217 henfronof'Gods judgments,' or thediflikeofthy felfthatthou fhou1denoffend fo gracious andfolowinga father? Both, fay they , but efpcciallie thelatter, Therefore, fay I, finite altodifpleafeth thee in thatit is finne, namely, becaufe it iseuill, andGodwho isgoodnefk it felfe , isoffendedwith it ? It is euenas you toldvs,fay thcy,and I amnow afharned that fovileand wicked a wretch asmyIdle, fhould come before fa gracious aadmcrcifull a Father, Thera I tell them , that no man isoffendëd, hut. ratheris,glad, when hee can iniurie one home beehateth : this they vaunt andwithal: fay, God,forbid , that -albeit the.Lord hatewe,.I in like fort fhauld hate him, vnto:whon)e if-it werepof.- ,fible , I would be reconciled againe. Then I adde this : Beeofgood comfort, my dear's brother,you areingoodcafe. For who can loue (ßód, ef'eçiIlit , whenhe is wounded by him? who, can bees arle the Joffe of his friend :nip? whocan del:re roconkagaineinto hisfa.uot rIjuthea hom, Gedfli!! loneth although fora timehebeangrie with him? except.peraduentureycu: ha,i not learned thus much , that the knowledge ofourfaluation coanmeth notfrom flefh andblood, but fromGodhimfelfe,whofirf} vouchfafcth toirfiruer vs, and fromChrift I ¿us, manifefling the Father vnto vs : And that it is Gods blefíing , that wedoe loue God, who loued vs frrft, when wee t.vere his ene- mies. You haue therefore my goo:l brother, full caufe , v, by you fhoulde begrea:ly diff.keafedwithnraoiethingspaft, but there is no caufe why you ßtorild dcfpaire. Brieflie, youhaue inwardlie,and you et>sdctrt teftirronies of< = as it vere,dwelling with Y your future reconciliation withGod efpecially if youceafè not to prayvnro him carnefcly, who bath laid the fowdawimofre- pentarce iss yov;:ozst, a di f14 ef,,'ne,asrdadefrre tobeer.'ccnciled vntohim. The fheepWhichwandered out ofthe folde ceafednot tobe a fheep , albeit it went aftrayfor a time:younowarethat fheepe, to whom that faithfiill Thep- heard ofal thole fheep, which thefatherbath committed to him ,leauing thole ninety&nine,dothnot fo muchby my miniflerie,declare that he feekethyou, as havingalready fought you, thoughyounot reekinghim,hathindeed found you,Knocke,faith he,de it !ha/theopenedvntiiyets.And hamyou nowforgotten thofepromifes,which wereCo often made to them that repent ? and altowhich they hadexperienceof,who in the fight ofthe world were ina defj eratecafe. But I, faithhe,againe feelenomotions of the Comforter, I harle noteno fen.fe offáith,or hope: but I feele all the contrarie, Nay,fay',you deceiueyour felfe, as I toldeyou before. For it is theComforter alone, which teacheth you to hatefinse, not fo much for the punifhment , as becaufe it is euill and difli- keth GOD, albeit hee 'hew not himfelfe fofullyat the firft :becaufe you had fo manic waies grieuouflie offended him, as that heefeemeth forawhile quite toforfakeyou. Ands, that you haue not quite loft him , but that hee is yet in force fecret corner ofyour foule, from whence at yourinftant prai- ers hee will fhewhimfelfe vntoyou , this willplainlie declarevntoyou,which Inowe admonifh you ofthe feconde time. But let vs graunt as much as you
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