me all thinges pacified both in heauen and earth by me thou art reconciled and made at one againe with God myne heauenly father and by me if thou beleeue thou shalt obteine forgiuenesse of all thy sinnes and pardon for al thine offences for thy manifold transgressions rebellion and dissobedience And to thee that art sinfull ignorant and farr from knowledge to thee is here euen in my blood saluation offred and the true spirite of wisedome opened that the eyes of thy mynd that now are so dimmed with the shadowe of the olde man may bee lightened with the Candle of my sacred counsaile and truely perceiue and thine heart rightly conceiue what the ende is of this hope whervnto I am come to call thee what the riches of my glorious inheritance which I here proffer thee is and the greatnesse of my power which I promise thee who as I sayd before haue torne in peeces and cancelled the Obligation wherein thou stoodest bound I haue taken it away and fastened it on the Crosse I haue losed thee from the seruitude and slauerie of Sathan who as thou sayst doth chalenge thy seruice I haue set thee free from the workes of darknesse who am the light and no man that beleeueth in me shal remaine any more in darknesse beleeue therefore in the light that thou mayst bee made the childe of light and obteine life againe that now art dead vnder the Prince of darkenesse who had once the power of death But I haue deliuered all them that beleeue in me and liue in my feare and haue takē away that partition that was set betwene God my father and them So that through me thou mayst haue free accesse vnto him yea Iewes and Gentiles are vnited and knit to one God euen my father who for their sakes gaue me an oblation and sacrifice to bee offered vpon the Crosse to the ende that by myne obedience they might bee made righteous I was accurssed that through my curse they might be blessed and deliuered from the heauy burthen of the lawe yea I became poore to make all men rich but not as thou hast gloried to bee rich in goodes and great aboundaunce but in grace and the fauour of myne heauenly father with whom I haue obteined peace for thee and deliuered thee out of y e thraldome of that spirituall Pharao by offering my body a Pascall Lambe sprinckling my blood vpon the doore postes of the hearts of all true beleeuers in me Wherfore come vnto me thou that art so heauie loden and I wil refresh thee Confesse me with thy mouth beléeue in thine heart that God raised me from death and thou shalt be saued for my comming into this world was to seeke and to saue that was lost Wherefore heare me for if thou heare my wordes and beleeue in him that sent me I will raise thee vp in the last day to eternall life for there is saluation in none but in me onely who haue the power euen in mine owne handes to recouer that againe for thee which was lost by the fall of Adam The sinfull man Oh passing comfort now I feele renue in me againe Me thinkes I heare that Sathan saies now is my labour vaine Which I and mine haue had w t him that now conuerted is Me thinkes I heare him rage y t I should take the way to blisse But let him fret and fume his sill and doe his worst to me I doe not force my sure refuge good Solace is in thee True comfort doth begin I see encrease it more and more And let that furious feend leaue of to vexe my soule so sore And shew what I must doe in haste because the night is nye For I intend to follow thee good Solace till I dye Solace SO sayd Peter mine Apostle that he would followe me whether soeuer I went yea he would not refuse to dye with me but when the raging and boysterous stormes of Satans ministers blewe about mine eares and began to beate vpon the walles of his frailtie being demaūded whether he were not of my companie he flatly denied me nay he forsware me sayd that he knew me not Be not therefore too bold at the first brunt though thou feele more comfort and thy minde more quieted and Sathan not so strong with thee as he was take heede thou faint not take heede thou returne not to thine olde vomit to the wallowing in the mire and dirte of the dregges of Sathans poyson But be thou mindfull of these wordes of mine and the comfortable counsaile which this day I haue giuē thee Beleeue my sayinges and because the night is at hande I will referre other thinges which I must learne thee towardes the amendement of thy sinfull life till to morrowe when thou shalt finde mee readie here in the meane time be meditating of my former speaches retaine them in memorie and praise mine heauenly father in mee for thy comfort already obtayned The ende of the Tuesdayes Conference A THANKESGIuing to Christ our Sauiour for his comfort in the affliction of conscience with a prayer for his continuall assistance to be preserued from dispayre OH Gracious and Omnipotent God Oh Iesu my Sauiour I yeeld thee all possible thanks and praises that in my great distresse and conflict of conscience thou hast vouchsaued to send mee comfort and inward feeling of thy mercie and the vnfayned loue and care which thou hast of the saluation of my poore soule which Sathan myne aduersarie and the vtter enemy of all mankind hath inuironed with so many doubts of thy mercie and my saluation and layde before the eyes of my poore conscience so many grieuous sinnes most horrible offences such manifest rebellion against thee that I standing as a guiltie wretch a condemned person at the Barre of thy iust iudgemēt expecting nothing but the sharp sentence of death thou hast vouchsaued such is thine vnspeakable mercie louingly to call me out of that deepe dungion of dispaire to rescue mee from the cruell clawes of Sathan and to set mee free from the most fearfull and iust doome of death Insomuch sweete Iesu as I feele my selfe comforted I feele mee relieued and my soule freely ransomed from the captiuitie of that monstrous enemy that ougly Serpent that filthy feend most cruell aduersarie of mine Sathan and that by thy death and bitter passion whereby thou hast lead captiuitie captiue when thou ascendest into heauen yea thou hast vanquished the death of death thou hast vanquished the deuill and triumphed ouer death and hell all power both in heauen and earth is in thine hands and that Sathan that hath so sharply assaulted mee is within the cōpasse of thy power hold him vnder sweete Iesu keep him down let him not preuaile against mee and as my poore soule and weake body are subiect vnto sinne being destitute of thine helpe wanting thy grace So sweete Iesu looke fauourably vpon
forâ—ed to cry with a lowde voyce My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Such were the cruel torments that I suffered for thee O sinfull man and for all mankinde as that by reason of the extreamitie thereof I thought my selfe euen forsaken of my father But so heauie was his displeasure against the sinne of all mankinde and all the punishment due for it layd onely vpon me that requisite it was that the stripes wherewith so great a disease should be healed should be grieuous and many And therefore thou must not thinke that I was forsaken of God though I were contemned of the world but highly in his fauour for it behoued that I should suffer and afterwardes enter into my Fathers glorie That I should fall into the handes of mortall men be crucified and made a Sacrifice for the sin of all mankinde that they might be made the righteousnes of mine heauenly Father in me who haue paid the rauÌ„some for all the posteritie of Adam and redeemed them out of the bondage of Sathan death and hell my death is to all beleeuers lyfe by my humilitie are they exalted by my contempt are thy made glorious by my pouertie are they made rich and by my miserie haue they eternall felicitie I descended also into hell to make man inheritor of heaueÌ„ So precious was my death and so glorious my conteÌ„pt that by death I haue not onely ouercome death but all men by me In my victorie consisteth thy victorie by my triumph all mankinde may iustly triumph I am the way the trueth and the life who so will goe to the Father must come through me who so will be saued must beleue in me and liue in me for to me hath mine heauenly Father giuen all power and aucthoritie both in heauen and earth that I might giue eternall lyfe to as many as he hath giuen me who as Ionas liued in the Whales belly three dayes and three nighces the third day was cast on land liuing So after my death being taken downe of the Crosse I was layd in the Sepulchre where I lay three dayes to accomplish the sayinges of the Prophets and to vereâ—ie that which was long before writen of me and that I rose againe the third day for the Iustification of all that beleeue shewing my selfe openly to my Disciples eating with them and talking with them and with a Clowd was taken vp into heauen and placed at the right hand of God mine heaueÌ„ly Father crowned with that glory honor and immortalitie wherewith I was indued before the fouÌ„ndation of the world who by my selfe haue purged thee from all thy sinnes and haue made free passage vnto mine heauenly Father for all theÌ„ that in a true faith followe me in life coÌ„uersation treading the steps of righteousnesse for whoÌ„ I remaine a continual intercessour Mediatour Aduocate vnto mine heauenly father for things necessary aswell for their bodies as their soules faithfully asking and praying for the same in my name yea y u maist not accept of any other meane or instrument to come vnto mine heaueÌ„ly father then my selfe for then doest thou greatly erre thou blasphemest mine heauenly father and dishonorest me for he wilbe serued honored praied vnto in mee and in the name of none other Thou must lay aside all prayers to Saincts and cast away all beleefe that there resteth in them any power to appease the wrath of mine heauenly father for thy sinnes or to procure thee helpe in thy necessities but must come in my name and then thou shalt be sure to be heard if thou beleeue yet not despising but faithfully imitating in good life and holy conuersation those blessed members of mine departed out of this life before thee As for all remission of sinnes al helpe and releefe thou must hoâ—e for and acknowledge to come froÌ„ mine heauenly father by my meanes onely and by none other Wherfore I say thou must beleeue in none other but in mee Iesus Christ crucified God and man sitting in heauen at the right hand of mine heauenly father and remayning a Mediatour betweene him and all those y t in faith come to mee Take hold of me therefore I say who am that Sonne of God and man that was borne of the Uâ—rgine Mary for the saluation of all mankinde who was conuersant here in this miserable worlde layde first in a Maunger most basely and wheÌ„ according to the course of other meÌ„ by sucking eating drinking I grew in stature I preached taught the will of my father glad tydinges vnto the world I was betraied and solde by Iudas I was bound and buffited I was rayled at and reuiled I was turned ouer from one to an other to Annas to Cayphas to Pylate to Herode to y e Hall held vp mine hande at Barre there falsly accused then scourged and caried to the place of Execution where I was most miserably tormented hanged on the Crosse then layd in the graue from whence I rose and now ascended aboue all heauens and al this for thy â—ake al this for no desert of mine but â—or the redemption of all mankinde â—rom the curse of the law for there is â—o coÌ„demnation to them that are in 〈◊〉 walking not after the flesh but â—fter the spirite The power of the â—pirite of life wich is in mee hath deâ—uered thee from the power of sinne â—nd death but he that hath not my â—pirite he is not mine but shall dye â—herefore must thou mortefie the â—edes of the flesh by the spirite that â—ou mayst liue Also thou must beâ—eue that as I ascended visibly into â—eauen with the very body wherein I suffered so must thou likewise beleeue that in the same body I shall come againe in great glory and magestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead at whose hands all meÌ„ shalâ— receiue rewarde according to their well and euill doing which Iudgement shalbe finall generall whereat all men shall appeare all men shalâ— giue accompt of their doinges yea 〈◊〉 euery idle worde and euill thought and that then shall those that hauâ— done good be set in peaceable possesâ—sion for euer of the vnspeakable ioyeâ— of heauen and they that be found iâ— the seruice of Sathan and caried 〈◊〉 way with y e cares of this worlde thâ— Couetouse persons the Drunkerds the Extortioners Lyers Usurers and al those that haue not obeyed thâ— worde of my heauenly father in 〈◊〉 but haue liued in sinne and haue 〈◊〉 truely repented such I say shall bâ— cast into vtter darknesse where shaâ— be coÌ„tinual sorrow no ioy al paineâ— and no pleasure all griefe no glaâ—â—nesse with such continuall and endles torments as the tongue of man cannot expresse with howling weeping gnashing of teeth where the worme of the conscience shall neuer dye Thou must also beleeue that the
holy Ghost being y e third person of the Trinitie is a diuine person coessentiall and coeternall with my father me who proceedeth from mine heauenly father and mee It is the comforter and spirite of trueth the very pledge and earnest penye of thy saluation whereby thou art sanctified and assured in thy conscience that thou art the child of mine heauēly father and heire of eternall life and by it dwelleth mine heauenly father in thee It is the directiō to all goodnesse whatsoeuer whereby the Prophets haue prophesied mine Apostles preached all auncient Fathers written and al godly men tasted of the sweete and comfortable message which I haue brought into this worlde It is the water of life which by no meanes will flowe into the hearts of the wicked nor abide in the hearts of y e vnbeleuers but delighteth to rest in the hearts and to guide the soules of thē tha beleeue and cleaue vnto righteousnesse and thereby mayst thou answere the aduersaries of my worde and Gospel It is the holy Ghost that calleth men from darknesse to walke in light that procureth newnesse of life and that mortefieth the old man the world and the flesh and maketh thee strong against sinne death and Satan and that giueth knowledge of the trueth and power to imbrace it and which maketh my yoke easie and my burthen light that strengtheneth the weake hearts and feeble consciences to serue mine heauenly father whereby thou art conducted and guided the way that leadeth vnto the blisse that neuer shall cease It measureth all thy doings by the rule of my worde reformeth errors and reproueth the world of sinne of righteousnesse and of Iudgement and beareth witnesse in the hearts of all beleeuers that their sinnes are freely forgiuen thē in me It was the guyd whereby mine Apostles folowed me without the which no man can say that Iesus is the Lord. Thou must also faithfully beleeue in one Catholique Church vniuersall dispersed throughout the whole worlde being the whole companie of the faithfull beleeuers in mee who notwithstanding they are not of one vnite companie in bodily societie yet in respect of their mutuall and ioynt agreemēt of their faith of their life their Baptisme their holy Table and true Religion they are one Church and Cōgregation of those y t of the free grace and mercy of God mine heauenly father are chosen and predestinat to eternall life of which Church Congregatiō I am the head and whom the holy Ghost hath sanctified made holy and whome I commende vnto mine heauenly father to enioye that inheritaunce which I haue purchased with my blood who as long as they are conuersaunt in this miserable worlde and beare about them the heauy burthen of the flesh cannot do that which they should and therfore cannot be of such perfection nor be so purged from their originall corruption and infirmities which abideth in all flesh as is requisite vntill such time as I their head shall appeare whē they likewise shal appeare with me in glorie which Church godly Cōgregation y u must likewise beleeue to be so knit vnited together in the band of mutuall loue godly agreemēt that whatsoeuer good gift mine heauēly father bestoweth vpon them perticulerly they imploye it to the cōmon behoofe of all in generall And that as this Church and Congregation of al faithfull beleeuers in me is the true Catholique and apostolique Church so for them I haue purchased free forgiuenes of al their sinnes and that of y e mere loue of mine heauenly father and mine obedience vnto the death and nothing of their deserts in so much as there remaineth none other satisfaction or attonemēt to bee made with mine heauenly for the sinnes of y e world but my self only that none can obteine remission of their sinnes but such as bee made true mēbers of the same Church by me for besides the same Congregation there be none but such as work iniquities to whō I will say depart from me I know you not for whom there is a place of endles woe prouided Also thou must beleeue that although the corruptible bodies of mākinde must perish putrefie returne againe to dust of which it was first created yet that in the last day they shal rise again with the same bodies and couered with the same skinnes which now they haue and which thē shall be renewed and glorified they that are departed this life alreadie shall take againe their owne bodies which then shall bee of farre greater glorie then either in this life they were or that any heart can imagine And those that at my comming shall be founde liuing in this worlde shall suddainely bee chaunged and those that bee of this Congregation the true members of this Church shalbe placed in the vnspeakeable ioyes of eternall blisse but those that haue giuen them selues in this world to the fulfilling of the lustes and desires of the flesh liued in wantonnes chambering the Couetouse persons the Usurers Drunkardes Gluttons and vngodly persons shall not enioy the benefite of that sacrifice which with mine owne body I offered on the Crosse once for all but shalbe cast into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth THese things must thou faithfully and vndoubtedly beleeue to be the very trueth and groūd of true religion which who so beleeueth not is no true member of that holy Catholique Church which is predestinate to be saued And therefore by a firme and constaunt faith thou must take holde of these things which I haue declared vnto thee being the ground of thy saluation freely promised in me of which faith the holy ghost is y e giuer who frameth the hearts of all men to beleeue the promises of my heauenly father touching their saluation in mee sealeth vp the sam◠promises in their hearts whereby they perswade themselues to be members of the same true Church and of the company of those that are predestinate to be saued which fayth bringeth forth the fruites of a godly life the beginning whereof as I sayde before is vnfeyned repentance grounded vpon this true and vndoubted fayth in which two Faith and repentance is conteined the whole summe of my Gospell wherefore as thou hast heard what this faith is howe it worketh and what it should bee exercised in So must thou reteine it and bring foorth the fruites thereof that it may appeare a liuely an effectuall and not not a dead fayth And forasmuch as the night is so neere I will for this day here make an ende And in the meane time woulde haue thee to meditate of my former wordes not forgetting them but diligently inclyning all thy studie will and whole heart effectually to followe that which may testifie in thy conscience that thou art
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
Meale that the more she spent the more she had And mine heauenly father at the faithfull prayer of Eliah sent fire from heauen vpon his sacrafice to manifest my fathers power and to confound the false Prophets of Baall Ioshua the King to bee reuenged of his enemies prayeth vnto mine heauenly father in a strong faith that the Sunne and Moone should stay and stand still so they did vntill he had ouercome fiue Kings and hanged them This faith was the guide of mine Embassadour and forerunner Iohn Baptist wherby he executed and performed the will of mine heauenly father and by the eyes of the same faith saw before what should come to passe afterward preparing that path by Baptisme by water vnto Repentaunce which represented that heauenly Baptisme wherewith I afterward Baptised with the holy Ghost to eternall saluation Peter and Andrewe his brother mine Apostles being poore Fishers when I willed them to follow mee euen by this faith left their Nettes and followed me so did the rest of mine Apostles And through this faith Aarons Rod budded did beare blossomes ripe Almonds for a testimonie against the rebellious children who grudged to haue him to serue y e Lord in the Tabernacl efor the people The theefe that huÌ„g on the Crosse with me beleeued in me and was saued So excellent a thing is faith that by it are all the fierie darts of Sathan the deuices of the wicked all impediments of the mind queÌ„ched ouercome And they that want the same are in most miserable and hard estate for that without it they are not able to resist the deuill the Prince of darknesse who draweth theÌ„ headlong into endles distruction This faith I say is the sure defence shield of thy saluation my right hand vpholdeth all theÌ„ that put their trust in mee They that beleeue in mee shall alwaies reioyce they shalbe alwaies giuing of thankes I will blesse them and with my fauourable louing kindnesse I will compasse them about as with a shield Verely verely I say vnto thee if thou heare my wordes and beleeue on him that sent me thou hast euerlasting life and shalt not taste of death but shalt liue But those that put not their confidence in mee but goe on still in their wicked waies them I say will I roote out of the earth I wil consume theÌ„ with the breath of my mouth I wil cut them off like grasse and they shal wither like the greene hearbe They that forsake me beleeue not my sayings though for a time they florish make a shewe of prosperitie yet they shall perish consume away as y e fat of Lambes euen like smoke shal they vanish away for the God of this world hath blinded their hearts that the light of my glorious Gospel should not shine vnto theÌ„ who shalbe damned for not beleeuing the trueth but tooke delight in vnrighteousnesse in vanities and lyes The Prince that would not beleeue the words of Elisha the Prophet of mine heaueÌ„ly father who promised plentie of victual to Samaria was troden to death by the people The sonnes in law of Lot beleeued not the words of Lot were destroyed among the Sodomites with fire and Brimstone This vnbeleefe was the ground of the fal of Adam and Eue for had they beleeued y e words of mine heauenly father which he told theÌ„ that in what day soeuer they eate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good euill they should dye the death they had liued but they did not beleeue it but hearkened to the Serpent and lost the freedome of the Garden Verely I say vnto thee he that shall beleeue and bee Baptised shalbe saued but he that will not beleeue shalbe damned and loose the freedome of eternall blisse The sinfull man A sharp coÌ„clusion which doth seeme the summe of all whereby The faithfull ones shall liue for aye and vnbeleeuers die Solace THou conceiuest it aright for they y t beleeue not my gospel they that despise my coÌ„mandements work not my wil though they make a shew of feined holines for a time in the world they doe but beguile themselues whose ioye in the ende shalbe weeping and mourning whose estaste is resemblable to the great and mightie trees of the earth y t men grub vp by the rootes the printe of whose place can be no more seene Yea cursed is that man that putteth not his trust in the helpe of myne heauenly father but reposeth his confidence in fleshly and transitorie meanes as in his owne strength in th'abundaÌ„ce of his riches in the multitude of his great and wealthy friends and in the ayde that commeth of flesh for he shall wither like thâ—e grasse consume away like y e greene hearbe whose streÌ„gth is meere weakenes whose wisdome is meere foolishnes The ChildreÌ„ of Israel putting their trust in their owne strength were slaine of the childreÌ„ of Beniamin Abiiah putting his trust in the helpe of mine heauenly father disstrusting in the power of his owne people preuailed and slewe fiue hundred thousand chosen men of Israel Hezekiah king of Iuda put his whole confidence in the help of mine heauenly father and all that he tooke in hand prospered God is the strength the buckler strong shield of them that faithfully beleeue in him he that vnfeinedly trusteth in God mine heauenly father shal be as the mount Syon which can neuer be moued but remaineth stedfast sure for euer whom no tribulation no storme tempestes of aduersitie nor worldly vanitities can remooue froÌ„ holding fast and surely depending vpon the prouidence of mine heauenly father They that trust in Chariots horses are soone ouercome but those that faithfully depend vpoÌ„ mine helpe and strength staÌ„d fast inuincible for euer and shalbe like the tree plaÌ„ted by the riuers side that bringeth forth his fruit in due season whose leafe shal neuer wither away and whatsoeuer he doth it shall prosper he shall florish like an oliue tree in my fathers house that neuer decaieth he shal inherite the laÌ„d and possesse the holy mountaine that is he shalbe fed releeued while he liueth vpoÌ„ earth and in y e end be partaker of mine eternall inheritaunce which by the shedding of my blood I haue purchased for all them that beleeue which blood of mine remaineth alwaies fresh in y e sight of mine heauenly father to whoÌ„ thou hast thorowe me free accesse with him my self a continual Mediatour for thy sinnes wherfore come boldly vnto the throane of grace come w t a true heart ful assured faith be sprinckled with my blood from an euil conscience keepe the possession of a sure hope of saluatioÌ„ in me without wauering The iust shal liue by faith for if thou withdrawe thy self from trust in mee my soule shal haue no pleasure in thee and
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
heauen enduring for euer because he feareth not the destruction of the wicked nor longeth for the saluation prouided for the godly O miserable estate of the wicked Rich-men that repose their confidence in their muck and hazard their soules for the wealth of the world But awake awake thou foolish man that slumbrest thus in sinne looke vpon that godly Zacheus set him as a glasse wherein to behold the paterne of perfit repentaunce who being verie rich was voluntarily contented to restore not onely fowerfould that which he had wroÌ„gfully gotten but to giue the halfe of his goodes to the poore who had saluation for his reward Consider this O foolish man and refuse not to make restitution of thine indirectly gotten goods And of that which thou hast then left be thou liberall in so much as if thou sée thy poore brother to want that wherewith thou hast to relieue him thou maist not withhold it And let not the vnsatiable desire of momentanie pleasures to choake thine vnderstanding that my wordes can not reuoke thée from thy disobedience to a spéedie sorrow causing repentaunce vnto saluation walke not thus in a shadow disquieting thy selfe in vaine reposing thy trust in casuall riches whereof thou hast boasted thy selfe heretofore as though it could redéeme thy soule in the last day Wherefore I say be warned least thou be destroyed for euer least thou be pluckt out of thy foolish earthly tabernacle and quite and cleane rooted out of the land of the liuing which the righteous shall sée and laugh at and shall say Behold the man that tooke not God for his strength but trusted in the multitude of his riches which now not onely auaileth him not in the day of the Lords wrath but hath heaped vpon himselfe veÌ„geance for his reward Naball a very rich man refusing of his increase store to releeue the young men whom Dauid sent who in his couetousnes said Shall I take my bread my water my flesh substaunce which I haue gotten together giue it to them I know not But he was rewarded with death Wherefore I say consider this and turne vnto me in newnes of lyfe and in righteousnes which shall deliuer thée from death Set not thine affections altogâ—ther thus on worldly thinges which I perceaue hath made thée so druncken that thou perswadest thy selfe that thy prosperitie which is the nurce and foundation of all other vices and the ground of all impietie and disobedience against God mine heauenly Father is the mother of true happinesse Beware of that error for Dauid when he was in prosperitie hauing all thinges at will fell to Adulterie and murdred an innocent man But he scaped not scotfrée he was plagued with his owne sonne Absolon who rebelled against him so daungerous is the estate of prosperitie and so iust is the iudgement of mine heauenly Father against such as doe not bestowe his giftes to the helpe and reliefe of his poore brethren but who in stead of reléefe vse for their owne priuate gaine violence oppression Wherefore I say stand vp with Zache be merciful and helpefull vnto thy poore and needy brethren according to thy power and as thou hast plenteous giue plenteously turne not thy face from him that asketh of thee and what thou hast had of any man wrongfully restore it againe willingly be ready to giue and glad to distribute and what thou layest out mine heauenly Father shal paye it thee againe in heauen and shall defend thee in time of thy necessitie Trust not in vncertaine riches which hath already deceiued thee but in the liuing God mine heauenly father who performed his promises for euermore who shall make thee so rich in good workes that in me and for my sake thou shalt obtaine eternall lyfe The sinfull man Then loe I will restore in hast the landes and Graunge againe To Simple and no other man shall losse by me sustaine But will the poore and needy man releeue that are opprest And then I trust I shal possesse at last eternall rest Solace IF this restitution of thine procéede of an vnfained fayth and the residue of thy doings tend to the amendment of thy life assure thy selfe of eternall saluation yet not in respect of thine owne good works be they neuer so manye but for my sake who as thou haste heard haue purchased the same for all them that vnfainedly repent and turne from their wicked waies for when thou of thy selfe hast done al that thou canst yet arte thou an vnprofitable seruant therfore must thou quite and clean disclaime thine owne worthines for in the sight of mine heauenly father shall no man liuing be iustified But if thou be ouerburdened with the weight of thy sins come vnto me lay all thine offences in true repentance on me who continue an aduocate in the sight of mine heauenly father making continuall intercession for as many as faythfully beleeue whome I will cloathe with the weedes of righteousnes that they in the last day may appeare without spot and receaue the reward of eternall life Where thou hast also diligently to beware that seeing saluation and redemption to come onely by my death and by sacrifice of my body on the Crosse once for all the sinnes of the world and that I continue a mediator and aduocate vnto mine heauenly Father for thée for euer and that I am full of mercie slowe to wrath and ready to forgiue Take héede I say least the prince of this world thy woonted aduersarie Sathan put into thine heart a presumption of these mercies of mine perswading thée that there is no doubt of saluation because that I haue promised that weare thy sinnes as redde as Scarlet I will make them as white as Snowe and so hold thee still to fight against all goodnes and godlynes and to stand stoutely as it were in defiance of my louing calling and dispise the riches of the grace and mercie of God mine heauenly Father purchased by my bloud wherein I louingly call thée now to repentaunce wherein thou must vnfainedly returne to me and that spedily not driuing off from day to day saying as the wicked when they be reprooued of their sinnes accustomably doe That they know they shall haue time enough to repent ere they dye which is another stop and stumbling block that Sathan layes before them that are called that they should not repent but dye in their sinnes So tels hée thée and perswades thée that death shall not be so cruell vnto thée but shall spare thee and afoord thée time enough to say euen at the last gasp Lord haue mercie vpon me Lord forgiue me my sins and so forth which as he tels thee shall be sufficient for thée Thus he séeketh to stay thy true repentaunce euery way and in this foolish imagination of crauing pardon at the last while manie haue delayed the
giue ouer the opiniō of thine own good works and cleaue vnto the mercies of mine heauenly father in me and so much the more by howe much nowe thou maiest see thine vtter decaye without me But thou maist beware that thou in respect of thy saluation promised in mee neglect not these dueties enioyned thee towards mine heauenly father and thy neighbor as hath bene tolde thee before but so much the more endeuour thy selfe to performe thē that louingly and faithfully not in the outwarde shewe onely but with the inward affection of the heart imbracing that with a godly desire which thou art commaunded and hatefully eschewing that which thou art forbidden to doe assuring thy self by a liuely and working faith that thou art sealed with the holy Spirite proceeding from my father and mee freely by my merrits without any deseruings at all of thine owne to eternall saluation The sinfull man Now doth that Solace sweet appeare which thou hast promist mee And that mine owne deserts are not the meane to come to thee Thy merites are mine onely stay thy mercie meere extende Let faith in thee direct my life my words and thoughts amend The darkesome night is come I see there is no longer stay Tell mee good Solace neede I not come yet an other day Solace THou seest that I haue spent these sixe daies in calling thee from thine error and instructing thee what thou oughtest to doe to reforme thy wicked life yet remaineth there some thing els for thee to be exercised in to mayntaine that fauour of mine heauenly father towardes thee which I haue purchased for thee And therefore although to morrowe bee the Sabboth day which as thou hast learned it behoueth thee to sanctifie with ceasing from all worldly labors and to giue thee to deuine exercises yet for asmuch as all mine endeuour tendeth to the safetie of thy soule I would haue thee to repaire hyther againe to morrowe when I will declare vnto thee the residue breefly that belongeth vnto thee and that behoueth thee to learne to the finishing of all the course of thy life that after this life ended through my merites thou mayst enioye eternall saluation The sinfull man With willing minde I will attende mine heart doth long to see Those heauenly ioyes wherein I trust at last to liue with thee The ende of the Saterdaies Conference betweene Solace and the sinfull man A PRAYER TO God the Father for pardon in Iesus Christ for transgressing his Commaundements for grace to bee directed to the true fulfilling of the same OH God my God oh fountaine welspring of al mercy louing kindnes vouchsafe fauourably to looke down vpon my corruptiō and wickednesse and set before the eyes of thy Iustice the merites of thy Sonne Iesus Christ for whose desertes and due obedience sake leaue to be angrie and turne to me in loue take away the curse which is due for my transgressions and wilfull disobedience Alas what should become of mee if I should receiue according to my desertes for which there is nothing due but the iust reward of death For merciful Lord God when I compare the whole course of my life past with the righteousnesse of thy deuine institutiōs and most sacred Commaundements I find my selfe a very Traytour a most monstrous Rebell against thee the God of my welfare Oh Lorde when the Iustice and iust iudgements of thy deuine Maiestie shew themselues vnto my deserts wherby my conscience accuseth mee to haue deserued eternall death I cannot but fall into vtter dispayre of being acquitted before thee Only herein a◠I comforted sweete Lord that I haue pardon promised in the death and merites of thy deare Sonne mine onely Sauiour and Redemer Iesus Christ in whose name I here present and prostrate my self vnto thee and for his sake most humbly pray thee to forgiue my transgressions and to pardon al my sinnes vouchsaueing me grace from henceforth faithfully and truely to frame all my desires vnto the fulfilling of all thy most godly Commaundements and that in vnfeyned loue of thee aboue all things and to shew the same outwardly to the performāce of my duety to my neighbours whom thou hast cōmaunded me to loue succour helpe releeue and doe vnto as I would that other men should doe vnto me Graunt me sweet Lorde for Iesus Christes sake grace to doe that which I am commaunden in thy lawes and carefully to shunne and auoyde that which I am herein forbidden that I may keepe not onely mine handes but all mine actions and doinges yea mine heart and thoughtes free from displeasing thee And for asmuch as my corruptiō keepeth doune mine vnderstanding and will so that I am not able to performe that which I ought but am ready to do that which I ought not vouchsafe to accept the merits of thy Sonne Iesus Christ as a sufficient discharge for that which I cannot do and for his sake to forgiue mine insufficiencie to performe thy will Sweete God Amen THE SVNDAYE and last dayes Conference betweene Solace and the sinfull Man VVherein Solace directeth him in prayer which is the principall and last work belonging to the attainement of eternall life by faith in Christ. Solace WHat art thou so earely here this morning oh man thou shewest thy selfe now to bee very desirous of my solace as it seemes by thy diligent attendaunce this morning The sinfull man Ye Solace loe I looke for thee mine only comfort deare Whose comfort now I find in deed proceede from heauens cleare And therefore I attend on thee mine only guide and stay Whom thou doest call I see cannot gad like a wretch astray Mine heart is set to secke the way through thee y t guides to blisse Whereby I shall at last possesse the ioye that perfect is Which I in heart by faith doe feele though in this vale of woe Where Sathās forces fell abound and sinnes by custome growe Which vale I long to leaue in haste to take my rest with thee In heauens hye where only ioye and nothing els can bee Solace THou doest well to bee wearied and greeued at the vewe of those abuses and daylie offences which thou perceiuest in the world to moue mine heauenly father to displeasure which in deede are many and greate and to haue a longing desire to leaue them and to giue them ouer to the end thou mayst the more freely come vnto me But thou must beware thou kicke not nor murmur against mine heauenly father in respect of any miserie temptation or trouble to befall thee here in this world and to be discharged or vnburdened thereof to wish for death but referring thy cause vnto his omnipotent and mercifull prouidence in heartie and faithfull prayers through me Waite his good pleasure arming thy self manfully to fight against Satan and his wicked ministers assuring thy self through an vndoubted faith that whatsoeuer thou shalt aske my heauēly father in my name he shall giue it thee I am thy
cattell destroyed and howses and all his substaunce consumed he betooke him vnto the Lorde saying Oh Lord naked came I into the worlde and naked shall I returne to earth againe thou hast giuen and thou hast taken away now blessed be thy name for euermore Who in his extreme miserie dispayred not neither limited a time of his releefe but referring himself vnto mine heauenly fathers wil in perfect patience was in the ende holpen and wonderfully releeued Wherefore I say thou mayst be assured of releefe in all thy necessities if thus thou betake thee in my name vnto myne heauenly fathers will Looke vpon the three children in the hot Ouen who choosing rather to dye then to commit Idolatrie cryed out faithfully saying Our God whom we serue can deliuer vs But if he will not knowe this oh King that we will not worship thy God Which three childreÌ„ were in the Ouen and not consumed mine heauenly father was readie to deliuer them they did not indent and compouÌ„d with him that if hee would deliuer them they would defie the Image of Nabugodoazer but referred themselues vnto his prouideÌ„ce in true obedience So what dauÌ„ger necessitie or trouble soeuer thou hap to fall into thou must with Dauid and these three children submit thy self vnto mine heauenly fathers will without appointing the maner or time to be releeued And with Iob to say the name of God be praised for euermore Cast thy care vpon mine heauenly father in my name he shall nourish thee he shall defende thee releeue and succour thee and shall not suffer thee to be in perpetuall trouble And therefore thou must pray in hope and that alwaies not being wearie for that thou hast an ende of thy troubles and releefe in thy necessities promised when in what maner by what meanes thou mayst not appoint but whether he tarie long ere he helpe thee or sende thee releefe presently it is for thy best And therefore in all thy prayers thou must ad this if it be his will for that he knoweth what is most conuenient for thee what is for thy benefite whereof thou art altogether ignoraunt But reioyce alway pray continually in al things be thankfull for this is the will of God mine heauenly father in me his Sonne towards all men The sinfull man What are the thinges for which I ought most specially to pray Instruct me that from hence I may thy sacred will obey Solace IN deede it behoueth thee to haue consideration what thou requirest at mine heauenly fathers handes who although he will thee to come freely vnto him and he will helpe thee he doth not admit thee to come in such wise as that thy petitions should vary from his worde wherin he hath prescribed vnto thee what thou shouldest aske namely whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer thinges are iust whatsoeuer thinges apperteine vnto loue whatsoeuer thinges are godly vertuous and tending to y e glorie of his holy name In these thinges oughtest thou to be carefull and for such things to make thy zealous and heartie prayers in my name and thou shalt obteyne both corporall and spirituall thinges to thine vnspeakeable comforte But thou must put a difference betweene the thinges thou prayest for namely to aske spirituall thinges as forgiuenesse of sinnes and to be preserued from sinne and eternall death for the gift of the holy Ghost for euerlasting life without any condition in a true faith for I wil not the death of a sinner but rather that he reâ—â—rne and liue And therefore thou mayst take 〈◊〉 of reconciliation in me and assure thy self of eternall life In the same faith also as thou hast heard thou mayst flye vnto him in my name for all thy corporall necessities but with this condition namely if it please him And it is required of thee that before thou enter into this so excellent and so precious a worke thou examine thy selfe namely whether hatred against thy brother malice desire of reuenge or any other vncharitable matter be depeÌ„ding betweene any other and thy selfe If so then behoueth it theeâ— before thou approach vnto mine heauenly father in requesting any thing spirituall or temporall to growe into a godly desire of vnitie and from thine heart to forgiue whatsoeuer thou haue against any man that myne heauenly father may forgiue thee For knowe this that if thou forgiue not those that haue offended thee be it neuer so highly mine heauenly father will not pardon thee of thine offences which are many and great against him But being in a charitable desire of other mens welfare as of thine owne thou hast free accesse through mee vnto myne heauenly Father to whome thou mayst come boldly for things appertaynig both to body and soule as thou art taught by these words Our father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Giue vs this day our dayly bread and forgiue vs our offences as wee forgiue them that haue offended vs And lead vs not into temptation But deliuer vs from euill In which breefe forme of prayer consisteth the whole summe both of spirituall and corporall requestes And whatsoeuer thou askest it is comprehended within this praier or otherwise it is without any warrant and therefore not to be graunted And therefore by this rule it behooueth thee to guide all thy petitions for in this forme of prayer are conteined things eternall things spirituall and corporal things present things to come which things onely ought to stirre vp thy dull mind to faithfull and heartie prayer The sinfull man Declare thou these thinges more at large good Solace that I may In faith be stirred vp in thee for what and when to pray Solace THen vnderstande that by this forme before recited thou art taught not onely that prayer is necessarie and that it is commaunded as a principal seruice and worship of mine heauenly father but thou art directed to whom and for what to pray Thou must pray therefore yea aboue all thinges to whom to mine heauenly father for what especially for thinges tending to eternall saluation and then for bodily necessaries when continually least thou fall into temptatioÌ„ Thou must pray vnto mine heauenly father why because he is God eternal omnipotent maker and creator of all things the preseruer the defender the saftie and life of all and without whose deuine prouidence nothing can continue Buâ— by whom or by whose or what meanes doth he heare thee and graunt thy requestes only by me and whatsoeuer thou shalt aske of him in my name he shall giue it thee And therefore whensoeuer thou praiest thou must be faithfully perswaded that he is fatherly affected towards thee and is become so fauourable vnto thee for my sake that he both heareth thee and will graunt thy requestes And therefore oughtest thou to call him father who for my sake accepteth thee as his sonne
for his pride and tyrrannie for his striuing and presuming against the almightie God Sée then if he haue not spared the greatest and most mightie king of the world but punished him after so strange a fashion he will not spare thée There is no respect of persons with him But he that dooth his will and worketh righteousnes is accepted be he poore or rich high or lowe king or begger yea he rayseth the simple poore naked and néedie out of their miserie and trouble and plucketh downe the high the mightie and proud and sendeth those that accompt themselues rich and to haue no neede of his help them I say he sendeth captiue away he plucketh downe their proud Pecockes tayles and scattereth them in the imagination of their heartes and will feede the hungrie such as thou dispisest with good thinges And therefore once againe I say vnto thee that foolishly thou sayst vnto thy soul take thine ease or to thy body take thy rest I haue enough for my life I will goe builde c. When the Lorde of might can with the breath of his mouth shake those foolish buildings of thine in shiuers tumble them to y e ground make thy great aboundance nothing at all And therefore Saint Paul willeth Timothie to tell theÌ„ that are rich in the world that they should not be exalted with pride But contrarie thereunto It may be well perceiued how thou in thine aboundance beginnest to swell in contempt of other men through pride whereof thy wealth is the worker and pride the nurce of all other vices so that thou makest that the instrument of all euill which God hath ordayned to doe all men good How hast thou gone about to trample as it were poore Simple thy Tennant vnder thy feete Thou hast vtterly vndone him in taking his poore lyuing from him flattering him vntill thou hadst gotten him into thy spiders web then beganst to poyson him then beganst thou to threaten him so that the poore man may say that he sould his lybertie for a pound of flatterie But in déed tell me intendest thou to procéede in this péeuish purpose of thine Meanest thou to make such a mightie Mansion such a huge house with so many stories hye fearest thou not falling doest thou not know that he that climes highest is in most danger and hath the greatest fall let me aduise thée to frame thy plotte and proportion of thy building thus first for thy foundation digge the trench verie deepe euen to the verie roote of thine hearte search and see whitherâ— it be all firme ground there or not vpâ—n which thy building must be first founded and because it standeth so néere the sea side of Satan thou must take heede that there be no gulfes or quick Sandes therein driuen by the waues of wickednes whereby thy cogitations haue or hereafter may sinke into any mire or puddle of priuie conspiracie against thy soule which if thou finde thou muste ramme downe with the stampe of a good conscience as much Clay of true repentaunce as will serue the turne and then beginne the foundation with the Stones of a newe life hewen out with the Hammer of Gods word and layde by the dyrecte Line and leuell of a true fayth and the workeman of this building muste bee the holie spirite of God whome thou shalt finde if thou sake him with a singleâ—hart standing readie but not idle in the Market place of true religion working in the newe buildinges of such as vnfaynedly intende to become newe men But his hire will be â—omewhat hard he will not work bâ— the daye neither by the moneth nor by y yeare but wil couenaunt for al thy life and thou shalt couenaunt with him to giue all that thou haste at his disposition which couenaunt if thou breake yea when the building is euen finished he will cast it all to the ground againe and where thou hast promised thy soule and bodie to liue at rest and to take their ease thou must breake promise with them for this worke-man will haue thy selfe vnder him to be the principall ouerseer and surueyer to watch night and daie least a worke-man of a contrarie building plucke downe what he settes vp and destroy what he hath made but he will instructe thee and direct thee hereafter what thou shalte doe in this busines and how thou shalt proceede in this buiâ—ding if thou wilt frame thy fancie to follow it this buildinge will be so stately and high that if thou fall it will crush all to péeces and yet so precious and glorious that thine eye hath not séene thine eare heard neither can thine heart conceiue the precious and beautifull furniture and ornaments thereof But a hard péece of worke for a naturall man too curious to thy crooked conceite which I doubt will be hardly drawen from thy former follie from procéeding to finish another peece of worke whereof the wicked workman that I earst spake of is the aucthor and prickes thee forward to goe in hand with thine intended enterprice thy sumptuous Pallace which is for princes thy curious caruings haughtie hangings goodly gallaries pleasant walkes stately standings and princely prospectes to see abroad the Haukes to flie the houndes to runne And within thy rare Iewels of gold thy Cubbords of plate thy Cofers full whatsoeuer else delightsome vnto thee he perswades thee to be all good But alas he dooth but deceiue thée For God by the Prophet cryeth out â—ond saith Woe be vnto you that glorie in your vanities ioyning house to house and land to land The earth is full of golde and siluer there is no ende of their treasures I am angrie with their couetousnes saith God I will strike their iniquitie and not suffer such as thus glorie in their goods and the vaine pleasures of the world to haue any certaine rest But I will put a worme in their conscience which shall torment them with continuall anguish and perplexitie yea howsâ—euer the world goeth with them for such is the inextinguishable fire of vnsaciable couetousnes that it euer desireth and is neuer satisfied no although it obtaine as much to daie as it wisheth for to morrow it desireth as much more like an vnsatiable Sea and the fire that hath neuer enough But setteth as it were the end of sacietie in thinges wished and hoped for not in that which he hath haue it neuer so much And therefore it is sayd that desire of mony increseth as much as mony it selfe meaning that the more a man hath the more he coueiteth Whereby he offendeth God iniureth himselfe dooth wrong to his neighbour he dooth not his duetie to God he withholdeth things necessarie from himselfe and helpeth not his neighbour when he needeth he is to God vnthankfull to him selfe cruell to his neighbour froward And therefore Iohn in his first Epistle
and second chapter willeth thee not to loue the worlde nor the things in the world for whatsoeuer is in the worlde is concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eies and the pride of life out of which as out of head-fountaines springe all other euils namely of the concupiscence of the flesh voluptuousnesse of the concupiscence of the eies riches and desire of thy neighbours goods by which came thy first motion to desire Simple thy TenaÌ„ts liuing And of the pride of life springeth ambition and desire of honour and to be great in the sight of men out of which sprang thy pernicious and foolish purpose to build c. Agayne of voluptuousnes commeth vnhonest and vncomly thinges of riches wicked thinges and of ambition foolish thinges all which are so linckt and knit together as imbrace one and thou art guiltie of all follow thou one and the rest will follow thee So that here is the case of coueitousnes who by reason of his riches becommeth so loftie that he would bring all other as it were vnder his girdle I goe for proofe but to thy selfe who notwithstanding thine aboundance wast not contented to see poore Simple to liue by thée but most gréedily hast thou eaten him vp and deuoured him of his lyuing to his vtter beggering which gréedy desire of thine I finde accompanied with so many euils and vanities of the minde choaking so the sences with the thornie cares of this worlde that I perceaue thée quite and cleane drawne from the true and holsome seruice of God to the most seruile and sinfull slauerie of deceitfull Sathan The rich-man Oh hold thy peace and say no more my wittes are cleane berest Thy words haue sackt my sences so I haue no comfort lefte Solace Well then adue farewell I will too morrow come againe Sith night is come farewell doe not these words of mine disdaine But think vpon thy former waies which thou hast past in sinne In sine my solace shall be sweet for thee to solace in Godly meditations for him whose heart is infected with coueitousnes Incline mine heart O Lord vnto thy testimonies and not to couetousnes Psal. 119. Oh tvrne awaie my eyes least they behold vanitie and quieken me in thy way Eodem 14. Take away the rebuke that I am affraid of for thy iudgements are great Eodem 42. ¶ A Godly and deuout prayer for the auoiding of Gods wrath against him that hath oppressed the poore to make himself rich fit for euerie riche man· OH most omnipotent and eternal Cod father of all power and knowledg the giuer of all goodnes and iust punisher of the wicked I prostrate my selfe here before the seat of thy meere mercy most humbly crauing pardon for mine infinite iniquities for mine obstinate and wilful rebellion against thy deuine maiesty for running so farre from true obedience I haue gone astray sweete Lord I haue gone astray I haue greedely followed that which I should not wilfully fled froÌ„ that which I should haue carefully imbraced O Lord the desires of the world haue vndone mee the pleasures thereof haue pearced mine heart so neare they haue wouÌ„ded my conscience so sore that vertue faith godlines are chased cleane away I haue streched out mine hands to take that I ought not and withheld them from doing that which I ought to haue done I doe confesse O Lord I cannot deny but I haue oppressed pinched the poore to make my self rich I haue foolishly framed my fantacie to follow fulfill all vnlawfull desires But pardon me oh heauenly Father pardon me and giue me grace with Zache to stand vp restore againe whatsoeuer I haue by forged flatterie by force or violence wrongfully takeÌ„ froÌ„ any body that thou mayst vouchsafe to come and dwell with mee to the comfort of my poore soule say vnto mee sweete Iesus as thou saidst to Zache that this daye saluation shall come into mine house Oh sweete Iesu come thou vnto me which art saluation it selfe a most comfortable sweet and most ioyfull newes it was to him so sweet and ioyfull oh Lord Iesu it will be to me that nowe am tyed with the Fetters of Sathan for then shall I be free that now am in bondage and then I shall be at liberty wherfore sweete Iesu say on not only say thou wilt but come vnto me as I know thou camest to seeke that was lost to call them home that went astray to accept again of him that wilfully ran from thee like the vntamed Heyfer who being too well fed winch and kick against thee But Lord I vnfainedly lament my disobedience and pray thy grace wherby I may forsake the euill and peruerse immaginations of my heart which haue so bewitched my sences that they are dull to doe good and expert to doe euill forward to vice froward to vertue But alter mine affections sweet Iesu change my desires that in stead of the pleasures of this world I may imbrace the path that leadeth vnto eternall life Washe me sweete Iesu wash me and make me cleane and put farr from me all vngodly gaine make me content with mine owne stir vp in me a willingnes to be ready to giue and glad to distribute slow to lust and willing to leade a newe life kill all concupiscence in mee both of the flesh and of the eyes and of the minde giue me in stead thereof earnest zeale to goodnes true lowlines of heâ—â—t and perfect patieÌ„ce ioyned with vnfayned fayth that I may laye vp in store a good foundatioÌ„ against the time to come that through thee sweete Iesu I may obtaine eternall life AMEN O Lord increase my fayth THE TVESDAY or second daies conference betweene Solace and the sinfull man Wherein after long perswasion vnderstaÌ„ding by many examples of the iust iudgement of God against worldly minded men and the greedy desire of wicked gaine beginnes to consider that hee hath greatly erred in reposing his trust in transitorie riches and in his aboundance to sell the ende of all happines And falles into a kinde of dispaire wherein he vttereth his griefe and afterward receiueth comfort Solace shewing himselfe to be Christ c. The sinfull man OH sinfull soule of mine sing forth the dolefull tunes of woe Let sobs sighs let trickling teares from thee like fountaines floe Let groanes in griefe bee nowe thy gaine let sorrow beare y e swaie Let Solace passe for thou hast loste thine health and wonne decaie Oh worth oh worth mee wicked wretch wo worth y e day wherein That my rebellious mind did giue the first consent to sinne Wo worth the day wherein I was seene first of womans eye Would God my life had ended when I first began to crie Then should not thus my silly soule bene wrapt in irkesome woe Nor it haue felt the carefull thrall that now is forste to showe My heart should not haue harborde woe nor coÌ„science cause
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
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
amendment of their liues Death contrarie to their expectation hath summoned them to depart by and by whose long flattering themselues in their follie hath bin the cause of their sodaine destruction as to the Sodomites and men of Gomorra to those of Ierusalem and them that perished in the flood and so diuers others whose harmes may be a sufficient spectacle to see and plainely to behold the end of all senceles securitie But thou wilt pechaunce say why I haue séene many that for their wicked liues were euen markes for other men to poynt at with their fingers and they haue made godly ends and haue departed the world very deuoutly by which showe of repentance thou thinkest their sins forgiuen them but I say vnto thée that whoso goeth on still in his wickednes presuming to haue time enough in the end to cry for mercy he may cry and not be heard make no tarrying therefore to turne vnto the Lord let true repentance be thy dayly and continuall exercise examine thine own conscience search and see whether Sathan haue not thruste into thine heart this presumption if so cast it out speedely and follow not the greater number to doo euill accustome not thy selfe to sinne trusting in thine aboundance but imbrace my former counsaile stande not in a foolishe hope to repent at last be not deceiued let not Sathan hinder thée with his subtle deuices but resist them all manfully for I know thou canst not saye mine hearte is cleare from them canst thou speake thy conscience The sinfull man Alas my conscience dooth accuse me guiltie of them all I must confesse my carelesse life hath well deserued thrall But loe in hope I hold by thee my sinnes I will declare To thee who dooth already see that they corrupted are Wherein I liued long secure bewrapt in wealth at will I runne a race that now I rue and lingred long in ill Uouchsafe that I with heart hand may now restore againe The things which I by fraud haue had of any man for gaine And shewe what further dooth belong to traine me to thy blisse Uouchsafe to shew that I may come where all true Solace is Solace SEing then that thou doest confesse that thou hast bene hindred by these deuices and lets of Sathan and hast nowe a feling of thy corruptiō former wicked life beware thou giue not place herafter to his wiles but by a firme faith and confidence in mee withstand him and his ministers the world and the flesh for as the wickednes of the wicked shal not hurt him whensoeuer he truely vnfaynedly repenteth so shall not the righteousnes of the righteous auaile him whensoeuer he offendeth Repente thée therefore of thine offences past and from henceforth kéepe thee vpright in all thy dooings that there maye be ioye in heauen for thy repentaunce And for as much as the daye is so farre spent and the nighte so néere and that thou haste promised to make restitution of the things which thou hast wrongfully gathered go thy wayes performe it accordingly and beware of kéeping backe any thing leaste thou be taken in thine hipocrisie and rewarded with Annanias and Saphira who for kéeping back some of the price of their owne field were striken with present death how much more then shall mine heauenly father punish thée if thou keepe any thing backe that is none of thine owne In the morning I will be here againe in the meane time be carefull of thy promise finish it faythfully and too morrow will I further direct thée in the residue of thy course to eternall life The sinfull man Then will I hasten me away to finish it in haste And in the morning hasten me againe to thee as fast The end of the Thursday or fourth dayes conference ¶ A prayer for true repentance OH Lord my god father of meruailous louing kindnes who in my greate slumber and sleepe of sinfull securitye hast awakned me and by thy sweete and welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ called me out of darknes to light out of errour to the trueth and haste opened the eyes of mine hearte to see mine owne corruption vouchsafe oh Lord for that thy sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christes sake that as hee hath called me to the ende I should giue ouer the wayes of wickednes to walke in thy wayes and lawes to for sake sinne cleaue vnto righteousnes slye Sathan follow thee I moste humbly beseech thee to accept mee againe for his sake into thy fauour who long haue erred and gone astray to forgiue mee who haue offended thee and who am moste ignoraunt how truely to return to the and to repent my former corrupt and most sinfull life But vnto thee most mercifull Lord god in the name of Iesus Christe thy deare Sonne I prostrate my selfe in all humblenesse of heart bewayling my filthines and lamenting the frowardnes and corruption of my former life humbly appealing vnto thy mercies as one who haue rebelled moste traiterously against thee and most wickedly and wilfully transgressed thine holy precepts and will And yet suche is thine vnspeakeable mercy that thou hast most louingly warned mee to forsake mine euill and peruerse wayes and vntoward imaginations which I haue heretofore accompted most right and deare And which now by the light of thy counsailes I vnderstand to be altogether wicked altogether frowarde foolishe and meere vanitie it selfe I now feele mine owne corruption swete Iesu mine owne blindnes and error and perceiue thy wisdome which is infinite thy mercies vnspeakeable and loue aboue measure whereby sweet Iesu I am striken with a desire to be vnburdened of the weight of this mine obstinat errour which by the illusion of mine aduersarie Sathan I haue followed with such greedines that without thy meere mercies I haue no hope of saluatiō Extēd therfore o father of mercy for Iesus Christes sake thy fauour vnto mee againe and deale not in iustice as my deedes haue deserued but giue me that godly sorrow that true and vnfayned sorrow for my sins which may mooue in me repentance vnto saluation which may kill and speedely mortefy all euill desires all the corrupt affections and vngodly motions of the world and flesh the deceites of subtle Sathan whoe goeth about lyke a Lyon seeking whome he may keepe back from that most acceptable worke of true repentaunce And thou good Iesu knowest what and how manie and great are the letts and wiles which he vseth in laying stumbling blockes before the feete of those that endeuour thēselues to returne to thee And my wil which is peruers ready to yeeld vnto him slacke in comming vnto thee pulleth me often-times backward and suffereth me not to doe that which I should but thrusteth me forward to doe that which I should not to followe darknes and to forsake the light so louingly profered Oh good Iesu consider these conflictes of mine Looke vppon the want which I haue of thine holy spirit without the
heauenly Ierusalem to that eternall blisse which I haue purchased and so great an helpe and furtheraunce is affliction and aduersitie as thou maist iustly lament thy worldly happinesse and sing euen with great ioye that thine estate is thus altered to reclaime thee from putting thy trust in transitorie thinges faithfully to repose the same in the sure defence of mine heauenly fathers right hande Be thankfull I say accept it as a good preparatiue to vnfeyned repentaunce wherein prostrating thy self in heart praie faithfully and confesse thy sinnes vnfeynedly and I will comforte thee againe with heauenly solace inwardly The sinfull man TheÌ„ shewe me how I should coÌ„fesse and how I ought to pray I doe repent my sinfull life that I haue led astray Solace I Will referre to instruct thee in prayer vntill to another day because the day is so farre spent and because I would first haue thee to confesse thy sinnes and discharge thy conscience of the heauie burden of thine iniquities before thou enter into that most excellent exercise of praier for the heart that is inwardly kept downe with the doubt of remission of sinnes through me can neuer freely open it selfe in a perfect faith to be heard of mine heauenly father and as long as thou goest about to cloke thine iniquities and to hide them from the sight of mine heauenly father thou canst neuer be assured of pardon for thou must bee assured that he that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth them and forsaketh them shal haue mercie his sinnes be they as red as Scarlet I will make as white as wolle and were the 〈◊〉 purple I will make them as white as snowe Now confession is an inward constant and continuall acknowledging thy selfe to bee a sinfull man altogether corrupt whose righteousnes is as a stayned and filthy cloth in whome remayneth no goodnes at all for there is none that sinneth not there is none that doth good none that worketh righteousnes no not one All men are subiect to many infirmities And he that saith that he hath not sinned he is a lyer he deceiueth him self and in him is there no trueth No man can say mine heart is cleare and I am cleare from sinne If therfore euery man be sinfull and none can excuse himselfe but that hee deserueth to be punished that he deserueth in respect of his owne goodnes to be cast of and to be scurged with the rod of correction Thou canst not then say I haue not sinned no thou canst not but confesse with the lost sonne that thou hast gone astraye that thou hast rebelled against God mine heauenly father and wrought so many things against his will that thou art no more worthy to be accepted as his sonne deseruing iustly to bee cast of If then there remaine no hope of thine owne deserts whereby to be accepted into his fauour again wherby to be accepted as his soÌ„ne nay whereby to bee accepted as an hired seruant Therfore there is no way for thee no meane for thee no hope to be receiued againe but in al huÌ„blenes of heart to fall downe as one in his own conscience guiltie of death appealing vnto the mercie of mine heauenly father in me who for my sake will not onely not turne away his face from the humble confession of thy sinnes but of his mercie most plentifull will hee meete the voyce of thine humble confession euen in the middest of thine heart yea and vnfained cries as he heard the humble and zealous sighes of Dauid who when he had sinned and highly displeased mine heauenly father he went not as it wâ—re into a corner to hide his offences wiâ—h the Cloake of hipocrisie but bewrayed his owne vntowardnes layde open his iniquities and acknowledged his sinnes saying within himselfe I will speake against my selfe I will reueale mine offences vnto the Lorde and all his sinnes were forgiuen him Such a godly feeling had Dauid of his sinnes hee entred into consideration of his wickednes before he could thus râ—tourne vnto mine heauenly father in heartâ—â— confession So enter thou into thy selfe examine thine owne conscience and looke back into the whole course of thy life and thou wilt 〈◊〉 ashamed to see thy miserable estate thou wilt blush at the consideration of thy former life and find thy selfe a verie wretched sinner And condemne thy self worthy of farre greater punishment then thou art able to beare Thus must thou begin to take accompt of thy selfe before thou canst truely returne and vnfeinedly confesse thine iniquities vnto mine heauenly father whose wrath is so great against sinne that as long as thou retainest a will to goe forward in sinne and haue not a greater care to returne vnto him hee will forsake thee and not opeÌ„ the hands of his mercie to receiue thee Make haste cherefore to returne forsake thy selfe and flye vnto him take holde of his promises he hath promised in mee to receiue all sinners truely repenting into his mercie againe I came to cal the sinners not the righteous wherefore if thou be a sinner which vnles thou flatter thy selfe to deceiue thy selfe thou canst not denie then I say take hold of this promise Crie out and say Oh Lorde I am a sinner I am one that haue gone astray most wickedly haue I set mine affections and most vainely imbraced the things that can not auaile me in my distresse in which I am inuironed with so many daungers and troubles as without thine helpe I am vtterly forlorne Rest I say and stay thy selfe onely vpon the louing promises of myne heauenly father in mee in faith assuring thy selfe that I will strenghthen thee against all Sathans temptations Thus I say must thou consider thy corruption and with the eye of a perfect fayth looke into the whole course of thy former life and with the same eye to behold the mercies of mine heauenly father most freely promised in me without whose free goodnesse there is no hope of saluation whereby is my death and bitter passion made auaileable to wash away all the sinnes of as many as vnfeinedly beleeue confessing themselues wretched sinners who returning vnto mine heauenly father in a godly feare are accepted righteous before him Thy confession must be ioined with faith and amendement of life for the beliefe of the heart iustifieth and to confesse with thy mouth maketh thee safe whereby thou must consider that it is not enough to crie out and say Oh Lorde I haue sinned I am wicked I haue greeuously offended c. for all this is but winde it is but opening the mouth to none effect but thy confession must bee grounded vpon the inuincible Rocke of faith whereby thou must betake thee vnto his heauenly Maiestie condemning thy self wholy and altogether not faintly after the maner of hypocrites who thincke themselues discharged with their fewe wordes But with Daniell thou must crye out and say Oh Lord we haue
wretchednes and senceles running headlong from vanitie to vanitie from euill to worse Insomuch as in steade of lighte I haue followed darkenes in steade of the trueth imbraced errors insteede of vertue loued vice and insteede of dooing good I haue followed iniquitie euen with greedynes The dregges oh Lord of Sathans transgression haue so ouercome mee and taken such deepe roote in mine hearte and taken such sure holde of my corrupt flesh that it bringeth continuallye foorth the fruites of an euill life mine owne conscience accuseth mee and standeth as many witnesses againste mee feeling my selfe euen pressed downe with manye sinnes with innumerable transgressions against thy maiestye the leaste whereof I acknoweledge to be able iustlye to condempne mee Oh Lorde my tongue my lippes and mine hearte haue rebelled against thee my thoughtes haue beene euill my wordes wicked and deedes abhominable beefore thee yea from mine heade to my foote there is no parte oh Lorde that can cleere it selfe of offending thee wherefore oh Lorde here doe I acknowledge not onelye with myne outwarde voyce but with an inward feeling of the hearte that I haue highly displeased thee and wrought that which in thine eyes is abhominable wherby I haue deserued thine heauy displeasure againste mee in somuch as thou mayest iustly turne mee away thou mayest cast mee off and forsake mee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne Oh Lorde I nowe feele mine owne wretchednes and the allurements of the flesh and Sathan I confesse to be altogether deceitfull and wicked which I haue esteemed and helde so deare and acknowledge all trueth all help comforre and consolation and the true solace to proceed from thee the fountayne of all happynesse Who in mans greatest wretchednes euen of meere loue and vnfayned zeale of their saluation haste sent a remedy to cure their curssednes thine owne Sonne Iesus Christ who hath taken away the punishment which I haue deserued for breaking of thy wil In whose nam and for whose sake haue compassion vpon mee laye not my sinnes vnto my charge whereby I haue deserued eternall damnation Oh Lorde vouchsafe that although I haue iustly deserued to dye by reason of my greeuous sinnes turne thy face in mercy not in iustice towardes mee Respecte not mine offences but looke vppon that sacrifice that oblation which was offered vpon the crosse for the reconciliation againe of those vnto thee which come vnto thee through him Through whome oh Lord I come vnto thee and for whose deserts I craue pardon disclayming altogether mine owne merrites Oh remember thy moste louing promise that thou wilte accept his death and his bitter passion as a full recompence for all mine offences and a sufficient ransome for all my former euils lette thine anger oh Lorde through him be appeased thine heauye displeasure qualified and loue renewed That from hence foorth in a true and vndoubted fayth I maye take holde of the remission of my sinnes through him and beleeue vnfaynedly that the obedience of him thy sonne Iesus Christ is made mine attonement with thee that by his death I am made aliue and by his resurrection I am made rightuous in thy sighte Let thine holy spirite oh blessed Lorde God assure me through the same fayth that I am indeede receiued into thy fauoure and loue againe That being thereby truelye comforted I may enioye the liberty of a free minde wherin I may serue thee wherin I may obey thee and whereby I maye growe into a godlye hatred of the olde man and into a true and vnfayned loue of rightuousnes So that from hencefoorth I maye in newnesse of life diligently imploye my selfe to the Execution and continuall woorkynge of those thinges that maye witnesse outwardly to the Example of other men what I beleeue inwardly casting away all dissimulation and Hipocrisie the Cloake of sinne spending the residue of my daies in a pure and sincere conuersation brynging foorth the fruits beelongynge to amendement of life That after this life ended I may through the merittes of that thy Sonne our onely Sauiour and Aduocate Ihesus Christ for euermore possesse the Ioyes of eternall life Amen ¶ Oh Lorde increase our Fayth The Saturdaye or sixth Dayes Conference betweene Solace and the Sinfull man Wherin Solace sheweth him what is to bee done and what left vndone to attaine to the perfection of Christianytie The Sinfull man GOOD Solace loe here I attende as one that longes to heare What I must doo and leaue vndone I giue attentiue eare Solace IF thou dilligently attend this Day and reteine in memorie those thinges that I haue heeretofore declared vnto thee thou shalt perceiue the Summe of thy Duetie towardes mine heauenly father as also thy duty towards other men whereby y u maiest liue an vpright and a godly life to the seruyce and honour of God profitte of thy neighbour and saluation of thine owne soule to the vanquishing of Sathan dispising of the world and to the mortifying of thine owne flesh So that the Deuill shall not fray thee the worlde deceiue thee nor thy flesh annoye thée The sinfull man Good Solace then proceede in hast true comforte now appeares This comforte doth abandon woe and wipe off all my teares Solace IN deede so it will if thou attentiuely heare it faithfully beleeue it and truely followe it But thou hast heard before that it is not enough for thee to say with the mouth thou wilt or confesse with thy lippes that thou hast offended but thou must performe in deede and reforme thy conuersation yea thou must haue thyne heart fraughted with such godly cogitations and vertuous desires as maye bring foorth the fruites of that sorrowe which as before is sayd causeth repentaunce vnto saluation that thine actions outwardly and thine affections inwardly may appeare to bee grounded vpon that true faith which is the fountaine of all good works whatsoeuer without y e which thy workes are not only vnprofitable but meere abominable By which faith thou must beleeue the promises touching thy saluation to vee wholy accomplished and performed through my death and passion onely and not in respect of thyne owne good workes be they neuer so many And yet art thou bounde by all meanes possible to endeuour thy selfe to doe good vnto all men and to decline from euill And for that purpose haue I called thee from that error wherein thou walkest deceiuing thy selfe with vaine and transitorie pleasure of this worlde to bring thee vnto the light of trueth to drawe thee from thine Idolatrie wherein thou gauest worship as it were vnto thy greate aboundance esteemyng thy golde as thy GOD to serue myne heauenly father thy liuing GOD and louing Creatour to followe that which is god and to eschue and auoide that which is euill onely to worke the will of myne heauenlye father which is sette downe and declared in the two Tables containing tenne precepts wherin as in a glasse thou mayest beholde what thou oughtest to doe and what to leaue
Mediatour by whom thou shalt be sure to obteyne al thinges both for body and soule Aske therefore I say in my name for I pray vnto mine heauenly father for thee for whose sake he shall giue thee al thinges that thy ioye may be full The sinfull man Alas I knowe not how to aske nor what true prayer is I long to learne so sweete a meane to bring my soule to blisse Wherefore declare to me in haste how I must pray aright Mine heart is set to seeke the thing so pleasaunt in thy sight Solace TRue and faithfull prayer is the principall seruice wherewith God mine heauenly father is honored and pleased for that thereby is thy faith manifested and which beareth witnes openly that thou expectest all helpe all releefe all happinesse and welfare to come from him alone acknowledging him thine onely defence thine onely rocke and sure refuge in the day of thy tribulation who most louingly calleth thée to come vnto him in thy necessitie So y t thou mayst be assured that he is most readie and willing to hearken vnto thy petitions to graunt thy requestes Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee Which calling of thine must be faithful without hypocrisie that is it must bee vnfeyned and zealous euen from thine heart as a sure and certeine testimonie that thou accomptest him thine onely helper and defender and that thou reposest thy trust onely in him as the fountaine of all good whatsoeuer and from whence thy zealous and vnfeyned prayer shall drawe as from the head-spring of al releefe the pure water of continuall comfort namely in this worlde all thinges which shalbe expedient and necessary and in the ende eternall saluation wherein consisteth the whole care which thou art in this life teyed vnto and not so much to seeke the transitorie defence of thy mortall body nor thinges apperteining therunto as the preseruation of thy soule which shall liue for euer and euer wherein thou must beware that the affections which are naturally towardes the body exceede not nor blind thine vnderstanding in such sorte as thou seeke for superfluous meanes for the preseruation thereof and neglect those things wherein the safetie of thy poore soule consisteth which is the worship of mine heauenly father attributing vnto him both outwardly in thy deedes and inwardly in thine heart those dueties and preheminences which by the prescript rule of his deuine worde thou art bounde to yeeld and doe vnto him the cheefest and most acceptable maner whereof is this zealous hearty faithfull prayer which thou must direct vnto him alone through mee his Sonne by whom and by no other meanes thou mayst freely come vnto him reueyling thy necessities opening thy wants bewraying thy weakenesse confessing thy sinnes and yeelding al laude vnto his holie name and all possible thankes and praises for his most bountifull louing kindnesse towardes thee in which seuerall poyntes ought thy prayers to consist namely in coÌ„fessing thy sinnes for he heareth not sinners that is such as haue no feeling of their owne corruption and fall not to vnfeined repentaunce and seeke not forgiuenesse of their sinnes in mee And therefore aboue all things seeke first attonement with my heauenly father yea and that whensoeuer thou goest about to aske any thing at his handes thinke that thou art a sinner and that the remission thereof in true repentaunce is promised in mee to whom al the Prophetes beare witnesse that through my name all that beleeue in mee shall receiue the remission of their sinnes By whom being iustified by faith thou hast peace with myne heauenly father To whom as thou art bound to make all thy prâ—â—ers so must they be made in and by me by whom thou hast boldnesse through faith to goe vnto him euen to the seate of his grace And hauing reconciliation and attonement with him through me and free accesse vnto the throane of his Maiestie in faith lay open thy necessities assuring thy selfe that whatsoeuer thou pray vnto him for be it for spirituall or temporall benefites in my name he shall giue it thee for I am the Mediatour and high Bishop that make continuall prayers for thee and no man commeth vnto the father but by mee And therefore if thou abide in me and my wordes abide in thee aske what thou wilt and it shalbe done for thee Wherefore it behoueth thee duely to consider that I am onely the meane wherby thy petitions are heard and for whose sake they were graunted and al the promises fulfilled And that there is none other neither Sainct nor Angell or other through whome or for whose sake thou mayst looke for peace with God my heauenly father whoÌ„ thou hast offended but my self alone to whoÌ„ were al the promises made being heire of all thinges who am made vnto al the faithfull wisedome holines sanctificatioÌ„ redeÌ„ption wherefore namely that whoso reioyceth should reioyce in myne heauenly father through mee and to attribute euery good gift and euery perfect gift vnto him from whom al goodnes proceedeth and that with continual thanckesgiuing which is the thirde principall point of this especiall worship and seruice of God namely vnfeined prayer wherein when thou hast referred thy selfe and reueiled vnto him in my name either the multitude of thy sinnes and greeuous traÌ„sgressions and feeling thy selfe through a liuely faith to be vnited vnto his grace and fauour again or when thou hast declared vnto him thy corporall or spirituall wants as of a competent liuing of defence in daunger tranquillitie of minde peace with thy neighbors successe in thy vocation good health of body or of any other thing necessarie for thy reliefe and thou according to thy request hast bene heard and comforted It behooueth thee not as a thanckles person to runne on in petitioÌ„ only but to acknowledge the bountifull mercie of myne heauenly father in forgiuing thy sinnes and to yeeld him all possible thanckes for his protection for his superaboundant louing kindnes wherein hee hath releeued thee defended thee and preserued thee from those euils wherein without his ayd and outstretched arme thou couldest not but haue perished and those mercies of his not only to commend for a time but continually for that thou standest in a continuall present neede of his fauour without the which euerie day euery howre and euery moment bringeth with it euils enough to ouerthrowe thee yea both body and soule Wherefore I say it behooueth thee to the discharge of thy duety in this so precious a work praier first to confesse thy sinnes and to seeke attonement and peace with GOD myne heauenly father through mee in a liuely fayth Secondly to make thine humble praiers for corporall or spirituall necessaries and for the gift of them not to rest vnmindful or thankles but yeelding vnfeyned thankes not onely inwardly in heart but shewing the same in the