CHAP. I. That the life of man is vnsta­ble, and therefore repen­tance not to be de­ferred.

FIRST thou wilt perhaps alledge against thy selfe (deare brother) [...]hat thou canst not vpon the [...]udden free thy selfe from [...]hy accustomed pleasures, What a sinner ob­iecteth a­gainst him­selfe. [Page 2]and that when thou art old, thou wilt be more willing to withstand the temptations and allurements of pleasure, and repent thee of thy sinnes. Res. What man is there that liueth and shal not see death? The neces­sitie of Death. Heb. 9. It is appointed vnto men that they should once die: from which generall sentence that no man should wax proud, no man is exempted. Which if it bee true, I would but know of thee how long thou thinkest the pleasures of this transitory life may continue with thee? For my part I can not imagine that the vtter­most thou canst hope can be aboue fifty yeeres, The vn­certaintie of the day of death. in which time, see how many dangers hang ouer thy head. First, there is no man be hee neuer [Page 3]so yoong that can assuredly promise vnto himselfe to liue vntill night. Death vshereth an olde man, goeth before him, comes behinde a yoong man & takes him vnawares, and to them both nothing is more certaine than death, nothing more vncertain than the houre, place, meanes, and maner of death. Varro in his pro­uerbs. Neither is it maruell if thou know not the end of thy life, who canst not comprehend the begin­ning thereof. Thou knowest not with what beginning thou enterest, Man is a bubble, be­cause that like a bub­ble the life of man va­nisheth in a moment. and thou art as ignorant with what end thou [...]halt depart out of this life; And therefore it is rashnesse [...]o promise vnto thy selfe ma­ [...]y yeeres & a long life, when [...]hou hast not manie dayes [Page 4]nay not an houre in thy own power. And therefore why doest thou think to liue long, when thou canst not be secu­red of a day, of an houre? Nay why art thou greedy of life, and a wicked life too, as if thou wert immortall? The dayly death of many. Eue­ry day thou seest such as are yoong and lustie and sound of body, suddenly to be ar­rested with an vnexpected death, euen in the middest of their delights, insomuch that of those infinite numbers that euery day come into the world almost three parts die before they come to the age of fiftie yeeres. The good are called of the Lord, that they may no more bee op­pressed by the wicked; The wicked are taken away that [Page 5]they may no longer perse­cute the godly. Tell mee where are all those wordlings which not long since haue li­ued with thee? Iob 21. They haue spent their dayes in wealth, and suddenly they are gone downe to their graue, and no­thing remaineth of them but dust and ashes, and an intol­lerable stench. O how much care did they take to prouide for this present life! How long a race did they promise vnto themselues, but sudden­ly, and vnlooked for, death hath ouertaken them, where­as if they had alwaies looked for it, death could neuer haue hurt them. And cannot that feuer, that death that came so suddenly vpon them, as sud­denly oppresse thee, and thy [Page 6]procrastinations draw vpon thee as sudden a damnation? The bird that sits singing vp­on a bough, A simili­tude of a bird vpon a bough. thinks he hath li­bertie to flie whither he will, but before he can stretch out his wings, an arrow strikes him to the heart, and downe he falles: So thou promisest vnto thy selfe a long life, ma­ny and happie dayes, and thou hast a purpose to worke woonders in the world, and yet thou knowest not whe­ther thou shalt liue till night, till thou canst stirre thy foot from the place where thou standest; To mor­row vncer­taine. and though thou know what thou art to day, yet how knowest thou what thou maiest be to morrow? If thou be not prepared to die to day, how wilt thou be [Page 7]ready to morrow? Qui non est hodiè, cras minus aptus erit: He that is not fit to day, will bee lesse fit to morrow. It may be God hath appointed this day to be the end of thy life, and it can not possiblie be auoided; which if it bee so, why art thou secure, why doest thou not set thy house in order, 2. Kin. 10. for thou shalt die and not liue? Doest thou not see the inutilitie of thy life past, the little comfort that there is in thy earthly bles­sings, The losse of time. the preciousnes of thy time misspent and lost, the wickednesse of thy sins com­mitted; and to conclude, all thy age, thy yeeres, thy mo­nethes, thy dayes, nay thy moments past and spent in sinne and iniquitie? If there­fore [Page 8]thou put off thy conuer­sion to the last houre, ten to one thy last houre wil be thy worst houre, and thy procra­stination hasteneth thy con­demnation, for thou must ap­peare before the tribunall seat of God, in the presence of a seuereiudge, whom thou hast many a time offended, and crucified with the wic­ked Iewes, by iterating those sinnes that brought him to the crosse. There is no auoi­dance, but thou must stand to the fearefull iudgement of God, and that perhaps euen this verie day, where and when thou shalt giue an ac­count of all thou hast done. What wilt thou say, what canst thou doe, when thou shalt appeare emptie, void [Page 9]of all goodnes before so great a Iudge? O how fearfull shall hee be at this houre, whose presence is incomprehensi­ble, whose power infallible, whose iustice inflexible, whose anger implacable! Consider with thy selfe how fearefull a thing it would be vnto thee, if one should tell thee, and assure thee of it, that some great and cruell Iudge were resolued to burne thee aliue, for some great offence thou hast committed; doubt­lesse vpon the hearing there­of, if there were but one daies respit left vnto thee, thou wouldest leaue nothing vn­attempted to auoid so heauie a sentence; such as were friends vnto the Iudge thou wouldest endeuour to make [Page 10]thy friends, that by their in­tercession thou mightest haue hope to escape; thou woul­dest leaue no stone vnturned, no way vntried to free thy selfe from so cruell a doome; yea so thou mightestwin thy life, thou wouldest willingly lose all that thou hast. And aboue all things thou would­est not faile to call to minde, and to consider with thy selfe what might be obiected a­gainst thee, and what thou couldest answer thereunto, that thou maiest not appeare gultie before thy Iudge. And why wouldest thou doe all this? The pre­posterous seare of the iudgement of God & of man. Is it because there thou art free from all doubt? assu­red thou must die if thou ac­quit not thy selfe the better; but of the iudgement of God [Page 11]thou art euer in doubt? O wretched man and of a pre­posterous beliefe! doest thou beleeue man rather than God who is the Creatour of man? Doth God threaten an euer­lasting torment, and doest thou neglect it? thy earthly Iudge a temporall, and doest thou feare and tremble at it? For who or what is he? Euen he that after he hath beene a man, must be a worme, and hauing been a worme, must bee turned into stench and rottennesse. Since then thou must appeare not before a man, a worme, rottennesse it selfe, but before thy Creator, and the sentence thou art to heare is the eternall damnati­on of thine owne soule, how canst thou be secure? How [Page 12]canst thou still giue thy selfe to thy delights and pleasures, and not feare the immutable sentence of so seuere a Iudge? If thou be ashamed and con­founded at the iudgement of a man, of dust and ashes, what wilt thou do when thou shalt stand to the iudgement of thy Maker & Creator? The sen­tence of God irre­uocable. The sentence of a humane Iudge may be reuoked, but this is irreuocable. Thou shalt giue an account to this seuere Iudge of all thy yeeres, euen in the bitternesse of thy own soule; and for thy many and great offences committed a­gainst him, hee shall deliuer thee to the diuell and his an­gels to bee tormented in hell fire. Who shall then take thee from that place, shall [Page 13]free thee from those that de­scend into the pit? For in hell there is no redemption.

But perhaps thou wilt fay that God is louing and mer­cifull: Ez [...]ch. 33. and by his Prophets hath promised, that at what time soeuer a sinner repen­teth him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart, The mercy of God to­wards sin­ners. hee will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance. Res. This (deare Brother) I con­fesse to be true, yea that he is more gentle and mercifull than can bee imagined or be­leeued, and that hee pardon­eth whomsoeuer in time re­turnes vnto him; but yet he that hath made this promise to him that repenteth, hath not promised to morrow to him that puts off his repen­tance [Page 14]till to morrow, and persists in his sinnes. Did he not expresse his mercy and louing kindnesse sufficiently vnto thee, in that with such patience, so long a time hee hath tolerated so many iniu­ries done vnto him by thee, and giuen thee time to re­pent? Doubtlesse great is the mercy of God towards thee, in this his long stay and at­tendance for thy repentance. For hee staid not at all for the Angels when they should re­pent, but in a moment, in the twinkling of an eie hee cast them downe into Hell: he staid not for Adam when hee sinned, but instantly hee thrust him out of Paradise. But thee hee hath tolerated and attended many yeeres, God is slow to reuenge. he [Page 15]hath dissembled, forborne, deferred to punish thee, be­ing alwaies ready to forgiue; Esay 14. but yet this thou must know, that as he is gentle in forbea­ring so he is iust in punishing, and whom hee attendeth to conuert, not conuerted, with a heauy iudgement hee con­demneth. For God doth so much the more sharply and seuerely punish, by how much longer he forbeareth a sinner, and his sentence is so much the more heauy, by how much greater his pati­ence hath been in forbearing; and for the most part by the iust iudgement of God it falleth out, that he dying for­gets himselfe, who liuing for­got God; how miserable then is the state of that man, [Page 16]who presenting himselfe be­fore so seuere a Iudge, hath not so much time as to be­waile those sinnes hee hath committed?

It is therefore (deare Bro­ther) a dangerous thing to make thy houre of death thy houre of repentance, and to thinke that thou maist not die in thy sinne, though thou cease not from thy sinne, but still continuest in that estate, wherein if death should sud­denly assaile thee, as many times it falleth out, thy soule were vtterly lost, and for that moment of time wherin thou art to liue, thou leauest thy soule to the danger of eter­nall damnation, which should be dearer vnto thee than the whole World.

CHAP. II. How dangerous a thing it is to deferre our conuersion to the houre of death.

BVt be it (deare Brother) that thou bee mindefull both of God and of thy selfe at the houre of thy death, A hard thing truly to conuert at the boure of death. and that God doe then giue thee sometime of repentance; yet it is to bee feared that thou canst hardly in so short a time, so momentary a con­trition sufficiently bewaile all the sinnes of thy long life: It will hardly bee brought to passe, that thou that in the whole course of thy life hast beene accustomed to sinne, shouldest vpon the sudden, [Page 18]at an instant be made perfect; that thou shouldest so spee­dily quit thy selfe of the snares of the Diuel wherwith in thy whole life forespent thou hast intangled thy selfe; that thou shouldest then at the last fall from the Diuell, and begin to fight vnder Christ his banner, when the war is at an end. Doest thou thinke that that tree that ne­uer was green, neuer did flou­rish or yeeld any fruit, can then begin to grow & yeeld any, when hee is cut downe and cast into the fire? Nei­ther can that man that in his whole life time neuer did any good, then yeeld fruits wor­thy repentance when the axe is laid to the root to cut him off from the land of the li­uing, [Page 19]and to cast him into that fire that shall neuer bee quenched. But how dan­gerous a thing it is, and how neere to vtter destruction to put off our repentance to the houre of death, S. Augustine telleth vs. August. de poenitentia distinct. 7. If any man in the extremity of his sicknesse shall repent him of his sins, and be reconciled vnto God, and so depart out of this life, I confesse vnto you we cannot deny that he requireth, but yet wee cannot presume that hee departeth the childe of God: whether he depart se­cure out of this life I know not; repentance wee may im­pose; security wee cannot giue. Shall I say he is dam­ned? No, and yet I will not say hee is saued. Wilt thou [Page 20]therefore bee freed from this doubt, auoid this vncertain­ty? Repent whilest thou art in health, which if thou doe, I dare boldly affirme, thou maist be secure, because thou repentest at that time when thou couldest haue sinned: But if thou wilt repent when thou canst not sin, thy sinnes haue forsaken thee, not thou them. Thus far S. Augustine. Deferre not therefore thy re­pentance vntill thou cannot sin; Seneca. Plerique metu pec­care cessant non inno­centia: pro­fecto tales timidi non innocentes dicendi sunt. for though it bee the will of God to pardon thy sinnes, yet hee requireth a willing­nesse in thy selfe, not a neces­sity; loue and charity, not on­ly feare. They that at their end, compeld by necessity, turne vnto God, seeme not to repent for loue of God, but [Page 21]for feare of hell. Then they [...] vnto God, when in the [...]orld (which all their life [...]me they haue serued) they [...]n no longer continue; [...]heras if they might longer [...]ide therein, they would [...]ot yet forsake those delights which they are neuer content [...]o leaue, till they can keepe [...]hem no longer. They leaue [...]ot their sinnes, but their sins [...]caue them, who are not led by their owne wils, but ne­cessity. In the whole volume of the booke of God, there is only one, Luke 11. and that was the good theefe, that truly re­pented at the houre of his death: Ille vt nullus desperet, solus vt nullus praes [...]emat: He is left vnto vs for an exam­ple that no man should de­spaire, [Page 22]he only, that no man should presume. Who thogh hee were by this last confes­sion of his, & acknowledge­ment of Christ vpon the Crosse after a sort baptized, and in that innocent state so departed, yet such as are al­ready baptized haue no war­rant from thence to sin, and to persist in their sinnes. For they that would neuer bee conuerted when they might, being conuerted when they could not sinne, doe not so easilie attaine that they would.

For a sicke man hath ma­ny lets and hinderances that withdraw him from repen­tance. Impedi­ments to repentance. First the presence of his carnal friends, whom per­haps hee hath loued vnlaw­fully [Page 23]and beyond measure; [...]he remembrance of his pas­ [...]d pleasures, and temporall [...]essings, which hee leaueth [...]t without much griefe of [...]eart; an vnspeakable sorrow [...] the separation of the soule [...]om the burthen of the bo­ [...]y, insomuch that a man [...]an hardly think of any thing [...]lse, but that griefe where­with hee is tormented in his [...]ody. For thither is the whole intention of the minde carried, where the griefe is. What astonishment of heart [...]s there at that houre? What [...]emembrance of all fore-pas­sed sinnes? What forgetful­nesse of pleasures past? What [...]orror and fearefull conside­ration of the Iudge? Doubt­lesse the griefe of the disease [Page 24]and the feare of the iudge­ments of God doe hinder the true vse of our sense and vn­derstanding, insomuch that at that houre there can hard­ly bee any true contrition of heart.

Then is the Diuell most diligent to tempt vs, The as­saults of the Diuell are most violent at the houre of death. and to lay his snares to intrap vs, when hee perceiueth our end to be at hand, and when he seeth it standeth him vpon to win or lose that soule, which so many yeeres, by so many sleights, so many suggestions he hath endeuoured to make sure vnto him; then especial­ly he tempteth him touching the verity of his beleefe, and perswadeth him to infidelity, setteth before the eies of his minde, the greatnesse of his [Page 25]sinnes, the seuerity of the Iudge, the inequality of all the good he hath done in his whole life, to that eternall blessednes which God hath prepared for those that are his children. Thus, and by these meanes hee assaieth to driue a miserable sinner into despaire, and whom in his [...]ife time he deceiued by flat­ [...]eries, at his death hee tyran­ [...]iseth ouer him. The feare of a iust man at the houre of death. And this is [...]he cause why many godly [...]nd zealous men, who in the whole course of their life [...]aue serued God, doe neuer­ [...]helesse feare this last houre [...]f death, lest that then they [...]hould yeeld to those violent [...]mptations of the Diuell, or opeare emptie before so [...]eat a Iudge. And yet doest [Page 26]thou thinke at that houre to be conuerted, when the iust­est men that are, feare to be peruerted? Wilt thou aduen­ture the state of thy saluation to that time, wherin thou art subiect to greatest danger? And thinkest thou to perfect that great and difficult worke of thy conuersion, which in the best strength of thy bo­dy, and in the whole race of thy life thou couldest hardly performe, in a moment of time, when thou art com­passed with so many griefes, so many dangers? The de­parture of a sinfull soule out of his body, not one but in­numerable legions of Diuels doe attend to require their hire for their seruice, presen­ting before his eies those sin [...] [Page 27]they haue tempted him vn­to, & so carry him with them into vtter darknesse. Ioh. 14. Yea they faile not to attempt the souls of Gods children when they depart out of their bo­dies, alleging vnto them that this and this they haue done for them, and that they haue returned this and this seruice vnto them. If the Prince of this world, the Diuell, sought after something of his euen in Christ himselfe dying accor­ding to the flesh, though no­thing hee could finde, confi­der how carefull and cruell [...]e will be, to require his own of thee at thy houre of death. [...]t is apparent and thou canst [...]ot deny, but that hee may [...]inde much of his in thy selfe; [...]nd miserable and wretched [Page 28]man that thou art, what wilt thou then do, & when he shal arrest thee for that that is his own, what wilt thou answer? Doest thou thinke that the Angels of God will be ready at hand to rescue thee, and to deliuer thee out of his hold? Forasmuch therefore (deare Brother) as it cannot but plainly appeare vnto thee, that death lies in wait for thee in all places, and at all times, and that it followeth thee as thy shadow doth thy body, if thou be wise doe thou like­wise expect it in all places, and at all times, being euery day, euery houre ready, as i [...] euery day, euery houre were the houre of thy death. Thou knowest not in what place, at what houre it will encoun­ter [Page 29]thee, and therefore expect it in all places, and at all times. If it hasten to come vnto thee, doe thou make as good speed to be ready for it, to liue well, and like a good debtor bee euer prepa­red to pay Nature hir due whensoeuer it shall bee de­manded. So husband and order euerie day, as if it were the last day of thy life; when thou risest in the morning thinke not thou shalt liue till night; and when thou go­est to thy bed, thinke thou goest to thy graue, and that thou shalt neuer see the mor­ning light. From this time forward so liue, that at the houre of death thou maist ra­ther reioice than feare; and that thou maist die well, [Page 30]learne to liue well; that thou maist flie from the vengeance to come, yeeld fruits worthie repentance before it come. That feare that vseth to be in a man dying, let it be alwaies in thee liuing. So shalt thou­vanquish death when it comes, if before it come thou alwaies feare it.

CHAP. III. That our last day is hidden from vs, to the end that all the daies of our life should bee as our last.

BVT perhaps thou wilt say, that I tell thee that death attends thee, and eue­rie houre of thy life hangs o­uer thy head like a sword [Page 31]hanging by a haire point pendant; that I perswade thee, to bee as readie to fall vpon thee; that thou hast obeied my counsell, and of­tentimes prepared thy selfe to entertaine it whensoeuer it come; but it hath as often deceiued thee, and neuer came, and therefore I do thee wrong, to perswade thee by an euerlasting cogitation of death to liue a dying life, and to let slip the pleasures and delights of this world. Resp. O my good brother, suspend thy iudgement a while, for I dare make good vnto thee, that by this continuall cogi­tation of death thou losest not the delights of this World. Prouer. 15 For a good consci­ence is a continuall feast, and [Page 32]thou shalt receiue greater cō ­fort by seruing the God of all comfort & consolation, than this wretched world reple­nished with miseries; yea there is no torment greater than a wicked conscience; for where God is not, there can no comfort be found. No tormēt to a wic­ked consci­ence. O that thou haddest but tasted euen with the tip of thy toong the vnspeakable sweetnesse of a spirituall delight! thou woul­dest contemne all the fading pleasures of this life, Cantic. 1. and runne after the sweet odours of those heauenly comforts. Thou seest the crosses and afflictions of spirituall men, their wounds, but not their ointments; thou seest them outwardly cast downe like abiects, but inwardly thou [Page 33]discernest not their happi­nesse, Outward torments of spiritu­all men in­ward ioies. for their spirituall ioy is as insensible, as it is vn­speakable, and can neuer be in any man that admitteth a­ny other. Be not therefore so peremptorie in thy censures, and thinke not that the feare of death and the seruice of God doe robbe thee of the ioies of this life.

But be it as thou saiest, we will yeeld so much vnto thy obstinacie. A conti­nuall pre­paration for death is good. Why doest thou complaine and afflict thy selfe, that thou hast many times liued well, and beene prouided for death, when death came not? That the re­membrance of thy end hath taken often times from thee those pleasures and delights that in themselues are to a [Page 34]man wicked and deceitfull? O how happy wert thou, and again and again blest of God, if in this maner thou diddest alwaies expect death; if thou wert euery day such a one, as thou wishest to bee at the point of death; if from thy youth thou barest the yoke of the Lord; if thou didst al­waies watch, and stand vpon thy guard, because thou knowest not at what houre the Lord will come! for bles­sed wert thou if when hee commeth hee shall finde thee waking.

God would that the houre of our death should bee hid­den from vs, The day of death vucertain. to the end that wee being vncertaine when wee shall die, should bee al­waies found ready for death, [Page 35]that whilest the last day is vnknowen, wee should ob­serue all, as if all were the last. If thou were set at a Table where there are many dishes set before thee to eat, among which thou art told, that one hath poison in it, wouldest thou not abstaine from them all, lest thou shouldest hap­pen to light vpon that that is poisoned? There is one day of death, a dangerous day vn­to thy soule, which because thou knowest not, is it not wisedome in thee to suspect euery day? For if thou knew­est at what houre thou shoul­dest depart out of this world, thou wouldest diuide thy times, some to pleasure, some to praier, some to repentance; and knowing how long thou [Page 36]hast to liue, thou woldst like­wise know when to abstaine from thy delights and plea­sures. But forasmuch as a present life is alwaies vncer­taine, by so much the more whilest it stealingly comes vpon vs, it is to bee feared, by how much the lesse it may bee foreseene, and therfore of all other times the houre of death is most to be feared, be­cause it can neuer bee fore­seene, Matth. 24.43. and woorse auoided. If the goodman of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come, he would surely watch, and not suffer his house to bee digged thorow. Therefore be ye also ready, for ye know not the houre when the Son of man will come, whether in the e­uening, [Page 37]or at midnight, at the crowing of the cocke, or in the morning, lest when he commeth suddenly vpon you, hee shall finde you flee­ping. When hee gaue that commandement to his Disci­ples saying, Watch and pray, Luke 12.36. [...]ee afterwards added, That which I say vnto you, I say vnto all, Watch. Watch ther­fore (my deare Brother) like vnto that man that waiteth for his master when hee will returne from the wedding, that when hee commeth and knocketh, he may open vnto him immediately. Which thou canst not better do than to be prepared at all houres, as if euery houre were the houre of thy death.

If any greeuous sicknesse [Page 38]happen vnto thee, A sicke man de­sires that time of re­pentance which a sound neg­lecteth. that hath in it any apparent tokens of death, thou presently crauest a truce for a time and desirest to liue, that thou maist be­waile thy sinnes, and thy time mispent, and thou promisest repentance, and amendment of life; which thou hast no sooner obtained, but as soone thou forgettest, and with the dog thou returnest to thy vo­mit againe. The time of re­pentance is granted thee, and God expecteth a time to par­don thee, and yet thou doest not onely not bewaile thy sinnes past, but thou takest a greater ioy and comfort in those that are past, & in those that are to come. Esay 30. If thou bor­row a thing of another man, thou takest a care to vse it [Page 39]whilest thou hast it, because thou knowest it shall shortly be taken from thee; and yet this corruptible body of [...]hine, which God hath lent [...]hee for the vse of thy soule, and for the saluation thereof, & is not thine but shall short­ [...]y be taken from thee, thou d [...]est not only not vse to the health of thy soule, but thou euery day abusest to the vtter ruine and damnation therof, and by how much thy life is longer, by so much thy sinnes are greater, yea they increase not with the daies, but the houres and moments of thy life.

Yesterday thou mightest haue died, Pro lucro tibi pone diem qui­c [...]nque [...]. and yet thou art nor dead. Inasmuch therfore as thou art aliue to day, ac­count [Page 40]it amongst thy gaines, Why our daies are prolonged. for therfore doth the Lord prolong thy daies of grace, that thou maist repent and attaine the greater glory. For as the very sleep of the Saints of God, is not without good­nesse, so thou shouldest not let passe a moment of time, without the practise and per­formance of some good. Rich men and such as are able to keepe and maintaine a great family, vse neuerthelesse to belong to those that are rich­er and mightier than them­selues, in whose seruice they depriue themselues of many benefits and freedomes of na­ture, in hope and expectati­on only (which many times deceiueth them) of bettering their fortunes, and ioining [Page 41]house vnto house, and land [...]nto land. If then such as a­ [...]ound in [...]hes, are content with the losse of liberty, and so much labour, to increase [...]heir riches, which then in­crease most, when the least commodities are not negle­cted, how much doth it stand [...]hee vpon, that art the ser­uant of Christ Iesus to heape vp vnto thy selfe those spiri­tual riches that must saue thy soule? Though thou haue li­ued well, and art rich in good workes, yet when thou art dying thou couldest be con­tent thou haddest liued bet­ter; and for one good worke thou hast done, thou wishest thou hadst done a thousand: why then doe that now whi­lest thou liuest, that thou [Page 42]wouldest be glad thou hadst done when thou art dying. One starre differeth from an other starre in glory, 1. Cor. 15.41. & there are many mansions in the kingdom of heauen; by how much the more good then thou doest vpon earth, by so much the greater glory shalt thou haue in heauen; As no sinne escapeth vnpunished, so no good that thou doest vnrewarded. Matth. 10.30. All thy daies are no lesse numbred than the haires of thy head; and as a haire of thy head shall not perish, so not a moment of time. God rewardeth great labours with great bounties, which though in appearance they seeme to be small, yet in effect and operation they are vnspeakable.

[Page 43]Thy labours are but short, the crowne eternall; set that which thou here sufferest, Repentance crucifieth, Righteous­nesse paci­fieth, Life eternall glorifieth. to that that thou there hopest to obtaine. The afflictions of this life are not worthie the sinne passed, that for them is remitted, the present comfort that for them is giuen, the fu­ture glorie that for them is promised. Thou labourest heere for a time, that thou maiest not labour for euer with the damned; thy labour is momētary, thy ioy eternall. And if thou sinke vnder the burden of these afflictions, set before thine eies the suffer­ings of Christ. See what hee that had no reason to suffer, hath suffered for thee. If it were necessary that Christ be­ing God & man should suffer, [Page 44]and so enter into his glory, Luke 24. The passi­ons of Christ. how much more oughtest thou, a base vnworthy worm of the earth, to suffer for the attainement of that glory? How much soeuer thou en­dure, thou shalt neuer come neere those insultations, those scourgings, that purple gar­ment, that thornie crowne, and lastly that ignominious and shamefull death of the Crosse that hee endured for thy sake. Doe but consider how great glory doth instant ly attend thy miseries and af­flictions, and then that which is momentarie in an instant turned from euill to good shall neuer seeme greeuous vnto thee. If the greatnesse of the reward delight thy minde, let not the greatnesse [Page 45]of thy afflictions any way af­fright it; if the labour deter thee, let the reward inuite thee, and let the hope therof be a solace to thy labours. It is not the maner to attaine to great matters, without great paines, and hee that runneth not, winnes not the garland. For if a Merchant cares not what hee giues for that mer­chandize that he knowes will yeeld him a great increase; if to a Sea-man the dangerous billowes of the Sea, to a hus­bandman the stormy tem­pests of cold Winter; if to a souldier wounds and bloodie conflicts seeme light and to­lerable, and all for the hope of a temporall and fading commoditie; much more when heauen it selfe is pro­posed [Page 46]vnto thee, 2. Tim. 2. 1. Cor. 2. as the fruit of thy labor, and that vnspeak­able ioy that no eie hath seen, no eare hath heard, and hath not entred into the heart of man to conceiue or imagine. Where if it were not lawfull to make any longer abode, than for the space of one day, for that one day, the innume­rable daies of this life with all the fleeting and temporall delights thereof should wor­thily be scorned and contem­ned. And therefore account not thy perseuerance in that which is good, and thy con­tinuall preparation for death amongst thy labours, which though yesterday thou hast escaped, perhaps thou shalt not to morrow, for that hap­pens in one day, that falles [Page 47]not out in a thousand.

Thou must perseuere and bee constant in good workes; Matt. 10. for it is not hee that begins, but that continues to the end, that shall bee saued. It is a vaine thing to doe good, if we do not good so long as we liue; as it is a vaine thing to run swiftly at the first setting out, and to tire before wee come at the end of the gole. Repentance is an excellent remedy against sinne, but yet only to him that shall perse­uere therein. For without perseuerance the labour hath no reward, the race no gar­land, the seruice no grace, the crosse no crowne. If thou wilt want eternall punish­ment without end, and enioy eternall blisse without end, [Page 48]thou must necessarily obey the commandements of God without intermission, without end. And therfore thou must not say with the seruant in the Gospell as thou art wont, My master doth deferre his comming, Matth. 24.48. and therefore be­gin to smite thy fellowes, and to eat and drinke with the drunken: for the Lord will come in a day when thou lookest not for him, and in an houre thou knowest not, and destroy thee suddenly. If he be patient and of long suffe­rance, if he threaten thee, and yet abstaineth, if hee deferre his comming to the end hee may finde lesse cause to con­demne thee: neglect not his patience and long sufferance, lest he increase his iudgement [Page 49]with his expectation, and by how much the longer he ex­pects thy conuersion before he iudge thee, by so much the more heauilie his iudgement will light vpon thee. For as­sure thy selfe that hee that with patience bears thy sins, will with seuerity iudge them if thou repent not, and cease from sinning.

Wherefore (deare bro­ther) alwaies so liue, that thou bee alwaies prepared to die. Watch alwaies lest God take thee vnprouided; and such he taketh thee, if such he find thee at the last day; and as he then findes thee when hee calles thee, so hee will iudge thee. Remember thy end, Eccl. 7.36. and thou shalt neuer doe amisse; & whether thou eat or drink, [Page 50]or whatsoeuer thou doest, let that trumpet of the last iudgement alwaies sound in thy cares, Arise ye dead, and come to iudgement; & what­soeuer thy comforts are in this present life, neuer let the bitternesse of thy last iudge­ment depart out of thy mind.

CHAP. IIII. The great inequalitie betwixt our present pleasures and the paines of Hell.

IT is to be doubted that that remainder of thy life that is behinde can not amount to fiftie yeeres; but yet suppose that thou hast so many yeres to liue, and that God hath re­uealed vnto thee from aboue, [Page 51]that thou shalt not see death vntill the terme of fifty yeres be fully complet and ended. This can be no reason at all to withdraw thee from the ser­uice of God, and from turn­ing vnto him by a true and vnfained repentance. The breui­tie and in­stabilitie of plea­sure. For first the breuitie of the pleasures of this life is certaine, and the end of this breuity vncertain. They doe many times for­sake a man when he is aliue, but they neuer follow him being dead. The state of hu­mane things is alwaies moue­able and inconstant, and ma­nie times it falleth out that if a man liue long, hee outliues his pleasures. For God doth prouidently mingle sower with sweet, sorrow with ioy, that we may thereby be stir­red [Page 52]vp to seeke that sweet­nesse, that ioy that neuer changeth, and that whilest sorrow and griefe and vexa­tion of spirit are the fruits of this world, we should look vp after him that is the God of all comfort and consolation.

But yet (my deare brother) let vs yeeld that thou hast so many yeeres to liue, and that free from all aduersitie what­soeuer. First, consider dili­gently with thy selfe to what place thy miserable soule must passe, when those fiftie yeeres are expired; euen to hell it selfe. For from the de­lights of this world we passe by a straight line, to the tor­ments of hell, as by the mise­ries of this life we attaine the ioies of heauen. For no man [Page 53]can pasle from pleasure to pleasure, reioice with the world, and with Christ too, heere feed his belly, his cor­ruptible part, there his spiri­tuall. And secondly, let the place to which thy soul must passe put thee in minde of those intollerable torments thou must there suffer. Last­ly, consider with thy selfe if it should bee said vnto thee, Inioy the pleasures of this life, and glut thy selfe with them, but yet vpon this con­dition, that at such or such a time, after so many yeeres are expired, thy eies shall bee plucked out of thy head, and thou shalt spend the rest of thy life in hunger, and thirst, and penurie, and miserie, depriued from all maner of [Page 54]delight whatsoeuer, whether thou wouldest accept this condition. I think thou canst not so much forget thy selfe, as to thinke of the fruition of pleasures so dearely bought. What then can all that time bee, that thou hast emploied in the delights and pleasures of this life, to that eternall damnation, which hath nei­ther end, nor torment like vnto it? which farre excel­leth all the tortures and tor­ments of all the martyrs of Christ Iesus, if they were all conferred vpon one? What is a moment of pleasure to an e­ternitie of torment, one plea­sure to a multitude of pu­nishmēt? Al that time that is spent in the pleasures of this life, what is it but the dreame [Page 55]of one night in comparison of eternitie? And who is so madde to incurre the danger of eternal punishment for the delight that he taketh in a dreame that lasteth but a night?

Say then, what times of lust and gluttonie, and plea­sure canst thou compare to such times of torment? Adde a hundred yeeres if thou wilt to those times thou hast spent in pleasure, adde another hundred, yea ten hundred if thou wilt, what can all these times bee to eternity? Nay suppose the time of pleasure and punishment to be equal, the one as long as the other; is there any man so foolish, so mad, that for one daies plea­sure will be content to endure [Page 56]one daies torment; since the griefe and torment of one houre, and euery bodily affli­ction drawes in obliuion all the delights that he hath for­merly enioied? Now then if for the momētary delight of one day, one houre, there are reserued the eternal torments of hell, canst thou bee so for­getfull of thy selfe, as for that to chuse these? Wilt thou for the base and momentary de­light of sinne, vndergoe the bitter paines of hell fire? And for the loue of a temporall good, lose the eternall, and besides that losse suffer eter­nally too in that fire that shall neuer be quenched? If from the first day of the Creation of this World to this present houre, thou hadst euer liued [Page 57] [...] honor, and ease, and plea­sure, what remaineth now of [...]ll those houres and plea­ [...]ures, if now thou must in­stantly depart out of this life? Canst thou say that that time [...]is eternall whose end thou seest? And what delight can that giue vnto a man that hath an end? which end when it commeth the delight de­parteth. With time that passeth that pleaseth, and without end that remaineth that diseaseth. In this life good and ill know their end, and with wings they flie vn­to it; prosperity and aduersity passe away like a shadow, but in the world to come they are both immortall without end.

Suppose that a bird should but euery thousand yeers eat [Page 58]the hundred part of a barly corne, and in proportion to that time deuoure by peece­meale the whole masse and building of the world, vpon that condition that being thus consumed, the damned in hell should bee freed from their torments, yet though the times were infinite, there would bee one day an end, and the damned would hope, that after innumerable yeeres they should be set at liberty; but alas, if there were tenne hundred hundred thousand Worlds so to bee deuoured, yet they are as far from their freedome, from their hellish torments as at the beginning; for in hell there is no redemp­tion: and as there shall be no end of the ioy of the good, so [Page 59]shall there bee no end of the punishment of the wicked. If thou wert to rest thy selfe for so long a time, nay but a few yeeres in respect of thou­sands and millions vpon a soft delicate bed, so as no oc­casion should any way dis­quiet thee, thou wouldest ne­uer be able to endure it; how then doest thou thinke thou shalt endure the eternall tor­ments of hell fire, that shall neuer haue end, and yet thou must euer endure? If now in this life the least affli­ction that may bee maketh thee impatient, what shall the torments of hell do, that haue neither end nor measure? How wilt thou beare that punishment, if here a short re­pentance seeme burdensome [Page 60]vnto thee? Whilest therefore thou hast time, thinke with thy selfe whether is better, to liue without end with the Angels in heauen, or without end to be tormented with the wicked in the fire of hel; whe­ther is better a temporall rest and eternall labour, or a tem­porall labour & eternall rest.

But take away if thou wile the feare of hell, The pu­nishment of losse should be sufficient to with­draw vs from sinne. and thinke there is no hell at all; yet the ioies of that future eternall glory that is to come, should be sufficient to withdraw thee from sinne. If no miseries fol­lowed the present delights of this life, and the pleasures therof should neuer be chan­ged into the torments of hell, but the wicked of this world were onely to bee punished [Page 61]with the priuation of the pre­sence of God, yet for the tran­sitory and fading pleasures of this life, thou shouldest not desire to bee depriued of the contemplation of the diuine beauty, and the pleasures of heauen. But yet thou (for­getfull of thy selfe) for mo­mentary pleasures, doest not onely depriue thy selfe of e­ [...]ernall ioy, but procurest to [...]hy selfe eternall punish­ment.

Beasts are carried onely with that that they see, and is present before their eies, and thy minde more brutish than that of a beast is more moued with present delights than future, visible than inuisible; it rather chuseth those earth­ly things that are offered to [Page 62]the eie, than those heauenly that are promised to the soul; it only attendeth this present life, and careth not to foresee what is to come. And there­fore (deare Brother) it shall bee better for thee in this life to endure a little misery, and afterward to attaine to euer­lasting happinesse, than here to possesse a false adulterate ioy, and there eternal punish­ment. The labour of repen­tance is but little, and it last­eth a little time, but the re­ward thereof continueth for euer. The labour is light, the crown eternall. Pleasure pas­feth away with time, but pu­nishment for pleasure is per­manent. For a drop of plea­sure there is a sea of bitter­nesse, heere scarcity of hony, [Page 63]there abundance of gall. Fu­ture eternall sorrowes and lamentations doe euer follow present momentary ioies and pleasures.

CHAP. V. That it is better to repent when we are young, than to put it off vntill we be olde.

BVt be it (my deare bro­ther) let mee yeeld vn­to thee, To sinne in hope of re­pentance. that thou certainlie knowest thou shalt liue vntill thou bee old, and that thou shalt then haue time to repent thee of thy sins, yet thou hast no reason vpō this assurande, to bee the more bold to sin. For in that thou saiest, I am yong, & therfore will follow [Page 64]those delights that are be [...] ­ting my youth, and after­wards I will repent, it is as much as if thou shouldst say, I will wound my selfe with a sword, and then apply a me­dicine to my wound. Alas miserable man that thou art, knowest thou not that that wound is taken in a moment of time, that in a yeere is not cured againe? It is speedily and easily receiued, but the cure thereof is many times impossible. An inheritance is not so easily recouered as lost, and the conditions of a purchase are not so short as of an alienation: For where the alienation is short, the re­couerie is for the most part impossible: So the action of sinne is short, but the recoue­rie [Page 65]of that which by sinne is [...]ost were impossible, if God [...]ut of his mercy gaue not the [...]edicine of repentance. And [...]herefore put not off from [...]ay to day, but whilest thou [...]ast time doe good. Say not with the sluggard, Yet a lit­ [...]le, and yet a little I will sleep [...] my sinnes, and then I will [...]ise againe and repent me of [...]hem, for whilest from day [...] day thou deferrest thy re­ [...]entance, thy time passeth a­ [...]ay without fruit, and thou neuer repentest, and so the [...]udge commeth at a time vn­ [...]ooked for, and inslicteth a punishment, when thou loo­kest for a blessing. Now is the time precious, and that thou spendest without profit; but there will come a time when [Page 66]it would glad thee at the har [...] if thou hadst but one hou [...] to amend thy life, nay tho [...] wouldest giue a thousand worlds to haue it, and ye [...] thou canst not. But happi [...] wert thou if the losse of time were al thy losse, and that the heape of thy sinnes did not euery day increase; but out and alas, by those meanes thou shouldest please God, thou stirrest him more to an­ger; by how much the longer thou liuest, by so much the more thou sinnest; and by how much the longer thy life is, by so much the greater thy sin is: And so those times of thy lise which thou shoul­dest vse as helps to repen­tance, thou makest helps to thy farther condemnation. [Page 67]Now thou turnest thy time of repentance into sinne, but the seuere Iudge when hee commeth will turne those of­fered times of mercy into thy greater punishment and con­demnation.

Thy sinnes die not with thy yeeres, Custome hardly re­mooued. neither are they worne with the course of time, but like a monster with many heads they grow and [...]ncrease with thy yeeres, and with the minuts of thy life; thou addest sinne vnto sinue, and thou multipliest them beyond all number. The lon­ger the [...]st is in the iron, the more it eateth into it, & with more difficultie is gotten out; and by how much the longer thou art accustomed vnto sinne, by so much the more [Page 68]hardly art thou drawne from it. Now quit thy selfe of the snares of sinne, lest the longer thou continuest the more thou be intangled, and the more hardly thou escape them. The mountaine of thy sinnes doth euery daie in­crease, and therewithall the strength of thy yeeres doth decrease, & therefore whilest thy sinnes are fewest, and thy body strongest, thou shalt shake them off, and beare the burthen of repentance with more ease. There is no reason that thou shouldest put off the whole burthen to old age, which of all other is the weakest, or that thou shouldest thinke that that mountaine of sinne that hath beene so long a gathering, [Page 69]should by a momentarie re­pentance, when all thy spi­rituall faculties are decaied, vanish away.

If a seruant that hath re­ceiued from his lord and ma­ster many testimonies of his [...]oue and liberality towards him, shall in the best strength of his yeeres, when hee is fit­ [...]est to do him seruice, for sake [...]im, and betake himselfe to [...]he seruice of his deadly ene­ [...]ie, with a resolution after­wards, when hee is weary with offending him, to serue him again, when his strength [...]s weakned, and his time [...]hortned; will you not thinke [...]im an vndutifull seruant, vn­worthy any fauour at all? If [...] steward shall serue stran­gers, and the enemies of his [Page 70]lord and master, with the daintiest dishes at the Table, and set before his lord the ba­sest and coursest diet, who can thinke that man a faith­full and honest Steward? What sufficient punishment can a master lay vpon such seruants? Are they not wor­thy euen in thy owne iudge­ment to bee bound hand and foot, and to be cast into vtter darknesse, where there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth? And yet thy selfe art this wicked seruant, and this vnfaithfull steward, that ser­uest the Diuel in the strength of thy yeeres, and purposest to serue God in the weak de­clining state of thy old age; that sacrificest to the Diuell the flower of thy youth, and [Page 71] [...] God the leese and dregges [...]f thy old age. Matth. 18 And there­ [...]re thou art worthy that a [...]ilstone should be hanged a­ [...]out thy necke, and to be cast [...]to the bottomlesse pit of [...]ell. For it is iust and right [...]at thou being dead shouldst euer want torment, that [...]hilest thou liuest wouldest euer want sinne; that then [...]est about to do good, when [...]ou must cease to doe good [...] ill; that then purposest to [...]ght, when the battell is at [...] end, and there wanteth [...]e pricke of the flesh to buf­ [...]et thee, and to resist the law [...]f thy minde; for he shall ne­ [...]er be a valiant soldier in his weake and dying age, that [...]n the strength of his youth [...]laies the sluggard and runa­way. [Page 72]And therfore (my de [...] brother) put not off from day to day to turn vnto the Lord; no, deferre it not vntil to mor­row, nay to the next houre, nay moment of time; but a­rise, and at this verie instant begin to repent, saying vnto thy selfe: Thou hast plaid e­nough, thou hast eat and drunke enough, now is the time to fight. These daies re­quire a new life, new maners.

CHAP. VI. That no man can repent, and yet follow his pleasures.

BVt perhaps thou wilt say thou wilt repent, Repentance and plea­sure stand not toge­ther. & eue­ry day performe the works of repentance; but yet thou [Page 73]wilt withall follow the de­lights and pleasures of this life. Know therefore (deare brother) that thou art heerin far deceiued: for as it is im­possible that fire should burn in the water, so is it impos­sible that worldly pleasure should continue with repen­tance. These two are con­ [...]arieties, that the mother of aughter, this of mourning; [...]hat dissolueth, this bindeth; [...]hat addes a burthen heauier [...]an lead vnto the soule, and [...]nketh it to the bottom, this [...]iueth wings vnto the soule, [...]hereby it is carried vnto [...]eauen; that in all things o­ [...]eyeth the flesh, this mace­ [...]teth it & bringeth it into o­ [...]edience; that withdraweth man from God, this recon­cileth [Page 74]him; that obey eth the diuell, this serues God. Thou canst not serue two masters, God, and the Diuell. Thou canst not take vp that crosse wherwith thou crucifiest thy flesh, and the concupiscence thereof, and follow Christ, and yet obey the concupi­scence of thy flesh. Luke 9. Thou an vnworthy of Christ, if tho [...] bee not a companion with him in his crosses, for tho [...] trauellest a contrary iourney from God, if thou follow the pleasures of this life, wh [...] thy Captaine and Leade [...] Christ Iesus, holdeth the quite contrary way. If a [...] man will follow mee, sai [...] Christ, let him denie himse [...] let him put off the old ma [...] and put on the new, let hi [...] [Page 75]begin to be that he was not, and cease to bee that which before by sinne hee was; let him take vp, and alwaies beare his owne crosse, and therewith crucifie his owne flesh with the concupiscence thereof, let him bee crucified vnto the World, and the World vnto him, liue vnto mee, die vnto the World. So at the last let him follow mee crucified, and for the loue of me be content to beare what [...] haue borne for the loue of him. For hee that by the de­ [...]ights and pleasures of this world wil saue his soule, shall for euer lose it. But he that in [...]his life, for my sake shall lose his soule by refusing the car­ [...]all pleasures of this life, and [...]f need be by suffering death [Page 76]for my sake, shall find it again in heauen and eternall happi­nes. This (my deare brother) is a strait way, and a narrow gate which leadeth vnto life, and few they are that finde it, and therfore thou must not so much consider how crooked and thorny it is, as whither it leadeth, nor how narrow it is, as where it endeth: for by how much the more strait and troublesome it is, by so much the more large and pleasant thou shalt finde it in the progresse of thy iourney; for it shall not onely by cu­stome, but by the labour and passion of thy Sauior be made easie. It is a broad way to the hope of the faithfull, a strait way to the vanity of vnbelee­uers: and in that thou thinkest [Page 77]it laborious and painfull, it is no excuse of thine infirmity, but an accusation of thy sloth & backwardnesse. By many trd [...]ulati­ons wee must enter into the kingdome of God. Act. 14. But yeeld that it bee painfull, must wee not thor [...]w many tribulati­ons enter into the kingdome of God? And yet thou by the broad and spacious way of pleasure which leadeth vnto death, hopest to obtaine life. Thou canst not heere sport it with the world, and there raigne with Christ, enioy fu­ture and present blessings, passe frō the delights of this world to the ioies of heauen. They that haue their cōfort in this world, are vnworthy diuine consolation; but they that for the name of Christ Iesus endure affliction, feele in themselues the vnspeak­able [Page 78]comforts of God: for they that partake with Christ in his passions, are likewise made partakers of his comforts. No man can be happie in both worlds, but he that wil haue the one must want the other: otherwise the rewards of chastity and luxurie, gluttonie and tem­perance, humility and pride were not diuers. That fat and purple rich man in the Go­spell had his pleasure in this life, & Lazarus pain; but af­ter their death their portions were not alike, the pleasure of the one is turned into misery, the miserie of the other into pleasure & eternall happines. Bodily pleasure nothing to a dying soule.

But suppose thou would­est gaine the whole world, and glut thy selfe with all [Page 79]maner of delights and plea­pleasures, what are all these vnto thee at the houre of thy death? If thou being in ex­tremitie of sicknesse shalt see thy seruants fare delici­ously, what gainest thou by their dainty fare? Wilt thou say that thou art the better or gainest the more be­cause thou art their Lord and Master? No doubtles. Apply this then vnto thy own soul. If thy body florish and grow fat, thy soule growing leane, this plenty of external things what belongs it vnto thee? For as the pleasure of a ser­uant doth no way benefit the miserie of a master, nor cost­ly apparell a weake body; So whilest thou gluttest and pamperest thy bodie with [Page 80]pleasure and abundance of all things, and sufferest thy soule to starue, whereby it is subiect to eternall damnati­on, how doe the pleasures of the body pleasure thee? what canst thou giue for recom­pence of thy soule? Math. 16.26. Hast thou any other which thou canst giue for it? If thou wert the Lord and King of the whole world, and wouldest offer it for a ransome for thy soule, thou couldest not therewith redeeme it from eternal dam­nation. What benefit then is it vnto thee, though thou win the whole world, and lose thy owne soule? Or what good is it vnto thee, for a few daies to rule and raigne vpon the earth, and thereby to lose the kingdome of heauen? Christ [Page 81]hath shed his most precious blood for thy soule, Nothing more pre­cious than the soule. which hee would not doe for the whole world besides, and and therfore thinke the price of thy soule to be very great, since it could not bee redee­med but by the blood of Christ Iesus: And wilt thou then lose this thy soule, and damne it too, buie a moment of pleasure with euerlasting torments? What comparison can there bee, betwixt that which is finite, and that which is infinite, betwixt breuitie and eternitie?

Wherfore (deare brother) it shall be good for thee to in­dure some paine in this life by repentance (if that which bringeth a spirituall ioy may bee called a paine) lest thou [Page 82]feele eternall paine in the life to come, by reuenge. By sor­row thou shalt come to ioy, for Truth it selfe hath spo­ken it; Matth. 5. Blessed are they that mourne, for they shall bee comforted; and by ioy and pleasure thou shalt come to sorrow, the same Truth affir­ming it; Luk. 6.25. Woe bee vnto you that laugh, for yee shall waile and weepe. He that sorrow­eth not when he is a stranger, shall not laugh being a Citi­zen, because the desire of his countrey is not in him; and therefore whilest thy body is detained in this world, send thy heart before into heauen. But it is one thing to goe be­fore, or to go foorth in body, another in heart; hee goeth foorth in body, that by the [Page 83]motion of his body changeth his place; he goeth foorth in heart, that changeth the af­fections of the heart.

Wherefore (my deare bro­ther) for these causes, The con­clusion of these for­mer Chap­ters. & ma­nie more that might heere be spoken of, thou maiest plain­ly see, how fraile and vncon­stant the condition of this life is, insomuch that thou canst not secure thy selfe of a moment of time. Which since so it is, it cannot but be dangerous for thee to liue in that state, wherin thou woul­dest not willingly depart out of this life, especially consi­dering that the time of thy departure may happen at this verie houre, or the next, nay euery moment of thy life. Whilest thou art sound [Page 84]& healthfull, thy repentance is sound; when thou art weak and sickly, that is weake too, when thou art dead, that is dead too. The time of life is short, which though thou passe well and blessedly, yea suffer much affliction for thy Sauiour Christ Iesus, yet at the houre of thy death, thou wilt wish thou hadst suffered much more. Eccles. 12. Remember ther­fore thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, and be not slow to turne vnto the Lord, yea deferre it not vntill to mor­row, for the day of the Lord commeth as a theefe in the night, and an houre that thou knowest not. 1. Thes. 5. If thou turne not vnto God, Psalme 7. God wil draw foorth the sword of his ven­geance, hee will bend his [Page 85]bow, and make ready his ar­rowes, from whose anger to come that thou maiest flie, do workes worthy repentance, and that whilest the God of patience and long sufferance detaineth his anger, whilest he deserreth to strike, whilest he considereth thee a sinner, and yet expecteth thy con­uersion, whilest hee beareth with thy iniquities, in hope at the last to withdraw thee from them.

But thou, the longer hee beareth with thy sinnes, the longer thou continuest in thy sinnes, whereby it commeth to passe that that long suffe­rance of God that should draw thee to repontance, and out of the lawes of death and hell, [...]andeth thee the faster [Page 86]in the bands of death, and because thou hast turned thy times of repentance vnto sin, the seuere Iudge will turne those arguments of his loue, and mercy, into a punish­ment; for by so much the more seuerely will hee come vnto iudgement, by how much the more before it hee shewed himselfe patient and mercifull: That which hee now winketh at with milde­nesse and loue, when he com­meth to iudge, hee will exact with straitnesse and seueri­tie. Take heed therefore lest thou contemne those times that God hath giuen thee to repent, and thou neglect the care of thy saluation; lest thou turne the clemencie of the Iudge, and those proro­ged [Page 87]times of mercy and re­pentance, into arguments of thy greater damnation, lest that long life which thou hast recei [...]ed from thy me [...] ­ci [...] [...] God, doe [...] grea [...]er in­crease or thy condemnation. Behold, now is the time of re­conciliation and repentance, not of pleasure and carnall delight; heereafter shall bee the time of reward of retribu­tion. Behold, now is the ac­ceptable time, the day of sal­uation and mercy; heereafter shall be the time of rigor and vengeance. Shall then these dales of saluation passe away as if thou thoughtest not of them? There is nothing more precious than time; and yet to thee nothing more con­temptible. [Page 88]It is the man­ner of such as get their li­uing by their labour, in the end of their labours, when they looke for their hire to be most diligent and painful: So thou forasmuch as tho [...] knowest not how soone thy labours shall haue an end, whatsoeuer thy hand can do, doe it instantly. Luke 12. Be alwaies prouided, for thou knowest not what houre the Sonne of man will come, that when hee commeth, atcording to thy workes, hee may iudge thee. Thou hast no long race to runne, for whether thou wake or sleepe, or what­soeuer thou doest, euerie houre and moment of thy life, is a steppe vnto death; which perhaps thou art nee­rer [Page 89]vnto, than thou art a­ware of. For when thou go­est to sleepe, thou art not sure thou s [...]alt awake again, and when thou awakest thou art not [...]ure thou shalt goe to [...] rest vntill thou haue ta­ [...]p thy last rest. Where­ [...] thou bee wise, in the whole course of thy lise, learne to die, and bee prepared thereunto euerie houre of thy life as if euerie houre were the houre of thy death. Thinke euery mo­ment thou must die, because thou art sure, though now thou liue, thou must die. Which if it bee so, take no [...]reat care by what accident then shalt die, but dying, whi [...]her thou must goe; for nothing maketh death good [Page 90]or ill, but that which follow­eth death. Death is deadly to the wicked, but precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints: Psal. 115. which death God of his infinite mercie giue vs euen for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake, Amen.

CHAP. I. That restitution is an excellent testimony of remission of sinnes.

SEcondly, perhaps thou wilt say, thou couldest be content to repent, but thou canst not finde in thy heart to restore that which either by fraud or violence, thou hast taken from another, for now thou [Page 92]art rich and needest the helpe of no man. Res. Thou kno­west not (my deare Brother) that thou art wretched and miserable, and poore, and blinde, and naked. Consider with thy selfe that if God at the day of iudgement, shall with such anger, say vnto those that haue not giuen their goods vnto the poore, Depart ye cursed into euerla­sting fire, which is prepared for the Diuel and his Angels; For I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat; Matth. 25. I thirsted, and ye gaue me no drinke; I was a stranger and ye lodged me not; I was naked and yee clothed me not, sicke and in prison and ye visited me not; how shall his anger increase when he shall say, I was hun­grie, [Page 93]I was thirstie, and yee took from me that sustinance that I had; I was naked and you robbed me of that little that remained vnto me? We read not of that rich man in the Gospell, that hee got his goods vniustly, but only that hee vsed that which hee had intemperatly and vnfruitful­lie, and yet he was tormented in hell fire, and desired a drop of cold water, but could not obtaine it. How then shalt thou bee saued that hast vn­iustly scraped thy riches to­gether? Canst thou possibly thinke that thou shalt not bee more damned than hee? Ga­ther heereby how great a damnation hangeth ouer thy head, that doest wrongfully detaine another mans goods, [Page 94]if they vndergoe so heauy a iudgement, that indiscreetly do vse their owne: Consider how heauilie goods wrong­fullie gotten doe presse thee downe, if such as are lawfully come by, not well bestowed, bring so vnspeakable a tor­ment. What doest thou de­serue for wronging another, if charity not well vsed de­serue such punishment? And if he bee subiect to damnati­on that detaineth his owne, what is hee that taketh away another mans? If hee shall haue iudgement without mercy, that doth no workes of mercy, what iudgement may he looke for, that is cru­ell and bloodie, that taketh from the poore whereas hee should giue, and decketh [Page 95]himselfe with the spoiles of other men, that liues in plen­ty by the famine of the poor, and pampers his bellie with that that should feed them? The poore being oppressed crie for vengeance vnto the Lord, and God who is a iea­lous and a mightie God, will be their reuenger. The Lord will come, yea hee will come and not stay, and in a time of vengeance hee will destroy him.

If thy body be diseased, or thy friend fallen sicke, thou art content to recouer it, if need bee, euen with the losse of all thy goods that thou hast; now thy owne soule is falling into eternall damnati­on, and for the saluation ther­of doest thou refuse to make [Page 96]restitution of a trifle which thou detainest from another man? Thou sellest thy selfe at a base price, if for another mans goods thou losest thy owne soule. It is a folly to make thy siluer & gold more precious than thy selfe, that art aboue all price. Christ once died for our sinnes, the iust for the vniust, and doest thou thinke the heaping to­gether of riches to bee more precious than the redempti­on of thy soule by the blood of Christ? For when thou ta­kest another mans goods, thou art taken by the Diuell, and as long as thou detainest them, thou art detained by the Diuell. Thou possessest gold and losest heauen; thou detainest another mans [Page 97]goods vniustlie, and iustlie losest thy heauenlie inheri­tance. The gaine is vniust, the losse iust; the gaine in thy chest, the losse in thy consci­ence: and therefore if thou be wise, let that worldly gaine perish that bringeth with it the losse of thy soule. What good is it vnto thee if thou gaine the whole world, and lose thy owne soule; if thou get vnto thy selfe whatsoeuer is without thee, and damnest thy inward essentiall part, e­uen that that thou art? Woe to thee that spoilest: Esay 33.1. when thou shait cease to spoile, shalt thou not bee spoiled? Those riches that thou hast deuoured, When wee die wee leaue all behind vs. thou shalt vomit vp, and God will draw them out of thy belly. When thou [Page 98]shalt sleepe in death, thou shalt carie nothing with thee, thou shalt open thine eies and finde nothing. Naked thou camest into the world, and naked thou goest out, thy riches were neither born with thee, neither must they depart with thee: for as when thou fittest downe at a rich mans table, there are set be­fore thee vessels of gold and siluer, the vse whereof thou only hast, which if out of sim­plicity thou thinkest to bee thy owne, and wilt take them away with thee, thou shalt not bee permitted so to doe; but rather as a theefe bee ap­prehended and cast into pri­son. Euen so thou brought­test nothing into the world, neither shalt thou carrie any [Page 99]thing out, for poore thou camest into the world; and poore thou shalt depart. At thy death all that thou hast shall bee diuided into three parts: Thy body which thou hast so carefully pampered, shall be giuen to the wormes: Thy soule which thou hast so carelesly neglected, shall goe to the Diuell: Thy tem­porall goods (which by de­ceit and villanie thou hast scraped together) shall be left vnto thy heires, either prodi­gall or vnthankful; who shall make themselues merrie with the fruit of thy labours, thy vnrighteousnes, whilest thou for them art tormēted in hell. Heere they shall enioy thy gooods whilest thou in hell art depriued of all ioy, and [Page 100]euerlastinglie tortured for getting those goods: heere they shall laugh whilest thou in hell doest weepe. Thine heires too (if God bee not the more mercifull) when they haue heere runne their race, shall bee companions in thy torments; which companie of theirs shall bee no comfort vnto thee, but because thy goods ill gotten were a helpe to their damnation, thy dam­nation shall still be increased▪ If therefore thou pity not thy selfe, yet pitie thy chil­dren, and thy childrens chil­dren to the third and fourth generation, ouer whose head there must euer hang a iudge­ment, so long as thy euill got­ten goods (which like a can­kar fret and consume the rest [Page 101]of their substance) stickes by them. And by their wils it is likelie they shall euer sticke by them, for how should they after so manie yeeres past, make restitutiō of that which is lawfully descended vpon them, though vnlawfully got­ten by thy selfe? Yea it is likely that a long successiue inheritance will so knit their affections thereunto, that if they knew the restitution of them would free thee from thy torments, they would not doe it; And no maruell neither if others loue their owne riches more than ano­ther mans soule, since thou louest them more than thy owne soule.

How many like vnto thy selfe, haue endeuored to bee [Page 102]rich in this world, and haue no sooner gotten them, but are inforced as soone to leaue them? From whom sudden death hath suddenly, and to­gether taken away, what soe­uer their wickednesse hath neither suddenly nor toge­ther gotten to themselues. They haue left their riches ill gotten & found punishment neuer sought for: Their bo­dies in the graue are deuou­red with wormes, their souls in hell tormented by diuels. And euen so thou deteinest with thy selfe many things vniustly gotten, which per­haps because thou art short­ly to die, thou shalt neuer spend; and yet thou shalt giue an account of them vn­to God, and for them bee [Page 103]damned in hell; and it shall nothing pleasure thee among thy torments, nay it shall hurt thee much, that thou didest heere possesse them. But behold, almightie God who iudgeth our transgressi­ons, and hath called those first to iudgement, doth still expect thee to repentance, and doth beare with thee that thou maist turne vnto him. He hath already pronouneed his sentence against them, & lest thy soule should likewise perish with theirs, hee pati­ently expecteth thy conuer­sion, and prorogeth his ven­geance. But thou still persist­est in thy sinnes, nay thou e­uery day heapest sinne vpon sinne. For as often as thou thinkest with thy selfe, that [Page 104]thou keepest another mans goods wrongfully, against the wil of the true owner, and yet purposest still to keep it, & not restore it, so often thou committest a new sinne. Now consider with thy selfe how often by this meanes thou hast sinned. Thou hast many times since the detention and possession of thy vnlawfull gaine, repented thee of thy sinne, but God knoweth to small purpose, for thy repen­tance is sinne. August. And therfore, saith S. Augustine, If goods vnlawfully gotten, may bee restored, and are not, repen­tance is not done but dissem­bled. If thou haue a trouble­some creditor; thou speedest thy paiments, thou giuest him what thou hast, and thou [Page 105]borrowest of others if thou want; thou fearest if thou shouldest defer thy paiment anie longer, he will bee more troublesome, and either de­fame thee or cast thee into prison. Fearest thou then a temporall punishment, and doest thou presently make sa­tisfaction; and yet nothing fearing the eternall punish­ment of thy soule, doest thou not care to make restitution? O miserable man and of a preposterous iudgement! do­est thou feare the punishment of this life, and fearest thou not the sorrowes of hell?

Wherefore (deare brother) quit thy selfe of those fading & corruprible goods. which thou vniustly deteinest; re­store vnto thy neighbor that [Page 106]which is his owne, that thou maiest be restored vnto God, lest thou lose thy temporall riches, and finde the eternall damnation of thy own soule. Without the great mercy of God thou canst not attaine to the ioies of heauen, except thou make restitution of the vttermost farthing. The way to come vnto thy owne, is to restore that which is another mans.

CHAP. II. That man must not feare his confusion with men, that will finde grace and fauour with God.

BVt perhaps thou wilt say, if I should make re­stitution [Page 107]for all the wrong I haue done, I should wrong my selfe, and whereas I am rich, become poore, and vn­able to maintame my charge, and that pompe and credit I liue in, and then what will the speech of the people bee of mee, and how ridiculous shall I be to my best friends? Res. Men perhaps (my deare brother) will speake ill of thee, but yet onely euill men, who for the most part thinke those mad men, whose exam­ple they cannot, yet ought to imitate, who dispraise that vertue they will not follow, & commend that vice which they embrace. If this they did out of iudgement, not ra­ther out of ignorance and malice, there were reason [Page 108]why thou shouldest be moo­ued therewith. It is a com­mendable thing to bee com­mended by commendable men, and there is no greater dispraise than the praise of the wicked.

But let vs yeeld so much to thy obstinacie, that thou art heereby made ridiculous to good men too; yet this should bee no reason to deter thee from that which is iust and right. For the speech of men and their slanders can­not deliuer thee from the fire of hell, A mans conscience a thou­sand wit­nesses. but the feare of God, and thy iust dealing proceed­ing from a liuely faith, in the merits of Christ Iesus; whe­ther thou bee praised or dis­praised, returne into thy selfe and thy owne conscience, if [Page 109]there thou finde not any thing that is woorthy com­mendations, thou art rather to be pitied than admired; and if there thou finde not that euill for which thou art dispraised, thou art to reioice in the Lord, and to contemne the bad speeches of other men. For what is it to thee, though men praise thee, if thy conscience accuse thee? Or why shouldest thou bee sorrie if all men accuse thee, when thy owne conscience shall defend thee? Our glory and our reioycing, 2. Cor. 1. Iob 17. saith Saint Paul, is the testimonie of our conscience. And Iob saith, Loe my witnesse is in hea­uen, and my record is on high. Why art thou trou­bled with the censures of [Page 110]men, so long as thou knowest God to bee thy Iudge, that must iudge them and thee? If thy witnesse bee in heauen, and in thy heart, suffer fooles to speake their pleasure, and grieue not at it.

So long as thou seekest the glory and praise of men, and to please their eie, and their eare, thou carest not to please him that seeth thee from hea­uen; if thou wilt serue men, thou canst not be the seruant of Christ. What is more vile, more base, than to affect glo­rie and honor amongst men, and not to feare confusion & ignominie in the presence of the highest Iudge? Thou art more carefull to satisfie the eie of man than of God, and thou art not afraid to do that [Page 111]before God, which before man thou art ashamed of; yea thou louest more the out­ward applause of the people, than the inward peace of thy minde, the puritie of thy con­science. Amongst men thou desirest to seeme that thou art not, pure, when thou art most impure; outwardly rich, when thou art inward­ly poore; outwardly full, when inwardly emptie; out­wardly gaie, when inwardly naked; outwardly a Lord, when inwardly a seruant; outwardly the seruant of God, when inwardly the ser­uant of the diuell; outward­ly a man, inwardly a beast; outwardly a saint, when in­wardly execrable and odious to God and man. If thou did­est [Page 112]desire glorie in heauen, thou wouldst not feare shame and ignominie vpon earth; for euery man where he seek­eth glorie, there hee feareth confusion. What shall it pro­fit thee if the world shal com­mend thee and extoll thee to the heauens, since the praises of men cannot heale a woun­ded conscience, nor the op­probrious speeches of a slan­derer wound a good consci­ence? What good shall the glorie of this world doe thee, if in hell where thou shalt be, thou bee ignominiously tor­mented, and in the world where thou art, highly extol­led?

It is a folly to measure thy owne worth by the opinion of the common people, in [Page 113]whose power it is at their pleasure to praise and dis­praise, to giue honour and to take it away againe. And therefore if thou place thy glory in their lips, thou shalt be sometimes great, somtimes little, sometimes nothing at all, as it shal please the toongs of flatterers to commend or condemne thee. Glory flies him that followeth it, and followeth him that flies it. There is one only honour to bee desired of a Christian man, and that is, not to bee praised of men, but of God: And if thou contemne hu­mane glory, be sure that God will glorifie thee liuing and dead too. It is a dishonour­able thing for thee, being a Christian and a follower of [Page 114]Christ, to be affected with the scornes and slanderous speeches of other men, and thereby to bee withdrawen from good works, since thou knowest that thy Sauiour Christ Iesus endured the like scornes and woorse. Matth. 10. For if they call the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more his houshold seruants? Christ Iesus contemning the vaine praises of men, refused the offered glory of a King­dome, and was content to take vpon him the ignomi­nious death of the Crosse; and being the Sonne of God, was called the sonne of a car­penter, a transgressour of the law, a seducer of the people, a blasphemer of God, a wine bibber, a friend of sinners and [Page 115]Publicans: and yet fearest thou, a base worme of the earth, the slanders of men, for that, for which the God of Maiestie, and the Lord of the Saboth, hath suffered by men so opprobrious spee­ches? Doest thou feare to displease those, whom Christ displeased for thee? Wilt thou seeme glorious in the world, when Christ would be contemned and scoft at for thee? Christ was mocked of the Iewes, and wilt thou be honored? Wilt thou deck thy selfe with goodly appa­rell, when Christ by the Iewes was clothed with ig­nominious garments, & hung naked vpon the Crosse for thee? Matth. 10. The disciple is not a­boue his master, nor the ser­uant [Page 116]aboue his lord. Why then art thou proud thou dust and ashes? why gloriest thou in thy gay clothes? the worme is spred ouer thee, and the wormes couer thee. Esay 14.1. But to say the trueth, thou that thinkest thy selfe so goodly a creature, when thou hast trimmed thy selfe in thy best attire, what art thou but a pain̄ted sepulchre, painted without, but full of stench and rottennesse with­in? For though thy flesh be adorned with pretions gar­ments, what is it more than flesh, that is, a stincking seed, a sacke of corruption, worms meat? Flesh is dissolued into rottennesse, rottennesse into wormes, wormes into dust; what is more stincking than [Page 117]a dead mans carcase? what more horrible than a dead man? That countenance which in life was most beau­tifull, in death is most gastly, most horrible. Thou art earth in thy original, a sparke in the breuitie of thy life, dust and ashes in the condi­tion of thy death. As fire speedily turnes stubble into sparks, so death as speedily turnes thee and thy glory in­to ashes. O if thou couldest truly consider what thou art according to thy body, thou wouldest presently be asha­med of the beautie and riches of thy garments, and thou wouldest vse them not to please the eye, Our gar­ments co­uer our shame. and the ten­der delicacie of thy flesh, but to couer thy nakednesse. For [Page 118]as the cleere beauty and light of the Sunne is a sufficient or­nament vnto it selfe, and co­lour and sweetnesse to the Rose; so before sinne man needed not a garment, but his owne proper beautie suf­ficed him: but by sinne hee was made vgly and ashamed of his nakednesse, and so had need of a garment to couer himselfe, not to be proud of. Thou hast not therefore in thy apparell any matter of glorie, but rather cause of shame; as it is no glory to him that hath but one leg to haue a woodden leg, which is but a supplie of his infirmitie. Thou that art proud of thy gay apparell, art like a sicke man that is proud of the vari­etie of his drugges and medi­cines [Page 119]If a sacke of good corn [...]ay bee sufficiently bound with a halfpenny string, & a vessell of pretious wine with [...] woodden hoope, it is a [...]hildish follie in a man to [...]inde vpon his panch, stuf­fed with filthinesse, a girdle of golde. The ornaments of [...]he outward man, by how much the more they are desi­red, by so much the greater hurts and hinderances they are to the inward man; and by how much the more they are despised, by so much the more doe they giue beautie and ornament to the inward man. Thou that desirest proud garments canst not haue humble thoughts.

If there were not a sinne in [...]ich and beautifull garments, [Page 120]the Lord would neuer ha [...] commended his Fore-runne [...] for the basenesse of his ap­parel; Luke 7. he would neuer so ex­presly haue said, that the rich man that was tormented in hell was clothed with pur­ple and silke; Luke 16. and the Apo­stle Saint Paul in an Epistle would neuer haue exhorted women from the desire of costly apparell, 1. Tim. 2. saying, Let women array themselues in comly apparell, with shame­fastnesse and modestie, not with broidred haire, or gold, or pearles, or costly appa­rell. Thinke therefore with thy selfe how great a fault it is in thee that art a man, to desire that, from which the Apostle warneth women: for the Lord requires not the [Page 121]beautie of the bodie, but of the minde. Thy rich appa­rell, in despight of thy selfe, at thy death thou must leaue; Thou camest naked out of thy mothers wombe, and na­ked shalt thou returne again. Thou shalt trauell that iour­ney alone, thy workes onely good or euill shall follow thee. Where then shall thy precious garments be? where thy multitude of followers? Is there any of them that shal dare to take thee out of the hands of the liuing God? That shall plucke thee out of the snare of the hunter, and shall saue thee? What shalt thou then gain by possessing thy riches? Because thou wert lord of much in this life, doest thou thinke that in the [Page 122]other life, thou shalt haue the more of him that is King of kings, & Lord of lords? God who accepteth no mans per­son, waigheth al mens works with an equall ballance; hee preferreth not the king be­fore the beggar, nor the beg­gar before the king, but ac­cording to euery mans work shall his reward bee: There the last shall be first, and the first last.

Wherfore (deare Brother) feare God, and then thou shalt not feare men, and take heed lest whilest thou seekest to please men thou incur the displeasure of God; and whi­lest thou desirest to please the eies of men, thou be exe­crable to God, and to thy selfe. Let not the vaine re­ports [Page 123]of men terrifie thee from doing well, but let the feare of God driue away all humane shame. It is far bet­ter to displease men that thou maist please God, than to please men, and to displease God.

CHAP. III. That the grace of God is to bee preferred before all temporall riches.

BVT perhaps thou wilt say, If I shall make a­mends for all the wrong I haue done, I feare I shall bee poore and in want my selfe. Res. Yea rather (my deare brother) I dare say, according to that in the 28. Prou. 11. of the Pro­uerb. [Page 124]He that giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke, and he that despiseth him that as­keth, shall want himselfe. If hee shall want that despiseth the praier of the poore, much more shalt thou want that ta­kest from the poore what is their owne. For ill gotten goods neuer prosper, and there is not any to whom op­pression hath succeeded luc­kily, that hath long inioied it. Some scatter their owne, and are the more rich; others take from other men, and are still the poorer. Pro. 11. Hee that slande­reth the poore to increase his riches, shall giue to him that is rich, and want himselfe. For, for the most part when a man scrapeth much together, it melteth away by gluttony [Page 125]and luxurie, and goods ill gotten are worse spent: what couetousnesse is a long time gathering, gluttony and luxi­ury doe speedily consume, or at least some aduersity or o­ther hapneth, that in a mo­ment cuts off the labours of many yeeres.

If thou cast thy care vpon the Lord, hee will care for thee: and if thou serue him, hee will minister all necessa­rie things vnto thee, for hee neuer forsaketh those that put their trust in him. Hee that so made man that hee should haue need of nourish­ment, will not suffer him to perish by withdrawing from him things necessary. For if God out of his goodnesse feed and cloth a little sparow, [Page 126]doest thou thinke hee will forsake that man that putteth his trust in him? will not hee that promiseth to man great and heauenly things, bestow vpon him small and earthly? Yes doubtlesse hee that hath giuen thee far greater things than these, will likewise giue thee the lesse. Small matters suffice nature, life is short, what needest thou then great prouision for a short iorney? And therefore let the short­nesse of the way shorten thy desires. In vaine thou ladest thy selfe with many things, when the place whither thou goest is hard at hand. Con­sider the course of thy life, and thou shalt quicklie know a little may suffice thee.

But admit (my deare bro­ther) [Page 127]that if thou restore thy ill gotten goods thou shalt be poore and beggerly. If to gaine God thou lose all thy temporall substance, canst thou bee poore and needie? God will giue thee greater things than those, yea him­selfe that created these. What are these to faith and pietie, and the goods of the inward man, whereby thy soule is made rich before God? Yea before God thou shalt bee made rich in good works, & receiue a hundred fold, pos­sesse eternall life. Such as a­bound in temporall goods, for the most part want the spirituall, or at leastwise haue them in a lesse proportion. A true Christian in compari­son of those spirituall goods [Page 128]hee hopeth, makes no more account of gold than of dust. Christ to him is the onelie ioy, who in heauen must be the onely reward. Let the heathen to whom heauenlie things are not due; seeke after earthly blessings; let them de­sire things present, who be­leeue not things to come; pos­sesse fading riches, that with them they may perish for e­uer. The soule cannot bee without delight, for either it is delighted with heauenlie things or earthly, and by how much the more it is inflamed with the desire of earth­lie things, by so much the more doth it grow cold towards heauenly. For the eie cannot at one and the same instant looke towards [Page 129]heauen and earth too.

But what doe full bagges benefit thee, if thou haue an emptie conscience? Wilt thou be accounted good, and not be good? Wilt thou haue good meat, good garments, good seruants, to be short, all good, and thy selfe onely e­uill? Preferre thy life before them, let not al these be good and deare vnto thee, & thou onely vile and base and villa­nous to thy selfe. If thou wilt bee lord of so many good things, indeuour that they haue thee a good lord too: which thou canst hardly bee, except thou make restitution of that which thou vniustly detainest. A good life is bet­ter than to possesse much goods. Temporall goods are [Page 130]only good, inasmuch as they are helpes to vertue; but if they exceed this end, and hinder the vse of vertue, they are no more good things, but to bee accounted among the euill. Canst thou thinke that another mans goods vniustly deteined, which make thee euill, can be good vnto thee? Or canst thou thinke those things good that subiect thee to eternall euils? What good soeuer there is in this world, whose gift is it but his that created it? But that gift of God ought not to please thee, that by the delight thereof separateth thee from the loue of God. Preferre not the gift before the giuer; & when thou receiuest good things, bee not euill thy selfe, [Page 131]and let not that that should encrease thy loue towards God, separate thee farther from him, and so thou loue a base creature more than thy Creator, to whem thou ow­est all that thou art, and all that thou hast, who hath made thee, and made thee good, who when it pleaseth him, can take that from thee, that he hath giuen thee, who can cast both thy bodie and soule into hell, and bestow thy temporall goods vpon another man. But thou that louest thy gold more than God, honorest it more than God, for if thou diddest not so, thou wouldest not for that lose the grace and loue of God. Thou sellest God for a halfe-penny, because for the [Page 132]gaine of a halfe-penny, thou breakest the commandement of God. God forbids thee to steale, and thou obeiest him not; couetousnesse bids thee to steale, and that thou doest: God commands thee to cloth the naked, and that thou o­mittest; couetousnes mooues thee to take from another what is his, and that thou art ready to put in execution.

Thou possessest riches no otherwise, than a prisoner doth his shakles, which hee seemeth rather to be enthral­led to, than to haue. For thou art not a little afflicted with thy self, when thou bea­test thy brains, & with wea­risome desires, and a wound­ed conscience, deuisest which way thou maiest make such a [Page 133]mans goods thine owne, by flatterie get such a bargaine; by threats such a farme; by cosenage and deceit and wat­chings and labours such a lordship; and still the more thou gettest, the more thou seekest. For as wood cast in­to the fire, seemeth for a time to presse downe the flame, and dead the fire, but pre­sently maketh it burne with greater violence, so thy co­uetousnesse is not extinguish­ed with gaine, but more in­flamed: And when by right or by wrong, thou hast hea­ped thy riches together, and glutted (as it were) thy own desires, whereas before thou diddest hope for rest out of abundance, thou shalt finde thy selfe more afflicted than [Page 134]euer, by the care thou hast to keepe that thou hast got­ten, and thou shalt euer keep thy riches with no lesse fear, than with labour thou hast got them. Thou art euery day in feare to bee assaulted, and the wrongs thou hast offered to others, thou fearest will be offered by others vnto thee. If thou see one mightier than thy selfe, thou fearest his po­wer, his violence; if poorer than thy selfe, thou suspect­est his theft; and so thou that in aduersitie didst hope for prosperitie, in prosperitie fea­rest aduersitie, and art caried hither and thither, as it were with so many billowes, and tormented with the di­uers vicissitude of thy owne fortunes.

[Page 135]Doest thou that art a Chri­stian, the disciple of Christ and his pouerty, that art cal­led to the heauenly riches of Paradise, admire as matters of greater moment these temporall goods (which doe more with care and anxie­tie afflict thy miserable soule, than refresh it with the vse of them) and in them place thy greatest felicitie? and in a countrie where as a stranger for a few daies thou dwellest, doest thou place thy whole heart, and thy whole affecti­ons? So long as thou desirest transitorie things, and either vnderstandest not eternall, or vnderstanding them contem­nest them, thou wallowest in the dung of thy earthly ri­ches, and thinkest of nothing [Page 136]but earth and earthly things, in stead of thy countrie thou louest that exile which thou sufferest, and in that darknes thou liuest in, thou exultest as in the cleere light: The helpes of this thy peregrina­tion thou makest thy stum­bling blockes, and being de­lighted with the nightlie light of the Moone, thou re­fusest to behold the bright beautie of the Sunne, and the benefit of thy passing life, thou turnest into an occasion of eternall death.

Is not that traueller besides himselfe, that in his iourney passing thorow beautiful and delightfull medowes, there stayes, and forgets to goe to his iourneyes end? If thou haddest power to rule some [Page 137]small countrie, so long as vp­on a swift horse thou canst run it ouer, wilt thou be con­tent to lose thy right of rule for euer in a far greater coun­trie, for that transitorie domi­nion? What is the time of this present life, but a continuall race vnto death, wherein no man is permitted to stay a little, or to slacken his pace? What is it to liue, but inces­santly to run vnto death? By how much the longer thou liuest, by so much the neerer thou art vnto death; and as life passeth, so death draweth on. As a barrell the more it runneth out, the more it is emptied, and yet is not sayd to be emptie till the last drop be fallen from it; so by cer­taine droppes of time, the life [Page 138]by little and little droppes a­way, but yet vntill the last moment of thy life thy bodie is not said to be dead. In the middle of thy life thou art in death, and whether thou watch or fleepe, thou diest continually. Euery day thou diest, euery day thou art changed, and yet doest thou thinke thy selfe immortall? Hee easilie contemneth all things, that thinks euery day is his dying day. If thou did­dest thinke that these earthly blessings must one day pe­rish, thou wouldest vse them whilest thou hast them, for the benefit of thy soule. In death, with sorrow enough, thou shalt see how base, and worse than nothing, that is that thou hast loued. Where­fore [Page 139](my deare brother) pre­fer the grace of God before the remporal blessings of this life; lose these, to get that. Restore to thy neighbour what is thy neighbours, to God what is Gods. So pos­sesse the things of this world, that thou bee not possessed by them; so passe by thy tē ­porall blessings that thou lose not the eternall; vse thy tem­porall goods, desire eternall; those thou must lose whe­ther thou wilt or no, these thou shall neuer lose except thou wilt. Let the world bee thy peregrina­tion, heauen thy rest. *⁎*

CHAP. IIII. Almes vnlawfully gotten pleaseth not God.

BVt perhaps thou wilt say I confesse that I vniustly deteine other mens goods; but yet I giue much almes, & do much good with them; I comfort those that are in prison, I cloath the naked, I receiue strangers. Res. Thou doest benefit thy selfe no­thing at all (my deare bro­ther) if thou comfort one by wronging another: Thou thinkest thou giuest, & thou giuest nothing that is thine owne; take not away, and thou hast giuen. Doest thou thinke to iustifie thy theft [Page 141]thy extortion, if out of the goods of the poore thou giue a small almes? One is fedde, where many hunger; and with the spoiles of many, few are clothed. Hee to whom thou giuest, reioyceth; hee from whom thou takest, mourneth; hee prayeth for thee, the other crieth for ven­geance vnto the Lord against thee: which of these two will the Lord heare? Feare thou that he will heare him that curseth, as the Lord himselfe witnesseth. There was a Iudge, saith he, in a certaine citie, which feared not God, neither reuerenced man: and there was a widow in that ci­tie, which came vnto him, saying, Luke 18. Do me iustice against mine aduersarie. And hee [Page 142]would not doe it for a time: but afterward hee sayd with himselfe, Though I feare not God, nor reuerence man, yet because this widow trou­bleth me, I will do her right, lest at the last shee come and make me wearie. And the Lord sayd, Heare what the vnrighteous Iudge sayeth. Now shall God auenge his Elect, which cried day and night vnto him, yea though hee suffer long for them. I tell you, he will auenge them quickly.

Thou seest heereby, that God approoueth not such almes, neither doth it please him that one should be relee­ued out of the losse of ano­ther, or that that should bee violentlie taken from one, [Page 143]which is mercifully giuen to another. That almes is not acceptable vnto God, which is gotten by vnlawfull and vniust meanes, but that only which is giuen by a iust pos­sessour, out of goods iustlie gotten. And this is the rea­son that sacrifices gotten by robbery, the Lord refuseth, saying, Esay 61.8. I the Lord loue iudge­ment, and hate robbery for burnt offering. Which Sa­lomon doth likewise insinuate, saying, Eccl. 34.21. Whoso bringeth an offering of the goods of the poore, doth as one that sacri­ficeth the sonne before the fathers eies. With how great hatred God beholdeth such a sacrifice, appeareth in that it is compared to the sorrow of a father for the death of his [Page 144]childe: for what thing can bee more intolerable than a slaine sonne before the eies of his father? But thou that get­test by violence, what out of pitie thou giuest vnto God, thinkest with thy selfe how much thou giuest, but not how much thou hast taken a­way; thou numbrest thy gift, but thou thinkest not of thy sinne. Thou giuest thine, nay another mans, vnto God, & thou giuest thy selfe to the diuell. Thou thinkest that God puts his iustice to sale, if whilest thou giuest vnto God for thy oppression, thou thinkest thou mayest there­fore oppresse scotfree; yea, thou makest God a compa­nion in thy sinne, in that thou thinkest he consenteth to thy [Page 145]sinne, by accepting an almes of goods gotten by sinne. It is one thing to doe the workes of mercy for sinne, another to sinne to doe mer­cie: if that may bee called mercy, which by an in­terposed sinne of robberie or oppression confoundeth whatsoeuer good there is in mercy.

But suppose thy goods are lawfullie gotten, and thou hast neuer wronged and mā, yet canst thou thinke that it is lawfull for thee, to keepe those goods vnprofitablie that may doe good to manie, wherof thou art made by thy heauenlie master, not a lord, but a steward? When thou ministrest necessarie things to those that want, thou gi­uest [Page 146]not thine, but thou resto­rest to them their own; thou doest rather pay a debt of iu­stice, than execute a worke of mercy; and in doing other­wise, thou doest euery day almost kill as many as die for want of comfort, when thou canst giue it them. But thou, when thou giuest a small matter to thy God, in his poore members, that gi­ueth all thou hast vnto thee, hauing oppressed thy neigh­bour, canst thou thinke him abundantly satisfied if thou giue that vnto him thou hast wrongfully taken from ano­ther? Thou must not helpe one with the hurt of another: Though thou giue much to the poore, yet thou art not quit of thy theft, vntill thou [Page 147]haue giuen to him from whom thou hast taken. Thou oughtest not to de­taine vnto thy selfe, that thing thou hast found, if thou bee any way assured that the right master there­of hath not forsaken it, but seeketh after it. And there­fore saith S. Austin, That which thou hast found and restored not, thou hast rob­bed: hee that denies it being demanded, if hee could hee would take it: God search­eth the heart, not the hand. Wherefore (deare brother) thinke not thy selfe heere­after iustified in this, if of thy goods wrongfully got­ten thou giue vnto the poore; if thou violently take from one, and mercifullie giue [Page 148]vnto an other; for almes out of thy goods well gotten cannot iustifie, as being but the fruits of that faith that must iustifie.

CHAP. I. That God doth not forgiue vs our trespasses except wee forgiue those that tre­spasse against vs.

THirdly, thou wilt perhaps say, thou art content to re­pent, Matth. 7 but thou canst not forgiue him that hath offended thee, yea thou art resolued to re­uenge [Page 150]thy wrongs. Res. First thou must vnderstand (my deare brother) that according to that measure that thou me­asurest to others, it shal be me­asured to thee againe; & this is a certain rule set down by God himselfe, that as thou wilt haue thy sinnes forgiuen thee, so must thou forgiue the trespasse committed a­gainst thee. Thou art in debt, and others indebted vn­to thee. Thou art a debtour to God for manie and gree­uous offences, thy brother is indebted vnto thee for small and sleight iniuries. Behold then how louing and easie a condition God offereth, that is, that thou shouldest forgiue what is owing thee, and what thou owest shall bee forgiuen [Page 151]vnto thee. Otherwise thy sinnes can no way bee forgi­uen thee, if thou shew thy selfe inexorable to forgiue thy neighbour; in vaine thou hopest of pardon for thy sins, except thou first pardon his. For though the God of peace and consolation can without this forgiue all thy sinnes, yet forasmuch as he is willing, to minister vnto thee an occasi­on of pity and meeknesse, hee considereth thy charity and mercie towards thy neigh­bour, that hee may conferre vpon thee his charity and mercy. And therefore hee commandeth, When ye shall stand and pray, forgiue, if ye haue anie thing against anie man, that your father also which is in Heauen may for­giue [Page 152]you your trespasses. Mark. 11.25. For if you will not forgiue, your father which is in Heauen will not pardon you your trespasses. So that thou seest, that to obtaine forgiuenesse at Gods hands, thou needest not to passe the Seas, to make long iourneies, to clime high mountaines, to disburse great summes of money: but the Lord that desireth rather to finde him that hee may par­don, than that hee may pu­nish, putteth it as it were in thy own power to auoid the seuerity of his iudgement.

As long as thou continu­est in this life thou canst not be without sinne, and there­fore it were wisdome in thee to embrace so gentle a con­dition, as by forgiuing an­other [Page 153]mans sinnes, to blot out thy owne; being offen­ded by another man to for­giue him, if thou desire to be forgiuen of God; to pardon a light offence to thy neigh­bour (for whatsoeuer one man can commit against ano­ther is but light) that God may pardon thee so manie millions of sinnes. There is no better meanes (after thy sinne) to bee reconciled vnto God, than that thou being of­fended with thy brother bee reconciled vnto him. If thou seeke after the multitude and magnitude of the mercies of God, doe thou likewise mul­tiply and magnifie thy owne mercies towards thy neigh­bour, that shewing mercie, thou maiest receiue mercie. [Page 154]For though God haue need of no mans helpe, and be free from all sin, yet he forgiueth his seruant those infinite wrongs hee receiueth; how much more then oughtest thou, that hast need of remis­sion, and art guilty of a thou­sand sinnes, to forgiue the wrong that is offered by thy fellow seruant? With what face canst thou looke that God should pardon thee thy sinnes, when thou wilt not pardon thy neighbour his? Wilt thou haue God to exer­cise his mercy vpon thee, and wilt thou exercise thy seuere iudgement vpon thy neigh­bour? Thou shalt haue no ex­cuse at the day of iudgement, because thou shalt be iudged according to thy owne sen­tence, [Page 155]& that thou halt done vnto others, thou shalt suffer thy selfe: Thou shalt haue iudgement without mercie, that shewest no mercie vnto thy brother; For what pu­nishment art thou not woor­thy of, who maiest with so great facilitie obtain mercie at Gods hands, and yet art con­tent to betray thy owne sal­uation?

Our Sauiour Christ Iesus when hee prescribed a forme of praier vnto vs, and taught vs to pray, promised his fa­therly mercy; but yet he ad­ded a law, that we should so begge forgiuenesse for our trespasses, as wee forgiue those that trespasse against vs. Yea sorasmuch as hee knew that all men are lyers, [Page 156]and that if their sins should bee first forgiuen them, they would not afterwards for­giue their trespassers, hee commanded we should first forgiue them, before we aske forgiuenesse at his hands. But thou, with what hope canst thou pray, that still reseruest rancour in thy heart against another? For as thou praying liest, when thou saiest, I forgiue others their trespas­passes, & yet forgiuest them not; so when thou praiest that thy trespasses may bee forgiuen thee of God, they are not forgiuen. For it is as much as if thou shouldest say, forgiue not mee my tres­passes committed against thee, because I forgiue not o­thers their trespasses against [Page 157]mee. When thou powrest out such praiers vnto God (who considereth the heart, not the word) thou art for a threefold cause made guiltie. First because thou art a beg­ger, and goest about to de­ceiue God, whilest thou prai­est vnto him, to forgiue thy debts, as thou forgiuest thy debtors, and yet thou forgi­uest them not, thou sparest them in nothing. Secondly, because though thou madest not this praier vnto God, yet thou oughtest to forgiue thy brother his debts. Thirdly, though it were not thy dutie to doe it, yet forasmuch as being warned by thy Iudge, thou ceasest not, thou exas­peratest the anger of the Iudge against thee. What [Page 158]hope of forgiuenesle canst thou haue, if at that very in­stant when thou praiest vnto God, and beggest mercy at his hands, thou minister grea­ter occasion to stirre vp his anger against thee? As if a man should fall downe be­fore thee, and begge mercie at thy hands, and in the mid­dest of his petition should espie his enemie, and surceas­ing to intreat thee, should go about to murther him; would it not mooue thee to greater anger against him than be­fore? Couldest thou possibly think him worthy of mercy? thinke it is thus & no other­wise with God himselfe. But perhaps thou wilt say, from this time forward, or so long as I am not in charity I wil not [Page 159]say the Lords praier, or at leastwise, I wil omit that con­dition (As wee forgiue those that trespasse against vs.) Resp. Except thou praie as Christ hath taught thee, thou art not Christs disciple: Hee that made this praier, is hee that heares it; if thou shalt o­mit this condition, Christ will not know that praier that he hath made; and as thou hast shut out mercy in thy praiers towards thy neighbour, so God wil shut the gate of mer­cy against thee.

Wherfore (deare brother) if thou wilt haue thy sins for­giuen thee of God, forgiue thou thy brother, not onely with thy outward lippes, but thy heart too; not with a fai­ned peace, but a sincere loue; [Page 160]so as by thy actions thou worke no reuenge, and in thy heart thou reserue no malice. Driue away all hatred from thy minde, and loue thy ene­mie with all thy heart. And forasmuch as the proofe of thy loue, is the performance thereof in thy actions, thou shalt alwaies do him good in thy affections, wishing him the blessings of grace and of glorie, of nature and of for­tune, as they may bee helpes and furtherances to saluati­on: And thou shalt doe him good in effect too, as time & place shall serue, especially in those things that ap­pertaine to the health of his soule.

CHAP. II. That no work that a man doth, be it neuer so good, can bee ac­ceptable vnto God, so long as he is not in charity with his neigh­bour.

FOrasmuch as all sins are extinguished and blotted out by subsequent good works, proceeding out of a true and liuely faith, the sin of discord must bee verie great, which if it be not vtter­ly extinct, it suffereth no good worke to follow it. For it is written: Mat. 5.25. If thou bring thy gist vnto the altar, and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leaue there thine offer­ing [Page 162]before the altar, and goe thy way: first be reconciled to thy brother, & then come and offer thy gift. Iudge then how great an euill discord is, for which that must bee vn­done, by which sinnes are re­leased; the gift of an vnchari­table man is not receiued, his praiers are not heard, for God loueth more the loue & agreement of men, than his owne honour. O the admi­rable goodnesse and mercie of our God, and his vnspeak­able loue towards men! he re­suseth his own honor, for our charity one towards another. If two be at enmity one with the other, no man can bee a faithfull friend to them both, and therefore God will not be a friend, no not to the faith­full, [Page 163]so long as they be in ha­tred one towards another, so long as they professe Christ, and yet are enemies. God to the end he might impose vp­on thee a greater necessity of reconciliation, did not say, If thou haue anie thing against thy brother (for to a man that is willing, it is a matter of no difficultie to forgiue an other) but he said, If thy bro­ther hath any thing against thee; go with a willing heart and a good conscience, and an humble submission vnto him, though he bee farre di­stant from thee; or if thou canst not come where hee is, in thy heart bee reconciled vnto him, that when thou commest in his presence with thy loue thou maist make a­mends [Page 164]for the wrong thou hast done him, which to a furious man that thinketh he hath iust cause to be angry, is a matter very difficult. But thy brother hath nothing a­gainst thee, but thou bearest an intestine hatred against thy brother, which thou maist easily pardon, and bee reconciled if thou wilt. And yet thou presumest with this hatred and malice, not only to offer thy praiers vnto God, but to come to the Communion of the body and blood of thy Sauiour Christ Iesus; and that milde Lambe, that peace maker, that louer of peace, thou presumest to [...]eceine into thy cruell and bloody heart, boiling with hatred & malice against thy [Page 165]brother. This thy hatred makes thee vnworthy that corporalll bread that thou ea­teft, and doest thou presume to eat the bread of Angels? It cannot bee well with thee if thou wickedly receiue that which is good. Thou canst not haue life in thy self, when the receiuing of life bringeth death. Mat. 5.44. Loue (saith the Lord) your enemies, blesse them that curse you, doe good to them that hate you, pray for them which hurt you and persecute you. Whom then canst thou hate, when thou art commanded to be good to thy enemies? And yet thou hatest thy neighbour, that art forbid to hate a stran­ger; and thou persecutest thy brother, being commanded [Page 166]to doe good to thy enemie. Thou art enioyned to praie for him, and darest thou to pray vnto God against him? Canst thou call thy selfe a Christian, and yet not keepe the preceps of Christ?

Neither is it sufficient for thee to make vp the heape of thy punishment, by trangres­sing the commandement of Christ, but thou praiest vnto him to doe so too. God com­mandeth thee to loue thine e­nemy, and thou praiest vnto him to kill thine enemie; and whilest thou so praiest, thou fightest with thy praiers a­gainst God, who comman­deth thee to forgiue whatsoe­uer thou hast against thy e­nemie. Mark. 11. When ye shall stand, saith he, and pray, forgiue if [Page 167]ye haue anie thing against a­ny man; but thou callest vpon God to do quite contrarie to his owne rule; but so farre is he from doing that that thou requirest, that he turneth the malicious darts of thy pro­phane mouth against thy selfe, and that mischiefe that thou wishest to another light­eth vpon thine owne head. He liues yet, whom thou cur­sest, and thou that cursest art alreadie made guiltie of his death, because since thou canst not kill him with thy sword, thou killest him with thy praiers. If thou laie not a­side thy anger against thine enemie, at that instant when thou beggest mercie at Gods hands, but euen then remem­brest thy grudge, when is [Page 168]there hope thou wilt be mer­cifull? So long as thou nou­rishest this rancor in thy bo­some, no praier, no work shal doe thee any good, but eue­rie houre, yea euery minute of an houre thou addest sinne vnto sinne, whilest thou re­membrest thy wrongs, and forgiuest not thy neighbour, but purposest to reuenge. If euery one that is angrie with his brother be guilty of iudg­ment; how much more shalt thou be guiltie, which conti­nuest a deadly hatred against him? If it be not lawfull to be angry with thy brother, or to say vnto him Raca, Ephes 4. or fool, much lesse to nourish hatred in thy heart against him.

Wherfore (deare brother) let not the Sunne goe downe [Page 169]vpon thy wrath; and lest of a mote thou make a beame, and thy soule a man-slaier, as speedily as thou canst be re­conciled to thy brother and pardon his wrongs. Yea pray for thy enemie that pursueth thee, and slandereth thee, that either God wil turne his hart, or rightly defend thee, and preserue thee, euer wishing his saluation, whose iniquities thou doest detest, that thou maiest be the sonne of the fa­ther which is in heauen.

CHAP. III. That it is not lawfull to strike him that striketh.

BVT perhaps thou wilt say, hee hath wronged thee greatly, not thou him; [Page 170]he is a wicked man, and not worthy to be forgiuen; I had rather die than not to bee re­uenged of him: I will answer a foole according to his fol­lie. Res. First (my deare bro­ther) what shall it profit thee, if being stroken, thou strike thy striker? Shall that make amends for thy blow? If thou plucke out another mans eie, thou recouerest not thy own; but with thy eie, thou losest thy patience, and hast hurt thy owne soule more, than thou hast hurt his body. The Diuell procureth the wounds of the body, to procure the wounds of the soule: If thou strike not againe, thou see­mest to bee ouercome of thy enemie, but in the mean time, thou hast ouercome the Di­uell; [Page 171]thou hast lost a member of thy bodie, but thou hast gotten honour by thy pati­ence. And therefore if thou spare thy enemie, thou hast got more to thy selfe than to him; and thou art not to con­sider so much thy owne losse, as the gaine of thy patience. Whereas if thou strike again, thou procurest a losse to thy bodie and thy soule too, and thou art not so much hurt by being stroken by thy enemy, as thou hurtest thy selfe by thy own impatiencie. Wher­as outwardlie thou desirest not to be conquered inward­lie thou art grieuouslie woun­ded; whilest outwardy thou desendest trifles, inwardlie thou losest matter of mo­ment; and then thou art most [Page 172]ouercome, when thou wilt not suffer thy selfe to bee o­uer come, because thou yeel­dest to the dangerous passi­ons of anger, and canst not rule thy own affections. But thou wilt say, hee is worthie to bee stricken, hee deserues blowes. Res. Be it so (my deare brother) but yet thou art not worthie to strike a­gaine, because thou art his disciple, Exod. 21. that being stricken, strucke not again; who like­wise abrogating that olde law, A soule for a soule, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, Matt. 5.39 a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a wound for a wound, hatred for hatred, presently added, But I say vnto you, resist not euill, but whosoeuer shall smite thee [Page 173]on thy right cheeke, turne to him the other also. Which law hee himselfe obseruing, was readie for the saluation of vs all, not only to turn the other cheek, but in his whole bodie to be crucified, that being taught by his exam­ple, thou shouldest rather of­fer thy other cheeke, than be­ing stricken, to strike againe: for scholars must be follow­ers of their master: And yet wilt thou, being stricken, strike againe; when thou art commanded rather to turne thy other cheeke? But per­haps thou thinkest, that if thou strike him, thou hast gi­uen him cause to feare to strike againe: yea thou hast prouoked him the rather to strike again: for wrath is not [Page 174]pacified by wrath, but more inflamed; and an iniurie re­ceiued, by reuenge is not ta­ken away, but increased. For what end can there be of mu­tuall iniuries, if euery man proceed in the reuenge of his owne wrongs? Enmitie on both sides increaseth, hatreds grow strong, reuenge more bloody. If therefore he haue wronged thee, haue recourse to thy superiours, take a law­full course against him, by which meanes thou shalt right thy selfe better, and hurt him more.

If hee haue iustly stricken thee, be angry with thy own fault, not with him, because he persecuteth not thy selfe, but thy sinne. It is lighted vpon thee for thy owne cor­rection. [Page 175]Thou hast sinned, but thou hast not yet recei­ued worthie punishment for thy sinne, but thou art lesse hurt than thou deseruest, and the reuenge is farre inferiour to thy sault, the punishment comes farre short of thy de­sert. It was his purpose per­haps to punish thy sinne, it is thy part thankfully to accept of this discipline. If thy con­science tell thee thou deser­uest as much as he gaue thee, why doest thou adde sinne vnto sinne by thy impatien­cie? Forgiue him therefore, lest thou forgiue not thy self; for hee could not persecute thee, if hee were not permit­ted by the Lord either to pu­nish some sin that is in thee, or thereby to double thy ioy, [Page 176]in that being wicked thou art corrected, being good, exer­ciseth. If a childe had discre­tion hee would not hate the rod which his mother takes into her hand for his amend­ment. But suppose thy ene­mie do offend thee vniustly; perhaps thou hast as vniust­ly offended him, and yet hee hath taken no indirect course to bee reuenged vpon thee, but with patience hath borne thy wrongs: or perhaps, though he now wrong thee, yet in former times hee hath pleasured thee as much; and if so, it is the part of an in­gratefull minde, by remem­bring one wrong to forget many benefits.

But let vs yeeld vnto thee that thou didst neuer offend [Page 177]him, and that thou neuer re­ceiuedst any benefit at his hands, yet it is an vnworthy thing to make thy selfe more wicked by reuenging ano­ther mans wickednesse, and to commit a new sinne by punishing another mans ini­quitie. Hee hath offended thee, but yet such are his of­fences, as they no way equall those for which thou beggest forgiuenesse at Gods hands. As often as hee offendeth thee, so often doth hee mini­ster occasion to thee of the remission of thy sinnes at Gods hands, if thou remit his. Whereas if all men were perfect, how couldest thou suffer any thing for Gods cause? Many times it falleth out, that thine enemie doth [Page 178]thee more good than thy friend; for he whilest he ac­cuseth thee of thy faults, compelleth thee to flie from them, ministreth vnto thee matter of patience, and occa­sion to humble thy thoughts touching thy selfe, whereas thy friend by flattering thee, cheereth thee vp in thy infir­mities, prouoketh thee to ite­rate thy sinnes, and whilest thou hearest thy selfe com­mended by him, he is an oc­casion either of vaine glorie or error.

But perhaps thou wilt say that thy enemy is not wor­thy to be forgiuen. Res. Yea (my deare brother) is not thine enemy worthy to bee forgiuen, and is there any worth in thee, why God [Page 179]should pardon thee those manifold transgressions com­mitted against him? What wert thou when he laid down his life for thee? wert thou not his enemie? What hadst thou deserued at his hands, that he should pardon thee? The Creatour forgiueth his crea­ture, and shall not one crea­ture forgiue another, one sin­ner another sinner? If God as often as thou hast offend­ed him should as often haue reuenged himself vpon thee, and entred into a strict exa­mination of thy sinnes, thou haddest long since perished, and beene damned in hell. With how great loue doth the Lord tolerate thee euerie day iterating thy old sinnes [...] With how great mercy, yea [Page 180]being grieuously offended, doth he receiue him that re­penteth him of his sinnes, and turnes vnto him? With how great liberalitie, though thou euery day offend, doth hee euery day suffer thee to inioy his benefits! O euill seruant! the Lord forgaue thee all thy debt, Matth. 18.32. because thou praiedst him; oughtest not thou also to haue pitie on thy fellowes, euen as he had pitie on thee? If therefore thine enemy be vnworthy to be forgiuen, and that thou do good for ill, yet there is worth enough in Christ that for his sake thou shouldest doe it, with whom thou hast deserued to bee thus punish­ed, howsoeuer thou hast not deserued of thine enemie to [Page 181]be thus afflicted. The good are scourged by God the Iudge of all, by the ministe­rie and helpe of wicked men, whom hee vseth as his tor­turers, and the executioners of his iustice: and as a louing father, after the chasticement of his childe casteth the rod into the fire; so our God the father of vs all, those wicked that he vseth in this world for the chastisement of his chil­dren, when hee hath finished his work he casteth into hell fire, and reuengeth himselfe vpon them, for the reuenge they haue done vpon his chil­dren, according to that hee hath premised, Rom. 12. Vengeance is mine and I will repay. Hath not God sufficiently reuen­ged thy wrong vpon thy [Page 182]enemie, in that for thy cause hee hath withdrawne from him his grace? In that hee hath powred forth his wrath vpon him, and condemned him to eternall punishment, which deseruedly he inflict­eth vpon him if without re­pentance hee depart out of this life? And therefore thou hast not so much reason to be angrie with him, as to bee mooued with compassion to­wards him. Howsoeuer thine enemie rage against thee, bet­ter is thy iust sorrow in bea­ring thy wrong, than his vn­iust ioy in offering it. Leaue therefore reuenge vnto God, whose it is, and when he hath reuenged thy quarrell suffici­ently, let not thy cruelty e­uer wound thine enemy and [Page 183]persecute him. The seruant is not aboue his lord, nor the disciple aboue his master, nor man aboue God. Thy fellow seruant, thy condisciple, thy brother, the lord in his iustice hath corrected and murmu­rest thou that art in the same condemnation, and content­est thou not thy selfe with his sentence, but still thinkest the law is in thy owne hands, and thou maiest bee Iudge in thy owne cause?

Perhaps by this time hee hath repented, and God hath pardoned; and if God haue, wilt not thou? Wilt thou still persecute him whom God hath absolued, and require that debt that God hath par­doned? God is made a friend to thy penitent brother, and [Page 184]art thou still his enemie? Wilt thou hurt him whom God loueth? Take heed, I say; for if thou bee contrarie to God in his works, thou art not Gods friend, but his enemy. What good would this thy furious and reuengeful mind do thee, if to day (which may fall out) thou shouldest hap­pen to die? Doest thou think that when thou art buried in hell, thou canst hurt thy e­nemy yet liuing, and reuenge thy wrongs? Yea rather he is strongly reuenged of thee, in that thy hatred towards him hath brought thee to that place, and that hee whilest thou art in torment, hath time to begge mercy at Gods hand to obtaine his grace in this life, and his glory in the [Page 185]life to come.

Wherfore (deare brother) that thou maiest truely loue thy brother, being hurt, hurt not; being slandered, slander not; hate not him that hateth thee; detract not from him, that detracteth from thee; for it is a more grieuous thing to ouercome a wrong by patience, than by re­uenge. Whether the wrong be iustly or iniustly offered, beare it patiently, euer re­membring that thou hast de­serued more & greater things for thy sinnes. Which thy great and manifold sinnes if thou wilt haue forgiuen, thou must needes forgiue those few and small trespasses thy enemie hath committed a­gainst thee.

CHAP. IIII. That by the example of Christ it is no hard matter for a man to pardon his neighbour as often as he of­fendeth.

BVT perhaps thou wilt say, it is not once that he hath wronged me, but many and sundrie times, and still he hates me and persecutes me, and therfore who can indure it? Resp. My deare brother, as often as thy brother shall sinne against thee, Matth. 18 21. so often doeth the Lord command thee to forgiue him; To whom Peter came and said, Master how oft shal my bro­ther sinne against mee, and I shall forgiue him? Vnto se­uen [Page 187]times? Iesus said vnto him, I say not to thee vnto se­uen times, but vnto seuen times seuen times. See heere, hee setteth downe a finite number for an infinite, as if he should say, as often as thy brother shall sinne against thee, so often forgiue him. How greatly and how often soeuer thou sinnest against God, so often (out of an hum­ble and contrite spirit, and an assured hope in the mercies of Christ Iesus thou asking forgiuenesse) hee forgiueth; and yet shall it seeme a gree­uous and an irkesome thing vnto thee, a vile and base worme to forgiue thy bro­ther? Man can but lightlie wrong thee: and seemeth it so heauy a thing to thee not [Page 189]to bee reuenged? If thy bro­ther sinne against thee seuen­tie times seuen times, forgiue him, yea if a hundred times, nay how often soeuer, yet forgiue him. As often as hee offends thee, so often forgiue him, if thou wilt that Christ shall forgiue thee as often as thou offendest. If thy bro­ther hate thee, hate not thou him; if hee persecute thee, persecute not him, but arme thy self against him with the armour of patience, not of furie, that if he will needs pe­rish, thou perish not with him, but he die and be dam­ned aliue without thy com­pany.

But thou wilt say, it is a hard thing euer to beare and forbeare, and to bridle thy [Page 190]wrath against him. Res. Yea rather (my deare brother) it is a more hard and difficult thing to keepe malice & ran­cor in thy heart, than to quit thy selfe of it: there is no la­bour in learning it; much in retaining it. To be freed from anger brings rest and peace to the mind, and it is an easier thing to forget iniuries than to remember them. There is nothing more greeuous to a man than the remembrance of forepassed wrongs, and one man cannot wish a grea­ter mischiefe to another, than to wish him haunted with this diuell malice, and desire of reuenge. For as the first thing that a worme feeds vp­pon, is the wood wherein he is bred, so wrath doth first [Page 191]hurt and afflict his hart, from whence it springeth. Thy minde of it selfe is vnquiet e­nough, and doest thou with hatred and malice increase and exasperate it? Thou hast many other crosses from out­ward causes, and yet thou in­creasest thy burthen, and art not at peace with thy owne heart. First suppresse thy fa­miliar enemie, that is, thy car­nall concupiscence, before thou prouide to make warre against others. For though thou be able to ouercome all the enemies thou hast, yet new will arise, whereof some will sooner oppresse thee than thou all. See now which of the two is the more easie, to retaine rancour, or to leaue it. As it is easie and light for [Page 192]an humble man to quit him­selfe of enuie and malice, so is it a matter of great difficultie to a man of a proud spirit. If thou call to mind the passion of Christ, there is nothing so hard that with a willing mind thou maist not beare. Doest thou not remember how much more hard and bitter things Christ hath suffered when he laid downe his own soule for thee? How great and how many slanderous reproches sufferered he of the Iewes? How many blowes? How many scourgings being mute and silent? How pati­entlie turned hee not his face from the prophane spittings of wicked men? How meekly did he yeeld his diuine head to the crown of thorns? How [Page 193]contentedly when hee was thirsty, did hee take the bit­ternesse of gall? How wil­lingly being life it selfe, did he suffer death? But who? and by whom hath hee suffe­red these cruelties? The crea­tor by his creatures; God by men, the lord by his seruants: the giuer of all good things, by vngrateful wretches, than which, what thing can bee more intolerable? And yet being scourged with whips, crowned with thorns, woun­ded with nailes, crucified, be­ing vnmindfull of all these his miseries and torments, hee still pitieth those that pitie not him, healeth those that wound him, giueth life to those that kil him, when with a pleasing acceptance, much [Page 199]deuotion of spirit & fulnesse of charity, hee doth not only spare vnto his enemies the life of that holy Lambe, but praieth vnto his Father for them, saying, Luke 23. Father forgiue them, they know not what they doe. Heere consider, the manifold miseries of his bo­dy, there the manifold mer­cies of his heart, and neuer forget his abundant charitie and wonderfull patience; for he tolerateth those hee could punish, and cast into the bot­tomlesse pit of hell. Hee that iudgeth, and to whom the Father hath giuen all iudge­ment, will not reuenge him­selfe, but forgetteth and for­giueth his wrongs, yea prai­eth for his persecutors, lea­uing vnto vs an example of [Page 200]his patience, that we may fol­low his steps, that as often as others shall offend vs, we may bee stirred vp to pati­ence, not reuenge. For if our master when hee was murdered did loue his ene­mies, how much more ought the disciple to loue them whilest he liueth? But thou a base & contemptible worme, a polluted peece of dung, when thou seest the King of glory forgiuing his contume­lies, pardoning the agonies and torments of his Crosse, art yet (being prouoked with the least wrong that may be) stirred vp to furie and desire of reuenge, and offerest grea­ter wrongs than thou hast re­ceiued: Thou doest what hurt thou canst, and thou [Page 201]threatnest more than thou canst; and when thou canst not or darest not openly to reuenge thy wrongs, thou in­wardly frettest and boilest with malice, and in vain thou afflictest thy selfe, and not thy enemie. For as the good will of a man when there wants ability of performance hath a reward, so thy ill will, seeking after reuenge scapes not vnpunished, because God considereth not so much what thou hast done, as what thou wouldst haue done, if thou hadst been able. Wher­fore (deare brother) incline the obstinacy of thy impati­ent minde to mercy, and fol­lowing the steps of our lord and master, let it not seeme hard vnto thee to forgiue thy [Page 202]enemy, as often as thy enemy shall offend thee; that euery day those sinnes may bee re­mitted, that thou doest euery day commit, that whilest thou pardonest thy neighbor light and small wrongs, God may pardon thee great and gree­uous. For if thou truly repent, thou must prepare thy self to endure wrongs, and neuer be mooued, when thou hearest thy sinnes obiected against thee.

By this which hath beene spoken thou plainly seest, in how damnable a state thou liuest, so long as thou harbo­rest malice and rancor in thy heart against thy neighbour. To the end therefore thou maiest become a new man, The con­clusion. if thou haue any thing against [Page 203]thy neighbour forgiue it, and God will forgiue thee; which if thou doe not, thinke it is vaine for thee to beg forgiue­nesse at Gods hands; for such as thou art towards thy fel­low seruant, thou shalt finde him. Thou hast power, nay there is a necessity imposed vpon thee to forgiue any man that shall wrong thy selfe for any cause whatsoeuer, but if he shall sinne against God, or his neighbour, it is not in thy power to remit, but thou art to vse thy best indeuour to haue him punished by law, not out of ill will, but out of that will wherewith a father correcteth his childe whom hee cannot hate. But thou contrarily in the wrongs of God and thy neighbour art [Page 204]calme and quiet, but in thy owne thou art furious and vi­olent, wherein thou expres­sest thy little loue towards God and thy neighbor. Nei­ther is it any wonder at all, if thou louest not God whom thou canst not see, when thou canst not loue thy neighbour whom thou seest & knowest; whom if thou haue first of­fended, bee first reconciled vnto him; if he be thy enemy be friendly to him, that thou maiest so win him to bee thy friend; and though hee haue first offended thee, yet bee thou first reconciled vnto him, and so thou shalt winne vnto thy selfe a twofold bles­sing, one because thou hast patiently endured wrong, an­other because thou art the [Page 205]first that inuitest thine ene­my to vnity and concord. Consider with thy selfe what S. Paul for our instruction saith: 2 Cor. 5.20. Now then are we Em­bassadours for Christ, as thogh God did beseech you through vs, wee pray you in Christs stead that yee bee re­conciled to God. So that we see that by sin we haue made an enmitie betwixt God and vs, and yet God preuenteth vs, and first sendeth his mes­sengers of peace vnto vs, that we that haue sinned may bee at peace with God. Blush therfore if thou be backward, since thy Sauior Christ Iesus is so forward, who is blessed for euer and euer.

CHAP. I. That God forgiueth sins, when with a true and contrite heart wee confesse them vnto God.

FOurthly, it may be thou wilt saie, thou couldest bee content to repēt, but that it is necessarie to re­pentance that thou confesse thy sinnes vnto God, & that [Page 207]thou art ashamed to do. Resp. First, (my deare brother) let me propose this example vn­to thee. A theefe stealeth be­fore the king, and is taken in his theft, and yet though his theft be manifest, hee will not confesse it, whereupon hee is condemned to die, and being bound hand and foot, conuei­ed to his execution. His king being moued to compassion, saith vnto him, my friend, thou knowest that I tooke thee with the theft in thy hands, but thou fearing least by mee thou shouldest bee thought a theefe, obstinately deniest thy offence, whereof I am an eie witnesse; and for this cause, as thou seest, art thou condemned. Neuerthe­lesse to the end that my good [Page 208]nesse may ouercome thy wickednesse, I wil haue mer­cy vpon thee, and deliuer thee from this shamefull death, If thou wilt acknow­ledge thy offence and say, I haue sinned, O Lord, and done wickedly in thy sight. What thinkest thou it is fit this theefe should do vpon so kinde, and so mercifull an of­fer? Should hee not confesse his offence and say, I haue sinned? But if he be so obsti­nate that hee will rather die than acknowledge his of­fence; hath not this king rea­son to execute his iudgement vpon him, & is not the theefe for his obstinacie woorthie to be hanged?

Thou art this wicked wretch, who in the presence [Page 209]of God (to whose eies all things are naked and open, Heb. 4.13. Psal. 118. and in whose sight are all thy wares) hast greenously offen­ded, and art apprehended in the works of thy hands. And because the reward of sinne is death, Rom. 6. and the soule which hath sinned shall die, there­fore the sentence of eternall death is pronounced against thee. And whilest thou refu­sest to foresee those imminent dangers that interrupt thy present ioies, thou runnest blindfold to the pit of hell, being fast bound in thine ini­quities, with no other irons, than thy iron will. The diuel hath captiuated thy will, whereby hee hath made an iron chaine, wherewith hee draweth thee fast bound to [Page 210]the pit of hel. But behold the goodnesse of God hath coue­red thy wickednes, his piety thy impietie, hee hath seene thee sinning, and yet forbear­eth; he tollerateth thee resist­ing him, and still calleth thee vnto him by his Prophet, Esai 43.25 I euen I am hee that putteth a­way thine iniquities, for my owne sake, and will not re­member thy sinnes; Put mee in remembrance, let vs bee iudged together, count thou that thou maiest be iustified. O vpon how easie a conditi­on doth the Lord promise to forget thy sinnes! Onely call thou to remembrance and count them, and thou shalt bee iustified. Onely forget not thy sinnes, and hee for­giues; vncouer, and he coue­reth [Page 211]thy shame with righte­ousnesse; open, and hee shut­eth. Preuent the wrath of an angrie Iudge by accusing thy selfe, yea be angry with thy selfe, and let not thy owne mouth spare thee: for then thou beginnest to bee iustifi­ed, when thou beginnest to be thy owne accuser.

Open the eies of thy faith, and consider how great ioies are promised vnto thee in heauen, how great torments are prepared for thee in hell, which that thou maiest a­uoid, and attaine the ioies of heauen, see how easie a thing it is that is required of thee in this world, that is, Psal 51.4. onely with a contrite heart, and an assured faith in the merits of Christ Iesus, to cry out, [Page 212]against thee, Psal. 32.5. O Lord, a­gainst thee onely haue I sin­ned, and done euill in thy sight; I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse. Which if from thy hart thou vtter vnto God, he will remit thy sinnes, and will remem­ber thy iniquities no more; yea before thy mouth can vtter this confession, thou shalt feele in thy hart thy re­mission, and with ioy & com­fort thou shalt assure thy selfe thy sinnes are forgiuen thee.

God requireth this con­fession out of a pure heart to no other end, but to forgiue. The mercy of our redeemer hath tempered the seueritie of the old law, wherein it is often written; Exod. 19. Hee that doth this or that shall be stoned to [Page 213]death. But our Creator who hath turned the rigour of the law into mercy hath appea­red in our flesh, Leuit. 20. and hath pro­mised mercy, not death, to as many as shall truely repent and confesse their sinnes. O wonderfull compensation & strange vicissitude of things! That a man should reueale those sinnes vnto God that were neuer hidden from him, and yet for so poore a seruice receiue so vnspeakeable a re­ward as remission of sinnes. The prophet Dauid hauing committed that heinous and blooddy sinne against Vriah, had no sooner cried out vn­to the Lord, I haue sinned, but presently hee receiued comfort: The Lord hath re­mooued thy sinne from thee. [Page 214]The prodigall sonne, Luke 15. who departing from his father, spent his substance with rio­tous liuing, did only say, Fa­ther I haue sinned against heauen and before thee: and presently his father running out to meet him, kissed him. O short speech! I haue sin­ned: three words, that shut the mouth of hell, and open the gate of Paradise. O pity! ô clemency! ô the vnspeak­able mercie of our God, who in many things is grieuously offended, and with one word of repentance is presently pleased, forgiueth all our sinnes, and openeth his bo­som of mercy vnto vs! There is no offence so grieuous, but by repentance it may be par­doned; and the Lord know­eth [Page 215]not how to denie him, that with an humble & con­trite heart falleth downe be­fore him: for he that before this humble confession was the God of reuenge, becom­meth afterwards the Father of mercie; and of a seuere Iudge, hee is made a pitifull Father. It changeth the sen­tence of his diuine iustice, and openeth to the bottomlesse depth of thy miserie, the bot­tombles depth of his mercies; to the fountaine of thy ini­quitie, the fountaine of his goodnesse. It giueth vnto thee (to whom neither the heauens nor the earth are se­cure) refuge and securitie in the bowels of Christ Iesus. Christ hath opened his side vnto thee, doe thou likewise [Page 216]open thy mouth vnto him, and say, Loe, I will not re­fraine my lips, ô Lord, thou knowest.

And therefore (my deare brother) why fearest thou to confesse thy sins vnto God, since by not confessing thou canst not hide them? By con­fessing thou shalt make God propitious vnto thee, whom by denying thy sinnes, thou canst not make ignorant of them. In his iudgement hee will spare thee, if in thy con­fession thou spare not thy self. If we acknowledge our sins, 1. Ioh. 1.9. hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins, and to clense vs from all vnrighte­ousnesse.

CHAP. II. That nothing is hidden from God, and that at the day of iudgement, the secrets of all hearts shall bee reuealed.

THou slaue of sin, whither fliest thou? Thou carri­est with thee thy selfe whi­ther soeuer thou fliest. Thine own conscience flies thee not, it hath no place to flie vnto. It followeth thee, it departs not from thee; The sinnes it hath committed are within, which do miserably afflict it; and whilest the gnawing worme dies not in it, euen in this life it feeles the torments of hell. The corruption that is in an vlcer greeues not be­ing [Page 218]cast out, and sin tormen­teth not, when by confession it is detected. But thou think­est otherwise, and so long as thy sins are secret vnto thy selfe, all is well. But thou must vnderstand that howso­euer men are ignorant of thē, yet from God they cannot be hid. Men look vpon the out­side; God searcheth the hart. God seeth not as man seeth, man lookes vpon the face, God vpon the heart. There is no creature inuisible to his eies, but all things are naked and open vnto him. He seeth, he beholdeth all things, nei­ther is there any place hid­den from his omnipotencie. To him all hearts lie open, all wils speake, and hee pierceth into the depth of euery mans [Page 219]thoughts; he inquireth more exactly into them, than the heart it self, & knoweth them more inwardly. And therfore there can bee no place to ly­ing, none to dissimulation, and it profiteth nothing to in­clude thine own sinnes with­in thine owne conscience: for thy inward parts lie open vn­to God, and as thy eares are to thy voice, so the eares of God are to thy thoughts. Canst thou then thinke thy selfe hid from God, since the secrets of thy heart lie open vnto him? Canst thou thinke hee sees thee not committing vncleannesse, that saw thy first thought when thou wentest about it? He knowes all things before they are, and canst thou thinke he knowes [Page 220]them not when they are? Before thou diddest commit these sinnes hee knew them, when thou diddest commit them hee was present, and canst thou think, if thou con­fesse them not, he can be ig­norant of them? Yea by how much the more thou refusest to confesse thy sinnes, by so much the more doest thou lay them open before God.

Thou hidest not thy selfe from the Lord, but the Lord from thee; for thou takest a course not to see him that seeth all things, not that hee should see thee: Thou canst not see him, but yet inuisibly hee seeth all that thou doest. Doest thou thinke thy sinnes are not seene by him, because they are not punished by [Page 221]him? Yea hee is so much the more angrie with thee, because hee vouchsafeth not euen now to bee angrie with thee. Now is the begin­ing of thy damnation, be­cause thou abusest the pati­ence and long sufferance of so good and mercifull a God. For the Lord hath seene thy sinnes, not that he might ap­prooue them, but condemne them; not to fauour them, but to punish them; not that hee might alwaies suffer and at­tend, but at the last punish thee with a more heauie re­uenge. For doest thou thinke that God is like vnto thee? That he seeth thy sinnes, and will let them passe vnpunish­ed? Indeed he were like vn­to thy selfe if he would do so, [Page 222]but assure thy selfe, he doth but deferre the punishment, he taketh it not away. Thou on the other fide wilt not on­ly not punish them, but cast­est them behind thy backe, lest thou shouldest see them. And as a man with a defor­med countenance refuseth to look in a glasse lest he should loath himselfe; so doest thou turne thine eies from thine ownesinnes, lest thou shoul­dest grow sad with the sight of their pollution, and so be­cause thou seest them not, thou thinkest that God is blinde too. But thou art de­ceiued (my deare brother) and much deceiued, for God searcheth the very hidden se­crets of thy heart, and hee knoweth not only thine out­ward [Page 223]actions, but thine in­ward intentions, & that God that thou hast now a witnes of thy sinnes, thou shalt haue one day a reuenger of them. He is a Iudge, & a iust Iudge, and a reuenger of iniquitie; How then shall he iudge vn­iustly? Hee hath held his peace, shall hee euer hold his peace? Hee hath beene silent, because he hath proroged his mercy; because he hath not presently punished thy sins, but hee hath dissembled thy iniquities, and giuen a time of repentance, but will hee e­uer bee silent? No, hee will call thee to an account, and in a time of vengeance hee will destroy thee.

The day will come, yea it will come and not stay, when [Page 224]with angels and archangels, and thrones, and dominati­ons, and with all the host of heauen, the great Iudge will appeare, 1. Cor. 4.5. the heauens and earth being on fire, and all the elements armed for their Creator against his creatures. Then will the Lord lighten things that are hid in darke­nesse, and make the counsels of the hearts manifest, and euery mans actions, words, and thoughts shall be layd o­pen; mens hearts shal speak, their tongues shall be silent. In that fearefull day shall all the pollutions of sinnes bee discouered in the sight of the whole world. Esai 47.3. Then shall thy filthinesse be discouered, and thy shame shalbe seene of all the angels, good and euill, of [Page 225]all men, elect and reprobates. The day will come wherein thy whole life shall bee set downe as in a table, and thou shalt stand before the tribu­nall seat of God, where it shal appeare vnto all how thou hast liued. Thou shalt carrie the booke of thine own con­demnation, and shalt shew it open to all the world. Consi­der therefore thine end, and in what maner thou shalt stand before so seuere a iudge to whom nothing is hid, frō whom thou canst hide no­thing by holding thy peace, and whom thou canst not de­ceiue by denying; who is not pleased with gifts, and taketh no excuses, but what is iust that he iudgeth. There it shal be impossible to be hid, intol­lerable [Page 226]to appeere. Then as a straight Iudge hee shall re­quire, what as a kinde and lo­uing father he now comman­deth; as masters teach chil­dren the first elements of their learning with flatterie, but if they profit not vse the rodde. Now the admoniti­ons of God calling vs are pleasing and flattering, but then the iustice of him that iudgeth iustly shall bee strait & seuere. By how much the more gentle he hath bin dis­sembling thy sins, the more patient in expecting thy cō ­uersion, the more ready to cōfer his grace vpon thee, by so much the more cruell will he be in his chasticement, the more hard to heare, and the more implacable to punish.

[Page 227]What terrour doest thou thinke there shall then bee, when without thou shalt see a seuere Iudge; within before thine eies thine owne sinnes? What feare when there shall be no remedy in punishment? What astonishment to see him angrie, whom the mind of man can not conceiue be­being milde and mercifull? What confusion when by reason of the guilt of thy owne conscience, thou shalt blush and be ashamed in the presence of men and angels? Thou art ashamed to see the secret parts both of the soule and bodie, much more to see those of another man; how much then wilt thou be asha­med, that thine owne should be seene of all? A modest and [Page 228]chaste matron would blush, though shee were neuer so beautifull, if to her shame she should be stript naked before as many as can behold her; much more if she were defor­med in her bodie, but most of all, if besides all this, all the infirmities and corruptions of her heart should bee laid open. Heereby gather what thy shame shall be, when be­before all men and angels thou shalt appeere naked of good works, nay ouerladen with many grieuous and en­ormous sinnes, euen horrible to thy selfe. If a man should now aske thee whether in the sinne of pride, or auarice, or luxurie, or any other sin thou be the seruant of the di­uell, though it be so, yet thou [Page 229]wilt blush to confesse it; how much more wilt thou bee ashamed at the day of iudge­ment, when thy works shall prooue thee a slaue to the di­uell? It wil happen vnto thee as to children, who being asked of their parents denie their offence, and therefore are more grieuously punish­ed for their lie, than for their offence, and so being com­pelled with stripes they con­fesse the trueth; whereas if at the first they had confessed and craued pardon, they had escaped the rodde.

Wherfore (deare brother) set before thine eies thy fear­full Iudge; feare hee is com­ing, that when hee is come, thou be secure, and not feare­full to appeare before him. [Page 230]For as here vpon earth, when two shall stand before a Iudge, the one fearefull by reason of his guiltie consci­ence, the other secure by rea­son of his innocencie, the one to be punished, the other re­warded; so in that fearefull day, the elect, and reprobate shall both stand before their Iudge, but not both after one maner, because hee shall bee a milde and a mercifull God vnto the iust, a God of vengeance vnto the wicked; they shall receiue the reward of eternall blessednesse, these cast out from the presence of God to eternall torment in hel fire. Feare therefore now, lest thou feare then; and let his feare prouoke thee to confesse thy sinne, and banish [Page 231]the feare of men. By so much the more secure shalt thou be in his presence, by how much the more carefull thou art here of thy conscience. Look therefore now vpon the foul­nesse of thy soule, that thou maiest amend it, lest heere­after thou see it, and be asha­med of it. Ascend into the tribunall of thy own soul, and set thy selfe before thy selfe, bee thine owne impartiall Iudge; And so in this iudge­ment let thine own thoughts be thy accusers, and thy con­science thy witnesse; Let the feare of God vrge this iudge­ment, reason iudge, and re­pentane mortifie thee. For if in the world to come thou wilt flie the iudgement of God, in this present world [Page 232]iudge thy selfe: for if thou iudge thy selfe thou shalt not bee iudged of God. If thou wilt flie from the anger of God, flie vnto his mercie by confessing thy sinnes, not by concealing thē. Thou maiest confesse, hide thou canst not.

Begin therefore with an humble confession of thy sins, to enter into the mercy of God, and to the end thou maiest be iustified, bee thine owne accuser. For God is iust, and hateth sin, and will not suffer it to goe vnpunish­ed, but yet he is likewise mer­cifull, and pardoneth sinne to him that repenteth; hee kee­peth iustice in mercy, and mercy in iustice; and therefore it cannot bee but that a iust God will iustly haue mercy [Page 233]vpon thee. And therfore can it seeme vnto thee but iust & requisite, that thou confesse thy selfe a miserable creature that thou maist obtaine mer­cy? Wilt thou that thy sinnes be forgiuen thee, and yet wilt thou not seem a sinner? What can it profit thee to haue a close & a hidden conscience, since thou hast God a wit­nesse of all thy wickednesse? Whatsoeuer thou doest, God is a spectatour, and a perpe­tuall obseruer of all, euen the least thoughts of thy heart. And as when wee know that our enemy lies in wait for vs, by so much the more we fear him, by how much the lesse we see him; & when we can­not find his snares where they are, we fear them where they [Page 234]are not: So the creatour of Heauen and Earth (who be­ing whollie euerie where, seeth thee, and cannot be seen of thee) is so much the more to be feared, by how much the more (being inuisible) when, and how, and what he seeth of thy actions thou knowest not. Sin there where thou knowest him not to be, and if there be no such place, but that hee is euer present with thee, and seeth all thy secrets, how much reason hast thou to watch thy hands and thy tongue, and thy hart too, that doest all things in the presence of an alseeing God? Which if thou woul­dest duly consider of, thou wouldest bee ashamed of ma­ny shamefull actions thou [Page 235]committest in the sight of so great and so omnipotent a God.

CHAP. I. That God is not subiect to pas­sion, and neuer forsakes a sinner, before a sinner forsakes him.

FIftly, thou wilt say, that thou couldest bee con­tent to repent, but [Page 236]that God (who hath mercy on whom he wil, Rom. 9.18. & whom he wil he hardneth) for thy ma­nifold and grieuous offences hath withdrawen his grace from thee, hath forsaken thee, and hardned thee in thy sins. And therfore since it is not in him that willeth, Ibidem. nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth mercy, to shake off the yoke of sinne from thy shoulders, thou despairest of power to decline from euill, and to do good, because thou hast made God (without whom thou canst not so much as thinke a good thought) thine enemie. Ibidem. Res. O man, who art thou that pleadest against God? Shall the thing formed, say to him that formed it, why hast thou [Page 237]made mee thus? Forasmuch [...] is made of the earth, [...] worthy to enter into the bottemelesse depth of the iudgements of God, nei­ther are the senses of thy flesh sufficient to penetrate into the secrets of so high a maie­stie. Better is faithfull igno­rance (though ignorance of good things cannot be good) than rash knowledge. God hath created thee not to prie into him, but to honour him, to the end thou shouldest bee an obedient seruant to his precepts, not a Iudge of his actions. It should suffice a Christian, who liueth by faith, and as yet seeth not what is perfect, but onely hopes to see it, to beleeue, that with God there can bee no [Page 238]iniustice, though the cause of his iustice may bee vnkno­wen: otherwise he that sear­cheth into the maiesty of God shall bee oppressed by his glory.

But yet thou iudgest of God, in whom there is no gall nor bitternesse, who is immutable, impassible, as thou iudgest of men. It see­meth iust vnto man to re­uenge his wrong; to God to remit and forgiue an offence to him that is penitent. It is the maner of a master, when he is offended by his seruant, to forbidde him his sight, to turne his face from him, to denie him forgiuenesse; but yet betwixt God and thee it is otherwise: for thogh thou by the pride of thy heart be [Page 239]turned from God, and God in iustice turned from thee, yet when with an humble & contrite heart thou turnest to him, hee disdaineth not with mercie and compassion to turne vnto thee. And yet not­withstanding he that from all eternities hath beene alwaies immutable, is no way sub­iect to change or alteration: the simplicitie of his nature no perturbation can wound, no passion can affect. But forasmuch as wee can not speake of God but after the maner of men, therefore wee call the temporall punish­ment of God his anger, the sentence of eternall damnati­on his furie, the free bountie of his goodnesse his mercie, and so of the rest, because [Page 240]these are the works of a man angrie, furious, mercifull, and diuersly affected: but yet so, that alwayes we censure him a good God, we seeke him in the simplicitie of our hearts, and we assure our selues there is nothing in him that is not God himselfe. For he execu­teth a heauy iudgment with­out passion, and punisheth the vnrighteous being milde and mercifull. Neither in these or any his other works whatsoeuer is there in him a­ny alteration or shadow of changing. And as heere by the heat of the sunne manie things are brought to passe, without any change in it self, or in the heat thereof, but onely in those things vpon which it worketh: so the [Page 241]God of the whole world ac­cording to his eternall will doth euery day create many things, and giues them exi­stence without any motion or change of himselfe. But yet as a mariner when the ship lancheth from the shore thinks the shore parts from him, whereas that remaines firme and immoueable, & he departeth from it: And as if a man shut his eyes, refusing to beholde the sunne, there is no alteration in the sun, but in his eyes: so God whilest he doth any thing that seem­eth new vnto vs, though it were in his will before all be­ginnings, and either sheweth mercie, or powreth his ven­geance vpon a man, whilest man by sinne is turned from [Page 242]God, there is no change in God, but only in man cary­ing himselfe after a diuers maner. But thou departest from God, not by any locall distance, because as the soule of a man is all in all the body, and all in euery part thereof, and yet because it hath the greatest operation in the hart is sayd especially to reside there; so God though espe­cially he be said to be in hea­uen, because there hee com­municateth his glorie to his saints, yet he is wholly euery where substantially, and fil­leth the globe of the whole world, though to our carnall eyes the simplicitie of his na­ture bee inuisible. This his presence in all places is kno­wen euery where, whilest in [Page 243]all things that are created there appeareth his coopera­tion, sustentation, and guber­nation, without which they would presently vanish and fall to nothing; as the pre­sence of our owne soules can no otherwise bee descried, than by the vitall operations thereof in it own body. Thou departest therfore from God not by any locall separation, because thou interposest the barre and partition wall of thy sinnes betwixt God and thee: for as a wall makes a se­paration betwixt the eie and the light; so sinne betwixt God and man. And as the life of the body is the soule, so the life of the soule is God: and as the bodie dies if the soule forsake it, so the soule [Page 244]dies if God forsake it: as the outward death separateth the soule from the bodie, so the inward death the soule from God. O how great a wretchednesse is it to bee farre from him that is euery where, and to bee without him, without whom no man can be in safetie! And yet he alwayes departed vnwilling­ly from man, and by his will forsaketh no man. He is ne­uer absent, if not first expeld; whom whilest by sinne thou shuttest out of doores, thou excludest thy selfe from thy own saluation, but God thou harmest not. As if from the root of the vine (I am the vine, Iohn 15. you the branches, sayth the Lord) a branch bee not plucked, it beareth much [Page 245]fruit, and receiueth nourish­ment from the root, which if it be plucked from the vine hurts not the vine, because the vine ministreth vitall nourishment to the branch­es, not they to the vine; so to those that are in Christ Ie­sus, and Christ in them, many gists and graces flow from him, which are beneficiall vnto Christians, not to Christ. One branch being plucked from the vine, ano­ther springeth from the root thereof, but that which is pluckt can not liue without a root, but withereth, and is gathered vp, and cast into the fire. And as he that tur­neth his eyes from the light, hurts not the light, but him­selfe, in changing darknesse [Page 246]for light; so whilest thou re­fusest to stick vnto God who is the light of thy soule, thou fallest into blindnesse and darkenesse, not of thy eyes, but of thy maners; not of thy outward eyes wherewith thou discernest white from blacke, but of thy inward, wherewith thou shouldest iudge of that which is iust and vniust. For as in that place that is not lightned by the beames of the sunne, the motes are not discerned, so thou that art fallen from the grace of Gods diuine illumi­nation, committest manie things that are sinnes, and yet perceiuest it not; wheras they that are inlightned with the sunne of righteousnesse, doe both diligentlie prie into [Page 247]them, and straitly repre­hend them. Thou that art fallen from the inward grace of Gods diuine illumination, (but yet not altogether so long as thou art in this life) into the inward darknesse & blindnesse of thy minde, if thou persist in this thy blind­nesse to the end, and neglect­est the receiuing of the grace of his illumination from the Sunne of righteousnesse, at the last thou fallest into vtter darknesse, and a night of e­ternall damnation, being far remooued from him, that dwelleth in that light that is inaccessible. Moreouer, whils by sinne thou departest from God (who is all good, onely good, & without whom no­thing is good) thou no way [Page 248]damnifiest God (who hath no need of thee or thine) but being depriued of thy chiefe and greatest good, thou fal­lest into the greatest miseries that may be. And this let me tell thee, that though of thy selfe, and by thy owne will thou haddest power to fall from good to euill, yet of thy selfe, and by thy onely will, thou hast not power to arise from euill to good; thou art fallen by thine owne will into the pit of sinne, but yet at thine owne will and pleasure thou canst not be freed from thence. For the wound is not so easily cured as giuen, and no man can so easily get out of the pit as fall into it. But as he can hardly get out, except some one or other let downe [Page 249]a line vnto him, which he ta­king hold of may dragge him out; so except the grace of God descend vpon thee, thou canst neuer get out of the pit of sinne; but yet thou must know that this grace of God, is alwaies ready to help thee, and to draw thee foorth of the pit, doe thou only take hold of the mercy of God when it is offered, and applie thy will vnto his will, and all shall be well.

It is not therefore in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth mercy, who like a carefull nurse directeth and beareth vp her little infant, vntill it bee able to goe of it selfe; So the Lord (who can denie himselfe to none) in [Page 250]the beginning of our conuer­sion, beareth with our infir­mities, and annointeth our wounds with the oile of his mercy, lest the danger of our disease, and the difficultie of the cure should any way ter­rifie or amaze vs. And this he doth foure maner of wais: For to a man that by repen­tance turneth vnto him, but yet by long custome is en­tangled in his sinnes, some­times out of his mercie hee sendeth tribulations, which possesse the minde of him that repenteth, and expell that delight of sin that steal­eth vpon him: Sometimes he taketh away the opportuni­tie of falling, and suffereth not the weaknesse of a man to bee tempted: Sometimes [Page 251]hee giueth strength to resist temptations, which manful­ly resisting, he may feele, but not yeeld vnto: Somtimes he cureth the affections, that he doeth not onely not consent, but not feel the power therof.

But to a sinner that neg­lecteth the grace of God, and refuseth to follow the good inspiratiōs of his spirit, he gi­ueth not his grace in so great a measure, but yet so long as he liueth he doeth not al­together withdraw it, but he standeth and knocketh at the doore of his conscience, to a­wakē his drowsy wil & dead desires. But yet many times he withdraweth some speci­all helpes heereunto, as infir­mities of the body, losse of temporall goods, & the like, [Page 252]which are meanes to draw a miserable sinner to repen­tance. For many times hee giueth temporal blessings out of his anger, which out of loue hee would not haue gi­uen, and permitteth a sinner to doe that, which he should not so much as intertaine in­to his thought. As a Physiti­an that hath vsed all the Art hee can to cure a disease; so soone as he seeth his patient to refuse that Physicke he mi­nistreth vnto him, he leaueth him to himselfe, as a man that refuseth to liue; and because hee despaireth of his health, he giueth him leaue to take whatsoeuer hee desireth: So God in his iust iudgement suffereth a sinner to be giuen ouer according to the desires [Page 253]and lusts of his owne heart to a reprobate sense, as into the hands of a cruell master, to doe those things that are not sit. Not because God in­clineth his affections vnto e­uill, but because hee with­draweth his grace, whereby man should bee conuerted. Yea and hee sometime per­mitteth a man to doe wicked­ly, and yet to liue happily, not exercising his furie vpon him, nor reuenging his sinne with any temporall punish­ment, but reserueth him to eternall damnation, than which nothing can be worse; for then is the anger of God greatest, when hee sheweth not himselfe to bee angrie with a sinner. Againe, some­times the Lord punisheth [Page 254]some things, to the end that a sinner yet liuing, might learne to flie from future ven­geance; somethings hee lea­ueth vnreuenged, to the end he may know there remain­eth yet a farther iudgement for him. Sometimes hee be­ginneth that punishment heere in this life, which hee endeth after this life with e­ternall damnation. For if God should neere reuenge himselfe of all his wrongs, to what end should wee looke for the last iudgement?

By that which hath beene spoken, thou maiest gather (deare brother) that God ha­teth thee not, but before hee forsaketh thee, thou hast for­saken him, neither is the fault in him, that by repentance [Page 255]thou turnest not vnto him, but in the obstinacie of thine owne will, who refusest to heare his voice, or obey his diuine inspirations. The Sun shineth vpon the window, only doe thou open it, and it will enter in. Accuse not therefore God, but thy selfe; for in God, who is iust in all his wayes and holy in all his works, there is nothing to be reprehended, or condemned. For as if by reason of the weaknesse of thy body thou art not able to goe, another should lend thee his hand to lift thee vp, and to hold thee whilest thou walkest, thou re­fusest his helpe, and haddest rather lie vpon the ground, than be holpon by him, the fault is not his, but thine, if [Page 256]thou rise not; euen so the Lord of his owne accord of­fereth himselfe vnto thee, and is alwayes readie to helpe thee beare the burthen of thy sinnes, and to direct thy steps into the right way; doe thou only apply thy will vnto his will, and be willing to receiue that grace and fauour which he offereth vnto thee.

CHAP. II. A sinner how he falleth from one sinne into another, and so is hardned in his sinnes.

AFter that the God of pa­tience & long sufferance hath a long time expected the conuerfion of thee a sin­ner, hee giueth to thee not conuerting, but contemning [Page 257]his patience, greater stum­bling blockes to fall: for whilest thou art earelesse to redeeme thy lesser sinnes, by little and little thou fallest lower and lower, and being insensibly seduced by vse & custome, thou growest bolde to commit greater sinnes. When the tongue hath once liberty to vtter idle speech­es, it shortly after growes bolde to vtter any wicked­nesse; and whilest thou art giuen to gluttonie, thou fal­lest into drunkennesse, yea madnesse it selfe: for as for the most part it falleth out, that one disease ingendereth another, and that hee that is ouerladen with a great bur­then doth easily fall; so the burthen of sinne which by [Page 258]repentance is not speedily shaken off, with the burthen thereof presseth a man to o­ther sinnes, and one sinne is the cause of another, and the latter a punishment to the first; as a righteous man a­scendeth from one virtue to another, and from one good worke taketh occasion to do another. One sinne may be the cause of another three maner of wayes; sometimes by reason of the finall cause, as murther is committed for couetousnesse; sometimes by reason of the materiall cause; as when by superfluity of di­et gluttony ingendreth luxu­rie; vaine glorie whilest it seeketh the glory of a vaine name, lest another should at­taine vnto it, ingendreth en­uie: [Page 259]sometimes by reason of an inueterat custom, as when the custome of one sinne in­duceth a man to another. By these three meanes a sinner falling from sinne to sinne, at the last runneth himselfe into the bottomlesse pit of all sin, and God in his iust iudge­ment hardeneth his heart in such a maner, that he that by repentance would not clense his sinne, heapeth vp sinne vpon sinne, and wallowing in his owne filth, groweth more filthy. Sinne that by re­pentance is not taken away, is both a sinne and the cause of another sin, because there­by the mind of a sinner is far­ther ingaged; but that sinne that ariseth out of another sinne, is both a sinne and the [Page 260]punishment of a former sin, and sometimes the cause of a following sinne too. So that in this life sinnes are reuen­ged by sinnes, and the pu­nishment of sinnes are not torments, but increase of sinnes: the facilitie likewise of committing sinne is made the punishment of precedent sinnes: of all which the last punishment is the fire of hell. Neuerthelesse, a sinner being hardned in his sinnes, by rea­son of his insensible hardnes, knowes not himselfe to bee punished heereby, vntill a­gainst his will hee feele by a manifest punishment, how great that sinne is which hee willingly committed. Psal. 69.27. And therefore saith the Psalmist, Lay iniquity vpon their ini­quity, [Page 261]and let them not come into thy righteousnesse. And the Prophet Hosea, Hosea 4.2. By swea­ring, and lying, and killing and stealing, and whoring, they breake out, and blood toucheth blood. Blood tou­cheth blood when sinne is added vnto sinne, & the soule by multiplying of sinnes is wounded before the eyes of God, and made a burthen vnto it selfe. How strait are thy, iudgements, O Lord? How great a punishment of sinne is the multiplying of sins? Farre greater doubtles than any temporall punish­ment, nay than hell it selfe.

The will which first turn­eth from God, is the first be­ginning of sinne; by sinne the grace of God is neglect­ed, [Page 262]by which neglect man is continued in sinne, by conti­nuance he is confirmed, and by confirmation hardened therein. And so being fallen into the depth of sinne, hee doth not only grow carelesse in the desire of Gods assist­ance to rise againe, but hee likewise resisteth his diuine inspirations, that hee may continue in his sinnes. God on the other side resisting him, freeth him not from his sin, but withdraweth frō him many his gifts of grace, suf­fereth him to fall into greater sins, and somtimes inflicteth vpon him temporall punish­ments, and at the last eternal.

Whereby we may not ga­ther that God (who loueth righteousnesse and hateth in­iquitie) [Page 263]compelleth a sinner to sinne, but onely permit­teth him to continue in his sinnes. For from whom hee withdraweth certaine of his graces for sinnes past, to him not willing to repent, he yeeldeth not the grace of iustification; the effect of which grace being the mol­lifying of the heart, that be­ing withdrawne there must necessarily follow hardnesse of heart, as the Lord speak­eth of Pharo, Exod. 4. I will harden his heart. The Lord hard­neth not the heart of a sinner, but as hee that taketh awaie the prop of an house, is said to plucke it downe; so God is said to harden a sinner, because hee freeth him not from it. God hardeneth not [Page 264]by imparting malice, or that any thing can come from him whereby a man is made the woorse, but onely by not imparting mercy, and that nothing comes from him whereby a man is made the better. Hee hath mercie on whom hee will haue mercie, and though he harden, yet he is still iust, whilest he permit­teth the reprobate heart of a sinner, voide of pietie, igno­rant of compunction, free from the dew of all spirituall graces, to perseuere in hard­nesse, and not to be mollified with his grace. It is a hard thing and onely possibly to the power of God to soften the heart of a man; for that which neither by the pati­ence and long sufferance of [Page 265]God is woon to repentance, nor is toucht with compun­ction; that which is not bro­ken with feare, nor sofrned with loue, but is hardned as well with scourges as with benefits; & lastly that which feareth neither God nor man, who can rent in sunder, but he that in his passion rent the vaile of the Temple, Matt. 27 51. and cloue the stones? Who can take away a stonie heart, and giue a fleshy heart, but hee from whom commeth euerie good and perfect gift, euen the Father of light? A great sinner hath need of great mercie, that where sinue did abound, grace may supera­bound.

The Lord is faithfull, Wisd. 1.13. hee hath not made death, neither [Page 266]hath hee pleasure in the de­struction of the liuing; hee will not the death of a sinner, but that he conuert and liue. For he whose desire it is that sinners doe repent, and ther­by returne vnto God, wil not suffer vs to bee tempted a­boue our strength, but with the temptation will giue vs power to resist; and by how much the more fraile we are and in greater necessitie, so much the more ready is he to helpe vs, if the fault bee not our owne; as in the siege of a citie the greatest aide is sent to defend that place that is weakest, and where the ene­mie is strongest. The Lord is faithfull and hee that saieth; Come vnto mee all yee that labour, and are heauie laden, [Page 267]and I will refresh you, cannot denie himselfe.

For as a Physician suffer­eth many wrongs, and railing speeches of his lunatike pati­ent, and yet is not angry with him, but doeth neuerthelesse whatsoeuer the nature of the disease doeth require to the curing thereof, wherewith though the sicke man bee af­flicted, yet on the part of the Physician his affliction is no reuenge of the wrongs recei­ued from his patient, but the cure of his infirmitie; in as much as if the sicke man be­ing to recouer health, the Physician receiueth ioy and comfort therat, & with grea­ter alacritie proceedeth in his cure, and forgetteth his former iniuries: euen so our [Page 268]Lord God (whose propertie it is to haue mercy and to forgiue) who iudgeth with loue, and with great respect disposeth of vs, when we are in our greatest madnesse of sinne, is neuer moued against vs with any affection of re­uenge for those sins we hane committed. And forasmuch as he is impassible he punish­eth not our sinnes in this life with passible anger, but with vnspeakable clemencie; with the affection of a Physician, not a torturer; and that hee doeth not for himselfe as re­uenging his wrongs (for the nature of God is not capable of any such thing) but for our correction and benefit. As a louing mother is angry with her sonne that hath offended [Page 269]her, reprehendeth him, chi­dech, beateth him, whom ne­uerthelesse if she shall see, to runne into any danger of his estate or life, she presently helpeth him, putteth foorth her hand, nay endangereth her owne life to saue his, and that childe whō being angry she did beat as if she had not loued him, now she holdeth him vp and saueth him, as if she had not been angry when shee beat him: Euen so God chastiseth vs for our finnes to protect vs sinners, and for the most part out of his mer­cy he sendeth a temporal pu­nishment, lest out of his iu­stice he should inflict an eter­nall reuenge. And if any man shall persist in his hardnesse, and with Pharo grow more [Page 270] [...] whose [...] the [...] hath long expected, not con­nerted, he adiudgeth to [...]er­nall damnation. As a [...] in his garden or [...] planteth a tree, not that [...] should bee cut downe [...] cast into the fire, and, [...] when after a long expest [...] on he seeth it to bring [...] no fruit, he cutteth it down and burnes it: So our [...] full God cutteth off no [...] from the land of the [...] that yeeldeth any fruit [...] testimonie of a true faith [...] in that hee willeth the [...] of a sinner, it is by [...] sinne committed, not of [...] selfe, but by his conseq [...] will (as Diuines call it) [...] by he willeth for some [...] [Page 271]alreadie done, or before all beginnings foreseene, and ac­cording to this will, he would that all reprobates should be­damned, whō afterwards by his anteced ent will he would saue, by al meanes ministing them occasion to attaine sal­uation. As it is the will of a Law-giuer that all his Citi­zens should bee good and peaceable, farre from com­mitting those offences, which vpon paine of death he hath forbidden, and yet if his own­sonne (bee he neuer so deare vnto him) transgresse the law, hee must die the death, though it bee much against the will of his [...] by his owne [...] serued, death. [...] ture (which in our [...] rents [Page 272]was whole and entire) by their sinne is wholly cor­rupted, and hath altogether lost both righteousnesse and immortality, wherby it could beget no other but corrupt, vnrighteous and mortal chil­dren, who as in Adam sin­ing they haue sinned, so in the same Adam dying they are dead. And therfore who­soeuer hee bee that hath e­scaped death, let him giue thanks vnto God, in that hee hath escaped death that was due vnto him, and found life not due vnto him. To him that is deliuered, mercie is shewen without desert, to the end hee may giue thanks vn­to God; vpon him that his damned iustice is executed with desert, to the end hee [Page 273]should reprehend nothing in God; that neither he should glory in his owne worth, nor this complaine of his owne vnwoorthinesse. For how should God iustly be accused in his iudgements, when hee iustly condemneth a guiltie offender? When a debt is tru­ly demanded, how can the creditour be iustly condem­ned? So that neither in requi­ring, nor remitting what is due, is God (with whom there can be no iniustice) vn­iust. There is mercy accepta­ble where reuenge is iust, that thereby it may more plainly appeare to him that is freed from iust punish­ment, & freely iustified, how great a benefit is conferred vpon him, in that another [Page 274]not more guiltie than him­selfe, without any iniustice in him that punisheth is iustly chastized. Ro. 11.33. O the depth of the riches both of the wise­dome & knowledge of God [...] how vnsearchable are his iudgements, and his waies past finding out? For who hath knowen the waies of the Lord, or who hath beene his counsellour?

From that which hath been spoken thou maiest ga­ther (deere brother) how thou runnest from one sinne into another, and by long custom art hardned in them, thou working it in thy selfe, and God withdrawing hi [...] speciall grace from thee. God is patient and of lon [...] sufferance, hee tollerate [...] [Page 275]thee, for beareth and expect­eth thee to repentance, being alwaies readie to take from thee thy stonie heart, and to giue vnto thee a fleshie hart, and to mollifie thy benum­med insensible hardnesse, with the deaw of his grace. And though he be Lord ouer all, and hath care of all, pro­uiding for all, and euery par­ticular person, and gouern­ing al by his prouidence, yet so maiest thou see him whol­ly imploied, to the custodie and preseruation of thy selfe, if thou stand vpon thy owne guard, and apply thy wil vn­to his will, as if hee entended onely thy selfe and nothing els. Onely doe thou depart from euill and doe good; re­pent thee of al thy sinnes that [Page 276]thou hast committed, and keepe the commandements of God, and thou shalt liue and not die: for it is not the will of God thou shouldest die, but that thou return from thy wicked waies and liue. Contemne not the treasures of the goodnesse and pati­ence of God; for the will of God prouoketh thee to repentance, and inuiteth thee to amendement of life; but thy hardnesse whereby thou obstinately perseuerest in thy sinnes, increaseth the seuerity of thy iudgement, to the end thou maiest receiue the due reward of thy sinnes. Forasmuch therefore as thou art wicked, and hast so good a father, continue not alwaies wicked, lest with Phara [...], if [Page 277]thou persist in thy obdurati­on, thou purchase to thy selfe eternall damnation.

CHAP. III. That there is no man so great a sinner but by the power of the Creatour he may be conuerted.

BVT perhaps thou wilt say, I haue beene so long accustomed to sinne, that I can hardly change my life, and turne from mine iniqui­quities. According to that in the 22. of the Prou. Teach a child in the trade of his way, and when hee is old hee shall not depart from it. And in the 13. of Ieremiah, Can the blank-more change his skin, or the leopard his spots? that [Page 278]may yee also doe, that are ac­customed to doe euill. Res. I confesse (deare brother) that it is a hard thing to make him that is old in euill daies, yoong in good, because the custome of sinning doth so enthrall the minde, that it can hardly be set at libertie; neuerthelesse faint not, nor despaire at all, if thou be ei­ther ouercome by the concu­piscence of thy flesh, or de­ceiued by errour, or slipt in­to the way of iniquitie, be­cause there is no impossibili­tie, but that thou maiest bee reduced into the right waie, and freed from thy sinne. There haue beene many o­ther grieuous offenders, who by the right hand of the most high, haue beene chan­ged [Page 279]in their old age from the sinnes of their youth, and of the seruants and slaues of sin, haue beene made the sonnes of God. Of drunkards they haue beene made sober men; of cruell, mercifull; of op­pressors, liberall; of proud, humble; of incontinent, chaste; of negligent, dili­gent; and whom the concu­piscence of the flesh hath made base and vile, the grace of God hath made beautifull. In as much that they haue been willing to suffer wrong, that were wont to offer it; to giue their owne, that were woont to take away other mens; to punish their bodies by abstinence, that were woont to pamper them; to loue their persecuters, that [Page 280]were wont to hate those that loued them.

Nabuchadnezzar after his great fall from a man to a beast, Dan. 4. came to himselfe, after innumerable afflictions re­pented, and was restored to that kingdome which he had lost. Mary Magdalen after many slips of humane fragi­litie, by true repentance was so kindled with the loue of Christ, that of a proud and vnchaste harlot she was sud­denly changed into an hum­ble and chaste matron. Mat­thew of a Publican became an Euangelist; and the theefe of a wicked transgressor, a true conuertite, & an inheritor of the kingdom of heauen: whē Stephen by the consent & as­sistance of Paul was stoned, [Page 281] Stephen was good, and Paul wicked; & yet Paul became a more zealous preacher of the Gospell than Stephen, and af­terwards hee was made the Apostle of the Gentiles, and he that before was a blasphe­mer and a persecuter, was made a zealous and humble furtherer of the Gospell of Christ Iesus. The beginnings amongst Christians are not looked into, but the end: these beganne ill, but ended well. The beginning of Iu­das was commendable, the end damnable; from his A­postleship hee fell into hell, & the theefe from the crosse ascended into paradise. What need I say more? The Holy Ghost doth not onely set down the good deeds of the [Page 282]saints of God, but their euill too, that the fall of the iust may be the hope of the wic­ked: and when thou readest that a righteous man sinned, and repented, thou mayest not despaire of thine owne saluation.

Wee often times see men spotted with infamie rise to honor and dignitie, and iron eaten with rust recouer his ancient brightnesse, gold and siluer purified with the fire, and trees cut and lopped ad­orned with boughs & leaues. The merchant after his losses at sea returnes to sea againe, and repaires his losses, he de­spaireth not, hee is not cast down, but many times made rich by his new aduentures. After a desperate sicknesse [Page 283]many recouer health, and af­ter desperate sinnes many re­couer the health of their soules. That in the Prouerbs, Teach a childe in the trade of his way, &c. is therefore spoken, because a vessel doth a long time keep the sent and relish of that liquor that is first put into it, and by na­ture we keepe those things best, which we haue learned in our yonger yeers, not that it alwayes falleth out so, but for the most part: whilest the age of a man is vnsetled, and the minde easily led, it is a happy thing to be led vnto the best, to the studie of vir­tue, lest being stricken in yeeres hee hardly shake off those sinnes which hee gaue himselfe vnto in his youth. [Page 284]An Ethiopian can hardly change his skinne, nor al [...] ­pard his spots; neither canst thou that of thy selfe art fal­len into sinne, of thy selfe rise again, except God (who rai­seth the needie out of the dust, Psa. 113.7 and lifteth vp the poore out of the mire) put forth his right hand to helpe thee, by which his helpe thou shalt be able to doe any thing, but yet not thou, but the grace of God which is in thee. For how should he want power to raise thee being fallen, that was able of nothing to create all things? With him all things are possible, that with men are impossible: his pow­er is no lesse than his will; if hee will hee can make thee cleane, who as hee clenseth [Page 285]and healeth, so he saueth with his onely word. If thou de­spaire of thy disease, presume of the omnipotencie of thy Physitian; the power of thy Physitian is greater than thy disease is dangerous: the dan­ger of thy disease thou seest, but the power of thy Physi­tian thou seest not; his pow­er to conuert thy will vnto God is greater than thy in­ueterate custome of sinning to inthrall thee to sinne.

If the diuell were able to plucke thee downe from the highest step of virtue, to the nethermost depth of all sinne & iniquitie; how much more is God able to raise thee to thy former height and perfe­ction? and not onely restore thee to that thou wer [...], but to [Page 286]increase thy happinesse a­boue that it was? Onely be thou of a good courage, and constant in the hope of thy saluation, he hath satisfied for all thy sinnes, he hath taken away the sinnes of the whole world; how much more the sinnes of one man? When thou wert not, he made thee; being conceiued in sinne, in thy baptism he clensed thee; how much more after this, being againe polluted, can he purifie thee? Hee tooke the slime of the earth, and made man; tell mee, if thou canst, how of earth made he flesh? how the sinewes? how the bones? how the skin? how the veines, the eies? how fra­med he euery member? Was it not earth he tooke vp? was [Page 287]it not one onely substance? only the art and virtue of the artificer was added thereun­to, and so he made this excel­lent creature. As thou canst not tell how thou wert crea­ted, so thou canst not tel how thou shalt be cured: for as fire when it is put to briers and brambles suddenly con­sumeth so fraile a matter, so the goodnesse of our Lord God with the deaw of his mercy suddenly quencheth the fire of our sinnes, and for euer consumeth them. For his will is, that none doe pe­rish, but that all doe conuert and liue.

Thou knowest not how good and gracious the Lord is, how great his mercies are: Thou imaginest him to be se­uere [Page 288]and cruell, that is milde and gentle; him hard and im­placable, that is mercifull; fierce and terrible, that is a­miable, and thine owne ini­quitie lies to it selfe. For the will of God is thy sanctifica­tion: hee healeth the broken harted; refresheth those that labour, and come vnto him; and in the beginning of our conuersion, annointeth our wounds with the oile of his mercy, lest the greatnesse of the disease, or difficultie of the cure, should seeme to bee more dangerous than it is. And therefore saith the Pro­phet Isaiah, Esai 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his waies, and the vnrighteous his owne ima­ginations, and returne to the Lord, and he will haue mer­cie [Page 289]vpon him; and to our God, for hee is verie ready to forgiue. Behold heere it is sufficient to please God, if thou doe but rest from doing wickedly, and learne to doe good. Onely confesse thou hast sinned, and the begin­ning of thy conuersion is al­readie done: onely purpose a new life, & thou hast made one step to heauen: Heerein is all the difficultie, to begin to enter into the way of re­pentance, which thou hast no sooner begun, but he that gaue thee the grace to begin, taketh thee by the hand and leadeth thee to the end. Yea he that began thy good work in thee by preuenting, by prosecuting will end it: Hee that gaue thee the will, will [Page 290]likewise giue thee the power to perfect it. If thou put thy trust in him, he will after thy strength, thy youth shall be renued like the eagle; thou shalt take vnto thee the wings of the eagle; thou shalt runne, but not labour; thou shalt walk, but not be weary, because the Lord shalbe with thee, who shall comfort thee in all thy tribulations. There is no man to whom this cor­ruptible bodie, and earthly tabernacle is not bu [...] then­some, but yet thou must en­deuour to ouercome the con­cupiscence of the flesh by the vigor of the spirit: and thou that alwayes feelest thy selfe to be resisted by thine owne concupiscence, alwayes ex­pect an assured assistance [Page 291]from God. As the earth ex­pecteth from heauen raine and light, so shouldest thou expect from God grace and mercy.

Wherfore (deare brother) since thou wantest not an a­ble and willing Physitian to cure thee, and to clense thee from all pollution of sinne, neither neglect nor defer it. Thy repentance he will not despise, if it be heartie: and though thou haue sinned in the highest degree, yet if thou returne, he will gladly receiue and embrace thee, and cure the sicknesse of thy soule. Onely despaire not thou, but that thou mayst re­turne to the state of thy first innocency, if thou do but be­gin to affect a new life.

CHAP. IIII. That God is faithfull, who suf­fereth vs not to be temp­ted aboue our power.

BVT perhaps thou wilt say, When I begin to re­turne vnto God, and set for­ward my selfe in the way to heauen, and forsake my anci­ent custome of sinning, I am presently assaulted with new desires of the flesh; and what­soeuer before hath been plea­sing vnto me in this world is made a snare and a temptati­on vnto me, and those things that were accustomed to loue mee being a sinner, being a conuertite withstand my en­deuors to liue well. My an­cient pleasures returne vnto [Page 293]my minde, and whilest I resist them afflict mee with strange combats. That sinne which in the sight of God is blotted out by repentance, I call to minde againe, & sinne conquered brings mee de­light. And so by little and lit­tle being ouercome by new temptations, I yeeld and re­turne to my old vomit again, and so my last errour is worse than the first. Res. It is a to­ken (my deare brother) that God with great loue and cle­mencie watcheth ouer thee, in that he presenteth before thy eies thy bewailed sinnes; which the mercifull GOD would not fet before thee to [...]ewaile, if his purpose were [...]o call thee to a strict account for them, and to punish thee: [Page 294]for it seemeth that hee is wil­ling to hide them from his iudgement, because in his mercy preuenting thee, hee maketh thee thine owne Iudge, that being iudged by thy selfe, thou maiest not be iudged by him. The best way to satisfie the anger of God is an often detestation of sinne: he that truly repen­teth is alwayes in sorrow and labor, he sorroweth for sinnes past, laboreth to auoid sinnes to come. When the Lord looseth thee from the band of thy sinnes, he bindeth thee with a band of euerlasting detestation of them, that whensoeuer thou remem­brest them, thou shouldest be sorry thou hast commit­ted them. Reioice therefore [Page 295]when thy conscience is tou­ched with those sinnes that by repentance are wiped a­way, if thou approoue them not, nay reproouest them, if it please thee not that thou hast committed them, naie displease thee. And yet I de­nie not, that hee that is lately turned vnto God by repen­tance, by the remembrance of his sinnes past may againe be tempted, because as wood nourisheth fire, so desires feed our cogitations; and hee that entreth into the way of re­pentance is more strongly tempted by the enemie. For our aduersary the diuell neg­lecteth the tempting of him, of whose heart he hath alrea­die taken quiet possession.

For if thou resist temptati­on, [Page 296]thy labour is great, but if thou yeeld, though it seeme to bee nothing, yet it is farre greater; because whilest thou sleepest securely vnder the intollerable yoke of a cruell tyrant; Eze. 13.10 thou saiest, Peace, peace, and there is no peace. There is no peace I say with God, with the diuell, no not with thy selfe. For after that thou ceasest to resist tempta­tions, & thinking therby to finde peace in this world, yeeldest and consentest vnto thē; after that thou hast exe­cuted what thou desirest, and made thy selfe a slaue to thy subtle enemie, presently will thy conscience sting thee, because thou hast followed thine own passiō, which thou shalt quickly finde can n [...] [Page 297]way helpe thee to that peace thou seekest after; and by so much the more intollerable doest thou make the diuel, by how much the more after thou subiectest thy self, thou consentest vnto him: inso­much that thou canst now resist him in nothing, to whom (forgetting thy selfe) thou hast in one thing con­sented. Yea, and that which is most miserable, for the most part, thou preuentest thy temptation, and lest the temptor should want, thou becommest a temptor to thy selfe; thou expectest not the tēptation, but preuentest the pleasure: But the true peace of the heart thou shalt finde by resisting temptations, not by yeelding to them; and it is [Page 298]better to haue the diuel thine enemie, than thy partner and friend; to flie him following, than to follow him going be­fore thee. Hee goeth before thee when he sendeth temp­tations, but thou followest him, when thou giuest place to his suggestions. For first the temptor suggesteth, and offereth a wicked obiect; then the flesh yeeldeth to the delight of the thing obie­cted; and lastly, the will be­ing ouercome consenteth: thou must therefore valiantly resist the first suggestion, be­cause if in the beginning thou bee not couragious in thy resistance, the tempta­tion presently gathereth strength, and by little and little, it groweth to delight, [Page 299]and afterwards to consent. That ancient enemie the di­uell is slipperie and nimble; if hee once get in his head, his whole bodie glideth after. Tread downe the Serpents head, that is, resist the first suggestion, consent not to it, and then thou art secure. For the thought polluteth not the minde, where delight corrupteth it not. As the eie is fedde by the obiect, so the minde by cogitation: Euerie thing may be thought vpon without sinne, but if we at­tend the delight, in euerie thing, we may sinne by thin­king. By resisting those first morions, thou art troubled with a present labour, but freed from that which is e­uerlasting; whereas by not [Page 300]resisting them, thou shalt be freed from thy present labor, and labour for euer in par­petuall torment. But what shall it profit thee, for a short time, to be cased of a momen­tary labour, and euer after­wards to be tormented in e­uer lasting paines? The bat­tell is short and transitorie, but the reward continueth for euer.

Thou knowest not, alas thou knowest not, that tho­row many temptations, and tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of hea­uen. Manie are the tempta­tions, not of whomsoeuer, but of the righteous, that when they are prooued, they may receiue the crowne of life. A crowne is proposed, [Page 301]and therefore a battell must be vndertaken. No man can be crowned except hee first conquer, and no man can conquer except he first fight. But how shall there bee a fight, if there want where­withall to fight? Yea and the fruit of this crowne is greater vnto him, that hath made the greatest fight for it. Take away the battels of the mar­tyrs of God, take away their crownes too; take away their afflictions, thou hast taken a­way their blessings; and ther­fore tēptations cannot be but good, since it works in vs an vnspeakeable weight of glo­rie. The temptation hurteth not, but it exerciseth him that consents not thereunto; and thou knowest not what com­fort [Page 302]there followeth the vi­ctorie of temptation. Wilt thou not bee tempted? thou maiest as well say thou wilt­not liue, because temptation is the life of man vpon earth. The life of man is not said to haue temptation, but that it is a temptation; because as the sea cannot bee without waues and billows, so cannot the life of man want temp­tations. And as, when thou walkest by the way, the dogges barke at thee, whom if thou neglect and prouoke not, yet though they bite thee not, they will still fol­low thee barking: so though thou withstand temptations, yet thou shalt not free thy selfe from them; but if one shall depart, be sure to ex­pect [Page 303]another. The diuell suggesteth wicked things, the world allureth vnto it, the flesh, being conquered, consenteth whither soeuer thou goest. The diuell lea­ueth thee not, the world whi­thersoeuer thou turne offreth it selfe, and our corruptible flesh depresseth our soules. There is a deadly fight with the world and the diuell, but more dangerous with the flesh, because it is intestine. Thou hast no enemie more deadly than thy selfe, neither art thou to take heed of any more than thy selfe: for if in this thy fight thou chance to be ouercome, thinke it pro­ceedeth of thine owne trea­cherie.

For though that ancient [Page 304]enemy of ours neuer cease in all places to lay the snares of temptation, by what meanes soeuer to intrap vs, and con­sidereth euery mans maners, that though he be ouercome in one, he may attempt ano­ther way, by offering meanes and opportunities to those sinnes which he knoweth by nature wee are prone vnto: yet this is our comfort, that he can only suggest, hee can not compell. He compelled not our Sauiour, he touched him not, but he onely sayd, Cast thy selfe downe: Matt. 4. that we may thereby vnderstand, that he that obeyeth the di­uell, casteth downe himselfe, and he that is ouercome by temptation, is ouercome by himselfe. He is a weake ene­mie [Page 305]that conquereth none but such as are willing to be conquered.

With this enemy whilest thou fightest, God animareth thee; when thou faintest, he susteineth thee, that thou yeeld not; when thou yeel­dest not, he helpeth thee that thou mayest ouercome, and ouercomming hee crowneth thee that thou mayest reigne with him. Outwardly hee seemes to leaue thee to thy proofe, and inwardly he kee­peth thee that thou perish not. Thou art stricken with temptations outwardly, but inwardly the hand of thy Creator holdeth thee vp, lest thou fall. The Lord neuer forsaketh him that is in the way to righteousnesse, lest [Page 306]hee fall; who preuenteth a sinner by his grace, that hee may rise againe when hee is fallen. Many times he suffe­reth one temptation to conti­nue long, lest a stronger than that should succeed, to which the weaknesse of man may yeeld. He frameth our tem­ptations to our strength, and setteth a measure vnto them. For if the diuell could hurt as much as he would, in a short time there shuld not a righte­ous man be left. If God shuld altogether forsake man, what were man in the hand of so mightie an aduersarie? [...]et the diuell challenge nothing vnto himselfe, hee is woorth nothing, he can do nothing, except hee be permitted of God: he hath a will to hurt, [Page 307]but except hee haue it from God, he hath no power. He is only permitted to attempt, so farre forth as shall be good for thine exercise and thy tri­all, to the end that thou that wouldest not know thy selfe except thou were tempted, shouldest be knowen by thy selfe. God is faithfull, which will not suffer you to be tem­pted aboue that you are able, but will euen giue the issue with the temptation, 1. Cor. 10.13. that ye may be able to beare it. If God be with thee, what can the diuell doe against thee? Temptations, if thou looke into thy selfe, are great, if vn­to God, a strong and a migh­tie warriour, they are a play, and a shadow. Looke vpon little Dauid, fighting with [Page 308]great Goliah in the name of the Lord, and killing him; and from Gods assistance therein hope thou for the like. Thou must not feare a strong enemie, so long as thou hast GOD thy helper stronger than he; but watch and pray, lest thy confidence in a stronger than hee make thee too carelesse of thy strong aduersarie; against whom if thou fight valiantly thou art stronger than hee, but if thou neglect him, thou art weaker. The negligence of man makes the diuell strong, not his owne power: for he tempteth daily, that whom by force hee can not conquer, hee may at the last ouercome by a tedious pur­sute. Take thou onely heed [Page 309]thou consent not to his sug­gestions, remembring al­waies that he is a lier, and the father of lies; but rather re­sist him valiantly: which if thou do, trusting vpon Gods assistance, thou shalt easily supplant him.

Christ was tempted of the diuell in the desert, Matt. 4 that ma­king experience of our infir­mities, hee might learne to compassionate them; hee o­uercame his temptations, that he might likewise giue vs power to ouercome ours, as hee was willing on the crosse to suffer death; that by his death hee might destroy ours. If then the tempter was not afeard to tempt his Lord God, how much more will he dare to tempt others? Thy [Page 310]Lord GOD was not freed from temptation, how then canst thou a poore worme of the earth thinke to escape it? Thou art therefore prouoked by his example to beare thy temptations, whose helpe thou wantest to ouercome them. Wherefore (deare bro­ther) when thou art tempted, flie with faith vnto Christ that was tempted: Go vnto his throne of grace, that thou maiest obteine mercy, and thou shalt easily obteine it. Lay open thy afflictions be­fore him, reueale. vnto the Lord thy waies, and hope in him, and hee will helpe thee, and hide thy sinnes; For who hath called vpon the Lord, and hath beene forsaken? Who hath hoped in him, and [Page 311]hath beene confounded? Psal. 37. The Lord is a mercifull protector vnto all that call vpon him in trueth.

CHAP. V. That the feare of backesliding should not hinder the ri­sing of him that is fallen.

BVT thou wilt say, that thou art assured thou canst not wholly abstaine from sinne, and therefore be­cause thou fearest thou shalt fall againe, thou wilt not be­gin to repent, lest thy last er­rour be woorse than the first. Res. There are two vessels (my deare brother) that are often times polluted with filth, whereof the one is ma­nie [Page 312]times made cleane, the o­ther neuer toucht; which of these two wilt thou say is the fouler, or the more hardly scoured and clensed? Doubt­les thou wilt say, that which is often fould and neuer made cleane. Applie this to thy selfe. Canst thou thinke it shal be more happy for thee, if without repentance thou neuer cease to adde sinne vn­to sinne, than if thou often fall, and often rise againe, and as often haue thy sinnes for­gotten and forgiuen thee? He that often riseth cannot fal so often as another, because by a frequent repentance hee is withdrawen from manie of his sins, and offendeth God with more feare; neither is he burthened with so manie [Page 313]sinnes, who of God is absol­ued of many by repentance. But he that taketh no care to arise from sinne, is ouerladen with the heauie burthen of al his sinnes, and out of the ma­lice of his owne will sinnes incessantly, and many times that is turned into sin, which in another is a helpe and fur­therance to saluation. As a spider turnes holsome suste­nance into poison, Ro. 8.28. but all things work together for the best vnto them that loue GOD. For in the good all things are good, euen those things that to the euil would be cuill. And no otherwise with the wicked many things are done wickedly, which with the godly are free from sinne. As wee see that poi­son [Page 314]is death to a man, that is life to a serpent; and that fire taketh awaie the rust from iron, that consumeth a softer matter.

It is not so great a sinne to fall, as being fallen to lie still, or to be vnwilling to rise; and it is a woorse thing to con­temne repentance, than to transgresse the law of God, for so indeed the last errour is woorse than the first. If being cast into prison thou refuse to come forth, because thou fearest to be committed againe, will not men thinke thee a foole, or a madde man? If thou shouldest lie sicke of a dangerous sicknesse, woul­dest thou refuse to haue thy health restored, because thou fearest to fall into the same [Page 315]disease againe? If therefore thou art fallen, arise; If thou cease not to fall againe, cease not to rise againe. The ship that doeth often times take a leake, is as often emptied: and thou brushest thine apparell as often as it is fouled. Pro. 24. The iust man falleth seuen times a day, and as often hee riseth, but yet hee loseth not the name or title of a iust man, that alwaies riseth by repen­tance: So thou, so soone as thou knowest thy selfe to sinne, presently flie backe to an inward contrition of hart, haue but a desire to repent, and to amend thy life; in which desire if sudden death shall preuent thee, thy soule is at rest, which otherwise be­ing taken in thy sinnes by [Page 316]sudden death is damned in hell.

Doest thou not know that it is not the condition of a combate, that a man doe ne­uer fall, but that hee neuer yeeld? for hee is not said to bee ouercome that is often ouerthrowen, but that can­not rise againe to renue the fight. And canst thou repaire thy strength, or make resi­stance, when hauing left thy target, and cast off thine ar­mour, thou yeeldest thy selfe to thy enemies, and submit­test thy selfe to their willes; when as soone as thou art wounded thou fliest, and re­turnest not to the battell? If in the middest of the fight thou art fallen, make speed to rise againe; If thou art woun­ded, [Page 317]applie presently a me­dicine thereunto. If the di­uell haue giuen thee a fall, by tempting thee to sinne; arise againe by repentance, and make head against him. Da­uid fell into the sinne of adul­tery, & to adultery he ioyned murther; but what fell out af­terwards? Did he lie still and continue therein? Did he not arise again, and became more strong against his enemy, and at last ouercame him?

The diuell, as much as in him lieth, helpeth thee sin­ning, giues the means & op­portunity, lest if thou shoul­dest desist from sinne, and rise by repentance, thy soule should escape out of his hands, and his labors should bee frustrate. The diuell by [Page 318]how much the longer he pos­sesseth a man, by so much the more hardly doeth he let him goe; for because he cannot a­rise vnto life, he desireth the more to haue thy companie to death; whom thou canst not better obey, than if thou daily sinne by his suggesti­on, and being fallen carest not to rise againe. Wherein whilest thou yeeldest thy consent thou seemest to haue made a sure bargaine with him, and because thou art irrecouerably fallen, thou must necessarily be his com­panion in his fall too. To liue, to thee that art infected with the dangerous plague of so many sinnes, is not to liue, but to confound life, and to approch neerer and neerer [Page 319]to the gates of hell. Thou art aliue in thy bodie, but dead in thy minde. That life is not to be called life, whereby thou liuest only vnto death; for it were better for thee that euery day doest die in thy soule, that in bodie thou die quickly; better that thou liue not at all, that thou wert not borne, than by sinne to die daily. As often as thou sinnest, so often thou deser­uest eternall death; which if for one sinne thou deserue, what doest thou for many, for millions of sinnes? For so manie and so great sinnes, how intolerable shall hell be, when for one. so many and so vnspeakeable torments must be endured? For there shall euerie man haue his [Page 320]damnation so much the more intolerable, by how much the greater iniquitie he hath heere. But to thee that hast no good thing to alleage for thy selfe, but whole moun­taines of sinne against thy selfe, it is not possible to vtter what plagues and punish­ments do belong.

I can not woonder suffici­ently, how thou canst sleepe securely, and enioy thy plea­sures without feare. For if thou wert odious to a King whom thou hast offended, and diddest euery houre ex­pect from him the sentence of a cruell death, wouldest thou laugh, and attend thy pleasures? Now then [...]ince for thy many and great of­fences the sentence of eternall [Page 321]death is pronounced against thee, and the Lord to the end he may haue mercy on thee, still expecting thy conuersi­on, hath deferred his sen­tence, which perhaps to day, nay this very houre he will execute vpon thee, how canst thou, as it were in an as­sured peace, be secure? Thou art in greater danger that go­est to thy rest with a consci­ence clogd with one mortall sinne, than with seuen of thy deadliest enemies. Doubt­lesse if thou diddest but see thine owne soule, thou woul­dest blush at the foulenesse thereof; and if thou knewest how great dangers thou run­nest into by sinne, thou woul­dest thinke of nothing more than how to auoid it.

[Page 322]By sin thou makest God thine enemie, the diuell dry lord, and thou that wert first by adoption the sonne of God, after sinne art made the seruant and slaue of the diuel, yea of sinne it selfe, and that which is woorst of all, of so many lords as of sins. Who­soeuer committeth sinne, Ioh. 8.34. is the seruant of sinne. A wic­ked man though he reigne is a seruant of sinne; a iust man though he serue is a free man, nay hee wanteth not kingly power, that knoweth how to rule his owne affections.

God so hateth sinne, that for the hatred thereof he de­stroyed almost all his works, the whole world by a gene­rall flood; yea to the end he might vtterly kill it, he gaue [Page 323]vnto death (yea the shame­full death of the crosse) his only begotten sonne. And is not his hatred great towards his enemie, that to be reuen­ged vpon him, will kill his owne sonne? God neither in heauen nor vpon earth hath a friend so deare vnto him, but if he finde him polluted with mortall sinne, he is pre­sently odious vnto him; and that vessell of sinne, that is, that sinner hee throweth downe into hell fire: for a wicked man and his wicked­nesse are alike odious vnto God. As if thou haddest ra­ther to cast a vessel ful of cor­ruption, yet of great price, into the sea, than to scoure and clense it of the filth ther­of, must not that filth and [Page 324]corruption be very hatefull vnto thee, for which thou art content to lose so precious a vessell? And as a louing mo­ther, if shee should cast her little infant whom she dearly loueth into a burning furnace there to perish, must it not be some great matter very hate­full vnto her, that can vrge her to such crueltie against her owne childe? Sinne, as much as it displeaseth God, so much it pleaseth the diuel; insomuch that from the crea­tion of the world he hath e­uer watched without weari­nesse how to allure men vnto sinne; and though he obtein his purpose with innumera­ble numbers of men, yet he is neuer satisfied. After thou hast once sinned, thou art so [Page 325]farre foorth in the power of the diuell, that presently by his owne right he may chal­lenge thee to be his, and car­tie thee with him to eternall torments, if he were not stai­ed by the great mercie of God expecting thee to re­pentance. It were better for thee to haue a thousand di­uels in thy body, than one deadly sinne in thy minde. And therefore saith Anselme, If I should here see the shame of sinne, and there the horror of hell, and that I must neces­sarily bee ouerwhelmed by the one, I would rather cast my selfe into hell, than suffer my selfe to fall into an insen­sible feeling of my sinnes, yea I had rather being purged and purified from sinne to [Page 326]enter into hell, than polluted with the contagion of sinne (if it were possible it might be so) possesse the kingdome of heauen. If sinne be more to be detested than hell, what can be more detestable than sinne? If there were no sinne, there were no torment in hel. No aduersitie could hurt, if no iniquitie did beare rule: for it is only sinne that can hurt, and bring to passe that no other thing can do good.

So long as thou continuest in sinne, thou canst doe no­thing that is good: For as a root giueth no moisture to a rotten bough, nor the sunne any light to a blinde eye; so thou as a rotten and dead member of the Church (for who will say thou art liuing [Page 327]that hast no feeling of com­punction in thy heart) art depriued of al that good that is or can be in the Church; and thou art robbed of all that good that euer thou hast done in thy whole life, and of all those virtues and graces, which at the first thou recei­uedst at Gods hands, in as much as they stand thee in no stead to the attainment of eternall life, as a dead man hath no power either to en­ioy his owne goods, or to get others. And besides a thou­sand other euils that follow sinne, the miserable torment of thine owne conscience fol­loweth thee whithersoeuer thou goest. For sinne whilest it is committed pleaseth, be­ing committed it torment­eth; [Page 328]for the worme thereof neuer dieth, and in this life the torment thereof is but an entrance to that which is to come. Ps. 49.20. O man, when thou wert in honour thou vnder­stoodest not, but wert com­pared to the beasts that pe­rish, and art made like vnto them: Thou that through the merits of Christ Iesus wert made woorthy of hea­uen and all spirituall graces, by sinne art made vnworthy the bread that thou eatest, and being depriued of thy greatest good, art fallen into thy greatest miserie. As ver­tue is the beauty of the soule, so sin is the deformity there­of. If thou sawest thy soule, thou wouldest blush at the basenesse and misery thereof, [Page 329]and wouldest endeuour to re­couer the grace of her anci­ent dignitie. If thou haue an arrow in thy body, thou ha­stenest to plucke it out, and if thou fall into the durt, thou arisest presently. The hurt & silth of thy bodie doest thou with such diligence desire to free thy selfe of, and yet art thou content to suffer thy soule to wallow in her pollu­tion? And though the soule was not made for the bodie, but the bodie for it, yet thou neglectest the care of thy soule, and followest that of the bodie with all that is in thee. Thou that neglectest thy soule, though thou take care to trim vp thy body, yet thou neglectest them both; whereas if thou tookest care [Page 330]to adorne thy soule, though thou neglect thy body, thou sauest both.

CHAP. VI. How miserable the despaire a sinner is at the point of death.

Consider a little (my deare brother) how of­ten and how grieuously thou hast offended thy Lord God; yea more often & more grieuously than many who are now deseruedly tormen­ted in the fire of hell; and then call vnto minde how great a benefit God hath be­stowed on thee, in staying and attending that he might haue mercy on thee, in yeel­ding vnto thee, out of his [Page 331]mercy, a time of repentance, who long since shouldest haue beene tormented in hell fire. Whereas if God a iust Iudge, strong and patient, in al those houres and moments wherein thou hast offended him, had permitted thee, as he hath diuers others, to haue died a sudden death, alas where had thy soule beene? The Lord hath brought thy soule out of hell, Psal. 30. hee hath re­uiued thee from them that goe downe into the pit, and yet thou ceasest not to sinne, but more and more thou drawest neere to the gates of hell. If all that are damned in bel, had but halfe an houre of thy life, that by repen­tance they might rise to a glorious life, dost thou think [Page 332]that (as thou doest) so they would spend it vnprofita­blie, and neglect their pre­sent opportunitie? What would they not doe, to free themselues from the torment of that fire? But thou on the other side whilest the merci­ful God giueth thee a time of repentance, abusest it, out of the malice of thy nature, to the committing of greater wickednesse. The daies will come, yea they wil come and not faile, Luk. 23. wherin despairing­ly thou shalt say to the hilles fall vpon me, & to the moun­taines couer mee, and then thou shalt crie out for a time of repentance, but thou shalt crie & not be heard. For it is iust that thou that wouldest not turne vnto God whilest [Page 333] [...]hou mightest, shouldest not haue power to doe it, when thou wouldest doe it too late. God after death forgiueth not him, that before death thought scorne to aske for­giuenesse. Wherefore whilest thou hast time doe good, for the night will come when thou canst not labour. Consi­der a little, vnhappie man that thou art, if sudden death should haue inuaded thee impenitent, ouerladen with many sinnes, not giuing thee any time of repentance, in the time & instant of death, how miserable had thy de­spaire beene? How great had the terror of thy mind been, how vnspeakable the feare of the Iudge, how great a horror of imminent torment [Page 334]in hell had inuaded thee? Then with million of teares, thou wouldest thus haue be­wailed thine owne damna­tion:

O fading and deceitful life full of many snares! The com­plaint of a sinner dy­ing. Yester­day I did reioice, now I am sorie; then I laught, now I weepe; then I was strong, now I am weake; then I liued, now I die; then I seemed happie, now am serable and a wretched creature. I do not so much lament my depar­ture out of this life, as the losse of those daies, and moneths, and yeeres, where­in I haue laboured in vaine, and in vaine haue spent the strength of my daies. All the time that was giuen mee to liue, I haue spent in all maner [Page 335]of sinne and iniquitie, and so long as I liued, I rather obei­ed mine own concupiscence, than the inspirations & pre­cepts of God. This rotten carcase of mine, which the wormes are presently to de­noure, I euer tooke care to helpe and to comfort; but my soule, which presentlie shall be brought before God and his Angels vnto iudge­ment, I contemned, 2 King. 4.27. & tooke no care with vertue and reli­gion to adorne it: and this is the cause why my soule is vexed within mee. O my vanitie, ô my pride, ô my pleasure! whether are yee gone, what haue you profi­ted me? What haue you left vnto me for all the seruice I haue done vnto you in the [Page 336]whole course of my life? No­thing but a gnawing and tor­menting conscience. For your seruice I made my selfe an enemie vnto God, a slaue to the diuell; I lost heauen and got hell; I lost infinite ioies, and got eternall lamen­tation; I am depriued of the societie of Angels, and haue made my selfe a companion to the citizens of nell. Plea­sures and riches and honors, with all the fading allure­ments of this deceitful world, are past and gone, and they are as if they neuer had been, Wisd. 1. they quickly appeared, and as speedily they vanish, yea they are past away like a sha­dow, like an arrow flying in the aire, like a messenger that passeth and is gone, like a [Page 337]ship in the sea, whose path is not seene. The time of my life is past and glided away, & it cannot return; in whose, though shortest delay, ô how much good could I haue done; ô how great a treasure of spirituall goods could I haue gathered vnto my selfe, which now in my fading time might haue made mee friends in the eternall taber­nacles of God! of the least whereof I should now more reioice, than of millions of gold and siluer. But a good purpose without a begin­ning, a will without worke, good promises without exe­cution, and the expectation of a morrow that neuer came, haue vndone me: Wo be vn­to me that so long put it off, [Page 338]so long delayed my conuer­sion. How happie is a ma­ture repentance and conuer­sion, because secure! Where­as hee that repenteth too late can neuer bee sure, be­cause hee knoweth not whe­ther hee repent truely or fai­nedly, for it is likely that hee rather repenteth out of a feare of punishment than out of loue towards God. O my gold and siluer, ô my posses­sessions, my precious gar­ments wherein I was wont to content my selfe! I faile you, you faile not me; I leaue you, I can not carrie you with mee. Oh that I had beene so happie as neuer to haue seene you, that of all men liuing I had beene the poorest! for then had I ne­uer [Page 339]beene called to an ac­count, either for misspend­ing, or vniustly detaining you. O that I had beene of all the shepheards in the field the basest, and had had the charge but onely of my selfe! for then would not the Lord require at my hands the souls of those my subiects, whose saluation I haue neglected. O my riches, my honours, my delights! yee cannot free me from death, from stench, from worms, from rottennes, yee cannot plucke me out of the hands of the liuing God. O death dost thou oppresse mee vnawares? How bitter vnto me is the remembrance of thee! how fearefull is thy presence! Whereas if liuing and in health I had foreseene [Page 340]thee, and by liuing well had learnt to die well, I had not now feared thee. Blessed art thou Arsenus, who alwaies haddest this houre before thine eies. Three things there are which I now greatly feare. First, when my soule shall depart out of the pri­son of this my bodie, into a place which it knoweth not. Secondly, when it is to ap­peare before the Iudge, and to bee presented before his tribunall seat. Thirdly, when it is to heare that irreuocable sentence either with it, or a­gainst it.

But thou my Lord and Sa­uior Christ Iesus, whose pro­pertie it is alwaies to haue mercy and to forgiue; who hast said; That at what time [Page 341]soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinne, thou wilt put out all his wickednesse out of thy remembrance; though I haue contemned those times of re­pentance that thou hast af­foorded me, of all other men haue most offended thee, am altogether vnwoorthy to be called thy sonne, yet minde­full of thy mercies which haue beene from the begin­ning, giue mee thy assistance to escape this death, & some small time to my wished re­pentance. Adde some few yeeres to my life, some mo­neths, or at least some daies. Giue mee leaue a little, that I may lament my sinnes, and call to minde my forepassed yeeres in the bitternesse of mine owne soule; because if [Page 342]I die in this state I am now in, my end must needs be e­ternall damnation. But if out of thy meere mercy & good­nesse thou shalt pardon mee, I will be bold, with thy gra­cious assistance to promisea­mendement of life: onely in this state let not my soule die, lest it bee buried in the bot­tomlesse pit of hell.

Now heare how the malig­nant spirits laugh at thy miseries, and with one voice say vnto thee:

Behold the man that took not God for his strength, Psa. 52.7. but trusted to the multitude of his riches, & put his strength in his malice. Let vs sing to this miserable caitife a dirge of death, because hee is the sonne of death, and his mear [Page 343]is vnquenchable fire; he is an enemie of the light, and a friend of darknesse. He hath laboured for vs, hath alwaies bound himselfe vnto vs, hath gotten vs many followers; let vs therefore pay him the due hire of al his labors. But what other reward haue we to be­stow vpon him, but that eter­nal vnquenchable fire, which is prepared for vs and our consorts? He is ours, because hee was apprehended in our seruice, full of sinne and ini­quitie. Why doe wee staie? Why stand wee heere idle? Come let vs binde him hand and foot, & cast him into vt­ter darknesse, where shall bee weping & gnashing of teeth. Come let vs preferre him to plagues and punishment e­nough, [Page 344]and neuer bee there peace with him. For what other end doe we staie, but to see his wretched soule sepe­rated from his body, that passing out we may receiue it, and together draw it to the bottomlesse pit of hell, there to remain in vnspeakable tor­ment for euer and euer?

Now heare how in thy dis­comforts they comfort thee.

O wretched, poore, and miserable man, since those pleasures which thou hast fo­lowed in thy whole life haue forsaken thee, not thou them, since vnwillingly, & for feare of punishment, thou turnest vnto God, & fearest any lon­ger to serue the world, which thou wouldest not doe, if yet thou haddest any hope, to [Page 345]liue any longer. Euery man hath his time appointed to die, and this is thy time, for thou shalt die, and not liue. Looke a little vpon the mul­titude of those sinnes, which as yet thou hast neuer confes­sed vnto God, which as yet haue neuer touched thy hart with the least contrition that may bee: how dying canst thou for shame confesse them, when liuing and in health thou wouldest neuer? Looke vpon the small num­ber of thy good works in re­spect of thy wicked, and how mean a proportion thy good deeds carry, to the infinite ioies of the elect. Looke vp­on the seuere iustice of a iust Iudge, which requireth a strait account, euen of an idle [Page 346]word. In the whole race of thy life thou hast persecuted God, and now thinkest thou that a momentarie repen­tance can winne him to mer­cie? No, no, neuer doubt but that thou art surely ours, for in our seruice thou wert ap­prehended, day and night thou hast serued vs, yeelded to our suggestions, thou hast performed the works of darknesse, gotten vs manie soules, greatly enlarged our kingdome. Come therefore, come into that furnace of fire, into a land of burning pitch and sulphure, where we may giue thee the due re­ward for all thy labors, make thy condition like ours, for like lords, like seruants.

O wretched creature that [Page 347]thou art, why diddest thou yeeld to our perswasions? See he ere the reward that thou hast for it, and see the cōpany that thou hast made ch [...]ce of, with whom thou must for euer burne in hell fire. O thou proudest a­mongst men; Why art thou not now proud? Why takest thou not from other men, that is not thine owne? Why reuengest thou not thy wrongs? Why dost thou not giue thy selfe to gluttony & drunkennesse? Why art thou not sorrie for another mans felicitie? Where is thy im­moderate appetite to libidi­nous pleasures? Where thy inordinate loue of riches? Where are thy precious gar­ments and ornaments? where [Page 348]thy daintie fare, thy plaies & sportings? Thy immoderate ioy, how it is vanished, whe­ther is it departed from thee? Luk 16. Remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy plea­sure; thou hast plaied e­nough, thou hast eat and drunke enough; there is no rest for thee after death, no pleasure; Thou art ours, let God take thee out of our handes if hee can. Come therefore, come with vs, into the land of miserie and darknesse, where is no order, but euerlasting horror, where thou must remaine for euer and euer.

Now heare into what de­spaire of saluation thou fallest by these diuellish in­sultations, saying:

[Page 349]Truce till to morrow, ô truce till to morrow: Now at the last I see that I can liue no longer, that the last day of my life is come, which can­not be past; I would stay, but I am compelled to goe. The way of saluation is shut vp from mee, mercie is denied me, and all hope is taken a­way from me. Now there is no time of repentance, or changing my life, for the di­uels haue cōpassed me about frighting me with strange & horrible apparations, who as dogges watch a Hare when she is put foorth of her Form, attend my miserable soule when it shal depart out of the prison of this my bodie, that they may catch it and carrie it, to bee tormented in hell. [Page 350]O wretch that I am, where shall my soule be this night? Out & alas, hell is my house for euer and euer, there I must dwell; because whilest I dai­ly sinned against mine owne conscience, I made my selfe a fit inhabitant for so infernall a place. Psa. 18.4. The sorrowes of death haue compassed mee, the snares of hell haue ouertooke me. O great God, to what end diddest thou make mee, and broughtest mee into the world? Why was I not car­ried from my baptisme to my graue? It had been better for me neuer to haue been born; and therefore let the day pe­rish wherein I came into the world. Cursed be my creati­on, and thou accursed Satan, be thou more accursed, with [Page 351]all thy hellish rabble, all thy suggestions; cursed be the earth that bred mee, the wombe that bare me, the pa­rents that begot mee; cursed be euery creature vpō earth.

What is that (my friends) you talke together? Do you not counsell mee to confesse my sinnes? Do you not tell me that the mercy of God is great? That is true I confesse, but yet my sinnes are greater than that they can be forgi­uen; by the iust iudgement of God I am condemned: what hee hath written, hee hath written, & his sentence is irreuocable. When I was in health and the strength of my bodie, I could hardlie confesse my sinnes, they were so numberlesse, much lesse [Page 352]now in this agonie of death, the sentence of my condem­nation being pronounced, am I able to do it. O repen­tance, where art thou? By the iust iudgement of GOD heereafter I can not repent; when I might I would not: now I would I can not. All yee that are present (my friends) learne to be wise by my fall, and deferre not your repentance till your dying day, lest doing as I haue done, ye suffer as I doe. Re­member my iudgement, such shall be yours also; mine to day, yours to morrow: hap­pie is he that by other mens harmes can learne to beware. For euer farewell my friends, and againe, and againe fare ye well. Beholde, the diuels [Page 353]take holde of my miserable soule, and carry it with them into hell. Isa. 30.10 I go to the gates of the graue, I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres; I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing: I shall see man no more among the in­habitants of the world.

Now heare how God vpbrai­ding thee with his benefits condemneth thee.

O wretched man, of no worth, vnprofitable worme of the earth, what could I haue done for thee, that I haue not done? I created thee not a stone, a tree, a toad, a bird, nor any other creature, but a man capable of reason, according to mine owne i­mage & similitude; and for­somuch as I made thee like [Page 354]my selfe by nature, it was thy part to haue done thy best endeuour to make thy selfe like vnto me by will; which forasmuch as thou hast not conformed to my will, thou hast prophaned my simili­tude in thee. Neuerthelesse, though thou louedst me not, I loued thee; yea, thou dis­pleasing me, I so loued thee, as to work that in thee wher­by thou mightest please me; being proud, thou didst con­temne my commandements, but I thus contemned, ceased not to loue thee though thou wert proud; but to the end I might recall thee vnto me, I gaue thee my law and my faith. To thee I sent my prea­chers; nay, for thee I once appeared visible to the world [Page 355]in the flesh of thy mortalitie, and from the abundant ple­nitude of the kingdome of heauen, I descended poore vpon the earth: I raised the dead, gaue sight vnto the blinde, reduced the wande­rers, and iustified the wicked. Three and thirty yeeres be­ing seene vpon the earth, and conuersant with men, I refu­sed not to serue thee, and to procure thy saluation; by preaching, by labour, by watching, by fasting: and that I might take away thine infirmities, I willingly be­came weake; for thee I was solde, betrayed, bound, spit vpon, hudwinckt, buffeted, scourged, crowned, cruci­fied, derided of all, dranke vineger and gaule, and that I [Page 356]might be the death of thy death, for the nocent I died innocent. For thee base worme as thou art, I powred out, not my golde, nor my siluer, but my pretious blood; and for the redemption of so base a worm, I spent my most pretious wares, yea I spared not my selfe, but I willingly offered me wholly to redeem thee: all my members I gaue to the redemption of thee, but thou hast imployed all thine to offend me; for thee I gaue mine eyes to weeping, wheras thou hast giuen thine to beholde the vanitie of this world; I gaue mine eares to the hearing of wrongs and opprobrious speeches, wher­as thou hast giuen thine to the hearing of detractations [Page 357]and filthy speeches; I gaue my mouth to taste vineger mixt with gaule, whereas thou hast giuen thine, to glut­tony and lying, and blasphe­mie; I gaue my hands and my feete to be fastned with nailes to the crosse, whereas thou hast giuen thine, to murther and the spoile of the poore; I gaue my hart to be wounded with a launce, whereas thou hast giuen thine to the de­lights and pleasures of this life.

I haue loued more thy sal­uation, than mine owne glo­rie with men, whereas thou hast loued more a vile & base creature, than thy Creator; to whom if thou be indebted for thy creation, how much doest thou owe mee for thy [Page 356] [...] [Page 357] [...] [Page 358]recreation, thy redemption [...] If thou did dest owe thy selfe vnto me, when I gaue thee to thy selfe, thou shouldest twice owe thy selfe vnto mee for restoring thee to thy selfe, when thou wert lost: Because thou wert both giuen and re­stored to thy selfe, thou doest owe thy selfe wholly vnto me, once and againe to mee I say, who gaue thee thy life, thy senses, thy vnderstand­ing, who made thee, & made thee good, gaue thee thy be­ing, and thy well being. Nei­ther was it enough for me, to offer my selfe for thee an ob­lation to God my Father, but that I must-euerie day offer my selfe vnto thee, to be seene and kissed and handled, yea eaten too by a liuely faith, [Page 359]though not carnally. Com­ming into the world I gaue my self vnto thee as a compa­nion, Iam. 1.17. more stricken in yeres as thy sustenance, dying as thy prise, reigoing as thy reward. What better thing could I, e­uen I, from whom euery good gift, and euery perfect gift commeth, bestow vpon thee than my selfe? What should I say more? Tit. 3.5. My Angels I haue giuen vnto thee as thy gardi­ans, but thou contemnest their charge. By the washing of the new birth I clensed thee from all thy sinnes; I haue instructed thee in my faith; hauing often died a spirituall death, I haue often raised thee; and iustly depri­ued of the kingdome of hea­uen, I haue restored thee to [Page 360]thine ancient inheritance; I haue often spared thee, and thou fallest the more often; I haue opened Paradise vnto thee, and thou wouldest not enter; I haue offered thee my grace, and thou hast neglect­ed it. I haue a long time for­borne thee sinning, being rea­die to receiue thee repenting, Psal. 147.20 and yet by all these testimo­nies of my loue, thou hast not turned vnto me. Matt. 11.21. I haue not dealt so with euerie nation, neither haue they knowen my iudgements. If these things had beene done in Ti­rus and Sidon, they had re­pented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. What could I haue done more for thee that I haue not done? Tell mee ô mortall and passible man; [Page 361]what hast thou euer suffered for mee, thy Creator, thy be­nefactor, who being impassi­ble and immortall, haue suf­fered and died for thee? and yet thy reprobate heart ob­durate, and obstinate, so great benignitie, so feruent loue, so vehement a louer hath not mollified. I that so loued such a one freely without desert, how, yea how without mea­sure did I deserue to be belo­ued againe, especially consi­dering that when I was not beloued, I first loued thee?

For these and other innu­merable benefits bestowed vpon thee, though thou canst neuer yeeld sufficient thanks, yet I required no other at thy hands, but that thou wouldest return loue for loue, [Page 362]and that for my sake thou wouldest tender thine owne saluation, and abstiane from those sinnes which I hate. What I commanded the [...] was no way beneficiall to my self, but to thee only that wert commanded, for I had no need of thy goodnesse, but thou of mine. But thou ne­uerthelesse hast returned mee hatred for loue, and euill for good; yea thou hast fallen from mee to the diuell thine enemie, vngratefull and in­considerate of thine owne sal­uation, and of thine own ac­cord hast bound thy selfe to an vniust tyrannicall lord & master. Neuerthelesse al these thy foresaid wrongs and in­gratitudes, I haue patiently borne, I haue a long time at­tended [Page 363]thy leisure to haue mercy on thee, being alwaies readie to forgiue, if in anie indifferent time thou hadst come vnto mee, yea and to that end I called thee, and in a manner intreated thee, whi­lest I staied at the doore of thy minde knocking and cal­ling thee, Turne vnto mee, and I will turne vnto thee; & yet thou wouldest not har­ken vnto my voice. It is ther­fore iust and necessarie, that thou that contemnest mee in thy life time, shouldest bee contemned by mee being dead. And therefore depart from mee thou accursed in­to euerlasting fire, which is prepared for the diuell and his angels, there to remaine for euer and euer.

CHAP. VII. Of the paines of hell.

IT remaineth (my deare brother) that thou heare what punishment, in that bottomlesse pit of hell, woor­thy thy wickednesse, thou wert, or yet art to endure, ex­cept in time by repentance thou auert the sentence of so seuere a Iudge.

First, thou that hast not sinned but willingly, in hell shalt endure all maner of tor­ment vnwillingly. There shal bee vnspeakeable varietie of tortures and miseries, intol­lerable torments, and eternity without end: the affliction both of body and soule shall be diuers, bitter and euerlast­ing. [Page 365]Because thou hast com­mitted diuers sinnes, therfore thou shalt suffer diuers pu­nishments; for euery sinne thou hast heere committed shall haue a torment answer­able therunto, and according to the measure of thy offen­ces shall the retribution of Gods vengeance be; such as thy sinne hath been, such shal be thy paine. For notwith­standing the fire of hell bee one and the same (for by a metaphor of fire doth the Holy Ghost especially ex­presse the torment of hell vn­to vs) yet it burneth and tor­menteth not all the damned after one maner: As euen in this world many liue vnder one and the same Sunne, but yet all doe not equally feele [Page 366]the heat thereof, because [...] are not alike in the qualitie and constitution of their bo­dies. And as with one and the same fire straw doeth other­wise burne than wood or iron; so there in one and the same fire, there is not one and the same heat, because what heere the diuers qualitie of the bodie worketh, there doth the diuersitie of sinnes the same.

But touching this fire of hell, forasmuch as it is but a metaphor, which the holi [...] Ghost vseth to expresse [...] to vs the greatnesse of the torments that there are, an [...] no materiall fire, as some [...] dreame, giue me leaue, as the spirit of God heerein hum­bleth it selfe to the capaci [...] [Page 367]of man, so to expresse by this materiall fire that thou seest and feelest, at the least some shadow of those torments thou shalt feele in hell. For notwithstanding it bee be­yond the capacitie of man to conceiue what these tor­ments are, yet by those things wee see and feele and can conceiue, let vs gesse at those we know not. The ho­ly Ghost hath compared it to fire, so let mee, though I confesse there can be no pro­portion betwixt corruptible & incorruptible things, whe­ther they be good or ill. Ne­uerthelesse to the end thou maiest haue a taste of this fire of hel; consider with thy selfe if thou put the tip of thy fin­ger into this visible materiall [Page 368]fire, neuer so little time, what misery, what paine, what tor­ment doest thou endure? And yet this our fire, to that e­uerlasting fire, is as a painted fire to a true: In the middle of which our visible materiall fire, if thou shouldest put thy whole finger, how great a torment shouldest thou en­dure? how great if thy whole hand, if thy whole arme? how much more great if thy whole bodie, one whole day together, nay one weeke, nay a whole yere together? From hence gather if thou canst, how vnhappie thy soule shall be, which must bee tormen­ted in so great, and so durable a fire. Measure by this tem­porall torment, how intolle­rable it shall be to thy soule, [Page 369]to endure the heat of that vn­quenchable fire, on both sides, within and without, & that for euer and euer. For in this doeth our materiall fire differ from that, that ours consumeth whatsoeuer it fa­steneth vpon; that where it once taketh hold, it alwaies tormenteth, and reserueth it whole and entire to a paine eternall; that doeth natural­ly yeeld heat and light, this vnspeakable heat with pal­pable darknesse.

In this for euer and euer desolate land of burning pitch and sulphure, to the miserable damned soules, there is nothing but desolati­on, from which desolation there ariseth despaire, from despaire hatred of God, and [Page 370]blasphemie; eternall ter­ment, continuall lamentation, hourely yelling. There no­thing can be heard, but mour­ning and howling and weep­ing and gnashing of teeth. They that in this life were glutted with satietie, in hell shall bee totmented with fa­mine; they shal begge a drop of water, and shall not obtain it. By that they finned, they shal be punished, and in what they most offended God, in that shall they bee most tor­mented. They shall alwaies burne in vnquenchable fire, but neuer die, bee filled with stench and glutted with tor­ment, they shal haue no com­fort, no counsell, no hope of euasion, but the sorrowes of death shall for euer compasse [Page 371]them. In this life the inter­mission of paine is some com­fort to a sicke man, and the fruition of the comfort and conference of his friends; but in hell (for the greater in­crease of torments) there is no interruption, but an eter­nall continuance therof, com­forts cease on all sides, and plagues and punishment ga­ther strength. In hell there is no redemption, no ease of paine. In the world feare hath no griefe, nor griefe feare, be­cause feare afflicts not the minde, whe [...] it begins to suf­fer what it did feare; where­as they that are condemned to the torments of hell, in the middest of their punishment suffer griefe and sorrow, and with the extremitie thereof [Page 372]doe euer feare; inasmuch as what they feare, they do in­cessantly beare, and againe what they beare they inces­santly feare. The inflicting of the punishment is the aug­mentation of the feare.

All things in the world as [...]vel good as euill, are mingled with their contraries, and a [...] ­taine not to the highest de­gree of perfection, but that they alwaies may be increa­sed and diminished, and pos­sessed more or lesse: but in hell all euils are in the highest degree, neuer mixt with their contraries, but yet euery man as hee hath sinned more or lesse, so he suffereth. There is extreame sorrow, extreame miserie and desolat on in all things, in the bodie and the [Page 373]soule affliction in the highest degree, fire vnquenchable, heat immitigable, the worme immortall, stench intollera­ble, sorrow comfortlesse, hor­rible darknesse, fearefull spe­ctacles, confusion of euils, and desperate despaire of all goodnesse whatsoeuer. The damned haue in their eies weeping and lamentation, terror in their eares, stench in their nostrels, gnashing in their teeth, groning in their voices, bands in their hands and feet, and intollerable heat and torment in all their mem­bers. As if thou shouldest set before thine eies any man, that as well in the very apple or sight of his eyes, as in all his other members, on both sides, both within and with­out, [Page 374]hath a hot burning non fastened, insomuch that nei­ther the marrow in his bones, nor his entrailes, no not the least part of his whole bodie be freed from torment, or fee­leth it lesse than the very ap­ple of his eie: what? wilt thou not confesse such a one to be in great extremities, and strangely to bee tortured? And yet what is this one tor­ment to the multitude and magnitude of the intolerable torments of one damned man, vpon whom millions of miseries doe fall besides this?

The torment of one dam­ned creature is so great, that if it were diuided equally a­mong all that haue been, are, and shall be, and euery parti­cular [Page 375]man should beare his owne particular punishment, yet so great would the tor­ment of euery one be, so great the griefe, and so horrible the punishment, that it would far excell the torments of all the martyrs in the world confer­red vpon one, and all the euill that can be seene, felt, or vn­derstood. The punishment therfore of one damned soule can not but bee very great, which being distributed in­to innumerable multitudes would bee neuerthelesse in­supportable. The eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, what God hath prouided for those that offend him. All the pu­nishments, affl [...]ctions, & tor­ments [Page 376]which may be thoght of in this life, if they be con­ferred to the least pain of hel, are solaces and comforts, and a damned creature would ra­ther chuse to endure them all a thousand yeeres, than to be tormented with the torments of hell one day. What pu­nishment thinkest thou will God require there of those he hath forsaken, if heere so strictly he correcte [...]h those whom he loueth? If heere in this life hee so scourge his chosen children for their tri­all, how will he torment the reprobate for their punish­ment? If the diuels doe so much afflict holy men, as inst Lob & diuers others, notwith­standing they can doe no­more against them than God [Page 377]doeth permit them, how much will they afflict those whom God hath deliuered vnto their hands for euer to be tormented? O what will they be in their torments, if the very sight of them be in­tolerable? They are neuer weary with torturing, nei­ther doth a sinner die in his torments, but as hee shall be tormented without end, so shall he be compelled to liue in paine without end.

For if golde shine in the fire and is not consumed by it, and the mountaines in Si­cilia from the beginning of the world vnto this day burn with continuall fire, and yet continue whole and entire; if the Salamander can liue in the fire without paine; how [Page 378]much more possible is it that the body and soule may feele the paine of this fire, and yet alwayes liue? Againe, as the soule giuing life vnto the bo­die can suffer griefe, but yet can not die; euen so whilest the bodie hath put on im­mortalitie and incorruption, the soule with the body shall alwayes be tormented, but not consumed: for by a fire vnquenchable (which in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye is able to consume the greatest hill that is) a sinner shall not be extinguished nor consumed, but euer there shal remaine and abound some­thing in him to be extingui­shed.

And because there is no true life, but where a man [Page 379]liues happily; and where an vnhappy man is not permit­ted to die, in him death it selfe dies not: therefore a sin­ner that hath both lost his well being, and yet hath not left essentially to be; that is euer dead to eternall life, and for euer liuing to eternall death, is compelled daily to suffer both death without death, and want without want, and end without end. So hee dies that hee may al­wayes liue, and so hee liues that he may alwayes die; so he decayes as that he may al­wayes subsist, and so he sub­sisteth that hee alwayes de­cayes; so he is ended, that he is without end, and so is hee with an end, that he is neuer ended. And he whose dead [Page 380]life was heere in sinne, there his liuing death is in paine. There hee desireth onely death, which heere hee so much hated; hee seeketh death, and findeth it not; he desireth to die, and death fli­eth from him; heere it is vn­willingly drawen forth of the body, there in the body it is vnwillingly deteined; the death of nature doth violent­ly driue the soule out of the body, the death of hell more violently detaines it in the body: of both deaths that is commonly had, that the soul suffereth of the bodie what it would not.

What end of yeeres may be imagined, so it be finite, to the damned is exceeding comfortable; but out and a­las, [Page 381]in hell there is no redem­ption; neither was there euer any man knowen to haue re­turned from thence: for hell is so deepe, that no man may ascend from thence; so close, that no man may get out; so kept, that no men can escape; he that is once gone thither, can no more returne; that is once entred, can neuer get forth: whom the iustice of God hath once drawen to punishment, the mercie of God neuer reduceth vnto pardon.

It belongeth to the iustice of a seuere and rigorous Iudge, that there be no end of reuenge giuen vnto them, who so long as they were in health would neuer make an end of sinning; that there [Page 382]they should neuer want p [...] ­nishment, that heere would neuer want sin; who make an end of sinning, because they must make an end of li­uing; whereas, if they could, they would haue liued with­out end: for they make ma­nifest, that they would neuer haue been freed from sinne, because they neuer gaue it ouer so long as they liued. Againe, it is fit and requisit, that according to the delight of sinne the bitternesse of their torment should be mea­sured vnto them, not onely which the wicked haue had, but which they would haue: for God doth not only consi­der the outward actions, but hee likewise examineth the inward willes. Since there­fore [Page 383]out of the corruption of their owne willes they haue giuen no measure to the de­light of sinne, nor euer could finde so great delight in sinne but that they would haue greater, therefore God (who considereth the heart, not the outward action) inflicteth punishment, not according to the delight receiued, but sought after; that the time of their torment for sinne might be infinite, who were infinit­ly delighted therein. Againe, forasmuch as there is a pro­portion of greatnesse be­tweene the offence and the partie offended, therefore sinne, whereby God infinite in goodnesse and maiestie is offended, must necessarily be iudged infinite, and deserueth [Page 384]an infinite punishment; infi­nite in continuance, not in paine or torment: for the fi­nite capacitie of a creature is not capable of what is infi­nit; whom likewise the Lord (who deteineth not his mer­cies when he is angry) puni­sheth not according to their desert, for he is mercifull, and taketh no delight in their af­fliction; but yet because hee is iust hee is neuer pacified from reuenge. For as they that forsake life, runne into death, so they that feare not to offend, and to forsake him that is good in the highest degree, deserue in the highest degree to be punished; and they are made worthy of e­ternall euill, who destroy in themselues that good that [Page 385]might haue been eternall. As wee see that a temporall or transitory punishment brings a death which is perpetuall, a temporall treason a yoke of perpetuall seruitude; a dis­ease is taken in a short time, which a man perhaps shall neuer shake off: so the sinnes of the damned haue an end, but yet their punishment for sinne is deseruedly endlesse, who are sorrie they haue sin­ned, & yet cannot but sinne

And though God be mer­cifull and willing to pardon all sinnes whatsoeuer, yet when hee punisheth the re­probate for their sinnes, hee leaueth not so much as an idle word, nay thought, vn­punished; and they that are debtors for great sinnes, be­ing [Page 386]condemned, must pay the vttermost farthing. And as hee that hath his arme bound can doe nothing with it; so out of the bitternesse of the paine, not the loue of God, they haue a willing will to rise from their sinnes, but yet being forsaken of GOD. Which will of theirs though it haue lost the effect of power, bee not able, yet it hath alwaies the affection to sinne, and though they can­not sinne, yet they lose not their will to sinne. For it is true that death separateth the soule from the flesh, but yet it changeth not the purpose of the soule. For as with the elect the good will of a man is turned into glory; so with the reprobate their ill will is [Page 387]turned into punishment; and that shall bee a torment in [...]hell that was a sinne in the world.

As they that haue offen­ded their king are banished their countrie; so the damned for their offence committed against God, are banished Paradise; to whom though all the aforesaid torments are intollerable, yet if a thousand helles were added therunto, they are nothing to that Pa­radise, that glorie they haue loft: For to the damned it is a farre more grieuous thing to bee excluded from glory, and to be depriued the grace of God, and to endure the ha­tred of a mercifull Creatour, and to haue an omnipotent God their aduersary and ene­mie, [Page 388]which is so vnspeakable a torment vnto them, that if no paine at all did outwardly afflict them, this onely were sufficient. For they see that for a momentarie delight in sinne, they endure vnspeak­able punishment, and for the loue of their temporal goods, they haue lost eternall; who neuerthelesse by a short re­pentance, might both haue attained these, and by not sin­ning haue auoided the other. And if the worme of one sin neuer dying doe so afflict in this life where all hope is not taken away; how much more doth the worme of so manie sinnes in that eternall deso­lation afflict and torment? whilest the wicked doe daily behold, as in a glasse, all the [Page 389]euill they haue committed, all the good they haue omit­ted. For as a merchant when the Faire is ended, is not on­ly sorrie for that gaine which [...]he hath lost, but for that also which he might haue gotten, but yet neglected it; so the damned are not onely sor [...]ie for their sinnes committed, but for their good works o­mitted; for all which they then repent, though it be an vnprofitable and vnfruitfull repentance, because now they finde no mercy, that lost the fit time to attaine it: But after a hundred thou­sand thousands of yeres, their torments shall still be itera­ted, as if they had neuer suf­fered any thing, and so with­out end they shall remaine in [Page 390]that place of horror for eue [...] and euer.

Who can, The con­clusion. relating these things, refraine from teares [...] who can heare them with drie cheekes? These are hor­rible things to thinke vpon terrible to relate, and grie­uous to behold; how horn­rible then, terrible and gree­uous are they to endure? For if they bee terrible to heare, what will they be to seek [...] If the very feare of this pu­nishment doe heere so much afflict thee; what will the in­tollerable suffering of them doe there? It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God; into a liuing death and a dying life. But thou (my deare brother) thinkest not of these euils; but [Page 391]like a man secure thou hast­nest vnto them, and thou wilt proue them, before thou wilt thinke of them. But yet to preuent this, lest thy beauti­full members should be fuell for that vnquenchable fire, descend in thought whilest thou art huing into hell, lest thou descend thither bodie & soule when thou art dead: studie therefore both to feare this, and fearing it to auoid it. For what good will the fore­knowledge of these things doe thee, if thou auoid them not? Now therefore whilest it is possible in a short time, if thou turne vnto the Lord, to escape all these afflictions and torments, and to enioy besides that eternall hap­pinesse, which is prepared [Page 392]for his saints; why deferrest thou? why staiest thou? and takest not hold of the mer­cies of God before thou goe, and returne not, to a darke land, couered with the sha­dow of death, a land of mise­rie, mourning and lamenta­tion, where is darknesse and death and no order, but euer­lasting horror: from which Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour saue and defend vs, Amen.

By this and much more that may bee spoken, The con­clusion of the fifth part. thou plainly seest (deare brother) how much it stands thee vp­on whilest thou hast time, to turne vnto God. Wherefore thou that wouldest not staie whilest thou wert well, re­turne whilest thou haft time; [Page 393]and thou that wouldest not stand when thou wert vpon thy legges, now thou art fal­len rise againe. What sinnes soeuer thou hast committed in thy youth, bewaile, with teares wash away the spots of thy forepassed life; what thy workes haue polluted, let thy lamentations purifie. As a new borne babe, 1. Pet. 2. desire the sincere milk of the word; returne as a little childe into the lappe of thy mother, the eternall wisedome of God, and sucke the teats of his di­uine mercy, that so thou maiest grow vnto saluation, & taste how sweet the Lord is. Be sorrie for what is past, endeuour to auoide what is to come; which that thou maiest doe, in all thine acti­ons [Page 394]remember thy last end, and thou shalt neuer sinne. Labor by so much the more to recouer that thou hast lost, by how much the more thou haft endamaged thy selfe by sin. Thou that know­est thy selfe to haue commit­ted things vnlawfull, ende­uour likewise to abstain from some things that are lawfull; thou that hast committed things forbidden, forbid thy selfe things granted, and re­prehend thy selfe in small matters, who hast offended in great.

Thou must euerie day by little and little banish vice. First determine one daie to abstaine from gluttonie and luxurie, which (by the assi­stance of God) shall succeed [Page 395]well; which day being hap­pily ended, resolue with thy selfe to continue two daies together, and it shall succeed more easily, then a whole weeke, then a moneth, at the last the grace of God preuen­ting thee, and following thee, it shall bee no difficult matter for thee to spend whole yeeres in abstinence and con­tinencie: And if euery yeere in this maner, thou quit thy selfe but of one sinne, in a short time thou wilt grow to be a perfect man in Christ Iesu. For by this means, thou shalt euery day root out thy sinnes, and grow in good­nesse. For not to profit in the discipline of maners, is to wax worse and worse; not to goe forward, is to goe backe­ward. [Page 396]When the minde of a man endeuoreth the better­ing of it selfe; the ship sail­eth as it were against the streame, which if it once cease to ascend, without la­bour it is caried downward; for in ascending is paine, in descending idlenesse. Euen so, except by ascending from vertue to vertue thou goe a­bout to attaine the toppe of righteousnes, tumbling from one sinne into another, thou fallest into a headlong down­fall. Take heed therefore lest after repentance thou please thy selfe too much, and be­ing secure thou liue more loosely, but rather bee the more warie, and settle thy saluation in the hauen of tranquillitie, and though the [Page 397]grace of God giue thee daily victorie, yet it taketh not from thee matter of combat: but lest thou shouldest wax proud, as if the battell were at an end, the mercie of God protecting thee, alwaies re­maineth to assist thee, that how often soeuer thou ouer­come, thou shouldest neuer cease to fight, alwaies think­ing, that there is somewhat behinde that thou shouldest ouercome, vntill that which is perfect happen vnto thee, and thou bee quit of that which is imperfect in that perfect glory of happines. Amen.

CHAP. I. That we are all sinners and haue need of the mer­cy of God.

SIXTLY and lastly, thou wilt saie per­haps that thine ini­quitie is greater than that it may be forgiuen, and there­fore being sure of thy dam­nation, thou takest no care [Page 399]to repent. Res. I cannot but congratulate thy happinesse (my deare brother) and giue thanks vnto God, that thou art not as many other men are, who daily sin, yet know not that they sinne; who al­waies doe wickedly, and are neuer toucht with that they haue done; who as it were blindfolde runne the race of their life, and neuer know what state they are in till they feele the punishment. For what thing can be more vnhappie, than for a man not to know his owne vnhappi­nes, & among all the dangers of this life to feele no griefe, no infirmitie, to be ignorant of his owne disease? Euen so there is nothing more dan­gerous, than not to know [Page 400]when we sinne. There is now in thee the beginning of sal­uation, in that thou acknow­ledgest thine owne sinnes: Thou hast made no small iourney to eternall felicitie, in that thou knowest thine infelicitie; Now thou appli­est thy self to inward purity, in that thou deniest not thine inward pollution and impu­ritie. For by so much the more precious is a man in the eies of God, by how much the more contemptible he is in his own eies. Not to thinke thy selfe a sinner, is to make thy selfe the greater offen­der, and thou wert much to be bewailed, if thou diddest not bewaile thy selfe. The God of mercy and compassi­on preuenting thee by pitty­ing [Page 401]thee, setteth before the eies of thy minde thine owne sinnes, and foretelleth thee what danger there hangeth ouer thy head for them in time to come, by all meanes that may bee ministring oc­casion of thy conuersion, that at the least by the fear of pu­nishment thou maiest turne vnto him, since thou wilt not do it for the loue of himselfe, and so by little and little thou maiest turne thy seruile feare into filiall loue. If GOD would strictly punish thy sinnes, he would not present them to thy selfe to bewaile them. For to that end doeth he offer them to thine owne view, that thou maiest be so­rie for them, and by true re­pentance blot them quite out [Page 402]of sight. This is the mercie of God preuenting sinners, to the end they may arise from their sinnes.

There is no man so cir­cumspect, but that he some­times falleth into sinne, and therefore God knowing our weaknesse, hath prouided a medicine against this necessi­tie, which the infirmitie of the flesh is subiect vnto. It is a humane thing to sinne, but a diuellish thing to persist in sinne. So long as we beare a­bout vs this fraile bodie of ours we can not bee without sinne; no man can saie, My heart is cleane, I am pure from sinne. 1. Ioh. 2. But if wee shall say we haue no sinne, we de­ceiue our selues, and the trueth is not in vs, because we [Page 403]all haue offended in manie things. He cannot be in the world without sinne, that came into the world with sinne; he that is conceiued in iniquitie, cannot liue with­out iniquitie; for in this flesh of sinne, no man can chal­lenge a freedome from sinne. No man liues without it, no not the infant that is but a day old: Iob 15.15. the heauens are not pure in the sight of God, and he found no stedfastnesse in his saints; Ps. 143.2. In his sight shall none that liueth bee iustified. We euery day descrie in our selues many sinnes, and yet cannot know how often wee sinne. For who can vnder­stand his faults? and there­fore it followeth, Ps. 19.1 [...] Clense me ô Lord from my secret [Page 404]sinnes. Forasmuch therefore as there is no man which hath not sinned; he onely is blessed, Psa. 32.2. to whom the Lord imputeth no iniquitie, and whose sinne is couered. Let it be sufficient to vs to the at­tainment of all righteousnes, to haue him propitious vnto vs, whom onely we haue of­fended. Whatsoeuer he hath decreed not to impute vnto vs, is as if it neuer had beene, for who shall accuse-them, whom God hath absolued? Neuerthelesse lest any man should please himselfe as be­ing innocent, and so by ex­tolling himselfe should fall the more, he is put in remem­brance that he sinneth daily, in that hee is commanded to pray daily for his sinnes, say­ing; [Page 405]Forgiue vs our trespas­ses, as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs.

When a man heareth a sentence out of the Word a­gainst couetousnesse, being pricked in heart, he hateth that couetousnesse, he com­mendeth the contempt of all things, and he accounts no more of golde than of the dust; but so soone as his minde shall beholde what it may desire, he forgetteth that which before hee commen­ded. Wee are manie times fraighted with our sinnes; and wee confesse them vnto God, but presently wee re­turne to the same sinnes a­gaine: for the most part wee repreliend our owne liues, and yet we gladly doe that [Page 406]which wee reprooue in our selues. The spirit raiseth vs vp to righteousnesse, and the flesh bindeth vs to the cu­stome of sinning; the minde withstandeth the delights of the flesh, but presently with the delights thereof it is cap­tiuated. Woe be euen to the laudable life of men, if they should bee iudged without mercy; because they many times offend God with that whereby they imagine they please him: for many times our righteousnesse being brought to the touchstone of his diuine iustice is vnrighte­ousnesse; and that is loath­some in the sight of a seuere Iudge, that shines in the eyes of him that doth them. Esa. 64. All our righteousnesse is like a [Page 407]menstruous cloth. If our life should be strictly examined, in that fearefull examination none should bee found iust. If God should only shew se­ueritie, and in his iudgement should not adde mercie; if he should obserue our iniquities, and not pardon our trans­gressions, no man could ex­pect the glory of eternall fe­licitie, no man could endure the rigour of so strict an ac­count. If the mercy of God were not extended ouer all, no man could euer be saued; for a [...] their own merits could not create them, so their own righteousnesse can not saue them: for whosoeuer is sa­ued, must be saued by the mercy of God, and not his owne merits.

[Page 408]Perhappes it was good for thee, as to such as are proud, that thou hast fallen, to the end, that thou that were caried by pride beyond thy selfe, to which condition, by sinne thou wert obnoxi­ous, by thy fall thou mightest be put in minde of thy selfe, and being taught to know who thou art, lay aside the pride of thine owne presum­ption. And as for a little durt thou makest not cleane thy garment, but thou staiest vn­till it hath gathered more filth; so thou art fallen into greater sinnes, that thou maist clense thee of thy lesse. For a great offence by how much the sooner it is known, by so much the sooner it is amended; but a small fault, [Page 409]whilest it is thought to bee none at all, is so much the woorse, by how much the more securely it is kept in vse, and at the last a minde accustomed to small sinnes, feareth not to commit the greatest; and by so much the more is he carelesse in great sinnes to feare, by how much the more he hath learned in light, by not fearing to sinne. Wherefore (deare brother) distrust not, faint not, despair not: thou art fallen, but thou maiest rise againe; thou hast offended God, but by repen­tance thou maiest please him againe. He gaue thee com­mandements that thou shul­dest not sinne, and yet hee hath giuen to thee sinning the remedy of repentance, [Page 410]that thou mightest not de­spaire: for how much soeuer thou sinnest, God will par­don if thou do repent.

CHAP. II. That there is no sinne so great, but by true repentance it may be pardoned.

BVT perhaps thou wilt say, I haue offended God more than any man, and my sinnes are more in num­ber than the sands of the sea: many of my sinnes are of that nature of which S. Matthew speaketh in his twelfth chap­ter: If any man sinne against the Holy Ghost, he shall not bee forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come. My iniquity is grea­ter [Page 411]than that it can be forgi­uen. Res. My deare bro­ther, thou liest as Cain did: Gen. 4. the pietie of God is greater than thy impietie, his mercie greater than thy miserie; and therefore doubt not but thou maiest obtein pardon for thy sinnes, because the goodnesse of GOD ouercommeth the malice of man. All the sinnes that haue beene committed from the beginning of the world vnto this day are finite both in qualitie and number, but the mercy of God hath neither number nor measure, and therefore it farre excee­deth the number and great­nesse of all our sinnes. God can pardon more than man can sinne. All sinnes, if they be compared to the mercy of [Page 412]God, are as a drop of war [...] to the whole sea, and as a spi­ders webbe, which when the winde bloweth vanisheth a­way. Thou seest the great­nesse of thy disease, but not the power of the Physitian; and therfore thou despairest of pardon, and comparest the mercy of God vnto thy sinnes. To despaire is no­thing else than to compare God to our sinnes. If God, being ouercome by the greatnesse of our sinnes, can not forgiue, thou detractest from his omnipotencie; if he will not what hee can, thou makest him a lier, in that hee will not performe that which by the mouthes of so many his Prophets he hath so often promised vnto vs, saying; I, [Page 413]euen I am he that putteth a­way thine iniquities, Esa. 43.25 and will remember them no more: Put thou mee in remem­brance.

I despaire more of thee because thou despairest, and thou condemnest thy selfe more by despairing than by all the sinnes thou hast com­mitted. Thou vndoest thy selfe for euer, if with the fa­ther of mercy thou haue not recourse to the remedies of repentance. It is the death of the soule to commit any sin, but to despaire of pardon, is to descend into hell it selfe: and therefore Iudas is sayd to offend God more, in that he despaired of mercy and han­ged himselfe, than in that out of malice he betrayed him: [Page 414]for despaire maketh a ma [...] accursed, and vnworthy the protection of God.

But lest thou shouldest ga­ther from hence, that God will not pardon thy despaire, and thy greater sinnes, but onely thy lesser, heare what he sayth in the three and thir­tieth of Ezekiel; At what houre soeuer a sinner repen­teth him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart, I will put out all his wicked­nes out of my remembrance. Hee excepteth no maner of sinnes, neither litle nor great; for hee that died for all, can pardon all: only be thou sor­rowfull and turne vnto God, and he is ready to forget and to forgiue. If thy sinnes are many and great, the mercies [Page 415]of the Lord are more in num­ber and greater than they. God will bee mercifull vnto thee, and according to the multitude and magnitude of his mercies will hee pardon the multitude and magnitude of thy sinnes.

Whereas thou obiectest vnto me that in the twelfth by S. Matthew, Whosoeuer shall sinne against the Holie Ghost, it shall not be forgi­uen him, &c. I answer, that it is true, That the sinne against the Holy Ghost (that is that committed out of malice a­gainst the goodnes and mer­cie of God, which is proper­lie attributed to the Holie Ghost) is therefore said to be irremissible, because it direct­ly oppugneth the goodnesse [Page 416]and mercy of God, which is the beginning of the remissi­on of sinnes; and so that is excluded whereby sinne should be forgiuen: as that disease is said to be incurable, which directly taketh away the remedies of the cure. This sinne is said to be irre­missible, not because it can not be forgiuen to him that repenteth, but because hee that so sinneth, doth either despaire, or presume of the mercy of God, and so addeth sinne vnto sinne, and neuer repenteth: and so being ob­stinate in his wickednesse, as seldome or neuer he comes to repentance, so seldome or neuer he obteineth remission of his sinnes. But yet we are not to despaire of any sinner [Page 417]whatsoeuer, so long as he li­ueth, and the long sufferance of God expecteth him to re­pentance. He is a Pagan or a lew to day, may he not be a Christian to morrow? He is an heretike to day, may hee not be a true Professour to morrow? He is a Schismatike to day, may he not embrace the peace of the Church to morrow? We are not there­fore to despaire of any man, so long as hee remaineth in this life, because sometimes that repentance which by the diffidence of our age is deferred, by more mature counsel is perfected. Whilest we are in this life, there is no sinne, no iniquitie, which may not bee healed by the medicine of repentance, if it [Page 418]be pure and sincere. What offence can be greater in a man that is sicke, than to k [...] his Physitian? and if this may be forgiuen, what may not be pardoned? Christ Iesus being fastened to the Crosse, prayed for his crucifiers, say­ing, Luk. 23. Father forgiue them, they know not what they do. If there were hope of saluati­on in those that killed their Sauior, who should despaire of saluatiō? The Lord inuited Iudas that betraied him to repentance, & to beg mercy at his hands, when hee fore­warned him of his treason, when hee washed his feete, when hee called him friend when he tooke a kisse at [...] hands. If then our Sauior di [...] not onely forgiue his crucif­ers, [Page 419]but prayd vnto his father for them; if he inuited Iudas to repentance, how much more will hee pardon thee if thou do repent? thou that art an adorer of his Maiestie, not his murtherer; a lamenter of his death, not a derider of his passion; a contempler of his mercies, not a contemner of his infirmities.

Wherfore (my deare bro­ther) let neither the qualitie nor the quantity of thy sinnes discourage thee from the as­surance of thy hope; yea, though thou wert guiltie of all the sinnes which haue beene committed since the beginning of the world, yet [...]hou oughtst not to despaire, because the goodnes of God farre exceedeth the malice of [Page 420]man. If thou couldest sinne as much as God is good, thou mayest despaire, but since that can not be, tho [...] that despairest of thy selfe being wicked, trust in God who is better than thy selfe. Hast thou sinned? repent thee of thy sinnes. Hast thou sinned a thousand times? re­pent a thousand times. Re­pent, for the kingdome of heauen is at hand. GOD would neuer haue exhorted thee to repentance, if his pur­pose were not to pardon thee if thou doe repent. Be­tweene repentance and the kingdome of heauen there is no distance of time, but re­pent thou of thy sinnes, and instantly the gate of mercie is set wide open vnto thee▪ [Page 421]Thy sinnes make a separati­on betweene thee and GOD: which obstacles if by repen­tance thou take away, thou shalt sticke vnto God, and be one spirit with him. Yeeld fruits woorthy repentance; contraries redeeme with con­traries; and thou which be­fore diddest that which was contrary to God, doe now that which is opposite to the diuell.

CHAP. III. Examples of such as haue grie­nously sinned, & afterwards haue beene saued by repentance.

BVt thou wilt obiect that in the 7. by S. Matthew: Mat. 7.1 [...] Strait is the gate and narrow [Page 422]is the way that leadeth vnto life, and few there be that finde it. And that in the 4. of the first by S. Peter: If the righteous scarsely be saued, where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare? Res. It is true (my deare brother) that few find the way of life; but what is the reason? Doubtlesse, because few there are that seeke it. But euery one that seeketh, fin­deth; that asketh, receiueth; and to euery one that knoc­keth it shall be opened. Who is he therefore that findeth it not? who receiueth not? or to whom is it not opened? Certes, only to him that see­keth not, that asketh not, that knocketh not. The rea­son why the righteous shall [Page 423]hardly be saued is this, be­cause there is no man found worthy saluation by his own righteousnesse: for God will not saue vs by the works of righteousnesse which wee haue done, but according to his free mercie in Christ Ie­sus. It is the worke of God, not our endeuour, that we are saued: for that little of good­nesse that is in vs, nay which God worketh in vs, is no­thing, if it be compared to that eternall blessednesse in the life to come. Heauen be­longs to the righteous only, by the rigor of Gods instice; but to the end that all may be saued, it belongeth vnto sinners also, by the bountie of Gods grace. Christ hath deserued Paradise for vs all, [Page 424]and hath restored vnto vs by his death his fathers inheri­tance. Luk. 14. Hee calleth vs to that heauenly banquet, hee will haue his house filled with ghests; yea, hee compelleth the weake, and the blinde, and the lame to come in, that it may appeare that no man is shut out, from those cele­st [...]all and eternall ioyes, the number of the saints of God, being (out of the number of sinners) euer supplied.

But forasmuch as exam­ples moue more than words, there is hope that thou that hearkenest not vnto my words, wilt be stirred vp by the examples of other men; that when thou shalt see ma­ny that were sometimes en­tred into the broad and spa­cious [Page 425]way (that would haue led them to destruction) af­terwards to haue found the strait way (that leadeth vnto life) thou shouldest not de­spaire to finde the same as they did; and when thou seest many vnrighteous men by the grace of God iustifi­ed and saued, thou likewise shouldest not cast away the hope of thy saluation. Aaron. Exod. 28. Numb. 15. Marie. Aaron after his repentance for the molten Calfe, was chosen by God to be high Priest. Ma­rie his sister, after she was stricken with a leprosie be­cause she murmured against Moses, by repentance was cured, and receiued her anci­ent gift of Prophesying. Dauid. Da­uid, who was a king and a prophet, a man that God had [Page 426]found out according to his own heart, and out of whose loynes the Messias was pro­mised to come, into how foule and grieuous sinnes did he fall? Hee receiued by the mouth of the Prophet Na­than strange comminations of a grieuous reuenge, and yet all that anger of GOD, with two words hee turned into mercy; I haue sinned, saith hee, against the Lord, and presently the Prophet did not onely answer him; The Lord hath remoued thy sinnes from thee; but that spirit of prophecie which by sinne he had lost, he recoue­red againe, and for Dauid his seruants sake, God turned a­way much euil from the chil­dren of Israel. Achab. Achabs hart [Page 427]was hardned, he many times contemned the Lord chi­ding him, he added sinne vn­to sinne; 1. Kin. 21. and Naboth being slaine hee possessed his vine­yard; yet at the last, being terrified by the threatnings of God, and guilty of his owne sinne, hee repented in sackecloth and ashes, and so prouoked the Lord God vn­to mercy. And the word of the Lord came to Eliah say­ing; Seest thou how Achab is humbled before mee? be­cause he submitteth himselfe before mee, Manas­seh. I will not bring that euill in his daies. Ma­nasseh exceeded all that were before him in the impiety of his sinnes, 2. Chro. 33. ouer threw the ob­seruation of the Law and the worship of God, and yet af­ter [Page 428]those bloody finnes hee was reduced to his kingdom and numbred amongst the sonnes of God. Nabuchad­nezzar. Dan. 4. Nabuchad­nezzar of all men the proud­est, acknowledging no Lord, did arrogate to himselfe di­uine honour; and yet God being willing to reclaime him, after he had beene seuen yeeres a madde man, and li­ued like a beast, hee brought him to himselfe againe, and restored him to his king­dome, who being thus resto­red, and hauing thus made triall of the mercy of God, hee praised and glorified his holy name. But to omit in­numerable examples in the old Testament; The prodi­gal child. Luke 15. The prodi­gall childe, who had consu­med his substance with har­lots, [Page 429]being returned to his father by repentance, recei­ued not onely a kisse from him, but had the fat calfe killed, and receiued his for­mer grace and fauour. Zacheus. Luke 19. Za­cheus a Publican, yea the chiefe amongst them, made rest [...]tution foure fold of all he had taken from other men, and receiued Christ into his house. Mathew. Mathew of a Publi­can, became an Apostle and an Euangelist. Marie Magdalen. Mary Mag­delen consumed the vnlawful loue of the flesh that was in her, with the firie zeale of the loue of God, and so much fauour she found with God, that she was a messenger to the Apostles themselues of the resurrection of our Saui­our. Peter. Peter an Apostle and [Page 430]pillar of the Church [...] Christ, but he went forth and wept bitterly, and so was re­ceiued vnto mercy. Paul. Paul of a persecutor of the Church of God, became a Doctor, and an Apostle of the Gen­tiles. Dismas the theefe. Luke 23. But that which giueth vs greatest hope of remission is the theefe vpon the crosse, who euen by his own iudge­ment had deserued death, whose offence was certaine, and therefore had deserued both temporall and eternall damnation, who now was condemned to a temporall death, and was neere an eter­nall, and yet at the verie in­stant of death acknowledg­ing Christ, he only said, Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome, [Page 431]and presently it was answer­ed; This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise. To a theefe, hee promised a king­dome; to one crucified, hea­uen; and to one condem­ned, paradise. The grace of God promising was more abundant, than the praier of the theefe intreating; for he promised more, than the theefe asked. Hee that came such vnto the crosse by sinne, see what hee departed from the crosse by grace: From the prison he ascended to the crosse, and from the crosse into paradise; from the pu­nishment of his offence, hee mounted to the reward of his vertue. But to what end doe I produce so many ex­amples, so many testimonies [Page 432]of the mercy of God? There is not a leafe in the booke of God, wherein the mercie of the Lord doth not shine, yea the whole earth is replenish­ed therwith. Thou that hear­est how many there haue beene cured of their sinnes, what receiuest thou else but an earnest penny of the mer­cie of God? Therefore hath the omnipotent God per­mitted his elect in some fi [...] to fall, that as they haue ri­sen againe, so they that haue fallen in the like, should like­wise hope to arise, and whom they followed sinning, they should likewise follow re­penting. What other thing in all these canst thou see, but the vnspeakable mercie of our Redeemer, who hath set [Page 433]those before thine eies as ex­amples of true conuersion, whom after their fall, by re­pentance he made to liue?

But if yet thou heare mee not, and beleeuest not that a sinner can bee saued, heare God rather than my selfe, beleeue him & not me; he is the trueth it selfe, hee cannot be deceiued, hee cannot de­ceiue. I will not, saith he, the death of a sinner, but that hee conuert and liue. God will not the death of a sinner, who would die for his sinnes: his will is that his death be fruit­full, and by it his redempti­on plentifull. Yea the verie name of Iesus, that is, our Sa­uiour, what else doth it pro­mise to a sinner, than mercie and saluation? He came into [Page 434]the world to faue sinners, and to free them from that dam­nation wherewith they were held. Mat. 9. The whole need not the Physician, but they that are sicke; and therefore hee came not to call the righte­ous, but sinners to repen­tance: Mat. 15. He was sent vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Is­rael. It is not the will of the sheapheard, that one of his sheepe should perish, who hauing a hundred sheepe, if he lose one of them, leaueth ninetie & nine in the wilder­nesse, and seeketh him that he hath lost, vntill hee haue found him. Euen so it is the will of our Father and our Creatour, that not one of his children perish; and if he pe­rish, it is by his owne will, [Page 435]not the will of God; for the mercy of God is common to all, granted to euerie one that asketh, and he offereth him­selfe to euery one that seek­eth him. No man wants his helpe but he that refuseth it, and neglecteth the asking of it. Reade ouer the whole life of Christ, and thou shalt find none, that hath euer cried out, Iesu thou sonne of Da­uid haue mercy vpon me, but presently he obreined mercy. He healed the sicke, fed the hungrie, eased those that la­boured, strengthned the weake, clensed the leprous, gaue sight vnto the blinde, raised the dead, absolued the penitent.

Wherefore (deare bro­ther) say no more heereafter [Page 436]vnto me, I am proud, coue­tous, wanton, polluted with all manner of iniquitie, and therefore I cannot bee saued. I will not haue thee alledge these or the like excuses; thou hast examples of all sorts, thou maiest flie vnto what hauen thou wilt. If thou haue fainted in thy faith, looke vpon Peter: If thou haue robbed thy neighbour, con­sider the theefe; if thou haue beene vnchaste, looke vpon Marie Magdalene; and so of the rest, who haue fallen into the same sinne that thou hast, but yet haue not despaired of pardon, as thou doest; and therfore comming with faith and confidence in the merits of Christ Iesus, to the throne of his diuine mercie, haue [Page 437]found more grace and mercy than they had reason, in re­spect of their owne sinnes, to looke for. Be thou likewise by their example as confi­dent as they were, faint not, but by repentance turn vnto God. If thou aske the same mercy that they did, doubt­lesse thou shalt obtaine the same mercy that they did. Aske, and thou shalt receiue; seeke, and thou shalt finde. The Lord knoweth not how to deny it vnto him that with an humble and contrite hart shal beg it at his hands.

CHAP. IIII. That God denieth not mer [...] him that conuerteth, since [...] inuiteth him that is a­uerted from him to conuersion.

BVt thou wilt say, I consi­der with my selfe what a difference there is betwixt God and mee, and that I am deseruedly excluded from his presence; and therefore despairing to obtaine mercie, and accounting my selfe vn­worthy to come vnto him, I dare not lift vp mine eies vn­to heauen. Res. God (my deare brother) whose nature is goodnesse it selfe, is altoge­ther milde and mercifull, and more prone to pitie and com­passion, [Page 439]than to reuenge: he is rich in mercy, and bountifull in grace. It is his propertie alwaies to haue mercie, and to forgiue, and therefore he cannot denie him mercy that with a cōtrate hart beggeth it at his hands. He despiseth no penitent sinner, but him that doubreth whether hee may aske; for no man hath hoped in him and hath be ene con­founded: No man in time hath begged mercy, and hath taken the repulse. If God did not heare sinners, in vaine had that Publican said; O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner. He that iudgeth will bee intreated not to punish sinners; hee that knoweth how much reason he hath to be angrie with vs, looks that [Page 440]they that haue as much rea­son to intreat, should by praiers obtaine mercy at his hands. He will be pacified by intreatie, that knows how in­supportable his anger is. He is a witnesse to himself, that hee desireth to haue mercie on those that call vpon him, in that he prouoketh vs ther­unto. Ps. 50.15. Call vpon me, saith he, in the day of trouble, so will I deliuer thee, and thou shak glorifie me. And in another place; Math. 7.7. Aske, and it shall bee giuen vnto you; Seeke, and yee shall finde; Knocke, and it shall be opened vnto you. If our carnall parents, yea which are euill, can giue to their children good gifts, how much more shall your Father which is in heauen, [Page 441]giue good things to them that aske him? If thou doubt to come vnto God because of thy sinnes; be confident to come, because of that good­nesse which as a father hee oweth to his sonne. Be bold with him in whose image thou seest thy selfe woonder­full, in whose similitude sur­passing excellent. What fear­est thou his Maiestie, who maiest gather confidence from thy originall? The ge­nerous alliance of the soule with God is not idle, and the similitude is a witnesse of the [...]lliance: Euery like doeth willingly admit his like into societie, and by nature like will to like.

The Mediatour betwixt God and man Christ Iesus, [Page 442]made man for men, shewe [...] himselfe milde and merciful to men. And lest there shoul [...] remaine vnto thee any cause of despaire, and to the [...] hee might shew vnto the man, what hope thou maie [...] haue with God; God wa [...] made man, and thy aduocare thy Iudge. He will not deny himselfe to him that asketh who of his own accord offe­red himself to him that asked not; & he seeking shall find him, who gaue the mean [...] to finde, to him that sough [...] not; and will open to him that knocketh, that stands a the doore and incessantly knocketh. The conuersion [...] a sinner delighteth him, and canst thou conuerting de­spaire of forgiuenesse? He [Page 443]desireth more to pardon, [...]han thou to be pardoned; to [...]orgiue thy sinnes, than thou [...]o forsake them, and to re­ [...]ent thee of them. He is more willing to sane thee by his [...]ercy, than thou to perish [...]y thy sinnes; thou wouldest [...]ie by sinning, but he wil not [...]hy death, but still expecteth hee to repentance. He stand­ [...]th with much loue and cha­ [...]itie at the doore of thy hart, [...]rying, Pro. 23. My sonne giue mee [...]hy heart; and he professeth [...]f himselfe; Apoc. 3. If any man will [...]pen vnto me, I will come in vnto him.

If a poore man hauing [...]ighly offended his king, hall first be sollicited by his [...]ing to peace and reconcile­ment, it is a great argument [Page 444]of his princely benignitie now since with great con [...] ­dence a poore man should come vnto God, doest tho [...] feare to bee conuerted vnto him, that intreateth thee to turne vnto him? and yet not only is not turned from those that turne vnto him, but tur­neth to those that turne from him, and exhorteth them to conuersion. Eze. 18.31 Why will ye die, saith the Lord, ô house of Is­rael? returne and come vnto me, Iere. 3.1. and ye shall liue. And i [...] another place: If a man put away his wife, and shee goe from him, and become ano­ther mans, shall he returne a­gaine vnto her? shall she not be polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many louers, yet turne again to me, [Page 445]saith the Lord. He bringeth in the similitude of a woman that hath been vntrue to her husband, and is put away by him, that he may tell vs how mercifull he is, that he put­teth not vs away. Thou hast played the harlot with many louers, yet turne againe to me, saith the Lord. See here, hee calleth vnto him that sin­full soule, which before hee pronounced polluted, to re­ceiue it into the bosome of his pitie which is alwaies o­pen, neither doth he contemn a spotted life.

What tongue is sufficient to expresse the inward com­passion of so mercifull a God? What heart is not astonished at the riches of so vnspeaka­ble mercie? Hee is despised, [Page 446]and yet expecteth; seeth himselfe to be contemned, yet ceaseth not to call. Hee hath a long time stayed the sentence of reuenge from him that contemneth, that at one time or other he may of­fer his grace of remission to him that repenteth. The Lord deferreth his com­ming: if hee would hee had beene already come, but yet he putteth off his comming, lest hee should finde that in thee that hee must punish. If hee would thy damnation whilest thou wert in thy sinnes, he could haue cast thy soule into hell: it is the mer­cie of the Lord that thou art not consumed. For whereas thou fearest not God, and yet liuest, thou ceasest not to [Page 447]sinne, and yet prosperest; what is it else but that the mercifull God is willing by long expectation to correct thee, whom by seeing thy sinne, hee will not instantly destroy? whose goodnesse that it may ouercome thy malice, and patience mollifie the obstinacie of thy heart, like a good mother, by flat­terie hee allureth thee vnto him, whom he can not recall by threatnings; in that hee draweth not from thee his blessings, he suffereth the sun to shine vpon thee, as well as vpon others, and prouideth all things necessarie for thee, as wel as for others. O the vn­speakable mercy of God! we sin and he spareth, we offend and he pardoneth; we haue [Page 448]offended him in manie things, hee withdraweth his blessings from vs in nothing: whereby hee sheweth how good a God he is toward the iust, who is so mercifull to­wards sinners.

In the Gospell, euen with teares hee followeth Ierusa­lem, which by her pertinacy in sinning had procured her owne damnation. How of­ten, sayth hee, would I haue gathered thy children toge­ther, as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings, and thou wouldest not? Our mercifull Father weepeth, that he might not saue those that were desperately wic­ked, and doest thou doubt hee will not be mercifull to thee, turning vnto him? [Page 449]There are two arguments in him of his naturall goodnes and clemencie, his longani­mitie in expecting, and his facilitie in pardoning; be­cause hee both patiently ex­pecteth sinners, and louingly receiueth penitent sinners: he both by his patience tole­rateth the sinnes of men, and by their repentance releaseth them, that they may returne, though late, and be ashamed that they should be expect­ed. Whensoeuer they are conuerted, hee forgetteth sinnes past, and he promiseth future amendment. Oh the great patience of God! hee spareth contempts, pardon­eth denials; he seeth thee to sinne, and yet hee suffereth thee: first he forbiddeth thee [Page 450]to sinne, and when thou hast sinned, he attendeth thy re­pentance to pardon thee. If thy seruant should speake proudly vnto thee, and turne his backe towards thee, thou wouldest no doubt seuerely correct his contempt; but thou turnest thy backe to God, and he turneth towards thee; thou fliest from him, and he followeth after thee; hee seeth that his pitie and compassion is despised, and yet he yet expecteth thee to pitie thee, with al exhortatiō, bountie, inward inspiration. Thou wilt not doe the will of God for thine owne good, thine owne commodity, how then should hee heare thee in the day of thy tribulation praying vnto him, when [Page 451]thou refusest to heare him, intreating thee for thine own good? For how often hath God said vnto thee; Turne vnto mee; and yet thou hast not turned? If he would not haue mercy on thee, thou wouldest intreat mercy at his hands, now hee would haue mercy, and thou wilt not; he inuiteth thee to repentance, and thou neglectest it. If thou feare not the iustice of God reuenging, at the least blush at his goodnesse calling thee vnto him; and thou that be­ing stricken couldest haue suffered the punishment due vnto thy sinnes, blush at the least being expected; lest whom thou now seest calme and peaceable, thou bee not able to behold angry and im­placable. [Page 452]For whilest he seeth those remedies which hee hath ordained for thy salua­tion, turned to the encrease of thy sinne, that loue which he hath conferred vpon thee, hee turneth to thy greater condemnation; that by so much the more he may pu­nish, by how much the more he hath expected.

Wherefore (deare bro­ther) whilest our mercifull God forbeareth thee, whilest hee staieth his hand from re­uenge, begge his mercie, whose law thou hast con­temned: It is lawfull for him to aske pardon, to whom it was not lawfull to offend. Aske remission of thy sinnes by praier, seeke it with wat­ching and fasting; doe what [Page 453]thou canst, that thou maiest increase in well doing, and by perseuerance, thou shalt re­ceiue what thou askest: that importunitie is pleasing to a mercifull God, which is odi­ous vnto men. Let the remis­sion of sinnes bee intreated with instant praier, that that God whom thy sinnes hath made angry, thy dutifull ser­uice may pacifie; and he that for thy sinnes was offended with thee, by repentance may become louing and mercifull vnto thee.

CHAP. V. That a sinner being changed, God changeth his sentence.

BVT thou wilt say, God is not as man is, that hee [Page 454]should lie, Nu. 23.19. nor as the sonne of man that hee should bee changed. And in the 18. of Ezechiel, hee saith; The soule that sinneth shall die. This sentence of God is immutable, because God can not bee changed. Res. It is true (my deare brother) that that soule that sinneth shall die, because by sinne hee de­serueth eternall damnation: but repentance healeth this death of the soule. Repen­tance restoreth what sinne detracteth; by this the life of grace is repaired, wherin the soule departing, flieth vnto the life of glory; neither doe forepassed sinnes more hurt him, than forepassed disea­ses and wounds a sound man. Though this soule haue sin­ned, [Page 455]yet it shall not die, be­cause by repentance that sin is blotted out, by which it was obliged to eternal death. The cause ceasing, the effect likewise ceaseth, and God knoweth how to change his sentence if thou know how to change thy life. If thou beleene not me, beleeue God: The wickednesse of the wic­ked shall not cause him to fall therein, Eze. 33.12 in the day that he re­turneth from his wickednes. And in another place; Hier. 18.8. If this nation against whom I haue pronounced, turne from their wickednesse, I will repent mee of all the plagues that I thought to bring vpen them. God who is immutable and impassible, can bee affected with no change, no passion, [Page 456]and yet hee is said to change and to repent, not according to the verity of the thing, but according to the maner and similitude of man. For as a man is saide to change and to repent, when hee changeth his counsell, and will not doe that euill, which he had pur­posed to doe: So God is said to change & to repent, when he bringeth not vpon a man that euil which he threatned. Wherein hee changeth not his counsell: for those things which hee appointed from beginning, doe immutablie come to passe; but that thing which of it selfe is mutable, he altereth as it pleaseth him, as the goodnesse or wicked­nesse of men require, which argueth no change in God, [Page 457]but in the will of man.

Hezekiah was sicke vnto death, 2. King. 20.1. and the prophet Isaiah came vnto him, and said; Thus saith the Lord; Put thy house in order, for thou shalt die, and not liue. Then he turned his face to the wall, and praied to the Lord, and wept sore: And afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle of the court, the word of the Lord came vnto him saying: Turne againe, and tell Heze­kiah, Thus saith the Lord God of Dauid thy father; I haue heard thy praier, and seene thy teares: behold I haue healed thee, and the third day thou shalt goe vp to the house of the Lord; And I will adde vnto thy daies fifteene yeeres.

[Page 458]The Nineuites heard Io­nah the Prophet threatning them; Ionah 3. Yet fortie dayes and Nineuy shalbe ouerthrowen: but the men of Nineuie fain­ted not in their mindes, but though they doubted whe­ther the Lord would be in­treated, yet they did all flie to repentance as to the gate of saluation, beleeued in the Lord, proclamed a fast, and from the least to the greatest put on sackcloth, and sate in ashes, saying, Who can tell if God will turne and repent, and turn away from his fierce wrath, that wee perish not? And God saw their works that they turned from their cuill wayes, and he repented of the euill that he had sayd that he would do vnto them [Page 459]and he did it not. Hezekiah by praier and tears obteined of God that hee recalled his sentence past. The repentāce of the Nineuites preuailed with God so much, that hee reuoked his sentence touch­ing the destruction of that city; & yet neither were they false Prophets, who at what time they had deserued to die for their sinnes, foretolde it; but the great bountie of the mercy of God deferred their death and ruine at that time, which before all worlds he had preordained.

If therefore these barba­rous and heathenish people despaired not, and though their sentence were past a­gainst them, yet fainted not in their hearts; why doest [Page 460]thou, wretch that thou art, despaire? why faintest thou? Thou robbest GOD of his mercy, without which kings are not kings, but tyrants. That sentence, The soule that hath sinned shall die, is to be vnderstood of that soule which hath not repented of her sinnes; as is sayd of hu­mane iudgements, That if a­ny man hath done this or that, he shall die the death; and yet alwaies it is to be vn­derstood, except the partie condemned, by the kings mercy be pardoned. The iustice of God is not as the iustice of man; in this, by how much the more a guilty man confesseth his fault, by so much the more punish­ment doth hee draw vpon [Page 461]himselfe; but in that of God, by how much the more a sin­ner accuseth himselfe, by so much the more doth he finde the mercy of God towards him: as God repelleth him that defendeth his sinnes, so hee receiueth him that con­fesseth them. If thou knew­est the power of repentance, thou wouldest not despaire of the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes: our mercifull God doth gladly forget that wee are nocent, and he is alwayes ready to esteeme our repen­tance as innocencie; for if we repent vs of our sinnes, wee haue alreadie escaped the ri­gor of a seuere sentence. God imputeth not vnto vs our for­mer life, so wee repent vs of it, but seeing our works chan­ged, [Page 462]he gladly changeth his sentence, because hee would the life of a sinner, not the death; neither doth he take pleasure in the perdition of soules, but his will is our san­ctification. To those that stand, if they fall, he threat­neth punishment, that fearing that, they may not fall; but yet he promiseth mercie to those that fall, that trusting thereon, they may rise again: those he terrifieth, lest they presume in their goodnesse; these he comforteth, lest they should despaire in their wic­kednesse.

As a kinde and louing mo­ther threatneth stripes to her beloued sonne, whom, if ac­knowledging his fault, hee beg mercy at her hands, her [Page 463]motherly loue doth easily pardon; so likewise our mer­cifull God, patient, of great mercy, though hee be iustly angry with our sinnes, yet as­king pardon, with much fa­cilitie he is pleased. Can a mother forget her childe, Isa. 49.15 and haue no compassion on the sonne of her wombe? though shee should forget, yet will not I forget thee, sayth the Lord. A louing mother doth greatly desire the health of her sicke sonne, but much more doth God desire the saluation of a sicke soule. Though no humane good­nesse may be compared to the infinite goodnes of God, yet forasmuch as there can be no greater example found of affection in the highest de­gree, [Page 464]than of a mothers to­wards her sonne; therefore the loue of God towards sin­ners is compared to a mo­therly affection. There is no man so inflamed with the loue of his spouse, as GOD with the loue of thy soule.

Greater loue than this hath no man, Ioh. 15.13 when any man be­stoweth his life for his friends. Christ if thou hadst been alone, hee had suffered and died for thee, before he would haue suffred thy soule to haue fallen into the iawes of the diuell: For, for whom died he? For the iust? Aske Paul: Christ (saith he) died for sinners. If there had been no sinne in the world, Christ had not shed his blood: for what necessitie had there [Page 465]beene that God should shed his blood, but to redeeme both thine and the sinnes of the whole world? The least droppe of his precious blood did abundantly suffice for the redemption of all mankinde; but yet to the end he might expresse his great loue to­wards vs, he powred out his whole blood for vs: he spake many things, he did many things, hee suffered many things to redeeme vs, though those whom he created with his only word, he could like­wise haue repared with his only word. He tooke vpon him our death, that he might giue vs life; he gaue life vnto vs, hee receiued death from vs, and yet not for his owne desert, but for vs. He came [Page 466]into the land of our perigri­nation to take vpon him what here abounded: repro­ches, scourgings, blowes, spittings in the face, contu­melies, a crowne of thornes, the crosse and death; these abound in our countrey: to these and the like merchan­dize he came. What gaue he heere, for that he heere recei­ued? He gaue exhortation, doctrine, remission of sinnes; he broght vnto vs from that countrey many good things, and in ours he endured many euill. So much his loue pre­uailed, that he would be with vs where we were, and where he is, we shall be with him. Where I am, Ioh. 12.26 saith he, there shall also my seruant bee. What doth God promise vn­to [Page 467]thee a man? That thou shalt liue with him for euer: and doest thou not beleeue it? Beleeue, beleeue, it is more that hee hath done, than that he hath promised: It is more incredible that a dead man should bee eternall, than that a mortall man should liue for euer. Thou art to liue with him for euer, for whose sake hee is dead that liues for euer: Secure thy selfe that thou shalt receiue his life, whose death thou hast for an earnest penny. And therfore saith S. Paul; Rom. 5.10 If when wee were enemies, wee were re­conciled to GOD, by the death of his Sonne, much more being reconciled, wee shall be saued by his life. It is a greater thing to die for sin, [Page 468]than to take away sinne. To the reparation of the celesti­all mansions, not to eternall damnation hath the Lord created and redeemed thee: For if hee had desired thy damnation, when thou sin­nedst, hee had cast thee in­to hell.

Heereby thou maiest ga­ther that he delighteth more in thy reparation, than thy damnation: that there is greater ioy with him and his Angels for one sinner that conuerteth, Luk. 15.7. than for ninetie and nine iust men, that need no amendment of life. Which the Lord himselfe hath proo­ued by a threefold example; of the lost sheepe, which be­ing found, the shepheard with ioy laid vpon his shoul­ders, [Page 469]and brought him to his fold; of the lost groat, which being found, she calleth her friends and neighbours say­ing; Reioice with mee, for I haue found the piece which was lost; and of the prodi­gall childe, for whom, being returned to his father, the fat calfe was killed, which was not done for that sonne which continued with his fa­ther. By how much the more we are sorry for a thing lost, by so much the more do wee reioice when it is found: and therefore there is more ioy in heauen for a sinner that repenteth, than for a iust man that needeth no amendment. For a repentance inflamed with loue after sinne is more acceptable vnto God, than [Page 470]an innocency dull & carelesse with securitie, by grace: As a captaine in the warres loues more that souldier, that after his flight returneth, and vali­antly encountreth his ene­mie, than him that did neuer flie, and neuer performed a­nie valorous exploit: A hus­bandman loueth more that ground, that after the thorns and brambles be digged vp, yeeldes a plentifull increase, than that ground which ne­uer had thornes, and neuer gaue any increase. If therfore thy teares vpon earth bee so great a ioy to God and his Angels, how great a ioy shall thy pleasures in heauen be to them? This is the meat they feed vpon, the fruites they are delighted with, if by a [Page 471]true contrition of heart thou mortifie thy sinnes, and by a true and vnfained repen­tance turne vnto God.

Wherfore (deare brother) though thou thinke thy selfe condemned by Gods iustice, appeale vnto his mercy; for it sometimes commeth to passe, that whom iustice ac­cuseth, mercy absolueth, and that punishment which the Lord may iustly inflict, hee doeth mercifully pardon. For those whom God freely created and redeemed, he wil not willingly oppresse; and therefore if thou repent thee of thy sinne, hee repenteth him of his sentence: The vn­changeable God will change his sentence, if thou change thy life: So shalt thou con­quer [Page 472]the inuincible, binde the omnipotent, and a feare­full Iudge thou shalt change into a mercifull father.

CHAP. VI. That euen at the point of death repentance may be pro­fitable to salua­tion.

BVT perhaps thou wilt say, I come too late, I haue spent my whole life in sinne; I am now at the brinke of death, and therefore it is too late, at my last houre to turne vnto God. Res. Thou art a yoong man (my deare brother) in the strength of thy yeeres, thou maiest yet liue many a yeere, and haue time enough to repent. But [Page 473]yet because there is no man be hee neuer so yoong, that can ass [...]redly promise to himselfe to liue till night; and a sudden death may euerie houre of the day ouertake thee, wherein despairing thou maiest obiect this vnto me; therefore I haue thought good to satisfie this obiecti­on, though thou haddest ne­uer obiected it.

Whilest thou liuest, whi­lest thou yet breathest, yea when thou liest in thy bed, at the point of death, thou maiest repent, yea and then especially, there is yet hope of mercy, time of forgiuenes, place of repentance. God witnesseth of himselfe, Eze. 33. that at what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes, [Page 474]hee will blot out all his wic­kednesse out of his remem­brance. He that hath said, he will put out all his wicked­nesse out of his remem­brance, hath excepted no kinde of sinne. Though thou want time to confesse thy sinnes vnto God, yet in a mo­ment, euen in the twinckling of an cie, he can haue time to pardon all thy sinnes. Thy will is accounted for thy worke, and the gronings of thy heart for thy words. If therefore at the houre of death thou cease to bee wic­ked, by repentance thou needest not despaire of par­don, because thou art neere thine end. For God who­considereth the end of all men, iudgeth euery man ac­cording [Page 475]to his end, not his former life; neither doeth he respect so much, what wee haue beene heeretofore, as what we are at the end of our life. It is no matter how long, but how well a man liueth; neither doth the quantitie of the crime, nor the enormitie of a mans life, nor the breuity of the time, nor the extremity of the houre, exclude a man from pardon, if repentance in the end be true and per­fect. The great and manifold mercy of God is neither limi­ted by time, nor equalled by our great and manifolde of­fences. He that truly repen­teth, and is loosed from that band of sinne wherewith hee was tied, and liueth well af­ter his repentance, whenso­euer [Page 476]he dieth he may secure himselfe hee goeth to God; he shall not be depriued the kingdome of God, hee shall not be separated from the people of God. Matt. 20. For as they that went into the Vineyard to labour at the eleuenth houre of the day receiued a penny for their hire as well as they that began their la­bour the first houre and did beare the burthen and heat of the day; so not onely to those that from their childe­hood doe beare the yoke of the Lord is the reward pro­mised, but to the last too, who in the end of their life turne vnto God, is the earnest pen­nie of eternall life giuen.

The innumerable sinnes of the Nineuites a short repen­tance [Page 477]wiped away, and the Publican went presently out of the Temple iustified. Ma­rie Magdalen was so great a sinner, that the Pharisey dis­dained to see her, and yet in a short time she was iustified, and clensed from all her sins. The theefe hung vpon the Crosse, and being instantly to die, despaired not of salua­tion; he confessed the Lord vpon the Crosse, and euen with the words of his confes­sion he ended his life, and yet the Lord possessed him of Paradise before Peter; and lest any man should thinke repentance too late, hee tur­ned the punishment of mur­ther into a martyrdome. It is true that his repentance was late, but yet his pardon came [Page 478]not too late: he made speed in turning vnto God, and God was as speedie in pardo­ning. These shew thee the fruit of repentance, the foun­taine of mercy, the celeritie thereof: for they began late to repent and to do good, and yet by doing it truly, of the last they are made the first, and farre excelled those who being sooner were more slow in their proceedings. And therefore feare not but that it is likewise as possible for thee to outrun the first, and to be before them in the king­dome of heauen.

Though thou forsake not thy sinnes, till thy sinnes be ready to forsake thee, yet if thou then repent, despaire not of mercie; for though [Page 479]thy conuersion be short and momentarie, yet it shall not be vnprofitable. But as hee that giueth a cup of cold wa­ter loseth not his reward; Matt. 10. so notwithstanding thy repen­tance be no way answerable to the waight of thy sinnes, yet that moment of repen­tance, be it neuer so small, shal not want reward.

No man can make any sa­tisfaction vnto God, answer­able either to his greatnesse, or to those sinnes hee hath committed against him. Sin deserues a greater sorow and contrition of heart, than to bee lamented euen of those that truly repent; for an infi­nite offence against God re­quireth an infinite reconcili­ation: but yet forasmuch as [Page 480]the finite capacity of mans wit is not capable of that which is infinite; therefore our righteousnesse not suffi­cing, the passion of Christ supplieth it, which abun­dantly satisfieth for the sins of the whole world. God for our sinnes requireth no o­ther price, than the precious blood of his onely begotten sonne: for there is no sinne so deadly, but by his death is forgotten & forgiuen. 1. Ioh. 2. Christ himselfe is the propitiation for our sinnes, and not onely for ours, but for the sinnes of the whole world: for as if some poore and wretched creature being afflicted with a grieuous disease should be aduised by his Physitian to take such physicke for his re­couerie [Page 481]as were beyond his abilitie to reach vnto, and he shall answer the Physitian that he is not able by reason of his pouertie to buy it, whereupon the Physitian out of the goodnesse of his na­ture shall replie, saying, Doe thou what thou canst, and I will supply the rest; euen so our mercifull GOD (who much desireth the saluation of thy soule) requireth of thee nothing but what thou mayest doe, and yet mayest not doe neither without his gracious assistance, the rest out of his goodnesse he sup­plieth, and being easily plea­sed and contented with a lit­tle at thy hands, hee pardo­neth both the sinne and the punishment of thy sinnes. He [Page 482]giues that, that thou shalt giue vnto him, and is plea­sed with that which hee gi­ueth thee; for his vnspeak­able mercy towards vs, hee onely requireth this at our hands, To do that which by his assistance lieth in vs to performe.

There is a man of high and eminent honour, whom though according to his worth thou canst not honor, thogh thou spend al that thou hast; yet thou offendest not, if thou honour him accord­ing to thine owne abilitie, if thou doe what thou canst, not what hee deserueth: So our Lord God, because he is infinitely good, deserues an infinite loue and reconciliati­on, but yet hee willingly re­ceiueth [Page 483]the least that we can doe, because he knoweth our inabilitie, and therefore refu­seth not the least repentance that may be, that proceedeth out of an humble and con­trite heart. For if hee should not haue respect of our weaknesse, wee could neuer satisfie him for the least of our sinnes. But hee (as the Psalmist speaketh) is merci­full and forgiueth sinners, Ps. 78.38. and destroieth them not, but often times calleth backe his anger, and doeth not stirre vp all his wrath, for hee re­membreth that they are but flesh. But where mercie is, there iudgement is not rigo­rous; where mercy is graun­ted, there punishment is par­doned.

[Page 484]Wherefore (dea [...] bro­ther) though thou be at the point of death, lose not thy hope of saluation; so long as thou seest this light, thou hast time to repent, and af­terwards too; but when thou art departed this life, and art condemned by the irreuoca­ble sentence of God, it will be too late to repent. It is true that thou wilt repent in hell, but there it will not helpe, for in hell there is no re­demption.

CHAP. VII. Of the ioyes of Heauen.

BVt because hope (which is contrarie to despaire) is a certaine expectation of future blessednesse, proceed­ing [Page 485]from the grace and mer­cy of God; and this vertue (my deare brother) thou wantest, without which thou canst not be saued; it remain­eth that I confirme this hope in thee, and stirre vp thy minde to the desire of the ioies of heauen, that if thou turne not vnto God for feare of punishment, yet at the least, thou doe it, in an assu­red expectation of so great a reward.

Our good and gratious God, out of his onely good­nesse, not constrained by ne­cessitie, would that others should bee partakers of that blessednesse wherewith he is eternally blessed in himselfe; which he saw might likewise be communicated to others, [Page 486]and yet in nothing di [...] shed. Hee created therefor [...] in the beginning of the world, that tenth heauen [...] ­moueable, and of exceeding brightnesse and glory, which so soone as hee had created, he replenished with Angels. And as the beautie of an house is a solace and delight to the inhabitants; so the glorie and riches of heauen encrease much the ioy of the blessed. If the glory and or­nament of the earth and firmament be such, that of Paradise can not but bee farre more great; for because God created it for his friends, he gaue it a greater beautie than to other things. There is a continual light and splen­dor, not such as is heere, but [Page 487]so much greater than this, as the light of the Sun excee­deth that of a candle. There is not the Sunne to shine by day, but the Sunne of righteousnesse, who shineth for euer, full of all sweetnes, a sweet light, delightfull to our eies, to see the Sonne of righ­teousnes both God and man, the Creatour of mankind.

Of this blessed estate of the Saints of God in heauen, I had rather not speake, than derogate from the vnspeaka­ble excellencie thereof by speaking too little. The eye hath not seene, the care hath not heard, neither hath it en­tred into the heart of man, what God hath prepared for those that loue him. What can a man say more to com­mend [Page 488]that, which hee know­eth not how to commend sufficiently? Yet giue mee leaue, by the shadow to iudge of the substance, and by that happinesse wee enioy vpon earth, to ghesse at that wee shall enioy in heauen.

Because such as are con­demned haue need of a strait prison; Bar. 3.24. and kings of a large palace; therefore great is the house of God, and large is the place of his possession. It is great and hath none end; it is high and vnmeasurable. The kingdome of God ex­ceedeth all report, all praise. For there is all good and no euill; there nothing that is beloued is wanting, and whatsoeuer can be desired is present. I can more easily ex­presse [Page 489]what is not there, than what there is. There is no death, no disease, no weari­nesse, no mourning; there is no hunger, no want, no ad­uersitie, no enticement to sin. There is life without death, rest without labor; vnspeak­able ioy without sorrow; charitie without discord; se­curitie without care; beautie without deformitie. How happie is that citie, where­in there is euerlasting so­lemnitie, and how pleasant a court that knowes no care? Heere is neither labour, nor old age, nor deceit, nor feare of enemies, but one voice of reioicing, one agreement & feruencie of hearts, because God shall wipe away al tears from their eies and sorrow [Page 490]from their hearts. There ve­ritie reigneth; eternall salua­tion aboundeth; there no man deceiues, nor is decei­ued; none that is blessed cast out; none that is accursed ad­mitted. There is assured se­curitie, secure peace; peace­able delight; delightful hap­pinesse; happy eternitie in that blessedly eternall, and eternally blessed life. There the essentiall reward (which belongs to the essence of blessednesse, and without which the soule can not bee truely blessed) consisteth in the cleere sight & presence of God, The sight or presence of God, the first gift or grace of the soule. and this is the reward of faith; because those things that are heere beleeued b [...] faith, are there seene in the [...] true forme and likenesse. But [Page 491]both these are the gift of the inward man; because God whilest we are in the waie, is knowen of vs in spirit, as it were in a glasse, obscurely, but in heauen our true home, hee is seene face to face, not with corporall cies, but spiri­tuall; as the Prophets being absent in bodie, saw manie things done in the spirit, and by dreames, sleeping, knew many things by the spirit, though their outward senses were bound. And as in a glasse we see onely the image of the thing, and that imper­fectly; so whilest wee heere know, as it were by a simili­tude, the inuisible things of God, by those things that are made, we come to the know­ledge of God, as it were by a [Page 492]glasse and obscurely; but there directly-looking one vpon another, wee shall see God cleerely and nakedly, euen face to face; one in sub­stance, three in the difference of persons. As many as are there, shall together see the whole essence of God, bet forasmuch as by reason of his infinitenes, he cannot totally be comprehended, therefore he shall not be equally seene of all, but by a spiritual vision of one more darkly than of another; according to that measure wherewith euerie one shall be more or lesse en­lightned with the light of glory. For as the materiall sunne (which equally offer­eth it selfe to the eies of all) is not seene without the emis­sion [Page 493]of the light, or beame thereof into the eie of a man, and yet all doe not alike see it, and looke vpon it, but di­ueisly, more or lesse, accor­ding to the diuers dispositi­on of the eie to see: so the eie of the minde being weake, is not capable of that excellent light of God, except it bee strengthned of God, by a created and infused light of glory; as it is written: In thy light shall wee see light. The light of the diuine substance is seene in the light of glory; whereby the naturall light of the vnderstanding, and the spirituall eye is eleuated more or lesse to the know­ledge of God, according to that great or lesse faith and charitie whereby it is caried [Page 494]vnto him. The face therefore and forme of God shall bee seene more cleerely by one, than by another, as one and the same thing is better seene from farre, by one than by another, and one and the same writing beeing read by diuers, is diuersly vnder­stood; which diuersitie pro­ceedeth not from the thing or wr [...]ting, but the diuers disposition of the seer and the reader.

And because God is euery where present by essence, therefore he shall not there be seene by distance, but whersoeuer the soule is, there shall it see God present with it. It shall see God in it selfe, and it selfe in God; God in others, and others in God. [Page 495]By an vnspeakable meanes shall it depart from it selfe, and be turned wholly into the similitude of God. O­therwise, how shall God be in all, if in man there remaine any thing of man? 1. Cor. 15. The sub­stance of man shall continue, but in another forme, ano­ther glorie. For as a small quantitie of water powred into a great deale of wine, lo­seth it owne nature, and is turned into the taste and co­lour of the wine; as burning iron changeth his proper forme, and is made like vnto fire; as the aire being infla­med by the beames of the Sunne, is transformed into the same cleerenesse of light, insomuch as that it seemeth not to be inlightned, but light [Page 496]it self; and as a looking glasse directly stricken with the beames of the sunne, recei­ueth into it selfe the simili­tude of the sunne, insomuch that a man may thinke it an­other sunne: so the saints of God in heauen are totally pe­netrated with the cleere light of God in their inward parts, and so being deiformed are transformed into the simili­tude of God. So to bee affe­cted is to bee deified, as it is written; Psal. 82. I haue said yee are Gods; that is, by participa­tion, for there is one onely God by essence. You are dei­fied by him, he deifying you. And in another place; 1. Iob. 32 When he shall appeare, we shall, be like vnto him, for we shall see him as he is.

[Page 497]And as looking in a glasse a man seeth himself, & many things besides there present, & about him; so the blessed seeing God, together and at once, with one and the same vision see themselues and whatsoeuer is necessarie to the perfection of their hap­pinesse. They see that their sinnes are forgiuen them, not to their confusion, but to glo­rifie the great mercy of God, whereby whilest they re­ioice for their deliuerie from so great a miserie, they al­waies magnifie his holy name. For how should they giue thanks vnto God, if they should not remember why they are to doe it? If there bee there so great com­fort for sinnes forgiuen, how [Page 498]great is there for good works done? Though euery mans conscience lie open to one a­nother; yet there is no man there more ashamed of his sinnes, than he is heere of his wounds that are healed; or than an old man, of those things he did in his infancie: as Peter is no way abashed at his triple deniall, nor Mary Magdalene and diuers others at their sinnes formerly com­mitted, now pardoned.

Touching their know­ledge, if the Prophers as yet mortall men could know ma­nie things past, present and to come, how much more can God, who is a voluntarie and free looking glasse, represent whatsoeuer, to whomsoeuer; and whensoeuer? and there­fore [Page 499]an old doting decrepid woman in that glory know­eth more than all the Philo­sophers in the world can know in this life. There they know by what meanes the father begot the sonne equall vnto him, and that from both the holy Ghost proceeded coequall vnto both. What doe not they know, that know him that knowes all things? They haue alwaies libertie to behold God, al­waies to haue him, alwaies to possesse him; alwaies to see with a pure intention of the minde the beautie of his glo­rie, and the honour of his re­gall power. They behold him without wearinesse; they enioy him without tedious­nosse, and euer thirst to enioy [Page 500]him. By so much the more hee is desired by those that possesse him, by how much the more hee is possessed by those that desire him; By the abundant fulnesse of his vn­speakable goodnesse they are satisfied, and with a continu­all desire of his fruition they are neuer sat is fied. There is sacietie and hunger together; that takes away want, this lothsome wearinesse. A thou­sand yeeres in the fruition of God are as yesterday that is past. God is so delightfull to be seene, so sweet to bee pos­sessed, and so pleasant to bee enioyed, that his continuall presence bringeth no tedi­ousnesse with it, Secure f [...]u­ition the second gift of the soule. but rather sorasmuch as the blessed are for euer secure therof, it is an [Page 501]addition to their happinesse. The blessed fruition of God without end, continuall de­light without interruption, eternall possession without a­mission, & secure temptation without doubt of hope, fol­low one another: because the blessed enioy that, which sometimes they did hope to inioy, then at the last are their desires satisfied, whilest the glory of God appeareth vn­to them. God who is the end of all desires, can onely satis­fie their hearts; without him nothing is sought for, be­cause in him there is whatso­euer can bee desired. Being made companions with an­gels, and partakers of the kingdome of heauen, they reigne with their king Christ, [Page 502]and desiring nothing, pos­sesse all things; without co­uetousnesse they are rich, and without money in plentifull abundance. If the teares of the penitent bee sweeter in this life, than all the delicates of the rich: and if heere it be so pleasant a thing to weepe for it, how pleasant thinkest thou it is to reioice with it? If the least taste of the ioyes of heauen in this life, bee so delightfull, how great a mea­sure of perfect ioy and de­light haue the blessed in hea­uen, where with a ful mouth, as it were, they taste and see how sweet the Lord is? They feare not to lose the fruition of so great a good, otherwise they should not bee truely blessed: The ioyes of that [Page 503]eternall citie are eternall, where they are secure of that glorie that neuer withereth. which neither varieth, nor shall slide away, because they shall enioy an immutable peace. None stronger than themselues can assaile them, to cast them from thence; nei­ther will God, who is their chiefest good, withdraw himselfe from them, for he loueth them with a more in­dissoluble band of loue, than they loue themselues, and they loue God more than themselues.

And as it is one thing to see a thing, Charitie the third gife of the soule. another to possesse it, another to loue it; because wee see many things, which we possesse not, and possesse many which we loue not: so [Page 504]there are three distinct gifts, three rewards, and three glo­ries; The cleere light and fruition of God which suc­ceedeth faith; secure fruiti­on which succeedeth hope; and perfect charitie which neuer falleth away, because it continueth euen in heauen. Now the thing it selfe, not which is beleeued & hoped, but which is seene and pos­sessed, followeth faith and hope; but charitie (which is greater than they) doth ne­uer decay, but is perfect and increaseth, hauing attained what it hoped. If beleeuing and hoping wee loue that so much, which as yet wee see not, and to which wee haue not yet attained, how much more shall wee loue it, when [Page 505]we shall see it, and possesse it? In that fulnesse of loue, that commandement of lo­uing God, with all our heart, with all our soule, and with all our minde shall be fulfil­led, whilest the whole man, no way entangled with car­nall concupiscence as hee is now, shall wholly and inces­santly be carried vnto God; whilest with a kinde of vn­speakable sweetnes the bles­sed shall loue God more than themselues, and one another as themselues.

In all, there shall be one and the same will, because there, there shall be no other but the will of GOD. They will that which God willeth, and not that which hee will not; and as God can do what [Page 506]he will by himselfe, so what­soeuer they will they can do by God. As many as are there, are one Church, one spouse of Christ, and one bo­die. How then shall the head be at variance with the bo­die, or the bodie with the head? As one eye can not be turned, but the other must turne with it; so whatsoeuer one willeth, to that doe all o­ther willes consent. And as the eye would not bee the hand, nor the hand the eye; so though there be a diffe­rence in their glory, yet eue­rie one is sati [...]fied with that he hath, and being perfect in their ioy and glory, are ca­pable of no more than they [...]. And therefore no infe­ [...] enuieth his superior, as [Page 507]the angels enuie not the arch­angels; there is no enuie by reason of inequalitie in glo­rie, where the vnitie of chari­tie euer reigneth; because all loue all others as themselues, the good of euery one by charitie is made the good of all, and euery one, what in himselfe he hath not, he re­ioyceth to haue receiued in another. How great then thinkest thou the ioy is, in that perfect charitie of innu­merable angels and men? be­cause no man loues another lesse than himselfe, and reioi­ceth no otherwise for all, than for himselfe. Doubtlesse if any other whom thou louest as thy selfe, should enioy that reward of happinesse that thou doest, thy ioy would [Page 508]be doubled, because thou re­ioicest no lesse for him, than for thy selfe; but if two or three or more should pos­sesse the same ioy with thee, how doest thou thinke thy heart which is scarce capable of thine owne ioy, should be capable of so many? How many then and how great ioies hath euery Saint in hea­uen, who ioieth more in the glorie of God, than in his own; and of euery one whom he loueth not lesse than him­selfe, he ioieth not lesse than of his owne glory? If the ca­pacitie of a creature were ca­pable of what is infinite, the eie of euery particular person would be infinite; and neuer­thelesse it is immeasurable, vnspeakable and incompre­hensible, [Page 509]according to the ca­pacitie of euerie particular soule. The ioy it hath aboue it selfe is the fruition of God, beneath it selfe the euasion of hell, within it selfe glorifica­tion and blessednesse. The number of the blessed dimi­nisheth not that inheritance, whereof they are coheires, nor in any thing makes it the lesse. It is as much to manie as to few, as much to euerie particular person as to all; because it is one and the same to all, and all to euerie one; yea and by so much the grea­ter it is, by how much grea­ter the number is of coheires. There our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus, according to his deitie whereby he is God, sit­eth at the right hand of his [Page 510]father, in glory coequall, in like maiestie, in essence con­substantiall, in the selfe same eternitie. There are innume­rable multitudes of all sorts of people, and tribes, & lan­guages, who all, at all times praise the Lord, his praise is alwaies in their mouth, neuer ceasing to crie out, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of host. There are sung his euerlasting praises vpon the Violl and the Harpe. Psal. 150. And in that eternall blessednesse, which is a perfect state by by the aggregation of all good whatsoeuer, all happi­nesse is perfect and simple, not mixt with their contra­ries. Wherby so great is the felicitie, ioy, and pleasure, as if thou mightest bee permit­ted [Page 511]to stay there but one day, thou wouldest presently contemne all the delights of this life. All sweetnesse com­pared to that is bitternesse; all mirth mourning; all beau­tie deformitie; and whatsoe­uer may any way delight, molestation and anguish. There is there as great plea­sure and facilitie in obeying God, as there is felicitie in liuing and reigning with him.

But yet the blessednesse of the saints of God, and their glorie cannot bee perfect, their ioy compleat, being al­waies vrged with a naturall desire of the resurrection, and the glorification of their bo­dies. For their happinesse can not be entire and perfect, [Page 512]before the number of their fellow seruants, and brethren be compleat. Before the re­surrection they all receiue their garments of glory, be­cause as yet they enioy the blessednesse of their foules onely, but after the resurre­ction they are adorned with another, the incorruption of their bodies. At that time their blisse shall be doubled, when with the felicitie and rest of their soules they shall arise to the immortalitie and glory of their bodies.

The bodies of the blessed are heere sowen, Impassibi­litie the first gift of the body. 1. Cor. 15. and by na­ture begotten in corruption, but they shal rise in incorrup­tion, because they are incor­ruptible, impassible, and im­mortall. All fragilitie and [Page 513]earthly pollution shall vanish away, and be turned into ce­lestiall puritie and stabilitie: for there can be no euill with GOD, who is the chiefest good; and therefore though they were in hell, they can take no hurt; no more than Sidrach, Dan. 3. Mishach and A­bednego in the burning fur­nace.

They are sowen in weake­nesse, Subtilty the second gift. they shall rise in pow­er, because they are subtile, penetrable, and able to ouer­throw whatsoeuer they will: By glorie the grossenesse of their bodies shall be so taken away, that no obstacle can hinder them, but that they may freely penetrate any thing, as the beames of the Sunne passe thorow a glasen [Page 514]window. An example wher­of there is in the bodie of Christ, who rose, the sepul­cher being shut, went in vnto his disciples the gates being fast locked, and did penetrate the heauens no way diuiding them. And as the soule is now with the body, and hot burning fire with iron, so a glorious bodie may bee with an inglorious. Such shall be the subtiltie of spirituall bo­dies, that neuerthelesse the trueth of flesh and bone is re­serued in them, & that which subsisteth of a liuing spirit, ceaseth not to be a body. Be­cause they shall bee true bo­dies, not vaine or phantasti­call; they may bee toucht, and make resistance against that which toucheth, or [Page 515]made none, because they can penetrate by the subtiltie of their spirituall power the organe or instrument of feel­ing. As the soule shall there haue her inward senses, so the body shall haue his outward, the sight shall bee delighted with the con­templation of the humani­tie of Christ, the eare with the melodie of the praises of God: In God the soule shall bee inebriated with such de­light inwardly, as it shall not need any other delight in the outward senses. For God shal be all in all, he shall be a look­ing glasse to the sight, a harpe to the hearing, Honie to the taste, Balsum to the smel, a de­lectable flower to the touch. Agility the third gift.

They are sowed earthly [Page 516]bodies, because heauie and slow to execute the desires of the soule, they shall rise spi­rituall: not because they are turned into spirit, aire, or winde (for a spirit hath nei­ther flesh nor bone) but be­cause like spirits they are, Luk. 14. quicke, light, and swift, in­clining no more downward than vpward. The flesh ser­uing the spirit, is said to bee spirituall, because by an ex­cellent facilitie of obeying it is subiect to the spirit, for whether soeuer the spirit fli­eth, there is presently the bo­die also. Assoone as the Sunne rising with the beames there­of enlightneth the Westerne part of the world, and the eie looking vpward seeth the starres: as speedily as angels [Page 517]mooue themselues without a bodie, so speedily can the soule mooue her bodie from heauen to earth, and from earth to heauen. In which motion it is not wearied; and because it is subtile, by the resistance of the medium it is no way slowed. Yea whatso­euer it will, it can mooue and ouerthrow, and that with as little labour and endeuour, as a man moueth his eie. Wher­soeuer it is, it is alwaies alike happy, because it hath God alwaies present. This so great agilitie shall be acceptable and pleasant, not because it is necessarie, or that it hath it because it hath any need of it, but only for the greater in­crease of glorie; as wee vse not all those perfections that [Page 518]we haue, and reioyce to haue.

How great O Lord is the multitude of those ioyes thou hast prepared for those that feare thee! Oh how much doest thou loue vs, who re­seruest vs miserable & wret­ched sinners to so great glo­ry! Glorious things are spo­ken of thee, ô citie of God; and therefore it shall be more possible for mee to number the starres in the firmament, and to inclose the whole sea in a little vessell, than to ex­presse the least part of the blessednes of one soule. The ioyes thereof are such, and so great, that all the Arithmeti­cians of the world can not number it, the Geometrici­ans measure it, the Rhetori­cians with their tongues ex­presse [Page 519]it. It doth not onely exceed the power of our elo­quence, but the capacitie of our intelligence. Our thoght can conceiue it greater than our tongue vtter it, and yet it is greater than we can con­ceiue, and whatsoeuer wee thinke thereof, is lesse than it is, because the eye hath not seen, the eare hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, what God hath prepared for those that loue him. Faith apprehends it not, Hope attaines it not, Charity comprehends it not, because it farre exceedeth all our vowes, all our desires. It may be obteined, estimated it can not, for there is more to be gotten, than Faith could beleeue. Hope looke after. [Page 520]The rewards of GOD are greater than the desires of his saints: for so great is the sweetnesse of that heauenly countrey, as that if a droppe thereof should descend into hell, it would sweeten all the sorrowes of the damned: and if God could be seene by the damned in hell, hell were a Paradise. By this it euidently appeareth what and how great a good God is, since it can be well with none that depart from him. Let vs re­turne at the last vnto our selues, and descending as it were from heauen, let vs looke a litle vpon what is our owne. Doe wee thinke wee shall go into the house of the Lord? What are we, that we should goe thither? Mortall [Page 521]and abiect creatures, earth and ashes. But yet he that hath promised is our father, and is omnipotent. Can not he make an angell of a man, who made a man of the earth? By life we are men, by hope angels, to whom in our countrey we shall be like and equall. A merchant when he buyes a thing and takes assu­rance for it, though as yet he haue not his wares, yet he se­cures himselfe he shall haue them. God the Father hath promised vnto vs his glorie, and for an earnest pennie, in the meane time, he hath gi­uen vs his only Sonne, in the Sacrament of his bodie and blood, and hath inspired in­to our hearts his holy Spirit. There with an open face we [Page 522]shall see him, with greater ioy and more securely, whom heere we see mystically, yet fruitfully in his Sacrament. Despaire not therefore to come to this place, and ex­pect the promise of thine in­heritance.

Hope is necessarie for a wandring pilgrime, it is that that comforts him in the way; for a traueller that la­boreth in his iourney is ther­fore content with patience to beare his labour, because at last he hopes to come to the end thereof: take away his hope of the end, and his strength failes him, hee is presently wearie with going. A Physitian drawes forth his instrument to lance a wound, and he sayth to his Patient, [Page 523]Be patient and beare a little: in the paine he requires pa­tience, but after the paine he promiseth health: but the sicke bodie, except he pro­posed vnto him hope of re­couery, he would faint in that paine which he endureth. In the warres the hope of honor mitigateth the griefe of the wounds: so to those that beare the yoke of Christ, the hope of glory is a great com­fort, raiseth the minde vnto God, and that euill which they outwardly beare, in­wardly they feele not.

Hope brings no small plea­sure, when that which was hoped is once attained. Tem­porall things not had, afflict; when they are had, seem base and contemptible. Thou lo­uest [Page 522] [...] [Page 523] [...] [Page 524]thy wife not yet maried, whom perhaps thou hatest when thou hast her. What is the reason thereof? Because she appeareth not such being maried, as thou didst conceit her to be before thou hadst maried her. But God who is beloued being absent, growes not more base being present; the fruition findes more in him, than the cogitation could forme or imagine of him. We shall loue God more when we shall see him, if we can loue him before we see him: he is more feruently be­loued being gotten, than de­sired. Except he be first lo­ued, he can not afterwards be possessed; and yet he is not therefore possessed because he is beloued, because it is ne­cessarie [Page 525]and our dutie, that aboue all things he be belo­ued. Vanitie of vanities and all is vanitie; how great a mi­serie is it to lose the Creatour for the creature, to follow the shipwrack of this world, and not rather flie to the Sanctu­arie of God, and to taste how sweet the Lord is, and how great the multitude of his mercies? If thou wouldest consider what and how great things are promised thee in heauen, all things thou enioi­est vpon earth would seeme base and contemptible.

What then is the reason (dear brother) that thou run­nest not vnto heauen? where thou shalt see God without end, possesse him without losse, loue him without loath­ing. [Page 526]Many of thy parents, brethren, sisters, and friends expect thee there, millions of saints desire thy company, now se [...]ed of their owne happines, & carefull of thine. Of whose company lest thou shouldest be deceiued, thou must vse thy best indeuor: it is no difficult matter if thou wilt, not burthensome if thou attend it. Only repent, and the kingdome of heauen is at hand: To which he bring vs that liues and reigneth with­out end. Amen.

By that which hath beene spoken, The Con­clusion of the sixth part. thou plainly seest (my dear brother) how good and mercifull God is▪ & how ready to pardon sinnes. The riches of whose goodnes the [...] considering calleth [Page 527]him not only a merciful God, but mercy it selfe. Thou God hast taken me vp, thou art a mercifull God, nay mercy it selfe. Consider the bosome of his diuine goodnesse, how open the lap of his mercy is, and despaire not, cast not downe thy selfe, faint not with mourning; the gate of mercy and the treasury of his goodnes is set wide open vn­to thee, and wilt thou fall in­to the bottomlesse pit of de­spaire? God inuiteth thee to repentance, he offereth for­giuenesse, he putteth foorth the right hand of his helpe, and doest thou turne thy face from him? Heauen is set wide open vnto thee, and wilt thou descend into the pit of hell? The diuell knowing how ex­cellent [Page 528]a thing repentance is, hath tempted thee to this de­spaire, hath taken from thee thy hope, which is the foun­dation and anchor of thy sal­uation, and the conductor of our iourney vnto God. If therefore thou desire to e­scape the snares of the diuell, and by hope to take holde of the mercies of God, only de­part from euill and do good: for the first step to saluation is to decline from euill, the second to hope for pardon.

Which hope of Gods mercie is not sufficient to saue thee, without the feare of his iustice, for in vaine shalt thou hope in his mercie, ex­cept thou likewise feare his iustice. For God who is mer­cifull, is likewise iust, and [Page 529]therefore considering how mercifull he is, despaire not; considering how iust, neg­lect not thy sinnes. There is no securer way, than vnder hope to feare, and to ioyne those two together: lest perhaps an vnwarie minde may deiect it self by despair, or fall by presumption. It is to be feared lest thou fall into another bottomlesse pit, and thou die by presuming of the mercy of God, that couldest not die by despairing of it; and thou haue in thy heart cogitations diuers from the former, but not lesse dange­rous; and so thou beginnest in thy heart to say: At what houre soeuer I shall repent, God will put out all my wic­kednesse out of his remem­brance, [Page 530]and therefore why should I rather conuert to day than to morrow? But (my deare brother) what if thine end bee before to mor­row? For hee that promiseth vnto thee so much mercy if thou repent, promiseth not to morrow, if thou persist in thy sinnes. It is to bee feared lest whilest conuersion is put off to the end, an vnexpected death may rather preuent, then repentance helpe. Lest therefore by hoping thou shouldest encrease thy sinne, the day of thy death is vncer­taine; and lest by despaire thou shouldest encrease it, there is offered vnto thee the hauen of repentance. Which notwithstanding that in the [...] of thy daies it bee good, [Page 531]yet that is better, that is be­fore thy end, and a much more assured way to attaine vnto heauen, where wee shall see God without end, loue him and praise his holy name for euer and euer. Amen.