mee in mercie hold mee vp that I fall not suppresse all vngodly motions in mee dryue all dulnesse from myne heart darkenesse from myne vnderstanding make mee subiect vnto thy will in all things and assure mee of saluation Let thine holy spirite woorke vnfayned beliefe of all thy louing promises and driue away all doubtes of thy blessed fauour for most louing Iesus my redeemer and daily mediatour such and so many are the pernicious sleightes and mischieuous deuices of that subtile serpent whereby he neuer ceasseth but continually seeketh to torment the troubled consciences of those that he hath wounded with the Darte of sinne working in them a lothsome desire to liue and a great desire to die pricking them forwards to many mischieues drawing them into many daungerous and noysome conceits to cast themselues away and to seeke death before their due time So hath hee sought sweete Iesus to intangle mee to mooue mee to cast away my life whereby ariseth in mee such a conflict betweene him and thine holy spirite that it euen bringeth me into the dungion of vtter dispaire Oh good Iesu helpe mee good Iesu comfort mee sweete Iesu defend mee from his tyranny Come thou vnto mee shewe thy selfe in me that the filthy feend may see and perceiue that a stronger then hee keepeth the house of my poore soule Oh most inuincible Iesu let him knowe that I serue vnder the banner of that most mightie Captayne that ouercame him long agoe and conquered all his kingdome Oh sweete Iesu leaue mee not depart thou not from mee but let thy grace remayne in me as a sufficient Buckler against that ougly Serpent that olde Traytour Sathan who neuer ceasseth to assault mee heare mee oh sweete Iesu and giue me strength Amen Oh Lorde increase my fayth THE VVEDNESday or third daies Conference betweene Solace and the sinfull man VVhereas the sinfull man was yesterday striken with dispayre of being saued by reason of his manifold offences which Solace proued and his conscience confessed him to bee guiltie of receiuing some comforte againe by the sweete counsaile of Solace Now Solace beginneth to prescribe him the way that he must begin to take to become a newe man The sinfull man LOe Solace here I am to day as thou appointest mee Thy counsaile is so passing sweete I long full sore for thee Solace Then here am I attend giue eare imbrace my counsaile deare If thou be sorie for thy sinne it will full soone appeare And doe with faithfull heart beleeue the Solace which I showe Repenting truely all thy sinnes on me lay all thyne woe And cast the burthen of thy sinne on me without delay Be strong in faith attend to me and gad no more astray The sinfull man Oh Solace art thou readie here loe I attend thy will But for repentaunce and for faith as yet doe passe my skill Solace THou must learne them then for they are things most necessarie Faith and Repentaunce are the very beginning the foundation and ground-worke of a new life and are so lineked and vnited together that the one cannot work effectually in thee without the other And for asmuch as thou sayst thou art ignoraunt in them I will shewe thee what they are and how they worke if thou wilt attend a little while The sinfull man Yes with good wil good Solace shew at large what thou hast sayd Proceede to finish in mine heart the plat which thou hast layd Solace WEll sith then thou desirest to be instructed in the path that leadeth vnto amendement of life knowe this that Faith is the ground of all goodnesse whatsoeuer and whatsoeuer proceedeth not of Faith is sinne And therefore wil I shew first what Faith is which must be the foundation of thy true repentance Faith as mine Apostle Paule in the 11. to the Hebrewes by the instinct of my grace hath rightly defyned it is a certaine and sure beleefe of the obtayning thinges alreadie hoped for and an euident feeling of the manifold promises which God mine heauenly father hath made vnto thee touching thy saluatiō in me his Sonne And whereby also thou maist inwardly taste of the vnspeakeable ioyes whereof thou shalt be made ful partaker hereafter in heauen The sinfull man Oh rare and passing thing is this a glasse of heauenly skill Whereby on earth I may behold in thee thy fathers will Solace SO it is in deede and without it it is impossible to please mine heauenly father or to take any benefite of that sacred counsaile which I haue before giuen thee Thou must therfore remember that as I haue rowsed thee out of the sleepe of this sinful securitie and redeemed thée out of the clawes of Sathan so to stand vndoubtedly perswaded that I had such an especiall care of thy saluation as through the free fauour and mercy of mine heauenly father thou art by my blood shedding without any desart or merite of thine at all vpon thy true and vnfeyned repentaunce freely pardoned of all thy sinne As Mary Magdaline a most sinfull woman out of whom I cast seuen deuills through this faith was attentiue vnto my wordes and grewe into such a loathing of her sinnes and griefe of heart for her iniquities that she truely repented fell prostrate on y e knees of her heart wept and washed my feete with her teares and wiped them with the heire of her head this was the working of a true faith Whereby mine Apostle Peter also confessed me to be very Christ the Sonne of the liuing God and that I was eternall life By this faith also did Abraham beleeue the promises of mine heauenly father and refused not to sacrifice his owne sonne Isacke to fulfill the will of the Lord and by reason of his beleefe was accompted righteouse Mary the blessed Uirgin the minister by whom I was borne in the flesh beleeued the message of the Angell Gabriell and was blessed The Eunuch by this faith beleeued the preaching of Phillip that I was the Sonne of God who desired and was Baptised Mine heauenly father through the earnest and faithfull prayer of Elisha discōfited and strake with blindnesse his enemies that came to take him With this weapon did Ionathan with a yong mā his Armour bearer discomfite put to flight a great Garrison of the Philistines Dauid when he was a poore Sheepheard by faith ouercame y e great and mightie Gyaunt Goliah and thereby discomfited all the host of his enemies The three Children by this faith were deliuered out of the hot burning Furnace and the ministers of Nabugadonazer consumed with the same fire Eliah in the Wildernesse in his great distresse of hunger was by faith fed twise euery day with the bread and flesh that was brought him by the Rauens sent by y e prouidence of mine heauenly father And by the same faith restored frō death to life the widowes sonne of Zarephath and so increased and multiplied her Oyle and
giue ouer the opiniō of thine own good works and cleaue vnto the mercies of mine heauenly father in me and so much the more by howe much nowe thou maiest see thine vtter decaye without me But thou maist beware that thou in respect of thy saluation promised in mee neglect not these dueties enioyned thee towards mine heauenly father and thy neighbor as hath bene tolde thee before but so much the more endeuour thy selfe to performe thē that louingly and faithfully not in the outwarde shewe onely but with the inward affection of the heart imbracing that with a godly desire which thou art commaunded and hatefully eschewing that which thou art forbidden to doe assuring thy self by a liuely and working faith that thou art sealed with the holy Spirite proceeding from my father and mee freely by my merrits without any deseruings at all of thine owne to eternall saluation The sinfull man Now doth that Solace sweet appeare which thou hast promist mee And that mine owne deserts are not the meane to come to thee Thy merites are mine onely stay thy mercie meere extende Let faith in thee direct my life my words and thoughts amend The darkesome night is come I see there is no longer stay Tell mee good Solace neede I not come yet an other day Solace THou seest that I haue spent these sixe daies in calling thee from thine error and instructing thee what thou oughtest to doe to reforme thy wicked life yet remaineth there some thing els for thee to be exercised in to mayntaine that fauour of mine heauenly father towardes thee which I haue purchased for thee And therefore although to morrowe bee the Sabboth day which as thou hast learned it behoueth thee to sanctifie with ceasing from all worldly labors and to giue thee to deuine exercises yet for asmuch as all mine endeuour tendeth to the safetie of thy soule I would haue thee to repaire hyther againe to morrowe when I will declare vnto thee the residue breefly that belongeth vnto thee and that behoueth thee to learne to the finishing of all the course of thy life that after this life ended through my merites thou mayst enioye eternall saluation The sinfull man With willing minde I will attende mine heart doth long to see Those heauenly ioyes wherein I trust at last to liue with thee The ende of the Saterdaies Conference betweene Solace and the sinfull man A PRAYER TO God the Father for pardon in Iesus Christ for transgressing his Commaundements for grace to bee directed to the true fulfilling of the same OH God my God oh fountaine welspring of al mercy louing kindnes vouchsafe fauourably to looke down vpon my corruptiō and wickednesse and set before the eyes of thy Iustice the merites of thy Sonne Iesus Christ for whose desertes and due obedience sake leaue to be angrie and turne to me in loue take away the curse which is due for my transgressions and wilfull disobedience Alas what should become of mee if I should receiue according to my desertes for which there is nothing due but the iust reward of death For merciful Lord God when I compare the whole course of my life past with the righteousnesse of thy deuine institutiōs and most sacred Commaundements I find my selfe a very Traytour a most monstrous Rebell against thee the God of my welfare Oh Lorde when the Iustice and iust iudgements of thy deuine Maiestie shew themselues vnto my deserts wherby my conscience accuseth mee to haue deserued eternall death I cannot but fall into vtter dispayre of being acquitted before thee Only herein a◠I comforted sweete Lord that I haue pardon promised in the death and merites of thy deare Sonne mine onely Sauiour and Redemer Iesus Christ in whose name I here present and prostrate my self vnto thee and for his sake most humbly pray thee to forgiue my transgressions and to pardon al my sinnes vouchsaueing me grace from henceforth faithfully and truely to frame all my desires vnto the fulfilling of all thy most godly Commaundements and that in vnfeyned loue of thee aboue all things and to shew the same outwardly to the performāce of my duety to my neighbours whom thou hast cōmaunded me to loue succour helpe releeue and doe vnto as I would that other men should doe vnto me Graunt me sweet Lorde for Iesus Christes sake grace to doe that which I am commaunden in thy lawes and carefully to shunne and auoyde that which I am herein forbidden that I may keepe not onely mine handes but all mine actions and doinges yea mine heart and thoughtes free from displeasing thee And for asmuch as my corruptiō keepeth doune mine vnderstanding and will so that I am not able to performe that which I ought but am ready to do that which I ought not vouchsafe to accept the merits of thy Sonne Iesus Christ as a sufficient discharge for that which I cannot do and for his sake to forgiue mine insufficiencie to performe thy will Sweete God Amen THE SVNDAYE and last dayes Conference betweene Solace and the sinfull Man VVherein Solace directeth him in prayer which is the principall and last work belonging to the attainement of eternall life by faith in Christ. Solace WHat art thou so earely here this morning oh man thou shewest thy selfe now to bee very desirous of my solace as it seemes by thy diligent attendaunce this morning The sinfull man Ye Solace loe I looke for thee mine only comfort deare Whose comfort now I find in deed proceede from heauens cleare And therefore I attend on thee mine only guide and stay Whom thou doest call I see cannot gad like a wretch astray Mine heart is set to secke the way through thee y t guides to blisse Whereby I shall at last possesse the ioye that perfect is Which I in heart by faith doe feele though in this vale of woe Where Sathās forces fell abound and sinnes by custome growe Which vale I long to leaue in haste to take my rest with thee In heauens hye where only ioye and nothing els can bee Solace THou doest well to bee wearied and greeued at the vewe of those abuses and daylie offences which thou perceiuest in the world to moue mine heauenly father to displeasure which in deede are many and greate and to haue a longing desire to leaue them and to giue them ouer to the end thou mayst the more freely come vnto me But thou must beware thou kicke not nor murmur against mine heauenly father in respect of any miserie temptation or trouble to befall thee here in this world and to be discharged or vnburdened thereof to wish for death but referring thy cause vnto his omnipotent and mercifull prouidence in heartie and faithfull prayers through me Waite his good pleasure arming thy self manfully to fight against Satan and his wicked ministers assuring thy self through an vndoubted faith that whatsoeuer thou shalt aske my heauēly father in my name he shall giue it thee I am thy
me all thinges pacified both in heauen and earth by me thou art reconciled and made at one againe with God myne heauenly father and by me if thou beleeue thou shalt obteine forgiuenesse of all thy sinnes and pardon for al thine offences for thy manifold transgressions rebellion and dissobedience And to thee that art sinfull ignorant and farr from knowledge to thee is here euen in my blood saluation offred and the true spirite of wisedome opened that the eyes of thy mynd that now are so dimmed with the shadowe of the olde man may bee lightened with the Candle of my sacred counsaile and truely perceiue and thine heart rightly conceiue what the ende is of this hope whervnto I am come to call thee what the riches of my glorious inheritance which I here proffer thee is and the greatnesse of my power which I promise thee who as I sayd before haue torne in peeces and cancelled the Obligation wherein thou stoodest bound I haue taken it away and fastened it on the Crosse I haue losed thee from the seruitude and slauerie of Sathan who as thou sayst doth chalenge thy seruice I haue set thee free from the workes of darknesse who am the light and no man that beleeueth in me shal remaine any more in darknesse beleeue therefore in the light that thou mayst bee made the childe of light and obteine life againe that now art dead vnder the Prince of darkenesse who had once the power of death But I haue deliuered all them that beleeue in me and liue in my feare and haue takē away that partition that was set betwene God my father and them So that through me thou mayst haue free accesse vnto him yea Iewes and Gentiles are vnited and knit to one God euen my father who for their sakes gaue me an oblation and sacrifice to bee offered vpon the Crosse to the ende that by myne obedience they might bee made righteous I was accurssed that through my curse they might be blessed and deliuered from the heauy burthen of the lawe yea I became poore to make all men rich but not as thou hast gloried to bee rich in goodes and great aboundaunce but in grace and the fauour of myne heauenly father with whom I haue obteined peace for thee and deliuered thee out of y e thraldome of that spirituall Pharao by offering my body a Pascall Lambe sprinckling my blood vpon the doore postes of the hearts of all true beleeuers in me Wherfore come vnto me thou that art so heauie loden and I wil refresh thee Confesse me with thy mouth beléeue in thine heart that God raised me from death and thou shalt be saued for my comming into this world was to seeke and to saue that was lost Wherefore heare me for if thou heare my wordes and beleeue in him that sent me I will raise thee vp in the last day to eternall life for there is saluation in none but in me onely who haue the power euen in mine owne handes to recouer that againe for thee which was lost by the fall of Adam The sinfull man Oh passing comfort now I feele renue in me againe Me thinkes I heare that Sathan saies now is my labour vaine Which I and mine haue had w t him that now conuerted is Me thinkes I heare him rage y t I should take the way to blisse But let him fret and fume his sill and doe his worst to me I doe not force my sure refuge good Solace is in thee True comfort doth begin I see encrease it more and more And let that furious feend leaue of to vexe my soule so sore And shew what I must doe in haste because the night is nye For I intend to follow thee good Solace till I dye Solace SO sayd Peter mine Apostle that he would followe me whether soeuer I went yea he would not refuse to dye with me but when the raging and boysterous stormes of Satans ministers blewe about mine eares and began to beate vpon the walles of his frailtie being demaūded whether he were not of my companie he flatly denied me nay he forsware me sayd that he knew me not Be not therefore too bold at the first brunt though thou feele more comfort and thy minde more quieted and Sathan not so strong with thee as he was take heede thou faint not take heede thou returne not to thine olde vomit to the wallowing in the mire and dirte of the dregges of Sathans poyson But be thou mindfull of these wordes of mine and the comfortable counsaile which this day I haue giuē thee Beleeue my sayinges and because the night is at hande I will referre other thinges which I must learne thee towardes the amendement of thy sinfull life till to morrowe when thou shalt finde mee readie here in the meane time be meditating of my former speaches retaine them in memorie and praise mine heauenly father in mee for thy comfort already obtayned The ende of the Tuesdayes Conference A THANKESGIuing to Christ our Sauiour for his comfort in the affliction of conscience with a prayer for his continuall assistance to be preserued from dispayre OH Gracious and Omnipotent God Oh Iesu my Sauiour I yeeld thee all possible thanks and praises that in my great distresse and conflict of conscience thou hast vouchsaued to send mee comfort and inward feeling of thy mercie and the vnfayned loue and care which thou hast of the saluation of my poore soule which Sathan myne aduersarie and the vtter enemy of all mankind hath inuironed with so many doubts of thy mercie and my saluation and layde before the eyes of my poore conscience so many grieuous sinnes most horrible offences such manifest rebellion against thee that I standing as a guiltie wretch a condemned person at the Barre of thy iust iudgemēt expecting nothing but the sharp sentence of death thou hast vouchsaued such is thine vnspeakable mercie louingly to call me out of that deepe dungion of dispaire to rescue mee from the cruell clawes of Sathan and to set mee free from the most fearfull and iust doome of death Insomuch sweete Iesu as I feele my selfe comforted I feele mee relieued and my soule freely ransomed from the captiuitie of that monstrous enemy that ougly Serpent that filthy feend most cruell aduersarie of mine Sathan and that by thy death and bitter passion whereby thou hast lead captiuitie captiue when thou ascendest into heauen yea thou hast vanquished the death of death thou hast vanquished the deuill and triumphed ouer death and hell all power both in heauen and earth is in thine hands and that Sathan that hath so sharply assaulted mee is within the cōpasse of thy power hold him vnder sweete Iesu keep him down let him not preuaile against mee and as my poore soule and weake body are subiect vnto sinne being destitute of thine helpe wanting thy grace So sweete Iesu looke fauourably vpon
heauenly Ierusalem to that eternall blisse which I haue purchased and so great an helpe and furtheraunce is affliction and aduersitie as thou maist iustly lament thy worldly happinesse and sing euen with great ioye that thine estate is thus altered to reclaime thee from putting thy trust in transitorie thinges faithfully to repose the same in the sure defence of mine heauenly fathers right hande Be thankfull I say accept it as a good preparatiue to vnfeyned repentaunce wherein prostrating thy self in heart praie faithfully and confesse thy sinnes vnfeynedly and I will comforte thee againe with heauenly solace inwardly The sinfull man TheÌ„ shewe me how I should coÌ„fesse and how I ought to pray I doe repent my sinfull life that I haue led astray Solace I Will referre to instruct thee in prayer vntill to another day because the day is so farre spent and because I would first haue thee to confesse thy sinnes and discharge thy conscience of the heauie burden of thine iniquities before thou enter into that most excellent exercise of praier for the heart that is inwardly kept downe with the doubt of remission of sinnes through me can neuer freely open it selfe in a perfect faith to be heard of mine heauenly father and as long as thou goest about to cloke thine iniquities and to hide them from the sight of mine heauenly father thou canst neuer be assured of pardon for thou must bee assured that he that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth them and forsaketh them shal haue mercie his sinnes be they as red as Scarlet I will make as white as wolle and were the 〈◊〉 purple I will make them as white as snowe Now confession is an inward constant and continuall acknowledging thy selfe to bee a sinfull man altogether corrupt whose righteousnes is as a stayned and filthy cloth in whome remayneth no goodnes at all for there is none that sinneth not there is none that doth good none that worketh righteousnes no not one All men are subiect to many infirmities And he that saith that he hath not sinned he is a lyer he deceiueth him self and in him is there no trueth No man can say mine heart is cleare and I am cleare from sinne If therfore euery man be sinfull and none can excuse himselfe but that hee deserueth to be punished that he deserueth in respect of his owne goodnes to be cast of and to be scurged with the rod of correction Thou canst not then say I haue not sinned no thou canst not but confesse with the lost sonne that thou hast gone astraye that thou hast rebelled against God mine heauenly father and wrought so many things against his will that thou art no more worthy to be accepted as his sonne deseruing iustly to bee cast of If then there remaine no hope of thine owne deserts whereby to be accepted into his fauour again wherby to be accepted as his soÌ„ne nay whereby to bee accepted as an hired seruant Therfore there is no way for thee no meane for thee no hope to be receiued againe but in al huÌ„blenes of heart to fall downe as one in his own conscience guiltie of death appealing vnto the mercie of mine heauenly father in me who for my sake will not onely not turne away his face from the humble confession of thy sinnes but of his mercie most plentifull will hee meete the voyce of thine humble confession euen in the middest of thine heart yea and vnfained cries as he heard the humble and zealous sighes of Dauid who when he had sinned and highly displeased mine heauenly father he went not as it wâ—re into a corner to hide his offences wiâ—h the Cloake of hipocrisie but bewrayed his owne vntowardnes layde open his iniquities and acknowledged his sinnes saying within himselfe I will speake against my selfe I will reueale mine offences vnto the Lorde and all his sinnes were forgiuen him Such a godly feeling had Dauid of his sinnes hee entred into consideration of his wickednes before he could thus râ—tourne vnto mine heauenly father in heartâ—â— confession So enter thou into thy selfe examine thine owne conscience and looke back into the whole course of thy life and thou wilt 〈◊〉 ashamed to see thy miserable estate thou wilt blush at the consideration of thy former life and find thy selfe a verie wretched sinner And condemne thy self worthy of farre greater punishment then thou art able to beare Thus must thou begin to take accompt of thy selfe before thou canst truely returne and vnfeinedly confesse thine iniquities vnto mine heauenly father whose wrath is so great against sinne that as long as thou retainest a will to goe forward in sinne and haue not a greater care to returne vnto him hee will forsake thee and not opeÌ„ the hands of his mercie to receiue thee Make haste cherefore to returne forsake thy selfe and flye vnto him take holde of his promises he hath promised in mee to receiue all sinners truely repenting into his mercie againe I came to cal the sinners not the righteous wherefore if thou be a sinner which vnles thou flatter thy selfe to deceiue thy selfe thou canst not denie then I say take hold of this promise Crie out and say Oh Lorde I am a sinner I am one that haue gone astray most wickedly haue I set mine affections and most vainely imbraced the things that can not auaile me in my distresse in which I am inuironed with so many daungers and troubles as without thine helpe I am vtterly forlorne Rest I say and stay thy selfe onely vpon the louing promises of myne heauenly father in mee in faith assuring thy selfe that I will strenghthen thee against all Sathans temptations Thus I say must thou consider thy corruption and with the eye of a perfect fayth looke into the whole course of thy former life and with the same eye to behold the mercies of mine heauenly father most freely promised in me without whose free goodnesse there is no hope of saluation whereby is my death and bitter passion made auaileable to wash away all the sinnes of as many as vnfeinedly beleeue confessing themselues wretched sinners who returning vnto mine heauenly father in a godly feare are accepted righteous before him Thy confession must be ioined with faith and amendement of life for the beliefe of the heart iustifieth and to confesse with thy mouth maketh thee safe whereby thou must consider that it is not enough to crie out and say Oh Lorde I haue sinned I am wicked I haue greeuously offended c. for all this is but winde it is but opening the mouth to none effect but thy confession must bee grounded vpon the inuincible Rocke of faith whereby thou must betake thee vnto his heauenly Maiestie condemning thy self wholy and altogether not faintly after the maner of hypocrites who thincke themselues discharged with their fewe wordes But with Daniell thou must crye out and say Oh Lord we haue
sinned we haue dealt wickedly we haue most traiterously rebelled against thee These words came not faintly from y e tongue but with force and faith from the very roote of the heart And why because he had searched and tried yea he had a feeling an inward greefe for the sinnes of the people whose confession was accepted and whose prayer was heard The sinfull man Before I doe confesse to thee my sinne thou doest beholde The same at large what need I theÌ„ my sinnes thus to vnfolde Solace INdeede I doe beholde most plainely aswell the very intent of the heart the inner parte thereof as the outwarde actions the externall and visible corrupt conuersation there is no secrete thought no imagination that passeth vnreueiled by the light of my knowledge but whatsoeuer thou doest whatsoeuer thou speakest and whatsoeuer thou thinkest when and where I see and perceiue it altogether And yet notwithstanding it is requisite for thee for two causes to make confession of thine eniquities and that openly And why namely that mine heauenly father may bee knowne and acknowledged to be onely righteous only good yea and goodnesse it selfe a mercifull and pacient GOD and a most louing father and thy selfe to bee altogether vnrighteous fraught with euill in whom remaineth no goodnesse at all Thus must thou cast downe thy self condemne thy self and reprehende thine owne corruption and take holde onely of the goodnesse of GOD the Father in the merites of mee his Sonne by whose death thou art deliuered from death and deserued damnation which is an especiall cause to moue thee to this vnfeined and open confession of thine offences The seconde cause is to the ende that this thine open acknowledging of thy sinnes may bee to the edifying of other men As thou seest the confession of Dauid to bee profitable not onely vnto himselfe but to others not onely to them that were then present but euen to this day is hee to bee set before the eyes of sinners as a fitt patterne to measure their sorrowes by and to bewraye their owne wretchednesse in humble confession and to referre themselues onely to the mercies and louing promises of God mine heauenly father to bee releeued and comforted in their afflictions as Dauid was Yea the confessions which the faithfull haue made heretofore serue nowe to edefie other men at the consideration of whose humilitie and the good successe of their vnfeyned confession wherein they returned vnto mine heauenly father and were accepted againe into his fauour thou canst not but bee the more stirred vp to the like maner of humbling thy selfe acknowledging thy selfe a wretched sinner and to put thine whole trust and confidence in my death and bitter Passion and bee more and more stirred vp to serue and honour mine heauenly father in newnesse of life to the good and godly example of other men who seeing the mercie of GOD my father so plentifully shewed vnto thee shall in like maner make haste vnto the Throane of his grace in open confession of their sinnes that so one by the example of an other nay many at y e good example of one may bee edefied and glorifie God my father which is in heauen who deliuered mee ouer to suffer death for the redemption of them that truely turne to mee Wherefore I say acknowledge thy self sinfull and greatly indebted vnto mee in respect of thy many and wilfull transgressions wherby my gâ—ace may the more appeare in thee disclaime all desertes and merites of thine owne and cast thy selfe downe in thine owne conceipt as one not worthie of any comforte at all at mine handes appealing altogether to my merites in such sorte as by thine example other men may learne to confesse their iniquities and condemne them selues to bee guiltie and to haue deserued to bee punished and whereby they may be taken from them selues namely from the proude opinions of their owne good worke for in the sight of mine heauenly father can no man by his owne merites be accepted righteous but through me are they acceptable and iust in his sight And therefore saith Iob what if I should flatter my selfe and stand in mine owne coÌ„ceipt righteous and iust when my deedes shall be layd open when they shall be manifested I cannot answere one of a thousande thinges layd to my charge Therefore sayth he I will make my praiers and supplication vnto the Iudge If therefore thou be desirous to be iustified before mine heauenly father thou must sâ—y away all desertes of thine owne and confesse that there is nothing in thee but meere wickednesse horrible confusion vtter dispaire of thine owne goodnesse yeelding thy self guiltie of many euills For if thou seeke perfect righteousnesse thou must not stand vpoÌ„ thine owne abilitie to fulfill the law for so makest thou my death to be 〈◊〉 vain which through faith is that true vndoubted righteousnesse which iustifieth thee before mine heauenly father makest thee heire of eternall life Thorowe me is preached the forgiuenesse of sinnes and hee that beleeueth is iustified from those things from which he could not haue bin by the lawe that is by his owne workes Wherefore thou must coÌ„fesse me with thy mouth beleeue in thine heart that mine heauenly father raysed me from the dead to iustifie thee for with thine heart must thou beleeue vnto righteousnes and confesse with thy mouth vnto saluation By my grace I say art thou saued through faith and not by thine owne workes be they neuer so glorious in the sight of the world The sinfull man TheÌ„ what auaile good works are they of none effect in deede And bootes it not to keepe the lawes that Moses first decreede Solace THou must vnderstand that although in respect of thy good workes be they neuer so many and faire in the vewe of the worlde thou mayest not presume vpon the same so farre as to chalenge for the same the reward of eternall life and that thou must confesse when thou hast done all that thou canst thou art an vnprofitable seruant it behoueth thee with all diligence and godly care to endeuour to doe all that is commaunded thee in â—â—ese lawes of mine heauenly father writteÌ„ by the inspiration of y e holy ghost by Moyses in the two Tables wherein consisteth the whole summe of that which is required of euery man to be done in respect of the outward action and inward working which is in doing good to man whom thou seest and to loue God mine heauenly father whom thou seest not but by the eye of that true faith which taketh his light of the Gospel of trueth whereby thou art directed to the meane which worketh that perfection for thee which of thy selfe thou art not able to reache vnto namely my selfe without whose perfection thou must needes continue imperfect and vnable to doe any thing that is good by whome to whome
carrying thee as it were sleeping into the most horrible pit of all endles perdition And euen of meere loue being sent to cal those that were gone astray I was mooued to awaken thee of this sinfâ—ll slumber to warne thee out of the seruice of this wicked master of thine and therfore I knowe that thou condemnest mee to bee the cause of this thy sorrowe Alas art thou so sorrowfull and full of griefe to giue ouer that master of thine endlesse miserie the master I say of all mischiefe the ringleader to all euill rule the Captaine of all the hellish crue the crue that haue their cogitations commonly occupied in couetouse cares and vngodly desires of wordly pleasures the crue I say that are caried by his most wicked wiles into most cursed captiuitie neuer caring for God or godlines who esteeme my words as winde as thou doest who so reioycest in thine aboundance as one that laugheth in his dreame and when hee awaketh is driuen to howle in sorrowe yea as dead being yet liuing for thou canst not be but dead vnlesse thou be reconciled by mee who by my bloud shedding on the Crosse slewe all enmitie betweene God my heauenly father and thee And as I haue purchased this reconciliation for thee So I am come to thee to tell thee to warne thee and to reclayme thee from error to the trueth from the clawes of Sathan to the fauoure of mine heauenly father if thou wilt heare mee and embrace my sayings The sinfull man Art thou in deed that Christ so pure whome Iudas did betray And whom y e Iewes tormeÌ„ted sore as sacred scripture say Solace Ye I am he that hung on crosse fast nayled to the tree A sacrifice to pacifie my fathers wrath for thee The sinfull man Wo worth me then for thou art hee whome I offended soe That in dispaire I languish here a wicked wretch in woe Oh let the mountaines fall on mee to hide my sinne from thee Let death approch let gaping graue take nowe their due of mee I dare not looke on thee whom that my sinne offended so No no thou wilt not pardon mee thou art of right my fo And Sathan seekes as erst y u saydst to winne my soule from thee I am content to his request I willingly agree I can not now reuoke againe my promise readie past Wherefore I knowe noe remedie I must be his at last Solace ALas poore man thou art in great perplexitie thy sences are sackt in deede But canst thou â—â—l by whose meanes wotest thou y e cause canst thou yet consider who it is that worketh this vnpleasant thing in thee Is it I or Sathan is it vertue or vice Is it life or death The sinfull man A great conflict I feele in deede a right of furious fiends Within my minde a troope of foes whome subtile Sathan sends Who with dispayre doe so beset and ransacke all my will That nothing can appease the rage that pricks mee forth to ill Wherfore I know no boote to seeke to shunne my raging thrall For Sathan binds mee to attend when he or his doe call Solace WEll poore man notwithstanding thy dissobedience and thy wilful running from me to that venemous Serpent who hath thus poysoned thee with the sting of dispaire I am not so hard hearted but of mercie wilbe pacified and vpon thine earnest repentance be a meane for thy reconciliation to the fauour of mine heauenly father againe who gaue me vp into the the hands of the world in the flesh to be a Sacrifice and OblatioÌ„ to appease his wrath which nothing els could doe and to be made the cause of eternall saluation to all the world as many as beleeue in mee The sinfull man Oh worth mee wretch then I am none of whom saluation came For I haue disobeyd thy will and led my life in blame And rest in Sathans bands a slaue by due desert I die Oh death make haste my Soule in sinne for thee is forste to crie Solace AND doest thou now confesse that it is Sathan hath thus be witched thee It is true most vntruely erwhile didst thou charge me with it be now ruled by me take mine aduice and there shall bee a dispensation prouided for thee easely to defeate Sathan and deceiue him of all his hope he hath yea of al his title intrest and demaund in thee for I haue his head vnder my girdle I vaÌ„quished him vpon y e Crosse I spoyled him of all his power I tooke all his weapons from him and tied him in chaines that he cannot passe those limmits that compasse which I haue assigned him without my permission and licence I discharged all wretched sinners out of his iurisdiction and in my humanitie satisfied and absolutely discharged the debt of all mankind and cancelled the Obligation wherein they stood bounde and tooke an acquittaunce for the same sealed with mine owne blood vpon the Crosse So that your olde maister subtile Sathan hath no more to demaund of them for I haue bouÌ„d my self to aunswere the vttermost farthing that lawe can charge them withall Although they were by reason of the breach which thy great graundparents Adam Eue made of the Commaundement of the Lord in the beginning all vnder the lawe and so bounde to aunswere the lawe which I haue done for all men And therefore if thou submit thy selfe vnto me and beleeue in me with a true faith thou shalt bee reconciled vnto mine heauenly father who if thou beleeue in me shall honour thee and for that thou art weake and full of infirmitie my grace and power feare thou not shall then most aboundantly appeare when thy weakenesse is greatest to hold thee vp and to helpe thee For although sinne abound in thee grace may more abound that is if thou repent thou shalt find fauour and mercy but he that walketh on still on his wickednesse without any motion of conscience to craue pardon of him whom he offendeth this grace and this reconcilement taketh no place in such a one Therefore must thou come to me in faith and in true repentance turne from thy former wicked waies so shalt thou bee reconciled vnto GOD mine heauenly father whose wrath by mine obedience is appeased his anger qualified and loue renued Death vanquished and life obteyned hell gates shut vp and the gates of heauen opened yea my dying hath made all men aliue for I am that seede of the woman that haue broken the Serpents head that haue cast out the Prince of this world and iudged him But he loueth yet to play the busie body he luoeth still to bee sifting euery man standing at their elbowes to pricke them forward to euery vanitie and falsly flatter them as a deepe dissembler saying tush tush God knoweth that if thou doe thus it shalbe for the best this is the way to thy most benefite But contrary
when he seeth a man forwarde to vertue bent to doe good and to doe my fathers will how then he bestirres him then he takes them by the arme as it were and saies doe not that and staies him disswading him saying take heede whether thou goe take heede what thou doe so that he is a minister to all mischeefe and a let to godlinesse he secketh by all meanes to trayne men into wickednesse hauing his hirelinges the world and the flesh to attende night and day ready to lay sundry tēptations to moue men to euill the pleasures of the world to win them and the motions of the flesh to moue thē to his detestable errors wherinto he wrencheth and wringeth mē with tooth and nayle to snare them and so to destroye them Was not he the meane to moue Herod to persecute me and to seeke occasions to tripp me that prouided false witnesse to accuse me wicked Iudges to condemne me And at last sent he not Iudas to betray me yes surely it was euen he for his tēpting mee in the Desertes on the pinacle of the temple makes it manifest that it was he But loe he could bring nothing to passe but as the Scripture before had determined should bee done before all things to that so precious businesse of mine should bee finished I could haue preuented him of his purpose but the wil of my father was that I should obey so I did to the death the death of the Crosse a death most ignominious most reproachfull and yet to make the matter more slaunderous as they thought and as the ministers of sathan perswaded them selues they hung me among theeues and murtherers yea a theefe and murtherer was set at libertie his notorious cryme pardoned and his life saued to thrust me forward who was innocent faultlesse iust and clere they hauing nothing to lay to my charge and yet he neuer left vntill they had hanged me but not to fulfill his will but the will of my father Sathan for his part needed not to haue been so busie for by my death I subdued him by mine obedience I brought him in subiection and bereft him of all his authoritie A most happie death for all mankinde for thereby I haue gotten them eternall life I was willing and ready to fulfill the will of mine heauenly father therein I refused nothing that might bee for the benefite of sinfull man or that might ouercome this great Goliath this huge Holophernes and to confound that saucie companion that intruded himselfe into the Garden of Paradice so mallepertly among thy parents Adam and Eue whom with faire wordes glorious shewes and vaine intisements he ouerthrewe and robbed them of all their happinesse and that with an Apple He is the instrument of all euill the master of all misrule who hath plaide the like parte with thee in stirring vp thy mynde to the vanities of this worlde to sucke the sweete from poore Simple thy tenaunt But his dealing is with such craftie conueyaunce that he maketh a great shewe that what he doth is for thy saluation when in deede it is to drawe thee into destruction and thou so simple nay rather full of subtiltie as a good scholler of his haste obeyed him and dissobeyed me followed him and forsaken me betrothed thy self to him and brokē thy faith with me But thou seest now I haue vanquished him I haue beaten him downe I trample him and his ministers vnder my feete thou maist perceiue that his courage is quayled and his force of none effect yet doth his will continue wicked and his practises very perrilous But to whom not to me neither auaileable against my members although he seeketh by all meanes to deuoure them It is to such as are weake in faith and of no courage to such as he findeth ready prepared for his comming and such as will willingly entertayne him and bee entertayned with him to such as will not only seeke how to resist him but yeeld before he come nere them to such as will not flye from him but goe as it were to meete him to such as haue a daintie and a nice care for the flesh and no regard to the soule against such his force is very strong And why not that it is of it self strong but such as thou art makest it strong who fearest to offende him who art loth to displease his officers the world and the flesh but canst finde in thine heart to goe for them to ride for them to runne for them yea and to liue and dye in their drudgerie in their seruitude and slauerie such an one he found thee He no soner sayd to thee doe this but thou didst it say this but thou saidst it frame thy cogitations thus but thou did so when he sayth eate thou eatest so did thy fore father and mother when he bids thee goe thou wilt runne and when he bids thee runne thou wilt ride poest so diligēt art thou to please him But contrary when I bid thée do this thou disdaynest when I or any by my commission bids thee goe thou wilt either stand starke still or goe backward which pleaseth well your master Sathan he feeds this frailtie of thine with diuers phantasies as might appeare yesterday before I tooke thee out of his Cradle of Securitie But wilt thou not confesse yet that he hath deceiued thee doest thou not yet feele it doth he yet keepe thee vnder his tyrannie Uerely verely he is a lyar a murtherer the King of pride he hath taught thee to lye and to dissemble he hath hurted and wounded thee and puft thee vp with such ambition that thou knowest not thy self Leaue thy lying therefore and speake the trueth be not high minded but consider that thou art an earthly man thou hast nothing to bragge of but rather great occasion to mourne and weepe for thy woundes which if thou seeke not helpe for will kill thee Returne therefore vnto me looke vp I am that Samaritane that will powre the oyle of grace into thy woundes and binde them vp with the cloutes of mercie It is I that wil carrie thee vnto the Inne of eternall blisse if thou wilt rise vp and walke with me nay I will set thee vpon mine owne shoulders I wil beare thee on my backe thou shalt lacke nothing I wil giue thee whatsoeuer thou wantest and bring thee where thou shalt bee cured and feele no more the smart of these woundes of thine Sathan hath made thē I will heale them Sathan hath vndone thee I will releeue thee Sathan hath pluckt thee downe I will raise thee vp Sathan hath blinded thee with the vaine and transitorie with the frayle and foolish pleasures of this worlde and allured thee to followe him to eternall destruction but I will open thine eyes and I wil giue thee light so that thou shalt be able to discerne his falshood and flatterie from my
faithfulnes how to flye him and to followe me to eternall saluation whereof if thou frame thee faithfully to my wordes I will assure thee Heare me The sinfull man Oh what should I poore sinner doe whose sinnes surpasse the sand In number which the surging seas and waues haue cast on land No wit no wisedome or good will doth rest within my brest Thy wordes are all in vaine to me I am bereft of rest And know not how to winne again thy fauour which is lost In dolefull plight I striue in vaine to yeeld vp guiltie ghost That earth might passe to earth againe of which it first begun My soule where it deserues to be an wofull ghost vndun Solace Wilt thou oh man continue still so hard of heart in woe Refusing so the fruites of grace that from my mercie floe Whereby thou mayst at libertie be set from force of foe Reclaimd from sinne and Sathans will to rest no more in woe Repent therefore I say repent turne thou to me in haste Giue eare vnto me once againe be yet reformde at last Thou shalt perceiue that I forgiue all sinners when they crye Not wishing any sinfull soule in such dispaire to dye ALL the Prophetes beare me witnesse tha◠through my name all that beleeue in me shall receiue remission of sinnes Iohn sayth 〈◊〉 any man haue sinned he hath an Aduocate wit◠the father Iesus Christ the Righteous he i◠the propitiation for our sins I am that Christ of whom Osee testifieth and sayth in that I haue conquered Sathan already O Death I wilbe thy death O Hell I wilbe thy destruction I haue as Dauid sayth lead captiuitie captiue when I ascended into heauen in ouercomming the Deuill Sinne Death and Hel enemies to the soule of man These that were long before me haue testified of me whose testimonie of me is true And my father in the beginning promised that the seede of the woman should tread downe the Serpents head I was that pure seede of the Uirgine of whom the Prophetes spake long before and I haue performed it vppon the Crosse and thus doth the spirite testifie in the hearts of all the Children of my father Now if these witnesses cannot moue thee to beleeue beleeue my father in heauen who testifieth of me saying This is my welbeloued Sonne heare him My father hath sent into the world eternall life and that is by me his Sonne Well then come vnto me al ye that labour are heauy laden with the burthen of sinne come vnto me I will ease you Art thou loden therefore poore man ye more then loden thou art prest downe not to the ground but to y e very gulfe of hel thou maist thanke thy master Sathan for it who being pittilesse presseth downe with the weightie burthen of all wickednesse such as yeeld him seruice He will promise at the first nothing but ease nothing but pleasure but in the ende he lodeth with labour and paieth your hire with paine thou that hast had the tryall of it excuse him if thou canst no thou canst not nor thy self Wherfore I say defie him and condemne thy self who hast gone astraie who hast wrought wickednesse euen with greedinesse And I see that he hath led thee into such a Laberinth into such a deepe Dungion of dispaire that it wilbe hard for thee to winde thee out againe But I will worke thee such a way as if thou bee aduised by me if thou followe my counsayle and walke the way that I will shewe thee thou shalt spite of his heart breake his fetters in peeces get out of his prison and defie him and all his wicked retinue euen to their faces The sinfull man Oh Solace doth thy mercy so abound to pardon me Although like stinking filthie cloath my life appeare to thee If Sathan held me not in band fast linckt in fetters fell Who roares like raging Lyon whē I doe determine well Full faine I would returne to thee whose mercy now I see And do perceiue that Satan seekes the meanes to murther me Solace YEa that is his occupation he hath nothing els to liue by nor to maintaine his kingdome withall He first allureth men to al kinde of vice he stirreth them vp to rebell against the will of mine heauenly father and as much as in him lyes reteineth them therein but when they be somewhat touched with the knowledge and feeling of their error when the spirite beginneth to groane vnder the heauie burthen of sinne and sommoneth them to the leading of a new life and they begin to fall from him then beginnes he to bestirre himself then he begins to cogge and to lye then he renues the Commissions of his officers and wicked ministers to lay a newe assault to their soules who with great diligence execute their masters will in perswading the poore sinner that he beginnes to take an ill course if he decline from his wicked way when he refuseth to doe ill and chooseth to doe good when he leaueth darknesse and betakes him to the light of trueth He tolde Iudas that he was not wise if he would followe me but if he would forsake me and betray me then did he well But when he had performed his commaundement and done as he was bid what did that master of his for him for sooth for feare least he should haue truely repented and haue vnfeynedly returned to me againe he put such a pricke into his conscience that he neuer left him till he had hanged himselfe Such conflictes maketh hee in the mindes of men that haue once yeelded vnto his pestilent motions and obeyed his wicked will without remorse of conscience feare of death or loue of mee and that will not be in time reclaymed from their wickednesse whome the wordes of my mouth will not mooue nor the feare of hell fire fraye from their filthinesse these I say when they heare the iudgements of my Father against them for their sinnes he to the ende he may hold them still in blindnes fearreth them with threates and ouercommeth their wittes with most horrible and blasphemous perswasions that there is no saluation or hope of helpe in me in so much as he laboreth by all meanes and vseth all his pollicies to bring them to destruction resisting them alwayes from doing any good as he stoode at the right hande of Iehoshua to let him when hee prayde vnto myne heauenly father for the state of the people So hee endeuoureth to take my worde out of thine heart least thou shouldest beleeue and be saued yea he desireth to winnow those that will come forwarde to godlines as Wheate as he sifted Peter myne Apostle who perswaded him selfe to be able to stand strongly but loe euen with the feare that Sathan stroke him with he denied me three times but he repented went out and wept bitterly And afterward resisted him manfully nay he was not
coÌ„tented only to trie mine Apostles and other holy men but he had a pull at me he layd a great assault against me as he thought for he tried me with great possessions that he promised to giue mee hoping that wealth would winne me he tryes me with hunger when he sawe this would not mooue me he sought meanes that I might kil my self to throwe my selfe downe of an high â—â—eeple but I could haue done it without hurt and so he perswaded me although he beleeued it not But this practise hee putteth yet in proofe for he willeth one to drowne himselfe another to kill himselfe the third to hang him selfe and by diuers other meanes he mooueth them to mischiefe themselues to dispatch them out of the way And why Least they should after his venemous biting looke vpon the brasen Serpent and liue which is least they should forsake sinne and cleaue vnto righteousnes least they should repent their wicked life and so returne and looke vpon me who was lifted vp vpon the Crosse that none that beleeue in me should perish but be healed of their spiritual diseases the sting of Sathan Wherefore turne thou vnto me turne thee I say vnto mee behold me crucified take a good hart vnto thee feare thou not I was sent in the flesh to die for thy sinnes such tender loue of thy saluation had mine heauenly Father that notwithstanding I was his onely deare Sonne in whome he was delighted yet spared he not me but sent me to saue thee Set Sathan therefore at naught I haue alreadie reprooued him take him as he is a fyre brand of hell whome I haue dispoyled of all his power feare none of these things that he threateneth thee withall But be faithfull vnto the death and I wil giue thee a crowne of life Be strong in the power of my might Put away lying and the author of lyes and gird thy loynes with veritie put on the brest plate of righteousnes the shielde of fayth and stand against these sharpe assaults of Sathan out of whose hands to redeeme thee I haue payd what could be demaunded yea the vttermost farthing nothing coulde ransome thee but my blood and that I gaue euen vnto the last drop whereof because I see thee ignorant I tell it thee so much y e oftner wherein if thou beleeue me I will proceed to shewe thee further what my fathers will is and howe thou shalt goe forward to fulfill the same Play the good and skilfull Mariner that hoyseth vp the Sailes when the wind best serueth and like a wise Marchant make thy market when thou meetest with the best Chapman least when thou wouldest saile the winde turne against thee and the market contrarie to thine expectation fall to thy disprofit Therfore I say while thou hast this opportunitie take holde of my proffer seeke me nowe I am neere least when thou wouldest thou canst not find me take heede y t thou omit not this conuenient time say not I come too morrowe I will goe burie my Father I will goe prooue my yoke of Oxen I wil goe see my Farme I wil go build c. These and such like delayes haue deceiued many were not the fiue foolish Uirgines shut out because they had no light in their Lampes when the Brydegroome came Let this suffice while thou hast light proffered receiue it least thou be thrust into vtter darkekenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The sinfull man Oh Solace I appeale to thee in heart I doe request That y u wilt shewe the perfect path to thy surpassing rest I doe perceiue from Sathan thou by death hast set mee free But tell me what I must beleeue and doe to come to thee He labours yet within my brest and faine would haue me gone He tels me flat that comfort thou in fine wilt shewe me none For I am his he sayes and he will haue me in the end Good Solace if thou can doe thou this cause of mine defend Solace WEll well I say take heede thou sinful wretch least as I sayd erwhile thou loose this fit oportunitie this conuenient wind that now is risen to blowe thee to the sweete harbour of saluation take heede it turne not against thee doest thou beleeue these tales of him that seekes to destroy thee and that raiseth so many stormes and tempestes to beate thee backe from the sweete and sure harbour of heauenly comfort And makest thou a doubt of my power Shall I defend thee if I can Is it by reason of infirmitie that thou sayst so or is it a stone which Sathan gaue thee to throw at me as his ministers did when I was on y e Crosse they bid me come downe and saue my selfe if I could yes yes I could and so am I able to saue thee if thou beleeue in me I haue already vanquished him that holdeth thee thus in darknesse and in the shadowe of death and thus perswadeth thee to refuse light offred in an acceptable time But faint not I say againe but beleeue verely to haue thy portion in the lande of the liuing Oh wretched man I perceiue thine infirmitie yet touched with the desire of thy saluation wherefore suffer this tryall with pacience I was tempted as thou hast heard but I withstood it euen vnto the death Be strong resist this cruell aduersarie of thine sight manfully against him and beate him downe with the Clubbe of a true and vndoubted faith in me Lay about thee before thee and behinde thee and of euery side suffer him not to come neere thee let him vnderstand that thou hast a master now that is mightier than he tell him that thou art now in the seruice of Iesus Christ a Captaine that hath giuen thee the weapons wherewith he ouercame him on the Pinacle and on the Mountaine at al times in al his assaults and then will he thinke his labour to bee all in vaine which he hath bestowed in stirring thee against me And as I haue promised to stande thy freend I will performe it come thou holdly vnto the Throane of grace where thou shalt receiue comforte in these conflictes I am the fountaine of all spirituall helpe who haue deliuered thee out of the bondage and thraldome of the deuill by my blood haue I raunsomed thee out of the captiuitie of Sathan I willingly obeyed myne heauenly father to the death to obteine remission of thy sinnes and rose againe for thy iustification that thou through faith in me shouldest bee saued and from henceforth to liue not to thy selfe after the flesh to fulfill the lustes and euill appetites thereof pleasing Sathan but to liue vnto me that is to abandon vice and to followe vertue to eschue euill and to doe good to seeke peace and to ensue it and carefully to imbrace godlinesse and righteousnesse of life as by me thou art made righteous and by
mine heauenly father yea all they that came of y e stock of Adam are all become abominable and of none abilitie to doe good there is none that worketh righteousnes no not one my selfe excepted who according to y e promise of mine heaueÌ„ly father in the beginning made to Adam y t the seede of the woman should tread downe the Serpents head who was also promised to Abraham Isaak and Iacob where it was foretold that in their seede should all the kingdomes of the earth be blessed therefore must thou beleue that y e originall corruption which proceeded froÌ„ Adam remaineth yet in all flesh in generall whose reward is death But my father hath reserued vnto himselfe a certaine number knowne onely vnto himselfe which in my bloud he hath sanctified vnto eternall life whom by the holy Ghost he elected and chose out before the foundation of the world to be his childreÌ„ adopted and vnited into his fauour and mercie againe by me his onely sonne who in the time from the beginning of the world limited by the holy Prophets foreshewed came into the world in the very shape forme of a man and in all thinges lyke vnto a man sinne excepted conceiued in the wombe of a virgin whose name was Marie by the holy ghost and was incarnate and tooke substaunce of her bodie and borne into the world and growing in the fleshe according to the manner of sinfull men yet without sin according to the worde of the Prophetes And that I was y e Messias so long before promised who should bring ioy glad tidings vnto all the world and to set those at libertie that were in the boÌ„dage of Sathan sould vnder sinne and to giue light to them that sate in darknes and in the shadowe of death who haue bin from the beginning of the world begotten before all creatures and consecrated of mine heauenly Father to be the onely Hye Priest that should offer the Sacrifice that should appease his wrath for all the sinnes of the worlde to be the king to defend his people and the Prophet to shewe them his will and to guide their feete vnto the way of peace Who by offering vp my body in sacrifice once for all through the eternall spirite without spotte or sinne purged the consciences of men from dead workes to serue the liuing God mine heauenly Father and that for that purpose I lefte the heauenly Cittie the bosome of mine heauenly Father and being Lorde of all became a subiect and seruaunt to all laying aside all glorie and put on the base attire of mortall man being indued with two natures Deuine and Humaine without which the will of my Father could not haue bin executed according to his diuine prouidence for in my humanitie I was in this worlde parsonally dwelling among men eating and drinking among men and was verie man of the promised seed of Dauid and yet as touching my Godhead I was nothing inferiour to mine heauenly father but coequall with him and coeternall yet was I coÌ„tent to humble my selfe obey his will and to shewe his vnspeakeable loue and ardent desire he had of the redemption of mankinde wherein he gaue me his onely sonne to dye for the sinnes of the world who according to his determinate will did most willingly imbrace euen the death of the Crosse to redeeme them from death that were iustly condemned performing the message of mine heauenly father in all things doing nothing but what was decreed before the beginning of the world by the eternal counsaile I became poore to make thee rich and to be a meane to bring thee into the fauour of mine heauenly father againe I became bond to the will of mortall men to make thee free with the imortall God I became a straunger and a Pilgrim in earth to make thee a Citizen of heauen I became the sonne of mortall man to make thee the childe of the liuing GOD I suffered the paynes of Hell to purchaze thee heauen I was content to sufter the cruell death of the Crosse to procure thee lyfe eternal Thou must therefore faithfullie belieue that I am that Christ that true Messias that was promised to be the Sauiour of the world who was annoynted with the oyle of grace and was indued with all spirituall heauenly giftes here in earth aboue all others and that my flesh was so sanctified with my Diuinitie and Godhead that it could not suffer or see corruption Thou must belieue also that after I had preached the will of my father in Iudea and Galile in great humilitie where both by word and miracles I shewed my selfe to be the sonne of God as also by the preachings of the Prophets The Iewes by all meanes sought to take me but could not before my time was come and when the howre came when I should be deliuered into their hands according to the will of my Father I was vniustly accused of y e chief priests who consulting how they might haue me taken procured Iudas falsly to betray me promising him a bribe who although I could haue preuented him betrayed me with a kisse And then the chiefe Priestes bound me and brought me before Pylate and had prouided false witnes to accuse me wicked ministers to scourge me scoffers to deride me condemning me most vniustly to dye and to be hanged vpon the Crosse betweene two theeues as a principall malefactor and yet pure and altogether without spotte or sinne where most ignominiously and cruelly I was crowned with a Crowne of thornes in dispitefull and disdaynfull manner saluting me by the name of the king of the Iewes who being thirstie they gaue me most sharpe vinegar mingled with gall to drinke all which I most meekely and willingly suffered tooke all their torments patiently their raylings and reuilings mildlie their buffetings spittings at me meekelie longing for the redemption of mankinde to be baptized with that baptisme of so greeuous a death and to offer vp once for all the sacrifice of my bodie to reuiue them that were dead in sinne and to obtaine pardon for their transgressions euen the tender loue I had to the saluation of their poore soules by which oblation I haue purchased full satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world that whoe so beleeueth in me should not pearish but should obtaine eternall lyfe Thou must verely beleeue also that I dyâ—d vppon the same Crosse and euen giuing vp the ghost into the handes of mine heauenly Father I indured such agonie due for the sinne of mankinde which aunswered the Iustice of mine heauenly Father in so heauy exceeding manner in respect of mine humanitie that the verie anguish and conflict of the flesh and spirit I sweat water and â—loud and was
forâ—ed to cry with a lowde voyce My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Such were the cruel torments that I suffered for thee O sinfull man and for all mankinde as that by reason of the extreamitie thereof I thought my selfe euen forsaken of my father But so heauie was his displeasure against the sinne of all mankinde and all the punishment due for it layd onely vpon me that requisite it was that the stripes wherewith so great a disease should be healed should be grieuous and many And therefore thou must not thinke that I was forsaken of God though I were contemned of the world but highly in his fauour for it behoued that I should suffer and afterwardes enter into my Fathers glorie That I should fall into the handes of mortall men be crucified and made a Sacrifice for the sin of all mankinde that they might be made the righteousnes of mine heauenly Father in me who haue paid the rauÌ„some for all the posteritie of Adam and redeemed them out of the bondage of Sathan death and hell my death is to all beleeuers lyfe by my humilitie are they exalted by my contempt are thy made glorious by my pouertie are they made rich and by my miserie haue they eternall felicitie I descended also into hell to make man inheritor of heaueÌ„ So precious was my death and so glorious my conteÌ„pt that by death I haue not onely ouercome death but all men by me In my victorie consisteth thy victorie by my triumph all mankinde may iustly triumph I am the way the trueth and the life who so will goe to the Father must come through me who so will be saued must beleue in me and liue in me for to me hath mine heauenly Father giuen all power and aucthoritie both in heauen and earth that I might giue eternall lyfe to as many as he hath giuen me who as Ionas liued in the Whales belly three dayes and three nighces the third day was cast on land liuing So after my death being taken downe of the Crosse I was layd in the Sepulchre where I lay three dayes to accomplish the sayinges of the Prophets and to vereâ—ie that which was long before writen of me and that I rose againe the third day for the Iustification of all that beleeue shewing my selfe openly to my Disciples eating with them and talking with them and with a Clowd was taken vp into heauen and placed at the right hand of God mine heaueÌ„ly Father crowned with that glory honor and immortalitie wherewith I was indued before the fouÌ„ndation of the world who by my selfe haue purged thee from all thy sinnes and haue made free passage vnto mine heauenly Father for all theÌ„ that in a true faith followe me in life coÌ„uersation treading the steps of righteousnesse for whoÌ„ I remaine a continual intercessour Mediatour Aduocate vnto mine heauenly father for things necessary aswell for their bodies as their soules faithfully asking and praying for the same in my name yea y u maist not accept of any other meane or instrument to come vnto mine heaueÌ„ly father then my selfe for then doest thou greatly erre thou blasphemest mine heauenly father and dishonorest me for he wilbe serued honored praied vnto in mee and in the name of none other Thou must lay aside all prayers to Saincts and cast away all beleefe that there resteth in them any power to appease the wrath of mine heauenly father for thy sinnes or to procure thee helpe in thy necessities but must come in my name and then thou shalt be sure to be heard if thou beleeue yet not despising but faithfully imitating in good life and holy conuersation those blessed members of mine departed out of this life before thee As for all remission of sinnes al helpe and releefe thou must hoâ—e for and acknowledge to come froÌ„ mine heauenly father by my meanes onely and by none other Wherfore I say thou must beleeue in none other but in mee Iesus Christ crucified God and man sitting in heauen at the right hand of mine heauenly father and remayning a Mediatour betweene him and all those y t in faith come to mee Take hold of me therefore I say who am that Sonne of God and man that was borne of the Uâ—rgine Mary for the saluation of all mankinde who was conuersant here in this miserable worlde layde first in a Maunger most basely and wheÌ„ according to the course of other meÌ„ by sucking eating drinking I grew in stature I preached taught the will of my father glad tydinges vnto the world I was betraied and solde by Iudas I was bound and buffited I was rayled at and reuiled I was turned ouer from one to an other to Annas to Cayphas to Pylate to Herode to y e Hall held vp mine hande at Barre there falsly accused then scourged and caried to the place of Execution where I was most miserably tormented hanged on the Crosse then layd in the graue from whence I rose and now ascended aboue all heauens and al this for thy â—ake al this for no desert of mine but â—or the redemption of all mankinde â—rom the curse of the law for there is â—o coÌ„demnation to them that are in 〈◊〉 walking not after the flesh but â—fter the spirite The power of the â—pirite of life wich is in mee hath deâ—uered thee from the power of sinne â—nd death but he that hath not my â—pirite he is not mine but shall dye â—herefore must thou mortefie the â—edes of the flesh by the spirite that â—ou mayst liue Also thou must beâ—eue that as I ascended visibly into â—eauen with the very body wherein I suffered so must thou likewise beleeue that in the same body I shall come againe in great glory and magestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead at whose hands all meÌ„ shalâ— receiue rewarde according to their well and euill doing which Iudgement shalbe finall generall whereat all men shall appeare all men shalâ— giue accompt of their doinges yea 〈◊〉 euery idle worde and euill thought and that then shall those that hauâ— done good be set in peaceable possesâ—sion for euer of the vnspeakable ioyeâ— of heauen and they that be found iâ— the seruice of Sathan and caried 〈◊〉 way with y e cares of this worlde thâ— Couetouse persons the Drunkerds the Extortioners Lyers Usurers and al those that haue not obeyed thâ— worde of my heauenly father in 〈◊〉 but haue liued in sinne and haue 〈◊〉 truely repented such I say shall bâ— cast into vtter darknesse where shaâ— be coÌ„tinual sorrow no ioy al paineâ— and no pleasure all griefe no glaâ—â—nesse with such continuall and endles torments as the tongue of man cannot expresse with howling weeping gnashing of teeth where the worme of the conscience shall neuer dye Thou must also beleeue that the
enemies was bound in fetters but vpon his true repentance humbling himselfe in prayer obteyned not only deliueraunce but pardon for his offences The Isralites in their great daunger repented their sinnes fell prostrate vnto God in true repentaunce and were deliuered Mary Magdaline vpon the like repentaunce humbled her self and I forgaue her sinnes The Niniuites a rebellious and obstinate people at the comming of Ionas preaching repentaunce repented in Sackcloth and Ashes and were saued But the old world whose hearts would not relent nor turne from their wickednesse by the preaching of Noe were they not suddainely taken and drowned in the great Flood Noe with a small number of persons excepted The Sodomites and men of Gomorrha who would not repent at the message of my father were burnt with fire and Brimstone suddainly from heauen Such was the vnbeleefe and careles wretchednesse of those of Ierusalem whose dissobedience was great would not repent had the sentence of destruction seuen yeares before pronounced against them and yet runne on still in their wickednesse were besieged and entrenched with their enemies Tytus and Vespatian who battered their walles sackt their Citie burned their houses and themselues in such miserie that for meere famine were driuen to eate their owne children and things clene contrary to the nature of men such is the iust iudgement of mine heauenly father against such as wil not â—e warned at my worde the Gospell of trueth such as neglect and contemne my messengers and set at naught the preaching of my will Wherefore I say againe vnto thee and not to thee only but to al in general rent your hearts and not your garments and returne speedely vnto him whose hands of mercie are now extended ready to receiue them that truely turne to him and his vengeaunce and wrath ready to be powred out vpon the rebellious people vpoÌ„ the sinfull and wicked ones that without regard of his mercie or feare of his Iustice imbrace wickednesse lock vp vanitie in their chestes euen with gréedines for which cause the wrath of my heauenly father is inkindled wherein he deliuereth the offenders into the hands of their aduersaries that shall destroye theÌ„ And yet such is his mercie and his loue so vnspeakeable that at what time soeuer they shall vnfeinedly repent them of their sinnes when soeuer they shall in heart returne to him he shall receiue theÌ„ in mercie and with his merueilous louing kindnesse shal he defend them as with a shield Wherfore I say vnto thee not onely vnto thee but to all those that haue their affections set on the things of this world Mortefie your members which are on the earth fornication vncleannes the inordinate and vnbrideled affections of the heart euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is Idolatrie which is now adaies most greedely imbraced But be assured and let no man neither thine owne peruerse imagination deceiue thee that neither Whoremonger neither vncleane person nor he that supposeth his safetie to consist in his riches an Idolater shal haue any parte of the inheritaunce of my Kingdome Among whom thou thy self hast walked and which things thou hast sometimes been defiled with fulfilling the desires of the corrupt flesh wherby the wrath of mine heauenly father was bent against thee But of my rich grace if thou repent and beleeue thou shalt be saued Wherfore beware thou harden not thine heart in euill returne without delay be warned runne not headlong into newe euilles as the corruption of thy peruerse nature prouoketh thee and whereby Sathan seeketh to drawe thee either into a careles going forward in euill or els into that false and damnable kinde of sorrow whereinto he drewe Caine Esau and Iudas whose sorrow was not to repentaunce vnto saluation as thou hast heard before but wherby they aggrauated and encreased the displeasure of God against them and into the same sorrowe he began to draw thee when thou were first touched with y e knowledge of thy sinnes of which kinde of sorrowe thou must beware and prepare thy heart to that sorrow of Dauids of Mary Magdalines and of the Theefe that was executed with me whose sorrow was vnto saluation not vnto death vnto amendement of life not vnto perseueraunce in wickednesse vnto righteousnesse not vnto sinne Thou must search thine owne conscience and roote out of thine heart al hypocrisie al vnbeleefe all hawtines and pride and in al humblenesse and lowlinesse of minde prostrate thy selfe before the tribunall seaâ—e of God the father making humble confession of thy former euill life and in an vnfeyned faith crye out that for my sake he will bee mercifull vnto thee that hee will forgiue thy sinnes and pardon thine iniquities who is readie in great mercie to returne to him that seeketh him by me with his whole heart who eschueth euil and doth the thing that is good that cleaueth vnto righteousnesse and auoydeth all occasions to doe euill And that with Dauid considering his waies turneth his feete vnto my testimonies and not to Couetousnesse chastizing himselfe with true mortification and casting away all impediments that may hinder or let the preceeding to the amendement of his sinfull life For he that will come vnto mee must bee contented to take in good parte to forgoe the pleasures of this world to bee of small reputation here to bee hated reuiled persecuted yea and to suffer death for my sake The sinfull man All this I can and will performe yea what thou wilt I shall I yeeld my self with wilâ—ing mind for thee to beare it all Solace ALas poore sillie man thou shewest thy selfe very valiaunt before the battaile and very coragious before the combat thou canst stande fast before thou be shaken as though thou were of thy self of power to doe what thou oughtest and to abstaine from doing that thou oughtest not to doe as though thou hadst no neede of my helpe nor waÌ„t of the aide of the holy Ghost or had such perfection alreadie as now there wanted no more in thee Beware of this presumption for it is a meane to queÌ„ch true zeale and a great hinderaunce vnto the worke of true repentance It is the dregges of Satans poyson that yet remaine in thy corrupted minde wherewith thine heart yet swelleth against instruction with a vaine conceipt of sufficient abilitie to doe good and to eschue euill and to beare the heauie burthen of death for my sake when in deede thou art not yet healed of thine olde sore but refusest as it were to receiue the medicine which for thine eternall health I minister vnto thee Sathan telleth thee that thou art able alreadie to worke miracles and to doe wonders and that thou knowest all thinges alreadie wanting nothing and why because he would keepe thee still in ignoraunce and from comming to knowledge It is his endeuour not in thee onely but he worketh to the same
heauen enduring for euer because he feareth not the destruction of the wicked nor longeth for the saluation prouided for the godly O miserable estate of the wicked Rich-men that repose their confidence in their muck and hazard their soules for the wealth of the world But awake awake thou foolish man that slumbrest thus in sinne looke vpon that godly Zacheus set him as a glasse wherein to behold the paterne of perfit repentaunce who being verie rich was voluntarily contented to restore not onely fowerfould that which he had wroÌ„gfully gotten but to giue the halfe of his goodes to the poore who had saluation for his reward Consider this O foolish man and refuse not to make restitution of thine indirectly gotten goods And of that which thou hast then left be thou liberall in so much as if thou sée thy poore brother to want that wherewith thou hast to relieue him thou maist not withhold it And let not the vnsatiable desire of momentanie pleasures to choake thine vnderstanding that my wordes can not reuoke thée from thy disobedience to a spéedie sorrow causing repentaunce vnto saluation walke not thus in a shadow disquieting thy selfe in vaine reposing thy trust in casuall riches whereof thou hast boasted thy selfe heretofore as though it could redéeme thy soule in the last day Wherefore I say be warned least thou be destroyed for euer least thou be pluckt out of thy foolish earthly tabernacle and quite and cleane rooted out of the land of the liuing which the righteous shall sée and laugh at and shall say Behold the man that tooke not God for his strength but trusted in the multitude of his riches which now not onely auaileth him not in the day of the Lords wrath but hath heaped vpon himselfe veÌ„geance for his reward Naball a very rich man refusing of his increase store to releeue the young men whom Dauid sent who in his couetousnes said Shall I take my bread my water my flesh substaunce which I haue gotten together giue it to them I know not But he was rewarded with death Wherefore I say consider this and turne vnto me in newnes of lyfe and in righteousnes which shall deliuer thée from death Set not thine affections altogâ—ther thus on worldly thinges which I perceaue hath made thée so druncken that thou perswadest thy selfe that thy prosperitie which is the nurce and foundation of all other vices and the ground of all impietie and disobedience against God mine heauenly Father is the mother of true happinesse Beware of that error for Dauid when he was in prosperitie hauing all thinges at will fell to Adulterie and murdred an innocent man But he scaped not scotfrée he was plagued with his owne sonne Absolon who rebelled against him so daungerous is the estate of prosperitie and so iust is the iudgement of mine heauenly Father against such as doe not bestowe his giftes to the helpe and reliefe of his poore brethren but who in stead of reléefe vse for their owne priuate gaine violence oppression Wherefore I say stand vp with Zache be merciful and helpefull vnto thy poore and needy brethren according to thy power and as thou hast plenteous giue plenteously turne not thy face from him that asketh of thee and what thou hast had of any man wrongfully restore it againe willingly be ready to giue and glad to distribute and what thou layest out mine heauenly Father shal paye it thee againe in heauen and shall defend thee in time of thy necessitie Trust not in vncertaine riches which hath already deceiued thee but in the liuing God mine heauenly father who performed his promises for euermore who shall make thee so rich in good workes that in me and for my sake thou shalt obtaine eternall lyfe The sinfull man Then loe I will restore in hast the landes and Graunge againe To Simple and no other man shall losse by me sustaine But will the poore and needy man releeue that are opprest And then I trust I shal possesse at last eternall rest Solace IF this restitution of thine procéede of an vnfained fayth and the residue of thy doings tend to the amendment of thy life assure thy selfe of eternall saluation yet not in respect of thine owne good works be they neuer so manye but for my sake who as thou haste heard haue purchased the same for all them that vnfainedly repent and turne from their wicked waies for when thou of thy selfe hast done al that thou canst yet arte thou an vnprofitable seruant therfore must thou quite and clean disclaime thine owne worthines for in the sight of mine heauenly father shall no man liuing be iustified But if thou be ouerburdened with the weight of thy sins come vnto me lay all thine offences in true repentance on me who continue an aduocate in the sight of mine heauenly father making continuall intercession for as many as faythfully beleeue whome I will cloathe with the weedes of righteousnes that they in the last day may appeare without spot and receaue the reward of eternall life Where thou hast also diligently to beware that seeing saluation and redemption to come onely by my death and by sacrifice of my body on the Crosse once for all the sinnes of the world and that I continue a mediator and aduocate vnto mine heauenly Father for thée for euer and that I am full of mercie slowe to wrath and ready to forgiue Take héede I say least the prince of this world thy woonted aduersarie Sathan put into thine heart a presumption of these mercies of mine perswading thée that there is no doubt of saluation because that I haue promised that weare thy sinnes as redde as Scarlet I will make them as white as Snowe and so hold thee still to fight against all goodnes and godlynes and to stand stoutely as it were in defiance of my louing calling and dispise the riches of the grace and mercie of God mine heauenly Father purchased by my bloud wherein I louingly call thée now to repentaunce wherein thou must vnfainedly returne to me and that spedily not driuing off from day to day saying as the wicked when they be reprooued of their sinnes accustomably doe That they know they shall haue time enough to repent ere they dye which is another stop and stumbling block that Sathan layes before them that are called that they should not repent but dye in their sinnes So tels hée thée and perswades thée that death shall not be so cruell vnto thée but shall spare thee and afoord thée time enough to say euen at the last gasp Lord haue mercie vpon me Lord forgiue me my sins and so forth which as he tels thee shall be sufficient for thée Thus he séeketh to stay thy true repentaunce euery way and in this foolish imagination of crauing pardon at the last while manie haue delayed the
that is worthy of his Fathers fauour that for his fathers sake will not with patience suffer one howers hardnes or take such part nay some part of the paines that his Father sustayneth Or that obayeth not his Fathers will in thinges tending to his owne welfare Suerly that sonne deserueth no fauour but to be beaten with many stripes And what man is hée that if some skilfull Phisition doe foreshowe him of some daungerous disease beginning to growe vppon his body which he himselfe as yet féeleth not but to preuent a greater inconuenience will hee not bee contented not onely to bestowe his money but for the safetie of his arme will he not be contented to suffer his finger to be cut off and to saue his bodie will he not abide his legge to be cut off yes no doubt If such cost be not too deare nor such paines too terrible to preueÌ„t the daunger of the bodie what man will not bee contented for the safetie of his soule to cut off all whatsoeuer is like to indaunger the same And art thou so loth to cut off that or cast from thee those things which are the cause of thy so pernicious a disease securetie Doest thou think thy goods nay thy ill gotten goodes so deare so helpfull and so precious as to indaunger the death of thy soule with the deteining of them when thou art promised life vpon the restitution of them vnfeynedly repenting Beware I say beware least it fester and thy desease gather further into thine heart and so destroye both bodie and soule The sicke-man who for his healthes sake refuseth not to take the most bitterest Potions and hardest medicines and yet are they most greeuous and most vnpleasaunt to him for the time yet because their effect and their working turne to his health he willingly receiueth them So must thou be contented for thy soule health to accept of such bitter afflictions and crosses in this life as shall please mine heauenly father to minister vnto thee which although they bee sharpe and vnsauerie for the time it turneth all thinges to good yea to the health both of soule and bodie Thou hast supped a little of the cup of pouertie and want which is but a milde potion a gentle medicine and yet so contrary to disgestion that it hath driuen thee into such a frantique perplexitie that thou shewest thy self very vnable to take those Purgations which must worke with a more stronger effect to the driuing out of all such noysome affections as by the corruptible and contagious ayre of Sathans breathinges haue infected thine heart whereof if thou bee not cured and the same cut off with the Rasour of a true and vnfeined repentaunce it will procure thee not onely death of bodie but vtter destruction both of bodie and soule Wherefore I say seeke remedie in time come vnto me who am the onely true Phisition of all sicke soules refreshing all them that bee heauie laden healing their spirituall deseases if faithfully and without wauering they seeke the same at mine handes and speedely returne vnto mee by that true and vnfeyned sorrowe for their sinnes which sheweth it selfe in amendement of life in that true sorrowe which causeth repentaunce vnto saluation Comfort thy selfe in this therefore that thy desease is foreshewed thee and that Phisition hath taken thee in hand to cure thee that haue all power in mine owne handes and let neither thy sinnes past trouble thee nor thine estate greeue thee but bee onely reioysing in that I haue promised forgiuenesse of the one and helpe in the other Thou hast an aduocate with the father euen me Iesus Christ the righteous who haue obteyned pardon for al thy sinnes and haue raunsomed thee out of the handes of Sathan a most especiall benefite in respect whereof al the plagues al the troubles calamities and afflictions in this life can light vpon thee are not to bee accompted greeuous but willingly to bee imbraced and paciently to bee accepted as a fatherly calling of thee from thy selfe vnto mee for better it is for thee to be afflicted here in this worlde with bodily and short afflictions then in the world to come with endles destruction And therefore I say beare thou not only with pacience but with a thankfull heart whatsoeuer shal please mine heauenly father to sende thee be it sweete or sowre for those that are his he correcteth and oftentimes suffereth the wicked and careles the secure and dissolute liuers to runne on still in their wicked waies whâ—me of Iustice hee shall reward with endles perdition being yet so full of mercie and so loth to haue the sinner to dye in his sinnes that I most louingly call them intreâ—ting them fayrely to returne from their wickednesse and be saued whom if they repent not by the gentle admonition of the word he scourgeth them he striketh them with his Rod of correction by pouertie by sicknesse by losse of frendes and other aduersities to the ende they may remember themselues and be called from their securitie to place their whole trust in him that is able to saue them and to cast them away who is able to releeue them and to vndo them able to bring them to the déepe of the graue and to bring them vp againe who is able to plucke downe and exalt able to kill and to make aliue againe The lost Sonne as long as he was in his iollitie as long as he had his prosperitie of wealth at his will his health of bodie and thinges at his owne desire wanting nothing that pleased his fantasies so long ranne he astray followed wantonnes imbraced wickednesse and imployed himself to filthinesse and sinne euen with greedines But when he was touched with pouertie when his wonted freendes forsooke him and had no meane to releeue himself then began he to 〈◊〉 his fantasies after an other fashion thou he made of necessitie a vertue he brideled his affectiâ—ns he tamed his euil desires and in al humilitie in true sorrowe for his disobedieÌ„ce he returned againe vnto his father and in great bitternesse of heart as one that vnfeinedly repented he cryed out and sayd Oh father I haue sinned I haue sinned against heauen and against thee I am no more worthie to be called thy sonne accept me as one of thine hyred seruauntes whose submission obteyned pardon Dauid when he was in his prosperitie committed euill in the sight of mine heauenly father but when he was afflicted by the persecution of his owne sonne Absolon when he felt aduersitie then cryed he out and confessed his iniquitie bewraying his owne wretchednesse and acknowledged the mightie power of mine heauenly father to whom in great bitternesse of heart he prayed saying Oh Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thine heauie displeasure But haue mercie vppon mee for I am weake c. So great a let is a prosperous estate vnto the proceeding and going forward vnto that
thou must praye for grace and assistance to doe that which in those two Tables is conteyned And what by reason of thine owne weakenes thou canst not performe thereof thou must beware that although I haue vndertaken to stand betweene thy selfe the curse due for the same thou thinke not thy selfe so discharged of performance thereof as farre as thou canst least by the careles câ—sting of the burden thereof vppon mee thou runne headlong into those euils that Sathan shall pricke thee vnto perswading thy selfe that I haue vndertaken to release thee of that which heretofore was layde on thee to be performed and so thincke it needlesse to doe that which is commaunded thee Take heede I say take heede least that this conceite drawe thee into a negligent going forward to doe good and a promisse to doe euill But bring foorth the fruites of amendement of life work righteousnesse execute iudgement growing and proceeding from fayth to fayth ioyning thereunto a good conuersation with knowledge and much patience accompanied with brotherly kindnes and loue wherein thou must shewe thy selfe willing to doe good vnto all men to speake the trueth from thine heart to imagine no deceit against thy neighbour but to doe vnto him as thou wouldest others should doe vnto thee shewing thy selfe fruitfull in the knowledge of the trueth confirming thy free election in mee by the workes proceeding of the Spirit through a liuely and a woorking faythe wherein acknowledging thy true and earnest repentaunce by disclayming thine owne merits thou shalt in the ende receiue that swéet and endles solace which by my death I haue purchased whiche is the moste comfortable presence of my father in heuen life euerlasting without the· which there is nothyng but vtter destâ—â—ction The sinfull man Then Lorde of lords oh Solace sweet Oh louing Iesu deere Whose passing power by word of trueth created heauens cleere The Sea that surgeth too and fro the earth and Creatures all Thy wisdome is surpassyng high thy mercies great withall So that the workes which thou hast done doo all depend on thee And I among them all the woorst crye come Lorde come to mee Who am a Uessell fraught with wo whose dayes are past in sinne My nature proane to wickednesse reteines mee yet therin But thou that art the God of blisse extende thy mercie meere Let not the furious Feend preuaile against thy Creatures heere Thou canst attend before I crie support before I fall Thou canst relieue before I craue forgiue before I call Thy grace is of so great effect thy counsaile Lord so pure That whome thou wilt preserue and keepe remaineth most secure Thou art of grace the giuer true the God of mercie meere Who wouldest not that Sinners die but turne to thee in feare So that Oh Lord abounding so with loue and mercie store Thou didst vouchsafe to send a salue to cure my cruell sore Thy onely Sonne delight and ioy who came in humaine weede Into this vale of deepe annoy to kyll the Serpents seede Who did betray and bryng to woe our former Parentes twaine Whom thou hadst set in blessed state for aye there to remaine And I poore wretch the seede of sinne so subiect vnto yll Haue swerued from y e word of trueth and sore transgrest thy wyll Imbracing with great greedinesse my substance and my store Which I by couin and deceit haue gotten heretofore And in delight haue past my dayes as Sathan rulde my will I framde my â—â—nfies all and some to thinges peruers and ill Haue mercie mercie Lord on mee whoe haue deserued thrall Refuse mee not though I be dust by nature proane to fall Blot out of thine accompting Booke what I haue done amisse Oh pardon my Offences all and place my soule in blisse Wash me from all vngodlinesse make soule and body cleene That not a spot of filthinesse in neither may be seene I doo confesse O Lord to thee I doo confesse my sinne And doo condempne my selfe of all that I haue liued in I am a frowarde Childe to thee prouokyng thee to Ire But Lord vouchsafe call mee againe I would full faine retire From wandring in such vanities to walke the wayes of light Extend thy loue Lorde let me liue from hence a life vpright I disobeyed thy Preceptes and did what Nature would I did not that that Uertue wyld and what of right I should Most wickedly I walked in the wayes that were vniust Esteeming filthy Carcase so as it had not ben dust Oh Lorde I stood no feare of thee nor reuerenst thy name But as a disobedient wretche haue lead my life in blame Thy Lawes I cast behinde my back and doo not them fulfyll I follow with all greedinesse mine owne corrupted wyll I haue most lewdly lead my life without remorce of minde Neglecting true repentance styll to wickednes inclinde I roue at randone too and fro from sinne to sinne I runne And therin wallow as the Sow in durtie soyle in Sunne The Solace whiche I should haue shund I sought with gredinesse And shund the Solace which I shuld haue held as happinesse Which thou O lord thou doost behold yea what I thinke or saye What I haue done and what I doo and how I gad astraye How I despised thy commaund and how I breake thy wyll How like a senceles man I run by rash conceit to yll Wherfore I neede to say no more my sinnes my soule annoy Mine heart doeth harbour such conflict that gone is all my ioy Solace Dispaire not man let sorrow passe take solace now of mee I am the God that neuer was nor wyll vnfaithfull bee My mercie is a thousand fould to him that doth repent Repent therfore saye on be bould the contrite is not shent What if thou be a sinfull man in hart repent therfore Be sure thou shalt haue pardon then but see thou sinne no more The Thiefe that hung on tree w t mee as he gaue vp the Ghost Did craue that he might saued bee whose praiers were not lost And Marie Magdaline that was a sinfull woman came To mee in heart repenting sinne and I forgaue the same By death I say I ouerthrew the Serpent and his trayne Mine heauenly fathers wyll I dyd obey without disdaine Upon the Crosse with euyll men my Corps were nayled fast Not as a Sinner but for thee when helpe of hope was past Proceede therfore confesse in haste what thou hast done amisse For Sinne I know remains in thee as in all men there is The sinfull man Then Lorde I see thou doest beholde with thy supernall eye The creaturs which in thraldome bee and hearest when they crie I sinfull soule distressed sore in plungyng pangues of woe Doo craue the cruÌ„mes of mercie store which from thy Table floe For Lorde I see that thou art prest to ease my sinfull sore Refuse me not vouchsafe mee rest in heart that call therfore Who by my sinfull lyfe haue lost thy loue and purchast
vndone The sum and whole effect whereof is comprehended onely in loue namely in louing God aboue all thinges and thy neighboure as thy selfe and to hate all things that make againste the fulfilling of the same loue The sinfull man Uouchsafe good Solace to declare now more at large to mee These ten Precepts which doe set foorth the way to come to thee Solace THâ—â— attend thou diligently and first coÌ„sider that these precepts are not of so small moment as y t they should be accepted as the coÌ„maundements of man but to be esteemed as the verie word of myne heauenly father whoe to make the same of the greater credite and aucthoritie amonge men ioyned his owne person his glorious maiestie to the same his words and came visiblye downe in a flame of fire vpon mount Synaye to deliuer them after a farre more glorious and wounderfull manner then man could doe couplinge his owne glorye with the worde to the ende that the same should not be so little accompted of so slenderly regarded or the aucthoritye thereof reiected as a thinge of small effect as words coÌ„monly are estemed as a puffe of wind now hard and by and by forgotten But because it should be of an euerlasting and permanent continuance they were wrytten in tablâ— of stone such was the weightines of the matter that myne heauenly father thought not the wordes of a man no not of an Angel of sufficient aucthoritie or credyte to delyuer the same And therefore came he himselfe downe after such a wounderfull manner as that the mount Synaye at his presence smoaked as a fournace trembling and quakinge miraculouslye whereby thou mayste perceyue y t whoso dyspiseth his Prophets and the performance of his commaundements dispiseth his word and so contempneth god myne heauenly father him selfe for he that dyspiseth the one contempneth the other Therefore muste thou not so lightly waye these precepts the will of mine heauenly father but highly reuereÌ„ce them attentiuely heare them duely follow them and faythfully beleeue them which are perfect conuerting the soule The testimony of the Lord is pure and giueth wisdome vnto the simple and in performing them is their great reward which rewarde yet notwithstanding thou mayst not accompt thy selfe worthy of when thou hast done that which is in the law commaunded thee as farre as is possible for to fulfill the same in al points so exactly as is required thou canst not but when thou haste done all that thou canst thou mayst confesse thy selfe an vnprofitable seruante nay examine the former course of thy life with that which mine heauenly father hath commaunded thée in the lawe and thou shalt not onely finde thy selfe guilty of the breach of one but of all the commaundements for if thou breake and transgresse one thou arte guilty of all And as mine Appostle Paule sayth thou arte not of thy selfe able to thinke a good thought much lesse to fulfill the whole law for they that are in the flesh cannot please God but thou art called from the wisdome of the fleshe whiche is death to the wisdome of the spirite which is life wherby thou mayst be directed to fulfill that righteousnesse which the lawe requireth namely to loue mine heauenly father with all thine hearte with all thy minde with all thy strength thy neighboure as thy selfe wherein consisteth the perfecte righteousnes of the lawe Now to declare the same more at large and to reherse the same particulerly for thy better instruction know this that the first of the same tenne precepts is a prohibition or forbidding that thou shouldâ—st haue any other God or Gods but mine heauenlye father onelye who hath made thée the whole world and all things therein coÌ„tayned who as hée deliuered the people of Israell from their bondage and captiuitie wherein they were grieued by the tirannye of Pharaoh King of Egypte by the handes of Moses and Aaron so hath hee deliuered thee and all mankinde by the sacrifice of my body vppon the crosse from the bondage of sinne from the tyraunte of Sathan and from the feare of death and hell which if there were none other were such an especial benefit that it might 〈…〉 thee to suche an inwarde acknowledging of his inestimable loue that in respecte of that that when thou were following the vngodlie lustes and féeding the vnlawfull desires of thine vntamed fleshe runnynge rashly foorth in that broade way that leadeth vnto death he vouchsaued to send mee his onely sonne to call thée and to with-drawe thee from the same and to set thee in the way that leadeth vnto eternall life thou canste not but accompte him thy god and be mooued to the willyng seruice of him To which especiall benefit if thou ioyne and call to mind the residue of his aboundaunt mercyes wherin he voutchsafeth thee all thinges necessary and expedient to the mayntenaunce of this mortall life and suffereth thee not to wante the thing which maye relieue and comfort thée in all necessities and especially if in fayth thou fall vnto him in my name requiring the same thou mayest be assured to obtayne all thinges at his handes which are requisite for thée not onely I say for the bodye but which is most precious for the soule which could not but haue coÌ„tinued in a most miserable and most dampnable estate had not hee giuen me vnto the death for the redemption thereof who as I haue before assured thée haue aunswered that for thee for which thou remaynedst accurssed namely for not performing all things contained in the lawe That haue I done for thée obeying the will of mine heauenly father therin whose mercy so abounded that he hath accepted thee vnto his fauour agayne through mée without whome thou hadste neuer beene reclaimed but perished in thy sinne In which his so singuler benefites and superaboundant mercies he declareth himselfe to be thy very true and onely God and therefore forbiddeth thee to haue any other God but himself whome thou must worship obey serue trust vnto beleeue and call vpon giuing him aswell by outward profession as by inwarde loue and affection vnfayned prayse and honour imparting the same to none other Least as Dauid sayth thou forget the name of the Lord thy God holde vp thine handes to straunge Gods Worship thy Lord thy God therefore and see that him onely thou serue and truely obey and that with the same true worshippe whiche is commaunded thée in his worde as by prayers supplications and giuinge of thankes magnifying him in the greatnes of his mercy wherein he aydeth reléeueth comforteth and defendeth them that being distressed faithfully call vpon him not running vnto any Saint or Angell but vnto him onely in and by me who am the waye and meane to bringe them vnto him I am the mediator and aduocat by whoÌ„ onely and by none other thou mayst haue free passage vnto
my desertes and meere merites The sinfull man This sweete conclusion cōforts me who can not but confesse That these thy Lawes like wicked wretch I daily doe transgresse But sith thou freely doest obtaine the loue of God for me Uouchsafe me grace to mortifie my sinnes to come to thee And sith the night drawes on so fast passe to the rest in haste I will attend vnto the ende forgiue offences paste Solace THen remember thou that these foure commaundementes which thou hast alreadie heard doe perfectly instruct thee to the seruice of myne heauēly father and wherein his glorie and true worship doeth consist namely to acknowledge him the author of all thy welfare both of body and soule and by his mercies to be stirred vp to do those things y t may please him and to beware of ioyning any in worship with him or to giue him other worship thē is warranted prescribed by his word To be carefull in doing those things y t may be to the glory of his name to auoyde that y t by any meanes may dishonour y e same And lastly to hūble thy selfe truely acknowledging the corruption of thine heart condemning thine owne wayes works and to endeuour thy selfe to subdue the same for that it is the free mercie and goodnesse of mine heauenly father through the merites of me his sonne that sanctifieth and iustifieth thee and not thine owne workes In which foure former Commaundements is directly set downe the sūme of thy duetie appertaining to God mine heauenly Father Who to the ende that thou shouldest witnesse thine obedience vnto himself outwardly he hath prescribed vnto thee those dueties which thou oughtest to performe towards other men for that seruice worship of God is not accepted which is not ioyned with the loue of thy brethren neither is thy charitie to other men any thing accompted of where it is not grounded vppon that vnfayned loue of God which proceedeth of a true fayth and sincere seruice of him for he that loueth mine heauenly father keepeth his commaundements sheweth a sufficient witnesse that he loueth the children of God and as Iohn saith We know that we are trāslated from death to life because we loue the brethren So y t it apeareth to bee a sufficient testimonie of a blessed estate when thou for his sake doest truely performe those dueties which he hath commaunded thee vnto men The first whereof is to honour thy father and thy mother for who so curseth father or mother let him die the death but he that truely obeieth them and behaueth himself reuerently aswell inwardly heartely endeuouring him self to ayd them to helpe them and submitting his will vnto their willes in thinges honest as in outward reuerence nurture and seemely behauiour such a one I say hath a blessing promised namely to haue his daies prolonged vppon the earth and to be filled with al good thinges And on the contrary the stubborne stife-necked and gracelesse children shall be rooted out and taken away by vntimely death from the lande which mine heauenly father hath giuen them In which Comaundemēt thou must vnderstand thy selfe not onely to be inioyned to vse reuerence and to giue honour vnto thy parents namely to those that were the ministers of the bringing thee into this life but vnto all Magestrates Superiours and Ministers whō he hath ordeyned as Instruments by whom to conueye such graces and benefites vpon thee as are necessary expedient for thee towardes whom this Commaundement willeth thee so to behaue thy selfe in all thine actions as may witnesse of thine inward loue and reuerence towards them It behoueth thee not lightly to way the benefite proceeding from the due execution of the office of the Magistrates who are the messengers and ministers of God to administer Iustice to punish those that are wicked in this world and to stoppe their violence wherin they daylie seeke to rush in and to ouerthrowe the estate of the good by them is the tyrannouse and bloodie sworde of the wicked kept and held backe from the throates of the godly By them are the righteous defended and the vngodly punished And therefore must thou accept them as the ministers of God for thy wealth and to become subiect vnto them not onely for feare of punishmēt but for conscience sake in respect of the benefite thou receiuest by their aucthoritie The Elders sayth mine Apostle are worthie of dubble honour especially they which labour in the worde and doctrine whereby it appeareth that thou art not discharged of thy duetie required by this Commaundement when thou hast done thy duetie to thy father that begat thée and thy mother that bare thée but that thou owest a dubble duetie to such as open the will of mine heauenly father vnto thee which is the preacher and minister of his sacred word who are the Nurces and foster fathers of thy soule breaking vnto thee the bread and giuing thee the water of life whome thou must heare with reuerence for that they are the messengers of myne heauenly father to inuite thee to the banquet of eternall saluation By which Commaundement now thou mayst perceiue that thou art bounde to honour thy father and mother al Magestrates and ministers of God and to afforde them reuerence not onely in outward conuersation but in inward desire of their welfare And further thou must vnderstande that as children by this Commaundement are bounde to vse all reuerence to their Parents subiects to their Prince and Magestrates and all men vnto the ministers of the worde of my heauenly father so belongeth there a care to be in Parents to see their children and seruauntes to be brought vp and instructed not in wantonnesse not in careles proceeding from pleasure to pleasure from vice to vice but in the due knowledge sincere seruice and true worship of his holy name And the like care to rest in the hearts of all Magestrates to execute their dueties iustly to shewe them selues sharpe in the punishment of vice and subduing of the wicked members of the Realme and to extoll and defende with the sworde of their aucthoritie the godly vertuous which godly care also there ought especially to bee in the Preachers of his worde not onely as they haue freely receiued euen so freely to giue vsing their tallentes to the increasing of the knowledge of his worde where and into what Citie Towne or place soeuer they shall come by the preaching of the worde onely but to expresse and shewe forth the same likewise in life in conuersation and maners that men seeing their good workes may glorifie my father which is in heauen But the negligence of Parents in instructing their children and seruaunts in my fathers will or rather their fond foolish and vnparentike loue which they through a blind affection beare vnto their children they suffer them nay thrust them forward by their peeuish pampring them vp
deede a most daungerous enterprise no doubt vnto them both But it is lawfull they say for a man to ouerthrowe his owne deede if it bee not formall if it want the wordes that binde as fast as yron fetters yea though he can confesse that his meaning was so yet they say that the lawe telles him it is voyde and that he is at libertie to take the aduauntage if he will yes it is all fish that comes vnto the Net men will spende more then the valew but they wil proue them selues to swerue from their owne meaning A lamentable thing that lawe the mistris of Iustice should bee so darkened through the hard consciences of men that she should seeme to plucke in her hande from giuing euery man his right contrary to the true meaning of the lawe maker and to the purpose of this Commaundement which as it forbiddeth openly to giue false testimonie in any matter so to doe any thing to the hinderaunce of other men in goodes or good name The last Commaundement forbiddeth thee not onely as before is sayd to take away any thing by fraude or violence from thy neighbor which was by the action or deede doing but this commeth neerer to search thy verie hearte and to reprooue the verie desire of things that are thy neighbours as his house his wife his Seruant his Maide his Oxe his Asse or any thing that he hath Thou art commaunded to settle all thine affections thoughts and desires of thine heart onely in God myne heauenly father But if thou be caried away with the desires of thy neighbours goods howe fulfillest thou this Commaundement Wherefore it behoueth the to cast away these vngodly desires of thy neighbours house his Land his liuing his commodities and profites and with a determinate consent to place them on good things on things that may be equally beneficiall to thy neighbour as to thy selfe that in heart thou maist by a true faith assure thy selfe that thou louest God aboue al things and thy neighbour as thy selfe Thou knowest th t I haue paâ—de the ransome both for thy body and soule and therefore keepe thy selfe vnder mine obedience without letting thy thoughts runne hither and thither to inkindell such desires in thine heart as will not be quenched vntill it breake out into such an inexstinguishable flame of burning affection to thy neighbors goods that it burne vp and consume all loue and feare of mine heauenly father and so tye thine imaginations altogether to the Pillers of such vanities as may drawe thee into destruction both of body and soule But some will say why it is lawfull for me to thinke what I list who can controll me It is a common saying that thoughts are free but although it be free to thinke as in deede in respect of men thoughts are not seene nor vnderstoode as of one by another But there is one that searcheth the verie heartes and raines in whose sight the thought appeareth manifestly wherein he expecteth and willeth such obedience to be as it may carrie with it a shewe of loue to him aboue all things and to thy neighbour as thy selfe Thou hast bene warned before in the other Commaundements to beware of such a resolute and determinate desâ—re of thy neighbors goods as carrieth with it a full perswasion will to haue it accomplished which thou hast heard to be an equal offence in y e sight of mine heauenly father with the deede it selfe But in this commaundement thou art forbiden to giue enterteinmeÌ„t to the very bare thought notwithstanding thou giue no resolute consent thereunto namely that if thou haddest fit oportunitie thou wouldest performe that wherunto thy thought hath moued thee Thou must not I say suffer thy thoughts to wander by carnall libertie vpon vaine and wicked things but vpon those things that are good and godly where euill thoughts are there is not loue that loue which is required of thee towardes mine heauenly father for that loue thinketh not euill against him whome it loueth neither doth it reioyce in iniquitie that loue oughtest thou to beare towardes thy neighbour so shall thy thoughts be preserued from thinking any euil or preteÌ„ding any wrong against him for he that truely loueth another imagineth nothing that he knoweth may be hurtful or a hinderaÌ„ce vnto him as in wishing his goods house or land or any other thing which is proper vnto him Of which thou canst not cleare thy selfe no not of a setled and resolute consent to desire thy poore Tenaunts house and liuing which in the ende brought foorth the verie effect of thy desire by pulling it from the poore man in deede nowe thine owne experience can tell thee that the thought brought foorth the desire and the desire neuer was quenched vntill it had accomplished the thing desired which is an argument sufficiently strong to prooue that euill thoughts wherein are settled no certeine consent are to be subdued for otherwise they will thrust thee forward in the broade way that leadeath vnto destruction Nowe therefore if such danger lye so secretly lurking in the thought which daunger men least suspect it behooueth thee to looke about the and to resist al euill not onely of the outward action of the determinate consent or in the word but in the very thought Looke into this commaundement and into thy corruptible nature y t bringeth forth the weedes of wickednes in such plentifull maner as thou shalt feele not only wickednes in thy thoughts in thy desires and resolute purposes but in thy verie actions and dealings amongst men And so to haue manifestly transgressed the whole Lawe for which transgression there is due the iust reward of death The sinfull man Alas then in what case am I if death be due to mee What doth auaile y t I haue heard so many things of thee What shal I do mine heart impleat with fearefull pangs of woe Had bene as good at first as now to yeeld vnto my foe Solace WHat hast thou so soone forgotten that thou hast a Mediatour me Iesus Christ who haue satisfied and fulfilled all things to thy discharge And that I remaine with mine heauenly father for euer making intercession for the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes Turne vnto me in forsaking thine euil and wicked life and I will appease mine heauenly fathers wrathe so that in mercie hee shall returne againe vnto thee as thou hast heard Thou hast in these former Commaundements heard all thine infirmities reueiled thy wicked life reprooued and thy corruption manifested for that feeling and perceiuing thine vnrighteousnesse and setting the same as it were face to face with the lawe thou maist see thine owne wretchednesse wherby thou mightest stand conuicted in thine owne conceites of all merites of thine owne and be forced to flie vnto me whose righteousnes shalbe reputed thy righteousnesse mine obedience thine obedience my merrites thine and my death to purchase thee eternal life Wherefore
cattell destroyed and howses and all his substaunce consumed he betooke him vnto the Lorde saying Oh Lord naked came I into the worlde and naked shall I returne to earth againe thou hast giuen and thou hast taken away now blessed be thy name for euermore Who in his extreme miserie dispayred not neither limited a time of his releefe but referring himself vnto mine heauenly fathers wil in perfect patience was in the ende holpen and wonderfully releeued Wherefore I say thou mayst be assured of releefe in all thy necessities if thus thou betake thee in my name vnto myne heauenly fathers will Looke vpon the three children in the hot Ouen who choosing rather to dye then to commit Idolatrie cryed out faithfully saying Our God whom we serue can deliuer vs But if he will not knowe this oh King that we will not worship thy God Which three childreÌ„ were in the Ouen and not consumed mine heauenly father was readie to deliuer them they did not indent and compouÌ„d with him that if hee would deliuer them they would defie the Image of Nabugodoazer but referred themselues vnto his prouideÌ„ce in true obedience So what dauÌ„ger necessitie or trouble soeuer thou hap to fall into thou must with Dauid and these three children submit thy self vnto mine heauenly fathers will without appointing the maner or time to be releeued And with Iob to say the name of God be praised for euermore Cast thy care vpon mine heauenly father in my name he shall nourish thee he shall defende thee releeue and succour thee and shall not suffer thee to be in perpetuall trouble And therefore thou must pray in hope and that alwaies not being wearie for that thou hast an ende of thy troubles and releefe in thy necessities promised when in what maner by what meanes thou mayst not appoint but whether he tarie long ere he helpe thee or sende thee releefe presently it is for thy best And therefore in all thy prayers thou must ad this if it be his will for that he knoweth what is most conuenient for thee what is for thy benefite whereof thou art altogether ignoraunt But reioyce alway pray continually in al things be thankfull for this is the will of God mine heauenly father in me his Sonne towards all men The sinfull man What are the thinges for which I ought most specially to pray Instruct me that from hence I may thy sacred will obey Solace IN deede it behoueth thee to haue consideration what thou requirest at mine heauenly fathers handes who although he will thee to come freely vnto him and he will helpe thee he doth not admit thee to come in such wise as that thy petitions should vary from his worde wherin he hath prescribed vnto thee what thou shouldest aske namely whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer thinges are iust whatsoeuer thinges apperteine vnto loue whatsoeuer thinges are godly vertuous and tending to y e glorie of his holy name In these thinges oughtest thou to be carefull and for such things to make thy zealous and heartie prayers in my name and thou shalt obteyne both corporall and spirituall thinges to thine vnspeakeable comforte But thou must put a difference betweene the thinges thou prayest for namely to aske spirituall thinges as forgiuenesse of sinnes and to be preserued from sinne and eternall death for the gift of the holy Ghost for euerlasting life without any condition in a true faith for I wil not the death of a sinner but rather that he reâ—â—rne and liue And therefore thou mayst take 〈◊〉 of reconciliation in me and assure thy self of eternall life In the same faith also as thou hast heard thou mayst flye vnto him in my name for all thy corporall necessities but with this condition namely if it please him And it is required of thee that before thou enter into this so excellent and so precious a worke thou examine thy selfe namely whether hatred against thy brother malice desire of reuenge or any other vncharitable matter be depeÌ„ding betweene any other and thy selfe If so then behoueth it theeâ— before thou approach vnto mine heauenly father in requesting any thing spirituall or temporall to growe into a godly desire of vnitie and from thine heart to forgiue whatsoeuer thou haue against any man that myne heauenly father may forgiue thee For knowe this that if thou forgiue not those that haue offended thee be it neuer so highly mine heauenly father will not pardon thee of thine offences which are many and great against him But being in a charitable desire of other mens welfare as of thine owne thou hast free accesse through mee vnto myne heauenly Father to whome thou mayst come boldly for things appertaynig both to body and soule as thou art taught by these words Our father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Giue vs this day our dayly bread and forgiue vs our offences as wee forgiue them that haue offended vs And lead vs not into temptation But deliuer vs from euill In which breefe forme of prayer consisteth the whole summe both of spirituall and corporall requestes And whatsoeuer thou askest it is comprehended within this praier or otherwise it is without any warrant and therefore not to be graunted And therefore by this rule it behooueth thee to guide all thy petitions for in this forme of prayer are conteined things eternall things spirituall and corporal things present things to come which things onely ought to stirre vp thy dull mind to faithfull and heartie prayer The sinfull man Declare thou these thinges more at large good Solace that I may In faith be stirred vp in thee for what and when to pray Solace THen vnderstande that by this forme before recited thou art taught not onely that prayer is necessarie and that it is commaunded as a principal seruice and worship of mine heauenly father but thou art directed to whom and for what to pray Thou must pray therefore yea aboue all thinges to whom to mine heauenly father for what especially for thinges tending to eternall saluation and then for bodily necessaries when continually least thou fall into temptatioÌ„ Thou must pray vnto mine heauenly father why because he is God eternal omnipotent maker and creator of all things the preseruer the defender the saftie and life of all and without whose deuine prouidence nothing can continue Buâ— by whom or by whose or what meanes doth he heare thee and graunt thy requestes only by me and whatsoeuer thou shalt aske of him in my name he shall giue it thee And therefore whensoeuer thou praiest thou must be faithfully perswaded that he is fatherly affected towards thee and is become so fauourable vnto thee for my sake that he both heareth thee and will graunt thy requestes And therefore oughtest thou to call him father who for my sake accepteth thee as his sonne
the meane of thy releefe to fortune wherby thou dishonorest him and quenchest that faith whereby thou oughtest to bee perswaded that what good soeuer light vpon thee he sendeth the same as a certeine token and pledge of his especiall fauour and loue towards thee The sinfull man Loe then I see that praier is through thee the meane to haue What so I want if that in faith and trueth the same I craue And that vnfained thankes I must giue for his passing loue Wherein he doth vouchsafe releefe from heauens high aboue Solace IT is euen so looke therefore vnto the performance thereof accordingly together with the residue of those dueties which thou art bounde vnto towards mine heauenly father as also towards thy neighbours And beware least thou looke backe and returne to thy former wickednes to thine olde vomit Thou art nowe cured sinne no more least a worse thing happen vnto thee I haue broken the bandes of Sathan wherein thou wast fast tyed thou art nowe at libertie Bee watchfull therefore and trust in myne heauenly father pray continually and offer the sacrifice of prayse and thanckesgiuing cease not to doe good but refuse to doe euill Walke all the daies of thy life in this narrowe way that tendeth to eternall life and shunne the broad way that leadeth vnto death wherein thou hast walkest in time past but nowe being reclaymed auoyde it that this life once ended thou maist without feare in a cleare conscience appeare enter into that blessed estate wherin y u shalt find nothing but such surpassing eternal ioy and so sweete solace as neither tongue can declare the eare hath not heard the eye seene neither can the hearte of man conceiue the sweetenesse thereof wherein thou shalt liue for euer and receiue such a beautiful Diademe and Crowne of glorie at the hands of mine heauenly father as passeth all vnderstanding Wherefore perseuere in the trueth here imbrace it vnto the end without fainting take holde of the promises in faith reioyce in mee Let the foolish and momentarie pleasures of this worlde goe esteeme them not they are the baytes of Sathan to allure thee to the broad way but be warie auoyde his entisements wherewith he endeuoureth to drawe men into destruction and such as obey him shall haue no part of the promised blessed inheritance but haue their portion in hell fire to whome I will say Depart from mee ye workers of iniquitie into euerlasting torments where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Looke therefore vnto thy selfe while thou hast an acceptable time be sober and watchfull vnto the ende Mine heauenly Father blesse thee and the holy Ghost guide thee to all goodnes for euermore Amen The sinfull man AL thanks praise oh Lord I doe in humble wise commende To thee who doest such solace sweet vnto poore sinners sende Wherewith thou hast reuiued so my sinfull soule from woe That tongue cānot thy praises due for want of wisedome showe But yet as farre as heart and tōgue can giue I yeeld to thee Accept it Lord though passing thankes thou doe deserue I see For when I was in sinfull plight in Sathans bands opprest Thy tender Sonne came downe to mee to shewe the way to rest My soule did harbor all that was vnto my soule annoye But he hath fraught y e same againe with all surpassing ioye My darknes he hath turnd to light wherein I see the way That leades to life how to shunne what led me long astray The pleasant shewes and fawning cheere of worldly wealth I see The fond delightes peeuish toyes did worke but ill for mee Therewith I was puft vp aloft with plumes of pride so hye That nothing did remaine for me but iust desert to dye For sinne a thousand folde I did within myne heart retaine A burning zeale there was in me to heape vp foolish gaine My heart was led w t deepe delight myne eyes did gaze awrye My truethles tongue within myne head for greedie gaine did lye No pittie or compassion was within my careles breast A thousand cares of worldly wealth my wicked heart possest I thought not on an others woe I passe not for his paine I spared not to pinch the poore to reape my selfe the gaine And thus I liued long secure in sinfull soyle a sleepe Till Solace came and did awake me out of slumber deepe And set before my blinded eyes the reckles race I runne Which now I see I must forsake or rest for aye vndone Wherfore all praise in heart I yeeld oh Lord of Lords to thee Unto thy Sonne and holy Ghost for thus receiuing mee Psal. 119. Oh how sweete are thy wordes vnto my throate yea sweeter then honie vnto my mouth 1. Cor. 15. Death where is thy sting hel where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God who hath giuen vs victorie thorowe our Lord Iesus Christ. A farewell to the Booke I If thou oh sillie Booke doe chaunce to light into the hand O Of any such as takes delight ech others worke to scand H Heare with good will what they will say take not in greefe disdaine N No Booke so good but gets reproofe and trifeling toyes the gaine N No praise exspect way not dispraise ech man will verdict giue O Of thee and me but haue regarde how he or they doe liue R Rash iudgement doth vnstayed mindes in ech degree bewray D Disdaine thou not the deadly doomes therefore of such as they E Euen so farewell in ragged shewe thou must depart from mee N Not pullisht as some pleasaunt Bookes that profite lesse then thee Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos FINIS The foolish conceites of most men that this world doeth fauour as it were at will is commonly thus Worldlie wealth and bodily health are the principall thinges now a daies regarded A great care of the wealthy is to haue a gaye house deckt both within and without after the daintiest fashion 〈…〉 is had to the situation of a worldlie building and none at all for the place where the soule must dwell at last Might without regard to right thinkes the poorer will yeeld for feare And the Landlords think the Tenant bound to yeeld to all his tyrranie Poore men must stoope and yet the more they yeeld the more they are opprest Faire wordes moue men to doe that they after repent The mildnes of the poore make the rich often more cruel By flatterie or threatning by hooke or by crooke he will haue it The rich regard not a poore mans griefe but their owne pleasure and profit The sharper to the poore the sweeter to the rich The poore-mans petition makes the rich man the prouder· The countenaunce of the rich makes the poore man quake The couetous man hath no regarde to the equitie but to thextremitie to worke the poore much w◠Threatning and flatterie seeme contraries and
beleue consisteth in the trinitie Luk. 3 21.22 2. Io. 5.7 2. Cor. 13.13 Gen. 1.1.16 Mat. 3.16.17 Mat. 28.19 Reue 1.8 Gen. 1. Esa. 6.1 45.12 Psal. 33.6 God the creatour of all things· 1 The 1.9 Heb. 2.15 Luk. 1.74 Mat. 4.10 Luk. 4.8 Gen. 1.31 1. Ioh. 1.5 1 Io. 2·29 Gen. 2.26 Ecle 17.3 Wis. 2.23 Rom. 5.12 Gen 3 8. After the fall of Adam sin entred there is none that doeth good 1 Cor. 2·8 Gall. 5 17. 1 Io. 3.8 Dewt. 28.47 Rom. 5·12 wiâ— 13.1 Rom. 3.10 Gen. 3.15 wis 13.1 Ier· 31.30 Ro. 31·33 Ephe. 1.4.5 Gall. 4.4 Mat 1 18 Ier 31 22 Ioh â— 14 Luk 2 7 Esa 61 2 Luk 2 32 Io 12 46 Col 1 15. Psal 45 7. Io 18 37. Act 7 37. 1. Io 3 8. Ioh 5 15. Io 1 14. Christ had two natureâ— deuine and humaine Mar 11 12 13. 2 Sam 7.16 Esa 7 10. Mat 1 23. Mat. 1.23 Christe dyed for the sinnes of the world Ioh. 8.26.40 Mat. 8.20 Luk. 9.58 See the vnspeake able benefite of Christs death Christ the true messias Luk. 2.32 Mat. 26.63 Ioh. 1.14 Luk. 4.15 Mat. 4.15 8.4 Io. 21. Mat. 11 29· Io. 5.18 7.29 Ioh. 7.30 5.32 Mat. 26.34 Mar. 14.1 Luk. 22·2· Mat. 26·53 Mat. 26. Mar· 14· Luk 22. Ma. 27 30.31· Ioh. 18. Mar 15. Luk 23. Ioh. 19. Mat 27.34 Ioh 10.15 Luk. 12.50 Rom. 4 25. Ioh 3 15. Tit. 2.11 Psal 69·6 Mat 27 34. Luk. 22.44 Mat. 27.46 Psal. â—â— â— Mar. 15.34 So heauy was the iust iudgment of god against sinne that Christ through his tormentes in respect of his manhood had thought his faâ—â—er had forsakeÌ„ him Esa. 53. Luk. 24·4 Luk. 24.7 2 Coâ— 5.21 Christ hath payd the ransome for the sins of Adam All men in Christ ouercome death Christ is the way the truth the life Mat 28 18. Io 17 2. Iona 1 17. Mat 27.50 Mar 15 37. Mat 12.40 Ioh. 2 19. Mat. 28 6· Ioh 20.5 Mar 16.19 Luk. 24.51 Collo 20. 1. Pet. 2.21 1. Ioh. 2.1.2 Rom. 8.34 Lu. 3.22 Io. 10.1.2.3 Christ is the onely way meane to bring vs to God Heb. 12.24 Mat. 1 2â— Christ God man sitting at the right haÌ„d of the father making continual mediation for vs. we must mortifie the deedes of the flesh by the spirit Act. 10.42 Rom. 14.9.10 â—3 Io. 5.27 Christ will come againe to iudge both the quicke and the dead and giue to euery man according to their workes Ephe. 5.5 â— Cor. 6.9.10 Ephe. 5.4 2. Cor. 13.14 1. Ioh. 5.7 Mat. 3.16.17 Ioh. 14.16 1. Pet. 1.2 Rom. 8.15.16 1. Ioh. 3.24 Lu. 16.7 2.25 2. Pet. 1.2 Ioh. 4.10 7.38 Gal. 3.2 Mat 13 58. Maâ— 6.5.6 Mat. 10 19.20 Eph. 5 8. Ioh· 13.6 Mat 11.29.30 Iob. 9.19 Lu 1 7.4·75 Io 14.6 Mat. 25.34 1. Ioh. 4.6 Io. 16.8 Luke 24.49 Luke 3.29 Luke 10.20 Ioh. 13 1â— Mat. 15 13. Rom. 12.5 Mat. 13.58 Mar. 6.5.6 Rom. 7.14.15 1. Ioh. 1.4.8 Mat. 26.41 Luke 22.46 Mat. 6.12 Mat. 18.19.20 Ioh 17.21 Rom. 12.5 1. Cor. 1.9 Mat. 6.11 1. king 8.50.51 Luk. 1.77 Ioh. 20.23 Lu. 1.78 Rom. 11.30 1. Pet. 3.20.21 Ioh. 20.21 Mat. 7.23.26 Iob. 19.26.27 Mat. 27.52.53 Mat. 13.30.43 Iohn 5.29 1. Cor. 6 9.10 Ephe. 5.51 Vnbeleeuers are not members of the true Church Act 5.31 11.18 26.8 Tim. 1 2â— Faâ—th and repentance the summe of the Gospell We must bring foorth the fruites of faith We must bee the same inwardly which we would seeme outwardly Beleefe in the holy ghost Heb. 11.32 The operatioÌ„ of faith is wonderfull Faith the foundation of all other vertues Faith must be accompanied with repentance The flesh is fraile AmendemeÌ„t of life the chiefest remedie for the sicknesse of the soule A good caueat Those that are lulled a sleepe thorowe the allurements of Sathan in the pleasures of this world thinke none other happinesse but worldly felicitie The sicknes of the soule much more to be respected then the disease of the body we must haue regard least the doore of our affectioÌ„s open to entertaine the intisements of Sathan We must amend our liues sinne no more The difinitition of true repentance Mat. 3 2. Iohn Baptist baptised none but such as repeÌ„ted their sinnes Psal. 51.4 Dauid repented at the warning of the Prophet Nathan True confession 2. Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrowe Iob. 1.20 Gen. 4.13 Mat 27.5 The sorrowe of Esawe Iudas Cains Euell Act. 1.18 That sorrow which is not of faith causeth not repentance vnto saluation What true repentance is 2. Pet. 3.9 Iet 3.1 Hos. 14.2 Ier. 3.14 18.11 We must speedily repent least we dye in our sinnes Deut. 4.29 2. Cron. 12.12 Roboam repented 2. Cron. 33.12.13 The repentance of Manasses Iudith 4.9.10 The children of Israell repented Marie Magdaline The niniuites Men of the old world not repenting at the preaching of Noe wee drowned The Sodomites and meÌ„ of Gomorra burned with fire brimstone Ierusalem destroyed The iudgemenâ—s of God great against such as neglect his word God is readie to receiue them that truely turne to him Iud. 2â— 14 Col 3.5.6 We must mortifie our euill affections Ephe. 55. Ephe. 2.3 If we repent and beleeue we shal be saued The sorrowe of Esau Cain and Iudas damnable A godly sorrowe God is redy in great mercie to imbrace them that truely turne to him He that will come vnto God must forsake the 〈…〉 of the world We may not presume of our selues to doe any gâ—oâ— thing We can stand fast before we be shaken Presumption is a meane to quench true zeale Sathans deuices to detaine vs from hearing the word of God Some come to heare the word for cauelations sake The beginning of scismes is the misconstruction of the Scripture The Church of God cals them the chapple of Antichrist Mat. 7.13.14 We must cast our selues downe in our owne conceites The death of Christ tooke these ceremonies away The outward showe of repentance is not alwayes accompanied with inward contrition Dissimulation odious before God The maner of sturdie beggers hypocrisie DissimulatioÌ„ deserueth double punishment Ioel. 2.13 Mat. 6.17 The outward showe of repentance meere hipocrysie without inwarde punction In the old world the outward ceremonies were helpes to repentance Dan. 9.3.4.5 The external shewe without faith more abominable True fasting Esa. 18.5 The true fast consisteth not altogether in the abstineÌ„ce from meates Mat. 6. â—6 What true fasting is Psa. 1.16.17 Esa. 58.7 many blessings promised to true fasting Rom. 14.1.3.14 All meates to be taken with thankesgiuing Luke 16.19 1. Pet. 4.3.4 Excesse to be auoyded Ezek â—6 4â— Gluttonie one of the sinnes of Sodomâ— Excesse in eating an enemie to studie and prayer 1. Thes. 4.34 â— Pet. 2.11.12 We must obey those ordinances of man that tend to the glory of God Luke 12.1 Hypocrysie the leuen of the Pharysies Mat. 2.27.3 Exod. 8.8 1. Sam. 15.13 Ioh. 7.20 Esa. 29.13 We must reuenge our selues of our sinnes To make restitution of our goods ill gotten is
and second chapter willeth thee not to loue the worlde nor the things in the world for whatsoeuer is in the worlde is concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eies and the pride of life out of which as out of head-fountaines springe all other euils namely of the concupiscence of the flesh voluptuousnesse of the concupiscence of the eies riches and desire of thy neighbours goods by which came thy first motion to desire Simple thy TenaÌ„ts liuing And of the pride of life springeth ambition and desire of honour and to be great in the sight of men out of which sprang thy pernicious and foolish purpose to build c. Agayne of voluptuousnes commeth vnhonest and vncomly thinges of riches wicked thinges and of ambition foolish thinges all which are so linckt and knit together as imbrace one and thou art guiltie of all follow thou one and the rest will follow thee So that here is the case of coueitousnes who by reason of his riches becommeth so loftie that he would bring all other as it were vnder his girdle I goe for proofe but to thy selfe who notwithstanding thine aboundance wast not contented to see poore Simple to liue by thée but most gréedily hast thou eaten him vp and deuoured him of his lyuing to his vtter beggering which gréedy desire of thine I finde accompanied with so many euils and vanities of the minde choaking so the sences with the thornie cares of this worlde that I perceaue thée quite and cleane drawne from the true and holsome seruice of God to the most seruile and sinfull slauerie of deceitfull Sathan The rich-man Oh hold thy peace and say no more my wittes are cleane berest Thy words haue sackt my sences so I haue no comfort lefte Solace Well then adue farewell I will too morrow come againe Sith night is come farewell doe not these words of mine disdaine But think vpon thy former waies which thou hast past in sinne In sine my solace shall be sweet for thee to solace in Godly meditations for him whose heart is infected with coueitousnes Incline mine heart O Lord vnto thy testimonies and not to couetousnes Psal. 119. Oh tvrne awaie my eyes least they behold vanitie and quieken me in thy way Eodem 14. Take away the rebuke that I am affraid of for thy iudgements are great Eodem 42. ¶ A Godly and deuout prayer for the auoiding of Gods wrath against him that hath oppressed the poore to make himself rich fit for euerie riche man· OH most omnipotent and eternal Cod father of all power and knowledg the giuer of all goodnes and iust punisher of the wicked I prostrate my selfe here before the seat of thy meere mercy most humbly crauing pardon for mine infinite iniquities for mine obstinate and wilful rebellion against thy deuine maiesty for running so farre from true obedience I haue gone astray sweete Lord I haue gone astray I haue greedely followed that which I should not wilfully fled froÌ„ that which I should haue carefully imbraced O Lord the desires of the world haue vndone mee the pleasures thereof haue pearced mine heart so neare they haue wouÌ„ded my conscience so sore that vertue faith godlines are chased cleane away I haue streched out mine hands to take that I ought not and withheld them from doing that which I ought to haue done I doe confesse O Lord I cannot deny but I haue oppressed pinched the poore to make my self rich I haue foolishly framed my fantacie to follow fulfill all vnlawfull desires But pardon me oh heauenly Father pardon me and giue me grace with Zache to stand vp restore againe whatsoeuer I haue by forged flatterie by force or violence wrongfully takeÌ„ froÌ„ any body that thou mayst vouchsafe to come and dwell with mee to the comfort of my poore soule say vnto mee sweete Iesus as thou saidst to Zache that this daye saluation shall come into mine house Oh sweete Iesu come thou vnto me which art saluation it selfe a most comfortable sweet and most ioyfull newes it was to him so sweet and ioyfull oh Lord Iesu it will be to me that nowe am tyed with the Fetters of Sathan for then shall I be free that now am in bondage and then I shall be at liberty wherfore sweete Iesu say on not only say thou wilt but come vnto me as I know thou camest to seeke that was lost to call them home that went astray to accept again of him that wilfully ran from thee like the vntamed Heyfer who being too well fed winch and kick against thee But Lord I vnfainedly lament my disobedience and pray thy grace wherby I may forsake the euill and peruerse immaginations of my heart which haue so bewitched my sences that they are dull to doe good and expert to doe euill forward to vice froward to vertue But alter mine affections sweet Iesu change my desires that in stead of the pleasures of this world I may imbrace the path that leadeth vnto eternall life Washe me sweete Iesu wash me and make me cleane and put farr from me all vngodly gaine make me content with mine owne stir vp in me a willingnes to be ready to giue and glad to distribute slow to lust and willing to leade a newe life kill all concupiscence in mee both of the flesh and of the eyes and of the minde giue me in stead thereof earnest zeale to goodnes true lowlines of heâ—â—t and perfect patieÌ„ce ioyned with vnfayned fayth that I may laye vp in store a good foundatioÌ„ against the time to come that through thee sweete Iesu I may obtaine eternall life AMEN O Lord increase my fayth THE TVESDAY or second daies conference betweene Solace and the sinfull man Wherein after long perswasion vnderstaÌ„ding by many examples of the iust iudgement of God against worldly minded men and the greedy desire of wicked gaine beginnes to consider that hee hath greatly erred in reposing his trust in transitorie riches and in his aboundance to sell the ende of all happines And falles into a kinde of dispaire wherein he vttereth his griefe and afterward receiueth comfort Solace shewing himselfe to be Christ c. The sinfull man OH sinfull soule of mine sing forth the dolefull tunes of woe Let sobs sighs let trickling teares from thee like fountaines floe Let groanes in griefe bee nowe thy gaine let sorrow beare y e swaie Let Solace passe for thou hast loste thine health and wonne decaie Oh worth oh worth mee wicked wretch wo worth y e day wherein That my rebellious mind did giue the first consent to sinne Wo worth the day wherein I was seene first of womans eye Would God my life had ended when I first began to crie Then should not thus my silly soule bene wrapt in irkesome woe Nor it haue felt the carefull thrall that now is forste to showe My heart should not haue harborde woe nor coÌ„science cause
to weepe That nowe in griefe doth groane to see it selfe in torments deepe But then ten thousand times I had bene happie in my death Ten thousand times vnhappy now that I enioy my breath Wherefore prepare oh graue in hast to take thy share of mee And death doe thou thy duetie too I yeeld mee now to thee For all my pleasures now are gone my mirth to mourning cheere Is chaūged quite my ioyes are past now gryping griefes drawe neer That greeue my silly soule so sore my corps consume full fast Oh death deny mee not therefore but take mee hence in haste The God that sits in Christal skies hath cast mee cleane away No hope of helpe no hold I haue good death make no delay No pardon due for my desert my sinnes deserue to die I linger like a lothsome wretch in deepe dispaire I crie Come death end my doleful daies deferre it not make haste I loth to liue yet dread to die all hope of helpe is past Solace Oh wretched man what is y e cause thou mournest thus in woe Leaue of to crie and come to mee why doste thou sorrowe so The thrall is great that thou poore wretch doste seeme to sorrow in Shew me y e cause be of good cheare I sollace men in sinne The sinful-man Wo worth if thou be Solace who was yeasterday with mee He was the cause of this dispaire Yea none the cause but hee Solace SAiest thou so Thou art greatly deceiued in deede I am that Solace that for thy cōfort came vnto thee yesterday to call thee from thy foolishnes from thine error and censelesse securitie But thou art that scorner that the wise man meaneth that refuseth to bee reformed For a wise man when he is reprooued departeth from his euill but a foole when hee is rebuked of his error falleth into raging and as it were into a desperate madnes as may appeare by thy frowardnes that art not ashamed wrongfully and most vniustly to charge mee to be the cause of this sorrowe of thine of thy dispayre thou augmentest thy fault in thus rashly accusing mee But it is a Leasson learned long agoe many thousand yeeres put in practise namely the vngodly to finde out excuses according to their owne willes and peruerse conceites As Adam Eue thy great grandsieres did in the beginning when they had manifestly transgressed the Commaundement of their Creatour in eating the fruit forbidden when they were charged with the crime what did they did they vpon their reprehension confesse and say it is so Lord we haue eaten it contrarie to thy will noe but they sought another bye meane to cloake their disobedience Adam for his part sayd The woman whome thou gauest me made me to eate And Eue seeing the matter sayd to her charge sayd it to the Serpents charge thincking to make by circumstance God himself the author of their fall But this iugling could not auaile them their deceitfulnes deceiued themselues and they had al their reward Now to come to thine excuse who to discharge thine owne vnhappines layest the fault on mee that came not to vndoe thee but to reuoke thee from thy miserable blindnes from thine obstinate foolishnes ouerthwart opinion wherein thou were trudging as faste as thou couldest to vndoubted dampnation But I see that Satan hath set a vale before thine eyes that thou canst not see thy friend frō thy foe thou takest light for darkenesse and darkenesse to be light yea darkenesse hath so dimned thy censes that thou canst not comprehend the light For there is no familiaritie betweene light and darkenes But awake thou foolish man that sleepest in darkenes and God shall giue thee light yea I am the light of the worlde he that followeth mee shall not walke in darkenes but shall enioy the light of eternall life The sinfull-man Oh say no more I am vndone I crie but all in vaine In deede I am in darkenesse deepe thy words augment my paine Solace Thou art deceiued in deede I am the Solace that will ease This doleful plight of thine w t speed and wrath of God appease I am that lambe of God that came by God my fathers heste By death for true repenting soules to purchase lasting reste Although thy sinne the Scarlet doe in rednes farre surpasse My death shall make thy soule as white as whitnes euer was Wherefore returne to me in haste amend what is amisse I am the God that pardons him that true repentant is Therefore giue care attend vnto these comforts of my will Beleeue amend doe not dispayre conuert thy selfe from ill I Knowe oh sinfull man that riches and vainglorie had euen ouercome thee Thou were in a slumber with the sweete lullings as they seemed of that deceaueable Sathan the god of this worlde who hath in such sort blinded thy mind and bewitched thee with vaine and transitorie pleasures that the light of my glorious Gospell which is the power of God shoulde not shine vnto thee By reason whereof the examples of the Iustice of mine heauenly father extended against such as haue their heartes so seared with the hot iron of worldly carefulnes hath mooued thee to this kind of dispaire feeling thy conscience guiltie of the things whereof thou hast beene reprooued And therefore most wrongfully doest thou attribute the cause of thy griefe vnto mee But it is Sathan that thus bestirreth him now to retaine thee in the blind bye-path that he hath hitherto deceitfully drawen thée into beset with so many dilightsome deuises and daintie delicates of the flesh of the minde and of the eyes that he is loath to lose thee he thinkes that if thou once goe from him thou wilt come no more if thou forsake him thou wilt be reteyned into my seruice who wil giue thee better entertainemēt yea though my wages in this world be not gold and siluer though my Liuerie bee not so glorious to the eye and thy dyet so daintie yet I say thou shalt be sure of a good liuing in reuersion which is after this life rent free without any feare of forfeiture thy Lyuery shalbe here the libertie of a free minde and thy Dyet daily meditation of heauenly things Which liuing which Liuery and which dyet I knowe thine old master tels thee are al vaine al ful of seruitude watchings waytings and thraledome and he giues thee both great wages of Gold and Siluer and a great liuing in hand hee giues thee not borde wages but places thee most princelike at his owne Table hee feedes thee with his owne hands but he craues attendāce he is something nice in seruice you must wayte at an inch But then like the master of a good hound he pleaseth thee with many rewards which thou hast accounted a very sweete and pleasaunt seruice but thou hast heard before that it is vayne yea most vayne and very affliction of the spirit
Meale that the more she spent the more she had And mine heauenly father at the faithfull prayer of Eliah sent fire from heauen vpon his sacrafice to manifest my fathers power and to confound the false Prophets of Baall Ioshua the King to bee reuenged of his enemies prayeth vnto mine heauenly father in a strong faith that the Sunne and Moone should stay and stand still so they did vntill he had ouercome fiue Kings and hanged them This faith was the guide of mine Embassadour and forerunner Iohn Baptist wherby he executed and performed the will of mine heauenly father and by the eyes of the same faith saw before what should come to passe afterward preparing that path by Baptisme by water vnto Repentaunce which represented that heauenly Baptisme wherewith I afterward Baptised with the holy Ghost to eternall saluation Peter and Andrewe his brother mine Apostles being poore Fishers when I willed them to follow mee euen by this faith left their Nettes and followed me so did the rest of mine Apostles And through this faith Aarons Rod budded did beare blossomes ripe Almonds for a testimonie against the rebellious children who grudged to haue him to serue y e Lord in the Tabernacl efor the people The theefe that huÌ„g on the Crosse with me beleeued in me and was saued So excellent a thing is faith that by it are all the fierie darts of Sathan the deuices of the wicked all impediments of the mind queÌ„ched ouercome And they that want the same are in most miserable and hard estate for that without it they are not able to resist the deuill the Prince of darknesse who draweth theÌ„ headlong into endles distruction This faith I say is the sure defence shield of thy saluation my right hand vpholdeth all theÌ„ that put their trust in mee They that beleeue in mee shall alwaies reioyce they shalbe alwaies giuing of thankes I will blesse them and with my fauourable louing kindnesse I will compasse them about as with a shield Verely verely I say vnto thee if thou heare my wordes and beleeue on him that sent me thou hast euerlasting life and shalt not taste of death but shalt liue But those that put not their confidence in mee but goe on still in their wicked waies them I say will I roote out of the earth I wil consume theÌ„ with the breath of my mouth I wil cut them off like grasse and they shal wither like the greene hearbe They that forsake me beleeue not my sayings though for a time they florish make a shewe of prosperitie yet they shall perish consume away as y e fat of Lambes euen like smoke shal they vanish away for the God of this world hath blinded their hearts that the light of my glorious Gospel should not shine vnto theÌ„ who shalbe damned for not beleeuing the trueth but tooke delight in vnrighteousnesse in vanities and lyes The Prince that would not beleeue the words of Elisha the Prophet of mine heaueÌ„ly father who promised plentie of victual to Samaria was troden to death by the people The sonnes in law of Lot beleeued not the words of Lot were destroyed among the Sodomites with fire and Brimstone This vnbeleefe was the ground of the fal of Adam and Eue for had they beleeued y e words of mine heauenly father which he told theÌ„ that in what day soeuer they eate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good euill they should dye the death they had liued but they did not beleeue it but hearkened to the Serpent and lost the freedome of the Garden Verely I say vnto thee he that shall beleeue and bee Baptised shalbe saued but he that will not beleeue shalbe damned and loose the freedome of eternall blisse The sinfull man A sharp coÌ„clusion which doth seeme the summe of all whereby The faithfull ones shall liue for aye and vnbeleeuers die Solace THou conceiuest it aright for they y t beleeue not my gospel they that despise my coÌ„mandements work not my wil though they make a shew of feined holines for a time in the world they doe but beguile themselues whose ioye in the ende shalbe weeping and mourning whose estaste is resemblable to the great and mightie trees of the earth y t men grub vp by the rootes the printe of whose place can be no more seene Yea cursed is that man that putteth not his trust in the helpe of myne heauenly father but reposeth his confidence in fleshly and transitorie meanes as in his owne strength in th'abundaÌ„ce of his riches in the multitude of his great and wealthy friends and in the ayde that commeth of flesh for he shall wither like thâ—e grasse consume away like y e greene hearbe whose streÌ„gth is meere weakenes whose wisdome is meere foolishnes The ChildreÌ„ of Israel putting their trust in their owne strength were slaine of the childreÌ„ of Beniamin Abiiah putting his trust in the helpe of mine heauenly father disstrusting in the power of his owne people preuailed and slewe fiue hundred thousand chosen men of Israel Hezekiah king of Iuda put his whole confidence in the help of mine heauenly father and all that he tooke in hand prospered God is the strength the buckler strong shield of them that faithfully beleeue in him he that vnfeinedly trusteth in God mine heauenly father shal be as the mount Syon which can neuer be moued but remaineth stedfast sure for euer whom no tribulation no storme tempestes of aduersitie nor worldly vanitities can remooue froÌ„ holding fast and surely depending vpon the prouidence of mine heauenly father They that trust in Chariots horses are soone ouercome but those that faithfully depend vpoÌ„ mine helpe and strength staÌ„d fast inuincible for euer and shalbe like the tree plaÌ„ted by the riuers side that bringeth forth his fruit in due season whose leafe shal neuer wither away and whatsoeuer he doth it shall prosper he shall florish like an oliue tree in my fathers house that neuer decaieth he shal inherite the laÌ„d and possesse the holy mountaine that is he shalbe fed releeued while he liueth vpoÌ„ earth and in y e end be partaker of mine eternall inheritaunce which by the shedding of my blood I haue purchased for all them that beleeue which blood of mine remaineth alwaies fresh in y e sight of mine heauenly father to whoÌ„ thou hast thorowe me free accesse with him my self a continual Mediatour for thy sinnes wherfore come boldly vnto the throane of grace come w t a true heart ful assured faith be sprinckled with my blood from an euil conscience keepe the possession of a sure hope of saluatioÌ„ in me without wauering The iust shal liue by faith for if thou withdrawe thy self from trust in mee my soule shal haue no pleasure in thee and
thy soule shal dye y e euerlasting death Wherfore let not Sathan I say ouerrule thee to drawe thine affections with the force of worldly reasons into the gulfe of dispayre againe as he hath indeuoured heretofore for thou must renounce al pollicies al forecasts al whatsoeuer reason teacheth thee and with the foote of a true faith staÌ„pe it to peeces only setling thine heart and whole mind to performe that in all thine actions thoughtes which the eye of faith shall see poynted out with the finger of myne holy Spirite for thy comforte and vndoubted saluation Wherefore let the eyes of thine heart bee alwayes open and the shielde of a true faith alwaies readie to see and strongly to withstande the deceiptes and errours of Sathan least hee dazell thyne vnderstanding and quench the good motions of the spirite with the vanities of the olde man and so take this shielde of faith from thee and make thee vnable to take holde of those thinges the beleefe whereof leadeth vnto eternall blisse the vnbeleefe turne to thy destruction Thou must beware I say of naturall reason in causes touching thy saluation for Sathan manie times layeth it as a block for the children of God to stumble at as an hindrance of their faith wherby he went about to quench the faith of my disciples and to driue them to think it impossible for me te feed foure thowsand men with seuen loaues and a fewe fishes The woman of Samaria being led by reason could not perceiue what that water of lyfe was which I promised her but when she had pluct away the vaile of reason and felte a sparkle of saith she perswaded her selfe that I was Christ the Sauiour of the world This reason could not perceiue how Abraham that was so long before mee could sée my dayes to see mee in the flesh which in deede he sawe a farre of with the eyes of an vndoubted fayth the eye of which fayth taketh his lighte of y e word of mine heaueÌ„lye father the writinges of the Prophets and of the Gospell of trueth and by that eye he sawe me so long before and by that eye must thou direct all thine affections and measure all thy desires For the eye of reason taketh her light from worldly and naturall wisdome which is foolishnes before me for the naturall man cannot comprehend my doctrine he knoweth not what God mine heauenly father is neither can he vnderstand what his will is when he is in 〈◊〉 and when he is in error when he is in light and when he sitteth in darknes he cannot â—aste of the word of trueth but remaineth in voluntarie blindnes and to such is the preaching of the sacrifice which I offered once for all vpon the Crosse foolishnes But vnto such as beléeue in faith it is the power of God my father vnto all nations wherfore be not ashamed of my Gospell for it is the very instrument of saluation to all that beleeue for thereby is the righteousnes opened which if thou attaine vnto by proceeding froÌ„ faith to faith thou shalt appeare in the last daye among the number of them that shall liue for euer Shut vp therefore the eye of reason wherewith thou hast bin so long led into error and vanities And haue the eye of faith opened whereby thou mayest be guided to true beléefe in the liuing God mine heauenly father who made thee in me his Sonne who haue redéemed thee and in the holy ghost who hath sanctified thée and all those that are appoynted to eternall Saluation wherein consisteth the whole summe of all that which thou arte bound to beleeue to be saued The sinfull man Oh Solace should my whole beleefe be grounded on you three Then shewe I pray thee more at large what my beliefe must bee I doe alreadie vnderstand that faith must be the eye Whereby I must expect to haue saluation from on hye I doe belieue helpe vnbeliefe and shewe thy selfe to mee I doe repose my confidence and all my trust in thee Solace Well then for as much as I sée thée desirous to be more fully instructed and to haue thy fayth more strongly confirmed towchinâ— the Trinity THou must first beleeue there is a God one in essence three in person namely the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which three persons thou must vndoubtedly belieue to be one very God of an vndeuided and vnseparable substance without beginning or ending who hath made heauen earth and all things contayned in them he hath made thee to his owne image and lykenes not to liue onely in this world to thy selfe namely to fulfill thine owne desires but to glorifie him to beleue in him to serue him and to hope for the inheritance of his kingdome and to be partaker of the glory and blisse which I haue purchased by my bloud Thou must beleeue that hee is the creator of all thinges visible and inuisible reasonable and vnreasonable man and beast whose power is infinite whom thou must onely serue onely loue onely worship and to whome thou must praie in the time of thy necessities â—aithfully beleuing that he it is that helpeth thee feedeth thee defendeth thee froÌ„ whom proceedeth all thinges that are good and nothing that is euill in him is all light no darknes all righteousnes and abhorreth sin And therefore must thou verily beleue that in the beginning he made Adam the first man according to his owne image and lykenes and placed him in Paradice the garden of happines there to haue continued in ioy without sorrow in comfort without care in ease without labor and in a blessed estate had he not by his owne Freewill which then he had yeelded vnto the deceitfull allurings of y e serpent eating of the fruite of the tree which was forbidden him the tree of the knowledge of good euill where in obeying that subtill Sathan he lost the benefit of the garden was driuen froÌ„ thence by y e Angel of mine heaueÌ„ly father And where the serpeÌ„t falsly perswaded them that in eating of y e forbidden tree they should be as Gods knowing good and euill they were as Deuills doing nothing that was good at all but insteade of knowledge became starke Fooles in stead of happines purchased vnhappynes not onely to them selues but to all their posteritie for euer in whome by reason of their rebellion there resteth no will to doe good but a desire to doe euill forsaking their Sauiour and cleauing to Sathan disobeying God and obeying the Deuill of a free man be come a captiue and bondslaue sould vnder sin By whose transgression and disobedience thou must beleeue that all his posteritie which is all men in generall my selfe the promised Sauiour excepted became disobedient sinners in such sorte as all men are corrupt vnperfect vniust lyars and rebels against God