The last Reason

FInally the fourth and last reason may be in this wyse deduced: There liueth no man of the substaunce of our commune frayle fleshe, that hath not sinned and is assured he shall sinne agayne. The which beyng true, it shalbe very necessary vnto vs, for either of both these […], to inuocate and call vppon our almightie and moste mercyfull Lord God, with continuall prayers, not onlye to forgeue and pardon our former sinnes and offences passed, but also that by his omnipotent ayde, & almightie assistance, we fall not againe, eyther to the same, or others, by the occasion wherof, we might incurre and fall into eternall and euerlasting payne and punishment. And first there is no man that knoweth hym selfe to haue sinned, which is assured and certayne, that he hath as yet recouered the fauoure of God, except the same be by some meanes reueled to hym by GOD, of the whiche thyng Salomon wryteth thus, in his booke named Ecclesiastes. Sunt iusti & sapientes, ¹ & opera eorum in manu dei, et tamen nescit homo vtrum amore vel odio dingnus sit, sed omnia in futurum reseruantur incerta. There be (sayeth he) both wyse and iust men, and the doynges of them remayne in the hande of God, and yet knoweth no man whether he stande in the grace or indignation of God. But all those iudgementes be reserued in the secrete knowledge of him selfe vnto the ende. And to this ende be all mens deedes reserued to the last iudgement of God, because there can nothyng be hidden, couered, or kepte secrete, neyther shall the least thought he vnknowen vnto that seuere iudge, that euer crept into the soule of man. But albeit no man can be assured by his owne knowledge in this state of lyfe, that he standeth and remayneth in the fauour of God, yet by certayne coniectures, he may assuredly beleue it, specially if he knowe hym selfe free from any deadly sinne, of the whiche he hath not alredy repented hym selfe, and eyther confessed him selfe, or els purposeth assuredlye▪ to confesse the same to his ghostly father in tyme conuenient: And therewith yf he fynde hym selfe apte, redye, and wyllyng to the doyng of those thinges, wherewith God his honour may be aduaunced, yf he delyght in hearyng of the holy and sacred worde of God, read and preached, yf he seeke to be often present at the diuine seruice and prayse geuyng to the name of God: And finally, if he intende as far forth as he maye, to abstayne and flee from thence forth, from all contagious corruption of sinne: Ueryly this man may assuredly beleue that he is▪ and consisteth in the state of grace, and in the fauour of God. But to knowe this assuredly, no man shalbe able, except he be illuminate with some other speciall lyght of knowledge and reuelation. And therfore for this cause it shalbe necessary for all men to conteyne and kepe them selues within the limits and boundes of some reuerent feare, and to continue knockyng at the gates of the mercy of God, by importune prayer, trauaylyng for his grace and fauour. And this feare is taught and perswaded vnto vs, by holye Scripture, where it is written: De propiciatu peccatorum noli esse sine metu. Be not out of feare,² and altogether carelesse of thy sinnes forgeuen. And surely this feare shall do so muche good to man, that if the sorowe he hath alredy taken for sinne, be not sufficient, nowe the goodnes of God allowyng this reuerent feare, accepting the feruent prayer that groweth from the same, it shall plentifully satisfie and appease the wrath of God, for all our sinnes and offences against him. But yf we did graunt that there were some man that had assured knowledge of the full and absolute forgeuenes of his sinnes, and that he knewe him selfe, nowe perfectly reconsiled to myght confirme by the testimonies of many, as well holy doctours, as credible Historiographers. But to our purpose, by that whiche is alredye sayde, it is playne and apparaunt ynough, that euerye man hath nede to pray continually, as well to obteyne pardon and forgeuenes of his sinnes past, as to auoyde the perillous daungers of suche euylles, as be imminent towardes him. And nowe (as I suppose) it is sufficient to haue remembred these foure reasons to proue the necessitie of prayer. We wyll therefore accordyng as we tofore haue promysed in the seconde part, somethyng saye of the great fruite and wonderfull commoditie that groweth to man by prayer.