116 a£. 73eza to 1), .dndteds. the Lords calling, & c~ther by reafon offame 1 .A I blc:fsing;that we doeloueGod, wholoued·v~ gneuous finnc,mto whtch they haue fallen, or firti, whenwee were his enemies. You lfauebecaufe t~ey haue abfented themfelues from therfore,my good brother,iuft caufe,whyyou the ~hurch of~od, or m t.h~t they , refufmg ' !hold be greatly·difpleafed with many things publik:.~nd pnuate admonitions, haue beene i pati, butthere is nocaufewhyyou fhould dectf~nfiue tothe Church,0r,which in mine ex... fpaire~Briefl_y,youha_ue if!wardly )t: ,as it.Wera pemnce- hath befallen many very good aad dwellmg wttl)•you, cutdent tdhmomes of godly petfons,whiletithey fatisficdnotthem- [ ~our future rec6'ciliationwith God:efpecially. felues,theya~efo alt~gethcr bulily co~?erfant , tf you ceafe_ not topray ~nto him earneftly, m reprehendmg and mdgmg themfelues, that 1 who hath l:ud rbefoundruiofreptttt~nceinyou, they for a wht.le forget the mercyofGod:wtrb towtt,•difl.lr..eof ftn,&• 4ejir- to•bereconci/~dvn. thefe, to omtt fuch as for fome naturallmfic- 1 ' to hm•.Thefhe<pe whtch wanderedout ofthe mities, are if they procore notfpeedy helpe I fold, ceafed not to be afhcepe, albeit itwent of fomeexpert Phyfition, moti dangerou!ly atiray for a time: you n()W are thadheepe, t() tempted: with thefe,I fay,I vfe this order: whom. that faithfull Shepheard of all thofe Firti,I defire that they intimate vnto me,that B lheepe, which the Father hath committed to which efpocially grieuetb them,& as I vnderhim, kauing thofc ninety and nine, dothnot fiand both the thing, .and meafure thereof by fo muchbymy'minilterie,declare that he fee• them : I take efpeciall eareofthis, that they keth you, ashauingalready foughtyou, thogh being already ouermuch cati downe, that I you not feekins him, hath indeed found you. then,t.y the feuere denunciationofthelaw,do 1Mat•7·7· Rnock!(faithhe)••ditJl,.n~eopenid not quiteouerturnethem:yetfo,as thati doe vnroy••· And haue you now forgotten thofe not altog~ther withdrawrhem,either fro conpromifes, which were fo often made to them dcmningtheir former fins,or the mcditatio ofl that repent?andalfo, which they had experi• Gods iudgcment:And fo,asmuch as I can,tecnceof, who inthe fight ofthe world werein perthe words ofconfolario, as that!"nothing adefperate c.fe?But I,faithhe againe,feeleno c!oake G0ds angeragain!l: them fottheir fins, fcnfeoffaith,or hope: butI fecle all thecon~ A~ter.nhauethusprepared them; I rben detrary. Nay,fay I, you decciue your felfe, aS>l mahd,whether they haue bin euer io this cafe told you before. Forit is ihe C:6forter alone ornolnay(faythey,for the moll part)the time which teacheth you to hate linne,not fo much was,when in greatioy& peace of€<ifcienoe,I . forthe punilbment, as becaufe it is euill an'd" • f<ru'd the Lord,then was I an happy perlo,ful 0 ditliketh God, albeit he fhe\vcth not himfelfe offaith,fulofhope:buttiow wretchrbatlam, fofully at the firlt: hecaufc you had fo many haue loft my firfl: loue.& there isnothiogvex· waies grieuou!lyoffended him: as that he f~eerbmemor.e,theror<meberthofctimespall:. ,mcihfora while quite to for&keyou. And, But fay l,whether confideration is more gtie.. ' thatyou hauenot quite loll: him, but thathe is uous vnro·thee, the apprehenfion ofGods yet in fome fecretcomer ofyourfoulc, frorr( iudgemcnts,orrhedi!likeofthy felftbatthou whenceat your intiant prayers he will fhew lhouldft oftC:nd f<> gracious.& louing a father? himfclfe'Vnto you,this wil plainly declarevn. Both fuythey,but efpeciallythc·lattcr.Theretoyou,which Inowadmonifhyou oftbe.fec6d fore,fay I, tin alfo difpleafi:th thee in thatit is time. Butletvs grant as much asyeu can:fay: fin,namcly,becaufdt isenill,and Godwho is yot fureit is,that your faith was notdead, but goodnes it felfc,i&effen.ded withit?It is euen <mly poffe£fed with afpiriruall lethargy. Yop as you told vs,fay they, & I am noW;afhamed liuedin the wornbeofyour mother, and there that fo vile and wicked a wretdt·a•·myfelfC, weicig.arantofyour life.A drunkenman,alflwuld come before fo gracious and mcrcifull though helofe for athnc the vfe ofreafon, & a father. Then Itell them, that noman is ofalfo ofhis limmes,yethe ncuer!Gfeth reafon it fended,butratherisglad,wheahecaniniurii D felfe. You would thinke that in winter the one whom hd1atcth: thisthey grant,& with- ·trees were dead, but theyfpring againe in the all fay, God forbid, that albeit the Lord hate .fummer feafon. At night the Sunne fetteth, me,I in like fort fbould hate him,vnco whom, but in the next morning it rifeth againe. And ifit were pofsible, I would bee reconciled ahow often fee .wee by experience,.that hee gaine. Then! addethis: Beofgoodcomfurt, wh<ob atonenmetooke the foylcmacommy deare brother; you are in good cafe, F~r ba~e,at ano!her di~:-"in the pri"ze I And know who can loue God, cfpecially w~enhec IS rh~<, that !~ afptrttuallcombnte of~he flelh woundedbyhim? who can bewailethelo£fe wuhthefpmt, thehkewem,ay fe«nmany, ofhis friendfltip? who can defire to come a- · partly by reafonofthe weaknes ofour natu.re,· gaindnto his fauour, buthe, whomGod tiill partly through !loth to refift-, and partly for Ioucth, although for a time he be angry with d~fault to beware. To thefe hqeplyeth (for him I e~ccpt peradnenture you haue not !eatiwchtemptattons are v~ry hardly remooued) ned thus much,thattheknowledgeofour falI would to God, faith he, I could perfwade uation ~ommeth not from lle!h anllblood,. my fdfnhat thefe prom1fes bdonged to mee. bnt from God hirnfelfc, who firft vouchfafed .For my pre!Cnt etiate contiraineth mo;e to to inftru<'t vs,and from Chriti kfus, manifedoubt,whether 1 amthechitd·ofG~d,or n<;>t. fungthe Fathervntovs: And that ids Gods L•m Chrij/onefcSII ftnw, AN
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