by the will of my heavenly Father humbly thanking his Majesty in that hée is pleased to honor me so farre as to suffer any thing for his holy name Let us pray unto him that he would grant unto me the gift of perseverance Then looking upon the said Minister who wept This Merlin was miracylously delivered in the massacre of Paris over him Oh Master Merlin saith he what will not you comfort me Yes sir said he for wherein may you take greater comfort then in calling to mind how greatly God hath alwaies honored you in estéeining you worthy to suffer rebuke for his names sake and true religion The Admirall replied alas if God should deale with me according to my deserts he might have put mée to worse forments then these But blessed be his holy name in that he is pleased to take pity on mée his poore and unworthy servant Be of good chéere sir then said another unto him for séeing God hath spared your more noble part whole you have cause therein to magniste his goodnes In these wounds you have received from God a testimony of his love rather then of his displeasure séeing hée hath preserved your head and understanding safe Then said Merlin sir you doe well in turning your thoughts away from him who hath committed this outrage upon you in looking onely unto God for no doubt it is his hand that hath smitten you therefore for the present cease to thinke on the malefector I assure you said the Admirall I doe fréely forgive him from the bottome of my heart and those also that are his abettors being fully perswaded that none of them all could have done me the least hurt no though with violent hands they had put me to death For what is death it selfe in Gods children but an assured passage to an eternall rest and life Now as the said Minister declared how the evils which happen to the children of God in this present life doe often incite and quicken them up to poure out their prayers into the bosome of the Almighty the Admirall presently with a loud voice and ardent affection prayed thus ¶ The admirals godly and devout Prayer LOrd God and heavenly father have pity upon The admirals godly and debout prayer me for thy goodnesse and mercies sake remember not Lord the sinnes of my life past nor the offences which I have committed against thée for if thou narrowly marke our sinnes the loosenes of our behaviour and distoyalties in transgressing thy holy commandements Lord who shall stand who is able to beare the weight of thy displeasure I renounce all Idoll Gods I acknowledge thée to be the onely true God and worship thée alone O Eternall Father in thine Eternall some Iesus Christ I beséech thée for his sake that thou wouldest give unto mée thy holy spirit and therewithall the gift of patience I put my trust in thy frée mercy for therein consists the stay and prop of all my hope whether I die now at this present or live for the time to come Behold Lord here I am doe with me as it pleaseth thée having this confidence in thée that if I now depart hence thou wilt receive me into the blessed rest of thy kingdome If it please thée to lengthen out my daies here on earth O heavenly Father give me grace that I may spend the residue thereof in setting forth the glory of thy holy name and in maintaining to the utmost of my power thy pure worship and service Amen Having ended this prayer Merlin asked him The Ministers pray with him if it pleased him that the Ministers of Christ should now pray with him and for him To whom hée said yes with all my heart I pray you begion Whilest Merlin pronounced the prayer applying the same to the present occasion the Admirall with his eles looking up to heaven expressed the ardency of his affection in consenting thereunto Prayer being ended Merlin began to propound unto the Admirall the examples of the Martyrs shewing that from Abel to Abraham and consequently hitherto whosoever carried themselves in any degrée of faithfulnesse in the house of God felt at one time or other the smart of afflictions in divers kinds The Admirall answered that when hée called to minde the sufferings of the Patriarchs and Martyrs it much comforted him and helped him somewhat to allay the fartnesse of his afflicted estate The King of Naverre and the Prince of Conde having bitterly bewayled this outrags committed upon the Admirall as you heard before about two of the clocke in the afternoone the King accompanied The King Queene Mother came to visit the Admirall with the Quéene MOther his Brother and other of the Lords went to visite the Admirall The King with teares séemed to be excéeding sorry for that which was come to passe promising him with one blasphemous oath upon another to revenge the fact no lesse than if it had béen committed upon his owne person praying him to come and take up his lodging with him in the louvre for his greater security and safety Wherupon the Admirall after some discourse made to the King in secret gave him most humble thankes for so great a favour as to visite him in his owne person Upon the motion made by the King Mazilles his chiefe Physitian was called demanding of him whither the Admirall might safely be removed thence into the Louvre or no His Answer to the King was that it could not be done without danger Some of the Admirals friends thought if fitting to request a guard of souldiers to be assigned by the King unto him for his better security The King answered he liked well of that device being fully determined to provide for the admirals safety as his owne and would preserve him no lesse then the apply of his eie After this the King called for the bullet of brasse wherewith the Admirall was hurt that he might sée it asking whither hée was not put to great paine when his finger was cut off as likewise touching the dressing of his arme Now as Cornaton shewed the bullet having his sléeve all bloudy because he was appointed to hold the Admirals arme while it was in dressing the King asked if that were of the Admirals bloud and whither so much bloud issued out of his wounds adding after Cornatons answer he never saw man in his life shew greater constancy and magnanimity of spirit then the Admirall did Then was the Quéene Mother desirous to sée the Bullet saying I am glad the bullet is taken out for I remember when the Duke of Guise was killed before Orleance the Phisitian told me that if the Bullet were gotten out there was no danger of death though it were poysoned Then Cornaton answered we have foreséene that Madame for being carefull to prevent that danger the 〈…〉 him 〈…〉 the poison if 〈◊〉 any such thing should be Some good hopes of the Admirals recovery The Saturday before the Admirall was 〈◊〉 he
Lord. For as our desires to obtaine mercy grow stronger so are Psal 120. 1. our requests more or lesse servent our desire alway being according to our necessity Let a man be sicke poore or lie under any other greater tryall the prayers of such do beyond comparison exceed in earnestnesse and servour theirs who are well and at their hearts ease David in many of his Psalmes pressed the Lord in such wise by prayer Psal 17. 1 2. 28. 1 2. when troubles lay heavy upon him as if he meant to take no deniall With what vehemency prayed the Apostles to God for strength being persecuted Act. 4. 5 6. 24. 29. by the Rulers Elders and Scribes of Ierusalem insomuch as the place was shaken where they were assembled He that shall duely weigh with what prayers and teares our Lord Heb. 5. 7. Luke 22. 44. Iesus Christ solicited his father in his passion being nigh unto his death will confesse that fire is not more apt to be kindled by the winds which blow upon it than the prayer of Faith is fired and augmented by affliction Would any man have imagined that ever such voices of prayers and prayses should have been made in the belly of a Whale Ionah 2. reade the whole chapter as Ionas made being there as it were in the bottome of hell CHAP. IV. Wherein is shewed that afflictions are not onely profitable but pleasant also IGrant that afflictions considered in themselves are no way joyous but grievous as the Apostle declareth Heb. 12. 11. because they are rather messengers of Gods displeasure the root also from whence they spring being indeed our sins But as we see how our Apothecaries in their shops have the skill to mixe poisons with good and healthfull medicines So our God being infinitely more wise knows so to temper our afflictions for our good that our of things bitter and distastefull to us in the owne nature hee can compose not only a profitable but a most pleasant potion Yea even as Bees out of the bitterest herbs draw the most sweet honey so the Lord out of the tartest troubles extracts such sweets that at length wee shall with Sampson be Iudg. 14. 14. forced to say Out of the â—ater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetnesse Hunger in it self is sharp and hard to be endured yet our tast is greatly delighted when we can eat with an appetite Could any man judge how beneficiall a fire were if he were not some times pinched with cold Or with what delight could we accept of drink in the hear of Summer if we were not almost dried up with thirst Or how acceptable rest is if we were not tyred out with travell and labour As we see then that these accidents how grievous or incommodious soever now incident unto our nature corrupted by finne doe notwithstanding dispose us to receive exceeding contentments therefrom So persecutions albeit in and of themselves naturally abhorred proceeding partly as we have said from Gods displeasure and partly from Satan and his instruments yet doe they fit and prepare us for the injoying of those great consolations which God hath promised to his Elect. Afflictions cause us to feele first That God is the Father of mercies and of all comfort Secondly That the Office of Christ his Sonne is To revive the 2 Cor. 1. 1. desolate and broken in heart Thirdly That the holy Ghost is the comforter of his Mat. 11. 28. Iohn 14. 16 Rom. 15. 4. Church Fourthly That the word of God is it that ministers comfort to us in all our tribulations and adversities which for the most part befall us for adhering thereto For as he who would taste meat favoury to his palate useth falt therewith so if wee would to purpose finde the Word of God tastefull to us commonly it is when wee are in affliction When did the Apostles rejoyce more than after they had tasted of the whip Acts 5. 4. for the name of Christ When did Saint Stephens face appeare as if it had been the face of an Angell but when he stood before the Councell at Ierusalem to answer for his life Acts 6. 15. He that looked upon the three young men in the hot fiery furnace saw them walking up Dan. 3. 25. and downe there as in some pleasant and delightfull medow or garden Behold that antient father Ignatius who as himselfe records being led from Syria to Rome there to be devoured accompanied by sea and land with a band of souldiers which he tearmes ten Leopards wished by the way as he went that he were in the middest of those beasts which were ready to rent him in pieces and that their appetites might be whetted to dispatch him quickly fearing lest it should happen to him as to some other Martyrs that the beasts out of a kind of reverence and humanity would not dare to approch unto him being ready he said rather to provoke them to the fight than that they should suffer him so to escape Pardon me I pray you saith he for I know what is profitable for me I now begin to be a Disciple of Christ I affect nothing this world affords What is so deare to me as Christ If it be not sufficient for me to be torne with beasts let fires and all the tortures of men and Devils be prepared for me let all my body be dismembred my bones bruised to pieces so that I may enjoy communion with my God and come into the presence of my Saviour And when he heard the Lyons roaring he said I am the Lords wheat I must be ground with the teeth of wilde beasts that I may be found pure bread May we not now conjecture by the wishes of this holy Bishop what sweet delight hee Simile found in himselfe in approaching nigh unto his Martyrdome As a Queen then or great Lady takes no greater content than when she perceives in her husband some apparent signes of his favor especially then when she hath conceived some suspition of alienating his affection from her or it seems to be any way cooled or abated So the faithfull soule who loves the Lord entirely desires nothing more nor taketh at any time more delight than when she feeles from her husband Christ love for love but chiefly in the houre of temptation and tribulation which oft times causeth our heads and hearts to be possessed with jealousies and suspitions that we are out of his favour Let us conclude then that seeing in regard of the reasons heretofore alleadged persecutions are so honourable every way profitable and delectable to the true Christian What cause hath he either to be grieved or terrified when they befall him Nay he ought with the Apostles and Martyrs to triumph and rejoyce To which purpose may fitly bee applyed that saying of Themistocles to his children when hee saw the great honors that the King of Persia had conferred upon him by their exile
thee to wrath by our infinite sinnings against thee yea by our rebellions which now testifie against us For alas Lord our life hath no way béen answerable to that perfect obedience which thou in thy holy Law justly requirest at our hands which we from day to day do transgresse and therefore doe here cast downe our selves at this time before thy glorious presence unfeignedly acknowledging our misery and wretchednesse from the very bottome of our hearts Yet Lord mercy is with thee and because thou art our father therefore thou desirest not the death of sinners but rather that they should convert and live For this cause we now fall downe before the throne of thy grace with confidence of obtaining thy wonted mercy which thou hast promised to such as call upon thee in truth beséeching thee which art the Father of mercies to haue compassion on all such whom thou hast humbled under thy mighty hand by any of thy rods and chastisements but more especially this thy servant the Quéene who lieth here before thee sicke of a dangerous disease that as thou hast righteously afflicted her for her sinnes which she also doth with us acknowledge so it would please thee in pardoning them all unto her for thy beloved sone sake to grant that she may profit by this thy correcting hand for the time to come Above all give her a swéet sense yea a full assurance of thy eternall loves that so she may with the greater patience take downe this bitter potion ministred unto her from thy hand and that the sole desire of enjoying thy presence may cause her to forget all worldly greatnes and magnificence knowing that they are nothing in respect of the glory which is now set before her Endure her also with méekenesse of minde to beare the tediousnesse of her affliction for howsoever the spirit be willing yet the flesh is weake yea full of resisting and unbeliefe that so receiving all things from thee as from as father she may the more willingly submit her will unto thine And because O good God thou hast made her hitherto an happy instrument for the advancement of thy glory and the defence of thy poore afflicted people we pray thee if it may stand with thy good pleasure restore her to health againe that so the excellent work which thou hast by her means begun may not be left unperfect but by vertue of this her deliverance she may with renewed forces undertake the same in better sort than ever heretofore especially for the well educating and training up the children which thou hast given her But Lord if thou have a purpose now to call her home to thy selfe who are we that we should contradict thy holy will onely we pray thee that thou wouldst confirme her more and more in the knowledge of thy blessed Gospell and thereby also in the certainty of her salvation which thou hast given her by faith in thy sonne Jesus Christ that thus she may not cease to sanctifie and call upon thy holy name unto her last breath And as touching our selves who are here by thy good providence gathered together about her being in bodily health give us to know the uncertainty and brevity of our life that so according to our duty we may behold the same in this mirrour which thou hast set before us as knowing that even the greatest in the world are subject to the same calamities as well as the small that so our chiefe care may be to imploy the remainder of our time to thy honor and service all which we craâ—e of thee in the name of Jesus Christ thy son our only Mediator and Advocate Amen Thus we have as néere as we could gathered the summe of the prayer During which she ceased not with hands and eies stedfastly lifted up to heaven to fetch many déep sighes especially when mention was made of that mercy of God in Christ which he extendeth towards poore sinners So as there was not any there present that might not evidently perceive that her heart and affections were joyned to the prayer which we pronounced in her presence And while she thus lay she still continued in her godly resolution to depart hence that shee might be with Christ taking great delight in the holy and Christian exhortations which were usually made unto her by many godly and learned men who came in to visit her to whom shee also manifested no small testimony of that faith and hope which she had in God touching the salvation of her soule by her holy and Christian spéeches which for brevities sake are here omitted Yea albeit the Lord exercised her much with the sense of her inward disease yet could you not at any time discerne any spéech lavouring of discontentment or impatience to procéed out of her mouth nay scaâ—sely a groane which not only those of her owne family but many others can testifie even the Quéene Mother with others also who now and then came in to see her But if at any time she felt any refreshings from the violence of her disease there being no malady so vehement which hath not some intermission and breathing time she manifested to all her willingnesse to obtaine the recovery of her former health refusing to that end no good meanes prescribed for her by the learned Physitians Againe when she perceived her sicknesse to encrease upon her and that she grew worse and worse she was no whit appalled thereat but shewed her selfe to be armed with an invincible Anno 1568. constancy to undergooe the utmost that death could doe against her preparing her selfe willingly for that last conflict Moreover séeing her Ladies and Gentlewomen wéeping about her bed she would forthwith rebuke them saying I pray you wéep not for me forasmuch as you sée God doth now by this sicknesse call me hence to enjoy a better life and to enter in at the desired haven towards which this fraile vessel of mine hath for a long time béene stéering only she shewed her selfe somewhat grieved that she lacked opportunity to reward them and many more of her family and train which had done her faithful service as she could have wished excusing her selfe with these words unto them that it was not for want of good will but by being overtaken and so prevented by this her unexpected sicknesse But saith shée I will not faile to give order concerning the same to my uttermost ability In the end féeling her strength to decay more and more she gave order to have her last will and testament made wherin she above all wished that her children might have but the grace to honor and feare the Lord exhorting them constantly to continue in the profession of the Gospell in which they had béen trained up from their youth ordaining especially that her daughter the Princesse should be educated and instructed therein by the foure Ladies which she had appointed and brought with her out of Bearne for that end and purpose And being come