ru1n exhortation to repentance. \ \ GhoH,agreeth thctcfhmo!1le ofall holy mcm A. tuous boldncfi'cofhis corr•Jption, which fo fc.. ~ --- ~ confcicnccs,who oil know 1 chatthc firlt bt;ginI curcly plodded on towards ddlruC1ion & br-1 I ningofthcir turning vmo the Lord,"vas a tCaring :dhamcd.of himfclfc, :md thcfc his'waycs, I ching of thcmfclucs. Let any repentant finncr . l~cc turn:s h1s heart to t~c God chat faucd him \ 1 askc his coniCi~c, and call to mind c.: his firfi from rhc.k dangcr5;:wd 1Cts himfelfe into more ! I (alling and' conuedion, o.nd he will remember h"ly "''aJ~s, :tnd mo1 c comfort:tble courfcs,and th~t the F.rll thing in his t'cpcntancc ·was this; confdfcth that ignorance made him bold, and rh:u he fcarchcd into him!clfc ,::111d looked n~r... biindndfc made him fo prdYrnpcuous;but now l rO\o\'ly into his ':Vaies, &: finding his waietS dan... he fecth the daungcr,and will by no meanes go gcrol}s,anc.l his cafe fcarcfu!J,did thereupon rethe fame \\''i!Y ag.awp and dms the fcarchino &. I fo!uc to take :1 new courf(:, and nune to the fceing inro the tOulenc(fc oftinne :md the d~nLord fof pardon :~.rrd mcrcie, :~.nd for grace to 1 ger thereof:is.thc firfi beginning ~frcpcmancc \ enter into more holy, and more comfortable I and the firfl fitp into gract. £ourfcs. ThisdoChincteachcth 'VS what faith and reThe 111'?.0 that paffcth vpon ridges ofMoun· \ pentanH is gcncrall in the v..orld. All men iay, ' taincs, ~md fides ofhils, or that gocth oUcr a B they beleeuc, and hane repented long agoc;. nlrro\.ve bridge, or fome dangerous and ilcepe but trie it well, a~d we fhall find in the bodie rocks at midnight ,feareth not,bccaufC he fccth of our Natio.n,bta a llppe faith,and a lippe Reno 4anger:but bring 1hc fame 1'11:\n in the mar~ p·mt:mce: for euen when they f~y fo, they are ning, and let him fee the na:rrowc bridge, hee blinde ancl ignorant of their ownc <.·!late, and went ousr in tht' oighr, vndcr which runnes a knowc not themfclues, but prefumc of themvidlem Hrca1~lc, and a bottomeleffe gulfc, and _{clues, th:n becaufc they are baptifcd and Jiut' the dangerous Mountaincs,and rocks he pa{fed in the Church, therefore they are in Cods faouer, and he '"'ill wonder at his own boldndfc, uour,and in very good efiate,whcn as they ne_. and fhrin~e fdr fearc to thinke ofit, and ·will by ucr yet were reconciled to God : and arc fo far no meancs venture the fainc ""ay againc: for from it, that they ncuer yet faw any !inncs in nov~' he [ccth the height o(thc rnounraincs;the thcmfelues whereof they fhould repent. As a llcepcndfe ofthe Hi'llcs, the cragginc{fe ofthe man trauellingin the night, fccth no danger, Rocks, the fcarefull downefall,.and the furious bot ploddes on without feare: So the moll pan violence of the flri?ame vnderneath,.and thereofour common pcople,in the night of their igby fceth the cxtrc:unc danger,. which afore bee c:.' norance, thinkc and prefume they Joue and [awe not:therefore he wondreth and reioyceth feare God, and loue theJr neighbour; ahd that th?-~ hehath efcapcd fo great a danger.; & will theyhauecuer done fo: Nay, it fs thecommon by no meancs be drawne to goc that way in the epinion.thara man may.doe fo by 11:tture, and 8ay,whichhe went moll carldly in the darknes· that het is not wonhy to liuc, who dmh not of the night, but fcckcth another way(though louc God with his hem, and bclccue in le[m itlh.<>u}p be fmc about:) So a linnerin his fidt Chri{l: Bm alaspoordimplc foulcs;thcy neucr ~{late~ which \s naturall and corrupt (as we are knewc what finfle was,n<'uer fearchcd nor faw br~d and borne) hath a vailc before his face: fo into the·ir owne hearts with the light of GodS' that he feeth nqthing: The wrath of God,and bw, for if they had, they fhould haue feene tb,.c.curfc due for finne, H:cll and damnation fuch aSe&ofcorruption, that rhen they fhould fc~king.to dcuoure him, he fecth t~1crn not, alconfc1fe it tobe the hardeftthing i-n th.cw?rld,. th~l!gh.( lining alwaies it'l fimie,) he walkcth in to louc.God, and to beleeue in Chrilt, and f'or.. the very !awes of Hell it fclfe, and bccaufc: he: take ftnne: it is therefore manifefi, that they {ec:~h not this fc:weful danger,thc:rfore he refu.. hauc not yet begun to beleeuc or rc:pc:nt, nor fe~h no fitJne at all,but rufheth fccurely into :~.11 h:J.Uc cmrcd into the firft flcp of grace, which manner offin; the night ofimpenitencic,& the D lcadcrh to repentance, for that they haue not rnyfi.of igQorancc fo blindinghis eyes,cbat he learned this Ielfon,which the Prophet teacheth fccth not the narrov:'e btidgc of this life, from that is,.tofe.crch themfo!un. wltich if he flide, he fall~ ionnedi.ately into the Furthermore, let vS in the fccond phtcc, ohbottomelc{fepit of Hell. '· fcrue better rhdignific:nion ofrheword;it fig- ~ :Smwhen ~s Gods fpirit bath by the light of niticth tt>-Searih narrowly, as a manwoud doe Gods \'\'Ord opened his cy.cs and touched his for apcece ofGold,or a precious Icwcl, which hart to confiJc:r his e{lare, chChe feerh the frail is loll in a great hot1fe: Or as aman may fcarch bridge of this narrow life, and how little a flep for gold in a Myne ofthe canh, and but very there is bcn\'ccne him and damnation; then he tinle gold Oare. fccth Ho-H open due for his finncs, and himfdfe Hence we may lcarnc, that in true Rcpenin the high way to it: .fiune bccingthe craggy tancc & conuedion, we mull not fearch fo on- \tockc, and Hell the saping gulfe vndcr it;this ly,as tO fi.nde the gro{fc and palpable finne!; or .,. life bccing the narrow bridge:, and d:mm:uion our Jiues; but fo as we m:.ly fin de tbofe finnes the flre·ame which mnneth vndcr it: Then he: v. hich the world accounts leiTer finncs, and , wondreth at his mifcrable dhnc, adrnrcth the efpic our fcHct f:tulrs and priuie corruptions. l I . mercy of God in keeping him from falling into Some corruptions feeme more neerc a kinne ~ the bonor~~ ofHell,wondreth at the prefumpof our nature, and therein men hope to be ex- '~ ' ------------------------------------------------~--5~d_, ______
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