therefore destruction shal sodainly fal vppon them But with what kinde of plagues they shalbee stricken in this life and whome GOD shall appoint to execute his 〈◊〉 vppon them that I remit to his good pleasure and further reuelation But their manifest inquitie is vnto mee an assured assurance that long they cannot escape the 〈◊〉 of them most iustly deserued But in the meane season beloued brethren twoâ— thinges yee must auoide the former that yee presume not to bee reuengers of your owne cause but that yee resigne ouer vengeance vnto him who onely is able to requite them according to their malicious mindes Secondly that yee hate not with any â—arnal hatred these blinde cruel and malicious tyrantes but that yee learne of Christ to pray for your persecutors lamenting and bewayling that the Deuil shoulde so preuaile against them that headlong they shoulde runne body and soule to perpetual perdition And note wel that I say wee may not hate them with a carnal hatred that is to say onely because they trouble our bodies For there is a spiritual hatred which Dauid 〈◊〉 a perfect hatred which the holy Ghost engendreth in the 〈◊〉 of Gods elect against the rebellious contemners of his holy statues And it is when 〈◊〉 more lament that Gods glorie is suppressed and that Chrisâ—es flocke is defrauded of their wholesome foode theÌ„ that our bodies are persecuted With this hatred was Ieremie inflamed when he praied let me see thy vengeance taken vpon thine enemies O Lorde With this hatred may we hate tyrants and earnestly may we pray for their destruction be they kings or Queenes Princes or Prelates And further yee shal note that the praiers made in the feruencie of this hatred are before God so acceptable that often times he that praieth obtaineth the selfesame thing that the external words of his praier doe meane as Dauid Ieremie and other of the Prophetes sawe with their corporal eies the whote vengeance of God powred forth vpon the cruel tyrants of their age I am assured that some which this day do â—ob grone vnder your tyraÌ„nous bishops shall see the like vpon the Pestileâ—t Papistes within the Realme of England This my affirmation proceedeth not froÌ„ any coniecture of mans phantasie but froÌ„ the ordinary cause of gods iudgements against manifest contemners of his preceptes from the beginning which is this First to rebuke and notifie by his messengers such sinnes as before the worlde are not knowen to bee sinne Secondly to prouoke them to repentance Thirdly to suffer the reprobate to declare their owne impenitencie before the worlde and last to powre vpon them so manifest vengeance that his churche may bee instructed aswel of his power as of his seuere iudgementes against inobedience This was the order of his iudgement against Pharao against Saule against Ieroboam against Herode against the Scribes and Pharisees and against the whole citie of Ierusalem Our eares haue hearde and our eyes haue seene the first three diettes of the Lordes iudgement executed against the Pestilent Papistes within the Realme of Englande For wee haue hearde their summoning and citation duelie executed by the Messengers of Gods woorde Wee haue hearde them accused and conuicted before their owne faces of theft and murther of blasphemie against God of idolatrie and finally of al abhominations which crimes being laide to their charge in their owne presence they were not able to deny so potent so plaine euident was gods worde whereby their secrete botches olde festered sores were discouered reuealed We knowe that long processe of time hath beene graunted by Gods lenitie to their conuersion and repentance And howe litle the same hath auailed these present dayes may testifie For who nowe doeth not espie their malice to encrease their obstinacie to bee such as none can be greater Shal wee then thinke that God wil giue ouer his cause as that he were not able to preualie against Tyrants Not so deare brethreÌ„ not so But eueÌ„ so assuredly as our god liueth by whose spirite was stirred vp some of his elect first to espie the great abhominatioÌ„s of those tyrantes in this our age which his messengers in despite of their tyranny God preserued to proclaime notifie before their owne faces such sinnes as the worlde knewe not to bee sinne and assuredly as we haue espied theÌ„ still to continue in malice against God against his eternal veritie and against the messengers of the same so assuredly shal wee see Gods extreme plagues powred foorth vppon them euen in this corporal life That some 〈◊〉 vs may witnesse to the generation that shal folowe the wonderous workes that the Lorde hath wrought and will worke in this our age Neither shal theâ—e plagues more then the worde of God which passed before worke in them any true repentance but stil in a blinde 〈◊〉 they shall rebel against the Maiesâ—â—e of God For the deadly venome of that malicious serpent their father the Diuel can â—euer bee purged from their cankered heartes And therfore after these plagues of whome some wee haue hearde and seene for what a Plague was it to the false Bishop of Doresme before his face to bee called murtherer and theefe and of the same to be conuict that neither could him selfe deny it neither any of his proctours or diuine doctours being present with him durst enterprise to speake one worde in defence of his cause After these plagues I say of whom some wee haue seene and the rest wee shortly looke for resâ—eth the last the vnqâ—eÌ„chable fire which is prepared for their portion And therfore yet again dearely beloued in our Sauiour Iesus Christe hope you against hope and against al worldly appearance For assuredly as God is immutable so assuredly shal he stirre vp one Iehu or other to execute his vengeaÌ„ce vpon those blood thirstie tyrants and obstinate idolaters And therefore abide yee patiently the time that is appointed to our correction and to the ful ripenesse of their malicious mindes Bee not discouraged although the Bishops haue gotten the victorie So did the Beniamites naturall brethren to our Bishops defenders of whoâ—edom of al abhohominable adulterie twice preuaile against the Israelites who fought at Gods commaundement Yee shall consider beloued brethren that the counsels of God are profounde and inscrutable The most iust man is innocent in his sight There may be secrete causes why God sometimes wil permit the most wicked to preuaile triumph in the most vniust action but yet wil hee not long delay to execute his his wrath and iustly deserued vengeance vpon such as bee proude murtherers obsâ—inate idolaters and impenitent malefactours And theâ—fore haue they not great cause to reioyce For albeit they haue once preuailed against fleshe yet shall GOD shortely bring them to vtter confusion and great shame for euer Let Winchester and his cruel counsel deuise and studie till his wits faile howe
others more grosse imperfections yet the inwarde man which sobbeth vnto God knowing the causes why the very iust are so troubled and tormâ—nted in bodie and spirite in this life receiueth some comforte and getteth some stay of God his mercie by knowing the causes of the trouble Al causes may I not heere recite but twoo or three of the principal wil I touche The first is to prouoke in God his elect an haâ—â—ed of sinne and vnfainedly repentance of the same 〈◊〉 the which cause if it were rightly considered were sufficient to make all spiritâ—all and coâ—porall troubles tollerable vnto vs. For seeing it is so that without repentance no man doeth attaine to GOD his mercie for it is now appointed by him whose wisedome is infinite I meane of those that are conuerted to the feeling of sinne and that without mercie no man can come to ioy is not that which causeth vs to vnderstand what repentance is gladly to bee receiued and imbraced Repentance conteineth within it a knowledge of sinne a dolour for it and a hatred of it togither with hope of mercy It is very euident that God his owne children haue not at al times the right knowledge of sinne that is to say how odious it is before God Much lesse haue they the dolour of it hatred of it Which if they had as they could not sinne so coulde they neuer be able hauing that same very sense of God his wrath against sinne to delight in any thing that appertaineth to the fleshe more then the woman whome God hath appointed by the helpe of man to produce mankind coulde euer delight in man if at al times shee felt the same pangues of dolour and paine that she doeth in her childebyrth And therefore doeth God for such purposes as are knowne to himselfe sometime suspend from his owne children this fore saide sense and feeling of his wrath against sinne As no doubte heere hee did with Dauid not onely before his sinne but also sometime after But least the sonnes of God shoulde become altogither insolent like the children of the world he sendeth vnto them some portion of this foresaide cuppe in drinking whereof they come to such knowledge as they neuer had before For first they feele the wrath of God working against sinne whereby they learne the iustice of God to bee euen such as he himselfe pronounceth that he may suffer no sinne vnpunished And thus begin they as well to morne for their offences as also to hate the same which otherwise they coulde neuer doe for nothing is so pleasing to the corrupt nature of man as is sinne and things pleasing to nature cannot nature of it selfe hate But in this conflict as God his childrÌ„ feele torments and those most grieuous as they mourne and by God his holie spirite begin to hate sinne so come they also to a more high knowledge that is that man cannot bee sauiour to himselfe for how shal hee saue himselfe from hel that cannot saue himselfe from anguish and trouble heere in the flesh while hee yet hath strength wit reason and vnderstanding and therefore must hee bee compelled in his heart to acknowledge that there is another mediatour betweene God his iustice and mankind then any that euer descended of the corrupt state of Adam yea then any creature that onlie is a creature and by the knowledge of this mediatour at the last the afflicted commeth by some sense and liuely feeling of God his great mercie declared vnto mankinde albeeit they bee not so sensible as is the paine and albeeit that torment by this knowledge is not hastily remoued yet hath the patient some hope that al dolour shal haue ende and that is the cause why hee sobbeth and groâ—eth for an ende of paine why also he blasphemeth not God but cryeth for his health euen in the midst of his anguishe Howe profitable this is to the children of God and what it worketh in them as the plaine scripture teacheth so experience letteth vs vnderstande Verilie euen so profitable as it is to mourne for sinne to hate the same to knowe the mediatour betwixt God and man and finally to knowe his louing mercie towardes them So necessarie is it to drinke this foresaide cuppe What it worketh in them none knoweth but such as taste it In Dauid it is plaine that it wrought humilitie and abiection of himselfe It tooke from him the great trust hee had in himselfe It made him dayly to feare and earnestly to pray that after he shoulde not offend in like manner or bee left in his owne handes It made him lowlie although hee was a king it made him merciful when hee might haue beene rigorous Yea and it made him to mourne for Absolon his wicked sonne But to the rest of the causes The second cause why God permitteth his elect to taste of this bitter cuppe is to raise vp our hearts from these transitorie vanitles for so foolish and forgetful of nature and so addict are wee to the things that are present that vnlesse wee haue another schoolemaister then manly reason and some other spurre and perpetual remembrance then any which wee can choose or deuise our selues Wee neither can desire nor yet rightly remember the departure from this vaine and wicked worlde to the kingdome that is prepared Wee are commanded dayly to praye Thy kingdome come which petition asketh that sinne may cease that death may be deuoured that transitorie troubles may haue an ende that Sathan may bee troden vnder foote that the whole body of Christ may bee restored to life libertie and ioy that the powers and kingdomes of this earth may bee resolued and destroyed And that God the father may be all in al thinges after that his sonne Christ Iesus our Sauiour hath rendred vp the kingdom for euer These thinges are wee al commaunded to pray for but which of vs in the time when al abundeth with vs when neither body not spirite hath trouble from our heart and without dissimulation can wishe these thinges verily none With our mouth wee may speake the wordes but the heart cannot thirst the thinges to come except we be in such state that worldly things be vnsauerie vnto vs. And so can they neuer be but vnder the Crosse. Neither yet vnder al kind of Crosses as are worldly things vnpleasant for in pouertie riches do greately delight many For although they lacke them yet desire they to haue them and so are they neither vnsauerie nor vnpleasant For things that wee earnestly couet are not vnpleasant vnto vs. But when things appertaining to the flesh are sufficiently ministred vnto vs and yet none of them can molifie our anguishe nor paine then sobbeth the heart vnto God and vnfaynedly wisheth an ende of miserie And therefore our heauenly father of his infinite wisedome to holde vs in continual remembrance that in this wretched worlde there is no rest permitteth and suffereth vs to bee tempted and tryed with this crosse that with an
vnfained hart we may desire not only an end of our troubles for that shal come to vs by death but also of al the troubles of the churche of God which shal not bee before the comming again of the Lorde Iesus The thirde cause I collect of Moses wordes to the Israelites saying The Lorde thy God shal cast out these nations by little and little before thee Hee wil not cast them out all at once lest perchaunce the wilde beasts be multiplied against thee And also when thou shalt enter into that lande and shalt dwell in the houses that thou neuer buildest and that thou shalt eate and bee filled giue thankes vnto the Lorde thy God and beware that thou forget him not and that thou say not in thy hearte The strength of mine own hand hath brought these great riches vnto mee In these woordes are twoo thinges appertaining vnto our matter most worthie to bee noted First that Moses saieth that the Lorde will not at once but by little and little destroy those nations adding the cause least perchaunce saith hee the wilde beastes bee multiplied and make vpâ—o are against thee The seconde that when they had abundance that then they shoulde declare themselues mindeful of God his benefites and that they should not thinke that their owne power wisedome nor prouision was any cause that they had the fruition of those commodities By these Presidents the holy Ghost teacheth them that like as they did not possesse nor obtaine the first interest of that lande by their owne strength but that the Lorde God did freelie giue it to them so likewise were they not able to brooke nor enioy the same by any power of themselues For albeeit that God shoulde haue in one moment destroied al their enemies yet if hee shoulde not haue beene their perpetual safegarde the wilde beastes shoulde haue troubled them And if they had demaunded the question why wilt thou not destroy the wild beasts also he answereth least thou forget the Lorde thy God and say in thy heart my strength hath obtained this quietnesse to my selfe Consider deerely beloued that such things as the spirite of God foresawe dangerous and damnable vnto them the same things are to be feared in vs for al things happened vnto them in figures They were in Egypt corporally punished by a cruel tyrant wee were in spirituall bondage of the Deuil by sinne and incredulitie God gaue to them a land that flowed with milke and hony for which they neuer laboured God hath opened to vs the knowledge of Christ Iesus which we neuer deserued nor yet hoped for the same They were not able to defende the land after they were possessed in it wee are not able to retaine our selues in the true knowledge of Christ but by his grace onelie Some enimies were left to exercise theÌ„ Sinne is left in vs that we may learne to fight If enemies had not beene wilde beasts should haue multiplied amongest them If such beastes as wee thinke most doe trouble vs were not permitted so to doe worse beastes shoulde haue dominion ouer vs that is to wit Trust in our selfe arrogancie obliuion forgetfulnes of that estate from which GOD hath deliuered vs togither with a light estimation of all Christes merites which sinnes are the beastes that alas do deuour no smal nuÌ„ber of meÌ„ Neither yet let any maÌ„ thinke that if al kinde of crosses were taken from vs during the time that wee beare the earthly Image of Adam that wee shoulde bee more perfect in vsing the spiritual giftes of God to wit the remission of sinnes his free grace and Christ his iustice for which wee neuer laboured than that people shoulde haue beene in vsing of those corporall giftes And Moyses saith vnto them Beware that thou forget not the Lorde thy God Hee who knoweth the secretes of heartes giueth not his preceptes in vaine if man his hearte had not beene prone and readie to forget God and to glorie in his owne strength God had not giuen this precept and repeated it so diligently For hee neither doeth nor speaketh in vaine but knowing what thinges be most able to blinde and deceiue man the wisedome of God by his contrarie preceptes giueth him warning of the same Experience hath taught vs howe such beastes haue troubled the churche of God to speake nothing of the time of the Prophetes of the Apostles or of the primitiue church What trouble made Pelagius by his heresie affirming that man by natural power and free wil might fulfil the lawe of GOD and deserue for himselfe remission and grace And to come a little neere to our owne age hath it not beene openly preached and affirmed in schooles and set out by writings that onelie faith doeth not iustifie but that workes doe also iustifie Hath it not beene taught that good workes may goe before faith and may prouoke God to giue his graces What hath beene taught of man his merites and of the workes of supererogation some openly affirming that some men haue wrought more good woorkes then were necessarie to their owne saluation I pray you consider if these men saide not our hande and our strength hath giuen these thinges vnto vs. What were these Diuelishe heresies and others that haue infected the whole Papistrie Assuredly they were cruel and rauenous beastes able to deuour the soules of al those vpon whome they get the vpper hande but the mercifull prouidence of our God willing our saluation wil not suffer vs to come to that vnthankefulnesse and obliuion And therefore heere hee permitteth vs of our enemies with his Apostle Paule to be suffered to the ende that wee may mourne for sinne and hate the same that we may knowe the onelie mediatour and the dignitie of his office that we may vnfaynedly thirst the comming of the Lorde Iesus and that wee neither bee presumptuous lightly esteeming Christ his death neither yet vnmindful of out former estate and miseries And so this cuppe is as it were a medicine prepared by the wisedome of our eternal Phisition who onelie knoweth the remedies of our corrupt nature Aduerte and marke deere mother that al commeth to vs for our most singular profite It is a medicine and therefore presently it cannot bee pleasing But howe gladly woulde wee vse and receiue when the bodies were sicke how vnpleasant bitter soeuer it were to drinke that medicine which would remoue sicknesse restore health But Oh how much more ought wee with patience and thanksgiuing to receiue this medicine of our fathers handes that from our soule remoueth many mortal diseases his holy Ghost so working by the same such as is pride presumption contempt of grace and vnthankefulnesse which bee the very mortal diseases that by vnbeliefe doe kil the soule And doeth restore vnto vs lowlinesse feare inuocation of God his name remembrance of our owne weakenesse and of God his infinite benefite by Christ receiued Which bee the very euident signes that Iesus Christ liueth in vs 〈◊〉
without al feeling of consolation and that they thinke themselues altogether destitute as may be seene in Dauid But it is chiefly to be noted that Dauid in this his anguish remembreth that God sometimes had bene familiar with him for he saieth Turne again O Lord signifying thereby that before he had felt the sweetenesse of Gods presence but now he was left to him selfe without feeling of comfort or consolation For thus appereth Dauid to complaine Hast thou not bene familiar with mee O Lorde thy vnprofitable seruaunt Diddest thou not cal me from keeping sheepe to be annointed King ouer thy people Israel Diddest thou not so incourage my minde that I feared not the fresh streÌ„gth of the cruel Lion neither yet the deuouring teeth of the hungry Beare froÌ„ whose iawes I deliuered my sheepe Didst not thou once inflame my hart with the zeale of thy holie name that when al Israel were so afraid that none durst incouÌ„ter with that moÌ„ster Goliah yet thy spirit made me so bold and so valiant that without harnesse or weapons except my slingstaffe stones I durst enterprise singular battel against him was it not thy strength that gaue me victorie not only at that time but also of al other my enimies that haue sought my life since Hast not thou made mee so glad by the multitude of thy mercies thy most gracious fauor which thou from time to time most abuÌ„dantly hast powred vpoÌ„ me that both soule body hath reioyced through the galdnes of thy countenaÌ„ce hast thou not bin so effectually with me present in troubles and dangers that my very enemies haue known coÌ„fessed that thy power was alwaies with me and that thou diddest take my defence vppon thy selfe and wilt thou now so leaue the habitation which thou hast chosen Shal it bee left desolate for euer can thy mercies haue an end and shal thy fatherly pitie neuer appeare more vnto me Shalt thou leaue me for euer thus to be tormeÌ„ted whoÌ„ thou hast afore so abundaÌ„tly comforted O Lorde I am sure thy mercies wil not so entreat me and therfore turn again O Lorde and make mee glad with thy countenaunce whome of long time thou hast left voide of consolation comfort Aduert and consider dearely beloued in what estate was Dauid when that he had none other comfort except the only remembraÌ„ce of Gods former benefits shewed vnto him And therfore meruel ye not nor yet dispaire ye albeit that you find your self in the same case that Dauid was Sure I am that your owne heart must confesse that ye haue receiued like benefits at the hand of God as Dauid did He hath called you from a more vile office then from the keeping of sheepe to as great a dignitie touching the euerlasting inheritance as hee did Dauid For from the seruice of the Deuil and sin hee hath annointed vs Priestes and Kings by the blood of his onely Sonne Iesus hee hath giuen you courage and boldnesse to fight against more cruel more suttle more dangerous and against enemies that be more nigh vnto you then either was the Lyon the Beare or Goliah to Dauid against the Deuil I meane and his assaultes against your owne fleshe and most inwarde affections against the multitude of them that were and yet remaine enemies to Christes religion yea against some of your natural friendes which appeare to professe Christ with you and in that part the battel is the more vehement What boldnesse I haue seene with you in al suche conflictes it needeth not me to rehearse I write this to the praise of God I haue wondred at that bolde constancie which I haue found in you at such time as mine owne heart was fainte Sure I am that fleshe and blood coulde neuer haue persuaded you to haue contemned and set at naught those thinges that the worlde most esteemeth you haue tasted and felte of Gods goodnes and mercies in suche measure that not onely ye are able to reason and speake but also by the spirite of God working in you to giue comfort and consolation to such as were in trouble and therefore most deare mother thinke not that God wil leaue his own mansion for euer No impossible it is that the Deuil shal occupie Gods inheritance or yet that God shal so leaue and forsake his holie Temple that hee wil not sanctific the same Againe God sometimes suspendeth his own presence from his elected as heere by Dauid may be espied And verie often sufferâ—th he his elect to tast of bitternesse griefe for such causes as are before expresâ—ed but to suffer theÌ„ to bee at rest out of his hands he neither wil nor may permit for so were he a mutable God gaue his glorie to another if he permitted himself to be ouercome of his aduersarie which is as like impossible as it is that God shal cease to bee God Now lastly Dauid prayeth Deliuer my soule saue me In this praier no dout Dauid desired to bee deliuered from the verie corporal death at that time his soule to be saued froÌ„ those present plagues grieuous tormeÌ„ts that he susteined In which it might appeare to some that he was more addict to this present life that he loued more the quietnes of the flesh then it became a spiritual man to do But as before is said God hath naturally ingraffed and planted in man this loue of life tranquilitie and rest the most spiritual man oft time desireth them because they are seales witnesses of that league and felowship that is betweene God and his elect And albeit that troble doth most commonly folow the friends of God yet is he nothing assured that earnestly we aske our quietnes neither is that our desire any declaration of carnalitie or of inordinate loue that we haue to the world considering that the final cause wherfore we desire to liue is not for inioying of worldly pleasures for many times in the midst of those we graÌ„t and coÌ„fesse that better it is to be absent from the body but the chiâ—fe cause why Gods elect do desire life or to haue rest in earth is for the maintenance of Gods glory that other may see that God taketh a care ouer his elected But now to the grounds foundatioÌ„s of Dauids praiers wherupon his praiers do stand The first is taken from the vehement troble which he sustained from the long continuance of the same The second is takeÌ„ from the goodnes of God And the third from Gods glorie and from the insolent rage of his enemies Here is to be obserued noted that neither is trouble neither long continuance of the same neither yet the proud hautie mindes of wicked men the chiefe mouing cause why God heareth our praiers declareth himselfe merciful vnto vs and therfore they may not be the sure and sound foundations of our praiers But only Gods infinit goodnes is the fountaine of al mercy grace which springeth
against the spirit euen in the howre of their greatest perfection in such maner that al power al iustice and al vertue proceeding from vs is so contaminate and defiled that the very workes which wee doe must be purged by an other and that therefore can none of them be infallible groundes of our praier neither yet a sufficient cause why we should be heard But the goodnesse of God as it is infinite so can it not bee defiled by our iniquitie but it pearceth through the same and wil shewe it selfe to our consolation euen as the beames of the bright Sun pearce through the mystie and thicke cloudes and bring downe his natural heate to comforte and quicken suche hearbes and creatures as through violence of colde were almost falne into deadly decaie And thus the onely goodnesse of God remaineth in al stormes the sure foundation to the afflicted Against which the Deuil is neuer able to preuaile The knowledge of this is so necessarie to the afflicted conscience that without the same it is verie harde to withstande the assaultes of the aduersarie for as he is a spirite most suttle and vigilant to trouble the children of God so is it easie to him to deâ—ace and vndermine al the groundes and causes that be within man especially when wee are in trouble yea he can persuade that we lacke those thinges which most assuredly we haue by Gods free gift and grace As for example if wee desire to bee deliuered from trouble and anguishe of conscience with Dauid and Iob sodeinely can the Deuil obiect what appertaineth their example vnto thee they had many notable and singular vertues which thou lackest if wee desire remission of sinnes with Magdalen with Peter or with any other offenders he hath these dartes readie to shoote they had Fayth but thou hast none they had true repentance thoâ— arâ—e but an hypocrite they hated sinne and continued in good woorkes but thou reioycest in sinne and dooest no good at al. By these meanes can hee who is the accuser of vs and of our brethren â—uer finde out some craftie accusation to trouble the weake conscience of the afflicted so long as it resteth vppon any thing that is within it selfe and til by operation of the holie Ghost wee are ranished and refte vp to the contemplation of our GOD so that our mindes are fixed onely vppon Gods infinite goodnesse clayming by the same to receiue mercie as Iob doeth in his former woordes the sense and meaning whereof is this O Lord thou madest mee when yet I was not thou gauest mee soule and bodie when I neither knewe nor vnderstoode what thy power was thou seddest and nourishedst mee when I coulde doe nothing but weepe and mourne And thy mercifull prouidence vnto this day hath preserued my life and yet neither I nor my woorkes coulde profite thee for thou whose habitation is in heauen needest not the helpe of man And as for my woorkes such as the fountaine is such must the water be my heart is corrupted how then can any thing that is cleene proceede from the same And so what euer I haue receiued that either was is or hereafter shalbe within my corrupt nature al proceedeth froÌ„ thine infinite goodnesse which begunnest to shew thy mercie before that I knew thee caÌ„st thou then leaue mee thus in my extremitie I graunt and confesse that I haue offended but is there any creature cleane and perfect in such perfection that without mercie he may abide the trial of thy iustice or is there any iniquitie now in me which thy wisedom did not know before And thus I appeale to thy mercy which springeth from thy infinite goodnes O deere mother when thy afflicted soule can thus forsake and refuse what euer is in man can stay it self how litle soeuer it be vpoÌ„ Gods infinite goodnes theÌ„ are al the firie darts of the Deuil quenched he is repulsed as a coÌ„founded spirit It shal hurt nothing albeeit the stormie teÌ„pest cease not sodainely It is sufficient that this anker be cast out which assuredly shal preserue your ship that shee violently runne not vpon the forelande of desperatioÌ„ This I write beloued in the Lorde knowing what hath beene your complaintes heeretofore in that you found your faith faint that you could not repent your former euil life chat yee found no disposition nor readinesse to good workes but were rather carried away of sinne wickednesse If al this had beene true yet had yee beene in no worse case then was the Apostle Paule when hee cried O wretched and vnhappie man that I am who shal deliuer mee from this body of sinne But I assuredly know that the chiefe part of your trouble proceedeth from malice enuie of the Diuel who would perswade to your hearte that yee delighted in those things which to you were most displeasing For howe oft haue ye complained vpon the weakenes of your faith How oft haue yee lamented the imperfection of your fleshe The teares of your eies haue wiâ—nessed before God that yee delighted not in such thinges as your aduersary falsly layeth to your charge For who vseth continually too mourne in those thinges that are pleasing to his hearte if they bee present with him at al times Or who wil desire thinges pleasing to bee remoued from him yee haue mourned for your weakenesse and haue desired your imperfection to bee remoued and yee haue detested all sortes of idolatry How then can yee think that yee can take any pleasure in the same Despâ—ire not although that al remembrance of Gods goodnesse or worthinesse bee remoued from your minde yee haue Dauid Iob Daniel and al other the Saints of God in equal sorte with you of Dauid and Iob yee haue hearde and Esay making his heauie complainte for the plagues of the people of Israel openly confesseth that al had sinned that their right eousnes was nothing but filthinesse that none sought God that none called vpon his name And Daniel in his prayer like wise confesseth that al had wrought wickedly that al had declined from God yea and that none had submitted them selues to GOD nor yet had made supplication vnto him albeit hee had punished their former inobedience and therefore saith hee that they did not alledge their owne iustice in their prayers Consider deare Mother that no mention is made of any righteousnessâ— that was within them selues neither yet doe they glory of any workes or vertues that they had wrought before for they vnderstood that God was authour of all goodnesse And therefore to him only apperteineth the praise But as for their sinnes they vnderstood them to bee the infirmities of their owne fleshe and therfore boldly called they for mercy And that by Gods infinite goodnesse which is no lesse free vnto you then vnto theÌ„ according to the riches of his liberal graces which plentifully he powreth foorth vpon al them that cal on the name of the Lord Iesus The third and