Psal. 37.
Who shall be he than, that shall delyuer and recouer suche good for me? Alas it can not be a mortall man, for hys power and strength is not suche, but it shall be the only good grace of the almyghty God whych is neuer slacke to preuent vs with hys mercye. O what a master is that, without deseruynge any goodnesse of hym? I serued hym slouthfully, and without ceasynge offended hym euery daye, yet is he not slacke in helpynge me. He doth se the euyll that I haue, what and how moche it is, and that of my selfe I can do nothynge that good is, but with hart and body so enclyned am I to the contrarye, that I feale no strength in me onles it be for to do euyll. He doth not tarry tyll I humbly praye hym, or that (seynge my helle & dāpnacyon) I do crye vpō hym. For with hys sprete he maketh a waylynge in my harte greatter than I can declare, whych asketh the gyfte wherof the vertu is vnknowen to my lytele power.
Luce. 19.
Collo. 3.
And thys the same vnknowne syghte doth brynge me a newe desyre, shewynge the good that I haue lost by my synne, & gyuē me agayne through hys grace & boūtye, that whych hath ouercome all synne. O my lorde what grace and goodnesse is thys, whych doth put out so manye synnes. Now maye we se that thu art full of all godly loue to make me of a synner, thy seruaūt & chyelde. Alas my God, I ded not seke the but I fled & rāne awaye frō the. And here beneth thu camyst to me whych am nothynge but a worme of the earthe, all naked. What do I saye, worme? I do hym wrōge, that am so naughtye, & swarme so full of pryde, deceyte, malyce & treason. The promyse whych my fryndes made whā I was baptysed is such, that I alwayes through faythe in thy passyō shuld fele the mortyfycacyō of my fleshe & dwelle alwayes with the ī the crosse where thu wert fast nayled (as I beleue) and yelded death dead as I also shuld yelde all synne.
Mar. 16.
Ioan. 6.
Thys haue I often tymes taken downe agayne, vntyed, and set at large, I haue broken, denyed, and falsyfyed my promyse & through pryde, I haue lyft vp my wyll in suche a maner, that through slouth, my dewtye towardes the was forgoten. And that moche more is, as wele the profyte or value of thy promyse, whych I had of the in the daye of my baptysme, as also thy sauynge loue and promyses folowynge, I haue all alyke neglected. What shall I saye more? Albeit that often tymes thu perceyuynge me wretched and vnhappye hast geuē me so many warnynges in fayth and in sacramētes, admonyshynge me by preachynges, and confortynge me by the recayuynge of thy worthye bodye and sacred bloude, promysynge also to put me in the nombre of them that are now adourned with perfyght innocencye. Yet haue I all these hygh benefyghtes, throwne into forgetfullnesse.
Hiere. 7.
Psal. 118.