A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following.

LVII* 1.1

The first temptation is a fall into some great sin, as Noah into drunkennes, Dauid into adulterie and murder, Peter into the deniall of Christ. The exercise of a Christi∣an in this temptation is this:

• 1 At the first his heart is vsually dulled ••nd made secure with sinne.
• 2 Yet after a while there ariseth in his

• hart a godlie sorrow: which is when hee is greued for the only cause, that by his sin he hath displeased God, who hath bene to him so louing & mercifull a father, whose fauor he would be content to purchasse, (so hee might haue it and obtaine it, euen with the damnation of his owne soule.
• 3 n 1.2 Thē he begins to repent himself of his sins renewing a fresh his former repentāce.
• 4 ^u This repentāce he sheweth by 7. signes

1 A care to leaue that sin into which he is fallē. As they which crucified our sauior Christ, whē they were pricked in their harts at Peters Sermō, they shewed this care in sai∣ing, o 1.3 men & brethren what shal we do to be saued. 2 An Apologie, which is whē a man in the heauines of his hart, shall not excuse or de∣fend his sin, but cōfesse it to the lord & vtter ly condēne himselfe for it: acknowledging withal y^t there is no way to escape y^t wrath of god, but by hauing gods fre pardō in christ.

3 Indignation which is an inward anger and fretting against his owne selfe, because he was so carelesse, in looking to his owne waies. Peter whē he had denied his maister, he wept & that bitterly which sheweth y^t with sorow, he had also an anger against himself.* 1.4

4 A feare rising not so much frō the iudg∣ments

of God, as frō this lest he shold here∣after fall into the same sin againe, and by so doing more greeuouslie displease God. 5 A desire euer after more carefully to plese god. 6 Zeale in the seruice of God.

7 Reuenge vpon himselfe for his former offences: for example if a man sin in surfet∣ting and dronkennes, if he euer repent, hee will bring vnder his corrupt nature by spa∣ring and moderating himselfe

Notes

• * 1.1

  5 A fal in∣to some sinne.
• n 1.2

  2. Cor. 7. 11.
• o 1.3

  Act. 2. 37
• * 1.4

  p Math. 26. 75.