some particulars lay at it vvere buried in forgetfulnes by me the same also being at the last ouer-viewed by some good breethren whome I much loue and reuerence in the lord I was at the length ouercome could not choose but yeild Wherein though some perhaps may suppose that I labour in publishing an vnnecessarie impertinent matter because these ignorant dayes require Doctrine for building of men vp in knovvledge and iudgement and these carelesse and contemptuous times abounding vvith all manner of loosnes and levvdnes craue rebuke rather and exhortation for care and conscience in the dueties vve knovve as a more fit and meete argument for this dissolute age◠yet being assured of this both by mine owne knovvledge and other mens faithfull reportes that sundrie there are abroad in this land and amongst the rest euen some of you and yours that as in regarde of your spirituall combats and bickerings and the bitter assaultes and temptations you haue found therein had need of holy and heauenly comfort I could not but as in a generall care for all the afflicted ones to vvhome I wishe all the comforts of God as to my ovvn soule so in particular good vvil tovvardes you your selues vvhose invvard comfort and outvvard ioy I vvould bee glad and ready to procure at all times and by all meanes if I could tel hovv but acquaint you and them specially sith it is one principall portion of the svveet Manna that the lord hath prouided for you vvith such pleasaunt and delightfull consolations that out of the word as God by his spirit hath vvrought in mee for the peace of mine ovvne heart and by me though vnvvorthie euery way communicated vnto som others What root they may take or effects they may bring forth I knovv not Sure I am of this my earnest praiers vnto God as in regard of his religion and vvorship and heartie purpose in my selfe as in respect of Christian good vvill is that all that mourne in our Sion might reape some good by the same vvhich if it cannot bee effected either by meanes of my sinne that medle therin or by reason that the svveet things published cannot so seasonablie or for lacke of oportunitie come to their knovvledge or because that through diffidence they fore-close the vvaie and passage of consolation vnto themselues in all and euerye of vvhich desertes I shall surelye mourne muche yet my hope and heartes desire is that all of you my good friendes might receiue some vvorthie fruite thereby as vvell those amongest you that haue not as yet tasted of thys bitter cuppe a matter that you must looke for and make an account of if euer you vvill feele hovve sweete the Lord is indeed vvhile you perceiue GOD sitting you and furnishing you vvith the best armour of proofe that can bee before the day of battaile dravve nigh as those that haue beene or are tried that beeing the verie state and condition of all Gods children God according to your present distresses prouiding for you and reuealing vnto you the present comfortes of his most faithfull vvorde and infallible trueth that so both the one sort and the other hauing the povver of your ovvne sinnes in the sufferinges of his sonne if not vtterlie remooued and cleane taken avvay yet verie much lessened and as it vvere beaten dovvne you might not onelye the more earnestlie oppose your selues agaist satan in his sleights and haue an assured hope of a glorious and ioyfull victorie against him and his assaults but also may be inabled to stand yea to ouercome in the day of euill and to be more than cōquerors thorow him that hath loued you washed you in his bloud vvho I doubt not shall shortly and mightilie also tread him and all his forces whatsoeuer down vnder your feet Now the very god of peace sanctify you and al yours thorowout I pray God that your whole spirite and soule and bodie may bee kept blameles vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ vvhereof I doubt not because he is faithful which hath called you who also wil doe it Good brethren pray for vs that we may be readie in all things with vnfaignednes to do the Lords vvill At London the tenth of of this December 1589. Yours readie and assured euer in Iesus Christ T. W. the Lord his vnworthy seruant GRACE AND PEACE from God c. BEcause I haue not nowe a long time eyther by wryting or by worde of mouth heard from you good Sir I grow into some vncertain imaginations concerning your estate and by meanes thereof I freely confesse it not onely into neglect of some duety towardes your selfe I meane comming to visite you and writing vnto you such simple comfortes as God hath bin pleased to explicate vnto me which I call simple not as of thēselues for so they are high and excellent but as I haue them in my a 2. Cor. 4 7. earthen vessell but also into cold performance at the least of som seruice vnto God I meane my supplications and praiers vnto his maiestie The duti◠of a Christian and faithfull friend towardes hys friend as on your behalfe To pray for you when God hath bene pleased to giue you and in you me for I take the fauours bestowed vpon you to be kindnesse heaped vp vpon my selfe thorow his merciful deliuerance of you a iust and holy occasion to prayse his name should be the sinne of mine owne soule because it were the offring vp of a wrong sacrifice and presenting vnto God a b Malac. 1.8 blind beast as it were As on the other side to striue to yeeld you comfort when you haue receiued a riche aboundance of the same from God himselfe thorowe his holie worde and blessed spirite were as it might be thought to doe a needlesse and vnnecessarie worke for where there is fulnesse and plentie scarsitie and barrennesse will little appeare and doe small good From the former though I would gladly as in regard of the lack of sound knowledge touching your present condition and in respect of the dulnesse and heauinesse of my soule as to other good workes so to that particularlie cease till eyther from your selfe or others that are as your selfe I should be faithfully certified of the state wherein you are that so I might as a feeling member with you eyther vnfeignedly c Rom. 12.15 reioyce in the asswaging of your trobles and trials or else heartily weepe and pitie you and pray with you and for you in the continuance and increase of these distresses yet wil not the doubts that I haue in me touching the continuance of these calamities and the dutie that I owe vnto you as in that behalfe let me vtterly leaue off but needes I must nowe and then according to my poore measure present you before God and that by name in my requestes and prayers though poore and faynt In the other surely I cannot God ayding me but inlarge my selfe to my
LARGE LETTERS Three in number containing much necessarie matter for the instruction and comfort of such as are distressed in conscience by feeling of sinne and feare of Gods wrath WRITTEN HEERETOfore by T. W. for some deare friends of his and now published and printed for the raising vp of such as labor vnder the heauie burthen of an afflicted Spirite PSAL. 42.11 â—â—y art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within me wait on God for I will yet giue him thanks hee is my present hâ—lpe and my God AT LONDON Printed by Roger warde for Thomas Man 1589. TO HIS FAITHFVLL friends and verie deare brethren in Christ Mast Roger Ofield Robert Washborne George Smith Thomas Shipton Iohn Field Robert Iones Iohn Harper Iohn Hounsell and all the rest of his Christian acquaintaunce in London as well as though they were particularlie named together with all those that els where in the land vnfaignedly feare the Lord and looke for the glorious appearing of his sonne and our sauiour T. W. wisheth all spirituall goodnes heauenly comfort in this life and in the end the eternall glorification of their bodies and soules in euerlasting blisse through Christ MY loue in the Lorde and the affectioÌ„s of my hart in him haue bin in some measure of soundnes I humbly thanke God for it in Christ strongly carried generallie tovvardes all the Israell of GOD wheresoeuer and more particularlye tovvardes you my good Breethren vvhereof ouer and besides the assured testimony of mine owne soule I haue for faithful witnesses the Lord himselfe in heauen and many of his saints vppon earth and amongst others you your selues Causes leading me hereto are manye but as in respect of God none more powerfull than his grace and holy spirite shed abroad into my heart and as in regard of you none more effectuall than sundry sincere fruites of your faith and the comfortable feeling of the communion of saints in which holy fellowship standeth not onely the spiritual felicity and good of the whole bodie but the very ioy and contentment also of euerie sounde member therein For outward kindnesses that I haue receiued from you I must will euerie where acknowledge my selfe much beholding vnto you And yet this I may vvith all boldnes professe that as that is not the onâ—ly or principall cause moueing me to affect you so though I haue beene beholding to you all yet not to all alike but to some more than to other some Which also I rehearse not now either to breed anie disdaine or emulation in you one of you towards another for that vvere to breake the bond of charity and vnitie of the spirit or to lessâ—n any fauour though neuer so small that I haue receiued from you for that wer to depriue you of your praise and to declare my selfe ingratfull nor craftilie clavving after the maner of the vvorld to craue newe benefiâ—es for that vvere nothing els but deceit and flatterie to procure mine own good from all vvhich corruptions I haue hitherto as in respect of my selfe and you through Gods goodnesse beene graciouslie freed But to let you vnderstand that your benefits haue not bene bestowed vpon an vnskilfull or an thankefull person but vpon such a one as by the light that he hath receiued from God hath vveighing them in an equal ballance esteemed of them according to the goodnes of the gift and the christian affection of the Partie giuing The thinges indeede which haue most speciallye lincked mee fast in the Lorde vnto you are your precious faith towards God vnfaigned loue to the saints christian consciences amongest your selues and holie praiers in presence and absence one of you for an other and all of you I am assured for the holy causes and faithfull members of the whole Church and amongest the rest euen for me pore and wretched man that I am In which duties of yours as my heart hath greatly reioiced in the lord for the graces that in great mercy he hath bin pleased to vouchsafe vnto you I my selfe haue as in some sort though not to the ful in regard of your spirituall fauours performed to me by reson of weaknesse and wants in my selfe aunswered them again with the like I write not as a vaine glorious boaster so I doubt not but that therby God him selfe hath receiued glorie at your hands his childreÌ„ goten much good and you your selues reaped a gracyous measure and increase of religyous knowledge and dutifull obedience As for the worldly fauours that you haue shewed me and bodily benefites that vvay I confesse my selfe to be far behind hand with you and much indebted in deed though not in affection surely and readinesse of good vvill for so my heart is verie large in humilitie I speake it neyther will I wish better witnesses of it than your selues yet in regard of action vvherein still my griefe groweth great and increaseth daily vpon me as vvell by the feare that I haue of my future wants as by the feeling of my former and present disabilities Hovvbeit sith thys is the Lords doing and that he is pleased thereby to sift me and to sound you mee for my patience and comfortable induring of these necessities and you for your faithfull obedience and vnfaigned loue I can not but vvith some measure of spirituall ioy vndergoe mine owne lacks and againe recomfort my spirites because hauing to deale vvith God and his seruaunts vvho haue learned from his holie example greater than all exception to accept of men according to that they haue and not according to that they haue not I rest resolued my good vvill shall bee accounted as a deed specially sith I am ready euery vvhere vvithout flatterie in my self or favvning vpon you to acknovveledge to the glorie of God and the good of his people the great good turnes that by you I haue receiued euen from the Lords ovvne handes And yet gladly vvould I if I could tell hovve some vvay recompence though not all yet som part peece thereof And in that respect indeede haue I long looked vvished for as some good occasion from you wherin it might haue pleased you all or any of you to haue imployed and vsed me to my pore vttermost So some sufficiencie in my selfe at the leastwise in some mean measure to haue requited that ouerflowing heape of your kindnes and holy loue But hitherto I deliuer it with my griefe of heart as a man sensiblie seeing and feeling gods hand vpon my selfe both that and other waies also my expectation and hope hath bene frustrat and my power very short and skant A small thing the Lorde vvas pleased some years ago to inable me in two or three Letters to performe for the comfort of some of my christian acquaintance whose conflicts in conscience vvere great and many which lying by mee vvith some other simple thinges that I haue done and I beeing earnestly requested to make that coÌ„mon to many which was written for
of those whome God hath marked out to eternall life Wherein I would first haue you to know and perswade your heart of this that as the miseries of the reprobate The reprobate cannot truely conceiue much lesse feele their condemnation and their condemnation also is more I will not say than is well felt for feeling they haue little or none but well conceiued their harts not beeing fit to thinke either of their sinne or iudgement due vnto them for the same so many times the fauour of God is certaynly muche more towardes and in his seruantes than eyther they themselues or others for them can well perceiue For as it is most true that naturall blindnesse and benummednesse of heart with a sensual delight the wicked take in sinne pursuing all maner of iniquitie with pleasure wil not suffer theÌ„ to see their damnable estate at the least wise to dwell vpon the contemplation of it with fruite because thorowe impenitencie of heart they bee r 2. Tim. 2.26 held captiues of Satan at his pleasure so it is as certaine that by reason of the remaynders of a darke minde which resteth euen in the godly as yet in parte vnreformed they be sometimes as farre off from conceiuing spirituall fauours from God And no marueile because beeing spirituall things they must be s 1. Cor. 2.14 spiritually discerued and we knowe that as other graces so that of a discâ—â—â—ing spirite is not onely in vs in part but maâ—â—e times seemeth to be quenched in vs and hidden from others thorowe the ashes of our corruption And what reason can be shewed to the contrarie but that if want of sight and feeling in the wicked can for the time though not for euer put out feare and paâ—ne and all sense of the same but also that the reliques of sinne in the righteous and the sight they haue of it and the â—eare and griefe of heart that they conceiue for it should for the time though not alwaies bleare and deface the hope and the ioy that God would haâ—â— them to conceiue Satan also in his makeâ— working no doubt in all these tempâ—ations of the wicked and the godly that â—o he might if he coulde tâ—â—l how preuaile vpon all both good and bad By which you may well perceiue that in this most high What the godly in such a case ought to doe yet moste comfortable point you are to goe beyond your owne reache and feeling yea to depart from your selfe who by reason sometimes of blindnesse and soâ—etimes of partialitie are vnfit to bee a iudge in thâ—s cause that so being spoiled oâ— trust and donfidence in your selâ—e oâ— in the t Iere. 17.5 arme of flesh and bloud â—ls where you may repaire vnto him thâ—â— alone is the God of all strength both ouâ—ward and inward and who will indeede for you and all his effect that which shal be most meete for his glorie and your eternall comforts And this is the second thing that I would pray you well to weigh namely that as according to the trueth of the holie scriptures God hath pleased thorowe the infinite multâ—tude of his mercies in Iesus Christ to elect you to liâ—e euerlasting t Ephâ—s 1 4 before the foundaâ—ions of the world were laid so hath he in time plainly manifested vnto you and by you vnto others that his great grace of your eternall etettion first in vouchsafing you though vnworthie of your selfe yet for Christ Iesus his sake thorowe the ministerie of his holy worde and by the powerfull working of his blessed spirite an effectual calling so that he t Act. 13.48 16.14 no sooner spake vnto you but withal pearsed your eares and boared your heart to vnderstand and beleeue he working in you also this readinesse with vnfeigned affection to saie v 1. Sam 3.10 speake Lord for thy seruant heareth God dealing with you heerein for your soule The spirituall meanes of Gods mercie as hee hath done alwaies with you for your body that is bestowing vppon you the spirituall meanes of his mercie and making them mightie in you to worke his will not vnto iudgement as in the wicked but to eternall saluation as in his saintes and seruantes And this I take to be that which the Apostle saith Roman 8. x Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinate them also he called Secondly by giuing you care and conscience to adorne these excellent graces of his eternall election from before all times and effectuall vocation in time with the fruites of faith and the deedes of blessed obedience and that both in the seruices of pietie towards his maiestie The duties of pietie you hauing a minde to be often and earnest with him in prayer and thankesgiuing adioyning thereto for your better direction therein dayly reading of the word deepe meditation and christian confeference therein and also in the duties of charitie towardes men Of charitie you not onely not deteming from anie that which belongeth vnto them but rendring vnto euerie one that which is right equall and specially hauing care of the coÌ„munion of saints y Rom. 12.15 vveeping there with them that weep and reioycing with theÌ„ that teioyce And this is that that the Apostle saith in another place that z Ephes 1.4 God hath chosen vs in Christ that we should be holy without blame before him in loue And againe a 2. Tim 2.19 The strong foundatioÌ„ of God remaineth sure hath this seal the lord knoweth who are his let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie In which respect also it is that Peter admonisheth vs b peter 1.10 Why these duties are propounded to vs in the word to giue diligence to make our calling and election sure by good vvorkes Not that eyther the one or the other either as in respect of God are vncertaine c Rom. 11.29 for his giftes and calling are such as he repent him not thereof are vnsure as in regard of our selues because we haue fouÌ„d thorow his goodnesse in vs though not that that wee should yet a minde bowable and ready to harken vnto to loue and obey the fatherly voyce and calling of our gracious God But therefore are these thinges propounded vnto vs in the word on the one side to stop the mouthes of carelesse blasphemers who in the vaine imagination of their owne heartes feare not to affirme that if they he elected they may liue as they list and on the other side to lift vp the weakned spirites of many of Gods deare seruantes who finding eyther the faith of their election or the fruites following the same fewe and skant in them beginne to call their election into question wherein ouer and besides the discomfortes and discouragementes that causelesly they cast vpon themselues they doe great iniurie to God whilest they make him that is certaine in his purposes and acts to be d Num. 23.29 Isa 51.8 Iâ—a
effectual pledges vnto vs as of Gods great fauor shed abroad into our harts so of the crowning of those his graces in vs with wondeâ—ful honour and glorious immortality at the last Lastlie it seemeth vnto me Of sin it self that eâ—en from sinne it selfe though not in it owne nature for so it is abhominable in the Lords sight o Haâ—aâ— 1.13 whose pure eies cannot sâ—e euill neither yet in the effects that commonly it bringeth foorth for so is it alwaies bytter making a fearefull p Isaiah 59.2 seperation betweene the Lord and vs hauing for the q Rom. 6 2â— wages of it eternal death and damnation yet euen in the heynousnes and heyght thereof being accompanied with gods fauour in the forgiuenes of the same we should may reap an inuincible argument of much consolation and singular comfort For wherein shal or can the mercy of God in this life so much appear towards his people as in pardoning the sinnes of his seruants To whom had they not offended neither could gods mercie that way foorth haue bin declared nor Christ for theÌ„ haue bin r 1. Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the flesh who therefore came into the world not to call s Math. 9.13 the righteous but sinners to repentaunce and did therefore appeare amongest men not onely that he might t 1 Ioh. 3.5.8 loose the works of the deuil but also that he might take away our sins Outward tokens of Gods fauour All the outward fauours that wee haue in this life if we should reckon theÌ„ vp one by one as for example creation preseruation health wealth c. or binde them all in a bundle together cannot so sensibly set before vs Gods loue because some of them are in some sort commoÌ„ to other creatures with men reach but to the bodie for the most part this time present onely the wicked many times beeing before Gods saintes in some of the same God also v Ps 17.14 filling their bellies with his hid treasure their children hauing inough and leauing inough of their substance for their children Spiritual graces Nay I will say more many of those spirituall graces that God vouchsaseth vnto his Church as h s worde sacraments praier of which the holy ghost saith he x Psal 147.19 sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgments vnto Israell and he hath not dealt so with euerie nation doe not so plainâ—iy exâ—râ—sse the fauour and loue of the Lorde towardes hys people as the free pardon and full forgiuenesse of their transgressions the reason is because y Math 22.14 manye are called and fewe are chosen and diuers bee in the Churche that bee not of the Church This grace also extending it sâ—â—e not onelye to bodye and soule in says lyfe carrying with it comfort and the peace of a good conscience here but reaching euen vnto the life that is to come eternal saluation and life euerlasting being an inseperable companion to the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And that we might the better be perswaded that this is a verie speciall fauour God himselfe taketh vpon himself as a principall point of his glory this great worke of forgiuing laying z â—saiah 42.25 I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And in an other Prophet rehearsing the graces that he will vouchsafe vnto his people in the newe Testament he reckoneth vp this as the last and chiefest a Iere 31 34. I wil forgiue their iniquitie b Rom. 5.20 and remember their sinne no more that beeing true here that the Apostle saieth that where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more To conclude then good Madam out of all that is gone before The coâ—clusion Sâ—â—h in thys poynt of the forgiuenes of sins God who is greater than al is b Rom 8 3 on our side therefore wee neede not care who be agaynst vs Iesus Christ standeth for vs who is c Math 3 17 his dearely beloued sonne in whome onely hee is well pleased and thorow whome he hath d 2 Cor 3 19 reconciled the world vnto himselfe the word generally partâ—cularly the promises in the same which are in Iesus Christ e 2 Cor 1 20 yea and amen speake comfoâ—table things vnto vs the holy sacramentes ordeined by God for the strengthning of our weake faith seale vp that great and gracious fauor vnto vs the disâ—pline and voyce of the Church which is the f 1 Tim 3 16 piller ground of trueth and as it were Gods owne voyce from heauen confirmeth it the particular examples oâ— his saintes hauing in former time found it and felt it true doe ratifie and confirme the same the peculiar fauoâ—s that God hath giuen vs our selues in this life and namely faith g 2 Thess 3 2 which all men haue not with the sound truâ—tes thereof doe pledge it vp and that god that maketh the h Psal 76 10 rage of men to turne to his praise and in the beginning commaâ—nded i 2 Cor. 4 6 the light to shine out of darkenesse now maketh sin to serue for the magnifying and manifesting of his mercie and the comfort and good of his children who is it that can distrust or rather who hath not iust cause with the Apostles and saintes of God to sing and say k 1. Cor. 15.54.55.56.57 death is swallowed vp into victorie O deathe where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the lawe But thanks be to God which hath giuen vs victorie thorow our Lord Iesus Christ And againe l Rom. 8 38 39. I am perswaded that neyther death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor height nor depâ—h nor anie other creature shal be able to separate vs froÌ„ the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Thus good Madame I haue as your honour seeth plainely deliuered my poore iudgement in this worthie point touching the comfortable feeling of the forgiuenesse of sinnes and some such assured seales and pledges of the same as by m Deut. 17 18 19 Ioshua 1 8 Psalm 1.2 Iohn 5 39 dayly reading of the holie scriptures and continuall meditation in the same holie duties that I and all other christians of what qualitie or calling so euer are bound vnto by Gods word to performe and woulde to God all did it as may knowe and confesse it the Lorde in much fauor I freely confesse it hath bene pleased in the dayes of my distresse to manifest to me miserable man that I am and that not onely for instruction and comfort vnto my self alone for God neuer bestoweth anie grace vpon vs much lesse such excellent fauors to that ende onely but for the good and consolation of others who being n 2
our corruption and sometymes agayne the power of oure iniquitie preuayling and alwayes getting the vpper hand the Lord no doubt thereby prouiding for hys glorye whilest wee attribute all the praise of our well doing vnto him to whome indeede alone all praise and honour belongeth and for our good and that in a double respect not onely whilest by this meanes wee are made humble and lowly before him and men and in our owne eyes especiallie hauing speciall recourse vnto him by praier for heauenly strength and comming to our brethren for such spirituall ayd as they haue receiued from him but also whilest we learne on the one side to loth that which is from our selues as corrupt and defiled and on the other side to cherish and foster that which is from him as good and pure according to that rule of the Apostle o 1. Thes 5.19 20. Quench not the spirits despise not prophesie A similitude The Sunne it selfe a verie glorious creature is not no not in the summer time alwaies alike hote and bright but sometimes is couered with cloudes that keepe backe the brightnesse hinder the heate of the same from vs. The like may we saie of another celestial body the moone it self An other which ouer and besides the ordinarie eclipses that it doth indure somtimes ascendeth higher sometimes commeth sower is many times in the winter season Others especially kept from vs by thicke mists and darke fogs Neither neede we for this to looke so high for from terrestriall or earthly bodies may we perceiue the same The trees in the fields and the plants and hearbs in the gardens all winter long not onely want any good fruite but seeme not so muche as to haue a leafe on them yea the verie truncke and stocke it selfe maketh shewe in mans eyes to be dead and to lacke that life that we call vegetatiue And yet there is a sappe or naturall moysture that lyeth hid in the root which when it is refreshed with the heate of the sinne and comforted as it were with the dewe that falleth from heauen will yet notwithstanding in due time proue vnto vs that the tree plant or herbe was neuer dead whatsoeuer we supposed But what neede we to go out of our selues and from our own bodies to viewe this matter we haue as plaine a demonstration as may be Our bodies to daie fresh and lustie and to morrowe wythered and dried vp p Psal 118.83 as a skinne bottle that hangeth in the smoke Another and yet in time raised vp againe to haue naturall moisture and to performe with strength and agilitie as woorthy deedes as before And euen such doubtlesse for a while is the state of the children of God The application of these similitudes who thorow the heynous offences that they haue committed the strength of temptations that they doe indure speecially when they are pressed vpon them by the sting of their own heart or Satans malice and wherein oftentimes thorow the power of naturall corruption they lie sleeping snorting as it were a great while appeare vnto men yea very many thinke and saie so of themselues as persons forsaken of God and remedie lesse in this life and past hope of recouerie for that which is to come It is true that such mens cases are for the time specially before men in theÌ„selues hard and heauie And if wee shoulde say or thinke otherwise wee shoulde contradict Gods truth which telleth vs that g Heb. 12 1â— no afflictions much lesse this great one is for the present ioious but grieuous rather and stand vp against common sense and reason which plainly prooueth to our faces their condition to be pitifull And yet for all this it is not as they affirme desperate and vnrecouerable but rather thought not as in respect of it selfe yet as in regard of the consolations that God interminglâ—th with it and the good fruites that he bringeth foorth by it very comfortable And therefore how ought you A consolation such as you are to be raised vp I come now to the second point namely consolation vpon whome the Lorde himselfe hath sette such infallible notes of your adoption and election vnto eternall life in Iesus Christ that no cloude that the enemie hath interposed betwixt you and God or no myst that in imagination you haue raysed vp in your selfe to stoppe the comfortable Sunne-shine of Gods fauour vnto you nor no extreame frost or colde of winter howsoeuer it bee harde or sharpe for the tyme and sensibly felt of you can kill the seed that is sowen in your heart by Gods word and spirite or disanull the r 1 Iohn 2.27 annoynting s Ephes 4.30 wherewith you are sealed against the day of Christ so louing so faithfull and powerfull is God in and for his Saintes and that not onelie when they are assaulted with forraigne forces but when they are assayed from within and haue as a man would say the motions of their owne minde and the imaginations of their owne hearts and heades not only to conspire agaâ—nst them but euen to betraie them into the handes of their most cruell and deadlie enemies Obiections answered Howbeit it may bee that you will saie your selfe thinketh otherwise of of your selfe But be not your owne iudge I pray you as wel because iudgement in the especially beloÌ„geth not to you but vnto god t t. Cor. 4 4 to whoÌ„ only it appertaineth to pronouÌ„ce a right sentence as also because the way is slipperie here and men yea otherwise good men may easilie be deceiued For as in persons that are sicke in the bodie it sundry times falleth out A similitude that of som melancholike conceit in themselues or feare that they haue to die they receiue the sentence of death in theÌ„selues yea and sometimes the Phisitions giue him ouer and they are readye to take their leane of them and yet God the Lord of life saith they shal liue and as a proofe of his power restoreth them from deathes doore so is it many times with Gods children in this spirituall disease and sicknesse of their soule wherein as it is much more easie to bee mis-led than in bodily sicknesse so many times when al haue â—orsaken vs and we haue destituted our selues and failed in our own spirites yet God the v 2. Cor. 1.3 God of all mercie and father of all comfort renueth his vnspekeable fauour vpon vs calleth vs backe againe as if it were from death to life Againe Another as men that in their owne iudgments seeme sick vnto death and are so farre from hoping after health that they can not so much as thinke of it euen with imagination as many times wast and weare awaie aâ—d bee brought to deathes dore and yet for all that the standers by as learned phisitions and faithâ—ull friendes for certaine and vndoubted tokens of happie health and good recouerie
euen such doubtles is the state and condition of many distressed in conscieÌ„ce and amongst the rest your case particularlie wherein whatsoeuer you say of your selfe or vtter against your selfe yet I â—t many other though not the best phisitions yet your vnfeigned familiars that haue nowe a long time knowne you in God and his trueth haue seene in you since the daie and hower of our firste acquaintaunce vntill this present time and yet still doe beho de such euidencie clearnes of the graces of Gods spirite notwithstanding your long and continuall complaintes as all the smoke â—muther mystes and fogges and whatsoeuer els els that Sathan by him selfe and his suppostes hath or can cast out against you shall neuer bee able to take away the cleare sight of them from vs or mooue vs so much as once to doubt of the comfortable reuiuing of them in you euen vnto eternall lyfe And I hope wee haue the spirit of God and by the grace thereof as also by the light of his Woorde and experience that hee hath giuen vs are able to deserue some thinge in this behalfe though not so well in others as in our selues for that shall wee neuer bee able to doo yet in others also Wherefore to make an end where I began Be of good comfort good sir I beseech you and waite with patience the Lords ioyfull appearing whose you are doubtles and whereof you may be assured because you haue him x Rom. 8.31 on your side therefore not feare who shal or can be against you because also you haue his children standing with you and for you not onely suffering the same afflictions in bodie and soule that you do and so learning by themselues to remeÌ„ber you in bonds as those that are bound with you but with all holie comfort as in respect of your selfe and with all earnest praier as in regard of the Lord ayding you to their vttermost yea because he that z Iames. 1.17 Gracs from God bestowed on his elect is free from shaddowe of tyranny hath bestowed so many excellent graces of his his vpoÌ„ you as sound knowledge stedfast faith vnfained loue christian patience and a notable measure of holie obedience to his blessed trueth although that in some of these many go before you yet in al of them I hardly know any of my godly acquaintance in Christ that goeth beyond you And yet farther you may the more certainely perswade your selfe of the trueth of this point because you haue cast him so dear a peece euen the hart blood of his best beloued sonne whom he hath giuen as for the testification of his singular loue towardes man so to this end also a Iohn 3.16 that euerie one that beleeth in him shall not perish but haue eternal life And if that which men buy dear they esteem precious and cannot abide at any hand to haue it perish surely God will not see that lost that hee loueth so tenderlie and which he hath redeemed to him selfe with so great and high a ransome b 1. Pet. 1.18 yea with such and excellent an most pretious iewell To all which if you wil ad the manifold victories that here to foâ—e he hath giuen you against sinne and sathan and all their cruell and craftâ—e assaultes he euen then as it weâ—e most miraculously deliuering you wâ—en neither you nor any for you could so much as once dreame of a way much lesse beholde it how you mighte scape certainlie you may take it as the voice of God from heauen that hee will not now specially sith hee hath vouchsafed you so many mercifull meanes of a ioifull deliueraunce throwe you off or taste you awaye but deale rather with you as hee dooth with other his seruauntes c Phillip 1.6 make perfâ—ct in you the good thing that he hath begunne in you euen vntill the day of Iesus Christ and cause you d Act. 24.22 thorow manifold tribulations to enter into his owne kingdome e 1. Cor. 9.25 2. Tim 4.8 Iâ—mes 1.12 1. pet 5.4 and crowne you there with eternall glorie And what though you thinke it long before the Lord come in comfort to you yet knowe f 2. pet 3. that the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slacknes but that hee that will come wil come quicklie and wil not tarie His nature is not g psal 103.9 alwaies to bee chiding neither vvill he keepe his anger for euer as the Prophete saith Ioseph woulde not continuallie dissemble his tender affection towards his vnkinde brethren but must of necessitie h Gen. 43 30. breake forth into teaâ—es and weepe vpon Beniamins necke And shall wee thinke that the Lord is lesse compassionate If wee doo so we belie God and dallie with yea deceiue our owne soules I denie not but he maie for a time indeede hâ—de his louing countenance from vs Exâ—d 33 23. and shewe vs after a sorte as it were his darke partes and that the better eyther to prooue our patience in trying howe wee canne for a while forbeare that which wee exceedinglie desire and as it were hunger and thirst after or else to cause vs the more highlie to esteeme of the same For this is naturallie in vs in the continuance of Gods fauours to make little account thereof Howbeit this wee may assure our seâ—â—ues of that though k psal 30 5 vveeping may abide at euening yet ioy shall come in the morning l psal 89 2â— and that his louing kindnesse hee vvill not take from vs for euer nor falsifie the vvoord yea the oath that is gone out off hys mouth And mee thinketh that heereof you not onelye amongest but aboue manye other shoulde bee throughlie perswaded as well by the viewe of your owne estate as by the consideration of his most gracious nature wee beleeue his mercies yea you beleeue them to bee so greate yea so infinite that they cannot bee as a man would say conteyned within himselfe but must of necessitie ere long euen as continuall springing fountaines that will ouerflowe all and make euerie thinge fruitful and pleasaunt where they come breake foorth and shewe themselues not onely generallie to all but in a speciall maner to some chieflie m Esay 66.2 to those that are poor of contrite spirits treÌ„ble at his word n 62.3 and mourn in Sion for to such is it in verie deede that the Lorde vvill looke and haue a speciall regard Amongest the which sith if I knowe any you your selfe may iustlie bee numbred you can not but beleeue that you shall haue a plentifull portion of thys ouerflowing fauour because you bee as certaynelye inrolled in that number as if your name were particulerlye put down And as for your state you and wee together knowe it to bee long tedious and hard where in notwithstanding you ought to comfort your selfe because you are assured of this and that not only by