pardon of all those that might haue beene offended by you Patient Yes Now Sir it behooueth vs to addresse our prayer to God to the end that he will be pleased to fortifie you in faith which hee hath giuen you and to make his graces more and more abound in you and it is your part to humble your selfe with vs before him and to lift vp your heart to him to implore his Mercy from the bottome of your Heart A Prayer for the sicke when there is any signe of death O Lord our God Mercifull Father we are very vnworthy to lift vp our eyes vnto thee our sins and wicked deedes are so many wherewith wee are so polluted before thy face neither is this out of the confidence of our owne worth to be thus bolde to present our selues at the feete of thy diuine Maiesty but in the assurance of the great Compassions and perfect obedience which thy welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord hath made for vs with the righteousnesse whereof wee beseech thee couer vs with thy grace to the end wee may be by his fauour made agreeable and reconciled vnto thee But wee beseech thee O good God particularly vouchsafe thy great mercy to this thy poore seruant so feeble mightily deiected vnder thy powerfull hand poore sinner remaining vnder the weight and rigour of thy high Iustice if thou doest not extend thy great clemency towards him Giue him grace good Lord to enter more and more into a serious examination and acknowledgement of his faults to conceiue that true detestation which alwayes bringeth forth true repentance and set him forward intirely to renounce himselfe and his owne way to haue all his refuge in thee and in thy bounty In the meane while receiue him gratiously O Lord shew him the face of a father and assure and comfort him Say to his soule Soule I am he that can warrant thee Dispose of his heart patiently to receiue with Action of graces this Fatherly correction which thou hast sent him and to put himselfe wholly into thy hands to submit himselfe peaceably vnder all that thou shalt please to lay vpon him by thy holy prouidence Lord thou knowest better then he himselfe or any of vs what is most conuenient whether he shall liue or die If thy good pleasure be that hee shall liue let it be that he may onely liue to thee in such sort that hauing profited well by thy chastisements he may learne to loue thee honour and serue thee all the dayes of his life in thy Church perpetually studying to bring sorth fruits of piety and holinesse worthy of thy Gospel and conuenient for a childe of such a Father so that in him thou maist be glorified and his neighbours edified But contrarily of the other part it be thy pleasure to take him out of this miserable world assure him that it shall be to put him into the possession of thy Heauenly kingdome which thou hast prepared before the foundations of the world and which thy Sonne hath purchased by the merit of his death To this end O Father of light from whom proceedeth euery good gift that thou wilt be pleased to giue him a true and a liuely faith with the which he may search find and apprehend the propitiation for his sinnes and the true righteousnes in the obedience of thy welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord who hath suffered for our sinnes and risen againe for our iustification and ascended into Heauen to take possession in our Name and by this meanes giueth vs accesse and entrance which sinne had banished vs from Imprint in his heart a full assurance of all these thy graces to the end that by this meanes he may peaceably repose himselfe in thy mercy and happily ouercome all the snares and temptations which Sathan and his owne flesh would put before him to trouble the clearnesse of his faith and tranquility of his conscience That his sinnes then may not make him despaire because thy Iustice hath been so well payed not with gold or siluer but with the pretious blood of thy Christ as of the Lambe without spot or blemish Let not death affright him seeing sinne is abolished and destroyed in him which is the sting of death who now is disarmed and without all power that his spirit being separated from the body by this corporall death it shall be to come triumphantly to thee and deliuered from the captiuity of sinne to the end to taste of the enioying the most happy life which he neuer tasted in this world but by hope leauing his body in the earth but not for euer but to be refined transformed in time conuenient made conformable to the glorious body of his Redeemer by the benefit of his resurrection So Sathan shall no more astonish him but by sinne and death which he hath vtterly lost all power in ouer our visited Brother Assuring him in the end that this accuser can intend nothing against him before the Throne of thy iustice seeing hee is absolued iustified by thy grace there is no iudge that can condemne him That thou wilt also be pleased O good God to be likewise mercifull to all other sicke soules comfort and fortifie them according as thou knowest them needfull and aboue all giue them grace alwayes to embrace with a true and liuely faith thy mercy in Iesus Christ wherein they may euer be comforted Good Lord vouchsafe vnto vs all this grace that this example may profite and teach vs to renounce the world and our selues to imploy that time we haue here below to meditate thy wisedome walke carefully in thy feare retyre our hearts from the vanities of this life to raise them vp to attend and meditate vpon the Heauenly life and to this end to be alwayes prepared to appeare before thee with assurance to be gathered and receiued into thy mercy for the loue of thy welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord In whose name we beseech thee O Father of mercy heere vs in these things and in all other things which thou knowest better to be necessary for thy poore seruant and for vs then we doe our selues as we doe now request thee in that prayer which thou hast commanded vs to present our selues before thee Our Father which art in Heauen c. Lord giue vs a good increase of Faith which thou hast planted in the heart of this thy childe and seruant defend him as with a Buckler by the which he may extinguish all the fiery darts of the Diuell and make him perseuere constantly therin vntill the very last breath of his life and that hee may alwaies at the least in his heart render vnto thee a pure and Christian confession as we now present with heart and mouth I beleeue in God the Father Almighty c. This is his Faith O Lord and ours giue vs grace to liue and dye in it through Iesus Christ thy Sonne our Lord who in the vnitie of the Holy Spirit
because they gouerne themselues not according to the windes but according to heauen euen so the faith of the faithfull remaineth firme amongst the most rude agitations because it gouerneth it self not according to the instabilitie of the affaires of this world but according to the promises of God But to the end that euery one being inuited to receiue this grace esteeme himselfe not excluded by his quality his kindred or his condition Saint Paul addeth that this saluation is addressed to the Iewes first and afterwards to the Greekes leauing vs by this example to gather this generall Rule that Saint Peter propoundeth Acts the tenth and thirty foure God hath no respect of persons for Iesus Christ by the calling of the Gentiles hath broken the partition betweene the Iewes and Gentiles yet neuerthelesse Saint Paul saith to the Iewes putting the Iewes in the first place as hauing regard to the defence which God made to his Disciples Goe not into the way of the Gentiles Whereof also hee said were sent to the lost sheepe of Israell Following the same example Saint Paul Acts 13.46 speaketh also to the incredulous Iewes It was necessary that the word of God should first haue beene spoken vnto you but seeing you put it from you c. By this meanes the first haue beene the last and the eldest Sonne hath beene made inferiour to the prodigall childe returned to repentance Then happened that to the Iewes which happened to Gedeons fleece which in the beginning was onely watered whilest all the land besides was dry but the day after the fleece was dry onely and all the earth wholy watered for vpon the Iewes onely in former times the dewe of the grace of God rained downe but afterwards it hath so come to passe that they are depriued of this grace and other Nations receiued into Gods fauour For this purpose the holy Scripture speaking of those which are out of the Church of God saith that they are in outward darkenesse because in Egypt onely God gaue light to his people whilest all Egypt besides round about were inuironed with outward darkenesse But at the death of Iesus Christ there happened the contrarie for darkenesse was onely ouer all Iudea although Tertullian saith to the contrary whilest the rest of the earth was inlightned then at that time the darkenesse was interiour and the light exteriour God signifying by this miracle the reiecting of the Iewes and reception of the Gentiles which is a great aduertisement vnto vs For if they did so with greene wood what shall become of the dry wood If the naturall branches haue beene so handled what will become of wilde branches ingrafted in their places if we sinne with like incredulitie For hath God bound himselfe alwaies to protect his Churches which abuse his grace and bring blame vpon the doctrine of the Gospell Let vs tremble at such examples and preuent Gods iudgements by repentance It remaineth my Brethren to gather fruit from this doctrine for our instruction consolation First this excellencie of the Gospell of Christ wherewith God declareth his incomprehensible loue in giuing his Sonne for mortall man for sinners for his enemies for the slaues of the Diuell to the end to make them his seruants euen his friends and euen his Brethren a Body and a Spirit with him and by it heires of eternall life so many sweet inuitements which biddeth vs come to him so many promises to giue vs all that which we shal aske in his Sonnes Name serueth for the comfort of all consciences that are oppressed with the burthen of their sinnes to the end that when the horrour of the iudgement of God presenteth it selfe before their eyes they presently turne their eyes towards the sacred blessing of Iesus Christ towards the bloud of allyance which cryeth better things then that of Abell which cryeth vengeance but this crieth peace and reconciliation If the Conscience take some by the throat and dragge him before the Iudiciall Throne of God it will bring forth before God this acquittance sustained with the bloud of the Sonne of God by which God declareth that he is fully content and satisfied If Sathan produceth before God his accusations against vs and bringeth in a long sedule of our sinnes say vnto him I doe not excuse my selfe but set downe vnderneath The bloud of Iesus Christ doth cleanse vs from all our sinnes 1 Ioh. 1.7 and also these sinnes which thou bringest in against mee are not my sinnes but the sinnes of Iesus Christ seeing hee hath taken them vpon him as on the other part his righteousnesse is ours for hee is our eternall righteousnesse and by the obedience of a Man many shall be made iust Rom. 5.19 Hee who is dead for his enemies will he not heare his friends He that prayed vpon the Crosse for those that crucified him will he not intercede in his glory for those which put their trust in him God which vnderstandeth the cry of the little Crowes in their nests as the Prophet saith in the 147. Ps will he not heare his Children that call vpon him Should his promises be false or the death of his Sonne without efficacie towards those that beleeue in Iesus Christ In the second place the Ministers of the word of God haue here a faire lesson for the Apostle exhorteth them by his example not to be ashamed but to reioyce that they are the Ministers of the Gospell of Christ and to make account of their charge not because it giueth them occasion to be well apparelled and plentifully fed with small trauaile whilest they leaue to others the care of their flocke which afterwards is often negligently taught and instructed but because they mannage the Scepter of the Kingdome of Heauen which is his Word and that God hath consecrated their mouthes to signifie vnto men his holy will In the third place that they remember the Gospell of Christ which they deliuer to the end they mingle not humane inuentions nor vaine subtilties nor diuersities of tongues to establish their knowledge if they would haue their preaching effectuall to touch mens hearts to retaine this power of God to saluation to those that heare and that they offer not to God a strange fire like Nadab and Abihu that they remember themselues of the Law which forbiddeth to sow two kindes of Corne in one field or to make a stuffe of diuers sorts of matter God teaching vs thereby that he will not haue an artificiall mingling in his seruice and also they must remember that which they preach be the Gospell of Christ Euen as the Apostles which had fished all the night and got nothing but when at the word of the Lord they cast their Nets they got great store of Fish Euen so if you cast the nets of your sermons by the word of Iesus Christ and follow his commandements you shall draw soules vnto you and see fruit of your labour If you distribute nothing but the bread of Christ
repent at this present and no longer prophane this speciall gift of God this gift of Repentance so pretious Hebr. 12.17 which Esau asketh with teares but was not granted him lest that the misery of the fiue foolish Virgins fall vpon vs who being not furnished with oile which their leisure would haue furnished them withall entred not in with the bridegroome but let vs keepe watch in walking in newnesse of life as already departed from the world not knowing the houre when we shall be called witnessing that we are dead to sinne and aliue to God through Iesus Christ in whom we are made new Creatures to serue to righteousnesse and now let vs truly shew to haue more care of heauenly than of earthly things the couetous man in renouncing his couetousnesse the ambitious worldling in renouncing his insolent ambition and the voluptuous in hating his vile fleshly affections for from thence springeth all our impietie it is the root and fountaine which begetteth and bringeth forth all wickednesse which wicked people so much esteeme Without particularizing the enormitie of these vices where the most guiltie will cleare himselfe in saying he is no such man although indeed he will not forbeare the honour of God euen to trample it vnder foote as much as he hath power to fulfill his disordinate desires willingly detracting from the way of saluation and hold against his conscience the wide way of the world with those that know not God adoring the Creature for the Creator not fearing to doe any thing that may please the appetite These sinnes draw after them all iniquitie and to make warre against God is no better than to renounce him can man with all the wickednesse of the world bee more abominable No no it is impossible it is in the height of iniquitie But to the end that wee may not condemne the parties without hearing them answer for themselues let vs understand what they can say God desireth the interiour and not the exteriour that which is within not that without and if they striue to be in better concord and societie yet they doe but apply themselues in shew onely that is but to seeke outwardly for vnion and by endeuour to preserue that which is not still inwardly remaining one the same they were before which is contrary to the way and walke of a good soule O true sentence most worthy noting Prov. 12.15 1 Cor. 3.19 That the way of a foole is right in his owne eies Poore blinde fooles thinke you by your humane wisdome folly before the eternall to put your selues safelier vpon the pitch-banke of Gods wrath than those whom you doe condemne heare what S. Paul saith of those desiring to be wise Rom. 1.21.22 You are become fooles in this that forasmuch as you haue knowne God yet haue you not glorified him as God let vs learne that he which knoweth the will of his master and doth it not shall be beaten more grieuously than hee that knoweth it not Your Hypocrisie is here most apparant in desiring to be thought of in better part than that which is within your heart a detestable sinne which Iesus Christ neuer speaketh of but in wonderfull anger it is the high way of Atheisme for he which enforceth himselfe to faine a religion that hee condemneth in his soule can haue no quiet in soule nor conscience vntill hee come to beleeue that all things are indifferent and there is no other meanes to vntie himselfe from the terror of Gods iudgements and to free his miserable conscience but to perswade himselfe that God will not so strictly looke to the cariages of men and then that maketh him a spirituall theefe or hauing lost the sense and feeling of diuine iustice it is a true testimony he knoweth God no more for to deny God and to deny his iustice is all one Doe we not see that these for the most part who fainingly adhere but to idolaters in the end wholly become idolaters or fall into the blindnesse of being of no religion hauing wholly forgot God and liue as if there were none who because men should thinke better of them are like the Camelion according as they meet withall sometimes this and sometimes that such the Prophet Elias crieth against in the 3. of Kings the 18. Wherefore do you halt of both sides if God be God wherfore doe you not follow him if Baal Baal But if yet they haue any sparke of knowledge that there is a God a terrible God that is to be feared in his iudgements when hee is angrie should they not be loth to heare the Eternall say in his anger Apoc. 3.16 They being neither hot nor cold but luke-warme hee will spue them out of his mouth And Ier. 48.10 saith Hee is accursed that doth the worke of the Lord loosely what can be more terrible but only the execution And you that say ye are the best you that agree with the Spirit in what you doe Lamentable wise fooles whose wisdome is folly do not you know that he that is Creator of the soule is also of the bodie Can wee with the one serue God and Mammon with the other Wherefore did not Daniel faigne as you vse when he was to be cast into the Lions den or Sidrack Misack and Abednego when they were to be cast into the furnace wherefore haue not all other Martyrs spoken your language and made a faire shew to haue escaped such horrible torments euen of death it selfe But what was the cause that made many of them euen with a yea or a no without any profession of religion being desired by those which thought to doe friendly offices for their escape rather chuse death and so abandon their liues than they would heare one word in hope thereof Rom. 10.10 No no we must as Saint Paul saith not only beleeue with the heart to be iustified but confesse with the mouth to haue saluation for God desireth the outward with the inward and would haue our light so shine before men to the end that seeing our good workes he may be glorified this is the doctrine of Iesus Christ let vs striue to doe this for otherwise we shall finde as in the Apocal. 2.16 Repent or else I will come vnto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth But let vs take vp with our selues and at last sing with Dauid Psal 35. Our tongues shall sing highly of the iustice of the eternall and the humble shall heare that our soules shall glorifie the Lord whereat they will reioyce and as Saint Paul exhorteth vs Let vs glorifie our God not only in our spirit but also in our bodies which are Gods and let vs giue one another a good signe of our adoption that we haue in Iesus Christ which all men may witnesse that by him we are inheritors of the kingdome of heauen let vs reioyce in this glory which no glory can compare with and so pretious a blessing that no man
c. And forasmuch O Lord as without faith we cannot be agreeable or acceptable vnto thee we beseech thee so to increase it in this thy seruant and in vs all that he may come to the last breath of life and we with him to perseuere therein and to be alwayes disposed to render a pure confession with heart and mouth as wee now present our selues vnto thee saying I beleeue in God c. This is his faith O Lord and ours giue vs grace to liue and dye herein through Iesus Christ our Lord who in vnity of the Holy Spirit liueth and raigneth with thee eternally Amen When there is apparencie that the sickenesse is mortall follow this forme Sir It behoueth you to bee of good courage in the middle of your affliction which it pleaseth God still to continue vpon your body and be assured that he hath neither sent or continued it but for the good and saluation of your soule to teach you by this meanes to vnderstand your selfe as being a poore sinner more and more to detest your sinnes contemne the world to lift you vp to God and to inuocate and call vpon him with much more feruour with assurance to be heard following his holy promises and to obtaine of him Christian Constancy which is most necessary for you in this tryall The assurance of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ the true ground of all Consolation That which ought most to comfort you and with courage and patience to strengthen you is the assurance which you ought alwayes to take that God for the loue of his welbeloued Sonne our Lord Iesus hath imbraced you into his loue and free fauour hath pardoned your offences hath adopted you and receiued you amongst the number of his children to make you inherite the Kingdome of Heauen by vertue of the purchase which Iesus Christ hath made for you by the merit of his death such an assurance will make you alwayes certaine that nothing can happen vnto you whether it be in life or death which can be any other then the fauour and blessing of your Heauenly Father and so consequently are aides and meanes ordayned by his wise prouidence to conduct you to the blessed life This assurance commeth from Faith It is true that this assurance wee cannot take of our selues it is our good God that giueth it when by the vertue of his holy Spirit and holy Word he createth in our hearts a true and a liuely faith with the which we receiue and wee appropriate the promises of his grace which he hath ordayned vs in the preaching of the gospel Which promises in effect are That God hath so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Ioh. 3.16 If God then hath giuen you the grace to beleeue in his only Son to embrace him for your Redeemer and Sauiour as we gather hitherto by the profession you haue made and still continueth in the Church you may take from thence a holy assurance that God according to the infallible truth of his Word hath receiued you into his loue that you shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Now being so what can you feare Rom. 8.30.31 If God be with vs who can be against vs Hee who hath not spared his owne Sonne but deliuered him vp for vs all how shall hee not with him also freely giue vs all things Hee hath giuen you the most that is his Sonne hee will not euerthelesse deny you any thing else that can be necessary for to keepe you from all sort of euill corporall and spirituall as well in life as in death Faith applyeth to all the faithfull the promises of the Gospell This application whereof I haue spoken which you must make to your selfe from the promises of the Gospel to gather such a holy assurance it is necessarily required by Faith For to beleeue in Iesus Christ it is not enough to beleeue in grosse that there is a Iesus Christ and who beleeueth in him hath eternall life neither is it enough to beleeue that the promises of the Gospell are altogether true the Diuell beleeueth so much yet notwithstanding hee hath no true beleeuing faith But to beleeue in Iesus Christ is when the faithfull beleeueth that there is saluation in Iesus Christ for him which the Diuell cannot beleeue And the true iustifying faith whereby the iust liueth chiefely consisteth in that that we apply and appropriate vnto our selues euery one in his own particular the promises of saluation that euery one in his owne behalfe may say that which St. Paul saith in the person of euery one of the faithfull Gal. 2.20 I liue in the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me and in the 2 Tim. 1.2 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day and Rom. 8.37.38 I am assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature can separate vs from the loue of God which he hath shewed vs in Iesus Christ our Lord. This faith doth not bring vs a simple opinion or coniecture of our saluation but a certaine knowledge following that which Saint Iohn saith 5.14 Wee know that we are translated from death to life And Iohn 10. We know that we are of God and I haue saith he 1 Ioh. 5.13 written these things to you which beleeue in the Name of the Sonne of God to the end that you should know that you haue eternall life This faith freely lets vs goe to the treasure of Gods grace Heb. 4.10 With assurance as hee saith in the 10.22 euen with a true heart and a full assurance of faith as Saint Paul saith Ephes 3.12 that by Iesus Christ we haue boldnesse and accesse in our beleefe by the faith which wee haue in him This faith is called Hebrewes 11.1 the substance of things hoped for that is to say that maketh things beleeued and hoped subsist in our soules neither more nor lesse then if we were already in the very Actuall possession and inioying This Faith maketh vs finde peace and rest in our soules and consciences chasing away the feares and terrours which sinne would set before vs with the apprehension of Gods iudgements following that which Saint Paul saith Rom. 5. Verse 1. That being iustified by faith we haue peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord by the which also wee haue beene led by Faith to this grace wherein we hold our selues fast and glorifye our selues in the hope of the glory of God The gift of perseuerance assured to the Faithfull Moreouer these passages propound vnto vs this holy assurance of Faith not onely for the present but also to come and containeth a promise which God giueth vs to perseuere in this Faith euen to the
you need not doubt a certaine assurance to be iustified and saued seeing that God hath giuen you this grace to beleeue with your heart to Righteousnesse and to make confession with your mouth to saluation Rom. 1.1 For the sicke person to resolue whether it be for life or death according to Gods will Being thus resolued vpon this firme foundation of faith now you must take a holy resolution constantly to attend without all feare what the Lord will be pleased to send vnto you in this your sicknesse with a firme perswasion that all will goe well with you whether it bee you shall remaine here below or that it be his pleasure to make you more happy If his pleasure be to restore you to former health againe as he is powerfull to draw the dead out of the sepulcher and make them liue againe which will bee if hee please for to make you more affectionate to the honour and seruice of God then euer heretofore you haue beene But if it be his will to leade you by this sickenesse to the end of your course it will be to receiue you into the possession of that perfect felicity which the Sonne of God hath so dearely bought with the price of his blood And therefore goe your wayes vnto him with a holy chearefulnesse in the assurance of his mercies Reioyce your selfe in the happy exchange of your remouing from earth to Heauen from this short and miserable life to the blessed life for euer to endure from these triuiall and perishing goods to those that are heauenly and eternall which eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard which are not yet come vp into the heart of Man which God hath prepared for those that loue him Are you not then well resolued in all this to conforme your will to your Heauenly Father to the end that whether you liue you liue to the Lord or whether you dye you die to the Lord Rom. 14.8 being well assured that Christ shall be alwayes to you to liue or to dye Phil. 1.21 Patient Yes God giue you the grace For to assure and comfort the sicke in the infirmitie of Faith I am not ignorant that your faith how great soeuer it may be yet notwithstanding it is both little in you and feeble for whilest the infirmities of this life remaine the Holy Spirit is not giuen vs but in a certaine measure according to the which we know not but in part and our spirituall renuing is yet but in the beginning it is certaine that here below we cannot attaine to the perfection of faith and therefore I doubt not but that your faith is yet weake and infirme and that it cannot but be moued with diuers temptations and combated with diuers assaults of doubt and distrust But yet neuerthelesse it behoueth you to be of good courage for this combat which you feele in your selfe is the combat which as Saint Paul saith to the Galatians 5. v. 17. is in the soule of euery faithfull betweene the flesh and the Spirit and therefore this is a sure testimony which you haue by faith For as the flesh fighteth in you through vnbeliefe so doth the Spirit fight in you by faith and this faith neuer faileth being fortified by the Spirit of God which maketh a man victorious and whatsoeuer imperfection it hath God will make it sufficient to saluation for it is not said Who shall perfectly beleeue shall be saued but simply Who shall beleeue Moreouer as you perceiue in your selfe your faith feeble and imperfect also I doubt not but you perceiue in your selfe a Holy desire that it may be encreased in you and made stronger and that in your heart you make your prayers to God that it may be so Is it not true Patient Yes But seeing it is so and that this faith and desire may encrease in you and that this prayer which you make to God proceed from the fruit of the Spirit and not of the flesh and seeing these are the fruits which the Spirit of God bringeth forth in you is it not a sure testimony that you are conducted by the same Spirit and so consequently the child of God for all those that are conducted by the Spirit of God are the children of God which Saint Paul saith Rom. 8.14 Be of good cheere Sir and boldly say with the Apostle in the middest of your combats I am assured that nothing can seperate me from the loue of God which he hath shewed mee in Iesus Christ our Lord. For to assure the sicke against the affrights and temptations of Conscience There are foure things to be marked which in this spirituall combat may affright you shake your faith and trouble the peace of your conscience which is the feeling of your sinnes the apprehension of death the feare of the Diuell and the horror of Gods Iudgements before whom wee must make our appearance at the going out of this life But against the feare of all these things the bounty of God in the blessings of Christ and in the testimony of his Word furnisheth you with all sufficient remedies for to assure you and truely to confirme you in inuincible constancy Against feare proceeding from the feeling of sinne First of all for the respect of your sinnes it is very necessary to haue a liuely feeling thereof for to humble your selfe before God but seeing yon protest to haue a serious and true repentance and to search and apprehend by faith the satisfaction and expiation in the blood of Iesus Christ assure your selfe they can no way hinder the effect of your saluation If you bee a sinner So Iesus Christ is come into the world to saue sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Iohn 1.29 It is his blood which cleanseth vs from all iniquitie 1 Iohn 1.7.9 And whosoeuer shall beleeue in him shall receiue remission of his sinnes through his Name Acts 10.43 And therefore he hath commanded that repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes should bee preached in his Name Luke 24.47 Hee himselfe inuiteth vs to come to him for to enioy this blessing Come vnto me all yee that labour and are ouer-laden and I will refresh you Matth. 11.28 Goe your wayes then vnto him if you finde your selues grieued with the burthen of your sinnes in assurance to finde remedy for your soules And for that very thing euery day hee maketh himselfe an Aduocate to the Father for vs. If we haue sinned saith Saint Iohn 2.1.2 wee haue an Aduocate with the Father that is to say Iesus Christ the Iust who is the propitiation for our sinnes Against the feare of Death In regard of death wherefore doe you feare it seeing that your sinnes are no more imputed vnto you for sinne was the cause that death entred into the world as Saint Paul Rom. 5.12 and by consequence there where no sinne is there can be no death And indeed concerning death eternall which the Scripture