may bee sure to find more fauour You reade in the Gospell of Saint Luke the seuenth chapter Marie Magdalen a notorious and knowne sinner from the thirtie and sir verse vnto the end of the chapter of Marie Magdalen and of her behauiour being a woman not only vehementlie suspected of lewde life but openlie knowne for a common harlot and generallie so taken as may appeare by the wordes of Simon the Pharisie who receiuing Jesus Christ into his house Luke 7.38 〈◊〉 The hypocrisiâ—â— Pharisie is offended with Christ thought neuerâ— deale the better but much the worse of him because hee suffered so bad a woman to come so neare him but especially to lay any hande vpon him as to wash his feete with her teares and to wipe them with the haires of her head to kisse his feet and to annoint them with aintment Aâ—this notwithstanding 1 Iesus Christ likes Maries doings marke what marueylous great mercie Jesus Christ shewes to this so wretched and sinfull 〈◊〉 man First he takes in very good part whatsoeuer she had done vnto him whereas Simon looked he should not onhaue shewed his great disâ—iking of her dealing but to haue shaken her vp that roundly for her sawtines to come so neare him without his loue and leaue Secondly he is so farre off from misliking her behaniour in that present action 2 Christ coÌ„meâ— Maries reareâ— more then 〈◊〉 mons great 〈◊〉 dinner that hee doth highly commend her to Simon and that after so special a maner that he giues him to vnderstand he takes better liking of her kindnesse then of all the great prouision which he had made for him because whatsocuer she did she did it with an vpright heart towards him and in a sincere loue for the good of her own soule Thirdly for the ease of her heart 3 Aâ—â—ies sinnes â—â—giuen her which nowe was grieuously tormented for her wicked life past as appeared by the abundance of teares she powred out hee saith to Simon in her hearing Luke 7.47.4 that many sinnes were forgiuen her Fourthly that she might take better hold of his wordes 4 Christ speakes particularly to Marie for her comfort and apply them to her selfe for the comfort of her owne soule he turnes his speach particularly vnto her and saith in more speciall manner Verse 48.50 Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Thy faith hath saued thee Lastly that she might depart a ioyfull and blessed woman indeed wanting nothing which might make for the peace of her conscience 5 Maries happie farewell Verse 50. he giues her a most sweet farewell saying Go in peace Now let mee reason a little with you The application of the first example concerning this woman can you when you haue strained out your sinnes to the vttermost make your selfe as bad as this woman No you cannot you may not you dare not For how dare you staunder your owne selfe Applie the plaister to the sore that your soule may haue ease when it is not any way lawfull to staunder another and if you bee bound to tender the good name of your brother as well as your owne then it must needes follow you are by nature most bound to tender your owne If then you cannot denie but you are by great ovs outmatched in this example shew me what sound reason you can bring to proue why Iesus Christ should not entreat you as kindly shew you as much fauour as he she wed to Mary especially when as your sins euen by your own confessiou are neither so notorious nor so apparant and open in outward transgressions to be seene and iudged by the world as hers were The teares you shed are not spile for the Lord hath put them all into his bottell And yet for all that your teares as manie your hart as much tormented with sorow your kindnesse as great to Christ in his members and your desire as great to be whollie his at his commaundement Did he regard her and will he reiect you did he not shew her a hard countenance and will hee looke sowrelie vpon you did not she let so much as anie one teare fall in vaine did her teares moue him to compassion and doe you thinke he will not haue pitie vpon you put vp all your teares into his bottell Psal 56.8 were many sinnes forgiuen her and can any of your sins be vnpardoned was her faith strong to saue her and shall your faith want strength to saue you did Christ for a farewell bid her go in peace and wil he send you away emptie without peace No verelie If you thinke so you thinke much amisse and therfore such a thought must not depart without som â—ue chastisement A familiar resemblance Suppose there is a man of so great wealth that hee knowes no â—â—de of his goodes And suppose that this man hath many debters which owe him verie great summes of money As for example some owe him thousands some hundreds and some many scores of pounds Amongst them al there is one poore man who owes him twentie pounds which hee is no way able to pay nor anie pente thereof if hee should bee east in prison and lie there till he rot If this great rich man shall cause a proclamation to be made that all and euerie one of his debters should come to him and he will frankly and freely forgiue them all although the debt were neuer so great vpon this condition that they will confesse and acknowledge the debt to bee due whether it were more or lesse If the poore man should come in among the rest of the debters and confesse himself to owe him such a summe as I haue named He that forgiues a great debt will readily forgiue a small lay forth his pouertie and therewithall humbly vpon his knees with teares beseech him to shewe some fauour toward himâ—â— should not he in this case haue good hope to be forgiuen especially if before his face he should see one to haue thousands forgiuen for a word of his mouth Labour to apply if you desire to haue comfort These things concerne you verie nearly and therefore I am so much the rather to intreat you not to make wash way of them but as they do nearely concerne you and your good so to lay them neare vnto your heart by reuerent meditation that your soule may finde a gracious and comfortable blessing A second example of the great rebellion of Israel The second example whereof I would haue you to make diligent consideration is written in the first chapter of the prophet Esay and the eighteenth vers where the Lord makes a maruellous large offer of great mercy vnto a people who had highly offended him I meane the people of Israel To these Israelites in most louing maner the Lord speaketh Come saith he Esai 1.18 let vs reason togither though your sinnes were as crimson they shall bee made white
To the right honorable my verie good Lord Robert Deuoreux Earle of Essex and Ewe Vicount of Hereford Lord Ferrers of Chartley c. Master of the Queenes Maiesties horse knight of the most noble order of the Garter and one of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsel the continuall encrease of Gods euerlasting fauour peace and comfort in this and in the world to come MAnie men right Honourable when they intend some euil I meane when they haue resolued freely and boldly to trade in some sinne without check and controlment doe seeke to shroude themselues vnder the cloth and countenaunce of some great persons of Worship and Honour If my purpose or practise were such I might iustly feare to bee crossed and cursed in this my enterprise The searcher of all hearts knoweth that my purpose prayers and endeuours through his gracious assistance are and shall bee to keepe a good conscience in my ministerie to walke in the vprightnesse of my heart and to bee kept blamelesse to the comming of Iesus Christ In this resolution may it seeme good vnto your Honour as you haue alreadie at the earnest and humble sute of manie my verie good and worshipfull friends receiued me to fauour so still to continue your most honourable protection for my further encouragement in well doing May it also please your honourable and religious disposition to comfort and countenaunce this Mite and small measure of comfort which according to grace receiued I haue once addressed and now the second time published and enlarged for the reliefe of such as grieue and groane vnder the heauie but then of their sinnes Behold I presume to present it vnto your Honour as the best present I haue to testifie my humble dutie seruice and thankfulnesse And if by Gods good fauour and blessing there shall be ame one sentence worde syllable or letter which may bring or adde comfort to you or yours I shall be occasioned the rather heartily to blesse God for so great mercie and to pray more instantly that your Honour may be blessed for euer Your honours most humble and bounden seruant in the Lord Robert Linaker A COMFORTABLE TREATISE FOR THE reliefe of such as are afflicted in conscience IT is not long since I promised you some small remembrance of my hearty desire to affoorde you some comfort oncerning the inwarde affliction of your minde if the Lord should any way enable me thereunto I haue now therefore according to the measure of grace receiued performed that my promise as you shall vnderstaÌ„d by reading these leaues following Whereby if you shall reape so much comfort as from the depth of my heart I entreat the Lord you may I shal account my selfe for euer most nearely bound by all maner of dutie and thankfulnesse vnto his blessed maiesty Howsoeuer it fall out you shall receiue and keep this poore treatise by you as an vndoubted record of my good meaning towards you and some others of whose particular estate I haue some certaine knowledge and for whome I pray most heartily Inward afflictions are neither common nor easie as I do for you I confesse your afflictioÌ„ is neither common nor easie to be born And that bicause it is not outward but inward not of the body but of the minde For as Salomon saieth A sorrowfull minde drieth the bones Prouerbs 17.22 Againe A man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirâ—t who can beare it Prou. 18.14 His meaning is that no outward griefe or discommoditie whatsoeuer but may be indured and borne with great patience and constancie but if the conscience be wounded and striken with the feeling of Gods wrath for sin or any other great cause there is neither man nor woman which is able to endure and beare it out long without great gracious assistance from God That this is so you can speak of your own experience yet for your comfort remember that you are not alone the due consideration whereof may not a little cheere vp your heart For you reade of some in the scriptures some you heare of and some you know your selfe who grone vnder the same burden whose consciences are set very hard vpon the racke whose poore soules are in little ease as well as yours This is one principall point A principal comfort for the troubled minde which I would haue you thinke vpon continually but then especially when Sathan woulde beare you down that you are alone in this kinde of affliction and that no body is so troubled as you are For this purpose you may remember that sweete sentence of the holy apostle 1. Pet. 5.9 wherein he doeth you to vnderstand that the same afflictions which you endure are also accomplished and suffered of your other bretheren which are abroad in the world as if he should say let not such a thought as this is ouersway you The best affected are your partners that you should think you haue no fellowes For there bee a number of Gods deere childreÌ„ who are as much and as often troubled with the same griefe of minde aswell as you For as there is no man so wise so strong or so rich but there be many as wise as strong and as wealthie so there is none so greatly grieued in body or minde but there be many who are as deepe in the same griefe as they be Againe Another chiefe comfort against Sathans temptation if your wily enimy shal by this kind of temptation assay to wound your weake conscience that you belong not to God because the correction is so sharpe and the rod wherwith you are beaten so smarting you may boldly step to him wring his weapon out of his hand therwith thrust him thorow for the maner of your chastiâ—ement doeth proue verie strongly to your conscience that you are highly in Gods fauor and that because you are not only partaker of that correction wherof all the sonnes and daughters of God are partakers for so many as are without correction are bastards not children but of that kind of chasticement â—abr 12.8 which only is proper to those who aboue many others haue bin in greater fauor with God For example Dauid was a man as you haue learned from the scriptures according to Gods own hart Dauid was greatly loued of God and grieuously afflicted that is such a one as the Lord set great store by he notwithstanding was throughly whipt with this three stringed whip as you may read at large not in one but in many Psalmes by name the sirt Psalme throughout a great part of the two and twentieth the eight and thirtie the whole Psalme the one and fiftie and manie moe which you maie find by diligent reading in the booke of the Psalmes where you shall vndestand that his estate is all one with yours Againe you may remember that Paul the Apostle was a chosen vessell Acts 9.15 Galat. 1.15 Paul a chosen vessell sharply handled whom God had
separated from his mothers wombe and therewithall you can not bee ignorant how sharply he was handled when the messenger of Sathan was sent to boxe and busset him verie sore and that for a long season so that although he praied often and earnestly 2. Cor. 12 7 8 9. yet could he not be deliuered This only he receiued as an answer from the Lord that his grace should be sufficient to vnderprop and stay him in his greatest temptation for my power saith he is made perfect thorow weaknesse Passe not by this example without some good meditation In this resolution he rested himselfe as well contented vntill such time as the Lord should grant him full release These are choise examples of choise persons Trouble of mind a great priuilege of Gods fauour and not many such to be sound in the whole bodie of the Scripture that you may consider how great a priuilege of fauour God hath vouchesafed vpon you to make you equall with his dearest children and that in such afflictions as for their suffering of them they are aboue many thousands most renoumed But why stand I vpoÌ„ these examples when as Iesus Christ himselfe being the sonne and heire in whom onely the Father is most highly well pleased was not onely in measure and mercie thus chastised as you are Mat. 3.17 The Sonne of God most troubled but as we say commoÌ„ly beaten without mercy yea hee was turned and beaten so as through the exceeding great anguish of his seule Luke 22.44 he sweat such a sweat in the garden as neuer man sweat the like that is drops like drops of blood trickling downe to the ground your affliction is but a flea bâ—â—ing to that which your Sauior hath suffered for your sake that you might haue case Yea further being brought and hanged vpon the crosse beside all the villanâ—e offered and done to him by the malitious cruel Iewes his owne father handled him so extremely not like a father but as a most iust iudge that he could not any longer bite in his griefe but in great bitternesse he breakes out into these wordes sauoring of deepe despaire Mat. 27 46. my God my God why hast thou forsaken me These words I say sauor strongly of despaire because he cries out that God had forsaken him yet was he farre from despaire because in the greatest conflict with Hell and Saâ—han his whole trust was in God and therefore with great confidence not once but againe he doubleth his speach saying My God my God Thus you haue not onely many of the faithfull but the sonne of God clad in your nature more then a partner with you in your sufferings Rom. 8.28 which I haue alleadged to this end that you may know that as aâ— things worke for the best to those that loue God The shâ—rpest afflâ—ct onâ— worke the sweetest comfort euen to them that are called of purpose so this affliction of yours which because it is so sharp shal therefore worke your good a greaâ— deale the rather For experience teaheeth that that purgation which for the time doth work most strongly and putteth the patient to the greatest paine doth in the end bring the most ease to him who hath receiued it One exception But it may be you will take exception against this last example of Christ Iesus and say that hee was not so tormented for his owne but for your sinne Hebr. 4.15 1. Iohn 2.1 2. because he was without sinne Therein you speake most truly for the Apostle saith Rom 4.25 Hee was deliuered to death for our sinnes as if he should say whatsoeuer griefe or torment hee endured liuing or dying hee endured it for our sakes that the whole fruit coÌ„fort therof might redound to vs. And to this agreeth that which is written in the first Epistle of Peter 1. Pet. 2.24 Who his owne selfe bare our sins in his bodie on the tree that we being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse by whose stripes we are healed From henceforth therefore may you reape no small comfort for the peace of your conscience in the greatest heate of temptations Christ hath suffred the torments of hell that we might not suffer them yea that you may neuer suffer them For in as much as he sufred not for his owne but for your sinne you may be therfore well assured that you shall neuer taste of those hellish torments which your sinnes haue deserued and that because your suretie your mediatour your Sauiour Iesus Christ hath in your nature but in his owne person euen to the vttermost of Gods iustice suffered them for you that you might neuer luffer them but be fully and for euer discharged both in this world and in the world to come For as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Another exception Here again I know wel you wil thus reply that you will grant To be in Christ Iesus is true happines to him or her which is â—ssured thereof there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus that must needes be true But all the doubt lies in this whether you your selfe bee in Christ Iesus or not For of that cannot you be persuaded If you could be assured therof then you would not doubt but you were without all danger of condemnation But this is one point which doth work no smal trouble in your conscience Go to then let this be one chief point to deal with you in And first to begin withall let me ask you this one question And I do not only pray A great charge but on Gods behalfe for his glory and the good of your soul I charge you to answer me plainly truly Once assured and euer assured of saluation Had you euer any assurance of saluation in al your life were you euer persuaded by the preaching of the word to be saued by the death of Christ Iesus An vnsained soâ—oâ— for sinne a deadly hatred a sound purpose of amendment are vndoubted maâ—ks of Gods childe did you euer feel the power of true repentance in your soule by these marks that you were more greeued sorie at the heart for your sins then for any thing in the whâ—le world did you and doe you beare a deadly hatred against them 2. Coâ— 7.9 10 11 as against the diuell himselfe did you and doe you purpose to the vttermost of your power to forbeare and forswear the practise of them all Luke 7.15 See you aâ—swerâ— to euerie artiele truely as you will answere at youâ— perill and to walke in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of your life did that worde which you haue heard so long so soundly and so powerfully preached to your conscience Psal 1.2 Phil. 3.8 which you reade so diligently wherein 〈◊〉 meditate and take so great delight as that you count al
vnto your godlie meditations to encorage you concerning the maner of your afflictions The Lord grant you a rich portion of his spirite that your soule may reape a gratious blessing Now you shall further vnderstand in few wordes what shall be the substance of all the matter which foloweth in the remainder of this poore treatise The substance of the whole Treatise folloâ—ing I purpose so neere as I can to gather together those obiections which you and others doe obiect against your selues and so farre as the Lord shall affoord me his grace I entend in order to answer them The first and principall obicetion so far as I can conceiue learne by conference with you The first obiection and answere and with so many as I haue any acquaintance is this The troubled minde doubts of Gods fauour That you doubt much of Gods fauour towards you that you feare it greatly you are not the child of God and if you be yet can not you be thereof certainely perswaded This obiection hath aireadie beene answered in part not withstanding because it is as the foundation of al the other obiections I will in hope of Gods gracious assistance indeuor my selfe to answere it more fully for your better contentmeÌ„t First therfore I would gladly learne this one thing of you or of anie other who is your partner in these temptations who it is that beareth you so greatly in hand A needefull point therefore marke it well you are not the child of God If you answer your conscience through the greatnesse of your sinne doth tel you so then do I againe demaund of you who it is that sets your conscience a worke to vrge this point to what end Harken to Gods 〈◊〉 for he seckes 〈◊〉 God If it be Gods spirit you may be right glad because then it is for your good namely the you may go out of your selfe secke the forgiuenesse of your sinnes and euerlasting saluation in Christ his death and obedience to the full assurance of Gods fauor and the euerlasting peace of your conscience Hearken not to sathan for he hath vowed your destruction But speake the truth is it not rather a strong temptation of Sathan your deadly enemie to trouble the peace of your conscience and if it be possible to driue you to desperation If it be so as I feare it greatly then say I vnto you there is no cause why you should beleeue him First because he is a lyer Ioh. 8.44 Secondly because he is your enemie who meanes you no good at al. That he is a lyar it is manifest because he hath beene so from the beginning And he cannot nowe chaunge his nature It is as much against his nature to speake the truth as it is possible that God should lie Heb. 6.18 Rom. 3.4 who is onely euer true Therefore there is no cause why you shoulde beleeue such a common liar as the Deuill who will lie as fast as a dogge can trot as wee vse to say in our common speach You haue iust cause therefore to except against him in this respect Againe you neede not doubt that hee is your enemy Reuel 12.10 1. Pet. 5.8 and that to the death because hee is the common accuser of the bretheren and like a roaring Lion goeth about continually seeking whom he may deuoure In regard whereof you are not to hearken to him No credit to bee giuen to the deuil though he speak the truth bicause his meaning is badde or beleeue anie thing he shall saie vnto you no although he speake the trueth And my reason is because he will not tell you the trueth to helpe but to hinder you not to cheere but to choake you not to saue but to spill your bloud And whereas you will replie you cannot denie but hee saieth the trueth concerning the greatnesse of your sinnes and that iust condemnation which you haue deserued for them I answere thereto after this manner That you are not to take the knowledge of your sinnes from Sathan because he will not tell you the trueth and the whole trueth as it is in deede Marke thed euils cunning For either he will pare your sins and make them lesse theÌ„ they be to make you altogether carelesse or else hee will make them greater then they be to throw you headlong into despaire But you are to take the persit knowledge of your sins The holy vse of the Ministerie from the true vnderstanding of the Lawe of God Rom. 7.7 fast girded to your conscience by the holie ministerie which GOD hath ordained for this purpose Regard and reâ—erence the ministerie if you loue your soule that you maie thereby come to true and vnfained repentaunce of all your sinnes and bee saued through faith in Christ his blood For the blood of Christ doth clense you from all sinne 1. Iohn 1.7 And if you will yet reason against your selfe that your sinnes are so great that you can gather no assurance of Gods fauour towards you Examples of notorious sinners who repented and were pardoâ—ed then let mee offer to your coÌ„sideration some one or two examples of such notorious knowne sinners as the world cried shame of and yet repenting had their sinnes forgiuen them I meane of set purpose to make choise of those persons and people who in the scriptures are noted to be most infamous Because you and such as are so exercised as you are doe indeed charge your selues further than you ought No easie matter to comfort a troubled mind For you make your selues so bad as though none were to be compared vnto you or as though God had no mercie in store for you And hereupon it comes to passe that almost there is not any word of God which can bring peace vnto your troubled consciences I intend therefore to match you so and with such as you shall be forced to confesse you are outmatched The end shal be this to bring glad tidings to your heauie and sorrowful soule that God both is and will be more fauourable to you then you can as yet be persuaded For if God haue shewed mercie to those Reasons to persuade the afflicted who by reason of their knowne sins were in all mens iudgement further from mercie how can he denie you mercie The Lord persuade your heart who neuer brake into that outrage of sin and yet doe most humblie sue vnto him for mercie That good master who forgaue his bad seruant at his owne intreatte ten thousand talents would not haue beene hard vnto him who ought but a hundred pence if he had sued vnto him as he did to his cruell and vnmercifull fellowe seruant who by no meanes would bee entreated to shewe that fauour in a little debt which was shewed him in a verie great summe Remember I pray you that you haue to deale with a God who is farre more mercifull and therefore you
as snow though they were red as scarlet they shall be as wooll What the offer is you heare and how great it is your selfe is able to iudge euen so large an offer of mercy as none can be greater In one word it is as if the Lord should say O Israel thou hast sinned against me thy good God most grieuously and hast deserued that I should not onely punish thee sharply but for euer cast thee cleane out of my fauour Notwithstanding vpon thine vnfeigned repentance for all thy sinnes past and a resolute and full purpose of amendment hereafter A general pardon offered I am content to forgiue forget them all and to giue thee my gracious generall pardon to acquit and discharge thee of all and euerie one of thine iniquities that not so much as anie one of them shall bee able to condemne thee in this world or in that which is to come Here I pray you consider a little with me The cursed condition of the Israelites the estate and condition of this people at the time of this louing offer and therewith also consider what cause there was why the Lord should shew so great fauour to this people Begin you at the second verse of the forenamed chapter and marke aduisedly what manner of complaint the Lord takes vp against them 1 An appeale to all the creatures of disobedience First hee calles heauen and earth with all the creatures therein to witnesse their rebellion and disobedience against him 2 Vnthankefulnes Secondly he challengeth them of so monstrous vnthankfulnes that it is too too shamefull for he shewes they were so farre gone in this point that the brute beasts euen the oxe and the asse which were dumme and without reason were more thankfull in theire kinde to their owners for their fodder then they were for so many thousands of blessings which he had bestowed vpon them 3 A large inditement Thirdly in the third verse he draws out against them a very substantiall inditement both for words and matter wherein he layes forth all their ill behauiour Esa 1.3 and paints them out in most liuely colours calling them with great detestation A sinnefull nation a people laden with iniquitie a seede of the wicked corrupt children Fourthly 4 A proofe of the inditement hee prooues this inditement and euery part thereof by charging them to their faces with murder and blood by reason of their horrible oppression and crueltie towards all in generall Verse 15.17 but more specially towards the poore the widow the stranger and the fatherlesse all this is done in the fifteenth and seuenteenth verses In the practise of which sinnes and all other kind of filthines they were such exquisite workemen Verse 10. that they were more like the people of Sodom and Gomorra whom the Lord with fire from heauen destroyed then that people whom the Lord had chosen Exod. 29.5 6 and pickt out from all the nations of the world Verse 11.12.13.14.15 to be a peculiar and a holie people vnto himselfe Fiftly they were such hollow hearted hypocrites in all the outward exercises of religion Hypocrits in the seruise of God that the Lord detested all their sacrifices and vtterly abhorred all their praiers as you may reade in the 11.12.13.14 and 15. verses To make an end with so bad a people as lightly could not be worse they were so desperate and hardned in their wickednesse that they were past cure and no hope or verie small if anie at all of the greater part of their amendement because the Lord had assayed by all good meanes to bring them to some goodnes He had wooed them with blessings and feared them with his iudgements Sam. 7.14 he had chastised them often with rods and many times scorged them with the plagues of the children of men Verse 5.6 but all in vaine the more they were corrected the worse they were and grew to be more desperate as appeares out of the fift and sixt verses After all this bad dealing as though they had beene no such leude and gracelesse people or as though they had not offended so grieuously The Lord intreates peace at their hands which had highly offended him nay rather as though the Lord had done them some great wrong he seekes to them wheras they should haue both sued and sought to him that there might be a treatie of peace and a ful reconciliation made betweene them For which purpose he offers in most friendly and louing manerto common with them saying Verse 18. Come let vs reason together Nowe giue me leaue once againe to deale with your conscience in this point Charge your soule with as many sinnes as euer you can possibly call to minde A particular application of the former example in any parte of your life either before or since your calling in ignorance or in knowledge in youth or in age howsoeuer or with whom soeuer you haue committed them eithert by thought word or deed in the light of the day or in the darknesse of the night Bind them all and euerie one of them in one bundle cast them into the one end of the ballance when you haue so done take vp the sinnes of this people put them into the other ende and weigh them together without ante deceit Nay for this once you shall haue leaue to shew your best cunning and see if you can make your ende heauier If you can not as I am sure you can not except you will vse some notable deceit which will be soone found out so as you shall neuer be able to answere it then knowe you and let your conscience also vnderstand A strong reason to proone and perswade that if the Lord saide vnto a wicked people frosen in sinne come hee doeth much more saie to you who woulde so faine leaue your sinne come and againe come let vs two reason together For although thy sinnes be in thine own sight as crimson yet shall they bee made as white as snowe though they bee to thy seeming as redde as euer was the scarlet yet they shall bee as white as anie wooll because they shall bee all so perfectly scowred and washed in the bloud of Iesus Christ Rom. 8. â— as not any one of them shall be able to condemne thee either in this world or in the world to come And that you may bee the more bolde to come behold your sweet sauiour who being made sin for you that you might be made the righteousnesse of God saith also vnto you 2. Cor. 5.21 come Matth. 11.28 Another reason of great weight will you not come when your Sauiour calleth you for your good yea for your further encouragement be offers and is readie to take you by the hand and to go with you himselfe vnto the father for whose sake you must needes be most heartely wellcome And if you shall thus answere your Sauiour