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
he fauoreth imbraceth loueth tendereth vs he wil for asking bestowe vpon vs such infinite and excéeding commodites whose greatnesse excellency can neither by though of man be conceyued nor by force of wordes expressed Moreouer he repeateth the same in one place and at one time as it appeareth the more to confirme vs to incourage vs to strengthen vs to encrease our desire to pray vnto him that neyther doubtfulnesse in asking neyther lacke of hope in receyuing might hinder our endeuours In the .15 of Iohn likewise he saith Si manseritis in me et verba mea in vobis manserint quicquid volueritis petetis fiet vobis If you abide in me and my wordes abide in you whatsoeuer you will haue you shall aske and it shall be done and then he conteyneth these wordes in this my father is glorified that you bring forth good fruite plentifully and be made my disciples so that by praying vnto him we shal glorify his name bicause that by that meanes we shall be made fresh and fruitfull gardens fullye replenished with the flourishing flowers of most excellent vertues which will yéelde so swéete a sauor to God and Christ our sauiour that we shall be most acceptable sacrifices and pleasant offeringes vnto him He subuerteth also these wordes which containe incredible comfort to the solace of siely soules Euen as my father hath loued me so I haue loued you What more ioye and pleasure What so much comfort can we conceyue What earnest loue of Christ Iesus towardes vs maye we gather of this that he loueth vs as his father hath loued him His father to shewe his loue towardes him spake on this sorte out of a clowde This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased Him he raysed from death to life from earth to heauen from cruell crosse affliction to an eternall crowne of glorie immortall and hath set him on his right hande in all power and dominion and hath made his enimies his footestoole all which doe well declare his loue he beareth towardes him Nay he loueth him as he loueth his owne substance or his owne selfe For he is God of the same substance that his father is Let vs therefore be sure that if we call vppon him with feruent and humble and heartye prayer hée will heare vs hee wyll sanctifie vs he will direct vs he will leade vs in all holynesse and purenesse of life and he will preserue our soules and bodies to euerlasting felicitie For so he loueth vs as his father hath loued him And Christ sayth in an other place Beati pauperes spiritu quoniam illorum est regnum coelorum Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And to be poore in spirite is nothing else but to humble himselfe before the face of God to put awaye all confidence in himselfe to craue mercie for his committed wickednesse to poure out his complaint before his onely redéemer to acknowledge his owne vnworthynesse to confesse his weakenesse not to bost of his merites not to bragge with boldnesse his owne abilitie not to trust in his owne deseruings but to lye prostrate before the iudgement seate of God to wayte for the crūmes of mercy that fall from the Lords table to cal and cry for grace and bounty through Christ Iesus his death and passion by whome alone he seeketh for reliefe health and comforte in all humylitie Againe we haue a sure promise of Christ himselfe saying vnto vs. 16 of Iohn Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall require my father in my name he will giue it you Aske and you shall receyue If then we shall desire God the father in the merites of his most dearelye beloued sonne Christ Iesus to water our harts with the dew of his heauenly grace and to refresh our hungry soules with the foode of his holye worde and still to preserue protect and gouerne our heauie hartes wyth the wisedome of his heauenlye spirite he will no doubt assist vs helpe vs heale vs direct vs shadow vs with the wings of his mercy and at the last when our soule is dissolued from the pryson of the body will place it in eternall paradise For Christ is the truth and therefore cannot lye and he hath promised faithfully to fulfill all our godly desires The comparison of God vnto the vnrighteous Iudge which is ouercome with continuall and importune sute The .xviij. Chapter ANd he the more to encourage vs doth make a comparison Luke 18. betwixt his father and an vnrighteous Iudge on this maner There was a Iudge in a certaine Citie sayth he who neyther feared God nor estéemed man There was also a widow in the same citie and came vnto him saying Reuenge me of mine aduersary and for a while he woulde not But at the last he sayde within himselfe Although I neyther feare God nor care for man yet bycause this widowe still troubleth me I will reuenge hir of hir enimie least at the last the come and reproue me And the Lorde sayde heare what the vnrighteous iudge sayth And shall not God reuenge his elect people that cry vnto him night and day although he differre it I say vnto you that he shal reuenge them quickly Here Christ doth expresse and paynt out in liuely colours the force of earnest and harty prayer For that Iudge that was of so rough and rigorous a nature of so fierce and austere conditions of so vngentle and cruell disposition that he dispysed the complaints of the poore regarded not the requests of the miserable refused to giue eare to the cryes of Orphanes contemned the lamentations of the oppressed people cared not for thretnings set religion at naught considered not the terrible strokes of Gods vengeaunce lightly loked vpon his duetie gaue himselfe to vayne pleasure and was in wordes vnkinde in witte wilye in countenaunce terrible in iesture fearefull in lyfe tirannicall in manners monstrous in conuersation sauage in dealings dreadfull in hart spitefull in wyll a wolfe in thoughtes outragious in office cruell in menacing more than manful and beyonde measure ful of al iniquity by the continual calling vpon of this woman by hir pitious complaintes was reformed and brought to mercie was contented to deliuer hir from hir oppressing enimie was perswaded to leaue of his olde seueritie or rather carelesse cruelty in that case and was readie to fulfill hir will to graunt hir request and to agree to hir desire and then Christ transferreth it to his father who is our tender fauourer to shewe how much more he woulde be glad to haue vs poure foorth our prayers vnto him that he might satisfie our willes and shew mercie vnto thousandes that call vpon him For he doth of his infinite and excéeding goodnesse with fayre and faythfull promises allure vs with bonntiful rewards endeuor to entise vs with offred proffred benifits to binde vs with mercy to moue vs with kindnesse to constraine vs with curtesie to
posteritie The first Chapter ALthough the grieuous abhomination of our poysoned and spitefull heartes the most execrable endes of our malicious and deuilishe endeuours the blasphemous villanies of our disdainefull deadly and desperate impietie doe deserue most terrible tormentes most heauie plagues most bitter and eternall anguishe in the bottomlesse pit of perdition without redemption yet the mercifull goodnesse and vnspeakeable kindnesse of God our tender father our carefull kéeper our holy sauiour doth not onelye cast vs head-long which we deserue into that daungerous darkenesse and gaping goulfe which burneth with fire and brimstone where is continuall wéeping and gnashing of téeth but also most gently calleth vs againe vnto him that we may taste of his mercies most pitifully bewayleth our wickednesse most heartilye forgetteth our iniquities most carefully cutteth off our corruption most readily repayreth our empaired and depraued nature most willingly wincketh at our detected enormities most graciously couereth our shamefull nakednesse most mightily maintayneth our cause agaynst our open aduersarie the Deuill most earnestly desireth our health and saluation most attentiuely wayteth for our godly reformation most largely promiseth vs a glorious crowne and eternall kingdome with frée deliueraunce and present pardon if with pure heart and true zeale wée shall cal vpon his holy name and séeke succour in Iesus Christ of his immortal maiestie For when he of his infinite goodnesse and excéeding mercy did first frame and forme our father Adam and raysed him vppe oute of the slimie bowels of the fruitfull earth when he had breathed into him the spirite of life when he had endued his reasonable soule with the bright beames of most perfite knowledge and had bestowed vpon him the blasing lightes of most excellent approued vertues when he had giuen him the soueraigne science both of celestial earthly heauenly mortal and immortall things when he had giuen him power ouer all the creatures which were vnder the cope of heauen and had for this onely cause builded the wyde worlde that man his moste noble and surpassing creature might with all maner of delite enioy the commodities of the same and at the last when he had placed him in Paradise being a place of pleasure a pasture of delites a most swéete pleasaunt and fruitfull garden and licenced him to taste of all the fruits and pleasures of the same wherein he might for euer haue led a most happie life and neuer haue felt the bitter pangues of extreeme dolor wherwith now he is compassed and beset of euery side only charging him to abstaine from the trée of knowledge of good and euill enioyning therevnto a seuere punishment the more to restraine him than this wilfull stubburne and vnthankefull man not contented with this heauenly state but aspiring against the iust and expresse commaundement of his louing father and immortall creator to suche daungerous and deuilish knowledge wherby was wrought his vtter destruction and miserable confusion gaue eare to the contagious councell and pestilent perswasion of enchaunted and bewitched Eua who by the sugred tunes of the cursed Sathan receyued the impoysoned bayt which was couered with false faire and fayned promises whereby they were both so fowlye spotted and so miserablye deformed that where before they had the similitude of God engraffed in their heartes nowe they were plaine patternes and expresse images of the hellish serpent where before they were shining starres illuminate with the wholesome light of the heauenly spirit now they were darke and mistie clowdes destitute of all clerenesse and clad with most horrible impietie where before they were decked and adorned with singular integritie iustice and puritie nowe they were beastly blemished with the filthie spots of wretched villanie pride and impuritie where before they were chiefe inhabitaunts and principall possessors of perelesse and pleasaunt Paradise nowe they were become exiled straungers expelled vagaboundes and beggars banished from all felicitie where before they were obedient seruants nowe they were rebellious enimies before friendes of God nowe â—endes of hell before in blessefull estate nowe in damnable and extréeme miserie before almost equall with Aungels now worse than Deuils before better than all earthly creatures now more abhominable than brute beastes before the louing sonnes of a tender father now the open aduersaries of a seuere Iudge before cherished and beloued children now false and forsworne fellons before blessed and immortall creatures now cursed and mortall mysers before without trouble and anguishe nowe oppressed with calamitie griefe and sorrow before without contagion now subiect to sicknesse before euer ioyfull nowe for euer sorrowfull before neuer comfortlesse nowe alwayes in themselues hopelesse and helpelesse before puyssant Princes nowe pelting peasants before pollished precious paragons of vertue nowe péeuish and polluted Pagans before partakers of eternall happinesse nowe méete firebrandes of terrible tormentes before sacred Temples of the holy ghost now defiled and stinking chanels of all sinfull vilanie retchlesse crooked crabbed and blasphemous impietie And alas into this so pitious a plight so miserable a case so greuous a daunger and so present perdition we poore wretches which be their vnhappie sonnes their damned ofspring their wicked progenie are by their heynous offence and our owne corruption fallen and entrapped from the which we through our owne selues or our owne strength can neuer be deliuered but do dayly more and more by vaine cogitations by disdainfull dealings by cursed hypocrisie by abhominable obstinacie by swelling pride by lothsome hate by cankerd contempt by deuilishe enuie by sléepie securitie by negligence in prayer by diligence in euill dooing by outragious oppression of the poore by defrauding of the simple by spoyling widowes by deceyuing orphanes by trayterously neglecting and nothing regarding our bounden duties doe prouoke to wrath the almighty God and coÌ„pell him to poure downe his heauie plagues and grieuous indignation vpon vs to our vtter ruine and confusion The promise of Christ the Redemer of man and his conquest to deliuer him out of thraldome and our dutie contrary The second Chapter BUt in this our damnable estate and condition when we could sée nothing but deadlye desperation and the monstruous mouth of the burning pitte of hell readie to receyue vs then oure excéeding good gracious and gentle God whome before we had so vnthankefully forsaken so daungerously dispised so villainously contemned so lewdly displeased so maliciously prouoked so wilfully cast off and reiected that we had rather to follow the song of Sathan the lure of the Deuill than the sage aduise and wholsome councell of so mercifull a maker he I say than did open the déepe and hid treasures of his manifold mercies and did yet once againe shewe vs the gracious fauour of his louing countenance promising euen then at the fall of our olde father Adam that his onely sonne Christ Iesus shoulde descende from his celestiall throne and seate of maiestie and take the nature of a man vpon him and should breake the heade of the Serpent that is he
first both to vnderstande the force in preuayling with God and also the glorious renoume of the Lorde his eternall maiestie through graunting the request of his poore people For when his people the children of Israel were after much affliction trouble and torment delyuered out of the lande of Egypt and was going into the wyldernesse to serue the Lord their God Pharao and all his hoste persecuted them in all haste to bring them againe into bondage which would haue bene more grieuous and sorrowfull than present death vnto them And when they were in such case that presently before their faces was the red foming and roring Seas vpon their right handes high steepe and craggie mountaynes vpon the which they could not ascend and escape vpon their left hande no refuge but daungerous and deadly perilles behinde their backes their cruell disdainefull wicked and horrible enimies threatning death tormentes and perpetuall miserie then they cried vnto the Lorde in their miserie he deliuered them out of their distresse they poured out their complaintes before him and he glorified himselfe by their deliueraunce they humbly sought for his gracious assistaunce and he mercifullye graunted the request of their earnest prayers they feared bondage he gaue them libertie they were compassed with grieuous daungers he gaue them sure are safe passage they were ready to be deuoured of the sworde he ouerthrew their enimies they were almost persecuted vnto death he brought to passe that they sawe the death and destruction of there persecuting tyrannes But how did he deliuer them Certes he commaunded the wylde waters to staye their course to lose their swiftnesse to chaunge their nature He made the waltring waues to be turned into strong walles the surging seas into the vse of sturdy stones the flickring floods into a steady bridge so that his people passed ouer with ease safetie But when the Egyptians were so bolde to enter into the same passage they were ouerwhelmed in the waters the walles turning and chaunging themselues into their woonted nature Thus was his glorie magnified his name glorified his power knowne his mercie specified his terror taught his loue enlarged his might multiplied his goodnesse graffed in the heartes of his people that afterwards they loued him as a carefull father they feared him as a mightie reuenger they honored him as a péerelesse Prince they reuerenced him as a seuere iudge they glorified him as their onely deliuerer they sanctified him as their holye profectour they folowed him as a well experienced Capitaine they obeyed his will as their only guide and defender For his name to them was fauourable to other nations and people terrible to them comfortable to gentiles fearefull to them peaceable to others dreadfull to them it brought quietnesse and safetie to others confusion to them tranquilitie to others miserie to them plenteousnesse of all thinges to other penurie of things necessarie to them solace to forrein kingdomes ruine and ouerthrowe to them pleasure to other plagues to them a ioyfull expectation of mercie to others an horrible terrour of extreme iudgement Nothing apperteyneth more to the glorie of God than prayer The ninth Chapter WHat therefore can more belong to the establishing of his prayse to his royall pompe to the blast of his magnificence through all the earth to the publishing of his glorious name than with humble and hartie prayers continually to be called vpon of hys afflicted people that he may stretche out his arme and declare his power bende his bowe and valiauntly ouerthrow his enimies Verily nothing For thus he looseth the simple captyues and bindeth the bloudy Balaamites he saueth his siely souldiours spoyleth the boasting bloud-suckers he protecteth his poore people and racketh vnruly ribaldes he mightilye beyonde all hope helpeth the miserable and contrariwise debaseth subuerteth confoundeth the bragging boldnes of the proude disdainefull and swelling tirannes Seing therefore that it is a religious worke commaunded by God himself enioyned to vs by Christ our onely sauiour taught by the Apostles and Prophets tending to the celebration propagation of his eternall glorie renowme and reuerence as nothing more by subduyng the stubborne sinfull malicious people and by releeuing helping and succouring his afflicted humble and sily flocke it must néedes folowe that they which dispise the vse of prayer and negligently nay rather obstinately and deuilishly contemne the commaundements and promises of God our heauenly father and nothing regarde his gentle admonition calling them by pacience to hartie repentaunce and amendment of wicked life that they I saye depriue God of his due honour spoyle him of his worship rob him of his reuerence and consequently fall into the daunger of eternall damnation For 4. Iohan. Pater tales quaerit qui adorant illum The father séeketh such as worship hym not such as renounce his lawes and reiect his commaundementes And his not séeking is nothing else but misery griefe anguish and condemnation Againe they are trées which beare no fruit For they which are not possessed with the spirite of God which are not directed with his holy hand which are not illuminate with the light of heauen which are not assisted with the helpe of the highest nor stirred vp with the motion of the holy ghost nor plentifullye enriched with the graces of Christ our sauiour cannot bycause of their weakenesse will not bycause of their wilfull wickednesse neyther doe couite bycause of their fraile and cursed corruption eyther to deliuer themselues from the chaine of Sathan wherewith they are bounde and tyed or to replenish themselues wyth the swéete and well sauering flowers of vertues that they maye be purified to the proofe wherof Christ sayth Iohn 15. Quia sine me nihil potestis facere bycause without me ye can doe nothing And Math. 15. Omnis plantatio quam non plantauit pater meus caelestis eradicabitur euery planting which my heauenly father hath not planted shal be rooted out And Iohn 15. Si quis in me non manserit eiectus est foras sicut palmes c. If anye man doth not abide in me he is cast out as a braunche and withereth and they gather it and cast it into the fyre and burne it Here we maye perceyue that 〈◊〉 are not directed with the spirit of God are not the sonnes of God but impes of Antichrist not the friendes of God but the limmes of the Deuill not swallowers of saluation but heires of eternall condemnation And saint Paule sayth Filij dei sunt qui spirit uâ—deâ—â—guntur They are the sonnes of God which are driuen by the spirite of god And Christ sayth in the 15. of Iohn Ques meae vocem meam audiunt My shéepe heare my voyce and his voyce is Luc. 15 Quod oportet semper orare nec defatigari That we must alway praye and neuer be wearie And in the sirt of Mathew he prescribeth forme of prayer saying Ad hunc ergo modum orate vos Pator noster c. Praye ye after
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