A COMFORTABLE
TREATISE FOR THE
reliefe of such as are afflicted
in conscience.

IT is not long since I promised
you some small remembrance
of my hearty desire to
affoorde you some comfort,
concerning the inwarde affliction of your
minde, if the Lord should any way enable
me thereunto. I haue now therefore (according
to the measure of grace receiued)
performed that my promise, as you shall
understa~d by reading these leaues following.
Whereby if you shall reape so much
comfort, as from the depth of my heart, I
entreat the Lord you may, I shal account
my selfe for euer most nearely bound by
all maner of dutie, and thankfulnesse vnto
his blessed maiesty. Howsoeuer it fall out,
you shall receiue and keep this poore treatise
by you, as an vndoubted record of my
good meaning towards you, and some others,
of whose particular estate I haue

A 4

some certaine knowledge, and for whome
I pray most heartily, as I do for you.
I confesse your afflictio~ is neither common
nor easie to be born. And that bicause
it is not outward, but inward, not of the
body but of the minde. For as Salomon
saieth, A sorrowful minde drieth the
bones. Prouerbs 17. 22. Againe, A man
will sustaine his infirmitie, but a wounded
spirit who can beare it? Prou. 18.
14. His meaning is, that no outward
griefe or discommoditie whatsoeuer, but
may be indured, and borne with great patience
and constancie, but if the conscience
be wounded, and striken with the feeling
of Gods wrath for sin, or any other great
cause, there is neither man nor woman
which is able to endure, and beare it out
long, without great & gracious assistance
from God. That this is so, you can speak
of your own experience, yet for your comfort,
remember that you are not alone, the
due consideration whereof may not a little
cheere vp your heart. For you reade of
some in the scriptures, some you heare of,
and some you know your selfe, who grone
vnder the same burden, whose consciences
are set very hard vpon the racke, & whose

poore soules are in little ease, as well as
yours.
This is one principall point, which I
would haue you thinke vpon continually,
but then especially, when Sathan woulde
beare you down, that you are alone in this
kinde of affliction, and that no body is so
troubled as you are. For this purpose you
may remember that sweete sentence of the
holy apostle, wherein he doeth you to vnderstand,
that the same afflictions which
you endure, are also accomplished and
suffered of your other bretheren which
are abroad in the world: as if he should
say, let not such a thought as this is ouersway
you, that you should think you haue
no fellowes. For there bee a number of
Gods deere childre~, who are as much and
as often troubled with the same griefe of
minde aswell as you. For as there is no
man so wise, so strong, or so rich, but there
be many as wise, as strong, and as wealthie:
so there is none so greatly grieued in
body or minde, but there be many who are
as deepe in the same griefe as they be. Againe,
if your wily enimy shal by this kind
of temptation assay to wound your weake
conscience, that you belong not to God,

because the correction is so sharpe, and the
rod wherwith you are beaten so smarting,
you may boldly step to him, wring his
weapon out of his hand, & therwith thrust
him thorow: for the maner of your chasticement
doeth proue verie strongly to
your conscience, that you are highly in
Gods fauor, and that because you are not
only partaker of that correction wherof all
the sonnes and daughters of God are partakers
(for so many as are without correction
are bastards & not children) but
of that kind of chasticement, which only is
proper to those, who aboue many others
haue bin in greater fauor with God. For
example, Dauid was a man (as you haue
learned from the scriptures) according to
Gods own hart, that is, such a one as the
Lord set great store by, he notwithstanding
was throughly whipt with this three
stringed whip, as you may read at large
not in one but in many Psalmes, by name
the sixt Psalme throughout, a great part
of the two and twentieth, the eight and
thirtie the whole Psalme, the one and
fiftie, and manie moe, which you maie
find by diligent reading in the booke of
the Psalmes, where you shall vnderstand

that his estate is all one with yours.
Againe you may remember that Paul
the Apostle was a chosen vessell, whom
God had separated from his mothers
wombe: and therewithall you can not
bee ignorant, how sharply he was handled,
when the messenger of Sathan was
sent to boxe and busset him verie sore,
and that for a long season: so that although
he praied often and earnestly, yet could he
not be deliuered. This only he receiued as
an answer from the Lord, that his grace
should be sufficient to vnderprep and
stay him in his greatest temptation, for
my power (saith he) is made perfect thorow
weaknesse. In this resolution he rested
himselfe as well contented, vntill such
time as the Lord should grant him full release.
These are choise examples of choise
persons, and not many such to be found in
the whole bodie of the Scripture: that you
may consider how great a priuilege of fauour
God hath vouchesafed vpon you, to
make you equall with his dearest children,
and that in such afflictions, as for their suffering
of them, they are aboue many thousands
most renowned. But why stand I
vpo~ these examples, when as Iesus Christ

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himselfe (being the sonne and heire in
whom onely the Father is most highly
well pleased) was not onely in measure
and mercie thus chastised as you are, but
as we say commo~ly, beaten without mercy,
yea hee was turned and beaten, so as
through the exceeding great anguish of his
soule, he sweat such a sweat in the garden,
as neuer man sweat the like, that is, drops
like drops of blood, trickling downe to the
ground. Yea further, being brought and
hanged vpon the crosse (beside all the villante
offered and done to him by the malitious
cruel Jewes) his owne father handled
him to extremely, not like a father, but
as a most iust iudge, that he could not any
longer bite in his griefe, but in great bitternesse
he breakes out into these wordes
fauoring of deepe despaire, my God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me? These
words, I say, fauor strongly of despaire,
because he cries out that God had forsaken
him: yet was he farre from despaire,
because in the greatest conflict with Hell
and Sathan, his whole trust was in God,
and therefore with great confidence, not
once, but againe he doubleth his speach
saying, My God, my God. Thus you

haue not onely many of the faithfull, but
the sonne of God, (clad in your nature)
more then a partner with you in your sufferings:
which I haue alleadged to this
end, that you may know that as al things
worke for the best to those that loue
God, euen to them that are called of
purpose: so this affliction of yours, which
because it is so sharp, shal therefore worke
your good a great deale the rather. For,
experience teacheth, that that purgation
which for the time doth work most strongly,
and putteth the patient to the greatest
paine, doth in the end bring the most ease
to him who hath receiued it. But it may
be you will take exception against this last
example of Christ Iesus, and say that hee
was not so tormented for his owne, but
for your sinne, because he was without
sinne. Therein you speake most truly for
the Apostle saith, Hee was deliuered to
death for our sinnes, as if he should say,
whatsoeuer griefe or torment hee endured
liuing, or dying, hee endured it for our
sakes, that the whole fruit & co~fort therof
might redound to vs. And to this agreeth
that which is written in the first Epistle of
Peter, Who his owne selfe bare our sins

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in his bodie on the tree, that we being
deliuered from sinne, should liue in
righteousnesse, by whose stripes we are
healed. From henceforth therefore may
you reape no small comfort, for the peace
of your conscience in the greatest heate of
temptations. For in as much as he suffred
not for his owne, but for your sinne,
you may be therfore well assured that you
shall neuer taste of those hellish torments,
which your sinnes haue deserued, and
that because your suretie, youre mediatour,
your Sauiour Iesus Christ hath
in your nature, but in his owne person (euen
to the vttermost of Gods iustice) suffered
them for you, that you might neuer
suffer them, but be fully and for euer discharged,
both in this world, and in the
world to come. For as the Apostle witnesseth.
There is no condemnation to
them that are in Christ Iesus. Here again
I know wel you wil thus reply that
you will grant, there is no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Iesus, yt must
needes be true. But all the doubt lies in
this, whether you your selfe bee in Christ
Iesus or not. For of that cannot you be
persuaded. If you could be assured therof,

then you would not doubt, but you were
without all danger of condemnation. But
this is one point, which doth work no smal
trouble in your conscience. Go to then, let
this be one chief point to deal with you in.
And first to begin withall, let me ask you
this one question. And I do not only pray,
but on Gods behalfe for his glory, and the
good of your soul, I charge you to answer
me plainly & truly. Had you euer any assurance
of saluation in al your life? were you
euer persuaded by the preaching of ye word
to be saued by the death of Christ Iesus?
did you euer feel the power of true repentance
in your soule by these marks, yt you
were more greeued & sorie at the heart for
your sins, then for any thing in the whole
world: did you, and doe you beare a deadly
hatred against them, as against the diuell
himselfe: did you, and doe you purpose
to the vttermost of your power, to
forbeare and forswear the practise of them
all, and to walke in holinesse and righteousnesse
all the dayes of your life? did that
worde which you haue heard so long, so
soundly, and so powerfully preached to
your conscience, which you reade so diligently,
wherein [illegible] meditate and take so

great delight as that you count al worldly
things but dung in comparison thereof?
did that word, I say, neuer speake peaceablie
to your conscience by the holy ministerie?
did it neuer giue you assurance and
ioy in the holy Ghost? did it neuer worke
such sweete comfort, as no worldly ioy
could be like vnto it? did you neuer heare
such a sermon from your owne godly and
carefull pastor, or from any other, that
you haue said at your comming home, you
would not for all the worlds good but you
had heard it, because it was so sweete, and
comfortable? did you neuer speake that
worde, from the true feeling of the heart,
which might warrant your soule, that you
are in Christ Iesus? If this worde hath
had this gracious and powerfull worke in
your soule (as I am fully perswaded it
hath, and your selfe cannot denie it: for if
you doe, beside the great wrong you offer
your own soule, you trespasse against that
spirit, whereby you haue bene sealed vnto
the day of redemption) then know assuredly
you are so graffed into yt body of Christ
Iesus, as nothing shall be able to seperate
you from that loue which the Lord your
God beareth you in his deare Sonne, in

whome hee hath so loued you once, as hee
must needes loue you for euer. And that
bicause the Euangelist saith, whome hee
loues he loues to the end. For the gifts
and calling of God are without repentance.
Againe, God is not as man that
hee should lie, neither as the sonne of
man that hee should repent. Hath he
saide, and shall be not do it? and hath he
spoken it, and shall hee not accomplish
it? No, be you well assured, and write vpon
it, that the strength of Israel wil not
lie nor repent. For, as the apostle James
saith, with him there is no variablenesse
nor shadowing by turning. Let these
and such like places be alwais in your remembrance,
and giue your selfe vnto the
continuall meditation thereof. For they
shall stand you in great stead, if you can
call them to minde, when your temptations
shal assaile you with greatest stre~gth.
And forget not, often to thinke of such
excellent places as that is, which you find
written in the eight chapter of the Epistle
written to the Romanes, and the sixe and
thirtieth verse, after this manner, What
shal separat vs from the loue of Christ?
shall tribulation or anguish, or persecution,

B

11

or famine, or nakednesse, or peril,
or sword, &c. No, I am persuaded,
that neither death nor life, angels nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any creature shall be able
to separate vs from the loue of God
which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. And
full sweet to this purpose are those words
of the holie prophet Dauid. The Lorde
is neere vnto them that are of a contrite
heart, and will saue such as be afflicted
in spirit. Great are the troubles of the
righteous: but the Lorde deliuereth
him out of them all. Againe, weeping
may abide at euening, but ioy commeth
in the morning. But you finde no such
matter you saie, for this trouble of minde
hath holden you, not onelie nights and
daies, but weekes and moneths, yea and
yeeres, and yet you can finde no ease nor
comfort. Be it so, yet bee not therefore
out of heart, for the longer it bee before
you haue ease, the more welcome it shal
be when it commeth. And to this purpose
are the wordes of the Wise-man
where hee saieth, The hope that is deferred,
is the fainting of the heart, but

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when the desire commeth it is a tree of
life. Lastly, let the words of Eliphas the
Temanite be fast bound vnto your soule,
which you shall find thus reported in the
booke of Job, the fift preceding word illegible: chapter 17, 18, 19.
verses. Beholde, blessed is the man
whome God correcteth: therefore refuse
not thou the correction of the Almightie.
For hee maketh the wound
and bindeth it vp: hee smiteth, and his
handes make whole. Hee shall deliuer
thee in sixe troubles, and in the seauenth
the euill shall not touch thee.
The summe & drift of all that which hath
bin set downe from the beginning to this
present place, is to encourage you concerning
the maner of your affliction, which
though it be very sharp & bitter to ye flesh,
because no chastisement for the present
seemeth to be ioyous but greeuous: yet
there is a time, when it shall bring the
quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto them
that are exercised thereby. In regard
hereof Moses the man of God saith, that
the Lord humbled his owne chosen
people and prooued them, that hee
might doe them good at their latter
ende. And truely, in my poore iudgement,

B 2

you may gather more vndoubted
assurance of Gods euerlasting fauour towards
your soule by these inward afflictions,
then by any outward prosperitie of
anie worldly blessing whatsoeuer, whether
it be of health, of riches, or such like.
And that, because in these your afflictions
you are most like vnto your head Christ
Iesus, who though hee were the right
sonne and heire of the whole world: yet
had hee not a house to hide his head in,
as himselfe confesseth. But it pleased the
Father (seeing hee would bring manie
children vnto glorie) to consecrate the
prince of their saluation through afflictions.
Now, as the holy Apostle reasoneth.
This is a true saying, if we be dead
with him, we shal also liue with him. If
we suffer with him, we shal also reigne
with him. To be short, the Holy ghost
saith, That we must by many afflictions
enter into the kingdome of God. And
once againe, Those whom he knew before,
hee also predestinated to be made
like to the Image of his Sonne, that he
might be the first-borne among many
brethren. So that you may wel perceiue
you are not thus farre forth, any whit out

of your way, but you keepe the rode, euen
the good way which leadeth you as
streight as a line vnto the kingdome of
heauen. And therefore as no traueller,
who keepes his right way and knowes it,
wil be sory, but very glad, because he trusteth
to come to that place, where his desire
is to abide: so no more cause haue you
to be grieued, but rather to reioyce, because
you know you walke in the streight
path, which shal bring you to that place of
your abode, where you would so faine be,
and where you shal abide most blessed and
happie for euer. Thus much haue I
thought good to offer vnto your godlie
meditations, to encorage you concerning
the maner of your afflictions. The Lord
grant you a rich portion of his spirite, that
your soule may reape a gratious blessing.
Now you shall further vnderstand in
few wordes, what shall be the substance
of all the matter which foloweth in the remainder
of this poore treatise. I purpose
so neere as I can, to gather together those
obiections, which you and others doe obiect
against your selues: and so farre as
the Lord shall affoord me his grace, I entend
in order to answer them.

B 3

The first and principall obiection (so far
as I can conceiue & learne by conference
with you, and with so many as I haue any
acquaintance) is this, That you doubt
much of Gods fauour towards you, that
you feare it greatly you are not the child
of God, and if you be, yet can not you be
thereof certainely perswaded. This obiection
hath alreadie beene answered in part:
not withstanding because it is as the foundation
of al the other obiections, I will in
hope of Gods gracious assistance indeuor
my selfe to answere it more fully, for your
better contentme~t. First therfore I would
gladly learne this one thing of you, or of
anie other (who is your partner in these
temptations) who it is yt beareth you so
greatly in hand, you are not the child of
God. If you answer, your conscience,
through the greatnesse of your sinne doth
tel you so: then do I againe demaund of
you, who it is that sets your conscience a
worke to vrge this point & to what end. If
it be Gods spirit, you may be right glad,
because then it is for your good, namely yt
you may go out of your selfe, & seeke the
forgiuenesse of your sinnes and euerlasting
saluation in Christ his death and obedience,

to the full assurance of Gods
fauor, and the euerlasting peace of your
conscience. But speake the truth, is it not
rather a strong temptation of Sathan
your deadly enemie to trouble the peace
of your conscience, and if it be possible, to
driue you to desperation. If it be so, as
I feare it greatly, then say I vnto you,
there is no cause why you should beleeue
him. First because he is a lyer. Secondly
because he is your enemie, who meanes
you no good at al. That he is a lyar it is
manifest, because he hath beene so from
the beginning. And he cannot nowe
chaunge his nature. It is as much against
his nature to speake the truth, as it is possible
that God should lie, who is onely &
euer true. Therefore, there is no cause
why you shoulde beleeue such a common
liar as the Deuill (who will lie as fast as
a dogge can trot, as wee vse to say in
our common speach. You haue iust cause
therefore to except against him in this respect.
Againe, you neede not doubt
that hee is your enemy, and that to the
death; because hee is the common accuser
of the bretheren, and like a roaring
Lion goeth about continually seeking

B 4

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whom he may deuoure. In regard
whereof you are not to hearken to him, or
beleeue anie thing he shall saie vnto you,
no although he speake the trueth. And my
reason is, because he will not tell you the
trueth, to helpe, but to hinder you, not to
cheere, but to choake you, not to saue, but
to spill your bloud. And whereas you will
replie, you cannot denie, but hee saieth the
trueth concerning the greatnesse of your
sinnes, and that iust condemnation which
you haue deserued for them. I answere
thereto after this manner. That you are
not to take the knowledge of your sinnes
from Sathan, because he will not tell you
the trueth, and the whole trueth as it is in
deede. For either he will part your sins,
and make them lesse the~ they be, to make
you altogether carelesse, or else hee will
make them greater then they be, to throw
you headlong into despaire. But you are
to take the perfit knowledge of your sins,
from the true vnderstanding of theLawe
of God, fast girded to your conscience,
by the holie ministerie, which GOD
hath ordained for this purpose, that you
maie thereby come to true and vnfained
repentaunce of all your sinnes, and bee

saued through faith in Christ his blood.
For the blood of Christ doth clense you
from all sinne. And if you will yet reason
against your selfe, that your sinnes are so
great, that you can gather no assurance of
Gods fauour towards you: then let mee
offer to your co~sideration some one or two
examples of such notorious knowne sinners,
as the world cried shame of, and yet
repenting had their sinnes forgiuen them.
I meane of set purpose to make choise of
those persons and people, who in the
scriptures are noted to be most infamous.
Because you and such as are so exercised
as you are, doe indeed charge your selues
further than you ought. For you make
your selues so bad, as though none were
to be compared vnto you, or as though
God had no mercie in store for you. And
hereupon it comes to passe, that almost
there is not any word of God which can
bring peace vnto your troubled consciences.
I intend therefore to match you
so, and with such, as you shall be forced to
confesse you are outmatched. The end shal
be this, to bring glad tidings to your heauie
and sorowful soule, that God both is
and will be more fauourable to you, then

you can as yet be persuaded. For if God
haue shewed mercie to those, who by reason
of their knowne sins, were in all mens
iudgement further from mercie: how can
he denie you mercie, who neuer brake into
that outrage of sin, and yet doe most humblie
sue vnto him for mercie. That good
master, who forgaue his bad seruant at
his owne intreatie, ten thousand talents,
would not haue beene hard vnto him, who
ought but a hundred pence, if he had sued
vnto him, as he did to his cruell and vnmercifull
fellowe seruant, who by no
meanes would bee entreated, to shewe
that fauour in a little debt, which was
shewed him in a verie great summe. Remember,
I pray you, that you haue to
deale with a God, who is farre more mercifull:
and therefore you may bee sure to
find more fauour. You reade in the Gospell
of Saint Luke the seuenth chapter,
from the thirtie and six verse vnto the end
of the chapter, of Marie Magdalen, and
of her behauiour, being a woman not only
vehementlie suspected of lewde life, but
openlie knowne for a common harlot, and
generallie so taken, as may appeare by
the wordes of Simon the Pharisie, who

20

receiuing Iesus Christ into his house,
thought neuer deale the better, but
much the worse of him, because hee suffered
so bad a woman to come so neare him,
but especially to lay any hande vpon him,
as to wash his feete with her teares, and
to wipe them with the haires of her head:
to kisse his feet, and to annoint them with
ointment. Al this notwithstanding, marke
what marueylous great mercie Iesus
Christ shewes to this so wretched and sinfull
a woman. First he takes in very good
part, whatsoeuer she had done vnto him,
whereas Simon looked he should not only
haue shewed his great disliking of her
dealing, but to haue shaken her vp, & that
roundly for her sawcines, to come so neare
him without his loue and leaue. Secondly
he is so farre off from misliking her behauiour
in that present action, that hee doth
highly commend her to Simon, and that
after so special a maner, that he giues him
to vnderstand, he takes better liking of her
kindnesse, then of all the great prouision
which he had made for him: because whatsoeuer
she did, she did it with an vpright
heart towardes him, and in a sincere loue
for the good of her own soule. Thirdly for

the ease of her heart, which nowe was
grieuously tormented for her wicked life
past (as appeared by the abundance of
teares she powred out) hee saith to Simon
in her hearing, that many sinnes
were forgiuen her. Fourthly, that she
might take better hold of his wordes, and
apply them to her selfe for the comfort of
her owne soule, he turnes his speach particularly
vnto her, and saith in more speciall
manner, Thy sinnes are forgiuen
thee, Thy faith hath saued thee. Lastly,
that she might depart a ioyfull and blessed
woman indeed, wanting nothing which
might make for the peace of her conscience,
he giues her a most sweet farewell,
saying, Go in peace.
Now let mee reason a little with you,
concerning this woman, can you when
you haue strained out your sinnes to the
vttermost, make your selfe as bad as this
woman. No, you cannot, you may not, you
dare not. For how dare you slaunder your
owne selfe, when it is not any way lawfull
to slaunder another? and if you bee bound
to tender the good name of your brother
as well as your owne, then it must needes
follow, you are by nature most bound to

tender your owne. If then you cannot denie,
but you are by great ods outmatched
in this example, shew me what sound reason
you can bring to proue, why Iesus
Christ should not entreat you as kindly, &
shew you as much fauour as he shewed to
Mary, especially when as your sins (euen
by your own confession) are neither so notorious,
nor so apparant, and open in outward
transgressions, to be seene and iudged
by the world, as hers were. And yet
for all that your teares as manie, your
hart as much tormented with sorow, your
kindnesse as great to Christ in his members,
and your desire as great to be whollie
his at his commaundement. Did he regard
her, and will he reiect you? did he not
shew her a hard countenance, and will hee
looke sowrelie vpon you? did not she let so
much as anie one teare fall in vaine? did
her teares moue him to compassion? and
doe you thinke he will not haue pitie vpon
you & put vp all your teares into his bottell?
were many sinnes forgiuen her, and
can any of your sins be vnpardoned? was
her faith strong to saue her, and shall your
faith want strength to saue you? did Christ
for a farewell, bid her go in peace, and wil

23

he send you away emptie without peace?
No verelie. If you thinke so, you thinke
much amisse, and therfore such a thought
must not depart without som duechastisement.
Suppose there is a man of so great
wealth, that hee knowes no ende of his
goodes. And suppose that this man hath
many debters, which owe him verie great
summes of money. As for example, some
owe him thousands, some hundreds, and
some many scores of pounds. Amongst
them al there is one poore man, who owes
him twentie pounds, which hee is no way
able to pay, nor anie penie thereof, if hee
should bee cast in prison, and lie there till
he rot. If this great rich man shall cause
a proclamation to be made, that all and
euerie one of his debters should come to
him, and he will frankly and freely forgiue
them all, although the debt were neuer so
great, vpon this condition, that they will
confesse and acknowledge the debt to bee
due, whether it were more or lesse. If the
poore man should come in among the rest
of the debters, and confesse himself to owe
him such a summe as I haue named, lay
forth his pouertie, and therewithall humbly
vpon his knees with teares beseech

him to shewe some fauour toward him?
should not he in this case haue good hope
to be forgiuen, especially if before his face
he should see one to haue thousands forgiuen
for a word of his mouth.
These things concerne you verie nearly,
and therefore I am so much the rather
to intreat you, not to make wash way of
them, but as they do nearely concerne you
and your good, so to lay them neare vnto
your heart, by reuerent meditation, that
your soule may finde a gracious and comfortable
blessing. The second example
whereof I would haue you to make diligent
consideration, is written in the first
chapter of the prophet Esay, and the eighteenth
vers, where the Lord makes a marueilous
large offer or great mercy vnto a
people, who had highly offended him, I
meane the people of Israel. To these Israelites
in most louing maner the Lord
speaketh, Come, saith he, let vs reason
togither, though your sinnes were as
crimson, they shall bee made white as
snow, though they were red as scarlet,
they shall be as wooll. What the offer is
you heare, and how great it is, your selfe
is able to iudge; euen so large an offer of

mercy as none can be greater. In one
word, it is as if the Lord should say. O Israel
thou hast sinned against me thy good
God most grieuously, and hast deserued
that I should not onely punish thee sharply,
but for euer cast thee cleane out of my
fauour. Notwithstanding vpon thine vnfeigned
repentance for all thy sinnes past,
and a resolute and full purpose of amendment
hereafter, I am content to forgiue &
forget them all, and to giue thee my gracious
generall pardon, to acquit and discharge
thee of all and euerie one of thine
iniquities, that not so much as anie
one of them shall bee able to condemne
thee in this world, or in that which is to
come.
Here I pray you consider a litte with
me, the estate and condition of this people,
at the time of this louing offer, and therewith
also consider, what cause there was
why the Lord should shew so great fauour
to this people. Begin you at the second
verse of the forenamed chapter, and marke
aduisedly what manner of complaint the
Lord takes vp against them. First hee
calles heauen and earth with all the creatures
therein to witnesse their rebellion

26

and disobedience against him. Secondly
he challengeth them of so monstrous vnthankfulnes,
that it is too too shamefull:
for he shewes they were so farre gone in
this point, that the brute beasts, euen the
oxe and the asse, which were dumme and
without reason, were more thankfull in
theire kinde, to their owners for their
fodder, then they were for so many thousands
of blessings, which he had bestowed
vpon them. Thirdly in the third verse he
draws out against them, a very substantiall
inditement both for words and matter,
wherein he layes forth all their ill behauiour,
and paints them out in most liuely
colours, calling them with great detestacion,
A sinnefull nation, a people
laden with iniquitie, a seede of the wicked,
corrupt children. Fourthly, hee
prooues this inditement and euery part
thereof, by charging them to their faces
with murder, and blood, by reason of their
horrible oppression, and crueltie towards
all in generall, but more specially towards
the poore, the widow, the stranger
and the fatherlesse, all this is done in
the fifteenth and seuenteenth verses. In
the practise of which sinnes, and all other

C

kind of filthines, they were such exquisite
workemen, that they were more like the
people of Sodom and Gomorra (whom
the Lord with fire from heauen destroyed)
then that people whom the Lord had
chosen, and pickt out from all the nations
of the world, to be a peculiar and a holie
people vnto himselfe. Fiftly, they were
such hollow hearted hypocrites in all
the outward exercises of religion, that
the Lord detested all their sacrifices, and
vtterly abhorred all their praiers, as you
may reade in the 11. 12. 13. 14. and
15. verses. To make an end with so bad
a people, as lightly could not be worse,
they were so desperate, and hardned in
their wickednesse, that they were past
cure, and no hope or verie small (if anie
at all of the greater part) of their amendement,
because the Lord had assayed
by all good meanes, to bring them to
some goodnes. He had wooed them with
blessings, and feared them with his iudgements:
he had chastised them often with
rods, and many times scorged them with
the plagues of the children of men: but
all in vaine, the more they were corrected,
the worse they were, and grew

28

to be more desperate, as appeares out of
the fift and sixt verses. After all this bad
dealing, as though they had beene no such
leude and gracelesse people, or as though
they had not offended so grieuously, nay
rather as though the Lord had done them
some great wrong, he seekes to them
(wheras they should haue both sued and
sought to him) that there might be a treatie
of peace, and a ful reconciliation made
betweene them. For which purpose he
offers in most friendly and louing maner
to common with them, saying, Come let
vs reason together.
Nowe giue me leaue once againe to
deale with your conscience in this point.
Charge your soule with as many sinnes
as euer you can possibly call to minde, in
any parte of your life, either before or
since your calling, in ignorance or in
knowledge, in youth or in age, howsoeuer,
or with whom soeuer you haue committed
them, eithert by thought, word or
deed, in the light of the day, or in the darknesse
of the night. Bind them all and euerie
one of them in one bundle, cast them
into the one end of the ballance: when you
haue so done, take vp the sinnes of this

C 2

people, put them into the other ende and
weigh them together without anie deceit.
Nay, for this once you shall haue leaue
to shew your best cunning, and see if you
can make your ende heauier. If you can
not (as I am sure you can not, except
you will vse some notable deceit, which
will be soone found out, so as you shall
neuer be able to answere it) then knowe
you, and let your conscience also vnderstand,
that if the Lord saide vnto a wicked
people, frosen in sinne, come, hee doeth
much more saie to you, who woulde so
faine leaue your sinne, come, and againe
come, let vs two reason together. For,
although thy sinnes be in thine own sight
as crimson, yet shall they bee made as
white as snowe, thaugh they bee ( to thy
seeming) as redde as euer was the scarlet,
yet they shall bee as white as anie
wooll, because they shall bee all so perfectly
scowred and washed in the bloud
of Iesus Christ, as not any one of them
shall be able to condemne thee, either in
this world or in the world to come.