to the simple They are comfortable in peace in warre in heauinesse in ioy in health sicknesse in aboundance in pouertie in the day time in the night season in the towne in the wildernesse in companie and when thou art alone For they teach faith hope patience charitie sobrietie humilitie righteousnesse and all godlinesse They teach vs to liue and they teach vs to die Therefore hath Paule said well The whole Scripture is profitable It is full of great comforte It maketh the man of God absolute and perfect vnto al good workes Perfect in faith perfect in hope perfect in the loue of God of his neighbour perfect in his life and perfect in his death So great so large and ample and heauenly is the profite whyche we doe reape by the worde of God Nowe it followeth we consider howe necessarie and needefull it is for vs to be guided by the word of God in the whole trade of our life The worde of God is that vnto our soules whiche our soule is vnto our body As the body dyeth when the soule departeth so the soule of man dyeth when it hath not the knowledge of GOD. Man liueth not by breade onely but by euerie worde that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Beholde saith God I will sende a famine in the lande not a famine of breade nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. Their tongue shal wither their heart shall sterue they shal dye for hunger They shall wander from sea to sea and from the North vnto the East shall they runne to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it They shall stumble at noone dayes as at the twilight they shall grope for the wall like the blind and truth shall fall in their streetes For howe shal they be saued vnlesse they call on the name of the Lord how shal they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Howe shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a Preacher howe shall they preach except they be sent Chrysostom therefore saith Neither can it be I say it can not be that any man shall attaine to saluation except he be alwayes occupied in spiritual reading The wise man faith Where there is no prophecie the people decay Where the Scriptures are not opened when there is none that can edifye and exhort and comfort the people by the word of God they must néeds perish for they knowe not the waye in whiche they shoulde walke they know not whome to honour nor vpon whose name they shoulde call they know neyther what to beléeue nor what to do Hel hath enlarged it selfe and hathe opened hys mouth without measure and they that are wilfull and ignorant and the children of darkenesse goe downe into it They become thrall and captiues vnto Sathan Their hearte is bounde vp they vnderstande nothing theyr eies are shutte vppe they can sée nothing their eares are stopte vppe they can heare nothing They are carried away as a pray into Hel because they haue not y â— knowledge of God So doth Christe tell the Sadduces Yee are deceiued because you know not the Scriptures nor the power of GOD. Thus he teacheth that error is the child of ignorance The cause why you are so deceiued is because you knowe not the Scriptures You haue hated the light and loued darkenesse You haue neyther knowen the Father nor mée Hée that knoweth not the truth of God knoweth not God Herein in this case there is no plea of ignorance Ignorance shall not excuse vs. Chrysostome saith Dices non legi non est haec excusatio sed crimen Thou wilt saye I haue not read the Scriptures this is no excuse but a sinne Againe he sayeth This is the working of the Diuels inspiration hee woulde not suffer vs to see the treasure leaste wee shoulde gette the riches Therefore hee counsaileth vs that it vtterly auaileth vs nothing to heare the Lawes of God least that vppon the hearing hee may see our doing folowe Gregorie saieth Qui eâ—quae sunt domini nesciunt à domino nesciununtur Who so know not the things that pertaine vnto the Lorde be not knowen of the Lorde Origen also giueth reason of this practise of Sathan Vnto the Diuels it is a torment aboue all kindes of torments and a paine aboue all paines if they see any man reading the worde of God and with feruent studie searching the knowledge of Gods Lawe and the mysteries and secretes of the Scriptures Herein standeth all the flame of the Deuils in this fire they are tormented for they are seased and possessed of all them that remaine in ignorance Carneades a Philosopher was wont to say of his Mayster and Reader Chrisippus if it hadde not bene for Chrisippus I neuer hadde béene any body He was my Maister and teacher he made mée learned whatsoeuer I haue I haue it of him How much better may we vse the like words of the Scripture and say vnlesse it were for the worde of God our wisedom were nothing our knowlege were nothing Whatsoeuer we haue we haue it by the worde Without it our prayer were no prayer without it our Sacramentes were no Sacramentes our Faith were no Faith our Conscience were no Conscience our Churche were no Church Take awaye the light of the Sunne and what remaineth but darkenesse Heauen and Earth are darkned No man can sée his way or discerne the things about him Euen so if y â— word of God be taken away what remaineth but miserable confusion and deadlye ignoraunce When the Philistines had shorne the haires of Sampson they fell vppon him tooke him bounde him and plucked oute his eyes they daunced aboute him and made scorne and games of him We are Samson the strength of our haires is the knowledge of the will of GOD It is laide vp in our heades in the highest and principal part of vs if that be shorne off if we be kept from hearing reading and vnderstanding of the worde of God then will error superstition and all wickednesse get the vpper hande and fall vpon vs and bind vs and plucke out our eies and make scorne of vs and vtterlye destroy vs. When the people of Ierusalem were besieged and wanted foode to eate they fedde on Rats and Mice and many vnwholesome and filthie things A woman was driuen for wante of meate to doe a cruel part vpon hir own child she tooke hir own babe which was the fruit of hir own bodie killed it cut it in péeces dressed it and fed vpon it a lothsome meat especially for a mother to eate hir owne childe But she was driuen to it by extremitie and hunger it was so cruell a thing to lacke wherewith life mighte be preserued Euen so fared it with vs and our Fathers after it pleased God to take away his Gospel to send a
people were changed the Temples and Sacrifices and Praiers were chaunged mens eyes and heartes were chaunged They forsooke their Gods their Kings their Priests they forsooke their antiquity customes consent their Fathers and themselues What power was able to work these things What Emperour by force euer preuailed so much what strength could euer shake down so mightie idols from their seate What hand of man could subdue and coÌ„quer the whole world make such mighty nations confesse they had done amisse This did the Lord bring to passe by the power of his word and the breath of his mouth This was it y t lead captiuiâ—ie captiue threw downe euery high thing that lifted it self vp against the Lorde brought all powers vnder subiection vnto the Lord It is the image the power the arme y e sword and the glorie of God It is mightie of great force and vertue of authoritie and maiestie because it is the worde of God therefore the glorie thereof is great Now let vs stand a farre of and humble our selues and in reuerence and feare learne to take the fruite and comfort of the same for so is the wil of God that we may be partakers of his glorie But where shal we finde enterance into this matter And howe shall we bée able to come a land For this is the Sea and the depth of all the workes of the iudgementes and mercies of the kingdome of God This is a Sea that hath no shore a pit that hath no botome The holy Scriptures are the mercie seate the registry of the mysteries of God our Chartre for the life to come the holy place in which God sheweth him selfe to the people the Mount Ston where God hath appointed to dwel for euer The more comfort in theÌ„ so much the more gréedily let vs desire them the more heauenly and glorious they are with so much the more reuerence let vs come vnto them For consideration of this mater of the fruite comfort which God worketh by the worde what may we better call to minde than that is réecorded by S. Paul Whatsoeuer thinges are written aforetime are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope All that is writteÌ„ in the word of God is not writteÌ„ for Angels or Archangels or heauenly Spirites but for the sonnes of men for vs and for our instruction that by them we may receiue strength and comfort in all aduersities and haue hope of the life to come It is the word of God God openeth his mouth and speaketh to vs to guide vs into all truth to make vs full and readie in all good workes that we may be perfect men in Christ Iesus so rooted and grounded in him that we bee not tost to and fro with euery tempest The profite which the worde of God bringeth shal best apeare if we first take a viewe of our estate what we are in what place we stande what enemies make force against vs. We are y e sons of Adam stubborne children the children of vanitie and of wrath The châ—ldren of those fathers which forsooke God and haue erred in their hearts were deceiued God which created man breathed into him the breath of life saith The imagination of mans heart is euill from his youth Such are we eueÌ„ by the iudgment of God and his iudgement faileth not What errour what idol what wickednes euer hath bene heard which hath not bene forged and wrought in the heart of man wée can neither doe nor speake nor thinke the thing that is good our vnderstanding is heauie our will froward our eyes blinde and our heart vncleane We go astray through this worlde as lost shéepe euery man after his owne way Euen as a leafe is caried vp and downe with a blast of winde so are we easily driueÌ„ into errour in our selues we finde no stay no succour nor helpe Such are we and so weake of our selues But where are we in the world And what is the world Some thinke it to be a place full of all delights and pleasures a goodly strong and gorgious palace and a paradise of ioy Let no man deceiue vs nay rather let vs not deceiue our selues the world is a shoppe of vanities it is a dungeon of darkenesse a potte full of poyson a shippe full of leakes a way full of snares It blindeth our eyes beguileth our senses and helpeth vs forwarde into all daungers We are blinde our selues and the place wherein we are is nothing els but darkenesse Wherunto may I resemble our case Ieremy the Prophet was cast into a duÌ„geon There he sate without light and without comfort His case was miserable and the place lothsome yet he knew where he was he knew what he lacked he cryed vnto the Lord and was deliuered Daniel was cast into the den of Lions there to bee torne in péeces and deuoured But he sawe his misery and the daunger in which he stoode he sawe the Lions the pawes which shoulde gripe him and the téeth which shoulde teare him His case was miserable yet is ours more miserable We are in the déepe dungeon of hel and think we are in safetie we are in the middest of darkenesse and thinke it to be light we are compassed with Lioâ—s with Dragons and Scorpions yet think not of our miserie Who hath not heard the story of Ionas Ionas was in a Whales belly The place was very darke the waues beat on euery side he was drowned yet touched no water he was swallowed vp yet not consumed he liued without any sense of life the fish was his death y â— sea was death the tempest was death yet he died not but liued in the mids of death he could not sée he could not heare he knew not to whom he might call for helpe hée was taken carried away he knew not whether Let vs marke well this storie it is a true pattern of our estate sheweth what our life is in this worlde We are beset w t like dangers we are driuen w t teÌ„pests we are drowned in like flouds we liue in y e middest of horrible darknes we are caried we know not whether The Philosopher telleth vs trueth falsehode are nigh neighbors and dwell one by the other the vtter porch of y e one is like the porch of the other yet their way is contrarie the one leadeth to life the other leadeth to death they differ little to the shew saue that oft times the dore of falshod is faire painted grauen and beautifully adorned but the dore or fore front of trueth is plaine and homely Therby it hapneth that men be deceiued they mistake the dore and goe into errors house wheÌ„ they séeke truth They call euill good falsehoode truth darkenesse light They forsake that is good deny the truth and loue not the light This moued S. Paul to say of his brethren the Iewes I beare them
exercise himselfe daye and night The Lawe of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lorde is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple This is the rule of our faith without this our faith is but a fantasie and no faith for faith is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God Therefore Christe saith Search the Scriptures they are they that testifie of me There shall ye finde testimonie of my doctrine there shal ye know what is the wil of my heauenlye Father and there shall you receiue the comforte for euerlasting life Againe He that followeth mee shall not walke in darkenesse but shall haue the light of life If a man keepe my word he shal know the truth hee shall neuer see death Therefore Baruch saith O Israel wee are blessed for the things that are acceptable vnto God are declared vnto vs. This is thy blessednesse herein hath God shewed his fauour vnto thée he hathe reuealed the secreats of hys will vnto thée and hath put his worde in thy mouth He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israell hee hathe not dealte so with euerie nation neyther haue they knowen hys Iudgementes Therefore the Prophet Dauid teacheth vs to pray vnto God for the knowledge of his worde Shewe mee thy wayes O Lord and teache me thy pathes Take not thy holie spirite from mee and incline my hearte vnto thy testimonies Giue mee vnderstanding that I maye learne thy commaundementes open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Lawe And Lighten mine eies that I sleepe not in death that I maye discerne betwéene safetie and daunger that I may knowe truth to be the truth and error to be error Thus I haue declared parte of that profite which groweth to vs by the word of God but it doeth not onelye directe our iudgement in the triall of truth but dothe also graffe in vs a boldenesse and constancie in the defence of the truth Salomon saieth A foole chaungeth as the Moone He is alwayes vnstable and inconstant he knoweth not neither what to do nor what to beleue he is somtimes ful sometimes emptie turneth and changeth as the Moone He buildeth and layeth his foundation vppon the sande therfore his house falleth to the ground He halteth on both sides somtimes worshippeth God and sometimes worshippeth Baal he is neither hotte nor colde he ebbeth and floweth like the waues of the sea he doubteth and staggereth resteth in nothing He knoweth not the truth he knoweth not that the scripturs are the word of God so he wandereth in the darke and knoweth not the way in which he walketh He hath no féeling no hart no vnderstāding He is vnfaithful towards God and kepeth no faith towards man he is wauering in all hys wayes And why because he knoweth not the wil of God nor hath the light of his word to guide his féete But a wise man is one and stedfast as the sunne He buildeth his house vppon a rocke and that rocke is Iesus Christe the sonne of God Therefore his house is neuer shaken downe Be the storme or tempest neuer so rough yet it shall stand faste like Mount Sion because his truste is in the name of the Lord. He knoweth that his name is written in the Booke of Life he knoweth that he belongeth to the Lords Shéepefolde and that no man can take him away out of the Lordes hand In this boldenesse Dauid sayeth Thoughe I shoulde walke thorough the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou arte wyth mee thy rodde and thy staffe they comforte mee And againe the Lord is my light and my saluation whome shall I feare And againe Except thy lawes had bene my delight I should now haue perished in mine affliction when Ezechias heard y ◠proud message of Sennacherib sent to him his people by Rahshaketh that they should not obey Ezech. nor trust to him when he said The Lord wil deliuer you and let not thy GOD deceiue thee in whom thou trustest hee wente vp into the house of the Lord and prayed vnto the Lorde to saue hym and hys people out of their handes that al the kingdomes of the earth might know that hee is GOD alone Euen so the Apostle Whether wee liue or die wee are the Lordes And in this boldenesse our sauiour Christe setled himselfe to beare their reproches and to carry his Crosse Father if thou wilte take away this cup frō me neuerthelesse not my wil but thine bee done Thus they that are taught by the word of God to put their trust in the Lorde and are thereby rooted and setled in him can not be remoued by any practise of Sathan but stand fast and continue for euer Which shal more plainely appeare if we looke backe into the times of persecution and beholde the boldenesse of constancie of the Sainctes of God They were brought before Magistrates caste into prisōs spoiled of their goods cruelly murthered Some were hanged vppon gibbets some run through with swords some torn with wild horses some drowned in the water and some burnt in the fire They were hated of all men for the name of Christ. They were despised as the filth of the worlde and dung of the earth Yet continued they faithfull and constant They armed their heartes with the comforte of Gods worde therby wer they able to resist in the euil day They were faithfull vntil death therefore GOD gaue them a Crowne of glorie When they were called before Kings and Princes and others of auctoritie and commaunded to forsake the trueth they had learned and the comfort which they tooke in the truth they aunswered in this manner O my gratious Lorde I would faine do your commandement I am your subiect I haue done faithfull seruice with my body with my goods but I cannot serue you against God He is King of Kings Lord of Lords He is my Lord before whom I stande I haue put my life in his handes He hathe forbidden me to doe this thing whiche you commaunde I cannot therefore doe it Iudge vprightly whether it be méete to obey you rather than God My liuing my wife my children and my life are deare vnto me I am a man like others and haue mine affections Yet neither liuing nor wife nor children nor my life is so deare vnto me as the glorie of God I am but a pore worme yet am I the worke of his handes God hathe putte his worde in my mouth I may not deny it I may not beare false witnesse against the Lord. My life is not deare vnto me in respect of the trueth I knowe if I shoulde deny him to saue my life I shoulde lose it and if I lose my life for his sake I shall finde it That which your auctoritie shal lay vpon me is not done without his will All the haires of my head are
theirs and the writings of others that we should so read them credite them as they agréed with the worde of God Hoc genus literarum non cum credendi necessitate sed cum iudicandi libertate legendum est This kinde of writings is to bee read not with a necessitie of beleeuing them but with a libertie to iudge of thē S. Paul saith though that we or an Angel from heauen preach vnto you otherwise than that which we haue preached vnto you let him bee accursed Out of which place S. Augustine speaketh thus Siue de Christo siue de eius Ecclesia siue de re quacunque alta quae pertinet ad fidem vitamque nostram non dicam si nos sed si Angelus de caelo nobis annuntiauerit praeter quam quod in Scripturis legaltbus Euangelicis accepistis anathema sit Whether it be of Christ or of his Church or of any thing else whatsoeuer perteining either to our life or to our faith I will not say if I my selfe but if an Angel from heauen shall teach vs otherwise than ye haue receiued in the bookes of the lawe and in the Gospels hold him accursed Now to conclude this matter y e same father saith Ecclesiastici iudices vt homines plerumque falluntur The iudges or Doctours of the Church as men are often deceiued They are learned they haue preheminence in the Church they are Iudges they haue the giftes of wisedome and vnderstanding yet they are often deceiued They are our fathers but not fathers vnto God they are stars faire and beautifull and bright yet they are not the Sunne they beare witnesse of the light they are not the light Christ is the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ is the light which lighteneth euery man that commeth into this worlde His word is the word of truth He is the day-spring which hath visited vs from an high he came downe from the bosome of his father he shal guide our féete into the way of peace Of him God the father spake This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him He is the Lambe without spot out of his mouth goeth a two edged sworde This is he in whom all the endes of the world shalbe blessed heare him giue héed to his saying embrace his gospel beleue his worde Thus much touching the credite and authoritie which is to be giuen to the writings of auncient fathers S. Paul speaking of the worde of God saith The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse To teach the truth to improue falshoode to correct all vice to instruct in all vertue Again I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christe for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleueth S. Basil saith The Scripture of God is like an Apothecaries shoppe ful of medicines of sundrie sortes that euery man may there chuse a conuenient medicine for his desease There are salues and ointmentes to cure all maladies Whosoeuer can not be cured by the word of God his disease is growne desperate and past cure Many thinke the Apostles spéech is hardly true of the whole Scripture that all and euery part of the Scripture is profitable Much is spokē of genealogies and petidegrees of lepers of sacrificing goates and oxen c. these séeme to haue litle profit in them but to be vaine and idle If they shewe vaine in thine eyes yet hath not the Lord set them downe in vaine The wordes of the Lorde are pure wordes as the siluer tried in a fornace of earth fined seuen times There is no sentence no clause no worde no syllable no letter but it is written for thy instruction there is not one iote but it is sealed and signed with the bloude of the Lambe Our imaginations are idle our thoughts are vaine there is no idlenesse no vanitie in the worde of God Those Oxen and Goates which were sacrificed teach thée to kill and sacrifice the vncleannesse and filthinesse of thy hart they teach thée that thou art guiltie of death when thy life must be redéemed by the death of some beaste they leade thée to beléeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes by a more perfect sacrifice because it was not possible that the bloud of Bulles and Goates should take away sinnes That leprousie teacheth thée to know the vncleannesse leprousie of thy soule Those Genealogies and Petidegrees leade vs to the Birth of our Sauiour Christ. So that the whole worde of God is pure and holye No worde no letter no syllable no poynte or pricke thereof but is written and preserued for thy sake Art thou a King Reade the Scriptures thou shalt finde who hath stablished thyne estate and what dutie thou owest to God God there telleth thée By me Kings rule Princes decree iustice I haue giuen thée authority thou cariest my sworde I haue put a crowne vpon thy head thou art my seruant walke before me let thy heart bée perfecte in my sight Art thou a subiect Reade the Scriptures they will teach thée to knowe thy dutie There Paul biddeth thée giue tribute to whom tribute custom to whom custome feare to whome feare honour to whom honor is due Ye must be subiect not because of wrath onely but for conscience sake For he beareth not the sworde for naught for he is the Minister of God to take vengeaunce on him that doth euil Art thou a Minister Read the Scriptures they will teach thée thy duty The Prophet saith to thée Cry aloud spare not lift vp thy voice like a trumpet shew my people their trāsgressions The Apostle sayth vnto thée Preach the word be instant in season and out of season Watch in all things doe the worke of an Euangelist make thy ministerye fully knowen Thou shalt giue an acompt for the soules of the people their bloud shal bée required at thy hands Art thou a Father hast thou children Reade the Scriptures they will teach thée if thou haue sonnes instruct them Againe Hee that teacheth his sonne grieueth the enemie and before his friends he shall reioyce of him Giue him no libertie in his youth and winke not at his folie Chastise thy childe and bee diligent therein least his shame grieue thee Ely the Prophet by sparing his wanton children cast away himselfe and his children They were slaine the Arke of God was taken and olde Ely fel downe and brake his necke Art thou a Child hast thou a Father Reade the Scriptures they wil teache thée Children obey your Parents in the Lorde for this is right Honour thy father mother whiche is the first commandement with promise that it may bee wel with thee and that thou maiest lyue long on earthe And agayne Chyldren obey youre Parentes in all thinges for it is wel-pleasing vnto the Lord. The wise man
warneth thée The eye that mocketh his father and despiseth the instruction of his mother let the Rauens of the valley plucke it out the yong Eagles eate it Hath God blessed thée in Wealth Art thou rich Reade the Scriptures they will teach thée Be not high minded and trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God which giueth vs aboundantly all things to enioy Againe Trust not in oppression and robberie be not vaine if riches increase set not your hart thereon Thou shalt depart and leaue them behinde thée they shal forsake thée Thou shalt dye thou knowest not howe soone Salomon sheweth thée Riches auayle not in the day of wrath but righteousnes deliuereth from death Art thou poore and sufferest scarsitie in this worlde Reade the Scriptures they will teache thée Say with Iob. Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne againe Learne of Salomon Better is little with righteousnes than great reuenues without equitie And againe Better is the poore that walketh in his vprightnesse than he that peruerteth his wayes though he be rich S. Paul saith Godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that hee hath for wee brought nothing into the world and it is certaine that we cary nothing out And againe Let him that is poore labour and worke with his hands the thing which is good that hée may haue to giue to him that néedeth Art thou a Marchant Usest thou to buye and sell Reade the Scriptures they will teach thée This is the will of God that no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter Thou shalt learne that diuers weights and diuers measures are abhomination vnto the Lorde and deceiptfull balances are not good Art thou an Vsurer thy case is harde yet heare the Scriptures they wil teach thée God commaundeth thée thus If thou lende mony to my people to the poore with thee thou shalt not be as an Vsurer vnto him yee shall not oppresse him with vsurie Againe if thy brother be impouerished and fallen in decaye with thee thou shalt relieue him thou shalt take no Vsurie of him nor vantage thou shalt not lend him thy vittailes for encrease but thou shalt feare thy God that thy brother may liue with thee And Whatsoeuer yee woulde that men should do vnto you eueÌ„ so do ye to theÌ„ And He that giueth his money vnto Vsurie shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Art thou a Fornicatour liuest in adultery Reade the Scriptures they will teach thée He that committeth fornicatioÌ„ saith S. Paul sinneth against his own bodie Know you not that your bodie is the TeÌ„ple of the holy Ghost Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ Shal I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid As hee which hath called you is holy so bee â—e holy in all maner of conuersation saith S. Peter The reason is set downe by S. Paul For this is the will of God euen you holines and that you shoulde absteine from fornication that you may be holy both in bodie and in spirit And Whoremongers adulterers God will iudge They shall haue no inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God Art thou a seruant Reade the Scriptures they wil teach thée Seruants be obedient vnto theÌ„ that are your Maisters according to the flesh in all things not with eie seruice as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God And whatsoeuer ye do doe it hartely as vnto the Lorde and not vnto men Againe please your Maisters not aunswering againe be no pickers but shewe all good faithfulnesse that you may adorne the doctrine of God our sauiour in al things Art thou proude Reade the Scriptures they wil teach thée Be not high minded but feare What hast thou that thou hast not receiued If thou hast receiued it why reioicest thou as though thou hadst not receiued it and learne of me that I am meeke humble in hart And God resisteth the proude but giueth grace to the humble Art thou in aduersitie Read the Scriptures Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord will deliuer him out of them all And he shal call vppon me and I will heare him I will be with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him And Saint Peter telleth thée the eyes of the Lorde are ouer the righteous his eares are open to their prayers God is faithfull which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able but will giue the issue with the teÌ„tation that yee may bee able to beare it The Lorde is neare vnto all them that call vpon him yea to all that call vppon him in truth Art thou A sinner hast thou offended God reade the Scriptures they will teach thée Hate the euill and loue the good And againe flie from euill and do good and dwell for euer Rise vp and go to thy father and saie vnto him Father I haue sinned against Heauen against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne Doest thou dispaire of the mercye of God reade the Scriptures they will teache thée Christ telleth thée I came not to cal the righteous but sinners to repentance Againe Come vnto me al ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you At what houre soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. Againe I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his waye and liue And the Lorde is good to all and his mercies are ouer al his workes Art thou going out of this life reade the Scriptures they will teach thée I am the resurrection and the life hee that beleeueth in me though he were deade yet shall hee liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in mee shall neuer dye Saye with Sainct Paule Christe is to mee bothe in life and in death aduauntage I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ. What shoulde I saye more of the Scriptures how profitable and comfortable they be in all cases and parts of our life in aduersitie in prosperitie in life and in death they are our especiall comfort If we must fight they are a sworde if we hunger they are meate if we thirst they are drinke if we haue no dwelling place they are a house if we be naked they are a garment if we be in darknesse they be light vnto our going They are comfortable to kings to subiects to old men to yong men to maÌ„ and to wife to father to childe to maister and seruant to captaine and souldiour to preacher and people to the learned to the vnlearned to the wise and