Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 4 · Verse extract 6
Verſe. 6. Crying: Abba Father.
Paule might hauehave ſayd: God ſent the ſpirite of his ſonne into our hearts, calling, Abba Father. Now, he ſayth not ſo, but, crying, Abba Father, that he might ſhew and ſet forth the temptation of a Chriſtian, which yet is but weake and weakly beleueth.Rom. 8.26. In the .8. to the Rom. he calleth this crying an vnſpeakeable groning. Likewiſe he ſayeth: The ſpirite helpeth our infirmities: For vve knovv not hovve to pray as vve ought, but the ſpirite maketh interceſſion for vsus vvith vnſpeakeable gronings, &c.
And this is a ſinguler conſolation when he ſayeth here, that the ſpirite of Chriſt is ſent into our hearts, crying, Abba Father: And againe, that he helpeth our infirmities, making interceſſion for vsus wt vnſpeakeable gronings. He yt could aſſuredly beleue this, ſhould neuer be ouercome with any affliction, were it neuer ſo great. But there are many things that hinder this Faith in vsus. Firſt our heart is borne in ſinne: Moreouer this euill is naturally grafted in vsus, that we doubt of the good will of God towardes vsus, and cannot aſſure our ſelues that we pleaſe God.1. Pet. 5.8. &c. Beſides all this, the Deuil our aduerſarie raūgeth about with terrible rorings, and ſayeth: Thou art a ſinner: therefore God is angrie with thee,The Deuils roring. and will deſtroy thee for euer. Againſt theſe horrible and intolerable rorings, we hauehave nothing whervpon to hold & ſtay our ſelues, but only the word, which ſetteth Chriſt before vsus as a conquerour ouer ſinne and death, and ouer all euils. But to cleaue faſt to the word in this tentation and theſe terrours of conſcience, herein ſtandeth all the difficultie. For then Chriſte appeareth to no ſenſe. We ſee him not: the heart feeleth not his preſence or ſuccour in temptation: but rather it ſeemeth that Chriſt is angrie with vsus, and that he forſaketh vsus. Moreouer, when a man is tempted and afflicted, he feeleth the ſtrength of ſinne and the infirmitie of the fleſh,Epheſ. 6.…6. he douteth, he feeleth the flerie dartes of the Deuill, the terrours of death, the anger and iudgement of God. All theſe things cry out horribly againſt vsus, ſo that we ſee nothing elſe but deſperation and eternall death. But yet in the middeſt of theſe terrours of the lawe, thundrings of ſinne, aſſaultes of death, and rorings of the Deuill, ye holy Ghoſt (ſayth Paule) cryeth in our hearts: Abba Father. And this crie ſurmounteth thoſe mighty and horrible cries of the lawe, ſinne, death, the Deuill, &c:The cry of the holy ghoſt in the hearts of the godly. it perceth the cloudes and the heauens, and aſcendeth vp vntounto the eares of God.
Paule therfore ſignifieth by theſe words, yt there is yet infirmitie in the godly: As he doth alſo in the .8. chap. to the Rom. when he ſayeth: The ſpirite helpeth our infirmities. For as much therfore as the ſenſe and feeling of the contrary is ſtrong in vsus: that is to ſay, for as much as we feele more the diſpleaſure of God, then his good will and fauour towardes vsus: therefore the holy Ghoſt is ſent into our heartes, which doth not only ſigh and make requeſt for vsus, but mightely crieth: Abba Father, and praieth for vsus according to the wil of God wt teares and vnſpeakeable gronings. And how is this done? When we are in terrours and in the conflict of conſcience, in deede we take hold of Chriſt and beleue that he is our Sauiour: but then doe the law and ſinne terrifie and torment vsus moſt of all. Moreouer the Deuill aſſaileth vsus with all his engines and fierie darts,Epheſ. 6.16. and goeth about with all his power to plucke Chriſt from vsus, and to take from vsus all conſolations. Here we feele our ſelues almoſt ouercome, and at the poynt of deſperation: for then are we that bruſed reede & ſmoking flaxe which Eſay ſpeaketh of.Eſay. 42.3. Notwt ſtanding in the meane ſeaſon the holy Ghoſt helpeth our infirmities,Rom. 8.26. &c. & maketh interceſſion for vsus wt vnſpeakeable gronings, & certifieth our ſpirits yt we are ye children of God. Thus the minde is raiſed vp in terrors, it loketh vntounto his Sauiour & high Biſhop Ieſus Chriſt, it ouercommeth the infirmitie of the fleſh, it conceaueth comfort againe, and ſayth: Abba Father. This groning which then we ſcantly feele, Paule calleth a crying & vnſpeakeable groning, which filleth both heauē and earth. Moreouer, he calleth it the crying and groning of the ſpirite, becauſe the holy Ghoſt ſtirreth vp the ſame in our heartes when we are weake and oppreſſed with terrour and tentation.
Although then the lawe, ſinne and the Deuill crie out againſt vsus neuer ſo much with great and terrible rorings, which ſeeme to fill heauen and earth, & farre to excede this groning of our heart, yet can they not hurt vsus. For the more fiercely they aſſaile vsus, accuſe and torment vsus with their cryings, ſo much the more doe we grone,The profit of temptations. and in groning lay hold vponupon Chriſt, call vponupon him with heart and mouth, cleaue vntounto him, and beleue that he was made vnderunder the law, that he might deliuer vsus from the Curſe of the lawe, and deſtroy both ſinne and death.Galath. 3.13. Heb. 2.14. And thus when we hauehave taken hold of Chriſte by Faith, we crie through him: Abba Father. And this our crie doth farre ſurmount the roring of the lawe, ſinne, the Deuill. &c.
But ſo farre of is it that we thinke this groning which we make in theſe terrours and in this our weaknes, to be a cry, that ſcarſely we perceaue it to be a groning. For our Faith which in tentation thus groneth vntounto Chriſt, is very weake if we conſider our owne ſenſe and feeling. And this is the cauſe that we heare not this crie. We hauehave but onelyonly the word, which when we apprehend in this conflict, we hauehave a litle breathing, and then we grone. Of this groning ſome litle feeling we hauehave,Rom. 3.27. but the crie we heare not. But he (ſayeth Paule) vvhichwhich ſearcheth the heartes, knovveth vvhat is the meaning of the ſpirite. &c. To this ſearcher of the hearts, this ſmall and feeble groning (as it ſeemeth vntounto vsus) is a loud and a mighty cry, and an vnſpeakeable groning: in compariſon whereof the great and horrible rorings of the law, of ſinne, of death, of the deuill, and of hell, are nothing, neither can they be once heard. Paule therfore, not without cauſe, calleth this groning of a godly afflicted heart, a cry, and a groning of the ſpirite which can not be expreſſed. For it filleth the whole heauen, ſo that the Angels thinke they heare nothing elſe but this crie.
Hovv vve are affected in the true triall and terrours of conſcience.But in vsus there is a cleane contrary feling. For it ſemeth vntounto vsus yt this our ſmall groning doth not ſo perce the cloudes that there is nothing elſe heard in heauen of God and his angels. Nay, we thinke, and eſpecially during the time of tentation, that the Deuil horribly roreth againſt vsus, that the heauens thunder & the earth trēbleth, that all will fall vponupon vsus, that all creatures threaten our deſtruction, that hel is opē and ready to ſwallow vsus vp. This feling is in our heart, theſe horrible voices and this fearfull ſhew we heare and we ſee. And this is it yt Paul ſayth in the .2. Corrin. 12:1. Cor. 12.9. That the ſtrength of Chriſt is made perfect through our vveaknes. For then is Chriſt almighty in dede, then doth he truly raigne and triumph in vsus, when we are ſo weake that we can ſcarſely grone.The groning of the heart is a crie. But Paule ſayth, yt this groning is in the eares of God, a moſt mightie cry which filleth both heauen and earth.
Chriſt alſo in the .18. of Luke in the parable of the wicked iudge, calleth this groning of a faithfull heart, a cry, yea & ſuch a cry as ceaſeth not day & night to cry vntounto God, where he ſayth: Heare vvhat the vnrighteous iudge ſayth. Luke. 18.6.7.Novv shall not God auēge his elect, vvhichwhich cry day & night vntounto him, yea though he ſuffer long for them? yea I tel you he vvil auenge them quickly. We at this day in ſo great perſecution & cōtradiction of the Pope, of tyrānes & Sectaries which fight againſt vsus both on the right hand & on the left, can doe nothing elſe but vtter ſuch gronings.The vveapons of the godly, vvhervvith they ouerthrovv the kingdom of the Pope. &c. And theſe were our gunnes & artillery wherwt we hauehave ſo many yeres ſcattered the coūſels and enterpriſes of our aduerſaries: wherby alſo we hauehave begon to ouerthrow the kingdom of Antichriſt. They alſo ſhall prouoke Chriſt to haſten the day of his glorious comming, wherein he ſhall aboliſh all rule, authoritie and power, and ſhall put all his enemies vnderunder his feete. So be it.
In the .14. of Exodus the Lord ſpeaketh vntounto Moiſes at the red ſea, ſaying: VVhy crieſt thou vntounto me? Yet Moiſes cried not,Exod. 14.15. The crie of Moſes at the red ſea. but trembled and almoſt deſpaired, for he was in great trouble. It ſeemed that infidelitie raigned in him, and not Faith. For he ſaw the people of Iſraell ſo compaſſed and encloſed with the Egyptians hoſt and with the ſea, that there was no way whereby they might eſcape. Here Moiſes durſt not once opē his mouth. How thē did he crie? We muſt not iudge therfore according to the feeling of our owne heart,The office of the holy ghoſt but according to ye word of God, which teacheth vsus that the holy Ghoſt is geuen to thoſe yt are afflicted, terrified, & ready to deſpaire, to raiſe them vp & to comfort them, yt they be not ouercome in their tentations & afflictions, but may ouercome them, and yet not without great terrors and troubles.
The Papiſtes dreamed that holy men had the holy Ghoſt in ſuch ſort that they neuer had nor felt any tentation. They ſpake of the holy Ghoſt onelyonly by ſpeculation and naked knowledge. But Paule ſayeth that the ſtrength of Chriſte is made perfecte through our vveaknes: Alſo, that the ſpirite helpeth our infirmities, and maketh interceſſion for vsus vvith vnſpeakeable gronings. In vvhom the holy Ghoſt doth his office, and at vvhat time.Therefore we hauehave then moſt neede of the helpe and comfort of the holy Ghoſt, yea and then is he moſt ready to helpe vsus when we are moſt weake and nereſt to deſperation. If any man ſuffer affliction with a conſtant and a ioyfull heart, then hath the holy Ghoſt done his office in him. And in deede he exerciſeth his worke ſpecially and properly in thoſe which hauehave ſuffered great terrours and afflictions, and hauehave, as the Pſalme ſayeth, approched nigh to the gates of hel: As I ſaid of Moſes, The tentation of Moſes at the red ſea.which ſawe preſent death in the waters, and on eueryevery ſide whether ſo euer he turned his face. He was therefore in extreme anguiſh and deſperation, and, no dout, he felt in his heart a mightie crie of the Deuill againſt him, ſaying: All this people ſhall this day periſh, for they can eſcape no way. And of this great calamitie thou onelyonly ſhalt be found to be the authour becauſe thou haſt led them out of Egypt. Beſides all this, the people cried out againſt him, ſaying: Were there no graues in Egypt? Thou haſt brought vsus out yt we ſhould die here in the wildernes.Exod. 14.13.1…, Had it not bene better for vsus to hauehave ſerued the Egyptians, then here wretchedly to die in the wildernes? The holy Ghoſt was not here in Moiſes by bare ſpeculation and knowledge onelyonly, but truely and effectually, who made interceſſion for him with an vnſpeakeable groning, ſo that he ſighed vntounto the Lord and ſayd: O Lord at thy commaundement hauehave I led forth this people: helpe vsus therfore. This groning or ſighing vntounto God, the ſcripture calleth a crying.
This matter I hauehave the more largely proſecuted, that I might plainly ſhew what the office of the holy Ghoſt is, and when he ſpecially exerciſeth the ſame. In temptatiō therfore we muſt in no wiſe iudge therof according to our owne ſenſe & feeling, or by the crying of yt law, ſinne & the Deuill. &c. If we then folow our owne ſenſe & beleue thoſe cryings, we ſhall thinke our ſelues to be deſtitute of all helpe and ſuccour of the holy Ghoſt, and to be vtterly caſt away from the preſence of God. Nay rather let vsus then remember what Paule ſayth: The ſpirite helpeth our infirmities, &c. Alſo it crieth: Abba Father, that is to ſay, it vttereth a certaine feeble ſighing and groning of the heart (as it ſeemeth vntounto vsus) which notwithſtanding before God is a loud crie and an vnſpeakeable groning.The gronings of the faithful before God, are great cries. Wherfore in the middes of thy temptation and infirmitie, cleaue onelyonly vntounto Chriſte & grone vntounto him: he geueth the holy Ghoſt which crieth Abba Father: And this feeble groning is a mighty crie in the eares of God, and ſo filleth heauen and earth, that God heareth nothing elſe: and moreouer, it drowneth the cries of all other things whatſoeuer.
Thou muſt marke alſo that Paule ſayth: that the ſpirite maketh interceſſion for vsus in our temptation: not with many wordes or long prayer, but onelyonly with a groning, which notwithſtanding can not be expreſſed: and that he crieth not a loud with teares, ſaying: HaueHave mercy on me O God, Pſal. 31.1.&c. but onelyonly vttereth a litle ſound and a feeble groning,Ah Father. as: Ah Father: This is but a litle word, and yet notwithſtanding it comprehendeth all things. The mouth ſpeaketh not, but the affection of the heart ſpeaketh after this maner. Although I be oppreſſed wt anguiſh and terrour on eueryevery ſide, and ſeeme to be forſaken and vtterly caſt away from thy preſence, yet am I thy childe, and thou art my Father for Chriſtes ſake: I am beloued becauſe of ye beloued. Wherfore this litle word Father conceaued effectually in the heart, paſſeth all the eloquence of Demoſthenes, Cicero, and of the moſt eloquent Rhetoricians that euer were in the world. This matter is not expreſſed with words, but with gronings, which gronings cā not be vttered with any wordes or eloquence, for no tongue can expreſſe them.
I hauehave vſed many wordes to declare that a Chriſtian muſt aſſure him ſelfe that he is in the fauour of God, and that he hath the crying of the holy Ghoſt in his heart.The Pope taught that vve muſt dout of Gods fauour tovvardes vsus This hauehave I done that we may learne to reiect and vtterly to abandon that deuilliſh opinion of the whole kingdom of the Pope, which taught that a man ought to be vncertaine and to ſtand in dout of the grace and fauour of God towards him. If this opinion be receaued, then Chriſt profiteth nothing. For he yt douteth of Gods fauour towardes him, muſt needes dout alſo of the promiſes of God, and ſo conſequently of the will of God,He ſpeaketh not here of that douting vvhichwhich ſometimes riſeth of infirmitie in the godly: but of vvilful douting vvhichwhich the Papiſtes teach & maintaine. and of the benefites of Chriſte: namely that he was borne, ſuffered, died, and roſe againe for vsus. &c. But there can be no greater blaſphemie againſt God, then to deny his promiſes, to deny God himſelfe, Chriſt. &c. Wherfore it was not onelyonly an extreme madnes, but an horrible impietie that ye Monks did ſo earneſtly entice the youth both men and women to their Monaſteries, to their religious and holy orders (as they called them) as to a moſt certaine ſtate of ſaluation, and yet, when they had thus done, they bad them doubt of the grace and fauour of God towards them.
Moreouer, the Pope called all the world to the obedience of the holy Church of Rome, as to an holy ſtate, in the which they might vndoutedly attaine ſaluatiō, and yet after he had brought them vnderunder the obedience of his lawes, he commaunded them to dout of their ſaluation. So the kingdom of Antichriſt braggeth and vaunteth at the firſt,The Pope kingdom. of the holines of his orders, his rules and his lawes, and aſſuredly promiſeth euerlaſting life to ſuch as obſerue and kepe them. But afterwards when theſe miſerable men hauehave long afflicted their bodies with watching, faſting, and ſuch like exerciſes according to the traditions and ordinaunces of men, this is all that they gaine thereby, that they are vncertaine whether this obedience pleaſe God or no?The Papacy is a very ſlaughterhouſe of conſciences. Thus Satan moſt horribly dallied in the death of ſoules through the Pope, and therefore is the Papacie a ſlaughterhouſe of conſciences, and the very kingdom of the Deuill.
Nowe, to eſtabliſh and confirme this pernicious & curſed errour, they alleaged the ſaying of Salomon, Eccle. 9.Eccle. 9.…. The iuſt and the vviſe men are in the handes of God: and yet no man knovveth vvhether he be vvorthy of louelove or of hatred. Some vnderſtand this of that hatred which is to come, and ſome againe of that which is preſent: but neither of them vnderſtand Salomon, who in that place meaneth nothing leſſe then that which they dreame. Moreouer the whole Scripture teacheth vsus eſpecially and aboue all things that we ſhould not dout,The chief drift of the Scripture, to make vsus certaine of the merciemercy of God tovvard vsus. Rom. 4.25. Iohn. 3.16. but aſſure our ſelues & vndoutedly beleue that God is mercifull, louing and patient: that he is neither diſſembler nor deceauer, but that he is faithfull and true, and kepeth his promiſe: yea and hath performed that he promiſed, in deliuering his only begotten Some to death for our ſinnes, that eueryevery one that beleueth in him might not periſh, but hauehave euerlaſting life. Here we can not dout, but that God is pleaſed with vsus, that he loueth vsus in dede, that the hatred and wrath of God is taken away, ſeeing he ſuffered his ſonne to die for vsus wretched ſinners. Although this matter be ſette out and often repeted thoroughout the whole Goſpell, yet it profited nothing at all. This one ſaying of Salomon peruerſly vnderſtand,One ſentence out of the boke of the Preacher not vvell vnderſtand, vvas of more force in the Papacie, then all the promiſes of the ſcripture. did more preuaile (eſpecially among the votaries and hypocrites of the ſtraiter religion) then all the promiſes and conſolations of the whole Scripture: yea then Chriſte him ſelfe. They abuſed the Scriptures therfore to their owne deſtruction, and were moſt iuſtly puniſhed for deſpiſing the Scriptures and reiecting the Goſpell.
It is expedient for vsus to know theſe things: Firſt becauſe the Papiſtes vaunt of their holines, as if they had neuer committed any euill. Therefore they muſt be conuinced by their owne abhominations, wherewith they hauehave filled the whole world, as their owne Bookes doe witnes, wherof there is yet an infinite nomber: Secondly, that we may be fully certified that we hauehave the pure doctrine of the Goſpell:Doutfulnes of ſaluation in th Papacie. of which certaintie the Pope can not glory. In whoſe kingdom though all things elſe were ſound and vncorrupt, yet this monſtrous doctrine of douting of Gods grace and fauour, paſſeth all other monſters. And although it be manifeſt that the enemies of Chriſtes Goſpell teach vncertaine things becauſe they commaund that mens conſciences ſhould remaine in dout, yet notwithſtanding they condemne and kill vsus as heretikes, becauſe we diſſent from them, and teach thoſe things which are certaine. And this they doe with ſuch deuilliſh rage and crueltie, as if they were moſt aſſured of their doctrine.
Let vsus therefore geue thankes vntounto God, that we are deliuered from this monſtrous doctrine of douting, and can now aſſure our ſelues that the holy Ghoſt crieth and bringeth forth in our heartes vnſpeakeable gronings.Hovv vve mai knovv that are ī gods fauour, and hauehave the holy Ghoſt. And this is our ankerhold and our foundation. The Goſpell commaundeth vsus to behold, not our owne good workes, our owne perfection: but God the promiſer, & Chriſt the Mediatour. Contrariwiſe, the Pope commaundeth vsus to looke, not vntounto God the promiſer, nor vntounto Chriſt our high Biſhop, but vntounto our works & merites. On the one ſide muſt nedes folow douting & deſperation: but on yt other ſide aſſurance of Gods fauour and ioy of the ſpirit. For we cleaue vntounto God who can not lie. For he ſayth: Behold I deliuer my Sonne to death, that through his bloud he may redeme thee from thy ſinnes and from eternall death. In this caſe I can not dout,The doctrine vvhichwhich vve profeſſe, is certaine. vnleſſe I will vtterly deny God. And this is the reaſon that our doctrine is moſt ſure and certaine, becauſe it carieth vsus out of our ſelues, and from the conſideration of our ſelues, to the end that we ſhould not leane to our owne ſtrength, to our owne conſcience, to our owne feeling, our owne perſon and our owne workes: but to that which is without vsus, that is to ſay, the promiſe and truth of God which can not deceaue vsus. This the Pope knoweth not, and therefore he wickedly imagineth that no man knoweth, be he neuer ſo iuſt or ſo wiſe, whether he be worthy of louelove or of hatred. But if he be iuſt and wiſe he knoweth aſſuredly that he is beloued of God, or elſe he is neither iuſt nor wiſe.
Moreouer,The true meanīg of the ſentence out of the .9 of Eccleſiaſtes. this ſentence of Salomon ſpeaketh nothing at all of the hatred or fauour of God towardes men, but it is a morall ſentēce reprouing the ingratitude of men. For ſuch is the peruerſnes and ingratitude of the world, that the better a man deſerueth, yt leſſe thāks he ſhall hauehave, and oftentimes he that ſhould be his moſt friend,VVhat thanks the vvorld geueth to them that deſerue vvell of it. ſhall be his moſt enemie. Contrariwiſe, ſuch as leaſt deſerue, ſhall be moſt eſtemed. So Dauid a holy man and a good King, was caſt out of his kingdom. The Prophetes, Chriſte and his Apoſtles were ſlaine. To conclude, the hyſtories of all nations witnes, that many men well deſeruing of their countrey, were caſt into baniſhment by their owne Citizens, and there liued in great miſery, and ſome alſo ſhamefully periſhed in priſon. Wherefore Salomon in this place ſpeaketh not of the conſcience hauing to doe with God, and of the fauour and iudgement of God, but of the iudgementes and affections of men among them ſelues. As though he would ſay: There are many iuſt and wiſe men, by whom God worketh much good, and geueth peace and quietnes vntounto men. But ſo farre of are they from acknowledging the ſame, that oftentimes they requite them againe very ilfauouredly for their well deſeruings. Therefore although a man doe all things neuer ſo well, yet he knoweth not whether by this his diligence and faithfulnes he deſerue the hatred or fauour of men.
So we at this day, when we thought we ſhould hauehave found fauour among our countreymen the Germains, for that we preach vntounto them the Goſpell of peace, life, and eternall ſaluation, in ſtede of fauour we hauehave found bitter and cruell hatred. In deede at the firſt many were greatly delited with our doctrine, and receaued it gladly. We ſuppoſed that they would hauehave ben our friends and brethren, and that with one conſent together with vsus, they would hauehave planted and ſet forth this doctrine to others. But now we finde that they are falſe brethern and our deadly enemies, which ſow and ſpread abrode errours & falſe doctrine, and that which we teach well and godly, they peruert and ouerthrow, ſtirring vp offences in the Churches. Whoſoeuer therefore doth his duety godly and faithfully, in what kinde of life ſo euer he be, and for his well doing receaueth nothing againe but the vnkindnes and hatred of men,Hovv vve muſt ouercome vnthākfulnes. Pſal. 109.3.4. let him not vexe and torment him ſelfe therfore: but let him ſay with Chriſte: They hated me vvithout a cauſe. Alſo: For that they should hauehave loued me, they ſclaundered me, but I did pray.
The Pope therefore with this deuilliſh doctrine, whereby he commaunded men to dout of the fauour of God towards them, tooke away God and all his promiſes out of the Church, buried all the benefites of Chriſt, & aboliſhed the whole Goſpel. Theſe inconueniences do neceſſarily folow: for men doe not leane to the promiſes of God, but to their owne workes and merites. Therefore they can not be aſſured of the good will of God towardes them, but muſt needes dout therof, and ſo at length deſpaire. No man can vnderſtand what Gods will is, and what pleaſeth him,The vvill of God is ſeene in his vvord. but in his word. This word aſſureth vsus that God caſt away all anger and diſpleaſure which he had conceaued againſt vsus, when he gaue his onelyonly begotten ſonne for our ſinnes. &c. Wherefore let vsus vtterly abandon this deuilliſh douting wherwith the whole Papacie was poyſoned, and let vsus be fully aſſured that God is mercifull vntounto vsus, that we pleaſe him, that he hath a care ouer vsus, that we hauehave the holy Ghoſt which maketh interceſſion for vsus with ſuch crying and groning as can not be expreſſed.
Now, this is the true crying and groning in deede, when a man in tentation calleth vponupon God: not as a tyranne, not as an angry iudge, not as a tormēter, but as a father, although this groning be ſo ſoft & ſo ſecrete, that it can ſcantly be perceaued. For in ſerious tentations, and in the time of trial where the conſcience wraſtleth with the iudgement of God, it is wont to call God, not a Father, but an vniuſt, an angry and cruell tyranne and iudge. And this crying which Satan ſtirreth vp in the heart, farre paſſeth the cry of the ſpirite, and is ſtrongly felt. For then it ſeemeth that God hath forſaken vsus, and will caſt vsus downe into hell. So ye faithful complaine oftētimes in the Pſalmes: I am caſt from the preſence of God. Alſo: I am become as a broken veſſel. &c. This is not in deede the groning that crieth, Abba Father: but the roring of Gods wrath, which crieth ſtrongly, O cruell iudge, O cruel tormentour. &c. Here now it is time that thou turne away thine eyes from the law, from works, and from the ſenſe and feling of thine owne conſcience, and lay hold by Faith of the promiſe, that is to ſay, of the word of grace & life, which raiſeth vppe againe the conſcience, ſo that now it beginneth to grone and ſay: Although the law accuſe me, ſinne and death terrifie me neuer ſo much, yet O my God, thou promiſeſt grace, righteouſnes and euerlaſting life through Ieſus Chriſt: And ſo yt promiſe bringeth a ſighing & a groning, which crieth Abba Father.