Pet. 2. 20. 21. 22. If after they haue escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ they are againe intangled therein and ouer come the latter end is worse with them then the beginning For it had beene better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy Commaundement deliuered vnto them But it is happened vnto them according vnto the true prouerbe the dog is turned to his owne vomit againe and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire This is a very dangerous falling away but yet heare and consider of a more dangerous backsliding and a more fearfull falling away The second vniuersall falling away is when a man 2 By sinning against the holy Ghost What it is to sinne against the holy Ghost hauing beene inlighted by the holy Ghost with the knowledge of God and his Sonne Iesus Christ and hauing made a profession of Christ doth afterwards deny the truth against his owne knowledge and conscience doth maliciously oppose himselfe against the knowne truth and euen persecute those that professe the truth This is properly called the sinne against the holy Sinne against the holy Ghost why so called Ghost not because sinne can be so committed against the holy Ghost but it is also against the Father and the Sonne and when the holy Ghost is offended the Father is offended and the Sonne is offended for the Godhead is one But it is called the sinne against the holy Ghost because this sinne is committed against the proper and immedrate working of the holy Ghost which is to inlighten the minds and vnderstandings of men with the true knowledge of God and his Sonne Iesus Christ Now when the holy Ghost hath inlightned any one with the true knowledge of Iesus Christ and afterwards he so fall away from the truth that he deny Iesus Christ and malicously persecute the knowne truth this is to sinne against God and against Iesus Christ but properly and after a speciall manner it is to sinne against the holy Ghost inasmuch as he sinneth against the immediate inlightning of the holy Ghost Of this sinne against the holy Ghost with the fearfull state of those which fall into this sinne the Scripture euidently speakes the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith i Heb. 6. 4. 5. 6. It is impossible for those who were once inlightned and haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renue them againe vnto repentance seeing they crucifie to themselues the Sonne of God afresh and put him to an open shame Againe he saith k Heb. 10. 26. 27. 28. 29. If we sinne wilfully after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes But a certaine fearfull looking for of iudgement and fieric indignation which shall deuoure the aduersaries He that despised Moses law died without mercie vnder two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden vnder-foote the Sonne of God and hath counted the bloud of the couenant wherewith he was sanctified an vnholy thing and hath done despite vnto the Spirit of Grace From which words of the Apostle two things may be gathered Two things herein to be considered The one is the nature and quality of the sinne against the holy Ghost The other is the punishment due to the same First the nature and qualitie of this sinne is set forth by sixe things 1 The nature qualitie of the sinne against the holy Ghost shewed in sixe things They that sinne against the holy Ghost are 1 First inlightned with the knowledge of the truth 2 Secondly they haue a taste of the heauenly gift 3 Thirdly they are made partakers of the holy Ghost 4 Fourthly they haue had a taste of the good word of God 5 Fiftly they haue had a taste of the powers of the world to come 6 Sixtly after all this they so fall away that they crucifie the Sonne of God afresh they trample and tread vnder foote the bloud of the Couenant and count it an vnholy thing and doe despite vnto the Spirit of Grace Heer 's the Sinne. The second thing is the punishment which vsually 2 The punishment of them that sinne against the holy Ghost befals those that sinne against the holy Ghost and that 's three-fold The first is finall impenitencie they that sinne against the holy Ghost are stricken with a marueilous hardnes of heart so that they cannot repent they are past repentance 1 Finall impenitencie wherefore the Apostle saith l Heb. 6. 4. 5. 6. it is impossible for those who were once inlightned c if they shall fall away to renue them againe vnto repentance The second is neuer to be forgiuen they that sinne against the holy Ghost can haue no remission no forgiuenesse 2 Neuer forgiuen of sinnes they can haue no mercie shewed them m Mat. 12. 31. 32. All manner of sinne and blasphemie shall be forgiuen vnto men saith our Sauiour but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen vnto men And whosoeuer speaketh a word against the sonne of man it shall be forgiuen him but whosoeuer speaketh against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him nether in this world nor in the world to come And in St Marke it s said n Mar. 3. 29. he that shall blaspheme against the holy Ghost hath neuer forgiuenesse This second punishment followeth vpon the first one is the cause of the other they that sinne against the holy Ghost shall neuer haue forgiuenesse because they haue not grace to repent true it is the mercie of God is great aboue all our transgressions and God denieth mercie to no sinner that doth truly repent and therefore if a sinner whosoeuer or whatsoeuer he be haue grace to repent him truly of his sinnes to beleeue the remission of his sinnes and to call and cry to God for mercy he may haue mercie but he that sinneth against the holy Ghost his heart is so hardned that he cannot repent but dies without repentance and therefore cuts himselfe off from mercie and forgiuenesse and so is the cause of his own damnation The third is a miserable and fearfull end They that 3 A fearfull end sinne against the holy Ghost vsually die a fearfull and shamefull death We haue two memorable examples hereof the one is of Iudas Iscariot one of the twelue who was inlightned with the knowledge of Iesus Christ he was the Disciple of Christ he preached Christ and wrought myracles in the name of Christ and yet afterwards fell away and that fearefully for he betrayed Christ for money but what was his end He came to a shamefull end for when
her husband Vriah was in the warres wherefore when Dauid vnderstood that Bathsheba was with child by him he immediately sent for her husband purposing that he should goe home to his house and to his wife and so the King appointed him but yet Vriah went not This not succeeding then David had another deuise he sent for Vriah againe and made him drunke thinking that â—ow Vriah would forget himselfe and so goe downe to his house and lie with his wife yet Vriah went not This not preuailing then did Dauid deuise a meanes for the taking away of Vriah's life So that Vriah the husband of Bathsheba neuer came vnto her nor euer had knowledge of her after that Dauid had defiled her and so Dauid's sin was found out notwithstanding all the deuises and cunning shifts which he vsed to hide and couer his sinne Chrysostome reasons thus with the sinner that is loath to confesse his sinnes p Quaeâ—â—m vtilitas tua etiamsi nâ—n confitearis num potes latere Deum etiamsi non dicaâ— illa ipse nouit si autem tu dicis ille obliâ—isâ—â—â—ur Chry. de poenit confess What profit hast thou if thou doest not confesse thy sinnes Canst thou hide thy sins from God Although thou confessest them not yet God knoweth them and if thou doest confesse them God forgiueth and forgetteth them But if thou wilst not now confesse them be assured that thou shalt haue them laid open where there shall be greater shame and greater punishment prepared for thee Vnlesse we now lay open our sinnes before the Lord the Lord will lay them open in the day of iudgement before all the world Wherefore it s a verie vaine and foolish thing for any one to hide and couer his sinnes And it s also dangerous For Solamon saith q Pro. 28. 13. he that couereth 2 Dangerous his sinnes shall not prosper He that couereth and hideth his sinnes God will not shew him any fauour nor mercie God will not blesse him nor prosper him Secondly here are also reprooued such as doe not 2 Against those that excuse their sinnes plainely and truely confesse but excuse their sinnes some excuse their sinnes by lessening them I haue sinned indeed I confesse but my sinne is not very great it is but a small one God grant I doe no worse c others excuse their sinnes by comparing themselues with others I confesse I haue sinned but I am not alone there are others as great sinners as I. Some blame the starres I haue sinned and done amisse but it was my ill fortune it was my destinie I was borne vnder an ill planet some blame ill companie but for such companie I had not done so And some lay the fault on God It was the will of God I should doe so Thus many that haue done euill being either ashamed of themselues or afraid of punishment labour to excuse their sinnes and to shift off their sinnes from themselues to others and are loath to accuse themselues Excellently doth Augustine reason of this point r Aug. in Psal 31. Many there are saith he who say when they haue sinned It was the will of God it should be so but they that say not so say thus destinie made me doe it the starres caused me to doe it so that herein they doe but fetch a compasse to lay their sinnes vpon God For what are the starres those that we see in the â—irmament Who made the starres God Who appointed them in their order God This is as much as if thou shouldst blasphemously say God hath made me to sinne Thirdly they are here reprooued who impudently with boldnesse of face stand in defence of their sinnes 3 Against those that defend their sinnes and in so doing they are so farre from confessing their sinnes that they increase the number of their sinnes For Å¿ Culpa cum defenditur geminatur sinne when it is defended is a double sinne Manie will not sticke to say that swearing is lawfull if they sweare truly though it be in their ordinarie communication wherein t Math. 5. 37. yea and nay should be sufficient Manie thinke it s no offence to doe to others as others haue done to them and to requite them with the like measure though the Scripture say u Râ—m 12. 17. recompence to no man euill for euill Manie defend pride of apparell and following of strange fashions to be but decencie and handsomenesse manie hold fornication to be but a tricke of youth a sinne whereunto men are naturally inclined and therefore excusable Manie great and mighty men thinke their oppressing of the poore people laying heauie burdens vpon their shoulders more then they are able to beare and racking them with extreame Rents and Fines to be no sinne because say they Its lawfull for me to doe as I will with mine owne Lastly Worldlinesse and the setting of the mind too much vpon earthly things is defended by the worldling to be carefull prouidence Thus the Deuill teacheth men to hide and couer their sinnes to excuse yea to defend their sinnes and so keepeth them from confessing and acknowledging their sinnes But if the Lord euer open the eyes of sinners to let them see their sinnes then they will not couer their sinnes any longer neither excuse nor defend their sins but with all humble submission will fall downe before the Lord confessing their sinnes that they may finde mercy with the Lord. For he that conereth his sinnes shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercie CHAP. VIII Of forsaking Sinne. THe fourth step of grace whereby a sinner turneth from sin riseth vp higher and commeth 4 Forsaking of sinne Therein two things neerer vnto God is the forsaking of sinne In handling whereof I will First shew wherein the forsaking of sinne chiefly consisteth 1 What things are required to the forsaking of sinne Three Secondly vse motiues to perswade thereunto For the first To the forsaking of sin there are three things necessarily required First that a sinner doe forsake all and euery sinne that he leaue no sinne vnrepented of Ezechiel saith a Eze. 18. 30. 31 Repent 1 That we forsake all and euery sinne and turne your selues from all your transgressions Againe he saith cast away from you all your transgressions Teaching vs that all sinnes must be repented of and all transgressions must be cast away The Prophet Ieremie saith b Iere. 7. 5. If you throughly amend your wayes and your doings in that he saith throughly it argueth a repentance of all our sinnes The Lord will not be pleased if wee doe onely amend some things that are amisse in vs and leaue many things still amisse and vnamended but when we goe about the worke of repentance and forsaking of sin we should doe it throughly After manie and sundrie plagues sent vpon Pharaoh King of Aegypt and his people â—â— the last Pharaoh was content thus farre to
Repentance presuming on Gods mercie PResuming on Gods mercy is the second impediment 2 Presuming on Gods mercy Where consider two things that hindreth many from Repentance The wicked man that liueth in sin leadeth an vngodly life because he feeles no iudgement of God fall vpon him for his sinnes presumes to sinne still and pleads for himselfe God's mercifull Christ dyed for sinners c. It is true God is mercifull He is a â—xod 34. 6. 7. the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and aboundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiuing 1 God is onely mercifull to penitent sinners iniquity transgression and sinne But vnderstand First that God is mercifull onely to penitent sinners to such as b Isay 1. 16. 17. 18. cease to doe euill and learne to doe well to such as c Isay 55. 7. forsake their euill way and returne vnto the Lord to such as d Ezek. 8. 21. turne from all the sinnes which they haue committed and doe that which is lawfull and right And although it be true that God hath mercy and plenty of mercy for sinners though neuer so wicked and vngodly if they truely and vnfainedly repent them of their sinnes yet the mercy of God is not extended to impenitent sinners to such as are obdurate and hardned in their sins not to such as are growne obstinate rebellious and disobedient against the Lord. Impenitent Kaine hard-hearted Pharao and despairing Iudas these find no mercy these dye in their sinnes without mercy onely penitent sinners find mercy Dauid Peter Marie Magdalene and such sinners as haue truely repented of their sinnes haue obtained mercy Secondly God is mercifull indeed but as he is mercifull 2 As God is mercifull so hee is also iust so is he also iust as he is mercifull he is very ready to pardon iniquity and to forgiue sinne but as he is iust he will punish sinners and will in no case spare them that presumptuously goe on in their sinnes As Moses tells the presumptuous sinner e Deu. 29. 19. 20 And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that hee blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walke in the imaginations of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst the Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this Booke shall lye vpon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heauen This serues to reproue those who by no admonition Vse or counsell will be brought to repentance and amendment Against those that presume on Gods Mercy of life but still liue in sinne doe wickedly goe on in sinne from day to day and say God's mercifull but doest thou not heare O man that God is mercifull only to repenting sinners And vnderstandest thou not that as God is mercifull so he is also iust A mercifull Father but also a iust God How then darest thou be so venturous so bold yea so presumptuous to do wickedâ—◠〈…〉 in thy euill course of life yet to bleâ—se thy 〈◊〉 in the euil◠〈◊〉 flatter â—â—y selfe in thy sinnes 〈…〉 well Goâ—â— mercifull because 〈…〉 wil◠〈◊〉 theâ—efore doe wickedly and 〈…〉 Nay â—â—ther because God is mercifull 〈…〉 of our sinnes that we may 〈…〉 â—nd since mercy with the Lord. He that â—â—â—th 〈◊〉 mercifull and yet still sinneâ—h against God shall one day finde that God is a God of â—ustice and will not suffer the sinner to goe vnpunished Whâ—â—â—fore the 〈◊〉 Sonne of Sirâ—ch giueth the presumptuous sinner 〈◊〉 admonition f 〈…〉 Say not his mercy is great hee will be 〈◊〉 for the multitude of my sinnes for mercie and wrath 〈◊〉 from him and his indignation resteth vpon sinners CHAP. XIIII Of the third impediment of Repentance Custome in sinning CVstome in sinning is the third impediment of 3 Custome in sinning Repentance A sinner hauing once gotten a habite and custome of sinning is loath to leaue and very hardly perswaded to forsake his sinne a Consâ—â—tâ—do est altera natura Custome is another nature Through long continuance in sinne sinne groweth to bee a vsuall thing with a sinner As it is vsuall and naturall with him to eate and drinke and sleepe so is it vsuall and euen naturall with him to sinne Custome preuailes with him The Lord greatly reprooues the Iewes for this their custome in sinning comparing them to the Ethiopian and Leopard b Jerem. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may ye also doe good that are accustomed to doe euill Letting vs thereby see the Custome in sinning and giuing vs to vnderstand what a great impediment and bindâ—â—â—nce custome in sinning is to repentance and 〈◊〉 of life Were it not an exceeding â—iâ—â—â—cult 〈…〉 for any one to take in hand to waâ—â— the 〈…〉 till it were white So iâ— it an exceeâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—o alter and change 〈…〉 that hâ—â—h accustomed â—â—â—selfe 〈…〉 to dâ—e euill 〈…〉 wiâ—l waâ—â— away the thicke 〈…〉 soule saâ—e onely that pure and 〈…〉 the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleaâ—â—â—tâ— vs â—rom all sinne What hinders the common sâ—earer from repenting 〈…〉 â—â—earing what is the cause that he 〈…〉 â—â—earing that euen in hiâ— ordinary communication 〈…〉 with him 〈…〉 as to speake but custome of sâ—earing what hinders the lyer thaâ— hee cannot leaue his lying but custâ—â—e and what makes the drunkard that he 〈◊〉 not leaâ—e his drunkennesse but custome drinking he hath so long continued in that course of life and so accustomed himselfe vnto its that now he cannot leaue it Whosoeuer then would truely repent him of his sins Vse let hiâ— take heâ—d of accustoming himselfe to any sinne Not â—â— accustâ—â—â—â—ur seluâ—â— tâ— any sinâ—â— and that hee doth not vse himselfe to any vicious and sinnefull course of life And to that end euery one of vs ought to be carefull to preuent sinne betime c 〈…〉 Stay the first beginnings of sinne Let not thy heart bee entiâ—ed to delight in euill thoughts suggested by Sathan or if thou pleasest thy selfe in those entising thoughts for a moment yet consent not vnto them Or if thou suffer thy heart to consent yet beware of the practise of sinne or if through the subtill suggestions of Sathan and the corruption of thine owne heart thou hast yeelded to commit iniquity and to doe the euill deed O repent betimes forsake thy euill way continue not in wickednesse lest by thy long continuance in sinne thou accustome thy selfe to doe euill and then it will bee hard for thee to leaue thy sinne hard for thee to do good which hast accustomed thy selfe to doe euill CHAP. XV. Of the fourth impediment of Repentance Hope of long life HOpe of long life is the fourth impediment of 4 Hope of long life Repentance This hope hinders many men
either to pray vnto God or to praise God Secondly the word of God if we meditate thereon 2 Concerning the word of God will stirre vs vp to praier whether we meditate on the law or the Gospell If on the law and the iudgements threatned against impenitent sinners the consideration thereof may moue vs to pray that we may haue grace to repent vs of our sinnes that so we may escape those iudgments threatned against vs and if we meditate on the Gospell and consider the promises of mercie and saluation made to all that truly beleeue and repent the consideration thereof may mooue vs to pray that we may haue grace to beleeue and to repent that so we may be partakers of those sweete and comfortable promises Thirdly meditations vpon the workes of Creation 3 Concerning the workes of Creation may stirre vs vp to Inuocation and calling vpon the name of the Lord either to pray to God for some blessing or to praise God for his goodnesse whether we consider the things created In heauen or In Earth or Threefold In the Seas and waters For so the Psalmist hath distinguished the workes of Creation p Psal 146. 6. Which made heauen and earth the Sea and all that therein is Touching the First The workes of creation in the 1 In the heauens heauens may stirie vs vp to call vpon the name of the Lord. As when we thinke on the Angels in heauen consider how they are q Heb. 1. 14. Ministring Spirits ready to r Psal 103. 20. doe his commandements hearkning to the voice of his word It should cause vs to pray that we also may endeauoure to lead such an angelicall life here on earth as that we be carefull to doe the will and obey the commandement of the Lord as the Angells doe When we looke vp to the heauens aboue see the firmament and behold the Sunne the moone and the starres those glorious lights the beholding thereof may cause vs to praise God for giuing vs sinfull men such glorious-bright-shining lampes to lighten vs in this vale of miserie as also to pray that after this life ended we may shine in the heauens as those glorious lights now shine for Daniel saith ſ Dan. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starrs for euer and euer And our sauiour Christ saith t 〈◊〉 13. 43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sunne in the kingdome of their father When we looke vp and see the cloudes we may meditate on Christs second u Mat 24. 34. Commming in the cloudes of heauen and how we shall be x 1 Thes 4. 17. caught vp in the cloudes and then pray that we may be ready and prepared * Versab to meete the Lord in the aire that so we may euer be with the Lord. When we heare it thunder and see the lightning flash in our faces we should meditate on the mighty voice of the Lord and the sound of the last y Vers 16. trumpe which shall cause the dead to rise as also of the suddainnesse of Christs second comming to iudgement compared to z Mat. 24. 27. lightning and then pray that we be not found sleeping but a Luk. 12. 36. 37 watching like to good seruants which Watch and wait for the Lords comming When we see the dew raine falling vpon the earth and perceiue that thereby the drie earth is refreshed bringeth forth hearbes and grasse and corne for the vse of man and beast we may meditate on the dew of grace and the sweete and comfortable raine of Gods word dropping vpon the hearts of men and refreshing their soules and then pray that as the raine falling vpon the earth maketh it fruitfull so the word of God dropping vpon our hearts may soften our hard and stonie hearts and make vs fruitfull in good workes When we consider the b Math. 6. 26. Foules of the aire how they sow not neither doe they reape nor gather into barnes and yet as our sauiour Christ saith Your heauenly father feedeth them we may meditate on the prouidence of God of his goodnesse prouiding for all liuing creatures and then pray that we may rest vpon God and depend vpon his prouidence for the things of this present life as foode and raigment and all other things needfull for the preseruation of our life c 1 Pet. 5. 7. Casting all our care on God and praying that we may d Math. 6. 33. First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse that all needfull thing may be added vnto vs. Thus meditations to stirre vp our deuotion may be taken from things aboue Secondly from things on earth as when we looke 2 On the earth vpon trees consider how some trees beare good and plentifull fruite others either no fruite or bad fruite we may meditate on the seuerall sorts of men in the world and thinke with our selues how good men are like good trees doing good and bringing forth in their liues the fruit of holinesse and righteousnesse contrariwise that wicked men are like bad trees yeelding either no fruite or no good fruite who either liue Idly and are vnprofitable members doing no good or bringing forth e Isa 5. 4. wilde grapes liue wickedly and doe naughtily offending God and wronging men then pray that we may be good trees bringing forth good fruite because Iohn Baptist saith f Math. 3. 10. Euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fier When we looke vpon the grasse in the field or flowers in the garden we may be put in mind of our mortalitie and shortnesse of life for as the Prophet Esay sayth g Isa 40. 6. All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the field The grasse withereth the flower fadeth And when we are thus meditating on our mortalitie and shortnesse of life then we should pray that we may at all times be readie and prepared for the day of our death for we are but as the grasse and as the flower we know not how soone we may be cut downe pluckt vp and withered when we thinke or looke on beasts and cattell they may stirre vp our deuotion as when we perceiue the h Isa 1. 3. Oxe knowing his owner and the asse his masters crib as saith the Prophet we should pray that the Lord would make vs obedient and thankfull vnto God lest we be worse then the Oxe or the asse When we see a Lambe brought to the slaughter and the sheepe lying vnder the hand of the shearer dumbe we may meditate on the meeknesse patience of Christ our Sauiour in suffering for as the Prophet Esay saith i Isa 53. 7. he was oppressed he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a Lambe to the
A drawing of the heart vp vnto God ibid. Vse Against hasty rash praying p. 339. 2. Attention standing in three things 1. Attending to the matter of prayer p. 340. 2. Hauing respect to the sence ibid. 3. The heart must bee fixed vpon God ibid. Vse Against those who in praying giue liberty to their wandring thoughts ibid. 3. Humility chap. 14. two-fold 1. Outward shewed by outward gestures of 1. Standing p. 341. 2. Kneeling p. 342. 3. Lifting vp the hands ibid. 4. Looking vp to Heauen c. ibid. Vse Consolation to sicke persons and lame people pag. 343. 2. Inward ibid. Vse Against those who giue vnto God onely outward worship p. 344. 7. To pray in faith Chap. 16. Vse Against those who in praying are weak-hearted and doubtfull of being heard pag. 355. 8. To pray according to the will of God pag. 356. Standing in two things 1. Asking spirituall things simply and temporall things conditionally pag. 356. 2. Referring our will to Gods will pag. 357. Vse Against those who consider not whether the things which they pray for be according to Gods will ibid. 9. To pray in the Name of Christ pag. 359. Vse 1. To conclude our Prayers in the Name of Christ ibid. Vse 2. Against those who relie vpon the intercession of Saints pag. 360. Vse 3. Consolation That praying in the Name of Christ God will grant our lawfull requests ibid. 4. The auoyding of vaine repetitions p. 100. two-fold 1. Battologie p. 345. 2. Polylogie ibid. And vaine repetition is to be auoyded For 1. It is but lip-labor p. 345. 2. It is heathenish ibid. 3. God doth not therefore the sooner heare them p. 346. 4. It is not needfull ibid. Vse To reprooue 1. Those who tie themselues to an often repeating of the same prayers ibid. 2. Those who in their conceiued prayers vse often repetitions ibid. 5. Feruency Chap. 15. Vse To make vs more earnest in prayer p. 349. 6. Persenerance pag. 351. Vse 1. To wait vpon the Lord for help and deliuerance p. 353. Vse 2. Against those who are impatient in their trouble and will not stay the Lords leisure Where is shewed how the Lord oftâ—n deferreth the granting of our requests 1. To exercise vs in praying p. 354. 2. That wee may receiue the blessings of the Lord with greater ioy and thankefulnesse ibid. 8. The efficacie and power of Prayer Chap. 17. Two-fold For praier auaileth much 1. Extraordinarily And that 1. In the heauens As 1. In the Firmament pag. 362. 2. In the regions of the Ayre As in 1. The vppermost region ibid. 2. The lower regions ib. 2. In the waters ibid. 3. In the earth pag. 363. 4. In hell ouer the euill spirits ibid. 2. Ordinarily Two-fold In regard of 1. The Bodie and that 1. Remouing euils Twofold 1. Common calamities ibid. 2. Priuate afflictions pag. 364. 2. Procuring good p. 365. 2. The Soule and that 1. Remouing euils As 1. Our sinnes pag. 365. 2. Temptations pag. 366. 3. The terror of death and Iudgement ib. 2. Procuring good As 1. Mercie and forgiuenes ib. 2. All graces necessarie for saluation ibid. 3. Increase of grace ibid. Vse To vse prayer in time of neede as a sure defence pag. 367. 9. The helpes and furtherances of Prayer Chap. 18. And they are three 1. Gods holy Spirit And the Spirit helpeth vs three wayes 1. Teaching vs to pray aright pag. 368. 2. Causing vs to attend to the things which we pray for pag. 369. 3. Stirring vp the heart to pray with sighes and groanes ibid. Vse 1. Before we pray to craue â—he assistance of Gods holy Spirit pag. 369. Vse 2. Consolation That the good Spirit of God helpeth vs to pray ibid. 2. Religious fasting Chap. 19. Wherein 3. things 1. The right manner of obseruing a true fast To which 4. things are required 1. To fast from all meat pag. 370. 2. To abstaine from all sinne pag. 371. 3. To be exercised in doing of good ibid. Which is two-fold To doe 1. Workes of pietie ibid. 2. Workes of charity p. 372 4. To fast in secret ibid. 2. The right end of fasting Two-fold 1. To tame the flesh ibid. 2. To humble the soule pag. 373. 3. How fasting is a helpe to Prayer 2. wayes 1. Stirring vp our deuotion ibid. 2. Helping to get the masterie ouer some great sinne ibid. Vse Against those who cannot endure to fast pag. 374. 3. Diuine Meditations Chap. 20. considered two wayes 1. Generally p. 376. 2. Particularly twofold concerning 1. God three-fold concerning 1. The Attributes of God As his 1. Eternitie ibid. 2. Power pag. 377. 3. Iustice ibid. 4. Mercie ibid. 5. Patience ibid. 6. Wisdome p. 378. 2. The word of God ibid. 3. The woorks of the creation Three-fold In the 1. Heauens pag. 379. 2. Earth pag. 380. 3. Waters pag. 381. 2. Our selues twofold in regard of 1. Our state Three-fold 1. Past What we were pag. 382. 2. Present What we are pag. 383. 3. To come What we shall be ibid. 2. Our dayes and houres threefold 1. In the morning ibid. 2. In the day time pag. 384 3. In the euening ibid. Vse Against those who haue their thoughts much vpon earthly things and little on heauenly things pag. 385. 10. Motiues and perswasions to Prayer Chap. 21. And they are foure 1. Testimonies of Scripture pag. 386. 2. Examples ibid. 3. The necessitie of Praier Foure-fold 1. Our want is verie great pag. 387. 2. We are in continuall feare of perils and dangers pag. 388. 3. Except a man exercise himselfe to Prayer he is dead being aliue ibid. 4. The want of prayer is a marke of wicked and vngodly men pag. 389. 4. The benefit of Prayer Threefold 1. Gods promise to heare our Prayers pag. 389. And God heareth our Prayers two wayes 1. Giuing vs sometimes the same things which we desire p. 390. 2. Not granting vs the same things which we desire but giuing vs some thing else better for vs. ibid. 2. Prayer is a great helpe in trouble conâ—idered two wayes 1. Generally pag. 391. 2. Particularly As 1. In time of Warre p. 392. 2. In captiuitie ib. 3. In famine pag. 393. 4. In the plague pestilence ib. 5. In temptation ibid. 6. In sicknesse ib. 7. To cure the soule pag. 394. 3. Saluation p. 394. Vse 1. Against those who in time of trouble seeke not vnto the Lord but either trust in lawfull meanes or seeke helpe by vnlawfull meanes pag. 394. Vse 2. To giue our selues deuoutly to prayer pag. 395. Good Reader the literall faults escaped in Printing thine owne vnderstanding may teach thee how to correct the materiall faults any whit altering the sence are these following LIb. 1. Page 11. line 16 they for he pag. 18. l. 23. in the end of the line blot out in p. 21. l. 26. riâ—us for gloriâ—us p. 26. l. 20. they for to and l. 33. read a wicked p. 32. l. 14. r. outward worship p. 37. l. 24. formely for formerly p.
to sinners and vnbeleeuers turne vnto me repent and beleeue the Gospell he sheweth vnto sinners that they ought to repent and turne vnto him and that vnbeleeuers ought to beleeue but to beleeue to repent and to turne to the Lord is not of our selues it is of God it is of the grace of God as S. Paul sayth n 2. Câ—r 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God This of the Efficient and inward working cause of Faith The second is the Instrumentall cause of faith which 2 The instrumentall cause of faith The word of God is the word of God of this S. Paul saith o Rom. 10. 17. faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God He had sayd before how shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent And hereupon inferreth that faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Heer 's the ordinarie meanes of begetting faith God of his mercie sends a Preacher to a people the Preacher preacheth Christ crucified by preaching Christ the people heare of Christ and by hearing they beleeue So then faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Now the word preached and heard which is powerfull to beget faith is vnderstood to be the whole word of God the Law and the Gospell for And that First to the begetting of faith in the heart it 's necessary 1 The law that a sinner heare the Law to the end that he may see and know his sinnes for p Rom. 3. 20. by the Law is the knowledge of sinne and not onely see and know his sinnes but likewise the punishment due to him for his sinnes which in the iustice of God is the malediction and curse of the Law for it is written q Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Likewise death and condemnation for the r Rom. 6. 23. wages of sinne is death Yea and to bee depriued of the Kingdome of God for Å¿ 1 Câ—r 6. 9. the vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God And this part of the Word the Law laies open a mans sinnes so plaine and euident that it prickes the heart and wounds the conscience of a sinner insomuch that being truely and throughly touched with the sence and feeling of his owne particular sinnes he hath no peace in himselfe but is disquieted in conscience and now he beginnes to thinke with himselfe what hee may doe to finde ease to his conscience and rest to his soule an example whereof wee haue in those Iewes to whom S. Peter preached Christ crucified and vrged it vpon their consciences that they had crucified Christ for hee saith t Acts 2. 36 37. Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye haue crucified both Lord and Christ Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and sayd vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethron what shall wee doe they were so touched in conscience for their great and bloudy sinnes of crucifying Christ that they knew not what to doe Now when the Law hath thus wrough vpon a sinner humbling him and bringing him vnder a sence and feeling of his sinnes and the wrath of God due to him for his sinnes when hee findes himselfe in this distressed case and vnderstands in how great neede hee stands of 2 The Gospell helpe and comfort then the other part of the Word of God the Gospell of Christ being preached and heard together with the working of the Spirit inwardly in the heart doth open the eyes of his minde and inlighten his vnderstanding and shewes vnto him Christ crucified and makes the sinner see and know that there is remedy to heale his sicke soule that there is saluation to bee had in Christ Iesus and in him alone and that t Joh. 3. 16. whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life This is that word of consolation which S. Peter gaue to those Iewes now pricked in heart wounded in conscience and groning vnder the burthen of their sinnnes u Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes And now the sinner knowing that saluation is to bee had in Christ Iesus and that there is x Acts 4. 12. no saluation in any other heereupon he ficeth to Christ for helpe and succour by the eye of faith he lookes vnto Iesus by the hand of faith he takes hold on Iesus and by faith applieth the merits of the death and passion of Christ vnto his owne soule being now assured of the mercy of God through Iesus Christ for the remission of his sinnes and saluation of his soule The sinner hath y Acts 15 7. heard the Word of the Gospell and beleeueth Thus faith is ordinarily procured by the Word of God And seeing that the ordinary meanes of begetting Vse faith is the Word of God this serues to reproue those Against those that boast of their faith and yet contemne and lightly regard the hearing of the Word the ordinary meanes of obtaining faith who despise and contemne or greatly neglect the hearing of the Word and yet boast that they haue faith Diuerse there are that seldome come to the house of God and very seldome heare Sermons who if they be questioned whether they haue faith will not sticke to answer euery one for himselfe yea I haue faith and doe beleeue I haue a good faith to God I hope to bee saued aswell as the best and hope to come to Heauen as soone as they that follow Sermons But I demand of thee ô vaine man if thou hast so good a faith and so good hope of saluation how and by what meanes camest thou by this thy good faith The Scriptures tels vs plainely that the meanes of obtaining faith is by hearing the Word of God And seeing thou doest not frequent the house of God nor heare the Word of God preached except it be at some times and by starts how can it be that thou hast true faith or if thou hast it how was it wrought in thee and by what meanes hast thou obtained it it is the great blindnesse of many ignorant soules to thinke they haue faith when they haue it not And they haue it not because they doe not vse the ordinary meanes to obtaine it I know and deny not God is not tyed to any meanes and therefore can extraordinarily worke faith in the hearts of men euen in whom be will according to his good pleasure but it is not safe for any
first in the act of repentance as in godly sorrow for sinne in the humble confession of sinne and in earnest praier to God for the pardon of sinne For these shew that there is now already faith in the heart which produceth such good effects The subiect matter then of this Treatise following is Repentance a way wherein we must walke or else wee shall neuer enter in at the gate of the Celestiall Paradice a thing so necessary without which we can neither haue remission of our sinnes nor saluation of our soules without which we can neither haue true comfort to our soules in this life nor felicity in the life to come For which cause it is that S. Peter giueth this exhortation to the Iewes which crucified Christ c Acts 3. 19. Repent yee therefore and be conuerted that your sinnes may bee blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. In the handling of Repentance I will shew First what Repentance is Secondly the parts of Repentance The partition of this Treatise Thidly the manner how a Sinner may truly repent and what things are necessarily required to true and sound Repentance Fourthly the time of Repentance when a sinner is necessarily bound to repent Fiftly the impediments which hinder sinners from Repentance Sixtly I will vse motiues and perswasions to bring sinners to repentance And of these in their order as I haue propounded them And first it shall bee expedient to shew what Repentance is CHAP. II. Shewing what Repentance is REpentance is a gift of God whereby a sinner 1 What Repentance is through the feare of God is changed in his minde and turned from sinne vnto God First I say that Repentance is a gift of God 1 A gift of God for so the Scripture makes it For in the Acts of the Apostles it is sayd a Acts 11. 18. God hath also to the Gentiles granted Repentance vnto life And to Timothy S. Paul saith b 2 Tim. 2. 25. If God peraduenture will giue them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth Heere by Gods granting and giuing repentance it is apparent that Repentance is the gift of God Next in the definition of Repentance there is mentioned 2 The feare of God In the first conuersion of a sinner diuers things concur the feare of God moouing the sinner to repent In the act of Repentance euen in the first conuersion of a sinner there are diuerse things concurre First there is the gracious working of God who by his holy Spirit doth soften the heart of a sinner and giueth him grace to conuert and to turne from sinne vnto 1 Gods holy Spirit by which God giueth the sinner grace to repent God Secondly there is the working of that feare which is called the seruile feare whereby a sinner is mooued and stirred is vexed and disquieted in himselfe for feare of punishment and is euen terrefied and affrighted with the hideous sight of his abominable sinnes and the terrour 2 Seruile feare of Gods iudgement for sinne when he seeth Hell gaping to deuoure him which horrible feare though in the wicked and reprobate it be a torment and able to bring them to desparation as it was in Cain and Iudas yet in the children of God this legall terror and affrighting of sinners with the feare of punishment may bee a preparation to receiue grace when as they are truely humbled for their sinnes vnder the sence and feeling of Gods anger and displeasure against sinne Thirdly the working of Faith whereby the sinner 3 Faith beginnes to looke vnto Christ and beleeues the remission of his sinnes at the least beleeues that his sinnes are pardonable Fourthly the working of hope whereby the sinner 4 Hope receiues hope of the remission of his sinne hoping that through the mercy of God and merits of Christ his sinnes shall be forgiuen Fiftly the working of that feare which is called the 5 Filiall feare filiall or childe-like feare wherby the sinner is now displeased with himselfe in regard of this that hee hath offended God who hath beene so good and gracious a God vnto him to spare him so long giuing him so long time and space of repentence and offering him mercy in Christ Iesus and now he beginnes to feare God not so much for feare of punishment as out of reuerence awe and loue of God who hath so loued him as not onely to forbeare him in the time of his ignorance wickednesse when he deserued rather to haue been cut off and cast from the presence of the Lord into vtter darknesse but hath sent his onely Sonne Iesus Christ to be his Sauiour and Redeemer to shed his bloud to saue his sinfull soule in gratefull remembrance heereof he is resolued now hence forward to deny himselfe to renounce the world to forsake his former sinfull course of life and to turne himselfe vnto the Lord to serue him in holines and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life and this because he feares God Thirdly in Repentance I say that a sinner is changed 3 Change of minde in his minde There are two words vsed in the new Testament which signifie c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poenitentia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—sipisâ—entia Bâ—rn in Matth. 3. 2. Repentance The former signifieth such a Repentance whereby the sinner is grieued and very sory for the euill which he hath done and no more And this may be in the wicked and reprobate for of Iudas it is sayd d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 27. 3. hee repented himselfe that is hee was sorry and grieued he was vexed and disquited within himselfe that hee had done so wicked a deede as to betray his Master he could haue wisht it vndone but thiâ— was all The other word vsed for Repentance properly signifieth a change of the minde and it is such a Repentance whereby a sinner is not onely sorry and grieued for the euill which he hath done but is so sorry for what is past as that hee is more wise euer after to auoyd sinne and so sorry for the wickednesse committed that he redresseth his wayes and amendeth his life This word is vsed by S. Peter in his Sermon to the Iewes after that they had crucified Christ for exhorting them to repentance he saith e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 3. 19. Repent yee therefore and be conuerted This repentance is proper to the children of God Lastly in Repentance there is a turning from sinne 4 Turning from sinne to God and a turning vnto God But of this more in the next place Now whereas Repentance is as hath beene prooued Vse the gift of God the consideration heereof serues Against those who think that they can repent when they pleaso to reprooue the great security of many concerning their conuersion and turning vnto God many thinke its an easie thing to leaue sinne they hold that repentance
the first impediment doing euill and escaping punishment THe fift thing in the Treatise of Repentance is 5 Impediments that hinder sinners from Repentance of the Impediments of Repentance for notwithstanding that God calleth and Preachers exhort to repentance yet experience sheweth that sinne abounds the world is full of iniquitie and few men are truely conuerted and turned from sinne vnto God It s necessarie therefore to search and inquire what hinders men from repentance And I finde that there are diuerse impediments which hinder sinners from repentance specially these foure Foure The first is doing euill and escaping punishment The second is presuming on Gods mercie The third is custome in sinning The fourth is hope of long life The first impediment that hinders sinners from repentance 1 Doing euill and escaping punishment Two-fold is doing euill and escaping punishment And that both in regard of sinners themselues who sinne and doe escape punishment for a time and also of others whom they perceiue to sinne and doe wickedly and yet see no euill befall them of both which Solomon thus speaketh a Eccles 8. 11. because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe euill Touching the first while men liue in sinne doe wickedly 1 In their owne experience and perceiue no euill happen vnto them they thinke all is well with them and that no euill will betide them though they liue so still this is a great deceitfulnesse of sinne for although God be so patient to suffer sinners yea to suffer long and to waite for their repentance yet sure it is if they repent not the Lord will bring all their sinnes to remembrance and will not suffer the sinner to goe vnpunished And so God tels the wicked man b Psal 50. 18. 19. 20. 21 When thou sawest a theese thou consentedst with him and hast bin partaker with adulterers Thou giuest thy mouth to euill and thy tongue frameth deceit Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother thou slanderest thine owne mothers sonne These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy selfe but I will reproue thee and set them in order before thine eyes Heer 's the wicked man brought in liuing an vngodly life doing vile and abhominable things playing the theefe committing adulterie giuing his tongue to speake euill to reuile to slander c. And because he sees no vengeance fall vpon him but perceiues that hee escapeth the iudgement of God he emboldeneth himselfe in his vngodly and sinfull course of life and thinks he may doe so still and that no euill shall befall him he thinkes that God regardeth not and saith to himselfe God seeth not God haâ—h forgotten God will not punish it but God seeth and knoweth all things God who keepeth a Register-booke of all our deedes and hath all our sinnes in remembrance will charge the wicked man with all his euill deedes and tell him to his face these things hast thou done though thou thoughtest wickedly in thy hart that I had forgotten yet I will bring thy sins to remembrance I will reproue thee for them and will set them in order before thine eyes A sinner that goeth on still in his wickednesse because God doth not execute iudgement vpon him for his wickednesse is like vnto a young theefe who hauing stollen once or twice and escaped is encouraged to steale still thinking that he shall euer escape but in the end he is taken and payeth for all So a sinner that goeth on in any sinfull course and thinketh to escape still because he hath escaped once or twice or oftener in the end is punished and plagued for all the euill that he hath done So Solomon sheweth c Eccles 8. 11. 12. 13 because saith he sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe euill But it followeth though a sinner doe euill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that feare God which feare before him But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall be prolong his dayes which are as a shaddow because he feareth not before God True it is a sinner may doe euill once twice yea a hundred times and God may forbeare to execute iudgement vpon him such is the patience and long suffering of God but yet certaine it is God will not alwayes forbeare in the end God will come and will reproue the sinner will set all his sinnes in order before him and will punish him for all his wickednesse and though it be well with the wicked man for a little while yet in the end it shall not be well with him neither shall he prolong his dayes but the Lord will cut him off According to that saving of the Prophet Dauid d Psal 37. 9. euill doers shall be cut off And as sinners are deceiued in this that hauing sinned and escaped they hope they shall euer escape so Secondly when they see others sinne and doe wickedly 2 In the example of others and perceiue no euill befall them hence they take occasion of encouragement to do euill still hoping to fare no worse then others Here the example of others is a great impediment to their repentance because they see that the sentence of Gods iudgement is not execured speedily vpon others therefore their hearts are fully set in them to doe euill But who euer did wickedly Vse and escaped hauing not repented Witnesse the ouerthrow Against those â—hâ—t doâ— euill and thinke alwayes tâ— goe vnpunished of the old world the destruction of Sedome and the desolation of Ierusalem Now consider this ye that forget God the wise mans counsell is good e Eccl. s 5. 4. say not thou I haue sinned and what harme hath happened vnto me For the Lord is long-suffering and he will in no wise let thee goe If thou sinne and doe wickedly and the 〈◊〉 doe not punish thee for thy wickednesse if no euill happen vnto thee is it for that the Lord regardeth thee not or forgetteth thee and will not punish thee No no the Lord hath all thy sinnes in remembrance and hee doth onely shew his patience and long-suffering towards thee waiting for thy repentance and amendment of life For if thou repentest not be sure of it that in the end the Lord will come as a swift witnesse against thee and lay things to thy charge which thou thinkest hee hath forgotten and then he will come as a terrible iudge against thee to iudge thee to condemne thee and to deliuer thee to the tormentors because thou hast despised the patience and long-suffering of God God hath suffered thee long but now he will suffer thee no longer to goe vnpunished CHAP. XIII Of the second impediment of
against the Lord by thought word deed we cannot but acknowledge that it is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed The Lord might in his iustice cut vs off for the very first transgression for one euill thought for one wicked word for one sinnefull deede and when we find the mercy and goodnesse of God so much shewed towards vs as to spare â—s and suffer vs to liue notwithstanding our vile wicked and sinnefull life O how ought wee to acknowledge the goodnesse of God herein and how ought wee to praise the Lord for his mercy and patience towards vs in suffering vs so long Wherefore a sinner should be so far from making the patience of God to be an occasion of deferring that it ought rather to hasten his repeatance And he should reason thus hitherto I haue liued in sinne and done wickedly and yet the Lord hath beene â—o gracious vnto me that he hath spared me he might haue cut me off in the midst of my sinnes it is of the Lords mercies that I am not consumed and now I know not whether the Lord will forbeare me any more Wherefore I will delay the time no longer I will now repent I will now returne vnto the Lord the patience and long-suffering and the goodnesse of the Lord shall lead me to repentance CHAP. XIX Of the shortnesse of our life of the certaintie of death and the vncertaintie of the day and houre of death and how in regard of these its necessarie for a sinner to repent THirdly its necessarie for a sinner to repent of his sinnes and to amend his life in regard of 3 The shortnesse of mans life the shortnesse of our life In the first age of the world men liued long because as yet sin was not multiplied in the world for as one saith a Dâ—câ—râ—â—tus est 〈…〉 decâ—â—sus sâ—â—â—â—dum 〈…〉 cap. â—6 the course of mans life was shortned according to the increase of some For when sinne beganne to be multiplied on the earth when the wickednesse of man was great in the earth then did God drowne the world of the vngodly and shortned the dayes of man so that whereas in the beginning of the world and before the stood men liued eight or nine hundred yeere after the floud they attained not two hundred for Abraham liued but an b Gen. â—5 7. hundred threescore and fifteene yeeres And Iacob counteth his dayes to be c Gen 47. 9. an hundred and thirtie And in the time of Moses the dayes of mans life were counted but d Psal 90. 10. threescore and ten The Scriptures speake thus of the shortnesse of mans life Iob saith e Iâ—b 14. 1. Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes Dauid thus f Psal 39. 5. behold thou hast made my dayes as an hand-breadth and mine age is as nothing before thee verily euery men at his best state is altogether vanitie Our life for the shortnesse thereof is compared to things of great swiftnesse and short continuance Iob compares our life to a g Job 7. 6. Weauers shuttle to a running h Iob. 9. 25. 26. Post to the swift Ships and to the flying of an Eagle hasting to the prey to a i Iâ—b 14. 2. flower of the field that is soone cut downe and withered as alâ—o to a shaddow that fleeth and continueth not Dauid to the k Psal 103. 15. grasse and slower of the field which in the morning flourisheth and groweth vp in the euening is cut downe and withereth St Iames to a l Iam. 4. 14. vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away The woman of Tekoa in her parable compares the life of man to m 2 Sam. 14. 14. water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered vp againe and indeed n Pretâ—reunt annâ—m refluentis aquae our yeeres passe away as the running waters For as all Riuers runne into the sea from whence they came so doe all men runne and hast to the earth from whence they came Our life is nothing else but a passing from life and a tending to death For from our infancie we passe to child-hood from childhood to young age from yong age to middle age from middle age to old age and from old age to death Now the shortnesse of our life ought to be a great motiue to perswade vs to repentance and amendment of life And to be warie how we spend our dayes This Moses the man of God teacheth vs from the consideration of the shortnesse of our life for hauing told vs that the length of our dayes is but threescore yeares and ten hereupon prayes and therein teacheth vs to pray o Psal 90. 12. so teach vs to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts vnto wisedome This reprooues the great folly of those who spend their daies in vanitie and wickednesse liuing at ease passing Vse away their time in eating and drinking and making Against those who spend the shoâ—t time of their life ill merrie considering not how short their life is nor how soone and suddenly they may be cut off and their daies come to an end It is with manie as Iob saith p Iob. 21. 13 they spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment goe downe to the graue It is the prayse of Moses that when he was in Pharaoh's Court and might haue liued there in all worldly honour and enioyed his pleasures at full yet q Heb. 11. 25. he refused to be called the sonne of Pharaoh's daughter chusing rather affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Letting vs thereby vnderstand two things first that the pleasures of sinne are but for a season secondly that a wise man as Moses will not aduenture the losse of felicitie in heauen which is euerlasting for the enioying of the pleasures of sinne for a season Sinne is committed in this present life and this life is but short we are but of small continuance here and therefore if a man should giue himselfe to all sports and mirth that could be inuented and solace himselfe in all worldly delights and earthly pleasures euen to satietie yet these pleasures would be but for a short time but for a season now no wise man none but a very foole will buy his pleasures so deare as for the enioying of his earthly pleasures to loose heauenly ioyes and for the winning of things temporall to loose things eternall Fourthly its necessarie for a sinner to repent and amend 4 The certaintie of Death his life if he consider the certaintie of death Our life is but short and death is certaine God hath determined the end of mans dayes vpon earth After that Adam had finned God said vnto him r Gen. 3. 19. dust thou art and vnto dust shalt thou returne Iob saith Å¿ Iob 14. 10. Man dieth and wasteth away yea man giueth
him that would be deliuered from spirituall or freed from eternall iudgements and that would be saued from hell and condemnation to repent of his sinnes to purge and cleanse his heart from wickednes that he may be saued as saith the Prophet Ieremie l Iere. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saued Consider then O man if the hand of God be vpon thee afflicting thee with any outward calamitie and affliction in thy bodie goods and outward state thy remedie is to humble thy selfe before the Lord with Hezekiah to pray vnto thy God and to weepe for thy sinnes with the Niniuites to fast and weepe and pray and to turne from all thy euill wayes that so the Lord may be gracious vnto thee and turne away his anger from thee that thou maiest be preserued Moreouer if the Lord lay vpon thee spirituall iudgements afflicting thy soule and wounding thy conscience with the bitter remembrance of thy sinnes the way to finde rest and comfort to thy soule is to seeke to Christ to come to Christ by faith and repentance confessing thy sinnes and earnestly suing for the pardon of thy sinnes that so Christ may giue thee rest And if thou standest in feare of hell and condemnation if thou bee fearefull of that lake of fire the way and meanes to escape hell and condemnation is now to repent of thy sinnes now to cleanse thy heart from wickednesse now to rise from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and now to haue thy part and portion in the first resurrection and then the second death shal I haue no power ouer thee In a word if we would be preserued from the wrath of God in this life and saued from hell and condemnation in the life to come we must now repent and returne to the Lord now be renewed in minde and reformed in life or else we cannot be saued CHAP. XXIIII Shewing that Repentance procureth blessings Temporall Spirituall and Eternall where of the ioyes of Heauen how these ought to be a most forcible motiue to perswade euery one to repent and to serue God and what comfort they bring THat Repentance remooueth Iudgements hath beene shewed Secondly repentance is also profitable for 2 It procureth blessings Threefold the procuring of blessings And those also threefold Temporall 1 Temporall Spirituall and Eternall Repentance is a meanes to procure First temporall blessings The Prophet Esay hauing exhorted to repentance and amendment of life a Isa 1. 16. 17. Wash ye make you cleane c. Annexeth this promise b Vers 19. If yee be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the land So Ieremie c Jer. 7 5 6. 7. If ye throughly amend your waies and your doings c then will I cause you to dwell in this place so likewise the Prophet Ioel hauing exhorted to repentance d Ioel. 2. 12. 13. therefore now saith the Lord turne ye euen to me with fasting and weeping and with mourning c. annexeth a promise of temporall blessings e Vers 19. The Lord will answere and say vnto his people behold I will send you corne and wine and oyle ye shall be satisfied therewith Secondly spirituall blessings as mercy pardon and 2 Spirituall forgiuenesse of sins the Lord by his prophet Isaiah exhorteth to repentance and vpon repentance maketh a large promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes f Isa 1. 16. 17. 18. Wash ye make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well c. Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll Againe g Isa 55 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercie vpon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon S. Peter in his Sermon to the Iewes hauing laid to their charge the crucifying of Christ exhorteth them to repentance with a promise of mercie and forgiuenesse h Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes Againe he saith i Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be conuerted that your sinnes may be blotted out Mercie is promised to penitent sinners yea and that free mercy and forgiuenesse so promiseth the Lord by Ezekiel k Eze. 18. 21. 22 If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue he shall not die All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him And by Ieremy hee saith l Ier. 31. 34. I will forgiue their iniquitie and I will remember their sinne no more Thirdly eternall blessednesse Which eternall blessednesse 3 Eternal where of is to be considered First in regard of the excellency of the place of happinesse prepared for all those that haue repented of their 1 The excellency of the place of happinesse sinnes and are washed from their wickednesse The place of eternall happinesse is Heauen whither Christ ascended S. Marke speaking of the ascension of Christ saith m Mar. 16. 19. Hee was receiued vp into Heauen And whither Christ the head is ascended thither shall his members also ascend they shall be where he is As hee himselfe saith n Iohn 14. 2. 3. I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also Many excellent things are spoken of this heauenly place It is called a Kingdome o Mat. 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you It is called the kingdome of God p 1 Cor. 69. Know ye not saith S. Paul that the vnrightous shall not inherite the kingdome of God It is called the kingdome of Heauen q Math. 7. 21. Not euery one saith our Sauiour that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter inthe kingdome of heauen And it is called an r 1 Pet. 1. 4. Inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fâ—â—deth not away reserued in heauen for vs And this place of happinesse is all glorious and beaâ—fuâ—l So S. Iohn describeth the heauenly Ierusalem the Cittie of God Å¿ Reu. 21. 18. 19. 20. 21. The building of the wall of it he saith was of Iâ—sper and the Cittie was pure gold like vnto cleaâ—e glasse And the foundations of the wall of the Cittie were gaâ—â—â—shed with all manner of precious stones c. And the twelue gates were twelue Pearles euery seuerall gate was of one â—earle and the street of the Cittie was pure goâ—â— as it were transparent
on earth or blessed in Heauen we desire to be blessed with temporall and spirituall blessings and to be patakers of eternall happinesse For thougâ— temporall blessingâ— be common to all to good and bad yet the blessing of God vpon the outward blessings which God bestoweth is giuen onely to them that repent of their sinnes to them that feare the Lord and â—eâ—d a godly life aâ— it is said in the Psalmes n Psâ—l 34. 9. There is no want to them that feare him Againe o Psal 84. 11. No good thing will he with-hold from them that walkâ— vprightly For spirituall blessings mercie pardon and forgiuenes of sinnes these belong to none but to penitent sinners to such as hâ—ue repâ—â—ted oâ— their sinnes and are washed from their wickedâ—â—sse as appeareth in that large promise of meâ— forgâ—uenesse in Esay p Isay 1. 18. Though your sinnâ—s be as carlet they shall as white as snowe though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll But to whom is this gracious promise made but to penitent sinners Euen to such as haue washed and cleansed their â—eâ—â—ts from wickednesse to such as haue put away the euiâ—l of their doings from before the eyes of the Lord and to suâ—h â—â— haue ceased to doe euill and hâ—ue learned to doe welâ— for to such the Lord saith Comâ— nâ—w and let vs reason tâ—gâ—ther sâ—ith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet c. And as for eternâ—ll blessednesse and euerlasting happâ—nâ—sse none can be paâ—takers thereof but penitent sinners The kingdome oâ— heâ—uen is giuen to no wicked and vngodly man onely they which haue repented of their sinnes and are washed from their wickednesse shall enter into the kingdome of heauen As it is said in the Reuelation q Reu. 21. 27. There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defilâ—th neither whatsoeuer worketh abhomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambes booke of life Againe it is said r Reu. 22. 14. 15. Blâ—ssed are they that doe his commaundements that they may haue right to the tree of lift and may enter in through the gates into the Cittie For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoeuer loueth and maketh a lye Wherefore it greatly stands vs in hand to repent of our sinnes to wash and cleanse our hearts from wickednesse to amend our wayes and to walke in obedience to Gods commandements to serue the Lord and to feare him if wee desire either to be happy on earth or blessed in heauen As the Apostle also exhorteth vs saying Å¿ Hâ—b 12. 28. Wherfore we receiuing a kingdome which cannot be mooued let vs haue grace whereby we may serue God acceptably with reuerence and godly feare Vse 2 Secondly whereas true penitent sinners haue the Consolation to the righteous which are afflicted in this life promise not onely of temporall benefitâ— and spirituall blessings but also of eternall happinesse and euerlasting felicity in the kingdome of heauen this doth minister great consolation to the righteous which are afflicted and troubled in this present life for though they endure sorrow and sicknesse paine and griefe though they suffer tribulation or persecution or whatsoeuer affliction they vndergoe it is but for this present life it is but for a short time it is but for a moment it wil haue an end And then after that this short life is ended the righteous which haue patiently suffered with Christ shal also raigne with Christ and shall inherite a kingdome The time shal come that they shal haue no paine nor sorrow but shall enter into eternal ioy shall be partakers of euerlasting glory shall liue blessedly for euer in heauen So saith S. Paul t Rom. 8. 17. And if children then heires heires of God and ioynt-heires with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together This was Dauids comfort in his afflictions u Psal 27. 13. I had fainted saith he vnles I had belieued to see the goodnes of the Lord x Anciently expounded Heauen Aug. Hug. in the Land of the liuing This comforted S. Paul in all his tribulations and sufferings as he himselfe witnesseth saying y 2 Tim. 4 6. 7. 8 I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departing is at hand I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith henceforth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue mee at that day and not to me onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing And this ought to be our great consolation comfort in all distresse knowing that glory in heauen will be a full recompence for all our sufferings As S. Paul also saith z Rom. 8. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be reuealed in vs. a 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for vs a farre more exceeding eternall waight of glory The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE WAY TO THE CELESTIALL PARADISE Concerning Prayer Which is the third meanes whereby a Sinner may be saued and come to life euerlasting CHAP. I. The Preface with the Partition of the whole Treatise of Prayer The order of this Treatise THe a Rom. 11. 13. Apostle of the Gentiles writing to the Romanes saith b Rom. 10. 13. 14. whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued How then shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a Preacher Which Rhetoricall gradation is adorned with these fiue beautifull ascending steps First Christ must be preached Secondly being Preached men beginne to heare of Christ Thirdly hearing of Christ they beleeue in him Fourthly beleeuing in Christ they beginne to call vpon the name of the Lord. Fiftly by calling vpon the name of the Lord they ascend vp to the highest step saluation After that a man by hearing the word preached hath gotten faith and is brought to Repentance then and not before is he sit to make an acceptable Prayer vnto God for except the heart be purified by faith and purged by Repentance God will not regard our prayers but will hide his eyes and stop his eares when we crie vnto him but a sinner hauing true faith to beleeue in Christ and through true and vnfained Repentance hauing his sinnes washed away in the bloud of Christ may boldly come to the throne of grace with assurance to preuaile with God not onely for temporall blessings but for spirituall graces and not onely for grace in this life but also for glorie and saluation in the life to come For whosoeuer shall call
Eternall glorie ibid. Vse 1. To trie our selues whether wee bee come to Amendmenâ— of life pag. 214. Vse 2. Against those who onely câ—ase from some euill but doe no good pag. 216. 6. Perseuerance in grace Or Continuance in well-doing to the end chap. 10. Therein two things 1. That a Christian may perseuere and continue to the end For 1. A good and sound Christian shall not be mooued p. 218 2. God that hath giuen grace will finish it ibid 3. They that are iustified shall bee glorified ibid. 4. The Elect are reserued vnto saluation in Heauen ibid. 2. Motiues to perswade to perseuerance foure 1. God requireth it p. 219. 2. Holy men haue continued in their goodnesse vnto the end ibid. 3. The necessitie thereof two-fold 1. All that begin well doe not end well p. 219. 2. Except wee continue to the end we cannot obtaine the crowne of life p. 220. 4. The Benefit thereof four-fold 1. Saluation ibid. 2. A Kingdome ibid. 3. A Crowne ibid. 4. Eternall life ibid. Vse Against those who fall backe from grace and goodnesse p. 221. 4. The time of Repentance Chap. 11. three-fold 1. The time of this present life p. 223. Vse Against Purgatorie ibid. 2. The time of grace p. 224. Vse Not to harden our hearts against the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance ibid. 3. The time present p. 225. Vse Against those that deferre their Repentance pag. 226. And they that defer their Repentance doe foolishly For 1. Thereby a sinner longer continueth in his sinnes pag. 226. 2. No man is certaine of the time to come p. 227. 3. Hee that deferreth his repentance till olde age is then vnfit to repent ibid. 4. No man is sure that hee shall haue grace to repent heereafter p. 228 5. He that hath serued sin all his life time knoweth not whether God will accept his seruice in his old age p. 229. 5. Impediments which hinder sinners from Repentance chap. 12. And they are foure 1. Doing euill and escaping pag. 231. two-fold 1. In their owne experience pag. 231. 2. In the example of others pag. 233. Vse Against those that doe euill and thinke alwayes to goe vnpunished ibid. 2. Presuming on Gods mercy cha 13. Where consider two things 1. That God is onely mercifull to penitent sinners p. 234. 2. As God is mercifull so hee is also iust pag. 235. Vse Against those that presume on Gods mercy ibid. 3. Custome in sinning Chap. 14. Vse Not to accustome our selues to any sinne p. 237. 4. Hope of long life chap. 15. Vse Not to deferre our Repentance vpon hope to liue long p. 239. 6. Motiues and perswasions to Repentance Chap. 16. And they are foure 1. Testimonies of Scripture p. 240. 2. Examples of penitent sinners ibid. Vse To reprooue Those who are willing to imitate the Saints in their sinnes but not in their repentance p. 241. 3. The necessity of Repentance cha 17. In regard of 1. The Benefits of God p. 243. Vse Gods benefits should worke in vs repentance and binde vs to obedience p. 244. 2. The patience and long suffering of God chap. 18. Vse Against those who abuse the patience of God p. 246. 3. The shortnesse of mans life Chap. 19. pag. 248. Vse Against those who spend the short time of their life ill pag. 250. 4. The certainty of death ibid. 5. The vncertainty of the day and houre of death p. 251. Vse To prepare for the day of death ibid. 6. The certainty of the Iudgement to come chap. 20. pag. 252. Vse To cast our account and to make our reckoning afore-hand pag. 254. 7. The vncertainty of the day of Iudgement ibid. Vse Against those who thinke that Christ will still deferre his comming to Iudgement pag. 255. 8. The punishment of impenitent sinners Chap. 21. three-fold 1. Temporall three-fold in 1. Body pag 258. 2. Goods pag. 259. 3. Both. ibid. Vse To cease to doe euill that it may bee well with vs and ours p 260. 2. Spirituall ibid. Vse To pray that God would soften our hard hearts pag. 261. 3. Eternall chap. 22. Where two things 1. The place two-fold 1. From whence the wicked shall bee excluded p. 262. 2. Whither the wicked shall bee cast pag. â—65 2. The greatnesse grieuousnesse of the punishment of the wicked in Hell Where their torment shal be 1. Vniuersall ibid. 2. Easelesse p. 264 3. Hoâ—elesse ibid. 4. Remedilesse p. 265. 5. Endlesse For 1. Hell-fire can neuer be quenched ibid. 2. After the Resurrection the bodie shall bee incorruptible ibid. Vse 1. Against those who liue so as if there were no Hell pag. 266. Vse 2. To feare God ibid. 4. The Benefit of Repentance chap. 23. two-fold 1. It remooueth iudgements three-fold 1. Temporall p. 268. 2. Spirituall ibid. 3. Eternall pag. 269. Vse That wee may escape the iudgement of God wee must repent of our sinnes ibid. 2. It procureth blessings chap. 24. three-fold 1. Temporall pag. 271. 2. Spirituall ibid. 3. Eternal where of 1. The excellency of the place of happinesse p. 272. 2. The greatnes of their happines For 1. They shall bee partakers of glory p. 273. 2. They shall see God in his glory p. 274. 3. They shall bee with Christ ib. 4. They shal haue blessed company ibid. 5. They shal haue eternall felicity p. 275. 6. They shall haue no euill nor want any good thing pag. 275. Vse 1. To repent of our sinnes and amend our waies if we would bee either happy on earth or blessed in Heauen pag. 276. Vse 2. Consolation to the righteous which are afflicted in this life pag. 277. THE ANALYSIS OF THE THIRD BOOKE Of the way to the Celestiall Paradise Concerning Prayer THE third booke consisteth of 2. parts 1. The Preface containing two things 1. The order of the Treatise Chap. 1. pag. 279. 2. The partition thereof pag. 280. 2. The subiect matter wherin tenne things are to be considered 1. What Prayer is Chap. 2. p. 281. 2. The diuers sorts and kinds of Prayer threefold in regard of 1. The matter of prayer fourefold 1. Supplications pag. 282. 2. Prayers ibid. 3. Intercessions ib. 4. Thankesgiuings pag. 283. 2. The affection of him that prayeth prayer is fourefold 1. Fearefull ib. 2. Luke-warme ibid. 3. Rash ibid. 4. Feruent ibid. 3. The place of prayer two-fold 1. Publique ibid. 2. Priuate two-fold in the 1. House p. 284. 2. Chamber or secret place i. 3. The persons who prayer doth concerne chap. 3. and they are 3. 1. The persons praying therin two things 1. All are bound to pray without exception pag. 248. 2. Wee our selues must please God before our prayers can bee acceptable to God To which 2 things are required 1. Faith p. 285. 2. Repentance For Sin not repented of hindreth Prayer and that 2 wayes 1. In generall ibid. 2. In particular as 1. Idolatry pag. 286. 2. Cruelty and vnmercifulnes ibid. 3. Wrath. ibid. 4. Vaine-glory ibid. 5. Hypocrisie p. 287. 6. Want of pitie
this Treatise and applying to our selues the promises of the Gospell made vnto vs in Iesus Christ Secondly by Repentance hauing our sinnes washed away in the bloud of the Lambe Iesus Christ Thirdly by Prayer calling vpon God in the name of Iesus Christ CHAP. II. Of the order of the Treatise shewing that Faith must goe before Repentance and Prayer vpon which they depend Proouing also that Faith in Christ is a sure and certaine meanes of obtaining saluation and eternall life THe first and principall meanes of obtaining saluation The order of this Treatise and the most direct way that wee can goe to Heauen is by Faith in Iesus Christ True it is without Repentance we cannot be saued and without Prayer we cannot come neere vnto God yet Repentance separated from faith in Christ is no true Repentance no better then the Repentance of a Matth. 27. 3. Iudas and Prayer if it proceede not from a heart purified by faith in Christ is no effectuall prayer no better then the prayer of the b Luk. 18. 11 11 14. Pharisies and c Matth. 6. 5. Hypocrites But true and sound Repentance proceedes from true sauing faith and feruent deuout prayer comes from a beleeuing heart as the Apostle saith d Rom. 10. 14. how shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And that faith in Iesus Christ is the true and sure meanes whereby wee may bee saued and come to life euerlasting may euidently appeare First by these Testimonies of Scripiure the faithfull and true Witnesse saith e Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And againe f Verse 18. He that beleeueth on him is not condemned but hee that beleeueth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeued in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God S. Paul saith thus to the Ephesians g Ephes 2. 8. by grace are yee saued through faith where he sheweth that our saluation is not of our selues but by grace and through faith So speakes the Apostle to the Hebrewes concerning the celestiall rest typed out by the rest of Canaan h Heb. 3. 18. 19. to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that beleeued not so wee see that they could not enter in because of vnbeleefe Secondly by the example of the keeper of the prison conuerted by Pauls preaching vnto him Iesus Hee sayd to the Apostles Paul and Sylas i Act. 16. 30. 31. Sirs what must I do to be saued and they said beleeue on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy house There was a time when it was sayd k Leuit. 18. 5. Gal. 3. 12. the man that doth these things shall liue in them but now in the blessed time of the Gospell the word of saluation is this l Iob. 3. 16. Acts 16. 31. hee that beleeueth shall liue It was once sayd Doe this and liue it is now sayd Beleeue and liue This was that word of vnspeakable comfort to the Keeper of the prison a man in wofull case concerning his soule for being euen at his wits end and not knowing what to doe nor what meanes to vse to come to saluation the Apostle raiseth him vp with this Euangelicall consolation Beleeue and bee saued Beleeue on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy house CHAP. III. Containing the partition of the first booke concerning Faith in Iesus Christ HAuing prooued that Faith in Iesus Christ is the first and principall meanes whereby wee are to bee saued and to come to life euerlasting I am now by Gods assistance and through the gracious guiding of his holy Spirit to entreat of this subject Faith in Iesus Christ In handling whereof I will obserue this order I will shew First the diuerse significations of the word Faith The partition of the first booke and what is meant by Faith in this Treatise Secondly the diuers sorts and kindes of Faith and which is the true Faith Thirdly that there is but one true sauing Faith and what it is Fourthly wherein true Faith consisteth Fiftly who are partakers of the true Faith whether all haue it or but some and who they are Sixtly the necessity of hauing the true sauing Faith Seuenthly the benefits whereof they are partakers who haue the true Faith Eightly how the true sauing Faith may be procured Ninthly how true Faith being procured may for euer be preserued Tenthly the signes and markes of true Faith by which it may bee knowne whether a man haue the true sauing Faith whereby hee may bee saued and come to life euerlasting These are the seuerall things necessarily to bee handled in the Treatise of Faith of which in their order as I haue propounded them And first I will shew what is meant by Faith in this Treatise CHAP. IV. Of the diuerse significations of the word Faith and what is meant by Faith in this Treatise THe first generall point in the Treatise of Faith is to shew the diuerse significations of Faith The diuers significations of Faith in the Scriptures Faith signifieth First fidelity and truth in performing of promises and that both in regard of God and men of God a 1 Thess 5. 24. Faithfull is he saith S. Paul that calleth you who also will doe it God is faithfull that is true in his word he will keepe his promise if he say it he will doe it So also in regard of men Faith sometimes signifieth fidelity in performance of promises one to another So it is vsed in that saying of our Sauiour Christ to the Scribes and Pharises b Matth. 23. 23. Yee haue omitted the waightier matters of the Law Iudgement Mercy and c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith Secondly the doctrine of the Gospell so it is vsed by the Apostle to the Galatians d Gal. 1. 23. Hee which persecuted vs in time past now preacheth the Faith Thirdly that knowledge wherby a man knowes how to discerne of things concerning the lawfull vse of them or abstaining from them and that with a safe conscience so it is vsed in that saying of S Paul to the Romanes e Rom. 14. 23. He that doubteth is damned if hee eat because hee eateth not of Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne Fourthly a confidence and perswasion of the power of God for the obtaining of some temporall blessing as bodily health and that by miraculous and wonderfull meanes which was the Faith of those that came to Christ and the Apostles diseased and went away helped and healed of their infirmities As the woman with the bloudy issue to whom Christ sayd f Matth. 9. 22. Daughter be of good comfort for thy faith hath made thee whole And the Cripple whom Paul healed concerning whom it is said g Act. 14
cannot escape the iudgement of God And many in this agonie being not able to deliuer themselues and their soules refusing comfort are swallowed vp with abundance of worldly sorrow and without the great mercy of God are plunged into the gulfe of despaire But there is also an Euangelicall sorrow for sinne 2 Euangelicall Two-fold which is properly Godly sorrow and this is twofold Inward and Outward Inward sorrow for sinne is called Contrition Outward is mourning lamenting and weeping for sin First of Contrition or inward sorrow for sinne In 1 Contrition or inward sorrow for sinne handling whereof I will shew First what Contrition is Secondly how it is wrought in vs. Thirdly the signes and markes of it Fourthly the motiues to perswade vnto it For the first Contrition or inward sorrow for sinne 1 What Contrition is is a sorrow of the heart specially for this that a sinner hath offended God and being truely humbled with a sence and feeling of his sinnes is displeased with himselfe for his sinnes and doth now not onely dislike but from his heart detest and abhorre sinne This is properly called c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorrow according to God or sorrow after a godly sort and godly sorrow and sorrow to repentance It is called d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7. 9 10. compunction of heart It is also called the e Acts 2. 37. renting of the heart And it is called a f Ioel 2. 17. broken spirit g Psal 51. 17. a broken and a contrite heart For the second How Contrition is wrought in a sinner The meanes whereby a sinner is brought to Contrition 2 How Contrition is wrought in a sinner and inward hearty sorrow for his sinnes are two The one is the gracious working of the Spirit of God giuing a sinner a liuely sence and feeling of his sinnes giuing him grace to see and know how by his 1 By the working of the Spirit of God sinnes he hath offended God and grieued the Holy Spirit of God soâ—ming also his hard heart that hee may greeue lament and mourne for his sinnes after a godly manner This is that which the Lord saith by his Prophet Zachary h Zach. 12. 10. I will powre vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne A sinner looking vpon Christ whom by his sinnes he hath pierced and wounded and hauing a true feeling of his sinnes greeueth and mourneth he is sorry after a godly manner but how is this godly forrow wrought in him the Lord saith that he will powre the spirit of grace and of supplications vpon the sinnefull soule and when the Lord hath put such grace into the soule of a sinner to see his sinnes and to perceiue how that by his sinnes hee hath offended God and pierced the Sonne of God then hee is inwardly grieued at the heart then his heart melts into teares This is the first meanes whereby a sinner is brought to Contrition The second meanes is the preaching of Christ crucified 2 By preaching Christ crucisied as appeareth in the example of those first Conuerts to whom Peter preached Christ crucified For hauing testified against them that they had crucified Christ i Acts 2. 37 38. They were pricked in their hearts and sayd vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall wee doe their consciences were so stricken with the terrour of this that they should be guilty of shedding the innocent bloud of the Sonne of God that they were at their wits end they knew not what to doe yet were they desirous to finde ease to their troubled consciences but knew not how till they called to remembrance the words of the Apostle how that Iesus of Nazareth whom they had crucified and slaine was the Sonne of God whom God raised vp who ascended to Heauen and is exalted at the right hand of God and hearing also that he is Iesus the Sauiour that he is the true Messias Christ the Anoynted of the Lord heereupon they are pricked in their hearts and touched in their consciences with a feeling of their sinnes yet so as they doe not despaire of all mercy but trusting in the goodnesse and mercy of God through Christ and being desirous to know how they may finde comfort to their troubled consciences they said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Menand brethen what shall we doe ô teach vs what we must doe to be saued Now they are sorrowfull after a godly manner now they are of a contrite spirit and an humble soule now they are exceeding sorrowfull that they haue crucified the Lord of life now they haue bleeding hearts for that they haue shed the bloud of the innocent Lambe of God now they are exceedingly displeased with themselues for that they haue done so wickedly and now they so abhorre their sinnes and wickednesse that they purpose neuer to doe wickedly againe So that their compunction was not onely a bare pricking of the heart such as Cain and Iudas had but as they had a feeling of their sinnes so also had they a feeling of the mercy of God in Christ Iesus Moreouer to the compunction and pricking of their hearts there was ioyned a readinesse to obey the will of God and to doe whatsoeuer the Lord should command them and therefore it is that they say Men and brethren what shall we doe to the end that a sinner may be brought to Contrition its necessary that the Word of God which is k Heb. 4. 12. quicke and powerfull and sharper then any two-edged sword piercing euen to the diuiding a sunder of soule and spirit and of the ioynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart doe pierce the heart and wound the conscience making the sinner to feele his sinnes to know that by his sinnes he hath offended God who hath beene so gracious a God and so louing and mercifull a Father vnto him and to acknowledge that by his sinnes he hath pierced and wounded the Sonne of God who was content to be pierced and wounded yea and to suffer his bloud to be shed for his sinnes The Adamant the hardest stone which will neither bee bruized with iron nor melted with fire is notwithstanding dissolued with l Gemin lib. 2. cap. 26. Goats-bloud What heart is there so hard and stony so adamant-like that will not bee mollified and softned that will not be rent and broken yea dissolued into teares being washed and soaked in the bloud of Christ this ô man this must or nothing will soften thy hard heart Thus Contrition is wrought in the heart The third thing is concerning the signes and marks 3 Signes of contrition or inward godly sorrow of Contrition Contrition or
perseuere and continue to the end then through the mercy of God and the merites of Christ our Sauiour wee shall obtaine saluation inherite a Kingdome and be crowned with glorie CHAP. XI Of the time of Repentance HItherto of the manner how a Sinner may truly repent and of the steps of grace whereby a sinner returneth vnto God and ascendeth vp to the high mountaine of heauen The fourth thing in the treatise of Repentance is 4 The time of Repentance concerning the time of repentance And the time when a sinner ought to repent is threefold The First is the time of this present life Threefold The Second is the time of grace The Third is the time present Touching the First The time of this present life euen 1 The time of this present life the short time that we haue to liue heare on earth is the time yea the longest and largest time that God hath granted vnto vs for our repentance as is euident by the Scriptures Dauid saith a Psa 6. 5. In death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall giue thee thanks Christ our Sauiour saith b Iâ—h 9. 4. I must worke the workes of him that sent me while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke where by day is meant the time and space of this present life and by night the time after this life c Diâ— sumê° in hac vita nos iuuari a vobis possumus vos potestu in nos conferre beneficia cum autem abierimus illuc ibi neâ— amicus neque frater neque pater idoneus erit ad liberandum cum qui â—uplicijs deputetur aeternis Chrys de coÌ„punct cordis l. 2. while we are in this life saith Chrysostome you may helpe vs and doe vs good but when we shall depart thither there neither friend nor brother nor father will be found fit to deliuer him that is deputed to eternall torments Theophilact vpon those words of our Sauiour Christ d Luk. 52. 4. Quandâ—â— super tâ—rram sumus potermus peccata nostra at posiquam eterra migrauerimus non vltra c clausa enim est ianua Theophil in Luk. 5. The sonne of man hath power vpon earth to forgiue sinnes saith e while we are vpon earth we may haue our sinnes blotted out but not after we are departed out of this life for then the gate is shut and another saith * either here saluation is won or lost Now whereas the time of this present life is the time of our repentance yea the longest largest time that God hath granted vnto any one to repent and amend his life this serues for confutation of that Popish doctrine of Purgatory whereby they make the simple people beleeue that their sinnes may be purged away after this life that satisfaction may be then made for temporall punishment whereas the true purging away of sinnes is onely in this life Now in this life while God giueth vs time and space to repent while the light of the Gospell shineth and whiles that God offereth vs the meanes of saluation is the onely time for vs to worke f Aut his salus acquiritur aut amittitur Cypr. out our saluation now is the time for vs to runne that we may obtaine now is the time to fight against our Vse spirituall enemies that we may ouercome and winne Against Purgatorie the crowne of righteousnesse now is the time either to winne of loose the kingdome of heauen and now is the time to aske seeke and knock afterwards when the gate is shut it will be to late Secondly the time of our repentance which God 2 The Time of Grace hath granted vnto vs in this present life is not any time of our life when we our selues will but it is the time of Grace euen that blessed time wherein God doth gratiously offer vnto vs the meanes of saluation calling vs to repentance and all that space of time wherein God sheweth his patience and long suffering forbearing vs and waiting when we will turne vnto him S. Paul preached thus to the Athenians who had liued in idolatrie and ignorance saying f Acts. 17. 30. the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men euery where to repent Now when Christ is reauealed and the Gospell preached it is time for all men euery where to repent And to the Corinthians he saith g 2. Cor. 2. 6. behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of saluation the h Gen. 6. 3. hundred twenty yeeres while the arke was preparing was the time of repentance for the old world wherein Noah a preacher of righteousnesse warned them to repent And the i Ion. 3. 4. forty dayes granted to the Niniuites was their time of repentance whiles that Ionah the prophet of the Lord threatned them with the ouerthrow of there city except they repented The consideration whereof may admonish vs not to Vse harden our hearts against the word of the Lord but to Not to harden our hearts against the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance hearken to the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance that we doe not willfully passe ouer the time of grace offered vnto vs and that we doe not despise the patience and long suffering of almighty God inuiting vs to repentance this carelesse passing ouer the time of grace and not turning to the Lord when he called to repentance was the sinne of Ierusalem noted by our Sauiour Christ in his dolefull lamentation for them saying k Luk. 19. 42. If thou hadst knowne euen thou at least in this thy day the things which belong vnto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eies In that he saith in this thy day he giueth vs to vnderstand that they had their day and time of repentance wherein God offered them grace and mercie hauing long and often called them by his prophets and now in the last daies hauing sent his owne sonne to call them to repentance but they regarded it not and therefore wofull misery befell them and their citie l Ver. 43. 44. For the daies shall come vpon thee saith our Sauiour that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on euery side and shall lay thee euen with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon another because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Let their example be our warning to take heede of neglecting or despising the meanes of our saluation that we doe not refuse grace offered but hearken to the voice of the Lord calling vs to repentance as the Apostle exhorteth m Heb. 3. 15. 16 To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your harts as in the prouocation for some when they had heard did prouoke When the Lord said n
almightie God e Rom. 2. 4. 5. despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest vp vnto thy selfe wrath vnto the day of wrath Giuing vs to vnderstand that if a sinner will not repent when the Lord graciously calleth him to repentance yea whiles the Lord sheweth his patience and long-suffering towards him waiting for his repentance but obstinately refuseth grace and despiseth the patience and long suffering of God the Lord may so strike him and that iustly with hardnesse of heart that he cannot repent Thus it befell that man who leading an vngodly life was wont to boast that he could repent at the last houre And if he had but time to say three words f Domine miserâ—â—â— mei Stapl. prâ—mp Mor. Dom. 7. post pentect 3. Lord haue mercie on me it was enough this wicked wretch as he was riding ouer a water vpon a broken bridge his Horse stumbled and Horse and Man fell into the water and were drowned yet before their drowning he had leasure to pronounce three words but not those three words which he spake of in his life time Lord haue mercie on me but three other words more fearefull g Capiat omnia Damon The Deuill take all and so perished in the water So fearfull a thing is it to deferre repentance till the last houre Fiftly a sinner who hath all his youth-full dayes giuen 5 He that hath serued sin all his life time knoweth not whether God will accept his seruice in his old age himselfe to his lusts and pleasures who in his best dayes hath serued the flesh the world and the Deuill if in his old age he offer his seruice vnto God knoweth not whether God will accept it h Rom. â—2 1. I beseech you brethren sayth the Apostle by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God God must haue a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable and if it be of the worst sort as i Gen. 4. 3. 5. Cains was it is not acceptable to God now to giue the youth and strength of our dayes to serue the flesh the world and the Diuell and to reserue the weakenesse of our dayes euen our old age for God is to giue him of the worst sort of our offerings To denie vnto God the best of the flocks and fattest of the heards for sacrifice and to offer him the blind the lame and the sicke will not be acceptable to God as he saith by Malachie k Mal. 1. 8. If ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not euill and if ye offer the lame and the sicke is it not euill offer it now vnto thy gouernour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hoste Now to serue sinne all the dayes of a mans life while he hath health and strength and to beginne to serue God when he is sicke and diseased when he is lame and blind and deafe will God be pleased with this seruice will he accept thy person What great thing is it for thee to giue away thy goods when thou canst keepe them no longer to leaue drunkennesse when thou art come to pouertie and wantest meanes to maintaine thy drinking or what praise is it for thee now to put away thy Concubine when lust faileth and not to leaue sin till sin leaue thee For l Jam te peccata dimittunt non tu illa now it may be rather said thy sinnes leaue thee then thou thy sinnes And although it be true that late repentance if it be sound and serious is neuer too late yet late repentance is seldome sound repentance For m Sâ—ra poenitâ—â—ia aut nulla aut ficia aut dâ—ffiâ—â—â—s late repentance is either none at all or fained or very hard and difficult But some may say the theefe on the Crosse repented at the last houre and was saued I ansâ—ere the sauing Obiect of the theefe on the Crosse at the last houre was an extraordinary Luk. 23. 42. 43. act of Christ to be reckoned amongst his Answ wonders and is left recorded for our consolation letting vâ— thereby know that God is mercifull to sinners that doe repent though it be late and that it is possible for a sinner to be saued at the last houre onely vpon this condition if God then giue him grace to beleeue and repent Wherefore it is said n Vâ—â—s misericordiam invenit hora vâ—tima ne quis despâ—reâ— vnicus ne qâ—i prâ—sumâ—t Aug. one found mercie at the last houre lest any should despaire of the mercies of God and but onely one lest any should presume of Gods mercie Now seeing that there is such folly and danger in deferring repentance let the counsell of Solomon be acceptable vnto vs o â—ccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth And let vs not make light of the counsel of the wise sonne of Syrach saying p Eccles 5. 7. make no tarrying to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroied and perish in the day of vengeance S. Ambrose thus reasoneth with the sinner that would still deferre his repentance q Agens poenitentiam ad vltimum reconciliâ—tus si exterit an seâ—â—rus â—â—nc exâ—at â—go non sum securus c. nunquid dico damnabitur non dico Sed nec liberabitur dico c. vis te fraterâ—a dubio liberari vis quod incâ—rtiâ— est euadere age poenitentiam dum sanus es Si enim agis poenitentiam dum sanus es inuenerit te nouissimus dies securuses quia egisâ—â— poenitentiam eo tempore quo peccare potuisti Amb. ad poenitentiam agendam exhort he that repenteth at the last houre and is reconciled and so departeth out of this life whether he be secure and safe from condemnation I am not certains Doe I say he shall be damned I say not so Neither doe I say hee shall be saued But wilt thou my brother be out of doubt concerning thy saluation And wilt thou be deliuered from vncertaintie Repent while thou art in health For if thou doest truely repent in thy health and the last day so finde thee then thou art safe because thou hast repented whilst yet thou mightst haue sinned I wiâ—h that this good counsell of this good Father were receiued of all then would not men be so foolish to hazard their soules to the last houre and venture their saluation vpon vncertaintie then would they not deferre their repentance nor make any tarrying to turne to the Lord but with holy Dauid would r Psal 119. 60. make hast and would not delay to keepe his Commaundements CHAP. XII Of the impediments of Repentance of
but repent and amend our liues as they did Which serues To reproue those who set before their eies the liues Vse of the Saints not as examples of repentance but as Against those who are willing to imitate the Saints in their sinnes but not in their repentance cloakes for their sinns the drunkard lookes vpon Noah as he was drunken and lay vncouered but not as he awaked from his wine and repented of his drunkennes and reasoneth that drunkennesse is not so great a sinne for Noah was drunke and yet was saued but willingly forgets that Noah repented of his drunkennesse and hath not vnderstanding to reason thus Noah I heare was drunken and repented he was dâ—unke no more I haue bene also drunken I ought to repent of my drunkennesse God giue me grace that I may repent as Nâ—â—h did and that I may be drunke no more The adulterer sets before his eies Dauid committing adulterie with Bathsheba and the adultresse the whorish woman Mary Magdalen liuing in lewdnesse but haue not grace to repent with Dauid and to weepe for their sinnes with Marie Magdalen Thus wicked and vngodly men peruert the examples of penitent sinners to their owne destruction the drunkard is well pleased to be drunken with Noah but is loath to repent with Noah The adulterer takes great pleasure in committing filthinesse with Dauid but will not be brought to repent with Dauid the whorish woman imitates Marie Magdalen and that willingly in her naughtinesse but thinks it a grieuous thing to sit weeping for her sinns with Marie Magdalen The sinnes of the Saints and the infirmities of good men are recorded in the Scriptures not that wee should imitate them in their sinnes and bee like vnto them in their vices but rather that we should by their examples be warned to beware of falling into sinne and if we sinne not to lye and liue in sinne but to rise againe by repentance as they did and to imitate them in their vertues q Magnus isse Dauid pâ—â—â—auit 〈…〉 peâ—catu◠〈◊〉 leâ—go 〈…〉 sine perâ—culo peccare conceditur Non nam hac de causa cauere debemus facta fortia imiâ—arâ— sanctorum Chrys ad baptizandos Hom. 4. Worthy Dauid saith Chrysostome sinned and that a great sinne what then may we therefore sinne and thinke to escape No. But for this cause we ought to be more warie and to imitate the worthy deeds of the Saints The examples of penitent sinners ought to mooue and perswade vs to repentance CHAP. XVII Of the third motiue to Repentance the necessity of Repentance considered first in regard of the benefits of God THe third motiue to perswade to repentance 3 The necessity of Repentance In regard of I take from the necessity of Repentance How necessary it is for euery sinner to repent to turne from sin and to returne vnto the Lord will appeare if we consider First the benefits of God towards vs. Secondly the patience and long suffering of God Thirdly the shortnesse of our life Fourthly the certainety of death Fiftly the vncertainety of the houre of death Sixtly the certainety of the iudgement to come Seauenthly the vncertainety of the day of iudgement Eightly the punishment of impenitent sinners First the benefits of Almighty God shewed vnto vs 1 The benefits of God are so manifold and his goodnesse so great that wee ought thereby to be mooued to repentance for when we were not the Lord God by his omnipotent power created vs of nothing he made vs something and not of the meanest sort of the creatures but the most excellent creatures vpon the earth little lesse then the Angels for besides the comely proportion of the body God a Gen. 2. 7. breathed into man the breath of life gaue him a reasonable and an vnderstanding soule whereby wee might kgow God and his Sonne Christ Iesus whom to know is eternall life Of this speakes S. Augustine thus b Non eram creastime nihil fueram de nihilo me aliquid fecifli quale antem aliquid non stillam aquae non ignem non aueÌ„ vel piscem non serpentem vel aliquid ex brâ—tis animalibus non lapidem c. paulò minus pareÌ„ me creasti Angelis quia rationeÌ„ te cognoscendi cum ipsis à te communem accepi Aug. Soliloq cap. 7. I was not and thou didst create me I was nothing and of nothing thou hast made me something and what something not a drop of water not fire not a bird or a fish not a serpent nor any of those brutish creatures neither hast thou made mee a stone c. and thou hast made mee little lesse then the Angels because thou hast giuen mee reason and vnderstanding with them to know thee And God hath not onely created vs excellent creatures but c Gen. 1. 31. good yea hath created vs in d Gen. 1. 27. his owne image expounded by the Apostle to be e Ephes 3. 24. righteousnesse and true holinesse Moreouer hauing so created vs by his carefull prouidence he still prouideth things necessary for vs foode and raiment and all things conuenient for this present life Furthermore he protecteth defendeth vs from perills dangers besides all this he hath bestowed one incomparable and vnspeakable benefit vpon vs he hath giuen vs his Son Iesus Christ to die for vs to shed his bloud for vs that hee might saue vs from perishing that he might redeeme vs from the bondage of Sathan and ransome vs from the power of the diuell that he might preserue our soule from hell and bring vs to euerlasting life He hath giuen vs his Sonne and with him all things as saith the Apostle f Rom. 8. 32. Hee that spared not his owne Sonne but deliuered him vp for vs all how shall he not with him also freely giue vs all things He giueth vs the liberall vse of the creatures both to feede vs and cloath vs hee giueth vs also spirituall foode for our soules the word and Sacraments he giues vs the Sun the Moone the Starres those glorious lights of Heauen to lighten vs hee hath giuen his Angelâ— charge ouer vs to guard vs and prepared Heauen at the last to receiue vs. All which the Lord our God hath done for vs not for any merite or desert in vs for we were g Rom. 5. 6. 8. 10. sinners and vngodly we were his enemies but of his meere mercy and h Ephes 2. 4. loue wherewith he loued vs in Christ Iesus O the incomparable loue of God towards vs miserable and wretched sinners Now shall not the consideration of these benefits of Vse Almighty God be sufficient to bring vs to repentance Gods benefits toward vs should work in vs Repentance and binde vs to obedience hath God made vs so good and shall we be so euill hath hee created vs in holinesse and righteousnesse and shall we be so vnholy and vnrighteous doth not
vpon him y Psal 50. 15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble And the Apostle bids vs z Heb. 4. 16. come boldly vnto the throne of grace Secondly I confesse that by reason of our vnworthinesse we haue need of a mediatour to make intercession for vs but what Mâ—diatour Not any of the Saints of God but onely the mediation of the Sonne of God For the Apostle saith a 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God one Mediatour betweene God and men the man Christ Iesus And Christ Iesus is the mediatour not onely of Redemption but also of Intercession as S. Paul also saith b Rom. 8. 34. It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for vs. And Christ himselfe saith c Ioh. 16. 23. Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you S. Paul saith that Christ is our Mediatour and he that maketh intercession for vs. And Christ himselfe will haue vs to pray vnto the Father in his name promising that whatsoeuer wee shall aske the Father in his name he will giue it vs he saith not whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in the name of S. Peter or S. Paul or in the name of the Virgin Marie he will giue it you but in my name that is in the name of Christ Iesus Thirdly the ancient Fathers of the Church doe not approoue of the mediation of Saints S. Chrysostome saith Aâ—que homines si qu â—ndo exorare oportet â—anitoribus prius occurâ—ere câ—nucnit parasitisque histrionibusque suadere c. In Deo nihil est tale Sine mediatore exorabilis est Chrys de paenit Hom. 4. If a man haue a suâ—e to great men hee must first meete with the Porters and come in by their leaue then hee must speake his followers â—â—ire c. In God there is no such thing he will be entreated without a mediatour And S. Ambrose saith e Ideo ad Regem per tribunos aut comites itur quia homo vtique est rex c. Ad DeuÌ„ autem quem vtique nihiâ— lateâ— omnium enim merita nouit promerendum suffragatore non opuâ— est sed mente deuota Amb. in Rom. 1. We goe vnto the King by mediation of his Officers his Lords and Nobles because the King is but a man c. But he that commeth vnto God who knoweth all things and nothing is hid from him hath no neede of any one to speake for him to doe him a pleasure but onely a deuoute minde To conclude seing that the dead are ignorant of vs and our affaires seeing that the dead know not what the liuing doe and seeing that it is altogether vncertaine and doubtfull whether the Saints departed heare vs and that it is most certaine and without all doubt that the Lord our God heareth vs and knoweth what things we haue need of Why then should we pray vnto Saints And wherefore is it that men will bee so blinded to choose rather that which is vncertaine then to hold fast and sticke to that which is certaine Doubtlesse the Lord is our God and will heare vs Our Father and knoweth what things wee haue neede of Our Redeemer and will helpe and deliuer vs though Abraham be ignorant of vs and though Israel and the Saints departed acknowledge vs not CHAP. V. Shewing for whom we ought to pray and First of praying for The Liuing TO whom we ought to pray hath bene declared The third thing in regard of the persons 3 For whom we are to pray Two sorts whom prayer concerneth is for whom we are to pray And they are of two sorts for we are to pray First for our seluers 1 For our selues Twofold Secondly for others First for our selues and that either generally including 1 Generally others as when we pray Our father Giue vs and forgiue vs c or a Mat. 6. 9. 11. 12. Particularly in regard of our owne priuate wants or dangers either of body or soule as Dauid praieth 2 Particularly b Psal 69. 1. Saue me ô God c Psal 51. 1. haue mercy vpon me ô God And as the penitent publicane praieth d Luk. 18. 13. God be mercifull to me a sinner Secondly for others which praiers for others are 2 For others properly called e 1 Tim. 2. 1. Intercessions and these Intercessions or praiers made in the behalfe of others I consider two waye Twofold First affirmatiuely in regard of the liuing for whom 1 For the liuing we are to pray Secondly negatiuely in regard of the dead for whom we are not to pray Twofold First we are to pray for the liuing and that either 1 Generally For all Generally for all or Particularly for some certaine persons For the First We are to make praiers for all which the Apostle exhorteth vnto saying f 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications praiers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men What must we pray for all men for wicked and vngodly men yea for all for all of all sorts for wicked Quest bad men as long as there is any hope of their amendment Answ An ancient Father demands wherefore the Apostle would haue vs to pray for all men seeing that there are so many wicked and vngodâ—y men on the face of the earth And he answereth himselfe saying g Forsitan aliqua fiet eorum mutatio Chrys aâ— pop Antio Hom. 69. It may be they may be changed and altered from their euilâ— course of life They that are now bad may become good We are to pray for euill men then that they may be amended we are to pray for good men also that they may be bettered and for those that are amended and bettered that they may perseuere and continue in their goodnesse But the Lord forbids Ieremie the prophet to pray for Obiect the people h Jer. 11. 14. Pray not thou for this people neither lift vp a cry or prayer for them for I will not heare them c. And S. Iohn saith i 1 John 5. 16. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not vnto death be shall aske he shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death there is a sinne vnto death I doe not say that he shall pray for it I answere we may and ought Answ to pray for all men except they be knowne to be such rebellious and obstinate sinners as those were for which Ieremie must not pray namely such as were obdurate and whose hearts were hardned that they would not returne Or if they be not such who through Apostasie fall away wholy from God and the knowne truth and so of Christian professours become professed aduersarieâ— to the truth for which S. Iohn will not haue vs to pray because they sinne