An eye to heauen in earth A necessarie watch for the time of death, consisting in meditations and prayers fit for that purpose. With the husbands christian counsell to his wife and children, left poore after his death.

MEDIT. VIII.

Of Repentance, and Merit.

NO man, be he neuer so holy, is free frō sinne, and there∣fore neuer free from occ••∣sions to mooue him to Re∣pentance. And I acknow∣ledge, that Repentance, Pa∣tience, Watchfulnesse, At∣tendance, and Attention, are of no force, vnlesse Faith be the ground of e∣uery of them. For, it suffi∣ceth mee not to bee sorrie for my sins (as it séemeth Iudas and Kain were) vn▪ lesse by Faith I can feele, & assure my selfe, that my sinnes are also pardoned (as neither of them did) for it is the free gift of

God, which God vouchsa∣fed not to them. Neither is it sufficient for mee to watch with Patience, or to attend the bringing forth of outward oftentiue and vaine-glorious works; but I must feele in my selfe, the infallible tokens of mine effectuall calling, and ingrafting into Christ through Faith, before I can bring forth workes worthy amendment of life, which is true Repentance.

Some tokens of mine effectuall calling, I fe••le in my selfe, for I desire to do good, yet euen then is euill present with me. I delight in the Law of God, as concer∣uing * 1.1 the inner man: Name∣ly, as I am regenerate. But

I see another Law in my members, rebelling against the Law of my minde, and lending me captiue vnto the Law of sinne which is in my members. So that I cannot * 1.2 doe the good I would doe, but the euill which I would not do that I doe.

Should I then thinke, that because I feele not the signes of my calling in perfection, and because I am not free from all touch of infirmities and sinnes, in thought, word and deed, that therefore I haue no Repentance? God forbid, for to perswade my selfe, that I haue no sinne, were to deifie my selfe, and to make mee equall with Christ, as doe those that

are faithed from, yet by their workes of Merit and of Supererogation, pre∣sume to affirme, that they can bring not only them-selues, but others to sal∣uation, * 1.3 whose arrogate Merit stinkes before God, making the death of Christ of none effect; the highest Blasphemie that mortall man can spew out against the Trinitie: for, hereby is the most vnsearchable loue of God the Father in sen∣ding his Sonne, made vain and fruitlesse; the obedi∣ence of Christ to his Fa∣thers will, made needlesse, and his death causlesse, and the worke of the Holy Ghost who giueth Faith in the hearts of them that

shall bee saued excluded; and the corrupt heart of miserable man, wherein, by nature, is nothing but sinne (the dregges whereof will remaine, euen in the regenerate man during this mortall life) exalted aboue the merits of Christ. Which Blasphemy be farre from me.

Hee that can merit his * 1.4 owne Saluation, needs no Repentance, which I dis∣clay me; and cleaue only and alone to the merits of Christ my Sauiour, in whom my Repentance im∣perfect, is reputed true Re¦pentance, howsoeuer the ••ing of sinne remaines in me, yet without mortall venome, only to keepe me

euer in minde of mine im∣perfections: for when sin∣full motions arise in mee, I cannot but acknowledge in my selfe, corruption, which cannot but humble mee before God, and occa∣sion me to pray for the Spi∣rit of Repentance, and that God will deliuer mee from this bodie of sinne.

A Prayer for true Repen∣tance, and a reformed life. The Prayer.

O Lord, my God, I come here into thy presence, fearefull to looke vp to Heauen, where thou sittest, from whence thou beholdest all my wayes,

and obseruest all mine ac∣tions in earth, cursed and euill: and wherein I haue too too long wallowed my selfe, and as it were ba∣thed my selfe in the bloud of mine owne soule, which I haue diuersly wounded, through my sinnes, sel∣dome or neuer calling my selfe to an account what I haue done: but resting secure, haue followed va∣nitie vpon vanity heaping ••••••ne vpon sin, as if there were neither pleasure nor profit but in a carnall course of life.

O touch my heart, with a true sorrow for euery idle thought of my heart, for euery vaine word of my mouth, and for euery

act that I haue commited against thy sacred Maie∣stie, giue mee grace to call to minde my sinnes of all sorts, of all seasons, and of all places, howsoeuer or wheresoeuer I haue done and committed them that they appearing vnto mee in their vgly likenesse, I may truely lothe them, hate and abhorre them, and vnfainedly repent them, while Ihane time, and while thy Mercies may be found, for in death there is no remēbrance of thee, and in the graue who shall prayse thee? Returne, O Lord, deliuer my soule, saue mee for thy mercies sake, withdraw not thy tender mercie from mee,

O Lord, let thy Merrie and thy Truth alwayes preserue me.

Open, Lord, my dimme eyes, the ••ies of my heart, that I may hence-forth sée and walke in thy wayes. Soften and molliste my hard and stonie heart, that with Peter, I may go out of my sinnes and bitterly bewaile them. Send thy * 1.5 light and thy truth, let them lead mee, let them bring me vnto thine holy Mountaine, and to thy Ta∣bernacles.

Giue me a truly repen∣ting heart, through a liue∣ly Faith in the Merits of thy Sonne, in whom say vnto my Soule, and seale it vnto mee by thy holy

Spirit, that thou art my Saluation.

Lord, increase my faith, and accept my Repen∣tance.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 7. 21, 22, 23.
• * 1.2

  Verse 19.
• * 1.3

  The opi∣nion of Merit, and Workes of Superero∣gation, blasphe∣mie.
• * 1.4

  They that can merit, need no Repen∣tance.
• * 1.5

  Psal. 43. 3.