The Practice of Piety

O Eternal GOD, and heavenly father, if I were not taught and assured by the promises of thy Gospel, and the examples of Peter, ¹Magdalene, the Publican, the Prodigal child, and many other penitent sinners:² that thou art so full of compassion, and so ready to forgive the greatest sinners,³ who are heaviest laden with sin,⁴ at what time soever they return unto thee with penitent hearts, lamenting their sins, and imploring thy grace: I should despair for mine own sins, and be ⟨p. 421⟩utterly discouraged, from presuming to come unto thy presence: considering the hardness of my heart, the unruliness of my affections, and the uncleanness of my conversation: by means whereof I have transgressed all thy laws, and deserved thy curse, ⁵which might cause my body to be smitten with some fearful disease, my soul to languish with the death of sin, my good name to be traduced with scandalous reproaches, and make mine estate liable to all manner of crosses, and casualties. And I confess, Lord, that thy mercy is the cause that I have not been long ago confounded. But, O my God,