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A LETTER CONSOLA∣TORIE, WRITTEN TO A FRIEND AFFLICTED IN conscience for sinne.
Grace and peace in Iesus Christ.
MY very good and louing friend in the Lord Iesus, I vnderstand by M. H. who oft trauaileth into those parts, that you require of me letters of comfort for reliefe of your afflicted and distressed con∣science. Wherein I could bee glad to performe any dutie that is within the compasse of my poore abilitie. But your best and soun∣dest comfort (as I take it) lieth in those that haue themselues beene exercised with that triall: who from the comforts of Christ that* 1.1 haue abounded in them, are best able to comfort those that are in like sort afflicted by the hand of God. Againe, I haue written vn∣to you many times of this argument: if my Letters remaine with you, they may alwaies speake for me that which I am able to say to that poynt. If you require more than I haue written before this; then were it reason you should send me my former letters, that I might know where to begin that which remaineth. My leisure is not great, as you know, and there is nothing whereinto I enter more vnwillingly, than into this labour of writing. Yet that you may vnderstand that I haue not altogether forgotten your old loue towards me, nor haue suffered mine affection towards you vtterly to decay; I will endeuour at once as briefly as I may to remember vnto you, so farre as I can cal to mind, the summe of all that I haue written vnto you heretofore. The question (as I take it) that lieth in con∣trouersie betweene your conscience and the enemie, is of the assurance of your saluation. Wherein I would haue you first to consider what is, or at any time past hath beene the te∣stimonie* 1.2 of the spirit of God vnto your spirit, and then I doubt not, but either from pre∣sent sense of the same spirit of God, crying in your hart, Abba Father; or from the remem∣brance of the daies of old, wherein you had a comfortable assurance of Gods fauour, you shall be able to repell the force of this temptation, considering that the holy Ghost can∣not lie, that God, whom he loueth, vnto the end he loueth, and because his gifts and cal∣ling (as the Apostle saith) are such as whereof he doth not, nor cannot repent him. Then consider the nature of faith, which how weake and vnperfit soeuer it be, it cannot be de∣uided* 1.3 euen by Sathan himselfe, to be faith: according to that which is said, I beleeue, Lord helpe thou mine vnbeleefe. And if you haue faith euen as much as a graine of mustard seede,* 1.4 * 1.5 &c that faith apprehendeth Christ Iesus, in whom there is all sufficiencie of saluation, and in whom we are complete: so that whatsoeuer scruple ariseth from our selues, or is en∣forced* 1.6 of the enemie from any imperfection that is in vs, it neede not at all to dismay vs, because we saue not our selues, but are saued by him, Who is made vnto vs from God,* 1.7 wisedome, righteousnesse, sanctification, and redemption: that who so glorieth should glorie in him. And indeed there is no surer refuge when the enemie distresseth vs, than renouncing our selues to professe the onely name of Christ Iesus, who dyed for our sinnes, and rose a∣gaine for our iustification. For if the enemie shall say, we haue sinned: our answere is,