heart so that he sinned and fell grieuously He was reproued of God for it as we read 1. Kings 11. He made this booke to remayne as a publike record of his returne and therfore he is Koheleth a person or a soule reconciled to God and to his Church In this sence we may call him Ecclesiastes I know it will be replied by some that the word of God doth not any where testifie that Solomon euer repented after his great fall but leaueth it in doubt and to proue his repentance by this one title by which hee doeth name himselfe is but a weake reason For let the signification of the name be certaine yet is it vncertaine whether he wrote this booke after his fall To this I answere that he did write it after the long triall and experience which he had made in all things vnder the sunne and no doubt after his fall For touching his repentance although it be not said any where in these expresse words Solomon repented yet may it bée proued by necessarie consequence out of the scriptures that he did vnfaynedly repent I reason thus He was one of Gods elect therefore he returned to his God by true repentance séeing it is vnpossible that the elect should perish Math. 24. To proue that he was Gods elect I first alledge that which was said to Dauid at his birth 2. Sam. 12. which Nehemiah doeth speake of him Chap. 13. Nathan the Prophet was sent to Dauid from the Lord willing him to call his name Iedediah tendring this cause that God loued him Nehemiah speaking of the fall of Solomon saith yet he was beloued of his God grounding vpon those wordes of Nathan What a spéech were this to say hée was beloued of his God if he were not gods elect Doeth the Scripture euer speake so of any reprobate God saith by the prophet Malachie Chap. 1. Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Saint Paul hereupon doeth argue Rom. 9. and proue that God hath chosen Iacob And why may we not reason thus vpon these words the Lorde loueth him hée was beloued of his God therfore he was Gods elect Then the Scripture leaueth not his repentance in doubt I will not stand vpon this that hée was a figure of Christ Psal 45. That hee was an excellent Prophet opening high misteries of Christ and his Church but I will come to that which is written of him 1. Chro. 17. where God saith to Dauid I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and I will not take away my mercie from him as I did from him that was before thée Some wil say this is spokeÌ„ of Christ for the title is too high for any Angell Heb. 1. I answere that God said of Dauid thou art my sonne but yet as he was the Figure of Christ Psal 2. and so herâ— of Solomon For this caÌ„not be denied that the Lord speaketh it of that sonne of Dauid which should build the materiall Temple which Dauid had in purpose for to build and God said of this man I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and I will not take my mercie from him If God did not take his mercie from him then he repented When heir Solomon was dead his way is ioyned with the way of Dauid his father For RehoboaÌ„ his sonne did wel thrée yeres and those thrée yeres he is saide to haue walked in the way of Dauid and Solomon 2. Chron. 11. Solomons beginning was good and so was his ende or els hee shoulde not be coupled with Dauid And thus we sée he was Gods elect and therefore repented and became Koheleth So that we hold for certaintie that this name which he geueth himself and this booke are for publike note and record of his repentance and reconciliation to God and his Church Thus much of the Anthor of this booke and for what cause he calleth himselfe by this vnusuall name Now we must obserue to what end he made it or what was his chiefe purpose and intent in writing which in few wordes I may say was this euen to instruct men how to come vnto the true blessednesse A worthy worke and most profitable vnto al that thirst and long for saluation The whole worke consisteth of two partes For he draweth men first froÌ„ the wrong way Those that set their hearts vpon the riches the honors the pleasures and the wisdome vnder the sunne to séeke any felicitie or good in them are in a wrong way From this he persuadeth then he setteth forth the right way vnto blessednesse which is in the true worship and feare of God Hereunto he mooueth very carefully We must note that he beginneth with the vanitie and miserie of all thinges vnder the Sunne because no man can worship God a right or feare him in truth vntil he haue learned to renounce the world Marke well what our Lord saith No man can serue two Masters ye can not serue God and Mammon Math. 6. No man can loue God which loueth the world For thus it is plainely said Loue not the worldâ— neither the things of the worlde if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him For whatsoeuer is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world 1. Ioh. 2. The loue of the world is enmitie against God so that he which will be a fréend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God Iam. 4. In the same place also wee learne that such as loue the worlde committe who redome against God for he calleth them adulterers and adulteresses It is because mans heart and soule ought to be maried to God and to be kept chast and pure vnto him for the lone now when it doth giue away y e loue vnto the world and doth imbrace it as a sweete Ladie in which it doth delight it committeth spirituall whoredome For the same cause the holy Ghost calleth the couetous man an Idolater Ephes 5. His harte should be set vpon God and it is set vpon the world he should trust in the liuing God and he doth trust in riches What is this but to set vp an Idoll The cares also of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches are thornes which choake the good séede of life Math. 13. Plow vp your fallow and so we not among the thornes saith God vnto his people Ierem. 4. By all these places we may sée how necessarie it is that before Solomon do come to teach men where they shall séeke true blessednes he emptieth their harts of the loue and care of earthly things and this is that I said â—he draweth men first from the wrong way How well he doth performe this we shall vnderstande if the Lord do giue vs eares to heare Vanitie of vanities saith Ecclesiastes vanitie of vanities
without hope or to despaire concerning all my trauaile vnder the sunne for so he speaketh This turning away is the turning away of his minde affection from his workes For to the ende he might search duely bee set his delight for a time vpon them Now to draw away the same more forciblie he causeth his heart to despaire or to haue no hope to receiue any good in all his sore trauaile wherein he trauailed vnder the sunne Here is an example for all wise men to follow euen by déepe meditation and a full insight into thinges to perswade their hearts by sound reasons that they may neuer hope for any good to remaine of their worldly trauails For if men did this they could not be so blinded with a vaine hope and caried away as if the cōmodities were incomparable which they shal reap by their labors Men are blind herein by nature and the deuil doth blinfolde them he wil not let them sée that which made Solomon turne away and make his heart despaire of his laboures And to sée what are other mens workes in comparison of his Hee doeth as it were fish in the maine sea and they in little ditches If his nets come vp emty how then Touching this matter he hath hetherto spoken of himselfe now he doeth amplifie it by a kinde of comparison It is taken from the meaner sort of men there is none of them but if he haue laboured in wisdome knowledge and equitie but it may gréeue him that he must leaue it to another man which hath not trauayled therein for his portion This he saith is vanitie and a great euill For by this it commeth to passe that one man trauaileth and another receiueth all the profite and commoditie The father to make his sonne rich so turmoyleth and pyneth himselfe that he hath no pleasure of his life the sonne when he is a father doeth the like for his childe and so euerie one defraudeth himselfe For he demandeth what remaineth to a man of all his trauaile and gréefe of heart wherin he hath trauailed vnder the sunne And marke how hee ioyneth gréefe with mans trauayle For he addeth in the next words that all his daies are sorrowes and his trauaile greefe his heart also resteth not in the night He doeth in few wordes paynt out a miserable condition of such as be worldlings and gréedie of gaine A couetous man hath tortures and sorowes sufficiēt in him They cannot gather riches and kéep them but with sorrowes and gréefs Yea all times continually for he saith all their daies are sorowes It agréeth with that which I alledged out of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 6. when he saith that y e loue of money is the roote of all euill which while some haue lusted after they haue erred from the faith and pearced themselues through with many sorowes But this which he addeth last goeth beyonde all that the heart doeth not lie downe or rest in the night The night is made for rest when men haue on the day time trauailed and wearied themselues the body cannot endure without rest Now when that is laid down the heart or mind doth not lie downe but walketh about all the night long It is the chéef part of man but in this respect in worse case then the bodie that it walketh al about and taketh no rest in the night In the day time it is busied and setteth the body a worke if the bodie could holde out it would also and neuer rest but it cannot and therefore in the night the heart doeth wander and folowe the busines alone Here is great instruction for couetous ambitious worldlings if they might haue their eies opened certainly they be stark foles which couet to be rich If they were not blinde as stones they must néedes féele that which he vttereth here haue these thoughts in themselues I desire and I labour to gather riches all my labours are full of gréefes and sorowes I haue such hindrances and losses méete with so many crosse matters that it vexeth and disquieth my heart I haue such care to increase and kéepe that which I haue that my hart resteth not in y e night I haue so many enemies and that great men which lie in wayte to pluck me I am to buy a péece of lande for which I must disburse a great deale of money if I lose it I am euen halfe vndone If the title should not be good or if my euidēces should be made vnskilfullie there is such craftie dealing in the world that I shalbe sure to lose it This troubleth my minde day and night I cannot sléepe quietly I labour all the day euen while my bones ake When night commeth I am afraide of théeues For my cattle my corne or my money lyeth in danger My heart when I lie in my bed is either vpon my goods in the fields or deuising where I may light vpon some good bargaine I haue light vpon euil creditors and crafty dealing felowes I am afraide I shal neuer come by mine owne But why doe I goe about to reckon vp all particulars a man were almost as good take vpon him to number the stars My sorrowes and cares are infinite I dreame of théeues I am troubled in my sléepe with this and that busines I perceiue that my hart neuer lieth downe neuer taketh any rest but when my bodie is a sléepe that walketh about In the morning my body being refreshed I am carried abroad again so long as I am able to indure My sorrowes doe last continuallie and haue no ende I am a night-walker what shal I get When I haue laboured and heaped vp all that I can another which hath not trauayled therein must haue my portion I haue dealt wisely to get riches which I leaue behinde me in great plentie It may be they shal come into the handes of a foole which will scatter them abroade What a wretched foole am I thus to tormente and disquiet my selfe in vaine Gréefe and care and sorrowes toyle night and day and no good remaine I wish it from the very bottom of my hart and I doe instantly begge it of God that mens eyes might be opened to sée cléere in this poynt that they would déepely meditate vpon this doctrine For I doe not hope to sée any great fruite of the gospell so long as men be so gréedie of this world Ye shall sée hote professors of gods word both of prechers and people which in fewe yeres setting their heartes vpon riches become colde inough Alas it is not possible they should cōtinue vpright vnlesse we will imagine that the scripture is not true which saith Ye cannot serue God and riches And here again geue me leaue to reason a little by cōparison King Solomon hated life hated all his workes turned away his heart to make it despaire of his trauaile in the middest of riches and honor lawfullie gotten crieth out that all is vanitie sorowes and gréefes and
He is a ruffian he is riotous he is a dicer he haunteth harlots and so consumeth all that his Auncetors did gather Is this bewtifull is this a good sight I might go through a number of particulars but these may suffise to lay open the doctrine which Solomon doeth here teach I will make these manifest so we may iudge of all other contraries which in their times fall out by Gods prouidence how he hath made them bewtifull I know it will be said how can these things be bewtifull Is riot whoredom ruffian liues dicing or wasting goods and patrimonie bewtifull are murthers bloudsheds cruelties rauishings of matrones and virgins wasting burning all pleasant things coÌ„fortable to behold These and a number moe are vglie horrible and dolefull to behold They be sins euen of Heathen men condemned God is holie iust pure and righteous he abhorreth condemneth all sinne and wickednesse how can it be said that he doeth make these bewtifull in their time shall most foule sinnes be bewtifull or shall we say that God doth approue them I answere that neither doth God approue sinne neither is sinne bewtifull of it selfe at any time and yet this standeth true he hath made euery thing bewtifull in his time Wée must therefore distinguish thus God is the Aucthor of all actions but the sinne of the actions commeth not néere him For hée is infinitely holy and pure and hateth all wickednes Hée doth in his prouideÌ„ce vse as instruments both men and deuils to bring the works to passe and the sinne cleaueth onely vnto them The actions arè good as they bée from the most blessed and holy God but these instruments doo sinne and are iustly condemned Moreouer if we respect the sinne it selfe it is fond it is lothsome it is sorowfull to behold for who can behold the rauishment of women the murthering of men and children the burning of cities and townes not powre forth teares Who can see theftes robberies and spoiles yea all kind of wickednes in such manner committed as if all the Diuils in hell were losed and walked vpon the earth in mans apparell and not mourne In this the things are not bewtifull But now in an other respect if we behold wée shall sée they be all be wtifull in their time and that is as they be sent as iust and due punishments from God as the executioÌ„ of his wrath and vengeance for the wickednes of the world and for the triall of the faith and pacience of his seruants Looke in the time of peace what securitie there is what vnthankfulnesse what pride what abusing of all Gods creatures vnto riot and excesse and ye shall sée that the sword the famine the pestilence and al kinde of miserable vexations are iustly sent of God and in that respect are bewtifull in their tune Wée sée how many doo gette their goods with couetousnesse with vniust dealing by extortion briberie and deceit vsurie vnmercifulnesse to the poore yea euen to the widow and the fatherles doo fill many mens purses Is it not a iust reuenge from God and a due executioÌ„ and in that respect a thing bewtifull that a ruffian or an vnthrift doe rise vp and riotously wast the goods that haue béene so naughtily gotten The Lord God doth in righteousnesse gouerne all nations and people of the world punish their ingratitude His owne childreÌ„ offeÌ„ding do not escape The exaÌ„ple of Dauid may suffise hée committed adultris with Barseba hée caused Vrias hir husband to bée slaine with the sword the thing displeased the Lord excéedingly He sent Nathan the prophet vnto Dauid to shew him his sinne and also the chasticement that God would send him for the same The sword shall not depart from thy house for euer I will raise vp euill saith the Lord against thée out of thine owne house I wil take thy wiues before thine eies and giue them vnto thy neighbour which shall lie with thy wiues in the sight of y e sunne Thou diddest this thing secretly but I will doe it before all Israell and in the sight of the sunne This was the punishment threatned let vs sée how the Lord did bring it to passe First Ammon the sonne of Dauid defileth his sister Thamar Abshalom for reuenge being an other of Dauids sonnes and brother vnto Thamar by the mother also doeth slay Ammon his brother Afterward y e same Abshalom doth gather a power of men and séeke to thrust his Father from the kingdome Dauid is constrayned to flie from Ierusalem leauing some of his wiues there thether commeth Abshalom and by the counsell of Achitophel causeth a tent to be spread and in the sight of all the people went in and lay with his fathers wiues Here is Gods punishment vppon Dauid as hée before threatned Ammon did commit abominable incest Abshalom besides his murther his treason and other enormities did coÌ„mit the like incest with his fathers wiues The Lord saith he did all this But as I said before the actions were his but not the sin The sinne did cleauâ— vnto the men and to the Deuill which drew them into it vnto whose hand thâ— Lord had iustly giuen them ouer Thesâ— sinnes in themselues are foule to lookâ— vpon but as they be punishments senâ— of God vpon Dauid for his offence theâ— were bewtifull in their time Thus maâ— wée iudge of all the euils the calamitieâ— and mischiefes which in the variableneâ— and change of times doe light vpon meâ— He hath made them all bewtiful in theâ— time We must come to the third poinâ— and that is that God vseth men as his iâ—struments and by them as by the meaâ— he bringeth in all those euils which 〈…〉 punisheth the wickednesse of the world withall and sheweth his glory except in that which he worketh himselfe extraordinarily and immediatly his words are expounded diuers waies by diuers but I will translate them euen as they stand thus He hath also set the world in their hart except that which man can not find euen the worke which God worketh froÌ„ the beginning to the end When he saith God hath set the world in their heart hée expoundeth what hée meaneth by the world euen the worke of God which hée worketh from the beginning to the end That is to say euen the whole worke of God for the turmoiles that be among the nations of the world sauing that he hath made an exceptioÌ„ by the way for he putteth in except that which man can not find We haue séene before how he setteth downe euery thing to haue his time and season He expressed sundrie particular partes of contraries by which we may be induced to behold al things that are doone vnder heauen which hée calleth the world and because Gods prouidence directeth all he calleth it the worke which he worketh This world because the things be so vniuersall and so many or this whole worke of God hath he set in mans heart For menne doo worke it all except
is to bee estéemed from our disposition how rude how vnreuerent how vnmannerly our hearts be when we speake to the Lord. We dore not in such sort speake vnto an earthly prince no noâ— to a man of meane worship But to auoide this rudenes and to come with due reuerence yea euen with feare and trembling before so high a Maiestie hée willeth each man not to be rash with his mouth nor to let his heart make haste to vtter a thing before God where reuerence is set a part of him to whoÌ„ he speaketh a man dooth hastely and rashly babble whatsoeuer commeth into his mind But when he doth carrie great reuereÌ„ce hee doeth not speake but with feare and treÌ„bling aduisedly waying whatsoeuer he doeth vtter When we come to speake vnto y e God of glory how wicked a thing is it to come vnreuerently and yet men doe it and as boldly as it were to come before the meanest man vpoÌ„ earth Nay there is no man would take it well but thinke he were mocked and despised as a foole if men should speake so vnto him as they do vnto God It is true that there be some outward signes of reuerence as knéeling or vowing which is méete but God doth looke vpon the hart They babble and vtter wordes with their mouth which they vnderstand not or speaking them their mind is vpon other matters This is a foule contempt of Gods maiestie a sinne which shall be punished with the vengeance of eternall â—re He that is rash with his mouth doeth let his hart make hast to speake vnto God doeth not reuerence his glorious maiestie and yet ye sée how such blind grosse hypocrites doo glory in their vaine babbling euen when they know not what they say Let vs coÌ„sider beloued how to eschew this euill how shall a man frame himselfe that he may not vnaduisedly rashly speake vnto God but with reuerence which is due yea with feare trembling I will shew ye First consider déepely of that he saith God is in heauen Consider I say what a great and glorious God hee is His maiestie and power are aboue the heauens He is iust holy and good a hater of all iniquitie and vncleannesse the fountaine and giuer of all good things louing to the faithfull and a most terrible God to the wicked Then looke vpon thy selfe remember that he saith here thou art vpon earth Thou art weake base sinfull and miserable What art thou to come before him how wilt thou speake vnto him wherein shalt thou be regarded consider thine vnworthinesse cast downe thy selfe in humilitie with y e sense and féeling of thy sins and beggerlinesse Looke what he doeth promise to giue craue it earnestly with stedfast faith and with a groning spirite Not thus when they come to speake vnto God are rashe foolish they imagine that the very babling of words is a seruice of God and as the blind Papistes thought if a man did one day say more then his ordinarie stint God was in his debte and wée sée how the foolish pardons are granted from the bishop of Rome with condition that a man shall say ouer seuen or ten Aue Maries and so many Pater nosters Solomon giueth warning to beware of this Be not rash with thy mouth neither let thy heart make hast to vtter a thing before God To performe this there is néede of déepe meditation before a man pray the vnskilfull and vntaught in Gods holy word can not meditate any thing but corruptly and after the rotten braine of flesh and bloud in vaine imagination and therefore they can not pray aright they cast forth their words and desires vnaduisedly they come rudely before God because they know not him nor yet themselues By his heauenly word the Lord doth reueale himselfe vnto vs by the knowledge and light thereof we behold his glory we are caried vnto a wonderment and admiration of his excellencie we reuerence him we tremble before him As by the worde we behold God that in him is life and all good things so by the same wée sée and know our selues that we be very corruption miserie we be poore naked and void of all good things He is the bottomles fountaine of holines life and ioy if we will haue ought we must draw it from him This may lead vs to humilitie to hunger thirst for his heauenly gifts hunger and thirst be such things as no man can endure but will spéedily crie out for reliefe The hungrie and thirstie soule doth make as great hast vnto God and doth vehemently crie out to be refreshed such doth God call for such onely doth he heare all other doo not pray but babble The prophet Iesay chapt 55. doth in the name of the Lord proclaime Come to the waters all that be a thirst The blessed virgin in her song saith that he filleth the hungrie with good things and the rich he sendeth away emptie Those be called rich which féele not their miserie And Christ saith Come vnto mée all yée that trauaile and be heauy laden and I will refresh ye Math. 11. Againe by the word of the Lord we sée what he hath promised vs. For we must aske according to his will and not after our owne fantasies destres we must also aske in faith not wauer or else we shall receiue nothing Iam. 1. Which can not be but where we haue his promise wée must giue him thankes and praise with vnfained harts All this is to be done as he willeth in fewe words for it followeth after he had said God is in heauen and thou art vpon the earth therfore let thy words be few The faithful soule doth crie continuallie vnto God for being in continuall néede it watcheth vnto prayer But yet the words are fewe On the other side the blinde and foolish as our Sauiour sheweth Mat. 6. vse many words much babbling and vaine repetitions for which they thinke to be heard They wish and desire euen as their blinde fantasie doeth leade them they speake they knowe not what they multiplie words vpoÌ„ words babbling vpon babbling supposing that they do a great good thing to please God We are warned ye sée to take héede of such rashnes What are now all the prayers the vowes and thanks geuing of the Popish Church What is all the babbling of long prayers either publike or priuate where the word of the Lorde is not opened to the people Can they haue those former things which I noted Is it possible that they should not be rash in speaking vnto God They think if they haue tumbled ouer their stinte and full number of prayers all is well they laye on tongue they cannot tell what neither doo they much care their heart is blind and wicked When they haue cast behinde their backes the word of the Lord haue filled themselues with lustes and vayne pleasures forgetting God yet they must for fashion sake haue halfe an
hower to â—umble ouer a sort of prayers when the heart is drowned in securitie These be fooles yea these bewray theÌ„selues to be fooles for he saith that like as a dreame commeth foorth by the multitude of busines so the voice of a foole by the multitude of words Looke how a mans minde which is earnestly busied in the day time doeth dreame of it in the night and so out of the multitude of busines the dreame doeth disclose it selfe euen so by many words the voice of a foole is bewrayed We doe account theÌ„ fooles which are full of words and prattle vnaduisedly of euery matter and what reason is it that we should not as it is here said take them to be fooles which doe so vnto God What shall we say then of al the popish worship and of the Papistes which do bable many words which they do not vnderstand what shall we thinke of those also which wil haue praier with so many words so many turnings in out in the publike assembly when thou vowest a vow to God c. This is another part of Gods worship about which he doeth instruct We speake to God in praier in thankesgiuing so do we also in vowing vowes for we make a soleÌ„ne promise to God either to doo some good thing or else to forsake some euill In old time some of the kings of Iuda did cause the people to sweare that they would serue the Lord cleane vnto him and renounce the worship of idols Holy men of God in their afflictions did vow and promise to God that when he should deliuer them they would openly declare his praise We haue in baptisme vowed to consecrate our selues euen our soules our bodies to God by renouncing the diuell the world and the flesh If we goe backe from this our vowe how can we come rightly to Gods table for there we doe also renew the same wée bind our selues with promises vnto God There be also particuler vowes promises as euery man hath cause If we féele our selues slacke vnto good duties we are to stirre vp our selues to bind our selues by some earnest promise to God If we be inclined to any vice we are to doo the like When we be in distres séeke helpe at Gods hands we promise vpon our deliuerance to be thankefull and obedient We must take héed in al these that we be not rash with our mouth nor let our hart make hast to vtter a promise We must be well aduised what we sweare promise to God What a fault is it accouÌ„ted in such as will promise much vnto men performe little do not all despise such persons the fault is much greater when there is promise made vnto God and not performed He willeth therefore that he which hath vowed be not flacke to performe his vow they be vaine fooles which make promise and pay it not God is not delighted in fooles God is delighted in his true worshippers Vow therefore and performe For he saith it is better not to vow then to vow and not to performe we are to vow vnto God and therefore it is euill not to vow but it is a greater euill to vow not to doo that we haue vowed Men are rash afterward doo repent then séeke they to excuse the matter that they did ignorantly but this will not serue for he saith Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne and say not before the Angell that it is an errour why should God be angrie at thy voice destroy the worke of thy handes He that rashly maketh vowes to God may very well be said to suffer his mouth to cause his flesh to sin that is himselfe a part being put for the whole As often on the contrary the scripture doth vse to put y e soule for the whole man There is no excuse before the Lord Christ who is the Angel he here speaketh of when he saith say not before the Angel it was an error for he is called the Angel of the couenant Malach. 3. Make what excuse thou canst to excuse thy rashnes yet Gods wrath shal be kindled against thée he will plague punish thée he will as it is here said destroy the worke of thy hands It is a lamentable case why wilt thou cast thy selfe into it againe he vseth a coÌ„parison In the multitude of dreames saith he there be vanities so in the multitude of words Wee sée he likeneth those foolish vowes made to God vnto dreams which are but vanitie but feare thou God Know thou well vnto whom thou speakest and be wel aduised kéepe thy promise Thus we sée briefly what is to be obserued in our vowes which wée make vnto God Let vs consider in some particulers who breake these rules And first for our generall vow in baptisme we haue promised to consecrate both our soules and bodies to the seruice of God in true holinesse by renouncing the deuill and all sinfull lustes Then all such as despise Gods truth and walke in darkenesse after the flesh haue besides al other there sins this great burthen vpon them that they be vowbreakers they haue broken their faith promise made vnto God It had béene better for them neuer to haue vowed then thus to deale they be in a bad case Secondly those offend as we sée it vsually come to passe which in great affliction make promise if God deliuer theÌ„ they will glorifie him but are false For God doeth will vs Psal 50. Call vpoÌ„ me in the day of affliction I will deliuer thée and thou shalt glorifie me When a man hath lewdly spent his time in riot in drunkennes in wantonnes in enuie hatred and malice If God strike him with gréeuous sicknes that his bones séeme to rattle in his skinne and that hée feareth death then doth he tremble then doeth he desire that God wil haue mercy vpon him and then doth he make vowes and promises If God doe restore me to health againe and geue mee life I will neuer be the man I haue béene I haue liued a naughtie life I haue dishonoured God I haue despised his worde I will harken to his voice leaue my naughty vices and liue to Gods glorie How wel were this if men did as they say But marke and ye shall finde the most partâ— so soone as euer they be recouered can but crawle out fall againe to their former wayes and be as euill or worse theÌ„ euer they were before What shall wee say of these men are they not gréeuous offenders I haue obserued some very wicked liuers God hath stricken them and terrified them so that with teares they haue confessed their vngodly behauiour They haue promised and vowed if God would restore them to become new men They haue recouered and become as vile in sinne as before God hath stricken them againe and they haue died in fury and rage without any apparance of grace or remorse Doth