The fourth Consideration

THe fourth cōsideration is this, that where sithens that tyme of your baptisme and that you were made a christian woman, you haue many tymes vnkindely faulne into deadly sinne, and broken hys lawes and commaundemēts, setting at naught all these benifites which he before had giuē to you following your wretched pleasures, to the great dyspleasure and contempt of his moste highe maiestie. And yet he furthermore did not strike you, ne yet reuēge him selfe vppon you rigoriously, punishing the transgressors & breakers of his lawe, as he might and shoulde by his rightuousnesse haue done. But contrariwyse he did long spare you by his excelēt mercy, and mercifully he did abyde your returne to hym againe by sorowfull repentaunce, and askyng of him mercy for your abhominable offences. And where you so dyd with good hartie mynde at anye tyme, he receyued you to his grace, and by the Sacrament of pennaunce you were takē into his fauour again, and so yet escape the horrible paynes of Hell due for your outragious vnkindnesse: No reason may iudge the cōtrarie but yt you of good ryght haue deserued them for your foule presūption, in breaking of ye lawes of your Lord God: and preferring your wretched appetites before hys pleasure, and following your owne wilfull desires before his most high commaundements. (Alas) what miserable cō dition should you now haue bene in, if he so incōtinent after your offēces had strikē you by death, & had sēt you to ye horrible payns of hell, where you shuld not onely for a time haue biddē but for euer, & wtout all remedy. No praiers of your frinds, no alms déeds, ne such other good works shuld haue releued you. Ah, sister imprint déepely in your soule this inestimable mercy of your Lorde God shewed vnto you through his most gracious & merciful abidīg for your return to him by true repētāce & asking of his mercy. For inumerable soules of men & weomen for lesse offēces then you haue done, lye now in ye prisō of hel, & shal there cōtinu wtout end: which if they might haue had as great sufferance as you haue had, & so long leasure to repent them, they woulde haue taken more sorowfull repentance then euer you tooke, & doe now more sorowfully repent them thē euer you did, but yt as now cā not profit thē, for yt sorow & repētāce is now to late. But to my purpose, how may you thīk yt this louing sufferāce & gracious abidīg of your amēdmēt & merciful accepting of your sorows & repētāce, for your great sins cōmeth not of a singular loue shewed vnto you by your lord god, before all them. And shall not this cōsideration pearce your harte, and moue you muche to loue him againe.