IN these words 1 here is: First, a compunction and a thorow woun­ding [Page 2] their hearts.

2 Secondly, a consul­tation what to doe.

3 Thirdly, Peters ho­ly counsell; Amend your liues, and be baptized.

From the first, in that these men when they had heard of the greatnesse of their sin, were thus woun­ded at the heart, ob­serue:

That contrition in a new creature ordi­narily is answerablePoint. [Page 3] to his former vanity.

Manasse, 2 Chron. 33. 6.Instan. Mary Magdalen, Luke 7. Augustine a great sinner, wrote 12. bookes of Repentance.

To whom much is forgiuen,Reas. 1. they loue much: and this is a fountaine of Euange­licall Repentance. As a traitor condemned to dye would wonder­fully breake his heart to thinke hee should bee so villanous to so [Page 4] gracious a Prince: so is it with a Christian that beholds Gods mercy to him.

Christians after their conuersion desire to see their sinnes to the vtmost,Reas. 2. with all the circumstances that make them hatefull, as the obiect, nature, per­son, time, and age, &c. In which or how they were done, that so they may bee more humbled for them.

[Page 5]If it be not so (as it may be otherwise, for God is a free agent and is not tyed to any pro­portion of sorrow) then such troubles as these vsually seaze on them.

First, they are often 1 afflicted with this, that their conuersion is not through and sound, and so do not with such heartinesse and chearefulnesse per­forme the duty of [Page 6] Godlynesse.

2 Secondly, they are many times haunted with listlessnesse and coldnesse in their pro­gresse of Christianity.

3 Thirdly, they are vi­sited with some crosse or other that sticks by them: to make them lay a greater Load vp­on sin.

4 Fourthly, they are more subiect to bee o­uertaken with their sweete sinne, because [Page 7] because they haue no more sorrowed for it. For the lesse it is sor­rowed for, the more it insnares men.

Fiftly, some of them 5 haue beene assaulted vpon their bed of death with sorrowfull and strong temptati­ons: Not that men should conceiue this is alwayes the reason of it; for God hath ends in all his workes, knowne onely to him­selfe; [Page 8] but this I haue knowne, some haue beene troubled, and this may bee in great mercy to make a weake conuersiō more strong. Least any Christian should bee troubled at it, take notice in Contrition:

1 There must bee sor­row of heart because of sinne.

2 There must bee a dislike of it in the will.

3 There must bee a [Page 9] transmutatiō or strong reasoning in the mind out of the word of God against sin. This is the Sinew of Repen­tance as Austin had a­gainst Playes, that all men could not draw him to it.

There must bee a re­solution 4 and striuing and watching against it, as Iob with his eye. Iob. 31. 1.

There must bee a 5 greiuing that hee is not [Page 10] excellent in all these, and herein make vp what thou wantest in the former. These bee in some measure in all Christians; some are more eminent in one part, some in another, as Ioseph had little sor­row, but a strong Re­solution, because hee had so strong a temp­tation, and withstood it; hee had strong rea­sons beyond nature to resist sin, and resolue a­gainst [Page 11] it, so that it is not so much the mea­sure, as the truth of e­uery part that is re­quired. But if they bee not in an excellency in great sinners, they are to mourne for the want of them. To help herein, obserue these tenne degrees or Acts of repentance or rather helps to humilation.

Get sight, and sur­uey,1 Act. and full appre­hension of all thy vile­nesse, [Page 12] iniquities, trans­gressions, and sinnes, the number and na­ture of them.

2 Get a right appre­hension of Gods wrath and fiery indignation, and the pure eye of God against sinne.

3 Get a sense of the vnspeakable misery thou art lyable to by reason of sinne.

4 Get a base esteeme of thy selfe.

5 Get an inward sor­row [Page 13] of heart and bleeding of soule.

Get an outward be­wailing 6 with hart-peir­cing confession.

Get an hatred and 7 auersion in thy will from sinne.

Get a strong rea­soning 8 in thy minde against sinne.

Get a sincere oppo­sition 9 in thy life, of sinne.

Get a sincere grei­uing 10 that thou canst do [Page 14] these things no better. Now for the first act 1 (viz.) Get a sight & sur­uey, and full apprehen­sion of all thy vilenes, iniquities, transgressi­ons and sinnes, the number and nature of them; for which pur­pose take these three helps.

1 First, keepe the eye of thy naturall consci­ence cleare.

2 Secondly, bee ac­quainted with all the [Page 15] wayes thou canst pos­sible to anatomize thy sinne.

Thirdly, take notice 3 of the guilt of originall sinne, because a Chris­tian may haue his heart locked vp more at one time then at an other.

For the first of 1 which (viz) the keep­ing of the eye of the naturall conscience cleare, obserue:

First the Rules of 1 [Page 16] the heathen that neuer did know Christ.

2 Secondly the in­dowments of the Hea­then.

3 Thirdly the com­mon notions of nature which were in the Heathen.

1 For the first (viz) The rules of the Hea­then that neuer did knowe Christ, as in­stance 1 in: Lying be­sides the word of God which banisheth itReuel. 22. 21. [Page 17] from Heauen, by the light of naturall reason Aristotle saith, A lye is euill in it selfe, and can­not bee dispensed withall; and the reason of it is this: we haue a tongue giuen vs to ex­presse the truth; now if our tongue tell more or lesse then our mind conceiues, it is against nature.

Ribald talking, of which many make a sport, and rather then [Page 18] they will lose a Iest, they will venter to damne their soules. Epictetus saith, Its dan­gerous to digresse into obscenity of speech. 3 Cowardize in good causes, thinking it good sleeping in a whole skin, Aristotle Ethic. 3. cap 1. that in some cases a man had better lose his life then bee cow­ardly.

4 Drunkennesse; the daies bee so drowned [Page 19] in impiety, that if a man bee drunk euery day, yet he will take it in a great disgrace if he be not counted an honest man; whereas Seneca saith it is but a raging madnesse, and if hee should behaue himselfe so but two or three dayes as hee doth then, men would count him mad.

Mourning immo­deratly 5 for losse of wife or children, Passi­ons [Page 20] of anger, morall Philosophers haue many excellent rules, the which if a naturall man would take no­tice of, hee would ne­uer bee so passionate: for they say it ariseth 1 first, From a great weaknesse of spirit. For were he manly, hee would passe by those thinges with scorne: whereas hee shews himselfe to bee of an effeminate spirit [Page 21] and impotent affecti­ons. From selfeloue.2 From an ouer deli­cacy 3 and too much nicenesse in suffering wrong. From a pas­sing 4 proud nature, be­ing affraid to bee con­temned. From too 5 much credulity, so that if one or two do whis­per hee thinkes they speake somthing hurt­full of him, and is rea­dy to breake out into rage: for which passi­ons [Page 22] they giue these rules.

1 That thou containe thy body and tongue in quiet.

2 That thou say ouer the greeke Alphabet be­fore thou say any thing in rage.

3 That thou looke thy selfe in a glasse, and thou shalt see what an vgly creature thou art in that rage; for saith Homer, his eyes sparcle like fire, his hart swels, [Page 23] his pulse beates. &c. so that if in this moode he should see himselfe in a glasse, he would neuer againe be angry.

Secondly, obser­uing 2 the endowments of the Heathen. For instance, Regulus the Romane, being taken prisoner of his ene­mies the Carthaginians, & vpon promise of re­turne if he sped not, obtaining to go home to Rome to treate with [Page 24] the Senate for a com­mutation of Cap­tiues, Carthaginians for Romanes, of whom himselfe was one: Comming to the Se­nate, he gaue weighty reasons to dissawde them from commucati­on; so as chusing ra­ther to abide the certaine cruelty of his E­nemies, then to breake his faith and promise; he returned, where he was most cruelly vsed [Page 25] of them; by whose example Christians might bee ashamed that make no matter of breaking their pro­mises.

Fabricius attained to 2 that height of excel­lency, that it was said, A man may as soone pull the Sunne from its Spheare, as that man from his honest and iust dealing.

Cato was so excel­lent,3 that it is said, hee [Page 26] did not good for feare, shame, profit, &c. but because goodnes was so incorporated into him, that hee would not do otherwise.

4 Cambyses stood so stricktly against bribe­ry, that a Iudge being taken in that crime, he flayed him, and set his skinne in the seat of Iustice, and let his son leane thereon that hee might hate that vice.

5 Zaleucus King of the [Page 27] Locrians, made a law for adultry, that who­soeuer was taken in that fact should haue his eyes pulled out; now his owne sonne being taken in that fault first, because hee would not violate his owne decree, pulled out one of his sonnes eyes, and one of his owne.

Thirdly, obseruing 3 the common notions of nature which were [Page 28] in the Heathen.

1 All good is to bee done.

2 All evill is to be avoy­ded.

3 Kinde is to be pro­pagated.

4 Doe as wee would be done by.

5 God is to be hono­red, from whence ari­seth this obiection, namely:Quest. Is not this notion extinguished in them that deny God?

[Page 29]Not vtterly,Ans. but it generally dwels in them; so farre onely they haue vse of it, as to leaue them without excuse Rom. 1. 19. 20.

A mans life is to bee 6 preserued: Now selfe preseruation is so in­grafted into the blood and veines; that there­fore the selfe-mur­derer sinnes:

Against God the Fa­ther.1

Against God the 2 Son.

[Page 30] 3 Against God the holy Ghost.

4 Against the light of nature.

1 For the first, (viz.) thou sinnest against God the Father, who commandeth, Thou shalt not kill, and so thou sinnest:

1 Against the image of God, in that thou destroyest it.

2 Against his Soue­raignty; for,

1 Hee hath appointed [Page 31] thee to worke in his vineyard, and thou wilt rather dye, &c. as if he were a hard Ma­ster, that thou darest stay no longer in his seruice.

Thou dishonourest 2 him, and gratifiest his enemy.

Hee hath planted 3 thee as a tenant at will in this earthly taber­nacle, and thou bea­test it about thy eares.

Thou sinnest against 2 [Page 32] God the Sonne; for,

1 Thou art none of thine owne, thou art bought with a price: this will helpe thee a­gainst the diuels temp­tations, for when hee comes to tempt thee to that sinne, say, thou art an others and not thine owne.

2 Thou maymest Christs body in taking away a member of it.

3 Thou sinnest a­gainst God the holy [Page 33] Ghost; for,

Thou pollutest thy 1 soule with blood; and,

It is the office of 2 the Spirit to dwel with us: and

It is the office of the 3 Spirit to inuite vs to taste of the good bles­sings of God, as Esay 51. Oh! but my soule is blacke with sinne, &c. This is the action of the Spirit to reueale this vnto thee.

Thou sinnest against 4 [Page 34] the light of nature most cowardly, and a­gainst fortitude; thou sinnest against the Kingdome; against thy neighbour, thy fa­mily, and thy selfe; and puttest thy selfe a­mong the sorrowes of the diuels, which is a Bedlam madnesse.

Be acquainted with all the wayes thou canst possibly,2 Helpe. how to anatomize thy sinnes; for which purpose [Page 35] take these methods and helps.

Bee perfect in the 1 Law of God, & looke thy selfe in the pure Christall glasse there­of: Be throughly ca­techised in the Com­mandements,, as in the fourth Comman­dement; wherein con­sider,

Preparation.1

Celebration.2

Preparation, which 1 consists,

[Page 36]In praying:

1 Publiquely with thy Familly; Priuately with thy selfe.

2 In examination.

3 In renewing thy re­pentance.

4 In couenanting with thy thoughts to spend that whole day in ho­ly things.

2 Celebration.

1 It may bee for scan­dalous sinnes in thy life thou hast beene sorowful, but thou hast [Page 37] passed it with many wandrings; for which thou hast not beene humbled: All these are to bee brought to thy minde with much bleeding.

An vtter Cessation 2 or abstinence, from thoughts, words, and deeds; of calling, recre­ation; more then for necessity, mercy, com­linesse.

Take suruey of all 2 the wrong which we [Page 38] haue offered to all things in Heauen and Earth; all things are the worse for a wick­ed man, so far as his sinne can add hurt vn­to them.

3 Take a perusal of thy selfe from top to toe. The sinnes of thy eies: each thing thou loo­kest on, not making a holy vse of them, is a sin of omission: con­sider then how many there are euery day, [Page 39] and, if in one part so many, what are there in the whole body?

Consider all the com­missions,4 and omis­sions as thou standest in seuerall relations.

As a Creature, how thou hast caried thy selfe to thy Creator.

As an husband, to thy wife.

As a Father, to thy Children.

As a Master, to thy Family.

[Page 40]As a Neighbor, to them without, or to Gods children.

As a Subiect, &c.

Take notice of all thy failings in al these, and thou shalt finde sufficient matter for a day of humiliation.

5 Labour to get (as I am perswaded euery Christian hath) two Catalogues of thy sins, before conuersion, and since.

Of Gods mercies, [Page 41] spirituall and tempo­rall.

Take notice of the guilt of originall sin.3 Now because a Chri­stian may haue his heart locked vp more at one time than at an­other, let them in case of barrennesse, consi­der these sixe quick­ning points.

Looke to the seede and sinke,1 Quic: point. and natu­rall inclination of thy heart to all manner of [Page 42] wickednesse: for sup­pose by the mercy of God thou wert able to say, and that truely, that thou couldest not possibly finde any actual sin within thee: yet looke back to the corrupt fountaine, & there thou shalt finde that thou and the most holy christian on earth, whilst thou li­uest in this house of flesh and tabernacle of clay, thou hast it in thy [Page 43] nature to sinne against the holy Ghost, to kill Iesus Christ to com­mit sodomy; & what hindereth but Gods free mercy? This then throughly consider­ed▪ is sufficient matter to humble thee, to consider with thy selfe, what a wretch am I yet, that haue this seede still in my bow­els.

Consider & through­ly weigh the circum­stances2 Quic▪ point. [Page 44] of all thy sins, of thy vnregenerati­on, at what time, in what place, with what scandall, &c. As Austin saith of him selfe, hee did wonder­fully weepe in rea­ding the fourth booke of Virgill when Dido was killed what a damn'd soule had I (quoth hee) that could weepe for her misery, and not for my owne? so when he listened to [Page 45] musicke and to the tune in singing of a Psalme in the Church, rather then kept his heart to goe along with the matter: and for being much addi­cted to stage plaies, & many more, but espe­cially for robbing an orchard, which he ag­grauates by many cir­cumstances; that great renowned Father left this example to all posterity; where as if [Page 46] a young man now a­dayes should but cry out of robbing an or­chard, hee would bee thought simple and too precise. Looke the second booke of his Confessions, where see his sinne aggrauated,Chap. 4. by these ten circum­stances.

1 Saith hee, this theft which I committed was not onely in the booke of God for­bidden, but I had it in [Page 47] my heart daily.

Volui, feci I resolued 2 with free will to doe it, and I did it.

Fastidio aequitatis, I did 3 not doe it for want, but in disdaine of goodnesse, and out of an eager desire to doe wrong.

I had aboundance of 4 the same kinde and better at home.

I did steale them,5 not so much to inioy the thing, as mine [Page 48] owne theft, that it might bee said of my old companions, that I robd an Orchard.

6 There was a num­ of desperate swagge­rers and incarnate Di­uels with me.

7 Nocte intempestiua, at midnight: which he aggrauateth with a­nother Circumstance when wee had beene sporting and dancing we did it.

8 We carried all away. [Page 49] We carried so many a­way,9 that they were a burden to vs.

When wee came 10 home wee gaue them to the swine: and then at the conclusion, hee cryes, Oh my God, behold my heart, Ecce cor meum Deus.

If we would looke backe on such a Sab­bath breaking, how in such a place, at such a time, so inflamed with lust; If drun­kards, [Page 50] whoremon­gers, vsurers, &c. would take this course, they might finde such aggrauati­ons, that by the mercy of God, might terrifie them from their euill courses.

In case of barren­nesse consider,3 Quic: point. we had our hands in the sinne of Adam, & so brought all the sorrow, sinne, and damnation vpon all that shall bee dam­ned, [Page 51] and we are guilty of all the horrors of conscience; If we had not hearts of adamant, or hewne out of a rocke, or had sucked the brest of Wolues or Tigers, we would bee moued at this, which is able to breake a thousand adamants. I speake aduisedly, it is able to open a wide gap of penitent teares in the most flinty soule of the most bloody sin­ner.

[Page 52]Cut off all sinne both originall and actuall that thou hast taken notice of,4 Quic: point. and doe but consider the imper­fections that follow the best actions, the in­numerable distracti­ons of thy most holy prayer that euer thou madest; the sinnes of the last Sabbath, thy deadnes, fruitlesnesse, &c.

Remoue all perso­nall sins,5 Quic. point. yet consider [Page 53] how many wayes we haue our hands in o­thers sinnes, which (it may be) they haue car­ried to hell with them. Wee haue a world of matter from hence to breake our hearts: for we may bee guilty of others sins 13 wayes; There is none but are guilty of some of these wayes.

For the first, by in­couraging 1 them, as those Prophets which [Page 54] cryed Peace, peace, when there is no peace, when they are but for­mall or ciuill profes­sors, those that sow pillowes vnder mens elbowes, that heale the wounds of the people with faire words, when there is nothing towards,Esa 9. 5. but tumbling of garments in blood,Eze. 13. 10. and vengeance,Ier. 14. 14. and deuouring with fire. Aske all those Mini­sters that reueale not [Page 55] the whole counsell of God, who sent them to incourage; it shall all fall to nothing; but you of this place are inexcusable, for wher­in haue I hid any thing from you? no, I dare not bee guilty of any mans blood that way, for the damnation of his soule.

By prouoking;Iob 2. 9. as 2 Iob's wife said to him, Curse God and dye: so, Fa­thers prouoke not your [Page 56] Children to wrath, Ephe. 6. 4 for they then are guilty of their sinnes.

3 By familiarity with sinners, with compa­ny keeping. If thou vouchsafest thy com­pany to Alehouse haunters, to prophane persons, to Idolaters, to Gods enemies; looke for that sharpe checke which the Prophet gaue to Iehosaphat for associating himselfe with wicked Ahab, 2 Chron. 20. 37. [Page 57] saying, Shouldest thou countenance the vngodly, and loue them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath vpon thee from before the Lord. Or as Psal. 50. 18. When thou sawest a theese, thou consentedst with him, and hast beene partakers with adulteres. There­fore as Moyses said to the people, Separate your selues from the Tents of Corah, least ye perish with them. And, Come out of Babylon, my people, haue [Page 58] no communion with that Whore, least yee perish in her sinnes, and be destroyed with her plagues, Reu. 18. Dauid saith, I haue not dwelt with vaine persons, nor will I haue fellowship with the vngodly Odi Ec­clesiam malignantiū. And who would vouchsafe to let their loue runne on such in this life, that must bee separated in the world to come? But for workes of thy particular calling, as [Page 59] buying, selling, saluta­tions, &c. wee must haue these, or we must out of this world, as 1 Cor. 5. 10. 11.

By participation,Esay 1. 23 Thy 4 Princes are rebellious, and companions of theeues: so Magistrates which ex­ecute not their office, are guilty of all the sins which the people com­mit within the com­passe of the time of their gouernment, and they are all set on their [Page 60] score, without repen­tance.

5 By silence, when thou hearest a good man traduced, and say­est nothing; especially dumbe dogges; euery Sabbath is a bloody day to them, for their silence is cause of all the iniquity done that day, & all these things which they do amisse, whether by swearing, Ale-house haunting, &c. all are set on his [Page 61] score: so all those that are faint and coward­ly for Gods glory and truth.

By defending,Esay 5. 20. Woe 6 to them that call darknesse light, and light darknesse; Therefore if any by quicknesse of wit will labour to maintaine vsury, bribery, &c. they are guilty of those sins.

By counselling, as 7 Iesabell counselled her husband to kill Na­both. Or as those say, [Page 62] Come,Wis. 2, 9. let vs crowne our selues with rose buds before they be withered, let vs all bee partakers of our wan­tonnesse, &c.

8 By commanding,2, Sam. 11. 15. as Dauid commanded V­riah to be set in the fore front of the battell, and therefore guilty of his death.

9 By commending,Act. 12, 22. as those that commen­ded Herod for his ora­tion, saying, It is the voyce of a God; they were [Page 63] guilty of his sinne in taking honour from God.

By conniuency, as 10 Ely winked at his sons; for which you may see what a fearefull iudge­ment fell vpon that house for forbearing them. If we had no o­ther sins in a day of hu­miliation, it were a­ble to breake the har­dest heart; but espe­cially for maisters of Families, who winke [Page 64] at their parents and seruants swearing, sab­bath breaking, &c. If these bee not guilty of the former sinnes, yet they are guilty in not praying with them and bringing them to ex­traordinary exercises.

11 By consenting;Acts 22. 20. as Paul bewayled that he carried the cloathes of them that slew Stephen when he was stoned.

12 By not sorrow­ing for them:Psal. 119. 136. Dauid Psal. 25. 13. [Page 65] shewes what Christi­ans ought to doe.Mar. 3. 5

By not praying a­gainst 13 them, for the suppressing of them.

Consider the sinnes of the times:6 Quic. point. Dauids eyes gusht out with teares to see men trans­gresse the Law. So Lots heart was vexed daily with the sinnes of the people amongst whom hee liued, 2. Pet. 2, 8. And blessed are they that mourne, so Math. 5. 4. [Page 66] obserue these seuerall branches wel, and thou shalt finde sinnes e­now to mourne for.

Now for the 2. Act.2 Act. viz. A right apprehen­sion of Gods wrath and fiery indignation, and the pure eye of God against sin. Now the Christian often­times complaines, that hee cannot apprehend Gods wrath sufficient­ly. Let him take these helps.

[Page 67]The seuerity of Gods Iudgement against sin;1 Helpe. for which

He threw downe the 1 Angels from Heauen to be Diuels for euer (which might haue done him abundance of glory) and that, as some thinke but for a thought.

For but eating an 2 apple, which some count a small fault, hee cast Adam out of Para­dice, and sent a world [Page 68] of misery vpon him & his posterity.

3 Hee drown'd the world; which shewes the infinite purity in God not to abide sinne.Gen. 7.

4 Hee burnt Sodom for those very sinnes now reigning amongst vs.Eze. 16, 49.

5 Hee reiected the Iewes which were his most deare people: for they so prouoked God, that they are now no nation, and his wrath [Page 69] hath so fiercely seized on them, that they are most cursed vagabōds, and so haue beene a thousand sixe hundred yeares.

Consider, hee hath 6 created horror of con­science which is a hell vpon earth for the pu­nishment of sinne; but aboue all, the torments of hell, that woefull place and state prepa­red for the wicked, where the greater part [Page 70] of the world shall bee howling for euer.

Consider how hard a thing it is to get par­don for sinne,2 Helpe. in that the Iustice of God, was hard to bee satisfied. Imagine all the world were turned into a masse or lump of gold, the stones of the streets into precious pearles, and the Sea and Ri­uers all flowed with liquid streames of most pure gold:Mic. 6, 7. they would [Page 71] not satisfie the wrath of God for the least sinne: if all the Angels and creatures in hea­uen and earth had ioy­ney together & made one feruent prayer for mans sinne, nay if that they had offered them selues to bee annihila­ted, it could neuer haue beene effected; nay if the Sonne of God him­selfe should haue sup­plicated his Father with most earnest in­treaties, [Page 72] could he haue beene heard, vnlesse he had taken our flesh vpon him and suffered what diuels and men could imagine to in­flict vpon him? Which well considered, there is infinite cause to bring vs to a sense of Gods wrath, that hee should lay, and suffer such infinite torments to bee on him, that hee cryes out vnto God, My God, my God, why [Page 73] hast thou forsaken mee? Though he loued him infinitely as himselfe, yet he would haue his Iustice satisfied.

The vnresistable comming of God a­gainst sinners,3 Helpe. though he is wonderfull ready and easie to be intrea­ted whilst hee vouch­safeth a day of visitati­on; But if men will withstand the day, then hee comes in de­uouring rage; and his [Page 74] wrath being once kin­dled shall burne to the bottome of hell; then his Arrowes shall drinke blood and eate flesh, Hosea 13. 8. then will he meete them as a Beare robbed of her whelpes, and teare in pieces when there is none to helpe, Psal. 7. 2. And Esay 66. 15. is set downe the manner of his comming, with fire and Chariots like a whirlewinde.

[Page 75] Gods holinesse, which opposeth sinne,4 Helpe. and is contrary to it, that hee lookes not on the least sinne with the least allowance.

Get a sense of the vnspeakable misery thou art liable vnto by reason of sinne;3 Act. for which purpose consi­der all thy sinnes with their circumstances, as of times, past, present, and to come.

Looke backe vpon 1 [Page 76] all thy sinnes past that euer thou commit­tedst, all thou hast beene guilty of euer since thou wast borne, originall, or actuall, known, or vnknown, of thought, word and deede; They are writ­ten with a penne of iron, and with the point of a diamond, not to bee raced out: they are all vpon Re­cord, and now lye as so many sleeping Ly­ons, [Page 77] gathering strength and vigor against such time as the Lord shall awake the conscience; and then they will ap­peare and rent thy soule in pieces. I say, let naturall men consider of this point, and they shall see themselues miserable; for there are some for small sinne put to such frights, as they could not bee comforted in a long space; as some who [Page 78] hauing an adulterous proiect, without any actuall pollution; and others who hauing found a trifle, and made no conscience to restore it by light of naturall conscience, knowing they did not as they would be done by, was put into vn­speakable horror; and some who hauing an vnworthy thought of God, these were put into such amazement, [Page 79] that they wisht they had neuer beene. If these for such small things (in mens ac­count) haue come to such a passe, that they tooke no delight in a­ny earthly thing, but are put to their wits end, ready to make a­way themselues, wish­ing themselues annihi­lated; then what tea­ring of haire, what horror of conscience will seize vpon thee on [Page 80] thy bed of death; with what a gashly counte­nance wilt thou looke vpon that blacke and hellish Catalogue of all thy sinnes? as lies, oathes, railings, scof­fings at Gods people, rotten speeches, bed­lam passions, goods ill gotten, time ill spent, prophanation of Sab­baths, and killing Christ at euery. Sacra­ment, as all naturall men doe: These shall [Page 81] be summoned before thee; and charged vp­on thy conscience by the iust God; then con­sider in proportion what horror will bee in thine heart; no heart can conceiue it, nor tongue of men and Angels vtter it. Now then attend, and let none blesse themselues and say, I neuer felt this misery, therefore it shall neuer hurt mee; I tell thee; it is the per­fection [Page 82] of thy misery, that thou art insensible of it: to be soule-sicke and feele it not, is the complement of mise­ry; and the reasons why thou canst not see it, are these seuen.

The diuell,1. Reas. while thou art his, will not trouble thee; hee is a Politician of almost sixe thousand yeeres experience, & knowes if once thou see thy sinnes, hee shall loose [Page 83] thee; therefore hee blindes thee.

Thy conscience is lull'd asleepe with car­nall pleasure,2. Reas. and worldly contentmēts.

A bucket of water is heauy on earth,3. Reas. but in its owne place it is not so. When men are meerely naturall, sinne is in its owne place, and the weight is not felt.

The conscience of a naturall man is like a4. Reas. [Page 84] wolfe in a mans body, while its fed with car­nall friends, good fel­lowship, some great busines of the world, &c. its quiet; but take this away, and then its felt.

A naturall man is spiritually dead,5. Reas. Eph. 2. 1. and a dead man feeles no weight you know.

He lookes on sinne through false glasses,6. Reas. as vpon couetousnesse and vsury, through the [Page 85] glasses of good hus­bandry; so prodigali­ty through the glasse of liberality.

For want of consi­deration;7. Reas. If we would by our selues consider when the Minister presseth Sabbath brea­king, or any other sin, and say, this is my case, but now by the mercy of God I will be hum­bled; this would much helpe vs to see our mi­sery.

[Page 86] 2 Thou hast had thy hand in murthering many a soule; all thy drunken companions, thy brethren in ini­quity, many peraduen­ture with whom thou hast cōuersed are dead, and in hell long agoe; thou art guilty of the damnation of their soules. Cain was a cur­sed man, and had a brand vpon him for killing but a man; then how will the murthe­ring [Page 87] of so many soules affright thee, if thou hast beene a meanes to set them to hell? as

1. For thy wife; thou 1 shouldst haue liued with her as a man of knowledge.

For thy Children; 2 thou shouldst haue ca­techized them, and brought them vp in re­ligion.

For thy seruants; it 3 may bee thy example hath made them swear, [Page 88] lye, &c. How will this soule curse thee in the pitt of hell, and curse that time, that euer they first saw thee? but no carnall man will beleeue this till they feele it.

3 Thou hast beene the slaue of Sathan, worse then a Turkish Gally­slaue all thy life; for when thou mightest haue bene Gods Free­man, & wouldest not, the diuill hath bid thee [Page 89] lye, sweare, breake Gods sabbaths, &c. and thou hast obeyed him, and beene the diuels drudge. The Turkish fetters are but cold yron at the worst, but thine bee inuisible chaines of eternall damnation: He scour­geth thy naked soule with inuisible scorpi­ons, feeds thee euery day with fire & brim­stone; When thou art out of the Turkish sla­uery, [Page 90] thou mayest bee a man againe: but here Sathan scourgeth thee and thou seest it not; hee feedeth thee with poyson, and thou ta­stest it not: And shortly hee will locke thee vp in perpetuall torments, where thou shalt neuer bee freede from diuels.

First,For pre­sent time. now thou art in health, thou think­est all is well; but know to the contrary, [Page 91] whilst thou art but na­turall, and vnconuer­ted:

Thou dishonorest 1 God in a high degree, thou prouokest the glory of his pure eye euery day by euery sinne thou commit­test.

Thou tramplest vn­der 2 foote the blood of Christ in euery Sacra­ment, if thou beest not a conuert.

The Spirit puts good 3 [Page 92] motions into thy heart; as at this time it may be, thou resoluest by the mercy of God to leaue all thy former waies, and bee Gods seruant: but presently thou triflest it away by worldly talke, and thy old companions.

4 The Angells offer to guarde thee, but thou refusest their at­tendance, and denyest to be vnder their pro­tection, while thou [Page 93] wandrest out of thy wayes.

To Gods children 5 thou art as a goade in their sides.

Thou drawest wife 6 and children, neigh­bors and all thou canst to hell, by thy ill exam­ple, &c:

The creatures thou 7 art mercilesse vnto, for thy sinne adds to their misery which they groane vnder; and thou yet addest to their [Page 94] burden by thy siune.

2 Thou art liable to all the ill that a man vn­conuerted may indure, or to any sinne that a man destitute of di­uine grace may com­mit: as,

1 To spirituall hard­nesse of heart, blind­nesse of minde, slauery vnder thy lusts, sea­rednesse of conscience, or committing the sin against the Holy Ghost.

[Page 95]To temporall; any 2 thing that may befall any man, as to be pos­sessed of the diuell, &c. I wish euery naturall man seriously to consi­der this; for thou dy­ing in thy naturall e­state, art certainly dam­ned, and for any thing thou knowest thou mayest dye the next moment, and then all things are thine ene­mies; death, which is certaine: but how, [Page 96] when, or where, thou knowest not. Caluin saith, A man may dye a thousand wayes in one houre. Some Physitians say, there are three hun­dred diseases in the bo­dy, all mortall: Be­sides, new sinnes haue begotten new disea­ses, and thou mayest dye suddenly by an im­postume: thy house may be fiered & thou consumed by it; thy horse may stumble, and [Page 97] so destroy thee; a tile may fall as thou art walking, and so kill thee; an Adder vnder the grasse or hearbes may sting thee. Canst thou promise thy selfe to see the Sun againe when its once sett, though now thou bee in perfect strength? But howeuer, nature will end at length, Sa­than then is ready to come with his vtmost malice, when thou art [Page 98] faint and loath to de­part; then he will lay open all thy sinnes, and then the very next step is,

3 The Iudgement seat of Gods tribunall, where God will de­clare what mercy hee offered thee, and the Diuill will pleade to haue thee.

4 Then comes the eter­nall separation from God and possession of those torments which [Page 99] are easelesse, endlesse and remedilesse. Oh the tearing of the heart, and the gnashing of the teeth, that this will produce, especial­ly when you consider God euery Sabbath stretched out his armes to imbrace you, and you would not; Christ offered to make a pla­ster of his hearts blood to cure you, but you trampled it vnder your feete: The holy [Page 100] Ghost put good moti­ons into your heart, but you reiected them; the Minister he pressed hard to haue you yeild, but you withstoode him. Oh the hellish cries that these will fetch from such an heart.

Wherefore let this betimes beget in thee a base esteeme of thy selfe;4 Act. consider,

1 Thou art worse then a Toad; nay a Toad [Page 101] is a faire amiable crea­ture in comparison of thee.

For a Toad follow­ing 1 the instinct of na­ture, serues the Creator in its kinde, it suckes vp the venom of the earth, which other­wise would poison vs: but thou art a degene­rate creature and Trai­tor, who drinkest poy­son out of Gods mer­cy, to sin more against him. Thou art a [Page 102] sworne friend to his most deadly enemy, and breakest all his 2 commandements. Se­condly, the venom of a Toad kills but the body: the poyson of thy sinne kils both bo­dy and soule.

3 When a Toade dyes its misery is ended, but then thy woe begins; then thou wilt wish thou hadst beene any thing, but a man.

2 If thou hadst looked [Page 103] vpon that man in Mat. 8. possessed with a Diuill, who dwelt a­mong the Tombes, went naked, chaines would not hold him, the diuell was so pow­erfull in him: thou wouldst haue thought him a dreadfull specta­cle of most extreame misery; to haue a legi­on of deuils by com­putation 6666. but I tell thee thou hadst better haue a thousand [Page 104] Legions, then one vn­repented sinne; for

1 The deuill hee can haue power but ouer the body, and foe hee may ouer a Saint, and had ouer Christ to car­ry him to the top of a Pinnacle: but neuer sinne, like thine of ob­stinate & finall impe­nitency, was found in a sanctified man.

2 Sinne made the di­uell so vgly as he is, be­ing else of an Angeli­call [Page 105] nature; onely sin makes him odious; therefore it is worse than a thousand di­uels, yea worse, than either the tongue of men and Angels can expresse.

All the diuels in hel 3 in thy body, cannot doe thee one pinnes­worth of hurt for the saluation of thy soule: but one sinne wilfully vnrepented, and so vn­pardoned, will damne [Page 106] it; so that it were bet­ter to bee possessed with a thousand di­uels, then one sinne vnrepented of, and vnpardoned.

Get an inward wounding of thine heart and bleeding of soule;5 Act. Where take these helpes.

1 First, thy heart that hath beene the foun­taine, or rather sincke from whence haue is­sued many foule [Page 107] streames, where all ill hath beene forged, all euill words, rageing passions, and wicked thoughts; Now then by the rule of propor­tion, let thy heart bee a fountaine of sorrow for sinne; If Christ o­pen a fountaine of mercy for mourners, let not vs be excluded for want of sorrow.

Consider the heart 2 of Christ, hee had no heart of flesh, but for [Page 108] sinne, which for thy sake was killed with that singular depth of sorrow and griefe, that if all the godly sor­row of all the Christi­an soules from the be­ginning of the world to the end thereof, in heauen or in earth, dead or aliue, were collected into one heart, they could not counteruaile the depth of his anguish. Shall then his blessed soule [Page 119] fall▪ asunder in his blessed brest, assaulted with all the wrath of God, and the second death? Shall his soule bee like a scorched heath, and so pres­sed with the flames of Gods reuenging wrath, which wrung from him those bloo­dy droops and ruefull cryes, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The wrath of God so fierce on him, [Page 110] that (I say) dropps of blood fell from him: and shall thy heart bee as stone within thy brest, and neuer bee moued? Oh prodigi­ous hardnesse, and worse then the hea­thenish ingratitude.

3 If thy heart be not wounded in some measure truely, it shall hereafter be filled with such endlesse horror, that would grieue and breake 10000 hearts [Page 111] to thinke on it. Is it not better then to mourne a little here for sinne than to haue our hearts inlarged to indure vnto all eter­nity the horror of hell? Is any man so senselesse to thinke he shall goe to heauen as in a bed of downe; and neuer bee touched for his sinne, which is as im­possible as for thee, to reach heauen with thy hand. When Hezekiah [Page 112] a man perfect in all his wayes,Esa. 38. 14. complained & chattered like a Crane: Dauid roared al the day long: Psal 32. 3. Iob complayned, The ar­rowes of the Almighty are within me, Iob 6. 4. the venom whereof doth drinke vp my spirit. Nay Christ himselfe cryed out in the Agony of the Spi­rit.

4 If thou get this bro­ken heart into thy breast, thou shalt bring [Page 113] downe the glorious maiesty of heauen, God Almighty with his chayre of State to sit in thy soule; for he hath two habitations:Esay 57. 15.

• 1. In heauen.
• 2. In an humble heart.

Get this, and get all.5 Thou gettest true title and interest vnto the passion of Christ, and all the comforts in the booke of God, the pro­mises both of this life, and of that to come.

[Page 114]Get an outward be­wayling with heart-piercing confession:6 Act. where

1 Consider, first the practise of the Saints of God.

They powred out teares as men water out of Buckets.1 1. Sam. 7.

2 Mary washed Christs feete with her teares.

3 The Publican struck on his brest with a sor­rowfull acknowledge­ment of his sinnes.

[Page 115] Consider secondly,2 thy hands and eyes and tongue and heart haue beene instruments of Gods dishonour, there­fore by rule of propor­tion, thou shouldst haue the workes of thy hands instrumentall demonstrations of re­pentance; thy eyes fountaines of teares; thy tongue should vt­ter, and the heart suf­fer griefe.

Consider, that for out­ward 3 [Page 116] things men will weepe teares, as for de­iection from high pla­ces, losses, crosses, in wife, or children, as Da­uid for Absolon: so it is with many; what wrin­ging their hands, tea­ring their haire, bitter crying, &c. Then the losse of Christ, who is infinitely better than husband, wife, child, or any thing in the world; this, this, how should it breake thy heart! If all [Page 117] Iobs troubles were on thee, and could wring one teare from thee; then one sinne should wring blood from thy heart.

Get a hatred and a­uersion in thy wil from sinne,7 Act. considering

What sinne is in it 1 selfe.

How God is prouo­ked 2 with it.

Sinne in it selfe is 2 fouler than any feind in hell, because it made [Page 118] that so, as fire is hotter then water that is heat▪

2 Its extreamly ill, no­thing comes neare it. I consider of sin here in the abstract, so its a greater ill, than the damnation of a mans soule; for when two ills fight together, that which conquers must needs bee the greater; now when a man hath lyen in hell ten thou­sand yeares, he is as far from comming out as [Page 119] euer; for the eternall duration in hell can­not expiate sinne.

Its most infectious,3 Its compared to a Le­prosie; for

The first sinne that 1 peeped into the world stayned the beuty of it; no sooner sinne was committed by Adam, but the Stars seemed impure in Gods sight, the beasts were at vari­ance, the earth full of brambles, and all [Page 120] things cursed.

2 Secondly, it sowred all naturall, religions, and ciuill actions.

3 Thirdly, if a man in authority bee sinfull, all vnder him will bee infected.

4 Sinne is most filthy, compared to the most vile things that can be named; to menstruous raggs, the vomite of doggs, &c. Nay not a­ny dirt, or filthy thing can staine a Sun-beame [Page 121] But sinne staines a more glorieus crea­ture, which is the soule of man.

Sinne is of that hel­lish 5 nature, that it takes in to it selfe the wrath of God.

Sinne is full of cur­sed 6 consequences.

• Priuatiue:1
• Positiue.2

Priuatiue, losse of 1 Gods fauour; the blood of Christ; the guard of Angels; peace of [Page 122] conscience, &c.

2 Positiue, it brings all misery spirituall; hard­nesse of heart, blind­nesse of minde, horror of conscience, despaire, &c. with all temporall losses and crosses here, and hereafter eternall torments of soule and body.

2 God is prouoked with it.

1 Each sinne is the onely obiect of Gods infinite hatred. His [Page 123] loue is diuersified to himselfe, his Sonne, the Angels, the crea­tures: but his hatred is confined onely to sinne. What infinite of infinites of ha­tred hast thou on thy soule, with all thy sinnes, when each sinne hath the infinite hatred of God vpon it?

Each sinne is against 2 the Maiesty of that dreadfull Lord of Hea­uen [Page 124] and earth, who can turne all things into hell, nay heauen and hell into nothing by his word. Now a­gainst this God thou sinnest, and what art thou, but dust and ashes, a bagg of filth and flegme, and all that's naught. And what is thy life, but a span, a bubble, a dreame, a shadow of a dreame? And shall such a thing offend [Page 125] such a God?

Euery sinne strikes 3 at the glory of Gods pure eye?

Sinne is that which 4 killed his Sonne; the least sinne could not bee pardoned but by Christs carrying his hearts blood to his Fa­ther, and offering it for sinne. Each sinne is an offence to all his mer­cies. This aggrauated the sinne vpon Eli, 1 Sam: 2. 29: Dauid 2 Sam [Page 126] 12. 8. 9 &c. Mercy is the most eminent at­tribute of God, and therefore the sinne a­gainst it is the greater. What therefore are our sinnes in the time of the Gospell?

3 Consider how thou art hurt by it: for

Each sinne kills thy soule which is better then the world.1 Mat. 16. 29.

2 Each sinne, bring it neuer so much plea­sure in the commit­ting, [Page 127] leaues a threefold sting:

• Naturall.1
• Temporall.2
• Immortall.3

Natural, after world­ly pleasure comes me­lancholy: properly ei­ther because it lasted no longer, or they had no more delight in it, &c. That as all wa­ters end in the salt sea: so all worldly ioyes are swallowed vp in sorrowes bottom­lesse [Page 128] gulfe.

2 Temporall: Ther's labour in getting, care in keeping, & sorrow in parting with wolrdly goods.

3 Immortall: God will call thee to Iudg­ment for it. Each sinne robbs thee of aboun­dance of comfort. What a vast difference do we see in conquering sinne, and being con­quered by sinne? as for instance in Ioseph and [Page 129] Dauid: the one raised after his conquest to much honnour; the other, scarce enioyed one good day after hee was conquered; but as Ezekias, walked hea­uily in the bitternesse of his soule all his days. As some Diuines haue said of Guliacius & Spi­ra, the one is honor'd in Caluins Epistles for e­uer▪ the other after his backsliding liued a while in exquisite hor­ror, [Page 130] and after dyed in despaire.

4 Thy owne conscience wil accuse thee one day for euery sinne, though now it seemes hid to thee; and thy consci­ence is more then a thowsand witnesses; therefore thou wilt certainely be ouer­throwne. For the sinnes which peraduenture thou liuest now in, & accountest but petty and veniall, many poore [Page 131] soules are at this in­stant burning in hell for; What misery and hurt then attends on thee for the same?

Get a strong reaso­ning in thy minde a­gainst sinne:8 Act. as first, these three grand rea­sons.

The horror of hell;1 Reas. Therefore Christians wrong themselues, that will not vse this as a motiue; the vn­quenchable wrath of [Page 132] God shall feed vpon thy soule if thou com­mittest this sinne.

The ioyes of hea­uen;2 Reas I shall dwell with God for euer, if belee­uing, I make consci­ence of euery sinne, as an euidence and fruit of sauing faith. And aboue all, the glory of God: if Gods glory and the damnation of our soules were in a ballance, his glory should preponderate [Page 133] and preuaile, while we preferre Gods glory a­boue our owne salua­tion; although we can­not seeke it, but in and by our saluation, as the meanes is subordinate to the end.

From euery line in 2 Gods booke:

His attributes, as 1

• 1 His Iustice,
• 2 His mercy.

His Iustice to terri­fie 2 sinners.

H [...]s Mercy to allure 2 [Page 18] vs to him.

2 His Iudgements.

3 His Promises.

Thirdly from logi­cal places: See Rogers on meditations, As

• 1 The definition.
• 2 The division.
• 2 The causes.
• 3 The effects.
• 5 The subiect.
• 6 The adiunct.
• 7 The comparison
• 8 The contrary.

Fourthly, from pla­ces of Scripture.

[Page 135] From examples in 1 Scripture: How shall I do this, and so sinne against God? saith Ioseph.

From your former 2 estate, Ye were darkenesse, but now yee are light, &c.

From the end of all 3 things, Seeing all things must bee dissolued, what manner of men ought wee to bee?

Fiftly, from thy selfe.

Thy soule is immor­tall,1 all the diuels in hel cannot kill it.

[Page 136] 2 Thy body is fraile, all helps cannot long vphold it.

Sixtly, from Christ.

Looke vpon him weeping, nay bleeding on the crosse, and say­ing this, Sinne brought me from the bosome of my Father to dye for it.

Seuenthly, from the incomprehensible ex­cellency of God, a­gainst whom thou sin­nest.

Get a sinceere oppo­sition9 Act. [Page 137] in thy life of sin. Helpes thereto.

When any bait of Sathan,1 Helpe. or old compa­nions would allure thee to sinne, take this dilemma:

Either I must repent,1 and then it will bring more sorrow than the pleasure did good; or not repent, and then it's the damnation of my soule.

Consider thy mad­nesse,2 Helpe. which layest [Page 138] most desperately in one scale of the bal­lance heauen, the fa­uor of God, the blood of Christ, and thine owne soule: in the o­ther, a little dung, pelfe, base lust &c. And lettest this ouersway, which bringeth rottennesse to thy bones, perhaps losse of thy good name &c.

And that thou maist yet be further armed to with stand the assaults3 Helpe. [Page 139] of thy three grand ene­mies, the world, the flesh, and the Diuell, which daily seeke the destruction of thy soule: consider these twelue Antidotes:

Consider the short­nesse 1 of the pleasure of sinne, length of the pu­nishment, the one for a moment, the other euerlasting.

Consider the com­panions 2 of sinne: for one sinne neuer goes [Page 140] alone, but being once entertained, it sets all the faculties of the soule also in a com­bustion; and so pro­cures a spirituall iudg­ment, if not temporall, vpon estate and per­son.

3 Consider, thy life is but a span, a breath, a blast soone gone: now if we had all the plea­sure in the world, yet being so soone to lose it, its not worth esteem­ing.

[Page 141]Consider, sin caus­eth vs to lose a greater good than that can be, as the fauour of God, interest in Christ, a guard of Angells, right to the creatures &c.

Consider the vn­certainety of repen­tance; thou maist ne­uer haue motion to re­pent after thou hast sinned, and so art dam­ned.

Consider the near­nesse 6 of death to thee; [Page 142] some haue liued out aboue halfe their time, others almost all of it; young and old dye suddenly many times.

7 Consider, one mo­ment in hell will bee worse then all the plea­sure in the world did good, though it should haue lasted a thousand yeares twice told. So on the contrary, one moment in heauen doth more good than all the hardnesse [Page 143] and paines in good duties, or persecution for them did hurt.

Consider the digni­ty 8 of thy soule; it's more worth then a world. Lose it not then for any sinne.

Consider the preci­ousnesse 9 of a good con­science which is a con­tinuall feast. This thou losest by sinne.

Consider thou sin­nest 10 against a world of mercyes, which God [Page 144] hath sent to thee, as to soule, body, good name, Estate, and others, that belong to thee.

11 Consider nothing can wash away any sinne but the blood of Christ. And wilt thou now pollute thy selfe againe, as it were to haue him kill'd afresh to wash away thy sinne?

12 Consider, the anci­ent Martyrs and Wor­thies chose rather to [Page 145] burne at a stake, than they would sinne; and thou so easily bee drawne to it or rather run to it? Anselme said, if the flames of hell were on the one side, and sinne on the other side, I would rather lye in those flames than sinne. And others would rather be torne in pieces with wilde horses. Wee haue as precious meanes as they, and if our hearts [Page 146] were as good wee should haue the like affections.

Get a sinceere grieu­ing that thou canst do these things no bet­ter;10 Act. as considering,

1 Though thou hadst a thousand eyes, and could weepe them all out, and shed riuers of teares; and a thousand hearts to burst; yet all were not sufficient for the least sinne or vani­ty, either of the eyes or [Page 147] heart: How much more when our hearts are barren & dry, had we neede to labour for this sorrow?

Considering when 2 thou hast made the best prayer, or watched most diligently ouer thy selfe, for the right and due sanctification of the Sabbath, or spent thy selfe in a day of humiliatiō; thou hadst need to cry and burst thy heart againe for the [Page 148] imperfections and fai­lings thereof.

3 In this sorrow, that thou canst performe good duties no better. And thus to weaue vp the web, whats lack­ing in any of the rest, here make it vp; and to incourage thee, thou hast this happinesse ioyned with it, that though thy griefe bee small, if it bee true, to cause thee to sell all: how much more in the [Page 149] first place, to part from euery sinne for Christ, and to take him as a husband, and a Lord, both for protection, & gouernment? Then by the consent of all Diuines it is godly sorrow, and cer­tainly accepted in Christ.