The gallants burden A sermon preached at Pauls Cross, the twenty nine of March,…The gallants burden A sermon preached at Paules Crosse, the twentie nine of March,…

The medicine to heal all this, both for Patient and Physician, is repentance; not a jaculatory cry of Lord forgive me, nor the flash of a melancholy passion, but a sound, serious, and substantial repentance. Rome hath an holy water of virtue, they say, to purge and wash away all her spots: England hath her holy water too, which, too many trust in for sufficient, we look up and cry, Lord thy mercy, and wipe our lips, as if we had not sinned: yet by and by to our former vomit. But the repentance, that resolves for Heaven, throws away all impediments▪ if Gold, if pleasure, if a Throne were in the way, she would fling them aside: she hath an eye bent on the Mercie•seate, and a foot that runs straight to it: she turns not into Samaria, because she is offered lodging there, nor into the Court of Egypt, to be called the Son of Phar•os Daughter: the pleasures of Babylon stay her not, the Good-fellows of Sodom make her not look back: she forgets what is behind, and never rests, like the Kine that carried the Ark, till she comes to the fields of Bethshemesh, the harvest of grace and goodness; nor ceaseth lowing with sorrow till she be sped of the mercies of God: she hath felt the weight of sin and sorrow, and abhors the cause of them both: she hates not the devil worse then her former iniquities, and if it were possible, she would never more offend: Thus, this is to return; what you want of this, you come short of repentance.

The medecine to heale all this, both for Patient and Physitian, is repentance; not a iaculatory crye of Lord forgiue me, nor the flash of a melancholy passion, but a sound, serious, and substantiall repentance. Rome hath an holy water of vertue, they say, to purge and wash away all her spottes: England hath her holy water too, which, too many trust in for sufficient, we looke vp and crye, Lord thy mercie, and wipe our lippes, as if we had not sinned: yet by and by to our former vomite. But the repentance, that resolues for Heauen, throwes away all impediments▪ if Gold, if pleasure, if a Throne were in the way, she would fling them aside: she hath an eye bent on the Mercie•seate, and a foote that runnes straight to it: she turnes not into Samaria, because she is offered lodging there, nor into the Court of Egipt, to be called the Sonne of Phar•os Daughter: the pleasures of Babilon stay her not, the Good-fellowes of Sodome make her not looke backe: she forgets what is behind, and neuer rests, like the Kine that carryed the Arke, till she comes to the fieldes of Bethshemesh, the haruest of grace and goodnesse; nor ceaseth lowing with sorrow till she be sped of the mercies of God: she hath felt the weight of sinne and sorrow, and abhorres the cause of them both: she hates not the diuell worse then her former iniquities, and if it were possible, she would neuer more offende: Thus, this is to returne; what you want of this, you come short of repentance.