j Sermon 8. and FAsTING. 2-59 we dally not with repewtance,_but make aferioll<f matter ofir,and goe to it in good ear– nefi. In wimclfe whereof rh1s and tb1s frmt we have brought forth. Somewhat hke yer, fomewhat befeeming perfons truelypemtent, whereto He would fay,{tifficit tibi , Cqr.n. 9 : gratia mea, My gracw~ifficrent for thet. And, mthat we ma~ rdl:. _ .. It 1\Cmaines, wcexammc our felves, rouc~mg thcfe potnts :. ~~r.repentance, 1s 1t like alive tree, and notadull heavy mood, nelther/ifenor fot~lemlt. Have we fet 1t ongrowing,hrings itfor;hat all? l lslt{rtttt, 1t [mngs ~orth ~ For, whatfoever elfe 1t is it is not forSainriohn nurne. • The frurt 1t bnngs, IS lt oughtw,;rth,forrhc quan– ti;ie, chcqualitie, thewelllaJiingofit~ Go o grant it be fo: and thankcs be to Go o, ifir befo. But this Prifertewillaske fometime. Jona'sreptntance was not likc1611a'sgourd. V.". Httgot~rd1va<"Pin anight,ft~ddenly : Trees come QOt up foqrttclrly : they rcqune more Jhefo•;trane rime than fo. Never trufi arepentance repentine ; n.ofuddenjlajbor 6ru11t. It is alroge00 ' 1 ' · rheran error,ro rhinke;Reeentance is amatter ofno more momenr,rhan to bediJPatched in amommt. There berwo words(\vordsofweight:) One is Saint Peter's, and that is ?6"PiiC:.,,;, , Pet. 3-9; ~·1"',;"', to rvithdr.<w,goe Ajide, to retire and beprivate, tofequeffer our [elves to our re· pentance : The other is s~int Paul's 'X"~(Mo <V'...,::"'J '!) ,.,,.;~, to take tU" time, nay to t.COE· 7·f• make 1/.f atime, avacant time, atin;Je ofleafure to mtend fafting andprayer, twofruits ofrepentance. I aske rhen,did wenever ~~;re.,, withdraw our{elves to that end ? what was theplace, where we fo did .~ did we at any t~me•x••d~Mr, take any fuch vacant time? what was the time and when, when we fo d1d ~Idoubr,ourshathbeen rather a jlajb,a qualme, ahrtmt, than orherwife; rarhe_r, agMrdifrepentance, than anygrowing tree. Atime there mufl: needs be taken for th1s Proferte. Now the time Saint Iohn gives, is, bur while lrd ventura, thewrath tocome is in comming. Jra, veJ:Jtur~, are tw~ words: In that it iswrath, and Go o' s wrath, there is jufi matter o£feare: In that 1t IS ventura,to come,but tuome,andnot yet come; there is hopeyet, fame good may bee done, beforevenit qt~£ ventura, that come that is t6 come. Ifche[efruitscome, thewrath(when it collles)lha_ll n<it come upon us, but palfe by us, andnot touch any fmit.bearing t{ee. To take a nme then. . Now there cannot beafittertimethan thatthe Churchhath fer us forth ; that is, (now) at this time ofthe yeare. For, now, is the time ofrheyearetoplantin. In the prc1tmof.themormhs,in t~is next manethat hand, you lhall fee nothing but meograf– tzng andfettmgtrees : It 1s the Hu<handmand bufinelfe ofthe moaeth : wonderfull fitly chofen therefore, rhatthis tree may keepc time with the rcfl:. And, now is the time that thefappe'goes up: So as there could not be afitter time for Saint John to call upon us. Looke abroad, they begin now tobringfimh : now befi [peaking for Pro– ferte .. To wh1chPriferte, Dijferte is deane contrary. Defet' it rtot then, but take the time while it is infeafon. _And withh~gh wifdome is this time fo fet,that the time ofourRepentance,theforty . . da1es of1t end mthe P~Jleover,m thepajmg efJra_ venturaoverus, as did thede.flroying l!xo,••·• ~· Ange!loverrheho11{es mJEgypt. That themortifymgofJ:n.m1ght end in the rifingof CH a I s T mus. The ufe offrutt lS fruttton : And th1s 1s the fmition in this life CVenrhefmitsofrheSpirit,feareand love andjoyinrhe HoLy GHOST. And In the life to come, the frt<it of the Tree of Life in the middcll: of Paradi(e ; In fiead of Jra vmtura, vita vent11ra, gaudia ven– tura, theglory and joyes etema/1ofthe life to come. To whichLife,_G{ory and Joy, bring us u1lmtghty Go o. [\*] Printedat Londo.Q 6y R 1 c; H AR o BA o a Ea. , •
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