The sinners guyde A vvorke contayning the whole regiment of a Christian life, deuided into two bookes: vvherein sinners are reclaimed from the by-path of vice and destruction, and brought vnto the high-way of euerlasting happinesse. Compiled in the Spanish tongue, by the learned and reuerend diuine, F. Lewes of Granada. Since translated into Latine, Italian, and French. And nowe perused, and digested into English, by Francis Meres, Maister of Artes, and student in diuinitie.

¶ Of the vaine hope of the wicked.

THis then is the treasury of Hope, which the righteous pos∣sesse in this life, and to which there is no accesse for the wic∣ked. For although they also haue hope, yet they haue not a liue∣lie, but a dead hope. For sinne taketh away the life, and there∣fore theyr hope worketh not in them those effects, which be∣fore we haue remembred. For as there is nothing to be found, which more reuiueth hope, then a good conscience: so the chie∣fest cause which maketh it to faile, and killeth this hope, is an euill conscience. For that alwayes flyeth and feareth the light, and maketh a man faint-harted and of feeble courage: for he is not ignorant that the gate of the diuine fauour & grace is shut against him. Hence it is, that as a shadow doth alwayes follow the body, so feare and desperation in all places and at all times, doe wayte vpon an ill conscience. It appeareth then that such is the trust and hope of the wicked, as their felicity and happines is: for as their felicity is in the goods of this world, so in them is their hope and trust; seeing that they glory in them, and in the time of tribulation runne vnto them, as to a Sanctuary or a place of refuge. Of this hope it is written in the booke of Wisedom; The hope of the vngodly is like a dry thistle flowre, that is blowne a∣way with the wind: like a thinne scum that is scattered abroade with the storme: and like as the smoake which is dispersed heere and there with the wind. By which we may see, how vaine the hope of the vngodly is. Neyther onely is this hope vaine, but it is very hurt∣full, deceitfull, and dangerous: as the Lord God admonisheth by the mouth of the Prophet; Alas for those disobedient children (that is, who haue forsaken their father) sayth the Lord, that they will take counsaile, and not of me, that they will take a secret aduice, and not out of my spirit, and therefore adde they sinne vnto sinne. Euen they that walke to goe downe into Egipt, and haue asked no question at my mouth, but seeke strength in the might of Pharao, and trust in the shadow of Egipt. Therefore shall the strength of Pharao be your confusion, and the trust in the shadow of Egipt your shame. They were ashamed of the people that could doe them no good, and that might not helpe them, nor shew them any profit, but were their confusion and re∣buke. All these be the words of Esay. Neyther content with

these he proceedeth in the next Chapter: Woe vnto them that goe downe into Egipt for helpe, and trust in Horses, and put their con∣fidence in Charrets, because they be many: and in Horse-men, be∣cause they be lusty and strong: but they regard not the holy one of Israell, and they aske no question at the Lord. And he neuerthe∣lesse is wise, and will plague the wicked, and goeth not from his word, he will arise against the houshold of the froward, and against the help of euill doers. Now the Egiptians are men, and not God, and theyr Horses flesh, and not spirit: and as soone as the Lord stretcheth out his hand, then shall the helper fall, and he that should haue beene hel∣ped, and they shall altogether be destroyed.

Thou seeft heere, my brother, clearer then the noone light, the difference betweene the hope of the righteous, and of the wicked. For the hope of the wicked is flesh, but the hope of the righteous is spirit. The one is no other thing, then that man is, the other is that which God is: so that there is as great diffe∣rence betweene the hope of the good, and of the wicked, as is betweene God and man. Therfore worthily doth the Prophet goe about to feare vs from the one, and inuite vs to the other, saying: O put not your trust in Princes, nor in any child of man: for there is no help in them. For when the breath of man goeth forth, he shall turne againe to his earth, and then all his thoughts perrish. Blessed is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe: and whose hope is in the Lord his God, which made heauen and earth, the Sea, and all that therein is. Behold heere also a difference betweene both hopes. The same difference the same Prophet declareth also in another Psalme, saying; Some put their trust in Charrets, and some in Horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought downe and fallen: but we are risen & stand vpright. Thou seest heere how well the fruites agree to the roote, foundation, or tree of hope: for the fruite of the one is a downfall; but of the other exaltation and victory. Wherefore very fitly they that trust in the vanities of this world, may be compared to that man in the Gospell, Who built his house vpon the sand: and the rayue descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beare vpon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. But they that trust in the Lord, may be likened vnto him, that built his house vpon a rocke, which stood safe, strong,

and firme against all the tempests and stormes of thys life.

The same thing no lesse elegantly the Prophet Ieremy doth teach by an excellent comparison: Cursed be the man, saith hee, that putteth his trust in man, and that taketh flesh for his arme, and he whose hart departeth from the Lord. Hee shall be like the Heath that groweth in the wildernesse: as for the good thing that is for to come, hee shall not see it, but dwell in a dry place of the wildernesse, in a salt and vnoccupied Land. But of the righteous, he speaketh on a contrary manner: O blessed is the man, sayth he, that putteth his trust in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord himselfe. For he shall be as a tree that is planted by the waters side, which spreadeth out the roote vnto moistnesse, whom the heate cannot harme when it com∣meth, but his lease shall be greene: and though there growe but little fruite because of drouth, yet is hee not carefull, neither euer leaueth of to bring forth fruite. Hetherto be the words of Ieremie.

Tell me now I pray thee, what other thing can bee desired (if so be that men haue but a little spark of reason) to know the difference, which is betweene the hope of the righteous, & the hope of the wicked; betweene the prosperity of the one, and of the other? What greater commodity can arise from a tree, then to be planted after that maner that the Prophet speaketh? Be∣leeue me, such is the condition and estate of the righteous, to whom all things fall out prosperously, and with whō all things goe well: because they are planted by the current of the Riuer of Gods grace. But on the contrary part, there can be no wor∣ser estate of a tree, then to be wilde, then to be planted in a dry ground, in the wildernes, & in a land of salt: it dooth not yeeld fruite in due season: to be briefe, it is farre remooued from the sight and tillage of men. By thys comparison, the wicked may easily vnderstand, that they in thys life cannot haue a more mi∣serable estate, because they haue eyes remoued, yea quite turned from God, who is the fountaine of liuing water, and haue theyr eyes sette and fixed, and theyr hope reposed vpon frayle & de∣ceitfull creatures, which are vnderstood by a dry land, desert, & vnoccupied.

By this also it is manifest, in how excellent a place the world it selfe is planted, which certainly is planted in a dry & barraine ground, seeing it hath the footing of his hope placed on a foun∣dation

so weake: which is no hope, but errour, vanitie, and con∣fusion, as before we haue showen. Tell me, I pray thee, vvhat misery can be greater then this? what pouertie more naked thē to liue without hope? Therefore, seeing that man is through sinne left so poore and naked, as before we haue declared, and that the hope of the Diuine mercy is so necessary for him, what shall bee left vnto him, who hath lost it, which might haue strengthened and confirmed him? Wee see that all liuing crea∣tures in theyr kinde are brought foorth perfect, that nothing is wanting vnto them for the preseruation of theyr life. But man, through sinne is so desolate, and so bereft of all things, that hee hath nothing of those things, which are needfull and necessary for him, but he must liue of almes, and be relieued from the di∣uine mercy. Then if thys meanes be taken away, what shall be the life of man? Surely lame, maimed, & full of a thousand de∣fects. What other thing is it to liue without hope, then to liue without God? What other thing is left vnto man of all his aun∣cient patrimony to preserue his life, besides this onely support and helpe? What Nation was euer so barbarous, so voyde of all religion, that had not some knowledge of God, or of some Die∣tie, whom it did not worshyp with some certaine honour & a∣doration? of whom also it did not looke for some benefit of the Diuine prouidence?

In that short time that Moses was absent from the chyldren of Israell, the people thought that they had beene vvithout a God, and as rude and ignorant began to exclaime, and to speak to Aaron, Arise, make vs Gods to goe before vs: as if they durst not goe any further without some God. Wherby it is manifest, that mans nature, although it alwayes knoweth not the true God, yet it is necessary that it know some God. And although man is ignorant of the cause of his owne frailtie, yet he acknow∣ledgeth his owne frailtie, and for this naturally seeketh helpe of some God. Euen as Iuie naturally seeketh for some post or tree, which it may leane vnto; or some wall, by which it may bee supported, and creepe aloft, it beeing not able to sustaine and held vp it selfe: And as a woman naturally seeketh for the sup∣portation and shadow of man; for she as an imperfect creature, knoweth that the ayde and helpe of man is necessary for her:

so mans nature beeing needfull, and wanting many things, doth seeke for the shadow and refuge of God.

These things therefore beeing thus, wee may easily coniec∣ture, what is the life of those men, who liue in this wretched & miserable widowish estate, forsaking God, and beeing forsaken of God. I would gladly knowe this one thing: They that lyue after thys manner, how doe they comfort themselues in theyr miseries? howe doe they defende themselues in dangers? vvho doth cure theyr infirmities? with whom doe they confer of their businesse? of whom doe they aske counsaile in doubtfull mat∣ters? of whom doe they seeke for help in theyr necessities? with whom doe they traffique? with whom are they conuersant? whom doe they sticke to? to be briefe, by whose help doe they escape the snares of this life, who haue not any refuge? If the body cannot liue without the soule, nor the soule without God, surely God is no lesse necessary for the one life, then the soule is for the other. And if (as we haue said before) liuely hope be the anchor of our life, how dare any man vndergoe the dangers of this tempestuous sea, his shyp beeing destitute of this anchor of hope? If hope be the shielde, by which wee defend our selues; how can men defend themselues in the midst of theyr enemies beeing without this shield? If hope be the staffe, by which mans nature is supported in all her weakenes and frailtie; vvhat shall weake and feeble man doe, without the staffe of this hope?

Hetherto, as I thinke, we haue sufficiently showed, what is the difference betweene the hope of the righteous and of the wicked: and what is the nature and condition of them both. That is, one of them hath God for his defence and bulwarke; but the other, the broken staffe of reede of Egipt, which he that lea∣neth vpon, it goeth into his hand, and shooteth it through. For it is meet, that that error which he committeth, in hoping in things so vncertaine and doubtfull, & relying altogether on them, that he should be corrected no otherwise, then by hauing mischance and being deceiued by them, as the Prophet Ieremy plainlie te∣stifieth: who when he would denounce the destruction and o∣uerthrow of the kingdome of Moab, he sayth thus: For because thou hast trusted in thine owne workes and treasure, thou shall bee taken: and Chamos (the God in whom thou trustest) with his priests

and Princes, shall goe away into captiuitie. Consider therefore what kinde of ayde that is, the trust of which, is the ruine and ouerthrow of him that so trusteth.

Therefore let these things suffise which haue beene spoken of the priuiledge and prerogatiue of hope: which although it seeme almost to be the same with the speciall prouidence of God, of which wee haue spoken before, yet it is not the same: for they differ betweene themselues, as the effect and cause of a thing. For although there be many foundations of thys hope, as the goodnes of God, truth of the same God, and the merrits of Christ: yet the principall ground is the fatherly prouidence of God, from which ariseth thys hope & confidence. For to know that God hath so great a care ouer him, and that he is defended and gouerned of him with so respectiue a regard, dooth excite and stirre vp in man, a great hope, and an assured confidence.

Notes

• Wisdom. 5.
• Esay, 30.
• Chapter, 31
• The hope of y^e righte∣ous is spirit, but of the wicked flesh
• Psal. 146.
• Psal. 20.
• A simili∣tude. Math. 7,
• Ierem, 17,
• To him that trusteth in the Creator all thinges happen suc∣cesfully and prosperous∣ly: but to him y^e tru∣steth in the creatures, al things fall out vnluc∣kilie.
• Where the world is planted.
• How vn∣happy the estate of thē is, who haue not theyr trust in god.
• Onely hope is left vnto man.
• Man cannot liue without a God.
• Exod, 32.
• A similie.
• A similie.
• How ne∣cessarie Hope is for man.
• Esay, 36,
• The punish∣ment of fruitlesse & vaine hope. Ierem, 48,
• The diffe∣rence of the prouidence of God, and of hope or trust.