the doore It will manifest it selfe to all that goe by At the first it is discouered by our owne feares and by our great diligence to conceale it afterward by our loose carelesnesse Lastly by our boldnesse and impudency in committing euill Besides it is of nature to multiply and encrease vntill it cannot be contained in secret vntill it can no more be hidden then the Sunne vntill by the tumorous turpitude thereof it doth first manifest and then ruine and destroy it selfe Onely Repentance is of force to couer sinnes First because it cutteth off the encrease it drieth vp the springs from whence it swels and ouerflowes and whereby especially it bewrayes it selfe Secondly because it is alwayes accompanied with loue for Loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Loue maketh the penitent and the innocent of like condition VERS II. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sinne and in whose spirit there is no guile 1 IT seemeth that Repentance is a deitie and wherefore 2 Wherefore Angels after sinne cannot be blessed 3 Man may and wherefore 4 The greatest praise and power of Repentance 5 without Repentance GOD cannot be mercifull and wherefore 6 Wherefore GOD imputeth no sinne to the penitent 7 How a penitent sinner may expostulate with GOD. 8 In what sort we must iudge our selues 9 Hypocrites the worst of all sinners 10 Confession how necessary it is 11 GOD is mercifull in forgiuing yet hard and seuere in taking accompts 12 Dissimulation doubleth our sinne 13 One sinne sufficient to ensnare vs. 14 A true accompt of our sinnes required DIuine Repentance What shall I say of thee How shall I worthily either extoll or esteeme thee Shall I say thou art a vertue or shall I terme thee some Deitie Assuredly it seemeth that thou art a Deitie and that GOD hath imparted a part of his Dominion vnto thee It seemeth that thou art his Lieutenant vpon earth and that he hath inuested thee with his owne authoritie because the same power which GOD exerciseth in heauen the same doest thou exercise vpon Earth For as GOD maketh blessed in Heauen so doth Repentance vpon Earth Only GOD maketh the iust blessed in Heauen and Repentance maketh sinners blessed vpon Earth because after sin no man is blessed but by Repentance And therefore the Angels that did sinne shall neuer be blessed because they cannot repent Their will is inflexible they are immoueable from that which once they apprehend his heart is as strong as stone and as the Smithes stithe broken it may bee but it will neuer bend That which death is to man the very same is sinne to Angels As man after death cannot profitably repent so cannot Angels repent after sinne But the hope of mans blessednesse consisteth in this that his will is flexible that his minde may turne to abhorre that which once with pleasure hee did embrace that he is capable of Repentance This is a branch of chasticing Iustice
seeke for some mantle to veile thy obscene darkenesse For thou canst not with any conscience in case thou hast any approach into the presence of the LORD What expectest thou to be releeued by him Thinkest thou he will fauour thee Nay Is it possible that hee should forbeare thee Seest thou not that he also is set against thee That his hand is rigorous vpon thee And how can it be otherwise For GOD is iust a hard dealer a seuere exacter of accompts Looke into the examples of his iustice How he condemned his angels irreuocablie for one only sinne how for one only sinne not onlie Adam but all his posteritie and in a manner all creatures were cursed If thou conceiuest comfort by reason of some mercie which followed this iustice then compare this iustice and mercy together by the continuall course of their effects See how in all ages both the greatest and most flourishing parts of the world haue lien buried in infidelity See how in those few parts ouer which the light of trueth hath displaied her beames many millions haue bin blinded either by ignorance or by superstition and errour See how many yea how most of those who haue receiued true knowledge either by delicacie or other viciousnesse of life reape no benefit thereby So as it is apparantlie true that many are called and few are chosen that the way to saluation is so difficult and the gate so strait that it is passable for very few Few indeed For how many were in the whole world when it was ouerwhelmed with waters How many in Sodome and the cities adioining to it when they perished with fire How many among the chosen people of GOD when Elias could not espie one How many when they were often captiuated and finally ruined and dispersed Yea seest thou not the iustice of GOD to be so implacable that when flourishing nations are vtterly rooted out infants and innocents who haue not actually offended are swallowed in the common calamity for the offences of their progenitors Compare I say these effects of iustice and mercy together and thou shalt plainely finde that the first hath farre exceeded the last that there are many vessels of the one and few of the other Now if thou hopest to be one of those few then consult with thine owne conscience how cleare and vncorrupt thou findest thy actions how seuerely thou hast restrained thy euill inclinations how strongly how violently thou hast endeauoured to mainetaine a vertuous and religious life No no thou art none of those few who with perpetuall strong striuing shall wrestle through that narrow passage Thou hast beene vnconstant both in thy iudgement and in thy actions like a loose tooth not onely vselesse but troublesome and painefull Thou hast beene a slander to the Church and a staine to thy profession Thou hast beene a derision to the euill a shame and sorrow to the good an offensiue example to the weake The earth casteth thee vp heauen receiueth thee not GOD is displeased with thee and all creatures are bent to oppresse thee Goe to then abandon hope and yeeld thy selfe captiue to despaire Thou hast no other remedie against thy feares but to relinquish hope Cease to hope and feare will no longer torment thee for whosoeuer hopeth for no good he feareth no euill These words she doubled with a terrible voice and all the hoste cryed aloud Despaire and Die Woe is me I am vndone Alas wretch that I am Which way shall I turne mee Whither shall I flie What shall I doe I am assailed with feares by feares I am betrayed my enemies are within and without Who shall deliuer who shall defend me I am as a naked tree in a wide plaine beaten with many bitter stormes I am as drie open ground parched with the burning beames of the Sunne I can finde none to protect mee none to comfort mee and my owne strength and courage vtterly faileth Out alasse who so liueth in feare he is daily condemned daily vnder the executioners hand No man is assured whom an euill conscience holdeth in feare O! who is able to endure these confusions Who can either resist or rule the violence of these feares Thus whilest I was readie to haue yeelded my selfe to the tyrannie of despaire loe Faith from heauen did sodainly cast a glorious beame of her beautie vpon mee and with a sober sweetnesse began in this sort partly to reprooue and partly to instruct me What said she Art thou such a nouice in my Schoole such a faint and raw souldier in spirituall combate Hast thou no more dexteritie in handling thy weapons Come stand vp take courage I will teach thee both thy fence and thy fight Come I say and looke thy terrour in the face It seemeth a Serpent to deuoure thee but be not dismayed step boldly to it and take it by the taile and it will forthwith turne to a rod of correction What Art thou so much afraid of feare which is so highly commended which is so straitely commanded to thee God loueth feare Hee accepteth hee preserueth he honoureth hee blesseth he neuer forsaketh them that feare him Feare is the beginning of righteousnesse the first step to wisedome It bringeth with it iudgement and righteousnesse It expelleth sinnes It is the bridle of sinnes it is the sword that cutteth in sunder not onely the sinewes but the very hartstrings of sinne What deemest thou that GOD hath created hell fire onely to punish damned sinners and the Diuell No verily but rather to keepe sinners from damnation to raise them to repentance and to restraine them from sin For so much as a man feareth the punishment that he hath deserued so much more carefully wil he both repent and auoid those faults which he hath committed He that feareth ruine is neither easily nor often oppressed therewith They haue greatest cause of feare who feare least who walke in their owne wayes with a sober securitie who loosely and licentiously pursue vanities who are flintie hearted without trembling or touch of the threatnings of GOD who perseuere in sinne either boldly or sencelesly and then say What euill haue I done Let these feare It is fearefull for these to fall into the hands of the liuing GOD. Ouer the neckes of these hangs a terrible sword alwayes shaking alwayes bent and ready to strike the lesse they feare it the more sure the more sore and heauie will it fall These are obiects to GODS iustice and wrath these are abiects from his mercie and grace But repentant sinners who rise with feare and run with griefe to the LORD of mercie and say vnto him LORD be mercifull to me a sinner Let such bee confident For he who hath in mercie called them will assuredly in mercy receiue them They are not a few onely who haue beene receiued this is a false surmise of feare let heauen let earth let hell be searched and there shall not one
be found I confidently say not any one who returned to the LORD and was not receiued Neuer thinke that the iustice of GOD is greater then his mercie Nothing can bee sayd in GOD greater or lesser because whatsoeuer is in him is his very selfe There was neuer sinner in this world who hath not had a sweet taste of his mercy neither was there euer righteous person who hath not beene touched with his iustice His iustice and his mercie are extended to all For all the wayes of the LORD are mercie and trueth Besides mercie bestoweth so many and so great good things vpon the righteous that her workes farre exceed the workes of iustice Neuer trouble thy selfe about the small number of the elect Assuredly they are not a few but almost innumerable whom the LORD will receiue to mercy Mercy will be no lesse milde then iustice rigorous mercy will no lesse finde a meanes to saue then iustice to condemne As the number of the elect is knowne only to GOD so both the time and maner of their calling must onely be referred to him But what mooueth thee to doubt and distrust thine estate the multitude and grieuousnesse of thy sinnes Trouble not thy selfe for the multitude and grieuousnesse of thy sinnes because the mercy of the LORD doeth infinitely surmount them Behold how two contraries applied together if the one far exceed the other the greater must needs consume the lesse But the mercies of GOD infinitely exceed al the sins in the world All the sinnes of the world are more easily consumed by the mercie of GOD then is a droppe of water in a hot fiery furnace then a sparke of fire is extinguished in the sea Doe but applie now this mercie to thy sinnes and the infinitenes of the one must needs consume the multitude of the other But loe shee hath already applied her selfe Shee hasted to meet thee shee hath already kissed thee she holdeth thee close in her embracements Yea when thou didst fall she was present with thee albeit thou diddest not discerne so much shee layed her hand vnder thee to keepe thee from harme and to raise thee againe Thou art a vessell both brittle and weake thou must needs haue beene dashed to pieces or much bruised with thy fall vnlesse mercie had laid vnder her hand This is a great signe that thou art elect but it is not all For mercie hath not onely preserued thee from the harme of sinne but she hath turned thy sinne to thy good For thereby she hath made both thee more humble in thy opinion and more heedfull in thy wayes The fall of the reprobate is like the fall of an elephant they rise not againe but impudently make light esteeme of their sinnes and sometimes with a flintie forehead boast of them But though the elect fall into the bottome of the sea yet the same whale which swallowed them vp must againe cast them vpon the land Arise therefore and strengthen thy heart thou hast found how weake thine owne forces are humble thy selfe vnder the Almighty arme of the LORD For humility is the foundation of all vertues the lowest ground-worke of repentance Humble thy selfe therefore with sorrow for thy sinnes past and circumspection for thy life to come If thou canst so humble thy selfe with sorrow then neuer feare this sorrow is the greatest ioy to a godly mind that can be the more of this sorrow thou findest within thee the lesse cause thou hast to feare And to this examination now I leaue thee to what degree of submisse sorrow thou canst descend for assuredly to the same pitch of assurance thou shalt be exalted This said she glanceth gloriously into heauen leauing me well confirmed against feare but altogether exposed to heauinesse and griefe For when I presented to my rememberance either the vaine or vile and base pleasure of my sinnes the good which I did loose the euill which thereby I did incurre how my most meeke GOD by the goodnesse of his owne nature was mooued was prouoked was inforced by my ingratitude to be wroth I was forth with ouercharged with heauinesse which did trouble and torment me day and night which bereaued mee of all ioy and was extreamely burdensome to me She rushed vpon me with her sad troupes she cried out most bitterly and said How now presumptuous wretch Wither art thou carried Into what vaine hopes doest thou run Supposest thou thy selfe to be rapt vp into the third heauen to be already placed in Abrahams bosome Alas deceiued caitiffe thy faith is but a fantasie thy hope a proud presumption of spirit thy comforts but a dreame of a deluded imagination Thou conceiuest that GOD is mercifull it is true exceeding mercifull infinite in his mercies But knowest thou not how odious an offence ingratitude is How it stoppeth the streames how it drieth vp the dew of mercy how no mercy hath influence where ingratitude abides Ingratitude is the summary of all sins no euill no reproach is left vnsaid when a man is charged to be vngratefull No beast is either so fierce or so dull but hath some sence of gratitude and will loue those who are carefull for them The hands which feed the Lions may safely touch their teeth and their pawes Elephants for their food make both their courage and their strength seruile to man So naturall is this vertue that those creatures which want vnderstanding are both apprehensiue and obseruant thereof And so hatefull is ingratitude to the most mercifull GOD that he hath threatened by his holy spirit that Euill shall neuer depart from his house who rewardâ—th euill for good And that the hope of the vnthankefull shall melt away as the winter yee Consider then how vngraciously vngratefull thou hast beene consider this I say and if thy owne heart shall condemne thee thinke what he will doe who is greater then thy heart and who hath euen already opened his mouth to pronounce his arrest He hath created thee according to his owne image he hath placed thee in the paradise of his blessed Church with the water of baptisme he sanctified thee he furnished thee with the knowledge of his trueth putting his word in thy mouth and his will in thy minde with many temporall benefits he did enrich thee not onely for necessitie but for an ornament and delight But thou in the leuitie and vanitie of thy braine diddest runne headlong after thine vnbridled lusts and plunge thy selfe in many deepe sinnes Many outward callings he bestowed vpon thee with many sweet instructions he did aduertize thee but albeit all the floore was moistened with his heauenly dew yet thou like Gedeons fleece remainedst drie thou didst keepe thy selfe like the riuer Nilus within thy bankes when all other riuers did ouerflow He inuited thee and thou diddest excuse thy selfe he sent to compell thee but thou diddest resist At the last he called thee with a violent voice and his vnspeakeable goodnesse broke open the gates of thy
extenuate our sinnes 11 How we excuse them 12 Temptations cannot excuse vs and wherefore 13 To whom we are obliged to confesse 14 The conscience of man is GODS Kingdome and Consistorie 15 We should not be ashamed that men take knowledge that we haue sinned 16 Pleasures of the body what they are like 17 Our confession must be entire 18 Our lightest sinnes must be confessed 19 Our sweetest sinnes must be confessed 20 One sinne sufficient to vndoe vs. THen I aduanced my selfe to the second forme of repentance From contrition I proceeded to acknowledgement and confession of my sinnes Because I saw it was a childish weakenesse rather to perish by the disease then to empty the stomacke of dangerous humours to suffer sores rather to putrefie and spread then to endure the cleansing and curing of them rather to endure a perpetuall toothach then to haue the tooth pulled foorth And seeing it was for this cause that GOD was so seuere against mee namely for that I would not acknowledge my sinnes seeing by no other meanes I could wrestle out of those difficulties wherinto his displeasure had cast me I forthwith resolued to turn to my GOD and to turne forth my heart vnto him to powre out all the putrefaction of my soule before his pure eyes to open my Conscience and giue a vent to those filthy fumes which had almost stifeled my soule which were more loathsome more infectious then is the damp of dead putrified bodies In a word to say with holy Iob If I haue hid my sinne as Adam concealing my iniquity within my bosome So I presented my selfe before his diuine Maiesty with the same countenance wherewith a poore distressed patient full of impostumes Fistulaes and vgly vlcers presenteth himselfe to an expert Chyrurgian And being prepared to endure both the paine of the corosiue and point of the lance I thus addressed my speech vnto him O LORD my GOD most rich most liberall most mercifull GOD who sitting aboue the Seraphims with thy eyes farre brighter then the Sun piercest all depthes and discouerest all things naked and open to thy view Thou O LORD who art so powerfull and yet so pitifull to that which thou hast made that thou hearest and regardest miserable sinners Graciously behold be fauourably attentiue to me I beseech thee Behold mee thy miserable creature not in anger not in iustice but in compassion and mercy not as a seuere Iudge but as a skilfull and carefull Physician not to punish my infirmities but graciously to cure them O mercifull GOD no lesse infinite in Mercy then in Maiestie In goodnesse and in greatnesse vnmeasurable alike Behold my exceeding great miseries my exceeding great but not infinite miseries not such as can beare any proportion against thy mercies For betweene great and infinite there standeth no proportion O infinite goodnes mercie I am in a most miserable estate yet how to better it caÌ„not tel My doubtfull and perplexed thoughts doe wildely wander in a maze of amazement And this is nothing else in effect but to beat out with what torments I am likest to perish Alas O my GOD wilt not thou relieue mee in these extremities wilt not thou release me O infinite goodnes With al humilitie I entreate thy ayd not vpon any coÌ„fidence in my selfe but faith hope two twins of thy brest who neuer yet haue either let fall or bin denied any suit haue guided mee hither and set me before thee Loe they remaine still present with mee They encourage me they assure me that the more miserable we feele our selues to be the more fit we are to receiue thy mercies and the more standeth it with thy iustice to afford vs the same O thou who art both liberall and rich relieue my pouertie O most mercifull and powerfull LORD release my miseries Heare my distressed soule full of wretchednesse but fuller of guiltinesse groaning at thy gate of mercie See how fowlie it is defiled with euill how deepely corruption hath tainted the verie substance thereof how the stamps of sinne by reason of long custome are so firmely imprinted therein as it is a hard matter to deface them I am like an vncleane beast that hath long wallowed in the proper dung whereby both the beautie hath beene defiled and a loathsome taste is fixed in the flesh Alasse I am plunged in sinne as in a sea wherein I neither see banke nor feele bottome wherin my vaine soule at the same time both floateth with the leuity and is drawne downe with the leaden weights of sin O GOD of my saluation my impure soule hath hitherto beene much troubled much endangered and almost stifeled by enclosing her corruptions and not giuing a free passage for them to breake foorth But now I confesse my sinnes I confesse how grieuously I haue offended thy maiestie I haue broken all thy commandements as if they had beene cobwebs and my verie best thoughts haue beene poysoned with taste of things sensuall The poysonous breath of my thoughts euaporated from my sensuall soule hath beene more offensiue and noysome to thee then the dampes that arise from bodies halfe putrefied in their graues Of all thy debtors I confesse that my accompts are greatest that thou hast most to reckon with mee but giue mee respite for repentance and I will satisfie if not thy iustice by payment yet thy mercie by acknowledgement Haue patience a while and by confession I will pay thee all LORD I will not hide my offences for then wilt thou display them I will lay them open that thou maiest hide them I will acknowledge them that thou maiest take no knowledge of them I will not conceale my miserable defects and defections from thee lest thereby I loose first thy pitie and then thy reliefe I will neuer goe about either to abuse or to auoid thee by denying or â—uppressing my sinnes I will no waies extenuate no waies excuse them I will not extenuate them either by fauourable comparing them with the sinnes of other men or by vnderualuing them in their owne nature I will not excuse them by casting the blame vpon any other vpon the malice and power of the Diuell vpon the witchcraft of the world vpon the soft flatteries of the flesh These are the vaine veyles which our first parents vsed The woman gaue it me the serpent deceiued mee But they cannot suffice to shadow our sinnes For they are not able to compell the will they can no wayes enforce the soule Allure it they may but enforce it they caÌ„not they may knock at our gates but they caÌ„not breake in vnles we open to entertaine theÌ„ And therefore I will neuer endeauour to excuse that which my owne conscience conuinceth I will sincerely acknowledge my sinnes I will take the whole blame vpon my selfe I will not transferre any part thereof to any other For my conscience is so torne with the bitings of sinne my soule is so stretched vpon the racke of sorrow that I am
enforced to cry nothing else but O my sinnes I charge I accuse I condemne onlie my selfe O my GOD I haue grieuouslie sinned my sinnes haue deepelie prouoked thy heauie wrath I acknowledge them to thee with a free confession LORD I appeare before thee no other then I am euen a most poore desolate and distressed sinner I can neither boast nor take comfort in any goodnesse in my selfe but I lay open before thee my sinnes And it is vnto thee that I will confesse my sinnes vnto thee against whom onely I haue sinned vnto thee who onelie art able to forgiue my sinnes vnto thee who onelie art able to iudge of my confession For it is not alwaies thy pleasure that we blazon our owne blame that our sinnes be rung out to the eares of all men that they be set foorth vpon the stage of the world If penitentlie we confesse our sinnes vnto thee thy compassion will couer them It will couer them from thy iustice it will couer them both from the scandall and scorne of other men thou wilt freelie forgiue both the sin and the shame Assuredlie the conscience of man is thy little kingdome It is thy peculiar Consistory and Court There thou sittest there thou examinest there thou iudgest With this kingdome thou wilt not depart thou wilt not impart it to any other None can know the secrets of the soule none can absolutely either discerne or command the inward working thereof but thy selfe Whosoeuer will presume either to know or command the working of the spirit whosoeuer will determine of the last end and state of soules further then thou hast plainlie reuealed he vsurpeth thy throne he wresteth thy scepter out of thy hand As thou onely art able to iudge of our confession as thou onlie both knowest and forgiuest sinnes so vnto thee will I euer acknowledge my sinnes Yet will I not be ashamed that the world also take knowledge that men also thinke that I haue done amisse I will not forbeare to abase my selfe by reason of my sinnes euen in open view to sorrow to lament to be sowre and seuere against my selfe to abhorre the world and all her sorceries to loath the poisonous pleasures of the bodie which are like to moathes that consume the garment wherein they breed to chastice and tame my filthy flesh for rebelling against thee by whose power it was made by whole prouidence it doeth consist for conspiring the destruction of my soule which keepeth it from stincking from turning to most course and loathsome carrion I will neuer beare the world in hand that my offences are either few or light I will by confession make them knowne to thee I will by sorrow and some measure of satisfaction make them knowne to the world No shamefastnesse shall retaine me from mourning at any time from making a sad and seuere reckoning with my body from holding a sharpe hand vpon it For assuredlie either we must lament in this life with profitable teares for a time or else with fruitlesse and endlesse teares in the life to come either in this world we must tie our selues to some moderate paine or else be chained both to intolerable and eternall paines in the world to come Neither will I acknowledge my offenees in part but I will make an entire confession and expose all my transgressions before thee Not only my great sinnes but my vnrighteousnesse which seeme of lesser moment not onely the euill which I haue done but the good which in dutie I should haue done I will discouer all my vnrighteousnesse vnto thee I will doe as the lepers were commanded to doe when they came to be clensed by the Priest I will not only wash my garments but will haue all my haire euen my lightest and loosest offences That thou who numbrest our haires when thou shalt take a view of my sinnes shalt not finde one haire of them which I haue not runne ouer with the razor of confession I will not doe as Saul did who being commanded to slay all the Amalekites and all the cattell that pertained to them destroyed all that was vile nought worth but saued the King the great King Agag and the fattest sheepe and oxen aliue I will not make away my vulgar and vnprofitable sinnes onely and saue the principall and aduantageable aliue but I will set the sword of confession to them all I will not make reseruation of some sweet sinne and then say with Naaman the Syrian The LORD bee mercifull to me in this But I will sweepe the house cleane or else can it neuer be furnished and adorned with thy graces and thereby made fit to entertaine thee I will cleanse my conscience of all defilements One drop of poison tainteth a whole tunne of wine and one mortall sinne infecteth all the faculties and vertues of the soule One snare is sufficient to entrappe the fowle one hooke to take the fish one leake to sincke a ship one sparke of fire to prostrate a whole City and one sinne sufficeth to draw both bodie and soule to destruction I will therfore discharge my selfe by confession of all I will powre forth my heart as water before thee VERS VI. I said I will confesse my sinnes vnto the LORD and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinnes 1. PArticular enumeration of our sinnes is impossible 2 How sharpe sinnes are and how heauie of digestion 3 Secret sinnes are most dangerous and wherefore 4 The readinesse of GOD to accept our confession 5 GOD often accepts our purpose for performance 6 Which maketh our want of repentance vnexcuseable 7 Contrition ioyned with a will to confesse is sufficient 8 The necessity of a contrite heart and wherefore 9 For remission of sinnes what is required from vs what from GOD. 10 Neither of which require any long trace of time 11 How plentifull GOD is in mercy 12 A thankesgiuing for the same 13 The soule cheereth by meanes of confession 14 The ioyfull effects of sorrow and troubles to penitent sinners 15 A life without aduersities whereto it is like 16 Many benefits that we receiue by troubles 17 How ready GOD is to receiue to mercy BVT what a maze doe I begin to tread How shall I euer winde my selfe out of this knotty labyrinth Verily if I should make a particular rehearsall of all my sinnes I should neuer bee able to finish that taske I should neuer roule the stone ouer that hill I should no sooner mount it a little but it would alwaies tumble againe down to the bottome I should euer finde my worke new to begin I may well say with Iudas I haue sinned but either number or truly estimate my sinnes I cannot If I could number the starres of Heauen or the sands of the earth or the drops of water that are in the Sea or the moments of time since time began yet am I out of hope to enumerate my sinnes because they are no fewer in variety then they are in
side walled with rockes aboue beaten with terrible tempests You must be not onlie skilfull but carefull of your course you must alwaies beare your hand on the helme your eie on the compasse lest it come to passe that you neuer escape If you doe not this for the loue of GOD doe it then for the loue of your selues whereunto by all rules of reason and nature you are stronglie bound If you doe not loue or regard your good at lest bee not in loue with your euill The loue of miserie is farre worse then miserie it selfe Assuredly in case you continue in this carelesse course in case you still beare your selues either desperate in running from GOD or dull and heauie in comming to him in case neither his benefits can allure nor his chasticements enforce you to a change of life he will cast his plagues vpon you so thicke as haile which will make you more miserable then you can imagine VERS XI Great plagues remaine for the vngodly but who so putteth his trust in the LORD mercy embraceth him on euery side 1. GODS heauie hammers vpon obstinate sinners 2 The multitude of GODS punishments 3 The seuerity of them 4 It is most easie for GOD to pardon sinnes and wherfore 5 It is not possible but that penitent persons should be forgiuen 6 The confidence of true penitents 7 Their saciety 8 Their ioy 9 Albeit the contray appeares 10 Penitents enioy most perfect pleasure in this life and wherefore 11 The pleasures of the wicked are worse then brutish 12 Penitents aâ—e blessed in their chasticements 13 The first reason hereof 14 The second reason 15 The afflictions of this life are both momentany and light 16 A short prayer CErtainely if you wil not embrace this friendly aduice If you esteeme these warnings to be of no weight If blinded either with dulnesse or with malice you perseuere in your sinnes If neither benefits nor scourges can hold you in obedience If neither promises nor threats can any deale mooue you If you can be reteined in order neither by hope nor by feare If like vntamed beasts you still wildlie runne through the thorny thickets of all vices and esteeme euerie lustfull thing lawfull to be done hee hath heauier hammers to breake your obstinacie to bridle your boldnesse and pride and to beate downe your rebellion against him Verely not the starres in the firmament not the sands of the earth not all the creatures in heauen and vpon earth are so manie in number so vnresistable in force as are the punishments which the obstinate shall endure Their infelicity houereth ouer their heads their curse traceth them step by step vntill it shall ouertake them in hell Here the most pleasant retreits are full of hideous hurlements nothing but terrours torments and teares without intermission or end Here is griefe without remedie complaint without pity repentance without mercy Here death alwaies liueth and life alwaies dieth death here life are immortall together life in dying and death in enduring Here both body and soule shall eternally liue in eternall death they shall liue together in a double death and both eternall the death of sinne and the death of punishment due to sinne On the other side they who contemne the vanitie of the world and apply themselues onlie to GOD they who repent them of their sinnes be they neuer so great if they doe not despaire shall vndoubtedlie be receiued to pardon and mercy For this is most easie for GOD to doe by reason of his goodnesse and the greatnesse of his mercies in comparison wherof all the sinnes of the world are nothing so little as a point in regard of the largest circumference as one sparke of fire in comparison of the vast Ocean So as if the greatest sinner in the world be penitent If he desire and sue for mercie all the water in the sea cannot so easilie extinguish one sparke of fire as the mercies of GOD will abolish his sinnes Verelie if a good man will be mercifull to his beast our good GOD will much more bee mercifull to his creature to his seruant to his childe Yea it is not possible but that mercy should be imparted to them that repent For the infinite mercies of Almightie GOD abound in all places they fill all things if they be not excluded and locked foorth But nothing excludeth mercie but impenitencie and hardnesse of heart And therefore if a man be penitent mercie will foorthwith enter because the impediment is remooued because nothing then remaineth in the soule which may resist or repell mercie If the window be opened the roome will be light and if the floudgates be vnbarred the streames will presentlie ouerflow But they who haue receiued mercy who are vnder the protection and guard of grace in what assurance doe they stand how boldlie do they walke with what confidence are they caried in all the passages of their life Mercy encreaseth confidence and coÌ„fidence againe encreaseth mercy As guiltines is the cause of feare so from mercie proceedeth confidence As all wickednesse is full of feare so the iust is confident as a Lion And whosoeuer receiueth mercie they shall be filled therewith They shall be so filled as they shall ouerflow they shal be enuironed with mercy on euery side And being vnder the peace protection of mercie hauing firme trust that their sins are forgiuen O good GOD to what felicitie are they aduanced what treasures are there in heauen which shall not be opened and imparted to them They shal be placed by the side of GOD they shall be apparrelled and adorned with so great glory so great happines shal be heaped vpon them as the spirit of man is vnable to apprehend much lesse to expresse The desire the hope the full faith and assurance hereof cannot but worke in them incredible ioy before they attaine the full fruition euen whilest they are vpon their passage to it Oh! with what cheerefulnesse with what delight doe they either remooue or surmount all difficulties which lie before them Howsoeuer their trauaile seemeth troublesome and hard yet the loue of their iourneyes end maketh it not onely tolerable but delightfull The onely thought of the end of their trauaile seasoneth all the meanes with sweetnesse through which they are enforced to wrestle to that end It may be conceiued indeed that the iust are plagued and that the wicked chiefly flourish in this life It seemeth to be so but it is not so It is so onely in appearance and shew but in very deed it is not so They are either blinded with grosse mists of ignorance or abused with deceiuable colours and shewes who thinke it so It appeareth so only to those who are so rowled vp in flesh and bloud that they esteeme nothing good or euill but that which appertaineth to the body Assuredly they whose sinnes are forgiuen enioy the most perfect pleasure euen in this life which in this sort doeth plainely appeare As the inward
vertues and faculties of the soule are capable of greater pleasure then the outward partly because they are more noble and diuine and partly because their obiect is more excellent which is GOD himselfe and all goodnesse So the more perfect those powers and faculties are the more perfect pleasure they apprehend in their proper obiects which is euident by all outward and bodily sences But penitent persons whose sinnes are forgiuen haue the inward capacitie of their soules more perfect and cleere then other men Because nothing either defileth or defaceth the inward vertues of the soule but onely sinne neither is there any meanes to purge the one or repayre the other but by repentance Heerehence it followeth that penitents only enioy pure pleasure in this life as proceeding from the purest and highest faculties of the soule much cleansed by repentance from corruptions of sinne But the pleasures of the wicked proceede onely from the outward sences common to them with bruit beasts and so much inferiour to the pleasure of beasts by how much they participate of sinne It is true indeed that their sensuall appetites present to them a thousand pleasures but the reckoning being cast what pleasures are they pleasures tempered with vice which hold them still in a restlesse feauer pleasures sweet for a moment but leauing a long and loathsome taste behinde them pleasures onely to couer dangerous hookes pleasures which carry their punishments with them As for their inward vertues and powers they are so dulled and dimmed and sometimes stupefied and benummed with custome of sinne that they affoord no pleasure at all But either lie as sottishlie sencelesse or else expresâ—â— life only by vpbrayding the polluted pleasures of the flesh It cannot bee denied that many penitents are almost alwaies vnder correction that the scourge is almost alwaies vpon their backes but heerein also I esteeme them blessed For Blessed is the man who is chasticed of the LORD The reasons whereof are mainelie two First for that this correction proceedeth from the loue of GOD either as a gentle bridle to restraine them from licentiousnesse of sinne or as a forge hammer and file to consume the consuming rust of sin For as a man will file and scoure that instrument or vessell which he regardeth to make it bright as beat and brush that garment which he affecteth to make it cleane So GOD chastiseth that person whom he loueth either to purge or to preserue him from the soile of sin If GOD scourgeth the iust if hee debarreth if hee depriueth them of health riches honour or any other fauour of the world it is onely for loue vnto them It is to make them onely to loue him For GOD is a iealous GOD so loueth those that are his that he will not endure them to loue any thing but himselfe vnlesse it be for his sake GOD esteemeth not himselfe loued enough if the loue of any other thing be ioyned with the loue of him The sence of this loue of GOD doth so inflame their loue towards him as they become sencelesse of any worldly accidents or affaires The second reason is for that albeit they bee neuer so much chastised yet are they neuer forsaken but in the middest of their miseries mercy shall encompasse them They are neuer cast off neuer cast away but are alwayes guarded by the mercies of GOD the mercies of GOD wil defend them for the present and deliuer them in very good time For the present it doth enable them not onely willingly but ioifully and desirously to suffer the momentany afflictions of this life For the future it prepareth for them an eternall crowne of glory to which the short afflictions of this life are an ordinary and almost necessary passage The afflictions of this life are both naturally momentany and by grace light but the glory whereto they lead is both eternall and of exceeding weight As the grace of GOD maketh the afflictions of this life light so without that speciall grace the nature of man is altogether vnable either to beare or to behold the weight of glory which shall succeed We haue a naturall inclination to it but all our naturall abilities forces are insufficient either to attaine or to sustaine it O LORD of this eternall weight of glory Let me suffer corosiues cauterizes cuttings lancings and burnings in this life so that I be both comforted and defended by thy mercy so that I may bee prepared and guided to thy glory so that I may bee deliuered from the great plagues which the wicked shall endure The more bitter the potion is the more medicinable and healthfull will it be the more sharpe the file is the lesse rust will it leaue behind The more a garment be brushed and beaten with roddes the lesse it remaines defiled with dust VERS XII Be glad O ye righteous and reioyce in the LORD and be ioyfull all ye that are true of heart 1. TO whom it is proper to iudge of the pleasure of the righteous 2 A true Iudgement touching worldly pleasures 3 Pleasures of the soule dilated often to the body 4 They who haue the fauour of GOD haue GOD himselfe 5 Who are inuited to reioyce 6 For what causes 7 How gloriously the soules of them who loue GOD sort out of the miseries of this world 8 Who are forbidden to reioyce 9 The ioy of the wicked no true ioy and wherefore 10 The ioy of the righteous must not be placed in worldly matters and wherfore 11 But it must be lodged onely in GOD. 12 No limits to be prescribed to this ioy 13 Theologicall vertues consist not in a mediocritie like Morall vertues 14 The attaining worldly felicities is laboursome the enioying often loathsome 15 We cannot ioy in earthly and in heauenly things together 16 A short prayer 17 Feare and ioy how combined I Suppose there are not manie who haue not often tasted the ioy and pleasure of the soule after some measure of repentance but happily not sufficient to arrest a iust Iudgement of them For when two things are compared together the difference is best vnderstood by the iudgement of those who haue had best experience of both For as a sicke man whose palate is affected with vicious humours cannot well iudge of the taste and rellish of meates so wicked men whose mindes are infected with the poison of sinne cannot rightly iudge of the pleasure of the righteous This is proper to them whose soules haue a true taste not any wayes depraued Now many haue had good experience of the disposition and state of the soule both in fruition of the world and in a penitent life But let them say in which they tooke the greatest pleasure The first is tearmed by some a meere Vanitie by others no better then dunge All esteeme the felicities of this world not onely vaine but exceeding vile and base in regard of the ioyes which succeed and proceed from true repentance
iustice but helpe to inuoke thy mercies for me Assuredly O my soule the crie of thy complaint hath no greater obstacle then the cry of thy sinnes vntill by repentance the barre be remooued And therefore if thou wouldest haue the LORD to heare the voice of thy complaint first drowne thy sins with teares of repentance then cast away their dead carcasses from thee Away with all the trumperies of the world away with the vanities of pride auarice surfet reuenge away with all impediments of sinne For vnlesse thou abandon thy vanities thou shalt vainely implore the Omnipotent to heare thee He cannot heare a voice proceeding from a heart and lips loaden with iniquities he cannot be mercifull vnlesse thou repent Heare the condition whereupon thou maiest be heard Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vngodly man his cogitations and turne to the LORD and he will haue mercy vpon him Why so thē fauorable LORD So now I here present my selfe before thee not proudly standing vpon my iustifications but with a sad broken spirit from a low deiected heart I humbly turne and breath forth my complaints before thee Hitherto my daies haue I vnprofitably wasted I haue hitherto spent my time in purposing but neuer beginning to pursue But now I turne and come vnto thee stooping and staggering vnder the importable fardage of my flesh euerie where I finde enemies I am grieuous to my selfe both within and without I haue many complaints to present to thee and now sue for a fauouble hearing Shut not thine eares neither hold them as indifferent but inclineable and fauourable to my petitions LORD I acknowledge to thee all my impurities and earnestlie entreate both thy comfort cure Behold how the necessitie of my miserable estate draweth sighes from my heart teares from my eies and complaints from my tongue Yeeld LORD a fauorable eare declare thy selfe so farre from dispising as attentiuely to listen to the voice of my complaint And albeit thou beest in the highest seat of glory and I in the lowest center of sinne yet be pleased to heare for no distance can hinder thy hearing who by thy goodnesse in all places art present The prayers of those who call vpon thee with their heart shall neuer resolue into winde by reason of any distance of place because thou art neere to all those who call vpon thee faithfully And if my sinnes still thrust themselues betweene thy hearing and my complaint If still they step forth to stop thy eares against my voice if they still make a hideous cry to awake thy iustice to quicken thy wrath to make my prayers not onlie vnacceptable but hatefull to thee chase them awhile with one glorious glance of thy eie close a little thy eie of iustice vntill I haue once againe confessed them to thee and presented to thy gentle hearing my petition for grace For I know rightwell that the petitions and confessions of penitent sinners vpon earth are no lesse pleasing and delightfull to thee then are the praises of thy blessed Angels in heauen VERS III. If thou LORD wilt bee extreame to marke what is done amisse O LORD who may abide it 1. GOD is in all places present and how 2 How after a singular manner hee is present 3 The cordes which hold vs captiue to Hell 4 A confession 5 The torments of Hell not sufficient to punish all our sinnes 6 GOD is not only a Father but a LORD and what kinde of LORD 7 The sinner addresseth himselfe to mercy 8 To the Father of mercy 9 All reasonable creatures may sinne and the reason why 10 Wherefore some Angels did not sinne 11 Wherefore all men are obnoxious to sinne 12 Wherefore man was redeemed rather then Angels 13 All men are sinners by nature 14 GODS court of mercy is higher then his court of Iustice. 15 Wherefore a sinner is sayd to be vnprofitable 16 Two wayes to attaine felicity 17 Our Sauiour onely hath gone the way of Iustice. 18 No man can passe but by the way of mercy 19 GOD delighteth to spare sinners 20 We are enioyned to imitate GOD in his mercy 21 The readiest way to attaine mercy 22 A petition for mercy HEauenly LORD Albeit my oppressed soule lieth buried in the deepe loathsome denne of sin yet is there no centre so deepe but thou mayest easily affoord thy hearing For thou fillest heauen and earth in all places thou art present not onely in regard of thy power but in regard of thy true and reall essence For wheresoeuer any thing is that hath a being there art thou also who art the cause of that being for the cause and the effect are necessarily together they doe necessarily cohere the cause doeth necessarily support the effect But after a more singular maner thou art present with those who pray vnto thee euen as the great Prophet Moses doeth in these words assure What nation is so great to whom the GODS come so neere as the LORD our GOD is neere vnto vs in whatsoeuer we call for to him What then shall I say now I am in so neere distance before thee Alasse I am come to speake for my selfe but I canne speake nothing but that which is against me If the holy Patriarch Abraham in speaking to thee did call to mind that hee was but dust and ashes If hee was so humble If hee bare such awfull reuerence to thy Maiestie when hee entreated for others what shall I poore miserable sinner doe when I am about to entreat for my selfe what Dust and Ashes Nay a bottomlesse depth of sinnes and of miseries to whom delight in sinne the power of the diuell and the violence of custome haue beene in stead of three cords or rather cables to hold mee captiue to hell O most high and powerfull Creator when I turne my eyes into my selfe when I make a priuie search in my owne conscience I finde the multitude and varietie of my sinnes to bee such that I esteeme my selfe vtterly vnworthy whom thou shouldest not onely helpe but heare because in comparison of my sinnes the miseries are nothing which I endure I haue so deepely offended thee that in reason I can expect no fauour from thee For what day what hower hath passed in all my life wherein I haue not deserued a world of torments Insomuch as albeit thou shouldest discharge vpon mee all the horrours of hell yet should the greatest part of my offences remaine vnpunished Thou hast spared mee but I haue not spared thee thou hast spared to strike mee with the sword of Iustice but I haue not spared to smite thee with the fist of iniquitie Thou hast shewed thy selfe a Father to mee but I haue not behaued my selfe as a child How shall I looke so good a Father in the face beeing so lewd a child as would disthrone and destroy that good Father if I could Suppose the Father will bee content to forgiue yet it is doubtfull that the LORD will not Hee that forbeareth
must despaire we cannot be saued For our life resteth in remission of our sinnes that thou hast couered or rather buried them that thou wilt neuer obiect them against vs. All haue gone out of the way we are all become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one But wherefore is a sinner sayd to bee vnprofitable Verely all things are vnprofitable which serue not to the end for which they were created Now man was created to the glory of GOD but a sinner so long as he remayneth in sin is altogether vnprofitable for that end And how should man be pure who springeth from a rotten root How should there not be sin in man apparelled with filthy flesh when his seruants were not stable and when hee charged his Angels with folly All the wayes of the LORD are mercy and Iustice. No other way hath hitherto been knowne to attaine felicity By the way of iustice our great Sauiour only hath gone none other but hee could euer say Which of you could reprooue me of sinne By the way of Iustice hee hath merited for himselfe and for vs for himselfe the glory of his humanity for vs Grace heere and heerafter Glory But by the way of mercy all we must walke because we haue walked in the wayes of sinne because by nature we are children of wrath VVithout mercy and iustifying Grace wee cannot be saued The doore of the entrance to the Oracle in Salomons temple was made of wood of the Oliue tree which being a type of mercy did shadow to vs that no man can enter the holiest place but thorow the doore of mercy And albeit GOD holdeth in his hand both iustice and mercy yet by his antecedent will he desireth all men to be saued His iudgement is exalted by his mercy he delighteth to spare sinners hee reioyceth at occasions to shew his mercy he esteemeth himself more glorious by shewing mercy then by exercising his power In his mercy if I may so speake hee seemeth to goe beyond himself for his mercy is ouer all his workes In mercie hee would haue vs like vnto him Bee yee mercifull as your heauenlie Father is mercifull Hee enioynes vs not to imitate his power whereto Lucifer proudlie aspiring was deiected into hell Nor his wisedome which Adam vainlie affecting was elected out of Paradise but his mercie which wee humblie practising may bee erected into heauen As it is mercie whereof wee stand most in neede so is mercy chiefly required of vs. But the readiest way to attaine mercy is by acknowledgement of our sinnes He that acknowledgeth not his sinnes acknowledgeth himselfe vnworthy of mercy vnworthy to be acknowledged of GOD He who hideth or excuseth his sinnes struggleth against the streames of Grace and debarreth himselfe of all hope of pardon he doth vainelie search after GOD who will not search into himselfe and freelie confesse what there he findes Alasse How manie are held in the yron chaines of sinne and the deuill who neither bewaile nor confesse nor see their miserie who ignorant of their owne estate suppose they walke a full pace the right way to heauen Such were the Israelites whom the Prophet thus reprooued for like affected ignorance How canst thou say that I am not polluted neither haue I followed Baalim Behold thy wayes in the valley and know what thou hast done O blind and foolish man who wilt endeauour to iustifie thy selfe open thy eyes which the deuill hath closed and behold thy wayes in the valley of thy life Assuredly thou shalt finde it full of contempt against GOD of iniuries against others of impurities and vanities in thy selfe Thou shalt espie many grieuous sinnes which others happily haue espied before thou shalt find many Monsters lurking in thy bosome which awaite opportunitie sharpely to assaile thee Verily it is a greater fault to conceale or defend a fault then it is to commit it And now O holy GOD now I haue confessed to thee my owne sinnes in particular and generally the sinfulnesse of all what wilt thou doe how is it thy pleasure to deale with me Shall thy wrath still contend with thy mercie against me shall my sinnes surmount thy goodnesse shall my sinnes be stronger to condemne me then thy mercies to saue mee O my hope Are thy benefits become so chargeable to thee doest thou loose any thing by giuing to me Wherefore then withholdest thou thy mercy in displeasure or tell mee what els requirest thou from me Requirest thou griefe why that is such that I would I had died when I did displease thee Requirest thou punishment Loe here my poore perplexed bodie binde it scourge it satisfie thy indignation thereon but so as thou forbearest not to affoord thy mercie LORD I desire not honour not authoritie not riches not any thing created all these cannot satiate my desire without thy mercy all is pouertie I desire only thy mercie giue me thy mercie and I shall be satisfied VERSE IIII. For there is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feared 1 THe greatnesse of GODS mercy 2 He is desirous to pardon 3 The very thought of mercy hath a powerfull operation 4 The power of hope 5 Her encouragement to the sinner 6 The sinners dulnesse 7 Hope giueth assurance of mercy 8 Three things most like to hinder mercy 9 Sinnes can be no impediment 10 Iustice can be no impediment 11 The ordinance of the Law is no hinderance to mercy 12 The goodnesse of GOD assureth his mercy 13 The same is assured by his Loue. 14 His promise doth binde him to bee mercifull 15 His power doth also assure his mercy 16 Albeit wee often sinne yet GOD is bound by his promise to be mercifull 17 By reason of our sinnes we are rather capable then vnworthy of mercy 18 Wherefore GOD hath commanded vs to trust in him 19 A praise of GOD for his mercies 20 One caution to be respected if we expect mercy 21 A second caution 22 Wherefore GOD is to be feared 23 Hope and feare how conioyned 24 Feare a temperature betweene despaire and presumption 25 A prayer for feare O Mild Father how sweet is thy spirit who will not loue who will not laud thee Albeit thy displeasure be daily prouoked yet it is thy pleasure it is thy glory not only to forbeare but to forgiue sinners thy mercie is so great that thou neuer desirest the death of a sinner Thou knowing how weake we are how inclineable to euill wilt not try all our actions by the try touch of thy iustice but like a gracious Father wilt dissemble many of our imperfections and powre forth large streames from the euer-flowing and ouer-flowing fountaine of thy mercie both to cleanse and to cure them Thy nature is goodnesse thy propertie is to haue mercie thou art easie thou art readie thou art desirous to pardon No man is so readie to intreat thee as thou art easie to be intreated Thou art alwaies readie to giue and
to forgiue to giue vs thy goodnesse and forgiue vs our euill Thou canst not denie vs thy mercie whensoeuer we repent and turne to thee This Ocean of mercie hath neither bottome nor bound it cannot be fathomed it cannot be surmounted No sooner can a sinner call mercie to his mind but he is sencible of the working thereof For it breaketh and disperseth the hell of remorse which did chill his heart with astonishment and feare the dampes of pensiuenesse vanish away the punishment which hung ouer his head is chased farre off Or if any punishment be inflicted it is not the punishment of a iudge but the chasticement of a Father it is both temporall and tempered with mercie which maketh it not onely tolerable but easie and sweete In this Ocean of mercy I will cast the anchor of my hope ride securely against al rage of wheather here hope will hold mee firme and immoueable against all approaches O heauenlie hope whose face heauinesse cannot endure how wonderfull is thy sweetnesse and thy power What louely lookes doest thou cast vpon those whom thou encountrest what vnspeakeable ioyes doest thou kindle in their hearts who entertaine thee Loe she came vnto me attended with many comforts and with a diuine countenance and voice vsed these speeches Come feeble wretch I will lead thee into the Sanctuary of the LORD and place thee before his mercie-seate Come I say enter bouldly I will excuse thee Thou shalt finde him alone expecting thy comming Away with all worldly comforts it is no lesse dangerous for a soule to be pestred with them in time of troubles then it is for a shippe to be ouerburthened with rich merchandise in a tempestuous sea It is he onely who knoweth how to deliuer thee how to saue thee cast thy selfe on him and he will helpe thee Thus shee said but finding me heauie and little moued her sacred lippes began againe in this manner to infuse her selfe into my dull earthy spirit What said hee doest thou any thing doubt of the great mercies of GOD wilt thou still sucke sorrow out of euery vaine surmise why search the Scripture and thou shalt there finde mercie so much extolled so faithfully promised and so often and strangely practised vpon sinners that he seemeth too obstinate who will not submit himselfe lowly to embrace sure confidence therein But goe too I see I must take a little more paines I will therefore descend to particulars with thee Three things if any thing are most like to withhold GOD from exercising his mercie 1. The greatnesse of sinnes 2. His righteousnesse and iustice 3 The institution and ordinance of his law But neither any nor all these are able to hinder the forgiuenes of sins needs must GOD be merciful notwithstanding these impediments to such as are sorrowfull for their misse-liuing 1. For thy wickednes cannot either extinguish or abate his mercie in case thou be penitent and beare a constant mind to amend Otherwise the condition of all men were dangerous For when men offend if GOD were not mercifull if hee were hard and vnwilling to exercise his mercie what should they doe how should they order themselues to auoid despaire For despaire is nothing else but want of true trust in the mercie of GOD to remit sinnes But doubtlesse it is not so he is mercifull and alwaies readie to forgiue Sunes are so farre from being an impediment to mercie that they are the proper obiect thereof without which mercy hath no action for take away sinnes and where then is pardoning mercy Many glorious Saints in heauen are witnesses hereof who were once grieuous sinners vpon earth This also did Ionas know rightwell and for this cause he was vnwilling to bee a messenger from GOD of his wrath against the Nineuites For I knew said he that thou art a gracious GOD and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repentest thee of the euill And obserue weake sinner whosoeuer thou art who for the greatnesse of thy sinnes art caried downe to the gates of despaire obserue how GOD dealt with these condemned Nineuites Hee suspended his sentence of condemnation and could not proceede to execution thereof so soone as they manifested their repentance Feare not then the greatnesse of thy sinnes for they are not neere so great as his mercy his mercy is farre aboue thy neede 2. The iustice of GOD can be no impediment For iustice requires no more then a recompence for a trespasse and forthwith the offence to be forgiuen But thy redemption is made thy reckoning is abundantly paide there remaineth nothing for thee to discharge This redemption is of such power and grace that it not onely satisfieth GODS iustice but winneth him to great fauour and loue Doe but remember who is the priest and what is the sacrifice and thou shalt finde the iustice of GOD easily answered for it was more that GOD died then all man-kind had perpetually perished This is such an offering as if euery houre euery minute it were newly offered And therefore it is called an eternall redemption because by it all true penitents are redeemed for euer All therefore who are penitent and haue a full purpose neuer to offend and a trust by GODS grace to continue in that purpose may bee assured that by this redemption they shal be forgiuen This redemption is the very strength of repentance hereby the iustice of GOD is no obstacle to his mercie 3. Now touching his ordinance of the law Of a troth the law was fearefull and seuere and therefore is termed the law of death euery soule that sinneth shall die But this seueritie is past and done A new law is made the law of grace the law of mercie and of life Repent and the kingdome of heauen is at hand This is a milde law but in any case the condition must bee performed Thou must applie thy selfe to repentance in any case GOD will not bee mercifull vnlesse sinners repent Notwithstanding if at any time through weakenesse thou offend doe not fall from him into despaire but trust in him sticke stiffelie and constantlie to him and so shall thy trust support his mercy in thee and againe his mercy shall support thy trust euen like a proppe against a wall which holdeth vp the wall and is againe sustained by the wall The impediments of mercy being thus remoued it remaineth plaine that mercy may easily bee obtained and that for diuers respects and especially these First for that the goodnesse of GOD assureth his mercy For to one who is good nothing is more naturall then to doe good which is the proper action of goodnesse But because no greater good can be done to another then to make him good it followeth that it is most proper to one who is good to make others good to communicate his goodnesse to others vntill he hath made them so good as himself And this is so farre true that the more goodnesse any one hath the
more is he enflamed with this desire and the greater difficulties will hee vndertake to atchieue it euen as the greater a fire is the greater heat it casteth foorth and the more matter it is able to consume But GOD is so good that in comparison of him none other can be said to bee good all goodnesse is attributed onely to him And therefore the more hee exceedeth in goodnesse the more desirous is he to communicate himselfe As he hath made himselfe like vnto thee so will he make thee like vnto him hee will not cease to informe to reforme conforme transforme thee dayly vntill hee hath vnited thee to him He communicateth himselfe to all creatures in their degree but in most especiall manner to man Assuredly it is not so naturall for light things to mount vpwards for heauie things to draw downward for the heauens to mooue round as it is for the goodnesse of GOD to doe good For the propertie of all creatures is accidentally in them but the property to good is essentially in GOD. GOD is an essentiall goodnesse So simple pure and immutable is his substance that no accident can adhere vnto it whatsoeuer is in GOD is GOD. Againe his loue may perswade thee that hee will bee mercifull For hee did not beginne to loue thee when first thou wert borne not when the world was created but thou diddest sleepe in his bosome euen from eternitie His loue to thee is no lesse ancient then the ancient of dayes euen then himselfe Who as hee is from eternitie so from eternitie hath hee loued his elect When his naturall Sonne was begotten then wert thou adopted for his Sonne and euer since hee hath cast vpon thee a fatherly eye alwayes remembring what glory hee hath appointed for thee The Scriptures much commend an ancient friend Loe here is an ancient Friend indeed a friend who hath loued thee from all eternitie Verely if immemoriall possession maketh a right thou hast now a good title to his loue thou hast now prescribed it for thine owne and hereby thou hast a good claime to his mercie And because likenesse is not onely a signe but a cause of liking and loue hee hath formed thy soule according to his Image for as nothing vpon earth resembleth him more by nothing hee canne more easily bee knowen And hence it is that the substance or essence of the soule cannot bee vnderstood because it is like the diuine substance which no man in this life can vnderstand Hence also proceedeth the admirable capacity thereof which all the creatures and riches of this world can no more fill then a graine of mustard can fill the world And further he hath bound himselfe by his promise and word that in case thou conuert and repent thou shalt neuer bee ruined by thy sinne And therefore seeing GOD hath made so large a promise seeing hee is now become a debtor of mercy seeing hee hath made his gift his debt Dare any sinner despaire Say I pray thee What is the worst that a sinner can feare Eternall damnation By whose appointment By the authority and command of Almighty GOD. But the same GOD who inflicteth this paine hath giuen a supersedeas hee hath giuen thee his warrant that if thou repent thou shalt not be damned Take heede they bee his wordes they are spoken to all sinners bee they neuer so great Wilt thou not beleeue them wilt thou not giue credite to Almighty GOD verely thou must For GOD is faithfâ—ll in all his wordes By these three by the goodnesse by the loue and by the promise of GOD thou mayest rest assured of his will to shew mercy Adde hereto that hee is omnipâ—tent that his will is his power that no man can reâ—ist his wâ—ll that he can as easily doe as will and there can bee nothing added to thy assurance Men do often faile in their word because they eyther change in will or are defectiue in power but because GOD can bee neither changed nor resisted he will assuredly make good his word But happily thou wilt say I know well that GOD is both mighty and true and I nothing doubt of the performance of his word But when hee hath once forgiuen a sinner it seemeth to be a discharge of his promise In case the sinner fall againe is GOD bound againe to forgiue him Verely yes For GOD hath commanded vs to forgiue our brother so often as hee shall offend and hath further added that If wee forgiue wee shall bee forgiuen Whereby it followeth that if wee bee not wearie to forgiue others GOD will neuer bee wearie in forgiuing vs that by enioyning reuengfull man to forgiue others hee hath therereby enioyned himselfe to forgiue them What Dost thou thinke that GOD will not be more mercifull then man Shall man forgiue sooner and oftner then GOD It cannot bee For because mercie proceedeth from goodnesse and goodnesse is originally in GOD who can be so mercifull as hee He who forgaue 10000. talents what may wee thinke he will not forgiue And therefore Albeit thou hast sinned neuer so grieuously neuer so often forgiue others and aske forgiuenesse meekely and mercy will follow For wherefore is remission of sinnes promised if sinners may not enioy it Do sinnes make thee vnworthy of mercy No. But rather by reason of thy sinnes mercie pertaineth to thee Wherefore neuer distrust but turne to the LORD who hath promised mercy and who hath commaunded thee to trust in his promise O the great vertue of hope As the sunne spreadeth light and heat to all the earth so grace streameth from her countenance to all who behold her O sacred hope to whose presence heauinesse dares not approach Although the weight of sinne doeth grieuously oppresse mee yet will I trust in the mercie of the LORD because hope hath emboldned me and because hee hath commanded me so to doe But wherefore hath hee so commanded Verely because hee desireth to saue mee for so hee hath sayd Because he trusted in me I will deliuer him O most mercifull LORD With what wordes shall I prayse thee for thy exceeding mercies who doest deliuer vs for no other reason but because wee trust in thee LORD thou art in greatnes infinite in vertue Omnipotent in goodnesse chiefe in wisedome inestimable in counsailes terrible in iudgements iust in cogitations secret in word true in workes holy in mercy plentifull patient towards sinners and pitifull when they repent For such I confesse thee for such I praise and glorifie thy Name Powre I beseech thee thy light into my heart and thy words into my mouth that my thoughts may alwaies meditate on thy mercies and that my tongue may ouerslow with praises for the same That I may not only in my selfe be fruitfull of thankes but stir vp others to doe the like O giue thankes vnto the LORD for hee is gracious and his mercy endureth for euer O giue thankes vnto the GOD
of all GODS for his mercy endureth for euer O thanke the LORD of all LORDS for his mercy enduâ—eth for euer whâ—ch onely doeth great wonders for his mercy endureth for euer c. Ps. 136. But take heed O my soule For reuerence of the dreadfull maiestie of GOD beware of two things whereof hope hath not forgotten to giue thee warning One is that thou expect mercy onely from the LORD for with him is mercy Trust not in any worthinesse in thy selfe who art a dunghill couered with snow a filthie vessell which corrupteth all liquors that are powred into it a barke set in the gustie sea of this world beaten with all stormes and incursions of weather Trust not in any trumperies of the world for no quiet can be expected from that which is alwaies in motion and change which is alwaies busied like the spider in making artificiall nets to take flies If thou pursuest the comforts of the world thou art one of those of whoÌ„ the Prophet Ieremie speaketh that they should serue strange gods who would not suffer theÌ„ to rest day nor night Assuredlie the conscience shall neuer find comfort nor rest but when altogether stripped of all other confidence it committeth it selfe naked to the mercy of GOD. The other is that hereby thou beest not imboldned to sinne but rather held in bridle by feare Vpon any condition be not bold to sinne because the mercy of GOD is readie to forgiue If therby thou beest imboldned thy transgressions are the greater Feare alwaies to offend such inuincible mercy feare the iustice which will punish the contempt of that mercie Feare to offend thy iudge feare to offend him who onely is able to pardon thy offence Prostrate thy selfe and liue in awe of â—hat maiestie in whose mercy thou hast placed thy hope respect him with dutie from whom thou expectest all thy good As thy desires are guided by hope so let them be followed with feare The more thou hopest feare the more both at one time and without measure in both Neither feare abating hope nor hope enfeebling feare But maugre all feare let thy hope mount to the highest pitch and maugre all hope let feare stoope to the lowest downe come If any other could forgiue sins then thou mightest happlyappeale to him and the more lightly esteeme the maiestie of GOD but because this iudiciary power resteth onely in GOD because he hath shut vp all within mercie thou must needes feare him and tremble to offend him If a souldier hath offended one captaine he may serue vnder the colours of another He who hath lost the fauour of his king may liue vnder protection of another euen as when the Gentiles conceiued that one of their gods was offended with them they endeauoured to reconcile the fauor of others But when thou shalt offend thy only omnipotent GOD to whom wilt thou resort for reliefe Who will not feare the king of nations who albeit he aboundeth with mercy yet is not he disarmed of iustice Albeit grace reigneth with him yet is not the law abolished Thou must liue in feare not to offend the Law but to trust to be saued only by mercie The Law must continue for a holy obedience to those who beleeue to be saued by mercy By this meanes hope is alwaies accompanied with feare hope apprehendeth mercie in the end feare bridleth offence in the passage to the end Of the righteousnesse of the Law nothing can follow but either despaire or presumption in the first whereof the deuill was plunged but the nature of man is most inclineable to the second feare is a temperature betweene them both To this vertue despaire is contrary on the one side and presumption on the other Despaire hath too much feare presumption too little take away both and feare will remaine accompanied with hope If thou fearest without hope thou sinckest into despaire and art like some miserable worldling who forsaking some part of his estate departeth with his life If thou hopest without feare thou mountest like Icarus to thy deadly downefall To feare GOD is to reuerence and worship him to acknowledge that he is plentifull in mercie and goodnesse Take away mercie and take away feare for he that expecteth not good feareth no euill O LORD of all mecy Grant I beseech thee that my soule may feare thee because thou art no lesse worthy of feare then of loue For as thou art a GOD of mercie so thou art a GOD of maiestie as thou art infinitelie mercifull so art thou infinitely iust as thy workes of mercie are innumerable so is there no number of thy workes of iustice And which is most fearefull the vessels of wrath doe farre exceed the vessels of mercy And therfore O LORD so work in my heart that I may feare thee for the height of thy iustice for the depth of thy iudgements for the glory of thy maiesty for the immensitie of thy greatnesse and power for the multitude of my sinnes for my inconsiderate boldnes in sinning and aboue all for my rebellion in resisting thy holy inspirations VERS V. I looke for the LORD my soule doth wait for him in his word is my trust 1 THe hungry desire of a penitent sinner 2 A bridle vpon that violent desire 3 Sodaine repentance not alwayes sincere 4 The causes wherefore GOD deferreth to heare vs. 5 We are often deceiued in thinking GOD slow 6 How strongly GOD knocketh and calleth 7 Wherefore he is not heard 8 How he may be heard 9 How GOD feasteth those who entertaine him 10 We must patiently looke and wait for the LORD 11 To the very last end of our life 12 Iniuries to be quietly taken 13 Troubles to be contemned 14 A short praise of patience 15 It must be ioyned with trust 16 Trust must be accompanied with faith and then is it most assured 17 Whereon this Trust must be grounded 18 That the word of GOD cannot faile nor deceiue 19 A Caution what to doe that we may boldly trust 20 An assured laying hold vpon GODS word 21 A prayer and resolution for patience and trust BVt how long wilt thou suspend thy mercie and grace How long shall I bee as if I were either not remembred or little regarded how long shall this hungry appetite torment my soule looke vpon me O LORD and let me haue some sence of thy mercie LORD I desire not the aboundance and dainties of thy children but will remaine satisfied with a few cast crummes from thy table Behold LORD I come to thee as a poore hungrie whelpe to a rich mans table I see what thou eatest and how richlie thou feedest thy children I looke thee in the face I obserue thy countenance I manifest my desires by all the gestures and behauiours I can I vse many prouocations to moue thee to bestow some meane morsell vpon me But when O LORD when wilt thou regard me Now gracious GOD euen now I pray thee to fauour me with some
regarded their griefes And this he doth only to exercise them that their faith patience constancie and other vertues may more gloriously appeare for that which the file is to yron and fire to gold the same is trouble to the friends of GOD. Hee loadeth them with labours because thereby ariseth their reward which in no case he will suffer them to loose If GOD hath not hitherto thus dealt with some it is because hee knoweth their weakenesse hee knoweth their cowardice hee knoweth how vnfitte they are to bee his souldiers hee will not take them into his pay they who neuer tasted troubles haue great cause to feare that they are vnder no fauourable hand For it is a propertie of the diuell to blinde men by liuing in prosperity as men are blinded by walking in the snowe Hee leadeth his seruants like a hangman by the broad and faire way of false pleasures and comforts to the place of their execution he mounteth them vpon high scaffolds to the end to dispatch them with the greater griefe and shame So was the rich man aduanced when hee boasted of his wealth but the same night he lost both his riches and his soule When the deuill most flattereth then hee hunteth then you are most in danger of his snares And therefore O my friends In all your troubles trust in the LORD for this is one of the principall conditions of obtaining your desires So soone as hee heareth the faithfull crie of his faithfull seruants so soone as he perceiueth their true intention so soone shall they finde their deliuerance at hand Turne not from the LORD to put your trust in Princes or in the sonnes of men And good cause why For when the breath of man goeth foorth all his thoughts perish Oh! that wee could discerne the secret thoughts of diuers princes what stately towers they build in the wind what walles what pallaces they frame as it were by art of Incantation Such kingdomes they will ouercome such cities they will beat downe such spoyles their souldiers shall haue such treasures shall rise to themselues all which is puffed away with a breath Euen as when Pharaoh sayd I will pursue I will ouertake I will diuide the spoyle I will draw my sword my hand shall consume them the winde blew and the sea couered them Trustnot also in worldly things of which the wise mā saith that they passe away like a shadow A shadow is the counterfeit of a body it representeth a body in euery point It seemeth to haue head armes legges to moue to rest when in very truth it is nothing So all matters of the world are full of deceit They are somwhat in appearance but in trueth nothing nothing in the world but a meere aperie They are presented to our eyes but they do not continue they are caried as a shippe vnder sayle which hath not one moment of rest as the world turneth round so are all who trust in it turned as in a wheele This raiseth in them a spirit of giddinesse or error which tosseth them forward and backward and turning as a man rapt with a whirlewind or as a drunken man in a daunce It is a proper name of GOD to be He that is saith Moses hath sent mee but nothing is more strange to worldly things then to bee And therefore Cursed is hee that trusteth in man or any worldly meanes But Blessed is hee who trusteth in the LORD Neuer conceiue that you cannot trust in him because you are sinners because you are obnoxious to many infirmities because you haue not performed obedience to him Verely you are most vnworthy to bee regarded of GOD when you most respect your owne worthinesse and merits What would you ground your trust vpon such a false foundation Nay it must haue a more firme footing then so It must rest vpon two steadie stayes One is the goodnesse and mercy of GOD the Other is the plentifull merittes of our redemption These are the immoueable pillars whereon our trust must bee grounded For with thee there is mercie and plenteous redemption And therefore bee not dismayed at your owne vnworthinesse but direct your thoughts to his vnmeasurable mercies to his plentifull redemption and therein aduance your hope to him and say wee haue sinned and done wickedly wee haue rebelled and departed from thy Iudgements O LORD Righteousnesse belongeth to thee and vnto vs open shame O LORD vnto vs pertaineth open shame because we haue sinned against thee yet compassion and forgiuenesse is with thee O LORD our GOD albeit wee haue rebelled against thee If you will settle a true iudgement vpon his mercie you may make the estimate by the immensitie of his diuine substance For as his greatnesse is so is his mercie And therefore as hee is infinitely great so is hee infinitely mercifull and as hee hath infinite riches to bee distributed so is hee infinitely liberall to distribute the same Otherwise there shall bee a defect and disproportion in the diuine substance If hauing infinite goods to bee distributed hee should not haue an infinite mind and will for distribution This great mercie of GOD was not vnknowen to the idolatrous Philistims who vpon presenting their offerings to him assured themselues that they should be healed O the bowels of his mercie hee so loueth his creatures that it grieueth him to see them perish scarce doe his eyes behold their miseries but he is forthwith mooued to mercy LORD they who know thy Name will trust in thee for thou hast neuer failed them who seeke thee Psal. 9.10 There are two perfections in GOD Mercy and Iustice both cut by the same measure and compasse neyther canne bee greater nor lesse then the other because both are infinite Yet in two points they differ in two points mercie is preferred before Iustice. First because GOD by his own nature is more inclinable to mercy For his essentiall goodnesse leadeth him to mercy but hee proceedeth not to vengeance vnlesse hee bee prouoked by our sinnes And therefore when hee scourged sinners out of the temple he brought no whippe with him but made it of cords which hee found amongst them he taketh both the cause and the matter of the scourge onely from our selues The second is because hee offereth his mercie generally to all but his punitiue Iustice remaineth onely for those who contemne his mercy All they who embrace his mercy shall neuer tast the smart of his iustice Againe albeit all the diuine perfections are not onely equall but one in GOD yet hee is most rich in the workes of mercie and hath done greater things to demonstrate his goodnesse and mercie then his other vertues and perfections besides To manifest his wisedome and power hee created the world to declare his iustice hee drowned it but to shew his mercie hee died for it Oh! how inestimable greater is the worke that GOD suffered for the world then that hee created it that
GOD died for man then that all men should haue perished O! the LORD the LORD strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and trueth reseruing mercie for thousands and forgiuing iniquitie and sinne And therfore O distressed men whensoeuer you approach to GOD for mercie neuer distrust neuer think your importunitie displeasing or the opportunitie not fit Neuer think that you offer him a matter which eyther hee will bee vnwilling or hath beene vnaccustomed to doe but rather that you present him with occasion of acquiring praise and to doe that which is most agreeable both to his glory and to his nature It is his nature and propertie to haue mercy Not that other perfections are not also proper to him but this hee hath in greatest estimation for this especially hee will bee praysed Assuredly if his mercie were not infinite if it were little and limited which might receiue diminution or increase then were something imperfect in GOD but nothing in him canne bee imperfect therefore his mercy is infinite without eyther measure or end Goe vnto him any person at any time you shall alwayes finde that with him is mercy The fountaine of his mercy and grace which springeth from his fatherly heart can neuer be either stopped or spent the waters thereof are of singular vertue not only to cleanse the filthinesse of sinne but to enrich soules with heauenly beauty Neuer feare that you cannot bee refreshed with these streames I will tell you what you shall doe and you neede not feare Detest your sinnes and trust in the LORD and his mercies will ouerflow hee will bee infinitely succourable to you His goodnesse will wipe away all sorrow that you haue beene â—â—â—ners and make you reioyce that euer you fell as hauing made triall that as your offences surmount all measure so his mercies and grace exceed your offences yea it is not possible that GOD should denie his mercy to penitent sinners who trust in him for then he should not make good his word then he should denie himselfe which is not possible for him to doe But if they trust without repentance they doe not then trust but presume But as I haue tolde you O yee seruants of the LORD repent your sinnes and trust in him and then perswade your selues that with GOD is no anger nothing but mercy and loue because he cannot but loue those who beleeue in him And therefore if any calamity fall vpon you it is in mercy endure it patiently and hope to bee deliuered when GOD shall thinke fit If you haue committed any sinne yet with GOD is mercy trust to this mercy and you shall neuer be indamaged by your sinnes Albeit to your sence hee appeareth to bee angrie regard not your sence but stedfastly beleeue that in heauen and vpon earth there is nothing but mercy if you should die for it neuer suffer this trust to be wrested from you Beleeue not your sence but beleeue the word which hath sayd that with the LORD is mercy for those who trust in him Write this promise in your heart that if you truly trust in his mercy you shall not perish albeit all sence reason and experience should perswade the contrary In your selues you shall find nothing but wrath in the Diuell nothing but malice in the world nothing â—ut either dulnesse or madnesse but firmely beleeue that with thy LORD there is nothing but mercy O mercifull GOD bee sinners neuer so vngentle neuer so gracelesse thou art greeued to see them perish And if at any time they turne towards thee thy mercy is ready to meet them thou art ready to impart thy selfe vnto them thou didst neuer despise any who called vpon thee O comfortable words Giue me grace gracious GOD to taste once againe the sweetnesse of them Neuer did any call vpon him and was despised Blessed LORD is not this thy word wilt thou not make it good wilt thou not do as thou hast sayd LORD thou hast made vs of nothing we are feeble flesh VVe daily sinne we dayly aske pardon Shall we now be despised and neuer any despised before Our sinnes indeed are great but thy mercies exceed all greatnesse and measure Our sinnes are many but there is no number of thy mercies Our sinnes after forgiuenesse are many times renued but thy mercies are not limited either to number or time For with the LORD IS mercy At all times mercy nothing but mercy mercy neuer either exhausted or with held The second foundation of your trust must be vpon the merits of our Redeemer For with GOD there is not onely mercy but plenteous redemption The plenty and riches of this redemption is the innocent and precious bloud of IESVS CHRIST which as it maketh a treasure of innumerable riches so can wee not doubt either of his power or of his will to distribute the same His power dependeth vpon his will and his will is guided by his loue wherewith he offered his bloud for our redemption This loue enforceth his will and his will is alwayes followed by his power So as being largely assured of his loue wee must nothing doubt either of his will or of his power And the better to assure vs heereof hee was not sparing but rather seemed prodigall in expence of his most blessed bloud Physitions prescribe bleeding in a moderate measure but our redeemer out of his vnmeasurable loue made a profuse effusion of all that hee had One drop of his bloud in regard of the inestimable value thereof might haue sufficed for redeeming many worlds but to make our redemption plentifull hee did not reserue one drop to himselfe His bloud his precious bloud euery drop of his precious bloud was poured foorth for our redemption After that his externall parts were emptied of bloud by sweating scourging crowning and nailing His internall and vitall parts were also drayned by the stroke of a speare For in that water flowed foorth without any tincture of bloud it was an euident proofe that all the bloud was spent A little bloud will giue colour to much water and therefore if any little bloud had remayned the water must haue been somewhat coloured thereby This is the treasure this the ransome wherewith sinners are redeemed This most precious bloud was shed without measure to the end that be our sinnes neuer so grieuous so many so often repeated wee should heere finde a plenteous redemption whensoeuer with penitent mindes we craue benefit therof VVho will despaire who can doubt of his deliuerance VVhen GOD of his owne will hath so plentifully redeemed vs. VVho can suspect that he will be lesse willing to distribute this treasure then hee was to amasse it Assuredly there is no default in GOD if sinners be damned for hee desireth not the death of a sinner there is no default in GOD for not giuing but there may bee default in sinners for not desiring GOD desireth that his mercy bee magnified aboue his iustice but
himselfe but in the proper nature his house bee turned to a prison so albeit the body of man was once a pleasant habitation yet when by sinne it was turned to a prison the soule findeth therein many miserable molestations A prison is a place horrid and vncleane wherein the companions are theeues murtherers and other malefactours the place commonly a sinke whither all the filth of a city doth draine And albeit a childe bornâ— and brought vp in a prison and neuer acquainted with other life will laugh and desport and not onely take contentment but delight in that place yet if an honest man who knoweth liberty chance to come there how is he annoyed with the filth How with the vile society which he is constrained to endure What friends what suit will hee make for his discharge So they who neuer looked out of their body are well pleased with the euill qualities thereof But they who haue conuersed in a heauenly life and yet are gayled in this prison of mud and tied to the society of a thousand disordred appetites as so many malefactors how vnquiet are they how wary how desirous to be at liberty Heereupon one cried Bring my soule out of prison and I will prayse thy name And another I desire to bee dissolued And againe Who shall deliuer me from this body of death Out of the deepest dungeon of this prison O LORD I crie vnto thee deepely couered with naturall corruption deepely ouerwhelmed with actuall transgressions deepely charged both with sence and feare of thy wrath I streine foorth my voice vnto thee LORD thou art alwayes farre distant from sinners and now out of this deepe distance I doe not weakly desire thee but with deepe sighes and groanes from the depth of my heart I call vnto thee I haue sinned and thou hast punished I haue displeased thee and thou hast disquieted me according to the greatnesse of my sinnes thy punishments haue beene great vpon mee Out of this depth both of infirmities and of calamities with an inflamed spirit I lift vp my voyce hands eyes and soule vnto thee Heare me O LORD who doest no sooner heare then helpe Oh! let the complaint of my sobbing soule haue accesse to thy gentle audience Looke not vpon my sinnes and vpon thy iustice but looke vpon my miseries and vpon thy mercies turn away thy face from me as I am sinfull but regard me as I am sorrowfull for my sinnes Despise not O LORD the worke of thy hands For thou knowest of what mettall we are made thou knowest the bad temper thereof thou knowest not only our weakenesse but our prone inclination to euill Insomuch as if thou shouldest examine our actions by the exact ballance and then smite them by the seuere sword of thy Iustice all must despaire wee must all bee damned For there is none so innocent vnder heauen who canne eyther answere thy Iustice or endure it Not one canne stand before thee in Iudgement not one canne answere one for a thousand But thou wilt not bee so rigid and seuere against thy feeble creatures For with thee abideth not onely Iustice but also Mercie not onely Iustice for obstinate sinners but Mercie for the penitent Thou art aboue measure milde and fauourable to all that repent thou canst not deny thy Mercie from any who desire it from an humble heart And therefore albeit my sinnes presse heauie vpon me albeit they trouble my soule with many terrours yet will I worship thee with a dutifull and obedient feare I will hope in thee but not cease to feare I will hope but not presume and therefore must I feare I will hope in regard of thy goodnesse I will feare in regard of my owne euill I will hope in thee for thy mercies and I will feare thee for thy iustice Vpon these two wings will I flie vnto thee with these two eyes will I looke for thee but my trust addresseth it selfe especially to thy mercy â—f this mercy thy word hath giuen assurance thy word expresseth much fatherly affection thy word is full of many sweet promises of remission of sinnes and therefore my trust laieth hold vpon thy word For were it not a dishonour to a King would not people speake shrewdly of him if hauing promised his pardon hee would execute men for the same offence Assuredly whatsoeuer some Kings may doe thou canst not thou canst not denie thy word because thou canst not denie thy selfe Thy iustice will not suffer thee either to reuoke or lightly to regard the promises of thy mercy in case we apprehend them in seasonable time And therefore I will not be either betrayed by pleasures or benummed by sluggish sloath I will not suffer time to passe vntill time shall be altogether past When there cannot possibly be any harme in haste I will not aduenture vpon the dangers of delay O LORD my maker Quicken me with thy inciting grace that I may with all speed addresse my selfe both to entreat and to embrace thy mercy that I may timely begin to attend vpon thee For albeit no part of my life should be either shortned or mispent Albeit I should be most couetously carefull to imploy euery minute thereof yet is man too mortall to attaine performance of the least part of his duty to thee And although I bee not presently releeued although for a long time thou with-holdest thy helpe let not my hope be wearied in wayting for thee let me both patiently and constantly expect thy pleasure And so must all doe who sincerely serue thee who put their trust in thy word and so they shall neuer be disappointed of their hope For not only thy Mercy is most faithfully assured by thy word but thy Iustice also is plentifully satisfied by the inualuable blood of our Redeemer which is so noble and precious in thy sight that there neither are nor can be any sinnes for expiation of which it doeth not suffice It openeth the gate of grace to all that repent it excludeth none it sufficeth for all Let no man feare the multitude of his sinnes this Mercy and this Redemption doe infinitely surmount them they infinitely ouerballance the sinnes of all men in case they repent LORD thou art a great Physition thou knowest all our sicknesses and art most expert in all sorts of remedies Whatsoeuer our diseases are neuer so grieuous neuer so desperate thou hast variety of remedies in store and knowest right well how to applie them thy Mercie and thy Redemption thou hast alwayes at hand Wherefore with all feare and reuerence which my weakenesse is able to apprehend I resort now to thy throne of Grace most humbly entreating thy Mercie and the benefit of thy plentifull redemption Repell mee not from thy presence I beseech thee vntill I bee reconciled to thy fauour For I am no stranger to thy house I am one of thy people a citizen and member of that Church which thou hast so aboundantly redeemed Grant mee O gracious