be the greatest signe of loue to suffer for him that is beloued what else are all thy sorrowes then speciall testimonies of thy loue If then there are so many testimonies thereof as there are blowes and strokes who will doubt of this loue being confirmed with so many Testimonies Oh then how great is my incredulity which is not ouercome with so many and so great arguments Iohn maruelled at the infidelity of the Iewes saying that When as Iesus had done so manie and so great signes amongst them to confirme his doctrine yet they beleeued not in him O blessed Euangelist cease to woonder at the incredulitie of the Iewes and woonder at mine For it is no lesse an argument to perswade vs to beleeue the exceeding great loue of Christ towards vs that he suffered for vs wherefore if it be greatly to be woondred at that the Iewes beleeued not the preaching of Christ hauing seene his so many miracles how is it not farre more woonderfull that seeing Iesus hath receiued for vs more then fiue thousand wounds in his most tender body that we will yet doubt of his loue towards vs But what a matter will it be if wee shall ioine all the sorrowes and sufferings of his life to those stripes which hee suffered when as hee was bound to the pillar when as he suffered all those euilles for the loue he bare vnto vs what thing else O Lord drew thee from heauen into this valley of teares but loue what made thee come out of the bosome of the father into the wombe of thy mother and there to be cladde with earth and comming out from thence caused thee to endure all kinds of miseries but loue What droue thee into the stable and manger and caried thee after into a strange land as a banisht person but loue what caused thee to take such paines to runne vp and downe hither and thither to watch to endure all the troubles of the long night to compasse about Sea and land to seeke the lost sheepe but loue What bound Sampsons hands and feet what powled his head and bereaued him of al his strength and made him a laughing stocke to his enimies but the only loue of his spouse Dalilah And O Christ what bound thy hands and feet what powled thee and depriued thee of all thy strength and fortitude and gaue thee into the hands of thine enimies of whom thou wast mocked spit vpon and slaine was it not onely the loue wherewith thou louedst so dearly the spouse of thy Church and the soules of euery one of vs To conclude what bound thee to this Pillar where thou stoodest from the sole of thy feet to the crowne of thy head most iniuriously dealt withall with thy hands bound thy ribs torne from their flesh thy members al out of ioint thy body al to be bathed with bloud thy veines cutte in pieces thy lippes thirsting thy toong being bitter as gal and that I may say al in a word al thy body torne and rent and all thy members crusht in pieces O Christ I beseech thee what other thing forced thee into this gulfe of so rowes but onely loue O exceeding great loue O loue full of fauour O such a loue as becomes his comâ—assion and greatnesse who is infinit goodnesse it selfe bountifulnesse it selfe loue it selfe and mercie it selfe Gran. de orat med die Mer. how therefore O Lord hauing so many and so great testimonies as these are can I not beleeue that thou louest mee most dearely when as it is most certaine that in heauen now thou hast not changed thy mind from that since thou wast here vpon earth Thou art not that Pharaohs Butler who when as he saw himself restored againe to his former honor forgat his miserable friend whom he left in prison but thou now abounding with all prosperitie glory and maiesty in heauen loues more dearely thy Sonnes dwelling here on earth then before When as therefore thou hast so greatly loued me how cannot I but loue thee againe How shall I not but trust in thee how shall I not but commit my selfe wholy to thee how shal I not now account my selfe rich and happy enough seeing I haue God mine such a deare friend It is greatly to be wondered at that I should delight in any transitory things in this life or to giue my mind to any outward things when as I haue such a mighty and rich friend by whose meanes all good things both temporal and eternall are bestowed vpon me Thus farre Granatensis wherein he most excellentlie describes the excéeding great loue that Iesus Christ our most blessed Sauiour euer had and euen now hath towards vs so that he that now will doubt thereof is worse then anie Turk Pagan or Infidell for what is this else but to denie that hee suffered all these things for vs And if euerie one is to beleeue assuredlie this excéeding loue of Iesus Christ towards him then surely he is not to doubt of his saluation And after speaking of Christ when as hee was whipped and then againe shewed to the Iewes of Pilate VVee must knowe sayeth hee that Christ euen now shewes to his Father in heauen the same shape and the same countenance Med. die louis which he shewed to this furious people euen as fresh and as blew with stripes and as besprinkled with blood as he was at that day when hee liued here on earth What Image can be more forcible to pacifie the eyes of an angry father then the bloodie countenance of this his sonne This is that golden propitiatory this is that Raine-bow of diuers colours placed in the cloudes by the sight whereof God is appeased this delights the eies of God this satisfies his iustice this restores to God againe the honour that man had stolne from him this yeelds to God that seruice which his greatnes requireth Tell me O thou faint-hearted Christian whosoeuer thou art distrusting of the goodnesse of God if the shape and forme of Christ was such that it was able to pacifie the eyes of such cruell enemies how much more forcible shall it bee to pacifie the eyes of a louing Father especially when as he suffered all things which he suffered for his honor and obedience Make a comparison of eyes with eies and of person with person and thou shalt easily perswade thy selfe that thou art more secure and certaine of the mercy of this father if thou offer vnto him such a shape and figure of his sonne then Pilate was of the compassion of the Iewes then when as he bringing forth Iesus shewed him to the people Therefore in all thy prayers and temptations lay hold on this Lord for a shield and put him between thee and thy God offring him and saying Behold the man Behold O Lord God here thou hast that man whom thou soughtest for so many hundred yeares that he might be a mediator between thee miserable sinners Behold how thou hast such an excellent
merites and these benefits why should I not therefore henceforth hope for grace glory and the forgiuenes of my sinnes seeing I haue such a treasure and such a bountifull treasurer who is euery day ready to satisfie his father for all my debts For if it shall be a thing iust and conuenient that the innocent should be punished and that the honourable should be despised that he should make satisfaction for sinnes and should cancell the bond and obligation openly in the sight of all men shal it not be a thing also both iust meet that the guilty persons for whom he suffered and made satisfaction should now bee acquited from all their debts and pronounced iustified before God Iustice found out a way and meanes to enter into the holy mans house who ought nothing and was not indebted and he executed his great rigor there and shall not mercie then finde out a waie which leades to the debters house that she may blot out our sinnes and pardon our offences It is a greater miracle that God should be taken scourged and condemned and die vpon a Crosse then to receiue an enemie for a friend and to vse a traitour as a sonne if he would repent him and be conuerted vnto the Lord. If therefore that be done which is the greater why should we doubt then of that which is the lesser Now therefore O Lord thy mercie is extold and lift vp verie high and thy bounteous liberality is proued and tried vpon sinners thy iustice also is magnified it hath exercised and executed her rigour and seueritie vpon the innocent and harmelesse without fault wherefore although grace be not giuen to a sinner to him as he is a sinner yet notwithstanding let it be giuen him for thy deerely beloued sonnes sake who redeemed him with so deere a price and at so great a rate It is thy mercie that a sinner should be saued if we looke into and consider the basenesse and vilenesse of sinners but it is thy iustice if we respect Christ and we hauing the one haue the other also And againe Blessed be therefore that condemned innocencie which hath absolued and set free so many condemned persons Ibidem and blessed be that blamed iustice which hath iustified so many reprobates Therefore if his merites haue neither ende nor number and all of them belong to the health and saluation of our soules without all doubt this his petition shall neuer be denied him being our mediator and making nowe intercession for vs. For it were great wrong that he who had indured so many iniuries should not obtaine that which he askes least peraduenture his pitifull and mercifull father should againe torment and afflict the soule of his sonne by denying him that which he desires whose body before he grieued with diuers torments he receiued woundes in his bodie that they might effect and worke saluation in our soules which he deserued and purchased for vs by his patience and sufferings he was taken apprehended handled as a sinner who notwithstanding was iust that we sinners might be accepted of God as iust He died and indured the punishment due to vs and descended euen as it were into the depth of the sea with griefes which he suffered It were an vniust thing that the father should twise iudge one thing and should punish one fault with double punishment but it is meete that the debter should now be restored to his former libertie if he would but only repent seeing that his surety hath paied his debt so liberally and bountifully for him whom he was suretie for And againe Looke vpon O Lord the face of thine annointed Iesus Christ who was made obedient vnto the death Med vitae Christi 25. euen vnto the death of the Crosse and let not his woundes and scarres euer depart out of thy sight but let them alway stil remaine before thine eies that thou maiest remember what a great recompence and satisfaction thou hast receiued of him for our sinnes and transgressions I would to God thou O Lord wouldest way in a paire of ballance the sinnes wherewith we haue deserued thy wrath and indignation and the griefe and punishment which thy innocent sonne suffered for vs Surely it will appeare a farre greater and worthier cause that thou shouldest powre downe thy mercie vpon vs for that his suffering and punishment then was that transgression that thou shouldest hide thy mercies in anger and displeasure for our sinnes Let all tongues giue thankes vnto thee O Father for the exceeding great abundance of thy goodnes who hast not spared thine onely sonne thy best beloued the ioy of thy heart in whom thou art well pleased but hast giuen him ouer vnto death for vs all that we might haue him as a most faithfull aduocate before thee in heauen And what thankes shall I offer and render worthily vnto thee O Lord Iesu thou most zealous louer of mankinde who am a man dust and vile clay for what couldest thou more haue done for my soule that thou hast not done what hast thou left vndone Granatensis in all these places hath most manifestlie set before our eies the great benefit of Christs Redemption not onelie by the example of a suretie who would paie another mans debts but also of a most déere and faithfull friend who would endure punishment and would die for his friend And doth Poligranes saie that he hath onely taken awaie the fault and not the punishment How doth this doctrine diminish the merites of Christs passion and his excéeding great loue towards vs and that to maintaine the Popes pardons for without this they fall to the ground Againe Granatensis whatsoeuer he teacheth of satisfaction by our owne workes in other places Orat. 5. de vita Christi for himselfe hee praies thus O bloud that giues life and saluation O Lord vouchsafe to wash me with that bloud and to sanctifie and purifie me with that most precious liquor O Lord offer it to thy father for a perfect satisfaction and remedie of all my wickednesses What can be saide more manifestly then this No doubt this was his faith thus he praied to God for himselfe And in another place writing of the worthie receiuing of the Eucharist De sanct euch sacra lib. 3. cap 2. he praies thus O my most sweete Lord God so huge is the greatnesse of my sinnes that I can neither amend them nor make satisfaction to thee for them Therefore I desire to receiue thy welbeloued sonne who vpon the altar of the Crosse offered to thee for me a most perfect sacrifice the same I offer vnto thee now for my sinnes that he may make satisfaction for me For I know that there is nothing els neither in heauen nor in earth that is more gratefull vnto thee or can by anie meanes requite thee the debt I owe thee Granatensis here plainlie distrusts in his owne paiment either in part or in whole of his debts and sinnes and
teach which brings with it vncertaintie of their saluation And of the certaintie and full assurance that we ought to haue in obtaining our prayers when we praie Ibidem hee writes thus out of Bernard Of the first fruit or rather effect of prayer Bernard thus speakes As often as I speake of prayer me thinkes I heare in your hearts but as it were some ordinarie talke betwixt man and man which also I haue heard very often of others and sometime tried in my selfe For what a matter is this that although we neuer cease from praying yet at any time scarce any one feeles what is the fruite or commoditie of his prayer As we come to prayer so we depart from prayer as though no man answered vs againe or gaue vs a word as though no man minded any thing but as that we haue seemed to haue laboured in vaine But what saies the Lord in the Gospell Iudge not saith he according to the outward appearance but iudge ye the righteous iudgement And what is the righteous iudgement but the iudgement of faith because the iust man liues by faith Therefore follow thou the iudgement of faith and not thine owne experience because faith is true but thine experience is oftentimes deceitfull And what is the truth of faith but that the sonne of God himselfe hath promised whatsoeuer ye shall desire in prayer beleeue that you shall receiue it and it shall be done vnto you Let none of you O my brethren make light account of his praiers For I say vnto you that he to whom we pray makes no small account of it For before it go out of our mouth he commaunds it to be registred in his booke And one thing of these two we may without all doubt hope for that he will grant eyther that which we desire or that which he knowes to be more profitable for vs. For we know not to pray as we ought to pray but he hath compassion of our ignorance and receiuing our praier courteously giues vs not that which is not either profitable for vs or is not necessarie to be giuen vs so soone And againe When we aske that which is not profitable for vs he heares vs not but he giues vs that which is more profitable euen as the carnall father is also wont to do who when his child desires of him both bread and the knife he will giue him the bread but not the knife This assurance we should haue when we make our prayers that God answeres vs granteth vs our requests or else that which is farre better for vs and with this trust and assurance whensoeuer we praie we should returne from praiers not as though we had praied to a wall or that we were not better then we were before naie when we returne from speaking to that bountifull and rich king we must beleeue assuredlie that we returne not againe emptie but enriched with many great and heauenlie treasures This assurance in poperie how could they haue which knewe not what they saide nor for what they prayed And againe of Gods great willingnesse to heare our praiers he writes thus It would verie greatly delight and please the mercie of God if men were so readie to heare his voice as he is to heare theirs For it is most true that we are a great deale more slacke in our duties then he is in his Can. 6.12 Therefore when as he cals his spowse in the Canticles he cals her foure times he repeats the same word foure times Return returne saith he O Shulamite returne returne But she when she cals her bridegroome cals him but once And behold he is at hand Returne saith she my beloued be like a Roe or a young Hart vpon the mountaines of Bether Can. 2.17 And is God thus willing to heare our praiers and shall we not pray vnto him shall we praie to anie other Of the great mercie of God Granatensis writes thus Dauid said O Lord say vnto my soule I am thy saluation Par. psal 50. As though he should say I haue my eares now full of thy terrible names and titles O let that time come wherein by thy new name thou hast promised saluation to my soule And that is truly when as thou shalt be called Iesus that is a Sauiour This Dauid said in times past in the person of vs all But after that thou remembring the mercie and promises made to our fathers that the time should be that thou wouldest take vpon thee our humanitie and miserie When as I say thou camest out of thy hall of power and iustice and comming to vs thou wentest to thy pallace of courtesie and mercie thou fulfillest then whatsoeuer thou before hadst promised to all men That same chiefe and great follower and Apostle of thy sonne Iesus Christ our Lord first began to call thee then father of mercies and God of all consolation Father that he might declare vnto vs that as a father thou wouldest helpe vs and God because thou canst helpe whom thou wilt So that now sinners seeing thee to haue comed out of thy hall of seueritie into thy pallace of mercie and comfort seeing thee altogither clad now with their apparrell and becomed now one of their familie now they will no more runne wandering vp and downe they cannot tell whither but being knit to thy most holy Church with syncere faith and sure hope they doe come to thy throne asking pardon of their sinnes Thus farre Granatensis He declares to vs now that this faith euerie Christian must haue that now God himselfe is become like one of vs and therefore we may boldlie go euen to his throne our selues we need no intercessors to him yea although we be sinners And euen of himselfe on his throne our selues craue pardon for our sinnes And this doctrine is not his owne but it is grounded on saint Pauls Heb. 4.15 We haue not an high Priest saith he which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne Let vs therefore go boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to helpe euen in the time of need We haue a most mercifull high priest tempted in all things like to vs. Neuer man so tempted who may say as that Poet makes Quéene Dido to say to the Troianes I my selfe who haue felt sorrowes haue now learned to pitie all such as be in sorrowes none may euermore trulie saie this then Iesus Christ And therefore boldlie we may go euen to his throne euen to aske mercie not onelie to beg spirituall graces or blessings And mercie argues sinnes where there is mercie and pardon craued there as sinne euen such miserable sinners may come boldlie to this throne of grace to craue pardon for their sins Granatensis nay the Apostle Paul tels all Catholikes this and will they not beléeue them And if they beléeue them what néed they go
in some other place yet for their plainenes and excellencie I cannot here passe them ouer Heb. 3 6. But Christ as the sonne is ouer his owne house saith Saint Paul Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the reioycing of our hope euen vnto the end Here are two plaine markes of the Church we are Gods house we are Gods Church if so be we keepe and hold fast these two things that is our confidence in our praiers 1. Io. 5.14 as saint Iohn expounds it And our reioycing of the certaine hope of our saluation vnto the end This is our confidence we haue in him saith saint Iohn that if we aske anie thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him This ought to be euerie Christians confidence and assurance that whatsoeuer they aske in the name of Iesus Christ which is agréeing to the will of God they are sure they shall obtaine it And they know that Iesus Christ heares them they know that their petitions are granted This is the first marke of Gods Church no doubt euerie Christian ought to haue this confidence whensoeuer he praies that he may say as our Sauiour said when he praied to God his father I thank thee father that thou hast heard me I know that thou hearest me alwaies Io. 11.41 Ro. 15.4 Io. 17.23 Psal 56.9.31.22.118.5.68 3 This is written for our learning God loues vs now as he loued him This the world must know much more euerie Christian himselfe This confidence Dauid had in all his praiers as appeareth in his Psalmes And the second marke also saint Iohn agréeing with saint Paul hath put downe in the former verse which is the ground of this Vers 13. These things haue I written vnto you saith saint Iohn which beleeue on the name of the son of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life and that ye may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God All Christians must know that they haue eternall life And that this their knowledge might be sure and certaine Saint Iohn a faithfull witnesse writes thus vnto them Who will not beléeue in our affaires the deposition of a faithfull and honest man and shall we not beléeue the testimonie and writing of saint Iohn And againe in his first Chapter he writes thus The life appeared and we haue seene it and be are witnesse 1 Iohn 1.3 and shew vnto you the eternal life which was with the father and appeared vnto vs. This I say that we haue seene and heard declare we vnto you that ye also may haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship also may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ And these things write we vnto you that your ioy may be full Who would not read such a comfortable letter who durst euer haue presumed to thinke thus much in his heart That we vile wretches and miserable sinners should be fellowes with the Apostles nay should haue fellowship and a communion euen with God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost if saint Iohn had not written it And now that he hath written this vnto vs who dare doubt of it Oh the fellowship with God the father with his son Iesus Christ and with the holy Ghost the ioyfullest letter that euer was read Will God nay doth God euen now account vs as his friends as those whom he sets most by Who reads this reioyceth not euen from his heart whom will not this glad tidings cause to reioyce daily as often as he thinkes thereon Nay who will euer now cease to thinke thus let all other matters be forgoiteÌ„ I haue fellowship with God the father with his sonne Iesus Christ and with the holy Ghost What do I care for else He that walkes in the sunne the excéeding great light thereof so daseleth his eies that when he comes into his owne house though it be richly furnished â—e sées nothing So should this excéeding great ioy drowne all our other ioyes whatsoeuer This rich fellowship with God the father and his sonne and the holy Ghost should so dasell our eies that we should now make no account of these our earthly riches And this ioy of this rich and certaine hope being thus certified vs by a faithfull witnes Saint Iohn is the marke of the true Church They which lacke these markes are none of the Church what fair shewes soeuer they haue besides And this is the verie scope of saint Iohns Epistle I write vnto you saith he these things not that ye may reioyce onely but that your ioy may be full And this he writes to all Christians who will then doubt of his saluation And here I note how the Church of Rome doth take quite away saint Iohns knowledge and assurance I write vnto you saith he that you may know that you haue eternal life And again this is our confideÌ„ce that when we pray we know that he heareth vs. We know that we haue the petitions that we aske of him This certainty this knowledge the Church of Rome caÌ„not abide She teacheth that no Christian can say he knowes that he shall be saued and therefore she teacheth men to doubt of their saluation She teacheth that we are not sure whether being hindred by our sinnes Iesus Christ will heare vs or no And therefore she teacheth to make mediators vnto him As though anie thing could be added to his loue towards vs. Nay his mother the blessed Virgine Marie nor all the saints and Angels in heauen doe not loue vs so dearely as he doth if the loue of all these were put altogither And whereas they vrge our sinnes to discourage vs and to weaken this our confidence 1. Ioh. 1. vers 8. Saint Iohn in his first chapter doth confesse also so much that we are all sinners or else if we denie that we are lyars And yet for all that in this chapter he teacheth vs this ioy of our saluation and this confidence and assurance of our praiers And is the Church of Rome the true Church Is she Gods house that holdes not fast this confidence in her praiers and this certaintie of the hope of her saluation Let all men of indifferencie iudge Saint Iude in his Epistle hauing foretold of heretiques that should trouble the Church briefely knits vp as in a little bundell the markes of the true Church being the same in substance which saint Paul and saint Iohn haue taught vs. Iude epist Vers 20. But ye beloued saith he edifie your selues in your most holy faith That is studie read meditate and be expert in the scriptures So shall you be sure to be within Gods league and couenant and be a shéep of Iesus Christs fold as hath béene noted before Secondly pray in the holy Ghost that is with knowledge with
104.15 hee had not a drop of the true wine of God to comfort him nor of the oile of Gods spirit to cheere his countenance he now hid his face Gen. 3.8 he ranne awaie from God he had no will nor mind nor desire nor loue towards him he stood in neede of all these afresh to bee powred into him Andradius also and the Vniuersitie of Collen Lib. 4. Orth. explic are of the same opinion almost word for word with the councell of Trent The Fathers of Collen saith Andradius do proue by many and strong reasons that there is free-will in the mindes of men beeing possessed with neuer such vgly monsters of sinne to vndertake any good worke neither that that can be extinguished or blotted out vvith any filthines of sinne whatsoeuer but yet it may bee so bounde with yron fetters that it cannot rid it selfe out of them without the power of God And therefore the cause why wicked men can do no perfect or spirituall good worke as long as their minds are ouerwhelmed with the spots of sinne is not because they lacke free-wil but because that that is so entangled with the snares of sinne and so kept vnder with the weight of their offences that it can no way vnloose it selfe nor by his owne power any way looke vp no otherwise then they which are in the stocks haue power to go although they cannot goe vnlesse the bonds bee first taken away which hinder their moouing VVhen as therefore the light of Gods grace shines into the minds of the wicked it doth not violently thrust righteousnes vpon them or forceth them to embrace those ornaments of their soules but stirres vp the will which now lies on the grounde and being weake helpes it vp that now it being as it were comen to it selfe by Gods helpe it may freely yeeld to the calling and pleasure of God and receiue his grace neither is there any thing then that may hinder or bind this liberty This is also the opinion of the Vniuersitie of Collen and of Andradius concerning this matter But how quite contrarie to the Scriptures is this their assertion Man saie they hath free-will still in him be he neuer so wicked euen to vndertake anie good worke But this his free-will is fettered or hindered onely through sinne the which fetters being by Gods grace remooued it worketh freely that which is good So that they make mans fréewill the chiefe and principall cause of dooing good and the grace of God but the secondarie cause or causa sine qua non as the Philosophers doe tearme it that is the cause without the which the thing could not haue beene doone And thus Vocabularium scholasticae doctrinae a booke of the Papists owne making defines Causa sine qua non Causa sine qua non est qua posita aliud ponitur aliunde quamuis secundum candem That is which cause beeing present another effect followes in another thing and yet by the meanes of it Surelie that which wrought the effect the let beeing taken awaie freelie and of it owne accord maie bee said to be the principall or an equiualent cause at the least if the grace of God do after the let be taken awaie worke with the will as the councell of Trent seemes to affirme But the Scriptures teach quite contrarie to this Esay 26.12 Esay saieth Thou O Lorde hast wrought all our works in vs And what hath our will doone then And saint Paul saieth Phil. 2.13 that it is God which workes in vs both the will and also the performance in those things which bee good according to his good pleasure Man by saint Paul his iudgement abiding yet in his sinnes is not like a man in fetters who would gladlie goe if his fetters were loosed and who would gladly haue his fetters taken awaie from him but quite contrarie hee delights in sinne he loues and likes well of his fetters he thinkes that hee is in Paradise hee would neuer haue not so much as a will or mind to be loosed vnlesse God gaue it him This will then remaines not in man as Andradius and the Vniuersitie of Collen teach but according to the doctrine of saint Paul it is a new worke of God in him And whereas they saie that the grace of God doeth offer no violence in the conuersion of sinners what meanes then that saying of our sauiour Ioh 6.44.12.32 that no man can come vnto him vnles his father draw him And againe when I shall bee exalted from the earth I will draw all vnto me What meanes these drawings of God the father and of his sonne Iesus Christ but a certain holie violence in the conuersion of sinners In that parable of the gospell Luke 14 23. those that sate in the high waies and vnder hedges were they not types of the Gentiles which should be saued And were they not compelled to come in to the Supper Surely without this compulsion they would neuer haue comen in of themselues What meanes also that which Dauid so often prayes in the Psalmes Make me to walke O Lord Psal 119.35.144.8.11.119 107. in the waies of thy commandements and direct my pathes vnto thee and make me know the way that I should walke in and quicken mee according to thy word but that euen he himselfe felt this froward will in himselfe to all goodnesse and this blind vnderstanding so that God had neede euen as it were to force him to goodnesse What meane those goades and nailes which the Preacher speakes of Eccle. 12 11. Hebr. 10.24 and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that pricking and prouoking to loue and good works which the Apostle mentions but a certaine kind of violence which both God himselfe vseth by the ministerie of his word in drawing sinners to him and wee our selues after our calling must vse one towards another in stirring vp our dull and slow willes to goodnes And no doubt of this violence and of these goades which the Lord God himselfe vseth in the conuersion of sinners it is said in the Acts that the Iewes who were conuerted to the faith by Peters Sermon Acts 2.37 were pricked in their hearts No doubt they felt these goades of God And in their conuersion God vsed some violence But let vs a little consider how other Catholiques somwhat so under then these haue declared their iudgementes concerning this matter First Granatensis writes thus Lib. 2. de orat cap. 11. The necessitie of praying continually vnto God doth spring of mans pouertie and miserie into the which he fell through his sinne and of the diuersitie of his estate wherein hee is now and wherein hee was when God created him For if he had continued in that first estate he had not needed these engines nor so many meanes to drawe his soule to God and that he might be lifted vp to the consideration of heauenly things For euen as the Eagle of hir owne
Sixtly she must go out by absolution and come into the citie of Ierusalem that is into the holy Church and be reconciled to her againe by a spirituall life Lastly she must confesse and testifie both in word and worke that Christ is the sonne of God as did also the Centurion Here truely Ferus declares what mans hart is before regeneration It is a rocke there is no softnesse nor aptnesse to goodnesse in it before grace And it is euen now as great a miracle for God to conuert a sinner Exod. 16. ver 6 as it were for him to make the water to runne out of the hard rocke Fer. in 9. cap. Act. Ferus also on this matter writes verie excellently vpon these wordes O Lorde what wilt thou haue me to doe This is the speech of a changed heart See here what Gods correction can doe what grace can doe what the spirit can doe In one word it makes a wolfe a sheepe For by and by he cries what wilt thou haue mee doe O Lord For I am now readie hereafter to obey thy commandements I would to God we were made all so ready by the Lords correctiō Surely then it would fare better with vs. For God strikes vs that he might by by heale vs and if we be not healed that comes of our own wickednes frowardnes Therfore we must praie thus that he will conuert vs also Conuert vs O God of our saluation c. Thou seest that this beginning of true repentance doth proceede of none other cause but from God when as he doth touch our heart with the feeling of sinne and doth also so vnderproppe it that it despaire not as we heare here that he did to Paul For he being so terrified had runne from Gods presence and had vtterly despaired vnlesse by Gods spirit he had been called backe againe that he might crie O Lord what wilt thou haue me doe Thou seest therefore how true repentance differs from that which is false and counterfeit For vnlesse all the hart be kindled with this earnest desire that it say O Lord I couet to forsake mine owne euill waie and to doe that which thou wouldst haue me doe it is but hypocrisie it is no repentance But this earnest desire no man can frame to himselfe vnlesse God touch his heart Therfore the beginning the middle and the end is of God and is Gods worke Here we may learne what we were before grace we were wolues we were no shéepe and therefore not a helping vppe or pricking forward was necessarie for vs but as our Sauiour teacheth a regeneration And this is that which God himselfe promiseth by the Prophet Ezechiell Ezech. 11.19 I will take away their stonie heart and I will giue them a heart of flesh God had néede shewe his most mightie power as well in mans regeneration as in his creation His heart was become a stone and therefore vnapt to mooue and apply it selfe to the grace of God as the Papists teach What fitnesse is there in a stone to receiue into it anie moisture or to mooue it selfe vpward and such like were all mens hearts to grace before regeneration as God himselfe here plainlie teacheth by his Prophet Ezechiell And hereof also is that which Iohn saith in the Gospell to the proud and bragging Iewes of their carnall descent from Abraham Matth. 3.9 That God was able of stones to raise vp children to Abraham no doubt by these stones he meant all Abrahams spirituall sons who by the preaching of the Gospell and by faith in Iesus Christ should be borne vnto him And doe we not sée now this prophesie of Iohn verified The proud bragging Iewes are reiected and the Gentiles who before were as stones are by Gods grace now become Abrahams children This also that vision that God shewed Peter As Ferus also notes hereafter Act 10.11 when as hee would call the Gentiles prooues most euidently He saw heauen opened and a certaine vessell came downe vnto him as it had been a great sheete knit at the foure corners and was let downe to the earth wherein were all manner of foure-footed beasts of the earth and wilde beasts and creeping thinges and foules of the heauen No doubt these beasts as Peter himselfe also after expounds this vision signified the Gentiles Into such monsters we were growen by reason of sinne Psalm 49.12 Man being in honour had no vnderstanding euen Adam that first man and in him all men and so became as the beasts that perish so that man must be killed and quickened againe as God here commands Peter he must haue new life put into him before he can please God So farre off is he of his owne nature to assent fréelie to the grace of God offering it selfe vnto him sinne being onely done away And this is that which Ferus here teacheth men must become of wolues shéepe before they can be acceptable sacrifices vnto God The beginning of the desire which they haue to serue God and the middle and continuance thereof when as they haue once begun and the ende also thereof is of God Not the beginning onely as the Papists doe teach And this is that also which Saint Peter teacheth all true Catholiques 1. Pet. 1.5 in his Catholique Epistle That we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation He not onely at the beginning workes fréely our iustificaon as the Councell of Trent teacheth but euen also fréelie through the same faith he then wrought in our hearts he continually preserueth vs. So that our whole saluation the beginning and the middle and the end thereof we must only and wholy ascribe vnto God This great worke is his worke alone no man what soeuer maie challenge anie part in it with him hee alone must haue all the glorie of it Ibid. And to this effect the same Ferus writes thus againe Marke here that God is not onely the beginning but also the perfection of all goodnesse in vs. For he that begins the same also finisheth He workes in vs both to will and also to finish he giues the increase To this maie be applied that which Moses saith The land which the Lord will giue you is not like the land of Egypt c. The forces and powers of nature are sufficient to externall workes but to those things which concerne our saluation we must looke for a shower from heauen that is grace Therefore euerie godlie man must say I will not trust in mine owne bowe And after The light of nature seemes to be reason but in diuine matters they are but scales hindering the sight as thou seest here in Paul These scales signifie that couering which is ouer Moses face yea ouer the hearts of all the Iewes before faith Those scales also which claue together in the body of Leuiathan are wicked men amongst whom Saul was All these when the light commeth fall downe to the ground c. The light
would deny Sée how fitlie Christ applieth plasters vnto our woundes Sinne first is conceiued in the hart for concupiscence begets sinne Fer. de pass part 1. and after it is by our works finished So Christ is first sorrowfull in heart and after outwardly that he might take away all sinne and fully make satisfaction for vs. So that by Ferus iudgement Christs saluation was full and perfect for vs. All men were like those two debters whereof our Sauiour speakes in the Gospell To whome when they had nothing to pay the lender forgaue mercifully so hath God fréelie forgiuen vs our sinnes for the satisfaction of Iesus Christ All our teares and kneeling downe Luke 7 4◠and workes of mercie and repentance for our sinnes are but signes to so mercifull a Lorde and of the loathing of our sinnes And after Ferus writes thus I am he by this word Christ puts himselfe in our stead patiently about to endure whatsoeuer the iustice of God should endure for our sinnes And a little after Idem part 8. For this cause especially hee would not haue his Apostles die with him least we should think that his death alone had not sufficed and therefore he would die alone that hee alone might be acknowledged our Sauiour Esay 63. Deut. 33. I haue troden the Winepresse alone saith he and of all nations there was none with mee And therefore Moyses also saith God alone was his God neither was there any other God with him Therefore he redeemed vs and not we our selues c. But the Church of Rome addes the Apostles and Martyres merites to Christs as though hee alone had not redeemed vs and calles those the treasure of the Church Fer. part 2. pass In these manifold sufferings of Christ we see as it were with our eyes our vniustice how wicked how full of sinnes we are but especially wee were For how vile here Christ outwardly appeared to men so vile were we before God in our soules yea what kind of one Christ is here such should we haue beene for euer vnles he had taken these things on him Part. 3. pass And after Here let vs consider our selues as here Christ with one consent and with great ioy of his enimies without all pitie without all hope of deliuerance or of returning backe againe no man assisting him or knowing him is led to the iudgment of death So we should haue beene ledde to that horrible iudgment of God vnles Christ had put himselfe in our stead Therefore if thou mind to stand in Gods iudgement rely vpon Christ then by faith For without him none can stand in the iudgement of God For no man liuing is iustified or found righteous in the sight of God And after speaking of those things which Christ had suffered at the handes of the Iewes Although saieth hee those things which we haue heard already had been enough for the redemption of all the world yet he would suffer more then these that he might fully satisfie for our sinnes that considering the greatnesse of the remedy no man might euer haue cause to despaire And speaking of his whipping hee writes thus He that clothes all things is spoiled of his clothes and he that hides all our shame is openly put to shame in the sight of all men least that we should be put to a perpetuall shame which surely we should haue beene if Christ had not endured this nakednes and shame for vs. Part. 2. pass But that agony of Christ signified nothing else hut the feare of our conscience before the iudgment seat of God for the soule now the time of the iudgement drawing neare is touched with the feeling of our sinnes which being touched begins now altogether to tremble and quake and euen to perish being now alone before the tribunall seat of God Of which trembling Iob said If he shall sodainly cal man to an account who is able to answere him This feare was also shewed in that feast of the Gospell whereas he who hauing no wedding garment being examined of the Lord was straightwaies dumbe The godly are sometime possessed with this feare as appeareth in Iob and Dauid saith O Lord chasten me not in thy wrath because there is no health in my flesh by reason of thy displeasure So also Ezechias I saieth hee said in the middest of my daies I shall go to the gates of hell Least therefore that wee should bee euer in danger of this feare Christ was for our sakes in this agony Therefore when that temptation shall inuade vs let vs pray with Ezechias O Lord I am violently afflicted answere thou for me and with Dauid vnder the shadow of thy wings protect me Man is not able no not the holiest man to appeare before the tribunall seate of God without this feare and quaking his best works are vnperfect And therefore Christ was in this agony for him c. And after the same Ferus writes thus Yea Fer. pass part 3. speaking of Barrabas and Christ that vvhich vvas doone in Pilates iudgement the same falles out in the iudgement of God On the one side stood that notable theefe Adam with all his posterity who all of them had deserued death on the other side stood the most innocent Sonne of God Now one of these by Gods iustice was to suffer death and God of his great mercie spared Adam and yeelded his most innocent Sonne vp to death for him Let vs embrace this great mercy of God brethren and be thankfull to God for it And of Christs spoiling of his garmentes he writes thus Ibidem He is turned naked out of his garmentes which cloathes the heauens with Starres and the earth with flowers and what kind of one the first man was when he dwelt in Paradice such a one the second Adam entred into Paradise againe He suffered therefore himselfe to be spoiled of his garments that he might receiue for vs the garment of innocency he was not ashamed to stand naked before all men least we should be found naked before god the endured shame that he might couer the guiltines of our consciences for he is blessed whose sins are couered And vpon these wordes He that is washed Part. 1. pass needs not but that his feet only should be washed he writes thus This second washing is not doone at the Font but by repentance which cleanseth our daily sins For repentance is as it were a second board by which they which after baptisme haue suffered shipwracke may swimme out Of this washing Esay speaketh Be ye washed be ye cleane and this washing of our feet by repentance must be doone euer For the way wherein we walke is mirie as Dauid saith and Ieremy 1. King 21. Lam. 1. 2. Tim. 2. the mire sticks to Hierusalems feet and saint Paul He that shall cleanse himselfe from them shall be a vessell of honour But this may trouble some perchance that Christ addeth But is all cleane
mette in anie man since Adams fall till now Truth now hath flourished out of the earth Verse 11. O happie earth that bore at length such a blossome All men before were liars till Iesus Christ was borne Psal 12.2.62.9 In whose mouth was no deceit So that now it maie be said that trueth hath flourished out of the earth and neuer till now And righteousnes hath looked downe from heauen Euen nowe also to impart her selfe to men who were all before vnrighteous who were altogither naked as their great grandfather Adam confessed to cloath and adorne them Gen. 3.10 O happie assembly of heauenly vertues Oh blessed natiuitie of Iesus Christ Without this earth had still brought forth lies man had béene still vnrighteous anger and displeasure of God had raigned in the world Luk. 2.24 Esay 53.5 punishments and all manner of plagues had taken hold of all men Oh happie Metamorphosis and exchange That for lies truth for sinne righteousnesse for anger peace for punishment mercie and louing kindnesse is bestowed vpon man Naie this our king is such a king as that Righteousnesse shall go before him Vers 13. it shall direct his goings in the way he shall not once treade awrie So that to the verie faces of his enemies he shall saie Iohn 8.46 Which of you can rebuke me of sinne And none of them shall be able to accuse him He shall iustifie sinners that trust in him Esay 53.11 He is able to pay their debts and minister iustice for all those that are oppressed to their oppressors as he did to Naboth and Ahab 1. King 21.21 Luk. 16.25 to Diues and Lazarus This is the meaning of this Psalme Granatensis as he is full of holie meditations so especiallie he excéedes in this matter so that although the places I shall take out of him be verie long yet I hope the excellencie of the matter will make them séeme short Euen as it is written of Iacob Gen. 29.20 That he serued seuen yeeres for Rahel and they seemed to him but a few daies because he loued her So all they which loue Iesus Christ all the paines they shall take in reading things that concerne him it should séeme nothing vnto them Granatensis first therefore in a discourse he makes vpon the Lords prayer writes thus verie excellentlie of mans iustification by Christ in the sight of God But O Father doest thou forgiue vs our sinnes freely and without any recompence Truely thou forgiuest them freely not freely not freely for although mercy be readie to forgiue yet iustice will be satisfied freely because thou hast giuen vs freely that wherwith to repaie iustice that is that great and inestimable treasure which thy onely begotten sonne the whole space of xxxi j yeeres did laie vp as treasure for vs An entrance to the which he hath purchased for vs with his bloud We offer to thee this treasure O Father take thereof as much as thou wilt There may be drawn out thereof abundantly but it can neuer be drawne drie we may spend thereof but it can neuer be diminished All his merits are ours his satisfaction is ours his bloud is our ransome Therefore we beseech thee O Lord that being pacified with the bloud and merits of thy sonne that thou wouldest winke at our sins the which if thou shalt call into a streight account there is no man shall be able to abide the fauour much lesse the rigour of thy iustice Let thy mercie helpe vs who acknowledge our selues worthie to be damned for a thousand sinnes by thy iustice Purge vs with the feruent fire of thy loue take vs againe to thy fauour be friendes with vs Forgiue vs our trespasses Thus farre Granatensis And this which he teacheth must all Gods Saints pleade at the tribunall seate of Gods iustice They must saie with Dauid Pleade thou my cause O Lord Psal 35.1 with them that striue with me fight thou against them that fight against me And againe And now truely what is my hope 39.7.38.15 Truelie my hope is euen in thée And againe For in thee O Lord haue I put my trust thou shalt answere for me O Lord my God This must be their plea if they minde to be saued against all the accusations of their owne consciences and enditements of Sathan And this is that which our Sauiour teacheth Verely verely Ioh. 5.24 I say vnto you he that heareth my worde and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life Granatensis concludes the Lords prayer thus Behold most louing Father how our childishnesse hath plaied her part as well as she can in vttering the words which thy only begotten sonne hath taught vs but now we powre out altogither and at once without wordes our whole hearts that thou wouldest mercifully grant vnto vs those things which we desire of thee O Father we most humbly beseech thee that thou wouldest mercifully bestow vpon vs all those benefites and graces before recited not respecting our vnworthinesse but the worthinesse of thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ For he is our aduocate our priest our sacrifice and our patrone before thee For we doe not prostrate our prayers before thy face trusting in our owne righteousnesse as the Prophet saith but in the multitude of thy mercies and in the merites of thy sonne our Lorde For whatsoeuer he hath done or suffered all that he hath giuen vnto vs he hath suffered and done al that for vs therfore for his sake we desire thee that thou wilt grant vs all these our requests By him thou hast created all things and by him thou hast restored all things that were lost by him thou hast created man to thine owne image and likenesse and by him thou hast reformed man againe to the same image He is the foundation of our being he is the foundation of our righteousnesse and the cause of our merites he is our intercessor with thee he is our aduocate and the strength of our hope Therefore whatsoeuer hitherto O heauenly Father we haue asked we haue asked all that by thy sonne for that which is not due to our righteousnesse is due to his merites If thou shalt finde no goodnesse in vs truely thou canst finde no wickednesse in him If there be no merites in vs behold his merites without estimation or number By him therefore we pray thee by him we beseech thee honour him in vs. For that which thou giuest to vs the verie same thou giuest to him for whatsoeuer is bestowed vpon the members redounds to the head whereof they are members We confesse O Father we confesse our pouertie we haue nothing of our owne that we may offer vnto thee least notwithstanding that we should appeare emptie before thee which thing thou forbiddest in thy law behold we offer vp in sacrifice vnto thee thy onely begotten sonne with all his labors
sorrowes stripes wounds and whatsoeuer he hath done and whatsoeuer he hath suffered from the first minute that he was borne into this world and that he beheld this light vnto the verie last gaspe which he dying on the Crosse yeelded vp all that we offer vnto thee For we are partakers of all these al these are ours he did all these things for vs he suffered them for vs We trusting and relying wholy of this oblation of this sacrifice of these merits do come vnto thee and we desire mercie of thee euen as it were now of iustice and good right for if thou respect thy sonne it is iustice but if thou respect vs it is mercie But there is also another thing that makes vs bolde that makes vs hope well that makes vs be of good courage because we doe not come to thee through mans presumption or with the impudent face of flesh and bloud and doe begge of thee these so great requests and petitions but we come thus begging sent of thine only begotten sonne for he commands vs to come to thy throne to aske in his name whatsoeuer is necessary to both our liues Neither doth he onely command vs this but also he hath put wordes in our mouthes fitte for the same purpose he hath giuen vs those phrases and maner of speeches which thou knowest and art acquainted wel withall which hitherto we haue repeated Know them O Lord it is the stile of thy sonne they are the words which he left vs to deserue our saluation Remember O Father that woman of Thekoah which obtained pardon of Dauid for his beloued sonne Absolon assoone as the king perceiued that shee came being sent of Ioab the captaine of the hoste which fauour Ioab expounded to be done vnto himselfe and not to the woman so I O Lord am sent of thine onely begotten sonne it is he that hath put these words in my mouth it is he that beseecheth thee by me and for me That which thou grantest to me thou grantest to him and he will thanke thee for it Remember O Lord how thou didst not condemne but commende that vniust steward of thy goods who made himselfe friends with them Be not angrie with me if that I the poorest creature in the world who haue euill spent thy goods and wasted them doe come to thy sonne make him my friend submit my selfe to his patronage and protection that in this time of my neede and extremity he may receiue me into his tabernacle and that his merits may protect and shrowde me I know that it is a dangerous thing to come into thy sight without our spirituall brother Beniamin that is thine onely begotten sonne Behold him therefore behold we bring him with vs and we present him vnto thee that by his intercession we may be mercifully heard of thee And thou also O thou onely begotten sonne of God who also art the sonne of man stretch foorth thy arme ouer vs. For thou art our protectour and with thy cloake couer our nakednesse and with thy riches helpe our pouertie and do not put vs backe from thy grace and fauour whom thou hast vouchsafed to make partners and companions of thy nature who liuest with the Father and the holy Ghost for euer and euer We maie learne here how that as our iustification is frée in respect of our selues but déerelie bought with the precious bloud and innumerable merites of Iesus Christ so likewise all the good things we haue we also obtaine by his meanes He is the captaine of the Lords hoste by whose meanes all disobedient wicked Absolons are restored into their heauenly fathers grace and fauour againe he is that beloued Beniamin without whom it is dangerous to appeare in our heauenly fathers presence Therefore in our praiers let vs be sure euer to bring him with vs and no bodie els To the same effect Granatensis also writeth in another praier Thou art my king Orat. 7. pro impet amor dei for thou gouernest me with thy spirit thou hast fought for me and hast pulled me out of the hands of mine enimies thow art my high Priest for thou hast prayed and dost still pray for me without ceasing as an euerlasting high priest in the presence of God thy heauenly Father Thou are my sacrifice for thou hast offered vp euen thine own selfe a sacrifice vpon the Altar of the crosse that most graciously and mercifully thou mightest purge and wash away my sinnes Thou art my Aduocate for when the diuell accuseth mee and teacheth to thy father against me an inditement wherein are written all my sinnes thou defendest me and maintainest my cause Thou laiest downe of thine and suppliest all that is wanting to my righteousnes Thou art my redeemer for thou art both God and man mans friend and also true man a friend also that can do much with God and the true Son of God And therefore thou settest thy selfe as a Mediatour in the midst between God and me And after To conclude thou art my Sauiour and surely such a Sauiour who euery where alwaies and in all things sufficeth me for thou didst worke in the middle of the earth most perfectly and absolutely all whatsoeuer was required to my saluation Thou hast lightened my ignorance with thy doctrine thou hast strengthened my weaknes with thy examples thou hast kindled and enflamed my luke-warmenes with thy benefits Thou hast instructed my soule with thy mysteries Thou hast enriched my pouerty with thy merites Thou hast healed my wounds with thy sacraments Thou hast paide and satisfied for my pleasures with thy griefes and sorrowes and now sitting in heauen at the right hand of thy father thou makest intercession for me VVhat shall I vse many words Thou art made my wisdome my righteousnes my sanctification and redemption and therfore all my goods This glorie Granatensis attributes to Iesus Christ and all true catholiques wil most assuredlie beleeue this doe the same Here is the perfect summe of our saluation And speaking of the holie communion he writes thus That it is a Sacrament of infinit vertue Lib. 3. Mem. cap. 1. I say of infinit vertue saieth hee for it containes in it Christ who is the fountaine of grace And man by that Sacrament is made partaker of all the merites of the Lords passion which also haue neither measure nor number If this be true how doeth Poligranes measure and number them affirming that they take awaie the fault and not the punishment Hée also writes thus This faith affirmeth Lib. 1. Mem. cap. 5. that the reward of vertue and the punishment of sinne the one of them is so sharpe and the other so great that if all the world were full of bookes and all creatures were writers yet all these writers should be sooner weary and the world should be ended then that they should lacke matter what to write of either of these what these things containe in them according to their exceeding greatnes
of them writes thus Granat Med. in orat dom Who can euer cast the account of my vaine thoughts who can number my euill works and idle words For the iust men scant know how to bridle their tongue And the number is infinite also of the sinnes of my transgression and commission in doing that which I should not haue doon and in omitting of that which I ought to haue doone And after But doest thou so forgiue vs our sinnes freely O Father and without any recompence Truely thou forgiuest them freely and not freely not freely for although mercy bee ready to forgiue yet iustice will be satisfied and yet freely because thou offerest vs that freely wherewith iustice is satisfied that is that huge incomparable treasure which thine only begotten son laid vp for vs the space of three and thirty yeares to the which he made a way to vs by his bloud This treasure we offer vnto thee O Father take thereof as much as thou wilt it may be drawne but it cannot bee drawne drie it may be spent but it cannot be diminished His merites are ours his satisfaction is ours his bloud is our ransome Therefore we beseech thee O Lord that being pacified with the blood and merites of thy Sonne that thou wouldest winke at our faults the which if thou wilt call to a strict account no man is able to abide the fauour of thy iustice much lesse the seuerity of it Therefore let thy mercy helpe vs who acknowledge our selues be damned of thy iustice of many hainous offences And againe in another place hee writes of the sinnes of all men thus That thou maiest better marke what thinges wee haue said thou must diligently consider the multitude of the sinnes of thy life past especially of those which thou committedst when as thou hadst lesse knowledge of God for if so be that thou shalt come to the perfect knowledge of them al thou shalt vnderstand that they are moe in number then the haires of thy head and that thou hast liued like a Pagan or Ethnike which knew not what God was After that runne ouer both the Tables of the tenne Commandements and those seauen deadly sinnes and thou shalt learne that there is no Commandement of God which thou hast not often broken and no deadly sin into the which thou hast not often fallen by work word and thought Remember the first man Adam that because he did eate the forbidden meate he did commit the most grieuous sinne in the world and there is no kind of sinne wherein thou hast not diuers waies and oftentimes offended Call to thy remembrance all the benefits of God which thou hast receiued all thy ages and the whole course of thy life and see how thou hast behaued thy selfe in all these For a most strict account of all these one day will be demanded of thee Therefore if thou wilt be ruled by me thou shalt doe most vvisely if thou shalt now presently iudge thy selfe least hereafter thou be more seuerely iudged of God Go to therfore tel me how thou hast past ouer thy childhood how thy youth how thy mans estate and that I may say all in a vvord how thou hast liued from thy mothers wombe til this day To what things hast thou emploied thy appetite and other powers of thy mind which thou hast receiued of God that thou shouldest know him and serue him withall How hast thou vsed thine eies no other wise then that thou mightest delight them in vaine things and fond shewes What hast thou delighted in to heare with thine eares surely vaine fables filthy talke and lies What hast thou broched with thy tongue but periuries murmurings and such things as are not seemely Thy tast touching and smelling in what other thinges haue they delighted then in those which were pleasant to the appetite delightful to flesh bloud and which might satisfie their pleasures Tel me how thou hast vsed the diuine Sacraments giuen thee of God as medicines to cure thy wounds what thankes hast thou giuen God for his infinite benefites bestowed vpon thee How hast thou kept his diuine commandements how hast thou employed thy health thy strength thy courage thy riches the prosperitie of this world and other commodities giuen thee of God that thou shouldest with them lead a godly life What care hast thou had of thy neighbour as concerning whom the Lord hath giuen thee a speciall charge what and how many workes of mercy hast thou doone which God hath so highly commended vnto vs Of all these will God call thee to account in that terrible day of iudgement when as he shall say vnto thee Giue an account of thy Stewardshippe Giue account of those riches which thou hast receiued of me For thou maiest be no longer a Steward O withered tree fit for hell fire What aunswere wilt thou make when account shall be demanded of thee of all thy life and of euery point and minute thereof Thus farre Granatensis Euerie one by his iudgement must pronounce himselfe guiltie at that great daie of assises of the immortall GOD and must flie to the winges of his mercie and must craue pardon And a little after speaking of mans vilenesse hee writes thus After thou hast weighed all these things with thy selfe in a iust ballance go forward to examine thine owne selfe and be not ashamed to thinke of thy selfe most vilely and most basely Thinke thy selfe to be no better then a reede which is shaken with euery wind which hath nothing in it without any vertue without any strength without any constancy without any stablenesse or firmenesse of mind Remember that thou art Lazarus now foure daies laide in his graue a stinking Carion full of wormes at the sauour whereof all they which passe by stoppe their noses and turne awaie their eies Thinke thy selfe thus to stinke before God and his Angels account thy selfe vnworthie who should lift vppe his eies to heauen an vnprofitable clodde of claie and vnworthie whom the earth should beare or whom the creatures of God should serue vnworthie of the bread thou eatest the Aire thou breathest the light by the meanes whereof thou seest but farre more vnworthy of the comfort of the Holy ghost I wil not say the adoption of a Sonne and that heauenly prouidence and care of thy heauenly Father which so dearely and tenderly cares for thee Be in thine owne eies the vilest of all other creatures and who hath abused all Gods benefites most abominably Thinke with thy selfe that if God had doon in Tyre and Sydone that is in other most notable sinners the works which he hath doone in thee they would euen now haue repented in sackcloth and ashes Confesse thy selfe to be the grieuousest sinner of al other sinners that thou knowest And the more that thou shalt be displeased with thy selfe when as now thou shalt thinke that thou hast comen to the vttermost thou shalt find more things which will giue thee occasion
yet more to humble thy selfe Crie vnto God without ceassing and saie O Lord I haue nothing I can doe nothing without thy helpe I can do nothing else but sinne Cast down thy selfe prostrate with that notorious sinner and be so greatly ashamed euen as a woman is woont to be that hath defiled her husbands bedde and comes to aske pardon of her husband With such like shame O soule stand thou before thy heauenly spouse in despight of whom thou hast committed fornication so often with manie louers beseech him bedewed with many teares touched with great sorrow that he will pardon and forgiue thee whatsoeuer thou hast sinned against him and that he will receiue thee againe into his family for his great mercy beeing indeede that riotous and prodigall Sonne Thus farre Granatensis I woulde all Papists woulde teach this doctrine It woulde make men humble it woulde make them not trust in their workes it woulde make them flie truelie to the mercie of God which is the onlie and true Sanctuary for all Christians to flie vnto Againe of the imperfections of our good workes hee writes thus It is most certaine that thou felst into the foresaid sinnes speaking of the breaking of all Gods commaundementes before thou hadst receiued the true knowledge of God but after thou hast knowne him if thou haue knowne him yet desire of him that he will open the eies of thy mind and thou shalt find many reliques of the old Adam many of the Iebusites yet to remaine in the land of promise onely allured by thy curtesie And againe a little after VVhen as God doth not so much respect the worke it selfe as the meaning and purpose of the vvorke how many good works dost thou thinke that thou hast doon which are pure from the dregges of vaine glory and free from gaping after worldly praises How many are there which thou wouldest neuer haue giuen thy mind to but being drawne and moued vvith outward ceremonies Howe many are there in which thou hast sought thine owne estimation And how few are there which are doone from a sincere heart and for the pure loue of GOD and for which thou hast not paid the world her toll And all such workes what are they else then a smoake shadow and as it were a vizarde of vertue And againe If thou shalt diligently search all the corners of thy soule if thou shalt put thy hand into thy bosome thou shalt pull it out againe full of leprosie as white as Snow and thou shalt finde therein many deadly wounds Oh what deepe root hath swelling pride taken in thee How doth ambition raigne in thee How many waies doeth hypocrisie and the counterfeite shew of vertue trouble thee by which thou wouldest faine cloake thy faults and imperfections and desire to seeme another then thou art indeed Ah how carefully doest thou pursue after those things which are thine own which are acceptable to the flesh pleasant to the bodie how often vnder pretence of necessitie thou makest much of thy selfe and pamperest thy bodie most daintilie so that hereby thou seemes not to nourish nor feed it so much as longing after pleasures and delites to put a spurre vnto it And hereof this is a most euident argument that if any man who before was most gratefull and acceptable vnto thee shall a little reproue thee and find fault with thee and thine inordinate desires thou shalt feele bie and bie the roote of enuie to sproute in thee and thy selfe to bee woonderfullie mooued against him or if anie one shall a little impaire thy honour howe greatlie wilt thou bee displeased with him Thus farre Granatensis In which wordes hee doeth verie truelie describe the corruption of mans nature that no pure worke procéedes thereof But as long as wee liue in this flesh wee cannot so mortifie olde Adam but he will be mingling his Chaffe amongst the Lords Wheate and his dregges amongst his most cleare water streames of the holy spirit And as hee hath in this place most excellently shewed the grieuousnesse of the wounde so in another place hee shewes the salue and remedie The Souldier sayeth hee comes vvith his Speare and shaking it he thrusts it with all his force into the Lordes heart the crosse being moued with the force of the stroke shakes and by and by out of the fresh wound comes water and bloud to wash awaie the sinnes of the whole world O floud issuing out of Paradice and with thy streames watering the vvhole vvorld Oh precious wound of that side not so much wounded with the fiercenes of the Iron as with the force of loue O gate of heauen Window of Paradise place of refuge Tower of fortitude Sanctuary of the iust the graue of strangers the nest of chaste Doues the fragrant bedde of Salomons spouse Blessed be the wound of that precious side wounding the soules of the godly blessed be that pricking which pricks the soules of the iust blessed bee that beautifull and redde Rose that inestimable Carbuncle the way to Christes heart the testimony of Gods loue the free pledge of euerlasting life Thorough thee all beasts cleane and vncleane doe enter in which desire to be saued from the waters of the floud by the meanes of the Arke of the true Noah All they which are tempted flie vnto thee all those which are afflicted find comfort in thee with thy liquour all those which are sicke are healed through thee sinners do enter into the Palace of heauen in thee all pilgrimes and banished persons doe take their ease most pleasantly O firy Ouen of loue house of peace treasure of the Church veine of the water of life springing into life eternall O Lord open vnto me this gate take me home with thee and make me dwel in this most pleasant house Giue me grace by this to enter into the secret places of thy loue Giue me leaue to drinke of this most sweet Fountaine and make mee drunken with this most precious liquour Sleepe O my soule in this Caue most soundly forget here all the cares and businesses of this world here take thy ease here eate and drinke here sing most ioifully with the Prophet This is my rest for euer and euer here will I dwell I haue chosen this Thus farre Granatensis Wherein hee affirmes that Christes merites and not the merites of Saintes or of Monkes and Friers are the treasure of the Church and that the water and bloud of his woundes heales all sicke sinners And in another place writing of the end of our works he sayeth thus The benefites sayeth hee whereby we do receiue any good De orat Med tract 7. cap. 8 are oftentimes perceiued of men but these secret benefites which doe not consist in bestowing any good vpon vs but in turning awaie and repelling euill who can vnderstand Therefore it is necessary that we giue God thanks no lesse for these then for those other Let vs remember also how many things we doe
do not with thâ—r iustificatione prima and secunda their first and last iustificatioâ— whereof they say the first is fréely of grace without workes or merites but not the second And after vpon these wordes By his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Super. Act. 10. By his name sayeth hee not by our works and merites All which beleeue therefore faith iustifieth And a little afâ—er They beganne to speake with diuers tongues no otherwise then the Iewes did in the 2 Acts. So in the first and great calling of the Gentiles it behooued them without aâ—l helpe of the lawe to be made equall to the Iewes that it might now be most certaine that righteousnesse is now onely of the grace and election of God and of no works And in another place of merites hee writes thus But what are those so great merites of a sinner Fer. Ser. 7. de prodigo filio that God should entertaine him so honorably The answere is there is no mention made here of any merite but the mercy of God is commended vnto vs. It was in the prodigall Sonnes mind to doe many thinges to submit himselfe and to leaue nothing vnattempted that hee might winne his fathers fauour againe but before he euer spake a word yea before hee came at his father before hee saw his father when as now he was a gâ—eat way from his fathers house his father had now set al his anger asâ—de and could no longer refraine himselfe but that hee must needes goe and meet him He taried not till he came into the â—ouse he deâ—anded not of him what his request was he might easily â—oniecturâ— what moued him and what was the cause of his returne nâ—ither â—aried he till he had asked pardon of his offence but by and by he feâ— vpon his necke By which what other thing is declared vnto vs tâ—n that it is of meere grace and mercy that we are restored of God iâ—o the place of sonnes from which wee were fallen For which caâ— Christ hath vsed very stately and those not a few words by which his may very forcibly be conuinced For we must needes ascribe or iustification and the forgiuenesse of our sinnes to the grace of God By grace ye are saued sayeth Saint Paul and that not of yoâ—â— selues it is the gift of GOD not of works least any man should ragge And such like doctrine did Ieremy the Prophet sing Aâ—â—o it is the Lords mercie that we are not â—onsumed And although also our workâ— must concurre both sorrow proceeding from the bottome of our heâ—â—t and also a pure and perfect wil and an earnest desire of rising agaâ—ne a plaine and not counterfeit confession of the mouth and to coâ—clude the zealousnesse of our prayers notwithstanding neither ouâ— sorrow nor confession nor prayers nor all the externall rites of repentance can take vs out of our sinnes no not if so be that we should euen consume our selues with the sorrowes of repentance and employ our labour in confessing our sinnes euen till we waxed madâ—e thereby we should as the common prouerbe is loose both al our â—â—bour and cost to the obtaining of the remission of our sinnes vnlesse God had promised vs that he would freely forgiue vs vnlesse by Christs benefit and merite our saluation had beene procured vnlesse he had bestowed on vs his repentance and merites c. Our sinnes are fréelie pardoned by Iesus Christ sayeth Ferus and all our sorrowes and repentance are not satisfactions but signes and fruites of our repentance They are dueties to our sauiour not prices or raunsomes for our sinnes Philippus de Dies of the imperfection of all Christians works Phi. Dies conc 1. de Phil. Iac. writes thus No man commeth to the Father but by me that is by following me or else by me that is by my works The most ancient caruers of Images were woont before they shewed their Images openly to behold them very diligently and to examine very attentiuely if there were any faults in them and if they found no faultes in them then to place them in some low place that all men might behold the excellency of them But if there were some imperfections in them which they who nearely and narrowly beheld them might easily espy then they were woont to place them aloft on some high pillar that being beholden a farre off their faults and imperfections might not be discerned Of all our works yea euen of our iust works saith Esay As a defiled cloth of a woman is all our righteousnesse For they are vnworthy that they may be gratefull or accepted of the maiesty of God Wherefore it is necessary that we follow the policy of these artificers and that we place them on the high Pillar Iesus Christ our Sauiour that through his merites they may be of some valew and merit with God the father And againe speaking of the place of Esay Idem Conc. 3. in fest Micha To whom shall I haue regard but to the poore and contrite in Spirit c. Hee writes thus He calleth here the poore the humble man For he is indeed an humble man who acknowledgeth his pouerty and nakednesse who knoweth that he hath nothing of himselfe but sinne who what good thing soeuer he hath what benefit either of nature or fortune he doubteth not but that he receiueth it from God who trusts not in his owne iudgement wisedome counsell nor in his owne strength but puts all his trust and confidence in God and as a most poore beggar euer craues the crums that falleth from his most bountifull table Ferus also of good workes writes thus Therefore In cap. 3. Mat. Iohn preached in the Wildernesse as though he should say neither your riches nor your sacrifices can get you true righteousnesse but only the grace of Christ For if righteousnesse had comen by the lawe then had Christ died in vaine The same must we doe we must forsake al things and make haste into the Wildernesse that is to acknowledge that all These wordes take awaie all trust who will trust in a thing that is vncertaine that the world makes account of is temporall nor can deliuer thee from the wrath of God therefore trust in no such thing no nor in thy onely good works For thou canst not tel whether they be such before the eyes of God yea howe good soeuer they seeme yet they are imperfect neither doe they proceed from such feruency as they ought Therefore thou maiest not trust in them the which thing also Christ himselfe doth teach When we haue doone all things we are vnprofitable seruaunts Therefore when as thou hast nothing neither within thee nor without thee that may assure thy conscience flie vnto the grace of God and say I haue lift vp my soule vnto thee In thee haue I put my trust c. We maie note here he will not haue vs put our trust in any works neither
heauenly phisition hath bought for thee with the price of his bloud hath bestowed freely vpon thee what to these things shall those most miserable men answere what shall they say for themselues what shall they doe surely euen that which our Sauiour euen here saith Then shall all the kinreds of the earth lament c. Thus farre Granatensis But here some will say all the infidels in the world shall wéepe at the beholding of this signe And shall they all be saued I answere The scripture saith not that all those which then wéepe shall be damned And therefore where the scriptures hold their peace let man take héed how he pronounceth sentence Let vs leaue them to the mercy of God God may among those weepers saue some if it please him as among two théeues he saued one on the crosse Luke 25.43 Hab. 3.1 That saying of Abacucke may then be fulfilled When thou art angrie thou wilt thinke vpon mercie And Dauid saith I will sing of mercie and iudgement Psal 101.1 Luke 16.9 Iudgement excludes not mercie euen in that terrible and great day of account Mercie must saue all Christians Io. 2.13 and why may it not at that time saue some Iewes also Especially séeing God promiseth here by his prophet that he will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercie and then they shall weepe This wéeping thall procéed of grace and therefore shall be healthfull This powring forth of the spirit of grace and mercie and this hauing respect then to him whom they haue pearced and this weeping belong all to one kind of people and are fruites and effects the one of the other The former the powring out of the spirit of grace and mercy doth belong to the elect and this latter the beholding of him whom haue they pearced and these teares to the reprobate As Ribera would haue it on that place of Zacharie And that the crosse was taken for the signe of the sonne of man in the primitiue Church Eusebius testifieth Rib. in za c. 12. For so when as the Christians admitted vnto their society one Basilides he saith they gaue him the Lords signe And the next day he was martyred And he that translated Eusebius addes in the margine that by the Lords signe he vnderstands the crosse But if we shall not admit his exposition Eus lib. ca 5. let vs heare what Sibylla an ancient Prophetesse prophecieth of Christs comming to iudgement and of this signe Sib. lib. 8. Orac fol. 383. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Verses are thus turned into English Vnto all men a famous signe whereby they may be knowne In those daies shal be giuen euen by the wood a trumpe most dire Of all the faithfull much esteemd but to the worlds state Reposing trust in earthly things a cause of great offence Here Sibylla in her Achrostickes as she doth most truly and plainly paint out vnto vs Christes name and his merits This King saith she whom we haue described in the first letters of our verses is our God and our eternall Redeemer and Sauiour who suffered for vs And of his comming againe to iudgement why should she not also saie the truth in the appearing of this the signe of the crosse It is a great argument to make one be trusted if he shall haue borne true witnes often before in other matters The true faith of Sibylla in the former may also win her credit with vs in this latter And to confirme the authoritie of her prophecie Cic. lib. 2. de Diuin Au. de ciuit dei lib. 18. ca. 23. that it is no new thing forged of late since Christs passion Cicero makes mention of this her Achrosticks who was before Christ and Lactantius in his booke often cites her verses And saint Austen saith That a certaine noble man called Flactianus who was the Emperors Lieutenāt when as they two talked togither of Christ shewed him a Greeke booke saying that they were the verses of Sibylla Erithrea and that he shewed him in a certaine place of that booke in the beginning of euerie verse letters set in such an order that these words might be read therein Iesus Christ Son of God Sauiour This account all these famous men made of Sibylla her verses and shal we discredite them Gualter also a learned man of our daies of famous memorie so expoundes that place of saint Matthewes gospell and by the signe of the sonne of man vnderstandeth the signe of the crosse These be his wordes Most of the auncient fathers expound the crosse to be this signe whose image as Eusebius witnesseth with this inscription In this signe thou shalt ouercome appeared to Constantine when he made warre against Maxentius that he might helpe the Church which seemed then forsaken In cap. 24. Euan. secun Mat For because Christ by the merit of the crosse ouercame all the power of the enemie the signe of the crosse appeareth most fitly before any other to our victorie and by it also we shall ouercome And it is verie profitable for vs often to muse vpon this and it is a shame for vs to feare any misfortune when as the verie name of the crosse promiseth vs most certaine victory Thus farre Gualter Wherein he doth not onely declare his owne opinion but also the opinion of the fathers concerning this matter That same learned father also Thomas Cooper sometimes Byshoppe of Lincolne in his visitation there agreed with Gualter in this his exposition who spake to this effect to his cleargie in Latine in my hearing all the rest of his Sermon being in English Annon potestis ferre fratres mei Anno Dom. 1583. signum illud formari hîc in terra quod ante aduentum iudicis erit conspicuum in coelo Can you not abide my deere brethren that that signe should be made here on earth which shall appeare manifestly before the iudge come in heauen In cap. 4. Ioh. Ferus also of the conuersion of the Iewes writes thus Allegorically as the foresaid woman of Samaria was a figure of the Church of the Gentiles so this noble mans sonne was a figure of the Iewes And it makes much to the purpose that the woman came to Christ at the sixt houre but he was healed first at the seuenth houre For the Church of the Gentiles beleeued the true sonne of Righteousnesse Christ Iesus ascending into heauen but when as he shall begin to come downe againe that is when he sendeth before him the signes and wonders of his comming to iudgement then shall the people of the Iewes beleeue Ferus thinkes that the verie signes and wonders which shall immediately precede Christs comming to iudgement shall cause the Iewes to beléeue and not the preaching of Elias and Enoch And it is verie likely that he means among those signes which shall appeare immediately before the iudgement which shall conuert the Iewes shall be the signe
saying And it shall come to passe that before they shall call I will answere and while they yet speake I will heare Hee must needs be very hard harted and starke blind who is not mooued with such words and promises that he may consider and perceiue the great mercie and goodnesse which thou vsest towards thy seruants And who would not willingly suffer any thing that he might be accounted in the number of them c. To make intercessors to God what is it but to doubt of these promises both of the Prophets and of the Gospell then to doubt of this readinesse of God which Granatensis here teacheth to heare our praiers If this be true we neede no intercessors Cap. 33. And after Great is the loue wherewith fathers loue their children and yet the fathers tender heart will not suffer that the sonne that hath married against his will or hath done any such like fault should once come into his sight But yet the tender mercie of this our heauenly father although a man haue done vnto him all the iniuries that can be deuised if he returne to him with all his heart doth not despise him but receiues him as he did the prodigall son forgiuing all his trespasses and faults The prophet knew this when as he said O Lord thou art our father Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knowes vs not but thou O Lord art our father and our redeemer and thy name is from euerlasting This thy loue O Lord springs of thy goodnesse from which proceede two most profitable streames that is thy mercie and thy loue the one that our infirmities might be cured and the other that thy good things might be imparted to vs. If therefore this thy fountaine be infinit what shall the floud of loue be that proceeds from it Therefore I neither fear nor am affraid nor distrust although I acknowledge my selfe to be a sinner so vnworthy to be beloued For how froward soeuer I am he that loues me is good so good that he wil not reiect sinners yea he cals them vnto him he receiues them and eates with them To all these tokens and works of thy loue another is added O Lord because thou art loue it selfe thy Euangelist witnesseth this when as he saith God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him O truely sweete and wonderfull thing to haue such a God who is altogither loue and whose nature is charitie c. Such a faith should all Christians haue of God and such a confidence in him And this faith the Gospell teacheth And what néeds then any intercessors to so louing a God and mercifull a father Cap. 28. And againe he writes thus The greatnesse of thy goodnesse besides all these thy mercie doth most of all testifie which thou vsest towards sinners bearing with them with so great kindnesse looking for them with such great patience yea being offended of them yet calling them to grace and pardon and being iniuried by them euen drawing them to reconciliation Nay to conclude offering them satisfactions and opening to them the rich treasures of thy merits How easily art thou found of them how soon doest thou heare them how mercifull art thou in receiuing them how liberall in pardoning them I am greatly amazed O Lord when I remember the mercie which thou vsedst towards Manasses that king of Iudah to whom after his strange idolatrie after the bloud of thy Saints shed so plenteously after so great and horrible iniquities when as he asked pardon of thee thou didst not only forgiue him all his sinnes but also didst deliuer him from most cruell bondage and didst restore him againe to his kingdome not denying saluation to him by whose wickednesse so many soules had perished and for whose haynous acts that noble Citie of Ierusalem with that most famous and holy temple was ouerthrowne and become desolate Thus farre Granatensis And this is to declare the name of God Iohn 27.26 I haue declared thy name saith our Sauiour and will declare it that the loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be in them and I in them This is to declare the name of God how mercifull how kinde how louing God is how readie he is to heare sinners and willing to pardon them For otherwise God hath no proper name that Christ declared vnto vs. And this euerie Christian is bound to doe And hereof dependeth a great reward that God will loue such preachers and declarers of his name that is of his mercie and goodnesse euen with the same loue that he loued Iesus Christ And here then let all Christians take héed how that they doe derogate anie thing from this name Titilman a Papist in his exposition of S. Iohns Gospell expounds this place thus These places of Granatensis I haue rehearsed thus at large both for the excellencie of the matter contained in them and also to declare how resolute he is in this matter The same Granatensis as in his whole booke of deuotion he doth highlie commend prayer and would that no other businesse or studie whatsoeuer should hinder that affirming prayer to a Christian to be like Sampsons hayre which when it was cut away he was no stronger then another man euen so saith he the strength of a Christian consists in his prayer Take that away from him and he shall be of no strength at all So he declares most excellentlie how we should praie De deuot li. 3. cap. 42. Christians saith he that pray are in this place to be admonished that making their prayers they doe that with as great deuotion and marking as lies in their power For hereof depends all the force and fruit of prayer for in Gods eares as Bernard witnesseth an earnest desire is a great crying and a colde or slothfull minde and intention is a low voice for his eares are open rather to the voice of the heart then to the voice of the body By this it may be plainly perceiued how barren and fruitlesse the prayers of some men are as well cleargie as lay-men which with such haste and speed runne ouer their deuotions and Psalmes that they seeme not at all to talke with God For they would not deale so negligently and carelesly with man if they had any thing that they would earnestly obtaine at his hands For as Salomon testifieth The poor man beseecheth but the rich man speaketh roughly For he that feeles his owne want and miserie and couets earnestly to be relieued in these as he desires this from the bottome of his heart so he praies with all his hart with as great earnestnesse as he can saying with the Prophet I haue cried with my whole heart heare me O Lord. I would to God men would vnderstand remember when they pray with whom they speak and about what businesses they speake For if they knew that they talked with that same great maiestie at whose presence the
from a thousand dangers Psal 121.4 and euen as it were to loade me with many graces for all which as it is méete that I should craue pardon at thy hands Psal 19.12 not only for the forgiuenesse of these sins which I know but also of those which I know not so it is méete that I should in like sort giue thee as great and bounden thankes as possiblie I can not onlie for the benefites I know but also for those I know not And therefore I worship thee I praise thee I giue thanks to thee in them and for them all Giue me grace O my Redéemer that I may so learne to vse all these thy benefits hereafter Mat. 25.24 that they be not occasions of pride and slouthfulnesse in me but of greater humilitie and thankfulnesse and that they may kindle in me a greater desire and zeale of thy seruice To thee therefore who liuest and raignest with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honor and glorie both now and for euer and euer Amen A Forme of Morning Prayer taken out of Granatensis for Christian families O Lord God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubins 2. King 19.15 thou art the verie God alone ouer all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heauen and earth thou hast made winter and sommer Psal 74.16 Gen. 1.1 the day is thine and the night also is thine O Lord God our most bountifull most mercifull and most louing Father wee most wretched sinners here gathered together in thy most holie name humblie prostrate our selues before thy throne of mercie crauing pardon and forgiuenes for al our sins And although we be vnworthie through our manifolde iniquities Luke 18.13 to present our selues before thy glorious Maiestie much lesse to offer to thée any oblation of praise thāksgiuing considering our owne basenesse demerits yet we know that thou art a Lord most bountifull a God most merciful a Father most louing and a sauior most swéet comfortable Luk. 15.20 whose propertie is euer to saue and haue mercie on the humble sorowfull penitent persons that come to thee in the name of thy beloued son Iesus Christ We confesse O Lord our wretchednesse Psal 32.5 wee acknowledge O Father our vnworthinesse wee are hartilie sorie for our sinnes we most humbly craue pardon for them euen for Iesus Christs sake Esay 59.2 we know that our sinnes stand before vs as great huge heaps like walles of iron and gates of brasse which hinder our petitions so that they cannot come before thee Esa 1.18 we do account our sinnes as red as scarlet in thy sight wee feele our burthen is so heauie and intolerable that we are not able to beare it Psal 40.12 we sée in our selues to be no frée spot from the crowne of the heade to the sole of the foote but all is spotted and corrupted with sores and vlcers Esa 1.6 whose great vengeance which they worthily deserued would haue fallen vpon vs long agoe Lam. 3.22 but that it was stayed and kept backe by thy mercifull hand Wee giue thee O most gratious God and louing Father humble and heartie thankes for this thy fatherlie loue in the name of thy dearely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ beséeching thee for his sake to continue this thy loue and mercy towards vs all the daies of our liues Psal 84.9 O most louing Father looke not vpon vs but looke vpon the face of this thy annointed Iesus Christ and for his sake haue mercie vpon vs Remoue O Lord our sinnes as farre from vs as the East is from the West Psal 103.12 that they bee neither hinderances to let thy mercie for falling on vs or our prayers Psal 51.7 for comming vp into thy sight Purge vs with Isop dipped not in the bloud of the lambe but in the bloud of thy Son Iesus Christ and we shall be as white as snowe O good Lord sprinckle not only the vppermost poste Exod. 12.7 Rom. 10.9 and the two side postes of the doores of our houses but the whole houses of our hearts and soules with that most precious bloud with the Isop of thy Gospell now preached and wée doe beleeue verily that the destroyer shall passe ouer vs he shall in no wise hurt vs. Ease we beséech thée O swéete Sauiour our burthens as thou hast promised Matt. 11.28 who callest all to thée that are heauie loaden and burthened We confesse O Sauiour euerie one of vs that we carie on our backes the greatest burthens that euer were borne 1. Tim. 1.25 Heb. 13.20 Rom. 8.33 Ephes 5.16 And graunt to vs we beséech thee O mercifull Father that by the bloud of the euerlasting testament sprinkled in our harts by a liuely faith all the inditements and accusations of Satan against vs maie be quite blotted out and all his fir is darts quenched Make this couenant with vs O sweete Sauiour that so long as we serue thée that thou wilt be our God 1. Sam. 2.30 Psal 119 32. our guide and protectour And graunt vs euer therefore thy grace that we may be able to do thée seruice and willing minds to do it with chéerefulnesse 2. Cor. 5.25 And because O Lord Ephes 1.6 the whole course and end of our life should be no other thing but to delight to do thy will and pleasure Psal 5.3 giue vs grace to begin to praise and serue thée the first thing we do in the morning and let vs account and make it the principall ground-worke of all other whereon we should laie all other businesses and affaires whatsoeuer And that we may do it more effectuallie giue vs the holie Ghost the seale of our saluation 2. Cor. 1.22 to seale and shut vp the doores of our hearts and minds from all earthly thoughts and worldly cogitations And close O good Lord Ier. 9.21 the windowes of al our senses frō the vaine appetites of the world the concupiscence of the flesh and the baites of the diuell first of all in the morning when we awake so that all these being excluded and shut out of doores our hearts and minds may be open onlie to thee and to receiue and admit thy Son our Sauiour Iesus Christ into them before all things else 1. Thess 2.13 Reu. 14.4 That so wee may offer vnto thee the firstlings of this day and of all the dayes of our liues And here we giue thee deare Father Psal 137.2 most humble and heartie thankes for the quiet rest and swéete sléepe that thou hast giuen vs this night and for that thou hast deliuered vs from all vaine dreames and foolish fantasies and from all the subtill snares and illusions of our enemy the diuell Psal 91.3 and for all other the benefits of our creation our redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 our election our iustification our sanctification that thou hast called vs vnto the knowledge of