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.

¶ How the grace giuen vs by Christ, doth make the way of Vertue easie and pleasant.

FIrst of all, in this place we must know that the chiefest cause of this errour is, that men onely looke vpon this small diffi∣culty, which is found in Vertue, and lift not vp theyr eyes to those Diuine helps,* 1.1 which God sendeth to ouercome it. The errour of the seruant of Elizeus was of this kinde, who seeing the army of the Syrians compassing the Citty, and Horses and Cha∣rets begirding the house of the Prophet, saw not the army of the Lord prepared for his defence, vntill his eyes were opened by the prayer of the Prophet of God; & then he saw that there were moe defenders then offenders. Of the same kinde and semblance is the errour of them of whom we now speake, for when as they perceaue and feele in themselues the difficulty of Vertue, and not hauing felt the graces and helpes, that God fendeth for the attainement of Vertue and piety, they pull back their foote, and shrink away from Vertue.

Tell me if the way of Vertue be so difficult, why doth the Prophet say:* 1.2 I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimo∣nies, as in all riches. And in another place; The iudgements of the Lord are truth,* 1.3 they are righteous altogether: and more to be desired then gold, yea, then much fine gold: sweeter also then bonny, and the honny-combe: So that the Prophet not onely granteth that, that all we yeeld vnto Vertue, that is, admirable excellency and dig∣nitie, but also that which the world denieth, that is, sweetnesse, pleasantnes, and delectation. For thys cause not without good reason thou mayst perswade thy selfe that those, who doe so ag∣grauate and exaggerate this burthen, and doe imagine to them∣selues that it is so heauy and so vnsupportable, (although they be Christians, and liue vnder the couenaunt of grace) yet they haue not tasted of thys misterie.

O thou wretched man, thou that sayest thou art a Christian, tell me why Christ came into the world? Why he shedde his blood? why he ordained his Sacraments? why he sent his holy Spirit into the world? what is meant by the word Gospell? what by the word Grace? and what is the meaning of this most famous and excellent name IESVS? If thou knowest not, enquire of the Euangelist,* 1.4 and he will tell thee: Thou shalt call his Name IESVS, for hee shall saue his people from their sinnes. What other thing meaneth the name of Sauiour & Deliuerer? What other thing to be saued and deliuered from sinnes, then to obtaine pardon for vs for our sinnes past, & grace to eschew those to come? For what other cause came the Sauiour into the world, but that he might helpe thee, and further thy salua∣tion? Why would he dye vppon the Crosse, but that he might kill sinne? Why would he rise from the dead, but that he might raise thee, and might make thee to walke in newnesse of lyfe? Why did he shed his blood, but that he might make a medicine or a plaister, to heale and cure thy woundes? For what other cause did he institute & ordaine Sacraments in his Church, but to strengthen thee in the progresse of righteousnesse? What o∣ther is the fruite of his most bitter passion, and comming into this world, but that he might make the way to heauen plaine & smooth, which before was sharpe and rough with thornes, and that he might make it passable and easie to be iourneyed? This

is that which Esay fore-told should come, that in the dayes of the Messias,* 1.5 Euery valley should be exalted, and euery mountaine & hill should be made low, and the crooked should be strait, & the rough places playne. To be briefe, besides all these, why was the holie Ghost sent from heauen, but that thy flesh might be turned in∣to spirit? And why did he send him in the forme of fire, but that he might inflame thee as fire, and illuminate thee, and trans∣forme thee into himselfe, and lift thee on high, from whence he himselfe first came? To what end profiteth grace, & all the vertues which proceede from it, but that they may make easie and light the yoke of the Lord? that they might make his ser∣uice tollerable? that they might make men couragious in tribu∣lations? to hope in perrils, and ouercome in temptations? This is the beginning, thys the middle, and this the end of the Gos∣pell.

It is necessary also to know, that as Adam an earthly man & a sinner, made all men earthly and sinners; so Christ a heauen∣ly man and a righteous, made all men heauenly and righteous. What other thing haue the Euangelists written? What other thing be the promises sent vnto vs from the Prophets? & what other thing haue the Apostles preached? This is the summe of all Christian Diuinitie, thys is that abreuiated worde, which the Lord made vpon the earth. Thys is that consummation and abreuiation,* 1.6 which Esay sayth he heard of the Lord, vppon which followed so great riches of righteousnes & vertues in the world.

But let vs declare a little more plainly those things which we haue spoken.* 1.7 I demaund of thee, from whence thinkest thou that this difficulty ariseth, which is found in Vertue? Thou wilt say, from the wicked inclination of the hart, and from our flesh conceaued in sinne: for the flesh gainesayeth the spirit, and the spirit resisteth the flesh, as two contraries between themselues. Let vs imagine that God calleth thee, and saith vnto thee; Man come hether; I will take from thee that hart thou hast, and will giue thee a new one, I will giue thee strength also, by vvhich thou shalt be able to represse and hold vnder thy appetites and euill concupiscences. If God promise this vnto thee, shall the way of Vertue yet seeme difficult vnto thee? It is certaine that

it shall not. I pray thee what other thing is it, that God so often hath promised vnto thee? that he hath so often auerred in the holy Scriptures? Heare what the Lord spake in times past by his Prophet Ezechiell, speaking especially to them, vvho lyue vnder the couenaunt of grace. And I will giue them, sath he, a new hart,* 1.8 and I will put a new spirit within theyr bowels: and I vvill take the stony hart out of their bodies, & will giue them a hart of flesh, that they may walke in my statutes, and keepe my iudgements, & exe∣cute them: and they shall be my people, and I will bee their GOD. Hetherto the Prophet. Why then doost thou doubt ô man? Is not God sufficient to performe his promise? And if he shall performe his promise, and keepe his credite with thee, shalt thou not be able with his helpe and ayde, to walke in his statutes? If thou shalt deny the first, thou wilt make God a rash and false promiser, and that is exceeding great blasphemie: but if thou shalt say, that thou are not yet with all his helpe able to walke in his statutes and obserue his iudgements, thou makest GOD an impotent prouider and fore-seer, whilst he would haue man to sweare to that he is not able to doe, by giuing him a remedie vnsufficient, which in like manner is false. What other doubt then is there? Why should not Vertue haue force to mortifie these euill inclinations, which fight with thee, and which make the way of Vertue seeme difficult?

Thys is one of the chiefest fruites of the tree of Lyfe, vvhich the Lorde hath sanctified by his blood. The Apostle confir∣meth this,* 1.9 when he saith; Our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sinne might be destroyed, that hencefoorth wee should not serue sinne. The Apostle in thys place, by the old man and the body of sinne, vnderstandeth our sensuall appetite, with all the euill inclinations that proceede from it. Hee sayth, that thys to∣gether with Christ is crucified-vppon the Crosse: for by thys most noble and excellent sacrifice, we haue obtayned grace and strength to weaken and debilitate this Tyrant, so that wee are free from the seruitude of sinne, as before I haue shewed. Thys is that great victorie, & that great benefit, which the Lord pro∣miseth by Esay, saying: Feare thou not, for I am with thee: be not afraid,* 1.10 for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, and helpe thee 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I will sustaine thee with the right hand of my iustice. Behold, all they

that prouoke thee, shall be ashamed, and confounded: they shall be as nothing, and they that striue with thee shall perrish. Thou shalt seeke them, and shalt not finde them: to wit, the men of thy strife, for they shall be as nothing, and the men that warre against thee, as a thing of naught. For I the Lord thy God wil•• hold thy right hand, saying vnto thee, Feare not, I will helpe thee. Thys sayth Esay. Tell me, who shall faile hauing such an helper? Who will be faint-harted and discouraged, who will feare, or dread his owne wicked passions, seeing that grace doth thus vanquish and ouercome them?

Notes

• * 1.1

  4, Kings, 6.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 119.
• * 1.3

  Psalm, 19,
• * 1.4

  Math, 1,
• * 1.5

  Esay, 40,
• * 1.6

  Esay, 10,
• * 1.7

  Frō whence the difficul∣tie of ver∣tue ariseth.
• * 1.8

  Ezech, 11.
• * 1.9

  Rom, 4.
• * 1.10

  Esay, 41,