of the field is known by his fruit So are the rotten thoughtes of the dissembling person by his open déeds of malice Forgiue thy Neighbor the hurt that hée hath done thée so shall thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee when thou prayest Remember the end and let enmity passe which séeketh death and destruction abide in the commaundement of thy God that thou mayest reape his blessing They that reioyce at the fal of the righteous shal be taken in the snare anguish of heart shall consume thē before they die Wrest not thou the Law nor know any person neither take any reward for giftes blind the wise and peruert the wordes of the righteous that which is iust follow that thou mayst liue Hee that leadeth a godlie life and speaketh the truth hée that abhorreth gaine won by violence and deceit hee that kéepeth his hand that hee touch no reward which stoppeth his eares that he hear no counsell against the innocent bloud which holdeth down his eyes that hee sée no euill he it is that shall dwell in hie whose sauegard shall be on a Bulwarke of rockes and his ioyes incomprehensible Esa 33. The Congregation of dissēbling Hipocrites shall be desolate and vnfruitfull and the fire shal cōsume the houses of such as are greedy to receiue gifts the dissembling person conceiueth crauell and beareth vanity and their bodie bringeth forth deceite Iob. 15. There bee many that for their sundry friendshipps and benefites which are diuerslie giuen vnto them bee euer the more proud and hie minded and vndertake not onely to harm the benefactors but are vnthankefull for theyr receyued goodnesse goe about to escape the iudgement of God whose eyes vieweth all vertue séekes to punish all wickednes be not in the number of such Hester 16. My right hand shall not spare the sinners my sword shall not cease ouer them that shed the innocent bloud vpon earth Esdras 15. Despise not a man that turneth himselfe away from sin and cast him not in the téeth withall but remember we bee all fraile and offenders Eccle. 8. Thrée things there be that my Spirite fauoureth the vnity of Brethren the loue of Neighbours and a man and wise that agrée well together Thrée things there be which my soule hateth a rich man couetous a poore man proud and an old man that is vnchast Eccle. 25. Oppresse not thou the law nor know any person neither take any reward for giftes blinde the wise and peruert the wordes of the righteous that which is iust shalt thou follow that thou maiest liue Levit. 19. Sée that thou know no faces in iudgement nor doe any vnrighteousnesse in iudgement in meat yard in weight or in measure true Ballances true waights a true Epha and a true line shall you haue to all men Ibidem Thou shalt not fauour the poore nor honour the mighty but in righteousnesse shalt thou iudge thy neighbour Ibidem Thou shalt not auenge thy selfe nor bee mindfull of a wrong but shalt loue thy Neighbour euen as thy selfe Iames. 21. As the Sun riseth is heat and the Grasse withereth his flower falleth away and the beauty of the fashion of it perisheth euen so shall the malitious rich vnrighteous and dissembling person perish in the wickednesse of his wayes Iudge nothing before the time which wil lightē thinges that are hidden in darknesse and open the counsels of the hearts so shall euery man haue prayse of GOD. Cor. 4 Sée thou robb not the poore because he is weake and oppresse not the simple in iudgement for the Lord himself wil defend their cause and do violence to them that haue vsed violence Pro 22. God resisteth the proud giueth grace vnto the lowly Iames 4. Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord neyther dispayre when he giueth thee aduersity for whome the Lord loueth him hee chasteneth yea he scourgeth with affliction euery Sonne that he receyueth Heb. 12. Let euery man be swift to heare slow to speake slow to wrath for the wrath of man worketh not that which is righteous before God wherfore lay apart all malice and with all meeknesse of heart exercise truth and quietnesse Iames. 1. Lay aside all malitiousnesse and all guile faynednesse and enuie all backbiting and as new born babes desire ye that milke not of the Body but of the soule which is without deceit that ye may grow thereby vnto Saluatiō 2. Ep. Peter The eyes of the Lord doe gouerne the Righteous his eares open vnto their Prayers Ibid. Cap. 3. The desire of the Lowly is acceptable and the Lord will encrease it but the hope of the Proude is the Indignation and in the freshnesse of their Labours hee will roote them out He that casteth out his words rashly worketh care to his life but who so through silence seasoneth his thoughts with wisedome is the Author of long rest Euery labour giueth foorth his fruit onely lippe labour destroyeth time and bringeth forth penury The dayes of aduersity are a blessing of God and a clear conscience is a continuall Feast A malitious man kindleth strife A Foole vttereth his wrath in hast but a discréet person couereth wrong The Lord abhorreth the Prayer of the malitious but who so humbleth his Prayer in faith and Charity shall find his desire The desires of the Couetous man bring vppon him confusion but who so gathereth his riches with loue and fauour shall prosper Through Mercy and Truth sinnes are pardoned and through Righteousnesse and Faith are thy Prayers heard and euill eschewed Righteous lippes are pleasant vnto Kings and dissembling tongues ouerthrow hie Pallaces Better it is to be of humble mind with the lowly then to deuide the spoiles with the proude Presumptuousnesse goeth before destruction and after a proude stomacke followeth a foule fall Mercy faithfulnesse preserueth the King and with louing kindnesse his seat is holden vp Who so followeth Righteousnesse and Mercy shall finde both life righteousnesse and honour Like as the golden pillars are vpon the Sockets of siluer so are the beautiful parts of the Body vpon a woman that hath a constant mind The heart of the foolish is like a Cart whéele and his thoughtes runne about like the Axiltree The wiseman tempereth his rage with Patience and seasoneth his wordes with wisedome Who so is mercifull and giueth Almes that is the right thanks offering but he that stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore shall be cast downe crie himself and not be heard All that is of the eath shall turne to the earth againe all brides and vnrighteousnesse shall perish but Faithfulnes and Truth shall endure for euer Rewards and gifts blinde the eyes of the wise and make him runne that he cannot tell men their faults Let not thy mouth bee accustomed with swearing for in it there be many faults The heauinesse of the hart is all the punishment and the wickednesse of a woman goeth aboue all Like as to clime vp a sandy way is to the féet of
corruption and troubled in recounting thy sinnes to him that cannot forgiue thée Wherefore cast thy selfe on me onely and I will deliuer thee for if a thousand yeares thou wouldest search thy selfe and bee confessed of ten thousand thou shalt not be cleansed Quando enim exhauries Abissum Therefore commit thy selfe to mee onely I will make thee safe whensoeuer with all diligence thou shalt goe about to confesse thy fault let mee alone with Mercy to thee acknowledge that thou canst not cleanse thy selfe say that thou haddest need of my mercy confesse that thou canst not answere one word to a thousand thinges wherewith I might charge thee but art in euery worke vnsufficient and hast need of my Mercie Wherefore trust not to thy Confessions but in my Mercy for by it thou shalt be iustified And whilest thou art too much conuersant in the care of thy sinnes thou mightest turne vnto me and enioy my gratious presence Doest thou not note the subtlety of the enemie To this end hee suggesteth thee with the number of thy sins and thoughts of thy wickednesse that thou mightest neglect things to thée more wholesome Know thou this therfore chiefly that my delight is that thou shouldest thinke of my goodnesse séeke mée in simplenesse Thou shalt finde mée gentle godly full of compassion and chiefe in mercy trust in mée hope in mée séeke my fauour séeke my friendshippe and familiarity and for the better obtaining of these direct thy exercise in holinesse Thou shalt vndoubtedly féele a farre more beautifull fruit if thou diligentlie care how to loue please and follow me then by brusing thy selfe with scruples of thy confessions for déeming to search out and abolish doubts thou doest rather engender to thée doubtfuller things thou canst not think me too pittifull or mercifull so that thou doe not presume vpon my mercies neyther canst thou giue mee ouer much credite Wherefore accustome thy selfe to thinke well of me and belieue that I will not condemne thée For truly whosoeuer is willing to correct his life and despayreth not him will I saue I am well pleased O Daughter that thou art so sory thou hast offēded and that thou wilt not sinne hereafter Now thou art in State of saluation why fearest thou I am rich in infinite mercies Thus thinke of me for therby thou doest mee more hodour then if thou diddest imagine me cruell and hard or shouldest so much feare as though I watched onely to intrappe men in this or that doubt or circumstance they had omitted But yet when any great offence cōmeth in thy minde confesse thy fault with al humilty and sorrow of hart and desire grace to amend and after rest in peace and cast all the Diuelish doubts vpon me I desire thée I am willing to enioy thy friendshippe I require to bee loued of thee see therefore that thou answere my good will Vnderstand know and iudge thy selfe to be a sinner Say in many things thou hast offended that thou art most ingratefull a Rebell spitefull and blasphemous against thy Commandements and will And hereof so much humble thy felfe that thou dare not once lift vp thine eies before me since thou art full of loathsomnesse and abhominations There be certaine so esteeming their committed euils that they are moued with thē either to pleasure and delight or contrariwise to desperation or some such like inconuenience But thou when thou wilt thinke thy selfe a sinner and humble thy self shake off the dreams of thy sinnes and turne vnto me conferre with me touching thy sinnes and infirmities powre out thy complaints before mee reason with me accuse thy selfe to me of thy crimes committed so shall thy accusation of sinnes be conuerted into praier Wherefore when thou hast turned to mée plead thy cause in Prayer for by this means thy conscience shall bee made cleare and quiet thy affection also to me directed shall be by me inflamed But now of Satisfaction for Sinnes Imbrace this counsell That whatsoeuer thy hand is able to doe that instantly worke yet not with that mind or to that end as though therewith thou couldest make satisfaction for thy sinnes For to the accomplishing of this thou oughtest to thinke all thy workes too vnworthie and far vnable But do that thou canst euery way to please me whome thou hast offended desire me that with the merites of my passion and most holy life I will punish thine offences and satisfie my Father for them This humility this sure trust in me with which thou debasest thy selfe thy works and extollest me and my merites excelling the workes of thy satisfaction since that one droppe of my bloud is of more value to Satisfaction then al mans deserts which hath already made Satisfaction for the sins of the whole world Such humility allureth mee to thee and causeth mee to cōmunicate with thee the treasure of my merites Wherefore let this chieflie be thy study that thou neglect not my good pleasure but cōtinually to thinke on me desire me loue me and whatsoeuer I commaund and will diligently performe then if thou haddest infinit heaps of sinnes I will forgiue them all as fréely as if thou haddest but one neither is it lesse easie for me to forgiue many then few It is a maruailous thing that I will say but yet most true and certainely to bee beléeued if the whole worlde were a fierie Globe and in the middest of it were thrown a bundell of Flaxe this of his naturall effect should not so soone receiue the slame of fire as I will receiue the repentant and sorrowfull sinner to mercy for in that naturall act is required some tarriance though very little and peraduenture not to be perceyued but here is no tarriance at all betwéene the penitent and him that forgiueth betwéene the sorrowfull and him that heareth the sighes Thou therefore daughter reiect all inordinate feare desirous to please me with thy holy heart study to be holy for I am holy willingly offēd not though in neuer so little or light a thing but shunne the occasion so much as in thee lyeth wisely withdraw thy selfe from the society of mans superstitious communicatiōs and from vnprofitable and euill occupations be not solitarie bée not idle spend the time thriftily to my honour occupie thy selfe in reading the Holy Scriptures where thou shalt find my Life and Passion Plant in thy heart my trouble Crosse and persecution walke before me in Holinesse with feare and reuerence perswading thy selfe that I am neuer absent from the Godly but doe instantly hold them diligently bridle and kéepe thy senses and tongue if thou loue much babling thou canst not profite embrace sobernesse and reasonable continences shun vanity and the pomp of pride sensuality and vnlawful pleasures sée thou follow not but diligently endeauour to keep thee vndefiled fight couragiously against vices faithfully pray to mee that thou mayest breake and ouercome the wicked passions and inclinations do as much as thou art able yet trust not to
in the death of a Sinner sayth the Lord God or rather would I not his conversion from his evill wayes that he might liue And againe hee sayeth Returne and repent you of your faults and your iniquity shall not prevaile against you Cast away evill cogitations and take you a new Spirite And why wilt thou die O house of Israel I wil not the death of a sinner returne and thou shalt liue O wretch why despayrest thou sith to this end GOD sent his Sonne into the earth that thou mightest haue comfort This is the loue of God whereof David speaketh saying We haue seene thy loving kindnesse even in the middest of thy Congregation Bée earely at the church occupied in prayer abide in the Apostolicke Faith beware of Idolatry imbrace the louing kindnesse of God who cryeth vncessantly I wil not the death of a Sinner but rather he convert and liue Harke to this swéet Oracle shake off the drowsinesse of errour and rise with Christ that thou mayest liue in him Marke how liberally hee promiseth At what hower soever a Sinner shall repent I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance He hath no respect to the nature of thy faults he forceth not the greatnesse or nūber of thine offences repent but as thou oughtest and hee will blot thy wickednesse out of memory That our Prayer may bée more acceptable to God the Prophet O see telleth vs how we should pray Returne vnto the Lord and say to him Lord take away mine iniquitie and receiue if I haue any my goodnesse and I wil giue thee the batlinges sacrifice of my lips Let vs reuert that haue shamefuly erred to him which taketh away the sinnes of the world and let vs say Take away from vs the evill which we haue done and accept this good What good Even the sacrifice of our Lippes Wée giue thée thanks mighty God to whome wee owe all that we haue Take from vs which is ours accept of vs that which is thine owne Returne saith Ioel to your God because he is loving gratious long suffering and of much mercy and ready to pardon mischiefe Though the weight of sin astonish thee yet let the mightinesse of Gods mercy vphold thee which the Prophet doth many wayes exaggerate God saith hee is gentle which hee addeth that wee should not despaire of pardon God saith he is gratious that we should vnderstand how he not onelie helpeth vs but that he pittieth our miseries And thinking not this sufficient he adioineth Long suffring And yet art thou doubtfull sinner Hearken then what followeth And of great mercy If thy faults be many care not great is the goodnesse of God What remayneth now but that thou turne and goe to him that inuiteth thee thou wilt say the horrible threatenings of punishment feare me Giue eare and marke And hee is ready to pardon mischiefe that God which is so often stirred to anger of his own accord mooueth thee to repentance calleth thee to forgiuenesse forgetteth his threates denyeth thee the torment of Hell in steade of punishment giueth thee his blessing not onely turneth to thee that repentest but willingly goeth to méet thée embraceth thée This is it which was promised by Zacharie Turne vnto me saith the Lord of hosts and I will be converted vnto you What meaneth hee by Returne vnto mee that is acknowledge thy weakenesse and aske mercy And what is meant by this And I will be converted vnto you That this of a reuenger I will become a helper I will assist your endeauours and looke what through your owne strength you can not bring to passe thou shalt attain to buy my fauour No man can fréely hate his owne sinne vnlesse God mollifie his stony hart and giue him a fleshly hart vnles for a defiled Conscience hee make a cleane heart vnlesse for a corrupt soule hee renue a right Spirite in him Peruse and reade the conuersation and life of Christ there thou shalt finde nothing but of his euerlasting mercy towards all men He fréely healed the sicke fedde the hungry deliuered them that were in daunger cleansed the Leapers gaue sight to the Blinde restored the Lame cast out Deuils raysed the dead to life and pardoned the wicked Search againe the vniuersall discipline of GOD what other thing contayneth it then the maruailous compassion of the Almighty doth he not inculcat into our minds by parables to the intent wée should not fal by any means To that end serueth the Parable of the lost shéepe which was brought againe on the Shéepeheards shoulders the Parable of the lost and found groate of the whole man that wanted not a Physition of the Seruant to whome his debts were forgiuen of the Publicane and the Pharisie of the broken man whom the Samaritane cured of the good Steward towardes his debtors and of the crafty Steward towards his Master of the Prodigall Child taken againe into fauour As touching the bare name of the Gospell doth it not promise mercy Yes it giueth light to the blind liberty to the Captiue health to the broken and last of all a gratefull gaine to the Lord who thirsteth nothing but the Saluation of sinners Likewise the name of Iesus that is of a Sauiour what else doth it promise to the Sinner but mercy and blissefulnesse If he had come representing the Maiesty of a Iudge there had beene some cause why euerie one might haue feared but knowing him to come as a Sauiour dost thou dispayre Saluation for the surer hope of Saluation the Sonne of God suffered death and offered vp himselfe a valiant sacrifice for the sins of man And hanging on the Crosse prayeth for his persecutors and thinkest thou that hée wil deny thée forgiuenesse of thy sinnes that dost acknowledge thy wretchednesse and craue remission Trust him that is mercifull and thou shalt find compassion A sure hope obtaineth any thing at Christes hand who so mistrusteth the Phisition hindereth his own health The woman of Canaan cryed and her daughter was cured The Centurian beléeued and his Seruant was made whole againe The Father prayed and his Sonne was cleansed of the foule spirite The Apostles cryed out Helpe Lord for we perish and they were deliuered And wée sée that in diuerse he hath not respected the prayers of the mouth but only the Faith Hee did but perceyue the faith of the people and said to the sicke of the Palsie Bee of good cheare my sonne thy sins are forgiuen thee The Mother and her companions doe but wéepe and her Sonne is raysed frō death to life Martha and Mary did but mourne and Lazarus was receyued Mary the sinner bewayleth he annointeth her kisseth her and sayth Thy sinnes are forgiven thee He sufficiently asketh that confesseth his infirmity he asketh effectually that lamenteth beléeueth The woman troubled with superfluity of bloud secretlie touched the vesture of Iesus and immediatelie she felt the force of his mercy We read also of many others that