to weepe That nowe in griefe doth groane to see it selfe in torments deepe But then ten thousand times I had bene happie in my death Ten thousand times vnhappy now that I enioy my breath Wherefore prepare oh graue in hast to take thy share of mee And death doe thou thy duetie too I yeeld mee now to thee For all my pleasures now are gone my mirth to mourning cheere Is chaūged quite my ioyes are past now gryping griefes drawe neer That greeue my silly soule so sore my corps consume full fast Oh death deny mee not therefore but take mee hence in haste The God that sits in Christal skies hath cast mee cleane away No hope of helpe no hold I haue good death make no delay No pardon due for my desert my sinnes deserue to die I linger like a lothsome wretch in deepe dispaire I crie Come death end my doleful daies deferre it not make haste I loth to liue yet dread to die all hope of helpe is past Solace Oh wretched man what is y e cause thou mournest thus in woe Leaue of to crie and come to mee why doste thou sorrowe so The thrall is great that thou poore wretch doste seeme to sorrow in Shew me y e cause be of good cheare I sollace men in sinne The sinful-man Wo worth if thou be Solace who was yeasterday with mee He was the cause of this dispaire Yea none the cause but hee Solace SAiest thou so Thou art greatly deceiued in deede I am that Solace that for thy cōfort came vnto thee yesterday to call thee from thy foolishnes from thine error and censelesse securitie But thou art that scorner that the wise man meaneth that refuseth to bee reformed For a wise man when he is reprooued departeth from his euill but a foole when hee is rebuked of his error falleth into raging and as it were into a desperate madnes as may appeare by thy frowardnes that art not ashamed wrongfully and most vniustly to charge mee to be the cause of this sorrowe of thine of thy dispayre thou augmentest thy fault in thus rashly accusing mee But it is a Leasson learned long agoe many thousand yeeres put in practise namely the vngodly to finde out excuses according to their owne willes and peruerse conceites As Adam Eue thy great grandsieres did in the beginning when they had manifestly transgressed the Commaundement of their Creatour in eating the fruit forbidden when they were charged with the crime what did they did they vpon their reprehension confesse and say it is so Lord we haue eaten it contrarie to thy will noe but they sought another bye meane to cloake their disobedience Adam for his part sayd The woman whome thou gauest me made me to eate And Eue seeing the matter sayd to her charge sayd it to the Serpents charge thincking to make by circumstance God himself the author of their fall But this iugling could not auaile them their deceitfulnes deceiued themselues and they had al their reward Now to come to thine excuse who to discharge thine owne vnhappines layest the fault on mee that came not to vndoe thee but to reuoke thee from thy miserable blindnes from thine obstinate foolishnes ouerthwart opinion wherein thou were trudging as faste as thou couldest to vndoubted dampnation But I see that Satan hath set a vale before thine eyes that thou canst not see thy friend frō thy foe thou takest light for darkenesse and darkenesse to be light yea darkenesse hath so dimned thy censes that thou canst not comprehend the light For there is no familiaritie betweene light and darkenes But awake thou foolish man that sleepest in darkenes and God shall giue thee light yea I am the light of the worlde he that followeth mee shall not walke in darkenes but shall enioy the light of eternall life The sinfull-man Oh say no more I am vndone I crie but all in vaine In deede I am in darkenesse deepe thy words augment my paine Solace Thou art deceiued in deede I am the Solace that will ease This doleful plight of thine w t speed and wrath of God appease I am that lambe of God that came by God my fathers heste By death for true repenting soules to purchase lasting reste Although thy sinne the Scarlet doe in rednes farre surpasse My death shall make thy soule as white as whitnes euer was Wherefore returne to me in haste amend what is amisse I am the God that pardons him that true repentant is Therefore giue care attend vnto these comforts of my will Beleeue amend doe not dispayre conuert thy selfe from ill I Knowe oh sinfull man that riches and vainglorie had euen ouercome thee Thou were in a slumber with the sweete lullings as they seemed of that deceaueable Sathan the god of this worlde who hath in such sort blinded thy mind and bewitched thee with vaine and transitorie pleasures that the light of my glorious Gospell which is the power of God shoulde not shine vnto thee By reason whereof the examples of the Iustice of mine heauenly father extended against such as haue their heartes so seared with the hot iron of worldly carefulnes hath mooued thee to this kind of dispaire feeling thy conscience guiltie of the things whereof thou hast beene reprooued And therefore most wrongfully doest thou attribute the cause of thy griefe vnto mee But it is Sathan that thus bestirreth him now to retaine thee in the blind bye-path that he hath hitherto deceitfully drawen thée into beset with so many dilightsome deuises and daintie delicates of the flesh of the minde and of the eyes that he is loath to lose thee he thinkes that if thou once goe from him thou wilt come no more if thou forsake him thou wilt be reteyned into my seruice who wil giue thee better entertainemēt yea though my wages in this world be not gold and siluer though my Liuerie bee not so glorious to the eye and thy dyet so daintie yet I say thou shalt be sure of a good liuing in reuersion which is after this life rent free without any feare of forfeiture thy Lyuery shalbe here the libertie of a free minde and thy Dyet daily meditation of heauenly things Which liuing which Liuery and which dyet I knowe thine old master tels thee are al vaine al ful of seruitude watchings waytings and thraledome and he giues thee both great wages of Gold and Siluer and a great liuing in hand hee giues thee not borde wages but places thee most princelike at his owne Table hee feedes thee with his owne hands but he craues attendāce he is something nice in seruice you must wayte at an inch But then like the master of a good hound he pleaseth thee with many rewards which thou hast accounted a very sweete and pleasaunt seruice but thou hast heard before that it is vayne yea most vayne and very affliction of the spirit
mine heauenly father yea all they that came of y e stock of Adam are all become abominable and of none abilitie to doe good there is none that worketh righteousnes no not one my selfe excepted who according to y e promise of mine heaueÌ„ly father in the beginning made to Adam y t the seede of the woman should tread downe the Serpents head who was also promised to Abraham Isaak and Iacob where it was foretold that in their seede should all the kingdomes of the earth be blessed therefore must thou beleue that y e originall corruption which proceeded froÌ„ Adam remaineth yet in all flesh in generall whose reward is death But my father hath reserued vnto himselfe a certaine number knowne onely vnto himselfe which in my bloud he hath sanctified vnto eternall life whom by the holy Ghost he elected and chose out before the foundation of the world to be his childreÌ„ adopted and vnited into his fauour and mercie againe by me his onely sonne who in the time from the beginning of the world limited by the holy Prophets foreshewed came into the world in the very shape forme of a man and in all thinges lyke vnto a man sinne excepted conceiued in the wombe of a virgin whose name was Marie by the holy ghost and was incarnate and tooke substaunce of her bodie and borne into the world and growing in the fleshe according to the manner of sinfull men yet without sin according to the worde of the Prophetes And that I was y e Messias so long before promised who should bring ioy glad tidings vnto all the world and to set those at libertie that were in the boÌ„dage of Sathan sould vnder sinne and to giue light to them that sate in darknes and in the shadowe of death who haue bin from the beginning of the world begotten before all creatures and consecrated of mine heauenly Father to be the onely Hye Priest that should offer the Sacrifice that should appease his wrath for all the sinnes of the worlde to be the king to defend his people and the Prophet to shewe them his will and to guide their feete vnto the way of peace Who by offering vp my body in sacrifice once for all through the eternall spirite without spotte or sinne purged the consciences of men from dead workes to serue the liuing God mine heauenly Father and that for that purpose I lefte the heauenly Cittie the bosome of mine heauenly Father and being Lorde of all became a subiect and seruaunt to all laying aside all glorie and put on the base attire of mortall man being indued with two natures Deuine and Humaine without which the will of my Father could not haue bin executed according to his diuine prouidence for in my humanitie I was in this worlde parsonally dwelling among men eating and drinking among men and was verie man of the promised seed of Dauid and yet as touching my Godhead I was nothing inferiour to mine heauenly father but coequall with him and coeternall yet was I coÌ„tent to humble my selfe obey his will and to shewe his vnspeakeable loue and ardent desire he had of the redemption of mankinde wherein he gaue me his onely sonne to dye for the sinnes of the world who according to his determinate will did most willingly imbrace euen the death of the Crosse to redeeme them from death that were iustly condemned performing the message of mine heauenly father in all things doing nothing but what was decreed before the beginning of the world by the eternal counsaile I became poore to make thee rich and to be a meane to bring thee into the fauour of mine heauenly father againe I became bond to the will of mortall men to make thee free with the imortall God I became a straunger and a Pilgrim in earth to make thee a Citizen of heauen I became the sonne of mortall man to make thee the childe of the liuing GOD I suffered the paynes of Hell to purchaze thee heauen I was content to sufter the cruell death of the Crosse to procure thee lyfe eternal Thou must therefore faithfullie belieue that I am that Christ that true Messias that was promised to be the Sauiour of the world who was annoynted with the oyle of grace and was indued with all spirituall heauenly giftes here in earth aboue all others and that my flesh was so sanctified with my Diuinitie and Godhead that it could not suffer or see corruption Thou must belieue also that after I had preached the will of my father in Iudea and Galile in great humilitie where both by word and miracles I shewed my selfe to be the sonne of God as also by the preachings of the Prophets The Iewes by all meanes sought to take me but could not before my time was come and when the howre came when I should be deliuered into their hands according to the will of my Father I was vniustly accused of y e chief priests who consulting how they might haue me taken procured Iudas falsly to betray me promising him a bribe who although I could haue preuented him betrayed me with a kisse And then the chiefe Priestes bound me and brought me before Pylate and had prouided false witnes to accuse me wicked ministers to scourge me scoffers to deride me condemning me most vniustly to dye and to be hanged vpon the Crosse betweene two theeues as a principall malefactor and yet pure and altogether without spotte or sinne where most ignominiously and cruelly I was crowned with a Crowne of thornes in dispitefull and disdaynfull manner saluting me by the name of the king of the Iewes who being thirstie they gaue me most sharpe vinegar mingled with gall to drinke all which I most meekely and willingly suffered tooke all their torments patiently their raylings and reuilings mildlie their buffetings spittings at me meekelie longing for the redemption of mankinde to be baptized with that baptisme of so greeuous a death and to offer vp once for all the sacrifice of my bodie to reuiue them that were dead in sinne and to obtaine pardon for their transgressions euen the tender loue I had to the saluation of their poore soules by which oblation I haue purchased full satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world that whoe so beleeueth in me should not pearish but should obtaine eternall lyfe Thou must verely beleeue also that I dyâ—d vppon the same Crosse and euen giuing vp the ghost into the handes of mine heauenly Father I indured such agonie due for the sinne of mankinde which aunswered the Iustice of mine heauenly Father in so heauy exceeding manner in respect of mine humanitie that the verie anguish and conflict of the flesh and spirit I sweat water and â—loud and was
carrying thee as it were sleeping into the most horrible pit of all endles perdition And euen of meere loue being sent to cal those that were gone astray I was mooued to awaken thee of this sinfâ—ll slumber to warne thee out of the seruice of this wicked master of thine and therfore I knowe that thou condemnest mee to bee the cause of this thy sorrowe Alas art thou so sorrowfull and full of griefe to giue ouer that master of thine endlesse miserie the master I say of all mischiefe the ringleader to all euill rule the Captaine of all the hellish crue the crue that haue their cogitations commonly occupied in couetouse cares and vngodly desires of wordly pleasures the crue I say that are caried by his most wicked wiles into most cursed captiuitie neuer caring for God or godlines who esteeme my words as winde as thou doest who so reioycest in thine aboundance as one that laugheth in his dreame and when hee awaketh is driuen to howle in sorrowe yea as dead being yet liuing for thou canst not be but dead vnlesse thou be reconciled by mee who by my bloud shedding on the Crosse slewe all enmitie betweene God my heauenly father and thee And as I haue purchased this reconciliation for thee So I am come to thee to tell thee to warne thee and to reclayme thee from error to the trueth from the clawes of Sathan to the fauoure of mine heauenly father if thou wilt heare mee and embrace my sayings The sinfull man Art thou in deed that Christ so pure whome Iudas did betray And whom y e Iewes tormeÌ„ted sore as sacred scripture say Solace Ye I am he that hung on crosse fast nayled to the tree A sacrifice to pacifie my fathers wrath for thee The sinfull man Wo worth me then for thou art hee whome I offended soe That in dispaire I languish here a wicked wretch in woe Oh let the mountaines fall on mee to hide my sinne from thee Let death approch let gaping graue take nowe their due of mee I dare not looke on thee whom that my sinne offended so No no thou wilt not pardon mee thou art of right my fo And Sathan seekes as erst y u saydst to winne my soule from thee I am content to his request I willingly agree I can not now reuoke againe my promise readie past Wherefore I knowe noe remedie I must be his at last Solace ALas poore man thou art in great perplexitie thy sences are sackt in deede But canst thou â—â—l by whose meanes wotest thou y e cause canst thou yet consider who it is that worketh this vnpleasant thing in thee Is it I or Sathan is it vertue or vice Is it life or death The sinfull man A great conflict I feele in deede a right of furious fiends Within my minde a troope of foes whome subtile Sathan sends Who with dispayre doe so beset and ransacke all my will That nothing can appease the rage that pricks mee forth to ill Wherfore I know no boote to seeke to shunne my raging thrall For Sathan binds mee to attend when he or his doe call Solace WEll poore man notwithstanding thy dissobedience and thy wilful running from me to that venemous Serpent who hath thus poysoned thee with the sting of dispaire I am not so hard hearted but of mercie wilbe pacified and vpon thine earnest repentance be a meane for thy reconciliation to the fauour of mine heauenly father againe who gaue me vp into the the hands of the world in the flesh to be a Sacrifice and OblatioÌ„ to appease his wrath which nothing els could doe and to be made the cause of eternall saluation to all the world as many as beleeue in mee The sinfull man Oh worth mee wretch then I am none of whom saluation came For I haue disobeyd thy will and led my life in blame And rest in Sathans bands a slaue by due desert I die Oh death make haste my Soule in sinne for thee is forste to crie Solace AND doest thou now confesse that it is Sathan hath thus be witched thee It is true most vntruely erwhile didst thou charge me with it be now ruled by me take mine aduice and there shall bee a dispensation prouided for thee easely to defeate Sathan and deceiue him of all his hope he hath yea of al his title intrest and demaund in thee for I haue his head vnder my girdle I vaÌ„quished him vpon y e Crosse I spoyled him of all his power I tooke all his weapons from him and tied him in chaines that he cannot passe those limmits that compasse which I haue assigned him without my permission and licence I discharged all wretched sinners out of his iurisdiction and in my humanitie satisfied and absolutely discharged the debt of all mankind and cancelled the Obligation wherein they stood bounde and tooke an acquittaunce for the same sealed with mine owne blood vpon the Crosse So that your olde maister subtile Sathan hath no more to demaund of them for I haue bouÌ„d my self to aunswere the vttermost farthing that lawe can charge them withall Although they were by reason of the breach which thy great graundparents Adam Eue made of the Commaundement of the Lord in the beginning all vnder the lawe and so bounde to aunswere the lawe which I haue done for all men And therefore if thou submit thy selfe vnto me and beleeue in me with a true faith thou shalt bee reconciled vnto mine heauenly father who if thou beleeue in me shall honour thee and for that thou art weake and full of infirmitie my grace and power feare thou not shall then most aboundantly appeare when thy weakenesse is greatest to hold thee vp and to helpe thee For although sinne abound in thee grace may more abound that is if thou repent thou shalt find fauour and mercy but he that walketh on still on his wickednesse without any motion of conscience to craue pardon of him whom he offendeth this grace and this reconcilement taketh no place in such a one Therefore must thou come to me in faith and in true repentance turne from thy former wicked waies so shalt thou bee reconciled vnto GOD mine heauenly father whose wrath by mine obedience is appeased his anger qualified and loue renued Death vanquished and life obteyned hell gates shut vp and the gates of heauen opened yea my dying hath made all men aliue for I am that seede of the woman that haue broken the Serpents head that haue cast out the Prince of this world and iudged him But he loueth yet to play the busie body he luoeth still to bee sifting euery man standing at their elbowes to pricke them forward to euery vanitie and falsly flatter them as a deepe dissembler saying tush tush God knoweth that if thou doe thus it shalbe for the best this is the way to thy most benefite But contrary
faithfulnes how to flye him and to followe me to eternall saluation whereof if thou frame thee faithfully to my wordes I will assure thee Heare me The sinfull man Oh what should I poore sinner doe whose sinnes surpasse the sand In number which the surging seas and waues haue cast on land No wit no wisedome or good will doth rest within my brest Thy wordes are all in vaine to me I am bereft of rest And know not how to winne again thy fauour which is lost In dolefull plight I striue in vaine to yeeld vp guiltie ghost That earth might passe to earth againe of which it first begun My soule where it deserues to be an wofull ghost vndun Solace Wilt thou oh man continue still so hard of heart in woe Refusing so the fruites of grace that from my mercie floe Whereby thou mayst at libertie be set from force of foe Reclaimd from sinne and Sathans will to rest no more in woe Repent therefore I say repent turne thou to me in haste Giue eare vnto me once againe be yet reformde at last Thou shalt perceiue that I forgiue all sinners when they crye Not wishing any sinfull soule in such dispaire to dye ALL the Prophetes beare me witnesse tha◠through my name all that beleeue in me shall receiue remission of sinnes Iohn sayth 〈◊〉 any man haue sinned he hath an Aduocate wit◠the father Iesus Christ the Righteous he i◠the propitiation for our sins I am that Christ of whom Osee testifieth and sayth in that I haue conquered Sathan already O Death I wilbe thy death O Hell I wilbe thy destruction I haue as Dauid sayth lead captiuitie captiue when I ascended into heauen in ouercomming the Deuill Sinne Death and Hel enemies to the soule of man These that were long before me haue testified of me whose testimonie of me is true And my father in the beginning promised that the seede of the woman should tread downe the Serpents head I was that pure seede of the Uirgine of whom the Prophetes spake long before and I haue performed it vppon the Crosse and thus doth the spirite testifie in the hearts of all the Children of my father Now if these witnesses cannot moue thee to beleeue beleeue my father in heauen who testifieth of me saying This is my welbeloued Sonne heare him My father hath sent into the world eternall life and that is by me his Sonne Well then come vnto me al ye that labour are heauy laden with the burthen of sinne come vnto me I will ease you Art thou loden therefore poore man ye more then loden thou art prest downe not to the ground but to y e very gulfe of hel thou maist thanke thy master Sathan for it who being pittilesse presseth downe with the weightie burthen of all wickednesse such as yeeld him seruice He will promise at the first nothing but ease nothing but pleasure but in the ende he lodeth with labour and paieth your hire with paine thou that hast had the tryall of it excuse him if thou canst no thou canst not nor thy self Wherfore I say defie him and condemne thy self who hast gone astraie who hast wrought wickednesse euen with greedinesse And I see that he hath led thee into such a Laberinth into such a deepe Dungion of dispaire that it wilbe hard for thee to winde thee out againe But I will worke thee such a way as if thou bee aduised by me if thou followe my counsayle and walke the way that I will shewe thee thou shalt spite of his heart breake his fetters in peeces get out of his prison and defie him and all his wicked retinue euen to their faces The sinfull man Oh Solace doth thy mercy so abound to pardon me Although like stinking filthie cloath my life appeare to thee If Sathan held me not in band fast linckt in fetters fell Who roares like raging Lyon whē I doe determine well Full faine I would returne to thee whose mercy now I see And do perceiue that Satan seekes the meanes to murther me Solace YEa that is his occupation he hath nothing els to liue by nor to maintaine his kingdome withall He first allureth men to al kinde of vice he stirreth them vp to rebell against the will of mine heauenly father and as much as in him lyes reteineth them therein but when they be somewhat touched with the knowledge and feeling of their error when the spirite beginneth to groane vnder the heauie burthen of sinne and sommoneth them to the leading of a new life and they begin to fall from him then beginnes he to bestirre himself then he begins to cogge and to lye then he renues the Commissions of his officers and wicked ministers to lay a newe assault to their soules who with great diligence execute their masters will in perswading the poore sinner that he beginnes to take an ill course if he decline from his wicked way when he refuseth to doe ill and chooseth to doe good when he leaueth darknesse and betakes him to the light of trueth He tolde Iudas that he was not wise if he would followe me but if he would forsake me and betray me then did he well But when he had performed his commaundement and done as he was bid what did that master of his for him for sooth for feare least he should haue truely repented and haue vnfeynedly returned to me againe he put such a pricke into his conscience that he neuer left him till he had hanged himselfe Such conflictes maketh hee in the mindes of men that haue once yeelded vnto his pestilent motions and obeyed his wicked will without remorse of conscience feare of death or loue of mee and that will not be in time reclaymed from their wickednesse whome the wordes of my mouth will not mooue nor the feare of hell fire fraye from their filthinesse these I say when they heare the iudgements of my Father against them for their sinnes he to the ende he may hold them still in blindnes fearreth them with threates and ouercommeth their wittes with most horrible and blasphemous perswasions that there is no saluation or hope of helpe in me in so much as he laboreth by all meanes and vseth all his pollicies to bring them to destruction resisting them alwayes from doing any good as he stoode at the right hande of Iehoshua to let him when hee prayde vnto myne heauenly father for the state of the people So hee endeuoureth to take my worde out of thine heart least thou shouldest beleeue and be saued yea he desireth to winnow those that will come forwarde to godlines as Wheate as he sifted Peter myne Apostle who perswaded him selfe to be able to stand strongly but loe euen with the feare that Sathan stroke him with he denied me three times but he repented went out and wept bitterly And afterward resisted him manfully nay he was not
mightily defend mee THE THVRSDAY or fourth daies Conference betweene Solace and the sinfull Man VVherein the sinfull man confesseth his Fayth and is instructed by Solace what repentaunce is and what are the fruites thereof and the things that hinder it Solace WHere art thou man that yesterday didst promise to be here Come forth attend beleue in mee let fruitfull faith appeare The sinfull man Oh Solace art thou here so soone this day to meete with mee Say what thou wilt I doe beleeue attendant here on thee Who as a iust reward they had from their estate exile And all that come of Adams line through Adams sinne do fall Deseruing death by due desert and thus came first our thrall And then our God of passing loue most sory for our sinne Did promise that the womans seede should our saluation winne And promised to Abraham to giue his sonne to saue Mankind from Sathans tyrannie as I beleeue he gaue Thy selfe sweete Iesus I beleeue who were coequall than With God thy father were content to be both God and man To come into this vale of woe and walke amongst vs here To shewe for our saluation thy fathers wisdome clere Borne of the virgine Marie pure as was before decreede That thou that shouldest saue vs all shouldest come of womans seede Whose Godhead and humayne state should linke them selues in one Inuisible and visible and not be here alone The heauenly counsaile did decree thy selfe as man to dye And as a God againe for vs exalt thy selfe on hye And when thou here in earthly soyle in humaine weedes belowe Didst wander I beleeue thee then like other men to growe To shewe thy selfe as man to vs in humayne state to be In eche respect a man in deede from sinne yet onely free And wast content to beare reproch to suffer cruell Iewes To buffet thee to spit at thee and thee full vilely vse Who sought by many wylie meanes to take thy life from thee Procuring wicked ministers to punish thee for mee False witnesses vniustly came accusing thee of ill And thou a lambe most innocent were well contented still And when the time appointed came wherein thou shouldest die Thy torments were so terrible were forst as man to crie My God my God in my distresse why haste thou leaft mee thus No tongue can tell the great conflicts which thou hadst then for vs. Wherein thou gauest vp the ghost vnto thy father deere Discending to the deepe of hell to clense vs sinners here The wrath of God thy father was to Adams sinne so great That nothing could but thou his sonne his loue againe intreat Who on the Crosse I doe beleeue with heart and tongue confesse That thou for all offenders then didst purchase due redresse For our offences wlllingly thou didst accept to dye And to be layd in graue as man and seene with humayne eye The third day after to aryse againe out of the graue And to ascend aboue the Skies to whome thy father gaue Thy former glory and the seate at his right hand againe Where thou as Lord of all and some doste with him now remayne And there a Mediator true for sinners here belowe Thy selfe in mercie merueilous vnto thy father showe And when the time is full compleate from thence I doe beleeue In iudgement thou wilt come againe to all mankind to giue Their iust reward of life or death as they deserue to haue Who then shall take the flesh againe they caried to the graue And those that doe remayne aliue shall quickly changed be The wicked to their endlesse woe and iust shall goe with thee Into that sâ—â—te of passing blisse that neuer shall haue end And those that thou shalt find vniust thou wilt with Sathan send The holy ghost I doe likewise in heart confesse to be Whome I doe faithfully beleeue to be all one with thee And with the father who are three in parson but in deede In substance one a Trinitie in vnitie decreede Which holy ghost doth sanctifie thy chosen ones to liue Assuring all men to be thine that faithfully beleeue And those to be an holy church a congregation pure Whome Sathan can not with his wiles from thy precepts allure Dispersed through the world so wide yet faithfully agree In faith in baptisme and good will vnited all in thee As to their head and chiefe defence on whome they doe depend And whome with mightie hand thou doste most graciously defend And they like faithfull children doe communicate in one And doe not vse thy benefites eche man by him alone But what thou dost on one bestowe he doth impart to all And eche in godly loue supports another least he fall Whose sinne I faithfully beleeue is pardoned in thee Who by thy death I doe beleeue hast made mee likewise free And that our bodies now corrupt shall rise againe in fine In purerest wise and them into thine hands againe resigne And that our soules and bodies shall the heauenly ioyes possesse For euer more encrease my faith that I beleeue no lesse Solace WEL then if thine heart doe faithfully beleeue those things which thou hast here confessed doe not swerue nor stand doubtfull of any one of these seuerall Articles thou art in a good way and shalt shortly feele in thy selfe a merueilous chaunge through the working of this faith whose operation and effect as I told thee yesterday is wonderfull and to conclude looke vpon Gydion Barach Sampson Ieptha Dauid Samuell and the Prophetes who through the same faith subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obteyned the promises stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the force and violence of fire escaped the edge of the Sworde of weake were made strong became valiant in battataile and put to flight the Armies of the Aliauntes It is I say the foundation and groundworke of all other vertues whatsoeuer shewing it selfe by vnfained repentance which is an inward sorrowe for sinne and a continuall godly care of the amendement of life as thou shalt hereafter bee better instructed if faithfully thou imbrace my sayings and incline thine eares to knowledge The sinfull man Increase my faith I am corrupt which keepes mee dull perforce My flesh is fraile my will is weake good Solace shewe remorse And what as yet doth want in mee vnfold the same in hast That I a sinner may repent of all offences past Solace IF thou bee so well disposed and so readie in heart truely to turne vnto mee vnfeinedly to repent as by outward shewe thou seemest I wil proceede to shew thee how thou must finish y e good desire of thine to obteine eternall life The sinfull man Say on good Solace I attend I long in heart to heare The course of this thy purpose pure which is to mee so deere Solace THen vnderstand thou that when I walked in this vale of miserie in the similitude of mortall man healing all deseases and bodily infirmities I required for my rewarde of those
thou must praye for grace and assistance to doe that which in those two Tables is conteyned And what by reason of thine owne weakenes thou canst not performe thereof thou must beware that although I haue vndertaken to stand betweene thy selfe the curse due for the same thou thinke not thy selfe so discharged of performance thereof as farre as thou canst least by the careles câ—sting of the burden thereof vppon mee thou runne headlong into those euils that Sathan shall pricke thee vnto perswading thy selfe that I haue vndertaken to release thee of that which heretofore was layde on thee to be performed and so thincke it needlesse to doe that which is commaunded thee Take heede I say take heede least that this conceite drawe thee into a negligent going forward to doe good and a promisse to doe euill But bring foorth the fruites of amendement of life work righteousnesse execute iudgement growing and proceeding from fayth to fayth ioyning thereunto a good conuersation with knowledge and much patience accompanied with brotherly kindnes and loue wherein thou must shewe thy selfe willing to doe good vnto all men to speake the trueth from thine heart to imagine no deceit against thy neighbour but to doe vnto him as thou wouldest others should doe vnto thee shewing thy selfe fruitfull in the knowledge of the trueth confirming thy free election in mee by the workes proceeding of the Spirit through a liuely and a woorking faythe wherein acknowledging thy true and earnest repentaunce by disclayming thine owne merits thou shalt in the ende receiue that swéet and endles solace which by my death I haue purchased whiche is the moste comfortable presence of my father in heuen life euerlasting without the· which there is nothyng but vtter destâ—â—ction The sinfull man Then Lorde of lords oh Solace sweet Oh louing Iesu deere Whose passing power by word of trueth created heauens cleere The Sea that surgeth too and fro the earth and Creatures all Thy wisdome is surpassyng high thy mercies great withall So that the workes which thou hast done doo all depend on thee And I among them all the woorst crye come Lorde come to mee Who am a Uessell fraught with wo whose dayes are past in sinne My nature proane to wickednesse reteines mee yet therin But thou that art the God of blisse extende thy mercie meere Let not the furious Feend preuaile against thy Creatures heere Thou canst attend before I crie support before I fall Thou canst relieue before I craue forgiue before I call Thy grace is of so great effect thy counsaile Lord so pure That whome thou wilt preserue and keepe remaineth most secure Thou art of grace the giuer true the God of mercie meere Who wouldest not that Sinners die but turne to thee in feare So that Oh Lord abounding so with loue and mercie store Thou didst vouchsafe to send a salue to cure my cruell sore Thy onely Sonne delight and ioy who came in humaine weede Into this vale of deepe annoy to kyll the Serpents seede Who did betray and bryng to woe our former Parentes twaine Whom thou hadst set in blessed state for aye there to remaine And I poore wretch the seede of sinne so subiect vnto yll Haue swerued from y e word of trueth and sore transgrest thy wyll Imbracing with great greedinesse my substance and my store Which I by couin and deceit haue gotten heretofore And in delight haue past my dayes as Sathan rulde my will I framde my â—â—nfies all and some to thinges peruers and ill Haue mercie mercie Lord on mee whoe haue deserued thrall Refuse mee not though I be dust by nature proane to fall Blot out of thine accompting Booke what I haue done amisse Oh pardon my Offences all and place my soule in blisse Wash me from all vngodlinesse make soule and body cleene That not a spot of filthinesse in neither may be seene I doo confesse O Lord to thee I doo confesse my sinne And doo condempne my selfe of all that I haue liued in I am a frowarde Childe to thee prouokyng thee to Ire But Lord vouchsafe call mee againe I would full faine retire From wandring in such vanities to walke the wayes of light Extend thy loue Lorde let me liue from hence a life vpright I disobeyed thy Preceptes and did what Nature would I did not that that Uertue wyld and what of right I should Most wickedly I walked in the wayes that were vniust Esteeming filthy Carcase so as it had not ben dust Oh Lorde I stood no feare of thee nor reuerenst thy name But as a disobedient wretche haue lead my life in blame Thy Lawes I cast behinde my back and doo not them fulfyll I follow with all greedinesse mine owne corrupted wyll I haue most lewdly lead my life without remorce of minde Neglecting true repentance styll to wickednes inclinde I roue at randone too and fro from sinne to sinne I runne And therin wallow as the Sow in durtie soyle in Sunne The Solace whiche I should haue shund I sought with gredinesse And shund the Solace which I shuld haue held as happinesse Which thou O lord thou doost behold yea what I thinke or saye What I haue done and what I doo and how I gad astraye How I despised thy commaund and how I breake thy wyll How like a senceles man I run by rash conceit to yll Wherfore I neede to say no more my sinnes my soule annoy Mine heart doeth harbour such conflict that gone is all my ioy Solace Dispaire not man let sorrow passe take solace now of mee I am the God that neuer was nor wyll vnfaithfull bee My mercie is a thousand fould to him that doth repent Repent therfore saye on be bould the contrite is not shent What if thou be a sinfull man in hart repent therfore Be sure thou shalt haue pardon then but see thou sinne no more The Thiefe that hung on tree w t mee as he gaue vp the Ghost Did craue that he might saued bee whose praiers were not lost And Marie Magdaline that was a sinfull woman came To mee in heart repenting sinne and I forgaue the same By death I say I ouerthrew the Serpent and his trayne Mine heauenly fathers wyll I dyd obey without disdaine Upon the Crosse with euyll men my Corps were nayled fast Not as a Sinner but for thee when helpe of hope was past Proceede therfore confesse in haste what thou hast done amisse For Sinne I know remains in thee as in all men there is The sinfull man Then Lorde I see thou doest beholde with thy supernall eye The creaturs which in thraldome bee and hearest when they crie I sinfull soule distressed sore in plungyng pangues of woe Doo craue the cruÌ„mes of mercie store which from thy Table floe For Lorde I see that thou art prest to ease my sinfull sore Refuse me not vouchsafe mee rest in heart that call therfore Who by my sinfull lyfe haue lost thy loue and purchast