by their incredulitie the grace which GOD offereth them should their incredulitie make thee call in doubt the trueth of God and the testimonie of his good will towards thee If some few among these banished not trusting the pardon published by a true and faithfull Prince doo him this dishonor to compt him as a deceiuer or lier acknowledge thou that iustlie and by good right they remaine banished But thou seeing that faithfull Prince Iesus Christ hath sent to pronounce vnto thee a generall pardon and namelie hath giuen thee his letters sealed by the Sacraments commaunding thee to beleeue and promising thee that it shall bee vnto thee according to thy faith Assure thy selfe Matt. 9.29 that his will is that thou shouldest be his child and heire of euerlasting life See how euerie one should assure himselfe by the preaching of the Gospell and the vse of the Sacraments the true markes of the Church that being a member of it he is the child of God and consequentlie an inheritour of his euerlasting kingdome True it is that faith is the gift of GOD yea proceeding from the operation of the mightie power of his strength Phili. 1.29 Ephe. 1.19 as S. Paule speaketh And this is it which he maketh vs to feele in this difficultie of apprehēding by an assured faith so manie so cleare and so certaine testimonies of his good will towards vs touching our adoption It is therefore needfull that he worke farther with vs by his holie spirit which without ceasing asking of him in the name of Iesus Christ we are assured by his promise that he will giue vs and that so ioyning with the power and efficacie of his spirit the preaching of his Gospell and the vse of the Sacraments he will giue vs grace to applie vnto our selues by a true and liuelie faith the testimonies which he hath giuen vs of our adoption to our saluation and euerlasting life How although the markes of our adoption bee in vs but small and feeble yet wee ought and may assure our selues that we are the children of God CAP. 4. I See well will some say that I haue iust matter to beleeue it therefore am I the more sory that I feele not faith in my self to assure me without doubt that I am the child of GOD which thing troubleth mee greatly so as I feare least by this mine incredulitie I reiect the grace of God But vnderstand I pray thee for thy comfort that there is great difference betweene vnfaithfulnes and weaknes of faith The vnfaithfull man or infidell careth not for his saluation or The first temptation proceeding of the small feeling of our faith reiecting the saluation which is in Iesus Christ alone seeketh saluation other where Contrariwise the faithful desire saluation he knoweth that his saluation is in Iesus Christ alone he seeketh it in him and feeleth a desire to increase in assurance that he hath saluatiō in Iesus Christ though he doo not yet feele this peace ioy in the holie Ghost so manifestlie as faith bringeth it forth at the last Also it is not written he that feeleth but hee that beleeueth hath euerlasting life Iho. 3.36 Heb. 11.1 Rom. 8.23 And indeed as faith is of things that are not seene so the vnderstanding of it consisteth more in certaintie than in apprehensiō In this complaint of Dauid yea and of Christ himselfe My God my God why hast thou forsakē me Psal 22.1 Mat. 27.46 We heare the testimonie of faith by these wordes my God my God but without apprehēsion or feeling of fauour or ioy as this complaint why hast thou forsakē me sheweth Also our faith may bee so small and weake as it doth not yet bring forth fruites that may be liuelie felt of vs. But if such as feele themselues in such estate desire to haue these feelings if they aske them of God by praier This desire and praier are testimonies that the spirit of God is in them and that they haue faith alreadie For is such a desire a fruite of the flesh or of the spirit It is of the holie spirit who bringeth it forth onlie in such as he dwelleth in He dwelleth then in them In like manner is not this praier the worke of the holy ghost in thē For it is the holy ghost saith S. Paule which praieth for vs Rom. 8.25 and in vs with grones that cannot be expressed Againe none can come to God by praiers if he haue no trust in him Then these holie desires and praiers being the motions of the holie ghost in vs are testimonies of our faith although they seeme to vs small and weake As the woman that feeleth the mooning of a child in her wombe though verie weake beleeueth and assureth her selfe that she is with child and that she goeth with a liue child so if we haue these motiōs these holie affections and desires before mentioned let vs not doubt but that wee haue the holie ghost who is the author of them dwelling in vs and consequentlie that wee haue also faith And we must vnderstand that the faith of the children of God ceaseth not to bee a true faith although they feele doubts feares mistrusts For if they delight not in such infirmities Rom. 7. to nourish them but are sorrowfull and resist them with desire to feele their saluation in Iesus Christ behold a battaile in them and betweene whom Betweene the spirit and the flesh betweene faith and mistrust There is then in them faith assailed with doubts and the spirit fighting against mistrust and labouring to ouercome it These doubts mistrustings and incredulities are the fierie darts which Satan throweth against our faith the which bearing the blowes as a buckler as S. Paule saith thrusteth them back and quencheth them so as they pearce not to the heart Eph. 6.16 What deuises or assaults soeuer the diuel make against vs faith S. Augustine so he occupie not the place of the heart where faith dwelleth he is driuen backe Incredulitie then assaulteth vs without but woundeth vs not deadlie It troubleth onlie or so woundeth as the stroake is yet curable And such temptations and assaults are common to the most faithfull excellent seruants of God If wee consider the continuall course of the life of Dauid there is no mirrour of faith better to bee noted than in him And yet was not he assaulted with great feares and doubts What cōplaint maketh he in the 77. Psalm Hath the Lord forsaken for euer Psal 77.8 9 10 11 vers will he no more shewe me fauour Is his mercie cleane gone for euer Is his promise come to an ende for euermore Hath God forgotten to bee gracious Hath he shut vp his louing kindnes in displeasure And to conclude he holdeth such a course as a man desperate saying This is my death Where was then in Dauid the feeling of his faith For al this he had not lost it And indeed all these words were
of kindnes of humility of meeknes of longsuffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarel with another euē as Christ hath forgiuen you Loue one another 1. Ihon 10 as God hath loued you For herein is the difference betwene the children of God and the children of the deuil wherein ye may be knowne to be the true disciples of Christ Ye are al members of one body Iho. 13.35 let there be no diuision or parts-taking among you 1. Cor. 12 25 but feele the afflictions of those that weepe to weepe with them and to comfort them reioyce with those that reioyce to praise God with them If yee be the Citizens of the City Ierusalem wil haue a sure dwelling in it walke in integritie Psal 15 labour to deale iustly speake the truth from your harts keepe you from slandering couetousnes and all other corruption Acknowledge in al men the image of God whereunto you owe honor loue and in your brethren acknowledge the renuing of this image Gala. 6.10 and the brotherly coniunction in Christ in doing good to al men 1. Pet. 4.10 loue honor and help especially those that are of the houshold of faith Ye are debtors to your neighbors of all that ye haue 1. Pet. 4.8 or are able to do to be disposers of it with condition that ye render to God an account Iam. 1.19 Honor the graces of God in your brethren and couer their infirmities by charitie be quicke to heare but slowe to speake and slow to wrath For the wrath of man worketh not that which is righteous in the sight of God Do not desire hope or imagine any other means to prosper by thā by the blessing of God And do not looke that hee stould aduaunce by the ayde of his blessing that which he hath accursed by his mouth So go forward in the amendment of your liues that this day may passe yesterday Seale to the puritie of the doctrine with the holines of your life that the ignorant seing your blameles conuersatiō 1. Pet. 2.12 esteming you by your good workes may glorifie God and imbrace the gospel with you Luke 7.1 when it shall please GOD to call them Haue mind of that great curse pronoūced by the high Iudge 2. Cor. 13 11 against such as offend any of the very least Furthermore reioyce in the Lord indeuour to be perfect be comforted be of one consent liue in peace Phil. 2.13 and the God of loue and peace shall be with you But as it is God which worketh in vs both to will in worke to accomplish according to his good pleasure 6. To pray to God So aboue all thinges imploy your selues to pray feruently continually Prayer saith Chrysostome is the soule of our souls For it also is the soule which quickneth al the actions of the children of God It was the lifting vp of Moses hands to heauen Exo. 17.11 which strengthned Iosuah his army gaue him victorie ouer the Amalckites And in deede without the grace of God the which we obtaine by prayer all that we do is but vanitie Faith is the key that openeth the coffers of the treasures of our God Prayer is the hand to draw it out to inrich our selues Prayer lifteth vp our hearts from earth to heauen it renueth the memorie of the promises of God to confirme vs it assureth vs against all that wee can feare it obtaineth all that we can desire It giueth rest and contentment to our soules It keepeth and strengtheneth the feare to offend God It increaseth the desire to go vnto him whom in praying we feele to be the spring and heape of all good things It ingendreth in vs a stedfast despising of the world and renouncing of the flesh it representeth vnto vs the heauenly and euerlasting felicitie that we may aspire to the inioying of them There is nothing to bee more desired than to be conuersant with him without whome we can not be happy But he that wil alwayes be with GOD he must alwaies eyther pray or reade For when we pray we talke with God and when wee reade Aug. in Psal 85. God talketh with vs. The more we are exercised in prayer to God the more we increase in godlines Therefore also we may not be weary or faint-hearted in prayer although the Lord deferre to make vs feele the fruite of our prayers For we haue a promise of him that can not lie that whatsoeuer we aske of GOD in the name of Iesus Christ it shal be giuen vs. If he deferre for some time to make vs feele the fruit of our praiers it is for our greater benefite Let vs continue still and waight knowing assuredly that he who according to his fatherly loue bounty desireth our good can according to his infinite power giue that which we aske of him and according to his truth will hear vs he also according to his wisdōe knoweth the fittest time as is before said and the meanes most apt to make vs feele the fruite of our praiers When we aske of God saith S. Bernard euen those thinges that concerne this present life our praiers are not so soone gone out of our mouth but they are written in his booke and we ought saith he to be assured that hee will either giue the thing it selfe which we haue asked or other things which hee knoweth to bee more profitable for vs. To conclude Praier is the most mightie and fruitfull worke of charitie seeing by it we helpe our neighbors present absent knowen and vnknowen great and little and that both with spirituall and corporall good things drawing by our praiers the blessing of God vpon them And in this confidence my very deare and worshipfull Brethren I will continue in this dutie and office of charitie earnestlie to pray to God for you and particularlie I will water with my praiers to God this Exhortation which I haue directed vnto you beseeching him with all my heart that beeing comforted and strengthened thereby in the doctrine of the truth which yee haue receiued yee may continue constantly in it sealing it by the works of godlinesse and charitie comforting your selues in the Lord in that yee are his welbeloued Children in Iesus Christ and surmounting al temptations and assaults to the ende that by the power of the holy Ghost departing Conquerors out of all conflicts ye may attaine at the last to the crowne of glorie which God hath prepared to all his childrē 1. Thess 5.23 through Iesus Christ our Lord. Now the GOD of peace sanctifie you throughout and preserue your whole spirit and soule and bodie blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ He that hath called you is faithfull who also will doo it I also beseech you my brethren to imploy your seiues more and more in feruent and continuall praiers for the preseruation prosperitie and
aduauncement of his Church so mightelie assailed on all sides and particularlie to bee mindfull of mee in your prayers that it may please the Father of light from whence all good gifts doo come to continue his mercies towards mee and to guide mee alwaies with his holie spirit with the increase of his giftes and graces to accomplish the rest of my life seruing faithfull and holilie to his glorie the aduauncement of the Kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Holie meditations and praiers CHAP. 13. O Lord God almightie al good and all wise we are confounded before thy holy maiestie not ô Lord for the troubles and extreame calamities wherewith we are oppressed in these daies full of tribulations anguishes and teares but forasmuch as we haue offended thee for asmuch as our sinnes our ingratitude rebelliōs haue kindled thi wrath against vs and chiefly forasmuch as the wicked and infidels take occasion by thy iust iudgemēts corrections to blaspheme thy holy name Alas Lord wee yeelde our selues guilty before thee confessing that we are inexcusable and vnworthie to be named thy children yea wee are worthie to bee reiected of thee wee are worthie of hel to be creatures accursed for euer For ô our good God whē we were the children of wrath thine enemies abādoned to all euil thou hadst pitie vppon vs poore and abhominable sinners Thou hast cast the eyes of thy fauour vppon vs. Thou hast giuen thy welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ to the shameful and cursed death of the crosse for vs. Thou hast giuen vs thy holy gospell that blessed and ioyfull tidings of our saluation Thou hast accompanied it with thy spirit to lighten vs to draw vs vnto thee to make vs partakers of the treasures of thy Kingdome of eternall life Thou hast stretched out thy hand from heauen to the depth of hell to pul vs backe and to make vs thy happie children Thou hast done according to the good pleasure of thy will inasmuch as thou shewest mercie on whom thou wilt shewe mercie Alas Lord ought not we to acknowledge the daye of thy visitation and the time of saluation Ought not we to feele the abundant riches of thy incomprehēsible grace towards vs to loue serue praise and adore thee to renounce our selues the world and the flesh and all that which is contrarie to thy glorie yea to abhorre all that doth displease thee to walke as the children of light and to consecrate our selues vnto thee to bring foorth fruites worthie of thy Gospell and becomming the Children of such a Father to be as bright lights in this darke world to giue light to the poore ignorāt ones to drawe thē with vs into the way of saluation But alas ô Lord our God we quite contrarie hauing brought into thy Church the world and the flesh haue kept in our selues these enemies of thy glory these plagues of our soules haue serued them Our infidelitie our flesh haue made vs loue the earth more than the heauen the world more than thy kingdome the filthines and dust of vaine riches more than the treasures of heauenlie and eternall good things the smoke of humane honors more thā the glorious estate to be thy childrē brethren of thy sonne Iesus Christ Couetousnes the roote of all euill hath hardened our harts to despise thy poore ones euen Iesus Christ in his members Wee haue slaundered thy holy Gospell by fraudes deceipts robbings occupying our traffique and doing our affaires as people hauing no knowledge of thee The aire in the Cities where thy word hath bin preached hath bin stinking infected with the whoredomes adulteries and other infamous acts that there haue bin committed Gluttonie drūkennes haue made brutish those that for thy blessings and bountie ought to haue praised thee Euerie man thinking onlie how to profit aduance himself in this world to the despising of thy holy seruice the building of thy Church The profession of thy holy religion hath serued many but for the cloke of their iniquities Wee haue put out trust in the arme of flesh in brokē reeds seeking cōfort for thy Church of the enemies of it in forsaking the fountaine of liuing waters and the almightie Crimes trespasses blasphemies and iniquities haue bin winked at supported in defiling the seate of thy iustice without punishmēt thy threatnings promises reiected as vanities the holy Ministerie of thy Word despised the chastisements which thou hast exercised on our brethren neglected without thinking what our selues haue deserued Wee haue not felt sorow for the afflictions of thy children to mourne with them and to feare thy iudgements And what shal we say more ô Lord Our iniquities are as mountaines our ingratitude and rebellions as the great deepe our whole life before thee being nothing else but a cōtinuall sinne and despising of thy holy Maiestie If they who neuer heard speak of thy sonne Iesus Christ and that haue not knowen thy will are iustly punished in thy wrath what iudgement what condemnation what hells and cursses haue we deserued hauing so villainously so long so obstinately despised thy holy instructions thy promises thy threatenings and the examples of thy iudgements which thou hast exercised before our eyes Also the voyce of our ingratitude is ascended before thee our iniquities haue and doo crie vengeance against vs. These are the procurers and aduocates of thy iustice soliciting these iudgements against vs. Our sinnes haue strengthned our enemies haue made them conquerours ouer vs. We haue sowen iniquitie and we haue reaped afflictions as thou seest ô Lord our God that thy children are banished spoyled and impourished that they are cruellie dealt withall trodden vnder foote and exposed to the laughter of thine enemies Our persecuters make a scorne of those ouer whō thy name is called on they make their boast of the euill that they doo They scatter thy flockes They throwe downe the scepter of thy sonne Iesus Christ They depriue thy children of the pasture of thy word Those temples O Lord those temples where not long since thy praises did sound in which thy holie Gospell was preached the Sacraments purelie ministred thy name religiouslie called on These temples O Lord are now defiled with Idols and idolatrie the abominable Masse is established againe false tales and lies are preached These temples where thy people assembled in so great number to praise thee and to behold thy louing countenance are now filled with people blaspheming thy holie name and treading vnder their feete the bloud and glorie of thy sonne Iesus Christ This youth of orphanes fondlings and others that went to schoole being brought vp in the knowledge of thee nourished in thy feare is now giuen vp to the enemies of thy trueth to be instructed in the damnable doctrine and seruice of Antichrist O good God our sunne is turned into darknes the Moone into bloud our health into sicknes our life into death And yet if thou shouldest