The conquest of temptations, or Mans victory over Satan especially, the great assaults, at the agony of death, full of very strong and effectuall consolations, to sustaine and comfort the weakest heart, in the greatest conflicts which can befall a Christian in the vvhole course of of life, and approach of death / gathered by the holy and deuout labour of Iohn Gerard, doctor of diuinitie, and superintendent of Heldburge ; newly Englished by Rich. Bruch, minister of Gods word.

The Comforter.

I would haue thée despaire but in thy self, and of thy selfe, because thou art a sinne∣full man, but not in God, whose grace doth abound aboue sinne: for as much as a drop is to the Sea, so much is mans ma∣lice to Gods mercy. The Sea though it be great, yet it hath a measure; but the cle∣mency of God hath no measure: neither despaire thou of Christ, and in Christ, which came into the world, that he might saue sinners; whose blood doth more pre∣uaile to the reconciliation of God, then the sinnes of the whole world to his displea∣sure. Although thy sinnes be great, and diuers, and oft-times doubled, yet they are not greater or more grieuous then that thou mayest obtaine pardon & forgiuenes of them, séeing the goodnes of God is grea∣ter then the iniquitie of all men. Sins are in their fall, but the grace of God is in its rising. Sins are in the works of the De∣uill and Man; to take pitty, to spare, & to remit are the workes of God: by how much therefore God is more mighty then the Diuell and Man, by so much also his mercy is greater then our malice. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger, and of great kindnesse. Hee will not alwayes chide, neither will hee keepe his an∣ger

for euer. Hee hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes, nor rewarded vs after our iniqui∣ties. For as high as the Heauen is aboue the Earth, so great is his mercy toward them that feare him. As farre as the East is from the West, so farre hath hee remoued our sinnes from vs. The Heauen is incomparably greater then the Earth, which is no big∣ger then the least point in respect of Hea∣uen: so the mercy of the heauenly Fa∣ther is incomparably greater then all sinnes: farre be it, farre be it therefore from thée, that thou say, Greater is mine ini∣quitie then the pietie of the pittying God. Thou shalt finde God more kinde then thou art culpable. So great is the mercy of God, that if thou hadst all the sinnes of the world vpon thée, and didst grieue, that with thy sinnes thou hadst proudly offended thy God, so good a Lord, and shouldest firmely purpose hereafter to ab∣staine, God would neuer condemne thée. What? dost thou so forget the satisfaction performed of Christ, that thou wilt prefer thy sinnes before Christs merit, that is, thy selfe before God? Dost thou sée the great∣nesse of the disease, and dost thou not sée the power of the Physitian? Great are thy sinnes, farre greater is Christ, which hath satisfied for thy sinnes. Diuers are thy sinnes, but Christ also hath suffered di∣uers things for thée. GOD is the infi∣nite good whom thou hast offended by thy sinnes, but Christ is an infinite person, which hath reconciled thée to God: sigh therefore to thy heauenly Father, and pray

in the name of his Sonne thy Sauiour: if thou doest despise mee, O eternall God for mine iniquitie, as I haue deserued, re∣gard me at least, taking pitty on mee, for the loue of thy beloued off-spring. Regard that in thy Sonne which thou mayst bee mercifull vnto in thy seruant. Sée the sa∣crament of his flesh, and forgiue the guilt of my flesh, remember what thy good Son hath suffered, and forget what thine euill seruant hath wrought.

Notes

• Rom. 5.21
• Chrysost. Hom. 3. de Poen.
• 1 Tim. 1.15.
• Psal. 103.8 vers. 9.
• vers. 10.
• vers. 11.
• vers. 12.
• Bern. serm. 11. sup. Can. Col. 5 18. Gerson. de remed. con∣tra Pusilla.
• August. in Psal. 55.
• Ansel. de redemp. gen. hum. fol. 96.