The Governance of Virtue, Part 2 · Section 32 – Section 33
Against disperation for thy late conuersion and turning vntounto God.
IF Sathan lay to thy charge that thou commest very late and turneste vntounto God out of tyme, and therefore there is no hope to bee looked …, set these scriptures before thine eyes, and euer remember that there is no conuersion vntounto God, to late in this life …f it come of faith, but at whatsoeuer houre a sinne… repenteth, beleueth and turneth vntounto God, he is well accepted and freely receiueth remission of all his sinnes.
☞ Sentences out of the olde Testament.
Let the vngodly man forsake hys owneEsay. 55. wayes, and the vnrighteous his owne imaginat ions, and turne againe vntounto the Lord, so shal he be merciful vntounto him, & to our God, for he is very ready to forgeue.
Returne (O thou rebel Israel) saith theIerem. 3 lord, and I wil not turne awaye my face from you. For I am holy sayth the lord, & I wil not turne away my face from you. For I am holy saith the Lorde, and I wyll not be angry for euermore.
As truely as I liue, saith the Lord god,Ezech. 32 I hauehave no pleasure in the death of the wic ked, but much rather that the wicked turne from his way and liue. Turne you, turne you, from youre vngodlye waies. O ye of the house of Israell. Oh, wherefore will ye die. The wickednes of the wicked shal not hurt him whensoeuer hee conuerteth from his vngodlines.
If the wicked shal repente him and turnEzech. 18 from al his sins which he hath wroughte, and shal kepe all my precepts and do iudg ment and righteousnes, he shall liue and shall not dye, I will not remember all his iniquities which he hath wronght. In his righteousnes which he hath wroght, shall he liue. It is not my will saith the lorde, that the wicked should dye, and not rather that he shoulde turne from hys wayes and liue.
Turne and repent ye from al your iniquities, and your iniquityes shall work you no displeasure. Cast away from you all youre wickednesse, wherein ye hauehave offended, & make you a newe hearte, and new spirite. And wherfore wyl ye die. O ye house of Israell. For I wyll not that any man should dye, sayeth the Lord. Returne therfore and liue.
Turne to the Lord, youre God, for heIoel. … is great and merciful pacient and of much kindnes, and redye at all tymes to forgeue yea, euē whē he is at the point to punish.
At all tymes when a sinner turneth vntounto me sayth the lord. I wyll no more beare hys iniquityes in my mynde, but freely forgeue them.
God appointeth here no time of our cō uersion, but whensoeuer we turne, he pro miseth vsus fauour, life mercy, and forgeuenes of sinne.
Examples out of the olde Testament.
After that the Prophete Nathan at theReg. 12. cōmaundement of god, had rebuked kinge Dauid for his dissolute manner of liuing. Dauid strait waies with a sorowful repen taunt hart turned vntounto the Lord, and hū bly confessed his sinnes, saying. I hauehave offended the Lord. The Prophet immediatly answered, the Lord also hath put away thy sinne. Dauid did not so sone conuerte but that he was as sone forgeuen to signifie vntounto vsus, that at what so euer time wee vnfainedly turne vntounto the Lorde our god, he will hauehave mercy on vsus and forgeue vsus.
The Niniuites for theire abhominable…na. 3. liuyng were thretned vtterly to be destroi ed within forty dayes but they falling vntounto repentaunce and turning vntounto the lord theire GOD were forgeuen, spared and not destroyed.
Sentences out of the new Testament
They that are whole, hauehave no nede of aMath. … Phisicion, but they that are sicke? I came not to call the righteous but sinners vntounto repentaunce?
Come vntounto me all ye that laboure andMath. … are laden, and I shall refreshe you. Heere Christ prescribeth no time, he only biddeth vsus come and be the burthens of our sinnes neuer so greuous and heauy, yet wyll be ease vsus of them.
The Sonne of man came to seeke andLuc. 19 saue that which was lost.
God wil hauehave all men to be saued, and1. Tim. …. to come to the knowledge of the truthe. If any man sinneth, we hauehave an aduocate1. Ihon. 2… with god the father, Iesus Christ ye righte ous one. And he it is that obtaineth mercy for our sinnes, not for our sinnes onelyonly, but for all the worldes.
Examples out of the new Testament
The labourers in the Lordes vineyardeMath. 1…. that came last of all receiued their peny s… wel as they that came in the morning, nei ther had one more then another.
The history of the thefe, which was fulLu…. 32. of wicked deedes, and neuer turned vntounto God, vntil the very houre of his deathe declareth manifestlye that there is no con uersion in this life to late, if it be accompanied with true repentaunce and vnfained fayth. The thief hanging on the crosse, and at the poynt of death onlye sayd to Christ, Lorde remenber me when thou cōmest into thy kingdome. And Christ wel acceptīg his conuersion, sayd vntounto him: truly I say vntounto thee, this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.
Against sinne, death, and hell.
IF Sathan in the time of sicknes or els whā, goe about to fray thee & to quenche thy spirit, either with the greatnes of thy sinnes or els with the error and fearcenes of death and hell, be not dismayd, but with a lustye courage resiste his temptations, with these most swete and comfortable scriptures.
Sentences out of the olde Testament.
I am he indede sayth god he which putethEsay. 43 away thy sinnes, yea & that for myne own sake, & will remēber them no more. As for thine offēces I hauehave driuen thē away like the cloudes and thy sinnes as the miste. Turne thee againe vntounto me, for I hauehave redemed thee.
Where is ther such a god as thou art… Mich. 7.that pardonest wickednes, and forgeuest the offences of the remnaunt of thine heritage. He keepeth not his wrathe for euer. And why? for his delighte is to hauehave compassion. He shall turne againe, and be mercifull to vsus, hee shall putte downe our wickednes, and caste al our sinnes into the bottome of the sea.
Out of the power of death sayth the lord wil I deliuer them, yea from the death it self wil I redeme them. O death I will be thy death, O hel, I wil swallow thee vp.
Examples out of the olde Testament.
That holy king and prophet Dauid, beingPsal. 20. fully perswaded that by Christ which was to come, Sathans head was broken a sunder, sinne was vanquished, death was ouercome, hell was swalowed vp, that they could nothinge hurt that faythful man lamented & sorowed, that he continued so long in this vale of misery, and moste hartelye wished to be deliuered out of thys prison, and to goe vntounto the Lord his God.
That godly and aunciente father Toby, knowing that neither sinne, death, nor hell, can do any thing against gods chosē people which in Christe hauehave gotten the victory ouer them al, so that they nede not to feare death, nor anye thing to come after this life, praied to god on this maner: Nowe O lord drale with me according to thy wyl, and commaūd my spirite to be receiued in peace, for more expedient were it for me to dye, than to liue.
Sentences out of the new Testament.
CHriste shall saue hys people from theirMath. 1 sinnes.
Behold the Lambe of God that takethIohn. 1 away the sinnes of the world.
There is no damnation to thē that areRom. 8. graft in Christ Iesu.
Christe came into the worlde to saue…. Titus. 1. sinners.
The bloud of Iesu Christe maketh vsus…. Iohn. 1 cleane from all synne.
Thorow the name of Christ al ProphetsActes. 13 beare witnes, that so many as beleue in him, shal receiue remissiō of their sinnes. Death is swalowed vp into victory. Wher1. Cor. 15 is thy sting O death? Wher is thy victory O hell? The sting of deathe is sinne, and the power of sin is the lawe. But thankes bee to God, which hath geuen vsus the victory thorow our Lord Iesus Christ.
By death hath Christ put him to flightHeb. 2. that had lordshippe ouer deathe, that is to saye, the Deuill, that he myght delyuer them, which thorow the fear of death were all theyr lyfe tyme in daunger of bondage.
Examples out of the new Testament.
SO sone as the auncient father SimeonLuke. … had seene and receiued Christe into his armes, he fering neither sin, death nor hel, shewed himselfe redy to depart out of this world, and spake with a ioyful voice O Lord now lettest thou thy seruaunte depart in peace. &c.
Blessed Paule knowing that thorowePhil. 1. Christ the power of synne, death and hel is so altogether weekened, that they can do the faithful no harme: wished to be losoned out of this world, and to be with Christ.