433 / 772
Matiuet
to
perfi'ade
vi
to
hat
en
oar
repentance.
.40-5
unto,
not
for
any
loue
of
God,
or
hatred
of
finne,
but
for
feare
of
Gods iudgements,
and
eternall
condemnation, and
therefore
as
Toone
as
the
caufe
of
their
feare
is
a
little remoo-
ued, their
repentance alto ceafeth.
Moreouer,
wee
know
that
true
repentance
is
the gift
ofGod,
and
that
wee haue
it
not
at our owne
becke and
call, but
when
he offereth
and
vouchfafeth
.it
.vnto
vs,
and therefore
it
is
no
marueile
if
they who
haue
fcorned this gratious
gift
all
the
whole courfe
of
theirliues,
fhould
be
denied
it
at the time
of
death,
and
left fo
to the
hardnes
of
their hearts,
that though with E/au
they
feeke
repentance
with
teares, yet they fhall neuer
find
it.
And though
with
the
fiuefoolifh virgins they
-defire
to
buy
oile
for their
lampes,yet the
time
of
grace
being
:pall
they
fhalibe
(hut
out ofdoores and
excluded
from the ma-
riage. Neither
doth
the Lord
ordinarily
begetfaith,repen-
Ep1
uC4,t:.r,.;
tance,and other
fanlifying
graces-in
any
man,but
by
the
vfe
ofthe
meanes
whichhe
hath
ordained for
this
purpofe
:
now
the
meanes
ordained
ofGod
are
not
fickneffe,or
the infirmi-
ties
of
old age,
but
the
min iflerie
of
his
word,
made
effe6,lu-
alby
the inward
-
operation
of
his
fpirit for
ourconuerfon
andfanaification;
and therefore
iftheLordbath
oftentimes
granted
vs
this
meanes, and
they
haue
not been
effe6lu-
all for our
ccmuerfion
;
if
hee
aue
often
called
vs
in
the
preaching
ofthe
word
and
wee
aue refufed
to
come,
what
'hope
can we
haue,that
wee
fhould
turne vnto
"God,without
Iohn.6.s4
this
meanesin the time
of
fickneffe?
who by the
continual!
hearing
ofthe
word,
haue
not
been conuerted in the time
of
our health,
Peeing
not
any come
vnto Chrifl,
but
whom
the
father
draweth, and the
meanes
whereby
he
draweth
vs
vnto
him,
is
notfickeneffe or the
approching
of
death
ordinarily,
'but
the
miniflerie
of
his
word;
for
when the
fheepe 'heare
Chrifls voice, and
thereby
know
him
to
bee
the true
fhep-
heard; then (and
not
before) they follow
him,
as
it is,lohn
10.27.
So
that
though
we were ficke,and
certainelyaffured
wee
fhould
die
to morrow,
yet
for
all
this,wee are
neuer
the
neerer our
conuerfion,
faith and repentance then
wee were
)efore;asappeareth
in
the
example
ofthe
Epicures,i.Cor.r5.
'Cor:I
,
32.Let
vs
eate
and
drinlZe(fay
they)
for
to morrow
we
Jball die.A
.D
d
.anan