t their faith and constancy might be proued tried vnto the example of other yet I fynd in my selfe such imperfection yea such aboundaunce of âin that it may iustly be thought that this sicknesse whiche is laid vpon me commeth from suche a God as is angry with me for my âinnefull life and therefore is his heauy hand thus laide vpon me What thinke ye good neighbors Philemon Brother Epaphroditus this humbling of your self in the sight of the Lord our God is a certain argument and sure token of your euerlasting saluatioÌ For he that exalteth him self shall be made lowe but he that humbleth hym selfe shall be exalted God is an enemy to y e proude but he is a frende to the humble and lowly Truth it is that in y e sight of God no man is pure and cleare from sinne Who is hable to saie My heart is cleane and I am freâ from sinne In many thinges we all offend If we saye we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truthe is not in vs. All hauâ sinned and waÌt the glory of God We all are vnprofitable seruauÌts Euery man is a lier We were beâgotten in sinne conceiued in sinnâ and borne in sinne Our heart ãâã leude and vnsearchable All our righteousnes are as cloth polluâted with menstrue Al haue swarued and gone out of the way they are altogether become vnprofitable there is not one that doeth good no not one The moste perfect among vs all may well say w t the sinnefull Publicane O God be mercifull to me a synner We may worthely pray as our sauiour Christ taught vs forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue theÌ that trespasse againste vs God found no truth in his seruaunts and in his angels ther was folly How much more in them y t dwell in the houses of clay and whose foundations are but dust The stars are vncleane in the sight of God How much more then man that is but corruption and the sonne of man whiche is but a worme And albeit Ioseph Dauid Iob and Toby be set forth in âhe holy scriptures with greate commendations yet may we not thincke that they wanted theyr faultes For no man that is borne of a woman is clene before God although he be but one day olde How oft doth Dauid coÌfesse hym selfe a sinner How oft doth he fle vnto God and pray for the remission of his sinnes Howe oft doth he cast away his own righteousnes with strong faith lay hand on Gods mercy Among many other are not these his wordes Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy And according to the multitude of thy mercies do away myne offences Wash me thorowly from my wickednes and cleanse me from my sin For I knowledge my faultes and my sinne is euer before me Against thee only haue I synned and done euyll in thy sight c. Also in another place Oh rememâber not the sinnes and offenses of my youth but according vnto thy mercy thincke thou vpon me O Lord for thy goodnesse For thy names sake O Lord be merciful vnto my synne For it is great Loke vpon mine aduersitie misery forgeue me all my sinnes Againe Out of the depe haue I called vnto the Lorde Lord hear my voyce Oh let thyne eare consyder well the voyce of my complaint If thou Lorde wilt be extreme to marcke what is done amysse oh Lorde who may abyde it But ther is mercy with thee c Item Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt O Lorde for no man liuing shall be iustified in thy syght Thus see you howe holy Dauid whome the scripture commendeth so greatlye bosteth not his owne righteousnesse but humbleth him selfe in the syghte of God and wholy betaketh hym vnto Gods mercy Nowe hear what Iob whom the scripture so greatly commendeth saith of him self If I wil iustifie my self mine own mouth shall condemne me If I will put forth my selfe for a perfect man he shall proue me a wicked doer Again If I washe my self with snow water make mine hands neuer so cleane at the well yet shalt thou dip me in the mire and mine owne clothes shal defile me And as concerning the godly maÌ Toby how litle he trusted in his owne innocency and righteousnes these his words do manifestly declare O Lord saith he be mindfull of me and take no vengeauÌce of my sinnes nether remember my misdedes nor y e misdedes of mine elders for we haue not bene obedient to thy coÌmaundements c. And as Dauid Iob and Toby humbled them selues in the sight of God so lykewyse doth the whole company of al the faithful that the glory of our saluation may be Gods alone as he saith by the Prophet Thi destruction O Israell commeth of thy self but thy saluation commeth only of me Therfore though ye fele synne to be in you as who is without it yet despair not nether be dismaide but with strong faith make haste vnto the glorious throne of Gods great mercy lament your sorowfull case craue fauor and remission of sinnes in Christes name of Gods most hie maiestie and without doubt you shall haue your hartes desire For the Lorde is gracious and merciâul ⪠long suffring of great goodâes The Lord is louing vnto euery man and his mercy is ouer all his workes O truste in the Lord for with the Lorde there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And he shall redeme Israell from all his sinnes Epap Oh my hart Ah what a greuous paine did I fele nowe euen at my very heart God be mercifull vnto me Euseb. Be on a good comfort neighbour I pray you God shal worke all thinges for the best Ye may se what frail vessels we are and how litle a pain doth greatly trouble vs. Epa. Ye say truth But to you neighbor PhilemoÌ once again Me thincke if God shuld punish me in this world for my sinne so shuld it be a token rather of his anger then of his fauour towarde me Phi. Nay not so neighbor Iâ is rather an euident token of his singular loue hartie good wil toâward you which louingly correcteth you in this world that ye maâ repent knowledge your fault aâmend your life call for mercy and so liue worthy your profession again that through this temporall paine ye may be fre from euerlasting plagues neuer come into that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone This witnesseth s. Paul saying Whyle we are punished we ar corrected of the lord that we should not w t this world be condempned Whan God suffereth the wicked in this world to florish like a bay tree and licenciously to sinne without any punishement as he suffred the ritche glotton of whome ye reade in the Gospell of blessed Luke it is an euident argument that suche one is reserued vnto the paines
euen that I may learne thy righteous ordinances UexatioÌ or trouble saith the Prophet geueth vnderstanding And whaÌsoeuer we repent cease to sinne the Lord straightwais remoueth and taketh away the crosse that he hath laid vpon our backes and poureth his blessing againe plentiously vpon vs. For though he maketh a wouÌd he geueth a plaster though he smite he maketh whole again The Lord killeth maketh a liue bringeth down to the graue and fetcheth vp again The lord maketh poore maketh âich bringeth lowe and lifteth vp again After a storm O lord saith holy Toby thou makest the weather faire calme after wepyng and heauines thou geuest great âoy Thy name O God of Israel âe praised for euer Euseb. If God âoueth a man and entendeth to make him partaker of euerlasting glory he wil not cease to punishe him vntill he knowledgeth his âault repenteth become a newe âan Phi Ye say truth For vnto âhis end doth God correcte suche âs he loueth and entendeth to âaue The Lord saith by the Proâhet that he will punishe his peoâle which sinne against him and âun on whoring after straunge Gods vntill they coÌfesse their falt and say I wil turne again to my first husband for at that time was I better at ease then now Chri. This is a great comfort for a christen man in his affliction to hear that God punisheth hym in this world to this end y t he may cease to sinne that he may repent turn againe vnto the Lord his God so for euer be saued Epaph. But I pray you rehearse vnto me out oâ the holy scripture for the quietânes of my conscience some histories which may declare vnto me that God punishing synners foâ their disobedieÌce doth afterwarâ whan they repent and turne forâgeue them and receiue theÌ agaiâ into his fauour Philemon In thâ fourth boke of Moses called Nââmery we reade that the pepole ãâã Israel murmured and grudged ââgainst God and against Moseâ saying vnto Moses wherfore hast thou brought vs out of Egipt for to die in the wildernesse For here is neither bread nor water our soule lotheth this lyght bread Now se ye the sinne of the Israelites They murmur thei grudge they are vnfaithfull vnpacient disobedient against God and against his lawful magistrat now heare again the reward of sinne Wherfore the Lord sent firy Serpentes among the people whiche âtong them muche people of Israel died Here haue ye the punishment of the sin Now hear also y e âemedy against this punishment ând the salue against this plage Therefore the people came vnto Moses sayd we haue sinned for âe haue spoken against the Lord â against thee Make intercession âo the Lord that he take away the âârpentes from vs. Here the people of Israll repenteth confesseth their sinne turneth againe vnto the Lorde and besecheth Moses to pray for them vnto the Lorde Repentance coÌfession of the sinne conuersion vnto the Lorde and faithfull prayer are the meanes wherby Gods wrath is turned away from vs his plagues cease For when Moses had made intercessioÌ for the people the Lord said vnto him Make a brasen serpeÌt and set it vp for a signe that as many as are bitten may loke vpoÌ it and liue And Moses made a seruent of brasse and set it vp for a signe And when the Serpents had bitten any man he beheld thâ serpent of brasse and was healed ⪠Here se you the mercy of God eâuen in the middes of the crosse toâward penitent sinners The Isâraelites sinne God plagueth thâ people repenteth God turneth aâway his plague and healeth theÌ Epa. A coÌfortable history Be ther no mo such in the holy scriptures Phi. Uery many Ep. Rehearse theÌ I pray you For I delight to hear such comfortable histories Phile. I am very glad Manasses king of Iuda was an abhominable Idolatoure He went to and built âhe hill altares whiche good king Ezechias his father had broken âowne And he reared vp altares âor Baal and made groues and worshipped all the hostes of heauen and serued them and he built âltares in the house of the Lorde wheras the Lord yet had said In Hierusalem shall my name be for euer And he builded aultares for âl the host of heauen in the courts âf the house of the Lorde And he âurnt his children in the fire in âhe vally of the sonne of Hinon âe was a sorcerer he regarded y e crying of birdes vsed enchauntments ⪠and mainteined workers with spirites seers of fortunes wrought much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him withall And as he him self was an Idolatar forsoke the Lord God of his fathers so likewise made he Iuda and the enhabiters of Ierusalem to erre and to do worse then the Heathen c. Nowe haue ye heard how greuously king Manasses sinned against y e Lord his God Chri. His sinnes were greaâ worthy of much punishmeÌt Euâ Yea of euerlasting damnation iâ he were handled according to his desertes Epa. I pray you what bââcame of him Phi. Albeit y e sinnes of this Manasses were great yeâ behold the louing kindnes of Goâ toward him his people Beforâ he sent any punishement amonââ them he raised vp his Prophets which exhorted both him and his subiectes to turne from their euil to repent and to walke in the ordinaunces and lawes of God but both he and his people would not heare the gentle admonitions of God by his Prophetes nether regard them Epa. O stony hartes But how than Ph. Whan y e Lord âaw y t by no meanes they woulde âurne from their abhominations â went forth stil to effeÌd he brouâht vpoÌ them the captaines of the âost of the king of the Assirians âhiche toke Manasses in hold âound him with chaines and caââed him to Babilon Theo. O the ââghteous iudgemeÌts of God Epa. âere we heare y t Manasses was âunished for his sinnes yea and ââat worthely but did God caste ãâã away for euer Phi. Ye shall âear WhaÌ Manasses was in triââlation he besought the lord his God and humbled him self exceadingly before the God of his Fathers and made intercession to him and God was entreated of hym and heard his prayer and brought him againe to HierusaleÌ into his kingdom And than Manasses knew y t the lord was God After this he became a new man and toke away straunge Gods Images out of the house of God and all thalters that he had builâ in the mount of the house of God and Ierusalem and cast them ouâ of the citie And he prepared thaââtare of the Lord sacrificed therâ on peace offringes and thanck ofâfringes charged Iuda to seruâ the Lord God of Israell Chri. ãâã happy change Epaphâ Yea O thâ great mercies of God Phile. Iâ this history many notable thinâges are to be learned First if aââ such as God entendeth to saue ãâã offend and breake his holy
the Phisition being nothing afraid of him because they ar sick diseased but rather somuche the more doo they desire to come vnto him to shew him their woundes and to disclose their diseases that they may be made whole Now is Christ a phisitioÌ all we through sinne are diseased shal we therfore runne away from Christ and not rather make hast vnto him what Phisition is so ready to heale the body as Christe our Phisition is to heale the soule Who euer came vnto him with a faithfull and penitent heart and was refused Who euer sought remedy at his hand and was not holpen Who euer opened vnto hym his diseaâes and was not cured he calleth all without exception be they neuer so diseased and loden with thâ burden of sinne vnto him and proâmiseth that he will ease them of their burdens make theÌ whole is it to be thought that he wylâ refuse sinners when they come vnâto him Come vnto me sayth he al ye that labour and are loden I wil refreshe you Take my yoke vpon you and ye shall find rest for your soules For I came not to caâ y e righteous but sinners vnto repentance The sonne of man came to seke and to saue that was lost How frequented he the coÌpany of synners when he was in this world that to this end only thaâ he might call them through his godly sermons vnto repentance vnto the fauour of God and vnto the felowship of the sainctes in so muche that he was called a frend of open sinners and whores How defended he alway the humble peniteÌt sinners against the proud and stifnecked Pharises and Iusticiaries When Zache being a sinner the Prince of the Publicans sought to see Christ how louingly did Christ speake vnto him and frendly came into his house eat dranck with him WheÌ Mary MagdaleÌ being a greuous sinner came vnto Christe he refused not her company but talked most gently with her coÌforted her receiued her into his fauour quieted her coÌscieÌce healed her diseases gaue her euerlasting life Whan the poore Publicane whiche had both ofte and greuously offended the Lord his God came into the temple to pray and in his praiers huÌbled him self before the maiestie of God and coÌfessed him self a sinner was he not ioyfully receiued into the fauour of God and pronounced more righteous euen by the mouth of Christ then y e proude ⪠Pharesy for all his glistring workes How ioyfully was that vnthrifty prodigal wastfull sonne receiued home again What freÌdship founde that theif whiche was crucified with Christe at the hand of Christ when he saide Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome Did not Christ straightways aunswere him and say This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise And yet was he both a thief a seditious persone and a murtherer Christe refuseth none although neuer so greuous a synner if we come vnto hym Turn ye vnto me and I wil turn vnto you saith the Lord of hostes Thou disobedient Israel Turne again saith the Lord and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you I am mercifull saith the Lord and I wil not alway bear displeasur against thee but this I will y e thou know thy great blasphemy namely that thou hast vnfaithfully forsaken the Lord thy God and hast made thi self partaker of straunge Gods vnder all greene trees but hast had no wil to hear my voyce saieth the Lorde O ye disobedient chyldren turne againe saieth the Lord and I will be maried with you c. O ye disobedient childreÌ turne agayne saying Lo we are thyne for thou art the Lorde our God and so shal I heal your back turninges Who wyll not boldely come vnto so mercifull a Lord most louing father seing he so geÌtely calleth all men vnto hym be they neuer so greuous synners promiseth that he wyll not refuse them but louingly receiue them neuer lay their offences vnto their charge but to forget them and cast them behinde his backe that he wyll neuer ether remember thâ or loke vpon them more Theo. The Lord is merciful gentle and louing pacient long suffring oâ muche kindnes and ready at all tymes to forgeue yea euen whaâ he is at the poynt to punyshe Thâ Lord is louing vnto euery man his mercy is ouer all his workes ⪠The lord is good and gracious of great mercy vnto all them that call vpon him The Lord is ful of tender compassion and great merâcy long sufferyng and of muche goodnes He wil not alway be chiâding neither kepeth he his anger for euer He dealeth not with vs after our synnes neither rewardeth he vs accordyng to our wickednesses For loke how hie y e heauen is in comparison of the earth so great is his mercy also toward them that feare him Loke howe wide also the East is from y e west so far hath he set our sinnes from vs. Yea lyke as a father pitieth his owne children euen so is the Lord mercifull vnto theÌ that feare him For he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth y t we are but dust With the Lorde there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And he shall redeme Israel froÌ al his sinnes Phi. The great kindnes dere hearty loue of God toward vs appeareth not only in this y t he both willingly and gladly admitteth and receiueth synners whensoeuer they repent and tourne vnto hym but ân that he also most diligently seketh them vp fetcheth them home again and geueth them grace to repent and turne that they maye âe saued This thinge is verye âyuelye described and set forthe in âhe parables of the straid shepe of the lost groat and of the wounded man Herein is loue saith S ⪠Iohn not that we loued God buâ that he loued vs sent his sonnâ to be the agrement for our sinnes Saint Paule saieth God settetâ out his loue toward vs seing thaâ while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. Much more theÌ nowâ we that are iustified by his bludâ shalbe saued from wrath througâ him For if when we were enneâmies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne muchâ more seing we are reconciled we shalbe preserued by his life Epa. I beleue y t God is a mercifull father for Christes sake to all them thaâ do truly repente beleue and conâuert vnto him but is it not to beâ feared that my repentaunce and conuersion is to late Phi. Be on good comfort neighbor Epaphroditus there is no repentauÌce and conuersion to late in this worlde ⪠so that it be true proceadeth froÌ a contrite heart humble spirite For at whatsoeuer hour a sinner dooth mourne and lamente for his sinnes God promyseth that he will so forgeue him his iniquities that he will neuer remember theÌ more And