feare him then that feare being blessed and sanctified â—restraynes mee from sinne to walke in the wayes of God therefore I feare and walke because I am blessed and not blessed because I either feare or walk in his wayes for God by his blessing which is his grace giues mee the will without which the deede cannot follow so both the will and the deede the desire and the worke in me are of God He that feareth the Lord will neither speake nor do euill because both speaking doing good comes from the feare of doing euill which holy feare being the gift of God hath great commendation in the Scripture It is the beginning of wisedome saith Salomon and wisedome the end of all heauenly perfection and tendeth not only to restraine from euill for feare of Gods Iudgements as it wrought in Dauid when he said My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements But to retayne me in the loue and fauour of God Iob was reputed a iust and vpright man because he feared God and in fearing God he eschewed euill Satan himselfe confessed that God preserued Iob blessed all that he had for that he feared God The feare of God then is that true rule of wisedom which directeth vnto a godly life a godly life an infallible forerunner of a happie death and to die in the Lord is chiefest blessednesse the passage from a miserable mortall to a blessed immortall being This feare then being the first steppe to a godly preparation to liue well and to die blessed is that true most precious Iem and Iewell which I seeke and desire to obtayne at the hands of God whose gift it is And therefore according as Salomon hath defined this feare of the Lord I will indeuour to abandon euill and to abhorre sinne Dauid also teacheth and I will desire to practice the same feare in keeping my tongue from euil and my lips that they speake no guile I will seeke to eschew euill and to doe good to seeke peace and to follow it for Who hath euer continued in the feare of the Lord and hath beene forsaken of him in life or in death A Prayer for the feare of God and wherein I may so liue as I may not be afraid to die The Prayer O Lord my God who hast made mée and fashioned mee of the dust of the earth and hast breathed into me the breath of Life here to trauaile vpon the face of the earth during a time appointed by thy Prouidence which I shall not passe for thou hast set down the number of my dayes which how many they shall bée I am vtterly ignorant giue me therefore a holy â—eare that I may thinke euery day to bee the day appointed for my death that I may so much the more warily walk in the wayes of true wisedome in a holy and sincere conuersation before the sons of men and in the sanctification of the inner man lest I be found more formall before men then faithfull in thée I beséech thée hearken to the prayer of thy Seruant who desireth vnfaynedly so to feare thée as I may not feare or be afraid of death Giue me that holy feare of thy Name which thou hast commanded that I may not erre from thy wayes nor harden my heart from thy feare for I know that great is thy goodnesse which thou hast layd vp for them that feare thee Knit my heart therefore vnto thée that I may fear thy Name and may receiue grace to serue thée so that I may so please thée with reuerence and feare that I not only may not feare to die but desire it rather passing all the time of my dwelling here in continuall meditation of thy future life sanctifying thee the Lord God of Hosts who art euermore my feare for thou only art able to kill and to make aliue to cast downe and to raise vp therefore art thou only to be feared like vnto whom there is none among al the gods so glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises and doing wonders I thanke thée gracious Father in Jesus Christ that in and by him I haue receiued the Spirit of re conciliation adoption whereby I am enabled to crie Abba Father and am freed from the spirit of seruile feare from the feare of Satan by thy Spirit Though for a little while O Lord thou maist séeme to forsake me and leaue mee to the spirit of bondage yet with great compassion according to thy wonted mercies I finde thée euer readie to receiue mee againe For a moment thou hidest thy face from mee but with euerlasting mercie thou wilt haue compassion vpon mee and after this my mortalitie receiue mee to eternitie who art my Lord my God my streÌ„gth and my Redéemer Lord increase my feare of thee my faith in thee and loue towards thee Amen MEDIT. IIII. Watchfulnesse THE second point of my preparation is to bee watchfull and that for three especiall causes The first for that I haue an Aduersarie who is maliciously watchfull therefore ought I to be religiously watchfull The second because death will steale suddenly vpon me as a Thiefe The third because of my generall account to which I know I shall be called as soone as my soule is gone from my bodie if then I bee not able to yeeld a â—ust reason how I haue spent the time of my life here I shall be cast into prison neuer to bee redeemed First then to apply my watchfulnes to the watchfulnesse of mine enemie it behoueth me euer to haue an eye vnto the thoughts motions and affections of my corrupt heart for from my heart proceed all the euils that by any part or member of my bodie are actually committed and all the thoughts of my heart are euill euermore yet thence is my tongue moued to speake how then can my words be holy proceeding from so polluted a fountayne I am often violently carried whither the thoughts of my heart doe moue me and am often incited to commit those things howsoeuer euill which my corrupt heart hath conceiued And mine enemie Sathan that thirsteth for my confusion takes aduantage by the inclination of my heart manifested by mine accustomed actions to frame his bayts according to my corrupt appetite coueting euer to draw actual euils out of the polluted puddle of sinne conceiued in my heart This do I find by the experience of his long practice and inferâ—all stratagems for vpon my committing of some sinne and hartily repenting the same with a resolution neuer to commit the like I haue as it were sensibly felt and plainly obserued how by little and little he hath endeuoured to lay snares to draw me to the same euil not as with a violent hand but as it were stealing vpon me like a flattering and deceitefull Theefe whose policies I haue no power to preuent but only by that promise which GOD made vnto
horrible thunder and all things shall bee suddenly surprized by the greatnesse of his Maiestie that shall appeare with flames of fire And many that shall liue to behold this fearefull Apparition as all men shall remayning aliue in that Day for none shall bee able to shut their eyes and the eyes of them that are now rotten in the graues shall be opened shall seeke to hide themselues from the face of that most terrible Iudge but in vaine The sight of the Iudge that can condemne but the bodie is fearfull to the offendor What then will the sight of this Iudge of Iudges bee vnto the wicked to sinfull and secure worldlings who comes not with a mortall Sherife accompayned with a Trayne of fantasticall Attendants but with millions of Angels at whose presence the Heauens shall shrinke away with a noyse the Elements shall melt with â—eate and the earth with the works thereof the great and glorious Buildings and the things therein shall bee burnt with vnquenchable Sulpher O who will not consider this who will not watch and be sober knowing that this great and terrible Day this Day of Wrath is comming and at hand a Day of Wrath to the wicked but to them that feare God in loue and liue in his feare a Day of ioy and gladnesse there fore shal they hold vp their heads for their redemption draweth neere Seeing then that all things that wee see and here enioy the Heauens aboue vs the Earth beneath vs the Seas and all things in them shall bee thus consumed and wee know not how soone nor when one particular iudgement namely the day of our death shall be What manner persons ought wee to bee appeare must euery man and answere answere alas what can we answere to him that comes not to iudge the bodie onely which yet is terrible but the soule and bodie not to a temporall punishment but to eternall torment The stoutest cannot but be stricken dumbe at the very sight of this great Iudge who will giue sentence according to that euery one hath done in the flesh good or euill O that I could therefore clense my heart from euill to good I cannot it is the worke of the Spirit of God in mee which hee worketh euen of his owne good pleasure freely therfore I pursuing this good begunne in mee daily going on from faith to faith from grace to grace I shall become fit through Gods acceptance in Iesus Christ to waite for the Day of death or the generall dissolution with gladnesse It is the rich grace of GOD bestowed on me whereby I haue my conuersation in Heauen from whence I looke for the comming of my Sauiour the Lord Iesus In whom and by whom there is laid vp for mee the Crowne of Righteousnesse and not for me only but for all them that loue and looke for his second appearing I will therefore watch and pray by the grace of GOD continually that I may bee counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that I may stand before the Sonne of man without feare A Prayer for continuall watchfulnesse that neither the generall nor the particular Day of Iudgement come vpon mee vnprouided The Prayer O Lord my God in Jesus Christ who art terrible and fearefull euen to them that séeke thée how much more fearfull wilt thou appeare when thou settest thy wrathfull countenance against the wicked such as now haue no feare of thy Name Giue me I pray thée a continual watchful heart euer to bée exercised in diuine and heauenly things and leaue mee nor vnto mine owne affections which are by nature full of corruption and sinne wherein if thou shouldest take mee suddenly I should be found a most vnprofitable seruant to bee bound hand and foot and east into vtter darknesse where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth O hide thy face from my sin and blot out all mine iniquities Create in mee a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free Spirit Why art thou cast down O my Soule and vnquiet within me waite on God he neuer faileth them that trust in him Waite thou on the Lord O my Soule keepe his way and he shall exalt thee that thou shalt inherit the Land euen the Land of Promise Spirituall Canaan new Ierusalem When the wicked shall perish thou shalt see it Such as are blessed of GOD shall inherit the Land And they that bee cursed of him shall be cut off Endue mee therefore good Father with thy grace that I may euer thinke of my end that I presume not vpon long life resting secure as if I had none account to make vnto thée of my time and talents heere receiued of thée and how they haue béene spent by me nor any holy duties required to bee performed in this my Pilgrimage and Banishment where I haue no continuing Citie but I séeke one to come Holy Father giue mée thy Spirit and Grace euer to bring forth heauenly fruits that whensoeuer wheresoeuer or howsoeuer I shall depart hence I may be yet found faithfull and of the number of them whom Christ when hee commeth may find waking in well-doing that the sentence Go ye cursed be not pronounced against me but bee of the societie of them that shall heare Come yee blessed Grant this for Jesus Christs sake in and by whom I haue the promise of eternall life to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost bee all power and praise ascribed for hee is worthie Lord increase my faith MEDIT. VII WAtchfulnesse then being a principall meane to preuent the sudden surprise that death might make vpon mee there followeth necessarily Patience an inseparable companion of Watchfulnesse which implies care attendance and attention The care here meant is not for any worldly thing for these I cast my care vpon God for he careth for me But such a care as Paul had of all the Churches 2. Cor. 11. 28. seeking the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof Matt. 6. 33. then will not God faile mee nor forsake me The care therfore that I couet to haue is how to preuent sinne and flye Securitie which are contrary to a godly care and consequently contrary to true watchfulnesse and therefore farre from true patience which worketh not vpon securitie and carnall peace but vpon wayting for the promise of Redemption This is the patience which the Children of God haue whose patient abiding shall be gladnesse I will not therefore render euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise I will blesse knowing that I am thereunto called that I should be the heire of blessing 1. Pet. 3. 9. And if I be rayled on for the name of Christ shall I discouer my weakenesse through impatience no there is a blessing promised for the Spirit of glorie and of God resteth on
in sicknesse The Prayer O Lord my God I waite on thée My soule keepeth silence vnto thee for of thee commeth my saluation therefore do I submit my self vnto thy will giuing thée thankes for thy patience towards me in Jesus Christ nor thou hast shewed thy selfe towardes mee slowe to wrath and full of goodnesse and mercy Increase euer more and more thy graces towards mee that in this my Pilgrimage towardes my graue I may possesse my soule in patience waiting thy good time for my deliuerie for here where I now dwel I neither hear nor sée taste nor touch any truly comfortable thing only thy Word is my spirituall consolation and the hope of future glorie my ioy And were I not fed with the hope of a better life by death I were of all men most miserable for nature could not with patience beare the burden of this miserable life being so ful of all infirmities both of body and mind so fraught with sins of all sorts and accompanied with so many and sundry crosses and finally subiect to thy seuere Judgement But thy fauour and thy loue and thy patience towards me worheth in me patience knowing that the time is comming and at hand wherein I shal be fréed from this mortal and miserable to enioy a life immortall and glorious O confirme therefore increase the patience attendance and attention which thou hast begun in me that after I haue here done thy will I may receiue the promise wherein thou hast assured me that the patient abiding of the righteous shall be gladnesse Thou art a God of mercy and blessed are they that waite for thee Grant therefore Lord that I may be found blamelesse in the day of my distation and that I may here walke worthy of thee through Christ beeing strengthned with al might thrugh thy glorious power to all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes Amen Lord increase my faith MEDIT. VIII Of Repentance and Merit NO man be he neuer so holy is free froÌ„ sinne and therefore neuer free from occâ—sions to mooue him to Repentance And I acknowledge that Repentance Patience Watchfulnesse Attendance and Attention are of no force vnlesse Faith be the ground of euery of them For it sufficeth mee not to bee sorrie for my sins as it séemeth Iudas and Kain were vn lesse by Faith I can feele assure my selfe that my sinnes are also pardoned as neither of them did for it is the free gift of God which God vouchsafed not to them Neither is it sufficient for mee to watch with Patience or to attend the bringing forth of outward oftentiue and vaine-glorious works but I must feele in my selfe the infallible tokens of mine effectuall calling and ingrafting into Christ through Faith before I can bring forth workes worthy amendment of life which is true Repentance Some tokens of mine effectuall calling I feâ—le in my selfe for I desire to do good yet euen then is euill present with me I delight in the Law of God as conceruing the inner man Namely as I am regenerate But I see another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and lending me captiue vnto the Law of sinne which is in my members So that I cannot doe the good I would doe but the euill which I would not do that I doe Should I then thinke that because I feele not the signes of my calling in perfection and because I am not free from all touch of infirmities and sinnes in thought word and deed that therefore I haue no Repentance God forbid for to perswade my selfe that I haue no sinne were to deifie my selfe and to make mee equall with Christ as doe those that are faithed from yet by their workes of Merit and of Supererogation presume to affirme that they can bring not only them-selues but others to saluation whose arrogate Merit stinkes before God making the death of Christ of none effect the highest Blasphemie that mortall man can spew out against the Trinitie for hereby is the most vnsearchable loue of God the Father in sending his Sonne made vain and fruitlesse the obedience of Christ to his Fathers will made needlesse and his death causlesse and the worke of the Holy Ghost who giueth Faith in the hearts of them that shall bee saued excluded and the corrupt heart of miserable man wherein by nature is nothing but sinne the dregges whereof will remaine euen in the regenerate man during this mortall life exalted aboue the merits of Christ. Which Blasphemy be farre from me Hee that can merit his owne Saluation needs no Repentance which I disclay me and cleaue only and alone to the merits of Christ my Sauiour in whom my Repentance imperfect is reputed true Repentance howsoeuer the â—ing of sinne remaines in me yet without mortall venome only to keepe me euer in minde of mine imperfections for when sinfull motions arise in mee I cannot but acknowledge in my selfe corruption which cannot but humble mee before God and occasion me to pray for the Spirit of Repentance and that God will deliuer mee from this bodie of sinne A Prayer for true Repentance and a reformed life The Prayer O Lord my God I come here into thy presence fearefull to looke vp to Heauen where thou sittest from whence thou beholdest all my wayes and obseruest all mine actions in earth cursed and euill and wherein I haue too too long wallowed my selfe and as it were bathed my selfe in the bloud of mine owne soule which I haue diuersly wounded through my sinnes seldome or neuer calling my selfe to an account what I haue done but resting secure haue followed vanitie vpon vanity heaping â—â—â—ne vpon sin as if there were neither pleasure nor profit but in a carnall course of life O touch my heart with a true sorrow for euery idle thought of my heart for euery vaine word of my mouth and for euery act that I haue commited against thy sacred Maiestie giue mee grace to call to minde my sinnes of all sorts of all seasons and of all places howsoeuer or wheresoeuer I haue done and committed them that they appearing vnto mee in their vgly likenesse I may truely lothe them hate and abhorre them and vnfainedly repent them while Ihane time and while thy Mercies may be found for in death there is no remeÌ„brance of thee and in the graue who shall prayse thee Returne O Lord deliuer my soule saue mee for thy mercies sake withdraw not thy tender mercie from mee O Lord let thy Merrie and thy Truth alwayes preserue me Open Lord my dimme eyes the â—ies of my heart that I may hence-forth sée and walke in thy wayes Soften and molliste my hard and stonie heart that with Peter I may go out of my sinnes and bitterly bewaile them Send thy light and thy truth let them lead mee let them bring me vnto thine holy Mountaine and to thy Tabernacles Giue me a truly repenting heart through a liuely Faith in the Merits
beautifull flowers are they quickly fade and fall away Whereby we are taught that how gawdily or gloriously soeuer we couet to beautifie our bodies wee make them neuer the more permanent but as these flowers wither and fall leafe after leafe through the defect of the sap that first caused them to flourish so man liue he neuer so long and neuer so full of glorie when the sap of nature begins to wax drie in him his most glorious leaues begin to fade and faile one after another the strong men his legs begin to weaken and falter the grinders his teeth fall out of the head the lookers the eyes wax dim one part after another decayes till the bodie totally comes to dust in the graue This is the glorie of the most glorious hee buds blossoms ripes rots as doth the flower in the garden the grasse of the field and as a shaddow a dreame and as a fancie flyes to his end and liue he neuer so long his life is but as a tale that is told Doe wee not daily see the youngest strongest among humane creatures liuely full of agilitie and corporall actiuitie in the morning who yet before night are eyther naturally or accidētally oftentimes cut downe and in their graues Why therefore should I or you that shall perchance suruiue me be so sollicitous and ouercarefull of worldly things especially seeintg he longest liuer cannot enioy what he desireth with any true contentment aboue fortie or fiftie yeeres for till he bee twentie hee is vnder gouernment not at his owne will after that he is wearied with labours and cares of the world when he comes to sixtie or seuentie yeeres hee be comes decrepit vnapt vnable to follow his owne occasions To bee in league with death as hoping he will forbeare the execution of his warrant vpon vs or by arte to indeuour to put off old age though many desire it none can doe it the richest by his gifts the strongest by his valour the wisest by his policie nor the most cunning by any artificiall deuice or stratagem he can contriue Who can free himselfe of a feuer who can rid himselfe of the gout of the stone or of any other inherent infirmitie of the bodie Surely none but death death is the Phisician that cures all the diseases present in the bodie yet we like not his phisick wee are contented to vse art money we willingly giue to auoyd it and yet it is commonly seene that hee that seekes and desires most to prolong his life is most suddenly taken by death and he that seekes most to flie from it him it followes euen at the heeles and hee that couets most to saue his life soonest loseth it I thinke it therefore greatest wisdome so farre to couet long life as it may stand a blessing of God during which life we are to meditate necessarily two especial points namely how to leade our liues how to entertaine death when it comes As touching the first we are inioyned therefore bound to liue godly which comprehendeth all the dueties of a Christian life which duties although they be many are all performed by holy obedience to God which consisteth in a perfect obseruing of his diuine Precepts namely in doing that which is good and auoyding that which is euill The good commanded cannot be done by nature which is corrupt but by grace freely giuen the euill which is forbidden comes and is done by nature The effects of good and ill affections consist in action by seuerall operations the good which we doe God worketh both in vs and by vs the euill which wee doe is of by our selues The like in suffering the good suffer euill with patience not the euill of doing but the bearing of euils and wrongs offerd without grudging The wicked suffer euen goodnesse as it were against their wils and commit euils against the good wittingly and with their wils The good endeuour to leade their liues vnspotted in the world not as did many Heathen Philosophers who had both the actiue and passiue parts of doing good and suffering euill that in great measure of patience wanting only diuine knowledge consequently faith which are no more ours by nature then they were theirs Therefore if I or you should onely indeuour a kinde of Philosophical outward and morall goodnes without the internal working of grace through faith wee should by our such doing and suffering gaine but that which they gayned a bare name of holinesse although wee as some of them did would voluntarily giue our bodies to death wee should thereby gain but the more future miseries In all our doings and sufferings wee must set GOD alwayes before the eye of our mindes taking hold of Christ by faith by whome hee hath reueiled himselfe vnto vs to be our louing Father not vnto them without Christ wee are euen as the former Gentiles were vnder the curse but by and through him made heires of the Kingdome of glorie whereof although these Philosophers were endued with humane wisedome farre aboue vs they had yet no vnderstāding of nor were partakers of that true glorie which is by Christ. Therefore must we that liue in the light of Truth striue to bee partakers of better things then they that liued in the darknesse of ignorance for vs to come short of their care of doing the good they suppos'd good in doing that wee know to bee good were most palpable idlenesse and seuerely punishable We must therefore while it is to day studie and practise to be holy in deede not in shew like the Pharises whose seeming sanctitic was all external and internally were prophane hypocrites As touching the second point of Meditatiō namely of the vncertayne comming and to be prepared for death cast your eye vpon the fore-part of the former treatie where you may peraduenture finde matter of Meditation touching this point In briefe Remember your ends namely death and if you haue any grace it will preuent sinne in you so walke in health as if you should presently die ye shall find it a remedy against the vanities of this life Who can thinke of present death and yet delight himselfe in the vncertayne things of this world Hee that is still dying begins his eternall life here and remembers that hee hath here no continuing Citie and therefore thinks of seekes that which is to come not liuing as the secure conetous man in the Gospell flattering his soule to remaine many yeeres in his bodie not hauing one night to liue Yee are poore I confesse I cannot enrich you and therefore to disswade you from couetousnesse may seeme superfluous yet I thinke not but a begger may be as couetous and as greedy to get hoord vp as the richest man flie it therefore in your smallest meanes it is the roote of all other sinnes it depriues men of the
dangerous thing to accompanie such as liue viciously and inordinately for of them yee shall but learne to be vicious and so to perish with them through GODS iust iudgement therefore if yee haue any fellowship with such come from among them returne to GOD that hee may returne to you trust in him that hee may protect you and direct you let your wils be guided and gouerned by his reueiled will and so with patience possesse your soules bee not led by your owne wisedome but apply your mindes and wills to his will who is wisedome it selfe Aske of him and he will giue you wisedome yea such wisdome as like as the Serpent which Aaron made of the rod did eate vp the Serpents of the Sorcerers shall preuent the circumuenting practices and policies of the hypocriticall flatterers and bring their counsels plotted against you to the like end as he brought Achitophels Hee will suppresse them that oppresse you will laugh them to scorne that haue you in derision therefore yet a little while wait and the wicked shall not appeare and your insolent enemies whatsoeuer they be shall be put to silence and if ye be meeke ye shall possesse a competent portion in the earth and shal haue your delight in the multitude of peace as worldlings haue in the multitude of plenty whose riches are seene and felt and gotten and lost but the riches that yee shall possesse are great yet not seene nor felt of any but of such as enioy them they are not gotten but freely giuen and cannot be lost for hee that giues them shal continue them in you to you and for you What are riches of the world honor of the person libertie of the body or pleasure of the minde they seem to be somthing for all the wise men of the world seeke after them but being duely considered they are found but shaddowes which wee see doe often-times suddenly vanish and he that enioyeth them most and longest is nothing the better and he that hath of them least and but a moment is nothing the worse And what is pouertie ignominie captiuitie miserie but seeming not necessarie causes of griefe vnder all which the minde of the sanctified man passeth the course of this life with farre more inward alacritie and true consolation then the worldly man that passeth his life in al carnall contentment and is more willing and readie to die hauing his cōscience cleer through faith in Christ then the carnall man can bee The godly poore haue their dependance on Gods prouidence for the supply of their wants and the godly rich accounts his wealth not his but Gods that gaue them and is readie to restore them and so to dispose them as GOD requireth him but the rich that haue their hope in earthly things haue no willing minde to leaue them but here to possesse them rather then to goe they know not whither after death Miserable riches that tye the mindes of the possessors of them to the loue of this vncertaine life and to an vncertaine knowledge of the life to come The defence of the poore and needie abused slandered oppressed and wronged by the worldlings consisteth in their faith in GOD through Christ. I will vp saith the Lord and will set them at libertie whom the wicked haue snared If worldly men bee wronged they will vp in their owne defence they wil bring forth the vveapons of their might their gold and siluer and be therewith reuenged against such as rise vp against them therefore is their pride as a chaine of gold about their necks at whose glorie the poore must bow and though he be content to become the rich mans foot-stoole yet many times the rich doe with the poore as Aesops Wolfe did with the Lamb who although hee dranke of the current below the Wolfe yet the Wolfe checkt him for troubling the water So oftentimes the rich picke causelesse quarrels against the poore when they cannot haue a cōfining Vineyard house or adiacent field that they desire of them I intimate this vnto you to the end that as much as in you shall bee you giue place to the wrath of wicked men not recōpensing vnto them euill for euill but rather good for euill knowing it is the will of your heauenly Father so to heape coles of fire vpon such wicked men among whom I know may also bee numbred many poore men that haue not in them faith the feare of God for as it is not riches that of themselues doe make a man euill so it is not pouertie of it selfe makes a man good PART IX More euill then good men in the world TO consider duely the estate of the world as common experience at this death findes it It may bee obserued that the world is more fraught with wicked then with men fearing God so that it followeth that there are more men apt and ready to hurt then able or willing to helpe the distressed and as the multitude is great so their actions and conditions are many diuers Some men seeme onely hurtfull vnto themselues according to a foolish prouerbe Hee is no mans foe but his owne as the drunkard speudthrift who yet are not only foes to themselues but to others notwithstanding the prouerbe drawing them into their companies and wicked societies by their examples many take the same most vngodly course with them following likewise forbidden excesse and riot Some are apparantly hurtfull to themselues and others as the enuious and malicious man who howsoeuer hee aymes to hurt another hee may misse of his purpose but neuer of wounding himselfe for his will to doe the euill he intended is imputed to him in diuine Iustice as the deede done God in his prouidēce preuenting the act for his sake to whom it was intended and howsoeuer God permit a wicked man to hurt one that feares GOD in body goods or reputation the hurt that he giues is onely outward and may worke to the good of him that is hurt but hee that hurts receiues a deadly wound within and so much the more grieuous by how much it is little felt for an enuious man hurts with desire and reioyceth in his wicked deede If therefore there come a Shemei to raile causelesse vpon you a Iudas to betray you a Cain causelesse to kill you false witnesses to accuse you as the wieked Iudges did Susanna or an Achab or a lezabel to wrest from you both life and liuing or whatsoeuer crosse or calamitie soeuer befall you through the malice of men grudge not thereat nor seeke despitefull reuenge but examine your consciences whether ye be guiltie of that which is laid to your charge if so confesse it and repent it or whether ye haue secretly offended GOD in some thing whereof yee were neuer accused or for which yee were neuer punished Thinke if ye finde any such thing in your selues though no man else knowes it
his Psal. 73. in 〈◊〉 We ought not to fret our selues at the prosperitie of the wicked Ver. 27. Ver. 18. Ver. 24. Rom. 13. 4. Troubles of the righteous to be born with gladnesse Greatest afflictions cannot deserue the glorie to come Rather to long for then to lothe death Rom. 8. 18. Pleasure nor profit can bring vs to Heauen Heb. 12. 6. Reuel 3. 19. Correction comprehendeth all afflictions Phil 4. 11. It is not in our power to bee patient or thankeful Afflictions more necessarie then prosperitie Trouble is irkesome yet profitable Pouertie not the least affliction Little creatures teach vs industrie Idlenesse is not libertie Labour is light to a willing minde The poore are rich hauing Gods blessing Labour with the feare of God is blessed Psal. 128. Psal. 127. To take seruants fearing God Gen. 30. 27. Gen. 39. 3. 5 Deut. 28. 38. to 58. Psal. 1. 3. Psal. 9. 18. God a refuge for the poore Psal. 10. 17. God needeth not our seruice Psal. 12. 5. Psal 16. 8. Pouertie nor riches of them-selues good or euill Ier. 17. 7. Psal. 119. 2. Pouertie and riches do neither helpe nor hinder but according to the vse or abuse Respect of persons I am 2. 1. 1. Pet. 1. 17 Rom. 10. 12 Trust in God makes pouertie and reproches easie to â—e borne Psal. 9. 18. Psal. 14. 6. Psal. 17. 14. Psal. 18. 16. God chooseth godly men and blesseth them God makes disobedient Princes contemptible They that lay snares for others fall into the same Ester 7. 10. Dan. 6. 24. ExperieÌ„ce of Gods deliueries an incouragement to the godly Exo. 14. 28. Gen. 31. 24 and 32. 4. Gen. 22. 9. and 39. God is God of the godly for euer God knoweth whereof wee haue neede 1. King 21. 2. 14. Flatterie daÌ„gerous 2. Sam. 15. 1. to 6. Act 24. 2 3. Pro. 29. 5. Matth. 22. 16 17. Counterfait kindnesse deceiuesmany Pro. 27. 6. Eccles. 7. 7. Good neither to flatter nor bee flattered Iudg. 14. Psal. 78. 36 Iob 34. 9. Psal. 36. 2. A dissembling frieÌ„d worse then an open enemie Pro. 27. 5. Act. 12. 22. Euill companie dangerous Wisdome a defence against euill and flatterie 2. Sam. 17. 23. Matt. 5. 5. Many things which worldlings seek after are but shaddowes The godly rich account their wealth not their owne Miserable riches that make the possessors ignorant of better things The defence of the poore and of the rich Psal. Aesops Wolfe To giue place vnto the wrath of the wicked 1. Ioh. 3. 19. Men apparantly hurtfull to them-selues and others To beare all euils with patience that men offer vs. 2. Sam. 16. 〈◊〉 6. Mat. 26. 47 Gen. 4. 8. Dan. 13. 1 2 1. King 21. 14. We ought to be circumspect in our wayes All men know not why God sends them enemies Psal. 103. 8. Rom. 8. 31. Prayer obtayneth knowledge how to liue godly All Gods Children haue suffered afflictions Iob. 1. 21. Banishment Comfort in whatsoeuer cala mitie Gods goodnesse and mercy Psal. 85. 2. To turne vnto God Mark 16. 9. Ioh. 18. 17 2. Sam. 11. 4. 7. Act. 26. 9 10. We may not imitate sinners but their Repentance Rom. 6. 1. As God is mercifull he is iust We may not sinne after pardon obtayned Wilfull sinners Phil. 3. 18. Not to assume selferighteousnesse Not one of our godliest Fore-fathers were with-out sinne much leâ—e wee Iusticiaries to be auoided Though we cannot be yet we ought to striue to be perfect We must goe on in goodnesse The ppoperties of the humble man The Pharise and Publican Meeknesse makes men likest vnto Christ. We must be humble whatsoeuer befall vs. We ought to prayse God Harty not verball praises are acceptable to God Wife and children are to bee recommended to God Iob 7. 3. Gen. 49. 7. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Iob 14. 14. Phil. 1. 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 14. 8. Phil. 3. 21.