IT is a true saying of the Wise­man (Right Honorable, [...]. Sept [...]agînt. Tempus et tempestitas. Tremell. right Worshipfull, and dearely belo­ued men, breathren, and fa­thers,) that to all thinges, and to euery purpose vnder Hea­uen, there is (as in most lan­guages it is varyed) a time and season; Ecclesi. 3.1. Judas had a time to betray his Maister, for Christ left him to himselfe, but Peter had the season to repent; for so soone as he had denyed, the Cocke crew, and his Maister looked backe: now it is the sea­son which is as the salt, which seasoneth all our actions; Salactionū. for whatsoeuer is vnseasonable, is distastfull: And therefore, howsoeuer my Text may seeme vnseasona­blely handled (in regard of the particular) and as a dolefull Dittie in this time of mirth: yet (in regard of the generall) it is high time and season, for all to mourne for their sinnes; and therefore be it seasonable or vn­seasonable, (as the Apostle sayth) 2. Tim. 4.2. I purpose, by Gods grace, to be instant in this: And as Christ bid his hea­rers, Remember Lots wife; Luk. 17.32. so I say to you all, Remem­ber Peter, and let your cheekes be watered, and all your actions seasoned with the brinish teares of vnfaig­ned [Page 2] repentance: Weepe in sorrow for your sinnes, the cause of Christes death: and laugh for ioy, for his re­surrection, whereby ye are iustified from your sinnes: Weepe in ioy, and reioyce in weeping; keepe a meane in both: Rom. 4. vlt. This if I shall procure my Theame, with the time, shall be both fitte and profitable, Commodū et accommo­dum. and all of vs shall depart hence pertaking in Salomons Blessing; A word spoken in due season, is like Apples of Gold, with pictures of Siluer: which God graunt it may be.

The Gospell specially mentioneth and recordeth the stories of three, that were ledde into great tempta­tions; viz. Christ, Peter, and Iudas: Christ was ledde of that good spirit, whereof he was full: Luk. 4.1. Peter, of that presumptuous spirit, which sayd to Christ, Though I should die with thee, I will not denie thee: Math. 26.35. and Judas, of that wicked spirit, which after the Soppe, entred in­to him, and put it into his heart to betray him: Ioh. 13.2.27. That good spirit which led Christ to the combate, gaue him power to ouercome: that presumptuous spirit, which ledde Peter, fled and forsooke him: that wicked spirit which led Judas, betrayed and ouerthrew him. Sathan thrust at Christ, and he fell not; he thrust at Peter, and he fell, and rose againe, for his Maister helped him; he thrust at Iudas, and he fell, and neuer rose, for his Mai­ster forsooke him. Sathan winnowed Christ, and found all Wheate; he winnowed Peter, and found much Chaffe; he winnowed Iudas, and found nothing but Chaffe: he found all good in Christ, some good in Pe­ter; but no good in Judas: Christ was the trueth, both in heart and tongue; Peter had trueth in heart, but not in tongue (for his Maister had prayed for him that his Fayth might not fayle, Luk. 22.32.) and Judas had neither trueth in heart nor tongue; for with wordes of peace, he be­trayed him; Hayle Maister Mark. 14.45.Christ is the Father of the Elect, who knew no sinne: 2. Cor. 5. vlt. Peter a true Jabez, 1. Cron. 4.9. the sonne of Sorrow, for his sinne: but Judas, that childe of [Page 3] Perdition, Iohn. 17.11. and dyed in his sinne. In Christ, we haue the example of a spotlesse Redeemer; in Peter, an ex­ample of a repenting Elect: but in Iudas, the example of a desperate Reprobate. Christ is a blessed example for imitation, that we may not sinne: Peter a sweete president of consolation, if through weaknes we doe sinne: but Iudas, a fearefull patterne of iust dereliction, to all such as continue in sinne: But Peter, is the sub­iect of my speach.

The vices aswell as vertues, the slippes and falles, aswell as the steadfast standinges, and vpright walk­inges; the crimminations aswell as commendations, of Gods best Seruantes, are fully and faythfully in ho­ly Writ recorded; Noahs drunkennes, aswell as his vp­rightnesse: Gen. 6.9.9.11. Lots Incest, aswell as the grieuing of his righteous Soule: Gen. 19.33. 2. Pet. 2.8. the weaknesse of Moses at the wa­ters of Meribah, when he spake vnaduisedly with his lippes, aswell as his zeale, when he brake the Tables as he came downe from Mount Sinaj: Num. 20.7. Psal. 106.33. Exod. 32.9. Ionah his flying towards Tharsis, aswell as his preaching in Niniuie: Ionah 1.3 4. And to conclude with mine example (passing ouer many others) Peters denying, aswell as his confessing: nay rather the former, then the latter; for whereas all the Euangelistes make report of his threefold deniall, Math. 26.69. Mar 14.66. Luk. 22 55. Ioh. 18.25. onely one, recordeth his three-fold confession; Ioh. 21.15. not as if holy men of God were herein led & mooued, as car­nall men are, who take a delight to be talking off, and blasing abroad the sins of others, either because in ma­lice they would disgrace them, as Cham did his father: Gen. 9.22. or in hipocrisie, commende their owne righteousnesse and holinesse, as the proud Pharisie dealt with the Pub­licane; Luk. 18.11. but therefore haue the holy Scribes, faythfully chronicled their owne sinnes, aswell as others, for the glory of God, and the good of his Church; Iren lib. 4. cap. 45. for in their sinnes and repentance, as in a Looking-glasse of Christall, we may see and obserue; First, Sathans malice [Page 4] and subtiltie, First vse. Sathans ma­lice. who goeth about seeking whom to de­uoure, and euer hateth them most, whom God loueth best; that so we may watch continually. 1. Pet. 5.8. Second vse. 2. Mans weakenes. Secondly, mans frayltie and weakenesse, if God leaue euen the best neuer so little to himselfe, that he that thinketh he standeth, may take heede, least he fall; 1. Cor. 10.12. yea condole & commiserate him that is fallen, as that reuerend Father, who with teares lamented the fall of his brother, say­ing; Hee hath fallen to day, and I not vnlikely to fall tomorrow: Ille hodiè, et ego cras. Barn. de resur­rect. dom. ser. 2. Thirdly, Gods mercy in putting vnder his hand, in raysing his children againe, and forgiuing them greatest sinnes, vpon their true repentaunce, that so we may neuer despayre.

3. Vse. 3. Gods mercy.And specially, it was requisite that Peters sinne should be knowne, that therin we may see Christes ve­ritie, and Peters vanitie. Veritatem Christi, et va­nitatem Petri. Hofmeist. in mar. Christ prophesied before the Cocke crow, thou shalt deny me thrice, and he did so: Peter promised, though I should die with thee, I will in no case deny thee; Math. 26.34.35. but he did not so: let God then be true, and all men lyers. Rom. 3.4. Diuision.

In this Story, two thinges are principally to be ob­serued, viz. Peters Fall, and his Rysing againe: his Sinne, and his Repentance: As concerning his Sinne, it is to be noted, that though most, or all of the Apo­stles, be touched in the Gospell, for some infirmitie or other; as the two Sonnes of Zebodie for ambitious affectation of Superioritie: Math. 20.21. Thomas for his Increduli­tie: Iohn. 20.26. all of them often for their little Fayth, as in the Storme vpon the sea, Math. 8.26. and when they so reasoned a­mongst themselues, because they had no Bread: Math. 16.8. yea for vnbeliefe, as when they could not cure the Luna­ticke; Math. 17, 20. and for hardnesse of heart, because they belie­ued not such as had seene him, being rysen vp againe: Mar. 16.14. and lastly, for a feare-fullnesse; for when he was ap­prehended, all the Disciples forsooke him & fled &c. Mar. 14.15. Yet are the infirmities of Peter, both for number and [Page 7] measure discouered to exceede all the rest; as his rash­nesse in aduenturing to walke vpon the Sea; Math. 14.29. his vn­aduised speach vpon the Mountaine; Maister, it is good for vs to be heere, let vs buylde three Taberna­cles: Math 17.14. his vncharitablenesse, Maister, how often shall I forgiue my brother, till seauen times? Math. 18.21. his foole­hardinesse in drawing his Sword, and cutting off Mal­chus eare; Iohn. 18.10. and his curiosity asking Christ, concerning Jhon, What shall this man doe? Iohn. 21.21. I say besides these, which were but as common infirmities, and pettie slippes, there are three great sinnes recorded and ag­grauated by the holy Ghost, and stood vpon by the Fathers viz.

First, 1. Sinne. his fearefull disswading of Christ from going to Ierusalem the place of his Passion; Math. 16.22. Wherein he was an enemie to the Passion of Christ, & by consequent, to the Redemption of the elect. Secondly, 2. Sinne. his hipo­criticall seperating of himselfe, by which his euill Example, as by a law he did constraine or compell the Gentiles to Judaize; Gall. 2.15. for which Paul zealously with­stood him to his face. Thirdly, his desperate, 3. Sinne. perfidi­ous, and most execrable denyinge, forswearinge, and anathomatizing or cursinge of himselfe if he knew the man: which sinnes, are not discouered by those holy pen-men, to disgrace their worthy Colleague; nor by me rehearsed, to derogate any thinge, from the blessed memorie of so worthie an Apostle (as Porphirie and Faustus the Manithie did:) But that Man may be a­shamed for presuminge, God for euer praysed for par­doning; and the preposterous zeale of the Romanistes brideled, for ascribing two much vnto him: and so ceasing any further to speake of that sinne, which is so clearely washed away with the bloud of Christ; for­giuen and forgotten of God; I will proceed to breake the Bottle of Teares which he shed for his sinne, where­in he is an Example teaching all that haue sinned, how [Page 6] to turne vnto God, that they may be pardoned: For the more profitable handling whereof, these partes are to be obserued.

Deuision.First, the meanes of his Repentaunce, (And imme­diatly the Cocke crew, and Peter remembred.) Secondly, the Testification of his repentaunce, (So he went our and wept bitterly.) Concerning the Meanes; the time is to be noted, when these Meanes were vouchsafed vn­to him, (Immediatly:) then the Meanes themselues, which were of two sortes, viz. Externall, and Inter­nall: The meanes Externall two, viz first (the Cockes crowing) and (as S. Luke addeth) Jesus his looking backe vpon him:) The meanes Internall two, viz. (his remembring of his Maisters words:) & (as S Marke ad­deth) the waying of thinges with himselfe:) The Testi­fication of his Repentaunce, was two-fold, viz. first his breaking out of the company, and forsaking of their fellowship, by whom he had been so occasioned to sinne, (so he went out:) and secondly, his sorrow for his sinne, (hee wept, yea, and that bitterly:) of which, in order; and though not all that might be sayd of euery little, yet a little of euery part, as the time and your patience, or both, will giue leaue.

1. Part, the time when the meanes of Peters repen­tance, were affoorded.The first thing to be considered, is the Time, when God vouchsafed to Peter, the blessed meanes to re­claime or recall him; which is the more carefully to be obserued, because all the Euangelistes doe purposely front the Storie of his Repentance therewith, and yet dispatch it in one word, (Immediatly, [...] Statim.) or (as S. Luke hath it) while he yet spake, [...] Adhuc lo­quente. Doct. Euen whilst he was swea­ring and cursing, the Cocke crew, and (as it were) tooke the wordes out of his mouth; which circum­staunce teacheth: That though God see good to let his Children fall, yet he will not long leaue them, and suffer them to lie in sinne (as S. Iohn sayth this wicked world doth) 1. Iohn. 5 19 but will seasonably and speedily put vn­der [Page 7] his hand to helpe them vp againe; and strike their heartes, before they be canterized 1. Tim. 4.2. through custome, which taketh away the sense of sinne. No sooner had Adam eaten of the forbidden fruite, and forfeited that excellent Glorie of his Creation; but in the coole of the day, God came and called vnto him, Adam where art thou? Gen. 3 9. No sooner had Dauid receiued the number of his people, but his heart smote him. 2. Sam. 24.10 No sooner was Jonah got into a shippe and vnder sayle for Thar­shish, but the Lord sent out a great wind, Ionah. 1.4. dispatched a Pursiuant from Heauen, to attache him, shipped ven­geaunce in a Whirle-wind, which sayled aloft in the ayre, to ouertake and bring in againe that fugitiue Prophet: And surely Peter receiued no lesse grace, for euen whiles he was speaking, swearing, and cursing, the Cocke crew, and called vpon him for repen­taunce.

The Reasons hereof are principally these two; first, 1. Reason. because Sathan maketh great haste, to driue men downe the staires vnto Hell. What they doe, he would haue them doe quickly; if he might haue his will, no man should swallow his spittle, before he were in the low­ermost Hell: see how hasty he was with Euah, that in so little a time, had gotten her, looke vpon, lust for, eate of, and giue to her husband. What haste did Jo­nah make towards Tharshish, downe to the key, found a shippe, payed the fare, and downe in it? What haste did Peter make? in how little a while, was he come to the feare-full height of sinne? a presumer, a denier, a forswearer, a curser; Lord what would haue become of him, if his Maister had let him alone a while longer? But (Immediatly) the Cocke crew.

Secondly, because continuance in sinne, and custome, 2. Reason. taketh away sense, and breedeth incurable hardnesse; yea the greater and nearer daunger is at hand, the lesse it is perceiued; Peter is come to the very threshold [Page 8] of Hell, Ad lìmen inferni. Orig. and seeth it not: as Dauid swore to Ionathan: As the Lord liueth, there is but a steppe betwixt me and death; 1. Sam. 20.3. so there was but one steppe more, and Peter had been in the bottomlesse pitte: wherfore as a man that will saue the Lame that is alreadie in the mouth of the Lyon, must make haste; that will saue the Brand from burning, must make haste to pull it out of the Fire; so God maketh haste to saue a sinner. When Peter walked vpon the sea, he no sooner began to sincke, but he cryed out, Maister saue me; Math. 14.30. serua domine. But now that he is in farre greater daunger, sincking into the floods of sinne, yea suncke to the very chinne, he seeth no danger, but holdeth on; yet such was his mer­cie, whom he denied, that remembring him, who had forgotten himselfe, (Immediatly) the Cocke crew.

Vse.The vse is, that as God is in loue hasty, when wee haue sinned, to affoord vs the meanes of repentance and saluation: So we in wisedome make haste, by the vse of them, to turne vnto God; for he is blessedst that sinneth not: next to him, is he that soonest repenteth, according to that of Dauid, Blessed is the man that doth not walke in the counsell of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seate of the scornefull: Psal. 1.1. For if from suggestion, wee proceed to consent; from consent, to delight; from delight, to action; 1. Meanes ex­ternall. from action, to custome; from custome, to senselesnesse, to haue no pricke, no remorse, no dislike, woe be vnto vs.

The first externall meanes, whereby Peter was brought to the sight and sorrow of his sinne, was the crowing (of the Cocke.) The Grecians will, that a Cocke be so called in their tongue, because by his crowing, he doth waken men, and rayse them out of their beddes: [...] ex priuatiua perti­cula, et [...] tubile quod ex­citet e tubii, Aristoph. He crew, as we say in English; or lift vp his voyce, according to the Greeke; [...], vocem emisit, vociferatus est Montan. or according to the vulger, he songe: Cantauit, Galli cantus. And this is the ordinarie [Page 9] phrase with the Latines, The song or singing of the Cocke: and well may his crowing be called singing, because when he is fattest or best liking, and findeth his hotte nature refreshed with the coldnesse of the night, and vapors of the ayre, he croweth most, and (in his kinde) as with a song, doth prayse his Crea­tor: a sweete domesticall Creature, by singing, tea­ching vs to lift vp our heartes, and to prayse our God with our tongues; from whom, euery good and per­fect gift proceedeth: But I proceede from the Letter, to Obseruations.

Wise Philosophers haue obserued, 1. Obseruatiō. that Cockes by crowing, doe wake men out of sleepe, and therfore lay-on towards day, when it is time to awake; and also foretell a shower comming. Zanch. de operib. Dei. lib. 3. cap. 4. Thest. 5. de signis pluuiae. Peter is fast on sleepe in the bedde of carnall securitie, and must be awakned, or else he sleepeth in death for euer; Psal. 13.3. a shower of teares is at hand, not for the causing of his bedde onely to swim, Psal. 6.6. But as when God destroyed the old World, the Windowes of Heauen were opened; Gen. 7.11. so the Sluces and Flood-gates of Peters eyes are to be opened, and such Fountaines to breake out, as if his little world were to be drowned with teares, no maruell then, though the Cocke crow.

Obserue we also the extent of Gods gracious pro­uidence, who is so great in the greatest thinges, 2. Obseru. as he is not lesser in the least. Ita magnus in maximis, vt non minor in minimis. There haue been Philosophers who thought, that the Gods had no regard of hu­mane affayres; whose opinion (sayth Tullie) if it be true, what pietie can there be, what sanctitie, what Religion? Others, though they went not so farre, as to exempt all thinges, yet they withdrew the smaller from the Heauenly prouidence; for it was thought most in­iurious, to bring downe the Maiestie of God so low, as to the husbanding of Bees and Pismyres; as if in the number of the Gods, there were some Myrmecides, to [Page 10] carue out the smaller workes. Minutorum operum fa­bricator. Another sect of Phi­losiphers, viz. the Peripateticks, who housed the pro­uidence of God aboue the Moone, and thought it had no desent beneath the cyrcle thereof, to intend infe­ryor businesses, like those Epicures who sayd, (or at least Eliphaz, in their names) How should God know? can he iudge through the darke clouds? The clouds hide him that he cannot see, and he walketh in the cyr­cle of heauen; Iob. 22.13.14 Aueroës, sirnamed the Commenter, a Spanish Phisition, that he may seeme to be madde with reason, by reason fortifieth the former iudge­ment, for he thinketh, that the knowledge, and vn­derstanding of God, would become vile, if it were aba­sed to these inferior, and infirmer obiectes: But from the Schoole of God we learne, that (wherof these wise Ethnicks were ignoraunt) that our God, though he haue his dwelling on high, yet he abaseth himselfe, to behold the thinges in Heauen & Earth, Psal. 113.6. as he made all thinges by his word; Psal 33.6. so he beareth vp all thinges by his mightie word: Heb. 1.3. or (according to the Hebrew phrase, who vse the Abstract for the Concrete, the Substantiue for the Adiectiue, or Epithite) with the word of his power. D. King L. B. of Lond. on Iona. lect. 10. His Creation, was as the Mother to bring foorth; his Prouidence, as the Nurse to bring vp: his Creation, a short Prouidence; his Prouidence a perpetuall Creation: his Creation gaue beeing; his prouidence maintayneth in beeing: his Creation, erected the Fabricke; his Prouidence keepeth repara­tion Plenus nego­tiideus. Cicer. de nat. deo. In a word, (as a Heathen man sayd) he is full of businesse; Ioshu. 10.13. all eye, to obserue; and all hand, to dis­patch all businesse: by it the Sunne mooueth, for he made it to stand, Esay. 38.8. yea to goe backe: Iob. 38.25. the Raine falleth, for the Cloudes are his Bottles: Psal. 77.18. the Ayre ratleth, for it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder: Psal. [...]35.7. the Wind bloweth; Math. 10.29. for he bringeth it out of his trea­sure: ⁿ Birdes doe flye, Math. 6 28. Plants and Grasse doe grow, Ionah. 1. vlt. [Page 11] Fishes doe swimme, Wormes doe bite; Ionah. 4.7. yea, and (to conclude with my Text,) Cockes do crow, Immediatly the Cocke crew; for hee that gouerneth all thinges, had sayd, Before the Cocke crow, thou shalt deny me thrise. Iohn. 23 vlt.

The second externall meanes, was Christ his loo­king vpon him, for so S. Luke sayth; 2. Meanes ex­ternall. The Lord turned backe, and looked vpon Peter: Luk. 22.61. and this I call Externall, in regard of the Act, though it were Internall, in re­gard of the effect. For this, this, was it that wounded his heart; he denied and repented not, because his Maister looked not vpon him; he forsware and repen­ted not; but when he cursed himselfe, he repented, for his Maister looked vpon him; Peter had thought his Maister had not heard or knowen, or regarded his words; But he that knew when he was thronged that some faythfull body had touched him, for vertue was gone out of him: Luk. 8.46. now knew that his faythfull dis­ciple, had forsworne him, & that it was high time, that vertue should proceede from him, for to cure him; and therfore most graciously turned backe, & looked vpō him, that by seeing Peter, he might cause Peter to see his sinne, & repent of it: Which yet the act of seeing could not effect, for euery one repented not, that Iesus loo­ked on, for doubtles, he looked on Iudas, when he gaue him the soppe, yea he spake most louingly & mildly to him when he came with souldiors to apprehend him, friend wherfore art thou come? Math. 26.50 and Iudas betrayest thou the sonne of man with a kisse? Luk. 22.48. wordes which might haue broken his heart, if hee had not been dead in sinnes; Hee doth but looke vpon Peter, and it serueth the turne; For with Christ his bodily eye, the sweete influence of his grace and spirit, being con­uayed to his soule, he repented vnfaignedly, and no meruaile, for how could he remayne in the darknesse of his denyall, whom the light of the world, had so graciously looked vpon? Non enim fi­eri poterat, vt in negationis tene­bris permane­ret, quem lux perspexe rat mundi. Gloss. Ordin.

[Page 12]Now hath Peter that blessing, which the Church so earnestly begged, Aryse ô North, and come ô South, and blow vpon my Garden, that the Spices thereof may flow out: Cant. 4. vlt. the Garden is the Soule, the Spices are the sweete graces of Fayth, Repentaunce, Loue, Zeale: The Northerne winde, are the cold and chilling blastes of Sathans temptations; the South winde, the warme meelding, and fruitfull breath of Gods spirit: the tender graces of Peters soule haue been frozen, nipped in the head, and blasted with Sathans temptations. Oh it was a cold time with Peter, Algebat affectu. Well doth the Euangelist note, that Peter went to warme himselfe at the Fire, for it was cold: Iohn. 18.18. yet was he colder in his soule, Magnū frigus est vbi Christus non agnoscitur. Ferus de pass. pag. 273. then in his body, though he perceiued it not. But now the South wind bloweth, the Sunne of righteousnes shineth: Malach. 4.2. and he whose eyes are like a flame of fire, Reu. 1.14. looking vpon him, his graces flow, and he doth euen melt into teares.

1. Obseru.Our Obseruations for instruction, are of two sortes: the first is, from the Historie we may obserue, the infi­nite loue of Christ towardes poore sinners: he is but newly come foorth of the Garden, where, in his agonie and distresse, he sweat like droppes of blood; and is now in the very throng of his enemies, where his Eares glow to heare their Blasphemies, his Eyes dazle to see their derisions, his Cheekes swell with their buffetinges, Inter calum­nias sacerdotū, inter falsitates testium, inter caedentium et conspicentium iniurias con­stitutus, turba­tum discipulū respicit. Leo. de pass. dom. Serm. 3. Apostrophe. and all his body soare, yea blacke and blew, with their nippinges and punsings; yet in the midst of all these his troubles and indignities, he remembreth poore Peter, his most vnworthy Disciple, and graciously looked vpon him. Oh sweete Iesu, that vouchsafedst such fauour to him, that slept in the Gar­den, followed a farre off in the way, and hath denyed in the Hall! that remembrest him, who forgot thee; and vouchsafest to looke vpon him, that sware he neuer knew thee. Did hee thus remember Peter when [Page 13] he was in the deapth of such mortall miserie, and hath he forgotten vs, now he is in the height of such immortall Glory? No, no, he remembreth whereof we be made, and knoweth both how and when we sinne; and though we deserue to be left vnto our selues, yet will he not fayle in good time, to put vnder his hand, and helpe vs vp againe.

Secondly, from the mysterie we may obserue, 2. Obseru. the meanes of a sinners conuersion, and meanes of his re­couery by repentaunce, the Cocke is the Minister of the word, Vox Galli, predicatio re­sipiscentiae. Muse. who cryeth aloude, & lifteth vp his voyce, like a trumpet, and sheweth the people, their trans­gressions and sinnes; Esay. 58.1. such a Cocke, was Nathan to Dauid, thou art the man; 2. Sam. 12.7. Jonah to Nineuie, yet four­ty dayes, and Nineuie shall be destroyed; Ionah. 3.4. John Baptist to Judeah, Repent, for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand; Math. 3.2. Peter to Jerusalem, Repent and turne, that your sinnes may be put away. Act 3.19. But the Cocke by crowing could not awaken him, for he crew once, and Peter re­pented not; Then the second time he crew; Mar. 14. vlt. yea he might haue crowen a thousand times in vayne, had not his Maister looked vpon him: whervpon the re­uerent fathers comment sweetly, he denyed first, and wept not, because his Maister looked not vpon him; he denyed the second time, and wept not, because yet his Maister looked not vpon him; but he denyed the third time, and wept bitterly, for his Maister, then looked vpon him. Negauit primo, et non fleuit, quia non respexerat dominus. Chrisost. in loc. Alub, lib. 10. Cōment. in Luc. This teacheth vs, that it is not the outward ministry of the word only, be it neuer so excellent, that is able to worke repentaunce in the heartes of the hearers; let the Preacher be who he will, one of a thousand, Iob. 33.23. for the excellencye of his giftes; as prompt in the law of God, as Ezra; Ezra. 7.6. as mightie in the Scriptures as Apollos; Act. 18.24. as eloquent to quicken and en­liue his speach, as if he spake with the tongue of an Angell; 1. Cor. 13.2. as paynefull as Paul, who laboured more then [Page 14] they all; 1. Cor. 15.10. As blameles of conuersation, Luke. 1.6. as Zacherie; mar. 6.20. let the people heare neuer so gladly, as Herod heard Iohn; Ezech. 33.32. neuer so earnestly, as the Jewes heard the Prophet, as one that had a pleasaunt voyce, and could singe well; Acts. 20.7. let them heare neuer so long, as those that heard Paul vntill midnight; let the matter handled, be neuer so heauenly & gratious, as all the Synagogue wondred at the gratious words, which proceeded out of Christs mouth; Luke. 4.22. yet if the Lord giue not a blessing, it is but the bitter sauour of death, vnto death, 2. Cor. 2.16. for though Paul himselfe Plant and Apollo water, it is God, and God only, that must giue the increase. 1. Cor. 3.6.

Vse.Let not then any Minister, be puffed vp with an high conceipt of his giftes, though neuer so excellent; for what hath any man that he hath not receaued, 1. Cor. 4.7. nor yet contemne his brother, though farre meaner, for God vseth weake meanes, to confound the mightie; 1. Cor. 1.29. neither let the people haue the Persons of Gods Mi­nisters, in factious admiration, to say I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, & I am of Cephas; 1. Cor. 1.12. But let Ministers giue lo­uingly to one another, the right hands of fellowship; Gal. 2.9. & let all the people haue all Gods Ministers in singuler loue for their Works sake; 1. Thes. 5.13. and let both Ministers and people, pray to God for a blessing; & if we see any fruite of our labours, or yee reape comfort and good by our Ministry; let not the least of Gods glory cleaue vnto vs, but all, be giuen vnto him, that hath looked vpon vs, and blessed vs.

Application.To conclude this poynt, with Application to our selues, consider what I say, and the Lord, giue you vnderstanding in all things; 2. Tim. 2.7. we haue all of vs sinned with Peter, God and euery mans conscience know best how, Gods Cocks haue crowen againe and againe, how many hundred times hath God knocked at the portals of our consciences, by the Ministry of his word, to awaken vs, and yet we sleepe and snorte in [Page 15] sinne: yea his Cocks crow thicke, great is the number of diligent, and faythfull Preachers, for the darcke night of sinne and ignoraunce, is almost ouer, and the long looked for day of glory, and eternall saluation, beginneth to dawne, and no man knoweth whether this day, or this night, the last Cocke shall crow, euen the Trumpet sound vnto Iudgement. Looke downe vpon vs, Lord Iesus, that at last we may repent, and mourne for our sinnes. Amen. And so much for the Externall meanes of Peters repentance; the Internall follow, which are also two.

First, (hee Remembred the wordes of Jesus, 1. Internall meanes. which he had said vnto him, before the Cocke crow, thou shalt deny me thrise:) amongst the manifold graces of God, wherewith the soule of man, created after Gods image, was endewed; that is none of the least vse, which is vsually called Memorie, [...]. by vertue whereof, man doth safely keepe what the minde hath once truely conceyued; and as occasion serueth, like a faythfull Register, it doth giue the sayd knowledge backe againe to the minde, to be thought vpon, Memoria, qua epetit animus, quae fuerunt. Cicer. in Rhe­tor secund. Aristotel, de Memor. and vttered in word, and followed in deed: Great was the holinesse and happinesse of this facultie by Creation, so as man in state of innocen­cie had been able, to haue remembred any matter of importance, which either God had reuealed vnto him, or himselfe conceiued, by any naturall facultie: but though the memories of some men haue been wonder­full, as of Mithridate King of Pontus, who could rea­dily speake two and twentie Languages: Galen, et Plin. of Seuere, that hearing two hundred verses repeated, could re­hearse them againe, beginning at the last: Seneca de Scipso. Orat. of Thom [...] ­stocles, that desired to learne the Art of Forgetfulnesse; yet indeed generally, by mans fall, this facultie is ex­ceedingly weakned, euen concerning earthly thinges. Pharaohs Butler forgat Joseph, Cicer. 2. de Orat. the man that seeth his naturall face in a Glasse, immediatly forgetteth the fa­shion [Page 16] of it: Iames. 1.24. the Disciples forgot to take Bread with them; Math. 16.5. and Trapeznutius forgot all Learning: Voleteran. lib. 21. yea, Mes­sala Coruinus forgot his owne name. Iolin. lib. 7. cap. 24. But much more is the memorie brittle, concerning Heauenly thinges, both because the minde doth not well conceiue them, nor the affections take any great delight in them. How many good Sermons haue we heard, good Lessons haue we learned, and comfortes haue we receiued, and haue we not forgotten them? Assuredly, many forget God himselfe; Deut. 32.18. Iudges. 3.7. 1. Sam. 12.9. Psam. 50.22. yea, wee should forget the death of Christ, if it were not for the Sacrament of remem­brance: I, and no maruell, for Peter forgot the wordes of his Maister, but now remembreth; yea his memorie was not before so dull and forgetfull, but now it is as fresh and liuely: Sathan wrought vpon his memorie before, that remembring nothing, he might presump­tuously runne on in sinne; and now he worketh vpon his memorie, to set an edge vpon it, that by remem­bring all thinges, he may despayre for sinne: If God had left him to himselfe, I know not whether Peter had been more miserable in his first forgetting, or after re­membring; for both of them had carryed him with a full swing to Hel-ward: but now through Christ, bles­sed is Peter; hee forgot, and sinned; hee now remem­breth, and repenteth.

Doct.From whose example we learne, that it is the Word, yea the holy Word of God, which is the preseruatiue and restoratiue Phisicke of the Soule; it is a preserua­tiue, for so sayth Dauid, J haue hidde thy word in my heart, that I should not sinne against thee: Psal. 119.11. Yea, assuredly he had not committed Adultery, but that for a time, the God of this world, had blinded the eyes of his vnderstan­ding: 2. Cor. 4.4. and it is a restoratiue, for no sooner did Nathan put him in minde of his sinne, but he repented, and as my Text is, Peter no sooner remembred the wordes of his Maister, but he went out, and wept bitterly.

[Page 17]For this cause, Sathan hath a foure-fold dangerous policie, whereby to robbe men of the vse of the word: Satan a great enimy to the word through a foure-fold pollicie. First, to keepe men from hauing the word preached vnto them; which policie of Sathan the Apostle de­scried, when he wrote to the Thessalonians, First pollicie. That at the least, once or twise, he would haue come vnto them, but Sathan hindred him: 1. Thess. 2.18. If herein he cannot preuaile, then hath he a second, viz. by suggesting wandring thoughtes, exposing of idle obiectes, 2. Policie. casting into drowsines & dulnes, as he did Eutichus: Actes. 20.9. to make the word vnprofitable, that in hearing, they may not heare: Esay. 6.9. and hence it is, that many hearers of the word yet remaine as ignorant, as if they had neuer heard at all: or if he cannot herein preuaile, then hath he a third, 3. Pollicie. viz. to hinder the remembrance of the word; and these hearers, our Sauiour compareth to the High-way, re­ceiuing seed: Math. 13.19. and thus hee dealt with our example heere, whom hee sifted, as he doth dayly such as heare at one eare, and let it goe out at the other; nay, whose eares are like Sieues that take in Water at one place, and let it goe out at an hundred: And this pleaseth the Deuill well, for he careth not how much men heare, so they remember nothing; nay, to choose, he would haue men to heare much, so they forget all, that so they may stand guiltie before God, for that which they haue heard: But if all these fayle, hee hath a fourth policie, 4. Pollicie. viz. to robbe men of their Fayth, that so they may not beleeue the Word; without which, all hearing, kno­wing, and remembring, are vnprofitable; as the Apo­stle sayth, The Word which they heard, profited them not, because it was not mixt with Fayth, in those that heard it. Heb. 4.2.

The consideration whereof, may teach vs a foure­fold Wisedome: First, (as S. 1 Vse. Iames biddeth) To be swift to heare Iames. 1.19. and to this end, to pray heartily, (as Christ hath taught vs) That the Lord of the Haruest would thrust foorth Laborers into his Haruest; Math. 9. vlt. and [Page 18] to send Preachers, that people may heare the Word at their mouthes. Rom. 10.14.

2. Vse.Secondly, when we heare, to take heede how we heare; Luke. 8.18. and to pray vnto God to open our heartes, as he did Lydias, Act. 16.14. and his Disciple, Luk. 24 31. that we may vnder­stand the word.

3. Vse.Thirdly, by Prayer, Meditation, Conference, and all good meanes, let vs labour to remember the Word; for Christ hath sayd, Blessed are they that heare the Word of God, and keepe it. Luk. 11.28.

4. Vse.Lastly, let vs pray vnto God, to increase our Fayth▪ that we may beleeue his Word; for if we heare, vnder­stand, remember, and beleeue, we shall neuer fall: But if we care neither for hearing, vnderstanding, remem­bring, nor beleeuing, we shall sinne with Peter; but we shall neuer repent with him, for he remembred.

But what remembred he?

Quest. Answ.Many thinges; Peters Memorie was neuer better then now; Whilst he was in sinning, and before his Maister looked backe vpon him, he was like a man that hauing receiued a great rappe on the head, is astonyed and amazed: Peter thought on nothing; but now that he is come to himselfe, what is it he doth not remember? Now, he remembreth, how he had bene but a poore & base Fisherman, and his Maister had called him to be a Fisher of men: Math. 4.19. how he had cured his wiues mother, lying sicke of a feauer; Math. 8.14. yea saued his life when he was sinking into the sea; Math. 14 31. how he made him one of his in­wardst friends, tooke him with him into the moūtaine, whē he was transfigured; Math. 17.1.& into the house whē he ray­sed Jayrus his Daughter; Luk 8.51. & into the garden, where he was in such agonye; Math. 26.37. how he had borrowed mony of a Fish to pay his Trybute; Mat. 17. vlt. and is this the requitall of all such fauoures, to deny and forsweare him? he re­membreth what a commendation Christ gaue him for his confession. Blessed art thou Symon bar Jonah; Mat. 16 17. and [Page 19] doth he not now know that man, whom before he confessed to be the sonne of God? he remembreth, how he had, time and time been reproued, as for dis­swading his Maister from Ierusalem, Math 16.23. for his drowsines in the garden, Symon sleepest thou? Mar. 14.37. and for his rashe striking with the Sword: Iohn. 18.11. But what reproofe may he now looke for, hauing so denyed and forsworne him? It is hard to say what he did not remember, then what he did remember; assuredly, whatsoeuer did aggrauate the greatnesse of his sinne, that did he now perfectly remember; but this aboue all other, that his Maister had told him, that, Before the Cocke crew, he should deny him thrise; as Dauid, after he had murthered Ʋriah ▪ saw no­thing but blood: Psal. 51.14. so Peter after his deniall, could heare nothing from Belles that rung, or Birdes that sung, but this dole-full dittie, Peter, thou hast denied thy Maister. By whose example; we are to be warned; Vse. for howsoeuer our sinnes may be super-annate, and as old Leases worne out of date, so as few remember the sinnes of their youth: yet if we haue not vnfaignedly repented of them, the time shall come, when God shall giue our Consciences such a touch, as we shall remem­ber our sinnes with a witnesse, yea be as a thousand witnesses against our selues.

But examine we the words, and with your patience, let me paralell or ballance, a commandement and this promise togeather, that, concerning a principall Patri­arch & this, a prime Apostle; both of them deliuered, in words of greatest weight, emphasis, & significatiō, that can be imagined: marke how God prooued Abraham, Gen. 27.1. he biddeth him not resigne or deliuer but (Take) not a beast, or bondman, but a ( Sonne) not one of many, but an ( Only) sonne; not Jshmaell, but Isaack, the sonne of laugh­ter, in whom he was so glad a Father; not stubborne and disobedient, and therfore hated; but ( Beloued) as the bowels of his owne breast, yea as his owne soule, for [Page 20]in him were the Promises of saluation established; he must not sacrifice him at his doore, but trauell three dayes iourney, to the Mount ( Moriah) not leaue him there as an Orphant, as Moses was left in the Arke, but he must kill him, and commit slaughter vpon his flesh; not then burie him, but burne him; and neither spare him liuing nor dead, till he be in ashes, which with the least puffe of Winde might be scattered into a thou­sand places: Oh what waightie wordes are these! and (if God had not strengthned him) able to haue broken his bones, and crushed him to peeces. D. King on Ion. lect. 2. pag. 25.

You haue heard the Commaundement, now marke this Prophecie; ( 1. Thou) not Judas, Herod, or Pilate, but Peter; thou that hast been with me so long, heard my Doctrine, seene my Miracles, and made such an excel­lent Confession. ( 2. Mee) not a forriner, a straunger, an enemie; but ( Mee,) thy Friend, Familiar, Maister, God, Creator, and Sauiour; ( Mee,) that was so many thousand Yeares desired and looked for (Mee) that haue euery way testified my loue & fauour vnto thee, euen ( Mee,) that am now taken & ready to die for thy sinnes: ( 3. Deny) not flie from, and forsake, or hang a­loofe off, or not come neere, but (Denie) 4. not once in rashnes & vnaduisednes, as thou hast been often incon­siderate, but twice yea (thrice) as it were with purpose, and deliberation: not in a yeare, Month, or day, but in a short space, (euen this night before the Cocke crow.) Jehu did not march more furiously towards Jzreell, then Peter did towards Hell; 2. king. 9.20. as if he had receaued the posting commission, to salute no man by the way, and as if he had vowed, not to swallow his spittle, be­fore he had dyued as deepe as he could, into the bo­tomlesse pitt; Sic sic iuuat ire sub vmbras. are not these words of the Prophesie, as heauie (in their kinde▪) as the words of the charge? And yet, as the Queene of the South, would not be­leeue, what was told her of Salomon, till she had seene it [Page 21] with her eyes, but loe then she sayd; the one halfe was not tolde her: so, a man would not beleeue this Pro­phecye, and yet loe! the one halfe is not tolde you, for the least part of his sinne was bare denying; from thence he proceeded to swearing; yea from thence to cursinge, and that vpon small occasions: Sathan not contented with a bare denyall, laboureth by all meanes, to make him two-folde more the childe of hell, then himselfe. Math. 23.15. Preuention.

Yet was this no sinne against the holy Ghost (as the mercilesse Nouations dreamed, who held euery grosse sin, committed by a Christian, to be the sin against the holy Ghost, & therfore to such as so fell, (though they testified neuer so great repentance, yet) they would not yeeld the priuiledges of the Church; nor communicate with them in the participation of the blessed Sacra­mentes:) Euseb. Eccles. hist. lib. 6. cap. 42. for the Apostle sayth, first, this sinne, is a knowne sinne, yea a knowen sinfullnesse; Heb. 10.26. such was not Peters; for though he had heard Christ say, 1. Witting. he that denyeth me before men, him will I denie before my fa­ther which is in heauen; Math. 10.23. yea and in particuler, told Pe­ter, before the Cocke crow, thou shalt deny me thryce; yet the holy Ghost witnesseth, that he had forgotte this; and therfore, as he gaue comfort to those that had betrayed, and denyed Christ, in the presence of Pylat, that through ignoraunce they did it; Act. 3.17. so may he take the like comfort to himselfe, in the like sinne, 2. Willing. that he did it ignorauntly and forgetfully. Secondly, the Apostle sayth, that is a willing sinne, a sinne with­out cause; Sine vlla causa, aut causae specie, aliquid facere. Bez. yea, this is a despightfull, and malicious sin, a crucifying agayne of the sonne of God, and ma­king a mocke of him: Heb. 6.6. whereas alas Peter would, and would not; Voluit, nolu­it. Bucer. in Hom. 9. pag. 325. the present daunger, and feare of death, 3. Malicious. extorted these Othes, and drew these execrations from Peter: his teares did sufficiently witnesse, that he could truely protest with Paul, he did not allow, that [Page 14] which he did; Rom. 7 15. & therfore might with comfort, looke towards the mercie-seate, for sin hurteth not if it doe displease vs. Peccata non nocent, si non placent. Hiero. Generall. Thirdly, the Apostle sayth, that this sinne is not a perticular lapse but a generall prolapse and totall Apostasie, an vtter falling away; [...] Prolab [...]ntes. prolapsus. it is not like a perticuler ill distemperature [...]. of some one hu­mour, in the body, but as a generall ill dispositiō of the whole body: [...]. D. Denison Sermon at the Crosse. this is an vtter falling away from all grace, a renouncing of all Religion, & a very congeries of all abhominations: such was not Peters sinne, for his Maister had prayed for him, that his fayth should not fayle; Luk 22.32. the word in the originall, signifyeth an vtter fayling, or a fayling altogeather, neither is it to be referred to the time, but the thing, that should not fayle. Non dicit simpliciter, [...], sed [...], nec re­fertur ad tem­pus s [...]d ad rem Zanch. mi c. lib. 2 cap 3. pag. 148. So that Peters fayth was mooued, but not remo­ued; shaken, but not shaken off; he denyed Christ with his mouth, but beleeued in him with his heart: Mota, non a­mota. con [...]ussa, sed nō excussa, negauit ore, sed tenuit corde. Tertul. Peter is like the Church, that sayd of her-selfe, shee slept, but her heart waked: Cant. 5.2. that was but a slumber, like Eutichus [...]. Septu. of whom S. Paul said; There is life in him, though he seeme dead: Act. 20.10. that was but a traunce; and in deed, such spirituall traunces and apoplexies, the best of Gods Children are subiect vnto, to draw the breath of spirituall life so inwradly, that euen to them-selues, and others, they seeme dead. And lastly, he is like a Tree in Winter, which by the barrennes of the boughs, & drynesse of the barke, seemeth dead, yet hath life in the Roote: the spirit of the temptor, like a mightie Nor­therne wind, had blasted, & blowne away the leaues of Peters chearefull and bold confession; but life was in the roote, sayth remayned in the heart. [...]. Chrisost. in Luc. 22.

But though this was no sinne against the holy Ghost, it was a fearefull proceeding towardes that sinne; and how farre he would haue gone, if he had been let alone, Admonition. the searcher of heartes knoweth; and therefore a faire warning this is vnto all, that no man [Page 23] presume of the like Grace, but euery man cut off sinne betime, and destroy it whilst it is in the blossome: no man is hardened at the first, but one sinne draweth on another; and as the Psalm [...] sayth, Men fall from one mischiefe to another: and as we see a small Spring at the first runneth not farre, but becommeth a great Streame, breaketh downe banckes, and carrieth all vn­resistable before it: so in the inundation of sinne, the beginning is small; but if the current be not stopped, in the end it will become violent, breake downe the banckes of Gods threatninges, and carry a man vnre­sistably into destruction. Iudas was first a dissembler, Mar. 14.5. then a thiefe, Iohn. 12.6. then a lyer Math 26.25. then a traytor, Luk. 22.48. then a cur­sed reprobate: Math. 2.57. Peter, first a presumer, then a denyer, then a swearer, and then a curser; and if his Maister had not looked vpon him, God knoweth what he would haue been next: no man commeth to the height of misery at first, Nemo repen­tè fit miser. wherfore, If through weaknesse we sinne, (as no man liueth and sinneth not,) yet let vs not sleepe in our sinne, nor suffer the temples of our heads, to take any rest, till by repentaunce, we be reconciled vnto God, and haue a blessed Quietus est, sealed to our soules, and infallibly witnessed by Gods good spirit.

Lastly, here we see spirituall pryde and arrogancie fearefully corrected, Instruction. to teach vs all to walke in humi­litie with God, Michah. 6 8. yea suspecting our selues, to cleaue fast vnto God, praying heartily, that he leade vs not into temptation; Luk. 22.40. great was the pride & arrogancy of Peter, both in regarde of his fellow Apostles, and Ro­mayne power, yea in regard of Christ, and God him selfe: Christ told all them, All ye shall be offended with me this night, Math. 26.33. Peter replyed, Though all men be offended, yet will I neuer be offended: Math. 26.33. Herein he exalted himselfe aboue his Colleagues, yea aboue all men: the Romaines sent to apprehend Christ, Peter drew forth his sword, Math. 26.51. and exalted himselfe against Gods ordinaunce; Rom. 13 2. Christ [Page 24] told him playnly, that he should deny him, Peter sayd he would rather die with him, Math. 26.35. & herein exalted himselfe against Christ, and contradicted him; yea when Christ asked him, shall not I drincke of the cuppe, which my Father hath giuen me? Iohn. 18.11. he playnly intimated that in seeking to saue Christ from his passion, he exalted himselfe against God, as if he were wyser then God, to finde out another way of redemption, then he had appoynted: Supra Deum patrem extulit, in hoc, quod resistit volunta­ti eius. Brent. de pass ful. 695. and therfore most iust with God, that of an egregious presumer, he should become a most dis­perate denyer; Ex egregio presumptore, creber negator effectus. August. Epist. 120. and as he lifted vp himselfe, so to let him take the greater fall, and that, first for his owne good, for as Paul deliuered the incestious Corinthian to Sathan, for the destruction of his flesh, and sauing of his spirit: 1. Cor. 5.5. and Himeneus and Alexander to Sathan, that he might learne not to blaspheme; 1. Tim. 1.20. so God let this man fall, for the destruction of his carnal presumption, and that he might learne Davids lesson, not to lift vp his horne on high, 1. Vse. no more to speake presumptuously, nor suffer arrogancy to proceede out of his mouth, yea how good a scholler herein he was, the story of the gos­pell witnesseth; for when our Sauiour after his resur­rection, was pleased, to renew Peters pastorall cōmissi­on, & to restore him from whence he had fallen, by a triple denyall; by making a triple confession, he asked him, Peter louest thou me? Iohn. 21.15. yea, & as it were purposely to try, whether he knew himselfe any more, or would compare any more he propounded the question com­paratiuely▪ Peter, louest thou me more then these? But Peter had paied for his comparisons, he had done with them; Priori peri­culo doctus cau­sius respondet. Enian. Sa. in loc. if he had asked him such a question at his last Supper, he had had a ready comparatiue Answere; Yea Lord, I loue thee more then these, and more then all men: But now marke how humbly, and warily he an­swereth, Non iam se prefert caeteris. Toll. in loc. Lord thou knowest that I loue thee; hee hath learned neuer to preferre himselfe before others [Page 25] againe: yea, when Christ asked him the third time, the Euangelist saith, Peter was sorrie, as hauing learned that Christ knew him better then himselfe, Re ipsa exper­ius not inrem se Christo quam sibiipsi. Musc. and as a­frayde that his owne heart deceiued him againe, hee answered with teares; Lord, thou knowest all thinges; thou knowest that I doe loue thee: So that he might well confesse to Gods glory with Dauid, and say, Be­fore I fell, I went wrong, and presumed of that which was not in me; but now I haue learned to know my selfe.

Secondly, 2. Vse. this is chronicled for the good of all Gods people, to the end of the world; for at his cost, we may all learne how great the wretchednesse of mans nature is, and that there is no sinne we can presume we shall not fall into, if God leaue vs to our selues; for, did Pe­ter, that had been with Christ, heard his doctrine, and seene his Miracles? Did Peter, that had made such an excellent confession of Christ; and (as it were) tasted the ioyes of heauen vpon the holy mount? did Peter, a Cephas, a prime Apostle, a piller in the church, did Peter, (as it were) the bel-weather of Gods flocke, who had protested, he would rather dye with Christ, then denye him? Did, he I say, in so short a time vpon so small occasion, not only deny, but forsweare his maister? Then let no man be high mynded, but feare; Rom. 11.20. he that thinketh he standeth, take heede least he fall; 1▪ Cor. 10.12. yea euery man worke out his saluation with feare and trembling, Phil 2.12. cleauing fast vnto God, & praying him, not to leade him into temptation; Math. 6.13. Peter hath fallen, let others beware: Cadìt Petrus vt reliqui caue­ant. Hugo. in locum. let not the fall of the greater, be the imitation of the lesse: but the fall of the greater, the feare of the lesser. Non sit lap­sus matorum, imitatio mino­rum· sed casus maiorum, sit timor minorum. Augu. in ps. 51. 2. Meanes.

The second internall meanes of his repentaunce was his wayinge and considering with himselfe; for so (in most translations) it is by S. Marcke added, Mar. 14. vit. (and waying that with himselfe) as the careles banckrupt, [Page 26] who being priuie to the weaknesse of his estate & mea­ning to breake, he borroweth of euery one that will lend, and neuer considereth, how to repay it againe; or selling his wares doth not waygh them, but deliuer at randome: so Peter in sinning, rūneth in debt vnto God, and neuer once thinketh or considereth with himselfe, how it shall be satisfied; & deliuereth his sins in grosse, as fast as any one came to be serued; but now at the last he beginneth to waigh & ponder things; and laying in the one end of the ballance, his Maisters Prophecy, & the fulfilling thereof; he found them to carry waight, yea to be as heauie as Lead; but laying in the other end, his owne Promise, and the performance thereof, he fin­deth it as light as the wind, yea lighter then vanitie it selfe, and most worthie of the impression of Belthashars Embleme, Thou art weighed in the Ballaunce, and art found too light; Dan. 5.27. Doct. and therefore, hee went out, and wept bitterly.

Which teacheth vs how necessary and profitable a thing it is for men to thinke & cōsider with themselues, what God commaundeth, promiseth, threatneth, re­wardeth, and punisheth: and therewith to waigh and ponder our owne words, actions, and behauiour, that finding them too light, with Peter we may be sorry; and with Dauid, make haste to amende; as he sayd, J considered my wayes, & made haste to keepe thy Commaunde­ments: but seeing this is not in the letter of my Text, no nor in the originall at all, I will passe it ouer, & come to the Testification of his repentance; which is two-fold.

1. Testificatiō of his repen­tance.First, (Hee went out,) if Peter had not been fore­warned of the frailtie of his nature, & plainely told, and fore-told of his sinne, I should haue commended him much for his pietie, & honest affection, in following into the High-priests Hall, as earnestly desiring to see, what the issue would be, & what would become of his Maister: but seeing he was fore-warned and fore-told, and had made himselfe the more noted, by being such a [Page 27] stickler in his Maisters quarrell, and cutting off one of the high Pristes seruants cares; Iohn. 18.10. hee is much to be con­demned, that he would so rashly offer and expose him­selfe, to such violent occasions of sinne, and temptations therevnto, oh why rather did he not flie with his fel­lowes, or hide himselfe close in some secret place, til the storme should be ouerpast? Neither doe I altogeather commende him for his going out, for if his heart were truly smitten with sorrow, & remorse for his sinne, why did he not make amendes, by publicke confession? Why doth he not in an holy zeale, where and before whom he had denied, there testifie his repentaunce? Hath he sinned in publicke, and doth he runne out at doores to sorrow in priuate? Oh it had been much more valiant, to haue confessed, where he had denyed; and repented, where he had sinned. Fecisset con­stantius et for­tius, si quo loco peccauerat, eodem paeniten­tiam egisset. Mald. But we see his feare is not altogether ouer yet: Verisimile Petrum metu egressum, quia flere coram testibus non audebat. Calu. in Math. his Repentance is true, but weake; yea the best vertues of Gods Saints, are stained with some wantes, euen their righteousnes as a menstrous Cloath: Esay. 64.6. and therefore though S. Paul say truely, that Godly sorrow causeth repentance, not to be repented of; 2. Cor. 7.10. Ob. Sol. yet in some sense I may say, Peters sorrow brought foorth such a repentance, as when he had repented, he might well repent thereof; because he had not perfectly re­pented in his former repentance, for, Hee went out.

Some say, this was to auoyde all appearaunce of hi­pocrisie. I answere, that as no sinne is more odious to God, or hatefull to Gods people, that worshippe him in spirit and trueth, then hipocrisie, and therefore most carefully auoyded by Dauid, who caused his Bedde and Couch to swimme with teares: Psal. 6.6. And Ezekiah (though he could not goe out of the roome, yet) bee turned his face to the wall, and wept sore; Esay. 38.2. Whereas Hipo­crites, neuer weepe but in publicke; but then they haue most teares at commaunde, when they haue most wit­nesses thereof: Vt sterent oculos erudiere suos, addidit et lachrymas tan­quam mundas­set et illas Ouid Yet some-times to weepe in publicke, [Page 28] is no note of hipocrisie: are teares the Preachers praise? Lachrymae auduorum sint laudes tua. Jerom: and are they not also the hearers prayse? yes assuredly, & a sweet ar­gument, as God witnessed of Josiah, that their hearts do melt; as when the Congregation is assembled to Prea­ching or Prayer, and specially in time of some great humiliation; as in the Niniuites fast: or of the aboun­dance of a sorrowfull spirit, the eyes gush out; as in Hannah, who poured out her soule before the Lord. 1. Sam. 1.15. Oh then, that Peter had gone so through-stitch with his Repentaunce, that as it is recorded, that in the Pha­risies house, euen before all that sate at Table with him, a Woman in sorrow for her sinnes, did wash his feete with teares; Luk▪ 7.38. so it might haue been recorded, that in the High-priestes house, there was a man, an Apostle, yea Peter, who in true sorrow, for denying his Maister before them all, did weepe bitterly before them all: but alasse, herein he fayled, through feare, he sinned publickly, and is afrayde to repent publickely; so, hee went out.

1. Vse.Whose example, affoordeth great consolation, seeing God is well pleased with the poore endeauours, and desires; the lame and halting obedience of his children, so that, what they do, be in trueth: and also is a fayre warning and admonition, that when we haue done any thing, Vse. (and as we conceaue in best maner) yet still, to suspect some want, and to confesse, we are but vnprofitable seruants, Luk. 17.10. Serui inutiles sumus. we eyther, haue not done what we ought, or not in that manner we ought; for Peter went out to weepe.

Yet finde we heere, some good, some sweete, for Peters commendation, and our imitation: first, that Peter delayeth not, 1. Commend. nor deferreth not his repentaunce, he stayeth not till his Maister be condemned & execu­ted, but so soone as euer God stroke his heart with re­morse, he made haste into some conuenient place, where [Page 29] he might poure out his soule, and his teares vnto God: Doct. and therby teacheth vs, with all speed, to put holy mo­tions in effect; pray, when God moueth thee; read, when God moueth thee; repent, when God moueth thee; giue almes, when God moueth thee: quench not, checke not, grieue not the spirit; with Cras, cras, thou knowest not, whether euer God will moue thee any more; or at least, it may cost thee deare to recouer such motions agayne: wherfore whilst it is called to day, harden not your hearts; but let euery soule marche valiently, when God soundeth and stryketh the drumme.

The Reason hereof is, Reason. because sinne and the al­lurements thereof, do neuer cleaue so fast, as when men bethinke, to part from them; so that he that is not fitte to day, without the great mercy of God, will be lesse fitte to morrow; Qui non est bodie, cras minus aptus crit. wherfore take no day with God, but as Abrahams seruant bad Laban and Bethuell, hinder me not: Gen. 24.56. and the blind man in the Gospell, cast away his Cloake when Christ called him: Mar. 10 50. so let vs say to father, mother, husband, wife, or friend, hinder me not: yea cast away all hindrances, Heb. 12.1. though as pleasant, pro­fitable, and deare vnto vs, as right hand, or right eie; Math 5 29. yea as Zache came downe hastily to entertaine Christ; Luk. 19.6. and Lot did scape for his life, out of Sodome; Gen. 19.17 & (as Paul biddeth) let vs flee 1. Tim. 6.7. from our sinnes, and make euen all the speede wee possibly can, to leaue our sinnes, when God calleth and moueth.

But now if we make Application to our selues, Application. Oh Lord how many are there, who hearing their sinnes boldly and plainely reprooued, and their Consciences thereof powerfully conuicted, that during the hearing of the Word, they haue been at least (as Agrippa said to Paul) almost perswaded, Act. 26.28. to leaue their swea­ring, lying, drinking, whoring; yea, how many are there, who when the hand of God is heauy vpon them [Page 30] in sicknesse, will with teares confesse their sinnes, and promise great reformation; but are no sooner recoue­red, but all their good motions vanish like a mornings deaw: Hose. 6.4. all their almostes come to nothing at all, they returne to their former courses, as the Dogge to hi­vomite; 2. Pet. 2.22. they liue, but their sicke repentance is dead; yea euen repent, of that their repentance: Jpsius paeni­tentiae agunt paenitentiam. Ambros. de paenit. lib. 2. cap. 9. so did not Peter, the Waxe was warme, and he put too the Seale; the Iron was hotte, and he stroke; God gaue a good motion, and he presently put it in execution; so, Hee went out.

2 Commend.The second thing commendable in Peter, is, that fin­ding such great occasions and temptations, whereby he had been drawen to sinne, in the High-priestes Hal, he staieth no longer there, but went out; yea though our Euangelist vse a word of ordinarie and milde sig­nification; yet S. Marke vseth a more emphaticall word, signifying, to rush out with haste, or with a spee­die violence: hee came in peakingly, and by leaue and leasure; but he goeth out with a witnesse, as if he would haue broken downe the doore, if it had been shut against him.

Doct.Whereby we learne, that it is a singuler testimonie of true Repentance, for a man to hate, and auoyde all the meanes and occasions of sinne; the Prouerbe is, The burnt Child, will beware of the Fire: We see by ex­perience, the Horse will not be forced to the Ditch, where he hath been plunged; and the Dogge will not come neare, nor abide the man, that hath beat him: the Bird will come no more to the shrape, that hath once been in the Nette; the Fish will bite no more, that hath been once wounded with Hooke; yea, the Mar­riner that hath once suffered ship wracke, will not one­ly auoyde those Rockes and Sandes, but is also afrayde euen in greatest calmes: Tranquillas etiam naufra­gus horret. aquas. Ouid. Now amongst all the occa­sions of sinne, there is none more dangerous then euill [Page 31] company; for can a man take Coales in his bosome, and not be burnt? or handle Pitch, and not be defiled? or fly with Ostriges and Pellicanes, and not grow wilde? or dwell in the Tentes of Wickednesse, and not learne to be Wicked? Assuredly, there is no spedier con­iunction betwixt Fire & Tow, Tinder or Gunpowder, or any other such combustible matter, then there is be­twixt our corrupt Nature and Sinne, vpon the least oc­casion, vnlesse the grace of God doe preuent it; which thing the true penitent, by woeful experience finding, as God biddeth, Come out; so with Peter, they runne out, and come no more amongst such, as it is a thousand to one, he shall doe no good vnto, but take much hurt from. Rerum natu­ra sic est, vt quoties bonus malo coniungi­tur, non ex bono malus oritur sed ex malo bo­nus contami­netur, Chrysost. So much for the first Testification of his Re­pentance.

(And wept bitterly.) Wherein two thinges are to be considered, viz. first, his Weeping; second, the manner how, (Bitterly.) For the first, it is sayd, ( That he wept) or, (as the word signifieth) he shedde teares aboun­dantly. Lachrymor, fleo, quasi fluo. Dauid had so long wept for his fins, 2. Tectificatiō of repentance. & mingled his drinke with teares, that his moysture was turned into the drought of Sommer, and his very boanes burnt like an hearth: Psal. 102.3.9. Peter beginneth but now to weepe for his sinnes, but his drought is turned into the moysture of Winter; the Clouds returne after the raine; Eccles. 12.3. one shower of teares followeth another, as if his eyes were foun­taines of brine, so he wept, as if with Niobe he would transforme himselfe into a Rocke, and become a right Peter indeed; or as hauing lost the power of Baptisme in Water, hee would now be baptised in a flood of teares.

When Christ was borne, it was a ioyfull time, and there was great mirth; Simeon sung, and Annah sung, yea the Angels of Heauen sung, and bade the Shep­heardes sing, for they brought them tydinges of great ioy, which should be to all the people: Luk. 2.10.13. but when [Page 32] Christ suffered, it was a dolefull time, and there was much weeping; Christ him-selfe wept, Luk. 19.41. yea, and prayed with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death: Heb. 5.7. the Disciples, they wept; Mar 16.10. the Daughters of Ierusalem, they wept; Luk. 23.27. the Sunne was darckned, and that wept; Luk. 23 45. the Temple rent it Vaile, and that wept: the Stones were clouen asunder, and they wept; Math. 27.51.yea, all senseles creatures in their kindes did lament the passion of their maker: but Peter wept bitterly: others wept chiefly for Christ; but Peter chiefly for himselfe, as his Maister counsailed, Weepe not for me, but weepe for your selues: Luk. 23.28. Peter wept in passion, others wept but in compassion: nay, herein was Peters compassion true, because it began at him­selfe, for howsoeuer, it is good to pittie others, and to wipe away teares from their eyes with the spunge of compassion; as the Apostle biddeth, weepe with them that weepe; Rom. 12.15. yet the greatest compassion, and best pleasing vnto God, is for a man to haue pittie on him­selfe, as the wise-man biddeth: Eccle. 30.23. and to open his owne heart veine, with the launce of cōpunction; how could Peter haue had pittie on his Maister, if he had had none of himselfe? Wherefore he beginneth right; first, for himselfe, and his owne sinnes, he wept bitterly. Which thing, he well learned from his Cocke▪ which by clap­ping his winges to his owne sides, first wakened him­selfe, and then Peter.

There are three thinges required to make the loue of Christ perfect in vs: 1 Trueth: 2. Wisedome: 3. Cou­rage: Ad perfectam dei dilectione tria requirun­tur, 1. Veritas, 2. Prudentia, 3. Fortitudo. Ferus de pass. pag 277.for so saith the Law, Thou shast loue the Lord thy God, 1. with all thine Heart, 1. truely: 2. With all thy Soule, 1. wisely: 3. with all thy Strength, Deut 65. 1. valiantly, and cou­ragiously: when Peter sayd to his Maister, pittie thy selfe, this shall not be vnto thee; Mat. 16.22.23. he loued him truely, but not wisely, therfore his Maister rebuked him, Get thee behynd me Sathan: When he put vp his sword and fol­lowed [Page 33] Christ; Math. 26.58. he loued him truly and wisely (hauing learned not to hinder, but to imitate,) Vera est pru­dentia passione non impedire. sed etiam imi­tari. but he loued him not valiantly, he denied his Maister, and wept, that his loue was no perfecter: but after his resurrection, by his threefold confession, John. 21.17. he declared, that he had at­tayned the third degree of perfection in loue, he loued him, as valiantly, as he did truely, and wisely: some (I know not in what besotted charitie, or prepostrous Zeale) haue gone about to excuse, or (at least) extenu­ate Peters fault; that he might say, he knew not the [...]a; for he knew and had confessed him to be God: Nescio homi­nem, quia scio [...]eum Hill. [...]mb Copus. vide Iuel de­fense. Apolog. pag. 665. but (sayth another) we must take heed, we do not so iusti­fye the Apostle, as we condemne Christ of a lye, who was the trueth it selfe; for he told Peter, thou shalt de­nye (Mee) he sayth not, my manhood, but (Mee.) Me negabis, non hominem. Heiron. Christ knew best, that he would do, and Peter knew next that he had done; and in the guilt of a great sinne wept bitterly, and with his teares, doth suffici­ently reprehend those that would defend him. Lachrymis, suos defensore [...] arguit. August Exposit. in Ps. 140. et tract. in Johann 66.

It is obserued by some, that Peter wept, but spake not a word; and indeed, it may seeme strange, for Da­ui [...] confessed, 2. Sam 12.13 the Mariners cried, Ionah. 1.14. and the Publicane prayed, God be mercifull to me a sinner, Luk. 18.13. and Peter dost thou hold thy peace, thou that criedst so earnestly to Christ, when but thy body was in daunger of drow­ning? Maister saue me: dost thou now hold thy peace, when as thy soule is in daunger of destroying? What though he that made the heart and tongue vnderstand the language of both alike; and is as neare to our reines as our lipps, the voyce of the one being no more audible to him that heareth without eares, then the in­tention of the other? Hath the tongue therfore immu­nitie from doing that homage to the Lord, which he hath enioyned it? No verily, as we must beleeue with the heart, so must we make confessiō with the mouth; Rom. 10.1 [...]. as Gods priestes, were appoynted to weepe betwixt [Page 34] the Porch and Altar, euen in the Body and Nauell of the Church; so also to speake, spare thy people, ô Lord: Ioel. 2.17. Wherfore let vs learne, (specially in the house of prayer) to pray with Dauid, Lord open our mouthes, and our lippes shall shew foorth thy prayse: Psal. 51.15. but of Peters silence, at this time there may be these three Reasons rendred.

First reason of Peters silence.First, the Greatnesse of his Griefe; which was such, as stopped the course of his speach, Curae leues lo­quuntur. Senec. now to remem­ber, vpon so small an occasion, in so short a time, to deny, yea and forsweare his louing Maister; yea, his blessed Sauiour. Oh Lord, how it astonished him! so as for the time, he could not possibly speake, but weepe.

2. Reason.Secondly, the Greatnesse of his Shame for his sinne; which was such, as he was ashamed to speake of it vn­to God or men; but it is no shame to weepe for that sinne, which it is a shame to confesse: Bene fleuit, et tacuit, lauat enim lachryma delictum, quod voce pudorest, confiteri. Amb. Wherefore Peter doth well to weepe, and hold his peace.

Thirdly, the Greatnesse of his Sinne required great intercession for pardon; wherefore he sendeth not mes­sengers of ordinarie nature, as a few penitent wordes, J haue sinned, 3. Reason. sayd Pharaoh and Saul;) but he dispatcheth his Teares as his Embassadours, Mittit lega­tos lachrymas. Cypr. lib. 2. Epist. 7. that (if it were pos­sible) before the cry of his sinne should be heard in the high Court of Heauen, his Teares might pray & plead for pardon: where, of all Messengers, they are most gracious, being (as one sayth) Barn. in Cantic. the Blood of the soule, and Wine of the Angels: which, flowing from the Wine-presse of a brused and contrite spirit, are more forcible to perswade God, then all the Eloquence, then all the Rhetoricke in the world; [...]. Cypr. therefore sayth God to Ezekiah, J haue seene thy Teares: Esay. 38.5. as if these Embassa­dours can no sooner appeare, but Gods gracious Eye is vpon them. Yea Dauid sayth, God heard the voyce of his weeping: Psal. 6.8. wherevpon one demaundeth this Que­stion, [Page 35] What should the meaning of this be, trow you? Haue Teares Tongues, I maruell; or can they speake, that they may be heard? and returneth this Answere; The cloud-cleauing Thunder of the Almightie, can­not make such a ratling sound, and roaring noyse in the eares of man, as our Teares doe, in the eares of God: D. Playf. Serm. meane in mourning. pag. 19. so truely, the Heathen man hath sayd, they are waightie wordes. Interdū la­chrymae, pon­dera vocis habent. Ouid. de Pont. lib. 3. Eleg. 1.

It is no disgrace then (as the Heathen man imagi­ned) Nihil viro turpius muli­ebri fletu. Natt. de im­mortal▪ anim. lib. 1. for a man to weepe; nay, how many Examples haue we in the word, of men of great courage and va­lour, as Dauid, Ezekiah, Iosiah, Manasses, Peter, and others, who could hardly for any wordly occasion, no not for feare of death, haue wrung foorth one Teare; yet for their sinnes, haue wept most bitterly, and plentifully, as if they had a certaine pleasure in weeping, Est piis, quae­dam etiam flendi volup­tas. Amb. de obit. valent. and had teares at commaund.

Yet must I not thus commend all manner of teares, without difference, for the Apostle sayth, there is a worldly sorrow, which causeth death, 2. Cor. 7.10. Cayn, Saul, & Judas, were thus sorry, yea Esau, sought the blessing with teares, yet found no place to repentance, Heb. 12.17. where­fore, if we would haue our teares acceptable vnto God, & put into his bottle, as the Psalmist speaketh, Psal. 56.8. & haue them comfortably wiped from our eyes, Reu. 21.4. they must be faythfull, and true, and declared to the world to be so, by bringing fourth fruites worthie of amendment of life; Nihil prosunt lamenta▪ vbi explicantur peccata. Aug. as Peter, who for the world, would not so sinne agayne; Yea was euer after this time, so farre from boa­sting of himselfe, that he would neuer compare with any man; Iohn. 21.15. so farre from denying his Maister, that he did most boldly confesse him and his trueth, to the beards of his greatest enemyes, euen when their hands, and speare, did reake with his blood; Act. 2.23. and so of a deny­er, was made a pastor; by his tongue to gouerne others, Alios regen. dos accepit, qui prius se nō rexit. Amb. who could not gouerne his owne:

[Page 36] Exhortation.Let vs not then mocke God, with a counterfeit re­pentaunce, Jrrisor est, non vere paenitens, qui adhuc agit, quod peniteat. Bara. medit. carrying sinne in one hand, & sorrow in another; with teares washing away our former sinnes, and yet dayly defyling our selues, with the filth thereof; but let vs become new Creatures, of proud, humble; of hurtful, harmeles; of cruel, meeke; of Wool­ues, Lambes; of Adulterers, chast liuers; of Drunc­kerds, sober men; of swearers, reuerent speakers; of despysers, embracers; of scoffers and hators of Gods trueth, friends and louers: then shall God be glorified, the deuill confounded, the world amazed, and our sal­uation exceedingly furthered, Lapsus sancto­rum vtilis est. Amb. cōment. in Luc. lib. 10. audeo dicere, superbis vtile esse cadere in aliquod apertū peccatum, vnde sibi displiceant. August. de ciuti. lib. 14. c. 13 though with Peter we haue sinned, if with him, we haue truely wept and repented.

(Bitterly.) This word declareth the manner of Peters weeping, viz. hauing greiuously sinned, hee now as greatly lamented them: which teacheth vs, that true repentaunce is a bitter, yea and a paynefull thing, the paynes of whipping the body, as the Fla­gellants doe, or of launcing it with kniues, as the Priestes of Baa did; Doct. or of sicknesses, ach, famine; are not comparable to the paynes of true repentaunce; which thing, the titles and Epithites thereof do declare: the Prophet calleth it a renting of the heart; Ioel. 2.13. what a payne is it to haue the heart rent, and (as it were) rac­ked vpon tenter-hookes, and torne with grypes and conuulsions? And Dauid saith a mans heart, must be contryte and broken, Psa. 51.19. euen (as it were) beaten to pou­der, with Godly sorrow: the Grecians call it, by such a word as signifieth, a carefull griefe, & sorrow of heart, the Latines call it, by such a word as signifyeth, payne or torment; Paenitentia, a paena: paenitet, quem paena tenet. August. Examples of true penitentes, shew no lesse: it is said of Dauid, that his heart did smite him, or scourge him: 2. Sam. 24.10 A fit metaphore to expresse the nature of Repentance; which is the very scourge of the soule. Flagellum animae. D. De­nison of sinne against y ^e holy Ghost pag. 63. In what paine was the Prophet, when he complained, [Page 37] My leannesse, my leannesse, woe is mee? Esay. 24.16. And that other Prophet, when he complayned, My belly, my belly; I am payned euen at my very heart, mine heart is troubled within me, J can not be still. Ierom. 4.19. And to conclude with our owne Example, in what paine was Peter, when (as if all were turned into Gall or Worme-wood) he wept bitterly?

The Reason of this Doctrine, is worthy our conside­ration; which is, because in Repentance, Reason. the spirit is wounded with the liuely sense and apprehension of Gods wrath against sinne, which in other Plagues of the body it is not; and therefore in greatest distempe­ratures of the body, when the Bones are broken, Loines filled with a sore Disease, Woundes stincke and are corrupt, Psal 38.5. and that a man may truely say with him in the Comedie; Mine Heart is sicke, my Reynes are sicke, my Spleene is sicke, my Liuer is sicke, and all other partes are out of frame; Cor dolet, renes dolent. Plaut. yet if a man haue peace with God, his Spirit will beare his infirmities: but if the Soule be sicke, and the Spirit it selfe wounded, who can beare it? Prou. 18.14. These are the onely paynes, which are like the paines of Hell, whence the Prouerbe came; That good men haue their Hell in this life; meaning, that the paines of Repentance, are so smart vnto them, that it differeth many times very little, from the Plagues of the other life: Which doctrine thus confirmed, yeeldeth two very necessary vses.

First, First vse. it may serue to reforme the erroneous Iudge­mentes of many, concerning Repentance. Some thinke, that euery Sorrow is Repentance; but then should Worldlinges repent. Some thinke euery Confession, to be Repentance: then should Pharaoh and Saul re­pent; some thinke euery weeping, repentaunce, M. Dent. Ser. of repent. pag. 7. then should Esau repent; some thinke euery little humilia­tion repentance, then should Achab repent; some thinke euery good word & promise repentaunce, then should most sicke men repent; some thinke to crie God mercy, [Page 38] is repentaunce; then should euery Foole repent: but if we remember what hath been sayd, true Repentance is more then the hanging downe of the head like a Bul­rush, or to wring out a Teare, or weare Haire-cloth, or from the teeth outward to cry, Lord haue mercy on me, and so away. Oh it is a scourging, a renting, a rac­king of the very Soule, and a filling of the Reynes with exceeding bitternesse, and griefe for sinne.

Second vse.Secondly, heere is matter of great comfort for the godly, who are perplexed with the terrours of God, and troubled mindes, for sinne; that they can truly say, The paines of Hell came about vs: Psal. 18.5. Let them remem­ber what Christ hath sayd, Blessed are they that so mourne, for they shall reioyce: Math. 5.4. Heauinesse shall endure but for a night; Psal. 30.5. the time is at hand, when all sighing shall be turned in­to singing, lamentation into laughing; All Teares wiped from their eyes: Reu. 21.4. and those which they haue shedde, be rewarded with an eternall weight of comfort and glory. 2. Cor. 4.17.

(Bitterly,) but not immoderately, like Heraclitus, or Niobe; for Nature, Reason, and Religion, forbidde such immoderate weeping: Nature, (as the Philoso­phers haue obserued) hath giuen vnto the Eye, twise as many dry Skinnes or Filmes, like Sluces, to damme vp the course of Teares; as moyst humours like Chan­nels, to let them runne forth; but three of these, and sixe of the other: Tol. in lib. 2. Aristot. de anima. Reason, sayth to much of a thing is naught; Ne quid nimis. too many droops of sweete honny are not good; Prou. 25.27. much lesse too many teares as bitter as worme­wood: but Religion goeth further, and forbiddeth Christians to weepe, as those that haue no hope; 1. Thess. 4.13 so that nature, which teacheth all things; reason, which teacheth all men; and Religion, which teacheth all Christians; do ioyne togeather to teach this lesson, we must weepe bitterly but not Immoderatly; for it is the manner, not the measure; the qualitie, not the quan­titie [Page 39] of our teares, which God respecteth: yea euen three sillables pronounced with one true teare, are more powrefull with God; Quantum valent tres sillabae, pecca­ui. Amb. Then tenne thousand confessions, vttered with a flood of detestable, Detestandae lachrimae, quae non habent modum. Hierom. hip­pocritycall, teares:

Lastly, he wept (bitterly) but not desperatly, as Esau and Judas did; Peter, hath sinned, and that was the death of his soule, but there was mercy with God, to reuyue it agayne, but had he despayred he had des­cended into hell, forth of which, there is no Redemp­tion: Some are bold to affirme, that Iudas sinned more in despayring of mercy, then in betraying of his Mai­ster; for in this, he did but chiefly wornge his huma­nitie, and bring vpon it that death which his Father had euerlastingly appoynted; Act. 4.28. but in the other, he wronged his deitie, as if this sinne were greater, then his infinite mercy could forgiue. Iicron. in ps. 108.

The hope of a Christian, is very nicely and feare­fully placed betwixt two extremities; bold presump­tion, and timerous desperation: only, shee is accom­panyed with two Sisters to keepe her from this Scylla and Charibdis where so many poore soules suffer ship­wracke & ouerthrow; viz. Faith and Loue; Faith lay­eth hold vpon the mercies of God, and keepeth from despaire: and Loue, teacheth to keepe the com­maundements of God, and beware of a sinfull and ly­centious life, D. King on Ion. Lect. 27. pag 364. whatsoeuer then our sinne be, let vs be­ware of despaire; which (as it were) bindeth Gods Armes, and shutteth the Doore of Gods gracious In­dulgencie against vs; and is therefore a wound which can neuer be cured. Plaga insa­nabilis. Apostrophe.

Say we vnto Christ, Oh sweete Iesu, thou camest to saue sinners: 1. Timo. 1.15. If I were not a sinner, thou couldst not be my Sauiour: Thou callest all such as trauell and are heauie loaden; Math. 11. penult. and promisest to cast away none that come vnto thee: Iohn. 6.37. Thou didest not cast away the [Page 40] Theese vpon the Crosse, confessing: Luk. 23.41. nor Mathew sitting at the receipt of Custome: Math. 9.9. nor the Woman washing thy feete with Teares: Luk. 7.38. nor the Canaanite, begging for her Daughter: Math. 15.28. nor the Publicane stan­ding a farre off: Luk. 18.13. nor Peter denying, nor Paul persecu­ting, the sauiour of these Examples; make mee to loue thee, and run after thee. Barn. Serm. in Cantic. 22. in odore horū currimus. Say we vnto God; O Lord, thy name is Jehouah, Exod. 3.14. thou art a God not in shew, but in substaunce: not for a season, but in continuaunce: thy nature, is rich in Mercie; Ephe 2 4. thou art rich in Power, rich in Wisedome, rich in Iustice; yea infinitely rich in whatsoeuer may be sayd, thou art: but as thy Mer­cie is ouer all thy Workes; Psa. 145 9. and as the Oyle, which couereth all Liquors; so is the riches of thy Mercie, a­boue all other thy Riches: Thy Couenaunt is, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed: Gen. 17.7. thy Promise is, At what time ( Whensoeuer) a sinner ( Whosoeuer) shall repent of his sinne, ( Whatsoeuer) thou wilt forgiue and forget it Psal. 119.49. Lord remember thy Name, remember thy Nature; re­member thy Couenant, remember thy Promise; for these thinges haue caused mee to trust in thee: And though thou killest me, I will trust in thee Iob. 13.15.

Say we to Peter, Oh blessed man, Christ hath suffe­red Sathan to giue thee the foyle; but he hath raysed thee he hath suffered thee to shame thy selfe, that he might crowne thee with Glory: thou hast sinned, and hast sorrowed; thou denyedst, and hast wept bitterly: thou offendedst in thy Tongue and thine Heart hath been rent for it: thy Teares are come vp into remem­brance with God, and the guilt & punishment▪ shame and disgrace of thy sinne, are gone with God, Angels, and men: so long as the World standeth, thou shalt be honoured in the Church as a chiefe Apostle: Gall. 2.9. Now are all Teares wiped from thine eyes; and now thou keepest turnes with those Angels, which did ioy in thy repentance; yea, art admitted into the bottomlesse and [Page 41] bounlesse ioyes of thy Maister, for euer. Non intra­bit gaudium in gaudentes, sed totì gau­dentes, in gau­dium domini. August. tuan. Conclusion.

To conclude, wee haue all sinned, some one way, some another; most, many wayes; but few haue yet sorrowed and repented: they can weepe extreamely for any worldly Crosse or Calamitie, euen as Rachel did for her Children, and would not be comforted; Math. 2.18 but for their sinnes, they haue no touch, no remorse, no compunction at all; their heartes are of as inuincible hardnes as the Adamant, which can neither be softned with Fire, nor wrought with Hammer: and their eyes as dry as Pumiest stones: Corda Ada­mantiua et oculos Pumi ceos. Plant. nay, I wold there were not a generatiō so far past grace, as in stead of sorrowing for sinnes, to glory in them, & to say vnto them, as God did to his Creatures, Increase and multiply; Gen. 1.22. proclayming, as with a trumpet, their owne damnation: well, the night of ignoraunce and sinne is almost ouer, Rom. 13.12. yea all time is wel-nigh gone, Reu. 10.6. the day beginneth to dawne, the Cocks do crow thicke and shrill, Repent, Repent, for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand; Mat. 3.2.4.17. there remay­neth no more but the crow of the last trumpet, which shall be so loude and shrill, as shall awaken all that sleepe in the dust of the Earth, Esay. 26.19. and cause such as would not weepe for their sinnes in this world, to weepe and waile, and gnash their teeth in hell for euer. Math. 22.13.

Were I then, as happie as Salomon to haue whatso­euer I would aske, 1. King. 3.5. this is the greatest blessing which I would or could desire for vs all, that with the crowing of the Cocke this day, he would be pleased graciously to looke vpon vs, & so effectually to touch our soules with his holy spirit, that from them might flow ryuers of teares of true repentannce, that so sorrowing with Peter, we might be forgiuen, and for euer comforted with him: Which God, for his infinite mercie graunt vnto vs all, Amen.