wicked disobedience and returning vnto his Father driuen therevnto by necessitie was ioyfully receyued opening and humbly confessing and therewithall lamenting his former wickednesse only cleaueth vnto the mercies of God and desertes of our Sauiour Christ Iesus Thus therefore he loueth vs so feruently that he remembreth no our former wickednesse when once wée shall call vppon him but will with ioye graunt and giue vnto vs a wedding garment that is constant faith righteousnesse iustification thorowe Christ Iesus that with the same we being apparelled may be present at the kings feast wythout shame or confusion Thus by prayers poured out vnto God we shall with the fiue wise Virgines haue Oyle sufficient in our Lampes to maintaine the light and shall enter into the Palace of the bridegrome with ioy and gladnesse and all felicitie Thus we shall enter into the kingdome which God hath prepared for himselfe and his Aungels there to inioye the crowne of immortall glorie The example of the theefe hanging on the right hande of Christ applied to the efficacie of prayer The .xxi. Chapter HEre I might with examples declare the force and effect of prayer but for breuitie sake I will onely set before your eyes the example of the théefe which was hanged vpon the right hand of Christ at his passion He after that he had passed his life in such sort that there appeared no way but eternall damnation vnlesse by méere mercy he had béene receyued called vppon Christ for grace and mercy desiring him with heauie penitent and oppressed hart with hartie contrition with earnest repentaunce with constaunt liuely and stedfast fayth to remember him when he came to hys kingdome to deliuer him from the power of the deuill who was readie to receyue him to purge him from his vncleannesse wherwith he before had defaced the similitude of God that was placed in his owne brest had as it were desperatly throwne himselfe in the most cruell and horrible bondage of curssed Sathan But by calling for the louing mercies and incredible goodnesse of Christ Iesus then hanging vpon the crosse for the redemption of him and all mankinde miserably plunged inâ—o a Sea of miseries was by the raunsome of his most precious bloud most happily deliuered For after he had poured out his humble and hartie prayers his pityous complaints his wofull wretchednesse his sorowfull sighes his repentaunt teares â–ª he heard this comfortable answere This daye thou shalt be with me in Paradise Loe the readinesse of Christ Iesus in receyuing our prayers in graunting ouâ— peticions in wyping awaye our wofull wéeping in rewarding them that turne vnto him in comforting them that sorowfully doe séeke him and in exalting crowning and glorifying them that faythfully doe folowe him in workes in wyll in truth in trust in obedience and earnest charitie This théefe was as it may be gathered in his yong tender age lewdely losely and dissolutely brought vp wickedly nurtered vnaduisedly instructed lightly regarded trayned vp in euill company fostered in all abhomination rapine robbing stealing spoyling and such like neuer respecting the seuere iustice or gentle dealing the rigorous seueritie or louing mercies of God almightie the iudge of all men vntill his last ende approched and then being terrified with remorse of conscience and driuen into extreme agony with the remembrance of his wicked life knowing that he coulde not escape most terrible vengeaunce vnlesse he should flie to the present comfort of Gods méere mercie then relented and charitably rebuked his fellowe théefe for despysing and reuyling Christ Iesus and then faithfully calling vppon Christ was paciently ioyfullye and readilye receyued and as Christe promysed was that same daye brought vp into the most pleasant region of heauenlye delites euer to enioye an immortall crowne of eternall felicitie O most blysful estate obtayned by prayer O the maruellous mercies of Christ our sauiour O the most happie hope of a repentaunt hart He is crowned with immortall glorie which hath worthily deserued extréeme miserie He is accoumpted worthy of eternall saluation which for his desertes shoulde rather be condemned wyth deadly damnation He is deliuered from the power bondage and crueltie of Sathan which all his lyfe time for the most part hath vowed and yelded his seruice to all impietie going to warfare vnder the banner of the deuill a tormenting tyrant This miraculous effect and incomparable worke was brought to passe by pouring out of his pensiue heart most wofull complaints with hope in Gods mercies thorowe the manifolde merits of Christ Iesus our onely redéemer to be deliuered from present daunger of his damnable deserts If therefore we thinke that Christ is able to perfourme that which he hath promised if we think that his arme is not abridged if we thinke him not to be inconstant if we beléeue his faithfull promises if we giue credite to his reuealed worde and holy gospel if we doubt not of his infinite mercies if we think that his most precious bloud poured out most plentifully vpon the aultar of the crosse haue still his force for our iustificatioÌ„ we must also necessarily knowe that with the poore widowe we shal obtain our request thorow earnest prayer at God his hande that through him we shall be able to daunt the power of the Deuill that with the lost sonne we shall of our father be ioyfullye receyued that with the repentant théefe we shall reigne in Paradise for euer and euer in all felicitie For hartie prayer cannot be without stedfast faith 1. Iacob Postulet in fide nihil hesitans let him pray in fayth nothing doubting at all And Paule sayth Quomodo inuocabunt eum in quem non crediderunt howe shall they call vppon him in whome they haue not beléeued Fayth bringeth a suretie of eternall happinesse For. 3. Iohn so God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne for this purpose that euerye one which beléeueth on him shoulde not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting And agayne in the ende of the same Chapter it is written He that beléeueth the wordes which the sonne of God speaketh hath life euerlasting And in the fift Chapter it is sayde Verily verily I say vnto you hée that heareth my wordes and beleueth in him that sent me hath eternall lyfe And in the sixt Chapter we reade Haec est voluntas patris mei c. This is the will of my father which sent me that euery one that séeth the sonne and beléeueth on him should haue eternall lyfe Also in the same place Verily I say vnto you he that beléeueth me hath euerlasting lyfe And Iohn also in the .xx. chapter hath these wordes Haec auteÌ„ scripta sunt c. These things are written that you may beleue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that beleuing you may haue lyfe thorowe his name And another sayth laetabuntur omnes qui sperant in te in aeternum exultabunt all shall reioyce that trust in thée O Lord they shall for euer be
from the seruitude and bondage of the Deuill vnder whome they were subiect and to set them at libertie with the raunsome and price of his most sacred and blessed bloud which was poured out vppon the Crosse by cruell and vnthankfull Iewes meaning I say that vnlesse hée beléeue this with stedfast faith and in consideration of the same present himselfe before the face of God firmely trusting that for Christes sake he shall be accepted and mercifullye receyued no man can come vnto the father of heauen or enioy the gracious aspect of the mightie God of Iacob but is vtterly destitute of the glory of God and is a firebrande of hell and heire of eternal misery And Paule saith Without fayth it is vnpossible to please god And againe Whatsoeuer commeth not of fayth is sinne and it is fayth that maketh a man to be saued For Christ sayth to a woman that came vnto him Fides tua te saluam fecit Thy fayth hath made thée hole which is to be vnderstanded not onely of bodily helth but also of heauenly safetie And againe qui non credit 〈◊〉 dicatus est He that doth not beleeue is alreadie iudged or condemned Therefore they which doe dispise reiect or contemne prayer if they be vnfaythfull are in most certaine peril and danger of hell fire But that they are vnfaithfull it shall by the assistance of almightie God be declared by the force fruits and effectes of fayth which bicause they are innumerable and infinite it is requisite that we speake of a few only which wil sufficiently shew vnto vs howe farre they abhorre from the excellent gifte wherewith the dartes of the deuils be quenched the host of Antichrist ouercommed and the firie flames of Hell extinguished That they lacke loue and obedience the speciall fruites of fayth which exercise not prayer The .xij. Chapter FAith whersoeuer it be doth bring forth or ingender repentaunce doth apprehende the spirit of god doth worke in mans harte loue and obedience which fruites and effects if they necessarilye porceede of faith as hereafter it shal appeare sée that by no meanes they may be seperated and contrarilye if they can neuer be founde in any of them which despise prayer as it shall be declared it must néedes of necessitie folowe they haue no fayth but are dry deade vnfruitfull and faithlesse people But first let vs sée whether repentaunce procéede of faith or no and then whither such men can be repentant Faith when it is giuen from heauen and placed in the heart of man then it doth as it were rule and gouerne all the motions of the minde it trieth and prooueth and sercheth all the corners of his cogitations it séeketh swepeth scoureth and clenseth away the filth the rust the drosse the dregges of all impietie For God in the first of Esay sayth if your sinnes be as red as scarlet I will make them as white as snowe which commeth onely by 〈…〉 on through which we appeare righteous before the throne of our mightie God and iustification commeth onely through faith in the most precious bloud of our onely sauiour Iesus Christ For Paule saith in the thirde chapter to the Romaines The righteousnesse or iustification no boubt which is good before God commeth by the fayth of Iesus Christ vnto all and vppon all that beléeue There is no difference For all haue sinned and lacke the prayse that is of valure before God but are iustified fréelye by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesu whome God hath made a seate of mercy through fayth in his bloud to shewe the righteousnesse which before him is of valure in that he forgyueth the sinnes that are passed which God did suffer to shewe at this time the righteousnesse that is allowed of him that he might be accounted iust and iustifier of him that beléeueth in Iesus Hitherto Paule But vnlesse the sharpe salue of hartie repentaunce be layde vnto the festred woundes of our sinfull hartes it is â—mpossible that they shoulde be purified cleansed or healed For therefore the scripture calleth vs so often to repentance Conuertimini ad me saluieritis Turne vnto me sayth the Lorde and ye shall be safe and againe Si conuersus fuerit impius c. If the wicked shall turne from his euill way and nolo mortem peccatoris I will not the death of a sinner but that he repent and liue and resipiscite credite euangelio repent and beléeue the gospell and non veni vocare iustos sed peccatores ad penitentiam I came not to call the iust but sinners to repentance So that here we sée plainely that first is seâ— conuersion to God and repentaunce then helth or life or safetie whereby we may well perceyue that vnlesse repentaunce doe launch and cut and rent our hartes we can not come to the perfection of obedient christians And againe An humble and contrite heart is an acceptable sacrifice to the Lorde to whome nothing is acceptable that procéedeth not of faith For the Apostle sayth Whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne and with sinne howe can God be pleased It remayneth the â—â—â—re that repentaunce whereby the soule is sorrowfully charged but therewithall after shall chéerefully be discharged is engendred and brought forth by fayth For like as in a fielde or garden swéete pleasaunt or delectable flowers can not grow freshly abundantly before that wéedes and stones and thornes be rased vp and cast out euen so the most delitesome fruit of dame vertues grace can not plentifully replenishe the fielde or garden of mans hart vnlesse first the briers of vices and stones of wicked abhomination be by repentaunce cast out and exiled Zachaeus an example of an hartie repenter and that repentance is the salue to recure the wounds of wicked lyfe The .xiij. Chapter THerefore Zacheus the prince of Publicanes in the .19 of Luke when he had receyued the fayth of Christ burst out into these wordes and sayde Ecce Domine dimidium bonorum meorum do pauperibus c. Beholde Lorde the halfe of my goodes I giue to the poore and if I haue defrauded any man of any thing I render to him foure folde which wordes vndoubtedly doe giue a most certayne token of heartie repentaunce For he did so much detest his former iniquitie so much lament his olde enormities so willinglye condemne his practised prankes and deceitfull dealinges that he not onelye did purpose in time to come to auoyde the lyke but also did with most readie minde recompence them foure folde whome he had before deceiued or oppressed And in the seconde of the Actes when diuers at the preaching of Peter began to beléeue they being pricked in conscience exclamed on this sorte Yée men and brethren what shall we doe here they knowing by the sermons of the Apostle that they hadde a long time erred from the truth and serued rather their owne inuentions than the true God and therefore perceyuing that they were in daunger of
the displeasure and terrible hate of the Lord hosts desired earnestlye to knowe by what meanes they myght escape the vengeance being readie to fall on their heades and sorowfully lamented their dauÌ„gerous ignorance And Peter answereth with these words Delictorum paenitentiaÌ„ agite c. Repent your offences Here we sée that the salue wherwith their heauy harts wounded with wickednesse were first refreshed was hartie repentaunce after they came to the faith of Christ Iesus The Niniuits 3. Ionae beleeued God commaunded a generall fasting which did well declare their remorse of conscience for their former contempt of Gods commaundement and refusall of his mercies and tormenting of his Prophetes whereby they turned away at the last the wrath of the Lord from themselues and their citie all which doe proue that where faith is there is repentaunce Nowe let vs consider a while whether true repentance may be found in them that continue the vse of prayer or no. â—â—scription of repentaunce and the partes therof and the example of the saued theefe The .xiiij. Chapter REpentauncâ— is a true griefe and sorrow for the offence committed against GOD wherewith the minde is opprest the sorrowfull hart most miserably tormented the senses troubled the vnderstanding ouerwhelmed the life afflicted the woonted wanton ioyes altogither banished but so that the valiant force of a liuely faith doth agayne reuiue the languishing spirit with an earnest desire and constant assurance hoping for frée pardon for the merites of Christ his passion whereby is ingendered a full purpose neuer more to haunt the brothell houses of sinne and iniquitie but alwaies to liue in pure conuersation and sincere pietie Herein be principall and especiall partes due contrition and constant faith Contrition maketh a man to tremble and quake to consider the violent 〈◊〉 â—he oâ— God incensed against sinne wherewith he is brought into extreme feare terror and anguishe and for that detesteth the horrible filthynesse and deformitie of the same And in such case is it possible to stand and not to desire pardon To require mercie To craue deliuerance To complaine our estate To lament our miseries To seeke a salue To procure an holesome medicine whereby we may be restored to our helth No no and especially seing fayth instilled into our hartes by the spirite of God doth perswade vs that we shall obtaine if we call that we shall be raunsomed if we require it that we shall be healed if humbly with hartie prayers we repaire to the good Phisition of the soule Christ Iesus our Lord and sauiour What madnesse were it to thinke that any man being sure of most miserable tormentes if he holde his peace and is alreadie plunged into the desperate consideration of the same and féeling their extreme bitternesse and cruell sharpnesse if on the contrarie part he were sure to escape so great a daungâ—r so apparent a perill so mischieuous a miserie by opening his mouth and desiring mercie that he woulde not with readie minde with chéerefull hart with all spéedie hast prostrate himselfe before the iudge and in most lowly wise and carefull humilitie beséech him of his gracious goodnesse and desired bountie to delyuer him The théefe which was hanged with Christ on his right hande when he had receyued the boldnesse of fayth and therewith was brought to godlye repentaunce did desire Christ most humbly to remember him whan he came to his glorious euerlasting kingdome Ye he did not refuse to call vpon him but by calling was delyuered from the power of Sathan from the mouth of hell from the anguish of the soule from the death eternall to which he had surely bene condemned if he had despised or not regarded the profite of faithfull prayer The things that hinder the fruiteful exercise of praier desperation and the contrarie thereof that is securitie The .xv. Chapter WHat is it therefore that hindreth a man so that he doth not vse the fruitefull exercise of prayers â–ª Surely eyther desperatioÌ„ or else securitie Desperation drowneth a man in deadly sorrowes in bitternesse of soule in the furious floudes of most déepe and despitefull dolours Therefore wheresoeuer it is founde it shutteth out cleane the force of fayth But securitie maketh a man carelesse hardneth his heart indureth his stonie spirites and causeth to cry peace peace when destruction hangeth ouer his heade This also when contrition is absent hath no parte or porcion in a faythfull heart Whereof it foloweth that true repentaunce whereby the harts of christians are regenerated their willes chaunged their mindes framed a newe their desires reformed their liues amended their cogitations cleÌ„sed their thoughtes purified their spirite sanctified cannot be founde in those that doe not continually burst out in most hartie prayers desiring grace goodnesse pardon and amendment and consequently that such are not faithfull but faithlesse not fruitfull but fruitlesse not gracious but gracelesse persons Secondly faith doth apprehend the spirite of god For Christ saith Iohn 7. If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke He that beleueth in me as the scripture sayth shall haue floudes of water of lyfe flowing from his bellye and this he spake of the spirite which they that beleue him should receyue And ad Ephesios 1. Paule sayth In whome speakyng of Christ also ye after that you had heard the worde of truth I meane the gospell of your saluation wherein you beleue were sealed with the holye spirite of promise which is the earnest pledge of our inheritaunce to redéeme the purchased possession and that vnto the lawde and glory of god The spirite of God therefore doth possesse the hartes of the faythfull But let vs now consequently consider whither iâ— may be founde in such that will not feare God which saint Paule séemeth to denye Romanes 8. By these wordes Non enim accepistis spirituÌ„ seruitutis in timore sed accepistis spirituÌ„ adoptionis filioruÌ„ dei in quo clamamus Abba pater c. For ye haue not againe receyued the spirite of bondage in feare but ye haue receyued the spirit of adoption of the sonnes of god whereby we cry Abba father For that spirite doth testifie to our spirite that we are the sonnes of God and in the fourth to the Galathians bicause you are the sonnes of God God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your harts crying Abba father Here in these places Paule doth manifestly shewe that the spirite of God when it resteth in the hartes of the faythfull doth so mollifie mans stony minde so breake downe the brazen walles of sléepie securitie so confounde the pernitious and pestilent purposes of negligent impietie and agayne so comforteth the sorrowfull soule so refresheth the weary wil so repaireth and healeth the broken hart that neyâ—her by contempt of Gods wrath is proudâ—ed neyther by lacke of trust and confidence helth is togither banished but contynuall prayer is poured out to God as to a father that with naturall yea more then naturall affection
most glad and ioyfull It is therfore euident that all those which with constant hope and sure fayth and contrite hart humble minde call vpon God in his sonne Iesus Christ shall be deliuered from the deceites of the Deuill and shall enioye for euer an incorruptible crowne of immortall glory The conclusion of the seconde part of the Authors diuision with notable testimonies thereof out of the scriptures The .xxij. Chapter BVt what hath so bewitched oure mindes or benummed our senses or bereaued vs of our right vnderstanding that we so sluggishely nay vnreasonably doe neglect our dueties to God not regarding our owne commoditie welth happie estate and felicitie but rather voluntarilie running into wickednesse doe deserue most déepe daungers and deadly miseries and dolefull damnation Christ commaundeth vs carefullye faythfully continually to call vpon him with hartie prayers and we refuse to folowe him That open enimie of mankind Sathan chargeth vs to liue in sléepie sinfull and slothfull securitie and we readily conforme our selues to his cursed commaundement Christ came downe from his celestiall throne 〈◊〉 glorious and immortall maiestie to séeke vs which were lost and wandring and wayward shéepe driuen from the folde by the craftie conueyaunce of the subtile Serpent and we vngratefully refuse the exceeding gentlenesse and meere mercy of him that séeketh our saluation Sathan when we were in the fauour of God subtilly deceyued vs and miserably plunged vs into the terrible seas of Gods heauie vengeaunce and displeasure yet hym we fréely doe folow in all our attemptes and endeuours Christ promyseth vs eternall life in heauenly ioy solace and all felicitie if we will kéepe his commaundements and call vpon him yet we wilfully despise him Sathan wil performe that we shall liue or rather die in terrible flames of hell fire in all dolour griefe and miserable anguish if we frame our liues according to his deuilishe desire and yet we delite to liue in his obedience O straunge maner of outragious madnesse Shall bitter sorrowes for euer to endure be preferred before incomparable ioyes which neuer haue ende Shall Sathan be satisfied and our euer lyuing and almightie God be wrathfully displeased Shall we loue a deuouring enimy leaue our louing Lord God forbid Let vs nowe prostrate our selues before the iudgement seat of God let vs lament our miserie let vs crie for grace and mercy with continuall prayer that we may for all our sinnes obtaine remission that we may not be ashamed in the day of the Lorde when the hidden thoughtes of our secrete mindes shall openly be declared and for the same most iust iudgement seuerely pronounced Let vs no more lye groueling vppon the grounde wyth the hatefull serpent but let vs set our thoughtes and hartes a lofte wyth the chast turtle doue that is let vs forsake earthly fond and deuilish delites let vs not set our harts vpon worldly treasure let vs not féede vpon vaine pleasures and fading fantasies but let vs lodge with Christ Iesus in heauen or rather let vs haue him lodging in our brestes and possessing our harts directing our thoughts which we shall easily obtayne if wyth repentaunt hartes we offer vnto him the sacrifice of prayer and thankesgiuing For seing that he did vouchsafe to come downe from heauen to clense vs when we were deformed and depraued with the foule spottes and blemishes of deadly sinne he will now much more if we humbly and hartily request the same make vs méete vessels to receyue the most holesome and comfortable blessing of the holy ghost that we may continue in his most gracious fauour But this is sufficient for the godly minded members of Christ and to them especiallye doth belong the sure hope of eternall happinesse Those I call the members of Christ which haue alwayes a cleare conscience before the face of God and men and also those for of the former sorte there are very fewe which although they haue béene polluted with the filthinesse of wicked and abhominable impietie yet now at the last are returned from the same vngodlinesse and with all diligence loue and obedience doe imbrace the Gospell abhorre hypocrisie detest their former vilanie and sequester themselues from blinde securitie Such I say shall be sure by prayer to obtayne eternall saluation For before God they are counted iust through the merites of Christ Iesus and Saint Iames sayth that the prayer of the iust man preuayleth much The thirde parte of the Authors diuision that is the waye how to be hearde in our prayer with a definition of it comprysing two Chapters The .xxiij. Chapter NOw I will by the fauour of god speake a worde or two of the last poynt that is how we maye so pray that we may be hearde and obtayne our request Here I thinke that it be most necessarie for me to vse in this matter such breuitie as is most méete for those to whome I direct this my talke I speake onely of those which be rude and ignoraunt in this case and that haue bene through méere simplicitie blinded by the vaile of cursed poperie and not to such as obstinately harden their harts and shutte their eyes and stop their eares that they may not be healed To such as these simple ignoraunt and séely soules be bréefe notes without large discourse is vndoubtedly most commodious I will therfore in a shorte difinition first shew what prayer is and then will adioyne those properties as it were which are necessarily required to faythfull and true prayer For by this meanes they may the soonest learn the maner of true prayer and beare it in memorie Subtilly to dispute of the dyuers kinds of prayer such like rather belongeth to curious schoolemen in vniuersities than to the simple christians in their priuate houses or cōmon churches Prayer therfore is a religious declaration of the minde before God wherin we desire with earnest affection either to be preserued from daūger of discōmodity spiritual or temporall either to enioy some desired benifit belonging to soule or body either else wherin we yelde most hartie thankes for some receyued benifite Bycause here be mentioned diuers kindes of benifites to be desired as necessitie 〈…〉 God 's handes wée must know tha◠they are not without difference all to be requested after one sort◠▪ For those things which belong to the bodie are alwayes to be requested with a condition that is if they be not hurtfull for the soule if it be Gods good pleasure to graunt them if it be for the glorie of God to condiscende to our request But such things as tende to the safegarde of the soule to heauenly felicitie to godly charitie with such lyke are to be desired symply without condition of bodily welth or worldly safety These things well considered we must obserue these rules folowing if we will obtayne our request The sixe rules which must bee obserued to obtaine our requests wythall The .xxiiij. Chapter FFirst we must direct our prayers to God alone