to him when we imagine he is so severe and righteous that he can not or will not pardon our sinnes when we confesse them and are hartely sory for them whereas hee even delighteth to doe it and takes pleasure in it a Psal 51. v. 18. according to that in the Psalmist that a bruised spirit and a contrite heart are a sacrifice to God Thus God drawes arguments both from our imperfection and his owne perfection to perswade vs of his readinesse to pardon and to let vs see how easily it may be done 6 To conclude looking backe to the foundation of his mercy namely the incomprehensible misterie of the incarnation and passion of his sonne Iesus Christ * Chap. 8. throughout before declared wee must needes see that his loue towards mankinde is infinit and because infinite therefore greater then our greatest sinnes b Cyprian sermon de patientia Christs bloud washed even them that shed it vpon their repentance and whom then can it not wash God would haue his owne and only sonne to dy that maÌ„ might liue was content that his bloud should be our ransome Doubtlesle theÌ„ saith c Augustin Ieâ—m 10â— Augustine hee that bought vs with so great a price will not haue vs cast away Let vs then haue refuge to this infinit mercy of God and our sinnes will vanish away as a bubble Our sinnes saith d Basil in regul contract quaest â—3 Basil may both be measured numbred but it is impossible that Gods goodnes should be measured or his mercies numbred Let vs then resolue e Anselm in Meditat. that although our offenses haue deserved damnation our repentance bee not sufficient for satisfaction yet Gods mercy is greater then all transgression yea that as far as God is superiour to man so farre is our wickednesse inferiour to his goodnesse Wee may then with f Bernard feria 4. hebdom poenosae Bernard reason thus What shall misâ—rie overcome mercy shall not mercy rather conquer miserie Yes sure g Chrysost proaem in Eâ—ai our sicknesse hath measure but the medicine is without measure and shal not vnlimited goodnesse prevaile against limited wickednesse or shal not a salue of infinit vertue cure a soare of finite malignity Gods mercy is a huge yea a boundlesse and bottomlesse sea and our sinnes compared therevnto are but as a little sparkle now saith Chrysostome suppose that a little sparkle should fall into the maine sea could it abide there would it not instantly be extinguished and never appeare more Doubtlesse so great a water must needes out of hand quench so small a fire yea a sparkle onely of fire Away then with despaire and let vs assure our selues h Gregor Moral lib. 3â— cap. 11. as Gregorie well saith that despaire for sinne is worse then sinne it seâ—fe CHAP. 11. The Christians peculiar comfories against death and the terrours thereof 1 DEath beeing the greatest temporall punishment for sinne it may seeme to some that I should haue spoken thereof * Chap. 7. sect 2. seâ— before when I hanled the remedies against all temporarie evils which wee suffer in this life NotwithstaÌ„ding I haue purposely reserved the handling thereof vnto this place because it may bee obiected against our deliverance from sinne by Christ declared in the Chapter next before going that for al that the faith full die as well as other men and cannot not possibly escape death but must be and are subiect to the vniversall lawe of inevitable mortalitie Besides the chiefe and soveraigne remedy against this evill namely death is our deliverance from sin therefore I thought good to speake of that before that so I might be the briefer here referring the Reader to the former chapter for particularity and coÌ„tenting my selfe heere with a generall repetition and application thereof 2 First then as for death we are to consider that it is chiefly sinne that makes it so terrible vnto vs therefore a 1 Corinth 15. vers 56. the Apostle saith that sin is the sling of death Now as wee haue seene at large * 8.9.10 in some former chapters we are so delivered from sin in Christ that it cannot hurt vs nay is converted to our benefit and profit therefore Death having her strength from sinne is not to be feared sith sinne which is her sting is overcome What need we feare the snake that hath lost her sting Surely the snake that hath lost her sting can only hisse and keep a noise but cannot hurt therefore we see that many having takeÌ„ out the sting will carry the snake in their very bosomes without any feare Even so although we carry death in our bodies yea in our bosomes and bowels yet sinne which was her sting being pulled out she can only hisse and stirre shee may and ordinarily doeth looke black and grimme but yet cannot any way annoy vs. 3 Which will bee the more manifest if we weigh that Christ our head hath conquered and quelled this Gyant so that none that bee his neede stand in feare thereof Death b 1. Corinth 15. v. 55 saith S. Paul is swallowed vp in victorie c Revelat. 1. v. 18. Christ was dead but now he liveth and that forever and hath the keyes of hell and death as he himselfe testifieth of himselfe Now he that hath the keyes of a place hath the coÌ„mand of it it is as much then as if it had been said he had the coÌ„mand of death power to dispose of death at his pleasure And will Christ that hath such an enemie at his mercy let him annoy his deare friends nay his owne members and so in effect himselfe No no he conquered death for vs not for himselfe sith death had no quarrell to him by his vniust death then hee hath vanquished our iust death as we heard * Chap. 8. Sect. 5. before out of Augustin d Bernard ad miâ—iâ—es Templi sermon 4. The death of Christ is the death of our death sith he dyed that we might liue and how can it bee but that they should liue for whom life it selfe dyed Surely death by vsurping vpon the innocent forsâ—â—ted her right to the guilty e Hieron ad Heliodor While shee devoured wrongfully was her selfe devoured 4 Yea in that Christ hath vanquished death we also may be truely said to haue vanquished it hee beeing our head and wee his members for where the head is a conquerour the members cannot be captiues f Tertul de resurreâ—t carms â— â—1 Let vs then reioice we haue already seyzed vpoÌ„ heaven in Christ who hath carried our flesh thither in his owne person as an earnest pennie and pledge of the whole summe that in time shall be brought thither We may then boldly say g Augustin in Psal 148. there is somewhat of ours aboue already yea the best part of vs namely our head and are the members farre from
for my owne particular it hath ever beene far beyond not only my desert but also my desire But to come to the more ordinary endes of such dedications they are principally three comfort honor duty or rather discharge of duty all which I confesse haue prevailed with me in the dedication of these my slender discourses vnto your Lady ship Many haue not only dedicated their writings but directed their whole Treatises to such as they desired to comfort as i Plutarch consolat ad Apollonium Plutarch k Senee consolat ad Polyb Abin Martiam Seneca and others Now this Treatise of mine tēding only to comfort vs in generall against all misery wherevnto our life in this fraile and transitory world is subiect I haue dedicated the same to your Ladyship that if it afford any vse of that nature your Ladiship might principally haue the benefitte thereof whose almost insupportable crosses yea without great measure of grace meerely insupportable stand not a little in need thereof I must in discreation omit particulars which are to well knowne to them that know you your state Secōdly whereas many in their dedications as much as in them lie seek to honor their vertues to whom they intitle their works I professe that I haue here in much respected the same in behalfe of your Ladiship For having beene a long time an eye witnesse of your vertuous and religious conversation occasionally as it were enforced to take notice of the manifold and excellent graces of God shining in you I could not but most willingly imbrace any opportunitie to giue some publike testimonie therevnto and a fitter could not occur then the publishing of this Treatise And yet here I must doe you wrong by omitting particulars who of your excessiue modestie would hold your selfe wronged if I should in particular giue you but your due praises and specifie your most eminent vertues I therefore rather chuse to wrong you indeed then you should conceiue and complaine that you are wronged Lastly as for obligation and duty mine towardes your Ladishippe is so greate that this consideration alone without any other motiue would haue beene sufficient to make mee straine my best indeavours to the highest to strike out some part of my scoare if paper payment may bee currant and verball acknowledgement may satisfie for reall benefittes which indeed cannot bee but by the favourable acceptance of generous and noble mindes who deeme that mercenarie beneficence is no beneficence Of which temper knowing your Ladiships spirit to be I haue beene encouraged to shift out by this kinde of beggerly recompence I heare therefore deare Madame present vnto you the Anatomie of my best thoughts entreating your favorable acceptation thereof To you are they due aboue al others such as they are being the fruits of that tree to wit my vnworthie selfe that hath continually bin watered and cherished by your manifold Christian favors But here againe I must forbeare particulars least I should be offensiue and therefore I end mosi affectionately commending your good Ladyship to the grace of God in Christ Barstable in Devonshire 1609. Ianuarie 1. alias Newyeares day Your Ladiships most obliged RICHARD SMYTH THE CONTENTS of the severall Chapters Chap. 1. The vanity of all knowledge without the right knowledg of our selues Chap. 2. Agenerall consideration of mans miserie Chap. 3. The Gentils miserable ignorance of the true cause of mans miserie Chap. 4. That as the Gentils knew not the true cause of mans misery so neither did they know the vtmost and height of it Chap. 5. That the Gentils being ignorant both of the cause and the greatnes of mans misery haue grosly erred in the true remedies against the same Chap. 6. That true religion reveiled vnto vs by Gods word only discovereth vnto vs the cause of our miserie Chap. 7. The true remedies which Christiā religion affordeth against the first kinde of mans miserie that is the evils of paine Chap. 8. That the Christian religion onlie affordeth vs true remedie against the second kinde of evils that is the evils which we do or our sinnes Chap. 9. Consolations against certaine circumstances of sinne namely long cōtinuance therein before our conversion and relapse into it after our cōversion Chap. 10. Of the greatnesse of Gods mercie wherewith the greatnes of sinne hath no proportion Chap. 11. The Christians peculiar comforts against death and the terror thereof Chap. 12. Consolations against the terrours of the generall iudgement Chap. 13. The ioies of heaven and glorious state of the faithfull after death The sinners counsell to his soule A Sonnet of the Authors A wake ô Soule and looke abroad Shake off this drowsie sleepe of sin Shake off the clogs that thee so load And to be wise at length begin Thou commest of a race divine Derived from the Deitie And therefore shouldst with vertue shine Such parentage to testifie But thou through Satans guile and spite Didst shamefully degenerate And now to sense and appetite Thy selfe dost basely captivate And so with vice art thou defilde Which fowler is than leprousie That now thou seem'st no more Gods childe But one of Satans progenie Appointed heyre of heavenly ioies With God himselfe aboue to reigne Thou doatest here on earthly toyes On ciphers shaddowes meerely vaine And here thou foolishly dost thinke In pleasures vaine content to finde While thou dost but thy poison drinke Such deadly dregs they leaue behinde For pleasure which in sin men take Is in a moment gone and past Whereas the wounds which it doth make Remaine behinde and ever last And of such wounds thou bearst the print And with them fowly gashed art Although that thou more hard than flint Felst not at first their deadly smart But now that God in mercie great Good thoughts into thee daignes to send And everlasting death doth threat Except with speede thou dost amend O flie thou from that monster vile From subtill and inchanting sinne That hath so wrongd thee all this while And cause of such annoyance bin The birds and beasts that scape the snare Backe to the same no baite can traine So wary afterwards they are As never to come there againe Then blush ô soule that creatures mute The dangers past should after shunne And thou shouldst be so mad and brute As into them againe to runne Thinke how thou dost thy selfe expose To danger deepe by every sinne Even heaven and heavenly ioies to lose And bell and bellish woes to winne For who so ventures to rebell Against the Lord and followes vice His soule he to the divell doth sell And takes vaine pleasure for her price Then loath this world sofull of snares A maze of errours shop of lies A stage of shaddowes cage of cares An Eccho of complaints and cries Thou seest all worldly ioyes deceiue They promise to content the minde And yet still emptie doe it leaue Which shewes they feed it but with winde Then cleaue to God thine only stay Who for himselfe
in vs as hath in part * alreadie beene touched And therfore u In this chap. sect 3. ◠2. Corinth 4 vers 16. the blessed Apostle ioineth both these benefits together saying that while our outward man perisheth our inward man is renued thereby meaning that as afflictions do weaken and cōsume our naturall life so they strengthen further our spiritual life And ô happy losse that causeth such gain ô happy smart that causeth such ease yea ô happy death that causeth such a life Thus we ever come out of afflictiō better thē we were before Wherof we haue a notable resemblance or rather a type prefiguration in the children of Israels bondage in Aegypt recorded by x Genes 15. ver 13. 14 Moses in his holy historie God fore-told that they should be slaues in Aegypt for many yeares and suffer great affliction there but yet that in the end they should come out of it and that with advantage namely with gold silver iewels and far greater substance thē they had when they went thither as y Exod 12. v. 35.36 the event indeed manifestly shewed Even so it fareth with all true Christians they must go into Aegypt and endure bondage there that is they must suffer many troubles and miseries in this life but they shall come out of them in better case then they were before But what doe Gods children come out of their troubles and adversities with more gold and silver or with better apparell then they had before as the Israelites did out of Aegypt No surely but yet with far more pretious things then golde or silver or gorgeous attire namely with more knowledge with more wisedome with more potiēce with more humility with more zeale with more contēpt of this transitory life aed more longing after the life to come which is eternall Now what goodly treasures are these and how farre more pretious then those which the Israelites brought out of Aegypt after their long bondage and manifold grievances there z Tertull de p. ◠ētia c. 7 Tertullian saith strangly Let the whole world perish so that I may gaine patience If hee helde that one vertue of patiēce worth the buying at so high a rate evē with the losse of the whole world how much more should we thinke so many other vertues together with it worth the buying with some short transitory adversities and crosses of the world 10 Last of all a true Christian hath by the benefit of his holy profession this notable comfort against the miseries of this present life that making such religious vses thereof as hath beene said he is acquitted of eternall miseries of the life to come So a Luc. 16. ver 25. Abraham frō heaven tels the rich glutton in hel Remember saith he that thou receivedst good thing in this life Lazarous evill therefore now is he comforted at thou art tormented And saith b 1 Corinth 11. vers 32. S Paul When we are iudged of the Lord wee are corrected to the ende we should not be damned with the world Thus if God correct vs the Divell shall haue nothing to doe with vs. And how happy would the sonne thinke himselfe that having deserved to bee strangled by the hangman might scape by whipping and the whipping too referred to his owne father Thus the evils of paine or the afflictions of this life to a true Christian minister many comforts yeeld them many benefits so that we should rather desire them then bee overmuch afraid of them or dismaide with them Therefore c Bern in Cant. ser 42 S. Bernards meditation is excellent touching this point that God is never more angry then when he is not angry that is when hee sheweth no tokens of his displeasure by correcting vs. For although this may seeme to be mercy and favor yet saith he I will none of this mercy this mercy is worse then all wrath or anger To cōclude let vs make such holy vses of the miseries which we endure in this life as hath beene shewed and they shall serue vs for an acquittance of al miseries and torments in the life to come CHAP. 8. That the Christian religion only affordeth vs true remedy against the second kinde of evils that is the evils which wee doe or our sinnes 1 THAT the greatest evils in this worlde are the evils which wee doe that is our sinnes hath been * Chap. 2. Sect 5. already sufficiently declared * Chap. 5. Sect. 7. 8. as also that the best remedies that naturall men though never so wise learned haue beene able to devise against the same are of no force nay that they are rasher poysons then medicines Let vs now see what helpes and comforts Divinity and true religion will afford vs againe the same 2 And first wee must admit it for a ground that neither our selues nor any other like vnto our selues that is meere men can remedy this matter that is deliver vs from sinne For both we and they are so captivated enthralled therevnto that wee cannot possibly free our selues from it as hath beene * Chap. 2. Sect. 8.1 Chap. 6. Sect 4. before declared wherevnto we may adde that golden speech of a Bern. trac◠de gratia libero arbitrio Bernard that although power were given to mans will to stand not fal yet not a power to rise againe if it did fall For it is not so easie for a man to come out of a pit as to fall into a pit It is in vain then to seeke helpe either from our selues or others like vnto our selues in this case namely against sinne 3 Here mans state being both so miserable and also so remediles God steps in to stelpe him when hee was not able to helpe himselfe and after an incomprehensible manner so tempered mercy and iustice one with the other that neither sinne shoulde bee simply pardoned nor yet the sinner be condemned but that both the offense should be punished and yet the offender absolved This may seeme strange and indeed is most strange therefore b Rom 16. ver 25. Colos 1. vers 20. in the scriptures is called a mistery yea a hiddē mistery yea a mistery hidden from the beginning of the world vntill the fulnesse of time that is vntill the time appointed by God in his infinit wisdome for the revelation thereof This mistery in few wordes is that God sent his only sonne Iesus Christ into the worlde to take vpon him the nature of man in the wombe and of the substance of the virgin Mary and in this nature to preach all truth and to fulfill all righteousnesse in his life and afterwardes to suffer a most both ignominious and painful death vpon the crosse that by his bloud he might wash away mans sins so reconcile to himselfe all those that by faith embraced him as their redeemer and applyed to thēselues that most glorious and soveraigne sacrifice
endangering her chastity after a sorte becoÌ„ming a bawde vnto her vvhich proceeded from infidelity for that he could not rest vpon Gods protection but would provide for his safety by devises and shifts of his owne And o Mat. 26 6â— c. Peter denied his Master Christ not once nor twice but thrice that every time in worse so t than other first by simple deniall secondly by oath thirdly by imprecation and cursing p Rom. 7.15 1â— The Apostle Paul wheÌ„ he saies of himself that which I doe I allow not for what I woulde that do I not but what I hate that do I speakes not of some one evill act but of the whole course of his life which argues not only his doing but his often doing of what he would not and offending sundry times in the same things But more manifest is that which hee testifieth of himselfe q 2 Cor 12.7 c. in an other place that hee was vexed with a pricke or sting in the flesh even the messenger of Sâ—â—aÌ„ that buffeted him as he speaketh that he had prayed thrice to haue it taken away but could not prevaile in that his suit but yet received sufficieÌ„t coÌ„fort against al daÌ„ger thereof Here it is apparaÌ„t that the Apostle ofteÌ„times offeÌ„ded in the samething although he do not specifie what it was it were fond curiositie in vs to be inquisitiue that way 6 Furthermore most comfortable in this case is the doctrine of our Saviour Christ r Mâ—t. 18. v. 21.22 where beeing aâ—ked of Peter how often hee was to forgiue his brother that offended against him whether vntill seaven times or no answeareth him that hee vvas to doe it not seaven times but seaventie times seaven times So Å¿ Luk. 17.4 in an other place instructing his disciples in general touching the same point hee saith If thy brother sinne against thee seaven times in a day seaven times a day come againe vnto thee say it repenteth mee thou shalt forgiue him Doubtlesse hee that enioyneth vs to bee mercifull one to another although wee often commit the same offenses one against an other vpon acknowledgement of the faults and sorrow for the same will be mercifull vnto vs vpon our repentance submission although we often offend him in the same manner He will not practise lesse mercy towards vs than he requireth that wee should practise one towards another Our mercie is but a sparckle of his infused into vs by his spirit and shall a sparke doe more than the whole fire shall there bee more in the streame then in the fountaine more in the river than in the maine sea 7 And here we are farther to note that the true nature of our iustification consists not only in a general pardoÌ„ of sins past but in a particular application of the pardon of sin graunted vs in Christ to our particular offences coÌ„mitted in the whole course of our life and that there is place not only for our first repentance but for dayly repentaunce according to our dayly sins And surely t â—â—â—sat 6 1â— Christ would not haue commaunded vs to pray for dayly forgiuenes of sins if he woulde not dayly forgiue them not often invite vs to repentance if he would not pardon vs vpon our repentance and as u Terâ—ul de paenit ca. 5. Tertullian pithily saies God woulde not threaten him that doth not repent if hee woulde not pardon him that doeth repent This is the state of a Christians life x August de Temp â—erm 47 Gâ—eg in Cant. c. 4. that notwithstanding their sinnes they continue righteous through the dayly forgiuenes of sinne and recaine their righteousnes by beway ling their vnrighteousnes so it be vnder faith in Christ y Aug quest Evang â—ib 2. quaeâ—t 33 S. Augustine is bold to saie that Christ is then slaine to every man when he beleeveth that be was slain Thus saith for often woundes hath often salues or rather one and the selfesame salue which beeing often applied is sufficient to cure our often wounds Wherefore let vs not be ashamed to bee beholden to this remedie z Bernard ep 112. Let vs be ashamed that we ran away but not ashamed to returne into the fielde againe and fighâ— againe after flying away a Tertul. dâ— poenit ca 7. Let it grieue vs to offende againe but not to repent againe let it grieue vs to come in daunger againe but not to be delivered againe When we are in danger let it gâ—â—euâ— vs to fal sicke againe but not to bee cured againe Indeed we should desire and stâ—iue not to sin but b Cypri ep 33. as the first degree of happinesse is not to sin so the second is to confesie our sins to be sorry for them And true sorrowe for sin in a manner maketh sin to bee no sin as not only the Gentill saith c Sen. Agamemn act 2 in the Poet. * Quem poenitet pecaste pene est innocens He that is sorry that hee hath done evill is almost innocent but also d Tertull ad Senator Apoâ—tolat Non erit in culpa quem poeniter ante fuisse an ancient Christian authour sticks not to say * He shall not be in fault that is sorie he hath beene in fault Wherefore to conclude this point let this bee our resolution e Tertul. de poenit c. 7. that howe often so ever we haue offended yet there is place for reconciliation and that God not only may be pacified by ouâ— submissioÌ„ and humiliation but that hee is verie willing and desirous it should bee so and that therefore f Epiphan haeres 59. five lib. 2. Tom 1. While as yet we are in this woâ—ld combatting with sin there is a rising after our falling there is yet hope as yet a salue as yet time for confession pardon CHAP. 10. Of the greatnesse of Gods mercie wherewith the greatnesse of sinne hath no proportion 1 IF yet we desire to be farther coÌ„forted and armed either against the substance of sinne or those foresaid circuÌ„stances thereof that so augment the terrour of it we must lastlie consider the infinit greatnes of Gods mercy and goodnes that needes must be of greater force to saue vs thaÌ„ our sins can be to condemne vs. Here we are entring into a sea that hath neither boâ—tome nor shoare For as all other of Gods attributs are infinit so is his mercy also which that we may the better know it is to be noted that there are no qualities in God but that all that is in him is his verie essence God then is not accidentallie iust wise mercifull and the like but essentially that is to speake properly hee is not iust but iustice it selfe not wise but wiledome it selfe not mercifull but mercy it selfe This shewes how great his mercy is or rather it shewes it not for what can shewe vs that which is incomprehensible But
in the creatures comes from divine instinct Now if God himselfe infuse so much loue into his creatures how great is the loue that is in himselfe Doubtlesse here that principle in Philosophie must needs be verified that that which makes another thing to be so or so must needes bee more so it selfe And therefore sith God makes the creatures to loue so strongly doubtlesse hee himselfe doth loue more strongly as wee herd before out of Esay that the teÌ„drest humane loue was inferiour to his even the loue of a mother towards her child and that although a mother might forget her childe yet hee would not forget his people And no marvell that his loue is so greate he being loue it selfe For so wee finde in Scripture not onely that God is loving n 1. Ioh. 4. â— 16. but also that God is loue God saith not that hee is power or iustice although hee might truely say so but when hee would define himselfe and tell what he is hee makes choice of this attribute of loue and saith he is loue which notably argueth how greate and strong his loue is 3 Furthermore we see by the former testimonies of Scripture that his loue is transcendent and aboue rule He hath limited mans loue mercie and there are many cases wherein men may not shewe mercy The husband as we heard out of Ieremie might not take his wife againe that had plaid the whore and departing from him had coupled her selfe to another man o 1 Sam. 2. v. 37. c. Elie the high Priest was severely punished for being too mercifull to his prophane sonnes Saul Ahab both lost their kingdoms for shewing mercy to their prisoners contrary to Gods minde p 1. Sam. 15. the former to Agag q 1 King â—0 the later to Benhadad yea r Deut 13. 〈◊〉 6 7 8. God made a generall law in expresse tearmes that parents should not pitty nor spare their owne naturall children if they became Idolaters and worshipped strange Gods nor brother the brother nor husband the wife no not his tenderly beloved wife that their eie shoulde not spare them but their hands should bee vpon them first to stone them to death In these and many other cases meÌ„ might not shew mercy and if they notwithstanding would be merciful to others they became cruell to themselues pulling down Gods vengance vpoÌ„ their own heads Thus mans mercy is bounded but Gods is boundles and transcendent so that he can and doth shewe mercy even in the cases that meÌ„ may not As appeares by that before alleaged out of Ieremie that although the husband might not take againe his wife that had gone a who ring froÌ„ him yet God was ready to receaue his people although they had committed spirituall whoredome that with many lovers that is had defiled themselues with many sorts of Idolatry And by this priviledge of vnlimited mercie God comforteth his Church and people Å¿ Esay 55. v. v. 7 8 9. in Esaie as we haue heard chiding them for their infidelitie that reasoned thus We haue so grievously sinned against the Lord that there is no returning vnto him or hope of pardon What Saith God Will you measure my mercy by your mercy Why there is as great oddes betweene my waies and your waies my thoughts and your thoughts that it between my mercy and your conceipts of my mercy as there is distance between heaven and earth O comforte more worth theÌ„ a thousand worlds if there were so many The Lorde doth not say that his waies and thoughts of knowledge and wisdome but his waies and thoughts of mercy are as far aboue ours as the heavens are aboue the earth And why then should we doubt whether a mercy of such extent either could not or would not relieue our miserie 4 Besides this let vs waigh how the Lord inviteth vs to returne vnto him speaking thus in effect to the sin full soule I knowe thou hast shamefully straied from mee I knowe thou hast given mee too too many occasions vtterly to cast thee off and to accept of no submission but yet returne to mee and thou shalt bee welcome Thou hast monstrously defiled deformed thy selfe yet wash and purifie thy selfe nay suffer mee to wash purifie thee t Esa 1.18 and if thy sinnes were as purple they shall be made as white as snowe and if they were as redde as scarlet they shall be as wooll Nether doth God desire only that wee should returne to him but pittieth our obstinacy when wee will not returne as he saith in Ezekiel O house of Israel why will yee die u Luk. 19. vers 41.42 And so Christ in the Gospell bemoaneth the incorrigible perversnesse and frowardnesse of the Iewes that would not imbrace mercy when it was offered vnto them even weeping for the same x Matth 23. vers 13. and breaking out into an affectionate complaint saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thy children even as a hen gathereth her chickeÌ„ vnder her wings but yee would not Now hee that inviteth vs to returne vnto him yea that lamenteth our folly and frowardnes that we will not returne will he not receiue vs when we doe returne Yes doubtlesse For sure y Tertul. de poenit c. 8. as an ancient Divine pithilie comfortably saith God would not threaten him that repenteth not except hee would pardon him that doth repent 5 Moreover let vs out of the same places of Scripture obserue that God doth not only promise to bee mercifull but also sheweth reasons why he wil be mercifull nay in a sort he must be mercifull Besides that which hath beene spoken hereof incidentally as it were by the way namely that his mercy is not a quality in him but his very essence and that there is no proportion betweene mans tendrest mercy and his it is more specially to be considered that he duly waigheth our case and fraile state namely that wee cannot but offend that if he should deale extreamely with vs wee must needes be destroyed but he graciously beareth with our frailtie knowing of what brittle mettle wee are made and promiseth z Esay 57. v. 15 16. that although hee bee most high and inhabit eternitie yet hee will vouchsafe to dwell with the humble and coÌ„trite that he will not alwaies striue nor bee angry for ever because if he should every spirit should be overwhelmed and the soules which he had made Thus he counteth vs no match for him and thinks it no conquest to destroy vs nay rather rekons this to be his honour and glorie to pardon and forgiue and to saue where he hath iust cause to condemn In a word as a man disdaines to shew his strength vpon a child so God disdaines to shewe his strength vpon man Which speeches and the like plainely testifie howe easily God will accept of our submission and what wrong we doe not only to our selues but also
benefite to be delivered from a loathsome disease of the body by an vnlawfull and wicked death we haue reason to think it a benefite yea a singular benefite to be ridde of a loathsome and incurable disease of the soule namely sinne by a lawful death which it pleaseth God to send vnto vs. 8 But death doth more for vs than all this For it doth not only free vs from all evils and from that evil of evils sinne but puts vs into actual possession of all good things yea of such good thinges as our eies haue not seene our eares haue not heard neither are our harts able to conceiue brings vs to that place where if there were place for any passion we should be angry with death for not bringing vs thither sooner But I reserue a more particular declaration of that point vnto the thirteenth and last chapter CHAP. 12. Consolations against the terrours of the generall iudgement 1 THERE is yet an other thing which considered in it selfe is a greater branch and part of mans misery in regard of passiue evils than all the rest namely the last and generall iudgement where all flesh shal be arraigned before Gods Tribunall bar to giue an account of all they haue done to receiue their recompense accordingly The terror wherof I had rather expresse in a Anselm in libro medita tionum Anselmes wordes than in mine own O hard distresse saith he on one side wil be our sinnes accusing vs on the other side iustice terrifying vs vnder vs the gulfe of hell gaping aboue vs the iudg frowning within vs a conscience stinging without vs the world burning Which way then shall the sianer thus surprised turne himselfe To hide our selues will be impossible to appeare will be intolerable Wherewithal then shal miserable man arme himselfe against this so great terrour danger Surely our Christian profession affordeth munitioÌ„ against this assault also 2 And first that which hath beene spoken against the feare of death in the former chapter serveth also here against the feare of the last iudgmeÌ„t For that which made the first death so terrible and dangerous the same maketh the second death also so to bee namely sinne and as deliverance froÌ„ sinne doth as we there heard free vs from al annoyance by the first death so doth it also from all annoyance by the second death that is eternal condeÌ„nation at the last iudgement They that in Christ are coÌ„querers over the first death shall not nor cannot bee conquered by the second death and b Rev. 2c 6. on those that haue their part in the first resurrection the second death shall haue no power saith the spirit That is condemnation caÌ„not take hold on those whom God hath gratiously called to the knowledge and love of his saving truth reveiled by the Gospell 3 But to come to more peculiar comforts against this matter of terrour and amazement let vs farther consider that Christ had mercy on vs wheÌ„ we were meere strangers to him nay even when we were his enemies as c Rom. 5. v. 8.9.10 S. Paul well vrgeth God herein saith he commended his loue towards vs that when we were sinners Christ dyed for vs being theÌ„ now iustified by his bloud much more shall we be saved by him from that wrath Note that he saith from that wrath that is froÌ„ the wrath of the last iudgemeÌ„t For if saith he when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saved by his life Wee may easilie perceiue the force of the Apostles comfortable reasoning to wit that sith Christ died for vs when wee were sinners that is nothing but sin surely hee will saue vs being now righteous in him if wee were pardoned through his death when we were enimies wee shall much more bee saved by his life now that we are friendes For how incredible is it nay rather how impossible that he which pardoneth an enemy should condemne a friend He loved vs when wee bare the image of the devill and will hee not much more loue vs now since he hath in parte repaired his fathers image in vs and confirmed vs to himselfe We were deare to him when there was no iot of goodnesse in vs can hee reiect vs nowe that wee haue some good things in vs although but weake specially hee himselfe being the author and former of them by the grace of his holy spirit And so d Bernard epist 190. Bernard reasons For having spoken of our calling vnto the grace of the Gospell he inferres this beeing thus puld out of the power of darknesse I will not now feare to be reiected by the father of light being iustified freely in the bloude of his sonne Why it is he that iustifieth who is it that shall condemne Surely hee will not condemne the iust that had mercie on a sinner c. Thus wee see he reasoneth from that which GOD hath done for vs already to that which he will doe yea in a sort must doe for vs here after And we must all reason after the same manner and saie everie one to his owne soule with e Augustin in Psal 96. Saint Augustine Thou wast wicked and hee dyed for thee thou art now iustified and will hee forsake thâ—e 4 Moreover to take away the terrour of the last iudgement consider who shall be the Iudge even Christ himself that was thy redeemer And hovve canne wee feare such a iudge How happy in our case that hee must be our iudge that was himself iudged for vs He is our husband and wee his wife by whoÌ„ would the wife chuse to be iudged but by the husband specially by so kinde a husbande as wee haue * Chapt. 10. Sect. 2. marginal letter d. before heard him to be who sheweth that favour that no husband doth yea he is our head we are his meÌ„bers wil the head giue sentence of condeÌ„natioÌ„ against his own meÌ„bers This in effect were to giue senteÌ„ce against himself He is our advocat and Proctor how happy would we think our selues if in causes touching this life our own atturney might be our iudg He is now thine advocate f August in Psal 51. saith Augustine that hereafter shall be thy iudge Let vs then assure our selues he vvill not coÌ„demne vs that hath already been coÌ„demned for vs. 5 Yea so farre of is it that the last and generall iudgement shoulde be terrible vnto vs that it should rather minister matter of great ioy and comfort vnto vs. And therefore our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ having set downe the chiefe signes and tokens that should go before the day of iudgment saith to the faithful g Luc. 21.28 When yee see these things begin to come to passe looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere So that by Christes owne exhortation in this place when wee thinke vpon the