Phil. No, be you sure. For these are his words by the Psalmograph.1 If they forsake my •aw, and walk not in my judgements. If they break my statutes, •nd keep not my commandments, I will visit their offences with ⟨p. 70⟩the rod, & their sins with scourges. Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my truth to fail. My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Here God our merciful father, promiseth, that though he punisheth us for our sin and wickedness, that by this means he may call us unto repentance & amendment of life, yet will not he take away from us his mercy and loving kindness, but when so ever we turn unto him, repent us of our former life, call on his blessed name, believe and hope to have remission of sins for Christs sake, and labour to frame our life according to the rule of his holy testament, he will surely receive us joyfully, pardon all our iniquities and as dearly love us, as though we had never offended his divine ⟨p. 71⟩majesty. God saith also by the Prophet Jeremiah:2 when I take in hand to rote out, to destroy, or to wast away any people or kingdom, if the people (against whom, I have thus devised) convert from their wickedness: I repent of the plague, that I devised to bring upon them.3 The prophet Isaiah also saith. If the ungodly forsaketh his way, and the unrighteous man his own Imaginations, and turn again unto the Lord, he will surely be merciful unto him. For he is very ready to forgive. He will not alway be chiding, (saith the Psalmograph,4) neither keepeth he his anger for ever. Yea like as a father pitieth his own children, even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him.
For he knoweth whereof we be made, he remembereth that we are but dust. My thoughts ⟨p. 72⟩(saith God) are to give you peace and not trouble.5 Though the lord punisheth us for our sins, yet doth he not punish us, to cast us away and to condemn us, but to call us unto repentance, to mortify our fleshly lusts, & afterward to make us the more circumspect in observing the rules of our profession, that is, the christen profession as that princelike Prophet saith:6 It is greatly for my wealth, that thou hast punished me & brought me low, even that I may learn thy righteous ordinances.7 Vexation or trouble (saith the Prophet) giveth understanding.
Phil. No, be you sure. For these are his wordes by the Psalmograph.1 If they forsake my •aw, and walke not in my iudgements. If they breke my statutes, •nd kepe not my cōmanndemēts, I will visite their offences with ⟨p. 70⟩the rod, & their sinnes with scourges. Neuertheles, my louing kindnes will I not vtterly take from him, nor suffer my truth to fayle. My couenaunt wil I not breake nor alter the thinge that is gone out of my lips. Here God our mercifull father, promiseth, yt though he punisheth vs for our sinne and wickednes, that by this meanes he may call vs vnto repentance & amendement of life, yet wil not he take away from vs his mercy and louing kindnes, but when so euer we turne vnto hym, repent vs of our former life, call on his blessed name, beleue and hope to haue remissiō of sinnes for Christes sake, and labor to frame our life according to the rule of his holy testa•mēt, he will surely receiue vs ioy•fully, pardon all our iniquities and as derely loue vs, as though we had neuer offended his deuin• ⟨p. 71⟩maiestie. God saith also by ye Prophet Ieremy:2 when I take in hād to rote out, to destroy, or to wast away any people or kingdome, if ye people (against whō, I haue thus deuised) conuert frō their wickednes: I repēt of the plague, that I deuised to bring vpon them.3 The prophet Esay also saith. If thungodly forsaketh his way, and the vnrighteous man his owne Imaginations, and turne againe vnto the Lorde, he will surely be mercifull vnto him. For he is very ready to forgeue. He will not alway be chyding, (sayth the Psalmograph,4) neither kepeth he his anger for euer. Yea lyke as a father pitieth his owne children, euen so is the Lorde mercifull vnto them that feare hym.
For he knoweth whereof we bee made, he remembreth that we are but duste. My thoughtes ⟨p. 72⟩(saith God) are to geue you peace and not trouble.
- 1Psal. lxxxi•
- 2Jere. xviii.Iere. xviii.
- 3Isaiah. lv.Esay. lv.
- 4Psalm. ciii.
- 5Jer. xxix. Why God punisheth usIer. xxix. Why God punisheth vs
- 6Psal. cxix.
- 7Isaiah. xxviii.Esay. xxviii.
