PHIL. Thus see you that repentance is a great cause of the mitigation of gods wrath,1 yea & an acceptable Sacrifice to God as David saith, a sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit,2 a contrite & humble heart god will not despise. Thus repentance maketh a man to dye unto line, & to sine to righteousness. ⟨image 39⟩It maketh us so long as we in this world valiantly to enarme our selves, and to enter battle with Satan & his army, & continually to fight against our enemies. It maketh us to hate all wickedness, & embrace all virtue, so y• daily we proceed more & more from faith to faith & from virtue to virtue.3 It maketh us to hunger & thirst after righteousness. It maketh us to desire to be dissolved from this mortal body, & to be with Christ. No man is able to express sufficiently the excellency & virtue of this true and faithful repentance. And this is it, which maketh Chrysostom to cry out on this manner:4 O repentance, which through gods mercy forgivest sin, & openest Paradise, which healest a man contrite & broken, & makest merry him that is sad, callest again life from death, restorest the state, renewest the honour, givest boldness, reformest strengths, & ⟨image 39⟩pourest in again grace more abundant. O repentance, what new thing shall I tell of thee? Thou dost loosen allthings that are bound. All things loosened dost thou set at liberty. All troublous things dost thou mit• gate. All things broken dost thou make whole. All confused things dost thou make clear. Al desperate things dost thou encourage O repentance more rutilant than gold, more bright than the sun, whom sin doth not overcome, nor, defection suppress, nor desperation put away. Repentance refuseth covetousness, abhorreth lechery, escheweth furor & madness, maketh love strong, treadeth down pride, refraineth the tongue, fashioneth manners, hateth malice, excludeth envy Perfect repentance compelleth a sinner to suffer all things gladly. If a violent person seek that that he hath, he forbiddeth him not. If he ⟨image 40⟩taketh away his garment, he striveth not against him. To him that striketh the one cheek, he proffereth the other. If any man will compel him to go a mile with him, he will of his own free will go two. If he be chastised he giveth him thanks. If he be provoked, he holdeth his peace. If he be sharply spoken unto, he speaketh gently again.
PHIL. Thus se you that repentaunce is a great cause of the mitigacion of gods wrath,1 yea & an acceptable Sacrifice to God as Dauid saith, a sacrifice to God is a troubled spirite,2 a contryte & hūble herte god wyl not despyse. Thus repentaunce maketh a man to dye vnto lynne, & to syne to righteousnes. ⟨image 39⟩It maketh vs so lōg as we ī this worlde valeantly to enarme our selues, and to enter battayle with Satā & his army, & cōtinually to fyght against our enemies. It maketh vs to hate all wyckednes, & enbrace all vertue, so y• dayely we procede more & more from faith to faith & frō vertu to vertue.3 It maketh vs to hunger & thyrst after ryghteousnes. It makethe vs to desyre to be dissolued from this mortal body, & to be with Christ. No mā is able to expresse sufficiently ye excellency & vertu of this true and faythfull repentaūce. And this is it, which maketh Chrisostom to crye out on this maner:4 O repentaunce, which thorowe gods mercy forgyuest sinne, & openest Paradise, which healest a man contryte & brokē, & makest merye hym that is sad, callest agayne lyfe frō deathe, restorest the state, renuest the honour, gyuest boldenes, reformest strēgthes, & ⟨image 39⟩powrest ī agayne grace more aboundāt. O repetaūce, what new thyng shall I tell of the? Thou doste losē althynges that are bounde. All thynges losened doste thou set at liberty. All troublous thynges doste yu mit• gate. All thynges broken doste thou make whole. All confused thynges doste thou make cleare. Al desperate thynges doste yu encourage O repentaunce more rutulante than golde, more bryght than the sonne, whome synne doth not ouercome, nor, defeccion suppresse, nor desperaciō put awaye. Repentaunce refuseth couetousnes, abhorrethe lecherye, excheweth furour & madnes, maketh loue stronge, treadethe downe pryde, refrayneth the tonge, fasshyoneth maners, hateth malyce, excludeth enuy Perfecte repentaunce compelleth a synner to suffer all thynges gladly. If a violente persō seke that that he hathe, he forbyddeth hym not. Yf he ⟨image 40⟩taketh awaye his garment, he stryueth not agaynst hym. To him that striketh the one cheke, he profereth ye other. If ony man wyl compell him to go a myle with him, he wyll of his owne free wyll go two. If he be chastised he geueth him thankes. If he be prouoked, he holdeth his peace. If he be sharpeye spoken vnto, he speaketh gentely agayne.
- 1Psal. •.
- 2Behold• what true repetaū •e wor•eth in ma•.Behold• what true repetaū •e wor•eth in ma•.
- 3Rom. •. […] Mat. v. Phil. •.Rom. •. 〈…〉 Mat. v. Ph•l. •.
- 4•e•. xxix. De penitetia.
