in this case if in that case he commaunded the earth to swallowe them vp quicke and cary them to hell We may assuredly vnlesse with repentaunt hartes we call vpon him looke for nothing else but vtter ruine and confusion but eternall damnation and immortall miserie but for the terrible troubles of tormented deuils and most cruell stroakes of most heauie plagues Let the desperate estate of cruell and cursed Cain make vs beware who woulde not after his hainous and bloudy fact come to the throne of Gods mercye with teares and lamentation to bewayle his wickednesse but mistrusting the infinite goodnesse and marueylous riches of the grace and fauour of our mightie maker and tender father became abhominable before the face of God and a terrible example to all such as contemne the great mercies of God layde open to all them that with humble and ready minds will thankfullye by prayer receiue them Let the consideration of vniust Iudas who after he had betrayed Christ the holy one of Israel and vnspotted lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde did hunge himselfe and woulde not take holde of the promises of God but desperatly dispaired of the goodnesse of him among the companie of whose Apostles before he was numbred stirre vs more feruently to runne to God in Christ our sauiour withall diligence with all continuaunce withall certayne hope and pure faith in supplication in prayer and thankes gyuing For if we doe as did these miserable men not looke to be profred mercy but refuse the same we shall be accounted breakers of the commaundements of God dispisers of his worde wicked workers of iniquity and consequentlye worthy of the same most vnhappy reuengement iust iudgement which they were afflicted withall An aunswere to a captious cauillation that might be layed to the Author The sixt Chapter BUt some perchaunce will say that these two last examples doe not so much belong to negligence in prayer as to an horrible terrour in their owne conscience conceyued for the cruell factes they had committed I aunswere that herein both may plainelye be perceyued For that which in this place is most for my purpose in these examples we sée the iustice of God executed against them that did violate his commaundement by treason murder and falshoode Therefore death and hell fire is the guardon and rewarde of such as despise the will of God and the will of God is that we shoulde glorifie his name by pouring out our prayers vnto him Againe wée may easily sée that not onely desperation but also a will to committe these horrible crimes came through lacke of feruentnesse and by a colde negligence in prayer wherein they shoulde haue desired in all there doings the direction of Gods holy spirite which if they had done they had assuredly béene frée both from the terrour of desperation and also from the guiltinesse of so mischieuous vilanies For saint Chrysostome sayth Siue quis virginitatis amore tenetur siue quis studet amplecti honorabilem coniugij castimoniam siue quis meditatur inijcere fraenum iracundiae cum mansuetudine familiaritatem habere siue quis putet ab inuidentiae lue purus esse denique si quis aliud quippiam facere studet quod ad rectè vniendum pertinet duce precatione commodum facilem habiturus est pietatis cursum Whether a man be in loue with virginity whether he indeuour to imbrace honorable and chaste matrimonie whether he couite to bridle anger and to be gentle or courtious whether he wish to be cleane and pure from the pestilent and foule spot of enuie or to conclude if he desire to doe any thing whatsoeuer it be that pertayneth to good and godly life by prayer hée shall easily and commodiously attaine vnto it The lacke therefore of feruentnesse and the daungerous negligence in praier doth bring all wickednesse vncleanesse desperation murther and all impietie This therefore is the cause vndoubtedly why in these most miserable dayes of ours both here in the Realme of Englande and almost throughout all the places of the whole worlde men runne hedlong into the pit of ignorance and error that they swarme togither to stirre vppe wilfull and witlesse warfare that they swarne awaye from the straight path of christian righteousnesse that they ryfle in rancor hatred abhominable enmity that they swel with the venimous poyson of pride presumption that they with all endeuor plucke downe the golden pillers of godly peace vnitie that violently they breake the bands of heauenly concord that they roote out the stampe of true religion that they impugne the state of holesome veritie that they darcken the bright and shyning beames of christian knowledge clogge themselues with the filthie fetters of all abhominable outrage and iniquitie But what Doe we thinke that the God of Iacob and Lorde of Israel nowe at the last sléepeth Or do we think that he which neyther slumbreth nor sléepeth now winketh at our wickednesse and wil not sée it Or do we thinke that he which destroyed afore time the people that wrought wyckednesse before his face hath now chaunged his nature and is no more displeased with blasphemous behauiour Or doe we thinke that we are of habilitie to withstande his furie when he shall rise vp to take vengeaunce vppon vs for our horrible vices daylie more and more increasing amongst vs Or doe we thinke that we haue a speciall priuiledge and prerogatiue to doe what séemeth good in our foolishe fantasies and ydle braynes without correction more than other haue had before Or doe we thinke that the power is eyther daūted or his arme abridged or his might impaired Or doe we think that he loueth vs more than he did his chosen charge and peculiar people of Israell Or can wée thinke so blasphemously that nowe he taketh delite in our filthie doings in wanton wils and prowde pranckes and cursed hypocrisie No no. Let vs not flatter our selues nor dally with God but let vs wisely consider iustly ponder our loose and lewde liues wherby we deserue most sharpe plagues and punishmentes most heauy hasty reuengement most seuere and rigorous iudgement let vs knowe that the passing pacience and gentle sufferaunce of God our heauenly Father doth allure vs to spéedie repentaunce to continuall care yea to hearecloth and ashe◠that so we may yéelde vnto his maiestie for a pleasaunt and swéete sacrifice the bewtifull buddes of dutiful obedience And let vs well consider the mighty wrath of God nowe long ago set on fire against vs and therewithall knowe that he sléepeth not although he sustaine vs that he wincketh not although he woontedly doe warne vs and that he is not pleased although to proue vs by gentlenesse hys plagues be something ceased nor that we can abide his displeasure bursting out like a deuouring tempest although he for hys mercie sake doe abide paciently for our returne nor that we be priuiledged or authorised to vse the workes of
doth tender his adopted children his chosen vessels his louing friendes which appéereth by crying in fayth Abba father It is therefore prooued that they which crie not with hartie affection vnto God our heauenlye father haue not the spirite of God consequently that they are reiected from the number of the saints and sonnes of god Thirdly fayth worketh in mans hart loue and obedience For that doth most perfitely paint out the tender mercies the great good wil the gracious fauour the louing kindnesse of God the father to man in creating him of God the sonne in raunsoming him of God the holye ghost in directing him in creating him by making him of nothing a noble creature in redéeming him by making of a bonde seruant to the Deuill an adopted sonne to himselfe in directing him by restrayning him from most abhominable impietie whether hée woulde runne and cast himselfe headlong into present daunger and kéeping him in the fauour of his tender father creator These with innumerable and infinite commodities more will mooue almost a senselesse hart to contend with all endeuour to loue to please to folowe to praise to obey to reuerence to worship and honour him by whome they are bestowed and giuen and vndeseruedly fréely bountifully without respect of the receyuer his worthynesse and onely for the giuers mercie The effects of fayth in Mari of Bethania which is Marie Magdalene with an enumeration of causes why they bee condemned which reiect prayer The .xvi. Chapter MArie of Bethania after shée had receyued fayth so loued Christ that she not onely was wylling to doe that which was commaunded in the lawe of God but also exercised an extraordinarie meanes whereby shée did shewe forth hir burning and feruent loue towardes Christ For when he was set at meate in a Pharyseis house she brought an Alablaster boxe of oyntment and shée stoode at his féete behind him wéeping and began to washe his féete with teares and did wipe them with the heares of hir head and kissed his féete and annoynted them with oyntment and Christ testifieth in the same place the seuenth of Luke that she loued much Christ also sayth in the fourtéenth of Iohn If anye man loue mée he will kéepe my saying and againe qui non diligit me sermones meos non seruat he that doth not loue me kéepeth not my saying whereby it appeareth that fayth is not without the loue of god The loue of God is not without obedience obedience is not where prayer is not exercised as it is proued before Therfore they which contemne or neglect or doe not vse contynuall prayer are vnfaithful disobedient rebels against God and his annoynted Nowe therefore séeing that for such lacke of duetie on our partes the holy and heauenlye will of our eternall God is nothing regarded the swéete and holesome counsell of Christ Iesus our mercifull and mightie mediatour wilfully condemned the profered and promised mercy by the holye ghost in scripture plentifullye declared wickedly refused seing that God is spoyled of his reuerence depriued of his honour robbed of his glorie prayse and of our dutifull obedience seing that they which doe not exercise continuall prayer are trées bearing no fruite which are good for nothing but to be cut downe and cast into the fire seing that they are faythlesse desperate secure fruitlesse and harde hearted hypocrites trusting more to the fonde illusions of their vaine fantasies than the riches of Gods eternall mercies bathing themselues in the sincke of sinne and foule puddle of blasphemous iniquity it must néedes of necessitie folow that they are burning firebrandes of hell sonnes of the Deuill and heires of eternall damnation For as the Prophet Nahum saith the first Chapter Deus emulator vlciscens dominus vlciscens dominus habens furorem vlciscens dominus in hostes suos irascens ipse suis inimicis God is a zelous and a reuenging Lorde a reuenging Lorde and wrathfull a reuenging Lorde against his enimies and angry against his aduersaries Ante faciem indignationis eius quis stabit quis resistet in ira furoris eius Who shall stande before his face when his indignation is hote and in the daye of hys wrath who shall be able to resist For when he is angrye the heauens shake for feare the earth quiuereth the rockes doe breake a sunder the mountaines shippe the Lyons rore the Tygers tremble and all the inhabitauntes of the worlde are readie to desire the hilles to couer them Such is the terrour of his maiestie such is the horrour of his displeasure such is the burning fire of his hote indignation He will not therefore spare those which trayterously spoyle him of his glorie bereaue him of his due honor reuerence depriue him of his worship who may for the same cause loke for nothing else but eternall death and extreme horrible and deadly damnation For séeing he is ielous and a reuenging Lorde séeing he is a most mightie terrible and fearefull iudge séeing he is a God that hath all power dominion and rule at his commaundement séeing nothing is able to withstande hys will séeing neyther place in heauen neyther habitation in earth nor house in Hell is hidden from his presence and agayne seing on the otherside he is so iustly prouoked so yrefully inflamed so wrathfully mooued against such as robbe him of hys reuerence it is most certaine and so sure as the Lorde liueth that they shall come to vtter and extréeme and most miserable confusion The second part of the authors diuision that is that they be most certaine of the inheritance of heauen which doe exercise prayers comprising the .vii. Chapters folowing The .xvij. Chapter BVt now let vs leaue to speake of those and conuert our talke to the state of such as doe with earnest humble and hartie desire imbrace the most godly exercise of prayer They asuredlye are most certaine to be enheritours of euerlasting and most blisfull saluation for euer and euer eternally For Christ saith Iohn 14. Quicquid petieritis nomine meo hoc faciam vt glorificetur pater per filium Si quid petieritis per nomen meum ego faciam First whatsoeuer you shall require in my name that I will bring to passe that the father may be glorified by his sonne If you shall require any thing in my name I will doe it Here Christ promiseth vnto vs that we shall obtaine whatsoeuer we shall require in his name If therefore we shall require euerlasting life in glorie and all felicitie with him and his Aungels he will gladly willingly and readily graunt it vnto vs For here he is not constrayned to promise it Therefore he is willing to graunt it and againe he doth not promise more then hée is able to perfourme bicause he is GOD omnipotent equall with the father in all power godhead and diuinitie For he saith of him selfe My father and I are all one it remaineth then that of his siguler grace incredible goodnesse wherwith
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