A most sweet and assured comfort for all those that are afflicted in conscience…A most sweete and assured comfort for all those that are afflicted in consciscience…

But all this is but temptation, and therefore God will be merciful unto them for Christ his sake.

But all this is but temptation, and therefore God will bee mercifull vnto them for Christ his sake.

Thus Job cursed the day of his birth, & wished to be strangled; Jeremiah almost repented that ever he preached in the name of the Lord: both scarcely abstain from blasphemy. David moved with the spirit of ambition (though dutifully admonished) wilfully went on in numbering the people; Peter also vaingloriously presuming of his own strength, being most wisely & effectually admonished of his weakness even by our Lord Jesus, yet wittingly rusheth as the horse into the battle, & then very cowardly yieldeth, yea doubly denieth, yea strengtheneth his sin with a ⟨image 83⟩threefold cord, and fasteneth it with banning and cursings: & yet all these obtained mercy most bountifully. For why as Satan desired to winnow them, so our Lord Jesus prayed for them, that their faith though it was vehemently assaulted, it should not be overcome; although it was battered, yet that if should not be destroyed; and though it was oppressed, yet it should not be extinguished. And here be you fully persuaded, that albe it Luk. 22. 31. the words seem to run as belonging but to Peter; uz. I have prayed for thee that thy faith should not fail, yet he prayed for the ⟨image 84⟩rest of the Apostles, yea for all the faithful. For first he saith not; Simon, satan hath desired to winnow thee: but you. Why then saith he, I have prayed for thee? Verily because he should more grievously offend than the rest: although their offence was very great; therefore his: and our most blessed Saviour applied to him the promise, but not appropriated it unto him only, and restrained it from the rest. Compare with this place John. 17. 20