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To the Reader whosoeuer.
GOd hath bestowed on vs great prosperitie and peace, with plen∣tie of all temporall blessings that heart can wish for many yeares in this land.
Prosperitie abused hath beene the occasion of many grieuous sinnes against the first and second table: specially of Atheisme, neglect of Gods worship, contempt of the word, profanation of the Sabbath, abuse of the sacraments, &c.
These and such like sinnes haue long called downe for iudgements from heauen vpon vs: and the rather, because the preaching of the word hath little preuailed to bring vs to any amendment of life.
Whereupon God hath now begun to cause his iudgement to seaze vpon vs, speci∣ally by plague and pestilence: and that euen in the very principall part of this lande: whereby he himselfe doth (as Iob saith) round vs in the eare,* 1.1 and preach repen∣tance to vs.
Wherefore it stands vs now in hand if euer, to looke about vs: and if we haue not repented to begin to repent: if we haue in former time repented, to doe it more ear∣nestly.
If so be that we shall harden our hearts both against his word and iudgements, and put farre from vs the euill day: vndoubtedly we must needs looke for iudgements farre more terrible then euer we felt as yet; if not eternall destruction. Let vs be ad∣uised by the old world, who made light of Noahs warning, and were drowned in the floode: by Lots sonnes in law, who tooke their fathers counsell for mockage, and were burnt with fire and brimstone from heauen: by the foolish virgines, who were sleeping when they should haue beene furnishing their lampes, and were shut from the marri∣age of the lambe.
And to direct thee somewhat in the practise of repentance, I haue penned this small treatise: vse it for thy benefit, and see thou be a doer of it: vnlesse thou wilt be a wilfull murderer, and shed the blood of thine owne soule.
And whereas there haue beene published heretofore in English two sermons of Repentance, one by M. Bradford Martyr, the other by M. Arthur Dent: sermons indeed which haue doone much good: my meaning is not to adde therunto, or to teach any other doctrine, but onely to renew and reuiue the memorie of that which they haue taught.
Neither let it trouble thee that the principall Diuines of this age, whome in this treatise I follow, may seeme to be at diffeeence in treating of repentance. For some make it a fruit of faith containing two parts, Mortification and Viuification: a 1.2some make faith a part of it, by deuiding it into contrition, faith, newe obedience: b 1.3some make it all one with regeneration. The difference is not in the substance of doctrine, but in the logical manner of handling it. And the difference of handling ariseth of the diuers acception of repentance. It is taken two waies, generally and particularly. Ge∣nerally for the whole conuersion of a sinner, and so it may containe contrition, faith, new obedience vnder it, and be confounded with regeneration. It is taken particular∣ly for the renouation of the life and behauiour: and so it is a fruit of faith. And this on••ly sense doe I follow in this treatise.