if you doe God will surely lead you into all truth Of what side soeuer you be doe nothing against your conscience nor despise the practise of religion in them that are contrarie to your opinion But if you be sure that they are in a wrong way pitie them and praie heartily to God for them that he will mercifully inlighten their mindes and turne their hearts To which ende you must endeauour to serue vnder God with the holy Ghost that you may help to ouercome the enemies of Gods truth not with the weapons of this world as reprochful speaches and bloody practises but with the armour of God as charitie humblenesse meeknesse patience for these are the meanes to ouercome euill with goodnesse and turne mens mindes from false opinions to the true religion True Christianitie is an holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices wel-pleasing to God thorough Iesus Christ A true Christian doth faithfully intende to offer first himselfe and then others also vnto God In offering your selfe you must beginne with your heart for God saith Prov. 23 My sonne giue me thine heart Your heart must be wholly set vpon God alwaies desiring to enioy his grace and fauour Secondly your tongue must be sacrificed vnto God that it may be as the pen of a readie writer to glorifie and please God in euery word that commeth out of your mouth Thirdly your apparell gesture eating drinking buying selling borrowing lending labour pastime and all your behauiour must be sacrificed to God that in nothing you dishonour or displease him yea your bodie soule life all that you haue must be dedicated and giuen to the seruice of God A good subiect doth beare the minde to spende both life and goods in defence of his Prince and countrie therefore a true Christian ought much more to sacrifice all his power and possibilitie to vphold the kingdome of Iesus Christ first in maintaining the ministerie of his word and Sacraments 〈◊〉 4.18 which is an offering greatly accepted of God Secondly in succouring his poore with which kinde of sacrifices God is well pleased 〈◊〉 13.16 as it may appeare by that which the holy Ghost saith of a charitable man â—al â—12 â— He hath dispersed he hath giuen to the poore his righteousnesse endureth for euer Whatsoeuer mercie is shewed to a Christian in necessitie â—atth 25. is shewed to Christ himselfe and he that is any waie vnmercifull to a Christian is vnmercifull to Iesus Christ and so Christ will professe at the day of iudgement â—v 25.22 It is a singular sacrifice to doe good against euill kindly to succour your verie enimie in necessitie for thereby you doe your good will to offer your enemie vnto almightie God in turning him from enmitie and euill to peace and goodnesse Saint Iames saith Iam. 5 1â— he that turneth a sinner from going out of his waie shall saue a soule from death and shall couer a multitude of sinnes In what a fearefull case are they that sacrifice many to the deuill driuing them by enmitie or drawing them by euill allurements and naughtie examples as I haue done He that will offer the sweete sacrifice of turning others vnto God must first with all diligence turne himselfe from sinne that his life and conuersation may be holy and vnblameable for then others will beleeue that God is in him and therefore they will haue a good opinion of him All people by the light of naturall reason doe honour vertue and honestie But if your behauiour be faultie as mine is and euer hath beene you are vnfit to turne others beeing not turned your selfe Secondly if your conscience be cleere and your conuersation faultlesse you must not disdaine sinners Luk. 28 10 11. as the proud Pharisie did for then you marre all because pride is of the deuill and God resisteth the proude But you must pitie their case that doe euill and mourne for them as King Dauid did Psal 115 Thirdly you must pray deuoutly vnto God for them that he will mercifully ordaine some meanes to deliuer them out of the Deuills bondage and that it may please him to giue you the grace to be one of his workmen in so honourable a businesse Fourthly you must waite for any fit occasion that you may humblie and kindly intreate them to consider well in what a dangerous case they are displeasing God seruing the deuill and working their owne destruction If you see or heare that any vnder your gouernment doe sinne whether it be your childe or your seruant you are bound to breake them from their sinne by faire meanes if it may be els by correction and punishment But if you see any such sinners as are your betters in degree or such as you haue not the heart to rebuke you must so much the more earnestly pray vnto god for them and striue more painefully to shew them by the light of your conuersation what they ought to doe When you goe about to tell any one of his fault take God in your minde and humble your heart that you may doe it in the spirit of meekenesse gentlenesse peaceablenesse and patience carefully keeping out anger for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Hee that doth worthily receiue the holy sacrament of Christs bodie and bloode doth offer vnto God many sacrifices together for that sacrament is a representation setting forth of the sacrifice of Christ who vpon the crosse offered himselfe vnto God the father to pacifie his wrath and to purchase his grace for all people whereupon almightie God doth offer his gracious pardon and heauenly blessings to all that will worthily receiue them And if you will worthily receiue the bodie and bloode of Christ you must offer vnto God first a sorrowfull heart for your sinnes confessing them to his glorie and your shame Secondly you must offer vnto God the sacrifice of faith in Iesus Christ beleeuing verily that he is the onely sonne of God God and man and crying vnto God for mercie in his name beseeching God that for Christs sake he will forgiue you your sinnes and clense you from all sinnefulnesse Thirdly you must offer vnto God a charitable heart towards all people for God will not accept your heart if it be not in charitie yea setled to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Fourthly you must offer your selfe wholly vnto God to doe and to suffer his good pleasure Fiftly you must offer humble and heartie praise vnto God for all his gracious gifts giuen vnto mankinde specially for giuing his onely sonne Iesus Christ to be our Sauiour Sixtly you must offer of your goods a first fruites vnto God towards the supplying of breade and wine for the communion towards the reliefe of the minister and of the poore By baptisme ye are graffed into Iesus Christ as if branches of a wilde vine were graffed into a true vine and by worthie receiuing the holy communion
of Christs bodie and bloode ye are fedde and filled with the graces of Christ as graffes are nourished with the sap of that tree whereupon they are graffed I wicked wretch receiued first for fashion sake negligently afterward inclining to the Romane religion I receiued for feare of the lawes of this land against my will disdainfully reckoning it as a thing of naught which I receiued Whereby I doe thinke in my conscience I did sore displease almightie God The Lord Iesus Christ giue grace that no man or woman may hereafter receiue his bodie and bloode vnworthily I was not giuen to pray vnto God nor indeede knew howe to praie and therefore was not blessed in that which I did practise All people be carefull to praie alwaies in the beginning continuance and ending of all good emploiment Whensoeuer you are about to thinke to say or to doe any thing praie vnto God that he will for Christs sake giue you the grace to thinke saie and doe his will and for euery blessing which hee giueth vnto you be mindefull and forward to giue him thankes When you purpose to praie vnto him or to praise him quicken your faith in this maner first beleeue that you are in the sight and hearing of God beleeue it so verily as you did see him with your bodily eies Secondly consider his almightie maiestie and your owne vile basenesse being as you are a sinner dust ashes and thereupon humble your heart as if you would cast your selfe flatte vpon the ground before him Thirdly with all reuerence and diligent discretion lift vp your minde and vtter your heart vnto him You may well praie to God or praise him in your heart although your mouth speake it not but you cannot well speake vnto him with your mouth vnlesse your heart doe wholly intend and thinke vpon that which you say for it is your heart that God giueth heede vnto In your praier and thankesgiuing shunne the pride of words for God loueth plaine speech and vse no needlesse circumstance because he loueth no idle words Be very carefull and fearefull least in any thing that you say vnto him you displease him for we are apt to displease God euery way yea euen when we thinke to please him Pray very leisurely for hast maketh wast Because I wanted instruction how to praie I am desirous to helpe others the best that I can Let your first praier be for the forgiuenesse of your sinnes in some such maner as this O almightie and most dreadfull Lord God I loathsome sinner vnworthie to liue in thy sight doe humbly beseech thee that for thine onely sonne Iesus Christs sake thou wilt vouchsafe to forgiue me my sinnes and to clense me from my sinfulnesse that I may be thine humble and true seruant for vnto thee all honour and glorie is due world without ende Amen When you purpose to thinke vpon to speake or to doe any thing pray for grace good speede O almightie God Lord of heauen and earth the onely giuer of all good speede and prosperitie I beseech thee â—o forgiue me my sinnes and so to blesse me â—n this businesse which now I doe intende â—hat it may be prosperous to thy glorie thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be honoured in heart word and deede henceforth for euer and euer Amen When you receiue any blessing or prosperitie from God praise him heartily O most blessed and bountifull Lord God what am I that thou giuest such blessing vnto me I am a vile sinner worthie of nothing but miserie and damnation and therfore it is thy meere mercie that I am thus blessed O good Lord I humbly beseech thee to continue thy gracious fauour towards me and to make me euery way vnfainedly thankfull vnto thee for the same thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be vnfainedly praised for euer and euer Amen When sicknesse or any aduersitie falleth vpon you the first thing you doe humble your selfe vnto God O most holy and righteous Lord God I doe confesse that thou maiest iustly destroie me bodie and soule for my many and grieuous sinnes wherewith I haue daily and hourely displeased thee all my life long therefore I am bound to praise thee because thou hast suffered me all this while and now doest so fauourably chasten me to the end that I should repent and not be condemned O most mightie Lord nothing can happen vnto me without thine ordinance Therefore I beseech then that I may humbly patiently and thankefully take this thy correction to the amendment of my life and to the glorie of thy blessed name thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee and thy holy Ghost three persons and one God be rightly worshipped obeied and praised for euer and euer Amen When any crosse or aduersitie doth lie so heauie vpon you that you can not endure it make humble supplication to God O father of mercie and God of all comfort I vile wretch am much grieued vnder the burden of my sinnes and thou hast not laide the whole weight of them vpon me I doe heartily thank thee that thou hast not ouerwhelmed me with thy dreadfull wrath which I haue all my life time deserued and â—lso I humblie beseech thee that if it may â—and with thy good pleasure thou wilt â—ouchsafe to ease me of this which I nowe â—uffer that I may the better be able to doe â—hee seruice but if it please thee not thy will 〈◊〉 holy thy wil be done onely vouchsafe me â—omfort and patience most blessed Lord â—hat thy holy name may be glorified of me â—n mine obedient suffering thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee â—nd the holy Ghost three persons and one God be honoured and praised for euer and â—â—uer Amen I was not accustomed to say grace when I was young but sometime saide it for a â—aine glorie and finding the fashion of the world to be like vnto the manner of bruit â—oastes following nature and not grace I became a beast my selfe falling to meate without any acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse Afterward finding that Iesus Christ himselfe and all good Christians vsed to say grace I was touched in conscience and meant to vse it but hauing not the power to subdue mine owne will nor the heart to contrarie the course of them with whome I liued I remained as a reprobate vncouth and vnframable to euery good worke All people for Gods sake accustome your selues to haue grace before and after you eate and drinke If it seeme vncouth vnto you as it doth to many people be afraide for it is an ill signe shewing that your heart is a stranger to God and if you be strange to him he will be strange to you Therefore by any meanes ouercome that ill qualitie and giue your selfe to grace But you may say it is so out of vse with most
nature Be not a common swearer for a man giuen to swearing shall be filled with wickednesse You ought not to call God to witnesse vnlesse there be great neede and none other meanes to make the truth knowne O how grieuous it is to heare people old and yong sweare by God without feare of his displeasure Some swear not by God but by their faith and troth by the masse by some Saint by golde and siluer and many others waies But doe not you so 〈◊〉 7. for it is displeasing to God to sweare by that which is not God It is called swearing when any say Gods woundes Gods blood Gods heart Gods nailes Gods foote c. but you shall heare what Christ will call it when he cōmeth to iudgement In the meane time vse no such raging speaches for they grieuously take the name of God in vaine Blesse your selfe from cursing and banning for cursing is the vengeance of God Luk. 9.51 52 53 54. He that wisheth vengeance to fall vpon his verie enemie had neede to be well aduised what spirit is within him Take heede how you heare the word of God that you be not negligent nor contentious nor daintie nor vaineglorious but diligently hunger and thirst for the pure and plaine word of God which if you receiue it in meekenesse is able to saue your soule Some make iestes of Gods word but doe not you so For it is ill iesting with edge tooles Doe not alleadge any part of Gods word but to a good and godly ende and in the feare of God Take heede how you make any vowe to God or how you promise any thing with an oth for whē you haue vowed or sworne your soule is bound Therefore before you vowe consider whether it be pleasing to God and in your power to performe and when you haue made such a vowe rather loose your life then breake it Iesus Christ keepe you from beeing a vow-breaker as I am Mocke no bodie with their pouertie lamenes blindenesse or with any thing which they cannot helpe least you take the name of God in vaine For Salomon saith he that mocketh the poore reprocheth his maker It is a most horrible thing to blaspheme almightie God that is to thinke or vtter any thing dishonourable vnto him It is dangerous in some things to speake that of God which is true Because our blinde vnderstanding is not able to see the depth of his wisdome and righteousnesse Therefore it is your safest waie to be thoroughly perswaded that God in whatsoeuer he doth or suffereth to be done is most perfitly wise and righteous and to refraine your minde from prying into the high questions of Gods fore-knowledge and predestination for the more you look vpon the sunne the worse you shall see and the more you seeke into the secrets of God the weaker will your vnderstanding be Whatsoeuer calamitie or miserie falleth vpon you acknowledge your selfe to haue deserued it yea and much more Submit your heart wholly to God and praise him as well for aduersitie as for prosperitie for that is meete and right So you shall best please him and most ease your selfe They that wickedly blame God for any thing which commeth to passe do both wrong his blessed maiestie and hurt themselues Although all things goe crosse and contrarie vnto you yet praise and blesse the name of God continually yea to the death and in dying Neuer despaire of Gods goodnesse but confesse his righteousnesse and your owne vnrighteousnes and so yeild your selfe to his good pleasure I Neuer kept holy the Sabbath day and therefore am full of all vnholinesse I forsooke the Church to followe euerie vaine pleasure or worldly profit I traueiled vpon sondaies in seruice time And when I went to Church the Deuill perswaded me to come late that I might tarrie the lesse while there Comming into Church I tooke no heede that I came into the house of God to pray vnto him and to learne my dutie out of his word and first I leaned vpon a seate or kneeled charily vpō one knee hiding my face or moouing my lippes that others might thinke I praied when indeede I either saide nothing or with no deuotion I little regarded what the minister praied or what he read in the word of God and if there were any sermon I minded not to heare it but wished for an ende of seruice and sermon that I might goe to my dinner and then to my vaine delights As for eueing praier I either lost it or came short vnto it or howsoeuer I made no reckoning of it being wholly giuen to foolish pastime Thus I made sonday the worst day of the weeke and my selfe the worst sinner of all the world But doe you make it the best daie of the weeke that you may be euery Sabbath daie by the grace of God made better and better till at the length you be fit to enter into the euerlasting Sabbath and rest of God in heauen Therefore leauing your worldly affaires and weaning your hearts from all pleasures of sinne you must desirously intend to keepe holy the Sabbath daie Arise early in the morning fall downe vpon your knees and humbly praie vnto God that he will giue you grace to keepe holy his sabbath daie according to his will Prepare your selfe so carefully to goe vnto the Church as if you were to goe out of this world into heauen Be not deckt in your apparell as if you were to plaie a part in a stage plaie or a may-game but come into Gods house as an humble suiter in such Christian plainenesse of raiment as decently may shewe the lowlinesse of your heart least you displease God and his Angels and giue much offence to Gods people yea and hinder your owne deuotion as I haue done Alas I haue beene exceeding vaine and tooke great pride in comming gaily to Church and so I quenched all desire of seruing God desiring chiefly to see and to be seene Come to Church with the first and not with the last least you come too late to speed Be more desirous and more delighted to serue God then to doe any thing els For it is hee to whome you must trust all other things will deceiue you and forsake you If you be diligent to serue God hee will be carefull to saue you he wil loue you he will come vnto you and dwell with you When you enter into the Church humble your hearts kneele downe vpon your knees lift vp your minde to God crie him mercie for your sinnes craue his grace in Christ Iesus that you may truly please him in all that you shall thinke say or doe When the minister readeth the praiers appointed ioyne you with him thinke that which he readeth word by word and at the ende of euery praier say heartily Amen When any part of Gods word is read giue diligent eare as though God himselfe spake vnto you from heauen When the Minister or any other is about to preach pray
word or deede first consider well whether you haue giuen anie cause either speciallie touching that partie or by anie misbehauiour examine your heart before the face of God as he shall iudge your soule and if you finde your selfe anie waie in fault crie God mercie both for your owne sinnes and for his that hath thereupon done you harme for if you had not giuen cause he had not sinned in harming you by word or deede But if your conscience be cleare that you be hurt by them to whome you haue giuen no cause then if you can haue true patience you are Gods owne childe If a man were by the lawes of the Realme condemned to die a grieuous death and might escape with condition that his coate should be beaten and he take it patientlie it is to be thought that he would be verie glad of the condition and striue to be patient you are a sinner and therefore by the law of God worthie to suffer death in hell fire where the damned are euer in extreame pangs of death and yet they neuer die God of his mercie offereth you pardon through Iesus Christ vpon condition that you shall patientlie suffer the aduersities and iniuries of this world Therefore looke well to your selfe and by your patience keepe your soule Matth. 1 23 24 25 least breaking the condition you forfeit your pardon and so be tormēted Take heed how you iudge of any bodie for you may be many waies deceiued euen in that which you see much more in that which you heare and most of all in that which you surmise Doe not wish no nor imagine any euill to happen vpon any of Gods people but thinke and wish well to all yea to your e-enemies praie earnestly to God for them Doe not reioice to see or heare any euill of others but sorrow and grieue at it nor grieue to see or heare of the prosperitie of others but reioice at it Then are you in charitie els not Whatsoeuer aduersitie happeneth vnto you humble your selfe to God and take it patientlie least you hurt both body soule with worldlie sorrow as I haue done Haue a good conscience towards God and be in charitie and peace with all people then nothing can ouercome you Be slowe to speake and when you speake let your speach be gracious powdred with heauenlie salt that you may harme none of Gods people in any word that you vtter Before you speake be well aduised what you say of whome and to whome what you say for you must giue a reckoning of euerie idle word One needles word draweth out an other and commonly causeth much euill communication Take heede of whome you speake for you must not call any bodies name into question vnlesse it be to some good and charitable purpose It is an hellish propertie of mine to occasion speach of any in place where they are likelie to be ill spoken of whereby I set them as a marke for others to shoote at Take heede to whome you speake for some are of that qualitie that you can hardlie saie any thing to them but they wil pick some euill out of it Therefore let your words be few and wiselie spoken Neuer speake word to reproach any man woman or child It is naught to reuile our enemie worse to speake ill of him that neuer did you harme but an horrible wickednesse to disgrace your friend Some will say Is it not lawfull to call a spade a spade I answer you by a notable example S. Iude writeth that Michael the Archangel beeing in strife with the deuill durst not giue any reproachfull word Whie durst he not Surelie for displeasing God If it be displeasing to God that an holie Angel should speake any reproach to the deuil how can we safely quip taunt revile defame curse and banne one an other A word of reproach is grieuous to him of whome it is spoken maketh others to thinke hardlie of him and may cause his destruction Cursers are murderers for if it please God to suffer their curse to take effect the partie cursed is murdered by the deuill They that sooth and flatter others in euil are murderers for they thrust them forward into destruction Neuer practise any deceit to draw an other into danger for God hateth blood thirstie and deceitfull men Be not double tongued to speake faire to ones face and foule behind his backe Make no debate nor be a tale-carrier for all such are set a work by the deuill to cause mischiefe and murder in the world Vse no man woman or child vncharitably be kinde to all and cruell to none Be carefull to succour the needie least they perish through want of that which you might doe for them Goe often to them that are sicke but goe with a good intent to good purpose Sicknesse warneth the sicke to prepare towards heauen Therefore you must not talk much of earthly matters for a small touch plucketh him downeward that is weakely going vp the hill but helpe him vpward the best that you can with heauenly communication Take heede that you giue none euill example in word or deed for it is like the poysoned infection of the plague which may goe farre and cause the destruction of many If you would be cleere from all blood-guiltynesse flee from enmitie and labour to be in peace and to make peace To be in peace first and foremost with God for if there be enimitie betweene God and you you take the waie to murder your owne soule Secondly if you can possiblie with a good conscience haue peace withall people yea sue and seek for it Because enmitie can hardly be without much vncharitablenesse And greeuous is the danger thereof as I finde and feele by woefull experience If your waies please God as mine did neuer he will make your enemies to be in peace with you And then you shal prosperously practise to be a make-peace betweene God and your neighbour and betweene neighbour and neighbour by your godly life and good counsell When you see or heare that anie are in enmitie pitie their case as if their houses were a fire and they themselues liklie to be burned pray vnto God for them that they may be rightly agreed and practise what good meanes you can to quench the fire but come not to neere it least you be also fired meddle not to much with the pointes in controuersie for it is a very dangerous businesse Keepe your selfe alwaies indifferent not holding with one nor with the other for a partaker cannot be thought to beare an euen hand betweene them Remember well the saying of Salomon Prov. 10 It is honour for a man to keepe himselfe out of contention but fooles will be medling Striue to liue quietly So shall you escape many troubles preuent much mischeefe and inioy many blessings ALas how shall I doe without holinesse none shall see God I haue alwaies possessed my bodie in vnholinesse and dishonour for euen from my childehoode I was
and am defiled with fleshly lust which hath consumed my bodie and cancred my soule so that I am before God a most ougly monster and a detestable loathsome wretch This hellish fire was first kindled in my heart by seeing lewde behauour and harkening to filthy talke whereby I grewe to be of so beastly an imagination that I could hardly see or heare anie thing but presently I turned it to some meaning of lust To quench this fire I some time thought vpon Origens remedy sometime I purposed marriage but all in vaine for to this daie I continue inflamed with it and neuer had the grace to be freed from it O all ye children of men liue in the feare of God and beginne betimes to hate this foolish and filthie sinne for if it once take possession of your heart it will haunt you like an euill spirit Therefore doe not endure to see heare or thinke any vnclennesse If any beginne to talke read or sing matter of beastlinesse flee out of their compaine for it is the deuill that setteth them a work to fire your hearts Whatsoeuer lewd ballet booke or picture coÌ„meth to your hands teare it all to peeces or burne it to ashes for whosoeuer made it the deuill deuised it for your destruction If God doe see that you hate all causes of filthinesse he will loue you deerelie and many excellent graces he will giue vnto you Parents and gouernours of children keep them carefully from the delite of this sinne It is not good that boyes and girles should lie in bed together nor plaie in priuate places for the deuill watcheth his time to work his temptation vpon them It is strange and I should not beleeue it but that I remember it since I was a child how younglings will draw one an other to this filthie sinne All people if you desire by the grace of God to be preserued from this fierie filthines in the name of Iesus Christ settle your hearts to praie and to practise for chastitie O most holy Lord God who in the beginning of this world didst make man and woman and marrie them together ordaining that they should with so vndefiled hearts increase their kind as in eating and drinking they nourish their bodies But euer since Sathan by temptation had drawne them awaie from thee thine holy ordinance is broken for people doe rather giue themselues to the delight of beastly lust then to the desire of blessed increase Whereupon they pamper and paint out themselues that they may followe their filthinesse allure one an other thereunto Moreouer by the procurement of our old enemie the deuill this world is so full of temptation that I am continualy in danger by seeing hearing or some one waie or an other to be infected by loathsome lust yea although there were not such abundance of outward alurements yet mine owne heart is readie to betraie me to the deuill Therefore I doe humbly beseech thy blessed maiestie that it may please thee to preserue me from all temptations of lust all the daies of my life And if it be thy will that I shall marrie good Lord giue vnto me a vertuous wife that we may christianly liue together not in the vnsatiable lust of vncleanes as they that know thee not but in such godly temperaÌ„ce that our minds may be holy our bodies healthie our children if thy pleasure be to send vs any holy and able to doe thee seruice Most mercifull God grant me this my prayer for thy sonne Iesus Christs sake to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory henceforth for euermore Amen Now with daily prayer ioyne diligent practise Giue your selues to some good exercise and labour flie from idlenesse Pamper not your bodies with gluttonie and drunkennesse but vse verie sober diet abhor all brauerie of apparel be cloathed only as becommeth a christian in your degree Whatsoeuer it be that mooueth you any way to the thought or desire of lust leaue it and turne from it I doe heartly wish holinesse to al people but being a wreched man I doe specially intend my confession vnto men All men young or old I beseech you giue your heart and mind to holy thoughts and heauenly desires detest all motions of filthinesse which tend to displease God destroie you bodie and soule Doe not muse of woman nor let your eies be delighted in behoulding their beautie and finenesse giue no regard to their coie behauiour tripping and dauncing Take no pleasure in hearing their delicate talking sweet singing and amorous playing for the deuill is readie when you are any way touched with delight of women presently to kindle his fire in your heart Be not much familiar with any woman specially alone for it will cause danger to you and suspition to others If you see a woman to be verie fellowly iudge her not for she may be good but be you a stranger vnto her least Satan make you naught Doe not dally iest or plaie with woemen least it happen vnto you as to the flie that playeth about the caÌ„dle till she haue spoyled her flying As you must carefully keepe your selues from being enflamed with lust so also you ought to take great heede that you giue none occasion to enflame any of Gods people O what an hellish part it is to ioyne with the deuill in tempting others A man and his wife should not dally one with an other in the sight of any no not of their owne children least it mooue them to euill thoughts An heathen man among heathen people was put to great disgrace because he kissed his wife in the sight of his daughter This is a notable example for christians that make no conscience to infect others by word and deede apparell gesture and euerie waie that can be deuised â—th 18.6 you knowe that Christ saith it were better for a man to be cast into the sea with a milstone about his necke then to giue any occasioÌ„ to make an other to sinne O ye women I pray you that for Christs sake ye will consider why God was so displeased with the daughters of Sion Esa 3.16 for their fine attire and wanton behauiour and also why the holy Ghost doth will christian women to decke themselues with vertues and not with costly raiment Surely it semeth to me that one cause is the great danger of men who are inticed to lust by the trimnesse of women And is not an other cause the wasting of Gods goods vpon vaine ornaments Take heede least God doe one daie call you to a reckoning for euerie pennie idly bestowed and for euerie man by your meanes tempted O the modestie of women what an heauenly preseruatiue and remedie it is against lust Yong men pray humbly and feruently to God that you be not stained with lust and if you finde your bodies dangerouslie subiect thereunto striue to keep your minds cleane Rather then yeild to any vnlawfull act of fleshlinesse intend your selfe