Ezech. 18.33 and which will not giue place to his admonitions but yet hee is also full of compassion and pitie towarde poore sinners which acknowledge their faultes which humble themselues before him Ioh. 1. which with weeping teares sighes and feruent praiers aske pardon at his handes If wee confesse our sinnes saieth Saint Iohn the Lorde is faithfull to forgiue vs them Hee which confesseth and acknowledgeth his trespasses and forsaketh them Prou. 28. shall obtaine mercie saieth Salomon I graunt your sinne is great but yet Gods mercie is greater Rom. 5. Heb. 4. Where sinne hath abounded saieth the Apostle there grace hath abounded much more Let vs drawe néere then with assurance to the throane of grace that wee maie obtaine mercie and finde grace to bee holpen in due time This is the exhortation which the spirite of God maketh vnto you speaking by the Apostle to the Hebrues that hee maie take from you all distrust of reconciliation and of grace There bee examples in the Scriptures which will well fitte your purpose for this matter as that of Dauid that of Manasses and that of Peter Which I praie you reade and meditate vppon them diligentlie not to the ende you maie flatter and bring your selues fast on sleepe in the infirmitie of your fleshe and that you maie thereby couer excuse and lessen your sinne as manie doe to their iudgement and condemnation for such exāples are not set before vs to this ende but rather to the end you may strēgthen and arme your selues against the temptations of Satan who if he sée that God toucheth your hearts with anie repentance wil do what he can to cast you headlong into dispaire moreouer it is to the end you maie come to the throne of the grace of God by the self same waie may enter in by the verie same gate wherby they came entred in thither And what waie gate is this it is true repentance and a true liuelie faith accompanied with true amendement without which all the rest is as nothing Marke what Dauid did So soone as he was tolde of his fault by the Prophet Nathan hee sought no starting holes or friuolous excuses to cloake or couer the same anie manner of waie but on the contrarie hee confesseth it and doeth fréelie acknowledge it he himselfe condemneth it and accuseth himselfe before God he doth wonderfullie humble himselfe with wéeping sobbing sighing night and daie And as he was not ashamed to committe the sinne no more was he ashamed to confesse and acknowledge the same openlie and as it were to make an honourable amendes for the same before the whole Churche that was in his time and that was to come afterwarde For the Psalmes which hee made are as it were a publike confession to be briefe hee sheweth all tokens and testimonies of a true penitent heart which was contrite and humbled through the feeling of sinne and by the knowledge of the wrath of GOD which beateth him downe euen to the depth afterwarde hee riseth againe by the meanes of faith which setteth before him the greatnesse and the multitude of the compassions and mercies of this most mercifull father to whom he maketh recourse with feruent praier to craue pardon and mercie Which thing hee doth with certaine perswasion and assuraunce that the Lord would receyue him to mercie as hee did through his grace Marke then what manner repentaunce and faith that of Dauids was and what was the fruite thereof Nowe all this was acompanied with a readie amendement for after that the Prophete was humbled before the Lorde after that hee had craued pardon and after that hee perceiued that the wrath of GOD conceiued against him was appeased and that his conscience was at rest what doeth hee Doeth hee lye wallowing still in his filthe Doeth hee driue off to amende him selfe and to repaire his fault vntill suche time as hee might commodiouslie doe it without anie lette or hinderaunce of other businesse Not so but hee resolueth out of hande to walke all the rest of his life in the feare and obedience of the Lorde consecrating him selfe whollie to his seruice Thus did Manasses king of Iuda for after that hee was tolde of his faultes and iniquities not by some Prophet but euen by the Lord himselfe who because he would not loose him 1. Chr. 33. spake to him with his fatherlie rodde deliuering him vp into the handes of the Assyrians which bounde him with manicles and chaines and carried him to Babylon After that hee was thus visited by the Lorde it is said that he humbled himself before him that is to saie that hee acknowledged and confessed his faultes with griefe and sorrow when he perceiued the wrath of God which he had deserued It is said further that hee praied vnto the Lord that is he had recourse vnto his grace and mercie with full confidence and assurance that he should obtaine it As indéed the Lord was mercifull vnto him for it is said that hee heard his prayer he receiued him into fauour againe and made him returne to Ierusalem that he might establish him again in his kingdome Hereupon insued a readie chaunge and amendment for he tooke away the strange gods and idols that were in the house of the Lord he broke downe all the altars which he had built contrarie to his commandement hee reedified the true altar of the lord and offered thereon peace offerings and sacrifices of praise Also he gaue commaundemēt throughout al Iuda that they should serue the Lord the God of Israel to bee short he made such and so readie an amendment of all his faultes that he did indéede declare that there was no feigning nor hipocrisie in his repentance and in his faith but that it was pure intire and sincere Such was his reuersiō such was that of Sainct Peter True it is indéede that there is not so ample mention made of it in the Gospell as of that of Dauid and that of Manasses for it is onely said that after that Sainct Peter had denyed his maister and that Iesus Christ had beheld him the Cocke cruel then was he so well awaked and touched at the quicke Mat. 26. Mat. 14. Luk. 22. that he rushed out of the Priestes house and wept bitterly Now that which followed thereupon sheweth plainely that his fault was forgiuen For Iesus Christ tooke him afterward for his disciple and continued him in his office of an Apostle Then wee maye conclude that this faith and repentance was true and intire for that his bitter wéeping shewed that he was throughly touched with his fault and that he was extreemely grieued at it not onely because he saw the punishment which hée had deserued if God would haue handled him sharpely and seuerely but principally by reason of his too monstrous vnthankfulnes backsliding and disloyaltie which made him ashamed before God and men If then his repentance were true and intire whereby hee was beaten downe euen to
offence of his Church and to your owne vtter destruction vnlesse you repent To you it is I say that I direct this my worke particularlie that I may louingly and brotherlie conferre with you touching the offence which you haue committed beseeching you in the name of the liuing God that you would find some spare time to reade it pondering together with me the reasons which shall be therein set downe before your eyes out of the word of God And that not onelie to the end you may approue the same as all those will not sticke to doe which will not flatter them selues nor stubbornlie withstand the trueth of God but aboue all that hauing approued the same there may be in you an holie resolution accompanied with the effect thereof that is in summe that you may with speede repaire by a true and readie conuersion that fault which you haue committed Which being well considered and weighed as it ought together with the circumstances thereof you shall full well know and shall be inforced to graunt that it is nothing so small and light as the enimies of your saluatiō would make you belieue namely the diuel the flesh and the worlde which indeuour moreouer to cast you into a déepe sléepe and so to besot you that you may not anie longer haue anie feeling of your faults but may more and more plunge your selues in filth mire that you may there continue and finally become Antechrists a people without God and without religion that is to say being wholie become slaues to Sathan as is befallen to more people in our countrie of Fraunce then were to be wished through the iust iudgement of God Furthermore when you shall well perceiue the greatnes and hugenes of your fall it must needes come to passe that you shall see the horrible fearefull iudgements and vengeance which the Lord bringeth vpon all those who through their slacknesse an disloyaltie haue beene the cause that his holie name hath béene profaned and their neighbors offended Which knowledge may serue to bring you to a true deiection and humilitie before the maiestie of God not that you may faint and sinke down vnder your burden and so fall into despaire through the consideration of your transgressions and by the sight of Gods iustice but rather that being by this meanes humbled in the presence of God you may be the better brought to draw neare vnto him or rather to speake more properly to prouoke him to draw nearer to you according to that which the Prophet saith that The Lord is nigh vnto those that are comfortles beaten downe and broken in hart and saueth them that be of a contrite spirite euen through the feeling of their sinnes and iniquities so that a man may truelie say that such humilitie is as it were the first gate or dore to enter in vnto the throne of the grace and mercie of God who is in such sort iust to punish sinners in his wrath euen those which are obstinate and which harden their harts when they heare his voice and abuse his patience that he is also readie to show mercie he is pitifull gentle and merciful to all those which being conuict in their conscience and hauing accused themselues before God returne vnto him without faining throwing them selues as it were into the armes of his most bountifull father to secke for grace at his hands These are my brethren the principall points which I mean by the grace of God to laie open vnto you in this my present writing that is a briefe collection of that which you must doe that you may escape the iust wrath and indignation of the Lord and bee reconciled to him This is that which I require at your hands for the glorie of God and for your owne benefit and saluation this is that which all your brethren members whom God hath preserued desire and craue daylie at the hands of God with gronings sighes and most feruent praiers This is that which the Angels of heauen looke for at your handes that they may reioyce and praise God for your conuersion Briefly this is that whereunto you are called and inuited by the goodnesse and clemencie of our heauenlie father who stretcheth out his armes vnto you to imbrace you as his children Wherfore it standeth you vppon to looke to it for the case so standeth that you must now either honour or dishonour God you must either be saued or else condemned Now forasmuch as my desire is to help comfort you therein I wil take paine through Gods help to make these things more plaine somewhat more largely in order to deduct them First of al then if you be desirous to come to the true knowledge of your fault that you may detest the same obtaine pardon for it at the handes of God you must beware that you weigh it not in a false ballance such as is that of Satans the flesh the world the sworne enimies of our saluatiō for these shal not be your iudges at the last day but you must peyze thē in the seales of the wil of God which is declared vnto vs in his word for that is the onlie most certaine and most perfect rule whereto all our actions must be referred wherwith they must al be hedged in and according to the which alone men shal bée iudged of the Lord. I know full well that all those which haue forgotten themselues in this case forsaking the profession of true religion that they may raunge themselues vnder the banner Antichrist must not be placed in one the same ranke For one sort is so fallen that they are as it were out of all hope euer to be able to rise againe of which sort are that heape and rabble of hypocrites which had intruded themselues into the Church of God making a show that they would folow Iesus Christ and make profession of his Gospell notwithstanding forasmuch as they neuer had anie sparkle of true godlines neyther anie will to renounce their concupiscences and the vanities of this world that they might dedicate cōsecrate thēselues to God to follow Iesus Christ to reforme their life according to the doctrine of his Gospel it is come to passe that their hypocrisie is discouered for séeing they could not so long as they professed religion giue their lustes the bridle and run into al filthinesse dissolutenes and infamous facts giue ouer themselues to their delights and filthy pleasure satisfie their ambitiō couetousnes enioy their ease delicates cōmodities of this life take their pastime and so liue in such rest according to the flesh that they might not bée disquieted or troubled any maner of way Briefly seing they coulde not serue two maisters which were quite cōtrary the one to the other that is to say God the Diuell they forsook God gaue thēselues to follow the world which is as it were the diuels bawd other some staid not til they might be
his matters so about that hee can take from you all feeling of your offence and all perceiuing and vnderstanding of the iudgement and vengeance of God he wil suggest vnto you by the flesh and the world diuers excuses wherewith you may cloake and lessen the same making you beléeue if possibly he can that it is not so horrible as men say it is or els he will giue you his accustomed cuppe of slumbering besméered with some hope to returne to God againe when the tyranny is ouerpast but he will beware that he do not tel you that all that which he doth tendeth to draw you awaie by little little from the obedience of God your father that he maie hale you to eternall destruction but on the contrarie he wil perswade you if he can that hereby you prouide for your good and comfort Notwithstanding you know that he is a lier and disceiuer for when he went about to blind the eies of our first parēts he told them your eies shal be opened and when he sought to make them deuils like to himselfe he said vnto them you shal be Gods and intending to make them subiect to the first and second death he promised them immortalitie and life saying you shall not die Beware then how you giue eare to his deceitfull and wicked counsels to the inticements and inchauntments of this inchaunter who is an enimie to your saluation but rather hearken to the voice of that Soueraigne Phisition who will not onelie make you feele and knowe your griefe the daunger wherein you are and the meanes whereby you maie prouide for your curing but will also heale you him selfe if your selues be not a stop and hinderance to it First of all then my brethren I moste earnestlie beseech and beseech you againe in the name of this great God and father of mercy that you will earnestlie consider how many waies your fault deserueth condemnation before God You know that the most vile vice and that which both most of all deserue to bee punished by all lawes both diuine and humaine is this to wit if a childe do so degenerate that he withdraw himself from submitting himselfe to a good father and mother yea denyeth them to be his parents and doth become a seruaunt and slaue to a straunger that is euen their verie deadly enimie and in whose house he shall be constrayned to heare a thousand speeches tending to their dishonor and reproche or if a subiect bee so vnthankefull vnfaithfull disloyall and trecherous to his natural Prince at whose handes he had receiued manie benefites and great honour as to reuolt from his obedience and to band himselfe with his mortall enimie which maketh open war against him And yet you haue dealt thus For the Lorde had sometimes graunted you such fauour as to drawe you out of Sathans family whose slaues you were by nature that he might adopt you in his sonne Iesus Christ that hée might make you sit at his own table and traine you vp as his owne children and make you inheritours of his kingdome but you are departed out of his house and hauing denyed him to bee your father you haue quite forsaken him that you might become slaues to Sathan in whose Synagoge your eares shall bée polluted with infinite and horrible blasphemies against the Maiestie of God You had a good mother which is the Church of Iesus Christ which had conceiued you in her wombe by the incorruptible séede of the word of God which had brought you forth not without great panges and thrals of afflictions and persecutions had giuen you sucke with her two breasts which are the olde and new testament and which had brought you vp and noursed you with great care bearing your infirmities and couering and wiping awaie your filth and in lieu of all this you haue forsaken her denying her to be your mother and haue euen as it were throwne your selues into the armes of a straunge strumpet or rather of that great whore of Babilon which in stéed of giuing you good and wholesome nourishment giueth you to drinke the poison of her vncleannes and abhominable whoredomes that your soules maie thereby be infected and destroied and she ceaseth not to make deadlie war against your chast mother the spouse of Iesus Christ and to murther all her children Furthermore you had a good king and Soueraigne Lord euen Iesus Christ the eternal sonne of God who loued you so dearelie that he gaue himselfe vp to death for your sakes which were his enimies who had deliuered you from the tirannie and slauerie of the deuill who had redéemed you not with gold or siluer or anie other corruptible thing but by his own pretious bloud which he shedde for you and not onelie so but had ouer and besides graunted you so great honor as to make you his fellowes that hee might make you partakers of his graces of his glorie and of his celestial kingdome and yet for all this as soone as hee summoned you to the combate of the crosse that he might make you go the selfe same way which he had gone before you to the ende that after the victorie hée might giue you the crowne of glorie and immortalitie you turned your backes and forsooke him yea you renounced him if not al at least the greater part of you by the most execrable abiuration which that infernall Dragon did euer spue out of his stinking mouth against the Maiestie of God and that which more is you haue inrolled your selues vnder the captaine of all impietie which is Antichrist of Rome the sworne enimie of the sonne of God and of your saluation Sée what an heape of backslidinges disloyalties and most vile vnthankefulnes here is But now I do wel perceiue that those which will not giue glorie to God nor giue eare to his worde but take counsell of Sathan to confirme themselues in their errour will not bee vnprouided of replies and will not bee ashamed some such there bee to séeke to couer or lessē their fault alleadging that olde saying of time seruers and of certaine backsliders which knowe ful wel yea in their hearts condemne the abuses impieties superstitions and Idolatries of Poperie and are constrained to confesse the truth to wit that that is the verye true religion which we professe through the grace of God Notwithstanding because they are afraid to beare the blows they will not march on vnder the banner of Iesus Christ but to the end they maye applye themselues to the worlde they follow the banner of Antichrist Moreouer if a man come to admonish them and to tell them their duetie they replye that albeit they serue the deuill with their bodies yet they cease not to be Christians and children of God forasmuch as they reserue him the chiefe which is the Spirite wherewith they serue and honour him and though they haue forsaken the church of Iesus Christ and are fallen from their profession of the Gospell and haue renounced religion
hell we may well say that his faith was of the selfe same stampe and that this looke which the Lord gaue him was of marueilous force and efficacie séeing that being fallen so farre and hauing committed such an horrible sinne that as they say he was not sufficient inough to punish it yet was he not swallowed vp with dispaire but he was raised vp out of that dungeon of destruction euen by apprehending a greater depth then that was that is the infinite depth of the riches of the grace and mercie of God whereunto he had recourse with full assurance that this most bountifull and mercifull father woulde take pittye and compassion on him You see then the repentaunce and the excellent faith of this holy Apostle and also how hee sealeth and confirmeth all by a sodaine and true amendment for immediately after that he saw the breaknecke of destruction and the wofull and miserable estate whereinto he was fallen hee came thence without delay and then went to seeke his brethren and companions that is he came within the lists of the Church again how small soeuer it were at that time and in how poore and miserable estate soeuer it was according to the world so that the poore faithfull could looke for nothing but for the crosse tribulations and persecutions considering the sharpe intertainment which the soueraigne maister and head of the Church had and found This then was the way and gate wherby Dauid Manasses and S. Peter had accesse vnto the throne of that grace and mercie of God The verye selfe same thing is taught vs by the historie of the prodigall sonne which Iesus Christ setteth downe in the Gospel Luk. 15. to shew vs on the one side how greatly they are blindes and voide of vnderstanding which vpon any occasiō whatsoeuer forsake the house of their heauēly father without that which there is nothing but méere hunger pouertie miserie wo and cursednes On the other side this serueth to teach vs by what meanes we may come and bee receiued into fauour This was then a foolish sonne yea blinde and bewitched of Satan who finding it maye bee his fathers gouernment and discipline too hard and austere and being desirous to follow his foolish affections and disordered desires doth withdraw himselfe from his said father goeth out of his house and runneth after his owne lustes he falleth shortly after into a most pitious and miserable estate he which refused to sit at his fathers table doth now sit at table with hogges he which disdained good and honorable intertainement the exquisite and delicate meates iunkates whereof he had sufficient cannot now fill himselfe with the meat of hogges hee which despised the goodly and pretious ornaments wherewith he was cloathed when he was in his fathers house goeth now all tattered and torne like a begger to make short he which might haue bene in full good case if he had would is nowe accursed and brought to vtter destruction through his own folly and consequētly vnworthie euer to come within his fathers dores and to haue so much as a good looke of him whom hee had so grieuously offended Lo here then a childe that was vtterly lost depriued of al goodnes honor and felicitie and plunged as it were in a gulph of woe shame and reproch What remaineth then for him but to dispaire And yet hee taketh not that course but the quite contrarie for he commeth to himselfe hee perceiueth his wretchednes he bewaileth his estate hee is displeased with himselfe for his sinne hee resolueth with him selfe to come and humble himselfe before his father whom he had offended hee purposeth to craue pardon of him assuring himselfe of his goodnes and mercie finallie he commeth out of that filth and without anie more a doe to his father he comes he confesseth and acknowledgeth his sinne to him saying that he had sinned against heauen and against him and he counteth himselfe vnworthy to be taken for his sonne and hauing none other meanes left but to flye to his mercie he beseecheth him to take pitie and compassion vpon him and to graunt him this grace that hee woulde receiue him into his house if not as his childe yet at least as one of his hyred seruauntes acknowledging with Dauid that the condition of the poore porters of Gods house is farre more blessed and honourable then Ps 84. that of the greatest monarches of the earth which are without the Church Thus did this poore prodigall chylde that he might escape out of that wofull miserie into which he was fallen and that hee might recouer that good that honour and that felicitye which hee had lost as indeede all fell out so well that hee findeth his father better disposed more ready and better inclyned to receyue him not as a seruant but as a son then he durst desire In like manner you see that the true and only meanes to obtayne grace and mercye at the Lordes handes is true repentaunce a true faith and true amendment Lo then my brethren what course you must obserue lo here the way which you must follow lo here the gate wherby you must enter in vnto the Lorde to obtayne his fauour But marke well the band and coniunction of these thynges which cannot be answered for deceiue not your selues vnlesse you amend your fault you may wel saye that you acknowledge it that you are grieued at it that you condemn it that you count it so grieuous and so monstrous as that it deserueth a thousand deathes and a thousand hels if there were so many yet all this is nothing but meere hypocrisie and mocking of God and men In like manner if you say that you haue a true and certaine assurance in the goodnes mercy of God Exod. 20. that he will take pitie vpon you and will giue you grace to returne to his Church that also shal be nothing but a false and peruerse perswasion and rather a carnall assurance and confidence then a true faith to bee short all that shal be nothing but a méere mockery of God and an abusing of his patience and consequently a meanes to inflame his anger so much the more against you if there withal you shew not in effect that you do truely repent and that your faith is frée from al dissimulation and hipocrisie This effect is nothing els but a readie change amendment wherunto you are exhorted in the name of God For execution wherof we need not here stand vpon particulars you knowe my meaning wel inough There remaineth nothing for you to do but to haue a good and fréewil proceeding from a true zeale of God and from a feruent desire of your saluation coupled with an holy affection to aduaunce the kingdome of Iesus Christ and to edifie his church If the very same occasions which made you fall do nowe present themselues before your eies and keepe you from amending and redressing your offence whether it be in regard of
to waxe out of loue with it that we may so much the more desire to attain to eternal life by this meanes we are prouoked to pray earnestly to cal vpō God to put our trust in him our faith our patience are exercised proued fined to be briefe afflictions are a meane whereby the Lorde procureth and furthereth our saluatiō so manie waies that those which flie from thē which abhorre thē shewe thēselues not only vnaduised but also altogether blind sworne enemies to their own good and saluation Furthermore Rom. 8. like as afflictiōs as also all thinges els whether prosperity or aduersity fal out to the good saluatiō of those which loue feare the Lorde so likewise on the contrary we may say that al things turne to a curse to those which are out of Gods fauour Wherefore this rest this ease these good thinges these honors and these temporall commodities which the world promiseth you to hinder you from turning to God ought not to preuaile with you And surely if you suffer your selues to be made drunkē with such deceiuable allurements it wil goe ill with you for he which maketh you such faire promises hath no power to performe them so that you shal be frustrate of your vaine hope shall become twise miserable But put case you should enioy al these things peaceably you should yet be more accursed for they shal be giuen you in the wrath of God the vse thereof shal be accursed to you so long as you continue separate frō Iesus Christ and his Church Furthermore what profit shuld you reap by this to haue the full and whole fruition of all beautifull precious excellent thinges that are in the worlde if you loose your owne soules and what wil you giue in recompence thereof saith Iesus Christ Mat. 26. What is there in this world which we ought to count so deare so precious as the eternal saluation of our soules The sonne of God made so great account of it that to purchase the same for vs he shedde his most precious bloode suffered a most cruell a most horrible death not only in his body but also in his soule forasmuch as he was put euen as in the presse of Gods wrath and suffered the heauie burden of his iust iudgement for vs so that he was in a manner oppressed with it so that hée saide My God my God why hast thou forsaken me We must thē néeds say that our saluation is a thing of great price seing it cost the sonne of God so deare Will you then shew your selues so vnthankful towardes him as to contemne treade vnder foote so precious so inestimable a treasure Wil you be so cruel and so vncurteous to your selues as to depriue your selues therof for euer to inioy transitorie cōmodities and to escape certaine light and smal discommodities which are not woorth the naming What man is he so mad that wil stick to forgoe thrée or foure pence to gaine a treasure of one thousande crownes Or who is he that is so daintie as that hee cannot suffer a little pricke of a pinnes point the paine wherof is gone in the turning of a hand that he maie be blessed enioye perpetuall pleasures during his whole life In like sort what man is hée that is so foolish as to hazarde the losse of all his goodes vpon hope to get one poore peny or rather a thing of nothing what man is he that is so madde and voyde of reasō who to enioy a quarter of an hours pleasure would binde him selfe to goe vp at the end thereof vpon a scaffolde and there to haue his head cut off or els to be tormented vpon a whéele And what are al torments yea euen the most cruel tormentes that a man can endure in this world being compared with the eternall torments as hath bin said For the honor of God therfore my brethren bethink your selues Come out of the cursed Babylō return to your fathers house who is ready to receiue you as his children to kil the fat calf to the end to feast you to make you good chéere yea to apparel you with the precious ornamēts of his son Iesus Christ after that he hath forgiuen you al your offences Take héed that you driue not off from day to day abusing his patiēce for feare least his wrath waxe hoater hoater against you least he shut the gate of his grace against you when after you haue stopped your eares against his aduertisemēts you shal come to séek him in vain folow him now seing he calleth you to him hardē not your hart against the swéet voice of this most merciful father You haue dishonored him by your falling away honor him now and giue him glory through your conuersion you haue cowardly forsaken the banner of Iesus Christ gather fresh strength and courage now so that it may appeare that you gaue backe to thend you might leap better and that you might fight more valiantly then euer heretofore you haue denyed and renounced him before men and haue abiured the truth of the gospel make now a quite contrarie abiuration and denyall renounce Antichrist in the face of the whole world abiure all his impieties and abhominations cast vp al his filth and infections out of your stomach you haue offended dishonoured and grieued the poore Church of Iesus Christ edifie it now and repaire the honour thereof you haue made sad the holy Ghost and all good men and haue made glad Sathan and Antichrist together with their ministers do now the quite contrarie make glad all those to whom you haue ministred matter of sorrow and let all those be confounded and ashamed which reioyce at your fall and which triumph ouer it you are gone astray and are againe entred into the way of destruction whence the Lord had drawne you returne now againe to the right way which you haue forsaken Mat. 12. for feare least that wicked spirit which was gone out of your heart returne againe that he may enter in againe with seauen other spirites worse then himselfe least after they haue gotten possession of you they make your last estate worse then your first that is most cursed and most miserable Now the father of all mercie vouchsafe in mercie to behold you the high shepheard and bishop of your soules vouchsafe himselfe to looke out his wandering shéepe and to bring it againe to his flocke The spirit of strength and of wisedome vouchsafe to strengthen and prudently to direct you in all your actions that all this may redounde to his honour and glorie to your good and saluation and to the edification of his church for the loue of his sonne Iesus Christ Amen