Whether Man Be in the Estate of Damnation or Grace, Dialogue 3
Consolations for the troubled consciences of repentant Sinners.
Sinner.
GOod syr, I knowe aEsay. 50. c▪ 4.the Lord hath giuen you the tongue of the learned, to be able to minister a word in time to him that is wearie: therefore I praie you helpe me in my miserie.
Minister.
Ah my good brother what is the matter with you? and what aile you?
Sinner.
I liued a long time, the Lorde he knoweth it, after the manner of the worlde, in all the lustes of my filthie flesh, and then I was neuer troubled; but it hath pleased▪ God of his merciemercy to touch my heart, and to send his own sonne that good shepheard Iesus Christ, to fetch me home to his owne fold, euen vppon his owne necke: and since that time it is a wōder to see how my poore heart hath beene troubled: my corruption so boiles in me, & Sathan will neuer let me alone.
Minister.
Your case is a blessed case: for not to be troubled of Sathan, is to bee possessed of him: that is: to be held captiue vnderunder bColloss. 1. c. 13.the power of darknes, and to be a slaue & vassall of Sathan: for cLuke 11. c. 24.as long as the strong man keepes the hold, all things are in peace: Contrariwise he that hath receiued anie sparkle of true faith, shall see dMat. 16. c. 18.the gates of hell, that is, the Diuell and all his Angels in their full strength, to stand vp against him, and to fight with an endlesse hatred for his finall confusion.
Christian.
But this my trouble of minde, hath made mee oftentimes feare lest God would reiect me, and vtterlie depriue me of the kingdome of heauen.
Minister.
But there is no cause why it should so doe. For how should heauen bee your resting place, if on earth you were not troubled? how could God wipe awaie your teares from your eies in heauen, if on earthBradford. you shead them not? You woulde bee free from miseries, you looke for heauen vponupon earth. But if you wil go to heauen, the right waie is to saile by hell. If you will sit at Christs table in his kingdome; you must be with him in his temptations. You are as Gods corne, you must therefore goe vnderunder the flaile, the fanne, the milstone, and the ouen, before you can bee Gods bread. You are one of Christes lambes, looke therefore …o be fleeced, and to hauehave the bloudie knife …t your throte all the daie long. If you were … marke sheepe bought to bee solde: you …hould be stalled and kept in a fatte pasture: …ut you are for gods own occupying, there…ore you must pasture on the bare cōmon, …biding stormes, tempestes, Sathans snat…hes, the worldes woundes, contempt of …onscience and frettes of the flesh. But in …his your miserie I will bee a Simon vntounto you …o helpe you to carrie your crosse, so bee it …ou will reueale your minde vntounto mee.
Christian.
I will do it willingly, my temp…ations are either against my faith in Christ …r against repentance for my sinnes.
Minister.
What is your temptation as …ouching faith?
Christian.
Ah, woe is mee, I am much …fraide least I hauehave no faith in Christ my Sauiour.
Minister.
What causeth this feare.
Christian.
Diuerse things.
Minister.
What is one?
Christian.
I am troubled with manye doubtings of my saluation: and so it comes …nto my minde to thinke, that by my incredulitie I should quite cut off my selfe from the fauour of God.
Minister.
But you must knowe this one thing, that hee that neuer doubted of his saluation neuer beleeued, & that he which beleeueth in trueth feeleth manie doubtings & wauerings, euen as the …ound man feeles manie grudgings of diseases which if he had not health he could not feele.
Christian.
But you neuer knewe anie that hauing true faith doubted of their saluatiō.
Minister.
What will you then saie of the man that saide eMar. 9. 24.Lorde I beleeue, Lorde helpe my vnbeleefe. And of Dauid who made his moane after this manner: Is his merciemercy cleane gone for euer? Doth his promise faile for euermore, Psal. 77. ve. 8. 9. 10.Hath GOD forgotten to bee mercifull? Hath he shutt vp his tender merciemercy in displeasure? Yea hee goeth on further, as a man in dispaire. f11.And I saide, this is my death. Hereby it is manifest that a man indued with true faith maie hauehave not onelie assaults of doubting, but of desperation. This further appeareth in that he saith in another place. gPsal. 92. 11.Why art thou cast downe my soule? Why art thou disquieted within mee? Waite on God for I will yet giuegive thankes, hee is my present helpe and my God. And in verie truth you maie perswade your self that they are but *2. Thes. 3. 2.vnreasonable men, that say they hauehave long beleeued in Christ without anie doubting of their saluation.
Christian.
But Dauid had more in him then I hauehave, for me thinkes there is nothing in this wicked heart of mine, but rebellion against God, nothing but doubting of his merciemercy.
Minister.
Let me know but one thing of you: these doubtinges which you feele, do you like them? or doe you take anie pleasure in them? and doo you cherish them?
Christian.
Naie, naie, they appeare verie vilde in mine eyes, and I doe abhorre them from my hearte: and I woulde faine beleeue?
Minister.
In man wee must consider hisRo. 7. ca. 5. estate by nature, and his estate by grace. In the first he and his flesh are all one, for they are as man and wife: therefore one is necessarie to the doings of the other. When the flesh striueth the man also striueth that is in subiection to the flesh, yea when the fleshe perisheth, the man likewise perisheth being in this estate, with the fleshe: a louing couple they are, they liue and die together. But in the estate of grace, though a man hauehave the flesh in him, yet hee and his flesh are diuorced a sunder. This diuorcement is made, when a man beginnes to dislike and to hate his flesh, and the euill fruites of it: this separation beeing made, they are noRom. 7. 17 Rom. 8. 1. more one, but twaine, and the one hath nothing to doo with the other. In this case though the flesh beget sin and perish therefore, yet the Christian man shall not incu… damnation for it, To come more neere the matter; you saie the fleshe begettes in you wauerings, doubtinges, and distrustinges▪ what then? it troubleth you: but feare not, remember your estate; you are diuorced from the flesh, and you are newe married vntounto Christ: if these sinnes be laide at you… doore, accompt them not as your children▪ but renounce them as Bastards, saie with Paul, I doubt indeede, but I hate my doubtings, and I am no cause of these, but the the flesh in mee which shall perish when I shall be saued by Christ.
Christian.
This which you hauehave saide doeth in part content mee: one thing more I praie you shewe mee concerning this point: namelie how I maie be able to ouercome these doubtings.
Minister
For the suppressing of doubtings, you are to vse three meditations.
The first, that it is Gods commandement1. Ioh▪ 3. 23. that you should beleeue in Christ: So saint Iohn saith, This is his commandement that wee beleue in the name of his sonne Iesus Christ. ThouIoh. 3. 16. shalt not steale, is Gods commandement, & you are loth to breake it, least you should displease God and pull his curse vponupon your head. This also is Gods commandement, Thou shalt beleeue in Christ, and therefore you must take heede of the breach of it: …east by doubting and wauering you bring …he curse vponupon you. Secondlie, you must …onsider that the promises of saluation in Christ are generall, or at the least indefinite …xcluding no particular man: as in one for …ll maie appeare. God so loued the worlde that …e gaue his onelyonly begotten sonne, that whosoeuer …eleeueth in him should not perish but hauehave euerla…ing life. Nowe then so often as you shall …oubt of Gods merciemercy whereas hee exclu…eth you not: And as when a Prince giues … pardon to all theeues, euerie one can ap…lie the same vntounto himselfe, though his …ame bee not set downe in the pardon: So …e king of kings hath giuen a generall par…on for free remission of sinnes to them that …ill receiue it. Beleeue therefore that God … true in his promise, doubt not of your …wne saluation, chalenge the pardon to your selfe. In deede your name is not set downe, or written in the promise of grace, yet let not anie illusion of Sathan, or the consideration of your owne vnworthinesse exclude you from this generall & free▪merciemercy of God: which hee also hath offered to you particularlie, first in Baptisme, then after in the Lords supper: and therefore you are not to wauer in the applying of it to your selfe. Thirdlie you are to consider that by doubting and dispairing you offend god as much almost as by anie other sinne. Yo… do not aboue hope beleeue vnderunder hope as you shoul… doo.
Secondlie you robb God of his glorie, is that you make his infinite merciemercy to beeRom. 4. 18. lesse then your sinnes. Thirdlie you make him a lier who hath made such a promisse vntounto you. And to these three meditations adde this practise. When yourRo. 10. 12. hart is toiled with vnbeliefe and doubtings, then in all hast drawe your selfe into some secrete place, humble your selfe before God powre out your hart before him: desire hi… of his endles merciemercy to worke faith, and t… suppresse your vnbeliefe, and you shall see That the Lord ouer all is rich vntounto all that call vponupon his name.
Christian.
The Lord reward you for your kindnes: I will hereafter doo my endeuour to practise this your counsell. Nowe I will make bold to shew another that makes me to feare least I hauehave no faith. And it is, because I doe not feele the assurance of the forgiuenesse of my sinnes.
Minister.
Faith standeth not in the feelingHeb. 11. 1. Rom. 8. 23. of Gods merciemercy, but in the apprehending of it, which apprehending maie bee when there is no feeling, for faith is of inuisible things, and when a man once commeth to enioy the thing beleeued, then hee ceaseth to beleeue. And this appeareth in Iobs example, when he saith, Lo though hee sleie me, yet will I trust in him, & I will reprooue my waies in his sight: he shalbe my saluation also: for Iob. 13. 15. 16.the hypocrite shal not come before him, hee declareth his faith: yet when he saith presentlie afterwarde, Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and takest me for thine enimie? hee declareth the want of that feeling which you speake off.
Christian.
Yet euerie true beleeuer feeles the assurance of faith: otherwise Paul would not hauehave said, Proue your selues whether you are in the faith or not.
Minister.
Indeed sometimes he doth, but at some other times he doth not: as namely at that same time when God first calleth him: and in the time of temptation.
Christian.
What a case am I in then? I neuer felt this assurance: onelie this I feele that I am a most rebellious wretch abounding euen with a whole sea of iniquities: me thinkes I am more vglie in the sight of God, then anie toade can be in my sight. O then what shall I doo? Let mee heare some worde of comfort from thy mouth thou man of God.
Minister.
Tell me one thing plainly, you say you feele no assurance of Gods merciemercy?
Christian.
No in deede.
Minister.
But do you desire with all your hart to feele it?
Christian.
I doo indeed.
Minister.
Then doubt not, you shal feele it.
Christian.
O blessed be the Lord, if this be true.
Minister.
Why, it is most true. For the Wish and hauehave.man that would hauehave anie grace of God tending to saluation, if hee do truelie desire it, hee shall hauehave it: for so Christ hath promised, I will giuegive to him that is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely. Whereby I gatherReu. 2. 6. that if any wante the water of life, hauing an appetite after it, he shall hauehave inough of it: And therefore feare you not, onelyonly vse the meanes which God hath appointed to attaine faith by, as earnest prayer, reuerent hearing of Gods worde, and receiuing of the Sacraments: and then you shall see this thing verifyed in your selfe.
Christian.
All this which you saie I finde in my selfe by the merciemercy of God: my harte longeth after that grace of God which I want. I know I doe hunger after the kingdome of heauen & the righteousnes thereof: and further though I want the feeling of Gods merciemercy: yet I can pray for it, from the verie roote of my heart.
Minister
Bee carefull to giuegive honour to god for that you hauehave receiued already. For these thing are the motions of the spirite ofPhil. 1. 6. God dwelling in you. And I am perswaded of this same thing, that God which hath begon this good worke in you will perfect the same vntounto the day of Iesus Christ.
Christian.
The third thing that troubles me, is this. I hauehave long prayed for manie graces of God, and yet I hauehave not receiued them, whereby it comes oft to my minde, that God loues me not: that I am none of his child: & therefore that I hauehave no faith.
Minister.
You are in no other case then Dauid himselfe, who made the same complaint: I am wearie of crying, my throate is dri… ▪ Psal. 69. 4.mine eies faile, whiles I waite for my God.
Christian.
But Dauid neuer praied so manie yeares without receiuing an answere as I hauehave done.
Minister.
Good Zacharie waited longer on the Lord, before he granted his request, then euer you did, Its like hee praied for a child in his yonger yeres, yet his praier was not heard before he was old. And furtherLuk. 1. 7. 13 you must note, that the Lord may heare the praiers of his seruants, and yet they bee altogether ignorant of it: For the manner that God vseth in graunting their requests is not alwaies knowen: as maie appeare in the example of our Sauiour Christ. Who in the daies of his flesh, did offer vp praiers and supplications with strong crying and teares, vntounto him Heb. 5. 7.that was able to saue him from death, and was also heard in that which he feared. And yet wee knowe hee was not freed from that cursed death, but must needes suffer it. How then was he heard? On this manner; hee was strengthened to beare the death: he had an Angell to comfort him, hee was afterward freed from the sorrowes of death. And so it is with the rest of Christes bodie, as it was with the head. Some being in want pray for temporall blessings: God keepes them in this want, and yet hee heares their praiers, in giuing them patience and strength to abide that want. Some being in wealth and aboundance praie for the continuing of it, if it be the will of God. The Lorde dinges them into a perpetuall miserie, and yet hee heares their praiers, by giuing thē blessednesse in the life to come. You praie for the encrease of faith and repentance, and such like graces: you feele no increase after long praier: yet the mercifull God hath no doubt heard your praier, in that by delaying to performe your request, he hath stirred vp in you the spirite of praier, hee hath humbled you and made you feele your owne wants, the better to depend on his merciemercy, for the beginning and encreasing of euerie spirituall grace.
Christian.
The fourth thing that troubles me, is that I cannot feele faith purifie my heart, and to worke by louelove in bringing foorth liuelie fruits.
Minister
If this bee so continuallie, that faith bring forth fruit, it is verie dangerous and argueth a plaine want of faith, yet for a certaine time it maie be so, Faith hath not onelie a spring time and a sommer season, but also a winter when it beareth no fruit. AndCant. 2. 11 there is manie a true Christian like the brused reede, that is ouerturned with euerie blastEsay 42. 2. of wind: and like the flaxe that hath fire in it, which by reason of weakenes, giuegive neither heate nor light, but onelie a smoke.
Christian
Thus much shall suffice for my first temptation, wherein I take my selfe satisfied, nowe if you please, I will bee glad to rehearse the second.
Minister.
I am content, let vsus heare it.
Christian.
I am afraide least I hauehave not truelie repented, and therefore that all my profession is onelie in hypocrisie.
Minister.
What mooueth you to thinke so.
Christian.
Two causes especiallie, the first is, they which repent, leaue off to sinne: But I am miserable sinner, I am laden with great burdens of sinne, I doo continuallie displease God by my euill thoughts, words and deeds.
Minister.
You need not feare, *Ro. 5. 20.For where sinne aboundeth (that is the knowledge and feeling of sinne) there grace aboundeth much more.
Christian.
I finde not this in my selfe.
Minister
But yet you finde thus much in your selfe: those corruptions which you feele, and those sinnes that you commit, you hate thē, you are displeased with your selfe for them, and you endeuour your selfe to leaue them.
Christian.
Yea that I doo with all my heart.
Minister.
Then howe miserable so euer you feele your selfe by reason of the mas…e of your sinne: yet you are not subiecte toRom. 8. 5. cum 8. 1. condemnation, but shall most certainely escape the same. Take this for a most certaine truth, that the man that hates & dislikes his sins, both before and after hee hath done them, shall neuer be damned for them.
Christian.
I am euen hart sicke of my manifolde sinnes and infirmities, & these good words which you speak are as flagons of wine, Cant. 2. 5.to refresh my wearie, laden, and weltting soule. I hauehave begunne to flee sinne, and to detest it long agoe. I hauehave beene oft dipleased with mine infirmities and corruptions: when I offende God, my heart is greeued, I desire to leaue sinne, I flee the occasions of sinne: I woulde faine fashion my life to Gods word: and I praie vntounto God that he woulde giuegive mee grace so to doo: and yet (which is the griefe) by the strength of the flesh, by the sleights and power of Sathan I am often ouertaken and fall maruellouslie, both by speach and by deed.
Minister.
HaueHave courage my good brother, for whereas you hauehave an affection to doo the thinges that are acceptable vntounto God, it argueth plainely that you are a mē ber of Christ: according to that of Paul.Rom. 8. 5. They which are of the spirite, fauour the things of the spirite. Well then if Sathan euer obiect anie of your sinnes to your, make aunswere thus, that you hauehave forsaken the first husbande the fleshe, and hauehave espoused your selfe to Christ Iesus, who as your head and husbande hath taken vponupon him to answere your debts, and therefore if he vrge you for them, referre him ouer vntounto Christ. For there is no sute in lawe against the wife the husbande liuing: yea I adde further, if you bee ouer caried with Sathans temptations, and so fall into anie sinne, you shall not answere for it but Sathan, it shall surely be rekoned on his score at the daie of iudgmēt for he was the author of it: if you fal by the frailtie of your flesh, it shal perish therefore: but you shal stil hauehave Christ you aduocate.
Christian.
Indeede as you saie I hauehave in me an affection to please God, but when I come to performe my obedience, there I faile.
Minister.
Therefore marke this further. As long as the children of God are in this life, *Gen. 22. 12▪ Malac. 3. 17.God regardeth more the affection to obeie, then the obedience it selfe: And they shall bee vntounto mee saith the Lorde of hostes, in that daie that I shall doe this, for a flocke, and I wil spare them, as a man spares his owne sonne that serueth him. The Father when he shall set his childe to doe anie busines, though he doe it neuer so vntowardlie, yet if he shew his good will to doe the best hee can, his father will bee pleased: and so it is with the Lorde towarde his children you looke to hauehave some perfection in your selfe; but in this life you shall receiue no *Rom. 8. 23.more but the first fruits of the spirite, which are but as a handfull of corne, in respect of the whole corne fielde; and as for the accomplishment of your redemption, you must wait for it til after this life: you would bee kissed with the kisses of Christs mouth, but here in this world you must bee content, if you maie with Marie Magdalen kisse his feete. For the perfection of a Christian mans life, standes in the feeling and confessing of his imperfections. And asAmbrose. Ambrose saith, obedience due to God, stands more aAffectu magis quā effectu.in the affection then in the worke.
Christian.
But why will God hauehave those whom he hath sanctified labour still vnderunder their infirmities?
Minister.
The causes are diuers. First, hereby hee teacheth his seruaunts, to see in what great neede they stand of the righteousnes of Christ, that they maie more carefullie seeke after it. Secondlie, he subdueth the pride of mens hearts, & humbleth them by counteruailing the graces which they hauehave receiued, with the like measure of infirmities. Thirdlie, by this meanes the godlie are exercised in a continuall fight against sinne, and are dailie occupied in purifieng themselues.
Christian.
But to goe on forward in this matter: there is another cause that makes me feare, lest I hauehave no true repentance.
Minister.
What is that?
Christian
I often times finde my selfe like a verie timberlog, void of all grace & goodnes, frowarde, and rebellious to anie good worke▪ so that I feare lest Christ hauehave quite forsaken me.
Minister.
As it is in the strait seas, the water ebbes and flowes, so is it in the godlie: in them as long as they liue in this world according to their own feeling, there is an accesse and recesse of the spirit. Otherwhiles they bee troubled with deadnes and dulnes of heart, as Dauid was, who praiedPsal… …8. to the Lorde, to quicken him according to his louing kindnes, that he maie keepe the testimonies of his mouth, and in another place he saith, that Gods promises quickened him. Which couldePsal… not be, vnlesse he had beene troubled with great dulnes of heart. Againe, sometimes the spirite of God quite withdraweth it self to their feeling: as it was in Dauid. In the dai… Psal. 77▪ …3 …. 8.of my trouble (saith hee) I sought the Lorde, and my soule refused comfort. I did thinke vponupon God & was troubled, I praied and my spirite was full of anguish. Againe, will the Lord absent himselfe for euer? and will he shew no more fauour? hath God forgotten to be mercifull? &c. The Church in …h… …a…. 3. 1. … 5. 4. 5 6.Canticles complaineth of this. In my bedd… … sought him by night whom my soule loued: I sought him, but I found him not. And againe, my welbeloued put in his hand by the hole of the dore, and … heart was affectioned towardes him: I rose … pen to my welbeloued, and my hands did … myrrhe, my fingers powre myrrhe vppon …dles of the bar, I opened to my welbeloued▪ … my welbeloued was gone and past, mine heart was gone when hee did speake. I sought him, but I coulde not finde him, I called, but he answered me not. Contrariwise, God at some other times sheds abroad Rom. 5.his louelove most aboundantlie in the hearts of the faithfull; and Christ lieth betweene tho Cant. 1. 13.breasts of his Church, as a posie of myrrhe giuing a strong smell.
Christian.
But how can he be a Christian that feels no grace nor goodnes in himselfe.
Minister.
The child which as yet can vse no reason, is for all that a reasonable creature: and the man in a soune feeles no power of life, and yet he is not dead. The Christian man hath manie quaumes come ouer his heart, and he falles into manie a soune, that none almost would loke for anie more of the life of Christ in him, yet for al that he may be a true Christian. This was the estate of Peter when he denied our sauiour Christ with cursing and banning, his faith onelie Luke 22. 31fainted for a time, it failed not.
Christian.
I hauehave nowe opened vntounto you the chiefe things that trouble me: and your comfortable answers hauehave much refreshed my troubled minde. The God of all merciemercy, and consolation requite you accordinglie.
Minister.
I hauehave spoken that which God out of his holie word hath opened vntounto me if you finde anie helpe thereby, giuegive God the praise therfore, and carrie this with you for euer, that by manie afflictions both in the bodie Acts. 24. 22and the mind you must enter into the kingdome of heauen. Rawe flesh is noisome to the stomacke, and is no good nourishment before it be sodden: and vnmortified men and womenHooper. be no creatures fit for God: and therefore they are to be soaked and boiled in afflictions, that the fulsumnes & rancknes of their corruption maie be delaied, and they maie hauehave in them some rellish acceptable vntounto God. And to conclude, for the auoiding of all these temptations, vse this sweet praier following which that godlie saint, Maister Bradford made.
Oh Lorde God and deere Father, what shall I saie that feele all thinges to bee (in manner) with me as in the wicked? Blind is my minde, crooked is my will, and peruerse concupiscence is in me, as a spring of stinking puddle. O howe faint is faith in mee? how little is my louelove to thee or thy people? how great is my selfe▪ louelove? how hard is my heart? by reason whereof I am mooued to doubt of thy goodnes towards me, whether thou art my mercifull father, and whether I be thy childe or no, indeed worthilie might I doubt, if that the hauing of these were the cause, and not the fruit rather of thy children. The cause why thou art my father, is thy mercifull goodnes grace and truth in Christ Iesus, which cannot but remaine for euer. In respect whereof thou hast borne mee this good will to bring mee into thy Church by Baptisme and to accept me into the number of thy children, that I might be holie, faithfull, obedient and innocent: and to call me diuers times by the ministerie of thy word into thy kingdome: besides the innumerable other benefites alwaies hitherto powred vponupon me. All which thou hast done of this thy good will which thou of thine owne merciemercy barest to me in Christ before the world was made. The which thing as thou requirest straitlie that I shoulde beleeue without doubting, so wouldest thou that I in all my deedes shoulde come vntounto thee as to a father, and make my mone without mistrust of being heard in thy good time, as most shall make to my comfort. Lo therefore to thee deere father I come through thy sonne our Lorde, our mediatour, and Aduocate Iesus Christ, who sitteth on thy right hand making intercession for mee; I praie thee of thy great goodnes and merciemercy in Christ to be mercifull to mee a sinner, that I maie indeede feele thy sweet merciemercy as thy childe: the time (oh deere father) I appoint not, but I praie thee that I maie with hope still expect and looke for thy helpe. I hope that as for a little while thou hast left me, so thou wilt come and visite me, & that in thy great merciemercy, wherof I hauehave great need by reasō of my great miserie. Thou art wont for a little season in thine anger, to hide thy face from them whome thou louest: but surelie (O Redeemer) in eternall mercies thou wilt shewe thy compassions. For when thou leauest vsus, Oh Lord, thou doest not leaue vsus very long, neither doest thou leaue vsus to our losse, but to our lucre and aduantage: euen that thy holie spirite with bigger portion of thy power and vertue maie lighten and cheere vsus: that the want of feeling of our sorrowe maie be recompenced plentifullie with the liuelie sent of hauing thee to our eternall ioie: and therefore thou swearest that in thine euerlasting merciemercy thou wilt hauehave cō passion on vsus, Of which thing, to the ende wee might be most assured, thine oath is to be marked, for thou saiest: as I hauehave sworn, that I will neuer bring anie more the waters to drowne the worlde: so hauehave I sworne that I will neuer more be angrie with thee, nor reproue thee. The mountaines shall remooue, and the hilles shall fall downe, but thy louing kindnes shal not mooue, and the bond of thy peace shall not faile thee: thus saiest thou the Lorde our mercifull Redeemer. Deere father therefore, I praie thee remember euen for thine owne truth & mercies sake the promise and euerlasting couenant, which in thy good time I praie thee to write in my heart, that I maie know thee to bee the onelie true GOD, and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent: that I maie louelove thee with all my heart for euer: that I maie louelove thy people for thy sake: that I maie bee holie in thy sight through Christ: that I maie alwaies not onelie striue against sinne, but also ouercome the same dailie more and more as thy children doe: aboue all things desiring the sanctification of thy name, the comming of thy kingdome, the doing of thy will on earth as it is in heauen, &c. through Iesus Christ our Redeemer, Mediatour, and Aduocate, Amen.
FINIS.
Faultes to be corrected,
PAg. 12. lin. 8. for or reade, are. Pa. 15. l. 28. Autonius, Antonius. Pa. 21. l. 27. or, are. Pa. 32. l. 27. word, world. Pa. 46. l. 6. sowing, sauing. Pa. 87. l. 24. first, fift. P. 90. l. 17. performed, perfumed. p. 91. l. 8. face, force. p. 92. l. 22. quietnes disquietnes. p. 97. l. 22. first, fifth. p. 121. l. 4. wise, weake. p. 122. l. 25. soule, saile p. 124. l. 10. entire, center. p. 149. l. 12. worketh, wotteth. p. 160. 8. seduce, subdue. p. 160. l. 26. exhortation, experience. p. 161. l. 13. burned, buried. p. 165. l. 3. babbling, bibbing. p. 182. l. 25. …uetous, conuerted. p. 183. l. 3. dimisse, diminish.
End of the text · William Perkins, Whether Man Be in the Estate of Damnation or Grace (1590)