The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…

So others have a good hope and a good faith, they hope to be saved as well as the best, if one will believe them, and if you will not believe them, they take as a great injury done to them. But what reason can they give of their hope, what sound cause can they allege why they should be saved rather then Judas, & not go to hell as well as Cain, surely, for a reason they can yield no reason of their faith, they be not learned, but they have a good heart, and a good hope, that God will save them. Nay they neither have good heart nor good hope, for a good hope is always upheld by good reasons and a strong faith, by strong grounds out of Gods word, else a man may talk of hope and faith, and a good heart, and be far enough from any, least he can show upon what ground he builds his hope, it is but presumption, and when sin and death shall encounter such an one, he shall fall away without any strength at all. So for the Sacrament, it is common custom of men, a day or two before they come to the communion, to wrap up many reckonings and foul matters among themselves, and to rake up the coals of their malice under the ashes, so closely, as that one would hope there were no spark left, to kindle contention again. But a day or two after, they be as crafty, as brawling, as full of cozening; & deceitfulness as ever before then one may boldly say, you have polluted the holy Sacrament, you have defiled the table of the lord, you came to it without faith or repentance, oh but you must not judge. Yes now the case is so clear a man may judge, for certainly if one come with repentance to the Sacrament he shall go with repentance from the Sacrament, & if one come a good man thither, it will make him better then he was; for God will always keep his promise, and if one come as he ⟨image 179⟩commands, he shall find his sin killed, and he would not have fallen to his old course so soon again, nor returned to his filthy vomit, if he had fed of the holy and pure bread of life Jesus Christ with an heart purged by faith and repentance. And therefore though no man must suspect without good ground, yet a man where there is just cause ought to pronounce just judgement. Thus much for the first which is the most secrete and inward breach of this commandment.

So others haue a good hope and a good faith, they hope to be saued as well as the best, if one will beleeue them, and if you will not beleeue them, they take as a great iniurie done to them. But what reason can they giue of their hope, what sound cause can they alledge why they should be saued rather then Iudas, & not goe to hell as well as Cayne, surely, for a reason they can yeeld no reason of their faith, they be not learned, but they haue a good heart, and a good hope, that God will saue them. Nay they neither haue good heart nor good hope, for a good hope is alwaies vpheld by good reasons and a strong faith, by strong grounds out of Gods word, else a man may talke of hope and faith, and a good heart, and be farre enough from any, least he can shew vpon what ground he builds his hope, it is but presumption, and when sinne and death shall encounter such an one, he shall fall away without any strength at all. So for the Sacrament, it is common custome of men, a day or two before they come to the communion, to wrap vp many reckonings and foule matters among themselues, and to rake vp the coles of their malice vnder the ashes, so closely, as that one would hope there were no sparke left, to kindle contention againe. But a day or two after, they be as craftie, as brawling, as full of cousening; & deceitfulnesse as euer before then one may boldly say, you haue polluted the holy Sacrament, you haue defiled the table of the lord, you came to it without faith or repentance, oh but you must not iudge. Yes now the case is so cleare a mā may iudge, for certainly if one come with repentance to the Sacrament he shall go with repentance from the Sacrament, & if one come a good man thether, it will make him better then he was; for God will alwaies keepe his promise, and if one come as he