THE heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things, Ier. 17.9. who can know it? Although the heart of man be so little, that it will scarce serue a Kite for a baite, yet ther are not more windings, nor more turnings in a Maze, or in a Laborinth, then are in the heart of man. The Heathen were so forward in ac­knowledging a diuine power, that rather then they would be without a god, they gaue diuine honour to any kinde of creature.

The Assyrians worshipped Idols; the Persians stars; the Aegyptians plants, and all manner of beasts; the Graecians their owne conceipts, and the Romanes made their city a shoppe for all kinde of gods. So many were the windings, and so infinite the turnings of the heathen touching diuine worshippe; that Varro obserued in the world thirtie thousand gods. The dis­solute & cunning Atheist, he hath a fetch by himselfe alone, he lets lose the reines, & followes the streanie of his sensual affections, because hee conceiues in his [Page 2]heart, and cleane contrarie to the Heathen, saith there is no God at all.Psal. 14 1. There is a third kinde, who though in show they outwardly acknowledge God, yet they againe haue an other winding, secretly to themselues they plod on, swallowing any sinne, for why?Zeph. 1, 12. The Lord will neither doe good nor euill. Because there is not present punishment for euerie sinne. Tush all is well, no harme shall happen vnto vs; For God careth not for any thing. Psal. 10.12. Lastly, in these our daies, there is yet a fourth sort, who haue a more strange turning then all the former. For many ha­uing a generall notion of Gods omnipotencie, hea­ring and reading sometimes of Gods Election and Reprobation (whereof they vnderstand no ground, nor conceiue aright) they will presume to commit any sinne; for (say they) All is in God, no man can resist his power, if he hath chosen me to life, I am sure for one, if otherwise (as he did with Pharao) hee hath appointed me a Vessell of his wrath, it is not possibly to be auoided. Such are the windings, and these are the turninges in the heartes, and secret thoughts of men, eyther, euerie creature a God, or else no God; eyther a God that regardeth not sinne, or else a God that causeth vs to sinne.Esay. 29.15. These tur­nings and deuises in the sight of the Lord, are estee­med as clay, before the potter. To conuince the pal­pable errors of the three former, I hold it not conuenient: For, to thinke, there is any one heere present, who doth acknowledge no god at all, or such a GOD as regardeth not the actions of men, I hold it wrong to this holy assembly, and I hope better things of this Christian audience.

[Page 3]But to meete with this latter sort, who leauing all good meanes of their saluation, doe inwardly fall away from GOD, and yet in their willfull ignorance would shift off, and shoue the cause of their condemnation vpon God. For such chiefely, haue I vndertaken the exposition of this Scripture, in opening whereof I will touch these foure points. First that there is

• 1 An Hardening.
• 2 That God Hardeneth not.
• 3 How men become Hardened.
• 4 The meanes to avoid it.

Concerning the first point. There are in the Scriptures two Greeke verbes, which are com­monly vsed for this Hardening. The first is [...], which doth properly signifie, to drie vp and wither, vsed often in the 3. to the Hebrewes. 8.13.15. verses [...]. Harden not yoour hearts. The other verbe is [...], which signifies to obdurate, or to make hard. Ephes. 4.18. [...], They became strangers from the life of God, through the hard­nesse of their hearts. Hauing thus recourse vnto the Greeke tongue, we shall see, that in the heart of man, first, there is a drying vp, and a certain withering: For in naturall things, and also in the soule, as there is a watering which is good and comfortable, so there is a drying vp, and withering which is dangerous and hurtfull. In the earth there is a watering, for the hils are the teates, and the springs the milke to moy­sten, and to water the valleyes. Psalm. 104. verse, 10. Hee sendeth the springes into the riuers [Page 4]which runne amongest the hilles. In the earth there is a drynesse,Ioel. 1.20. for (saith Ioell) The people mourne for want of moisture, the riuers of waters are dryed vp, and the trees of the field are withered. In the bodie there is a watering, for the Liuer is the spring of bloud that runneth into euerie veine, and therefore Salo­mon calleth the Liuer, Ficcles. 12.7. The golden well. In the bodie, there is a withering, for Dauid complaineth in the Psalme. 22.15. verse, My moisture is like the drought in Summer, and my bones are dryed vp like a potshard. As in the earth and bodie of man, so likewise in the soule, there is a watering and a withering. In the 4. of Saint Iohn and .14. verse, there is mention of a well of li­uing waters for the soule: The preaching of grace in Christ is called the watering of Apollo. 1. Cor. 3.6. The prophet Esay saith,Esay. 12.3. with ioy ye shall draw waters out of the welles of saluation. Contrariwise, where this grace doth not water,Greg. mag. there is withering. Si spiritus irrigatio defuerit, omnis plantatio exarescit. Euery planting that hath not the watering of Gods spirit, it withereth and dryes away: therefore saith the Psalmist, the godly, they are like the tree panted by the riuers side, Psal. 1. [...]. there is wa­tering: but the vngodly are as a Garden that hath no water, and as the broken leafe that fadeth, there is wi­thering.Esay. 1.30.

The other Greeke verbe is [...], which signifies to harden. There bee Phisicae & aethicae vicissitu­dines, there is a naturall and a spirituall Philoso­phie. In the naturall course of thinges, there is a congealing and an hatdening,Iob. 38.30.31. as of the yce and frost, which Iob verie fitly calleth the bands of O­rion: because by the cold East and North windes [Page 7]the water becomes as a stone, and the clods are bound together. Contrarie to this Haraening, Psa. 147.18. there is a melting: Hee sendeth out his word, and melteth them. As when the frost doth giue, and the showers fall, which Iob calles in the same place, The sweet in­sluence of Pleiades. Both in nature, and in the soule also, there is a Resoluing, and a Hardening: Deut. 32. vers. 2. The word is called Dewe, and there is a thaw or spiri­tuall melting, when the heauenly dewe doth cause the soule to giue, and to resolue into teares of Repen­tance: so in the 2. of Kings. 22.10. Iosias heart did melt, when he heard the law read. When King Dauid had committed murder and adultery, very grieuous sinnes; he neuer be thought himselfe of the matter, but begann to congeale, and to be Hardened in his sinne, but assoone as the prophet Nathan had awaked him, and his heart (like Gedeons fleece) had drunck vp the heauenly dew, then presently Dauid began to re­lent, his soule melted with sorrow, and as appeareth in the 51. Psal, he resolued into teares of Repentance. Hezechias, when God had giuen vnto him a sodaino and triumphant victory ouer the host of Zenacharib; presently after, in the pride of his hart, he forgat God and began to congeale in sinne: but assoone as the word of the Lord came vnto him by the prophet Esay, then presently his heart melted, the bloud of his soule flowed forth in his repentant teares, as appeareth in the 38 of Esay: he turned his face vnto the wall, Esay. 38.3. and wept bitterly.

Now, as there is a Melting, so also there is an Har­dening in the soule, and that is, when the custome of [Page 6]sinne hath beaten such an hard tracke, and so tram­pled the soule, that the word of God (the seede of life) cannot enter. This is expressed in the 13. of Saint Mathew, by the parable of the seede which fell by the high way side, where there was such an hard way, such a beaten path made by the common en­trance of sinne, that the seede could take no roote, but the diuell comes like an Harpie, and deuoureth it, before it can enter: For example heereof, we will take Cain, and King Pharao, whom my Text concer­neth: Cain hauing slaine his brother Abell, and com­mitted horrible murder: the word of the Lord came vnto him, saying: Where is thy brother Abell? did Cains heart relent? did he confesse and say, I haue finned? or did he resolue into teares with Dauid? no such matter: but first he answered with a foule word: I cannot tell where he is: then he dispised the Lord to his face, as if he should say, you may goe looke him, am I my brothers keeper? marke but this answer of Cain, and his cariage therein, and you neede no other example of an heart that is Hardened: neyther affection in kinred could touch him, nor shame of the world check him, nor the bloud of his slaine brother moue him, nor the glorious presence of the Lord a­stonish him, nor the guilt of his owne thoughts rase him, nor (at last) the quickning word of God, which is powreful to raise the very dead; none of these could any whit reuiue him. Triplex circa praecordia ferrum, as Iob saith of Leuiathā, [...]orat. Tob. 41.15. his heart was harder then the nether milstone, Pharao, whē the word of God came vnto him by Moses & Aaron, Pharao. he was so far from yeilding, that he [Page 7]seemed presently as though he would haue fought with GOD: Who is the Lord, I know no Lord, nei­ther will I let Israell goe. And whereas the word, and miracles ioyned with that word were sufficient to conuince any liuing: Pharaohs heart was so sto­nie, that though by a strange miracle, al the water in the land were become bloud, and did sauour most vn­holsomely, yet it is said, Pharao went home, Exod. 7.2 [...] and all this could not enter into his heart, it could not pierce him. When the Prophet cried to the Altar of Ieroboam, O Altar, Altar, heare the word of the Lord: the Altar heard, and elaue a sunder. 1. Kina 3. But the word of God which in Ieremie. 23.29. is called an Hammer, because it bruiseth the stonie hearts of men, this Hammer with tenne miracles gaue tenne mightie strokes at Phara­ohs heart, and yet it could neuer bruise it.

Thus we may plainely see, there is a watering by grace, and a meiting by Gods word, as appeareth by Dauid and Hezechiah, who resolued into teares: againe through want of grace, there is a withering, and by custome of sinne there is an Hardening, as in Cain and Pharao, whose hearts the word of God could not pierce, but the more they were beaten on, the more hard and flintie they became.

It remaineth in the second point to discusse, whe­ther this Hardening be of God. In opening whereof it is strange to heare how vntruly, how vncharitably we are charged by our aduersaries, not onely Campion and Bellarmin, but especially in certaine ARTICLES or Forcible Reasons lately published, wherein it is di­rectly set downe, that the Protestants doe make God [Page 8] the author and onely cause of sinne, that deride Gods per­mission; Artic. 5. and plainly affirme, God is worse then the diuell, and so are bound in conscience neuer to aske God for­giuenesse of their sinnes. Oh fearefull blasphemie, and wordes vnseemely Christian eares: Where is Modestie? where is truth and Christian pietie? Is this our doctrine? doe we thus teach? no verely: both in word and writing we acknowledge the Lord our GOD to be full of compassion and loue, the bowels of his merciesweete and amiable; he would not the death of any, he is gratious and kinde, gentle and readie to forgiue, and (to the death) we af­firme, more then most holy, pure and iust are all his workes and waies: therefore the Lord be iudge betweene them and vs, and lay not this sinne vnto their charge.

Touching this doctrine, how sinne first came to be, how it came in, where it first tooke beginning, and that GOD is not the author of it, I haue shewed heeretosore in handling the Golden Chaine, the meanes of our saluation: namely, that the di­uell was Primitiuus peccator, Iohn. 6. the first offender: from him sinne first boyleth vp, as out of the maine Sea; from Sathan when it comes to Adam, it ariseth as out of a Spring; from this Spring it is reserued in nature as in a Conduit; from nature conueyed to concupiscence (as by a pipe), and from thence doth flow all the mischiefe and wickednesse that is in the life of man. Well then: if sinne doe pro­ceede from the suggestion of Sathan woorking through our owne coucupiscence; and so GOD [Page 9]wholly freed from all imputation of euill: why is it so often said in the Scripture. Deut. 2.30. And the Lord hardened the heart of Sihon King of Hesh­bon, and made him obstinate: Ioshua the 11.20. It came of the Lord to harden their hearts: and heere of­ten in the booke of Exodus, and the Lord hardened the heart of Pharao. To make this plaine: it is a poynt well knowne vnto the learned, that this speech (where it is said) God Hardened: Flaccus. Illiricus. P. Lomb. li. 1. dist. 41. the Hebrue Dia­lect doth signifie a permission, and not an action. Verbes that signifie to doe, they often expresse a suffering and not a doing. Destruit cum deserit, The. Aquin. [...].1. q. 23. arti, 3. God is then said to Harden, when he doth forsake. Impios cum non retrabit a malo culpae, dicitur dimittere. As the enduing with grace is the effect of Gods Election, so the withholding of his grace is the effect of Reprobation. Dei includere est clausis non aperire, saith Saint Gregorie vpon the 12. of Iob. and four­teene verse. Euerie action hath his quality from the roote of the affection, and from the intenti­on of the Author: Deus autem (quoad peceatum) non habet positiue velle, sed tantum priuatiue, Touching sinne, God hath no Positiue will, but onely in re­gard of former sinnes a Priuation of his grace. To be short: God doth Harden, as Saint Augustine saith: Non malum obtrudendo, sed gratiam non con­cedendo, August. not by causing vs to commit sinne, but by not granting vnto vs his grace. I, but how comes it to passe, that we (aswell as others) are not partakers of Gods grace? why haue not wee also his good Spirit to direct and guide vs? Saint Augustine makes [Page 10]it plaine againe.August. Non idcò non habet home gratiam, quia Deus non dat, sed quià home non aceipit: men become Hardened, and want the spirit of grace, why? not be­cause GOD doth not offer it vnto them, but because they receiue it not, when it is offered. For example: One of vs being sicke, and like to dye, the Physicion knowing our case, hee takes with him some preseruatiue to comfort vs, and comes to the doore and knocks; if we will not, or bee not able to let him in, wee perish and dye, and the cause is not in the Physicion, but in our selues that let him not in.Plato de leg. 10. [...]. Sinne is a disease, whereof wee are all sick, for wee haue all sin­ned: Romanes. 6.12. verse. Christ, hee is the Physi­cion of our soules:Aug [...]in Mat. 9.12. Venit de coelo magnus medicus, quia per totum vbique iacebit aegretus. Christ the great Phisition came downe from heauen, because all mankind was generally infected. He comes to the dore of our hearts, and there hee knockes. Reuel. 3.20. Behold, Iohn. 6.35. I stand at the dore and knocke, Hee bringeth with him [...] the bread of life, his eternall word to comfort vs, if wee let him in, if wee open the doore of our hearts,Lue. 10. he will come in, and suppe with vs, as hee did with Mary, and forgiue vs all our sinnes; but if wee will not, or through long contagion of our sinne bee not able to let Christ in, wee dye in our sinnes, and the case is euident, not because Christ doth not offer grace, and comfort vnto vs, but because wee receiue it not, when it is offered. Merito perit aegretus qui non medicum vocat, sed vltro venientem respuit, worthily doth that sicke patient perish,M [...]sculus. who will neither send for the Physicion [Page 11]himselfe, nor accept of his helpe, when it is offered.

More plainely thus, in the 14. of Saint Mathew. Our Sauiour walking on the sea, hee badde Saint Peter come vnto him, who walking on the water, seeing storme and tempest arise, his heart failed, and hee beganne to sinck, vppon his cry vnto our Sauiour, hee presently stretched forth his hand, tooke him into the shipp, and saued him. This world (wee know by dayly experience) it is a sea of trouble and misery: our Sauiour (as he said to Saint Peeter) so most louingly hee willeth euery one of vs to come vnto him: as wee walke, stormes and tempests doe arise, through frailty of our flesh, and the weaknes of our faith, wee beginn to sinck, our Sauiour, he stretcheth forth his hand, hee giueth vs [...] his worde, his Sacramentes, the good moti­ones of his Spirit, to saue vs from sincking, and to keepe vs in the shipp of his Church: if we refuse these meanes, wee perish, wee sinck in our sinnes, why? not because Christ doth not most kindly put forth his hand vnto vs, but bicause in want and distresse wee lay not hold vppon him. This is con­demnation, that light is come into the world, men refuse it, and loue darknes more then light. Our blessed Sa­uiour with great louing kindnesse,Iohn 3.18. hee doth inuite all men to his Great Supper, if we make excuses, or wilfully refuse to come, hee may iustly pronounce, none of those that were bidden shall euer taste of my supper. Lue. 14.24.

Therefore lett not men deceiue themselues, and complaine as though God did harden their hearts [Page 12]and denye them grace and mercie, for as Ionas saith in his 2. Chapter,Iohn. 2.8. and 8. verse. They forsake their owne mercie. Deus prior in amore, God ne­uer hateth vntill hee be first hated, and so I con­clude with Saint Ambrose: Nemo tibi Christum po­test auferre, Ambros. nisi te illi auferas, no man can sepa­rate Christ from thee, except first thou doest sepa­rate thy selfe from him. This is plainely to be obserued in Pharao, had he (being long before peac­ably setled in a rich and mighty Kingdome) made right vse of the blessings of GOD, had hee at the first, or often-times after, yeilded vnto the word of the Lord, he had neuer come to the state of Hard­ninge, nor left himselfe such a fearefull spectacle of Gods wrath for euer. But Pharao, feeling welth and reuenew coming in so fast and aboundantly, that he builded new Citties (Pithom and Raamses) to lay vp his treasures,Exod. 1.11. his heart was so bent and set vpon couetousnesse (such multitudes of people moyling and labouringe in sundry workes for his profitte) that in no case hee could endure to heare of their departure.Exod 5.2. Chap. 7.11. First, he said flatly, they should not goe; Secondly, hee sought to shift off the matter, affirming the miracles not to bee done by Gods hand, but by enchantment; Third­ly,8.25. hee yeilded they should offer sacrifice, but onely in his owne land; Fourthly, hee was con­tent they should goe sacrifice out of his land (but still he would condition with God) None but the men should goe; 10.11. Fiftly, the men should goe, the women goe,10.2 [...]. the children goe, but their sheepe [Page 13]and Oxen (wherein their wealth stoode) should not goe.

Thus Pharao (through a wretched and griple minde) neuer left winding and turning, dallying and presuming of the Lordes mercy, and pati­ence, till adding one sinne vnto another, his heart became Hardened: Nay,Obserue heere how fearefull a thing it is, wilfully to sinne against our owne con­science. notwithstanding so ma­ny miracles, and that before he confessed the Lord to be God, hee and his people sinfull, and earnestly de­sired Moses to pray for him, yet contrarie to his owne thoughts, and against his owne knowledge, when he saw the people of Israell were gone, he flies to strength of warre, he calles his Captaines, he mu­sters his people, he gathers his Chariots, he pursues with all might and maine, till at last both he and his (ouer whelmed in the sea) receiued the fearefull and finall iudgement of wilfull disobedience. Now then let all the earth know the goodnesse of the Lord, and wisely obserue his loue vnto mankinde for euer. It is true, Pharaohs heart was Hardened, and he with his Nobles vtterly ouerthrowne. But before this ouerthrow, all meanes possibly that could be, were vsed to winne Pharao. Blessing vpon blessing be­fore receiued; punishment vpon punishment af­ter inflicted; Moses still and againe prayed for him; Aaron euer and anon perswaded him; the plagues to astonish him, were sodaine and ex­ceeding wonderfull; the deliuerance, to winne him, was present, and more miraculous: the En­chanters confessed, the People cried out, his Seruants were offended, Aegypt was almost quite destroyed, [Page 14]the land of Goshen was still vntouched; God againe, and againe, and still againe was entreated, and yet Pharao remained obstinate. Shall we then say that God Hardened Pharaohs heart? Be it farre from vs: for it is directly set down in the 9. chap. 34. verse. And when Pharao saw the haile and thunder were gone, he sinned againe, and Hardened his heart; and againe the 8. chap. 15. verse. When Pharao saw that he had rest, he hardened his owne heart.

Oh, I would to God it were onely Pharaohs case, and that we also being Christians did not abuse the long forbearance, and much louing kindnesse of our God. For, now feare of the storme is ouer, but euen one yeare or two: now that our louing God through his vnspeakeable mercie hath so sweetly set all in order,Behold our vnthākfulnes to God en­ioying so re­ligious and peaceable a Prince. that all Nations round about vs stand a­mazed, now that he hath setled amongst vs a most happie and religious peace; now that he gath giuen honor, plentie, and rest throughout all the land; still, still we dally and trifle with the Lord, according to our priuate humors, and seuerall sectes; we will not prosesse the Gospell, except we first condition (as Pharao did) both with our God and King: with hum­ble hearts we do not submit our selues peaceably to serue the Lord: For this blessed Catastrophe, our soules flame not with thankefull loue, ney­ther (as they ought) breake foorth into euerla­sting prayses: Nay, whereas the word of GOD came tenne times to Pharao, willing him to let the people of Israell goe, and serue the Lord, the same word comes an hundred times tenne to our [Page 15]heartes, crying and beating vpon vs to haue vs let goe our contentions, our carnall and peruerse affections, and yet wee neuer relente at the same. A mans heart will tell him more then seuen watch­men in a Tower: Wee know,Ecceus. 37.14. we know (euery one in his owne bosome) the sinnes, which we secretly foster, and will not let goe. But as Saint Paule exhorteth the Iewes, Hebrewes 3.12. so I aduise you in the name of GOD. Take heed, take heed, least in any of you there bee found a false and an euill heart, to depart from the liuing GOD. For assured­ly it is a fearefull and bitter thing to carye euer a selfe-wild and peruerse minde, to respect meere­ly the applause of men, and fading pleasures of this life; so, inwardly falling away from God, and losing the blessed comfort of our saluation. O Sauiour sweet, and secret hope, turne vs, that we may be turned; bow our heartes, and the heartes of our seede vnto thee, that we may feare thy iudge­ments, acknowledge thy goodnesse, and stand fast in thy loue for euer.

The third poynt is to show how men become Hardened; in opening whereof, wee are to vn­derstand that there are three sortes of Hardening: Naturalis, Voluntaria, Hidicialis. The first is by Nature, the second by Habite and Custome, the third by the Iust iudgement of GOD. The first is the forgetfulnesse or dulnesse in a naturall man, when hee ouershootes himselfe, for want of wise obseruation and remembrance.

[Page 16]In this sixth of Marke, our Sauiour Christ fed fiue thousand men with fiue loaues,Mark. 6. and two fishes, a miracle sufficient to prooue vnto his Disciples, that he was the Sonne of GOD. Yet presently after, when he came walking on the Sea, and caused the winde to cease, they stoode ama­zed, and did not acknowledge his Diuinitie: for (saith the Scripture) in the two and fifteth verse.Gods children may be blinded in mind, and hardened in heart for a time They considered not the miracle of the loaues, because their hearts were Hardened, that is, through naturall imperfection they had for got it.

Secondly, there is an Hardening by habit, when (through a carelesse securitie) men doe continue in sinne, and take such a custome, as they can hardly leaue. So Simon Magus, his heart by custome was so long bent, and set vpon couetousnesse, that being conuersant amongest the Apostles, and daily imployed in most diuine and holy actions. Yet euen then, his minde and thought still ranne vpon mo­ney, vpon gaine. This is Habitualis obduratio, an Hardening which growes, by continuance in sinne. He that is in this case, it standes him vpon to ga­ther vp his spirits, and strongly to resist sinne, to se­quester himselfe ost-times vnto deuout and priuate Meditations, to ioy in hearing the word, with reuerence to receiue the blessed Sacramentes, es­pecially to bee feruent in prayer, for so Saint Pe­ter willed Simon Magus: Acts. 8.22. Repent and pray, that (if it bee possible) the thoughtes of thy heart may bee for­giuen.

[Page 17]The third and last is Iudicialis obduratis, an Hard­ning which proceedes from the iust iudgemente of God. Cumpeccatum fit paenapeccati, when sinne becomes a punishment to him that committeth it,Rom. 1.2.7. as Saint Paule sayth [...] a recompence of former errors; when the thought is so poysoned, the minde and soule so generally infected, that the spirit of God is vtterly quenched: no light of nature, no priuate counsell, no publicke exhortation out of the worde, no inwarde motions of Gods spirite can preuaile, but he goeth on so long, and is so farre spent, that beeing past all feare to offend, careleslye hee ma­keth no scruple of any sinne whatsoeuer; till at length finding in himselfe no hope of recouery, ey­ther God strikes him apparantly with his iudgement, as hee did Pharao; or else by his death hee passeth si­lent to the graue without repentance, as Diues; or in this life (as Iudas did) doeth plunge himselfe in the gulfe of desperation. This is that Hardening which is heere meant of Pharao.

This Hardening is not all on a suddaine: Non rui­mus primo impetu vt Deo reluctemur, Calw. no man is Harde­ned at the first. Nemo fit repente miser. Hebr. 3.13. Take heede least anie of you be Hardened through the deceiteful­nesse of sinne.

The deceitfulnesse of sinne, The Aquin. it creepeth like a canker worme, it gathers, it steales vpon vs, and so vnder the foreknowledge of God, men come vnto Hardening by degrees. Naturalis est ordo, vt ab imperfecto, ad per­fectum quis moueatur, It is a naturall course euen in euill (sayeth the schooleman) by degrees to come vn­to [Page 18]to perfection.Psal. 34.7. As they that dwellin Gods house, will bring foorth more fruite, and then appeare before the God of gods in perfect beauty: so, on the contrary, the wicked are not Hardened all at once, but as they offende more and more, so by little and little they grow to the height of sinne, and they doe fall from one mischiefe to an other.

Iudas was first a cunning Dissembler; Mat, 26.8. Ioh. 12.5, Mat. 26.25.48. Mat. 27.5. secondly, he became a secret Thiefe; thirdly, he grew to bee an impudent Lyar; fourthly, he proued a bold Traitor; lastly, a desperate Reprobate.

The diseases of the bodie, they do not grow at one and the selfe-same time, they do first appeare but by riot and destemperature vsed long before so the soule infected with vncleane thoughtes, and in youth accustomed to euill actions, at length commeth to the vncurable disease of Hardening. Aug confess. 8 Saint Augustine in the 8. of his Confess. doth open this point verie plainely.

First,August. the diuell by concupiscence suggesteth euill thoughts; euill thoughts egge on delight; delight towleth on consent; consent engendereth action; ac­tion bringeth forth custome; custome groweth to necessitie; and necessity in sinning is the forerunner of death. For example. First, the diuell suggesteth euill thoughts, so he did vnto Eue, he wound her in by tainting her thought, by telling her, she should haue all knowledge, and be as GOD: this euill thought egged on delight; for as appeareth in the sixth verse, the Apple grew pleasant in her eyes; this delight towled on consent, for then shee [Page 19]tooke of the fruite, lastly of consent came the action, for shee did eate and gaue it to her hus­band.

Now, when the action of sinne is committed, there doth not presently follow Hardening: for, if the heart doe melt and thaw, if the soule doe giue and resolue into teares of repentance for the same, then there is no Hardening. But, if from one action com­mitted, wee come vnto another, and so to the custome and continuance in sinne, then are wee snared with the cordes of our owne iniquity, and fettered with this chaine against the generall day of Gods Iudgment. To make this plaine, I will show you by seauen degrees, as it were by seuen stayres, how men do discend into this pit of Hardening.

The first step is importable: Sinne at the first,1 it is importable, it seemes vntollerable to be borne.Importabile. One that hath beene religiously brought vp, hath beene accustomed to a milde and honest conuersatiō, and hath bene fearefull to offend; at length, if through bad company, through his owne weaknes, and the allurements of Sathan, he falleth into any foule sinne; at the first it is importable, it doth strike such an hor­ror into him, that he is in a wofull taking and grei­uously tormented. This wee may see by Dauid, who hauing alwaies a tender conscience, loath to of­fend, yet after ouer taken by committing murder and adultery, assoone as he saw what he had done, he was mightely troubled, whersoeuer he became, his offence so stuck in his thought, that in the 51 Psal: 3. he cryeth out, my sinne is euer before me, it is continually in my sight.

[Page 20]The second stayer is Graue, 2 heauie: for sinne being committed twise or thrice,Graue. it is not as it was at the first importable, but it is heauie. Hee sorrowes, and is grieued, but hee is nothing so troubled in minde, nor afflicted in conscience as hee was be­fore.

The third stayer is Leue; 3 light: For hee that hath v­sed himselfe more often to sinne: that which at the first was importable, and afterwardes heauie, at length becommeth light. This appeareth by the vnchaste woman spoken off in the Prouerbes, who hauing had some practise in sinne, she makes no more matter of it, but lightly passeth it ouer with wiping her mouth, Pro. 30-20. and saith she hath not sinned.

The fourth stayer is insensibile, 4 past feeling, for after that sinnne bee made light of,Ensensibile. and that there bee no remorse nor griefe for sinne, then they grow past feeling: such were the Israelites of whome the Pro­phet Ieremy speaketh in his 5. chapter and 3. verse: Thou hast smitten them, but they haue not sorrowed, for they haue made their faces harder then a stone, that is, they haue sinned so long, that now they are past feeling.

The fift staire is Delectabile. 5 When men take plea­sure in sinne (as Solomon saith) They reioyce in doing e­uill and delight in wickednesse. Delectabile. Hereof Saint Augustine saith.Pro. 2.14. Tumest consummata infoelicitas, vbiturpia non so­lum committuntur, sedetiam delectant: Then is the e­state of condemnation certaine, when soule sinnes are not onely committed,6 but are delightfull also.

The sixt stayre is Desiderabile, Desiderabile. when (through de­light) [Page 21]men growe to such a custome, that they inwardly desire to sinne, so that as Saint Grego­rie said: Si nunquam moreretur, nunquam vellepce­care desineret: such a man, if he should neuer die, hee would neuer cease to sinne, for though he did not commit it in action, yet still he would desire it in thought.

The seauenth stayre is defensibile. When he hath got­ten a forehead of brasse. Esay. 48.4.7 (as the Psalmist saith) when the tyrant doth boast that he can doe mischeif, when he sits in the seate of the scorner, Defensibile. Psai. 1.1. when he doth not only by habyt desire to sinne, and delight in it, but now he will take vpon him to defend it. Peccatum porta mortis, defensio est limen inferni, Sinne is the high way to death,Origen. but the defence of sinne is the very next steppe into hell, at this point were the Iewes, who being reproued for idolatry, the Scripture saith, they saide desperatly, wee haue loued strange gods, and them will wee fol­low againe; they refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their cares, Zacha. 7 [...]1. and made their hearts as an Adamant stone. Ier. 2.25. Pro. 18.3. Impius cum venerit in profundum contemnit, a dissolute liuer once growne to the height of sinne, becomes desperate.

Thus sinne, first it is importable, secondly Heauy, thirdly it becomes Light, fourthly past feeling, fift­ly delightfull, sixtly desired, and lastly to be defended. heere is descensus auerni, these be the stayers that leade to the chambers of death, and the steppes, wherby the reprobate do descend vnto finall destruc­tion. Indeede, at the first, when sinne is importable, and [Page 22]that we are wonderfully grieued for committing of it, there is great hope of recouerie, and he that so feeling the wound of sinne, doth there stay the course of it, it is an excellent signe of saluation: Initiune salutis notitia peccati, the first steppe of repen­tance is the first finding out, and acknowledge­ment of sinne. In the second of the Actes, when they sawe and knew their sinne, they cryed out, Men and brethren, what shall wee doe to be saued: this horror, this troubled minde, it made them seeke for comfort, and so brought them to repen­tance.

Secondly, when sinne is a burden vnto our soules, so that we would faine be eased of it, there is yet good hope: we may see it by Dauid in the 38. Psalm. 4. vers. Mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head, and are as a bur­den too heauie for me to beare: the weight of this burden made Dauid in the 18. verse following, to confesse his wickednesse, and to be sory for his sinne, it made him flie vnto God for ease: O cast your burden vpon the Lord, for he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer.

Thirdly, when men make light of sinne, surely danger is not farre off, for a threefold cord is not easily broken, and the third letting of bloud in the same veine is exceeding dangerous: but yet still there is some hope, for though in the hot chase of our blinde and youth­full desires, though then for a time we account it a light matter, to commit this or that sinne, yet God may touch our heartes, Christ may looke backe vpon vs, as he did on S. Peter, who denyed him thrice, his word may so strike vs, that we may come to know our selues, to [Page 23]see in what case we are, to bewaile our infirmitie, and so turne vnto God by prayer and repentance:Iob. 33.2 [...]. All these things (as Iob saith) will God worke twice or thrice with a man. But if we come to (insensibile) to the fourth stayre, so that we grow past feeling, we sinne dai­ly, and haue no sense of it, if there be no remorse, no griefe nor dislike of sinne; wo be vnto vs, 2. Amos. 6. For three transgressions, and for foure, I will not turne to Israell (saith the Lord), without the infinite and ex­traordinary mercie of God, we are the sonnes of wrath, for then followeth this deadly wound of Har­dening. It is a principle in Phisicke, grauissime is aegro­tat, qui se non sentit aegrotare, if a man be sicke, and know it not, out of question, he is very dangerously and deadly sicke; he that findes in himselfe no want of any thing (as the Church of La [...]dicea) [...] I stand not in neede of any thing. This deadnesse,Reuel. 3.17. this vn-feeling numnesse, it is a plaine foreteller of death: for example, if a man haue taken a grieuous wound in his bodie, if it ake, if it pricke and shoote, if it paine him, eyther it is healing, or else there is hope to heale it: but (as Saint Augustine saith) Quod non dolet, August. non prosano, sed promortuo computandum, if the wound be such, that it neuer causeth griefe, if it neuer ake nor smart, vndoubtedly it is dead flesh, of necessitie it must be cut off.

To commit actuall and presumptuous sinnes, when a mans owne knowledge and Gods Spirit cry­eth in him to the contrarie, these are woundes, and grieuous woundes vnto the soule, and whosoe­uer hath gone on so farre, that he doth delight [Page 24]in these sinnes, so often, so long, that his minde is neuer troubled, his thoughtes neuer checked, his soule neuer grieued, surely such a one (being vtterly past feeling) is very neere to this fearefull estate of Hardening.

Indeede the Scripture saith, At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne, from the bottome of his heart, [...] 18.21. God will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance. Whereupon many take their pleasure in sinne, and go dissolutely on, thinking at last to make all good by repentance. It is true, if they can repent. But they must obserue what Saint Augustine saith. Qui promittit poenitenti veniam, non promittit peccanti pa [...]nitentiam God who promiseth to euerie one that repenteth, forgiuenesse; doth not promise to euery one that sinneth, repentance.

Repentance is the gift of God, and such as are Hardened (because in times past they haue despised the riches of his bountie & grace, his long suffering and mercie which did call them to repentance) when they would, they cannot repent. After Hardnesse the heart it can not repent. Rom. 2.5.

The holy and blessed Sacramentes now presently to bee administred, they are Pledges of Gods loue, and Seales of our saluation.Rom. 4.11. By Baptisme, he brea­keth the heades of the Dragons in the waters, Et per Baptismū coeli [...]anua aperitur, By Baptism euē the doore of heauen is set open. The Sacramēt of the Lords sup­per, it is, canalis gratiae, & lauacrum animae, the con­duit of Grace, and the bath of the Soule. What can be more ioyfull, then by receiuing the signe of the [Page 25]crosse to fight vnder the banner of Christes loue, and to bee knit into the misticall body of his Saints. What can bee more ioyfull, then to receiue that pure and Princely bloud, the least drop whereof being able to redeeme a thousand worlds, I may rest assured, it is a full and perfect satisfaction for all my sinnes: so that, if my bodie hath sinned, his bodie hath made a mendes: if my soule hath sinned, his soule hath made a recompence: and therefore both soule and bodie are his, and so we firmely and fully seated in a Christian ioy for euer. These holy and heauenly Sacraments, are not effectuall in the obsti­nate: Iudas, notwithstanding he was a Disciple of our Sauiour, and that blessed hand which after was nailed to the Crosse, did reach vnto him the bread of life, yet he was so Hardened with secret sinne,Ioh. 13.2 [...] and a traiterous disposition, that assone as he receiued the sop, the diuel entereth into him, tooke full possession of him, and so brought him to a most fearefull end. Oh happie is he that sinneth least, next he that re­turneth soonest, but most dreadfull is the estate of him, who like Pharao is giuen ouer vnto Hardening. For he that is once come to this passe, that as Iero­boam, he hath sold himselfe to commit sinne, his mind reprobate, his conscience seared, and his soule frozen in the dregs of sinne; then,Rom. 1.2 [...]. 1. Tim. 4.2. Zech. 1.12. though he weepe and lament with Esau; though he would restore that which he hath wrongfully gotten with Iudas; though he do gird him­selfe in sackcloth, and walk softly as Ahab; though he do pull the men of God to comfort him, & pray for him as Saule did; though he do mourne like a Doue, & [Page 26]chatter like a crane, with the Pellican, though he do send forth shrill and fearefull cryes into the ayre,Ier. 13.23. yet all this will not helpe (wo alas) there is no recouery, Ier. 13.23. Can the blacke-Moore change his skinn or the Leopard his spotts, then may they doe good, who haue ac­customed them selues to do euil. Arist. eth. 7. cap. 7. Thomas Aquin, Wisd. 12.10. Eccus. 17.14. Hebr. 10.26. Hebr. 12.17. O' [...] He that Hardeneth his heart can neuer be cured. Habituati in malo sunt impaeniturt. there thoughts can neuer be al­tered there stony hearts can not become flesh; they haue de­nyed the power of saluation, they haue dispited the spirit of grace, and though they seeke the blessings with teares they can finde no place to repentance. This is a lamentable estate, this is a fearefull iudgment, for man to be left vnto him selfe, giuen vp to sathan, and to be forsaken of God for euer, from this estate the Lord for his endlesse mercy deliuer vs. Thus haue I showed how, and after what sort men become Hardened, not of my self, but as Saint Augustine saith: Ligatus teneor non fer­ro alteno: sed meaferrea voluntate, velle meum tenebat ini­micus, et inde mihi funes fecerat, et consuetudini dum non resistitur facta est necessitas. A man becomes Hardened, he is fettered, not by any other chaine, but by the cordes of his owne sinne, the deuill by deceipt gets power ouer the will, and so doth snare vs, and bicause in the beginning wee did not resist custome, at length it groweth to necessity. This is the very same in effect set downe by Saint Paule in the 4 to the Ephesiaus 18. where this manner of Hardening is also expressed: first [...] the minde is darkened, they cannot rightly discerne what to doe, then, [...] they become ignorant, thirdly comes in [...] when the soule [Page 27](for want of heauenly dew) beginnes to whither and harde, fourthly [...] past feeling, and lastly giuen ouer to committ all sinne with greedines.

To eschue this gulfe, and to auoyd the danger of this Hardening, either we must cut of and stay the course of sin in the act, or else we must resist it in the beginning, and slay it in our thoughtes. It is an excel­lent saying of Saint Ierom: Ibi maxime oportet obseruare pecc [...]tum, vbi nasci sol [...]t: both in sinne and also in cu­ring the diseases of the body, it is the cheifest point, to obserue and finde out where the malady first tooke beginning: it is plain, sin first buddeth in the thought, and therevppon Saint Ierome calles it primo genita Diaboli, the dmills darlinge or first begotten. Sathan dare not attempt any vnto murther, treason, or any such greueous sinne; vnlesse he send an euill thought before, to try whether he shall be welcome.

The Philistins will not venter, till Dalilah hath wrought the feate: as she with Sampson neuer left faw­ning, and creeping into his bosome till by consēting vnto her, he lost both his strength, and his eyes, and became a mil-horse for the Philistins: so euill thoughts they allure and toule on so long, till the light of the vnderstanding being blynded, Sathan that foule Phi­listine sets them such a grist to grind, as they must pay the losse of eternall life for the toule.

The Philosopher said truly [...].Philo custom ariseth of very small beginnings, & though it seeme a smal matter to lend the diuel an euil thought, yet thewiseman saith in the 13. of Wisd. Bernard. Euill thoughts separate from God: cogitationes malae dum ludunt illu­ [...]unt, euil thoughts while they dally, they do deceiue.

[Page 28]As the streame in the Riuer Iordan doth carry the fish swimming and playing,Iosephus. till on a sodaine they fall (in mare mortuum) into the dead sea; where, by rea­son of brimstone they presently die: so, many suffer themselues to be caried away so long with vicious thoughts, and wicked imaginations, that on a so­daine, the powers of the minde be grieuously in­fected.

The eye is fenestra mentis, Iere. 9.21. and many times, ere e­uer we be aware, death stealeth in at the window.

The eare,Iob. 12.11. Iob calleth it in his 12. Chapter: the ta­ster of the soule: As the mouth tasteth meat for the belly: so the eare tasteth words for the soule. He that hath a wicked eye, and an vnchast eare (as Saint Peter saith of Simon Magus) his soule will soone be brought to the gall of bitternesse.

Therefore, wise men may hereby iudge, how care­fully, how prouidently the education of youth (es­pecially of the nobler sort) ought to be respected.

How flattering parasites & prophane iesters ought to be warily shunned. Alas the minde and disposi­tion of youth, at the first, it is like a sweete and bright [...]er dish, you may put in it what you please, but if through vile Atheists, and dissolute company, the af­fection be once led away, and the disposition infec­ted, wo worth that company, for the infection of sinne taken in tender yeares: Iob saith, The soule dieth in youth; Iob. 36.14. as cloth stained in the wooll doth neuer lose the colour, so the stayne of sinne taken in tender yeares will hardly or neuer be taken out: nay, that which afterwardes discretion and yeares doth know [Page 29]and iudge in it selfe most hateful, [...] by euill custome,Chrisost. he is enforced to put the same in practise whether he will or no. In the 9. of Mark 21. ve. the foule spirit which kept pos­session frō a child, could not be cast out by any other but onely by our Sauiour. Iob made a couenant with his heart, and Dauid prayed the Lord to turne away his eyes from beholding vanitie: euerie good man ought to labour and striue with himselfe to quench his desires, to checke his thoughts, to beat downe and keepe vnder his affections, that though he doe sinne sometime of infirmity, yet it may neuer generally in­fect the minde, it may neuer be setled in the thought.

There is no sacrifice more acceptable vnto God, then the nipping of a Serpents head: therefore as Dauid speaketh of the children of Babilon, adpetras il­lidere, to dash their braines against the wall, while they are young, so the best way to preuent Hardening, is to nip sin in the head at the first, to kill the strength of it in our thoughtes.

Now, if God doe not so strengthen vs to ouercome sinne in the thought, the next way to shun this Har­dening is to stay the course of it in the act.Psal. 68.22. For God will wound the hearie scalpe of such, as go on still in their wic­kednes. Paruus error in principio maximus est in fine, A small scape in the beginning many times proues a mischiefe in the end. Consuctudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati. The custome of sinne takes away all feeling of sinne, as he that is stung with a viper, is so deadly benummed, that he feeles the sting of nothing else, so he that hath taken a custome of offending, neuer [Page 30]feels the infection of any sinne, though it ranckle ne­uer so grieuously. In the 69. Psalm. 16. vers. Dauid prayeth, O let not the pit shut her mouth vpon me. To sinne is to fal into a pit, but to take a custom in sinne, is to couer the pit and dam it vp, that we shall neuer get out againe.

Consuetudinem vincere dura pugna (saith Augustine).Aug [...]in psa: 36 It is a difficult fight to ouercome custome, for in all humane things [...] custome is the most intol­lerable tyrant. Horatius the Romane being to fight with three enemies at once, did single them out, and then slue them one by one: so the force of sinne is to be cut off in euery seuerall action, least by gathering strength it ouerthrow vs. He that trusteth his own heart, is not wise. Pro. 28.26. In this case, it is good for a man to suspect his owne heart, to call his owne waies to remem­brance, to take sometimes a suruey and a viewe of the manner of his life, and daily actions, and if he finde in himselfe, that God hath suffered him so sarre to be tempted, that he is fallen into any soule offence, which he knoweth is directly both against God and his owne conscience, then presently to bestirre him­selfe, neuer to suffer his eyes to sleepe, nor his eyelids to slumber, til he haue poured out his hart vnto God, made bitter lamentation, craued pardon with repen­tance, and vowed by Gods assistance neuer to offend in any such sort againe. Otherwise, if lightly he passe it ouer, and so go on: as Mithridates accustomed his bodie so much to the receipt of poyson, that at length no poyson would worke on him, so he that hath once taken in with the custome of sinne, shall [Page 31]at length come that to passe, that the greatest sin that is, he shall neuer feele it.Aug. inser. [...]. [...] adv. Dom. Owne peccatum vilescit consue­tudine, & fit homini quasi nullum, the greatest sinne by custome comes to be accounted nothing. When the bodie is sore hurt and wounded, there is no driuing off of time, but presently it must be looked to; so when the soule is wounded, we must not deferre to turne vnto the Lord, but flie vnto him, with importu­nate prayer, with a broken and mourning heart, for feare, the wound doe fester inwardly, and so there be no recouery. I make it plaine by example thus. If a man take in the Spring three or foure plantes, and set them all togither at one time, if hee come by and by, or within a while after, hee may easily pull vp one of them, if he stay a fortnight or a moneth, he may pull vp an other, but it wilbe somwhat harder, if he stay a yeare or two, till it settle and take roote, then he may pull and straine his very heart stringes, but his labour is lost he shall neuer be able to pull it vp. One sinne, one offence, if we la­bour to pull it vpp in time, it may be forgiuen, it may be taken away; if wee lett it go on to two or three; with vnfeigned repentance, with bleedinge teares, with vncessant outcryes vnto a gratious God, they may be rased out and wiped away, but with greater difficulty: at length, if a man giue ouer him­selfe vnto sinne, so that it take deepe roote in the heart, and be setled in the soule, hee shall neuer be able to pull it vp, nor to arise from the death of sinne.

[Page 32]To draw then to an end: forasmuch then, as God desireth not the death of any sinner, but most louing­ly offereth his grace and means of saluation vnto all: seeing sinne doth proceed from our owne vile con­cupiscence, and we neuer striuing to stay the course of it in our thoughts, do so secretly fall away: seeing by degrees against their owne knowledge, men doe wound their soules with many actual sinnes, & there­vpon God doth with-hold his grace, and so forsake them; and this forsaking is such a forlorne estate, that as Iob saith. 12.14. God shutteth a man vp, and he can neuer be loosed: O how feruent ought wee to bee in prayer, thereby to kindle in vs, the heat of Gods spi­tit, how deuout in sweet and heauenly meditations, to stirre vp in vs the good graces of God; how diligēt to shew the fruites of our faith, euer stirring in the works & labours of our calling; giuing no aduantage to our aduersary: how careful whē we heare the word of God, to do it with an humble spirit, with great re­uerence, thereby to keepe a tender heart, a mind and cogitation that may easily be touched with remorse, how desirous and secretly ioyfull at this holy time to prepare our selues to the receiuing of the blessed Sa­craments, to haue our hearts stripped of worldly va­nities, to call home our affections, to appease our thoughts, & so peaceably to bath our soules a fresh in the pretious bloud of our euerlasting redeemer. That so feeling our selues as it were newly created againe, soule and bodie, heart, hand, and tongue, may ne­uer cease to sound prayses vnto him, who doth neuer cease to renewe his mereies vnto vs. [Page 33]The holy and kingly prophet: Dauid, he is a worthy example for this royall presence, set him before your eyes, and obserue the whole course of his life:

How sweete and milde was his spirit, in forbearing to take reuenge for him selfe? how couragious and in­uincible his faith, whē it stood in the quarrel of Gods honour? how dearely affected to his people, when he saide to the destroying Angell, not these sheepe, but it is I that haue offended? what melting & kinde affecti­on did he show towards Ionathan, and those whome he loued? what a mournefull and repentant heart, whē he knew that he had offended, how full of diuine me­ditatiōs to better his thoughts? how frequent in praier flowing from him as a continual stream? how ioyful in Gods seruice, dancing before the Arke? how reuerend in Gods house, kneeling and bowing in the temple be­fore all the people? what a thankfull heart in offering to build a glorious temple to the Lord? what an hum­ble minde, saying, what am I, and what was my fathers house, that thou hast brought vs hitherto? what a chary & tender care of Gods glory whersoeuer he became? how abundant in prayses and thanksgiuing, calling euery member of himselfe, and all the creatures both of heauen and earth to make one quier in setting forth, singing, and sounding the euerlasting prayses of his God? but why did Dauid thus? to what end was al this? that he might be sure still to hould fast by God, to be entirely knitt vnto him, by all meanes possible to re­taine his loue; for feare, least God hauing raysed him to the height of renowne, deliuered him miracolously out of many eminent and bloudy daungers, and so set [Page 34]a crowne of blessings vpon his heade: if Deuid should haue showen any vnthankfullnes, any contempt, or the least neglect of his loue a mighty and ielous God, he also, vpon iust cause might haue withdrawne his loue, and laide all his honour in the dust againe.

Now therefore, with all humblenesse and duety I entreate you by the tender mercyes of Christ Iesus, and in the name of the liuing God I challenge euery Christian which hopes for any ioy in the life to come, take heede of actuall and presumptuous sinnes, in no case let them haue dominion cuer you, doe not wound your soules (as Pharao did) with willfull offences a­gainst your owne knowledge, try and examine all your thoughts, how and wherein they stand affected, and aboue all, greiue not the blessed motions of that comfortable spirit, which keepes the very Life and Beeing of the soule. To conclude, let all slaunderous mouthes be stopped, and all the factious scismatiques in the land ashamed, in beholding your Christian and princely example: continew still to be louingly and kindly affected one towards another: celebrate this holy time in a true religious manner: Sanctifie the ioyfull beginninge of this new yeares raigne with new deuotion vnto God: lay all your Honours downe at the foote of the altar: Receiue the holy Sa­craments ioyntly together, and so be faithfully knitt in loue and in one head Christ Iesus: go cheerefully on, delight still in doing good: and the Lord God of our fathers encrease in you good desires, giue you zeale to performe them, confirme vnto you, and to your seede all his good promises, and vnto euery [Page 35]one of vs heere grant pardon for offences past, giue vs comfort and strength in temptations to come, euen for his blessed Sonne Christ Iesus sake: who with the Father and the holy Ghost, be blessed and praysed for euer.

Amen.