REPENTANCE

The mercy of Christ thought it not sufficient, To forgive his sins, and devils to purge, But giveth his grace to be penitent, That is, his soul ever after this day to scourge. The virtue of Repentance I do represent, Which is a true turning of the whole life and state, Unto the will of the lord God omnipotent, Sorrowing for the sins passed with displeasure & hate. That is to say, all the inward thoughts of the heart And all the imaginations of the mind, Which were occupied evil by Satan's art, Must hence forth be turned after and other kind. David my father on his sins did always think, How horrible they were in God almighty's sighed, Tears were his sustenance, yea both meat & drink, His hold meditation was in heaven both day & night So that Repentance is described in Scripture, To be a returning from sin with all the soul & heart, And all the life time in repenting to endure, Declaring the same with the senes in every partly. As thus, Like as the eyes have been vainly spent Upon worldly and carnal delectations, So henceforth to weeping and tears must be bent, And wholly given to godly contemplations. Likewise as the ears have been open always To here the blaspheming of Gods holy name, And filthy talking evermore night and day, Now they must be turned away from the same. And glad to hear the Gospel of salvation, How God hath mercy on them that do call, And how he is full of pity and miseration: Raising up such again as by sin did fallen. The tonge which blasphemy hath spoken, Yea and filthily, to the hurt of soul and body: Whereby the precepts of God have been broken, Must hence forth praise God for his mercy daily. Thus Like as all the members in times passed, Have been servants of unrighteousness and sin, Now Repentance does that service away cast, And to mortify all his lusts does Begin. True repentance never turns back again: For he y to layeth his would ̄ worser on the plough, & looketh away, Is not apt in the kingdom of heaven to reign, Nor to be saved with my saints at the last day. This Faith with the word hath such propinquity, That properly the one is not without the other, Faith must be tried with the word of verity, As the child is by the father and mother. The operation of Faith is not to inquire What God is as touching his proper nature, But how good he is to us to know faith does desire, Which thing appeareth in his holy Scripture. Christ the son of God here hath promised, Forgiveness of sins to you sister Marry, Of his own mercy this to do he hath devised, And not of your merits, thus you see plainly. If in this promise you be certain and without doubt. Believing that the word of his mouth spoken He is able, and also will do and bring about, Then that you have Faith it is a token. The grace of God shall be with you both far & never, Whereby from all wickedness I shall you detain.