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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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