Conviction and Conversion—Gospel Consolations, and Conclusion
COKVICTIOH
JUSTD COlfTEESION.
and a matter of exceeding grievance—but to be eternally separated firom God, to be shut out of his favour, and to be cast away from his presence, and the presence of his angels, is a matter of infinite more dolor and torment.
Mark then, and behold, what a thing it is for a man to lose his soul!
Oh therefore that men would be wise in God's fear, that they would look out in time, and make provision for their souls.
Now then, to close up this whole point, the sum of all that hath been said is this: that the torments of hell are endless, easeless, and remediless.
CONVICTION AlO) CONVERSION—GOSPEL
CONSOLATIONS; AND CONCLUSION.
Asun. The laying open of these doctrines of heU-fire, and the judgment to come, maketh me quake and tremble; I am thereby much perplexed
—I feel great terror in my conscience—I am afraid 1 shall be damned.
Antil. Damned, man! what, speak you of damning?
I am ashamed to hear you say so; for it is well known that you are an honest man, a quiet liver, a good neighbour, and as good a townsman as any is in the parish where you dwell, and you have always been so reputed and taken. K you should be damned, I know not who should be saved.
Asun. I regard not your flatteries ; I believe God; I believe his word; I believe those things which Mr. Theologus hath alleged out of the
C05TICTI0K \yB cokyersiox. holy scriptures, pointing me both to the chapter and the verse, and whether it he more meet that I should believe the scriptures or your soothings, judge you.
No, no! now I do clearly see, by the glass of God's law, that my state is wretched and miserable; for I have lived in sin and ignorance all the days of my life, being utterly void of all religion and true knowledge of God.
I am not the man indeed that you and others take me for; for, though outwardly 1 have lived honestly to the worldward, yet inwardly I have not lived religiously to Godward.
Antil. Tush, tush! now I see you are in a melancholy humour; if you will go home with me 1 can give you a speedy remedy, for I have many pleasant and merry books, which if you should hear them read, would soon remedy you of this melancholy passion :
1 have the Court of Venus, the Palace of Pleasure, Beuas of Southampton, Ellen of Rummin, the merry Jest of the Friar and the Boy, the pleasant Story of Clem of the Clough, Adam Bell, and William of Cloudesley, the odd tale of William, Richard, and Humfry, the pretty conceit of John Splinter's last Will and Testament; which are all excellent and singular books against heart-qualms, and to remove such dumpishness as I see you are now fallen into.
Asun. Your vain and frivolous books of tales, jests, and lies, would more increase my grief, and strike the print of sorrow deeper into my heart.
Antil. Nay, if you be of that mind, 1 have done with you.
Phil.
I pray you, if a man may be so bold with you, how came you by all these good books?
I should have said so much trash and rubbish.
C05VICTI0K Am) COKTEBSIOir.
Antil. What mattereth it to you? what have you to do to inquire?
But I pray you, sir, what mean you to call them trash and rubbish ?
Phil.
Because they be no better.
They be goodly gear, trim stuff: they are good to kindle a fire, or to scour a hot oven withal; and shall
I tell you my opinion of them ?
I do thus think that they were devised by the devil, seen and allowed by the pope, printed in hell, bound up by hobgoblin, and first published and dispersed in Rome, Italy, and Spmn ; and all to this end, that thereby men might be kept from the reading of the scriptures; for even as a lapwing with her busy cry draweth men away from her nest, so the popish generation, by these fabulous devices, draw men from the scriptures.
Antil. Ah, sir, I see now, a fool's bolt is soon shot—you are more precise than wise—the vicar of St. Fool's shall be your ghostly father.
What! tell you me of your opinion ? I would you should well know I neither regard you nor your opinion: there be wiser men than you which do both read, allow, and take pleasure in these books.
Theol. Let him alone, good Philagathus, for you see what he is; there is no end of his crossing and cavilling; but he that is ignorant, let him be ignorant; and he that is filthy, let him be more filthy.
Let us now turn our speech to Asunetus, for I see he is heavy-hearted, and troubled in his mind.
How do you, Asunetus? how do you feel yourself ? methinketh you are very sad.
Asun.
I am the better for you, sir, thank God:
I never knew what sin meant till this day.
It hath pleased God now to give me some sight and feeling thereof:
I am greatly distressed in my
COSTICTION AND CONVEESION.
conscience to think what I have been.
The remembrance of mj former sins doth strike an horror into me.
When I consider how ignorantly and profanely, and how far off from God I have lived all my life, it stings and gripes me to the heart.
I do now see that which I never saw, and feel that which I never felt:
I do plainly see, that if I had died in that state wherein I have lived all my life, I should certainly have been condemned, and should have perished for ever in my sin and ignorance.
Theol. I am very glad that God hath opened your eyes, and given you the sight and feeling of your misery, which indeed, is the very first step to eternal life.
It is a great favour and special mercy of God towards you, that he hath so touched your heart; you can never be thankful enough for it.
It is more than if you had a million of gold given you.
It is the only rare privilege of God's elect, to have the eyes of their souls opened, that they may see into heavenh' and : as for the world, it is just with God to leave them in their blindness. spiritual things Asun.
I do feel the burden of my sins, I am greatly grieved for them, I am weary of them, I am sorry that ever I sinned against God, or that I should be such a wretch as to incur his displeasure, and provoke his Majesty against me; but I pray you, good Mr. Theologus, since you are a spiritual physician, and I am sick of sin, that you would minister unto me out of God's word, some spiritual physic and comfort.
Theol. Truly, I must needs think that the promises of mercy and forgiveness of sin made in the gospel, do belong unto you, and that Jesus Christ
: you are truly interested in him, and have is yours
C05VICTIOK AKD COKTEESION.
a proper right unto him ; for he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
You do now feel yourself to be a sinner, you are grieved for your sins, you are weary of them; therefore Jesus Christ is for you, all the benefits of his passion belong to you.
Again, he saith, Matt. xix. 12, 'The whole need not the physician, but they that are sick."
But you do acknowledge yourself to be sick of sin, therefore Christ Jesus will be your physician—he will swaddle you, and lap you—he wUl bind up all your sores—he will heal all your woimds—he will anoint them with the oil of his mercy—he will smile upon you and shew you a joyful countenance—he will say unto you, your sins are forgiven.
In him you shall have rest and peace to your soul; through him you shall have ease and comfort ; for he taketh pity of aU such as mourn for their sins, as you do.
He biddeth you, and all that are in your case, to come unto him, and he will help you.
"Come unto me," saith he. Matt. xi. 28, "all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will ease you." You are one of them that are bid to come, for you are weary of your sins, you feel the burden of them.
Christ is altogether for such as you are.
He regardeth not the world, that is, the profane and unregenerate men ; he bids not them come, he prayeth not for them; "I pray not for the world," saith he, John xvii. 9
; they have no part nor interest in him ; they have nothing to do with him, nor with his merits and righteousness.
He is only for the penitent sinner, and such as mourn for their sins ; he is a pillow of down to all aching heads, and aching consciences.
Be of good comfort, therefore, fear nothing; for assuredly Christ and all his righteousness is yours; he will clothe you
THE CONSOLATIONS
with it; he will never impute your sins unto you, or lay any of them to your charge, though they be never so many or so great—he will forget them and forgive them; as he saith by his prophet, Isa. i.
18, "Though your sins were as crimson, they shall be made as white as snow; though they were red like scarlet, they shall be as wool."
And again, he saith by the same prophet, xliv.
22, " I have put away thy transgressions as thick clouds, and thy sins as a mist."
By another prophet he saith, Mic. vii. 19, "He will lay aside our iniquities, and cast all our sins into the bottom of the sea."
Again, he saith by the pBSphet Isaiah, xliii.
25, "I, even I, am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins;" and yet more sweetly he speak eth unto us by the prophet Jeremiah, iii. 12, saying, "Turn again unto me, and I will not let my wrath fall upon you, for I am merciful, and will not always keep mine anger;" and again, by the prophet Hosea, xi. 9, he saith,
"I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath; I will not return to destroy Ephraim ; for I am God, and not man."
Be of good cheer, therefore; comfort yourself with these promises; you have cause to rejoice, seeing God hath wrought in you a dislike and a grief for your sins, which is a certain token that your sins shall never hurt you; for sins past cannot hurt us, if sins present do not like us.
You are grown to a hatred and dislike of your sins; you mourn under the burden of them; therefore you are blessed; for "blessed are '
Why therefore should you be they that mourn.' so heavy and sad?
Eemember what St. John saith, 1 John ii.
1, " If any man sin, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the
OF THE GOSPEL.
reconciliation for our sins."
St.
Paul saith, Rom. iii. 2-5, "That Jesus Christ is set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood."
Again, the Holy Ghost saith, Heb. vii. 25, " He is perfectly able to save all those that come unto
God by him, seeing he ever hveth to make intercession for us."
The apostle saith, 1 Cor. i.
30, "He is made of God for us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption:" mark that he saith all is for us, all is for his church, and for every member of his church, and therefore for you.
Christ is made of God righteousness, sanctification, and redemption for you.
Christ is your Mediator and your High Priest, and hath offered up the everlasting sacrifice, even for you, that he might pay your ransom, and redeem you from all iniquity: "By his own blood hath he entered once into the holy place, and obtained eternal redemption for you,"
Heb. vs.
12.
Christ is not entered into the holy places which are made with hands, which are similitudes of the true sanctuary; but is entered into the very heaven, to appear now in the sight of God for you.
The apostle saith, 2 Cor. v. 21, "He hath made him to be sin for you, that knew no sin, that you might be made the righteousness of God in him;"
Gal. iii. 13, "Christ was made a curse for you, that he might redeem you from the curse of the law."
Oh, therefore, how happy are you that have such aMediator and High Priest.
Rest therefore wholly upon him, and upon that perfect, eternal, and propitiatory sacrifice which he hath once offered.
Apply Christ, apply his merits, apply the promises to yourself, and to your own conscience, so shall they do you good and bring gi-eat comfort to youi soul.
For put case—^you
THE CONSOLATIONS
had a most excellent and sovereign salve, which would cure any wound it were laid unto, yet if you should lock it up in your chest, and never apply it to your wound, what good could it do you? even sothe righteousness andmerits of Christ are a spiritual salve, which will cure any wound of the soul: but if we do not apply them to ourselves by faith they can do us no good.
You must therefore apply Christ, and all the promises of the gospel to yourself by faith, and stand fully persuaded that whatsoever he hath done upon the : for what cross, he hath done for you particularly is justifying faith but a full persuasion of God's particular love to us in Christ?
A general and confused knowledge of Christ and of his gospel availeth not to eternal life.
Labour therefore to have the true use of all these great and precious promises ; stick fast to Christ, for through him only we have remission of sins and eternal life.
"To him all the prophets give witness," saith St.
Peter, "that through his name, all that believe shall receive remission of their sins," Acts x. 43 j where the apostle telleth us, that if a grand jury of prophets were pannelled to testify of the way and means to eternal life, they would all with one consent bring in a verdict, that remission of sins and eternal life are only in Christ.
Let us hear the foreman speak, and one or two of the rest, "for in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand."
The prophet Isaiah saith, " He was wounded for our transgressions; he was broken for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed."
This great prophet, we see, doth plainly affirm that Christ suffered for our sins, and by his suffering we are saved.
The prophet Jere-
or THI G08PBI..
miah testifieth the same thing, saying, xxiii. 5, "Behold, the days come," saith the Lord, " that I will raise unto David a righteous branch; and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is the name whereby they shall call him, the Lord our righteousness."
This prophet trumpeth with the other, for he saith, that Christ is the righteous branch, and that he is our righteousness, which is all one as if he had said our sins are pardoned only through him, and through him we are made righteous.
Moreover, he afSrmeth that Judah and Israel, that is, the church, shall be saved by him.
The prophet Zechariah, that I may speak it with reverence, telleth the same tale, word for word.
He announceth the same thing with the other two prophets, for he saith, xiii.
1, "In that day a fountain shall be opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for imcleanness:" the meaning of the prophet is, that in the days of Christ's kingdom, the fountaiu of God's mercy in Christ should be opened, and let out to wash away the sins and uncleanness of the church.
So then, we see that these three great witnesses do all agree in this—that through Christ only we are washed from our sins, and through him only we are made righteous.
Seeing then that eternal life is only in the Son, therefore, " He that hath the Son hath life."
Be of good courage therefore, Asunetus, for no doubt you have the Son, and therefore eternal life: fear not your sins, for they cannot hurt you; for as all the righteousness of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the most righteous men that ever lived upon the face ofthe ^rth
THE CONSOLATIONS
if it were yours, could do you no good without Christ; so all the sins in the world can do you no " For there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus," Rom. hurt, being in Christ; viii. 4.
Pluck up a good heart, therefore ; be no more heavy and sad ; for if you be found in Christ, clothed with his perfect righteousness, being made yours through faith—what can the devil say to you ? what can the law do ?
They may well hiss at you, but they cannot sting you; they may grin at you, but they cannot hurt you; for "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
It is God that justifieth; who shall condemn?
It is Christ which is dead, or rather which is risen again, who is also at the right hand of God, and maketh request for us," Rom. viii. 33.
"Rejoice in the Lord, therefore, and again I say, rejoice,"
Phil. iv. 4.
For greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world: our Lord Jesus is stronger than all.
None can pluck you out of his hands: he is a strong Mediator; he hath conquered all our spiritual enemies ; he hath overcome hell, death, and damnation; "He hath led captivity captive; he hath spoiled principalities and powers, and hath made an open show of them, and triumphed over them in his cross,"
Col. ii.
15; he hath most triumphantly said, "0 death, I will be thy death; grave, I will be thy destruction," Hos. xiii. 14
; "0 death, where is thy sting? hell, where is thy victory?" 1 Cor. xv. 52.
Seeing then you have such a Mediator and High Priest, as hath conquered the hellish army and subdued all infernal power, what need you to doubt? what need you to fear any more?
Moreover, you are to understand, and to be persuaded, that God's mere}-- is exceeding great towards penitent sinners, and all
OF THE QOSPJBL.
such as mourn for their transgressions, according as he saith, "At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart, he will put them all out of his remembrance."
The prophet David doth most lively and fully describe unto us the merciful nature of God in the 103rd Psalm, where he saith, "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger, and of great kindness; he will not always chide, neither keep his anger for ever; he hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heaven is above the earth, so great is his mercy towards those that fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our sins from us.
As a father hath compassion on his . children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him.
For he knoweth whereof we be made; he remembereth that we are but dust."
The history of the lost son doth most notably set forth the wonderful mercy ofGod towards penitent sinners.
There is shewed how the Lord doth embrace, tender, and make much of such poor sinners as have broken and contrite hearts for their sins; for it is said, Luke xv. that when the father saw his repenting son a great way off, he had compassion on him, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him, and clothed him with the best robe, put it on him, put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and caused the fat calf to be killed for him.
Even so, the everlasting Father doth rejoice at the conversion of any of his lost sons.
Yea, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God for one sinner that converteth.
Moreover, the Lord doth most hvely express his merciful nature and disposition, in this, that he
THE COKSOLA.TIOKS
is very loth we should perish and willingly east away ourselves.
Therefore, often in the holy scriptures, he doth mourn for us, bewail our wretchedness, and taketh up many pitiful complaints, and lamentations for us, saying, "Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways,"
Ps.
Ixxxi. 13; and again, "Oh that thou hadst hearkened unto my commandments; then had thy prosperity been as the flood, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea,"
Isa. xhii.
18; again, he mourningly complaineth by his prophet Hosea, saying, vi. 4, "
Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee ?
Judah, how shall I entreat thee?" And in another place, "What could I do more unto my vineyard that I have not done?
Mark here, how compassionately the Almighty God doth yearn overus, and even as it were bleed upon our wounds.
The apostle also doth note the rich mercy, and marvellous love of God to mankind in this, that he doth beseech us, and pray us by the ministers of the gospel, that we would be reconciled unto him : the words are these, 2 Cor. v.
" Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you through us, we pray you in Christ's stead, that you be reconciled unto God."
Is it not a strange thing that the omnipotent God should fall to entreating of us poor wretches?
It is all one as if a king should entreat a beggar, whom he may w^ill and command; but the abundant mercy of God towards mankind doth most of all consist in this, that he hath given his only Son for us, when we were his enemies; as it is written, John iii.
16, "God so loved the world, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
or THE GOSPEL.
but have eternal life."
Again, Eom. v. 8, "God setteth out his love towards us, seeing that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him; for if when we were enemies we were reconciled, to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
In all this then we may clearly behold the infinite mercy of G^d towards us poor sinners; for is it not a great matter that the Son of God should take our nature upon him, should be so abased as he was, and should humble himself to death, even to the death of the cross ?
Phil. ii. 8
; for as the shadow of the dial went back ten degrees that Hezekiah might receive length of days, and much happiness; so Christ, the sun of righteousness hath gone back many degrees, that we might have eternal life.
His humiliation, therefore, is our exaltation; his sufferings our joy; his death our life; for we have no other remedy or refuge but only his merits and righteousness—^he is our city of refuge, whither we must fly, and where we must take sanctuary—he is the balm of Gilead, whereby our souls are cured—he is that pool of Bethesda, where every man may be cured of what disease soever he hath—he is the river of Jordan, where Naaman may wash away all his leprosy —he is that pelican, who, by picking a hole in his own breast, doth restore his young to life again by his blood.
Yet one thing we must note by the way, which hath been partly touched before, that all the mercy of God, and merits of Christ, are to be restrained only to the elect—only to the true members of the church—as plainly appeareth in the 103rd Psalm, where the mercies of God,
THE CONSOLATIONS
whicli there are largely described, are restrained only to them that fear him, keep his covenant, and think upon his commandments to do them.
And touching Christ, it is said that he is a Prince and a Saviour unto Israel; and that he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Again, it is written, that Christ being consecrate, was made "the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him."
None do or can obey him, but only the elect; therefore, he is the author of salvation only to the elect; and, consequently, the profane world, whatsoever they say, whatsoever they brag and boast, have no true title or interest in him.
This thing was figured in the law, in this, that the mercy seat, which was a type of God's mercy in Christ, and the ark, which was a figure of the church, were, by the express commandment of God, fitted each to other, both in length and breadth; for as the ark was two cubits and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, just so was the mercy seat, Exod. xxv.
10, 17 ; noting thereby that the mercy of God in Christ should only be fitted to his church, and belong only to the church, so as not one without the church should be saved; for he that hath not the church for his mother cannot have God for his father.
Lastly, we are to observe, that as God is infinite in mercy, and of great compassion towards penitent sinners, so also is he most constant in the course of his mercies towards his children; and, therefore, one of the Psalms, cxxxvi. carrieth this foot, "His mercy endureth for ever; his mercy endureth for ever; his mercy endureth for ever;" noting thereby both the constancy and eternity of God's mercy.
To the same purpose, it is thus written, Lamen. iii. 22, "It is of the Lord's mer-
OF THE GOSPEL.
cies that we are uot consumed; it is because his compassions Ml not."
Let us know, therefore, that God, as touching his mercy to his children, is of a most constant and unchangeable nature; as he saith, "I am the Lord, I change not;" for if God were of a changeable nature, as we are, and subject to passions, then were we in a most miserable case.
Then must he needs smite us down, Mid take vengeance of us every day, and every hour in the day; because we provoke him every day, and every hour in the day.
But the God of heaven is not as a man, that he should be subject to passions and affections; he is of a most constant and inmiutable nature; for though we provoke him every day with new sins, yet he is so far off firom taking revenge, that the next day he rewardeth us with new mercies, and breaketh through all our unkindness, to shew kindness unto us, and through all our naughtiness to do us good.
All our infirmities cannot make him break off with us, or cease to love us—he is content to take us with all faults; and to love us dearly, though we have great faults—he regardeth not our infirmities, though we be oftentimes wayward and elvish,* yet, for aU that, he loveth us nevertheless.
Even as a loving mother, though her young suckling cry all night, and be exceeding treafef and wayward, so as she cannot rest an hour in the night; yea, though she endure much loathsomeness and trouble with it, yet in the morning, when she ariseth, she loveth it nevertheless, and dandles it, playeth with it, smileth and laugheth upon it; so the God of all mercies, whose love towards us far passeth the love of mothers, though we grieve
• Rowaid, widkcd. t Peevish, pettish.
THE CONSOLATIONS
him with our iafirmities continually, yet loveth us nevertheless, and is content to put up all, to forget and forgive all; for he is a most constant lover.
Where he once sets and settles his love, he loveth most constantly ; nothing can alter him ; nothing can remove him.
Even as a father, when his little child catcheth a fall, breaketh his shins, and hurteth his face, is so far from being offended or displeased with him therefore, that he doth pity him, and bemoan him, seeking remedies for his hurt ; so our merciful Father is so far from being angry and displeased with us for some slips and falls, that he doth the more pity us, and lament our case.
Even as a loving and wise husband, though his wife have many infirmities, yet knowing that she loveth him dearly, and that her heart is with him, he is well content to wink at all her faults, to hide them, to bear with them, yea, and to make nothing of them, loving her nevertheless for them; so our dear husband and spouse, Jesus Christ, because he knoweth we love him, and that he hath our hearts, is content to bear with all our infirmities, and to make light of them.
For this cause it is that he saith to his spouse in the Canticles, iv.
1, 7, though she was black and full of infirmities, " Behold, thou art fair, my love ; behold, thou art fair; thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee."
Mark that he calleth his church fair, all fair, and without spot; not because she was so in herself, but because she was made so in him ; and, assuredly, the eternal God, beholding her in his Son, doth so esteem and account of her; for as he that beholdeth any thing through a red glass doth take it to be red, as is the colour of the glass; so God the Father, beholding us
OF THE GOSPEL.
ill his Son, doth take us to be of the same nature and quality that he is: that is, perfectly righteous; for this cause it is that he loveth us, and setteth his heart upon us, and will not be removed from us; for his love to his children is always one and the same, although we have not always the hke sight and feeling of it; as the moon is always the same in substance and quality, though sometime it seemeth unto us to be wasted, into a very small scantling.
Let us know then, to our great comfort, that the love of God towards us, in his dear Son, is constant and always alike, and that he will not discountenance us, or shake us off for some infirmities, no, nor yet for many infirmities ; for the merciful God doth accept of his children because their general care is good, and the universal tenor of their life tendeth unto righteousness, howsoever they may greatly fail in many particular actions.
Two or three fits of an ague do not prove a diseased body ; nor two or three good days a sound body ; even so, some few infinnities do not argue a wicked man; nor two or three good, actions a good man ; but we must have an eye to the certain and settled course of a man's fife.
Even as men ai*e truly said to walk in a way when they go in it, although sometimes they trip and stumble; so God's children do walk in the way of righteousness, although sometimes they stumble, and step out of it; or sometimes be violently haled out of it by thieves; for Satan and the violence of our lusts, do often hail us out of the way, but we must get into it again as soon as we are escaped.
Now then, to conclude, and draw to an end, since God is so infinitely merciful and constant in his mercy—since such great and pre-
CONCLTJSIOK.
cious promises are made to us in Christ—since the Lord doth not regard our infirmities when our hearts are with him—therefore, Asunetus, be of good cheer; let nothing trouble you; fear not the assaults of the devil; regard not his temptations; for assuredly your sins are forgiven.
Christ is yours, heaven is yours, and all the promises of life and salvation belong unto you; so as you need not to doubt.
You cannot miscarry, your name is written in the book of Hfe.
Asun.
I am greatly comforted and cheered up with your words: your preaching of the gospel, and laying open of God's abundant mercy in Christ, and of the promises, do exceedingly revive me, and even as it were put new life into me : they are as sack and sugar unto my soul, and more sweet than the honey and the honey-comb; they are as physic to my sick soul, and as ointment to my spiritual wounds.
I do now begin to see what misery is in man, and what mercy is in God.
And I know, by woful experience, that where misery is not felt there mercy is not regarded; but now it hath pleased God to give me some feeling of mine own wretchedness and misery, and yet with good comfort in his mercy.
For, I thank God for it, I begin now to grow to some persxiasion, that the promises do belong unto me, my sins are forgiven, and that I am one of them that shall be saved.
Theol.
I do greatly rejoice that God hath according to his rich mercy wrought this good work in you.
1 do, from the bottom of my heart, give him the praise and glory of it. Happy are you that ever you were born, in whom God hath wrought so gracious a work.
It is of his high favour and special mercy towards you, for it is only the
cojrcLiisioK.
privilege and prerogative royal of God's own children, truly to repent and believe.
I beseech God, therefore, to increase your faith, and to fill you full of joy and peace in beheving, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Antil. The sun draweth low, Asunetus, it is time for you and me to be going.
Phil. Indeed the night will approach by and by; and therefore we must of necessity break off.
Theol. Since it is so, we will here surcease, and go no further.
Asun.
Sir, I will now take my leave of you.
I can never be thankful enough for all the good instructions and comforts which I have heard from you this day ; I hope I shall remember some of them whilst I live :
I do therefore praise God for you, and for your counsel, and for this day which I hope shaU be the first day of my repentance, and true conversion unto Gt)d.
Theol. The Lord for his infinite mercies' sake grant it.
And I most himibly beseech the Almighty God to establish you with his free Spirit, that you may proceed and go forward in a Christian course unto the end.
Phil. I pray you, good Mr. Theologus, pardon my boldness; for you see I have been very bold to propound many questions unto you, wherein you have fully satisfied me, to the great joy and comfort of my soul.
I do therefore praise Gt)d for you, and I hope I shall never forget some things which you have uttered.
But I will now commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build further.
Theol. Farewell, good Philagathus, The Lord
CONCLTJSION.
bless you, aaid keep you in all your ways; and the Grod of Heaven preserve us all, and continue us in his fear unto the end.
All glory be given to God!