A Golden Chain

In times past, I came to prayers and to the preaching of gods word, even as a Bear cometh to the stake; now the word of God is meat and drink to me, and prayer is no burden unto me, but my ordinary exercise. If I rise in the morning I am not well till I have prayed and given thanks to ⟨p. 624⟩God, if I do any thing, it cometh into my mind to pray. In my prayers I find great joy and comfort and exceeding favour of God, I never think I can well take my rest, or do any thing else except first I ask it at Gods hand in Christ. Lastly, when my mind and heart is wholly occupied in worldly matters, I am stirred up, and as it were drawn to pray unto god for the remission of my sins, and the assurance of my salvation, & in prayer I have had those groans which for their greatness cannot be expressed. Now from whence cometh all this? From the devil? No. In these actions I have found him my enemy, and a continual hinderer of them. For he by his craft when I have been heavy and weak, hath assailed to provoke me to some sins whereunto my cursed nature was most given, and I having yielded to him, have been so hardened & blinded by those sins, that for a time I have made light account of the word of God and prayer. Well then, peradventure this came from mine own self? No neither. This cursed nature of mine hath been more pleased and delighted with sin, and with the pleasures of the world, then with such exercises, from which it draweth me and presseth me down as lead. I cannot think that such a poisoning Cockatrice can lay such good eggs, or that wild crab trees (such as all men are in Adam) can bring forth sweet fruits according to the will of God, except God pluck them forth of Adam, and plant them in the garden of his mercy, and stock them, and graft the spirit of Christ in them. Wherefore these are the works of Gods spirit, and my conscience is thereby certified that God hath given me the spirit of adoption, and therefore that his favour and mercy shall continue towards me for ever. For the gifts of God are without repentance, and whom God once loveth, him he loveth for ever. Thirdly, there be certain fruits of Gods children which I find in me by which I am confirmed in Gods favour. S. John in his first Epistle saith, that hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren.

In times past, I came to praiers and to the preaching of gods word, euen as a Beare commeth to the stake; nowe the word of God is meate and drinke to me, and praier is no burden vnto me, but my ordinarie exercise. If I rise in the morning I am not well till I haue praied and giuen thankes to