as manie as they were they were all pardoned forgiuen and remitted Why then should any doubt or despaire of mercie because his sinnes are great as his sins are great so let his repentance bee good and let him not feare Esa 1.18 Though his sinnes were as crimsin they shall bee made white as snow though they were red like skarlet they shal be as wooll Aug. in lib. â—e â—litoâ—e â—gâ—â—d penâ— Let no man despaire saith Augustine the wickednes which he committed did not so much cause Iudas the traitour vtterlie to perish as his despaire of mercy to the same effect saith Ambrose Let no man distrust let no man being guilty of his old sinnes Amb. super Luâ— lib. 2. despaire of the diuine rewardes the Lord knoweth how to chaunge his sentence if thou knowest how to chaunge thine offence Q. I if he changes it in time but he this hath delaied till death and now he feares it comes too late R. If it comes in life and comes then in truth when it comes it comes not too late as one saith It is neuer too late if euer it be true for the Lord himselfe testifieth that at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes he will put them all out of his remembrance and what is he that dares distrust him whom will he beleeue that will not beleeue him it is an hard thing not to beleeue a man when he speakes the truth but it is an harder not to beleeue God when hee sweares to the truth Now saith the Lord as I liue Ezek. 33.11 I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his waie and liue Tertullia in hunc loc He inuiteth by reward he promiseth saluation he desireth to bee beleeued swearing O blessâ—d they for whose cause God doth sweare O most wretched we if we do not beleeue the Lord swearing Hee that beleeueth not God saith Iohn 1. Ioh. 5.10 hath made him a liar If hee will not make God a liar which is the truth it selfe and hath sworne by himselfe that that is true which is spoken by himselfe let him beleeue God that his repentance will not come too late if it comes at all that he might not doubt God hath confirmed asmuch by deed as he hath affirmed by word he pardoneth the theefe repenting at the last gaspe when he was vpon the crosse readie to yeeld vp the ghost hee did but say Luc. 23.42.43 Lord remember me wheÌ„ thou comest into thy kingdome and immediatly againe Iesus said vnto him verilie I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in paradise as Chrysostome saith he needed not so much as one day to repent himselfe Chrysost homil 27. vpon Genesis Cyprian in his first treatise against Demetrian what speake I of one day no he needed not one houre so great is the mercie of God toward vs. VVhat Cyprian therefore writeth to another let him take as spoken to himselfe Although thou doest at thy verie departing out of this worlde and going downe of this temporall life pray vnto God for the sinnes who is the true and only God calling vpon him with a faithfull confession and acknowledging both of thine offences and of his truth thus confessing and beleeuing thou hast free pardon and forgiuenesse giuen and granted vnto thee of the meere goodnesse and mercie of God And in the verie death euen assoone as thou hast giuen vp the ghost thou passest vnto immortalitie For as the same Cyprian againe other where writeth Cyprian in his sermon of the Lords Supper In that verie moment of time euen when the soule is readie to depart away from the bodie and is euen at the lippes of the partie to yeeld vp the Spirit the goodnesse of our most mercifull God refuseth not repentance and whatsoeuer is trulie done is neuer too late done August ser 59. de verbis domini and as Augustine saith Whensoeuer anie man turneth himselfe vnto God all things vtterlie are forgiuen him let no man be doubtfull least any thing happily be not forgiuen As Isidore saith Isid de summo bono lib. 2. Let no man despaire of pardon although he turnes not to repentance till the end of his life For God iudges euery man according to his end and not according to his life bypast and againe In the life of maÌ„ the end is to be sought Ibidem because God respects not what kind of ones before wee liued but what kind of ones we were about the end of our life So then it repents him at length of his sins that hath liued long in his sins let him not thinke his repentance comes too late For it is better to repent late then neuer Late workes good as you haue heard neuer brings death as you may reade Luk. 13.5 Except ye repent ye shall perish Neither let him be euer the more vnwilling to die because his repentance comes late For well he dies that dies repenting and what should he be vnwilling to die that shall die well when hee doth die to that a man should neuer be vnwilling which either he knowes he can or hee is sure he shall doe well either ignorance to doe a thing or assurance that he shall not do it wel is that which makes a man vnwilling to doe it at all Insomuch therefore as he knowes hee must die because he is mortall and that hee may die well if he repents let him neuer bee vnwilling to die that is willing to repent but let him repent earnestlie because he repents late that he may die blessedlie because he repents at all Apoc. 14.13 For blessed are they which die in the Lord and die in the Lord do they which by repentance turne vnto the Lord. Q. Your counsaile is good commend it hee must obey it he would but as yet he thinkes not himselfe fitted thereto R. VVat lackes he yet Q. The trimming of his tombe the making of his graue the getting of things necessarie for the celebrating of his funeral R. And is he for these things vnwilling to dye The further hee goes the simpler hee is did he know or consider what it is to be with Christ in heauen he would neuer be desirous for a graue to stay from him here on earth If he neuer hath any at all it is little to him The losse of a sepulture is nothing Hee is couered with heauen which is not couered with earth He that is sure to be couered with that what neede he care whether he be couered with the other There shall no other thing betide him if hee bee so serued than hath betided many other both better and greater than hee And what should that trouble him when hee hath many in the same miserie to accompany him The prouerbe is The miserie of many sweetens the misery of any If he lookes well about him he shall finde many in this predicament Pompey the great
scripture you reade of no more that were accepted which so repented Q. But that moe are accepted may thereof be collected R. But that all shall can no waies be concluded There is reason more why hee was than there is that others shall As Christ that was crucified was crucified that man might be saued so while he suffered he would needs shew the vertue of his suffring that all which saw the one with their eyes might acknowledge the other in their heartes And therefore the theefe was then called which in former times did seeme to haue been despised There is no such reason now For why Christ hath suffred and the vertue of his suffering is perceiued Q. I inferre not that all shall but I enforce that some may And herein doe I amisse for may not a man finde grace at the last if hee repent R. Neither say I that herein you doe amisse for I deny not but a man may finde grace at last I auouch not that he shall He may for Chrysostome saith Châ—yâ—â—st 〈◊〉 7. sup â—â—n The theefe on the Crosse needed not so much as one day to repent himselfe what speake I of one day no hee needed not one houre so great is the mercie of God toward vs. And againe Iâ—â—◠〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 â—â—pâ— that theefe that hung vpon the crosse needed not any length and prolixitie of time that hee might winne entrance into paradise so much time serued his turne as he might be dispatched in whilest he might vtter one speech so that within one moment of time being freed from the offences of his whole life he gatte fauour to goe before the Apostles into paradise Cyprian also saith Câ—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 Although thou dost at thy verie departing out of this world and going downe of this temporall life pray vnto God for thy sinnes who is the true and onely God calling vpon him with a faythfull confession and an acknowledging both of thine offences and of his trueth thus confessing and beleeuing thou hast free pardon and forgiuenes giuen and graunted vnto thee of the meer goodnes and mercy of God And in the verie death assoone as thou hast giuen vp the ghost Ibid. thou passest vnto immortalitie And againe no man is letted either by sinnes or by yeares to come to the obtayning of saluation as long as a man is yet abiding or remayning in this world no repentance is too late the gate is open vnto pardon and forgiuenes and they that seeke the truth shal haue an easie accesse vnto it c. As before In another place Idem in ser de cena dom Heb. 12.17 Gen. 25.33 In that very moment of time euen when the soule is readie to depart from the bodie and is euen at the lippes of the party to yeeld vp the spirite the goodnes of our most mercifull God refuseth not repentance And whatsoeuer is truly done is neuer too late done But all this notwithstanding I say not that he shall for he that will not when he may when hee would sayth reason shall haue nay Yee knowe sayth the Apostle to the Hebrewes How that afterwards to witte when Esau had sold his birth right for a messe of pottage when Esau would haue inherited the blessing August serm 36. he was reiected For hee found no place to repentance though he sought the blessing with teares Augustine of this very matter in hand saith thus If any man set in the extreame necessitie of his sickenes would take repentance and doth take it and is by and by reconciled and so departeth hence Whether he went well hence or no I know not repentance we may graunt him but securitie we cannot giue him I say not truely that he shall be condemned neither doe I yet say that he shal be saued Wilt thou therefore be freed from the doubt hold that which is certaine let goe that which is vncertaine Worke thou repentaÌ„ce whiles thou art whole and sound If thou doest so I say vnto thee that thou art safe because in that time thou repentedst in which thou mightst haue sinned If thou wilt then repent when thou canst sin no more thy sinnes haue then forsaken thee and not thou thy sins And by this is made manifest what I desired to manifest But if I must further manifest it Ibid. Augustine againe saith He whome sickenes and paine scarreth rarely to true repentance commeth for latewarde repentance vseth to deceiue many Experience also testifieth that there was one theefe reiected aswell as one receiued one damned aswell as one saued one punished aswell as one pardoned Q. Presently then it seemes you would haue a man to prepare for death R. I would so and in so willing I hope I would nothing but what I may well will and should willingly wish For the scripture in many places both willeth and wisheth To day sayth Dauid if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Psal 95.7.8 Eccles 9.10 All that thine hand shall finde to doe doe it with all thy power In the morning sow thy seed and in the euening let not thine hand rest for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or whether both shall bee alike good Eccles 12.1 And againe Remember now thy creatour in the dayes of thy youth whiles the euill dayes come not nor the yeares approach wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them Syr. 5. 7. Make no tarying sayth Syrach to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lorde breake forth and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed and thou shalt perish in the time of vengeance And againe 18.20 Humble thy selfe before thou bee sicke and whilest thou maiest yet sinne shew thy conuersion Quae fecisse voles hoc tempore quo morieris Haec facias quando corpore sanus eris Saith an olde Poet What thou would'st haue done at such time as thou shalt dye Those things doe in such time as thy health shall be hye Q. But if I may aske why doe you and the scripture will thus much R. The reasons thereof and for are many If I shall recount some of them vnto you I will Q. Doe so I beseech you For this talke is more wholesome than yrkesome R. The scripture therefore doth perswade a man in the present time to prepare himselfe to death and not to delaye till the future first because the present time is certaine and ours the future is vncertaine and none of ours For who can assure himselfe of one day to liue that hath alreadie many dayes liued surely no man As Seneca saith Seneca Young men haue death behinde their backes olde men before their faces This therefore is the saying of Christ our sauiour Be ye therefore prepared Wherefore because the sonne of man will come in an houre when ye thinke not Luk. 12.40 This also is the saying of Seneca whom I mentioned euen now
mans words were these Psal 39.4 Lord let me know mine end and the measure of my dayes what it is let me know how long I haue to liue The second these 90.12 Teach vs so to number our dayes that wee may apply our heartes vnto wisedome The third these Tob. 3.6 Deale with me as seemeth best vnto thee and commaund my spirit to bee taken from me that I may be dissolued and become earth for it is better for mee to dye than to liue For this therefore should we both labour and pray a worke of nature it is not to bee prepared for death but a worke of grace must proceed from God not from man That which proceedeth from God must by prayer be asked of God That man therefore may meditate of his death he must craue grace of God to enable him to frame himselfe to death that so he may not altogether be vnprouided for death and thus you see by what a man may be induced to thinke of his death which is the first thing that he is to regarde in his life that he be not taken vnawares by death Q. I doe so and I remayne your debt our therfore But now hauing seene what was there well worthie to bee seene I will craue that we may passe to the second that there I may also see what meete is to be seene R. Your will be done Q What therefore may be the sting of death which you sayd he was daily to take from death which was desirous in life to prepare for death R. Nothing else but sinne For as the Apostle Paul saith 1. Cor. 15.56 The sting of death is sin Q. But why is sinne compared to a sting R. For the likenes that sinne hath with a sting For as those things which haue stings do wound by their stings so doth death by sinne For death entred into the world by sinne Rom. 5.12 Had not sinne been death could neuer haue done hurt Againe as those things which haue stings can do no hurt if their stings be out for a man may cary a snake in his bosome the sting being out so no more can death if her sting be out sinne being gone death hath no more dominion Q. But how shall a man get this sting out R. By two meanes 1. by humbling himselfe in the time present for all his sinnes past partly confessing them against himselfe with the prodigall child Luk. 15.21 and partly crauing pardon of them at Gods hands with the poore Publican 2. 18.13 by turning of himselfe vnto God for the time to come euer carying as in him lies a purpose resolution and endeuour in all things to reforme both heart and life affection and action will and worke according to the direction of Gods most blessed word Q. Are you sure of what you sa yt R. I were else to blame so to say For it is written Deut. 27.18 Cursed be he that maketh the blinde goe out of his way And he maketh the blinde goe out of the way that teacheth the ignorant contrary to the right way Q. Can you make it to me to appeare R. I verily if you will see when it doth appeare Q. I pray you do it then for I will see it if you doe it R. And I will do it that you may see it For the first therefore thus saith Salomon He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper Pro. 28.13 but he that confesseth them and forsaketh them shall haue mercie Psal 32.5 Thus also saith Dauid I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee O God neither hid I mine iniquitie For I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Selah Therefore shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou maiest be found surely in the floud of great waters they shall not come neere him Rom. 10.13 Selah Thus also Paul Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued And I thinke by the vndoubted testimonie of these three that very thing doth appeare which I would haue to appeare for where two are enough three will well serue But to proceede because I must not dwell where I am Ezek. 18.21 for the second Ezekiel sayth thus If the wicked will returne from all his sinnes that hee hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and not dye all his transgressions that he hath committed shall not be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnes that he hath done he shall liue Haue I any desire that the wicked should dye saith the Lord God or shall he not liue if he returne from his wayes Againe When the wicked turneth a way from his wickednes that he hath committed and doth that which is lawfull and right he shall saue his soule aliue because he considereth turneth away from all his transgressions that hee hath committed he shall surely liue and shall not dye And Daniel counselling Nebuchadnezar the king how to escape the wrath which he feared and saw threatned saith thus Dan. 4.24 Breake off thy sins by righteousnes and thine iniquities by mercie toward the poore loe let there be an healing of thine errour Besides by these meanes the Prodigall sonne tooke away the sting of his death the Publican the sting of his death and Zacheus the Tribute-taker the sting of his daeth the one had no sooner said Luk. 15.21 Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee am no more worthy to be called thy sonne but his father saith to his seruants bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feete and bring the fat calfe and kill him and let vs eate and be mery For this my sonne was dead and is aliue againe and he was lost but he is found againe The other had no sooner sayd 18.13 O God be mercifull to me a sinner but it was said of him this man departed to his house iustified The third had no sooner said 19.8 beholde Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore If I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore him fourefolde but Iesus againe said vnto him this day is saluation come into thine house for asmuch as thou also art become the sonne of Abraham By the same meanes also some others did the like By their doings others also may learne For what was effectuall in them will not be vnfrutefull in others so others be as faithfull as they For as the Apostle saith Rom. 15.4 Whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope But it may be I haue spoken enough of this matter and you haue a good minde to heare somewhat of some other Q. You are to vse
Wherefore cryest thou vnto me Exod. 14.15 When death therefore assailes me all sences external failes so as the sicke bee vtterly vnable to pray with tongue yet if through the instigation of others he be willing thereto that his will to praier is as good as if he did pray for as Dauid saith Psal 10.17 145.19 God heares the desires of the poore and he will fulfill the desires of them that feare him he also will heare their cry and will saue them And this he speakes as if the sighes sobs and grones of a repentant and beleeuing heart were praiers before God as well as the supplicatory words of a loud and mournfull crying tongue but to stay further speech of this though I might make much more you see many speake and vnderstand well to their last gaspe and they I think may vse their tongues in praier aswel as their hearts Q. There are but a few that doe so and seldome when it is that any doe so R. Yes vndoubtedly they are many that doe so and such times fall out often and neither is greatly to bee marueiled at for why As good words either of God and godlines or to God and his goodnes are sighes of a true and timely faith so often doth God enable many to the last point of their liues both to speake and to vse many good words to his glory their owne comfort and others great good If you will looke either into the Scriptures or into other histories you shall find there many good men to haue spoken to the last and to haue vsed merueilous good words at the last In the nine and fourtieth of Genesis the last words of Iaâ—kob were prophecies of blessings and curses vpon his children the duration of gouernement in Israel and ardent praier for his owne good Amongst all and other things by him there said these are neither least nor last Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah and the Law-giuer from betweene his feete till Shilo come And againe O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In the two and three and thirteth of Deuteronomie Deu 32.35 the last words of Moses were his most excelleÌ„t song conteining the benefites of God toward his people and their ingratitude towards him and Moses his blessing wherewith he blessed the children of Israel before his death the words are better for you there to reade then forme heere to repeat referring you thither therefore there to reade them heere for this time I willingly omit them In the second of Samuel and the three and twentieth Chapter the last words of Dauid were The spirit of the Lord spake by mee 2. Sam. 23.1 and his word was in my tongue the God of Israel spake vnto mee the strength of Israel said Beare rule ouer me c. In the foure and twentieth of the second booke of Chronicles the last wordes of Zacharias the sonne of Iehoiada 2. Chro. 24.22 when he was stoned were these The Lord looke vpon it and require it the last words of our Sauiour Christ when he was dying vpon the crosse as they were many admirable so they were full of spirituall grace and comfortable Mat. 27.46 First speaking to his Father he said 1. Eli Eli Luk. 23.34 Luk. 23.43 lamasabachtani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 2. Father forgiue them they know not what they doe 2. to the theefe he said Ioh. 19.26.27 c. Verilie I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise 3. to his mother he said Woman behold thy Sonne and to Iohn Behold thy mother 4. Earnestly desiring our saluation he said I thirst 5. Hauing made perfect satisfaction vnto God for mans offence he said Luk. 23.48 It is finished Lastly when body and soule were parting hee said againe vnto God Father into thine haÌ„ds I commend my spirit Act. 7.56.59.60 the last words of Steuen were these 1. Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God 2. Lord Iesu receiue my spirit 3. Lord lay not this sinne to their charge In other writers you may see the last words of others and those very good all spoken at the last cast of life Euseb lib. 4 cap. 15. At the last and as the last thus spake Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna Thou art a true God without lying therefore in all things I praise thee and blesse thee and glorifie thee by the eternall God and high Priest Iesus Christ thine only sonne by whom and with whome to thee and the holy spirit be all glory now and for euer And thus Ignatius Bishop of Antioch Id. lib. 3. c. 30. I care not what kinde of death I die I am the bread of the Lord must be grounde with the teeth of Lions that I may be cleane bread for Christ who is the bread of life for me And thus Ambrose Bishop of Millaine Paulinus in vita eius I haue not so lead my life among you as if I were ashamed to liue Neither doe I feare death because we haue a good Lord. Possidonius in vita Augustini And thus Augustine Bishop of Hippo. 1. He is no great man that thinkes it no great matter that trees and stones fall and mortall men die 2. Iust art thou ô Lord and righteous is thy iudgement Foxe preface to Luthers Comment vpon the Psalmes of degrees And thus Luther comparable to the chiefest as Master Foxe once said My heauenly father God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ and God of all comfort I giue thee thanks that thou hast reuealed vnto me thy sonne Iesus Christ whome I haue beleeued whome I haue professed whome I haue loued whome I haue praised whome the Bishop of Rome and the whole company of the wicked persecuteth and reuileth I pray thee my Lord Iesus Christ receiue my poore soule my heauenly Father though I be taken from this life and this bodie of mine is to be laide downe yet I know certainely that I shall remaine with thee for euer neither shall any be able to pull me out of thy hands And thus Bishop Hooper O Lord Iesus sonne of Dauid haue mercie on me and receiue my soule And thus Annas Burgius Forsake mee not O Lord least I forsake thee And thus Melancthon if it be the will of God I am willing to die and I beseech him that he will graunt me a ioyfull departure and to the like effect many others But to speake of them al were too much the examples of those good men that at the last end of their liues haue expressed their notable faith in God and his Christ are infinite and therefore too many as well for me to recite as for you to remember As these which I haue mentioned may suffice to shew what many haue done so may they well serue to signifie what all should do for good words by the good are
shall haue nay Q. I marrie that is that which troubles him R. The fault is his owne why should that trouble him either he might haue done it before his sicknesse or in the beginning of his sicknes Q. He might so but in his health he thought not of sicknes and in the beginning of his sickenes he hoped for health R. In neither he did them as hee should and ought Q That cannot now bee holpen the time past is irreuocable R. Neither must he therefore be euer the more vnwilling to die though hee hath not disposed of his goods there are that will dispose of them neuer let him feare that his goods shall lacke owners Whilest he liues they are wished desired and expected when hee is dead they will bee enioyed and possessed Q. That is that which grieues him for by this meanes they goe not to whom he would R. But they shall goe to whom God wil and that ought to content him for hee is the Lord of them and as he gaue them to him ere he had them so he will deriue them to others when he shall leaue them better it may bee nay assuredlie he will dispose of them then euer he would or could he trieth the heart and searcheth the reines hee knoweth what is in man better then man hee can tell for whom they are fit and for whom vnfit For whom they are most fit on them hee will bestow them this is more then any man can doe for he is blinde and cannot see he is affectionate and cannot iudge who is the fittest to haue this or that much or little something or nothing what then for his goods should anie man be vnwilling to die let him leaue them to the disposing of him that disposed them to him and let him neuer doubt but they shal be disposed well inough there is no disposer like him none comparable to him none that can doe as he doth In this regarde he needes neuer be vnwilling to leaue either them or the world Q. No more it may be he would these things you haue said being once and well considered If so his sinnes were pardoned and remitted but he hath not so much as repented him of them and that doth much affright him R. The fault is his owne and no bodie is to be blamed for it but himselfe why did hee delay so long who doth hinder him now what meanes he to driue off further doth he thinke to liue the longer for that as to die the better Q. What his thoughts are I know not but loath he is to die for it I am sure R. How loath soeuer he is die hee must and he had best to looke to it in time if he dies in his sinnes he shall rise againe with his sins and in the end he shal be condemned for his sinnes he might better carie anie thing with him then his sinnes that burden wil bow him downe to hell Q. The feare of that makes him loath to dye R. Why doth it not also cause him soone to repent of the twaine this it should soonest effect therefore in deede it is laide vpon him let him not neglect his time whatsoeuer is ill deferred is worse omitted except he repents he perishes and what will he perish Q. He would not R. Why then repents he not Q. He feareth it will not be accepted R. Why doth hee not more feare to bee condemned If once hee sheweth his vnfeigned repentance neuer let him feare Gods gratious acceptance Act. 17.40 Ion. 6.37 Ezek. 18.21.22 Chrisost in lib. de reparat lap He that cals euery man thereto reiects no man therefore At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of all his sinnes from the bottome of his heart he will put them out of his remembrance saith the Prophet God neuer despiseth repentance if it be offered vnto him simply and sincerelie although a man comes to the height of euils yet if he wil returne thence to the way of vertue he takes him willinglie and embraces him louinglie For repentance is not weighed by the length of time but by the sinceritie of the affection The theefe which hung vpon the crosse needed not the prolixitie of time that therein he might merite entrance into paradise but so much time sufficed him as would serue him to vtter one speach Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy kingdome so that in one moment of time being absolued from the sinnes of his whole life he was thought meete to goe before the Apostles into paradise If thus the Lord dealt with him let him not thinke he will deale otherwise with him this example is recorded for his instruction and for the consolation of all that in true saith with vnfeigned repentance turne vnto the Lord. Q. And therefore not for his for his hope is small because his sinnes are great and his repentance is not good because it comes not in time R. If his hope be small so it be somewhat at all let him say with Dauid let mee not bee disappointed of my hope If his repentance be not good let him pray with the people in the lamentations of Ieremie Lam. 5.21 Turne thou vs vnto thee ô Lord and we shall bee turned renue our daies as of old Whatsoeuer they either be so they both at all be let him not thinke but that which is written for the instruction of any and the consolation of all that repent is also written for his one amongst any or all he is What though his sinnes be great yet the mercies of God are greater saith an auncient writer Gods mercie is greater then mans iniquitie and if it were not so how could any sinne be pardoned any trespas remitted any offence forgiuen and couered Lam. 3.22 His mercie it is saith Ieremie that we are not cōsumed as if his mercie were not our sinnes would worke our destruction the wages of sinne saith Paul is death Rom. 6.23 but eternal life is the gift and mercie of God through Christ Bern. in quod serm As Barnard therefore saith in a certaine sermon of his so may it well bee said to him that is so hardly conceited of his owne sinnes and Gods mercies Let not your conscience hinder you because where sinnes haue abounded there grace hath been wanting to superabound the truth of this is to bee seene in diuerse mentioned in Scripture who haue bin accepted to mercie the greatnes of their sins notwithstanding Examples for this purpose are Dauid Salomon Manasses the prodigall Sonne Marie Magdalen the Theefe vpon the crosse the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul these all found grace to haue more abounded where sin much abounded for these all were receiued into fauour how euer their sinnes many for number and mightie for measure deserued nothing but eternall wrath and displeasure some of them confessed their sinnes to bee as many as the haires on their heads more then the sands too heauie for them to beare yet as great and
and not in another Gal. 6.4 Mat. 7.8 Ioh 16.23.14.13 Whosoeuer asketh receiueth he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you Whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I doe that the father may be glorified in the sonne And againe Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued The prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Rom. 10.13 Iam. 5.15 and the Lord shall rayse him vp and if he haue committed sinne it shall be forgiuen him For the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent And last of all thus He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper Pro. 28.13 but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy If we acknowledge our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1.9 he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnes And thus I haue produced some parte of that you wished Now if you thinke your question aunswered my speech to the sicke mans second dutie shall bee conuerted Q. So let it For as my question is answered so my minde is satisfied R. I am nothing sory therefore Q. Nor I any thing grieued thereat Now then what may bee the dutie that lyeth vpon the sicke in regarde of himselfe R. You might rather haue sayd what be the duties for they are many For man consisteth it is well knowen of two parts a soule and a body And according to these seuerall parts there lyes vpon him seuerall dutyes But for so much as his soule is his principall part his principall care must be for that Q. And concerning that what must he principally care for R. Two things ouer and aboue that which hath been said touching his reconcilement vnto God Q. What be those R. The first this that he munites it against the paines of his sickenes least they prouoke him to impatiencie The second this that he armes and fences it against all immoderate and inordinate feare of death least that incites him to despaire and so he comes to misse what he should most aime at Q What is that R. A good and happie death Because that after that there followes a most happie and blessed life For they which dye well dye not to dye but to liue eternally Q But how shall a man that is sicke munite and fence his soule against the paines of his sickenes R. By considering sixe or seuen things both then and other when worthie much and good consideratiō but especially in his paynes and vpon his paynes Q. What may those things be R. These which heere follow The first this that his sickenes and disease is sent vnto him of God which is rich in mercy and plenteous in goodnes and truth and also loueth him in Christ The second this that the payne which he suffreth is nothing to that which the Lord could lay vpon him The third this that the payne which he suffers heere vpon earth in his mortall bodie is nothing to that which he hath merited to suffer The fourth this that there is not any almost of all the Saints of God which hath not been subiect to the like paynes sickenesses diseases The fifth this that the payne which he suffereth how great soeuer it be is nothing to the ioy which he expecteth if so in Christ Iesus he beleeueth The sixt this that Christ himselfe suffred as many and as great paynes as he doth or may and more and greater ere euer he entred into glory The seauenth and last though not the least this that Christ his captaine now in glory seeth and beholdeth all his seruants which are in miserie Q. All very good things I assure you But what will each and euery of those doe asmuch as you pro-duce and propound them for R. You neede neuer make question of that to what other end haue I either produced or propounded them Q. Many things are frustrated of their end and so may these things be R. If it be so the fault is not in the things themselues but in those that peruert and abuse the things Q. Where the fault is I well know not but oft times so it is R. I deny not that but when that is it is through the ignorance of the things or through the mis-applying them Q. Why thinke you these things propounded so good that effect according they will take if both they be knowen and well applyed R. Yea that I doe and good reason I haue so to thinke Q. Shew that for each of them and I so will euer after the more thinke of them and the better esteeme them R. Vpon that condition I will For well I would haue you to thinke of them and worthily I wish you may esteeme of them Q. Begin then R. And I will What should the creature resist the creator the clay the potter the worke the worke-master when God himselfe the creatour of man inflictes sicknes vpon man the creature what should man grudgingly vnwillingly and impatiently take either it or the paynes thereof Pro. 27.6 The woundes of a louer saith Salomon are faithfull Much more should the stripes of the almightie be counted friendly sith he himselfe is wondrous louing And what should a man striue and storme against him that beates him in loue for loue from thence he should rather gather first that God correcteth him of loue as a father and punisheth him not of hatred as a iudge For whome the Lord loueth he chasteneth Heb. 12.6 and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth If ye endure chastening God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes for what sonne is it whome the father chasteneth not Secondly that God will lay no more vpon him than he will make him able to beare for saith Paul God is faithfull 1. Cor. 10.13 which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able to beare Thirdly that God wil giue good euent in his time Ibidem For God will giue the issue with the temptation that ye may be able to beare it And these things considered what shuld he impatiently beare what necessarily must be borne when that which is layd is nothing to that which might be layed and that by him that layeth what is laid what should it vnwillingly bee borne with him that is sicke the case is so For what doth one member paine him God could cause all to torment him Doth his heart grieue him God could enlarge his heart and therein augment his paine Is he troubled in soule God could cast him into desperation Is he afflicted both in body and soule God could cast both body and soule into hell Esa 38.18 And out of hell there is no redemption They which are there once must bee there euer Hence he may thus reason doth my head ake my heart ake my backe ake c. Yet is not my case like Iobs Iob. 2.7