Of Repentance. Vpon Aíhwednefday. hadall the meat on his Table.And as Deathdothmortifie andmake theflethof Birds and Beafts moretender; fodoth itfoften in men theirhardbowells, and caufespittie intheir Soules,and is theKeythat openeth their clofe-fiftednefï'e. Wereadofcertaine Fool es that faid, To-morrowwe fhall die ; let vstherefore laughandbe merrie , and inioy thepleafures ofthisworld : forthefe thought therewas noother lifebut this. But Paul, whowas forie to fee this , made no fuck confequence,but the contrary ; Death is neereat hand,let vs vfe this world thereforeaswe vs'd it not,&c. Two things, faith Seneca, are the funimeofour life,2afi, Mori,Tobeborne,andto die. Gregory2Ci entreating ofthat place of Salomon,ontniatempuahabent,Thereisa timeforallthings, notes, That this wife manioinesourNapwith a Mori,asbeingneereneighbors:and manytimes the timeofdeathpreuents that ofour birth,&c. Agepenetentiam, Repent. Thereare two things to beconfidered in Repentance : r That it is alwaies good. 2 That it muffbedecent and difcreete. For thefirft,It fubdues the flefh,&makes itwilling to fubmit itfelfe,& tobe- comeobedient to thefpirit:ReadLeo. Pap.Ser. ç,de!eiun. VideCyp.orat.de feiun. deTenr.Chrifli:and?ho. a .2.q. r 5. Peccajti ? (faithSaint Chryfoflome ) pa'nitere. dilliespeccajli ?mikespcenitere,i.Haflthoufinneda thoufandtimes ? repenta thaufand times. Saint Auflen faith, That the Deuilbeing defirous thatMan fhouldnot re- pent himfelfeofhis finnes, is 1tí11 whifperinghim in the Bare, Why doeft thou tormentandAidthy feife ? It is (frange that God fhould take pleafure to fee HowRepen. thy deftrurtion. Bread lifersmartyrdome till it bebrought to the boord Sil- """"`° bee YY g uerthe fame,tillitbewrought intoaveffell of Plate ; Stone till it be placed in formed. thehoufe forwhich it was.hewen; theSacrifice,till itbe laid on theAltar; itis no maruellthen that Chriftians fhould fuller much, whofo much delire to bee the Bread,theVeffells, theStones, andthe Sacrifice for Gods Houfeand his owneTable. Thefecond point is,Thatour Repentance fhouldbe decentanddifcreet.This may ferne fora few, for therearebut few that will exceede. To whom wee prefcribeSaint Pawls rule, Rationabile obfequiumveirum, Your feruice muft be weighed intheBallanceof reafon. ASlaue when he is ftubborneand rebelli- ous deferueth the whip, but the correctionmuft notbee fo cruell as tooccafion his death. Ecclefieflicua treating, That it is good,to correét aferuant, doth put Ecc1.33.*. this infor acounterpoife, Verumtamen f nejuditionihilfacimgraue, i. Doe nothing without difcretion : Nay,euen towards our Beaft,malicious crueltie is condem- ned jufle ajumenterumfuorum animas,i.Arightuouamanregardeththelye of r: hxBeajl; He will not lay more vpon them than they can beare : Fiji-era moon . impierumcrudclia;, i. tutthe bowells ofthe wickedarecrud. Two things are tobee confidered in our Repentance : the ohe,Thegrieuouf- nefFe ofthefault; for tomakelight repentance forgreat finnes,is agreat inequa- litie,asSaint Ambrofi noteth it: And. Saint Hierome faith , That the Repentance ane:G6 a de ought to exceede the faulr,or at leaftequall ir. Not thathumane weakneffe can nertent. nukefull fatisfaaion for it's heinous fins ; but that itbe performed inforiepro- portion.Thecouncel ofAgatha declareth thecuftomethat was vied in thiskind inthe Primitiue Church:towir, That theythat were publike& fcandalous Sin- ners did prefent themfelues in a kind offoutage or courfe Sacke-cloath be- fore theBithop,accompanied with all the Clergie, who inioyned himpennance _accord'
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