said euen as a man striueth to be deliuered in the pangs of death so he from his tribulation Iob that mirrour of patiēce did so delight in his suffrings that in one place he seemeth to accuse God himselfe to adde to his transgressions that is to make his sins seem greather then they were and how doth hee desire to plead with God about his affliction cursed the day and houre of his death Our sauiour would neuer haue warned vs that in the world we should haue sorrowe and lamentation had he not knowne that the smart of our sufferings would thrust foorth abundance of teares through the vehemency of the paynes and presently hee addeth a secret comparison between a woman in trauail a christian in persecution so that as the one hath most vehement sorrowes and pitifull lamentations so also may the other infinite testimonyes might bee brought for the proofe of this to teach vs that God his children are made of fleshe as well as of spirite and the fleshe is weake though the spirite bee willing therefore wee may feare and cry vnder the burthen of our paines that our afflictions are bitter vnto vs and that the hand of the Lord is grieuous vppon vs. Againe for the comfort of the godly I speake this that if any haue grieuously complained of their sufferings let them impute it to the sharpnes of their paines and the weaknes of their natures wee see this Naomi calleth bitternes vnto her such as shee woulde not willinglye take except it were for the phisicke of her soule and nowe almost ten yeares space this griefe hath growen vppon her so that it may seeme of all others shee was most grieued for now she vttereth her minde as freshlye as if the potion were yet vndigested in the stomacke Be comforted therefore my sorrowfull brethren and sisters you see you are not alone in this miserie for Dauid Iob Naomi Annah Nehemiah and many other are as farre indebted to the Lord in this pointe as euer was any striue to suppresse it by prayer and quench it by singing of psalms neither let vs iudge but charitably of those which in this case are troubled bee it for the losse of their children the death of their husbands the decay of their wealth or the lacke and want of their health If they seme impatient and weaker then our selues let vs beare parte of their burthens vppon our christian comforts that they with vs we with thē like seling members of the same infirmities may sustaine our crosses by our mutuall supplications and obtaine our deliuerance by the bloud of Christ I went out ful In these words she amplifieth her former complaint by this comparison of a full vessell and an empty shewing that as the fullest vessell is the soundest the emptiest good for nothing so it fareth with her when she looketh vpon her former life when shee went foorth shee had plenty but now shee returneth in want then she was found but now broken then ioyfull but now sorrowful why should she be called pleasant or beautiful or by her old name seeing God hath humbled her whereas in times past hee vpheld her in prosperity but now hee hath cast her downe into aduersity Where wee first of all obserue the nature of worldly prosperity which to day is like a ful vessell but to morrowe like an emptye now it is greene anone it is withered now it groweth anone it is cut downe now like Nabuchadnezzar sitting vppon his throane with his counsellors and courtyers of estate about him but anone both Court and Countrey driue him to the companie of wilde beastes for as a little breache emptyeth the barrell so a lyttle trouble bringeth worldly welfare to wallow in the mire Therfore we read of none either king or country which had such a prosperous estate but it had one enimy or other to worke his woe if wee consider the raigne of Salomon where gold was innumerable and siluer as plentifull as stones yet it wanted not his miseries the people were punished by paiments to their prince the king was threatened which the losse of ten parts of his kingdome God stirred Hadud the Edomite against him where ended their peace Where is then y e roialty of Salomon was it not cast downe in one day his riches consumed his buildings burned his children captiuated his wisedome turned to idolatrie his posperitie decayed and al his honour ouerturned Oh that worldlings would consider their sickle estate and bee admonished of their iminent dangers the Lord putteth them into his balance finding them to light casteth them out Ieremy sayth they are but fatted sheepe kept for the day of slaughter now in the pasture and presently it the fire they are but aduanced to bee cast downe againe as the vessel is filled to bee emptied in due time the eares which are now full of corne in the field anon shall ly without on the dunghyll Babilon the queene of the world which ruled as yet was troden downe made a seruant Tyrus that crowned men with her wealth was consumed by warre for the Lord of hosts decreeth al this to staine the pride of glory to bring to contempt all that be mighty vpon the earth Weep weep O daughters of honor the days will come whē y e tēder shal not be regarded for your welth shal not al. ways endure the crowne abideth not from generation to generation your houses shall bee ouerturned your names forgotten your children impouerished your glory defaced your inheritance changed your welfare powred on the earth like water and your worship shall bee neuer repayred This haue God his dearest children felt and the greenest trees haue bene scorched which the fire of God his wrath for hee is not delighted in worldly brauery but hath buried great treasure in the sea which shall neuer bee found to keepe mankind kind from the ende of his purpose for this is their honour they get nothing but with much trauaile and in one houre loose labour life and wealth Secondly that which in our texte is the Lord hath humbled me in the hebrew is The Lord hath testified or witnessed against mee for by his iudgments hee humbleth vs as it ◠were producing witnesses to accuse vs of ous iniquityes as wee see in common iudgments all things passe by euidence if they be antient by witnes if it be late so the Lord when hee hath a quarrell against vs he first prooueth vs guilty by witnes of our sins and then punisheth vs for committing transgressions For this cause Moses commaundeth the book of the law to be laid vp in the side of the ark of the couenant for a witnes against the people so the Lord speaketh by Dauid Heare O my people and I will speake heare O Israel I will testifie vnto thee for I am thy God and after this hee reporteth his witnes against them first y t their sacrifices were corrupted
that his promise which he had made vnto Adam should be perfourmed in his posteritie which was for the comming of Christ This promise was renewed vnto Abraham vnto Izaak and vnto Iacob and most plainely vnto Iudah the third sonne of Iacob who was the father and graundfather of this Pharez that the Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor the lawgiuer from betweene his feete vntill Shiloh come and the people shall be gathered vnto him and againe vnto Dauid he swore that the fruite of his body should sit vpon his Throne both which promises or prophesies respect the comming and the raigne of Christ By this then we first of all gather the scope of the whole scripture namely that aboue all other it respecteth Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world the Prince of peace the mightye King and the great Counsellour For this cause he himselfe speaketh to the Iewes Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life and they are they that testifye of me Agayne Iohn speaketh in the end of his Gospell that the Scripture was written that we might beleeue in Christ And we reade that Apollo did mightely confound the Iewes proouing by the Scriptures that Iesus was Christ But most euident and playne is that of the Disciples going to Emaus and Iesus ouertaking them by the way it is sayd that hee began at Moses and all the Prophets shewing them that Christ ought so to suffer and that redemption and remission of sinnes might be preached in his name to all the world By the which it is most easye to be gathered and doeth necessarily follow that the summe drift and scope of the Scripture dependeth vpon Christ First because all the godlie that are named therein were eyther his Fathers according to the flesh or else the singuler types prefiguring his person such was Melchizedeck Ioseph Moses all the Iudges Samuell and the Prophets which although they were not of his naturall linage Melchizedeck excepted yet they did most liuely represent him Moses and the Iudges in this that as they deliuered the people from earthlye captiuitie so should hee redeeme them from euerlasting calamitye Samuell and the Prophets in this that as they instructed the Iewes in the lawe of the Lord which was giuen by Moses so Christ shoulde put his lawe in the inwarde partes of the Churche and teache them the Gospell of trueth theyr redemption wrought by himselfe the lawe of righteousnesse the words of eternall life Aaron and his fellowes in this that as they sacrificed for the sinnes of the people with bullocks and beasts and sprinckled the bloud with hysop for their outward cleansing so Christ sacrificeth his owne bodye and cleanseth from sinne thorough the sprinkling of his owne bloud Dauid and the Kings in this that as they ruled the people by theyr temporall lawes conquering theyr enemies and giuing them rest and worldly honour so Christ doeth raigne with the spirituall lawe of his word triumphing ouer hell death and sathan leading captiuitie captiue ascending vp on high receyuing gifts for men deliuering his Church from theyr aduersarye the Deuill bestowing vppon them spirituall peace and libertye giuing them the honours of hys Ministerie Word and Sacraments in this life present and Crownes of glory in the life to come Thus if wee looke vpon the Iudges they shewe vs our redemption If wee looke vppon the Kings they shewe vs our saluation If wee looke vppon the Prophets they shewe vs our instruction If wee looke vppon the Priests they shewe vs our reconciliation and if wee looke vppon the very names of the fathers of Christ which are described in the old Testament they teach vs that our names are also described in heauen and this is the profit we reape by the generation or genealogie of the faithfull to confirme vnto vs the true humanitie of our Sauiour So that heerein most liuely appeareth the dignitie of the Scriptures and the maiesty of Christ one mutually looking on another as the sunne doeth the starres and the starres the sunne for as the excellencie of the sunne appeareth by the glory of the starres to whome it giueth light so the maiesty of Christ is manifest by the scriptures to whome he giueth credit On the other side as the glory of the starres is magnified because it is the light of the sunne so the credit of the scriptures is exalted because they concerne the Sonne of God If the doings of earthly men be but paynted in some pamphlets tragedies or bookes of Chronicles we accompt them famous because their actions are commended in print what shall we then say of the Sonne of God whose workes excell the worthiest enterprises of all the world togither and are recorded by the holy Ghost the eternall God of trueth thoroughout all the sacred bookes of his eternall word farre aboue the credit of worldly commendations is not his maiesty incomparable Do we buy the bookes of earthly mens deuises to reade the fayned and doubtfull aduentures of Princes long since in their graues and shall we suffer this booke of the heauenly stratagemes of our Sauiour lye asleepe in the shops Compare their worthines togither you shall finde the difference as great as is betweene the light of the sunne and a little rotten wood glistering in the darke They ouercame some worldly Princes but he ouercame the Prince of the whole world they thorough a multitude of earthly souldiours but he thorough himselfe alone an infinite number of infernall powers they inuented politique lawes for their peaceable gouernment but he giueth spirituall precepts and ruleth by them the hearts of men himselfe they had the heads of many noble persons vncouered at their presence but he hath the tongues and knees of all them in heauen in earth and vnder the earth bowing vnto him yea the Angels do him reuerence for he is their head they prepared names of Ships to cut the seas but he could commaund the waters to beare him vp when he walked vpon them they had their glory in gold siluer pretious stones and soft apparell but he being on earth had his countenance like the brightnes of the sun his garments as white as the light they could digge in the earth to find treasures for their maintainance but he commanded the fishes of the sea to render him his want they were able vpon infinite charges to keepe great families but he without any charge fed fiue thousand men besides women children with a few barley loaues two fishes and caused much more to be taken vp then at the first was deuided among them finally they were able to destroie the bodies of men but he is able to destroy both body and soule they shewed themselues in outward glorie but he shall shew himselfe in flaming fire to render vengeance to all them that haue not obeyed his Gospell Therefore here must wee learne the maiestie of Christ euen in the Scriptures
the mountaines they are not drowned if the earth quake and rend asunder yet they are not swallowed vp if the wilde beastes fall vpon them they are not deuoured and if the Deuill himselfe would oppresse them yet he shall not ouercome them Then how glorious is our calling That liue vnder the wings of God that feede with the flocke of Christ to whome are reuealed the secrete Counsels of the Lord speaking vnto vs by his Ministers giuing vs the euidence of our saluation by his testament regenerating vs by the immortall seede of his holye word sealing vs with the spirit of promise lifting vs vp from the dust of worldly miserie to the thrones of heauenly Maiestie Salomons seruants were happie that stood in his presence and heard his wisedome Daniel was happy when the Lyons could not destroie him his fellowes were happie when the fire coulde not consume them the Israelites were happie when the Egyptians were drowned Iob was happy when his wealth was restored and the Disciples were blessed when they hearde Christ preach How many blessings belong to the religious Sathan that roaring Lyon cannot ouercome them the fire shall haue no power on them their enemies shall neuer hurt them the riches of the grace of God shall be powred vppon them and the word of life is dayly preached vnto them Consider therefore my beloued what is the hope of our profession whereunto we are called the dignitie of our condition wherein wee stande and the reward of our Religion prepared for our soules Call to mind the examples of the Fathers the promises of the Gospell the oath of the Lorde himselfe the price of our redemption and the place of our saluation you shall finde nothing wanting in Religion that might encrease your blessednes Therefore how happie are the eares that heare the things which wee heare the eyes that see the thinges which wee see the hands that handle the thinges which wee touch nay the soules that are assured of the fauour of God If all the worlde woulde goe about to set downe the felicitie of the godly and the dignitie of the chosen they could neuer atchieue it no not that which they enioy in this life for their thoughts are heauenly their hearts the throne of the holy Ghost their hands feele the Lord of glorie their tongues talke of his praise their feete stand in his Temple their words are acceptable before him their Prayers like sweete sauours of incense their worship like Euening sacrifices their eyes behold his glorie their eares heare his wisedome and their names are written in the kingdome of heauen Would not any man become religious that he might bee rewarded with this excellent honour To eate his meate with the Kinge of heauen to weare the Crowne that neuer shall haue ende to haue the Angels his attenders the Saintes his fellowes the heauens his dwelling place the starres vnder his feete the euerlasting light to walke in the presence of God to delight him the pleasures of Paradise for the recompence of his Religion For this cause I haue giuen this title vnto these my slender labours vpon this booke of Ruth wherein beloued in Christ you shall find the matter to agree with the title and the hope of all the faithfull concerning the end of their profession so profitably deciphered as hath comforted manye troubled soules confirmed many wauering mindes confounded many obstinate Atheists encouraged many godly persons and therefore I hope wil offer the same fauour vnto you in reading â—as it hath vnto many other in preaching Herein the holye Ghost I meane in the booke of Ruth hath laide open whatsoeuer can bee expected of them that feare the Lord here are afflictions to humble vs death to preuent vs examples to admonish vs here is the zeale of the godly the vertue of an effectuall calling the vizard of hypocrisie declared vnto vs heere is the loue of the faithfull the obedience to parents and the beneuolence of godly persons commended vnto vs here is the care of our parents the gifts of the spirite and the holines of the religious committed to the Church here is the office of Magistrates the Prayers of our brethren and the calling of the Gentiles expressed in the marriage of Ruth with Boaz who was made a mother of many Kings but especially of the king of glorie the Sonne of God the Sauiour of the world the gatherer together of the heires of grace My desire therefore is this that you trye it by perusing and reading this treatise for it is but superfluous labour for me any farder to trouble you with the Argument heereof seeing the whole matter lyeth before your consideration I wil pray for your successe commend the ende of my trauailes which is the comfort and instruction of the members of Christ to the fountaine of mercy by whome the heauens water the earth and the earth multiplieth with encrease and the encrease thereof preserueth the world that by the same power your souls may be edified your faith may be streÌ„gthned my labours may bee blessed that his name may be glorified his worde may euermore be taught among vs that many generations may embrace his Gospel and the course thereof finished our Religion by the mercie of the Father in the Sonne with the holy Ghost may bee rewarded with eternall saluation to whome let vs euermore giue thankes because hee hath vouchsafed vs the dignitie thereof and walke worthie of our calling least our secure liues our Idle faith our vaine hope our colde profession and our common conuersation with the vngodly bring vpon vs euerlasting damnation Your Louing brother who desireth your Prayers Edward Topsell ¶ Guilielmi Attersollj in Ruthae Explicationes carmen Encomiasticon EN Pietatis Honos en sic in regna reponit Quosque tulit casus abstulit ipse Deus En Rutha en Naomi per tot discriminarerum In sanctum tendunt regnaque sancta solum Nec te Rutha Moab distendit amore tuorum Nec colere ignotos barbara terra deos Gens inimica Deo Legemque deumque sequuta Praemia quaesitis diuitiora tenes Quis te magne Bohaz tacitum sine laude relinquat Quid prohibet castis nomen inesse tuum Coniugio foelix Rutham miseratus egentem Nomen ab insigni posteritate feres Vade liber liber titulumque expande decorum Materiâ titulo conuenieâ—te suo Hîc quoque zelus inest quis enim celauerit ignem Eminet ê proprio prodita flamma loco His simul exemplis matres viduaeque nepotes Instruite natos pignora chara rudes Vtilitas duplex partes se sistit in omnes Vtilis iste liber vtilis iste labor G. ATTERSOLL The same in effect in Englsh by the same Author LO here what guerdon godlinesse doth get And how the Crosse doth come before the crown Lo widowes twain before our eyes are set Not rais'd alost before they be cast downe And thou O Ruth renouncing natiue towne And Baal-peor God of
Finally who would not forsake the shadow of all the trees in the worlde to bee couered vnder the the winges of the Lords presence Where is more comfort to be found but one day then a thousande yeares in all the thrones of maiesty Thirdly and lastly by these wordes as is noted the dignity of the faithful so on the contrary is vttereth the desperate and comfortles estate of the wicked namely they are like vncouered birds also but neuer are shielded with the winges of the Lord they lie open and scattered subiect to all the soules of the ayre euery minute in danger to be torne in peeces by the hellish infernal deuils Therefore Dauid saith howsoeuer they bee nobles and Princes of the earth and haue houses and possessions after their owne names yet they stande but in slipperie places so soone as they mooue they fall Our sauiour saith They are like a man hauing no wedding garment so soone as the king espieth him hee is cast into vtter darkenesse Paule saith they are straungers from the life of God so that being liuing yet they are but condemned persons which euery houre looke for the tormentor then to bee burned in euerlasting fire Oh fearefull estate of all Atheistes papistes idolaters Iewes Turkes and Pagans carnal men and hypocrites despisers of the ministerie Gospel of Christ who as in this world they are without God so in the world to come shalbe separated from his presence with the Deuill and his Angels Looke on your reckoninges you guiltie consciences which euery day adde thousandes to your former inniquities The greater your debte is the sharper shall bee your imprisonmente The oftner you are warned the more shall bee your stripes As none were saued but those that entred into the arke so not one of you shall euer see the face of God except at your condemnation vnlesse you become zealous professors and heare our sermons bee partakers of our prayers and as obedient to the voyce of the Gospell in the mouth of his ministers as if there were a law of present death to be executed on you for euery default I finde fauour This is the second part of the speech of Ruth wherein she thanketh Boaz and excuseth her selfe She thanketh in the first wordes when she sayth I finde fauour in thine eyes oh my Lord because thou hast comforted me and hast spoken those thinges which are to the hearte of thy handmaide For she confesseth his curtesie and thankefulnes by the verdite of the learned is the humble confession of a benefite She excuseth when she saith I shall not be as one of thy maydens As if she had saide I am vnworthy of this curtesie because I come to labour for my selfe not for thee as these thy maydens doe Out of the which wee obserue these things First holy example of commendable thankefulnes much accepted of God and men as vnthankefulnes is abhorred by heauen and earth we haue examples hereof in many wicked persons as Laban his discurtesie to Iacob Saule vnto Dauid and the wicked Ammonites to his ambassadors To speake nothing of Pharaohs butler vnto Ioseph of Nabal vnto Dauid and also the inhabitants of Keilah which being famous in the scripture for the enemies of God so are they branded with this note of vnthankefulnes as if it were an especiall fruit of vnrighteousnes And truely this is most worthy to be vrged in our sinful age for the children forget their duties to their naturall parentes the people tread their preachers vnder their feete for telling them the truth we alwaies remember what we haue giuen but forget what we haue receyued whereas it is a token of the best nature to forget what we haue done to other but to remember what we haue receyued Surely surely vnthankefulnes towardes God and towardes men neuer raigned or raged more Toward God for the continuance of his Gospell peace plenty welfare of our countrey toward men in gadging the benefites that are dayly bestowed by casting in the teeth as if they were deserued The heauens abhorred this wickednesse and the heauens will raigne downe destruction vpon these thankelesse persons as they did vpon Sodom and Gomorra for the like offence Secondly by this we gather that the prayers of the righteous are more acceptable to the godly then giuing or taking of almes For when Boaz promised Ruth this kindnesse she thanked him and no more but nowe when hee prayed for her to the Lorde she protested that hee comforted her and that hee had spoken those thinges which were to the heart of his handmayde that is which pleased her exceedingly well As if shee had saide I am bounde vnto thee my Lord for thy kindnesse but thou hast comforted mee more with thy prayer then with that So that here for herselfe for all the godly she protesteth that of two benefits she was most of all comforted by his prayer which noteth in her a more hungring and thirsting after righteousnes then after all the maintenaunce of this present life for whosouer drinketh of that water of worldely welfare shal thirst againe but whosoeuer drinketh of the water of faithfull prayer shal neuer thirst any more This one consideration made the blind men of Iericho crie so importunately after Christ saying Iesus thou son of Dauid haue mercy on vs. Some heauenly benefite they looked for earthly he had none And this teacheth vs that when we giue wee should also pray for a blessing vpon our beneuolence for Salomon compareth the giuing of almes to the casting of corne into a moist or fruitfull lande so as the husbandman prayeth for a blessing vpon his seede euen so he which giueth to the poore must pray for a benefite vpon his beneuolence But if any gather by this my speech that it is sufficient to pray and not to giue to the pore I answere The scripture condemneth this folly when it saith If a brother or sister be naked and want meate and thou say vnto him go warme thy selfe and feed thy selfe and yet giue them nothing this is a dead and damnable not a liuing and a sauing faith of these kind of people the world is full which say alas God help you God prouide for you God giue you patience but nothing commeth from them saue onely fayre wordes To whome we may say as a beggar once did to a popish Bishoppe desiring a peece of money of him were it neuer so little but the Bishop saide no hee woulde giue him a pardon to whom the beggar replyed I perceiue if your pardon were worth any thing I should not haue it euen so if the prayers of these people were any thing worth they woulde not giue them because they giue nothing Lastly by this verse when Ruth excuseth her selfe that she should not be as one of his maidens she setteth downe a true example of Christian simplicitie for it may be she thought that Boaz was
shall giue an accompt for vsing and abusing it for to put trust in their wealth is to thinke they may doe with it what they please Thirdly they must distribute willingly liberally and dayly for as they are riche in substance so they must be rich in good workes that is they must excell other in giuing as they doe in possession Fourthly that those men which doe thus bestowe their wealth haue layed the foundation of their saluation and lay hold on eternall life This is the way to keepe wealth after the word of God and who so euer doeth otherwise eyther in mariage or vnmariage doth hoord vp but rust to torment him the canker to consume him the care to molest him and vengeance against the day of vengeāce eternally to condemn him Lastly in departing from his wealth first if hee haue wronged any man he must follow the example of Zacheus restore foure fould and he shall be blamelesse for that spend liberally vpon his family in good sort after the counsell of Salomon for this pinching of seruants and families fauoureth not of God nor of religion nor of humanitie the bruite beasts condemne it but spend nothing in waste for thou art but steward of thy goodes now you know a steward must giue an accompt to his maister Finally that which thou reseruest giue to thy children as Abraham and all the godly did to their posteritie and whosoeuer followeth this counsell shall be guiltlesse for mispending cleare from euill keeping free from wrong getting and acquitted from the dreadfull reckoning which all the worlde shall make one day to the Lord for abusing his benefites Now let vs giue thankes to God The fifteenth Lecture Chap. 4. Vers 12.13.14.15 12 And that thy house be like the house of Pharez whome Thamar bare vnto Iudah of the seede which the Lord shall giue thee of this young woman 13 So Boaz tooke Ruth and she was his wife and when he went in vnto her the Lord gaue that she conceiued and bare a sonne 14 And the women sayde vnto Naomi Blessed bee the Lord which hath not left thee this day without a kinseman and his name shall be continued in Israell 15 And this shall bring thy life agayne and cherish thine old age for thy daughter in law which loueth thee hath borne him which is better to thee then seuen sonnes WE haue shewed you the last sabbaoth that this 12. verse is a part of the prayer of the elders and people at the marriage of Boaz and Ruth for in the first part they prayed for the fruitfulnesse of the woman but in this they commend vnto God the blessing for their posteritie and because we then deuided it we will first of all handle it and then proceede to that which followeth First therefore out of this second part in their prayer we gather another duety of the godly in praying for children which is to desire in some measure the blessings of this world eyther riches or honour vpon them which in this place these Iewes doe vnfainedly pray for the house or posteritye of Boaz when they say and that thy house may be like the house of Pharez who had the birthright of Iudah whose posteritye was the noblest of all the family from whome also descended this Bohaz as appeareth by the end of this Chapter which flourishing estate as it had continued in the progeny of Pharez for sixe generations so they wish it might follow in his posteritye for many more neyther is this speciall in this place but also dispersed thorough all the scripture for wee knowe what promise the Lord made vnto Abraham that vnto his seede hee woulde giue all the land of Canaan as a comfort vnto him to thinke that his posteritye should be so well prouided for whereby they might not onely bee continued but richly aduaunced as the Lordes of the earth The like was it that hee promised to Dauid that hee should alway haue a sonne to sit on his seate not simply a sonne but a sonne to sit on his seate as if the Lord had sayde thou shalt alway haue the kingdome in the possession of thy posteritye and the shall raigne as Kings for euermore So on the contrary it is a curse when the name of houses are put out theyr memory forgotten theyr wealth dispersed their honour abased and their children like vagabonds vppon the earth It was also a speciall promise to the people of the Iewes that if they obserued the statutes of the Lord then should they and their seede be able to lend to other but they should not neede to borrow of any These things considered by the example of these promises of the Lord and the persons of these fathers we haue an excellent way described for the mayntenaunce of our possession in the name of our posteritie which is this to commend it by prayer to the tuition of the eternall God for that which he hath promised may we pray for the same way that maketh barren women to become fruitfull the increase of the earth to multiply the heauens to giue theyr rayne Countreyes to be deliuered from sword famine and pestilence and pulleth downe all the blessings of God vpon vs is also the appointed meanes for the continuance of worldly families But how long how long shall I perswade the world before they beleeue it doe they not spend their dayes in worldly deuises to compasse the earth by multitudes of purchasings which are alwayes trauailing abroade in restlesse iourneyes by many bargaines to augment their substance vsing all lawfull and vnlawfull meanes for to increase their wealth and inlarge their possessions that their posteritie might be honourable when they are dead their children aduaunced by money not by vertue maintained by pride not by humilitie raigne like kings in all manner of pleasure vpon the earth while the fathers are tormented in hell for their wrongfull oppressions thus men pray on the world as the eagles on the altars and the birds on Abrahams sacrifice but not to the Lord as the young rauens that call vpon him who being left of their owne parents are fed by the Lord that his kindnes might be manifested to our children as well as to birds and that their welfare dependeth vpon the blessing of God not the benefite of elders the fauour of our maker not the couetousnes of our fathers Against these it is that the Prophet cryeth and curseth because they ioyne house to house land to land field to field inheritance to inheritance that themselues might raigne alone vpon the earth this is the care of them which are sodainely from the dust to the chayre of wealth aduaunced from slauery to honour from beggery to riches that they might as the Prophet sayth build fayre houses encroch greater compasse of lands that their names might be famous vpon the earth But who is he that maketh any ordinary and dayly prayer vnto the Lord that his substance might