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
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
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
hell to pray on him there their fill and to giue him his iust reward in vtter darknes where is continual weeping and gnashing of teeth and where the worme of his conscience neuer ceased to torment him and so much the more seeing y e poore soule loathsome Lazarus whome he in the world so much dispised to be placed in heauen and him selfe in hell Lazarus in blisse and he in curse Lazarus in Ioye he in payne Lazarus in great glory he in perpetuall darknes yea in such vnspeakable heate of cōscience y e he cryed for one drop of mercy and could not obtayne it What saist thou now this man for denying to giue that which he thought his owne what was his reward Thou hast not heard that he went about to defraude any of his lyuing or by threates or flatterye to take from any mā that which was not his but onli for seying his poore brother to want that wherin he abounded In what case thou art thou who hast not onlie denied thinges necesarye to the nedye and withheld help from the helples not onlie not releued but oppressed the poore and wrongfully taken frō poore Simple thy Tennant whome in conscience thou art bound to relieue his sillie Cottage whereupon he liued hauing none other place to hide his head in to harbour him and his in which is lamentable being monyles and friendlesse hauing many poore children and no refuge and thou hast neither remorce of thine owne conscience pitie vppon their estate or remembrance of thy reward Thy gréedy minde is contrarie cleane repugnant to the counsaile of Iesus Christ who willeth thée to giue all that thou hast to the poore but contrarie thou robbest the poore to make thy selfe Rich. Thou doost not consider that he that hath pitie on the poore lendeth vnto y e Lord and the Lord will reward him But I say seing thou hast much thou shouldst giue plenteously Thou shouldst not shut vp thy compassion from the needy nor forget to distribute whereby thou mightest lay vp in store a good foundation against the time to come But the foundation which thou beginnest to laye is vpon a weake ground vppon a ground that will sinke thée into y e gulfe of perpetuall perdition Thou foole this night will Christ take away thy lyfe then whose shall these thinges be which thou hast pawned thy Soule for Thinke vpon the impossibilitie of the Rich-man to enter into the kingdome of heauen for if generallie it be as hard a thing for a Rich-man to enter into the kindome of heauen as for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle how shall it be for thee which art so farre in loue with thy bagges of gold and great possessions and so desirous to become wealthy that thou fallest into diuers temptations into the snares of the Deuill by many and noysome desires running headlong into hell death destruction Achan through his coueitous desire of gold was himselfe stoned to death and all that hée had burned at the commaundement of Iosua Ahab seing his poore neighbour Nabothes vinyardly conueniently for him fel into a burning desire thereof and neuer left vntill Naboth was slaine by y e procuremēt of wicked Iesabel his wife and then went Ahab to take possessiō of y e vineyard where the Prophet of the Lord told him y t for his wicked deede he and his wife should be deuoured with Doggs But he himselfe vpon repētance obtayned pardō but Iesabel was eaten w t Dogs according to the word of the Prophet Let these examples mooue thée who hast deserued no lesse punishment in defrauding partlie by flatterie and parly by thy threatning thy poore Tenaunt whose vndoing cryeth vnto the Lorde who slumbreth not but séeth thy wickednes and hath laid vp in store a punishment for thy crueltie and pride of heart as by these and many other examples it may appeare Repent therefore in time The Rich-man This soundeth not lyke Solace man this fils my heart with woe This is to driue them to dispaire that with aboundance floe Solace No no but hearken thou a while what I shall say to thee For euery man is not accurst that is of rich degree As shall appeare hereafter plaine examples here ensue Of Dauid Iobe and Abraham belieue them they be true THe scripture reporteth that Abraham was rich that Iob was wealthy and that Dauid abounded in substance and yet Abraham beleeued in God and was reputed righteous Of Iob it was said that there was not his like vpon the Earth a man simple and iust fearing God and declining frō euill And the Lord himselfe said of Dauid that he had found a man according to his owne hart wherby thou maist perceiue that riches are not of themselues so much to be dislyked or condempned but the abuse of them the greedy gathering wicked whording of them for these men although they were very rich and had all things estemed them selues as hauing nothing so humble were they in minde so lowly in their hearts and liberall of their goods The Prophet Dauid sayeth if riches increase set not your harts vpon them for as the Adamant by nature draweth Iron to it so riches commonly draweth the harts of men to an vnsatiable desire according to the words of our Sauiour that where a mans riches are there is his hart And surely it is hard to finde a man of a content estate that desireth not more and a harder thing to finde one hauing more then enough that is content The reason is because they perceiue not that as an Horse is a vaine thing to saue a man so their riches is of no force to relieue them without it be guided and bestowed according to y e word of God which is by the examples of Abraham Iob Dauid who were as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things This if thou diddest consider thou wouldest accept and content thy self onely with the gifts of God were they great or small many or few and that with modest and harty thankfulnes not in pride or dispaire not couiting other mens but to be helpful to others with thine owne for there is a God in heauen that will one day aske accompt what Talent he gaue thée in his absence to vse what thou hast gotten thereby which is what good thou hast done by thy vocation to others And further he will demaund what goods thou hadst of his to kéepe how thou gattest them and how thou bestowedst thē what wilt thou answere canst thou say I haue with my Talent gained one other when indéede all thy studies I perceiue are set vpon greedie vngodlie gaine and so hast thou loitred in thy maisters busines and waited on Sathan ran from Christ and followed Beliall forsaken thy Sauiour and obeyed the mortall enimie of all mankind the Deuill How canst thou say for the getting of all thy
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