Two treatises concerning regeneration, 1. Of repentance, 2. Of the diet of the soule shewing the one, how it ought to be sought after and may be attained vnto, the other, how it being gotten, is to be preserued and continued.

CHAP. II. Of the second part of Repentance, called Humiliation.

THe second lesson, which a penitent person is to learne and practise, is Humiliation, the which will euen of it selfe fol∣lowe the former: for that the affections following the tempe∣rature of the minde, it can not bee, but that as the conceate of holynesse, and happinesse, doth puffe vp a man in pride, presumption, ioy, and confidence: so the sight of his sinfull and wretched estate, should cast him downe in shame, sorrow,

and feare: of the which three the first re∣specteth sin it selfe, the other two y^e punish∣ment of it. The first, the time past: the se∣cond, the time present: the third, the time to come. The first ariseth of the due con∣sideration of the filthy and loathsome na∣ture of sinne: for as Adam by comming out of the state of holinesse, into the state of sin had his eies opened to see the filthinesse of sinne. and his owne nakednesse, whervpon he being ashamed, desired to hide and co∣uer himselfe: so a carnall man comming out of the state of senselesse securitie, wherein he neither knoweth nor considereth what sin is, into this state of repentance, where∣in he conceiueth of sinne, as it is in deede, iudgeth himselfe in regarde of it, the most abiect man of all other, vnworthy of their companie, or to come in their sight: and therefore he declineth it, wherein this shame doth consist. Yea, when as this hu∣miliation is vehement, he iudgeth himselfe the most vile creature on the earth, the most grieuous sinner that euer liued, al∣though there be no such cause, hee hauing liued as orderly, & honestly, as vsually men do. For now he hath his eies fully bent vp∣on his owne sinnes, he hath fresh remem∣brance of them, and of all the circumstan∣ces

aggrauating the hainousnesse of them, and knoweth the particulars of them, the which hee dooth not in other mens sinnes. This shame is not so proper and necessarie a part of humiliation, as are the other affec∣tions of sorrowe and feare, for that it hath place in those onely, who before their re∣pentance were giuen to great and notori∣ous sinnes, such as are not vsually found in the liues of men, and therefore are repro∣ued and condemned by all: as for ordinary sinnes, which may bee daily seene in men, and from the which few are free, they doo not worke this shame: for men are ashamed in regard of them onely, who are lesse sin∣full, and therfore more excellent then thē∣selues: yea, they are ashamed more in re∣spect of men, then of God, because the presence of men is sensible, whereas they ought to be so much the more ashamed in respect of God, and of his holy angels, as they are more excellent, pure, & more ab∣horring the filthinesse of sinne, then any man is or can be: as we knowe that Adam and Eua were ashamed of their nakednesse, (or rather of their sinne, which made their nakednesse shamefull, which of it selfe was glorious) when as there were not any other men to see it. And therefore, howsoeuer

the Atheisme of men be so great, that they are not perswaded, and therefore not asha∣med of the presence of God, yet all they who haue any dealing with God, or do a∣ny way seeke vnto him, must be more a∣shamed of their sins in respect of god then men: and yet to nourish this shamefastnes in regard of their brethren, as being good and profitable, for the more that they are humble towards men, the greater wil their humiliation be in respect of God.

The second part of inward humiliation is sorrow, which is a greeuous sense of some present euill, as feare is of some euill to come: both which affections cannot but be great and vehement in this repentant, for that his eyes being now at length ope∣ned, hee seeth and feeleth himselfe to be in a most miserable estate, to bee for the pre∣sent in slauerie to sinne and Sathan, alto∣gether destitute of grace & of al the means of attaining it, beside many temporall crosses wherewith hee is afflicted, and for the time to come in the very gnawes of the deuill, and in the vnquenchable furnace of the wrath of God.

It is not needefull that we should insiste in declaring how great and iust cause hee hath of sorrow & feare: yea, rather it is not

possible for vs to declare it in any measure. If we suppose a mā liuing in health, wealth, and all maner of pleasure, to haue this of a sudden made knowne vnto him, that he is condemned of treason committed against his Prince and countrey, and that there∣fore hee is forthwith to be depriued of life, and al those pleasures which he doth enioy, there being no hope of pardon which can not possibly be procured by himselfe or a∣ny other, it depending wholly in the graci∣ous fauor & free inclination of the prince, who vseth to be greatly inflamed with an∣ger against al such offenders, & not to spare one of a thousand of them: can wee fully conceiue in mind or expresse in word, the greatnesse of his greefe, sorrow, and feare? How much more greeuous and fearefull a thing shall wee then thinke it, to incur the displeasure of God, the losse of eternal ioy and happines, togither with those endlesse paines, which are prepared for the wicked. And therefore when as wee see men la∣bour and grone vnder this burthen of their sinnes and the anger of GOD, wee are not (as vsually men doo who haue no sense of these things) to iudge them as men subiect to foolish and melancholie passions, but rather to thinke and confesse

that there is good cause why they shoulde be thus affected. Yea, this repentant is to giue himselfe to the daily and serious con∣sideration of these things, that so this humi∣liation which is of great vse, and verye needfull in regard of his saluation, may bee procured. For, as it is often needfull for the preseruation of the bodily life, that the pa∣tient be by detraction of blood brought to a swowne, and so euen to deaths doore, so it is needfull for the procuring of this spiri∣tuall life of the soule, that the repentant be by sorrowe and feare cast down, euē to the gates of hell, as one forlorne, and being in a most wretched estate. Thus the apostle wri∣teth 2. Cor. 7.8. I do not repēt me that I made you sorrowfull by an Epistle, yea, I am glad, not that ye were sorie, but that ye sorowed to repentance, not to be repented of: for worldly sorrow brin∣geth death. But as this humiliation is care∣fully to be procured, in regard of the great commodities which it bringeth, which are afterward to be declared: so it is to be mo∣derated, least that it driue to desperation, as in the place before named he warneth the Corinthians, that they doo not vse too great seueritie toward the incestuous person, least that he be swalowed vp of excessiue sorow. For it may easely come to passe, that men

entering into a serious consideratiō of their sins, & of the iudgments of god denounced and executed against sinners, do plunge thē selues into the gulfe of horror and despera∣tion, out of the which they are hardly re∣couered: so fearefull a thing is the wrath of God, that euen one blencke of it is able to driue a sinner out of his wits, and vtterlie to astonish him. And what maruaile is it, that a sinfull man, who in respect of the anger of God, is euen as hay, stubble, or flaxe, meeting with fire, bee soone ouer∣come, and faint vnder this heauy burthen lying on his conscience, when as euen Christ himselfe, who in himselfe was free from sinne, and whose humane nature was vpheld by the Godhead, to beare the burthen of Gods wrath, due vnto the sinne of man, was by the sense of it so amazed, and confounded, that all the faculties, both of his bodie and soule, were shaken and loo∣sed: as, for the one, those drops of blood which he swet, and for the other, those wordes vttered in humane weakenesse and feare, My God, my God, why hast thou for∣saken me? do plainly witnesse. So that if a short consideration and apprehension of the wrath of god could work such a strange effect in him, who knew no sin, what mar∣uaile

is it if in sinful men, it stir vp the very flame of hell fire: as to let all other exam∣ples passe, we reade of one Francis Spira, in whom wee may beholde the very pic∣ture of that spirituall torment of a gnaw∣ing and terrifying conscience, which is pre∣pared for the wicked in the worlde to come. But it must bee preuented by ha∣uing in the midst of the view of our wret∣ched estate, the other eye set on the mer∣cifull promises of God, made as touching the pardon of sinne, whereof although this penitent cannot haue any assurance that they belong vnto him, in that hee feeleth not as yet grace wrought in his heart, which is the onely earnest penny & pledge of saluation, and of the loue of GOD, yet hee may hope for it in time to come, it being like inough that GOD, who hath begunne this repentance in him, will also worke regeneration in his good time. And therefore there must in this case a meane be kept, so as wee be neither se∣cure and senselesse in regarde of our sinnes and the wrath of GOD (much lesse puft vp in pride and vaine confidence, suppo∣sing our state to be good and happy, when∣as it is wofull and miserable) nor yet swal∣lowed vppe of excessiue sorrow and feare,

as if there were no hope of helpe left vnto vs, as many haue beene to whom the bur∣den of this sorrow and feare hath beene so intollerable, that despairing of any other remedie, they haue by murthering them∣selues sought for ease in death and in hell it selfe, thinking that no state could be so e∣uill, and therefore that any change would be good.

Sect. 2.

NOw further in this humiliation of a sinner, wee are to declare these two points: first whether it bee a worke of grace or of nature, and secondly whether it bee absolute necessitie for regeneration and saluation, or no. For the first, although it may seeme a worke of Gods spirit to haue a broken and a contrite heart, contrarie to that obstinacie, atheisme, and hardnesse of heart, which is in the wicked, yet it is a worke of nature, comming of that know∣ledge of good and euil, and that conscience of sinne, which remaineth in man since his creation. For wee are not to thinke that this humiliation is that true contriti∣on and softnesse of heart, which hath place

in those who are regenerate, and whereby they do easely without any resistance or delay, yeelde to the word and will of God, being at the first mooued by his promises & blessings to loue him, by his threatnings and iudgements to feare him, and by both to obey him: onely it is a seruile feare of punishment and of the anger of GOD, wherewith obstinacie in sinne may easely and doth often concurre. But why, will some man say, if this humiliation bee natu∣rall, is it not, if not in al, yet in most men, as nature is the same in all? yea, why is it in so fewe as wee see, that it is not to be found in one of a thousand, and that almost al gene∣rally liue in pleasure and in senselesse secu∣ritie, without any conscience of sinne or feare of punishment? We answere, that the grounde of this humiliation is, the light of nature, not being neglected & suffered ei∣ther to lie dead, or to decrease daily, as it doth in most men (for then it is not able to send forth this fruit, but is at length cleane extinguished and turned into meere A∣theisme) but augmented by the written law and worde of God, and stirred vp by the iudgements of God. Otherwise this light of nature cannot worke this sorrowe and feare in respect of sinne and the anger

of God: for how can they haue a troubled conscience, who haue no conscience: or feare of God, whome they doo not know to exist, at least not to do either good or euil? Hence it commeth that this humiliation is so seldome found euen among those who professe the faith, for that they haue no sound knowledge and setled perswasion of God, but a slight and wauering opinion, & therefore no great or vehement humiliati∣on, but onely are sometimes disquieted in ••heir mindes, in their miseries, and in the committing of noto••ious sinnes, as euen the very Heathen are sometimes, of whom we reade, that they haue beene strangely stung in their consciences by hainous sins, and driuen by a fearefull sense and expec∣tation of Gods reuenging hand, into mad∣nesse, horror, and desperation. And yet wee are so to esteeme this humiliation, as that which although it bee not a proper worke of Gods sanctifying spirit, nor any part of regeneration, yet it is a step toward it, and farre to be preferred before t••e contrarie, Atheisme and contempt of God.

In the next place wee are to enquire of the necessitie of this humiliatio••, whether it may be spared, or be so absolutely need∣full, as that without it no rege••eration or

saluation may be hoped for. We answer••, that it is needfull: for that no man can seeke to be eased of the burthen of his sinnes by Christ, vnlesse he feele the weight of them, or to be healed by him, vnlesse hee know himselfe to be wounded and bruised: yet it is not in the same measure, and alike vehe∣ment and manifest in all: neither is it need∣full that it should so be. It is sufficient that the repentant haue a sight and sense of his sins, and so be, as he cannot but be, affected with sorrow and feare in respect of them, although there be not those horrible pang•• of horror, which are in the repentance of some. The degrees of humiliation arise of these three causes: first, of the diuersitie of sinfulnesse in the repentant: for as the hea∣uier the burthen is, the more it presseth down so, the mo, and the more hainous that the sinnes of the repentant be, the greater is his humiliation: wherof it commeth that those fearfull agonies of sorrow and despe∣ration are not vsually seene, but where ma∣ny haynous sinnes haue gone before. Se∣condly, it ariseth of the diuersitie of those outward afflictions and iugdements, wher∣with the repentant is punished: the which being of themselues grieuous vnto him, and some tymes such as can not be borne

by flesh and blood, without great pertur∣batiō and anguish of soule, and so being ad∣ded to the inward burden of his sinnes, and of a troubled spirit (whereof the wise man asketh who is able to beare it) maketh this humiliation verie great. Thirdly, it ary∣seth of the delay of grace, the which the Lord vouchsafeth to some far sooner then he doth to others, who being kept a long ••ime in suspence, and not feeling that work of grace in their hearts, which they desine and expect, haue lesse hope of obtayning pardon of their sinnes, and so consequently greater feare in respect of the anger of god due to sinne: whereas otherwise beeing soone (some suddainly without any sen∣sible humiliation, or time of repentaunce giuen vnto them) receyued into fauour, haue not the like cause of this excessiue sorrow and feare. Lastly, the degrees of hu∣miliation arise of diuerse apprehensions of the nature of sinne, and of the anger of God, For as the repentant thinketh the one more or lesse haynous, the other more or lesse intollerable: so is his humiliation lesse or greater: yet alwaies (as it hath bin said) it must bee in some measure, otherwise wee haue iust cause to suspect our selues, that we are not yet in the state of grace, and

regeneration, into the which there is en∣trance but through this narrowe gate, of shame, sorrow, feare, and anguish of soule: and therefore hee that cannot remember himselfe to haue beene in this low estate of humiliation, cannot thinke that he is as yet exalted by the remission of his sinnes, to the fauour of God: but must nowe at length labor to be thus humbled vnder the hand of God: not putting farre out of his mind the euill day, and all things whatso∣euer may any way vexe or trouble him, as vsually and naturally men do, but rather laying this corsiue of the wrath of god, and his sinnes committed, to his conscience, & suffering it, there euen to eate and fret a∣way his heart and soule, till God in mercie take it away. Thus we leauing this poore distressed soule out of conceite with him∣selfe, esteeming himselfe the most vile and and forlorne caitife in the world, & saying with himselfe: O miserable man that I am, who shall deliuer me from this body of sin, and of death? we go on to that which followeth.

Sect. 3.

THus much of the inward humiliation of the soule required in repentance: vnto the which the outward behauior must be correspondent, as we see that the apparell of men is agreeable to their condi∣tion, degree, and kind of life: and therefore we must now put on this repentant a black mourning weed, that so his outward beha∣uiour may be sutable to the inward disposi∣tion of his mind: that as hee is in soule and conscience cast down by the sight of his sin, & the sense of the wrath of god: so he may behaue himselfe accordingly, and expresse his inwarde humiliation in all his wordes, deedes, and in the whole course of his life. But what needeth this, will some man say, considering that God regardeth not the outward, but the inward man, & wil accept a broken and contrite heart without these outward shewes and ceremonies? Yea, wee are flatly forbidden by Christ: Mat. 6.16. to weare this hipocrites weede, of outward humilitie and holinesse. When thou fastest, looke not sowre as hipocrites do, for they disfigure their faces, that they may seeme to men to fast. But when thou fastest, anoint thy head, & wash

thy face, that thou seeme not to men to fast, b•••• to thy father in secrete. We answere, confes∣sing that outward humiliation being desti∣tute of the inward contrition of the heart, is not acceptable, but abhominable to god. Yea that sometimes it may bee omitted: as namely, when by vsing it, we shall incur the suspition of hipocrisie, and a desire of vain∣glorie, in the which sense this prohibition of it, which Christ maketh, is to be vnder∣stood, yet it is a thing which God both ly∣keth and requireth, yea, which is manie wayes profitable for him that vseth it. For God will be serued, both by the soule, and by the bodie, and will haue the inward ho∣linesse of the one expressed and professed by the outward obedience of the other: yea it is a thing pleasing and acceptable in his sight, that there be an agreement and con∣formitie in al things belonging vnto vs: and therefore hee did in the iudiciall law forbid the Iewes, from sowing diuerse seeds in the same field, or frō making their garmēts half linnen, and halfe wollen: from mourning in a festiuall time. Nehe. 8.9. or from ioying and feasting in a time of mourning. Ioel 2.16. How much more vndecent then wil hee thinke this repugnancie betwixt the soule and the bodie, that when the one

weepeth, the other should laugh: when the soule is humbled with sorrow and feare, the bodie should he puffed vp, and swell in ioy and pleasure: yea, this outward humilia∣tion is very needfull and profitable in re∣spect of the repentant himselfe: for as it is in all other partes of holinesse, the more they are practised by the bodie in life and action, the more they are confirmed and encreased inwardly in the soule: so the more that a man giueth himselfe to the vse of all the outward exercises of humiliation before men, the more doth he humble him selfe in the sight of God. Beside, this out∣warde humiliation will be a great furthe∣rance to another part of repentance, to wit, amendment of life, and a very effectuall meanes of mortifying the flesh, with all the corrupt lusts thereof. For it requireth an abstinence from the vse of worldly plea∣sures, by the which we know, that the flesh being hartned, is made to rebel, yea, to pre∣uaile agaynst the spirit of God in the rege∣nerate, and in all motions tending to holy∣nesse, which can be in a carnall man.

Sect. 4

THis outward humiliation must stretch it selfe ouer the whole behauiour and life of this repentant, and must haue place in all his works and deedes, for so we make it of two sorts, verball and reall: verball hu∣miliation is commonly called confession, which is a readie and voluntarie acknow∣ledgement of sinne, and of deserued wret∣chednesse, to God, and to man. It is a no∣table effect and signe of the true and vn∣fained humiliation of the heart. For euery man by nature, is charie of his owne credit and estimation, very vnwilling to heare or admit from another, any thing tending to the impairing of it, but nothing goeth more against his stomacke, then that he himselfe should vtter any thing any way tending to his owne disgrace, and so as it were throwe mire on his own face. Wherof it commeth, that men do by all meanes couer and co••∣ceale their owne faults and infirmities, and although they cannot stoppe other mens mouthes, yet they wil be sure to keepe their owne counsaile: so that whensoeuer a man is brought to a true, plaine and voluntarie confession of his sinnes, it is vnfallible

argument of great humiliation: and there∣fore god threatning Leui. 26.40. extreame misery (in which the greatest humiliation hath place) vnto the people, saith, that the remnant of the people shall pine away in the land of their enemies, and shal confesse their sinnes.

In this respect confession is required, and hath alwayes beene performed in true re∣pentance, Pro. 28.13. He that hideth his sin shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and for∣saketh it. Thus Nehem. 9.2. in that publike repentance, the people were assembled to∣gith••r in fasting, sackcloath, and earth vp∣pon them, and they stood and confessed their sinnes, and the sinnes of their forefa∣fathers. And likewise in the ministerie of Iohn, which was the ministery of the lawe and of repentance, more then of the Go∣spell and regeneration, the people that were baptised, confessed their sins, Math. 3.6, This confession is to bee made first and cheefely vnto God, against whom all sinnes are committed, and that for the illu∣stration of his glorie: for by the sinne of man the puritie & holinesse of his nature is illustrated. Thus the Prophet Dauid confesseth Psal, 51. I know my iniquitie and my sinne is euer before mee. Against thee O

Lord, I haue sinned and done euill in thy sight, that thou maiest bee iustified in thy sayings, and found pure when thou iudgest: beholde I was borne in sinne, and in iniquitie hath my mother conceaued me. Yea, this confession must be made simply, plainely, and fully, all excuses, pretences, and shifts being laide aside, without concealing either a∣ny sinne, although neuer so great and hai∣nous, or any circumstance whereby the hainousnesse of it may be aggrauated. Se∣condly, this confession of sinne must bee made to men, whereunto our repentant will much more vnwillingly yeelde, who although he should be much more afraide and ashamed to confesse his sinne in the presence of God, who is puritie it selfe, vncapable of any maner of pollution, yet hee is more ashamed of his sinne in the sight of men, because hee is not so fully perswaded of the presence of GOD, which is not sensible. But howe vnwil∣ling soeuer he bee, it must be doone, and that euen for that ende cheefely, in regard whereof he is so vnwilling to doo it. For GOD knowing that nothing is more against the mind of a carnall man, then by laying open his greeuous sinnes and offen∣ces before the eyes of men, to incurre

shame and ignominie with them, with whom hee hath daily conuersation, and to abiect himselfe, his credit and estimati∣on (which is dearer to him then his life) at their feet, with whom he hath continual emulation for credit, doth (to bring down his loftie stomacke, and to haue an infalli∣ble testimony of his grace and vnfained hu∣miliation) enioyne this confession of sin to men.

Besides, this confession is profitable and often needfull in respect of his good that doth repent: for so by imparting to others the particulars of his state, and of those sins wherunto he is most subiect, he may receiue at the hands of his brethren a greater mea∣sure of comfort, edification, and strength to resist the said sinnes, then otherwise hee could do, and be freed from many doubts and errors which do greatly trouble & hin∣der him. And yet in making this con∣fession to men, diuers things are to bee considered. First it must bee priuate, vn∣lesse the repentance be publike, that is, enioyned by the publike authoritie of the church, for the remouing of some publike offence. Secondly, there is no necessity im∣posed by the word of God of confessing sin

to any one man, more then to another, it being left free vnto the repentant to make choise of him, or thē whō he thinketh fittest for that purpose, of what calling or pro∣fession soeuer they bee. For if men haue this worldly wisedome, that they will not commit their bodies, & the curing of their bodily diseases, to any but vnto those, who are knowen to be learned, expert, faithfull, diligent, louing, and secrete (knowing that otherwise they should hazard their health, life goodes, and (in some case) their credit, how much more circumspect ought they to be in choosing this spiritual Phisician of the soule. And therefore choyse must bee made of such as haue knowledge and expe∣rience in these spirituall cases, & chieflie of those that haue thēselues beene most hum∣bled and cast downe by the sight of their sinnes, and haue drunke deepest of the cup of Gods wrath: as we know that Phisician•• haue happiest successe in thos•• cases, wher∣in they haue oftnest dealt, and most of all, if that they themselues haue had experi∣ence of them in their owne bodies. Thus the Apos••le writeth, 2. Cor. 1.4. God d••ot•• comfort vs in all tribulations, that we may bee able to comfort others with the same comfort wherewith we are comforted of him. Againe,

this spirituall Phisician, must bee gentle, tender, and indulgent toward his patient, least that by vnneedfull, and vnseasonable seueritie, he break quite in sunder the bro∣ken reede. And lastly hee must in anie case be endued with such wisedome and mode∣ration, as that he be able to cōceale, yea, to couer from the eyes of men, the secrete in∣firmities which hee spieth in his patient, wherein if he be wanting, hee addeth one greefe and crosse to another, and is to bee accounted a miserable comforter. To such men sinne is to bee confessed: otherwise no man is bound to disclose his secret faults and sinnes to any: yea rather to be carefull in couering them, as all men are and ought to be, in couering the shame and naked∣nesse of their bodies. Lastly, this confession made to man, neede not be so exact, but that many things may be concealed, euen whatsoeuer may be any way hurtfull, either to the confessor himselfe, or to any other.

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Sect. 5.

AS in word, so in deede, and in the whole life and all the actions of it, this outwarde humiliation hath place: the which hauing once ouercome the soule, will easely bring vnder the bodie and all the members and faculties of it, as the King being once taken, the subiects yeeld without making any resistance. This re∣all humiliation consisteth in abstaining from the vse of all earthly pleasures, the which doo any way cherish the bodie, or refresh the minde. As namely gay, gor∣gious, and soft apparrell, in steede where∣of wee know, that the Church and chil∣dren of God in their publike and priuate humiliations, did vse to put on rough sack∣cloath, a garment verie vnpleasant either for the wearer to feele, or for others to beholde: not that a Christian ought to vse any strange or insolent attire, and so to make himselfe the common by worde of of the people, and his priuate repentance publike, but onely that as much as may bee, without any publike note, hee ab∣staine from braue and costly garments,

by the which his minde might bee p••f∣fed vp with pride, and tickled with vaine and foolish pleasures, and rather vse that graue and meane garment, which may put him in minde of that wofull e∣state wherein hee standeth. Secondly, hee ought to abstaine from the ordina∣rie vse of merrie and ioyfull companie, yea, to be more sparing, and to take lesse pleasure in the companie of his dearest friendes, the which all men doo account great pleasure, and some the greatest of all others. So wee reade Ioel 2.16. that in publike humiliation (vnto the which priuate must be answerable, though not a∣like in all respects) GOD commaundeth the bride and the bridegrome to come out of their marriage Chamber, and to breake off that societie, which of all o∣ther is the nearest, and most pleasant: As also the Apostle counselleth vs, 1. Corinthians 7.5. But especially this ab∣stinence must haue place in meate and drink, the which comming nearest the bo∣dy, or rather piercing into the midst, yea into the most secret parts of it, do most af∣fect the soule, putting it beside al modera∣tion & due regard of that estate wherin it is, yea, driuing it as a mighty tempest doth a

silly ship hither and thither, from one ex∣treame to another. For so we know that a daintie and full diet, as at the first entrance, by heating the body, it inflameth the soule stirring vp in it excessiue ioy, pleasure, bold∣nesse, confidence, & presumption, so soone after it putteth it into a new temper, lul∣ling it asleepe in senselesse securitie, and euen drowning it in a drousie forgetfulnes both of God and of it selfe: as Christ ••ore∣warneth, Luk. 21.34. Take heede that ye be not ouercome with s••rfetting & drunkennesse, and so that day come vpon you vnawares. And therefore, as all other Christians, so especi∣ally this repentant ought to beware o•• fil∣ling the belly, and pampering the flesh, of being too diligent in nourishing it within, and cherishing it without: otherwise it can∣not be that this his humiliation should bee effectuall, and either acceptable to God, or profitable to himselfe.

Thus much of outward humiliation, the which although it will followe euen of it self inward humiliation being vehement (for as the fountain so are the streams: yea, the greatest ioyes and sweetest pleasures, euen life it selfe is bitter to the distressed soule) yet for so much as it is seldome vehe∣ment in carnall men, th••rfore it is carefully

to be preserued by these outward meanes, as by continuall watch and ward, least o∣therwise it escape away from vs. Yea, it is of great force (comming from a bro∣ken and contrite heart) to moue the Lord to pitie, and to procure a blessing at his handes: for if the hypocriticall humilia∣tion of Achab did preuaile, howe much more forcible will it be, when it is ioyned with the inward contrition, whervnto god hath made this promise, I will resist th•• proud, and giue grace vnto the humble.