A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 5 · Sermon 55
THE BEST RETURNE. THE LV. SERMON.
EZEK. 18.23.
Not that hee ſhould returne from his wayes and live? Or, if hee returne from his evill wayes ſhall hee not live?
Right Honourable, &c.
SAintaPoſsid. in vit. Auſtine lying on his death-bed cauſed divers verſes of the penitentiall Pſalmes to bee written on the walls of his chamber, on which he ſtill caſt his eyes, and commented upon them with the fluent Rhetoricke of his tears. But I could wiſh of all texts of Scripture that this of the Prophet Ezekiel were ſtill before all their eyes who mourn for their ſins in private. For nothing can raiſe the dejected ſoule but the lifting up of Gods countenance upon her; nothing can dry her tears, but the beams of his favour breaking out of the darke clouds of his wrath, and ſhining upon her: nothing can bring peace to an affrighted and troubled conſcience but a free pardon of all ſinnes, whereby ſhee hath incurred the ſentence of death; which the Prophet tendereth in the words of the text. Which are as the very heart of this chapter, and every word thereof may ſerve as a principall veine to conveigh life-blood to all the languiſhing, or benummed and deaded members of Chriſt his myſticall body. Returne and live. Theſe words are ſpirit and life, able to raiſe a ſinner from the grave, and ſet him on his feet, to tread firmly upon the ground of Gods mercy: as alſo to put ſtrength and vigour into his feeble and heavie limbes; 1. to creep, then to walke, and laſt of all to runne in the pathes of Gods commandements. The explication whereof to our underſtanding, and application to our wils and affections, were the limits of my laſt Lords-dayes journey. By the light which was then given you, yee might eaſily diſcerne our luſts (which are ſudden motions) from Gods deſires, which are eternall purpoſes: and diſtinguiſh betweene a ſinner who is not purged from all dregges of corruption, and a wicked perſon who Moab-like is ſettled upon his lees; between a common infirmity, and a dangerous ſickeneſſe; betweene ſin in the act, and wickedneſſe in the habit. Queſtionleſſe there is more reaſon to pitty him that falleth or ſlippeth, than him that leapeth into the ſink of ſinne, and daily walloweth in the mire of ſenſuall pleaſures. Yet ſuch is the mercy and goodneſſe of almighty God, that hee deſireth not that the wicked, ſuch as make a trade of ſinne, and have a ſtiffe necke, a hard heart, a ſeared conſcience, that the wretchedſt miſcreants that breathe ſhould either dye in their ſinnes here, or for their ſinnes hereafter. The former of the two is the death of life, the latter wee may ſignificantly tearme the life of death, which exerciſeth the damned with moſt unſufferable pangs and torments for evermore. Here when wee part life dyeth, but in hell death liveth, and the terrours and pangs thereof are renewed and encreaſed daily; the former death is given to the veſſells of wrath for their earnest, the latter is paid them for their wages. This death is properly the wages of ſinne, which God cannot in juſtice with-hold from the ſervants of ſinne, and vaſſals of Satan.
For God, whoſe infinite wiſdom comprehends not only the neceſſity of all effects in their determined, but alſo the poſſibility in their ſuppoſed cauſes; foreſeeing from all eternity what an intelligent nature, endued with freewill, left to himſelfe, would doe; how hee would fall, and wound himſelfe by his fall; and knowing how hee could ſo diſpoſe of his fall, and cure his wound, that his (the Creators) glory might bee no whit impaired, but rather encreaſed by not powerfully hindering it; decreed to create this creature for his glory: which he appointed to ſhew upon him by three meanes. 1. By way of generall bounty, in placing the firſt parents of mankinde in Paradiſe, and in them giving all ſufficient meanes to bring them to eternall happineſſe; an end infinitely elevated above the pitch of their owne nature: and after the abuſe of their free-will, and loſſe of that happy eſtate in which they were created, and bringing themſelves into thraldome to ſinne and Satan. 2. By way of ſpeciall mercy, graciouſly freeing, freely juſtifying, juſtly glorifying ſomeaRom. 9.23. in and by Chriſt, viz. the veſſels of mercy prepared unto glory. 3. By way of juſtice, in utterly leaving, or uneffectually calling, and upon abuſe or refuſall of ſome meaſure of grace offered to them, deſervedly hardening, and upon their finall incredulity and impenitency neceſſarily condemning, and in the end eternally puniſhing others, to wit, the veſſels of wrath, foreign, made up, or fitted to deſtruction. This fabricke of celeſtiall doctrine, ſtrongly built upon evident texts of Scriptures, may ſerve for a fortreſſe to defend this text, and the principall doctrines contained in it, againſt all the batteries of Heretickes and Atheiſts made againſt it. viz.
1. That God approveth not the death of the wicked in his ſinne, but on the contrary, liketh, and commandeth, and taketh pleaſure in his converſion.
2. That he decreeth not, or deſireth the death of any wicked for it ſelfe, as it is the miſery and deſtruction of his creature; but as a manifeſtation of his juſtice. For hebLam. 3.33. puniſheth not foreign with his heart, or willingly: hee made not death, nor delighteth in the cWiſd. 1.13. Fulgent. ad Mon. Mortem morienti non fecit, qui mortem mortuo juſtè retribuit.deſtruction of the living. Thy deſtruction is from thy ſelfe, dHoſ. 13.9.O Iſrael, but in mee is thy helpe. The wicked after his hardneſſe and impenitent heart, treaſureth up unto himſelfe wrath againſt the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God: who rendreth to every man according to his workes. Upon which texts the Fathers inferre, that not onelyonly the execution, but the very decree of damnation of the reprobate paſſeth upon their ſinne foreſeene. SainteEp. ad Sixt. Vaſa irae homines ſunt propter naturae bonu n creati, propter vitia ſ…pplicio deſtinati; & ſi vaſa ſint perfecta in perditionem, ſibi hoc imputent. Auſtine, The veſſels of wrath are wicked men created for the good of nature, but deſtinated to puniſhment for their ſinnes: And againe, If they are fitted to destruction let them thanke themſelves. SaintfProſper ad object. 3. Gal. Qui à ſanctitate vitae per immunditiem labuntur, non ex eo neceſſitatem pereundi habuerunt, quia praedeſtinati non ſunt, ſed quia tales futuri ex voluntariâ praevaricatione praeſciti ſunt. Proſper: They that fall away from holineſſe through uncleanneſs, lye not under a neceſsity of periſhing becauſe they were not predeſtinated: but therefore were not predestinated, becauſe they were foreknowne that they would be ſuch by voluntary prevarication. gFulgent. l. 1. ad Mon. Iniquos quos praeſcivit Deus hanc vitam in peccato terminaturos, decrevit ſupplicio interminabili puniendos; & illos ad ſupplicium praedeſtinavit, quos à ſe praeſcivit vitio malae voluntatis diſceſſuros, & peccata hominum Deus praeſcivit, quib ſententiā praedeſtinatione dictavit.Fulgentius: Thoſe unjuſt men whom God foreſaw that they would end their life in ſin, hee decreed to puniſh in endleſſe torments: And againe, hee predeſtinated them to puniſhment who he foreſaw would depart from him by the fault of their evill will: And againe, God foreſaw the ſinnes of men, againſt which hee pronounced a ſentence in his decree of predeſtination. And the Fathers in the Synode held athValent. can. 2. Nec ipſos malos ideò perire, quia boni eſſe non potuerunt, ſed quia boni eſſe noluerunt; ſuo que vitio in maſsâ damnationis, vel merito originali, vel etiam actuali permanſerunt. Valentia: The wicked periſh not becauſe they could not, but becauſe they would not bee good, remaining in the maſſe of corruption by their owne fault, originall or alſo actuall: As likewiſe in theiConcil. Arelat. 3. Lucidi habetur confeſſio his verbis: Profiteor aeternales flammas factis capitalibus praeparatas. Synod at Arles.
3. That hee no way deſireth, nor decreeth, nor ſo much as permitteth the death of any of his Elect; though before their calling to the knowledge of the truth, and ſometimes after alſo, they ſo grievouſly tranſgreſſe his holy lawes, that they may bee numbred, at leaſt for the time, among the wicked. For how farre ſoever they goe in the wayes of wickedneſſe, they will turne at the laſt; and if a ſinner turne from his wayes even at the brinke of deſtruction and gate of hell, hee ſhall live: for, Have I any deſire at all that the wicked ſhould die, ſaith the Lord God, and not that hee ſhould
Returne? There are many turnings in the life of a Chriſtian: The firſt turning or converſion is by a ſanctified phraſe called regeneration, whereby wee are mortified in the fleſh, but renewed in the ſpirit of our minde; wee caſt off the old man, and put on the new. All after converſions are but ſo many particular acts of repentance, and returnes from thoſe courſes which wee ordinarily fall into, and follow, if Gods preventing grace ſtop not the motions of our corrupt nature. This firſt converſion is as it were a generall purgation of all the peccant humors of our ſoul, & is of that force that it changeth and altereth our temper and complexion. After this, all other averſions from ſinne and returnes to God, are but like ſpeciall purgations, preſcribed by the Phyſitian of our ſoules, to bee taken upon ſpeciall occaſion, for the curing of ſome particular malady. In the firſt, non agimus, ſed agimur; wee worke not, but are wrought upon, being, as the reformed Divines ſpeake, meer paſſive: in the other, acti agimus, being wrought upon wee worke, like the wheeles in the viſion of Ezekiel, being moved by the ſpirit we move to Godward. At our firſt converſion the Scripture compareth us to dead men, that are not able to ſtirre any joint; but in all later converſions, after God hat breathed into us the ſpirit of regeneration, to ſicke or weake men lying upon their bed, that are able to turne themſelves with ſome helpe. This diſtinction of converſions is not new coyned by us, but beareth the ſtampe of ancient truth, and is current in the Scriptures: in which whereſoever the faithfull ſpeake thus to God, Turne us and wee ſhall bee turned, they aime at the firſt converſion; but where God thus ſpeaketh to his people, Turne yee unto mee, or, turne from your wicked wayes, we are to underſtand ſuch texts of later converſions.
From his wayes. Not from the wayes of God, and pathes of righteouſneſſe, but his owne wayes, that is, ſuch courſes as hee hath taken beſide, and againſt the direction of Gods Spirit. More particularly thus; Have I not a deſire that the ambitious ſhould leave his inordinate purſuit of honour, the covetous of gaine, the voluptuous of pleaſure, and all of vanity, and that they ſhould turne to mee with their whole heart, with a perfect hatred of their former wickedneſſe, and full and conſtant purpoſe of amendment, and ſo
Live? That is, eſcape eternall death, the due wages of ſinne, and attaine everlaſting life, the undue reward of righteouſneſſe. If the feare of helliſh torments cannot make a ſeparation betweene us and our beloved ſinnes: nor hope of heavenly joyes winne us unto God, it will bee to ſmall purpoſe to goe about to ſcare any with temporall plagues threatened in Gods law againſt ſinne, or pricke them with the ſting of conſcience, or confound them with ſhame, or amplifie upon the loſſes of ſpirituall graces, which can never bee recovered but by ſpeedy and hearty repentance. The Spye of nature, in his booke of the length and ſhortneſſe of life, demonſtrateth naturall heat and radicall moiſture to bee the ſole preſervers and maintainers of life, and the ſtore of both in due proportion to bee the cauſe of longer life. As life is compared in Scripture, ſo it is reſembled in ſculpture to a light or lampe burning; the fire which kindleth the flame of this lampe is naturall heat, and the oyle which feedeth it is radicall moiſture: without flame there is no light, without oyle to maintaine it, no flame: in like manner if either naturall heat, or radicall moiſture faile, life cannot laſt: and as in a lampe, if by reaſon of the thickneſſe of the weeke the flame be too great, it overſoon ſucketh up the oyle; if the oyle be poured in in too great abundance, it choaketh the light: ſo in us, if naturall heat or radicall moiſture exceed meaſure or proportion, the lampe of our life burneth dimly, and in a ſhort ſpace is extinguiſhed. Anſwerable to the naturall life in the body is the ſpirituall life of grace in the ſoule: for as that is preſerved calido & humido, by heat and moiſture; ſo is this alſo by the heat of love, or zeale of devotion, and the moiſture of penitent teares. Teares are the oyle which feed this flame: for when wee pricke deepe the tendereſt veines in our heart with remembrance of our manifold and grievous tranſgreſſions, whereby wee have diſhonoured God our Father, diſpleaſed Chriſt our Redeemer, and grieved the Spirit of grace our Comforter: when wee take kindly to heart how that the better God hath beene unto us, the worſe wee have proved unto him; the more grace hath abounded, the more ſinne hath ſuper abounded; when our hearts melt with theſe conſiderations, and our eyes reſolve into ſhowres of teares; then we perceive that as ſalt water caſt into fire increaſeth the heat, ſo the ſalt water of our teares inflameth our devotion, kindleth our zeale, and quickeneth all our ſpirituall exerciſes of piety.
To nouriſh and maintaine this oyle, that our lamp goe not out, I will endeavour to open two ſprings in my Text; the one a higher, the other a lower: the one ariſeth from God and his joy, the other from our ſelves and our ſalvation. That the converſion of a ſinner is a joy and delight to God, I need not to produce arguments to prove, or ſimiles to illuſtrate; he that ſpake as never man ſpake, hath repreſented it unto us by many exquiſite emblemes: ThekLuke 15.4, 8, 10, 32. joy of a woman for her loſt groat found, of a ſhepheard for his wandering ſheep recovered, of a father for his prodigall child returned and reclaimed. Saint*L. 8. confeſ. c. 3. Quantò majus periculum fuit in proelio, tantò majus gaudium in triumpho. Auſtine yeeldeth a reaſon hereof, The more danger there is in the conflict with temptation, the greater joy in the triumph. Such was the joy of the Church forlCyp. de lapſis. Fortiores ignibus facti, qui anteà ignibus ceſſerunt; & unde ſuperati, inde ſuperarunt. Caſtus and Aemilius, who though at the firſt upon the ſight of fire prepared for them, they gave backe, and were at a kind of ſtand, yet afterwards, beyond all hope and expectation, made a noble profeſſion of their faith, and gloriouſly endured the fiery tryall. To whom did our Saviour ever more honour, than to Zacheus the converted Publicane, to whoſe houſe he came being not invited, and brought with him the gladdeſt tidings that ever were heard there, This mLuke 19.9.day ſalvation is come to this houſe: and to Mary Magdalen, out of whom he caſt ſeven nMat. 26.13.Divels, to whom he firſt appeared after his reſurrection, whoſe ſpikenard he mingled with the ointment of the Goſpel, in ſuch ſort that whoſoever ſmelleth the ſavour of life, hath a ſent alſo of the boxe of ſweet perfume which ſhe brake upon our Saviours head? Scipio (as Livie writeth) never looked ſo freſh, nor ſeemed ſo beautifull in the eyes of his ſouldiers, as after his recovery from a dangerous ſickneſſe which he tooke in the camp: neither doth the ſoule ever ſeem more beautifull, than when ſhe is reſtored to health after ſome dangerous malady. The Palladium was in higheſt eſteem both with the Trojans and Romanes, not ſo much for the matter or workmanſhip, as becauſe it was catched out of the fire when Troy was burnt. And certainly no ſoule is more precious in the eyes of God and his Angels, than that which is ſnatched out of the fire of hell and jawes of death. As the woman in the Goſpel more rejoyced for her loſt groat after ſhe found it, than for all the groats ſhe had ſafe in her cheſt: and as the ſhepheard tooke more delight in his loſt ſheepe after, he found it, than in the reſt which never wandered; ſo ſaith our bleſſed Saviour,oLuke 15.7. There ſhall be joy in heaven over one ſinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine juſt perſons which need no repentance.
I have opened the firſt ſpring, and we have taſted the waters thereof: I am now to open the ſecond, which is this, That as our repentance is joy unto God and his Angels, ſo it is grace and ſalvation to our ſelves. As repentance is calledpHeb. 6.1. repentance from dead workes, ſo alſoqActs 11.18. repentance unto life. For God pawnes his life for the life of the penitent: As I live, ſaith the Lord, I deſire not the death of a ſinner, but rather that hee ſhould returne and live. rPlin. l. 2. c. 103 In Dodone Jovis fons, cum ſit gelidus, ſi extinctae faces admoveantur, extinguit. Cauſſ. in Parab. hiſt. l. 10. In Epiro eſſe ferunt fontem, in quo faces accenduntur extinctae.Pliny writeth of a fountaine in Africa, in which torches that are blowne out being dipped are kindled againe: ſuch is the fountaine of teares in the eyes of a penitent ſinner; if the light of his faith be extinguiſhed to his ſenſe and all outward appearance, yet dipped in this fountaine, it is kindled againe, and burnes more brightly than ever before. The Scripture furniſheth us not with many examples in this kind, leſt any ſhould preſume; yet ſome we find that none might deſpaire. A man could hardly runne a more wicked race than the theefe upon the Croſſe, who lived both in caede and ex caede, maintaining his riot and wantonneſſe by robbery and murder; yet hee holdeth on his courſe even to the goale, and there taketh a greater booty than ever before: for hee ſtealeth a celeſtiall Crowne. And behold this theefe nailed hand and foot to the Croſſe, yet comming to our Saviour by faith, and embracing him by love, and receiving from him, together with a diſcharge from the priſon of hell, a faire grant of Paradiſe,ſLuke 23.43. This day ſhalt thou be with mee in Paradiſe. It ſhould ſeem they were ill imployed either all or the greateſt part of that day, who came in but at the laſt houre into the Lords Vineyard, yet they who came in then, received their full hire. The Divell occupied a large roome in Martes heart, and found there good entertainment, elſe hee would have never taken ſixe other inmates with him to dwell and lodge there; yet Chriſt caſt alltMarke 16.9. ſeven out of her, and a whole legion out ofuMarke. 5.9. another: and though this were a great miracle, yet to cheare up the drooping lookes, …nd comfort the fainting ſpirits, and ſtrengthen the feeble knees of all …hat bow to h…m for pardon and forgiveneſſe, he wrought farre greater. For he raiſed three dead men; the firſt*Mat. 9.25. newly departed: the ſecondxLuke 7.12. brought out, and lying upon the beere: the thirdyJohn 11.44. buried, and ſtinking in his grave. A man may be ill a long time before he take his bed, and lye long in his bed before hee feele the pangs of death, and be long dead before hee be buried, and a good while buried before he putrifie: yet to ſhew that no time preſcribeth againſt Gods mercy, nor excludeth our repentance from dead workes, Chriſt by miracle raiſed two that were dead, and a third ſtinking in his grave. To comfort thoſe that are wounded in conſcience, the goodzLuke 10.30. Samaritan cured him that was wounded between Jeruſalem and Jericho, and left halfe dead: to comfort them that are ſicke in ſoule, hee recovered*Mat. 8.14. Peters wives mother lying ſicke in her bed: to comfort them that have newly as it were given up the ghoſt, hee raiſed Jairus daughter: to comfort them that have been ſometimes dead in ſinnes and tranſgreſſions, he raiſed the widowes ſonne: to comfort them that have been ſo long dead in ſinnes that they begin to putrifie, hee raiſed up Lazarus ſtinking in his grave. God forbid that any one Divell ſhould get poſſeſſion of our hearts, yet ſeven, nay a legion may be caſt out by faſting and prayer. God forbid that any of us ſhould be long ſicke of any ſpirituall diſeaſe, yet thoſe that have been ſicke unto death have been reſtored; yea thoſe that have been long dead have been raiſed. God forbid that wee ſhould forſake our heavenly Fathers houſe, and in a ſtrange countrey waſte his goods, and conſume our portion; yet after we have run riot, and ſpent all the gifts of nature, and goods of this life, and laviſhed out our time the moſt precious treaſure of all, yet in the end if we come to our ſelves, and looke homewards, our heavenly Father will meet us, and kill the fat calfe for u…. Therefore if wee have grievouſly provoked Gods juſtice by preſumption, let us not more wrong his mercy by deſpaire; but hope even above hope in him, whoſe mercy is over all his workes. Againſt the number and weight of all our ſinnes, let us lay the infiniteneſſe of Gods mercy, and Chriſt his merits, and the certainty of his promiſe confirmed by oath: As I live, I deſire not the death of a ſinner; if hee returne, he ſhall live. Oh (ſaith SaintaBern. in Cant. Quis dabit capiti meo aquam & oculis meis fontem lachrymarum, ut praeveniam fletibus fletum & ſtridorem dentium? Bernard) that mine eyes were ſprings of teares, that by my weeping here I might prevent everlaſting weeping and gnaſhing of teeth in hell. What pitie is it that we ſhould fret and grieve, and diſquiet our ſelves and others for the loſſe of a Jewell from our eare, or a ring from our finger, and ſhould take no thought at all for the loſſe of the Jewels of Gods grace out of our ſoules? We are overwhelmed as it were in a deluge of teares at the death of our friends, who yet are alive to God, though dead to this world: but have we not a thouſand times greater reaſon to open thoſe floodgates of ſalt waters which nature hath ſet in our eyes, for our ſelves, who are dead to God, though alive to the world? St.bDe lapſ. Si quem de tuis chatis mortalitatis exitu perdidiſſes, ingemiſceres dolenter, & fleres, facie incultâ, veſte mutatâ, neglecto capillo, vultu nubilo, ore dejecto, indicia moeroris oſtenderes; animam tuam miſer perdidiſti, ſpiritualitèr mortuus es, ſupervivere hic tibi, & ipſe ambulans funus tuum portare caepiſti, & non acritèr plangis, non …ugitèr ingemiſcis. Cyprian hath a ſweet touch on this ſtring; If any of thy deare friends were taken away from thee by death, thou wouldſt ſigh, thou wouldſt ſob, thou wouldſt put on blacks, thou wouldſt hang do…ne thy head, thou wouldſt diſ-figure thy face, thou wouldſt let thy haire hang careleſly about thine eares, thou wouldſt wring thy hands, thou wouldſt knock thy breaſt, thou wouldſt throw thy ſelfe downe upon the ground, thou wouldſt expreſſe ſorrow in all her geſtures and poſtures: O wretched man that thou art, thou haſt loſt thy ſoule, thou art ſpiritually dead, thou ſurviveſt thy ſelfe, and carrieſt a dead corps about thee, and doſt thou not take on? doſt thou not fetch a deepe ſigh? haſt thou not a compaſſionate teare for thy ſelfe? wilt thou not be thy owne mourner? eſpecially conſidering that all thy weeping and howling for thy friend cannot fetch him backe againe, or reſtore him to life; whereas thy weeping for thy ſelfe in this vale of tears, and ſeriouſly bewailing thy ſinnes, may and by Gods grace ſhall revive thy ſoule, and recover all thy ſpirituall loſſes, and that with advantage. Experience teacheth us that the preſenteſt remedie for a man that is ſtung in any part of his body by a Scorpion, is to take the oile of Scorpions, and therewith oft to annoint the place: ſinne is the Scorpion that ſtingeth our ſoules even to death, if we apply nothing to it; yet out of this Scorpion ſinne it ſelfe, and the ſorrow for it, an oile or water may be drawne of penitent teares, wherewith if we annoint or waſh our ſoules, we ſhall kill the venome of ſinne, and allay the ſwelling of our conſcience.cPind. od. 1. foreign, It is a moſt ſoveraigne water which will fetch a ſinner againe to the life of grace, though never ſo farre gone. It is not Well water ſpringing out of the bowels of the earth, nor raine powred out of the clouds of paſſion, but rather like adCyp de card. Chriſ. op. De interioribus fontibus egrediuntur torrentes, & ſuper omnes delicias lachrymis nectareis anima delectatu…: non illos imbres procelloſae tempeſtates deponunt, ros matutinus eſt de coeleſtibus ſtillans, & quaſi unctio ſpiritus mentem deliniens, & poſt affectio ſe abluit, & lachrymis baptizat. dew falling from heaven, which ſofteneth and moiſteneth the heart, and is dried up by the beames of the Sun of righteouſneſſe.
Have not I a deſire that the wicked ſhould turne from his wayes and live? When a ſubject hath rebelled againſt his naturall Soveraigne, or a ſervant grievouſly provoked his maſter, or a ſonne behaved himſelfe ungraciouſly towards his father, will the Prince ſue to his ſubject, or a maſter to his ſervant, or a father to his ſonne for a reconciliation? Will not an equall that hath a quarrell with his equall hold it a great diſgrace and diſparagement to make any meanes that the quarrell may be taken up? will he not keepe out at full diſtance, and looke that the partie, who (as he conceiveth) hath wronged him, ſhould make firſt towards him, and ſeeke to him? Yet ſuch an affection God beareth to us, that though we (ſilly wormes of the earth) ſwell and riſe againſt him, yet he ſeeketh to us, he ſendeth Embaſſadours toe2 Cor. 5.19, 20. treat of peace, and intreate and beſeech us to be reconciled unto God. For God was in Chriſt, reconciling the world to himſelfe, not imputing their treſpaſſes unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are Embaſſadours for Chriſt, as though God did beſeech you by us: we pray you in Chriſts ſtead, be reconciled unto God. Stand not out, my deare brethren, reſigne the ſtrong holds of your carnall imaginations and affections, deliver up your members, that they may ſerve as weapons of righteouſneſſe, and yeeld your ſelves to his mercy, and yee ſhall live.
Turne and live. Should a priſoner led to execution heare the Judge or Sheriffe call to him, and ſay, Turne backe, put in ſureties for thy good behaviour hereafter, and live; would he not ſuddenly leap out of his fetters, embrace the condition, and thanke the Judge or Sheriffe upon his knees? And what think ye if God ſhould ſend a Prophet to preach a Sermon of repentance to the divels and damned ghoſts in hell, and ſay, Knock off your bolts, ſhake off your fetters, and turne to the Lord and live? would not hell be emptied and rid before the Prophet ſhould have made an end of his exhortation? This Sermon the Prophet Ezechiel now maketh unto us all here preſent,fEzek. 33.11. & 18.30.31. As I live, ſaith the Lord, I have no pleaſure in the death of the wicked, but that he turne from his wayes and live: turne ye, turne ye from your evill wayes, for why will yee die? Repent, and turne your ſelves from all your tranſgreſsions: ſo iniquity ſhall not bee your deſtruction. Caſt away all your tranſgreſsions, whereby yee have tranſgreſſed, and make you a new heart, and a new ſpirit: for why will ye periſh? Shake off the ſhackles of your ſinnes, and quit the companie of the priſoners of death, and gally-ſlaves of Satan, put in ſureties for your good behaviour hereafter, turne to the Lord your God with all your heart, and live, yea live gloriouſly, live happily, live eternally: which the Father of mercy grant for the merits of his Sonne, through the grace of the Spirit. To whom, three perſons and one God, be aſcribed all honour, glorie, praiſe, and thankes now and for ever. Amen.