to be of this, that to doubt of it doth most displease thee and dishonour thee, as though either thou wert not true, or not able to do these things; or else becamest not my Father in respect of thine own goodness in Christ only, but also in respect of my worthiness and deserts.

And that I should not waver or doubt of this, that thou art my dear Father, and I thy child for ever, through Jesus Christ, it is required in the first commandment, which saith, I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have none other gods but me. Again, thy Son doth here command me to call thee by the name of Father. Moreover, in the first article of my belief, I profess the same in saying, I believe in God the Father Almighty. Besides this there are many other things to confirm me herein, as the creation and government of the world generally, and of every creature particularly; for all is made and kept for man, and so for me, to serve me for my commodity, necessity, and admonition. Again, the creation of me, in that thou hast made me after thy image, having a reasonable soul, body, shape, &c., where thou mightest have made me a toad, a serpent, a swine, deformed, frantic, &c. Moreover, thy wonderful conservation, nourishing and keeping of me hitherto in my infancy, childhood, youth, &c. All these, I say, should confirm my faith of thy fatherly love. But of all things the opening of thyself by thy word and promise of grace, made after man's fall, first to Adam, then to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and so to other, being published by the prophets from time to time, and last of all accomplished by thy dear Son Jesus Christ, in whom thy promises are yea

1 Causes to confirm our faith that God is our Father.

and amen: the opening of thyself thus, I say, in and by Christ, is the most chief and sure certificate that thou art my Father for his sake, and I thy dear child, although of myself I am most unworthy. For thou, according to thy promises, hast not spared thy dear Son Jesus Christ, but given Him to the death of the cross for my sins3. Thou wouldest He should be made flesh of our flesh, and blood of our blood, in the womb of the virgin Mary, by the operation of the holy Spirit, that we by the working of the same Spirit, through the merits of his flesh and blood, might be made flesh of his flesh and blood of his blood; that is, as he hath the substance of our flesh and blood, even so we might have and for ever enjoy in Him and through Him the qualities, virtues, and gifts of righteousness, holiness, innocency, immortality, and glory, wherewith He hath endued our nature in his own person for us all; that as now in faith and hope we have the same, so in his coming we might fully enjoy them in very deed; for then shall our bodies, now vile, be like to his glorious body". Herein appeareth thy love, not that we loved thee, but that thou lovedst us, and hast given thy Son for us. Herein dost thou commend unto us thy love, that when we were yet sinners, Christ thy dear Son died for us, so that nothing should separate us from thy love in Christ Jesus, neither affliction, anguish, persecution, famine, neither life nor death, &c. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled unto thee by the death of thy Son, much more we being reconciled shall be

saved by his life1. And that I should not doubt hereof, but certainly be persuaded all this to pertain to me, where I might have been born of Turks and infidels, lo, thou wouldest I should be born of christian parents, brought into thy church by baptism, which is the sacrament of adoption, and requireth faith, as well of remission of my sins, as of sanctification and holiness, to be wrought of thee in me by thy grace and holy Spirit. Where I might have been born in an ignorant time and region, thou wouldest I should be born in this time and region, wherein is more knowledge revealed than ever was here, or in many places is. Where I might have been of a corrupt judgment, and entangled with many errors, lo, thou of thy goodness, as thou hast reformed my judgment, so dost thou keep it, and now for the same judgment's sake dost vouchsafe somewhat by the cross to try me. By all which things I should confirm my faith of this, that thou always hast been, art, and wilt be for ever, my dear Father. In respect whereof, as I should be certain of salvation and of the inheritance of heaven for ever3; so should I be thankful, cast my whole care on thee, trust on thee, and call on thee, with comfort and certain hope for all things that I want. For in that thou hast given to me this benefit to be thy child, undeserved and undesired on my behalf, simply and only in respect of thine own goodness and grace in Christ, lest at any time I should doubt of it; how should I but hope certainly that nothing profitable to me can be denied, in that thy power

1 Rom. v.

2 What Baptism is and what it requireth. 3 What is the effect or fruit that cometh of this certain persuasion that God is our Father.

is infinite? For as thy good will is declared in adopting me, so nothing can be finally wanting me, which may make for my weal; for then should not thy power be almighty, and therefore my belief requireth that I should believe in thee the Father Almighty. In consideration whereof, I should in all things behave myself as a child, rejoice in thee, praise thee, trust in thee, fear thee, serve thee, love thee, call upon thee, &c. But, alas, how heavy-hearted am I! how unthankful am I! how full of unbelief, and doubting of this thy rich mercy! how little do I love thee, fear thee, call upon thee! &c. Oh, be merciful unto me, forgive me, good Father, for thine own sake, and grant me the spirit of thy children, to reveal thyself unto me, and Jesus Christ thy dear Son our Lord, by whom we are made thy children, that I may truly know thee, heartily love thee, faithfully hang upon thee in all my needs, with good hope call upon thee, render faithfully this honour to thee, that thou art my God and Father, and I thy dear child, through thy grace in Christ, and so always be endued with an assured hope of thy goodness, and a faithful obedient heart in all things to thy holy will. At thy hands and from thee, as I must look for all things, so come I unto thee, and pray thee to give me these things which thy dear children have, and thou requirest of me, that I might come and ask them of thee, as now I do, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

As by this word, Father, I am taught to glory of thee and in thee, and all that ever thou hast (for thou art wholly mine, my Lord, my God, my Father), so by this word, Our, I am taught to glory of all the good that all and every of thy servants that ever were, are, or shall be, had, have, and

shall have. For now I am taught to believe that thou hast called me into the communion of thy church and people, whom hereby I perceive thou hast commanded to be careful for me as for themselves, and in all their prayers to be as mindful of me as of themselves. Again, as by this word, Father, I am taught to remember and render my duty I owe to thee-wards, faith, love, fear, obedience, &c. ; so by this word, Our, I am taught my duty towards thy people, to be careful for them, and to take their sorrow, poverty, affliction, &c., as mine own, and therefore to labour to help them in heart and hand after my vocation and ability, utterly abhorring all pride, self-love, arrogancy, and contempt of any.

By reason whereof I have great cause to lament and to rejoice: to lament, because I am so far from consideration, much more from doing my duty to thy people in thoughts, words, and deeds; to rejoice, because I am called of thee, and placed in the blessed society of thy saints, and made a member and citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem, and because thou hast given in commandment to all thy church to be as careful for me as for themselves. But, alas, how far am I herefrom! As I am guilty of unthankfulness for this thy calling me into the blessed communion of thy dear Son and church, yea, of thyself; so am I guilty of self-love, unmercifulness, pride, arrogancy, forgetfulness, and contempt of thy children; for else I could not but be otherwise affected, and otherwise labour, than I do. Oh, be merciful unto me, good Father, forgive me; and grant, for Christ's sake, that as my tongue soundeth this word, Our, so I may in heart feel the true joy of thy blessed communion, and the true love and