AN EXCELLENT Treatise touching the restoring again of him that is fallen;  
Written by the worthy, Saint Chrysostome to Theodorus a friend of his, who by lewd living, was fallen from the Gospel; fit to read for reclaiming their hearts which are in like case.  
Englished (out of an ancient Latin translation, written in Velume) by R.W.  
With an annexed Epistle of comfort from one friend to another, where in the Anabaptists error of desperation is briefly confuted, and the sin against the holy Ghost plainly declared.  Heb. 3.13. 
Exhort ye one another daily, while it is called to day.  
LONDON Printed for I. Helm, and are to be sold at his shop at S. Dunstan's Church   

Of the profit of this Treatise.  
THe prince of Surgeons, Phoebus' son,  
In curing famous was:  
Machaon and his brother too,  
By art brought much to pass.  
The best of these in festered sores  
Did all, and could no more:  
To soul of man corrupt by sin,  
Their skill denied a door.  
But here behold 'gainst dreadful crimes  
A sovereign medicine lies:  
A Moly, Panaceia sweet,  
To him that upward sties.  
If fallen down thou feel despair,  
Read through this pamphlet small:  
It Theôn cheiras, powerful salve,  
In such assaults mayst call.  
R. W.  1. Pet. 4.3. 
It is sufficient for us that we have spent the time passed of the life, after the lust of the Gentiles, walking in wantonness, lusts, drunkenness, gluttony, drink, and in abominable idolatries.   

To the Worshipful and his special good friend, Master JOHN KEMPTHORNE Esquire, R.W. wisheth in this life prosperous success in all affairs, and in the life to come a crown of glory.  
SEeing always it hath been accounted a superfluous work, either to commend in Apollo wisdom, or to extol in Hercules' puissance, or to praise in Minerva knowledge: it may be thought no less needless for me, to praise in fined words and garnished style (if so I were able to do) your ardent zeal in God's truth, and marvelous affection towards the true professors thereof. And because among those that know you, it shineth so oriently, as in words to set it forth, were rather to imbeazle than illustrate it; and among those that know you not, by commending it abundantly, may fear the censure of smoothing, I think it better, at this time (as Sallust saith of Carthage) to speak nothing at all of it than a little. Yet surely (though the envious happily mislike it) this I affirm, when I bethought to find a meet protector for this pamphlet, that might love it, as Antonius the Emperor was wont to love books, as Alphonsus was accustomed to esteem the works of Cicero, that might read it diligently as Erasmus did Terence, as Bishop jewel did Horace, as Lady jane Grace did Plato's Phaedon: none came to my mind before your Worship, under the wings of whose tuition, these my slender labours might safely be shadowed, from all the malice of spiteful reproovers and taunting carpers. Now concerning the work, some I know will find fault with my presumption, that being a tender suckling and novice in good letters, I would dare to put forth ought in print, especially in such a plentiful time of books. Let these take this answer; that I did it not voluntarily but enforced, and that by the request, not of one or two, but of many, whose good will I have often experimented, whose friendship in the Lord I will not (for a small cause) violate, whose authority I may not despise. For lighting by chance on this treatise of Chrysostome, reverencing it at the first sight more for antiquity than ought else, assoon as I had read it over, I did it faithfully for my private utility into English, never thinking it should come to this pass. But having lent it unto some of my friends, desirous of such a piece of matter, they fell suddenly into that liking and loving of it, that they never ceased exhorting, begging, compelling (I may say) until (maugre my head) I granted, it should go forth for the benefit of many. Which now being newly borne and come into the world, I beseech your courtesy to receive into your patronage: and as it proceeded from a willing mind, so to take it with a gladsome countenance. And notwithstanding this testimony of a grateful mind, do not any way counterpoise the weight of your demerits, yet I beseech you to accept of the poor widows mites. and of the cheerful givers mind. Thus surceasing any longer to interrupt your Worship's serious affairs, I suppliantly crave of the Almighty, daily to augment his graces in you and the virtuous Gentlewoman your wife, that after your race run in this dale of misery, you may for ever enjoy the sight of Christ jesus in heaven.  
Your worship's daily and humble Orator, ROB. WOLCOMB.   

Of the restoring again of him that is fallen.  
OH; 
jere. 9.1.  that my head were (full) of water and mine eyes a fountain of tears Much more fitly it is spoken of me now, 
The worthiness & integrity once of the person to whom he writeth. Ecclu. 16.3  then at that time of the Prophet of God. For howbeit not many cities, neither a whole country is to be lamented of me, yet I must mourn for a soul of more worth than many nations, of more price than many cities. For if one that do the will of God, be better than a great company of the wicked thou also waste better once, than many multitudes of the jews. Wherefore let no man wonder, if I peradventure use more large lamentations at this time, 
The cause of the lamentation.  and power out were plenty of tears, than at that time the Prophet did (For as I said) I do not bewail the sacking of a city which is taken, nor the thraldom of the common people little set by: but the downfall of an excellent soul, and the ruin of a temple which Christ inhabited. If any ever knew the ornaments of thy mind, which now the flame of the devil hath consumed; if any ever beheld the temple of thy body, when it glittered with the brightness of chastity; sooth he would deem that lamentation of the Prophet small and much inferior: wherein he bewaileth that the hands of Barbarians had profaned the holy place, and that the enemy's fire had destroyed the Temple, & that the Cherubin and the Ark were defiled, and that the mercy seat, with the tables of stone, and the golden pot, were polluted. For this lamentation which I use, is by so much more piteous and bitter than the other; by how much more truly and evidently all these things were to be seen in thy soul, than between the walls of the Temple; the Temple which was in thee, was much holier than the other. It shined not with the metals of gold and silver but with the virtues of the mind, and gifts of the holy Ghost: it had within it the Ark and the two Cherubins, that is, the faith of the father, and the son, and the holy Ghost. 
The wretched plight whereinto this man was fallen.  Yet now nought of all these is left, all things are taken from thy soul, she is bereft of all her beauty, and all the gifts which God bestowed on her, she remaineth spoiled, deformed, fowl, she hath lost all her aid and safeguard.  
No door now is shut in her, no entry is kept, but she lieth open to all naughty spirits, which corrupt the soul. No unclean thought, no filthy desire is thence expelled but if the spirit of fornication come, it entereth in, if the spirit of pride, if the spirit of avarice, if more hellish and unpure, than these shall come none forbiddeth them, none beareth them back. For she hath no keeper, no Sexton. And as to the secrets of heaven there is no access for an ungodly person; so at the first no infection could touch thy mind.  
But perhaps I may seem to speak incredible things, to those especially that knew not thy former estate, and only see the destruction wherein thy soul now lieth. This surely is the cause why I weep without remedy, because I knew thee: and why I sorrow uncessantly, because I remember how long it is, until I see thee return unto thy wont and pristine glory. Which for all that men may judge impossible. 
Mat. 19.26  
* Psal. 113.8, 9 1. Sam. 2.8  For he it is, that raiseth the needy out or the dust, & lifteth up the poor out of the dung. That he may s●t him with princes (●uen) with the princes of the people He it is that maketh the barren woman to dwell with a family, and a joyful mother of children.  
Let us not then doubt nor despair, 
If Satan draw to sin, God can pull back to goodness.  but that thou mayest be converted into a better case. For if the devil could do so much in thee, as to draw thee from the height of virtue to the depth of wickedness, how much more shall God be able to reclaim thee to the highest pitch of goodness, and not only make thee that thou wast once, but far more blessed than thou didst seem in thy own conceit. Only be of stout courage, neither cast of the hope of goodness: let not, I pray thee, that betid thee, which doth the godless. 
Ungodliness without penitency breedeth to despair.  It is impiety not the multitude of sins, that bringeth a fool to desperation: and therefore Solomon said not, that each one when he cometh into the depth of evils contemneth, but, 
* Pro. 18.3  the wicked (saith he) if he come into the depth of evils contemneth. It is then a point of the impious to have no hope of salvation, 
Or, when the wicked cometh, them cometh contempt.  and to contemn when they come into the depth of sins, ungodliness not permitting them to have respect to God, and to return thither from whence they fell So that this thought which cutteth away all hope of conversion, issueth from impiety, and as a most heavy stone accloying the soul, it perpetually compelleth it to behold the earth and never to look upward on God. 
When we sin we must not despair.  But a lusty stomach and lofty mind will cast down this hurtful weight of his soul, and tread under feet Satan, that being his own governor he may sing the Psalmists words of God, 
* Psal. 113 2.  As the eyes of seruans look upon the hands of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden upon the hands of her mistress, so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, till he have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O Lord have mercy upon us, for we have suffered too much contempt. And in these words of this heavenly prophecy, there is singular doctrine, we have suffered too much contempt. This is that he would have us say, that although for the multitude of our sins we have suffered much contempt, and are surrounded with reproaches, yet our eyes shall wait upon the Lord our God till he have mercy upon us, & that we will not leave of beseeching until we be vouchsafed forgiveness.  

We ought to be earnest in prayer when we sue for forgiveness, and not to rest till God have fulfilled our petitions.  For this is the badge of a constant and settled mind that it is not weary of persevering in intrearie through despair to obtain, but continueth and persisteth in craving, until the Lord have mercy upon it. 
* These two periods following G.F. Capito hath not in his translation.  And lest you should think you offend greatly before the Lord, if not vouchsafed to be heard, you continue importunately in prayers, call to memory the evangelical parable, and there you shall find, that the Lord showeth, that stiff & persevering beggars are not unacceptable to him. For he saith, 
* Lu. 11.8.  Though he would not give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity. he will rise and give him as much as he needeth. Understand therefore (dear friend) that the devil putteth into our minds despair of obtaining, to this end, that he may cut from us the hope of the goodness of God, which is the Anchor of our salvation, the foundation ●f life, the guide of the way through which we pass to ●eauen: in brief, the Apostle ●aith. 
* Ro. 8.24.  by hope we are saved. Insomuch that our salvation consisteth in hope, which draws up our souls from out the earth, knit (as it were) to certain chains hanging down from heaven, and calleth again those to the heavenly dwelling place which cleave to themselves, exalting them securely above the troubles of this life, and earthly miseries. Wherefore if any encumbered with these calamities, be dissolute, and let go out of his hands the anchor of hope, he must needs fall, and be carried into the bottomless pit and profundity of evils. 
The dangers of despair  Which assoon as the enemy shall perceive, and see us loathe the multitude of our sins, and fear through remorse of conscience, straightway he draweth near, and casteth before our eyes cogitations of despair, more heavy than any lead or gravel which if we undertake, we must of necessity be drowned in the depth or evils, because, with the very load, the stays of our salvation are broken. Into the which depth because thou art cast, thou dost throw behind thee the precepts of a good and gentle lord, and thou dost obey the beck of a bloody and merciless tyrant, 
Mat. 11.30.  the enemy of thy salvation. Thou hast shaken off the sweet yoke of Christ, and hast laid on thy neck for it, the hard and iron fetters of sin: thou hast shaken off the easy burden of a lowly and meek Lord, and for it hast hanged about thy neck a millstone, but how long dost thou so continue? Stand now at the last, and cease to drown thy unhappy soul, without any care, without any advise how long dost thou hast it forth, and cast it down headlong to thy own decay? 
Luke 15.  And truly the woman in the Gospel, which found again the lost groat, called together her friends and neighbours, that they should rejoice with her: but I will call your & my friends & neighbours together, and will entreat them to meet, not that they should be glad, but that they should lament with me: not that they should rejoice, but mourn with me, & greatly sorrow, lifting up their hands to heaven, as they shall see me to do, and I will say unto them; howl and lament with me, O my friends, pour out and bring forth with me fountains and floods of tears, not for that I have lost unporzable weights of gold, or innumerable talents of silver; not because I have lost threads full of costly pearls, but for that my friend 
* Amicus alter i●se.  dearer than any gold, and more precious than any stone, is (I know not how) while he sailed with us over the large and broad sea of this life, fallen down into the very depth of destruction. And if some one of my friends shall go about to comfort, and will me to lean of sorrowing I will answer him in the Prophet's words: 
* Or, let me alone, I will weep bitterly, you can not comfort me.  Suffer me to we●pe most bitterly, neither hold on comforting me: for I weep n●t through the affection of the flesh, neither is my lamentation woman like, wherein appear immoderate tears to be blamed. I mourn for that, which th● great and famous Apostle S. Paul saith he mourneth for when as he saith: 
* 2. Cor. 12.22.  That I may mourn for them that have sinned, and have not repent.  

The death of the soul is pitifully to be lamented, seeing the death of the body is so bitterly taken.  Certes with reason shall one rebuke those that for the common death of their friends weep without mean; but when the wounds not of a body, but of a soul are lamented, ●nd of such a soul, which in ●eath itself showeth signs of ●er former beauty, and wondrous gayness, & with liue● tokens displaieth the flower ●f virtues extinguished in her, ●ho is so cruel, & unacquainted with virtue, that would ●ot be provoked to tears? For it is a point in Philosophy, to forbear weeping for ●ommon death: so in the death ●f a soul, and such a soul ●o receive comfort. I adjudge ●oth ungodly and irreligious. For ordinary death to keep ●he eyes from tears, is the chiefest thing in the study of wisdom: but how shall not ●e seem to be lamented for without intermission, who of ●ate reckoned the whole braveness of the body, but like carved stones, who accounted gold as clay, who respected all delights as dirt, and now attached by the sudden fevers ●f lust and voluptie, being deprived of the integrity an● beauty of his mind, hath shaken hands with virtue, and i● become a slain to vice an● pleasure? This man shall I not bewail? This man shall I not moisten so long with river of tears, until wit● weeping I stir up feeling i● him, and by the warmth o● tears I raise some lively motions in him, if mourning may do aught? And i● mourners of the body cease not from lamenting, though they assuredly know, thei● weeping profit them nothing to renew the life of him tha● is dead: why should not we that know the soul may be● called from death by conversion, earnestly follow after the medicine of repentance, tha● (even the sepulchre being opened) with abundance of tears he may be recovered? Yea also I think we are to be accused of sluggardie, sith the lamenters of bodies and ordinary death do weep so much & continually (yet certain as we said, that they shall not raise again their dead,) if we that know, that by repentance (lamentation coupled which it) a soul may be restored to his former estate (for the kingly Prophet said. 
* Psal. 65. Or, in the grave who shall praise thee.  In hell who shall confess thy name?) do nothing so.  
We know too, that divers in the days both of us and our ancestors having sliden out of the strait path, and strayed from the entrance of the narrow way, were so again restored, that their end answered their beginning, obtaining the goal and crown, yea they were thought to have place among the number of the Saints. But as long as one remaineth in the flame & furnace of lust, these things seem inpossible to him although 
* A thousand.  infinite examples should be alleged. But if some small conversion be begun, and the penitent person cast upward his eyes that burning flame will tarry behind him, and by how much more swiftly he shall take his pace, by so much more, before him shall he see all things sumpled with the coal of an heavenvly dew. 
Despair the greatest enemy to our salvation.  So much worth is it that we beware of one thing, the greatest enemy to our salvation, to our conversion, to our repentance, to wit desperation: which if it take hold in our mind, how great desire soever we have of salvation, how great purpose soever to live everlastingly, if (I say) despair come, all the entry to salvation is stopped, the way to repentance is hindered, and the beginning of anguish is engendered. And how then shall he, that is out of the way, and to whom the door is shut, ve able to do any good work, when as (because despair prohibiteth) he cannot come to the entrance of goodness? For this cause the Devil goeth about with tooth and nail, to plant in our hearts such manner of cogitations. For if the fear of despair shall remove us from the way of virtue, he hath no long combat with us, for why should he assault when none resisteth? And whoso shall have the power to undo this knot, incontinent his strength returneth, the lustiness of his mind increaseth, he shall be delighted with the renewing of those contentions: the reason is, he shall see himself chase the chaser, and pursue the persecuter. And if in case (as in wrestling it falleth out) he falter again and fall, let him not be out of hope for shame, but remember, that is not the law of wrestling and justing, not once to fall (for he may not be said to be conquered that falleth) but in the end not to yield, for he that despair hath mastered, how can he either recover might in contention, or withstand and fight, seeing he taketh his heels, and doth not at all return to the conflict? Neither think that I speak of those alone, that have trangressed in small and not much important things, but my speech is of him that hath made himself a villain to all mischief, and hath dammed to himself the way to the kingdom of heaven, and was one of the number not of the incredulous miscreants, but of them that liked God, and after this hath either fallen into fornication, or into all sorts of unchastity, which (as the Apostle saith) 
* Ephe. 5.3.  to name is unseemly. This man (I say) ought not to misdoubt of salvation, though such wickedness environ him even to the last gasp. 
The anger of God is not passable, and therefore though we sin, yet his wrath may be changed into mercy.  But hearken what the cause of this is. If the wrath of God were an affection that did work a passion, we might rightly say, that the flame of it kindled with so many and such evils, might not be quenched: but for as much as the truth teacheth that the nature of God is void of passions we must learn that though God punish, though he plague, he doth it not with a wrathful passion, but with unspeakable gentleness, going about to cure us, not to confound us, and therefore with gladness will receive the penitent. For the plaster of repentance (if thou seek it) healeth the soul, and defendeth thee from the anger of God, which he conceived for thine offences. God doth not (as I said) punish a sinner for his own fantasy, 
Why God punisheth man.  when he revengeth his wrong (for the nature of God is not capable of such an affection) but for our profit; he doth all things for our utility, and he chastiseth and correcteth not to avenge himself, but to amend us.  
And if any persist in hardness, as the man that turneth his eyes from the light, damnifieth nothing the light, but damneth himself to darkness; so he that contemneth virtue through a heart that cannot repent, estrangeth himself from salvation. And as a Physician that suffereth wrong at the hands of frantic and brainsick men, sorroweth not, nor is displeased a whit at it, but doth all things that appertain to ease the malady of the patiented, (for the wrong is caused by pain:) & as you may see the Physician glad at a little amendment of the sick person, and to execute the residue of his charge with joy and cheerfulness, not keeping in mind the wrong done, but respecting the health of the patiented: so, much rather God, 
God is willing to have us return.  when we are become stark wood, is not greedy of vengeance for our trespasses, but desirous to heal our old and putrefied biles; for to this end he saith & doth all things, thirsting after our safety, not our punishment.  
And albeit reason sufficiently show the contrary, yet lest you should stagger in the matter, we are able to avouch it out of the holy Scriptures. Tell me what more wicked body was there ever then the king of Babylon? Who having found out in many things the omnipotency of God, 
Dan. 2.46.  in so much that he worshipped his Prophet, and commanded Frankincense and Myrrh to be offered to him: 
Dan. 3.  yet again in despite of God he returned to his wont haughtiness, and did cast jointly into the oven of burning fire, those that refused to worship his image, because they preferred the service of God. Nevertheless, God alured to repenpentance, and gave occasion of recanting to this so bloody, and wicked a king. First in this, 
Dan. 3.  that with the three children he appeared unto him in the oven; afterward in that he caused him to see the vision which Daniel interpreted, 
Dan. 4.  that was able to mollify even an heart of flint. But when he was warned by works, the Prophet also exhorted him by words, and he received the counsel of the Prophet, saying: 
Dan. 4.  Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be ecceptabe unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by mercy towards the poor for, let there be an healing of thine error.  
What sattest then to this, O thou wise and blessed man? Yet is there a returning after so great slides? credit me there is, after grievous sickness and from the door of death proceedeth health, and after desperate sins many wax wise. For lo (as we showed afore) this king of Babel had now stapped all way of salvation, in that he provoked the Lord to wrath, who made him, and exalted him to the throne of a kingdom, who revealed also to him heavenly mysteries who imparted on him the knowledge of things to come, & disclosed to him the secrets of all his kingdom, who confounded by the divine solution of his prophet, the jugglings of the wise men, Astrologers, Gazarens, & Chaldeans, & opened to the capacity of a child, by a divine interpretation a hidden secret: insomuch that he seemed not only to believe in the highest God, but to proclaim throughout all the world, that the God of Daniel was the true God; yet after this he fell into such an outrage, that he threw headlong into the hot burning oven the servants of God that would not worshis his image. And yet ne here doth the mercy of God forget to cure & remedy him, but in the midst of the fire, when he had put to the flame, the children that worshipped God, there he assuageth him not with quenching the fire with water, but with working a wonder. For he could both extinguish the fire, and distill down a shower from heaven, but this he doth not, lest he should increase the force of his rage, but permitteth the flame to be made as great, as the fury of the torture desired, and he doth not forbid him to punish, but taketh away power from the torment. And that no one that saw the children not burn, might suppose it was a vain imagination, no fire in deed that he saw, he suffered the executioners (namely those that stood about the furnace) to be consumed, that he might make manifest, that not only fire in truth was seen, but that God's commandment was more forcible than any strength of fire. For every thing that is, obeyeth him of whom it had his beginning. That fire received the bodies of those saints and by the ordinance and will of God forgetting his nature whereby it burneth, upon it showed only his nature of illumining, rendering again the holy and faithful thing committed to his charge nothing hurted; for they came forth out of the flaming furnace as it had been out of a prince's palace, worthy to be admitted of all, of all to be reverenced. None then cast his eyes on the king who glittered in purple, with a diadem on his head, but he was forsaken of all, as though he had been no body, for that the children had rapteu● rich-one into an admiration. For who would not he astonished that the fire was affrighted at the sight of the young men's bodies, and that it did not only she from the flesh of those saints, but also did not touch one hair of their head (which was but little) nor the uttermost hemine of their garments?  
Who would not admire, that their members were stronger than mountains, their garments than metals, their hairs than diamonds? And herein is the wonder aggravated, that when they were in the midst of the fire, they sang a Psalm to God, albeit experience teacheth, that they that are committed to the flame, be consumed assoon as they open their mouth. To conclude these bl●ssed children remain with God glorious, with men wonderful; but the naughty king was neither moved with these miracles, nor wondered at the vision and the foretelling of his confusion, but abode hard of belief, neither yet was punished. And hitherto God's patience was not tried, but when he had forborn him a long time, at length he uneath corrected him, not punishing the offences past, but respecting the amendment to come: in a word, he condemned him not everlastingly, 
Dan. 4.33.  but chastised for a little space, but reform for a few years he got again his former estate, so that by the punishment he sustained no loss but by the amendment got great good.  
Such (believe me) such is the goodness of God towards men, never rejecting repentance if it be truly and uprightly offered; although one come to the top of wickedness, 
Nunquam sera est ad bonos mores via. Sen.  notwithstanding if he have a desire to return to the way of virtue, he gladly receiveth and embraceth him, and doth all things whereby he may be reclaimed to his wont condition. Yea & that which is more worth the noting, although any be not able wholly to abandon the ure of sin, he will not refuse how small soever repentance, & in how little time soever undertaken, he will take it, and not suffer the least conversion go unreguerdoned. 
Is. 57 Or, for his sins I have made him sorry a little while, etc. and I have been sad, and I have walked heavily, and I have healed him, I have comforted him.  For this (me thinketh) Isaiah showeth, where he speaketh after this manner of the people of the jews, for his sin I have made him somewhat sorry, and I have smitten him, and I have turned my face from him, and he was sorry and walked heavily, and I healed him, and comforted him.  
But the wicked king, that by reason of the naughtiness of his wife sought a booty for his lust, may be a more evident testimony of this matter; who being troubled with the heinousness of his sins, repent, and clothed in sackcloth bewailed his doing, and here in so drew the mercy of God upon him, that he pardoned all his trespasses. For so it is said, 
* 1. King. 21.28.29.  and the word of the Lord came to Eliah the Tishbite, saying, seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me? because he submitteth himself before me, I will not bring that evil in his days. Also after him again Manasses, who bore the bell from all pitiless tyrants, who overthrew the service of God and the worship of his laws, who replenished the Temple of the Lord with Idols, thrusting out the worshipping of the Lord, this king (I say) surpassing the wickedness that ever hath been heard of, albeit repent, and after was numbered among the friends of God. 
2. Chro. 33.  Now if he or they of whom afore we mentioned pondering the unmeasurableness of their transgressions, had despaired of return by conversion and repentance, doubtless they had lost all those good things which happened unto them by amendment of life. But contrariwise they beholding the mercy that cannot be uttered, and God his infinite and profound goodness, untied from their necks the devilish bonds of despair, and spurring up themselves, were converted to the way of virtue, and by withdrawing their foot from headlong ruin finished a good course. And so far of the examples of the holy men.  

Psal. 95.1.  Now hearken how God by the Prophet allureth us in words to repentance, to day (saith he) if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts: etc. And in that he saith to day, he meaneth all our life time, even unto the last part (if so it chance) of our old age; 
Short repentance looseth not reward. jonas 3.  for not the length of time but the trueness of repenting is considered, or else how is it read that the Ninivites in the little space of one day not in long time purged a most grievous sin. And the thief also which hanged on the cross, 
Luk. 23.  needed not a very long season to be made fit for paradise, but so much space was enough as was spent in pronouncing one speech Insomuch that in a moment, ha●ing all his sins cleansed, he was thought worthy to enter heaven before even the Apostles. And semblably, do we not oftentimes see the martyrs in one day, and percase in the space of one hour, to receive the crowns of great rewards? Wherefore hardiness is all, and a boldness conjoined with prompt and ready minds, that moved (as it were) with a certain wrath, we be displeased with lust our inveagler, and offer all our desire and love on the altar of virtue. For this is that thing that God willeth, and requireth of us, he seeketh not continuance of time, nor vexation of us, he respecteth true and unfeigned conversion. 
* Seeing many that were last, have by earnest la our exceeded those that were before them.  It is not then so bad to fall, as after a fall to lie still, & be unwilling to rise, covering the viciousness of our ill intent (taking no delight but in sin) with desperate speeches For with indignation the Prophet crieth out against these; Doth not he● rise up that falleth, and he return that is turned away 
* Jere. 8. Godly men may rise by repentance after their fall. ?  
Now if thou say; What if one of the faithful should fall. may he be restored? To this I answer; in that we say he hath fallen, we confess he stood before he fell: for it is an absurd thing to be spoken, that any man fell, that hath still lain and never stood. We will produce also out of the book of God allegations, if aught hath been spoken of this matter, either in parables or in plain speeches, or if any thing may be found in the examples of our elders. What representeth that sheep which when it wandered from the ninety and nine, 
Luke 15.  was sought by the shepherd, and brought home on his shoulders? doth it not evidently show the sliding and the repairing of a faithful body? For it was a sheep like as were the ninety and nine, not of any other, but of the self same flock, it had the self same guides, it was first fed in the same pasture, with the same water, and the same fold contained it that did the rest. But it strayed not a little, and wandered through the mountains and hills, that is, it went far from the right path, yet the good shepherd suffereth it not to pine away in straying, but seeketh it, and calleth it again, and he calleth it home, not driving it violently, neither beating it with strokes, but supporting it with his own shoulders. For as all skillull Physicians by mitigation of medicine deal more nicely and tenderly, with those that have been long vexed with infirmity: so God doth not reclaim those that have been long corrupt with sin to the way of virtue with any tarriance at all, but by piece-meal, and little and little, bearing with their weakness in many things, and assisting them often, that conversion on the sudden may not be unpleasant to them, and that they may not go again to lewdness, for the difficulty of returning.  
But not this parable only declareth the moderateness of alteration, but that likewise which is written of the prodigal son. 
Luke 15.  He was a son also no alien, his natural brother that never went from his father: he (I say) was a son that went far in the borders of iniquity: for he went into a far country, and far from the Lord, he that was rich and of good name, was made base than a servant and hireling, but sorrowfully returning, he was taken into his ancient estate and invested in his former glory: Now if he had lost hope, and had been ashamed to come again to his father, because of his mischanches, and had a●ode alway in a strange and foreign country, he had not gotten that he got, but perishing for want of food, had died a miserable death. You see therefore how great necessity repentance hath, what force in turning hope hath, by repentance the prodigal son recovered the old condition of his glory, which the elder brother had without repentance. And if I might speak that I would in these matters, me seemeth he got more by conversion than the other had. 
ver. 26.30.  For so he himself saith, lo these many years have I done thee service, and yet thou never gavest me a kid that I might make merry with my friends. 
Sinners converted get more than they which stumbled not.  But when this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy goods with harlots, thou hast for his sake killed the fat calf. Why should I not then think, that he that turneth by repentance obtaineth more than other, sith he had never a kid given him, but for this the fat calf was killed? Wherefore beloved having these examples of repentance, let us not persist in evils, nor despair of atonement: he will never (put affiance in me) turn his eyes from the converted, if we ourselves remove not ourselves from God. 
Hier. 23.23. Our sins separate us from God. Isai. 59.2.  For he saith, I am a God at hand, and not a God far off. And again by the Prophet, 
* Or your iniquities have separated between you and your God  Your sins separate between me and you. If then our sins dissever us from God, let us take away this bar, and nothing may let us to be brought into the favour of God.  
Will you that I show it not only spoken in parables, but form in deed? There was a man among the Corinthians by all likelihood of no small calling, he had committed such a sin, as was not committed amongst the Gentiles, being of the numb of ●he faithful, and Christ's his friend's, for some report (me ●hinketh) that he was of the ●mage of the Priests. What ●hen? Paul never parted him from the number of those, that ●ope to attain salvation. But when he had sufficiently rebuked the Corinthians for him, purposing to show that there ●s no wound nor disease, that may not be cured and made whole by repentance he commandeth to deliver him over ●nto Satan, 
1. Cor. 5.5.  for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the ●ord jesus. But this he commandeth before he was done ●o wit of his repentance; for when he had sorrowed, it is ●ufficient (saith he) to him, 
2. Cor. 2.6.  that ●e hath been rebuked of many, and addeth, 
8.  Wherefore I ●ray you that you would confirm your love towards him: ●est Satan should circumvent us, 
11.  for we are not ignorant of his enterprises. The nation of the Galathians after it had perfectly believed in Christ, and had received the holy Ghost, insomuch that it wrought signs and miracles by the spirit, after, for the faith of Christ it had sustained many things, after all these things (I say) it fell from the faith, and was renewed again by the exhortations of the Apostle. And that thou mayst know that by the spirit they had done wonders and miracles, hear how the Apostle saith: he therefore that ministereth to you the spirit, 
Gal. 3.5.  and worketh miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith preached? And again, that they had sustained many things after the receipt of faith, he testifieth where he saith: 
Vers. 4.  Have you suffered so many things in vain? Now after so great a step in faith they committed a sin which was able to abalienate them from Christ, of which the Apostle himself saith: 
Gal. 5.2.  Behold I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. And again, 
Verse 4.  whosoever are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace. And notwithstanding after these slides in faith after so grievous a fall, he reclaimeth them, and (as I may say) with motherlike compassion reformeth them, saying: My little children, 
Gal. 5.19.  of whom I travel in birth again, until Christ be form in you.  
What else therefore by all this is there taught, but that it may be, that Christ may be form anew in him, that hath sold himself to work iniquity, for he will not the death of a sinner, 
Eze. 18.32  but that he should be converted and live. For this cause (most entirely beloved) let us go about to fulfil the will of God, therefore hath God created us, and caused us to be that we were not, that he may bestow everlasting good things upon us, 
Heaven was made for man, hell for the devils.  and enfranchise us into the heavenly city, for he made us not faggots for hell fire. The kingdom of heaven was ordained for us, and hell for the devil. And that this is true, the Gospel teacheth: for the Lord shall say to them on his right hand, 
Mat. 25.34.  Come ye blessed of my father, inherit ye the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 
Vers. 42.  But he shall say to them on his left hand, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his Angels By this reason the kingdom of heaven was made for man and hell fire for the devil, even from the foundation of the world.  
So much doth it concern us, that by preseruering in evils, we do not frowardly exclude ourselves from the entrance of goodness. 
Repentance in this life profiteth much, after this life nought.  And while we are in this life how great soever sins we commit, it is possible by repentance to purge them: but when we are once dead, then though we sorry (and we shallbe very be sorry) yet there will be no profit of repentance. Although there be gnashing of teeth although there be howling and lamenting, although we pray and beg with innumerable petitions, yet none shall hear us, none shall help us, no not our tongue tormented in flames shall be wet with the tip of a finger dipped in water. But we shall hear that which the rich man heard of Abraham, 
Luke 16.26.  that there is a great swallowing pit set between us and you so that they which would go from hence to you cannot: neither can they come from thence to us. Therefore let us repent (my brother) and as good and profitable servants seek our Lord jesus Christ, neither let us be discouraged to obtain pardon (while we live here) by repentance, for in hell (as I said) the medicines of repentance will not be available, but in this life, though in the end of your days and extreme old age you use it, it shall cure you. Which to stop, the devil starreth and laboureth, that he may make us despair, for he knoweth that even in a little time, if any be penitent, though it be a short turning, yet it will not be unfruitful. For as the man that giveth a cup of cold water looseth not his meed; so he that hath remorse for his evil deeds, though his repentance seem not counter-poysable to his offences, yet how little soever it be, and in the twinkling of an eye, the recompense shall not be lacking. No one good deed though very small, shall be contemned of the Lord a just judge: for if he be so hard a computist of our misdeeds, as that every one must be punished for his words and thoughts, 
Mat. 12.  how much more shall nor good deeds both great and small be rewarded in the day of doom? Wherefore if thou think it impossible to be restored to thy accustomed order of life, yet prune off a little from that great extremity of riot and lust, which thou shalt perceive not a whit unfructuous. Make only a beginning and smooth the way to goodness, which tread, albeit with the tips of thy toes; and till thou begin, the way of virtue seemeth difficile and hard. For such is the nature of all things, that all labour is thought grievous while it is weighed only in our minds, but when we come to the matter and have overcomed some of the work, than all fear and fainting is shaken off, and the success of the work breedeth delight: so also the renewing of virtue causeth gladness to the mind, and then are we stronger, when we see the hope of salvation approach.  
For this cause also the enemy took judas hence, least in case knowing there was a return to salvation, he might reform his fall by repentance. And I say not (although it be wonderful) that that sin of judas might not be purged by repentance: for which cause I entreat and beg of thee that thou abandon out of thy mind all devilish cogitations, and quickly return thee to the way of salvation. If I should suddenly & wholly call thee to that old height of virtue, thou mightest not without cause tremble, not without reason d●ement hard. But considering this only I desire at thy hands, that thou increase not in iniquities, neither every day go nearer to perdition, that thou leave off and make an end of offending, why dost thou doubt and linger, drawing back thy foot, for fear only to receive the thought of goodness? Hath not the superfluity of lust bred loathsomeness, as yet in thee? What hath it bettered them that abode in bodily sensuality and in the pleasures of this present life until the end of their lives? 
Pleasure of the body vadeth away.  Look now on their sepulchres, and see whither there be any show of glorious jollity? Whether there be any token of dainties and sumptuous fare. Demand where now their gorgeous weeds and strange perfumes be, whither the pleasure of their games, the troops of their attendants, the daintiness of their feasts is gone? Wither their laughtures' sports, immoderate and unbridled lust is become and vanished? Where they themselves are with all these things? What was the end of them both? Behold more narrowly and come more near to their graves, look on the dust only and the filthy relics of worms, remember that this is the end of bodies, although in delights and joy, although in labour and chastity men spend their life. And would God all the matter were ended in dust & worms, these losses would seem but little, and the state of nature mought easily be excused But now gl●●e thine eyes from these ashes and graves, 
How terrible the ●udgement ●eate of God shall ●e to the wicked.  and think upon, that horrible seat of the judgement of God, which is environed with a burning river of fiery streams where is weeping and gnashing of teeth, where is utter darkness, where is that worm of conscience that never dirth, and the unquenchable fire Forget not the parable of Lazarus & the rich man, 
●uk. 16.  who being once an owner of great wealth, and clad in purple and silk, could not find (afterward) one drop of water, and that when he was in the heat of the fire. Tell me (I beseech thee) what is there in this lif● but a dream? 
Our life but a dream.  For as those that are condemned to live among metals, or afflicted with any other punishment, when they take some rest, after the hard labours of their troublesome life, believe themselves to enjoy the manifold dainties they see before them; but when they arise they seel full well, there is nothing left of the delicateness of the dream. so the rich man who in a dream had the voluptuousness of this life, when he deceased, nought remained with him but grief of the things past, and pain of the things present. Remember this (my friend) and oppose hell fire to this flame of lust and concupiscence that now tormenteth thee. And it is a strange kind of medicine that fire should be quenched by fire; but if this fire shall not be stinted which now so troubleth thee, it will cause to thee that ever-enduring fire more fierce and unquenchable.  

The pleasures of this life are momentary, ●n respect of the punishment for them.  Also, how long dost thou judge the pleasures of thy present life may endure? As I think thou canst not live 50. years more, admit thy old age be long. But in the mean while see what things befall, first in this behalf, that no body is certain he may live till night; next, for that the condition of human affairs is still movable, for many times life continueth many years, but wealth and riches fa●le, and often some make shipwreck of goods before they die. But grant we, that thou mayest both live along time, and suffer no alteration of times; yet what is this space to everlasting pains; what is this voluptie to those miserable and untolerable plagues? For in this life whether it be good or evil, it hath his limitation, and that speedily but in the world to come both are everlasting. Over and beside, the state of the very punishment is different: for the fire in this life consumeth all things it taketh, but that fire whom it once taketh hold on, it vex●th and always reserveth to the torment. And therefore it is termed unquenchable, not only because it cannot be quenched itself, but b●cause it doth not quench or slay them it taketh. For the Scripture saith, that sinners put on immortality, to wit, profitable, not to honour of life, but to perpetuity of correction.  
Now the force of the punishment, and that punishment of that fire which is so forcibl●●o voice will serve to declare, no speech will serve to utter: for in good or evil things subject to corruption, there is nothing like them. Nevertheless that we may conceive some motion of that fire and torment, 
The torments of hell set forth in their colours.  call to mind, in him that hath a burning ague, what tribulation, what anxiety of the body and soul standeth on each side, and by this temporal malady gather what those torments be which are inflamed with an eternal fire, which are watered before that horrible judgement s at with a fiery stream of tormenting waves. There what shall we do? What shall we answer? Nothing shall be t●ere but gnashing of t●eth, but schritching and weeping, and too to late repentance, no way any help being found, and every way the torments increasing without any comfort. We shall ●ee none but the executioners and tortures dreadful to be beholden, and (which is worst of all) we shall have no solace of the very air. For utter darkness shall compass the place of torments, and the fire which as it hath not a nature of consuming, so hath it not of illumining, but it is a dark fire, the flame thereof giving no light. So that to them that are in it, what fear what renting of their bowels, what dismembering of their bodies, what crosses there be to every sense▪ no tongue can tell. And as the sorts of torments do vary and differ, so proportionably every one to his sins hath his pain multiplied.  
Now if thou shouldest say, how can the body continue in so wretched and such an endless tormenting? Consider what things now and then in this life betid us, and by these small things conjecture great, How that some times we see some troubled with long sickness, & yet their life to endure: and howbeit the body be dissolved by some death, yet the soul is not dissolved nor consumed: whence it is apparent that when the body shall also become immortal, no death may kill the soul or body. For in this present life it cannot be, that the punishment of the body should be both grievous and perpetual, but the one yieldeth to the other for that the body cannot abide both But when each shall put off corruption, th● corruption afore received shall end, but the incorruption gotten shall be endless. So let us not think the very exceeding greatness of punishment will cause an end of dolour, but (as I said) our sins shall aggravate the chastisement, and the incorruption of the body or soul shall not limit it.  
Tell me now, what space of sensuality and dainties will thou liken to these torments? Let us (if we list) bestow on delights an hundredth years, add thereto an hundredth more, and ten times an hundredth, what benefit will there be gotten of it, if we consider this ever-remaining pain? May not the whole time of this life, wherein we seem to take pleasure in pastimes, and wallow in wantonness, be reckoned as the dream of one night, in comparison of that eternity? Is there any therefore, who to have a delightsome dream one night, would undertake sempiternal pains? Or take that for this, or this for that?  
I dispraise not as yet delights, nor unfold the bitterness of them, because the time serveth not for such speeches now, but then I shall be occasioned, when I see thee able to avoid the same. For because thou art addicted to them, thou mayest guess we doted, if we avouch that pleasure which all men reckon acceptable and gladsome, were irksome and sour: But if by the mercy of God, thou mayest escape out of this sort of sickness, at that time, yea at that time thou shalt find out what bitterness, yea what bane sensuality hath. Now m●ane while let us imagine, that pastimes and pleasure and voluptuousness are honest and comely: What shall we say to the punishments laid up in store for them? What shall we say to them, because the delights vade like a shadow, and hastily fly away, but the pain abideth for ever and ever?  
Grant the time and space of pastime and punishment were all one, is there any so foolish, or so deprived of his five wits, that would choose to tolerate one day of pain for a day of pleasure? sith the pangs of one hour, and every vexation of the body, commonly causeth us to forget all the time passed consumed in delight. Wherefore forasmuch as we may be rid (if in a moment we be turned) from every of those tormenting chastisements, and enjoy eternal goodness, why defer we? why stay we? why do we not use the bountifulness of God? For this is provided by the unspeakable and infinite clemency of God, that labour and toil should not be stretched far, nor be long or endless but short, and (as I may say) for a minute of an hour. Such is this present life, if it be conferred with that everlasting. 
2. Cor. 4.  The clemency (I say) of God hath provided, that in this fleeting & short life, there should be labours and agonies, but that in the life eternal, there should be crowns & rewards of good works, & that travel should soon be ended, ●ut the reward of good deeds should last for ever. And even as this maketh them glad that through enduring of toil enjoy a crown: so it shall grieve and trouble those in the time to come, that see they have lost (for a little and small time of delights) perpetual good things, and have sought for still enduring evil things.  
Let us not therefore incur this anguish of soul, let us awake while we have time. And lo now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation, now is opportunity of repentance, and a time wherein repentance will not be fruitless. But if we be careless of our life, we shall sustain in hell not these calamities alone, whereof we have spoken, but a more grievous mischief. For to be excluded from bliss, and to be debarred from the things prepared for the Saints, causeth such affliction, such woefulness, as (if no outward punishment tormented) it were sufficient. It surpasseth all pains of hell, to want that beatitude, the fruition of which lay in thy power. For muse (I desire you) on the state of that life, 
Heavenly bliss set forth.  as much as a man may consider ●t, for as it is in deed, no speech can utter. Yet let us comprehend an image thereof, to the utmost it may be, by that we have read, and the dark speeches we have received. It is said of it in a certain place, 
Reu. 21.4. Isai. 35.  There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, neither crying, neither shall there be any more pain. What more felicity is there than this life, wherein no fear of poverty, nor sickness hurteth, none dealeth unjustly, none is endangered, none conceiveth indignation, none envieth, no desire inflameth, no lust of meat, no greediness of honour and renown troubleth: but every spot of vice is blotted out and washed away, where all things are in peace and ioyousnesse, all things in quiet and rest, where is light and brightness, not such as is among us, but by so much more bright the sun is now than any candle? There is no night, no darkness, no concourse of clouds, no extremity of cold or heat; but such a temperature shall there be of all things, as they alone shall know which are worthy to enjoy the same. There is no old age, nor the misery thereof, but every corruptible thing is done away, and the glory of incorruption is every where But moreover to have society with the Angels & Archangels, and of all the celestial and supernal powers to enjoy the company, is much to be esteemed: but to obtain the radiant sight of our Lord Christ jesus, and to be lightened with the brightness of his majesty, that cannot be described, it passeth all such and such like honour.  
But lest thou be daunted with these things on the sudden, I will allure thee by little and little to the attaintment of them. Behold now and look upon the heaven, let thy thought also pierce a little above heaven, after yonder the transforming of the whole creature. For it shall not abide in this quality wherein it is, but it shall be changed into another much more fine and fair, as much (let me say so) as gold exceedeth lead. Saint Paul teacheth this shall come to pass, when he saith that the creature itself shall be freed from the bondage of corruption. 
Rom. 8.21.  For now under corruption it suffereth many things which corruptible bodies must needs suffer: but when it shall cast off all frailty and corruption, it shall be adorned with wonderful beauty, for it shall not suffer corruptible bodies, but it shall receive them (by resurrection) void of corruption, whereby the very creature shall be metamorphised into an excellenter habit. There shall be then no dissension any where, but all things shall agree in amity, for the agreement of the saints shall be one, there shall be no dread of the Devil, no ambushes of unclean spirits, the tear of hell shall be far off, there shall be death neither of the body, nor of the soul, but fear by the means of immortality shall be shaken off.  
Like as a king's son if first of all he be fostered up in a poor cottage being appareled in base raiment, liveth under the fear of Tutors, and governance of Masters, whereby his young-age under straight discipline may bring his man's estate into good liking, and make it worthy his famous progenitors; but when the time cometh, that he must both enter into the Court of his Dominion, and take in hand his father's Sceptre, all homely apparel being rejected, he arrayeth himself in princely attire, and on a sudden putteth on the mitre of his father, the glittering of purple continually is added, ●he brightness of his diadem, ●he rout of his guard, the ●ower of his name is increa●ed, and he is made a new man, ●o after such a manner shall ●he alteration of Saints be.  
And to the end you may be given to understand, that painted words is not all we speak, ●et us cast our eyes on that ●ountaine wherein Christ was transformed, and let us behold his brightness, that wherein (when he was transformed) he shined; neither ●or all that by this means, ●ll the glory of the world to ●ome shallbe revealed unto us. For that transformation was declared not fully as in deed ●he blessedness to come shall ●e, but as much as the beholder's eyes could bear. And ●he Gospel saith 
* Mat. 17.2.  his face did shine as the sun: but the glory of the incorruption shall not only send forth such a light, nor such as the eyes of men can look on, but such shall be the future brightness, as eye sight may not endure, although it abode that in the transforming on the mount. Whereby it is clear, that so much was revealed as the eyes of mortal men could suffer neither yet did they fully suffer it, 
Verse 6.  for it is said, They fell on their faces.  
Again, if thou shouldest be brought into an assemble, where every one should sit appareled in golden robes, in the midst of whom one should shine decked in pearls and purple, and if he promised that thou mightest be one of the number of those men of honour, wouldst thou not assay and attempt all things to attain unto it? So then open thy sight on the heavens, and behold there an assembly gathered together, not in brightness of gold, neither in trimness of garments, nor glistering in precious stones, but clearer in righteousness then either the stars glitter, or the Sun shineth. Behold there a company not of men alone, but of Angels, Archangels thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers; and of the King that sitteth in the midst of them, no speech may be, for he surmounteth all speech and conceit of the mind of man, by reason of his beauty, his strength, his glory, his royalty, his majesty, What then? Tell me, shall we beguile ourselves of all these honours, because of sloth in sustaining some labour, and in resisting for a while the allurements of lust? For if we should daily sustain torments, and suffer a little time hell fire to the end we might see Christ coming in glory, & accompanied with his Saints, were it not good to endure all sorrow, that we might be made partakers of so great bliss, of so great glory? Hear what the blessed Apostle Peter saith; 
Matt. 17.4  It is good for us to to be here. If he seeing a slender glimpse of the glory to come suddenly rejected all things out of his mind, relying on the delectation of the vision he saw, what will one say, if he beheld these things, as they are in truth? Namely at what time, the court of heaven shall be opened, and the K●ng of heaven shall be revealed, not in a glass darkly, but face to face, not by faith, but by visage.  
Many ignorant folk think it a thing all sufficient, 
The torments of hell not so grievous as the loss of the sight of Christ.  and to be wished for, alone to be delivered from the pains of hell; I say to be removed and cast off from that glory, is a more grievous torment then hell: neither judge I the torm●nts there so grievous, as it is to be driven from the sight of Christ for th●s (I assure you) is more miserable than any punishment, this only exceedeth hell When we see an earthly king entering his palace, with his adherents and guard, we admire, and call those great men who wait upon him, and suppose ourselves wretched, if we be not vouchsafed any place amongst them: though we know the weakness and instability of th●se terrene things, sometimes for foreign wars, sometimes for civil conterwaits, and sometimes for malicious spite, yet howsoever it be, it grieveth those that have fallen thence. How then shall it not much more vex us, if with the highest king, who holdeth the whole globe of the earth, 
Isai. 40.  (not a part thereof only) yea, who holdeth it in his fist, who measureth the heaven with an hand breadth, who supporteth each thing by the word of his power who reckoneth the Gentiles as nothing, yea as spittle, with this (I say) when he bestoweth honour that shall last for ever, we have no place, neither be numbered among his servants? Will it not pinch us more than any pain?  
But peradventure thou sayest, it will suffice us to escape hell, albeit we be not thought worthy of the sight of the King. What more unhappy and wretched soul is there than to which this is sufficient? Supposest thou that the King whereof we speak, shall come to judge the earth, carried in Chariots of Mules, or in gilded wagons, or with the terrible power of a diadem? Nay hearken how the Prophets foretold (as much as might be declared to men) the coming of Christ. One of them saith thus: Our God shall come, 
Psal. 50.3.  and shall not keep silence, a fire shall devour before him, and a mighty tempest shall be moved round about him, he shall call the heaven above, and the earth to judge his people. And hearken how another to wit, Isaiah, showeth the diverse sorts of punishments; these are his words; Behold the day of the Lord cometh, cruel, with wrath, 
Isai. 13.9.  and fierce anger to lay the land waist; and he shall destroy the sinners out of it. For the stars of heaven, 
Verse. 10.  and the planets thereof, shall not give their light, the Sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine, 
Verse. 11.  And I will visit the wickedness upon the world, and their iniquity upon the wicked, and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease. I will make a man more precious than fine Gold, 
Verse. 12.  even a man above the wedge of gold of Ophir. 
Verse. 13.  Therefore I will shake the heaven, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. And again he saith the windows from on high are open, 
Jsa. 24.18.  and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, 
19  the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is exceedingly moved. The earth shall reel too and fro like a drunken man, 
20.  and shall be removed like a tent, the iniquity thereof shall be heavy upon it so that it shall fall and rise no more. And in that day, 
21.  shall the Lord visit the host above, that is on high, even the Kings of the world that are upon the earth and they shall be gathered together as the prisoners in the pit, and they shall be shut up in prison. And the Prophet Malachies' words are consonant hereto; 
Malac. 3. Verse 1.2.  Behold he shall come saith the ●ord of hosts, But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall endure when he appeareth? For he is like a purging fire, and like fullers s●pe. 
Verse 3.  And he shall sit down to fine and try the silver, he shall even fine the sons of Levy and purify them as gold and silver. 
Chap. 4.1.  And again he saith, for behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud yea; and all that do wickedly shall be as stable, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, and shall leave them neither root nor branch. And another of the Prophets saith, 
Dan. 7.9.  I beheld till the thrones were set up, and the ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. 
Verse. 10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him, the judgement was set, and the books opened. And a little after, 
Vers. 13.  as I beheld in visions by night, behold one like the son of man, came in the clouds of heaven, and approached unto the ancient of these days, and they brought him before him. And he gave him dominion, 
Vers. 14.  and honour, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations and languages, should serve him, his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall never be taken away, and his kingdom shall never be destroyed. 
Vers. 15.  I Daniel was troubled in my spirit, in the midst of my body, and the visions of mine head made me afraid.  
So then when these things shall begin, the gates of heaven shall be opened yea rather the very heaven shall be taken away, as if the coverings of a pavilion were drawn together, to wit, that it may be restored and transfigured into better. Then all things shall be in fear, amazedness and trembling shall fill every place. Then also fear shall shake the Angels, and not the Angels alone, but perchance the Archangels, thrones, dominions, rules and powers. For this is signified where it is said I will shake the heaven; 
Jsai. 13.13  for they are the fellow servants of them that must be judged and must give an account of this life. If when one City is to be judged by the judges of this world other fear and shake although it be not for great danger like to ensue when the universal world shall come to be judged of him that lacketh not witness, that doth not seek arguments, that doth not require an orator for the cause, but all these things being removed, that doth reveal the deeds, words, and thoughts of men, that placeth each thing in open sight, and heweth every fact, as it wrre in a painted table, before the eyes, both of the transgressors and the beholders, how much more shall every creature be moved with fear? And if than no fiery stream should issue forth neither the terrible Angels, or greesely executioners, should stand by; but if thus only it were, that men should be called, before the king and some should be praised and honoured, other some without honour cast to confusion; if men did only suffer this punishment, would it not surpass the torments of hell, that when other were endowed with gifts of the king, they should shamefully suffer the repulse? Which pain how untolerable it is, although speech now may not declare, yet then shall we clearly perceive it, when we come to experience.  
Furthermore, besides all these anguishs of torments fet before your eyes. not confusion alone, and utter shame but the way how men are drawn to fire, and delivered up to racking. Think upon those cruel and ugly tortures which throw sinners down headlong and in that time, in which other that have done well, by the bright and gentle Angels being carried before the high throne of the everlasting king shall be rewarded with immortal gift.  
These things are accidents to that day, judgement, & time, but that which ensueth, what tongue can tell? What pleasure, what joy shall it be to be with Christ, when the soul coming to her proper vigour, shall with confidence begin to look on God? none can declare the greatness of that joy. For she triumpheth not alone for the fruit: on of the things present, but she rejoiceth much more because she knoweth, there shall be no end of her blessedness. And howbeit no speech can set forth that gladness and mirth, nor any thought ontaine it yet seeing (as it were) a certain shadow of the thing to come, we will also endeavour to acquaint you with it Demand we of the rich & wealthy of this world. who vaunt in honours & power, with what gladness they are puffed out? With how great delectation and pleasure they are in love with these things, so that sometime they carry their noses very high in the wind? And that, though they themselves know, that these things are neither right, happy, nor yet everlasting, but vanish away sooner than a dream: which if they endure while this life remaineth, if we make the most of them we can, they can endure no longer. Wherefore if men are so exceeding joyous, for frail and transitory things with what joy shall we think those souls to be filled, which have gotten heavenly and eternal b●sse? In which both quantity and quality differeth so much from the other in excellency, (for all that in this life we account them good) so that neither eye hath seen, 
Isai. 64.4 1 Cor. 2.9.  nor ear hath heard, nor heart as yet hath understood them. For as a little one is in the belly of his mother; so are we in the world in wrapped straightly in darkness, and cannot behold the light and liberty of the world to come. But when the time shall come, 
Such corn as we sow here, such bread shall we eat in the world to come.  that this world shall travel in birth with us, and shall bring forth into the brightness of the future world all it hath conceived if any shall be found (by the means of sin) putrefied or not of full growth they go from darkness to darkness, from tribulation to more bitter tribulation. But they that shall be perfect and like unto the king, she proffereth to the father, as a worthy issue to be placed in the ministry of Angels, and in the seats of Archangels.  
Therefore will you go that way (my friend) that the countenance, and kingly beauty of thy soul may be polluted and this world at the last reiectt thee, but repair quickly the Image of thy father, repair thy virtue, beauty, and gallantness, that among other thou mayest be known of thy father. 
The soul must be polished more than the body and God hath thus appointed.  The beauty of the body, God hath limited with certain natural bonds. but the beauty of the soul he hath made free, and subject to no necessity which leaveth far behind the comeliness of the body. Insomuch that the trimnes of our soul is at the back of God, yet in our power. For if the Lord had granted us licence to use our own fancy in our bodily bravery, we should have been burdened with superfluous and nought inaileable cares, spending all the time of our life in them, whereby the soul must needs not be docked Sith even now when we have no power over the trimnes of our bodies, we so cark and care, that by all possible means we polish them, assaying by the painting of colours, by the frizzling of our hairs, by the roaling of our eyes by variety of vestments, by exquisite practices to augment our bodily bravery. But how much more convenient were it for us to go about to garnish the soul, wherein the true beauty is and such as may by us daily be made more beautiful? Yet we on the contrary, consume the whole race of our life in spoiling the mistress, and in adorning the maiden: leaving the mistress (like a vile bondwoman) untrimmed, bespotted, utterly covered with all unseemly sluttishness. When as God for this cause, exempted us from the cark of this body, and enclosed it within the bonds of nature, least being occupied in needles cares, 
Souls defiled with sin, may be trimmed again.  we should neglect the beautifying of our soul, whose beauty and braveness, albeit it be brought to extreme pollution, yet by our labour and diligence she may be restored to notable gayness, and be recovered so far, that she may not only be admired of all good men, but be desired and loved of the king himself, who is Lord of all. As the Prophet speaketh to it in the Psalms▪ The king shall have pleasure in thy beauty. 
Psa. 45.11   
Often times experience proveth, that of those women which have been enured to common brothelrre, if any be somewhat handsome for fairness sake she hath been united in matrimony to some good man, and hath been drawn to honesty. How much rather will not God contemn ne despise the souls which have fallen from their divine excellency by the tyranny of the devil, into the brothelhouse and stews of this present life: You shall find that the Prophets have used these examples when they spoke to Jerusalem, for she played the dishonest woman, and went a whoring after a strange sort, as showeth the Prophet Ezechiel, 
Eze. 16.33  saying they give gifts to all other whores, but thou givest gifts unto thy lovers, and the contrary is in thee from other women. 
Verse. 34.  And again another saith; thou hast sitten upon the way waiting for them, as a desolate 
* C. quail Or thou hast sit waiting for them in the ways, as the Arabian in the wilderness, jere. 3.2.  chough This people which had so played the harlot the Lord reclaimed to himself, for their captivity was not so much for their punishment, as for their amendment. For if in case God would have punished and destroyed them withal he would not have brought them home again to their native soil, neither would have caused them to re-edify with greater magnificency, their City and Temple which were overthrown: the glory (saith he) of this last house, 
Hagg. 2.10  shall be greater than the first. So than if God do not forbid repentance to those that have so manifoldly practised whoredom, he will much more willingly reclaim thy soul, which now first hath grievously fallen. 
God is jealous over our souls.  The reason is, for that no carnal lover, though never so hot, can be so jealous over the love of his de●ling, as God is kindled with the love of our souls. Which albeit daily it may be gathered, yet it may be apparently proved out of the word of God In a word, read that is spoken of God, in the beginning either of jeremy, or of the other Prophets, how when he was despised and set light by of the people, yet he returned again to them, and thirsting after their love, he continually followed them And this is that, which God himself declareth in the Gospel, 
Mat. 23.37 Luk. 13.34.  where he saith. Jerusalem, Jerusalem which killest the Prophets, and stonest them which are sent to thee how often would I have gathered thy children together, as the Hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not. And Paul saith to the Corinthians: For God was in Christ, 
2. Cor. 2.19  and reconciled the world to himself, not imputing their sins unto them, and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then are we Ambassadors for Christ: as though god hide beseech you through us we pray you in Christ's stead that ye be reconciled to God Let us think these things spoken to us, for not only infidelity, b●t the pollution and uncleanness of life maketh this execrable enmity betwixt God and men, and so the Apostle saith, that the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God. 
Rom. 8.7.  Go too then, let us raze to the ground this wall of enmity, let us smooth the way to an atonement with God, that we may be loved & desired of him again  
I am sure you wonder not a little at the beauty of Hermione, 
Hermione daughter to Menelaus & Helena very beautiful, for whom Orestes the son of Agamemnon slew Pyrthus the son of Achilles, because he married his betrothed minion.  and think the like may not be found on the whole earth. But if you would (my friend) you may be so much fairer and comelier than she, by how much gold exceedeth dirt. For if many have in admiration the beauty of that body, and fall in love therewith what fairness do you think to be in a soul, if every point therein were lively portraited? How much more amiable, how much more wonderful would it be? For the substance of bodily beauty consists in nought else, but in phlegm, blood, moisture, and 
* Or melancholy.  gall, which are maintained by the corruptible juices of meats? Hereby the apples of the eyes glister, hereby the cheeks are ruddy and hereby the whole face is adorned. And unless they be daily moistened with such juice, which ascendeth out of the liver, incontinent the skin is dried up, the eyes wax hollow, all ruddiness and beauty departeth from the visage. Now if thou consider what is hidden within that skin which thou judgest beautiful, what is shut up in the nostrils what within the jaws and belly, thou wilt protest that this bravery of body, is nothing but a blanched sepulchre which without appeareth fair to men, but within is full of filthiness and uncleanness. Moreover, if thou see on a ragged cloth, the phlegm and spittle that proceedeth from the body, thou loathest it, and wilt not touch it with the tip of the finger, looking askew thereon: & how then canst thou love and desire the cel and seat of phlegm? But thy beauty was not such. For by how much heaven is more beautiful than the earth, by so much ●id the trimnes of thy soul surmount the beauty of the fairest body. And notwistan●ing none at any time hath ●eene a soul departed from the body, yet some other time I will attempt to declare the comeliness of it, by the powers thereof. At this time let it suffice to rehearse the words of the Lord, which say, they are as the Angels of God in heaven. Again, 
Mat 22.30 Mar 12.25  in that of bodies there is so great a difference, between those that are thin, and those that are thick and heavy (as for example heaven passeth the earth, fire water, the stars stones the rainbow all terrestrial flowers:) wha● would we say, if it might so chance that with corporal eyes, we might behold the gayness of the soul? wouldst thou not scoff at all external beauty and bravery, in consideration of that internal substance? I pray thee then let us not contemn so great a felicity, nor regard lightly so great a treasure that is in us, especially sith a return is not hard and with no great labour may all the beauty of our soul be renewed For as soon as thou shalt imagine the things to come, and thou shalt be enamoured with them, straightway the soul retireth to her former braveness. So it is written; 
2. Co●. 4.17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, causeth unto us a far more excellent. 
18.  an an eternal weight of glory. While we look not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are corporal but the things which are not seen are eternal. Now if Paul call tribula●●ons light and easy, for that we look not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not save: how much more easy shall it be for thee to shake of the foul burden of uncleanness? Neither now do I exhort thee to those labours and dangers▪ or to those daily deaths, which the Apostles suffered, or to those persecutions or stripes or bands, or imprisonments, or the contempt of all worldly riches, or famine. or nakedness, or many watchings, or perils of journeying, or shipwreck on sea, or dangers of robbers, or dangers of thine own nation, or dangers of false brethren, for all those afflictions the Apostles endured: nothing of all these I require of thee, but this I desire alone, that servitude being forsaken, thou return to thy former liberty, considering both the plague which followeth riot, and the glory which is laid up for virtues. It is no marvel if those which believe there shall be no resurrection, neglect their life, fear nothing the judgement to come, and are nothing pricked in heart: but we which look more certainly on future then present things, ought we to live so miserably, and wretchedly, that we not only should not fear at the remembrance of the judgement to come, but utterly contemn it?  
A part it is of extreme madness and no mischief is comparable, that believing we be like the unbelieving. Yea amongst them not a few have been found, who have flourished in this life, in the virtues of the mind, and what shall be our excuse, what our solace, if in the day of doom those shall be brought forth for examples against us? Some that exercise merchandise we see have suffered shipwreck, and the loss of all their goods: yet for this they have not been dismayed, but again have applied the same way and traffic. These did ●eese their substance not by ●oth but by violence of winds But we which know afore undoubtedly, that if we ourselves will we may incur neither shipwreck nor damage of soul; should we not take in hand again our former exercises, & renew our business by negligence overslipped? Nevertheless we lie recklessly, and fold our idle hands on our breast, after the manner of sluggards and would God our hands were idle, and did not work our own decay, Which if they do it hath great affinity with most manifest outrage, as if (for example) a champion leaving his adversary, should turn his hands on his own head, and buffet himself. The devil hath put us to flight, and hath dashed us in sunder, we have need then to rise and to resist him. When thou art once cast down, if thou be willing not only to lie still, but to throw down thyself headlong this is to assent to thine enemy, and to take in defence his part.  
Blessed David fell after the same sort, thou didst, neither so alone, but in more grievous wise, for he combined murder, with adultery: and what did he then? Did he lie so? Did he not rise and resist the enemy, and so overcame him, that his good deeds profited his posterity ween he was gone? For when Solomon had committed that heinous crime, and was deemed worthy of a thousand deaths, yet for David's sake the Lord said he would bestow the kingdom on him longer. These be the words; I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, 
2. Ki. 11.11  and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, 
12.  because of David thy father, 
2. Ki. 19.34  but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Hezechiah when he was much endangered, (albeit he were a just man himself,) yet for blessed David the Lord promised to help him, 
* Or, I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for David my servants sake.  I will defend this City for mine own sake, and for David my servants sake, I will save it. See what was the strength of repentance see what power conversion had. But if he had thus thought, (which thou now thinkest.) and had said it is impossible that the Lord should now be merciful to me, he hath greatly honoured me, and hath endued me with the gift of prophecy, he hath exalted me to a kingdom, he hath delivered me from manifold dangers, how then can I promerite clemency at the hands of God, forasmuch as I have thus fallen? If David had thus thought, he had lo●● not only that went afore but that that followed also. For not only the wounds of the body if they be neglected bring death; but the wounds of the soul semblably. Are we so sottish to put a plaster to a bodily wound, and never attempt to cure the soul? Many wounds of our body may not be cured, yet we despair not, and though the chirurgeons say the wound is vncu●●able, yet we earnestly and urgently beseech them, that they would mitigate some what the pain. But in the wounds of the soul; which are not unsanable, (for the soul is not tied to necessity neither abideth any passion) we are remiss, we are past hope, we are pricked with no care When there is no hope our grief of body may be healed, yet we withdraw nothing from our care: but here when no occasion is of desperation, without using any labour, we omit all care. So you perceive, how that more ardently we love our body then our soul, knowing not, that if we regard not our soul we cannot save our body. For the soul was not ordained for the body, but the body for the soul: and he that esteemeth not the higher but polisheth the inferior, marreth both. But he that observeth an order, and garnisheth the first admit he do not pass for the second, by the salvation nevertheless of the first the seeond shall be saved. The which is builded on the plot of Christ his words, Fear ye not them which kill th●● body, 
Mat. 10.28  but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him, which is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell.  
Think you we have done enough, and satisfied you in this thing, that no infirmity of the soul is uncurable? Or else is it needful we should use other reasons, and confirm it yet further? For although a thousand times thou despair of thyself, we will never despair of thee. Neither do we this that we mislike in other, howbeit there be odds, whether one despair of himself, or another of him. To despair of another is pardonable but to despair of himself is not: because he is not master of another's mind, this ruleth his own purpose Wherefore we hope there is a return for you to the state of your former life, and to the virtues of the mind, which we know are in you. Besides these things this we add.  
The Ninevits heard the Prophet saying definitely, 
Jon. 2.4.  yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown, notwithstanding they were not discouraged No not when they were not certain, that the Lord would not bring to pass his words, and when (in man's judgement) there was no hope of forgiveness. And as soon as that abrupt saying was ended, they determined repentance saying who can tell if God will turn and repent, 
Verse. 9 10.  and turn away his fierce wrath that we perish not. And God saw their works that they turned from their evil ways: and God repent of the evil that he had said he would do unto them and he did it not. If Barbarians and ignorant folk could understand so much of the mercy of God, doth it not much more behove us to do so. who are instructed in the word of God, and know this example was before our time and that many more like are contained in God's book, either in words, 
Isai. 55.8.  or in acts? For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the lord 
9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts  
furthermore if we receive our servants, who have offended us, when they promise they will amend, and account of them as before, nay many times credit them more after reconcilement; will not God much rather deal thus with us? If he had made us to punish us, thou mightest well despair, and doubt of thy salvation: but if for his goodness, only he made us to enjoy his ever-during bliss and rewards and doth all things from the beginning of the world till this day, to this end and purpose, that he may save us: what matter of despairing what matter of misdoubting is there left?  
We have offended him (say you) more than ever any man. For this cause shouldest thou more speedily and earnestly make satisfaction and be sorrowful for thine offence, and abandon those deeds with which God is offended. Neither doth a grievous injury offend any body so much, as to continue in it, when there is time and opportunity of satisfaction. To sin is human, but to persever in sin, is diabolical. To conclude, 
Hier. 3.7. Or, and I said, when she had done all this, turn thou unto me, but she returned not.  behold how God by the Prophet mistiketh this more than that: And I have said (saith he) after that she hath in all this gone a whoring be thou turned to me, and she is not turned. And otherwhere, when he had rebuked the transgressions of the people, by his Prophet, and they had promised amendment, he showeth how lovingly he receiveth the conversion of sinners, who will grant their heart may be so in them, that they may fear me, and keep my commandments all the days of their life, that it may be well with them, and their children for evermore? Moses likewise, when he would teach the people, what God requireth of men, 
Deu. 10.12  saith thus: And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve thy Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.  
God then, who is desirous that himself be beloved of us, and for this doth all things, not sparing his only begotten for our salvation, and the love he bore towards us, would feign (after what fort soever, if I may so speak) we should be reconciled to him; and how can it be, that he should not receive and love us being penitents converted unto him, and that as cheerfully as he doth his children? For in what respect do you think, spoke he by the Prophet, saying▪ Tell thou thine iniquities first, that thou mayst be justified? Was it not for that he coveted to revoke us to his love, 
Amantium irae amoris redintegratio est.  and tender affection? He that loveth his friend, if perchance he suffer many injuries at his hands, his love is not for that cooled towards his beloved, if in case he will let the wrongs to be opened and discovered, and certes he that is injured, doth desire this for no other cause, but that their renewing of love may be of more force and validity. Now, if the confession of sins mattreth so much to atonement, how much greater may be our hope of reconciliation, if by works of repenance we blot out the offences we have committed? For if God prohibited the fallen to return to the right way, either none, or very few should enter the kingdom of heaven. Yea, the chief Patriarches whom we have in admiration, after backeslides in sins, they have been restored. For they that were earnest in evil, being turned to goodness use the same forwardness, knowing that their debt is great. In the Gospel this is taught of the Lord, when he said to Simon of a certain woman Seest thou this woman I entered into thine house and thou gavest me no water to my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears, 
Luke. 7.44  and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss, but she since the time I came in, 
45.  hath not ceased to kiss my feet, My head with oil thou didst not anoint: 
46.  but she hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, 
47.  many sins are forgiven her, for she loved much. To whom a little is forgiven, he doth love a little. 
48.  And he said unto her thy sins are forgiven thee. For which cause the devil knowing that they which have sold themselves to work iniquity, if they revolt, are diligent and serious and as in their transgressions they were hasty, so in their amendment they are heedful, (because now they know what they have done,) he feareth and shaketh least any of them should make the onset to repentance. For if they once begin, they may not be withstood, but kindled with the heat of repentance, as it were with fire, they make their souls purer than fined gold, & by the remembrance of their former misdeeds, and as it were by the blowing wind of their conscience, having hope their pilot, they arrive in the haven of health. And because of the horrors past, the circumspecter they are in their journey; so that in this well-nigh they may seem to pass those that never faultered, because experience maketh them more chary. 
Experientia stultorum matter.  For (I know not how) we love more entirely the things we had and have lost, than the things we have not and desi●e to get.  
Then a hard thing it is, (as I said) to make a beginning in this lieth all the difficulty, to prepare the way to repentance. For strait way at the entrance the enemy bloweth out threats & menacings, and in his rage driveth us back, when we would go forth. The smoky puffs, and cloud of whose terrors, if thou contemn, when the way is entered, thou shalt see thyself corroborated, and obtaining the conquest thou wilt rejoice thine enemy menaced thee and thou shalt perceive the rest of this combat easy. Go too, go too, in the name of God, now let us enter the path of life, let us return to the heavenly city, seeing we are appointed and enrolled citizens. The gates of this City despair shutteth against us, hope and confidence will open them fully; the which if we cast behind us we incur the crime, not of sloth alone, but of arrogancy For sathan was made as he is by no other means but for that after his sin first he despaired and n xt fell from despair into haughtiness and pride. So likewise the soul if it once begin to despair of salvation, it understandeth not into what mischiefs it runneth, fearing not to speak or do whatsoever may stop salvation. Commonly we see in those that are mad when once they have lost their wit, they fear nought any longer, they blush at nothing, but licentiously they dare speak and do every thing. If they fall into the fire, they avoid it not, if they be going into a headlong place, they pull not back their foot. After the same manner they that are in despair commit intolerable acts, they range in all the ways of wickedness, shame is no let, fear hindereth nothing, the things present do not refrain them, the things to come do not terrify, death only it is that they cannot escape.  
Wherefore I humbly request thee, before the poison of this sin more infect thee, arise and awake at the last, and lay aside this devilish drunkenness. If on the sudden thou canst not gather thy wits together, yet do it leisurely, although (in my opinion) it be the easier way at once to break off all the stays of this evil, to shear it in sunder fully, and to begin repentance anew But if this be difficile unto thee, as thou wilt and art able, begin a better conversation, and covet eternal life. Run therefore I pray and beseech you dear friend, (I beseech you for those good deeds you have done heretofore, I pray you for the liberty that first you had) let me see you climb up to the top of virtue, as truly a repentant as you were before. Yield to me thy friend, yield to all them that are offended through thee, and fall because of thy fall, yield to all them that are in despair because of thy despair, that they may not surmise they cannot tread the true way, unless they see thee return. Regard (I desire you) the pensiveness of the whole congregation of the faithful brethren, the great joy and triumphing of the faithless, the usual by words of slothful youths, regard wbat authority thou art to many to wallow in the mire of riot. And if so be that you return into the way of your former virtues, all these things will be turned into the contrary. Our shame and confusion shall light on them, we shall be joyful and glad. For we will blaze abroad throughout the world, that thou art a subduer of lust, a subduer of unclean and foolish voluptie and riot, and we will brute far and wide thy glorious triumph. That victory is the greater that is gotten after a fall, and that is restored after flight. And you shall not only be rewarded, for your own labour and reformation, but shall receive a meed for the safety of them, who leveling their life to thy conversation have (without despair) returned themselves to repentance. Neither any hereafter having fallen howsoever, will not be greedy by and by to rise, and incontinently to be restored Despise not (if you love me) these great profits, neither bring our souls with sorrow to the grave: but vouchsafe us some rest, and chase away the cloud of heaviness, which for thy sake hath overcovered us; for lo letting pass our own evils, we bewail thy fall. But if you would a little look upward, and be in love with celestial things, we should be eased of this lamenting. and we might be caused to consider our own offences.  
That men may by repentance repair their pristine gayness yea sometimes be made more excellent than before they were, hitherto we have confirmed out of the word of God. And to conclude this point, this is the cause why that harlots and Publicans inherit the kingdom of heaven, and that many that were last, shall be first, Henceforth I will add the things that have been done in our age, of which thou 
* G. F. C. of which myself may be a witness.  thyself art a witness.  

* G. F. C. I know.  You know that young man the son of Vrbanus, the chiefest of that province whose parents died in his minority, but left him very wealthy in household stuff, gold, silver and possessions. That youth contemning at the first all pomp, and pride, (which that age and riches for the most part follow) he left the schools of human arts, and betook himself to a base life in which putting on course and homely arrayment, he departed to the mountains and desert places. Where being exercised in the temperancy of true philosophy, he not only matched (which is but seldom seen in those years,) but passed too, great and wonderful men in the virtue of abstinency; yea when afterward he was baptized he passingly increased in virtues At which thing all rejoiced, & praised the Lord, that borne to so great wealth, & descended of such a family, even in the April of his days he trod under foot at once all vanity of this momentary life, and had an hungry desire of eternal joy.  
Living after this sort, and in this admiration, among all, certain of his kindred (but naughty persons) at the first came to see him, and after by continuance of lewd talk, 
Evil speeches corrupt good manners.  drew him again to that he hated and loathed, so that all philosophy (which he studied) being laid apart, he came from the hills to the market place. Then carried on a palfrey through the midst of the city, and guarded with footmen, he vauntingly began to wander up and down the streets. Insomuch that the rains of chastity were also let lose, because it hath no fellowship with dainties and riot. After this he was snarled in the bait of filthy love, and led into captivity by every lust, which caused all men to despair of his salvation. For swarms of parasites environed this hope lost younker the adulterous rabble compassed him in. And what hope would a man think to be remaining? Those also which were given very much to reprehending, found fault with this likewise, that in the beginning he entered a course, he could not continue in, and had aspired to that was above his reach, forsaking the study of learning wherein he might have profited.  
When these and such like things as touching his life being rumoured abroad, were known to all, and we also were ashamed of his doing; certain holy men, expert in this kind of hunting, and who had found out by long use and experience, that nought was to be despaired, putting on the armour of hope, they began to watch him more narrowly. And if it fortuned he were in the street, they approached near and courteously saluted him; but he on horseback scarce greeted them again, or thought them worthy an answer, when they went by his side; such was his pride and wickedness. But those merciful men, accounting none of these an injury, respected only that they had intended, that they m●ght (if it were possible by any means) deliver the lamb out of the teeth of wolves; which by patience was in fine achieved. For weighing they did this often, and prying into his own life with the inward eyes of his mind, he blushed somewhat at their boldness and tendering, and when he marked they came a far off, he would dismount from his horse, and bowing his head towards the earth, he hearkened diligently to their speeches, and in process of time he reverenced them more. And so revolting by piece-meal, through the grace of God, and their meek counsel, and rid from all the nets of death wherein he was entangled, he went again to the wilderness, to the mountains, and to the wont exercises of philosophy, and after was of such humility, that his latter doings exceeded his wonderful beginning. He learned by proof the occasion of his fall, and the allurement of all his error. That also he did, which (doubtless) was agreeable to Christ's commandment in the Gospel; 
Mat. 19.21  Selling all he had, and distributing it on the poor, to the end he might remove his treasure from the earth to heaven, and his heart might be there, where his treasure was. But because as yet he had somewhat left on earth, his heart returned to the earth, and making an estimate of all his goods. (for he cared nothing for them) he bestowed much on the needy, that so freeing himself from care of mind, he might take away all occasion of stumbling. And thus walking in the way to heaven by amendment he is come to each accomplishment of virtue: so you see, how this young man fell quickly, and arose speedily.  
Another also after many labours he had sustained in the wilderness, having only the company of one in his life and mansion place, continued an Angelical life, from his young age, to his very old days. 
* Good Lord, how much difference is there between the Romish Masse-mongring monks now being, and the Monks which were in Chrisostomes' days? Those were continent, and sequestered (although they should have had a care of the salvation of their brethren also) themselves from the vulgar sort of men to the end they might give themselves wholly to contemplation and meditation, (for this was the cause why Basill the great went to Pontus, and invited his friend Gregory the Divine to him,) these are lecherous and lustful, coveting that sort of life for idleness alone, and belly cheer. Those a soon as they perceived their uncleanness (this fellow here alleged is a witness) fell to repentance without stay: these through sensuality committing gross & carnal sins, never truly repent for it, and yet bear men in hand they are the holiest persons under the Sun. Of whom it was said rightly though in a rhythm, 
O monachi, vestri stomachi, sunt amphora Bacchi!  
Vos estis, Deus est testis, turpissima pestis.  Let none then of the ignorant sort suppose that this example maketh aught for the uprightness of monks now a days.  But (I know not how) drowsily yielding to the suggestion and first battery of the devil, he fell into the desire of a woman, when as he never saw any, sithence he became a monk. First, than he desired his fellow with whom he lived, to bring him wine, and flesh to feed on, who making no haste, he threatened him, that he would go down into the city. Which he said not that he might eat flesh, but that he might find opportunity to satisfy his lust. His companion marveling at this and fearing lest he should do him more harm, if he should deny his request, gave that he asked, and fulfilled his will. When he saw no way to guile, openly and shamelessly, he revealeth his desire, and confesseth he will go down to the City. The other by much persuasion not able to retain him, let him go and followed him a far off, to see what he would do and whither he would go. And when a great way behind he saw him entering a brothelhouse, and to have cooled his lust with the company of a strumpet, tarrying at the door straightway when he came forth, he exhorted him to repentance, he embraced him, and lovingly kissed him, and rebuked him not for his fall, but desired him that now his lust being cooled, he would return to his old habitation, and to the solitary wilderness. But he marking in him such meekness and gentleness, was ashamed, and strooken thorough with the force of his words and deeds, and condemning himself for his misdemeanour, goeth with his fellow (which was so good and humble) into the mountain. Wither when they came he entreated of him, that when he was shut up closely in his cell, and hermitage, he would 
* G.F.C. daily.  every second day bring him bread and water, If any should seek him, he willed him to say, that he was 
* G.F.C. a sleep  dead. Which things obtained, he shut up himself, and thereabode, cleansing the foulness of his sin, with fasting, prayers, and weeping.  
Few days passed over, when a drought (because of the want of rain) had hurt the country near about him, and all the inhabitants of that land lamented much. But one of them was warned in a dream to go to that man enclosed in a cell, that he might pray, and that by no other way rain might be procured, but by his prayers, So departing with some other taken to him, he found this Monks complice alone, and demanded where he was, whom the vision admonished him to seek. When he heard he was dead, he deemed his vision false, and they returned all to prayer, but the same vision told him again the same things. Whereat earnestly entreating him, that before had deceived them, they requested him to show them the man, affirming that by the authority of so marvelous a vision, they were sent to him being alive, not dead. Seeing it was the will of God he brings them to that godly man, and the wall being broken down, (because he had shut the door,) they enter in and fall before his feet, desiring him (when the truth of the matter was declared) to release the famine by intercession. First, his excuse was, that he could not demerit so great a thing. at which words, he burst forth into weeping for the offence he had committed, as if he had seen it fresh before his eyes. At length for the importunity of the requesters, (for as much as he perceived God would have it so,) he gave himself to supplication, and out of hand there followed, great store of rain, wherewith both the earth and men were refreshed.  

Read Eusebius hist eccl, lib. 3. cap. 23.  What should I speak of him which first was the desciple of john the 
* G.F.C. son of Zebidaeus  Apostle, but after practised robbing for a long time? Nevertheless afterward the Apostle got hold on him, as he came out from the robbers den, and brought him again (as you will know) to his former life, so that his beginning was not to be conferred with his end. I remember when you read this story you admired the incredible meekness of this Apostle, and among other tokens of his sincere love towards him, which he showed, this you said you most wondered at that he kissed the hand of the young man besmeared with blood, and so with embracing reclaimed him to everlasting life, when as by all likelihood he was near to the brink of death.  
Saint Paul also not only loved and embraced Onesimus converted, who was an unprofitable servant, and fugitive thief, but maketh petition to his master, that he should esteem him as himself, and that because he recanted. 
Philem. from the 10. verse to the 18.  These be the Apostles words I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds. Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable both to thee and to me, whom I have sent again, thou therefore receive him, that is mine own bowels. Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the Gospel. But without thy mind, would I do nothing that thy benefit should be as it were, of necessity, but willingly. It may be that he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever, not now as a servant, but above a servant, even as a brother beloved, specially to me, how much more than unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? If therefore thou account our things common, receive him, as myself.  
The same Apostle writeth to the Corinthians, touching them that have sinned, in this wise, 
2. Cor. 12.22.  lest when I come again, I shall bewail many of them which have sinned already, and have not repent of the uncleanness, 
2. Cor. 13.2  and fornication, and wantonness which they have committed And again, I told you before, and tell you before, if I come again, I will not spare. You see then whom the Apostle bewaileth, and whom he will not spare, not those which have sinned, but those which have not repent, and not only not repent, but once or twice admonished of their faults have refused to obey. For in that he saith, I told you before, and tell you before, as though I had been present the second time, so writ I now being absent, he signifieth thus much, that being warned they contemned counsel.  
For which cause, I fear me, the same will fall out to us, and although the same Paul, who threatened the Corinthians, be not at our elbows, yet Christ is present, who spoke by him, and if we persever in hardness of heart, he will say to us, I will not spare you, not only in the time present, but not in the time to come neither, Wherefore let us prevent his face by confession, 
We will acknowledge our sins, and in confession intent not to come: mit them again, assuring ourselves of remission. Ecclus. 21.1 Pro. 18.17 Or, he that is first in his cause is just.  and let us power out our hearts in his sight, * Hast thou sinned? Saith the Scripture, do so no more, pray for thy fore-sins that they may be forgiven thee, And again, * The just is an accuser of himself in the beginning of his speech. Let us not then look till our adversary accuse us, but let us prevent him by confession, and so make the judge more favourable towards us.  
And surely this I assuredly know, thou confessest thy transgressions, and mournest for thyself, but this I do not alonely require of thee; for I would have the amendment of the things to come arise, of the confession of the things past, and so I would have it done, that whilst thou dost it be thou ascertained of forgiveness. For every one that doth aught, unless he know the thing he hath in hand will profit him goeth about it, either carelessly, or not seriously. For example he that soweth seed, unless he be sure and certain there will be rain, that the earth will send forth the blade, and that the fruit will ripen, he will never reap. And as none would feign spend labour in waist, nor bestow diligence in that which shall not be beneficial unto him; so he that soweth sorrow, tears and confession which is without hope unprofitable, cannot cease from sin, being holden fast by incredulity. But as the husband man which hath no hope to reap fruit careth not to drive off the birds from his corn, or beasts, or any other nocive things, right so he that soweth confession with tears, and hopeth not it will be gainful, putteth and driveth nothing from his heart, which may hurt repentance. Repentance is hurted, if it be enwrapped, in such evils as he was first; When one buildeth and another breaketh down, 
Ecclus. 34, 24.  what profit have they then (saith the scripture) but labour? And he that is purged from the touching of a corpse, and again toucheth the dead, what availeth washing? So he that fasteth to decline sins, and goeth back again to them, who will hear his prayers? 
Ecclus. 26, 29.  And again it is said, when one departeth from righteousness to sin, the Lord appointeth such to the sword. And as a dog is odious that licketh up his vomit again, 
Prou. 26.11.  so is a fools, when he returneth to his transgressions.  
So then this sufficeth not, to accuse thyself by declaring thy sins, but do it with that zeal, that hope of justification may proceed of repentance, and so you may bridle your soul to commit never the things again, of which you have made confession. One for to give censure against himself, is common to the faithful and faithless. Many actors on stage which represent unchaste queans & whormongers call themselves sinners and naughty folk, but not with purpose to amend, and therefore in very deed it is no confession. For they speak it not for grief of heart, nor with bitterness of tears, nor with hatred of the things they confess, as if they would no more either hear or do the like, but the words be all the matter, which they blab out with their lips, not touched or pinched in mind, but after a sort hunting for praise, through the elegancy and trimness of speech, which they use to their auditors. Neither are sins so grievous when they are colourably declared, as when indeed they are committed. Again some are so benumbed with overgreat despair, and are so devoid of sense, that making like account of good & illreport, with great impudence they disclose their sins, as though they were another bodies. But I would have thee to do nothing so, neither for despair to come to confession but with good and sure hope of forgiveness, the very root of despair being cut off. Now the root of despair is slothfulness, and not the root only but the nurse too. 
* A man is caused to think that any good thing is hard, and not possible to be obtained by him or any other through too great bashfulness: which when it ruleth in one's affection, he thinketh it may be eased by no good thing. And because slothfulness is a certain deiective pensiveness of the spirit, it cometh to pass, that despair ariseth of sloth. Thom. Aquin. lib. 2. s. p. q. 20. the desper.  For as a garment breedeth moths, and nourisheth them also, so sloth doth not alone beget desperation but nourisheth and fostereth it. Insomuch that they wax and grow together, the one being cut off, the other (without question) maneth and decreaseth, Wherefore separate this link of sins, and break their yoke. By the yoke of thy soul, I mean vice, whereto as it were a yoke, the life of man is tied. for when the thought of man is not right, the axle-tree of life is carried headlong,  
hearken yet what more we will say. Often times it falleth out that a man amendeth many and great sins by repentance, yet he committeth faults after the good he hath wrought. And this is it, which layeth chiefly despair on the soul, because she seemeth to pull down that she builded, and vainly to have spent all her travel, this cogitation (I say) depriveth the soul of hope and confidence. Contrariwise we must think what way this bad & hurtful thought may be expelled, namely, that unless the good we do, and the amendment gotten by repentance prohibited, and were (as it were) a contrary weight to our sins, there were no stay, but that we should be carried downward into the depth of mischief. And as a strong habergeon suffereth not a keine and poisoned dart to pierce the entrails of the body, but in some part stoppeth the force thereof: so is it certain that he that carrieth hence many good things and many bad, shall find some ease in his punishment: and he that shall departed without any goodness, and with great store of evil, what should I speak of his punishment? For there (questionless) good and bad works shall be rewarded, and each (as it were) shall be balanced, and the part that sinketh, shall draw with it the worker. 
Rewards in the life to come of works both good and bad.  If the multitude of evils shall overpoyse, it will pull the worker to hell; but if the good works shall be greater, they will resist and repugn against the evils, and will bring their worker to the place of the living, even from the gates of hell, This is not fantastically imagined of my brain, the divine Scriptures disassent not from it; for this the word of God speaketh. Thou 
* Psal. 62, 12. Mat. 16.27. Differences of joys & plagues in the life to come. Caluin. justitu. lib. 3. cap. 25. sect. 10. Bulling, in Comment. & Erasmus in Paraphras. in 41, vers. cap. 15. 1 Cor.  rewardest every one according to his work. For not in hell only but in the kingdom of God, there shall be many differences. 
* john. 14.2  In my father's house (saith he) are many dwelling places. And again, 
* 1. Cor. 15.41.  There is another glory of the Sun, and another glory of the Moon. What is more wonderful, then that he showeth how exactly the measure of our deeds shall be weighed? One star (saith he) differeth from another star in glory, that by it he might show that amongst all and every one that shall be in that kingdom, there willbe a difference. Therefore sith we know all this, let us not withdraw our selves from goodworks neither yield to sloth & sluggardie the presence of despair. And admit we cannot attain to the clearness of the Sun or Moon, yet we must desire the brightness of a star howbeit inferior to them, let us seek at the least for some light by our good deeds, let us labour to be sound, worthy, to enlarge somewhat the shining of heaven. If we cannot be gold, if we cannot be precious stones, yet let us be in stead of silver, only let us now be turned into that matter, which fire may consume, that we be not found to be wood, hay, or stubble, let us be even the last in goodness, not the first in evil. 
* By often adding a little, there will arise a great heap as wittily said Hesiodus. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Small good works conjoined with faith and repentance go not without reward.  And as worldly riches increase, when every small gain is regarded: so it fareth in heavenly riches, in increasing the which no little good deed must be contemned. Surely it is an absurdity, (seeing our judge doth not deny a reward for 
* Mat 10  a cup of cold water) for us to say, that unless we do great things, it will be nothing available. Yea this more I add, that he that despiseth not small and little things, will by little and little come to great things and 
* Eccl. 19.1  he that contemneth small things, (which concordeth with the Scripture) shall fall by little and little. And therefore I think for this cause, our Lord and Saviour did ordain for small things great rewards. For what is less, than to visit the sick? And yet for this small work, he hath laid up a great reward. And again, what is so easy, as to give the hungry bread, the thirsty drink, the naked raiment, and to seek out him that is shut up in prison? Yet these things that be so little and small, he reckoneth so great as that he accounteth them ministered not to man, but to himself, and for them hath promised the celestial kingdom.  
Wherefore (most dearly beloved) enter, enter the way to eternal life, and put on again 
* My yoke is light, & my burden light, This burden is not the weight of him that is laden, but the wings of him that flieth For birds have burdens of their feathers, which on earth they bear, & of them they are borne into the heaven. Augustine.  the yoke of Christ which is easy, and his burden which is light, recover the virtues of thy mind, make thine end according to thy beginning, let not the treasure of spiritual graces, gotten by such labour, decay, and they will verily perish, if thou persist in evils, & exasperate the wrath of God against thy deeds. But before thou lose much of thy treasure, and before thy manured field be surrounded with hurtful deluges, if thou exclude the entrance, and stop the overflowing of sin, thou mayst bring it again to his pristine fertility, and by husbanding make it very battle.  
Arise therefore, arise and shake off the dust from thee, arise from the earth, and straightway (believe me) thine enemy will be afraid. For he threw thee down, as though thou shouldest never rise up, but if he shall see thee to rise from the earth, and lift thine eyes towards the heavens, incontinent thy boldness will outcountenance him, 
* Resist the devil, and he will fly from you. Jam. 4.7 If one fly the devil he is a Lion: if one resist, he hath (for he is Belzebub, that is, a God of flies) no more power than a weak fly: according to the old verse. 
Hostis non laedit, nisi cum tentàtus obedit,  
Est leo si cedis, si stas quafi musca recedit.   and the more ready thou art, the more fearful he will be, and the more thou presumest, the more frail and infirm thou makest him. Think also on this, that the more hardiness God shall endue thee withal, the more he will weaken both his boldness and might.  
If so be thou have affiance in my words, me thinketh I see towards thee the mercy and aid of God, but thine adversary to be affrighted by reason of shame and confusion. Me thinketh I perceive now in my mind, that with all gratefulness and favour every virtue allureth thee to her, hold on then earnestly, labour cheerfully, run forward willingly. Thou shalt find no want of me in that I can, but I will still reason with thee in speech, I will continually exhort and stir thee up, both present with lively voice, and absent with letters. Albeit I persuade myself, if thou gladly read this I have now written, there will be no cause, why thou shouldest seek for farther medicines.  
Deo soli sapienti, laus & gloria.   

TO THE Reader.  
IF the wicked would earnestly consider, the terribleness of the day of the Lord, it must needs be, that they would either wholly renounce sin, or at least, not so much be delighted therewith. Which Chrisostome right well perceived, for that so copiously, so lively (as it were with a pencil) he depainteth that day and time. On the other side, to ponder equally the rewards that in heaven abide for them, who in this life seek chief the setting forth of God's glory, & the benefiting of their neighbour, who bewailing their sins with true and unfeigned repentance, by the hand of faith lay hold on God's promises, availeth not a little, to the abandoning of sin and iniquity. Wherhfore (gentle Reader) in the sentences following I have used this order, that those which appartaine to the second coming of Christ, and the punishment of the ungodly are set first, in the second place those that show the joys of the world to come, and in the last room those that teach, that by faith, sincere repentance, and amendment of our lives, we may enjoy that heavenly bliss. My petition to thee is this, that thou deign to accept my labour, which if thou do, I shall be occasioned to judge my travel well bestowed, The Lord of his mercy grant, that, sith wickedness never more abounded, nor men never less remembered, the coming of Christ, unto judgement, we may heartily repent us of our sins, because the wrath of God hangeth over our heads: and that we may, as good Christians, live worthy of our vocation, (living so as though every one particularly should say, with that holy man S. Hierome, as often as I remember that day, every member of my body quaketh: for whether I eat or drink, or do any thing else, me thinketh always that dreadful trumpet soundeth in mine ears, arise O ye dead, and come to judgement, because the last hour is at hand. Amen.  
As desirous of thy profit, as of his own, in the school of Christ jesus, R. Wol.  OENIPODES. Non cistae, sed pectori.  

Sentences collected out of the father's works, which have such agreement with the former Treatise, as that they are not unfit for this place. Of the punishments of hell, and of the day of judgement.  IN that terrible ho wax of the death of a wretched sinner, 
Bernard in spec. pec,  immediately there will come evil spirits (like roaring lions) to snatch away their prey. When suddenly shall appear the horrible places of torments, the Chaos and obscurity of darkness, the dread of misery and confusion, the terror of that fearful mansion, where is the place of weepers, where is the place of groaners, where is the voice of them that cry woe, woe, woe be to us the children of Eva when the miserable soul departing from the body shall hear, see, and seel these and semblable things, yea a thousand times worse than may be spoken, in what (I pray,) how great, and how wondrous fear and trembling shall she be? what tongue can utter it, what book declare it? what will now avail the boasting of knowledge, the pomp of the people, the vanity of the world, the greediness of earthly dignity? what shall then avail the appetite of riot, deliciousness of meat, exquisite drink, curiosity of garments, niceness of the flesh, gluttony of the belly, superfluousness of food, surfeiting and drunkenness, curious building of houses, possession of terrene goods, scraping together of prebends, hoarding of riches? whether can these things deliver the wretched soul of a man from the mouth of the hydious and horrible Lion, that is, from the jaw of the cursed dragon. when that cunning deceiver, 
Idem. ibid.  that son of iniquity, that most eager enemy of our souls, shall miserably and dreadfully meet with thy soul, how wilt thou be able to abide the fearful sight of his terrible countenance, the intolerable stink of his mouth, the brimstone-like flames of his eyes? How then wilt thou be of force to abide so great fear, of so horrible a beast? Be assured, that the fear of his dreadful presence, exceedeth every kind of torments, which may be devised in this world. At which the Prophet quaking betook himself to prayer, saying, hear my prayer O God when I call upon thee, deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy. He said not from the power of the enemy, but from the fear of the enemy. But alas, my brother, if the sinful soul be so much, and so greatly daunted at the sight only of Satan, how great confusion or how great horror, how great affliction, and how great lamentation shall she have through his touching and tormenting? when the Lord shall be about to judge the sorrowful world, 
Hierom. ad Heliod.  it shall make a great noise, and one kindred shall strike the breast to another kindred. The Kings once most puissant, shall quake without a guard, foolish Plato with his scholars shall be brought forth, than Aristotle's arguments shall not be profitable, when that son of the poor woman which exercised a craft shall come to judge the ends of the earth. That judge is neither prevented with favour, 
Augu. li. 3. de symb.  nor moved with pity, nor bribed with money, neither will he be appeased with satsfaction, or repentance. Here let the soul deal for itself while it hath time, as long as there is a place for mercy, because there will be a place of justice. 
Greg. hom. 15.  In the last day of judgement, when the heavens being opened, the Angel's ministering, the Apostles sitting together, Christ shall appear in the seat of his majesty, all the elect & reprobate shall see him, that both the just may rejoice without end of the gift of their reward, and the unjust ever lament, for the revengement of their plague. 
Ansel. de similitudini bus mundi  On the right hand there shall be our sins to accuse us, on the left hand infinite devils, beneath the horrible confusion of hell, above an angry judge, without the world flaming, within our conscience burning, there scarce the just shall be saved. Alack wretched sinner, whither wilt thou flee? It is impossible to be hidden, intolerable to appear. The joy of the time present must be so used, 
Greg hom. 32.  that the remembrance of the bitterness of the judgement to come, may never departed from us. 

Of the joys of heaven.  SO great is the beauty of righteousness, 
Aug. lib. de morb.  so great is the sweetness of the everlasting light, that is, of the immutable wisdom, that although we might not tarry in it more than one day, for this alone, innumerable years of this life replenished with delights and abundance of temporal goods, were not without cause and reason to be contemned. 
Jdem. li, 3. de. symb.  We can easilier tell what there is not in that eternal life, than what there is. There is not death, there is not mourning, there is not weariness, there is not weakness, there is not hunger, there is no thirst, no parching heat, no corruption, no lack, no sorrow, no sadness. Make haste thither, where you may live for ever. 
Ide. deutil. again. poen.  For if you so love this miserable and transitory life, wherein you live with such labour, and wherein by running, traveling, sweeting, breathing, thou scarce get things necessary for the body: how much more ought you to love the life everlasting, where you shall sustain no labour, where always is great quietness, great felicity, happy liberty, happy blessedness, where shall be fulfilled that the Lord spoke in the Gospel, Men shall be like the Angels. And that, the just shall shine, etc. Temporal life compared with eternal life, 
Greg. in homil.  is rather to be called death then life. For the daily fainting of corruption, what is it else, but a certain long continuance of death? But what tongue can tell, or what understanding conceive, how great these joys are of that supernal City, to be in the assembly of Angels, with the most blessed souls to stand by the glory of the Creator, to behold in presence the face of God, to see that immeasurable light, to feel no pangs of death, to enjoy the gift of ever-enduring incorruption.  

Against despair.  THe thief acknowledged, 
Aug. in lib. de symb.  Peter denied. In Peter there is showed, that no just man ought to presume of himself: in the thief, that no wicked man being converted, should despair. Therefore let the good fear, lest he perish through pride, and let not the wicked despair through much naughtiness. 
Idem de util. again. poen.  Let none despair as judas the traitor: not so much the heinous wickedness which he committed, was the cause of his eternal destruction, as the despair of forgiveness. Let none distrust, 
Amb. sup. Luc. lib. 2.  let none in the privity of his old sins despair of the rewards of God. God knoweth how to change his determination, if thou know how to amend thy fault. Let no man despair of pardon, 
Isido. de sum. bon. lib. 2.  although about the end of his life, he be turned to repentance. God judgeth every one according to his end, not according to his life past. To commit some foul offence is the death of the soul: but to despair, 
Idem. ibid.  is to descend into hell.  

Of Repentance.  IF I proffer thee gold, 
Amb. in ser de eleem. & jejune.  thou sayest not, I will come to morrow, but at the instant thou requirest it, none prolongeth, none maketh excuse: the redeeming of our soul is promised, and none maketh haste. Conversion is never too late, the thief went from the Cross to Paradise. 
Hier. in ep. ad Laetam Greg. hom. 34. sup. eva  There is greater joy in heaven of a sinner converted, then of a righteous man that standeth: for a captain also in war loveth that soldier more, who being returned from flight hath valiantly slain his foe, then him, that never fled, and hath never done any manly act. So the husbandman loveth more that ground, which after thorns yieldeth forth plentiful corn: then that which never had thorns, and never bore a fertile grain. In nothing to sin is only the property of God, 
Amb. ep. 3 ad Simplicianum.  it is the property of a wise man, both to correct his fault, and to repent for his sin. with God not so much the measure of time, 
Hierom. in quod serm  as the measure of grief prevaileth, not so much the abstinency of meats, as the mortificatton of vices. Repentance is the medicine of our wound, 
Isid. li. 3. de sum. bon.  the hope of salvation, by which sinners are salved, by which God is provoked to mercy. The which is not weighed by time, but by deepness of lamentation and tears. O repentance, what new thing shall I speak of thee? 
Cyprian. de laud. paen.  Thou losest all things which are bound, thou openest all things which are shut, thou mitigatest all adversity, thou healest that is bruised, thou illuminest that is confounded, thou incouragest all that is out of hope, Be not negligent because the Lord forbeareth you when you sin, 
Aug. in lib. de uti. poen.  for how much the longer he waiteth that ye amend, so much the more grievously will he punish if you be negligent, 
Idem de 10 chordis  Better is a little bitterness in the cheeks, than a perpetual torment in the bowels. 
Id. de poen.  Although the thief was pardoned in his latter end of all his sins, yet he gave not an example to them that are baptised to sin, and persevere in evil. For than he was first baptised with the baptism of the spirit, in that then first he professed Christ. The sweetness of the apple recompenseth the sourness of the root, 
Hier. super Mat.  the dangers of the sea for hope of gain delight us, the hope of health assuageth the grief of physic. He that desireth the kernel, breaketh the nut, and he that will be partaker of everlasting goodness, repenteth. It is no great matter to fall in wrestling, but to lie when one is cast down. 
Chrys. in ep ad Heliod. Monach.  It is not deadly to be wounded in battle, but after the wound is inflicted, through despair to be cured, to deny a plaster to the boil. And oftentimes we see wrestlers crowned, after often slides, and many downe-casts. We see also a soldier after many flights to be a stout man, and to overcome him that discomfited him. Behold the kingdom of God is to be sold: 
Aug. de spir & anima  buy it if thou wilt. Neither think of some great thing for the greatness of the price, it is worth so much as thou hast, seek not what thou hast, but what manner of body thou art. This thing is worth so much as thou art, give thyself and thou shalt have it. But I am evil, thou wilt say, and happily it will not receive me, by giving thyself unto it thou shalt be good. 
Idem in soliloquijs.  That repentance is in vain, which afterward a fault polluteth, lamentations profit nothing, if sins be doubled. It availeth nothing to crave pardon of evils, and anew to commit evils. He that knocketh his breast, 
Idem in quodam. ser.  and correcteth not himself, strengtheneth his sins, and doth not take them away. NAZIANZENUS. 

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.   

Sicubi chalcógraphus titubârit lector amice,  
Da veniam lapso, sic petis ipse tibi.    
FINIS.   

AN EPISTLE OF COMFORT, From one Friend to another, wherein the Anabaptists error of Desperation is briefly confuted, and the Sin against the Holy Ghost plainly declared.  
Whereunto is added certain effectual Prayers.  
LONDON Printed for john Helm. 1609.   

An Epistle of comfort from one friend to another, wherein the Anabaptists error of desperation is briefly confuted, and the sin against the holy Ghost plainly declared.  
Whereunto is added certain effectual Prayers  
Sir, whereas it pleased you to require me to write unto you my mind, concerning the true sense and meaning of this place of Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews. 
Heb. 6.  It can not be that they which were once lightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were become partakers of the holy Ghost, and having tasted of the good word of God, and of the power of the world to come, if they fall away (and as concerning themselves, crucify the son of God afresh, and make a mock of him) that they should be renewed again by repentance.  
Sir, Many in time past, and at this present day, mistaking this text and not truly understanding it, 
The error of the Novatians & now of the Anabaptists.  both have been and are encumbered with the Novations error, which is, that after man by baptism and the holy ghost is regenerated, and hath tasted of the grace of God, and hath embraced Christ and his holy word, if he fall to sin again, he is without remedy of salvation.  
Undoubtedly this is a very damnable error, enough to bring all them that are infected therewith to desperation. But albeit they ground this their error upon this afore alleged text of Saint Paul, & certain other texts: yet they miss the cushion, because they take this scripture too straightly, not referring it to many other places of scripture, which show: that whensoever & how often soever a sinner repenteth him truly of his sins, and committeth himself with a sure faith unto the mercy of God through Christ, God receiveth him again to grace and salvation.  
Doubtless no prophecy in the scripture hath any private interpretation, 
2. Petri. 1.  but must needs be expounded according to the general articles of the Christian faith and agreeable to other texts of holy scripture, and so must this text be also.  
Now truth it is: that there is almost innumerable texts in holy scripture, that most plainly do declare: that whensoever a true repentant sinner by unfeigned faith returneth unto God, & asketh mercy for Christ's sake, he shall undoubtedly have it. And albeit the holy scripture is full of such places, yet here by God's grace, I will show and rehearse to you some of them, to give you occasion to mark them & such like places as you shall find almost in every leaf of the Bible.  
A just man falleth seven times, 
Pro, 2-4  and riseth up again. Mark the scripture saith: he riseth up again.  
The wickedness of the wicked shall not hurt him, 
Ezech. 33.  whensoever he converteth. Note that it saith: whensoever he converteth.  
Let the ungodly man forsake his own way, 
Esa. 55.  and the unrighteous his own imaginations and turn again unto the Lord, so shall he be merciful unto him:  
Thou disobedient Israel turn again (saith the Lord) and I will not let my wrath fall upon you. 
jere. 3.   
Thus saith the Lord: 
Jere. 8.  do men fall so, that they rise not up again? Or if Israel do repent, will not God turn again to them? 
Zacha. 1.   
Turn you unto me (saith the Lord God of hosts) and I will turn me unto you.  
Remember from whence 
Apoc. 2.  thou art fallen, and do the first works.  
Mark in the Gospel of Luke the example of the unthrifty son. 
Luc. 15.   
Also Christ said unto Peter: Peter I have prayed for thee, 
Luc. 22.  that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strength thy brethren.  
Mark, he saith: when thou art converted. Lo, if you weigh these places of scripture afore alleged, and almost innumerable more of the same sort, you shall perceive evidently, that though a christian have sinned never so oft (as who doth not daily offend God) yet whensoever he returneth unto God by true repentance (which consisteth of inward contrition and a sure faith in Christ jesus) he is assured by the word of God to recover and receive again the grace, favour and mercy of God, which through his disobedience he had worthily lost, and immediately to enjoyfull, absolute, and perfect remission and forgiveness of all his sins through jesus Christ, in whom he reposeth all his faith, trust, and confidence of salvation. The Gospel assureth him no less saying: 
john. 3.  So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  
Moreover, if you mark well the examples of godly men, which are registered in holy scripture, you shall plainly perceive, that albeit they were highly in God's favour, yet for all that, many of them had great falls, and committed very heinous offences, but they did rise up again returning to God's mercy by true repentance and faith, and so recovered again their former grace, which they through their own folly had lost.  
Aaron was so much favoured of God, 
Aaron.  that by God's calling he was made the high bishop and curate over his people.  
And yet at the light request of the Israelites, he let them make and worship the golden Calf contrary to his conscience, by reason whereof, both he and they committed that most detestable sin of Idolatry, and yet he by true repentance and faith returning to grace was saved.  
David 
David,  God's dear darling, after he had that knowledge of God, and had much tasted of his grace, being endued abundantly with the holy Ghost and gracious gifts from above, fell both into the sin of adultery and murder. And yet by true and unfeigned repentance, returning to God's mercy, was accepted and received again into God's favour.  
Manasses 
Manasses,  also contrary unto his conscience fell willingly to Idolatry, but yet he rose again by true repentance and faith, and recovered again the grace of God.  
So likewise that wicked man of the City of Corinthus whom Saint Paul straightly charged the Corinthians to excommunicate, 
The sinful Corinthian. 1 Cor. 5.  and exclude out of the holy congregation of Christian men, and that they should neither eat nor drink with him, because of his open and abominable crime of incest and outrageous whoredom: and yet when he declared himself to be truly repentant for his great and infamous sin, 
1. Cor. 2.  Saint Paul admonished them with all gentleness and christian charity to receive him again into the congregation as a christian brother, and so to esteem him and take him.  
What shall I say of Peter 
Peter.  Christ's Apostle? had not he a sure knowledge of Christ, confessing him openly before all the Apostles to be very Christ the son of the living God? was not he even then endued with the holy ghost & grace from above, 
Mat. 16.  unto whom jesus Christ said: Blessed art thou Simon the son of jonas, for flesh and blood hath not opened that unto thee, but my father which is in heaven: And yet after all this he had such a fall, that contrary to his own conscience, willingly without any compulsion, threats, or imprisonment: he did most cowardly and shamefully forsake and deny Christ not without blasphemy, swearing that he never knew him, cursing and committing himself to the devil if ever he had to do with him.  
What would the Novatian and Anabaptist say unto this? was it not a fall? could there be any greater sin than this? was it not done of knowledge? was it not done willingly? was it not against his own conscience? Yes doubtless, it was no less but against his own conscience. But yet thanks be unto Almighty God, it was not the sin of blasphemy against the holy ghost, neither the sin unto death, the which Saint john speaketh of, for he continued not therein unto his end, 
1 john. 5.  but immediately he went forth of the bishop● house and wept bitterly, very much lamenting his heinous offence, and by faith he returned again unto Christ, knowing his mercy to be infinite and without measure, 
Mat. 26.  and so he was accepted unto grace again, and Christ appeared unto him (to his great comfort) after he arose again from death to life, and afterwards sending down his holy spirit endued him with wonderful gifts of grace from above. And then Peter became a strong champion, setting forth Christ to be the only Saviour of the whole world, preaching and openly confessing him before all men, without any fear either of the Scribes pharisees or Magistrates.  
Now good sir, lay this example of Saint Peter to this text of Saint Paul to the Hebrews. It cannot be that they which were once lightened. etc. If they fall away, etc. that they should be renewed again by repentance.  
If a man would apply the aforesaid example of S. Peter unto this text of Saint Paul, he would think that Peter should utterly have been cast away from God's favour mercy and grace. For first it can not be denied, but that he was once lightened, that is: endued with the true knowledge of Christ to be the only Messias & Saviour of the world. Secondly, he had also casted of the heavenly gift, which wes a true faith in Christ jesus, openly confessing the same before all the Apostles, being fully persuaded in his own conscience what Christ was. Thirdly, that Peter was become partaker of that holy Ghost, & had tasted of the good word of God, it appeareth evidently by Christ's sentence, saying Blessed art thou Simon, for flesh and blood (that is man) showed thee not that but my Father which is in heaven. Which was, by the inspiration of his holy spirit.  
Finally, Peter had a taste of the world to come. For he did see in the mountain the transfiguration of Christ, 
Mat, 17.  and so did james the more, and john the Evangelist also. Where, in the presence of them all Christ was transfigured and showed himself unto them in the form of a glorified body, so that his face did shine as the Sun, and his clothes appeared as white as the light, there appeared also among them Moses and Elias. And even there the clear voice of God the father of heaven, was plainly heard among them out of the cloud, saying upon Christ, this is my dearly beloved son, in whom I delight, hear him  
Lo, all this and much more Peter both heard and saw, being almost continually in Christ's company, eating and drinking with him, hearing daily his heavenly Doctrine, preaching and teaching, seeing every where (as occasion served) his great and wonderful miracles. And yet for all this, what a great fall Peter had, it appeareth plainly by his denial of Christ his loving master and Saviour, and the circumstances thereof, which I touched before. But yet to make Peter's fall more horrible, Christ said unto him, and unto all other his Apostles, when he sent them forth to preach the Gospel of salvation, He that denieth me before men, I shall deny him also before my father. Alas good Peter, what case standedst thou in now? How doth this saying of Christ now touch thee? Remembering this saying of Christ, art thou not at thy wies' end? Is it not most certain & true, that thou hast too horribly fallen after that thou hadst tasted of all these gracious gifts before rehearsed? Hast thou not contrary to thine own conscience most shamefully denied thy master & Saviour before men? Ah good soul what shall become of thee? how wilt thou answer for thyself? For it seemeth here plainly, that both S. Paul in the afore alleged place to the Heb. & also Christ himself in the scripture afore rehearsed, have given sentence of condemnation against thee. Wherhfore, the Anabaptists grounding upon these scriptures will plainly pronounce thee to be a reprobate, and that thou art dispatched and utterly cast away from all hope of salvation. But here let us not too lightly pass over, but earnestly and deeply consider, what may be said in this matter on Peter's behalf. And first it may be rightly answered, that that place of S. Paul unto the Hebrews, 
Heb. 6.  maketh nothing against S. Peter, neither yet against any Christian man how grievously or how often soever he hath sinned so that he hath not utterly forsaken Christ and fallen clean away from him.  
For S. Paul saith: It cannot be that they which were once lightened. etc. If they fall away, etc. that they should be renewed by repentance.  
Mark here diligently, 
It is not all one thing to fall, and to fall away,  that S. Paul saith, if they fall away. He saith not if they fall: but if they fall away, for it is not all one thing to fall, and to fall away. For Peter did fall, but did not fall away from Christ, but returned unto him again. And old proverb 
A proverb,  it is: a man runneth very far, that never returns again. All we Christians do daily fall, for we daily break God's commandments, but yet we do not fall away from Christ, neither refuse we him to be our Saviour, but acknowledging our manifold sins and offences, we daily turn unto him again, by true repentance, faith and amendment of life, nothing doubting of his great and unmeasurable mercy towards us.  
They fall away from Christ that utterly forsake him and refuse him, 
Who falleth away from christ.  to be their Saviour, and never return unto him again to obtain his mercy, but are become plain apostaes, utterly forsaking the christian faith, making but a mock of Christ, persevering in their obstinate apostasy and unbelief even to their lives end. As did judas the traitor, 
1. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 4.  julianus Apostata, Simon Magus, Porphyrius, Hymeneus and Alexander the Copersmith.  

Mat. 10. A good & general rule to be noted.  Secondarily, as touching that saying and threatening of Christ, saying: He that denieth me before men, I shall deny him before my father, etc. It is to be considered, that all the terrible threatenings that are in the holy Scripture threatened against great sinners are threatened conditionally, that is to say: if the sinners do not truly repent and return unto God by faith and amendment of life, this plague or punishment or that, shall light upon them. But if they at the preaching, reading or hearing of God's holy word, do repent and return unto God, by faith and godly life, than that plague threatened shall not once touch them. Example be the Ninivites upon whom jonas God's minister and preacher (or rather God by him) pronounced this terrible judgement saying, 
jon. 3.  there are yet forty days, and then shall Ninive, be overthrown. But there as the scripture saith, the people of Ninive believed God & earnestly repent them of their great sins, and so was the sentence of God retracted, and the City saved and not overthrown. So likewise this terrible sentence of Christ, he that denieth me before men, I shall deny him before my Father, must needs have this condition joined with it, if he doth not repent, neither return again, 
A conditon.  but Peter did both repent, and return again unto Christ. For albeit his faith was weak and faint (as was the faith of all the Apostles) yet it was not utterly extinct: 
Luk. 22.  for Christ had said unto him before, Simon, I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.  
And in any wise take heed, and note this well, Christ said not, he that denieth me, I shall deny him, though he repent and return, but remember well that Christ said, 
Mat. 9  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance. Peter therefore repent, and returned unto Christ again, and so was received unto grace, and was saved.  
Question Wherhfore good Madam, in this hard text of Saint Paul unto the Hebrews, way well this condition, (if they fall away) for they only fall away, which commit that most horrible crime, which is called in the holy scripture the sin unto death, blasphemy against the spirit, and the sin against the holy Ghost, which never shall be forgiven, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.  
But here it might be demanded what the sin against the holy Ghost is, and wherein it differeth from all other grievous sins. Answer. Whereunto I answer, that there is difference in sins, it may clearly be gathered of Christ's words saying, 
Mat. 12.  I say unto you, all sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the spirit shall not be forgiven unto men.  
Lo, here is the matter plainly opened by our Saviour Christ what kind of sins shall be forgiven, and what never forgiven, blasphemy against the spirit shall never be forgiven, all other sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven. And Christ in saying all sin shall be forgiven, compriseth both original sin, 
Three sorts of sins, Sin Blasphemy, Blasphemy against the spirit.  and also actual sin: moreover Christ speaketh here of three sorts of sins, the first he calleth sin, the second blasphemy, and the third blaspheme against the spirit: which the scripture also calleth the sin unto death, and the sin against the holy ghost. These three kinds of sins, and the difference of every of them, I intent by Gods help severally to declare unto you so shortly as I can, and so for this time tommit you unto God, And first consider well what sin is.  
Sin 
sin..  is every wilful disobedience, act, or deed, that is done contrary unto the Law and commandments of God, without murmur, grudge, or evil speaking: either against the Law, commandments, or God himself, which is the maker and giver of the Law.  
As is Idolatry, superstition, perjury, swearing unadvisedly, breaking of the holy day, dishonouring father and mother, murder, malice hatred, envy, wrath, strife, treason, sedition, slander, whoredom, theft, and such like.  
All these and such other are called, and are indeed sin, so long as the doers of them do neither murmur, repine, grudge nor speak evil against God or his holy law, neither allow in their conscience the thing and evil that they do, but rather do utterly disallow, accuse, and condemn in their own conscience those their own damnable acts as evil and detestable.  
The second kind of sin is blasphemy, mark it well, and consider how it differeth first from sin, and then from the sin against the holy ghost.  
Blasphemy 
Blasphemy.  is more heinous than is sin alone, for all blasphemy is sin, but all sin is not blasphemy, for truth it is that blasphemy compriseth in itself both sin, & also a murmur, grudge, reviling, evil speaking, slander, and reproach of God and godliness, but it is alway couple● with ignorance and unbelief, and proceedeth not of such obstinate malice as continueth to the end of the life, as doth the sin against the holy Ghost. In this sin of blasphemy, Saint Paul offended before his conversion unto the faith of Christ jesus. For thus he speakkth of himself, before I was a blasphemer, 
2. Tim. 2  and a persecutor, and a tyrant, but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Lo, here it is plain and evident, that this blasphemy though it be a great offence, yet it is remissible, and forgiveable, and is not excluded from grace and mercy, because it proceedeth of ignorance and not of knowledge, nor of obstinate malice, that doth endure to the lives end, neither is it the sin unto death, and therefore we may lawfully pray for such blasphemers, As Saint john saith, 
2, john. 5  if any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death, let him ask, and he shall give him life.  
In this simple blsphemy (for so we may call it) many of the jews offended, taking Christ to be nothing less than the son of David, or Messias, because his parents were very poor, and himself supposed to be but a poor carpenters son, which bore but a simple port in the world, yea and some of them that crucified Christ, were overwhelmed in this simple blasphemy, and therefore Christ prayed for them, saying, father forgive them for they know not what they do. 
Luc. 23.  So Peter in his sermon excused the crucifiers of Christ saying, now dear brethren I know that you have done it through ignorance etc. 
Act 3.  Repent you therefore and return, that your sins may be done away.  
So did Saint Steven also pray for his persecutors whom before he called stiff-necked, 
Act 7.  adversaries of the holy ghost, traitors and murderers of Christ, doubtless he would not have prayed for them so earnestly, unless their sins had been forgiveable, and therefore their sin and offence was no more but simple blasphemy.  
The third kind of sin, is blasphemy against the spirit.  
They commit blasphemy against the spirit, 
Blasphemy against the spirit.  or sin against the holy ghost, which willingly, upon knowledge, and advisedly, contrary to their own conscience do deny, forake, impugn, slander, revile, and persecute, the plain, open, manifest, and known truth, stiffly, maliciously, and obdurately persevering, and continuing without unfeigned repentance, in that their wilful blindness and obstinate malice so long as they live in this world, as did Pharaoh, Saul, Herod, judas the traitor, julianus Apostata, Porphirius, Himeneus, and Alexander the coppersmith with other.  
But mark this diligently, that we cannot (as far as I can perceive) certainly judge of these blasphemers against the spirit, before the time of their departure out of this present life: because we cannot certainly know, whether at the end of their life they can repent and by faith return and take hold of the mercy of God or not.  

Conjectures are uncertain. Luc. 23.  We may conjecture, but we can not (as I suppose) certainly define of them. Let us consider, that the thief that hung on the right hand of Christ, even at the last hour repent, and with a strong & faithful prayer committed himself wholly unto the mercy of Christ and was saved. In consideration whereof, let us think it to be our bounden duty (as the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles did) to revoke, and call back again open sinners and blasphemers to earnest repentance for their own sinfulness, and to have a sure trust in the mercy of God, and in the merit of Christ's passion and death, though they be even at the departure out of this present life. for it is never too late so long as life lasteth. Let us therefore with all ferventness call upon them and exhort them in any wise with a good courage, and a sure and undoubful faith ask, call and cry for God's mercy, for his sweet son our Saviour jesus Christ his sake, and undoubtedly they shall have it. For since the beginning of the world hitherto, was there never one that in faith asked mercy heartily, but he had it, through the gracious goodness of our aforesaid most merciful saviour jesus Christ, unto whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour, laud, and praise world without end Amen.  
Yours at command to his power. T. C.  Give all the honour laud and praise to God only. 
1. Tim. 1.   

The prayer of Daniel turned into metre and applied unto our time. Daniel, IX.  

O Lord thou high and fearful God  
By whom all things do move  
Thy mercies great are sure to such  
As thy precepts do love.   

We sinful men have sore transgressed,  
Against thy laws divine  
Full frowardly we have fled back  
From these precepts of thine.   

Thy Prophet's dear to speak were priest  
In setting forth thy name.  
Both rich and poor as bold were bend  
For to gainsay the same.   

To thee therefore thou Lord of hosts  
All justice doth belong  
To pour on us such shame and grief  
In this we have no wrong.   

Our shame is great and due to all  
Our flight is but in vain.  
To tread strange lands our sin hath sought  
Our shame doth still remain.   

But though such shame a reward just  
To all in common be  
Yet mercy Lord and to forgive  
Doth still belong to thee.   

Indeed (O Lord) as for ourselves  
No less confess we can.  
But that thy laws we set at nought  
Much less have kept them then.   

Thy Prophets spoke we would not hear  
Ne of thee stand in awe.  
Strange plagues from time to time we felt  
For breaking of thy law.   

The force whereof so fiercely bend  
Was such as hath not been.  
For all the plagues in Moses law  
Fell on this Realm for sin.   

And yet to thee who made his suit  
His path way so to guide.  
That flying vice might learn thy law  
And therein to abide?   

Wwerefore thou sawest all would not help  
And couldst not hold thine hand.  
But haste thy curse which now doth fall  
Upon this sinful land.   

For as thou art a righteous God,  
Thy works do so appear.  
Consuming such as scorn doth take  
Thy loving voice to hear.   

But yet (O Lord) thou broughtest forth  
Thy flock from Egypt land.  
Whereby thy name was largely spread  
So now stretch forth thine hand.   

But we have sinned more than they  
Oh Lord yet stay thy rod.  
As for this land was sometime thine  
And thou also our God.   

Our sins and eke our father's faults  
This day to pass hath brought.  
That all which border us about  
They set us clean at nought.   

Now then (O Lord) hide not thy face  
Oh hear thy servants cry.  
Behold thine house sometime full rich  
How wast it doth now lie.   

Thy truth is fled, thy flock fast bound  
As sheep led to be slain.  
Thy foes prevail and prosper much  
Though mischief they maintain.   

And wilt not thou thy foes confound  
That thus thy works reprove.  
At least yet for thy great names sake  
Their vile intents remove.   

For why, as for our own deserts  
We can no such thing have.  
It is for thy great mercy's sake  
That we such things do crave.   

Forgive us Lord, entreated be  
To hear us make no stay.  
We bear thy name, it is thy cause  
Oh Lord make no delay.    

A Prayer against Despair.  
O Eternal God, most loving and gracious father in jesus Christ, who art always praised and magnified by thy children, in their great deliverances and preservation from their perils and dangers: but especially when they perceive themselves freed from the power of Satan, death, and hell: from the which no creature can save and deliver them, but thou only O Lord: And because no chain of the devil, or evil temptation, is more strong to fetter the body and soul of man, than despair: which is a wilful forsaking of faith and confidence in thee O God: it arising & springing from fear and doubt: as if thou wert not faithful in thy promises, or able in thy power to preserve us: Help Lord I beseech thee, and free and deliver me thy poor servant, from this temptation & thraldom of Satan: and so strengthen (I humbly pray thee) my faith and confidence ever more in thee, that in all my perils, necessities, wants, sorrows and grief in this world, I may have a strong and steadfast hope in thee, whereby I may overcome, repel, and keep back, the dangerous and subtle suggestions of Satan, the world and the flesh: to thy great glory and praise, and my eternal and unspeakable comfort, through jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen.   

¶ A Prayer for the Morning.  
O Lord thou which coverest the night with darkness, and causest man therein to take his rest, and by every day and night dost show thy great glory in the heavens, and also thy wisdom and power by governing and preserving all thy creatures upon the earth: O Lord I thy poor servant and creature, do most humbly thank thee from the bottom of my heart, for my sweet and comfortable rest this night past, and for watching over me by thine eye of providence, and keeping both my body and soul by thy grace from sin and death: beseeching thee, O Lord God my father, Saviour and comforter: to bless, to sanctify, direct and preserve me in this thy new day, and that I may become a new creature unto thee O God, in holiness and righteousness, labouring faithfully and painfully in my calling: that so my labours this day may be sanctified and blessed unto me and mine: and that I may show forth thy praise in all my ways, and declare my love and charity unto men in all my works: that after the days of this my life and pilgrimage finished and ended here in this world: I may live with thee for ever in the world to come, through jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy Ghost, ever one God world without end. Amen.   

¶ A Prayer for the Evening.  
O gracious and merciful God, I am most bound unto thy heavenly Majesty: for my preservation this day, because I and all men, are continually subject unto all dangers and perils, griefs & sorrows, sickness and death: yea we lie open (unless thy grace and might do defend us) unto the temptations & tyranny of the world, the flesh, & the devil: which daily seek and desire our hurt and confusion, both of body & soul for ever. Wherefore O gracious and everliving God, as thy right hand and saving health, hath been with me this day, and thou hast directed, blessed, and comforted me, thy poor servant in all my ways and labours, for the which I most humbly thank thee: so I most earnestly entreat thy Majesty: in thy love and mercy for Christ jesus sake, to keep me and all mine in safety this night, and to cover us under the shadow of thy wings from all perils and dangers whatsoever, and that our souls as well as our bodies may take their sweet and comfortable rest and joy in thee: and likewise that thou wouldst grant that whensoever thou shalt knock at the door of our hearts to call us unto thee O God: we may with the wise Virgins be watchful, & have oil in our lamps, that we may be received into eternal rest: through jesus Christ thy dear son, and our only Saviour: Amen.  
FINIS.