2020/RE PENT AN C E; Sermon 3, ------------------------------------------------~---------------- Luke rg.4r, .,..:t. compbine ~ Why it roucherhnot Go o, it touchethmee; Heeneedeth noto11r repen. tance, and our unrighte011[ne(fe hurtethHim not. It is I, thadhall win orlofebyit· even rhebell thing I have.ro lofe, my foule: He is in no danger; it is I,the hazard of whole eternall weale,or woe,lyeth upon it.And yet cloth Goo thew Him{elfe lorry for me, and fl1all not I be forry, for my felfe ~ Doth G; o Dthus complameof my finne, and lhallnotl be moved, to doe as much for mine owne finne ~From this me. ditation to proceed, to propound the fame quell:ions,which Go o here doth,and to askerhem of our fdves. What then, fl1all I continually fall and never rijei' t11rne mMy and not once turne againe i Shall my rebellions be perpett~a!l i' Doe I this any where elfe ~can I fhew a~yreafon why not ro doeir,here ~Shall the[eSw.lflowes fly over me and put me mmmde,ofmy rd11rne; and fl1all not I h~ed them ~Shall Gon fiill, in vaine, hearken for qt~idfeci ? and 0JJII I never fpeake that, Hefo faine would heare ~Shall I never once ferioufly fer before ine, the I11dgements ofthe Lord~ Aske thefe: askethem andan[wer rhem, and upon them; come to a refolution, faying: I will ri(e, and retltrne, andfrcbvmmy felfe,andfrom my heart fay, quidfeci i I will confider volatilia cteli; I will not fee them fly, bur I will thinke of the feaf 0 n of my retrcrning .. but, above all, I will not be without regard of Go o' s judgement, than which, nothing (in this world) is more to be regarded. _ . Becaufc the time; the time is the mainematter, and (ever) more adoeaboutir' than the thing it felfe; to have fpeciall care ofthat: knowing,that it was not but up~ on great caufe, that ourS A v r o u~ complainin<>of this point cried: Jifthor; h4dfl but knowne, that this day hadbeene the day of thy vi/tation! andfowas faine to breake off, the tcares comming fo £ill:, that Hee was not able to fpeake our, bur forced to weepe outtberell: ?f His fentence. 0 thofe tea.res thew, what timeis; /hew that opportunitie it felfe IS agrace, even to have tt ;.that tr IS a_fecondgrace, to know it; and a third better thJn them borh, to lay holdof tt, and ufe lt. That the greatell: erroun in this matter of repentance come from ourignorance, in not difcerningof the time, when we may have it; or our negligence, in not tcjing it, when we difcerne it.There• fore, rather rhan faile, (or rather, that we may not fatle) totak~the timeoftheText; And that time, is atthis time, t<orv : Now,doe thefe fowles retttrne : Who knoweth whether he thall live to fee themrettcrne a.oymore~ It may be the !aft Spring, the !aft Sw.;/low-ume, rhelall:Wedne(day, ofrh1s nameor nature, wee thall ever hve, to hearethis point preached. Why doe we not covenant then wirh our [elves, notto let thisrime flip~ Surely,left no timdhould be taken, theprbphetpointeth us at this; and (enfuing the Prophet's minde) the Church hath fixed her feafon at it.And nature it felfe feemeth to favour it, that at thcrifing oftheyea're, we thouldrife ;andreturne, when the zodiake rerurneth to thefir-ll: figne. Let the Prophet, let thechurch,!erNature, let fomcrhing prevaile withus.EtD~.· WJintu q'tcifie inftatpr.tcepto, pr.tcurrat atcxilio, and Almightie GoD, the upholder of. them that ftand, theliftertp ef tho(e that bedPwne; that Go o, who is thus in• fiant upon this pointby his complaint, prevent us wirh His gracious " . · helpe, that we may redreffe it. Following,with His Spirit, where his word hath gone before, and - making it dfectuall to our fpec: d1e converlion. . "'* - A SER:~ - - -·~·.J J
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