MY soul erred and went astray from the right way of godly living, but the Lord converted me from mine errors & faults of living, and brought me to the observation of his holy laws, wherein is contained all justice, trueth, and godliness. Here is to be noted, what degrees and orders the Lord and heavenly shepherd doth use, in bringing his sheep unto the pasture of life. First, he converteth the man that is gone astray, by his wicked ways and sinful manner of living. If he were an Infidel, he bringeth him first to know, feel, and hate his infidelity, and afterwards to a true faith. If he be a persecutor, he showeth him first his tyranny, and afterward how to use him self meekly. If he be a sinful man that liveth contrary to his knowledge & profession, he bringeth him first to the knowledge and hatred of his sin, and afterwards to the forgiveness of the same. As Christ our saviour wonderfully teacheth in Saint John,1 where he saith: The holy Ghost, when he cometh, shall rebuke the world of sin, justice, and judgement. By the which words he declareth, that the faithful of God, can not profit in the Gospel of Christ, neither love nor exercise justice and virtue, except they be taught, and ⟨p. 20⟩made to feel the burden and danger of sin, and be brought to humble them selves, as men that be of them selves nothing but sin. And therefore the law and threatenings of God be very wholesome, whose nature and property is to cite and call mens conscience unto the judgment of God, and to wound the spirit of man with terror and fear. Wherefore, Christ useth a wonderful way, and teacheth the same unto his Apostles, that neither him self for that present time, nor they in time to come, could preach profitably the Gospel, wherewith men are led into the sweet and pleasant fields of Gods promises by his word, except they use this order: to lead them from sin to justice, and from death to life. And as justice and life cometh by Christ, showed unto us in his bitter passion,2 death, and glorious resurrection: so doeth sin and death both appear and be felt by the spirit of God, showed unto us in the law. This order also saw the holy Prophet, when he said: The Lord converteth my soul, and leadeth me into the paths of righteousness. This is a wonderful sentence, and much and deeply to be considered and weighed of the Christian man.
MY soule erred and went astray from the right way of godly liuing, but the Lord conuerted me from mine errors & faultes of liuing, and brought me to the obseruation of his holy lawes, wherein is conteined all iustice, trueth, and godlinesse. Here is to be noted, what degrées and orders the Lord and heauenly shepheard doth vse, in bringing his shéepe vnto the pasture of life. First, he conuerteth the man that is gone astray, by his wicked wayes and sinnefull maner of liuing. If he were an Infidel, he bringeth him first to knowe, féele, and hate his infidelitie, and afterwardes to a true faith. If he be a persecuter, he sheweth him first his tyrannie, and afterward how to vse him selfe méekely. If he be a sinful man that liueth cōtrarie to his knowledge & profession, he bringeth him first to the knowledge and hatred of his sinne, and afterwards to the forgiuenes of the same. As Christ our sauiour wonderfully teacheth in Saint Iohn,1 where he saith: The holy Ghost, when he commeth, shall rebuke the world of sinne, iustice, and iudgement. By the which wordes he declareth, that the faithfull of God, can not profite in the Gospell of Christ, neither loue nor exercise iustice and vertue, except they be taught, and ⟨p. 20⟩made to féele the burthen and daunger of sinne, and be brought to humble them selues, as men that be of them selues nothing but sinne. And therefore the lawe and threatenings of God be verie wholesome, whose nature and propertie is to cite and call mens conscience vnto the iudgment of God, and to wound the spirite of man with terrour and feare. Wherefore, Christe vseth a wonderfull way, and teacheth the same vnto his Apostles, that neither him selfe for that present time, nor they in time to come, could preach profitably the Gospell, wherewith men are led into the swéete and pleasant fieldes of Gods promises by his word, except they vse this order: to leade them from sinne to iustice, and from death to life. And as iustice and life commeth by Christe, shewed vnto vs in his bitter passion,2 death, and glorious resurrection: so doeth sinne and death both appeare and be felt by the spirite of God, shewed vnto vs in the lawe. This order also fawe the holy Prophet, when he saide: The Lorde conuerteth my soule, and leadeth me into the pathes of righteousnes. This is a wonderfull sentence, and much and déepely to be considered and weighed of the Christian man.
- 1John. 16.Iohn. 16.
- 2The conscience that feeleth the sting of death by sin, thirsteth for life.The consciēce that feeleth the sting of death by sinn, thirsteth for life.
