thine eare and heare mee behold how desolate I am stretch out thy hand and helpe mee Lord I desire to come to thée and my weakenesse is such as without thy helpe I am not able to raise my selfe vnto thée Therefore Lord remember thy swéet promises tarrie not ouerlong strengthen me with thy holie Spirit heare my Praiers and wash me in thy righteousnes I cast not these peticions before thee hoping in mine owne Merites which are are none but trusting in thy great mercie and swéet promises Wherefore Lord heare me and forgiue me and I shall liue for euer L LEt Enmity passe which seeketh Death and Destruction and before thou prayest forgiue els thou heapest vengeance on thy selfe LOrd make thy waies knowen vnto me that I may walke so perfectlie that no kind of Sinne ouercome me Thou leadest straight in iudgement and giuest sight to the blind Thou art neare vnto them that call vpon thée with faithfull heart haue mercie vppon mee heare me and giue me a Heart to pray vnto thée Laye not against mee my sins past but for thine own sake forget them I vnderstand not all mine errours my sinnes haue taken hold on mee and of my selfe I am not able to return Send me therefore thy holy helpe to strengthen mine infirmitie Kéepe my mouth and lips and let the thought of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight Permitte not the woord of Truth to depart my breast suffer not Malice to dwell in my heart Deliuer me from false surmises and accusations of men rule mee after thine owne will and pleasure Remooue from me vanities and let not the foote of Pride take holde on mee so shall I be frée from the greatest sin Stay and kéepe me from euerie euill waye for in thée I trust it is thou onely that canst helpe Looke vnto mee with thy mercies and graunt me grace in thy sight Amen I IN equitie Loue and Truth gather all thy riches in the handes of the poore laye vppe thy Almes and these shall defend thee from euill fight for thee against thy enemies better then the strength of mightie men preserue thy fauour as the apple of an Eye and rise with thee in the day of Iudgement to paye thy reward on thy head IN hope of thy mercie and forgiuenesse most mightie and dreadfull God whose truth is vnspotted I am bold to come before thée My trust is good I shall be heard for that thou hast euer béene the true head of all Iustice and delightest in truth Denie thy selfe thou canst not for thou hast promised In what time soeuer a Sinner doth with a broken heart repent his wickednesse at that instant thou wilt cansell the recordes of thy remembraance and the fowlenesse of his fault shall remaine no blemish to his soule Heare mee now therefore oh Maker of Heauen and earth I acknowledge I haue sinned and done vnpleasant things in thy sight I confesse the misdéedes which rebell against my Soule with Saul saying I haue sinned I haue played the Foole and haue erred excéedingly And with like humble lowlie and faithfull heart as did King Dauid who vnfainedlie cried out his Sinne and became thy seruant So most Holie in hope of the same hire with contrite heart I sigh and say I haue broken thy Lawes and not walked in thy Commandements If I should now recite and number the Mountaines of my misdéedes which ouerwhelme my bodie and that are eager enemies to my pining Soule the day were too short Lord I néede not thy blisfull Seate is aboue the starry Firmament and thou sittest on high beholding what is done amisse in the Earth belowe My wickednes that I most secretlie haue cōmitted to th◠Celestiall eies haue béen manifest Forgiue me good Lord that my tongue may iustifie thy euerlasting Truth that others beholding in me thy manifold mercies may likewise with me be ashamed of their euill and séeke after thy mercie Woe am I that my heart hath béen so long vnacquainted with the Welspringes of thy Truth that my handes haue wrought vnrighteousnesse and heaped sinne vpon sinne Turne awaye from the sight thereof the fulnesse of thy furie Exchange the roughnesse of thy rage into méeke mildnesse before thou correct mee most louing Sauiour I am not able to abide thy heauie displeasure if thou chastice me with thy rodde of Iustice I perish I haue not one good déed to preferre mine offences beare number with the flowers and blossomes of the Spring my truth is no whitte and with vnrighteousnesse all is defiled Forgiue me oh Heauenly King forget thou that art the swéet spring of my soule Giue mee thy holy Spirite that it may be with mee and labour with me to attain thy blessed fauour for mine ignorance cannot desire that I ought neither can my féeble strength without thine ayde rayse mee vnto thy presence Thy Spirit will helpe my debility and make right intercession for all my necessities Thy Spirit will make mee praye with such humblenesse of heart and sorrowfull sighings as no tongue can tell That gift most precious will hold mee vp where flesh would fall and guide my féeble féete in the light of the Lord. The Spirit I say will purge me from all earthly affects and lift me vp to heauenly things Therefore conioyne mee oh God of all mercy to thy holye Spirit to teach mee to tread the steady steppes of thy worthy will So shall I lead my Life in the true Lawe of thy louing kindnesse and with a strong and stable mind perseuer in Prayer vnto the end Graunt mee therefore for thy Truth and Sonnes sake that I may enioye this swéet possession of thy holy Spirit which may alwayes lead my labours after thy lyking and kéepe my heart in thy feare Swéet Iesu make a couenant with mee that I neuer may become an enemie vnto thée any more nether be found vnwoorthy of thy rich mercy and bountifull benefites but that the remainder of my life imployed in thy Seruice may iustly mooue thee to forget the iniquity of my tender yeares Continue thou God of all comfort with increase by the assistance of thy grace what I haue begun So shall I liue to glorifie thy might and mercy for euer and euer Amen Z ZEale anger carefulnesse and sorow cause celeritie of old Age Iustice mercie equity and truth make glad the holy Ghost and to a merrie heart is giuen long life sweet tast ZAcharie spake from thée O Lord saying Like as I deuised to punish you what time your Fathers prouoked mee vnto wrath and spared not Euen so am I now minded to doe well vnto the house of Iuda and Hierusalem therefore feare it not Now the thinges you shall doe saith the Lord are these speake euery man the truth to his neighbour execute Iudgement truely and peaceable within your Portes none of you Imagine euill in his heart and loue no false oathes O Lord of my selfe I am so sinnefull and ignorant that I cannot speake nor thinke a good
thy endeauour but to the helpe of my Grace for if thou trust to thy selfe and to thine own industry thou shalt easily fal thy well doing neuer ascribe to thy selfe nor vsurpe any thing vpon my gifts for of thy self thou canst not but offend of thy selfe thou hast nothing but sinne which is proper to thy selfe desire not vainely to please any mortall man wish rather to bee knowne of sew then many and to be despised rather then praysed neuer estéem thy self any thing worth nor thinke thy worthines of any value but without saying account thy selfe vngratefull vnworthy and the vilest creature aliue Humble and imbase thy selfe beneath all men for my sake loue all men with a pure loue yea those also which persecute thee wish the prosperity of thy brother despise none dispayre not at the well doing of any slaunder none iudge no man what thou seest hearest of others interprete it to the best with all study mortifie thine owne appetite and singularly embrace my will gladly and willingly obey me in all thinges and men in those which be lawfull leaue thine own wil and deny thy selfe commit yéeld thée wholy to my prouidence with firme trust in me in all temptation perill necessity for I haue care of thée and diligently attend thee as if thou onely liuedst Daughter learne to receiue euery aduersity and affliction no otherwise then as from my hand sent onely and patiently bear it to the end for my sake for trouble is the cupp of blessing whereof I haue made al my chosen to drinke There hath not béene any of mine which outwardly or inwardly hath not suffered som trouble Wherefore reiecting all weaknesse whatsoeuer commeth to thee take it in good part belieue it to be sent to thée for thy helth for the great loue I bear thée suffer aduersity it is the kingly way which leadeth to heauenly heritage walke therefore in it reioysing and giue mee thanks that I haue so regarded thee that I would giue thée somwhat that thou shouldest suffer when any doe molest thée and worke thee iniurie or spight thinke him sent by me to proue thee Bée not agrieued with him giue him not sharpe and bitter wordes neyther think of reuengemēt marke not the man which is my Instrument and scourge but attend on me which suffer such things to be done by mā O Daughter in euery trouble and sorrow be patient resigning thy selfe to me for I purge thée by afflictions and make thee apt and worthy to be maried to me But if of thy humane infirmity or other defect thou fall to impatience be not discouraged neyther wauer dispayring in thy good endeauours but forthwith arise turn to me and cal vpon mee with a sure hope of pardon I know the generall weakenesse of man I know also thy peculiar frailety trust to me thy hope and full trust cannot be too assured in mee if thy life and repentance bee good Wherefore hastilie flye vnto me I will take thée vppe heale and defend thée what doest thou feare yet O Daughter why doest thou not euen now desire death for what euill can death bring thée Truely after thou hast bequeathed thy carkas to the ground thou shalt no more offend me thou shalt no more be defiled with sinne if thou loue nothing in this world Death can take nothing from thée if thou loue any worldly thing wilt thou stand to the daunger nay rather thou louest thine owne perilles Therefore before thou die cease to loue worldly and transitory things if thou fear not too much to die yea if thou loue me alone in this life bée glad thou shalt die for but by death thou canst not get what thou louest But I know what thou fearest truely nothing in this world thou louest nothing thou doest possesse that eyther thou carest to enioy or wouldest sorrowe the losse but trembling and feare vexeth thee becaus thou knowest not whether thou be worthy loue or hatred Thou knowest not how thou shalt be receyued of me eyther to rest or paine None of these shalt thou know O Daughter as thou wooldest know yet Though thou feare yet abide in hope and sure trust in mee whether thou liue or die of thy selfe thou canst neyther liue nor die wel both thou hast of me if I giue thee to liue well shall not I also grant thee well and happilie to die seeing therefore thou hast all of mee seeing thou lookest for all thinges at my hand how is it then that thou hopest one thing and dispayrest another Trust then cast all thy thoughtes care vpon me as liuing thou art able to resist no temptation nor auoide any sinne so neyther dying art thou able if faithfully I preuent temptations and moderate them in thy life the same will I doe in thy death Neuer enter battaile with thine own force and armes but leaue it vnto mee and leaning vnto me I will fight for thee and I fighting for thée and defending thee what cause hast thou of feare neither doubt thou of the condition or kinde of death Nullum est genus mortis quod nocere potest iusto No kind of death is able to annoy a iust man for the iust with what death soeuer he be beset is in safegard Therefore be nothing carefull whether at home or abroad in bed or in field thou shalt die neyther feare whether thy death bée naturall or violent but as the Apostle counselleth study to liue soberly iustly and godly that thou mayest well and happily die An euill death doth not follow a good and iust life but the death of the iust is precious in my sight howsoeuer they end this life whether in the water in the fire or in bed they Dye A Sweet and comfortable Consolation for all weake minds to confirme and strengthen them against Desperation WHo soeuer refusing the hope of pardon runneth head-long into the gulfe of desperation doth not onely distrust the omnipotencie of God perswading himselfe that there is som crime which hee is not able to extinguish but also maketh him a lyer By the mouth of his Prophet hee hath promised a frée remission of sinne so soone as the offender bewayleth but frowardly doth the posterity of Cain say Such is mine iniquity as I shall never obtaine remission What sayest thou Caitief If God be not able to pardon because of the greatnesse of thy sinne thou robbest him of his Omnipotency If he will not doe that which he can do he is a Lyar and too light not to performe the thing which so oft he hath promised by the mouth of his holy Prophets It is saide of the Psalmist God is gratious and mercifull long suffering and of great goodnesse The Lord is loving to all men and his mercy is over all his workes Is there any thing then more admirable then the Creation of the heauens with so many shining bodies then the making of the earth with such singular varietie of liuing creatures Trées Plantes
kindnesse be such I heare present thée with a heauie heart a broken bodye a martyred mind and a sighing Soule These all appeale to thée O Lord for thy mercie and cry out with the Prodigall Son saying I haue sinned against Heauen and before thée wash me therefore with thy rich mercy not that any good in mee doth deserue it but because thou art God of all mercie and it declareth thy mightinesse to forgiue Thou diddest shew compassion vpon the woman of Canaan for her great Faith and from the beginning thou hast not reiected the effectuall praiers of a single heart Lord I giue glory to thy name with the highest thy mercy stretcheth aboue the Firmaments the sure hope and trust I haue in thy vnspeakeable truth and compassion is equall with the strong Faith of the Cananite woman I confesse my sinnes are manifold But Lord I know thy mercie and sauing health are infinite Lord sith thou art of power to forgiue aboue that I can offend for thy names sake release my sorrow cut the sacke of my sins and make mee strong in thée So shall I liue and all my thoughts acknowledge thy praise Amen H HAppy is the man that hath not fallen with the Woorde of his mouth and is not pricked with the conscience of sin that hath no heauinesse in his mind and is not falne from his Hope HOw mighty thou art oh God of Hoastes in thy precelling powre by Creating this world of nothing we are taught to know Thou doest gouern the same and puttest downe with thy hand the prowde and traiterous Tyrants thereof Thou destroyest their deuises kéepest the raging Sea within her bounds These and such like declare thy power ouer all The plentie of thy bountifull hand giueth not onely increase of things but also the encrease of euery kinde of thing shewe forth thy louing kindnesse Thou doest multiply yearly and daily these kindes how many séeds good Lord doest thou encrease of one séed Lord what manifolde springs commeth thereof These cannot but kéepe vs mindfull of thy excéeding Riches and Mercy Lord if to thy enemies as to the greatest number of the worlde which loue thée not thy condition be to deale thus bountifully what shall I déeme resteth with thée for thy frindes Truly such blisfull ioyes and rest as maketh me only desire of thée to bée dissolued from this earthlye and vncleane bodye when thy pleasur is I am the freshe Image of thy selfe and the worke of thine owne hands take mée therefore vnto thée burnish me a new frée my soule from the poysoned prison of sinne that it may giue equal thanks vnto so swéete a Lorde and guide Whilest I abide in this wretched body of Sinne I cannot sée thée oh Lord yea it is a heauy habitation and depresseth down sore my Spirit from the familiarity which it els should haue with thée my louing Father Lord this world and life is a Dungeon of Darknesse a Mountain of miserable Martirdomes a lewde Laborinth of lothsome Lustes a cankred course of chokinge Calamities being voyde of all vertues to gaine eternall Life Make mée therfore strong to walke vpright in this wretched wildernesse and arme mée with the guift of thy grace against the power of Sathan my Ghostly enemy Here is nothing where I am Lord but daily assaults of Temptations troubles torments carefull calamities contention for thy word horrible hatred and worldly ambition against which Lord perfect me in knowledge and strong fayth and with thy righte hand beat downe mine enemies that thou mayst be knowen to bée my God and Shield ¶ The Versicle FOR thy deare Sonnes sake O Lord heare and receaue my Prayers ¶ The Answere AND in thy truth and mercie pardon mine offences and graunt mee thy grace ¶ The Collect. O Lord Iesus Christ Sonne of the pure Virgin Marie thou art not onely the swéet spouse of my soules health but with God the Father a most meeke Mediator full of mercie and truth wash awaye my sins with the most precious blood of thy holie passion make mee rich in thy mercie and my faith so strong in thée that assisted with thy grace and holie Spirit to all dutie and workes in this life towards thée I may enioye afterwards the glorie of thy blessed kingdome with thy holy Saints in euerlasting honour and tryumph Amen L LOuing Father plant thy grace so surely in me oh Lord that from this day I neuer become enemie with thée againe but that I may onelie rest in thée Guide me with the cleare light of thy woord through the darke deserts of this wretched world Heere no miserie nor trouble lacketh Héere euerie place is full of snares of mortall enemies yea héere one trouble and temptation being ouerpassed an other ensueth and after the first enduring a new battaile suddainlie assaileth whereby I neuer haue peace and want wherewith to warre O Lord kéepe me helpe me saue mee regard me oh Lord Lord assist me with the power of thy holie Spirit and as thou hast commaunded I come vnto thée praying for the guift of all these my requests and speciallie Lord I require the Sword of my sauiour Christ true and firme Faith that established in thy Truth holding that for my defence I may be safelie armed against all mine enemies and strong to cut down the thornes which shall spring in my waye of passage vnto thée in whom sweet Sauiour aboue all honour glorie triumph swaye rule power and dignitie make me settle all my ioyes yea aboue all health riches beautie fame and felicitie to desire thée loue thée and magnifie thée which giuest all and therfore of all to bee beloued and sought art most worthy Amen A ARise O Lord I beséech thée and ease the paines I suffer and the troubles of my soule let the fountaines of thy grace ouerflow my barren bodie and the floudes of thy mercie strengthen my féeble Spirit let thy louing kindnesse couer mine infirmities and thy suffered drops of deaw vpon the Crosse drown mine iniquitie Thy woord is Truth and thou hast said thy delight is not in the death of a Sinner but wouldest he should conuert and liue Teach me therfore to number my daies in the loue of thy Lawes that I may alwaies thirst after thy kingdome and neuer forget thée but in this that I haue here begun may perseuer and increase setting at naught all worldlie pompe respect of persons and mans helpe and onelie cleaue to thy Omnipotent power mercie strength and goodnes wherein Lord make mee so rich that I neuer may haue power to swerue from thée nor want thy grace to resist all temptations neither yet thy strength to tread downe mine enemies and so my heart shall ioyfullie liue and giue thanks to thée my God of all truth mercie and victorie Amen D DEare God thou mercifull father of my redéemer Christ which hast promised to heare the petitions of them that aske in thy sons name giue downe thy feare into my hart conioyne thy
owne sight and neither pride nor selfe loue ouertake or at any time allure me to exercise the vnséemely pleasantnes of nature but euer preferring a pure and chast life may winn the victory of all vncleanes and glorifie thée which art the heade and Patrone of al mercy truth singlenesse whose triumphe my tongue shall neuer cease to aduance Therfore most louing Sauiour leaue mée not to my selfe but stand alwaies by mée and with thy stronge hand make my waies sound and perfit confound mine enemies in theire deuises Amen T THou hast sayd most swéete redéemer Christ that the Mountaines shall remooue and the Hiles shall fal downe but thy louing kindenesse woorde mercy truth shall not moue and also that the band of thy peace shall not faile vs. Déere Father I beséech thée for thine owne truth and mercyes sake remember this thy promise Couenant graue it so déepe in the inward partes of my heart that I may neuer forget neyther fall from thée but euer acknowledge thée mine only God and Sauiour Loue thée with all my heart thy people for thy sake exercising iustice mercy and Truth to all thy Creatures and neuer suffering mee to doe that may mooue thy wrath but more and more assisted with thy grace may encrease thy loue and liking and finally obtain thy ioyes euerlasting Amen H HEare these my Prayers sweet Lord Iesu and for thy excéeding Loue which brought thée from the Sacred seate of thy Fathers breste into the wombe of the blessed vergin to banish death and Sinne to redéeme mans nature whereby in thy austere Passion as thou hast restored mée and with so blessed a Shield defended mine eternall death by the selfe same Loue call me that haue wandred home againe to thy Folde renew me with thy spirite confirme mee with strong fayth nourish in me such thy aboundance loue garnish me with thy plentiful grace lade me with infallible hope of thy mercy finally restore all parts in mee which are decaied and quicken in me what so is dead should liue that my spirit set at liberty from Terestriall thinges thou mayst euer dwel in me And my Soule and body assisted with thy ritch guift of all these may fully purely safely and strongly settle them in thée To whome be praise both now and euer Amen ¶ A Prayer ALmightie God which flyest with the winges of the Ayre rydest vpon the Cherubins and hast Empire aboue the Starrie Firmaments Thou that sittest in Sacred seate most hye beholding the wretchednes of man in this lowe Earth attending through thine owne loue his deserts when with any occasion thou maist offer thy mercy Bow downe thy pittiful eies and fauour in me the Image of thy selfe as thou diddest vouchsafe in Zache when thou calledst him out of the Figge trée enritch my eares with the same voice of Remission and Gladnesse as thou diddest his incline thine eares and heare these cries oh Lord redéemer for though I am but Dust Earth ano Ashes yet I am bould strengthened with thy truth and the merits of Christs death and passion to lay my prayers before thée requiring mercie and forgiuenesse of all my sinnes and also the assistance of thy grace to doe thy will all the dayes of my life and to obtayne all these my peticions through Iesus christ thy deare Sonne and my onely sauiour to whome with thée and the holy Ghost be all honor power dominion and glorie for euer and euer Amen A MEDITATION vpon the Lords Prayer ¶ Our Father which art in Heauen TRuelie thou O Almighty Father hast iust Cause to execute thy seuere iudgement vpon vs sinners which so often and gréeuously moue thy wrath and indignatiō against vs but sithence by thy mercy thoue doost not onely pardon but also commaundest and teachest by thy Sonne Iesus Christ that we should hould thée for a father we pray thee through him that thou wilt giue vs a full and sure trust in thy Fatherly clemencie and that we may likewise féele some taste of that securitie which thy Children haue and with ioye call thée Father acknowledge thée loue thee and in all our troubles call vpon thée defend and guide vs that wee may perpetually abide thy Children and let vs not goe out of thy protection Though we bée the Children of wickednes yet let vs not hold thée in stéed of a seuere Iudge when thou wilt that wée shall not only call thée Father but our Father and that we pray not in our owne name alone but in the name of all thy Children Giue vs therefore an vniforme and brotherly loue that in déede we may perceaue our selues to be Brothers Sisters and thée our generall Father Let vs praye for all the rest no otherwise then Fathers were wont to pray for their Children neither suffer any of vs to séeke his own and forget his brother but taking away what enuie hatred or discorde so euer raigneth among vs that as becometh Gods children we may mutually loue one another and trewly call thée not Father but our Father Of our carnall and earthly Fa ther we receue this brickle body and he is such a one as is subiect to death neither are wée sure how longe hee shall remaine a Father Furthermore if aduersity happen he can not chaunge that but thou art a heauenly Father truely farre better and more Nobler So much more right is it then that we contemne for thee our Father Countrey kindred Riches Flesh Blood yea and whatsoeuer is in this world vnder the scope of Heauen This also graunt to vs that wee may bee thy heauenly Children whome thou doost teach that we shall regarde nothing but the soules health and that heauenly Heritage least in this carnall and earthly countrey deceiued stirred vp or letted by ritches wee become heyres of sensuality but trwely let vs say our heauenly Father and that truely wee may be thy heauenly Children Halowed be thy name ALmighty GOD heauenly Father thy holy name is miserably prophaned many wayes in this world scorned taunted and blasphemed when it is applyed to those thinges in which is no glory of thy Deity yea many abuse it imploying it to sinne and truely that vnwoorthy life in a christiā man deserueth to be called a Prophanation of thy holy name graunt therefore to vs good Lord through thy mercy that wee may beware of all those thinges by which the honour and glory of thy name is diminished and purifie vs that the Arts of Magike may be abolished let people cease to enchaunt Diuels or other cretures by thy name see that all disturst and supersticion perish Heresie and wicked doctrine also which notwithstandinge they preferre thy name yet they deceiue many lette them perish be brought to nothing graunt that thy people be not deceiued throgh any outward shew onely of Truth righteousnesse or holinesse Suffer not any man to forsweare himselfe lye or deceiue others by thy name Take from vs O Lord all false aydes which
Fruits and all other things then the fabrication of so many pure Celestiall Soules so that who durst bee bold to affirme had not the Prophet manifestly spoken it that the mercy of God doth excell the glory of his handie workes Holy Scripture sometime tearmeth the mercie of God great sometime too great sometime it amplifieth the force thereof by the name of multitude or number The Kingly Prophet David in one selfe place comprehendeth both the greatnesse and multitude of Heauenly mercy saying Haue mercy on me O God after thy great goodnesse and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences Where great iniquity is there néedeth much compassion If thou doe but weigh how haynous the offence of David was thou wilt acknowledge the greatnesse of Gods goodnesse If thou consider how oft he offended in that sinne thou shalt sée the multitude of his mercies That GOD which is our King our Father our Master our Spouse prescribeth no determinate number of offences but as oft as through true Repentance we returne to him he forgetteth and forgiueth the punishment which he threatneth to vs he entertaineth vs amongst his Familie leadeth vs into the Chamber of his Loue and receyueth not vs onely but forgetteth our offences Hee bringeth the lost shéepe vpon his shoulders to the staules and biddeth the Congregation of the Chosen to his reioysing He goeth to méete the Prodigall Sonne returning from his long and loathsome iorney and putteth a Robe a King vpon him and commaundeth the fattest Calfe to be killed for him What other thing doth this signifie but the Immense or as I may say the ouermuch mercy of God It is no maruaile though his mercy excéede which loueth vs so excéedingly Paule feareth not to write thus to the Ephesians We are saeth he by Nature become the Children of wrath But God which is rich in mercy for his tender loue wherewith he loved vs when wee were lead to sinne hath raysed and reconciled vs againe to Christ Saint Iohn in his Gospell more plainely expresseth the maruailous Loue of God our Father towards vs saying So God loved the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that who so beleeveth in him should not perish but haue everlasting life Wherevnto Paul aptly agréeth He that spared not his only Son but gaue him for vs all hath hee not given vs all things together with him This so great loue this so great kindnesse doth it not worthily appeare vnmeasurable because we haue nothing which wee haue not freely receyued of God Whatsoeuer wee doe whatsoeuer we possesse it commeth by the mercy of God Yea it is the mercy of God that made the Angels and created the world If he had wrought it to himselfe his power and policie might haue béen praised but sith to our vse hée hath framed all these things shall we not acknowledge his mercy to be maruailous For whome haue the Celestiall Ayres their course to whom lendeth the Sun his beames by day the Moone with the Starres their brightnesse by Night but for Man For whose vse made hee these things of nothing For whose sake but for mans onely doe the hanging clouds giue their shade and bedew the pleasant fields Why blow the winds why flow the Riuers why spread the Springes why encrease the Seas but for the vse of man Who reapeth the cōmodities of the fertile earth which engendreth so many liuing thinges such wealthy store but man There is nothing that God hath not made Subiect to man onely he would that man should be obedient vnto him Manie times our merciful God sendeth aduersity either to cleare vs of our transgressions or to deterre vs from sinne or to minister occasion of well-doing Thus was Abraham tried so was Iob prooued with many miseries thus is euery one which liueth in Iesus Christ tryed in this world with sundry afflictions as the Golde with the fire Where are those that murmure against GOD when eyther infirmity of health or death and losse of wife and Children or decay of worldly wealth happeneth to them no thing knowing that these are the manifest signes of a mercifull GOD. Let vs giue ear to the coūsel of Salomon My Son saith he Despise not the word of God nor forsake his correction For whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and delighteth in him as a Father in his Sonne The Apostle Paul hath the like saying to the Hebrues Whome the Lord loveth he correcteth and rebuketh every Childe that he receyveth Then by Paules Counsel when any storme of aduersity ariseth let vs stand fast in the Truth knowing that hee offereth himselfe to vs as to his Children like a mercifull God If the loue of God lend vs prosperity let vs giue him thanks and bee carefull that we abuse not his bounty If misery oppresse vs let vs neuerthelesse giue thankes to him and commit our selus to his iudgement To obtaine health thou giuest thy selfe vp to the Phisition thou yéeldest thy selfe to the Coard Saw and Searing of the Chirurgion And to enioy euerlasting health fearest thou to trust thy Creator thy Master thy Father and onely Sauiour Thou darest not say to the Physition thus thus cure me And wilt thou prescribe to God the means of thy sauing health Let euery one of vs descend into the depth of his conscience let vs consider how oft and how grieuouslie we haue offended God how his benefites are defiled with our iniquities and so we shall sée how much wee are indebted to his infinit mercy which hath borne with our frailety so gently which by so many meanes calleth vs to repentance which so wllingly pardoneth the penitent and conuert Truely he is greatly to bee lamented which refuseth the fountaine of euerlasting life and neuer by repentance returneth whence he departed The Prodigal Child straied farre left and forsooke his Fathers House yet returned Peter was far gone when he denied his Master thrice but yet remēbring the wordes which Iesus spake to him he recanted and wept bitterlie How gently doth the Lord in Hieremie vnder the person of the wife which hauing forsaken her husband gaue herselfe to euery man Call his people to repentance Returne my Children and be converted saith hee because I am your husband But oh wretched is the mā that stoppeth his eares at this voyce of the Lords To day saith the Psalme If you hear my voyce harden not your hearts This is our day as long as we liue in which the Lord ceaseth not to call bpon vs to repentance offering vs prepared pardon God himselfe in Ezechiel doth not onelie promise remission to him that forsaketh his euill but voweth obliuion of all his former offences For after he had reckoned all the errours which man fell into he added If the wicked man will be sorry for his sins keep my commaundements do the thing that is right he shal liue and not die and I will not remember ought that he hath done Haue I pleasure