the displeasure and terrible hate of the Lord hosts desired earnestlye to knowe by what meanes they myght escape the vengeance being readie to fall on their heades and sorowfully lamented their dauÌ„gerous ignorance And Peter answereth with these words Delictorum paenitentiaÌ„ agite c. Repent your offences Here we sée that the salue wherwith their heauy harts wounded with wickednesse were first refreshed was hartie repentaunce after they came to the faith of Christ Iesus The Niniuits 3. Ionae beleeued God commaunded a generall fasting which did well declare their remorse of conscience for their former contempt of Gods commaundement and refusall of his mercies and tormenting of his Prophetes whereby they turned away at the last the wrath of the Lord from themselues and their citie all which doe proue that where faith is there is repentaunce Nowe let vs consider a while whether true repentance may be found in them that continue the vse of prayer or no. â—â—scription of repentaunce and the partes therof and the example of the saued theefe The .xiiij. Chapter REpentauncâ— is a true griefe and sorrow for the offence committed against GOD wherewith the minde is opprest the sorrowfull hart most miserably tormented the senses troubled the vnderstanding ouerwhelmed the life afflicted the woonted wanton ioyes altogither banished but so that the valiant force of a liuely faith doth agayne reuiue the languishing spirit with an earnest desire and constant assurance hoping for frée pardon for the merites of Christ his passion whereby is ingendered a full purpose neuer more to haunt the brothell houses of sinne and iniquitie but alwaies to liue in pure conuersation and sincere pietie Herein be principall and especiall partes due contrition and constant faith Contrition maketh a man to tremble and quake to consider the violent 〈◊〉 â—he oâ— God incensed against sinne wherewith he is brought into extreme feare terror and anguishe and for that detesteth the horrible filthynesse and deformitie of the same And in such case is it possible to stand and not to desire pardon To require mercie To craue deliuerance To complaine our estate To lament our miseries To seeke a salue To procure an holesome medicine whereby we may be restored to our helth No no and especially seing fayth instilled into our hartes by the spirite of God doth perswade vs that we shall obtaine if we call that we shall be raunsomed if we require it that we shall be healed if humbly with hartie prayers we repaire to the good Phisition of the soule Christ Iesus our Lord and sauiour What madnesse were it to thinke that any man being sure of most miserable tormentes if he holde his peace and is alreadie plunged into the desperate consideration of the same and féeling their extreme bitternesse and cruell sharpnesse if on the contrarie part he were sure to escape so great a daungâ—r so apparent a perill so mischieuous a miserie by opening his mouth and desiring mercie that he woulde not with readie minde with chéerefull hart with all spéedie hast prostrate himselfe before the iudge and in most lowly wise and carefull humilitie beséech him of his gracious goodnesse and desired bountie to delyuer him The théefe which was hanged with Christ on his right hande when he had receyued the boldnesse of fayth and therewith was brought to godlye repentaunce did desire Christ most humbly to remember him whan he came to his glorious euerlasting kingdome Ye he did not refuse to call vpon him but by calling was delyuered from the power of Sathan from the mouth of hell from the anguish of the soule from the death eternall to which he had surely bene condemned if he had despised or not regarded the profite of faithfull prayer The things that hinder the fruiteful exercise of praier desperation and the contrarie thereof that is securitie The .xv. Chapter WHat is it therefore that hindreth a man so that he doth not vse the fruitefull exercise of prayers â–ª Surely eyther desperatioÌ„ or else securitie Desperation drowneth a man in deadly sorrowes in bitternesse of soule in the furious floudes of most déepe and despitefull dolours Therefore wheresoeuer it is founde it shutteth out cleane the force of fayth But securitie maketh a man carelesse hardneth his heart indureth his stonie spirites and causeth to cry peace peace when destruction hangeth ouer his heade This also when contrition is absent hath no parte or porcion in a faythfull heart Whereof it foloweth that true repentaunce whereby the harts of christians are regenerated their willes chaunged their mindes framed a newe their desires reformed their liues amended their cogitations cleÌ„sed their thoughtes purified their spirite sanctified cannot be founde in those that doe not continually burst out in most hartie prayers desiring grace goodnesse pardon and amendment and consequently that such are not faithfull but faithlesse not fruitfull but fruitlesse not gracious but gracelesse persons Secondly faith doth apprehend the spirite of god For Christ saith Iohn 7. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke He that beleueth in me as the scripture sayth shall haue floudes of water of lyfe flowing from his bellye and this he spake of the spirite which they that beleue him should receyue And ad Ephesios 1. Paule sayth In whome speakyng of Christ also ye after that you had heard the worde of truth I meane the gospell of your saluation wherein you beleue were sealed with the holye spirite of promise which is the earnest pledge of our inheritaunce to redéeme the purchased possession and that vnto the lawde and glory of god The spirite of God therefore doth possesse the hartes of the faythfull But let vs now consequently consider whither iâ— may be founde in such that will not feare God which saint Paule séemeth to denye Romanes 8. By these wordes Non enim accepistis spirituÌ„ seruitutis in timore sed accepistis spirituÌ„ adoptionis filioruÌ„ dei in quo clamamus Abba pater c. For ye haue not againe receyued the spirite of bondage in feare but ye haue receyued the spirit of adoption of the sonnes of god whereby we cry Abba father For that spirite doth testifie to our spirite that we are the sonnes of God and in the fourth to the Galathians bicause you are the sonnes of God God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your harts crying Abba father Here in these places Paule doth manifestly shewe that the spirite of God when it resteth in the hartes of the faythfull doth so mollifie mans stony minde so breake downe the brazen walles of sléepie securitie so confounde the pernitious and pestilent purposes of negligent impietie and agayne so comforteth the sorrowfull soule so refresheth the weary wil so repaireth and healeth the broken hart that neyâ—her by contempt of Gods wrath is proudâ—ed neyther by lacke of trust and confidence helth is togither banished but contynuall prayer is poured out to God as to a father that with naturall yea more then naturall affection
shoulde daunt the power of the Deuill valiauntly vanquishe the host of Sathan puyssantly conquere the campe and companie of our enimies ouerthrow the kingdome of bloodie Belzebub breake downe the gates of the nethermost hell and beate downe the walles of the Deuill his defensed Castle and deliuer vs poore afflicted people from the cruell rage and violent clause and tearing téeth of oure deuouring enimye This was perfourmed at the fulnesse of tyme in the latter dayes when God sent his Aungell to the most happie holye sacred and pure Virgin who being ouershadowed with the spirit of the most highest brought forth Christ Iesus our onely Sauiour our onely redéemer our onely succour safegarde and defence our sure and stedfast rocke our stable and constant hope the rampire and castle of our helth the soueraigne salue of our heauie and sorowfull heartes the sole and singular and moste holsome remedie for all our diseases In this case therefore we must doe our diligent indeuour that we maye applye this playster to oure gréeuous wounde and so fruitfully enioy the commodities of the same For lyke as a great and infinite treasure lying hydde in the earth will not enrich vs vnlesse with labour care and diligence we digge vp the same and like as a great swift and couragious courser will nothing profite vs in flying from our enimies vnlesse we learne how to sit fast vpon him and so to escape and as the surpassing knowledge cunning and science of a learned and well experienced phisitian will not helpe to cure our maladie and sicknesse or procure our health and safetie vnlesse we open our disease vnto him and desire hys ayde comfort and assistaunce euen so the meruellous mercies the manifolde merites and incomparable desertes the euerlasting goodnesse and bountious liberalitie the riches and excellent greatnesse of the inestimable grace of God through our swéete Sauiour graunted vnto vs wyll not cure our disease will not inlarge the boundes of our libertie will not deliuer vs from the bondes and chaines of Sathan wherewith we are clogged wyll not enrich vs with the glorious giftes and precious pearles of iustice holinesse eternall life and purity vnlesse we with humble hearts with thankefull mindes with heauie chéere with hart oppressed wyth greeuous grones lamenting our former iniquities confessing our manifolde misdeedes detesting all impietie crauing pardon for our committed blasphemie and hartily sorowing for our accustomed idolatrye stubburnesse and wilfull disobedience doe display our miserie and open before him our shamefull nakednesse and in the bowelles of Iesus Christ in whome he is well pleased desire him with constaunt faith with certaine hope with earnest and continuall prayer to haue mercy vpon vs to illuminate our hartes with the spirite of knowledge to scoure away the clowdes of ignoraunce to wash away the spottes of sinfull disobedience to kindle in vs a feruent heauenly true burning and godly charitie and to worke in our hartes a continuall desire alwayes to fulfill hys most blessed will and therewith all to giue vs the power of his holye spirite to performe the same to the glorie of his eternall maiestie the comfort of the godly the fruitfull edification of our brethren and the saluation of our owne selues soules for euer and euer in his glorious and immortall kingdome The meane and way how to come to our heauenly father with a promise of the Authour to intreate of prayer and a diuision of hys worke The thirde Chapter IF we will therefore be the sonnes of God if we will be pertakers of those infinite and celestiall commodities which were gotten and purchased by the most pure bloude of the immaculate Lambe if we will be healed by the swéete salue of his bloudy wounds we must not slacke to runne vnto God our heauenly father with continuall and heartie prayer Which prayer bicause it is a thing so necessarie for christians that without the same we cannot attaine to the grace of God and merites of our sauiour Christ and seing that daylye experience doth apparauntly but pitifully teach vs that in these oure dayes it is an exercise that is nothing at all or verie lightly vsed of many which beare the name of Christ but in déede are not christians I meane and minde by the assistance of almightie God and ayde of his holy spirit to intreate something of the same I saye of prayer that the prowd contempt of the disdainfull Epicures which passe not for prayer may be something abated and diminished that the licentious life of beastly belly Gods which take al their delite in worldly filthinesse may by the terrour of Gods iudgement be corrected and amended that the rarelesse concupisence of worldly wicked men which wallow in welth and worldly banities maye by the knowledge of the bounden dueties be cut off and contemned that such as be deceiued by simplicitie may be reformed that such as knowe not how to praye so that they may mercifully be hearde may charitably be instructed that such as are alreadie forwarde in the same may thervnto be the more incensed For Saint Chrysostome saith that prayer is as the roote and foundation of al vertues For as the foundation doth make a shippe or house to be strong and holdeth it that it may not be dissolued so the exercise of prayer doth holde our lyfe and maketh it strong on all partes and so that without this no good can happen vnto vs nor anye thing which belongeth to our health I will therefore that I may the more orderly procéede diuide my whole talke into thrée principall partes and first by the grace of God I will declare that if we doe reiect or nothing regarde earnest and hartie prayer that we be in present daunger of eternall damnation Secondly that if with pure prayer we doe as we ought call vpon God in Iesus Christ our blessed sauiour for the assistaunce of hys holy spirite we shall be sure of most happie blissefull immortall saluation and thirdlye God guiding me I will shewe plainely how we may praye so that assuredly we shall obtaine our request For although the singular goodnesse and incredible mercies of almightie God our louing father cannot allure vs the terrible vengeaunce which he poureth downe vpon stifnecked sinners maye perchaunce constraine vs to accomplish that which of dutye we shoulde performe Then when by continuall feare of grieuous plagues and punishmentes we are driuen from former negligence to néedefull and healthfull diligence when by terrour of seuere iustice the rayne of our lose libertie is drawen in more straightlye so that we may not runne lyke roysting rouers at randome to the heauie displeasure of our almightie iudge as willingly we woulde and vnwisely were wont it may he that the constaunt hope of so bountifull a rewarde so princely pearles and surpassing a benifite as is eternall saluation maye prouoke and entise our appetite to shewe some earnest zeale and heartie desire to please and serue our maker Afterwards least some
doth tender his adopted children his chosen vessels his louing friendes which appéereth by crying in fayth Abba father It is therefore prooued that they which crie not with hartie affection vnto God our heauenlye father haue not the spirite of God consequently that they are reiected from the number of the saints and sonnes of god Thirdly fayth worketh in mans hart loue and obedience For that doth most perfitely paint out the tender mercies the great good wil the gracious fauour the louing kindnesse of God the father to man in creating him of God the sonne in raunsoming him of God the holye ghost in directing him in creating him by making him of nothing a noble creature in redéeming him by making of a bonde seruant to the Deuill an adopted sonne to himselfe in directing him by restrayning him from most abhominable impietie whether hée woulde runne and cast himselfe headlong into present daunger and kéeping him in the fauour of his tender father creator These with innumerable and infinite commodities more will mooue almost a senselesse hart to contend with all endeuour to loue to please to folowe to praise to obey to reuerence to worship and honour him by whome they are bestowed and giuen and vndeseruedly fréely bountifully without respect of the receyuer his worthynesse and onely for the giuers mercie The effects of fayth in Mari of Bethania which is Marie Magdalene with an enumeration of causes why they bee condemned which reiect prayer The .xvi. Chapter MArie of Bethania after shée had receyued fayth so loued Christ that she not onely was wylling to doe that which was commaunded in the lawe of God but also exercised an extraordinarie meanes whereby shée did shewe forth hir burning and feruent loue towardes Christ For when he was set at meate in a Pharyseis house she brought an Alablaster boxe of oyntment and shée stoode at his féete behind him wéeping and began to washe his féete with teares and did wipe them with the heares of hir head and kissed his féete and annoynted them with oyntment and Christ testifieth in the same place the seuenth of Luke that she loued much Christ also sayth in the fourtéenth of Iohn If anye man loue mée he will kéepe my saying and againe qui non diligit me sermones meos non seruat he that doth not loue me kéepeth not my saying whereby it appeareth that fayth is not without the loue of god The loue of God is not without obedience obedience is not where prayer is not exercised as it is proued before Therfore they which contemne or neglect or doe not vse contynuall prayer are vnfaithful disobedient rebels against God and his annoynted Nowe therefore séeing that for such lacke of duetie on our partes the holy and heauenlye will of our eternall God is nothing regarded the swéete and holesome counsell of Christ Iesus our mercifull and mightie mediatour wilfully condemned the profered and promised mercy by the holye ghost in scripture plentifullye declared wickedly refused seing that God is spoyled of his reuerence depriued of his honour robbed of his glorie prayse and of our dutifull obedience seing that they which doe not exercise continuall prayer are trées bearing no fruite which are good for nothing but to be cut downe and cast into the fire seing that they are faythlesse desperate secure fruitlesse and harde hearted hypocrites trusting more to the fonde illusions of their vaine fantasies than the riches of Gods eternall mercies bathing themselues in the sincke of sinne and foule puddle of blasphemous iniquity it must néedes of necessitie folow that they are burning firebrandes of hell sonnes of the Deuill and heires of eternall damnation For as the Prophet Nahum saith the first Chapter Deus emulator vlciscens dominus vlciscens dominus habens furorem vlciscens dominus in hostes suos irascens ipse suis inimicis God is a zelous and a reuenging Lorde a reuenging Lorde and wrathfull a reuenging Lorde against his enimies and angry against his aduersaries Ante faciem indignationis eius quis stabit quis resistet in ira furoris eius Who shall stande before his face when his indignation is hote and in the daye of hys wrath who shall be able to resist For when he is angrye the heauens shake for feare the earth quiuereth the rockes doe breake a sunder the mountaines shippe the Lyons rore the Tygers tremble and all the inhabitauntes of the worlde are readie to desire the hilles to couer them Such is the terrour of his maiestie such is the horrour of his displeasure such is the burning fire of his hote indignation He will not therefore spare those which trayterously spoyle him of his glorie bereaue him of his due honor reuerence depriue him of his worship who may for the same cause loke for nothing else but eternall death and extreme horrible and deadly damnation For séeing he is ielous and a reuenging Lorde séeing he is a most mightie terrible and fearefull iudge séeing he is a God that hath all power dominion and rule at his commaundement séeing nothing is able to withstande hys will séeing neyther place in heauen neyther habitation in earth nor house in Hell is hidden from his presence and agayne seing on the otherside he is so iustly prouoked so yrefully inflamed so wrathfully mooued against such as robbe him of hys reuerence it is most certaine and so sure as the Lorde liueth that they shall come to vtter and extréeme and most miserable confusion The second part of the authors diuision that is that they be most certaine of the inheritance of heauen which doe exercise prayers comprising the .vii. Chapters folowing The .xvij. Chapter BVt now let vs leaue to speake of those and conuert our talke to the state of such as doe with earnest humble and hartie desire imbrace the most godly exercise of prayer They asuredlye are most certaine to be enheritours of euerlasting and most blisfull saluation for euer and euer eternally For Christ saith Iohn 14. Quicquid petieritis nomine meo hoc faciam vt glorificetur pater per filium Si quid petieritis per nomen meum ego faciam First whatsoeuer you shall require in my name that I will bring to passe that the father may be glorified by his sonne If you shall require any thing in my name I will doe it Here Christ promiseth vnto vs that we shall obtaine whatsoeuer we shall require in his name If therefore we shall require euerlasting life in glorie and all felicitie with him and his Aungels he will gladly willingly and readily graunt it vnto vs For here he is not constrayned to promise it Therefore he is willing to graunt it and againe he doth not promise more then hée is able to perfourme bicause he is GOD omnipotent equall with the father in all power godhead and diuinitie For he saith of him selfe My father and I are all one it remaineth then that of his siguler grace incredible goodnesse wherwith