confidence in any creature, neither in heaven nor earth, but in Christ, my whole and only Saviour. He came into the

world to save sinners, and to heal them that are sick; for he said, The whole have no need of the physician. Behold, Lord, how I come to thee, a sinner sick, and grievously wounded; I ask not bread, but the crumbs that fall from the children's table. Cast me not out of thy sight, although I have deserved to be cast into hell fire.

If I should look upon my sin, and not upon thy mercy, I should despair; for, in myself, I find nothing to save me, but a dunghill of wickedness to condemn me. If I should hope, by mine own strength and power, to come out of this maze of iniquity and wickedness, wherein I have walked so long, I should be deceived. For I am so ignorant, blind, weak, and feeble, that I cannot bring myself out of this entangled and wayward maze; but, the more I seek means and ways to wind myself out, the more I am wrapped and tangled therein.

So that I perceive my striving therein to be hinderance, my travail to be labour spent in going back. It is the hand of the Lord that can, and will, bring me out of the endless maze of death. For, without I be prevented by the grace of the Lord, I cannot ask forgiveness, nor be repentant, or sorry for them. There is no man can avow that Christ is the only Saviour of the world, but by the Holy Ghost; yea, as St. Paul saith, no man can say, The Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost. The Spirit helpeth our infirmity, and maketh continual intercession for us, with such sorrowful groanings as cannot be expressed.

Therefore, I will first require, and pray the Lord, to give me his Holy Spirit, to teach me to avow, that Christ is the Saviour of the world, and to utter these words, "The Lord Jesus ;" and, finally, to help mine infirmities, and to intercede, or entreat for me. For I am most certain and sure, that no creature, in heaven or earth, is of power, or can, by any mean, help me; but God, who is omnipotent, almighty, beneficial. and merciful, wellwilling, and loving, to all those that call, and put their whole confidence and trust in him. And, therefore, I will seek none other means, nor advocate, but Christ's holy spirit; who is only the Advocate and Mediator between God and man, to help and relieve me.

THE THIRD Chapter.

What true Faith worketh in the soul of a Sinner.

BUT now, what maketh me so bold and hardy, to presume to come to the Lord with such audacity and boldness, being so great a sinner? Truly, nothing, but his own word. For he saith, "Come to me, all ye that labour, and are burdened, and I shall refresh you." What gentle, merciful, and comfortable words are these to all sinners! Were he not a frantic, mad, beastlike, and foolish man, that would run for aid, help, or refuge to any other creature? What a most gracious, comfortable, and gentle saying was this, with such pleasant and sweet words to allure his very enemies to come unto him! Is there any worldly prince, or magistrate, that would show such clemency and mercy to their disobedient and rebellious subjects, having offended them? I suppose they would not with such words allure them, except it were to call those whom they cannot take, and punish them being taken. But even as Christ is Prince of princes, and Lord of lords, so his charity and mercy exceedeth and surmounteth all others. Christ saith, If carnal

fathers do give good gifts to their children when they ask them, how much more shall your heavenly Father, being in substance all holy, and most highly good, give good gifts to all them that ask him.

It is no small nor little gift that I now require, neither think I myself worthy to receive such a noble gift, being so ingrate, unkind, and wicked a child. But when I behold

the benignity, liberality, mercy, and goodness of the Lord, I am encouraged, boldened, and stirred to ask such a noble gift. The Lord is so bountiful and liberal, that he will not have us satisfied and contented with one gift, neither to ask simple and small gifts; and therefore he promiseth and bindeth himself by his word, to give good and beneficial gifts to all them that ask him with true faith, without which nothing can be done acceptable or pleasing to God; for faith is the foundation and ground of all other gifts, virtues, and graces; and therefore I will pray and say, Lord, increase my faith.

For this is the life everlasting, O Lord, that I must believe thee to be the true God, and him whom that thou didst send, Jesus Christ. By this faith I am assured, and by

this assurance I feel the remission of my sins. This is it that maketh me bold, this is it that comforteth me, this is it that quencheth all despair.

I know, O my Lord, thine eyes look upon my faith. St. Paul saith, We are justified by faith in Christ, and not by the deeds of the law; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ died in vain. St. Paul meaneth not here a dead, human, and historical faith, gotten by human industry; but a supernatural and lively faith, which worketh by charity, as he himself plainly expresses. This dignity of faith is no derogation to good works; for out of this faith spring all good works, yet we may not impute to the worthiness of faith or works our justification before God, but ascribe and give the worthiness of it wholly to the merits of Christ's passion, and refer and attribute the knowledge and perceiving thereof only to faith; whose very true and only property it is to take, apprehend, and hold fast the promises of God's mercy, which maketh us righteous; and to cause me continually to hope for the same mercy, aud in love to work all manner of ways allowed in the scripture, that I may be thankful for the same.

Thus I feel myself to come, as it were, in a new garment before God; and now by his mercy to be taken as just and righteous, who, of late, without his mercy, was sinful and wicked; and by faith to obtain his mercy, the which the unfaithful cannot enjoy. And although St. John extolleth charity in his epistle, saying, that God is charity, and he that dwelleth in charity dwelleth in God. Truly, charity maketh men live like angels, and of the most furious, unbridled, and carnal men, maketh meek lambs.

Yea, with how fervent a spirit ought I to call, cry, and pray to the Lord to make his great charity to burn and flame my heart, being stony and evil affected, that it never would conceive nor regard the great, inestimable charity and love of God, in sending his only begotten and dear beloved Son into this vale of misery, to suffer the most cruel and sharp death of the cross for my redemption. Yea, I never had this unspeakable and most high charity and abundant love of God printed and fixed in my heart duly, till it pleased God of his mere grace, mercy, and pity, to open mine eyes, making me to see and behold with the eye of lively faith, Christ crucified to be mine only Saviour and Redeemer. For then began, and not before, to perceive and see mine own ignorance and blindness; the cause

thereof was that I would not learn to know Christ my Saviour and Redeemer.

But when God, of his mere goodness, had thus opened mine eyes, and made me see and behold Christ, the Wisdom of God, the Light of the world, with a supernatural sight of faith, all pleasures, vanities, honour, riches, wealth, and aids of the world, began to wax bitter unto me. Then I knew it was no illusion of the devil, nor false, nor human doctrine I had received. When such success came thereof, that I had in detestation and horror that which I erst so much loved and esteemed, being of God forbidden that we should love the world, or the vain pleasures and shadows in the same, then began I to perceive that Christ was my only Saviour and Redeemer; and the same doctrine to be all divine, holy, heavenly, and infused by grace into the hearts of the faithful, which never can be attained by human doctrine, knowledge, or reason, although they should travail and labour for the same to the end of the world. Then began I to dwell in God by charity, knowing, by the loving charity of God in the remission of my sins, that God is charity, as St. John saith. So that of my faith, whereby I came to know God, and whereby it pleased God, even because I trusted in him, to justify me, sprang this excellent charity in my heart.

I think no less, but many will wonder and marvel at this my saying, that I never knew Christ for my Saviour and Redeemer until this time. For many have this opinion, saying, Who knoweth not there is a Christ? Who, being a christian, doth not confess him his Saviour? And thus believing their dead, human, historical faith and knowledge, which they have learned in their scholastical books to be the true infused faith and knowledge of Christ, which may be had, as I said before, with all sin, they used to say, by their own experience of themselves, that their faith doth not justify them. And true it is, except they have this faith, which I have declared here before, they shall never be justified.

And yet it is not false that by faith only I am sure to be justified. Even this is the cause that so many impugn this office and duty of true faith, because so many lack the true faith. And even as the faithful are forced to allow this true faith, so the unfaithful can, in nowise probably, entreat thereof; the one feeling in himself that which he saith, the other not having in him for to say.

I have certainly no curious learning to defend this matter withal, but a simple zeal and earnest love to the truth inspired of God, who promiseth to pour his Spirit upon all flesh; which I have, by the grace of God, whom I most humbly honour, felt in myself to be true.

THE FOURTH CHAPTER.

Of the great Love of God towards mankind, and of the inward beholding of Christ crucified.

LET us therefore now, I pray you, by faith, behold and consider the great charity and goodness of God, in sending his Son to suffer death for our redemption when we were his mortal enemies; and after what sort and manner he sent him.

First, It is to be considered, yea, to be undoubtedly and with a perfect faith believed, that God sent him to us freely; for he did give him, and sold him not. A more noble and rich gift he could not have given. He sent not a servant or a friend, but his only Son, so dearly beloved; not in delights, riches, and honours, but in crosses, poverties, and slanders; not as a Lord, but as a servant, yea, and, in most vile and painful sufferings, to wash us, not with water, but with his own precious blood; not from mire, but from the puddle and filth of our iniquities. He hath given him not to make us poor, but to enrich us with his divine virtues, merits, and graces; yea, and in him he hath given us all good things, and finally himself, and with such great charity as cannot be expressed.

Was it not a most high and abundant charity of God to send Christ to shed his blood, to lose honour, life, and all for his enemies? Even in the time when we had done him most injury he first showed his charity to us with nch flames of love, that greater could not be showed. God in Christ hath opened unto us, although we are weak and blind of ourselves, that we may behold in this miserable estate the great wisdom, goodness, and truth, with all the other godly perfections which are in Christ. Therefore inwardly to behold Christ crucified upon the cross is the best and goodliest meditation that can be.

We may see also in Christ crucified the beauty of the soul better than in all the books of the world: for who that