I 1.76 1 -. ~ I t J n cxpojition 1Jpon I I~ v.. c fhou: d vnfJincdly repent, of this Our de- A cay and \\'ant: that if we hauc hac} loue, & now w::.xc cold , wa nuy renew it; :md if '-VC. ncucr .had it , we ili:JY labuur for it; that fo wee may be :m(werabk to his blcf\Cd deEt>e. And here 1 ob[crue,th~t ChriH cnioyneth vs a llrait repen- ' t:'ln~.:c. It is not enou gh !'Or men to repctn them of~ro!fc ftnqcs,as whorcdome,thcfr,dnmkcn~ ndiC,and fuch like; but thcy.plufl.repcn.tthcm ofrhc:ir V\' ants of grace, as of~hc kno\.\'lcdgc,& forc,and Joue of God,and ofbrorhc'tlyloue.~ ofdecay in any grace, be it ncucr iOlittle. VVce h;<uc nllny IUHici:Jrics in conceit, that bee Pha– rifaic:l!ly minded, thinking t'?o well of them~ fdues, tlut they-nce<lc no repentance, bcca1,1fc they liuc ciuilly, and ~ne not tainted with grc tTe tinnc1.: Bur tht'fc confider little \\·.hat God dorh here require; cuen repentance for ' B our l~crC"t wants and t!ccaycs._And great reafon it ibould be fo, for cls to \.\'h":lt ende fhould we examine our (clues of out fCcret.t:<,.'ams, "Vnldfc \Nee l110nld .1·cpent vs of them, hauing found thco11 in vs. Ag:unc-, if_this Church mu{\ repent for her wants; then v·ilut great cau[c 11:me we to repent in this lafl: :tgc of A[heitillc, a groffc and com– mon finne .:, of outward pride in apparell , a fin ne flat againfl Gods word:and for contempt of the Go~1cl; :t finne thdt enbrgeth it fdfc more and mor~ among vs; and for crueltic and want ofmerCIC and companion, all which are not, hvtllcomc~t.'{;lft;tft.theepJort!y. 11. Apani~ cular thrc:ncnmg of a particular iudgemcnt, Ami remorJue rhy cand!cjfick.! out of I1U pi Me, I I I. '!he condition--ofthem both: except zho11 amcnCI, 1•. Po.int. Ifnot, lwifl cOml' agah:.f} rheijJJort!)·~ that ts, tf thou doe not prathfc this rcmedic, and th~ dmics therein prcf.:ribcd, clpcciali>' .the dune of repentance; then I ;Nill come a– gainfl: thee fl10rtly. The words mav 35 \\'Cil be read thus, If not, rhen wt!llcomero ~hte{hqnfJ ; For fo they :1rc in the originall, ~nd doe conI tainc in them fitfficicnt and profitable inflruCh– on : God is faid to come to any people rwo \'l.'aycs, in mcrci(', and in iudgement. ln mercy, \\'hen hcc teJlificth his prcfcnce..by workcs of mcrCic: As when Chri!tin fpiritwentvmo the old world, and preached vmo them in the pcr– fon ofNoah an hundred and twenry yearcs be– fore the !\ood, 1. Pct.3 .I 9. 20. Sccondiy,God commcth in iudgcmcnt, when he tdlificth his prcfcncc by iudgemcnts. In the fccond com– mlundcmcnt God faith, Hewi/ivijit theJinnes of theJtuhers vpon thechildren, that is ., he \-\'ill make inquidc·among thr children for the ta– thcrs linnes, and ifhe fin de them tP liuc in the f~me finncs th:!.t their farhers did , t~en wjll he punifh them, that isproperly to vifit.So in this pl::1ce, if thou repmt 11(Jt ,Iwill come vmotber, and tdlifie my prefcnee, not in mcrcic, but in iudgcmcnt. rife in our Church:&~~"'-Y more c:dily remoouc the candlcHickc fronl'\ts, 'then want of loue could rcmooue the candleflicke from this Church. And thus much forth~ fecond part of C this rcn1edic. In this genC"rall rhru.tning we.may obfCn1c, that when a Church or pcopk dc.cay in louc to God, tohis ""ord, Or to their brethren ;or clfc lie in any finne: then God preparetb himfclfc to come vntothc:m in iudgcn1cnt,.Amos 4 · 1 z. Beca11fo /will doe tJnu 11nd thHs vnrothee, for thy finncs, thereforeprepare to meete thJ God~0 lfi'a– el, meaning thOlt becaufc they lay fiill in their finncs, therefore hce Would make know11c his prefcnee by mote fearcfull iudgcmems: This doCtrine according to ChrifisdireCtion Js tobe applycd tovs,and to our Church:for the llnncs that were in the Church of Ephefus. are the finncs ofour church andpcoplc.Thcy decoyed in louc .ro God, to his word, and to the hre~ tbreo,fo doe wc.Nay generally there is no louc at all in vs as harh bccnc !hewed: and bcfidcs thcfe wan:s, there be many groffe Jinncs v. her– in our church and people do lie; as in Athcifinc both in iudgement and praCl:ifc; in contempt 2nd negleCt ofgods wor!hip and true re!igion; incrueltie,opprdlion,a.nd Wlnt ofmercle: and that which ismorc,thoughGod tummon men to repent by his d3ily iudgemcnts, yet few,e or none by tru.c humilitie prcp:trc to mccte (Jod, and ro prcucnt hisiudgements Security fprca,!s it fclfc 0 11ct the whole body ofour peoplc.And this bceing our cafe and tlatc.·,it muH needes be that GodE:nh bccne long fince in camr:ting to vs by his iuclgctnems, and at this d~y he his ftil comn1ing, becaufc •8e Gill decay m our lo~1e and other graceS, and more and more go on 111 finne. So (hat if we thus continue, the trut!l ~sI The third p<"~n of this rcmedie, i~, tcb their ftr-ftwork.§s: that is, f11ewc the like ze.ale and feru endcof l,oue to God,,to his word, and to their brethren, that they did at the firll time of their conuerf1o11. This duric Chri!l :~.ddeth to the former; b~caufc true repentance ncuer pcri01eth in the harr, bu:: alwai~s brcakcchoqt into aCtion in the litC. , Here then is an excellent ldfon for vs to learnc and put in praClifc: we mull fcarch our o\vnc hearts, and !Cc what good things haue beene in vs; what good motions and defircs, or good affe~~Hons.\Ve mufi alfo c:all to minde our former wayes, & fee \·\;hat good things we D hauc done: afld ifinheartpr life we find decay, -.we mullrccouer our lofi'e,and fccke to doe our 6rfi workcs ;and llriue t,o continue fo doing to our liues end, that fo we may cfcape.this hcauy charge of decay in grace. Thus much of the parts of this remedic. if not,lwi/lcome illgninft thufbort/y, nndr~mooue rh; ctmdlejlick! oHt ofhU place, except tho# amend. In rhcfc words Chrift laies downc a reafon topcrfw:tdc rheChurch of EphclU~ r'o th:.rra– Chfc of[be former remcdic : efpenally fofl re– pentance. This reafon comaincth three p:~rts. I0g~e::ll commimaion in thc!e words,/[ he , ~--~------------------------------~--~- ·~
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