Mentz Strang and vnnaturall persecution Vnnaturall and not heard of before persecution against the poore saints plagued with strange and vnwonted diseases as in Iohn de Roma a Iacobine the Lord of Reuest and the Lord of Opede Blasphemous derogating from the crowne and dignitie of Christ Iesus Blasphemies the washing away of sinnes in all men and arrogating the same to the Pope and his pardons plagued with sudden and present death as in the parson of Crondall aforesaid Last of all let vs by some few proofes out of the word confirme this which hath been illustrated both out of the examples of the Scriptures and the Acts and Monuments of our owne Church In the 29. Deut. 29.22 chapter of Deuteromie vers 22. Moses sheweth that the generation of the Israelites which was then for to come and the strangers that should come from a farre land shall say when they see the plagues and diseases of this land wherewith the Lord shall smite it Vers 24. Vers 25. Wherefore hath the Lord done thus vnto this land And they shall answer Because they haue forsaken the couenant of the Lord God of their fathers which he made with them And chapter 31.17 Cap. 31.17 They shall be consumed and many aduersities and tribulations shall come vpon them Then they shall say Are not these troubles come vpon vs because God is not with vs Of all other places in the Scriptures let the 28. of Deuteronomie Deut. 28. Leuit. 26. and the 26. of Leuit. be as glasses for all men to behold themselues in where you shal find for disobedience and breach of Gods commandements the Lord will inflict vpon them most extreame diseases and sores of the body as the pestilence Vers 21.22 Vers 27. a consumption the feuer the burning ague the botch of Egypt the Emerodes the scab and the itch He threatned to smite them in the knees Vers 35. in the thighs with a sore botch that they could not bee healed euen from the sole of their foote to the top of their head For other griefes of body and horrible tormēts of the mind that there is threatned against the obstinate offenders I wish the godly to peruse them thereby to be as bridles and stayes vnto them whensoeuer Satan by his suggestions laboureth to driue them therevnto Take the sower with the sweete And I wish that the wicked would in their boldnes to drinke vp sinne like water once giue a glance backe to these fearefull threats of the Lord and view what shall be the wofull ende of their grosse and abominable wickednesses I wish also that both these and all the aforenamed proofes together with the manifold examples out of the Scriptures and sundry histories of the Church before alleadged Let them be for a Christian Chronicle be in stead of a little Chronicle for all sick and sore men either in body or minde for all those that are strangely visited or grieuously afflicted to be exercised in wherein they may finde the Lords iudgements frō time to time executed vpon the wicked and abominable liuers without abatement controlement or dispensation fearing no power The wicked neuer able to stay Gods iudgements preuented by no policie stayed by no bribes nor abated by any medicine till such time as hee hath layed the honors houses habitations and whole posterities of the wicked euen with the ground The end of the wicked As may be seene of Ieroboam Baasha Ahab and Ioab that I say men visited with sicknes vpon a sound sauerie of the premisses may without delay enter into a serious speech and due consideration of their owne estate in regarde of sinne Search soundly without soothing your selues and if they finde that such sinnes as you haue heard here before to bee plagued of the Lord to rule and raigne in them or any sinne and transgression of Gods commandements then let them impute the cause of their visitation to their owne sinnes and wicked conuersation resoluing further that he will not withdraw it who hath sent it hee will not heale them who hath wounded them they shall not recouer of their sicknesse nor come downe from the bed whereon they lie till such time as the Lord see them broken hearted with Dauid and vowing to his maiestie the continuall sacrifice of a better life or at least if they passe that disease or fit vnlesse they from the heart repent let them looke ere it be long One being gone another will come vnlesse thou repent to come vnder the extremitie of some other that shall be as a beasome in his wrath to take all away Last of all I wish euen from my very heart roote in Iesus Christ that all of you my Countriemen for whose comfort especially I was moued to pen this little vnworthie treatise may search and throughly ransacke your hearts to the bottome for these sinnes vz. Murther contempt of Gods word persecution of Gods children couetousnes oppression killing pride despairing of Gods power Idolatrie lying against ones owne conscience despairing of Gods mercies which sinnes flourishing in the reprobates haue been fearefully plagued as you haue heard before Search till we finde them for they are amongst vs. Search further for wicked and vnlawfull mariages for whoredome murmuring against Gods faithfull magistrates or ministers And so the monstrous profanation of the supper of the Lord sinnes for committing whereof the Lord hath grieuouslie punished his owne people as plainely hath been proued yea and for many moe then all these would I haue you with your selues to make a particular and strict examination Pray you so likewise Ephes 1.17.18 and I beseech God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ that the eyes of your vnderstanding may be enlightened that you may discerne and clearely see how farre you haue entred a couenant and bound your selues in league with most of these sinnes and many other most abhominable sinnes Ouer all generally In many places as your horrible Atheisme affected ignorance grosse Poperie and in most places mocking and contemning the Lords ordinarie meanes of your saluation in seeing of them acknowledge your long and continued afflictions to be sweete corrections The Lord hath dealt easilie with you as yet in regarde of that fearefull and dreadfull condemnation they haue long since before this cried for as a stipend of desert due vnto them yea in vtter loathing of them and heartie griefe for offending God by them let vs all crie with the prodigall childe that for our sinnes we are not worthy to haue the heauens to couer vs the earth to beare vs Luk. 15.21 Iehouah to protect vs or Iesus Christ euer to be a Sauiour vnto vs yet here not to stay but in hope as our anker through faith as our hand by the promise of the reueiled word for our certainty to prease and post forward and with the Eagle to soare vp to the true phisition of
be for we see them that most offended florish faire and stand as wel as the best and besides his iudgements are but threatned with a peraduenture or perhaps take heed ye catiffes and thrise blinded men of the world For this word least signifieth thus much That hee aduiseth them to beware for if he doe not A bone for such to gnawe vpon assuredly a worse thing will come vpon him And that Gods iudgements threatned against the wicked are without any peraduenture as coÌ„ming froÌ„ a God not vncertain what to do marke what Moses speaketh in the person of the Lord If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold on iudgement Deut. 32.41.42 I will execute vengeance on mine enemies and will reward them that hate me I will make my arrowes drunke with blood and my sword shall eat flesh And Dauid saith God shall wound the hairie scalpe of such an one as goeth on still in his wickednesse And the authour to the Hebrewes hauing perswaded to holinesse of life addeth the daunger Heb. 12.29 and saith For our God is euen a consuming fire Again the same author sheweth the danger all such are in as by their continuance in sinne after they haue receiued the knowledge of the truth do crucifie againe the sonne of God addeth as a coÌ„clusion these words It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Heb. 10.31 To conclude therfore this point Gods iudgements being threatned against the wicked for sinne they are ineuitable without alteration vnlesse they presently put in practise the holsome counsell of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthes What will alter Gods iudgments aduising them to enter into a serious and sound adiudging of themselues and so they should escape the great and fearefull iudgementes of the Lord 1. Cor. 11.31.32 which was partly begunne alreadie in execution amongest them and partly was readie to be inflicted vpon them It must be an eye to see Gods iudgement a heart to feele Gods iudgement a conscience to condemne and all concurring together to prostrate throwe downe and truly to humble the sinfull man vnder Gods mightie hand crying with the prodigal sonne O father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am not worthie to be called thy sonne I say it must be all these wrought most soundly by the worke of Gods spirit in the sinner that must be as a stoppe to Gods iudgements and a stay of his anger manifested Least a worse thing come vnto thee c. These words may be the speech of a master to his seruant thus I haue taken thee napping twise or thrise nay often and haue louingly admonished thee of it but if thou plaiest the like again thou shalt smart for all or of a schoolmaister to his scholler whose waggish trickes and great negligence he hath often pardoned but now threatneth the next time shall pay for all Euen so God from time to time seemed to winke at the sins of this man What the Lord long forbearing requireth yea euen at the sinnes of vs all and like a louing schoolemaster beares a while with our offences but either now cease from sinne learne to doe well and be a good scholler in Christes schoole or else looke thy lord and master the Lord Iehouah will take an account for all and in the ende pay thee home Least importeth necessitie Least this word least vsually in the scriptures importeth great necessitie of the matter in hand to be put in speedie execution as in Ieremie Ierm 4.4 Breake vp your fallow ground sow no more among the thornes be circumcised to the Lord and be no more stifnecked least my wrath breake forth and burne like a fire c. Psal 2.12 And the Psalmist Kisse the sonne least he be angrie and so ye perish sodainely if his wrath be kindled yea but a little c. And that necessarie admonition of our Sauiour Christ to his Disciples Watch and pray least ye enter into temptation Luke 22.40.46 Math 26.36 Mar. 14.32 And last of all that earnest caueat of the author to the Hebr. to all the godly Iewes for perseuerance in the profession of the Gospell and practise of holy daies meete for the measure of the grace of God they had receiued saith thus Take heed brethren least at any time there be in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God Heb. 3.12 vers 13. Out of all these aforenamed phrases may be gathered the vrgent necessitie that was imposed vpon this man healed presently to put in vre the continuall dutie of his deliuerance The vrgent necessitie of performing dutie to the Lord. and insinuateth also vnto euery one of vs or rather as a continuall cry soundeth in our eares O ye negligent coole carelesse disobedient and scornefull people in the North parts of England who deseruing Gods wrath for your manifold sins are yet now in the multitude of his mercies An Alarme to the North parts of England freed deliuered from the effect of his wrath sinne no more least if you againe tempt and prouoke the liuing Lord to anger he call you to recken and giue an account for your selues Heb. 3.9 so ye shall neuer be able to answere one of a thousand Further in that our Sauiour Christ heere admonisheth the man healed of his daily danger if euer after hee doe not crucifie the olde Adam with the lustes thereof God euer warneth before he plagueth we note the louing care mercy of God not to bring destruction vpon any before he hath both largly louingly forewarned them of the danger yea he desireth not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and liue according to the rule of the Apostle Ezech. 18.23 the Lord is not slack as some men count slacknes but is patieÌ„t towards vs would haue no maÌ„ to perish 2. Pet. 3.9 but would haue all men come to repentance and all are inuited to the mariage of the Kings sonne To conclude therefore this point Matth. 22. No cause to censure the Lord of hard dealing in iudgement we learne heere that all excuse or censuring the Lord of hard dealing in iudgmeÌ„t is remoued froÌ„ the wicked seing all of theÌ„ before they vndergo the intollerable burtheÌ„ of his wrath are offred most abundaÌ„tly to drinke of his loue A worse thing For the consideration of the measure and greatnes in some sort of this punishment which heere is threatned the man if he offend againe View in particuler I wish thee diligent wise reader to gâ—ue a glaunce backe to the viewe of his former sicknesse and certainly that will giue thee some probable demoÌ„stration of the measure of his punishment againe Cal. in Ioh. Cap. 5. vers 14. It is very likely that his correctioÌ„ was laid vpon him in his youth and the verie time which by
our soules for healing our sicknesses the good Samaritane to bind vp our wounds the euerlasting high Priest for bearing our infirmities euen Iesus Christ the righteous that thereby our sinnes the originall of our sicknesses may be blotted out and cleane clensed and from Christ we may heare this comfortable voyce Arise and walke c. Be whole for thy sins are forgiuen thee My beloued in the Lord No sounde course but this to saue vs from perishing except this through course be taken neuer looke for sauing sound and continuing health but euen with Gehezi to die a leprous man Now as I haue spoken of particular men for particular sinnes diuersly diseased so may I speake of whole countries kingdomes and places who for sin and iniquitie haue been plagued Some with sudden destructiō Genes 19. as Sodom Gomor Some with captiuitie as the Israelites vnder the Babylonians 2. Chro. 36. Some with hauing the godly wise and aged Counsellors taken from thē as Esay threatneth the Iewes Esay 8.1.2.3.4 1. King 20. 2. King 6.19 2. King 17.29 Some with death and famine as was Samaria and Ierusalem and as this our nation of late and some with the disease of the pestilence burning ague and bloody issues as this our owne land first not long since in the South parts We haue felt the same and now these two yeres last past in our Northerne parts And seeing it hath been proued that these corrections and punishments flow from our owne disobedience and wilfull rebellion From whence these punishments flowe therefore if euer the effect wee desire to haue remoued let vs first take away the cause which is our sinnes Sublata causa tollitur effectus and assure our selues the effect will cease which is Gods fearefull punishments Doctrine These proofes examples and vses being thus laid downe this doctrine following shall bee the conclusion of it vz. what euill soeuer wee suffer either in body or minde we may impute it to our sinnes Psal 38.5 as the originall and first occasion thereof whereupon may bee gathered a second doctrine Caluin in Ioh. cap. 5. vers 14. Non sunt fortunae hominum calamitates sed totidem sunt castigatoriae ferulae Our sicknesses diseases or griefes bee they inward or outward proceed not from fortune or by chance Amos. 3.6 but by the foredecreed counsell of the highest that they may bee as so many checkes vnto the pride of our sinnes the truth hereof being granted there ensueth an exceeding comfort to the conscience A comfort carefull of Gods seruice vz. that our heauenly father taketh no delight nor pleasure in punishing vs and therefore doth hee neuer seuerely scourge vs Calu. ibid. but whē he is highly offended by our transgressions and perforce vrged to change mercie into iudgement The Lord is haled on to iudgement by our sinnes his louing countenance into seuere corrections And thus much generally haue I set downe and proued the cause and originall of sicknesse sorrowes troubles and death itself in all men liuing vpon the face of the earth as they are Adams branches and posteritie Now least the godly man for conscience sake persecuted or for his further triall of the Lord afflicted should be too much dismaied and thinke his persecutions were but iust plagues for sinne and his crosses no comforts contrary to the sweete promises of the Gospel in that behalfe How and for what end afflictions are laid vpon the godly therefore let vs search how and in what sort they are laid vpon the godly The nature and condition of all troubles both of body and minde in respect of their first originall are qualified to the children of God and true Christians not by any dignitie or desert at all of their owne but as Elisha healed the bitter and venemous waters by casting salt into them Note well so the bitter and intolerable sting of death the bitter and vnsauorie sicknesses and diseases both of our bodies and our soules are healed the nature of them changed the poyson remoued by the sauourie salt of Christ his blood yea all sicke halt lame and withered men haue their griefes eased by the troubled persecuted scorned scoffed and crucified body of our Lord Iesus Christ as this sick man was healed in his body by troubling the cleere water Christ his blood shedding being in iudgement of wicked men as vnlikely to worke vs any good as salt to make fruitfull or muddy water to make a lame man whole In this Christ Iesus our debt for sinne is discharged and vpon his crosse is the obligation of ordinances that was against vs fastned Reuel 3.18 and he is the very purgation that cleanseth the sauing eye-salue that giueth light Matth. 3.17 Collos 1.13 2. Pet. 1.17 and the wel-beloued sonne of God by whom our cries are conueied to his father in whom he receiueth and heareth our plaints and for vvhose sake wee enioy all the blessednes and good things that euer we haue Christ wholy altered the nature of afflictions to his owne Church Now therefore in this Christ our alone Sauiour sicknesse to his faithfull members is as comfortable as health affliction as sweete as peace aduersitie as acceptable as prosperitie death as welcome as life the graue as a most sweete perfumed chamber for the bodies of the Saints to lie in for they can with S. Paul say Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus It makes them not feare death but rather in Gods appointed time desire it in seeing the miseries of this present life and by a liuely faith soaring vp into the vnspeakable ioyes of the life to come And therefore they say with Paul We know that if this earthly tabernacle of ours be dissolued 2. Cor. 5.1 we haue a building giuen of God not made with hands but eternall in the heauens And Christ Iesus whether wee liue or die is vnto vs both in life and death aduantage yea we seeing that while we liue 1. Thess 5.10 Phil. 1.21 we are naked in this world we sigh desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heauē And seeing while we are here iournying vpon the earth wee are absent from our head and husband therefore we desire to be dissolued Philip. 1.23 and to be with our husband Sauiour which is best of all And finally seeing there is nothing in this world but corruption Eccles 1.1.2 alteration and vanitie we waite we looke and long for the day of our refreshing when we may foreuer lift vp our heads meete our elder brother in the clowdes and receiue the incorruptible crowne of glorie laid vp in store for all the Lords elect ere euer the foundations of the world were laid Thus Gods children may reioyce when the wicked shall howle and weepe they shall bee satisfied as it were with marrow and fatnesse yea euen when they seeme to be
c. may be puld out of mans minds that no string or roote of vices at all may be remaining in men through the exercise of vertue which is to take man out of man and for a man being in the body to be without the body Thus farre Ierome And the same man a little after in the same treatise saith very excellently thus He that alwaies forgetteth things past and longeth for things to come sheweth that he is not content with neither that there is any perfection in this present world The aduersaries being by the examples of the diuers falles of the faithfull in all ages their humble confessions concerning their imperfections and the manifolde testimonies of the word to this end so hampered 1. Obiection See Cal. lib. 2. instit cap. 7. that they are grauelled and can go no further haue no refuge but are constrained to flye to the almightie power of God leauing what man can do of himselfe reasoning what is Gods power in man Answer We answere and doe not denie but God can perfectly regenerate vs in this life if hee will but why hee doth it not he hath many causes among the rest note these First that wee may diligently consider the power of sin how great it is and what effect it hath in man which we see cannot bee destroyed in vs but by little and little that by the speciall grace of the spirit and therefore we are so much the more to be afraid of it Secondly that when to this life we finde no end or stay of the conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit we may so much the more long for that blessed life wherein wee shall appeare before God perfectly regenerate and holy whereas if God should out of hand renew and totally sanctifie vs the dignitie should not bee of so great accompt with vs but now by little and little bringing the same to passe in vs the perfection thereof is so much the more deare vnto vs. Lastly for this cause God doth not perfectly here regenerate vs to the end that his power may bee made perfect in our weaknesse and when wee are saued by meere grace and not of workes he that reioyceth may reioyce only in the Lord. Obiection 2 Philip. 3.15 The Scripture say they attributeth perfection to the godly saying As many of vs as are perfect let vs be thus minded Answer When Paul reckeneth himselfe amongst the perfect he speaketh not of such a perfectiō of faith in vs Cal. in Phil. 3.15 as the Perfectists do imagine but hee speaketh there of the perfection of knowledge in respect of the only foundation of our saluation Iesus Christ when casting away confidence in all things vvee reioyce in the onely righteousnesse of Christ Iesus and setting all other things aside to attaine to the fellowship of his sufferings which may bring vs to the blessed resurrection So that this proofe which they vse as a daunt to driue vs from the trueth may wee vse as a sword to pearce them thorow who withstand so plaine a trueth Secondly it is true by comparison vz. If you compare persons with persons that there is more vertue and knowledge to bee found in one man then in another so the Apostles well instructed in Christ were called perfect in respect of them who being too much set vpon ceremonies of the Law were pulled asunder from the body it selfe So Noah for his life is said to haue been a iust and perfect man in his generation Obiection 3 They alleadge further that so earnestly to maintaine this imperfection is to make Christians slothfull which otherwise by preaching perfection would be pricked forward to the attaining thereof Answer I answere that the knowledge of a mans owne imperfection in this life doth rather stirre the godly forward to endeuour to attaine to perfection and euery day to goe stedfastly forward in the course of their calling to striue with the Apostle Phil. 3.11 if by any meanes they may attaine to the resurrection of the dead Which obiection being thus answered appeareth manifestly how wicked and directly against this sound and holesome doctrine of the vnperfect obedience of the faithfull in this life is that Canon of the Tridentine Councell Can. 18. sess 6. enacting thus If any man say that the commaundements of God are impossible to be kept euen of a man iustified and vnder grace let him be accursed And here for the summary conclusion of this point I cannot omit the testimonies of two ancient learned fathers concerning the premisses August contra duas epist Pelag lib. 4. c. 10. Augustine saying thus With what presumption doe they openly gainsay the Lords prayer wherein all the members of Christ doe cry with a true heart and daily voyce forgiue vs our debts And a most excellent saying is that of Cyprian Cypr. epist de mortal who saith We haue a combat with couetousnes with wrath with ambition we haue a daily and troublesome wrastling with the corruption of the flesh and with the entisements of the world If couetousnes be vanquished lust riseth vp if lust be suppressed ambition commeth in place if ambition bee contemned wrath galleth pride puffeth vp drunkennes allureth wickednesse cutteth off friendship and yet it pleaseth a man to stay long amōg these snares of Satan whereas wee ought rather to wish to make haste vnto Christ where we may bee freed from them all The last point that I haue thought good to note out of these wordes Sinne no more is the priuate and particular vse and application that euery one partaker of any deliuerance either spirituall or corporall from the Lorde must make to his own soule concerning such dutie as the Lord requireth of him which is this That the wordes and power of them should euer sound vnto his owne soule as a summon to bid him awake stand vp and walke no more in the course and waies of his former wickednes as thus O thou man whosoeuer thou bee who hast tasted most abundantly the sweete mercies of thy God escaped many dreadfull dangers passed many perils the Lord still preseruing thee and shadowing thee vnder the wings of his mercie till they were all ouerpast looke now to thy selfe how thou walkest hereafter not so loosely negligently and disobediently as thou hast done before sinne no more in vnthankfulnes as thou hast done sinne no more in contemning Gods long louing and gratious visitation sinne no more in prophaning the Lords day sinne no more by thy drunkennes adulterie Atheisme contempt of Gods word and many moe sinnes wherein thou hast been found faultie let Gods iudgements shaken at thee as a sword for thy sinnes terrifie thee let the same now remoued allure thee euer hereafter to walke and worke as in the presence of the Almightie And thus may euery priuate soule now saued from daungers sound out the alarme of his continuall dutie in manner and forme aforesaid euer labouring and striuing that the Lords
of dearth and pestilence and yet being now healed thereof presently forget our punishments and God that inflicted thē vpon vs Though we forget God in our dutie yet he will not forget our sins tremble and feare for certainly then God will not forget our sinnes but if they hale him on to come against vs yet againe take heede that with his third whip he scourge vs not till blood run down from top to toe when there shall be nothing heard but a fearfull noise and lamentation alas alas in which distresse which is most fearfull the wicked carelesse contemners of his mercies shall then seeke vnto him earely and late for helpe But I make a question whether they shall finde him or no the shall call vpon him but I am afraid hee will answere in thunder and the reason doth Wisedome tell Prou. 1.28.29 because they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. The cause doth Ieremy tell like disobedient children Ierem. 2.30 they did not humble themselues vnder the Lord when they were corrected And surely if a worse thing What is the cause if our countrie be plagued againe a worse plague come vpon our North-parts of this land againe it is because as diuers to their griefe haue both seene and heard that many of you great townes great congregations priuate families and persons after your deliuerances healings and restoring to your former liberty haue not with Moses and with Deborah Exod. 15.2 Iudg. 5.2 assembled your selues together and lift vp your voyces in praise to the Lord and a faithfull promise to become euer after carefull in his seruice which thing you ought to haue done Much abuse in many places townes after their late fearfull visitation But rather your meetings haue bin and are to shake hands with your former sins and to bid them welcome againe amongst you hauing for a time been taken from you by reason of your affliction Your songs haue not been to praise God but rather as I haue heard in place therof prophane Enterludes Piping and dancing Lords of misrule and disorder with many moe vnlawfull sports Esay 49.13 and generally your protestations not one to crie to another and all ioyntly to sound together saying Reioyce O heauens be ioyfull O earth burst foorth into praise O mountaines for God hath comforted vs his sinfull people and hath had mercie on vs his late afflicted ones Neither I am afraid haue you been carefull to say with Moses The Lord is our strength and praise and he is become our saluation he is our God and wee will prepare him a tabernacle he is our fathers God and we will exalt him And to conclude whereas many of you my beloued countrimen haue been depriued of the enioying of one anothers fellowship Our meeting againe after a long separation I am afraid abused in the time of your affliction which now blessed be the name of God is restored to free libertie of fellowship and societie one with another I say I am afraid that your meetings together after a long and lamentable separation hath not bin to prouoke vnto loue and to good works and to exhort one another daily Heb. 10.23 3.13 while it is called to day but rather in stead of this the drunkard to associate himselfe with his drunken companions the whoremonger to seeke for his harlot the vainglorious man for his flatterers the carnall man for his confederates the vsurer for his creditors one wicked man with another and so to renew that wicked bond and league of their sinne at all which you ought to haue taken your last farewell neuer to haue communicated any more with such vnfruitfull works of darknes Ephes 5.11 Shall come vnto thee Out of this place we may gather this excellent point namely that as the godly bringing forth the pleasant fruits of righteousnes in their liues Note well the godly goe still forward till they come to heauen but the wicked stil backward till they go down to hell haue still more more the sweete mercies of God multiplied vpon them till they enioy them in their fulnes in the kingdom of glorie Euen so the wicked that after Gods graces powred downe vpon them doe still notwithstanding bring foorth nothing but the weedes and brambles of iniquitie haue Gods iudgements still more and more increased against them till at the length they presse them downe to hell Againe I gather hence this doctrine Thanke our vnthankfulnes if moe plagues come that if euill come vpō euill and punishment vpon punishment we may iustly impute it to our owne obstinacie and wilfull rebellion Last of all let this doctrine be the conclusion both of this point and this part of Scripture Si nil ferulis proficiat erga nos Deus quibus leniter nos tanquam teneros ac delicatos filios humanissimus pater castigat nouā quasi alienam personam induere cogitur If God by his whipping of vs profit vs nothing wherewithall like a most kinde father he correcteth our contumacie and disobedience hee is enforced to take vpon him another habit and to manifest himselfe in another manner If mercie will not moue iudgement will throw downe changeing mercie into iudgement And therefore let vs euer learne the end of Gods fatherly correction to bee our daily reformation and more increasing in the gifts and graces of the holie spirit euermore remembring the danger that will ensue if daily we doe it not and the sharp censure we shall vndergoe if we forget it euen this that the Almightie Iehouah will quasi atrocioribus malleis with the heauy and insupportable beetles of his iudgements presse downe vtterly bring to desolation all those quibus mediocris poena nil profuit that is whose hearts were not mollified and their liues reformed with the Lordes former sweete and comfortable affliction The conclusion Which my beloued that the former may euer take place in vs and so escape that the latter be neuer laid vpon vs the Lord for his infinit mercies sake grant vs euen for his sonne Christs sake who by his blood shedding hath so dearely ransomed his Church and vnto whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all glorie maiestie praise and dominion for euermore Amen FINIS