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.

¶ The conclusion of all those things, which haue beene spoken in this Chapter.

LEt vs at the length conclude this matter with that excellent sentence of Ecclesiasticus: Because thy sinne is forgiuen, be not without feare, to heape sinne vpon sinne. And say not, The mercy of God is great: he will forgiue my manifold sinnes: for mercy & wrath come from him, and his indignation commeth downe vpon sinners. Tell me I pray thee, if of a sinne forgiuen we ought to feare, how can it possibly be that thou shouldest be secure, by daily adding sinnes to sinnes? Marke diligently what he sayth: His indignation commeth downe vpon sinners. For of this sentence the whole matter dependeth. For we must know, that although the Diuine mercy extendeth to the iust, and vniust, calling these, and expecting their repentance, and preseruing the other: ne∣uerthelesse, the great graces, & the notable benefits, which God promiseth to men in the Scriptures, especially belong to the righteous, who as they faythfully obserue the law and comman∣dements of God, so faithfully God keepeth them: he keepeth his promises with them, and he is a true father vnto them, as they are his morigerous and obedient sonnes. On the contrary part

whatsoeuer threatnings, curses, and seuerity of Diuine iustice the holy bookes of the Bible contayne, all that properly pertay∣neth to thee, and to such like vnto thee. How great therfore is thy blindnes, and blockishnes, who fearest not so great comina∣tions purposely intended against thee; and comfortest thy selfe with promises not made for thee? O miserable man, haue an eye to those things, that are spoken of thee, and giue to the iust that is theirs. Wrath belongeth to thee, therfore feare: but loue to the righteous, let them therfore reioyce and be glad. Wilt thou that I shall proue this to be true? heare what Dauid sayth: The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous, and his eares open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against them that worke euill, to roote their memory from off the face of the earth. Such a like speach is found in Esdras: The hand of our God, sayth Esdras, that is, the Diuine prouidence, is ouer all that seeke him in truth: and his wrath, strength, and fury ouer them, who forsake him. Which seeing that it is so, why ô wretched man doest thou con∣tinue in thy sinne? vvhy doest thou deceaue thy selfe? vvhy art thou so dull? vvhy errest thou thus? These testimonies of Scripture are not for thee, so long as thou remaynest in the state of damnation, the sweetnes of the Diuine fauour and loue spea∣keth not to thee. This is the portion of Iacob, it belongeth not to Esau. This is the lot of the righteous; thou who art wicked, what right hast thou here? Leaue of to be wicked, and it shall be thine; forsake thine vngodly life, and the loue of God, and his fatherly prouidence shall protect thee, and cherrish thee. Which if thou doest not, thou art a tyrant, and doest vsurpe the rights of other men. Hope in the Lord, sayth Dauid, and doe good. And in another place: Offer the sacrifices of righteousnes, and trust in the Lord. This is the best manner of hoping: doe not fur∣ther abuse the mercy of God in perseuering in thy sinnes, and in hoping that thou shalt come to heauen. It is the best hope, to flye sinne, and to call vpon God: but if thou continuest in thy sinnes, this is not to hope, but to presume; this is not to hope for mercy, but it is to doe an euill deed, and to offend that mercy. For euen as the Church doth profit them nothing, who depart from it, that they may doe wickedly: so also it is meete, that the mercy of God should not profit them, who continue

in their sinnes. This before all things the dispencers and Prea∣chers of Gods word ought to consider, who oftentimes not marking before whom they make their Sermons, minister oc∣casion to the wicked, to continue and perseuere in their sinnes. They should respect, that euen as a sicke and a diseased body, the more it eateth, the greater harme it taketh; so also a soule hardened in sinne, the more that it deceaueth it selfe with this kinde of trust, the more it is hardened, and moued to perseuere in sinne. In stead of a conclusion, that excellent sentence of S. Augustine shall be: By hoping and despairing, men perish. By hoping naughtily in their lifes, but by despairing worser in their deaths. Therfore cease my brother, and forsake this presump∣tuous hope: remember that as the Lord is mercifull, so also he i•• iust. Therfore as thou castest one eye vpon mercy, that thou mayest hope: so cast the other vpon iustice, that thou mayest feare. For as S. Bernard sayth, God hath two feete, mercy, and iudgement: we ought to apprehend neyther of them alone or seuerally: for iustice without mercy, doth not so make to feare, as mercy without iustice doth make men continue and perse∣uere in a wicked life.

Notes

• Ecclesi. 5.
• The promi∣ses of God belong to y^e righteous, and y^e thret∣nings to the vnrighteous
• Psal. 11.
• Esd. 8.
• Psal. 37. Psal. 4.
• August. in his 11. ho∣mily among his 50.
• Bernard in his 56. Ser∣mon a∣mongst his small ones.