XXX sermons lately preached at the parish church of Saint Mary Magdalen Milkstreet, London to which is annexed, A sermon preached at the funerall of George Whitmore, Knight, sometime Lord Mayor of the City / by Anthony Farindon.

PART III.

EZEKIEL 33.11.

Turne ye, Turne ye from your evill wayes &c.

THE word is loud; the call sudden, and vehe∣ment, and we have heard it loud in the ears of them that Despair; Turn, Turn ye, it is not too late; and terrible to them that presume, Turn ye, Turn ye; it is not soon enough: and it cannot sound with terrour enough; For, we see, presumption is a more general, and spreading evil, and it lames and criples us, makes us halt in our turn, that we Turn not soon enough; or if some judgement, or affliction Turn us about, our Turn is but a profer, a turn in shew not in reality; or if we do Turn indeed, it is but a turn by halfs; a turn from this sin, but not from all; or a false hope deludes us, and we are ever a turning, and never turn. Our December is our January, our last moneth is our first day of the yeer, our thirty dayes hence, nay, our last hour, is to morrow,

is now, * 1.1 (as Cato's servents used to say of him) our picture is a man; our shadows, substances; our feigned repentance, true, our limb is a body, our partial Repentance, a complet one, and a single Turn from one sin, universal. And therefore the Schools will tell us, that presumption stands at greater opposition with Hope, then with Fear. One would think indeed, the presumption did include a Hope, and shut out Fear; and so she doth, even lead us mad∣ly over all; over the Law, and over the Gospel; over the Threat∣nings of God; and the wrath of God, upon the point of the sword, upon death it self. But yet, presumption is a deordination of Hope, rather a brutish temerity, a wilful rashnesse; then Hope, and moves contrary to her. Hope layes hold on the promises; but 'tis the condition that stretcheth forth her hand: she looks up to Heaven, but 'tis this Turn, tis Repentance, that quickneth her eye. But presumption runs hastily to the promises; but leapeth over the condition, or treadeth it under her feet. Presumption is in Heaven already, without grace; without Repentance; without a Turn, or at best it is serotina latewards, in the evening, in the shutting up of our dayes, or ficta, a formall repentance, or man∣ca, a lame, imperfect Repentance; a false hope it is, and therefore most contrary to Hope; and therefore no Hope at all.

Now, this sudden, and vehement call, should have more force and energie with it, then to awake, and startle us, then to make us, for a while look about. It was so loud, to hasten our re∣pentance, to give it a true being, and essence, & to complete, perfect, and settle it for ever. Our Repentance is our Sacrifice, and it must be 1. matutinum sacrificium, our morning, early Sacrifice. 2. Vivum, a living Sacrifice, breathing forth piety and holinesse; not a dead carcase, or the picture of Repentance; and 3. integrum a Sacrifice without blemish, perfect in every part, and it must be, in the last place juge sacrificium a continued sacrifice; a Repentance never to be repented of, a turn never to turn, or looke back again.

The First.

* 1.2 There is a time for all things under the Sun, saith the wiseman, and it is a great part of wisdom, occasionem observare properantem to watch, and observe a fair opportunity, and not to let it slip a∣way between our fingers, to hoyse up our sailes dum ventus ope∣ram dat, * 1.3 as he in Plautus speaks, whilst the winde sits right to fill them; and as it is in civil actions, so is it in our turn, in our repen∣tance, if we observe not the winde: if we turn not with the wind, with the first opportunity; we set out too late; when another will come towards us, is most uncertain; the next winde cannot be so

kinde, and favourable. We confesse, * 1.4 advise and consultation in other things is very necessary; but full of danger in that action, where all the danger is not to do it. Before we enter upon action, to sit down, and cast with my self, what may follow at the very heels of it, to look upon it, to handle and weigh it, to see whe∣there life or death will be the issue of it; is the greatest part of our spiritual wisdom: but after sin to demur, when we are run∣ning on in our evil wayes to consult, what time will be best to turn in; what opportunity we shall take to repent, betrayes our igno∣rance, that when time is we know it not, or our sloth, that though we see the very nunc, the very time of turning, though opportunity even bespeaks us to turn, yet we carelesly let it fly from us, even out of our reach, and will not lay hold on it. Thus saith Solomon, the desire of the slothful slayeth him: he desires, * 1.5 but doth nothing to accomplish his desire; and so he desires to be rich, and dies poor; he thinks his ambition will make him great, his covetousnesse, rich; his hope, happy; that all things will fall into his lap, se∣dendo, & votis, by sitting still and wishing for them: and this keeps his hands within his bosom: not so much his sloth, as his desire kills him. Turn ye, turn ye; the very sound of it, might put us in fear, that now were too late; that the present time were not soon enough; but the present is too soon with us, we will turne, we will finde a convenient time, all our turning is in desire; de∣sire delayes our turn; and delay multiplies it self to our de∣struction.

We will then enforce this duty, 1. From the advantage, and benefit we may reap from our strict observing of opportunity. 2. from the danger of delay.

And first opportunitas à portu, saith Festus, Opportunity hath its denomination from the word, which signifies a haven; I may say, * 1.6 opportunity is a Haven, we see, they who are tossed up and down on the deep, make all means, stretch their endeavours to the farthest, to thrust their torne, and weather-beat vessel into the Haven, where they would be; quam optati portus? how welcom is the very sight of it? littus Naufragis, the shore for ship-wrackt persons, what can they wish for more? Behold, saith the Apostle, * 1.7 now is the accepted time; now is the day of Salvation: here is a Haven, and the Tide is now: Now put in your broken vessel: now thrust in into the Haven, opportunity is a prosperous gale, delay is a contrary winde, and will drive you back again upon the rocks, and dash you to pieces. And indeed a strange thing it is: that in all other things opportunity should be a Haven, but in this, which concerns us more then any thing, a Rock. The twilight for the Adul∣terer: Isaacs funeral for Esaus murder, Felix his convenient time,

for a bribe: and to opportunity they fly, tanquam ad portum, as to a Haven: the Adulterer waits for it, Esau wisht for it; Faelix sought for it; what should I say? Opportunity works Miracles; fills the hands with good things; Raiseth the poor out of the Dung; de∣feateth Counsells, conquers Kingdoms; is the best Physitian, and doth more then Art can doe; and without it Art can do nothing; is the best Politician, and without it Wisedome can doe nothing; is the best Souldier; for without it, Power can doe nothing; It is all in all, in every thing: but in our Spirituall Politie, and Warre∣fare, it hath not strength enough, to Turn us about, it is not able to bow our knee, or move our Tongue, much lesse to rend a heart: but such is our extremity of folly, such is the hardness of our hearts, Ipsa opportunitas, & fit impietatis patrocinium, one opportunity rai∣ses in us a hope of another; makes us waste our time in the waies of Evill, which should be spent in our Returne; extends our hopes, from day to day, from year to year, from one houre to another, even till our last minute, till Time flies from us, and opportunity with it: till our last sand, and when that is run out, there is no more Time for us; and so no more opportunity. The voice of Opportu∣nity is, To day, now, if you will heare his voice, harden not your Hearts; this is his voice: Now; 'tis true; but there may be more nows then this, (and it is, but, There may be) to morrow may yeeld an opportuni∣ty: Thus we corrupt her language; In my youth 'tis true, but I may recover it in my riper Age, my feeble Age will have strength enough to Turne me, or I may Turne in my bed, when I am not able to Turn my self; Now? there be more Nows, then Now; what need such haste? my last prayer, my last Breath, my last gasp may be a Turne.

Now this our way uttereth our Foolishnesse; for what greater fol∣ly can there be, then, when Grace and Mercy, when Heaven is of∣fered; now to refuse it? * 1.8 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, let sinne devour the opportunity, and to morrow we will Turne, is a speech, that ill be∣comes a mortalls mouth, whose breath is in his Nostrills, for it may be his last. His age is but a span long; but a hand-breadth, pro ni∣hilo, as nothing in respect of God; the Septuagint renders it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Tertullian, Nullificamina, others, Nihilitudines or, Nihilie∣tates, which is, Nothings, and in such a Nothing, shall I let slip that opportunity, which may make me something, even eternal? Shall I make so many removes? so many delayes within the compasse of a Span? whatsoever my span, my nothing may be, my opportuni∣ty is not extended beyond this span, is no larger then this nothing: And here is the Danger; whether this Span be now at an end, and measure out, I cannot tell: My span may be but a fingers breadth; my age but a minute; That which I fill up with so many Nows, so many opportunities, Nothing; and then if I turn not Now, I am tur∣ned into Hell, where I can never Turne; care not then for the mor∣row,

let the morrow care for it self; There is no Time to Turne from thy Evill wayes, but now.

* 1.9 And First; It is the greattest folly in the World thus to play with danger, To seek Death first, in the Errors of ourlife, and then when we have run out our Course, when Death is ready to devour us, to look faintly back upon light: For the Endeavors of a man, that hath wearyed himself in sinne, can be but weak and faint, like the Appetite of a dying man, who can but think of meat, and loath it: The later we Turne, the lesse able we be to Turne; the further we stray, the lesse willing shall we be to look back: For sinne ga∣thers strength by delay; devotes us unto it self; gaines a dominion Over us; holds us as it were in Chaines, and will not soon suffer us, to slip out of its power: when the will hath captivated it self under sinne; a wish, a sigh, a Thought is but a vaine thing, nor have they strength enough to deliver us. One Act begets another, and that a Third; many make up a habit, and evill Habits hold us back with some violence: What mind? what motion? what Inclination can a man that is drown'd in sensuality, have to God, who is a Spirit? A man that is buried in the Earth (for so every Covetous man is) to God, who sitteth in the highest heavens? He that delights in the breath of Fools, to the Honor of a Saint? Here the further we go; the more we are In; That which is done once, hath some affinity to that which is done often, and that which is done alwayes, * 1.10 saith Aristotle, when an arme or Limbe is broke, it may have any moti¦on, but that which was naturall to it, and if wee doe not speedily proceed to cure, it will be a more difficult 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to set it in its right place againe, that it may performe its natural functions: now in sinne, there is a deordination of the will, there is a luxation of that faculty; hence weakness seiseth upon the will, and if we neg∣lect the first opportunity; if we doe not rectifie her betimes, and turne her back againe, and bend her to the rule, it will be more and more infeebled every day; move more irregularly, and like a dis∣ordered clock, point to any figure, but that which should shew the Houre, and make known the time of the day. Wee may read this truth in Aged men, saith Saint Basil, * 1.11 when their body is worne out with Age, and there is a generall declination of their strength and vigour; the mind hath a malignant influence on the body, as the body (in their blood, and youth) had upon the mind, and being made wanton, and bold with the Custome of sinne, heightens, and enflames their frozen, and decay'd parts, to the pursuit of pleasures past; though they can never overtake them, nor see them but in Essi∣gie in their Image or Picture, which they draw themselves. They now call to minde the sinnes of their youth with delight; and act them over againe, when they cannot Act them; as youthfull, as when they first committed them. They have milk (they thinke) in

their Breasts, and marrow in their bones; they periwigg their Age with wanton behaviour: Their Age is Threescore and Ten; when their speech and will is but Twenty: They boast of what they cannot Act, and would be more sinfull, if they could; and are so, because they would. It is a sad contemplation, how we startled at sinne in our youth, and how we ventured by degrees, and engaged our selves: how fearfull we were at first; how indifferent afterwards; how famili∣ar within a while; and then how we were setled, and hardened in it at the last; what a Devill sinne was, and what a Saint it is be∣come? What a Serpent it was, and how now we play with it? we usually say, * 1.12 Custome is a second Nature; and indeed it follows, and imitates naturall motion; It is weake in the beginning, stronger in the Progresse, but most strong and violent towards the end: Transit in violentiam voluntas antiqua; That which we will often, we will with eagernesse, and violence. Our first on-set in sinne, is with feare and Reluctation; wee then venture further, and proceed with lesse regret; we move forwards with delight; Delight con∣tinues the motion, and makes it customary; and Custome at last drives and bindes us to it, as to our Center; vitia insolentiora renas∣cuntur, saith Seneca: Sin growes more insolent by degrees, first flat∣ters, then commands, after enslaves, and then betrays us: First gains consent, afterwards works delight, at last 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a shame∣lesness in sinne; * 1.13 Were they ashamed? They were not ashamed: nay, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.14 a senselesnesse and stupidity in sinne; and Caligula's 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a stubbornnesse; and perverseness of disposition, which will not let us Turne from sinne. For by neglecting a timely reme∣dy, vitia, mores fiunt, Our evill wayes become our manners, and common deportment, and we look upon them, as upon that which becomes us, upon an unlawfull Act, as upon that, which we ought to do: Nay, peccatum lex, sinne, which is the Transgression of the Law, is made a Law it self. Saint Austin in his Confessions calls it so, Lex peccati est violentia consuetudinis. That Law of sinne, which carries us with that violence to sinne, is nothing else, but the force of long Custome and Continuance in sinne. For sinne by Custome gaines a Kingdome in our soules, and having taken her seat and Throne there, * 1.15 promulges Lawes: If she say Goe, we goe; and if she say, Doe this, we doe it: Surge, inquit, Avaritia, she commands the Miser to rise up early, and lie downe late, and eate the bread of sorrow; she sets the Adulterer on fire, makes him vile, and base in his owne eyes; whilst he counts it his greatest honor and preferrment, to be a slave to his Strumpet. She drawes the Revengers sword; she feeds the intemperate with poyson; And she commands, not as a Tyrant, but having gain'd Dominion over us, she findes us willing subjects; shee Holds us Captive, and we call our Captivity our liberty: Her poyson is as the poyson of the Aspick; she bites us, and we smile, and Die, and Feele it not.

* 1.16 Secondly: It is dangerous in respect of God himself, whose call we regard not, whose counsels we reject, whose patience we dal∣ly with: whose Judgements we slight: to whom we wantonly turn the back, when he calls after us, to seek his sace, and so tread that mercy under foot, which should save us: and will not turn yet, upon a bold and strange presumption, that though we grieve his spirit; though we resist, and blaspheme his spirit: yet after all these Scorns, and contempts: after all these injuries, and contu∣melies, he will yet look after us, and sue unto us, and offer him∣self, and meet and receive us, at any time, we shall point out, as most convenient to turn in.

It is most true: God hath declared himself, and as it were be∣came his own Herald, and proclaimed it to all the world, * 1.17 the Lord, Merciful, and Gracious, and abundant in Goodnesse, and Truth, keeping Mercy for Thousands: for he is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 most lovingly af∣fected to man, the chief, and Prince of his creatures: he longs af∣ter him, he wooes him, he waites on him: His Glory and mans Salvation meet and kisse each other: for it is his Glory to crown him: Nor doth he at any time turn from us himself, till we doat on the world, and sensuality, and divorce him from us, till we have made our Heaven below; chosen other gods, which we make our selves, and think him not worth the turning to. He is alwayes a God at hand, never goes from us, till we sorce him away by vio∣lence. How many murmurings and rebellions? how many con∣tradictions of sinners, hath he stood out, and yet looked towards them? how hath he been prest, as a Cart under sheaves, * 1.18 and yet look't towards them? how hath he been shaken off and defied, and yet lookt towards them? he receives David after his Adustery, and murder, after that complication of sins, the least of which, was of force enough, to cast him out of Gods presence for ever; he receives Peter after his denial, and would have received Judas, after his Treason; he received Manasses, when he could not live long, and he received the Theef on the Crosse, when he could live no longer. All this is true; His Mercy is infinite, and his Mercy is everlasting, and is the same, yesterday, and to day, and for ever; * 1.19 But as Tertullian sayes well, non potest non irasci contumeliis miseri∣cordiae suae, God must needs wax angry at the contumelies and reproaches, which by our dalliance, and delay we fling upon his mercy, which is so ready to cover our sinnes. For how can he suffer this Queen of his Attributes to be thus pro∣stituted by our lusts, to see men bring sinne into the world under the shadow of that Mercy, which should take it away; to see men advance the Kingdome of Dark∣nesse, and to fight under the devils banner with this inscription and motto lifted up, the Lord is mercifull? what hope of that Soul∣dier,

that flings away his buckler? or that condemned person, that tears his pardon? or that sick man that loves his disease? and counts his Physick poyson? and the Prophet here in my Text, where he calls upon us with that earnestness, Turn ye, turn ye, gives us a fair intimation, that if we thus delay, and delay, and never begin, a time may come, when we shall not be able to turn. It may seem indeed, a harsh, and hard saying, a Doctrine not sutable with the lenity and gentlenesse of the Gospel (which breaths nothing but mercy) to conclude; that such a time may come, that any part of time, that the last moment of our time may not make, a now to turn in: that whilest we breath, our condition should be as de∣sperate, as if we were dead; that whilst we are men, our estate should be as irrevocable, as that of the damned spirits, with this difference onely, that we are not yet in the place of torment, which neverthelesse is prepared for us, and will as certainly receive us, as it doth now the Devil, and his Angels. It is harsh indeed, but may be very profitable, and advantageous for us so to think; that such a time may be, which may be our last; for grace, though not our last for life, that we may live, and yet be dead eternally; a time, * 1.20 when there will remain no more sacrifice for sin. I cannot say, we should make it an article of our Creed, and yet I know no danger in beleeving it; and it may prove fatal to us to disbe∣leeve it, or look upon it, as such an errour, which deserves to be placed in the Catalogue of Heresies. And therefore though you subscribe not, yet there is no reason, you should Anathematize it; because we may finde some parts of Scripture, which look this way, and so far seem to enforce it, that we have rather reason to fear, that there may be some truth in it; since our wilful delayes are but as the degrees to it, as the ready way to that gulph, out of which it will be impossible to lift up our selves; at least impossible in the Lawiers sense; impossible, as those things which may be, but seldom come to passe; It is a part of wisdome to fear the worst, nor can we be too scrupulous in the businesse of our Salva∣tion.

In the 15. of Genesis, and the 16. v. God tells Abraham, that he will judge the Amorites; but he will stay to the fourth generation, till their iniquity be full, and when it is full, then he will strike. At 23. of Matt. Our Saviour thus bespeaks the Pharisees. v. 23. Fill you up the measure of your forefathers, which is not a command, but a prediction, that they should fill up the measure of their sin, and then be ripe for punishment. For when men have run out the full length of their line, then it is Gods time to draw it in, and give them a check; to pull them on their backs, there to be buried in ruine for ever. When our Saviour beheld Jerusalem, the Text tells us, he wept over it, wept over it, as at its funeral, as if he now saw

the enemy cast a trench round about it, as if he saw it, * 1.21 lie level with the ground. Will you hear this Epicedium, or his Funeral speech, which he uttered with great passion, and tears running down his cheeks? Oh that thou hadst known the things that belong to thy peace, in hac die tuâ, even in this thy day; A day, then they had, but when this day was shut in, then follows, nunc autem but now, they are hid from thine eyes, which ushers in that blacknesse of darknesse for ever. Oh that thou hadst, then was liberty of choice, but Now, thou art bound and fettered under a sad impossibility for ever. And that we may be thus bound hand and foot, before we be cast into utter darknesse, Saint Paul doth more then intimate, when he tells us of the Gentiles. Rom. 1. That as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge; to retain him as a merciful God, retain his love and favour, by the true worship of him, he also gave them over, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to a reprobate minde; he left them in that gall of bitternes, in which they delighted, tradidit repletos, non replendos, * 1.22 saith the father, he gave them over not be filled, but being filled already with all iniquity, he delivered them over to a reprobate minde: they retained not God in any part of their time, and now that is run out, is at an end; and that time will be no more; they would be evil, and now they cannot be good. The Jewish Doctors had a proverb, that God did but in this his proceeding farinam jam molitam molere, but do that, which was done already, to his hands, grinde that corn that was ground already, and leave them, who would be left to themselves, and their own hellish wickednesse, which was their ruine. For that of Basil is most true, * 1.23〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Judgement follows mercy at the heels, to take revenge upon those, who wantonly abuse her; strikes them dead, who would not live, and seals them up to damnation, who were condemned already. You may now Turn, and he will re∣ceive you; that's the dialect of mercy, but you shall not, if you thus put it off from time to time, that's the voice of an angry and despised God; Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day; see Mercy gave her a day, and shined brightly in it, by which light she might have seen the things that concerned her peace? nunc autem, but now, now it is past: are as the black lines of reprobation, drawn out by the hand of Justice: It was thy day, but now it is shut up, and now nox est perpetuo una dormienda, thy Sun is set for ever: all is night, eternal night; the light is hid from thine eyes, and thou shalt never see it more.

You will say, this was spoken to a People, to a Nation; 'tis true: but may it not also be so with every particular person? may it not be so, with one Pharisee? with one viper, as well as with a generation? was it not so with Judas, as well as with Jerusalem? I have read that a Body or a Society, that a Common-wealth may fall under a censure, and be subject unto penalty: yet bodies do not of∣fend,

but in their parts; 'tis not Rome that commits the fault, but Sempronius or Titius, who are parts of that Common-wealth. Not the Amorites alone: Not the sect of the Pharisees; not Jerusalem alone, but every man may have Diem suam his allotted time, in which he may turn from his evil wayes; and this day may be a Feast-day, or a day of trouble, it may beget an eternal day, or it may end in the shadow of death, and everlasting darknesse. Oh that men were wise, but so wise as the creatures which have no reason; so wise, as to know their seasons, to discover hanc diem su∣am, this their day, wherein they may yet turn: that we could but behold that Decretory hour, or but place it in our thoughts, or make it our fear, that such a one there may be, in which Mercy shall forsake us, and Justice cut off our hopes for ever: Certainly we should not make so many Dayes in our year, we should not re∣solve to day, for to morrow, and to morrow for the next, and so drive it forward, till the last sand, till we can resolve no more. For he that thinks so lightly of eternity, to think it may be wrought out in a moment, and yet will not allow it so much; but when he please, hath just cause to fear, that his day is past alrea∣dy.

Now though there may be such a day, such a moment; yet this day, this moment, like the day of judgement, is not known to any, and it may seem on purpose to be removed out of our sight, that we may be jealous of every moment of our life, and when the devil tempts, the World flatters, the flesh rebells, set up this thought against them, that this may be our last moment, and if we yeeld now, we shall be slaves for ever. For as the long suffering of God is Salvation, the second of Pet. 3.15. so is eve∣ry day, every hour of our life, such a day, and such an hour, which carries along with it eternity, * 1.24 either of pain, or Blisse. That thou mayest therefore turn now, think that a time may come, when thou shalt not be able to turn, tardè velle nolentis est, not to be willing to turn to thy God now, is to deny him, delay is no better then defi∣ance. And why shouldest thou hope to be willing hereafter, whoart not willing now; and art not willing now, upon this false, deceitful hope, that thou shalt be willing hereafter? Wilful and present folly is no good presage of after-wisdom, and it is more probable that a froward will, will be more froward and perverse, then that af∣ter it hat joyned with the vanities of this world, and cleaved fast unto them, it should bow, and bend it self, to that Law, which makes it death to touch them. He that leaps into the pit, upon hope, that he shall get out, hath leapt into his Grave, at least deserves to be covered over with darknesse, and to buried there for ever.

Feare then, lest the measure of thy Iniquity be almost full; and perswade thy self, thy next sin may fill it; Think, this is thy Day, thy houre, Thy moment, and though peradventure it may not be; yet think it may be thy last; It is no error, though it be an error; For if it be not thy last, yet in Justice God might make it so: for why should Heaven be offer'd more then once? and if it be an Error, It is an happy Error, and will redeeme us from all those Errors, which delay brings in, and multiplies: even those Errors, which make us worse then the Beasts that perish: A happy error; I may say an Angel, that layes hold on us, and snaches us out of the fire, out of the common ruine, and hastens us to our God: A happy Error, which frees us from all other errors of our life. And yet, though it may be an errour (for it is no more, Then it may be) it is a truth; for onely Now is true; there may be many more Nows, 'tis true; a now to morrow, and a now hereafter, and a now on our death∣bed, but these are but may-bees, and these potentiall Truths concern us not (for that which may bee, may not bee: that which concerns us, is an Everlasting Truth, To day, if you will heare his voice, harden not your hearts, if you harden them to day, and stand upon May-bees, then they may be stand for ever.

And therefore, if you expect I should point out to a certaine time; The time is now, Turne ye, Turne ye, even now; now the Pro∣phet speaks; now the words sound in your eares; Now, if you will heare his voice, harden not your hearts. For why was it spoken, but that we should hear it? It is an earnest call after us, and if we obey not, it is an Argument against us, That wee deserve to heare it no more. We are willing that what we speake, should stand; not a word, not a syllable, not one tittle must fall to the ground. If wee speak to our servant, and say Goe, he must goe; and if we say, doe this, he must doe it nunc, Now, dicto citiùs, as soon as it is spoke. A deliberative pausing Obedience, Obedience in the Future Tense, to say, he will doe it, when he pleases, strips him of his Livery, and Thrusts him out of doores. And shall man, who is Dust and Ashes, feek a convenient time to Turne from his Evill wayes? shall our now be when we please? shall one morrow Thrust on another, and that a Third? shall we demurr and delay, till we are ready to be thrust into our graves, or which will follow, into Hell? if the Lord saies, Turne ye, Turne ye, there can be no other time, no other now, but now. All other nows and opportunities, as our dayes, are in his hands, and he may close, and shut them up, if he please, and not open them to give thee another, Domini, non servi negotium agitur, the business is the Lords, and not the servants, and yet the businesse is ours too; but the Time is in his Hands, and not in ours.

Now then Turne ye, now the word sounds, and Eccho's in your

eares. Againe, now; now thou hast any good Thought, any Thought, that hath any relish of Salvation: For that thought, if it be not the voice, * 1.25 is the whisper of the Lord, but it speaks as plain, as his Thun∣der. If it be a good thought, it is from him who is the fountain of all good, and he speaks to thee, by it, as he did to the Prophets by Visi∣ons and Dreames. In a Dreame, in a Vision of the Night, I may say, In a Thought, he openeth the eares of men, and sealeth their Instruction. And why should he speake once and twice, and we perceive it not? why should the Devil, who seeeks to devour us, prevail with us more, then our God, that would save us? why should an evill thought arise in our hearts, and swell, and grow, and be powerfull to roule the Eye, to lift up the head? to stretch out the Hand? to make our feet, like Hinds feet in the wayes of Death? and a holy Thought, a good intention, which is, as it were, the breath of the Lord, be stopped, and checked, and slighted, and at last be chased away into the land of Oblivion? why should a good thought arise, and vanish, and leave no impression behind it? and an evill thought increase and multiply, shake the powers of the Soul, command the will, and every faculty of the mind; every part of the body, and at last bring forth a Cain and Esau, a Herod, a Pharisee, a profane Per∣son, an Adulterer, a Murderer? why should we so soon devest our selves of the one, and morari, stay, and dwell, and fool it in the o∣ther? sport our selves, as in a place of pleasure, a Seraglio, a Para∣dise? For, let us but give the same friendly Entertainment to the Good, as we do to the bad; let us but as joyfully imbrace the one, as we doe the other; let us be as speculative men in the wayes of God, as we are in our own, and then we shall make Hast, and not delay to Turne unto him. We talke much of the Grace of God, and we do but talke of it: It is in all mouthes; in some it is but a sound; in others it is scarse sense, in most it is but a loud, but faint acknow∣ledgement of its power, when it hath no power at all to move us; an acknowledgement of what God can doe, when we are resolv'd he shall work nothing in us; we commend it, and resist it; pray for it, and refuse it. Behold the Grace of God hath appeared to all men: appeared in the Doctrine of the Gospel; and appeares in those good Thoughts, which are the proper Issue of t hat doctrine, and are begot by this word of Truth; and when the heart sends them forth, she sends them as Messengers of Grace, to invite us, and draw us out of our evill wayes: and if the Devil can raise such a Babel upon an evill Thought; why may not God raise up a Temple unto himself upon a Good?

I appeal to your selves, and shall desire you to ask your selves the question. How often have you enjoyed such Gracious ravish∣ing thoughts? How often have you felt the good motions of the Spi∣rit? How oft have you heard a voice behind you, say, Doe this?

how many checques? how many inward Rebukes have you had in your Evill wayes? how oft have these thoughts followed, and pur∣sued you in the wayes of Evill, and made them lesse pleasing? what a dampe have they cast upon your delight? what a Thorne have they been in your flesh, even when it was wanton? How oft are you so composed, and by assed by these Heavenly Insinuations, that heart and hand are ready to joyne together, as partners in the Turne? How oft would you, and yet will not Turne? How oft are you the Preachers, and tell your selves, Vanity of Vanity, all is Vani∣ty, and that there is no true rest, but in God? I speak to those, who have any feeling and presage of a future Estate; any Tast of the Powers of the world to come (for too many we see have not; I speake this to our shame) Now is the Time; Now is the Now.

—nunc, nunc properandus & acri, Fingendus sine fine rotâ—

Now thou must turne the wheel about, and frame and fashion thy self into a vessel of Honor, consecrate unto the Lord; makeup a Child of God, the new Creature: Now nourish, and make much of these good Motions, good inclinations, wrought in us either by the Word of God; or the rod of God; They are fallen upon us, and entred into us, but how long they will stay, how long we shall enjoy them we cannot tell; a smile from the World; a Dart from Satan, if we take not heed, if we be not tender of them, may chase them away. This is the time, this is the Now; for at another time, being fallen from this Heaven, our Cogitations may be from the earth, earthly, such grosse, and durty thoughts, which will not melt, but harden in the Sun. Our Faculties may be corrupt; our Under∣standings dull and heavy, our wills froward and perverse; that we shall neither will that which is Good, or so will it, that we shall not have strength to bring forth, not be able to draw it into Act; If we approve, or look towards it, we shall soon start back, as from an Enemy, as from that which suits not with our present disposi∣tion, but is distastfull to it; tanquam fas non sit, as if it were some unlawfull thing, as we read of the Sybarite, who was growne so ex∣treamly dainty, that he would fall into a cold sweat, and faint at another mans labour. Now, therefore, Now let us close with it, whilst it appear's in Beauty, whilst it is amiable in our eyes, whilst our will begins to bend, and our heart inclines to it; for if we let this so faire an opportunity to passe, within a while Vanity it self will appeare in Glory, and that Holinesse (which should make us like unto God) will be taken for a monster; There will be Ho∣ney on the Harlots lips, and gall on Chastity; a Lordship shall be more desireable, then Paradise; and three lives in that, then eter∣nity

in Heaven; now God is God, and if we doe not Now fall down and worship him; the next Now, Baal will be God, The world will be our God, and the True God, which but now we acknowledged, will not be in all our wayes. The first now, the first opportunity is the best; the next is most uncertaine, the next, may be Never.

But now, * 1.26 if we will stand to distinguish times by the events, as by their severall faces; the divers complexions they receive, either from Peace or Trouble, either from Prosperity, or Adversity; Then certainly, the best Time to Turne to him, is when he turns his face to us, Cum candidi fulgent soles, when he shines brightly upon our Tabernacles; when God speaks to us, not out of the Whir winde, but in a still voice: when Plenty crownes the Commonwealth, and Peace shadows it; when God appeares to us, not as Jupiter to Se∣mele, in Thunder, but as to Danae, in a showre of Gold; whilst he stands as it were at the Doore, and intreats entrance, and not stay till he knock with the hammer, till he breake in upon us with his sword; because to Turne to him now in this Brightnesse, will rather be an Act of our love, then our feare, and so make our Repentance a Free-will Offering, a Sacrifice of a Sweet smelling Savour unto God; and make it evident, that we understand the Voice of his calling; the language of his Benefits; the miracle, which he works, which is to cure our inward blindness with this Clay, with these outward Things, that we may see, to Turne from our evill wayes, unto the Lord. This is truely to prayse the Lord for all his Benefits; this is truely to Honor him; to beare our selves with that Fear, and Reve∣rence, that wee leave off to offend this God of Blessings. Negat bene∣ficium, qui non Honorat, he denies, he despiseth a Blessing, that doth not thus Honor it: Ingratitude is contumelious to God; is the bane of merit, the defacer of goodness: The Sepulchre, the Hell of all Blessings; for by it they are turned into a Curse; Ingratitude loaths the light, loaths the Land of Canaan, and looks for Milke and ho∣ney in Egypt. And this is it which the Prophets every where com∣plaine of, that the People did enjoy the light of Gods Countenance, but by it walkt on in their evill wayes, and made no other use of it, then this; That they did per tantorum honorum detrimenta Deum con∣temnere, as Hierome speaks, lose the Favour of God, in their con∣tempt, and were made worse by that which should have Turn'd them from being Evill; that being his pleasant plant, they brought forth nothing but wilde Grapes.

And to apply this to our selves; Dare we now look back to the former times? what face can turne that way, and not gather black∣ness? God gave us light, and we shut our eyes against it. God made us the envie, and we were ambitious to make our selves, the

scorne of all Nations; he gave us milk and honey, and we turn'd it into Gall and Bitternesse: God gave us Plenty, and Peace; and the one we loath'd, as the Jews did their Manna; the other we abused: our Peace brought forth a Warre, as Nicippus sheep, in Aelian did yean a Lion. God spake to us by Peace, and we were in Trouble, till we were in Trouble, till we were in a Posture of Warre: God spake to us by Plenty, and we answered him by luxury: God spake to us by love, and we answered him by Oppression: He made our faces to shine, and we grinded the poore; He spake to us in a still voice, and we defyed the Holy One of Israel. Every benefit of his cryed, Give me my price, and lo, in stead of Turning from our e∣vill wayes, delighting in them; in stead of leaving them, defending them; In stead of calling upon his Name, calling it down to counte∣nance all the Imaginations of our Heart, which have been evill con∣tinually; This was the Goodly price that he, and all his Blessings were prized at; and then, when this light was thus abused; our Sun did set, our day was shut in: That Now, That Then had its end; The next call was in Thunder, and he gave us Haile for raine, and fla∣•…•… fire in our Land.

But such a then, such an opportunity we had, and we may say with shame, and sorrow enough, that we have lost it; but since we have let slip this time of peace, this acceptable time, yet at least, let us turn now in the storm, that he may make a calm; turn to him in our trouble, that he may bring us out of our distress; turn now, when our Sun is darkned, and our Moon turned into blood, when the knowledge of his Law, of true Piety begins to wax dim, and the true face, and beauty of Religion to wither. When the stars are fallen from Heaven, the teachers of truth, from the Pro∣fession of truth, and set that up for truth, which sets them up in high-places: when the powers of Heaven are shaken, when the pillars of the Church sink, and break asunder into so many Sects and divisions, which is as musick to Rome, but makes all walk as mourners about the streets of Jerusalem; when Religion, which should be the bond of love, is made the title and pretense of war, the somentor of that malice, and bitternesse, which desiles it, and puts it to shame, and treads it under foot; Now when the Sea and the waves thereof roar, when we hear the noise and tu∣mult of the people, which is as the raging of the Sea, but eb∣bing and flowing with more uncertainty, and from a cause lesse known; Now in this draught and resemblance of the end of the World: when he thus speaks to us in the whirl-winde, when he thus knocks with his hammer, when he calls thus loud unto us, turn ye, turn ye, now let us bow down our heads, and in all humi∣lity answer him; Ecce accedimus, Behold we come unto thee; For thou art our Lord and God. For, as our Saviour speaks of offences:

so may we of these Judgements and Terrours, which he sends to fright us to him: Necesse est ut veniant, It must needs be that they come not only necessitate consequentiae by a necessity of consequence, supposing the condition of our nature, and the changes, and chan∣ces of a sinful world; or rather supposing the corruption of mens manners, which can produce nothing but tumult and sedition, but plagues and famine, and war, (for what other fruit can grow upon such evil trees?) but necessitate finis, in respect of the end, for which they are sent; for which God, in whose power both men, and their actions are, doth not onely, not hinder them by his mighty hand, but permits them, and by a kinde of providence sends them upon us, partly for our trial, but especially for our amendment; that finding Gall, and worm-wood upon every pleasure, and va∣nity of the world; finding no rest for our feet in these tumultuous waves, we may flee to the Ark, and turn to him, with our whole heart. And certainly, if they work not this effect, they will a far worse; if they do not set a period to our sin, they are then but the beginnings of sorrow, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saith Naz. but a prologue to that long and lasting Tragedy, the sad Types, and sorerunners of ever∣lasting torments in the bottomlesse pit. As yet, they may be but an argument of Gods love; the blows of a Father 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Basil calls them, * 1.27 blows to turn us out of our evil wayes; Oh soelicem servum cujus emendationi instat Dominus, cui dignatur irasci, saith Tert. Oh happy servant, whom God takes such care to amend, whom he thus diggs about, and waters with his discipline of Af∣fliction, whom he thus purgeth, that he may bring forth fruits meet for repentance; whom he loves so well, as to be angry with him, to whom he gives this great Honor and respect, as to chastise him; quem admonendi dissimulatione non decipit, * 1.28 whom he thus plainly tells of his sinne and danger, and writes and imprints it, as it were, in his very Flesh; whom he doth not in his Anger Dissemble with, and Deceive; that is, whom he lets not alone, that he may ruine him∣self, seems to favour, that he may destroy him; not Toucheth, that he may grinde him to peeces: Nam quanta est poena, nulla poena? not to be punished at all, is the greatest punishment of all; and nothing is more deplorable, then the happiness of a wicked man; for when God is silent, and will speake no more, then he hath his Axe in his hand, to cut us Downe, that we shall beare no more fruit.

And such a Now, such a Time there may come; when God hath called againe and againe, when he hath spoken to us, and spoken within us; when hee hath spoken to us from his Mercy∣seat, and spoken in Thunder, that he will speak no more; and this no doubt hath befallen many Thousands, whom God in Justice de∣livered to these chaines of Darkness, to be reserved to Judgement; whom he would not frown upon, whom he would not look up∣on

on, whom he would not Trouble, whose eyes he would not open; to see the danger they were in; but as they colluded, and Trifled with him, so he laught at their folly and madnesse, and left them to themselves to run on with pleasure, with Hope, with confidence untoucht, unrebuked, unregarded to their Destruction. All that are lost, are not in Hell, for they that are now there, were lost be∣fore, vivi, videntes{que}, even whilst they walkt in the land of the Li∣ving; lost, when they were called upon, and would not heare; Lost in the midst of Prophets and Apostles; Lost in the Church; Lost in the Mercies of God, which they rejected; Lost in the Judgements of God, which they slighted; Lost before they were utterly lost; Lost when they left God; and when God left them; Judas had his Name, before he hang'd himself, and before he went to his place, was the son of Perdition. It may seem strange indeed, but it is True, and there is no reason it should seem strange; for why should it seem strange, That God should leave us once, who have left him so often; That when he can do no more to his Vineyard, he should pluck up the hedge, and lay it open to bring forth nothing but Briars and Thornes: That when we have Abused his Mercy, he should be angry? That when we Defy him, he should fling us off; that when we will be evill, he should let us alone. It is our owne folly, that makes it a Paxadox; our Ignorance of our selves, and our God; Our High, and vile esteme we have of his Mercy; Our false glossing, and mis∣interpreting his Judgments? these have made it a Heresy, have Ana∣thematized, and exploded it; and now, any Now, any Time is soone enough with them, who will sinne, but would not be punisht; who put God from them, but would not be left to themselves; who would repent, and yet sinne; would be saved, but not Now. These are the Soloecismes of Delay, the contradictions and Absurdities of wilfull sinrs; and all such who would Turn, yet will goe on in their sinne. It were easy to fill our mouth with Arguments; but Delay in our on-sets and progresse to Eternity, is of so foule and mon∣strous an aspect, that there need no Tongue of Men or Angels to set forth the horror of it: every Eye that sees it, must needs turne it self away; every thought that receives it, must distast, and condemn it; even the Heart, that is deceived with it, cannot but tremble at it. Amongst so many that have perished; amongst so many, that may perish by it, it never yer found one Patron, any one man, that had a good word for it, or did dare to say, It were not a sinne to trust to it: Even when we Delay, we condemne our selves, and yet still Hope, and still Delay; wee condemne it in others, and of those who have been long evill, wee are too ready to say, They will never be good. Hee that hearkens to the call, and Turnes at the first sound of it, condemnes it, for he flings it off, as if Death were in it; Hee that expects an houre, when the Houre is Now, condemnes it, condemnes it by his very expectation, con∣demnes

it by his fear? for he that doth but hope for such an houre, cannot but entertain some fear that it might never come; and so conclude against himself, that, that opportunity which hath a be∣ing, and subsistence, is far better, and to be preferred before that which love of vanity, and his hope hath made up; which is Nothing, but in expectation: thus we delay and check, and comfort our selves, * 1.29 and yet delay, and destroy our selves, and look for Sal∣vation in medio Gehennae saith Bern. in the midst of Hell, which is wrought already, and must be wrought out by us in medio terrae in the midst of the earth.

For Conclusion then; Turne ye, Turne yee, That is, Turn ye Now: There is but one Now; There may be many more: but most True it is; * 1.30 There is but One. Tene quod certum, Dimitte, quod incertum, saith Austin: let us lay hold on that which is certainly ours, let us not send our Thoughts, and hopes afarr off, to that which hath no better foundation to rest on, then uncertainty it self; let us not hope to raise Eternity upon a Thought of that which may bee, or rather of that, which may not be; For we may as well consult and determine what we will do when we are dead, as what we will doe in this kind, Hereaster; and if it be never wrought out of its contingency; if it never come to passe, the difference is not great; For that which may be, * 1.31 and that which never shall be, may be the same. That which may be, and may not be, hath no Entity at all, and so cannot be the ob∣ject of our Knowledge, nor beare either an Affirmation, or Nega∣tion; and wilt thou settle a Resolution on such a Contingency? Re∣solve to doe that at such a Time, which thou canst not tell, whether it will ever come or no? Resolve upon that, of which thou canst neither affirme, nor deny, that it shall ever be? wilt thou hazard the favour of God, thy soul, and Salvation upon the hope of that, which is not, and may be nothing? This were to let go Ju∣no and embrace a cloud; to set thy happinesse on the cast of a die, to call the things that are not, as if they were (but in vain) in brief, to set up an Idol, a false hope, a gilded nothing, and fall down, and worship it, and forsake that present opportunity, which is the voice of God, and bespeaks us to make no more delayes, but to turn Now.

The word now sounds, and let us hearken now: we have been told by him, and we have been told by them, who had it from Christ, as Christ had it from his Father, that now is the acceptable time, now is the day of Salvation, and we were never yet told of any other day. For did ever yet any Prophet or Apostle exhort you to turn to morrow? At what time soever, is not when you please; but though you have not yet lest your evil wayes, yet now you may turn. At what time soever, is now. Divinity, or the Doctrine

of the Gospel is practical, and considers not contingencies, but necessaries; In it there is nothing presented to us in the futur∣tense, but Salvation; which is a thing of another world: the means are all derived to us in the present, To day if you will hear his voice; Deny your selves, take up your Crosse; mortifie your fleshly lusts to day, beleeve now, love him now, hope in him now; that which is to come, or may be, in respect of our duty, is not con∣siderable in that science, but left in his hands, who is the Anci∣ent of dayes; who is eternal, who may indulge as many opportu∣nities, as in wisdom, be shall think fit, * 1.32 but his command is Now, who may receive us at any time, but bindes us to the present.

We have been told, nay, we can tell our selves; that now is better then to morrow; that we have but one day, and moment; which we can call ours, and after that, Time may be ••o more: we have heard, that delay is a Tyrant, a Pharaoh, and layes more work upon us, doubles, & trebles, nay, infinitely multiplies our Task, and yet allows, us no straw, withdraws the means; the helps and advantages we had to turn, or else makes us weak and impotent, lesse able to use them: delivers us over to more difficulties, more pangs, and troubles, and more tormenting Agonies, then we should have felt, if we had cast her off, and begun betimes. And shall we yet delay? we have heard, that it is a sinne to delay, and makes sinne yet more sinful; that it is the devils first heave, to throw us into that Gulph, out of which we shall have neither power, nor will to come; that it is a leading sin, the forerunner to the sin against the Holy Ghost; which shall never be forgiven; and shall we yet delay? we have been taught, that it is a high presumption to leave Christ working out his part of the covenant in his blood, which was once shed for us, * 1.33 and intercedes for us, for ever, and wilfully to neglect our part, and drive it off, from time to time; from the cheerfulnesse, and vigor of youth, to the dulnesse and lazinesse of old age, to withered hands, & trembling joynts, to weak memories, heavy hearts, and dull under∣standings; to the unactive amazednes; the would but cannot of a bed∣rid-sinner; then to strive against sin, when we are to struggle with our disease, then to do it, when we can do nothing, and so, when we cannot finish and perfect our Repentance, fill, and make it up in a Though, or Sigh, a faint and sick acknowledgement, which are rather sad Remonstrances against our former neglect and delay, then Infallible Testimonies, or Demonstrative Declarations of a wounded, and Broken Heart. This we have been told, and shall wee yet delay? in brief: we have been taught, That Delay, if we cut it not off betimes, will at last cut us out of the Covenant of Grace; That it will make the Gospel, as killing as the Law; The Promi∣ses, which are yea, and Amen, Nothing to us; that it will make a

Gracious God, a consuming fire, and Jesus a Destroyer: That a dy∣ing man can no more Turne to God, then the Dead prayse him; That after we have thus scared our Consciences, drawn out our life in a continued disobedience, the Gospel is sealed up, and concernes us not at the houre of Death, who would not lay hold of one houre of our life, to Turne in; and therefore cannot goe the same ordinary way to heaven with the Apostles, * 1.34 and Martyrs, and the souls of just men made perfect, with those who have put off the old man, and put on the new, with those who have escaped the pollutions of the world, and were never againe entangled in them: but are left to that Mercy which was never promised, and which they have little rea∣son to hope for, who have so much abused it, to their own perdition. All that can be said, is scarce worth their Hearing; Non dico, salva∣buntur; non dico, Damnabuntur, we cannot say, they shall be saved: we cannot say, they shall be Damned: They may be safe, but of this we cannot be sure; because we have no Revelation for it, but ra∣there for the contrary, onely God is not bound to Rules and Lawes, as man is; no, not to his owne; but keepes to himself his Supreame right and power entire, and may doe what he will with his owne, and may take that for a Turne, which he hath not declared to be so; and doe that which he hath threatned he will not doe: but 'tis ill depending upon what God may doe; for (for ought that is revealed) he will never doe it, never doe it to him, who presumes he will, because he may; and so puts off his Turne, his Repentance to the last, leaves the ordinary way, and trusts to what God may doe, out of Course; never doe it to a man of Belial, who runs on in his sinnes, yet looks for such a Charriot, to carry him into Heaven. We have no such Doctrine, nor the Church of Christ; Her voice is, Turne ye now, at Last, will be too late; This is the Doctrine of the Gospel; but yet the Judgement is the Lords. And all this we have heard, and we cannot gaine-say, or confute it: and shall we yet delay?

Certainly if we know these Terrors of the Lord, and not Turne now; we shall hardly ever Turne. If we heare, and beleeve this, and doe not repent, we are worse then Infidells; our Faith shall helpe the Devill to accuse us, and it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomor∣rha, then for us; If we heare this, and still fold our hands to sleep, still Delay; if this noise will not stirr and move us, if this doe not startle us in our evill wayes, we have good reason to feare, we shall never awake, till the last Trump; till that day, till the last Day, which is a Day of Judgement, as this our day, is of Repentance.

We say we beleeve it; that now heaven is offered, and now we must strive to enter in; we say, we pray for it, we hope for it; we long for it; if we do, Then Now is the Time; Festina fides, Alacris Devotio, spes impigra, * 1.35 saith Saint Ambrose, Faith is on the wing, and carries us along, with the speed of a Thought, through all difficulties,

through all distasts, and affrightments, and will not let us stay one moment in the house of vanity, in any slippery place, where we may fall, and perish: Devotion is full of Heat, and Activity; and Hope that is deferr'd is an Affliction. If we are lead by the Spirit of God, * 1.36 we are lead apace; drawne suddenly out of those wayes, which lead unto death; we are called upon to escape for our lives, and not to look behind us, and (as it was said of Cyprian) we are at our journeys end, as soon as we fet out. God speakes, and we heare; he begins good thoughts in us, and we nourish them to that strength, that they break forth into Action; he poures forth his Grace, * 1.37 and we receive it; he makes his benefits his lure, and we come to his hand; he thunders from heaven, and we fall down before him. In brief, Re∣pentance is as our Passeover; and by it we sacrifice our heart, and we doe it in the Bitternesse of our Soul, and we do it in hast; and so passe from Death, to Life, from darknesse, to Light, from our evill wayes, to the Obedince of Faith: and God passeth over us; sees the blood our wounded Spirits, our Teares, our Contrition, and will not now de∣stroy us; but feeing us so soon, so farre removed from our Evill wayes, will favour us, and shine upon us; and in the light of his Countenance we shall walke on from strength to strength, through all the hard∣ship, and Troubles of a continued Race, to that Rest and Peace, which is Everlasting. Thus much of the first property of Repen∣tance; it must be matura Conversio, a speedy, and a present Turne.

Festina, & haerentis in Salo naviculae funem magis praecide, quam solve.

Hier. Paulino.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cate cras prosi∣ciscetur. h e. post triginta dies. Plutarch. in vitâ Cat. Vtic.
• * 1.2

  The first ma∣tutinum Sacri∣ficium. An ear∣ly Sacrifice. Sen ep. 7.
• * 1.3

  Hier. ad Ce∣lantiam. Isai. 5.7.
• * 1.4

  Nullus cuncta∣tionis locus est in eo consilio, qued non potest laudari nisi per∣actum. Otho a∣pud Tac. l. 11. Hist.
• * 1.5

  Prov. 21.25.
• * 1.6

  Festus verbo Opportune dici∣tu•• ab e••, quod navigantibus maximè u••iles, optati{que} sint portus.
• * 1.7

  2 Cor. 6.2.
• * 1.8

  Plutar. in vi∣ta Pelopidae.
• * 1.9

  2. The Danger of Delay.
• * 1.10

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 1. Rhet. c. 11.
• * 1.11

  Orat. ad Dites∣centes.
• * 1.12

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Arist. Ibid.
• * 1.13

  Jere. 6.15.
• * 1.14

  Nihil magis in naturâ suâ lau∣dare se dicebat, quam, ut ip sius verbo utar, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Suet. Caligula.
• * 1.15

  Lex alia in membris meis repugnavit legi menti•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & Rom•• Lex n. peccati est violentia con∣suetudinis, quâ trahitur & te∣netur etiam invitus animus, eo merito, quo in eam volens illabitur. Aug. l. 8. Confess c. 5.
• * 1.16

  2. The dan∣ger of delay in respect of God.
• * 1.17

  Exod. 34.6,7.
• * 1.18

  Amos 2.13.
• * 1.19

  Ter. de pudicit. c. 10.
• * 1.20

  Heb. 10.26.
• * 1.21

  Luk. 29.43.
• * 1.22

  Isid. Pelus l. 4. ep. 102
• * 1.23

  Bas. Hom. 22. c. 11.
• * 1.24

  Sen. de benef. 2.5.
• * 1.25

  Deus ad homi¦nes, imoquod proprius est in homines venit. Sen. Ep. 73. Job 33.16.
• * 1.26

  Turne now: Sole puro: in Times of Peace.
• * 1.27

  Basil in 10. Esai. Tert. de pati∣ent. 11.
• * 1.28

  Ibid.
• * 1.29

  Bern. in Cant. Ser. 75.
• * 1.30

  Hom. 41.
• * 1.31

  Arestot. de in∣terp. c. 9.
• * 1.32

  Dan 7 9
• * 1.33

  Non expectat Deus frige∣scentes Sene∣ctu is annos, nec emortuam jam per consue∣tudinem vitio rum consuetudi∣nem, vult lon∣gi praelij mili∣tem. Hilar. in Psal. 118. Beth.
• * 1.34

  Agens poeniten∣tiam, & recon∣ciliatus cum sanus est, & poste à benè vi∣veus securus hinc exit. A∣gens poenitenti∣am ad ultimum recenciliatus, si securus hinc exit, ego non sum securus, Aug. Hom. 41.
• * 1.35

  Amb. Epist. c. 10. Ep. 82.
• * 1.36

  Devotio est actualis volun∣tas prompte faciendi quae ad Dei cultum spectant. Aquin. 22. q. 82. Art. 1.
• * 1.37

  Praeproperâ ve∣locitate pietatis paene ante coe∣pit persectus esse, quam di∣sceret. Pontius Draconus de Cypriani vitâ.