is the Church How precious therefore both to Priest and people should this Hammer and Fire bee in a true account thereof within their soules Of Good-deeds SVCH are good workes as are and are done according to the will of GOD reuealed For the rule of wel-doing is not our wils who are but seruants but the Will of GOD who is our Maister whose will is Iust and the Rule of Iustice GOD being able to will nothing but right and good seeing Hee is Wisedome Truth and Goodnesse it selfe And a thing may be according to His Will and yet not be done of him that does it according to it A good deed is ill done if it bee not done for maner as wel as for matter according to the Will of GOD. For if a man do that that is good and thinke it is euill that man doth sinne Not onely because hee thinkes that euill which is not euill but also because he iudging it to bee euill yet doth it Euen as a man may lye when he speakes the truth if he thinke that is a lye which hee speaketh when hee speakes it Againe if a man do that whereof he doubteth and is not perswaded of the lawfulnesse thereof hee sinnes For whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne And finally though a man do a thing that is good yet if hee do it not to GODS Glory but for his owne or for base respects and not in way of obedience to GODS Commandements hee questionlesse commits a sinne A good man onely can do a good deed For an euill tree cannot bring forth good fruite and a corrupt fountaine can send forth no wholesome water Good deeds are necessary to saluation as the way to the Kingdome but not as the cause of reigning They are not the causes of saluation but the workes and testimonies of them that are to bee saued And they are not the matter nor forme of faith but they are true effects vndoubted tokens and vnseparable companions of true Faith and of true Charity if well performed For Faith and Charity are not idle and vnfruitfull but labourious and full of goodnesse And though our wel-doing be no cause of our Blessednesse yet it shall not want a reward but as wee doe abound therein in this world so shall we exceed in glory in the world to come The more wee flourish in fruit in this life the more wee shall flourish in felicity in the life to come But some haue beene heard to say they can do no good deeds they haue no riches they are but poore These are deceiued thou hast not a penny hast thou a prayer Thou hast no goods to giue hast thou good counsell Thou canst do no deeds of comfort hast thou any words of comfort Thou hast no bread hast thou a blessing Thy legs are lame thou canst not go well thy hands are lame thou canst not worke well hast thou a good tongue canst thou speake well There is no man so poore but he may benefite his neighbour one way or an other If any way it is a good deed if hee do it well And GOD accepts any thing a cup of cold water if there be no better the widdowes Mite euen any thing haire to the building of the Tabernacle a pin to the dressing of his Bride And suppose a man do a good deed to a wicked man yet if hee do it not for his wickednesse but either because he is a man or that hee may win him vnto goodnesse or shew himselfe a follower of GOD who is kind vnto His enemies and doth good euen to the wicked surely hee doth a good and shall not loose his reward And say that a man should bee kinde vnto some hypocrite thinking him to bee a Saint because hee could not discerne his simulations being so cunningly carried yet shall the benefactor bee rewarded of GOD Who regards his affection and seeth his heart and will recompense him according to his loue and not according to the condition of the party which did not deserue it If a mans benesicence proceeds of benevolence and bee performed in the name of CHRIST to the glory of GOD it shall neuer want a recompence For GOD is not not iniust to forget the labour of our loue and as men sow so shall they reape as they brue so shall they drinke Our gifts shall bee recompensed with glory our paines with pleasures our labours with life Do well and haue well Liue well and die well Hee that doth well to the Seruant for the Maisters sake shall be sure to receiue a reward from the Maister Himselfe It shall neuer be said that hee that was kind and louing to the Childe is vnkindly and hardly dealt with of the Father Let vs not therefore bee weary of wel-doing for in due season wee shall reape if wee faint not Of the knowledge of God ALL Men affect knowledge by a certaine instinct of nature How vnmanly a vice then is it to affect the ignorance of GOD our Maker Ruler and Redeemer Whose Nature Beauty and Perfection doth more excell all the world then all the world excels the meanest creature that is in it Wee study to know the nature and perfection of things that are by farre lesse worthy to be knowne Yea sometimes wee will search into things forbidden and sometimes take paines to know that which is not worthy of those paines Except wee know GOD how shall wee take Him alone to bee our GOD and not defile our selues with idols Vnlesse wee know Him how shall we loue Him how can we trust in Him how can wee serue Him Do men loue that they know not Will a man serue hee knowes not whom Will a man make account of that the worth or vse whereof is vnknowne vnto him Or will a man acknowledge and beleeue in one hee knowes not Wee are spirituall Priests and Princes is it for a Priest to bee ignorant of his GOD Doth it become a King to bee ignorant of the KING of Kings who set the Crowne on his head and put the Scepter into his hand Euen beasts and birds know their owners keepers feeders and is it a seeemely thing for man whom GOD hath made their Lord to bee ignorant of Him by whom they liue and moue and haue their being and long of Whose mercies it is that they are not consumed To know GOD rightly is a note of GODS people They shall all know Mee from the least of them euen to the greatest of them saith the LORD and an infallible argument of blessednesse This is life Eternall that they know thee the onely true GOD and IESVS CHRIST whom Thou hast sent who is very GOD blessed for euer On the contrary affected ignorance of GOD is the brand of wicked men who say vnto GOD Depart from vs for wee desire not the knowledge of Thy Waies This ignorance exposeth a man to the iudgements of GOD whose wrath is kindled by this sinne The LORD hath a controuersy with the inhabitants
yet his desire and endeuour should bee euer to liue and loue as one not of this world but redeemed from the world Many are Christians in name not so in deed for they that are CHRISTS do crucify the flesh and fleshly desires and are not ruled by their flesh but gouerned by His SPIRIT In vaine is hee called Christian that is in nothing like to CHRIST What will it pleasure a man to be reputed that hee is not Hee is indeed a Christian that resembles CHRIST his Maister that sheweth mercy to the miserable that feeleth the smart of others that being iniured breakes not forth vnto reuenge that can liue inglorious for the glory to bee reuealed that preferreth heauen to earth and GOD to Mammon that counts it his meate and drinke and pleasure to doe the Will of his Father that takes vp his Crosse in this life and beares it with patience and which iudges him onely happy in his death which dyeth either in CHRIST or for CHRIST CHRIST endured the Crosse before Hee obtained the Crowne and suffered Shame before Hee entred into His Glory O Christian thou art a delicate Souldier if thou thinkest to winne the field without fighting or to triumph without troubles For the whole life of a Christian if hee liue according to the Gospell is labour toyle trouble crosses Martyrdome Of the Ministers of Christ ALL the Apostles had equall power What Peter was all were what Peter could all could There was indeed amongst them disparity of gifts inequality in yeares difference in conditions but an identity of power an equality of authority all being equally partakers of one and the selfe-same Office of one and the selfe-same Power These had authority ouer nature to sure it ouer diuels to subdue them ouer all men to conuert them To these CHRIST IESVS gaue power to worke mighty wonders to bind and to loose to open and shut the dores of heauen These hee sent into the world as the Sunne his beames as the Rose her sweete smels and as the Fire his sparkles that as the Sunne appeareth in his beames as the Rose is perceiued in his smels and as the Fire is seene in his sparkes so the potency of CHRIST might be acknowledged in their Vertues and His Maiestie discerned in their Ministery These were the Planters of GODS Vine-yard the Architects of His Temple the Fathers of His Church the Champions of the Faith and Trumpetters of the Gospell who with their siluer-sounding blasts made the Vallies sing the Mountaines ring and fil'd the eares of all These were men of mercy such as had obtained mercy shewed mercy and by whom GOD wrought his works of mercy They neither liued to themselues nor dyed but vnto Him that dyed for them and for His sake also euen for vs receiuing light from the Father of Lights and spending themselues like Lampes in giuing light vnto others Successors to these are all faithfull Bishops and Priests who are not Maisters of the Church but Ministers not Lords but Seruants not Authours of the Faith but Preachers not Makers of the Truth but Keepers To whom is committed the word of reconciliation the dispensation of the Mysteries of GOD the power of remitting and retaining sinnes the care of the Churches and the keeping of the Faith These simply as they are Ecclesiasticall persons haue no secular power and authority for if the Maister then the seruant must also say My Kingdome is not of this world CHRIST came not to make them Princes but Priests Not Monarkes but Ministers Hee gaue them the keyes of heauen and not of Citties or Kingdomes Hee committed the Word vnto them but not the Sword and gaue them authority to deale with mens soules but not with their States or Substance Now to make a true Minister it is requisite that he haue a true Power a true Mission for otherwise he runnes vnsent and rules but not by CHRIST And that hee Preach the Truth or else hee abuses his Power This is a most reuerent and holy calling not instituted by man nor Angell nor any other creature but by IESVS CHRIST the Head and Husband of the Church And they that are thereof had neede to haue a thousand eies because they liue not to themselues onely but to the people also And they are as a Beacon vpon a Hill a Citty vpon a Mountaine a Candle vpon a Table all mens eies are fixed on them By teaching and liuing well they teach the people to beleeue and liue well but by liuing ill they teach GOD how to condemne them And in truth a good life is a good Sermon and oftentimes an ill Pastor destroyes as much with his ill life as hee buildeth vp with his good doctrine Of men no man is better then a Christian and of Christians no man is better then a good Priest But hee that is vicious is like a peece of dung with a Diamond in it and as the water in Baptisme which is profitable to others but perishes it selfe But yet GOD may worke effectually by the Ministery of wicked men for their power and calling is His and their wickednesse is their owne that is holy though they bee vnholy Their authority is not the better for their godlinesse nor the worse for their vngodlinesse The light is not polluted though it passe by polluted places or persons neither is the soule corrupted though it should bee in a corrupted body so neither is the power and authority of the Minister stained though hee bee full of staines himselfe And as water whether it run through a pipe of Wood or Stone or Siluer doth good vnto the ground so the Word and Sacraments are auaileable to the Receiuers whatsoeuer the Minister be that giues them Neither are wee to respect riches age greatnesse of gifts noblenesse of birth in a Minister as if hee were to bee contemned when these things are wanting but wee are to regard especially his place and power for the power varies not with the man neither is the Word and Sacraments of greater respect for any personall respects in the Minister Water hath the properties and effects of water whether brought in an earthen Pitcher or a cup of gold or siluer And though the more excellent gifts a Minister hath the better it is yet his power is not thereby greater or more excellent but still it is the same as a Diamond is whether set in gold or siluer Or as the authority of a Iustice is the same whether hee haue more wisedome godlinesse and insight in the Law or a lesser measure of the same And of all faithfull and true Ministers of CHRIST it may bee said how different soeuer in their Age Wealth Birth Breeding Gifts They are the Dispensers of the Secrets of GOD and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-workers with Him For without them Hee will not saue men and without Him they cannot saue men I say He will not for who that contemnes the Baptisme of man is Baptized with the Holy GHOST
at some-body Infinite are the quarrels that people picke with their Preacher On the contrary I haue heard some highly commend the Sermon Oh it was a rare Sermon hee is an excellent man it was the best Sermon that I euer heard hee is an admirable Preacher It is well but I will aske thee What rare effects did it worke within What wonders wrought it in thee what excellency what goodnesse hast thou receiued or gained by it Blesse not thy selfe in commending the Preacher rest not in the naked commendations of his Sermon Account that an excellent a rare and a good Sermon which produceth rare effects in thee makes thee better then thou wast before and stirres thee vp to excell in vertue Account him admirable and wonder then when hee worketh wonders in thy soule Thy Preacher cares not so much for thy verball commendations as thy reall Good conuersation is his best commendation his commending stands in thine amending and thy godly practise is his best praise The Sheepe that saith nothing commends his Sheepeheard when her skin is whole her fleece faire and her selfe wel-liking He heares well that doth well he learnes well that liues well and thy knowledge is praise-worthy according to thy practise And he onely doth proue a good Hearer which heares the truth in humility beleeues it in simplicity and obeyes it with alacrity The Word of GOD is our foode our eares are our mouth but this meate is not like bodily food turned into vs but we by beleeuing and obeying it are turned into it Now hee is the onely happy hearer that is translated into the Word so as that he may be able to say I liue but yet not I but the Word of GOD doth liue within me And this is when a mans reason will affections are brought vnder the Word and when his conuersation being transformed is now conformed to the Word Of the Sacraments THE oath of Souldiers to their Generall was called Sacramentum by which name also water in Baptisme and Bread and Wine in the LORDS Supper are vsually called Because as Souldiers when they receiued the presse-mony did solemnely sweare to their Captaine or Generall that they would bee faithfull and loyall to him So we whiles we partake of these holy Mysteries instituted of GOD in His Church doe binde our selues with the like Vow that we will liue and die in his cause and seruice And as they at the taking of that Oath gaue their names to their Emperour or Commander and were receiued into his protection So wee when wee receiue these Sacraments doe likewise giue our names vnto CHRIST and are receiued into his tuition that vnder his banner wee might fight a good battell keeping faith and a good conscience And as there wee doe yeeld ouer our selues vnto GOD so GOD doth binde Himselfe to vs by Pacts and Promises after a manner sealed vp Sacraments are signes of things being one thing and signifying another Euery Sacrament is a Mysterie but euery Mysterie is not a Sacrament Sacraments are not Nata but Data Not Naturall but by Diuine appointment And their dignity depends vpon their Authour They are not the better because the Minister is good that doth deliuer them nor the worse because hee is euill They are such as hee is in whose authority they are giuen not as hee is by whose Ministery they are dispensed And though they bee hurtfull to them that deliuer them being wicked yet they are profitable to them that receiue them being Prepared And though the Receiuer haue a peruerse faith or come vnprepared and in sin yet hee may pertake of a true and entire Sacrament if wee respect the signes and not the things represented by the signes In Sacraments there is a change not of Substance but of vse not of Nature but of condition For by these elements consecrated there is a signification obsignation exhibition of CHRIST and His benefits Sacraments are necessary in respect of GODS Commandement and as they bee meanes of receiuing CHRIST yet simply not the defect of Sacraments but the contempt of them doth damne a man If a man would haue them but cannot and dies in the desire of them no doubt he may be saued But indeed he that may but cares not for them and so departs questionlesse as he scorned the signes so he shall be depriued of the grace It is iust that he should misse of the Kernell that cared not for the Shell that he should loose the Land that contemned the Lease or Deed that hee should be depriued of CHRIST the Bread and Water of Life that regarded not the Water and Bread of CHRIST There are two Sacraments Baptisme and the LORDS Supper By Baptisme wee are admitted into the Church receiued into the seruice of the blessed TRINITY and haue our sinne remitted though not at first extirped A man is borne a sinner but by Baptisme hee is made a Saint A man is by birth a limme of the diuell but by Baptisme hee is made the member of CHRIST A man may bee new borne and not Baptized but hee is not so if hee skorne to bee Baptized There are some that make small account of Baptisme but for my selfe I make more reckoning of my Baptisme then of all the riches in the world as knowing that these can neither helpe nor hurt so much as the other and that the comtempt of these may stand with a mans saluation whereas the contempt of Baptisme is punished with damnation By the LORDS Supper wee are nourished and preserued in the Church In those hallowed signes of Bread and Wine CHRIST IESVS and all his Merites are signified sealed vp and exhibited vnto euery worthy Receiuer For as there is in an Obligation or Legall Instrument an assurance and conueyance made of mony goods or lands from one to another So in the Sacrament vnder these elements there is a most sure conueyance and exhibition of CHRIST IESVS vnto euery prepared Communicant And although wee take the Bread by it selfe and the Wine by it selfe yet wee must not imagine that CHRIST is giuen by peece-meale but two signes were ordained to shew that wee haue perfect food in CHRIST For it is but an hungry dinner where there is no meate and a dry feast where there is no drink Now to signifie that CHRIST is Meate and Drinke vnto vs and that in Him wee shall haue a full refection therefore two signes one of Bread which strengthens the heart another of Wine which allaies the thirst and make it merry were by CHRIST ordained Of Communicants I Do much wonder at the foolish auersnesse and peruerse folly of many men that make so small account of this Blessed Sacrament that they must by feare of Lawes be driuen to it They are out of charity they want good cloathes they are not yet at leasure they alledge I wot not what their very excuses doe accuse them Who bids thee be out of charity Why art thou not reconciled Who
Anchor followes the motion and turning of the water and not it the Boate or as as the drynesse of the Wayes follow the drynesse of the Weather and this that or finally as the Sea followes the Moone and not it the Sea By this Faith we heare with profite we walke with comfort wee worke by charity wee hope for glory we enioy tranquillity and though wee bee not iustified for the merite of it yet are wee iustified by it as by that onely meane whereby wee behold and hold beleeue and place our confidence in IESVS CHRIST who was made vnto vs of GOD Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption So Saint Paul knowing that a man is not iustifyed by the workes but by the Faith of IESVS CHRIST Wee also Paul and Peter haue beleeued in IESVS CHRIST that wee might bee iustified by the Faith of CHRIST and not by the workes of the Law Because by the workes of the Law no flesh shall bee iustified Epiphanius saith iustice is by Faith without the workes of the Law Chrysostome saith Hee hath saued vs by Faith alone Theodoret saith by bringing onely Faith we haue receiued pardon of sinnes We iudge saith Ambrose according to the Apostle that a man is iustifyed by Faith without the workes of the Law Ierome saith thou knowest that thou as the Gentiles hast found life in CHRIST not by the workes of the Law but by Faith alone To omit many heare onely now Saint Austen a word or two When the Apostle saith a man is iustified freely without the workes of the Law by Faith it is not his drift that when Faith is receiued and professed the workes of Iustice should bee contemned but that euery man may know it is possible for him to bee iustified although the workes of the Law haue not gone before for they follow him that is iustified and go not before him that is to bee iustified So then wee for our parts are iustified before GOD onely by Faith but wee and our faith also are iustified before men by good workes as the goodnesse of a Tree is shewed by the fruite the goodnesse of a rose by her sweete odors the cunning of a workeman by his workes And though Faith bee not alone but very well attended yet it iustifies alone as the eye sees alone the eare heares alone the mouth tastes alone the legges go alone but yet are not alone but are coupled to other parts of the body Hee that hath this faith hath all the vertues of a Christian hee that wants it wants all With it a man is something without it a man is worse then nothing A man hath all that hath himselfe he hath nothing that wants himselfe but hee hath himselfe that hath his Sauiour and hee hath his Sauiour that beleeueth in Him and by the vertue of his faith doth seeke and serue Him It it not faith but faithlesnesse not trust but distrust for a man to put affiance in himselfe I will therefore distrust in my selfe that I may beleeue in CHRIST I will despaire of my selfe that I may haue hope in Him and I will loose my selfe in my selfe that I may finde my selfe in Him I will not distrust in His might because Hee is Almighty nor in His good will because Hee is most mercifull and cryeth Come vnto mee not yee that are worthy but yee that are weary and heauy laden and I will refresh you Of Hope that maketh not ashamed HOPE is the wishing and expecting of some good to come True Christian hope is that worke of the SPIRIT in a true Beleeuers heart whereby hee patiently waiteth for those good things which GOD hath promised vnto him in IESVS CHRIST This hope is certaine and not false begotten of faith in the promise of GOD It is the anchor of the soule which would be split in peeces with stormes and tempests and driuen vpon Rockes and Sands or loose it selfe in the vaste Ocean of this vnquiet and sinnefull world if it were not preserued and staied by Hope fastned on our LORD and SAVIOVR CHRIST IESVS who is the ground of our hope our staffe our stay our comfort and contentment Ioy is the motion of the heart vpon some present good now enioyed But Hope is the hearts expectation of some good to come Which good the faithfull heart doth long and looke for not led thereunto by the euidence of humane sense or reason but moued by the euidence of faith which is the promise of GOD. The way to come to true Hope is to haue no hope in our selues but to receiue all our hope from faith in the Word of GOD. For to hope in the creature is to despaire of the Creator Neither doth hee truely hope in CHRIST that doth fixe his hope on any thing out of CHRIST To despaire is a grieuous sinne for a man thereby denies the Power of GOD who is Omnipotent or His good Will and Mercy who will cast away no humble Suppliant but knowes how to alter His Sentence if thou canst tell how to performe repentance It is true desperation doth destroy thousands but presumption doth kill ten thousands There is no more dangerous presumption then for a man to expect saluation by his owne deserts or to ground his hope of eternity vpon his owne perfections His waxen wings where-with hee soares on high will not bee able to endure the heate of GODS Iustice but with Icarus hee shall most surely fall and perish in the gulfe of hell So it is very vanity for a man to hope for heauen whiles hee is alwaies like a Mole rooting and turning vp Mountaines of enormities against the heauens and laying sinne vpon sinne as the Babilonians did stone vpon stone and so threatning heauen with their sinnes as they with their Tower The sinner may not hope for heauen but the Saint onely the humble and not the proud the penitent not the man addicted to his owne lusts and hating to bee reformed For the promise of Eternall Life is made not to Infidels but to Beleeuers not to the rebell but to the penitent not to the presumptuous but to the poore not to the children of the world but to the true spirituall sonnes and daughters of the Church of GOD. Adulterers Drunkards worldlings shall not inherite the Kingdome of GOD. They cannot be saued except they repent and when they do truely repent then GOD accounts them no longer Adulterers Drunkards Worldlings but doth forgiue them And as without repentance they cannot be saued so without repentance they cannot hope to bee saued If they looke to be saued and yet run on in their sinnes they looke in vaine This their looking being the presumption of fancy not the expectation of faith It is but a castle built in the Aire imaginary Or like an house of clay set in the waters LORD IESVS thou art mine Hope mine Honour I will beginne and end in Thee I would be found in Thee and not in Mee I will desire seeke and waite for life
raise vp stormes to drowne his enemies but at last was drowned himselfe Picus Mirandula saith there was a coniurer in his time who as hee had the society of the diuell so hee was carryed cleane away with the diuell and neuer heard of after Pliny writeth how Cornelius Gallus dyed in the very act of filthinesse Anacreon a drunken Poet was choked with the huske of a grape Popiel a Polonian King and an Vncle-murtherer vsed ordinarily amongst his other othes and cursings this also If it bee not true would rats might deuoure mee and was accordingly set vpon with an Army of rats which fallyed forth of the dead bodies of his Vncles and afterwards deuoured him to the bones notwithstanding any meanes vsed to the contrary So those three that had bound their lying accusation of Narcissus with a curse were met within the like One said if I lye I pray GOD I may perish by fire and his house being set on fire extraordinarily hee and his perished in the flames The second sayd if I speake any thing but truth I pray GOD I may bee consumed with some filthy disease and so hee was The third seeing GODS iudgements vpon his companions confest their wickednesse and lamented with such a floud of teares that hee wept out both his eyes But among all iudgements those are most fearefull when GOD punisheth one sinne with another one wicked act or habite with an other and wicked acts with wicked habites and contrariwise See how Hee punisht Adams pride with his eating of the fruite forbidden Dauids adultery with murder Achitophels treason with selfe-murther Iudas couetousnesse with treachery and that with desperation The heathen because they turned the truth of GOD vnto a lye and serued the creature forsaking the Creator therefore GOD gaue them vp vnto vile affections And the Apostle prophecying of the followers of that man of sinne saith that because they receiued not the loue of the truth GOD shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies All which doth shew how loathsome sinne and sinners are in the sight of GOD and should stirre vs vp to vomite it vp as poyson and to flye from it as from a Serpent Of Repentance TRVE and sound repentance is a turning from vice to vertue from euill to Good from the diuell to GOD. Repentance is the change of the whole man and not of halfe The iudgement sanctified by the SPIRIT must condemne the euill the eyes of the vnderstanding being opened to discerne it and approue the contrary good the will must will the good and nill the euill The affections must hate feare and abhorre the euill and loue like and delight in good and the conuersation must not bee an exercise of euill but an open forsaking of it and a practise of the contrary good First therefore a true Repenter must see and vnderstand his sinnes by considering himselfe and his wayes by the Law of GOD which shewes both good and euill For if a man see not his faults how shall hee condemne confesse and flye them Or if hee view not himselfe in a true glasse how shall hee see his true complexion And if hee try not his actions and cogitations by a true Rule or Touchstone how can hee truely discerne their irrectitude and hypocrisies Yet because after our examination sinne may lie hid vnseene in one corner or other therefore to shew our hatred of sinne and that wee thinke not wee haue all light in these toodarke houses of mortality it behoues vs to pray that GOD would forgiue vs our secret sins Hee wants light that thinkes hee hath all light and is in darknesse that thinkes no darkenesse is in him and no man further from perfection then hee that thinkes hee sees all his imperfections Secondly when a man sees his sinne to bee sinne hee must yeeld it is sinne hee must acknowledge it and not deny lessen nor defend it Sinne defended is encreased The defense of sinne seene is euen death to the sinner that defends it And how doth a man repent of that which hee labours to maintaine Si homo peccatum non agnoscit Deus non ignoscit If a man when hee sees his sinne prohibited yet will not acknowledge and yeeld it is sinne but wil plead for it excuse and colour it questionlesse hee will not leaue it neither will GOD leaue him vnpunisht Thirdly when a man discernes his sinne and acknowledges the vilenesse of it let him enter into iudgement with it and condemne it For except hee doe condemne it GOD will not pardon it If hee condemne not it it shall condemne him Vnlesse hee adiudge it vnto hell it will debarre him of entrance into heauen Fourthly let a man finding himselfe guilty of sinne arrest arraigne accuse and condemne himselfe confessing his sinne freely vnto GOD and exclaiming against himselfe vnto GOD saying I haue sinned I haue sinned grieuously against thee I deserue nothing but confusion I am vnworthy of thy fauour I am vnworthy to bee counted or called thy Sonne Thy Seruant Except a man will arraigne indite and condemne himselfe hee shall not bee able to stand vnconfounded before his Iudge either hee must condemne himselfe or hee shall bee condemned of GOD. Neither is a man in deed fit to desire absolution that findes not himselfe worthy of condemnation Neither is hee prepared to sue for grace till hee haue condemned himselfe as a gracelesse wretch Fiftly let him nill it hate it loath it bee afrayd of it and bee sorry for committing it euen because it is an offence of GOD his gracious and louing Maister For a man doth not indeed repent except his sinnes which before were sweete vnto him as hony bee now in his taste as bitter as gall except hee loath them as before hee loued them except they bee now painefull as before they were pleasing and affect him now as well with dolour as they tickled him before with delight Finally let a man craue pardon of it of GOD and forsake it in his practise and addict himselfe to those good duties that GOD requires of him For GOD grants his pardon to them that begge it And though many men will scornefully put off a beggar yet GOD giues his almes to none but beggars But with what face dare a man begge pardon of a sinne hee meanes not to forsake Therefore if hee will haue GOD forgiue it hee must forsake it Except hee let it goe GOD will let him go but let him giue sinne his dismission and GOD will grant him his remission spare not thy selfe and GOD will spare thee Cease from thy sinne and doâ— that that is pleasing in the sight of GOD and GOD will bee thy GOD thy sauing GOD for euermore O repentance what shall I speake of thee By thee sicke men are cured wounded men are healed dead men are raised health is increased Grace is preserued the legs are strengthened the eyes are restored sinne is abandoned vertues embraced the minde illumined the