Propositions

and then by such conference as you may have from hence by Letters, wherein if I may stand you in any stead, rather for the good opinion you have of me, than for any great matter I am able to perform: I shall be ready to offer my office of love unto you, as God shall enable me, and so far forth as I shall be instructed in your particular estate, by some letters sent from you by convenient messengers: by which I presently perceive by M. S. Letters, that you are afflicted with the blindness of your mind, and hardness of your heart, which cannot be ⟨image 35⟩moved, either with the promises of Gods mercies, or fear of his Judgements; nor affected with love and delight of the things which be good, or with hatred and loathing of the evil: great cause you have of grief I confess, but no cause of despair do I grant; because I am persuaded, that your persuasion is somewhat false; partly for want of a sound judgement in your estate, & partly for some defect of faith, somewhat through your own default. First therefore, know you for a certainty, that this is no other temptation, than such as divers of Gods children have for a time been humbled with, and afterwards have had good issue thereout: and if it please God to move you to credit me, I my self have known others as deeply this way plunged as you can be: Remember therefore, that God is faithful, and will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you shall be able to bear. 1. Cor. 10. 13. and yet further to confirm you herein, the holy Scriptures do record, that this way God heretofore hath humbled his own people, in whose person the Prophet Isaiah lamentably thus complaineth, 63. 15. O Lord, look down from Heaven, and behold from the dwelling ⟨image 36⟩place of thy holiness, and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength? the multitude of thy mercies & of thy compassions are restrained from me: And afterwards, O Lord, why hast thou made us err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear: And in the next Chapter, verse 6. We have been all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is as filthy clouts, and we all do fade like a leaf, and our iniquity like the wind taketh us away, and there is none that calleth upon thy name, neither that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us because of our iniquities. And in the 59.