many Trauellers in opinions and some ouerrech themselues and some ouerlabor them selues which is more for want of wit then for lacke of wyl And for that I pitty their weary vnprofitable trauell doo in Christes name inuite them to this Harbour as the best preparation I haue for mine owne part to entertaine them beseeching the Lorde to giue them knowledge iudgement and a hungry desire It is but shortly composed because it shall not bee lothsome and chargable vnto thee gentle Reader a small almes is inough for this hard world Reade it ouer with discretion and where thou findest any thing toothsome take it as thankfully as I bestow it hartily and if thou hap with any grosse or vnsauerye matter passe it ouer as freendly as I shall take it sorrowfully and if thou be one of them that loue me thou wilt take it howsoeuer it be in good part but if thou be one of them that of late condemned me of Idlenes I sorrow no more to be slaundered then thou dost shame to be deceiued and yet as charitye bindeth mee I wyll pray for thee and byd thee hartily farewell Autor calumniatoribus NOn ego conticui iacui neque desidiose lingua licit fiâ—uit penna locuta fuit Nec me delituisse putes reticente talentum En patet officii cura laborque mei Fatur et in seculum conscriptus sermo perenne Viuit et in longa posteritate manet Vade liber causa domini damnabere forsan Sed quos sunt docti consulit ille prius Inuidiat pro me vel si te nauseat vllus Dic sibi quod nullum scripserat autor opus Sim licet indoctus tibi dico perlege disce teque monere mouet me tua causa lege Meué alios legito si fit tibi cura salutis Sera nisi capiat te Metanaea nimis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plurima namque fluunt totum peccata per orbem et genus humanum crimine polluitur VV. Ch. What man is SIth it is and hath béene alwayes the desire of man Cap. 1. to know things naturall what they are what operations vertues and effectes procéedeth from them and to what purpose euery thing is ordeyned and thereby dooth best séeke for those thinges that are necessary and auoydeth those thinges that are hurtfull and measureth his knowledge by times seasons fittest for his purpose by the which hee hath looked so into the bowels of naturall thinges that almost no faculty wanteth that knowledge wherein he hath a delight either for the preseruation of his body from noysome thinges or his estate from pouertie He knoweth the disposition of the heauens the yéelding of the earth the vertue of the one and the best season of the other neyther is there a corner of the heauens or of the earth or of the seas left vnserched as for example The Astronomer fléeth to heauen and showeth his skyl The Husbandman searcheth the earth and sheweth hys skyll The Marryner the Seas and likewise sheweth his skyll Euery Artificer on the earth profiteth his skyll with an encreasing knowledge and as touching the estate of our bodyes euery maÌ„ desireth that knowledge to preserue it both in helth and also in prosperity according to natures expectation But aboue all these knowledges me thinke I see not man to runne so néere home as to knowe himselfe whereof he is made what procéedeth naturally from him and wherefore hée is made howe hee is compassed about with many calamities and miseries and how death dooth followe him step by step whether so euer he goeth A thing to be desired by the Heathens example who sayd Nosce teipsum Psal 8. Psal 144.4 Likewise by the good prophet Dauid who said VVhat is man that c. and that he may be the better acquainted héerewith conferring it wyth hys owne estate I wyll lay downe the opinion of our auncesters who wyth experience and knowledge haue gyuen vs a true light thereof The Hebrewes described man wholy by thrée proper names that were giueÌ„ vnto him which in the Bible especially in the Psalmes are founde in many places that is Ish Enosh Adam Three names giueÌ„ to man which according to the true interpretation of the wordes and true meaning of the writers I wyll lay downe the rather that by them as by a bréefe table wee may not onely quickly suruey our estate but excellentlye Calender in our myndes the true proportion of our selues and I wyll describe the signification of them as they are and first with Adam Adam is a name of signification giuen to our first parent Adam not onely properly to be called by it but by signification to witnes as wel to himselfe as to all his posterity what God ment by it and doth signifie Red earth which name doth put vs in remembraunce of what substaunce we be of and whereof we be created that is of the verye brittle earth according to Gods owne saying Earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne againe Gen. and this chaunge is not attributed to one man or to one nation but vnto all people in the worlde of what estate or degrée soeuer As appeareth well by the History of Zerxes who had a very great Armye of Souldiers and as he marched on the side of an hill looking back on his great hoste did not glory in them but receiued a suddaine motion and therewithall wept hys vncle Artabanus béeing present and séeing so suddaine a chaunge demaunded the cause to whom he aunswered now I record in my minde how shorte the life of man is when of this greate multitude after and hundred yéeres not one of these shall remaine aliue Horace sayth Quo pius Eneas quo Tullus diues et Ancus puluis et vmbra sumus Whether are those Kinges gone the godly Eneas rich Tullus and Ancus answer is made we are but dust and as a shaddow The prophet crying out vnto all the world dooth speake vnto man kinde O earth earth earth now vpon this true certificate of our substaunce we are to learne thrée good considerations 1. The frailty of our substaunce Three considerations to be learned 2. What fruite it yéeldeth 3. Thirdly what regard we should haue to it As touching the frailty of man in his naturall substaunce we se by the course of his time is but shoâ—â— as Iob sayth Iob. 14.5 He hath but a short time to liue and commeth vp like a flower and suddainly is cut downe Likewise in the 39. Psa 39.6.7 Psal Beholde thou hast made my dayes as it were a span long and mine age is euen as nothing in respect of thee and verily euery man lyuing is altogether vanity for man walketh in a vaine shaddow and disquieteth himselfe in vaine c. Plutarch Anaxagoras did expresse this frailtie when newes came vnto him that his sonne was dead he aunswered Sciome mortalem eum genuisse I know that I my selfe being a mortall man did beget him So
Which ioyes as S. Paul sayeth although our hartes cannot conceiue yet let our harts beléeue those vnspeakeable ioyes and although the worthinesse and excellency of the place be such as we may dispayre of in our owne iudgement because of our great vnworthines and the multitude of sinnes yet if we beléeue that Christ is that sonne of the liuing God and that he hath payed the ransome for our sinnes and that he hath nayled our sinnes to his crosse also if we turne vnto him loue him and obey him with all our hart with all our minde and with all our soule then will he assuredly bring vs vnto that place of consolation as he sayeth in Iohn And though I goe to prepare a place for you Iohn 14 3 I will come agayne and receyue you vnto my selfe that where I am there might ye be also Ma. 19.28.29 Also the Euangelist Mathewe sayth And Iesus sayde vnto them verely I say vnto you that when the sonne of man shal sit in the throne of his maiesty ye which followed me in the regeneration shall sit also vpon the twelue thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israell And who so euer shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or childreÌ„ or laÌ„ds for my names sake he shall receiue an hundred folde more and shall inherite euerlasting life These wordes are not spoken by a mortall man who may lye and deceyue but they are spoken by the very sonne of God hym selfe whose word shal stand and endure for euer tyme shall not chaunge it nor age shall not weare it out And furthermore forasmuch as the nature of maÌ„ is desirous to be resolued whether wée shall know one another after this lyfe I thought good to answere briefely that as our state shal be farre better so shall also our knowledge be farre clearer for in this world we are the more ignoraunt our sences deceyued by reasoÌ„ of a corruption But in the world to come when we shal be chaunged into an incorruptible estate then our sences shal be much more clearer and we shall know farre the better and let vs be thus perswaded that that worlde is a world of knowledge not of ignoraunce as our sauiour Christ him selfe sayth vnto the chiefe priest that would knowe whether he were Christ the soÌ„ne of God or no He answeared thou haste sayde it neuerthelesse I say vnto you hereafter shall ye sée the sonne of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God Mat. 26 24. and comming in the cloudes of heauen which is to no purpose that they sée his sitting and his comming vnlesse they know it and yet he speaketh this vnto the wicked Iewes that did crucifie him that they should sée it know it Much more assuredly shall the righteous sée him and knowe him The Apostle Paul touching this matter sayth 1. Cor. 13.12 Nowe we sée through a glasse darkely but then shal we sée face to face Now I knowe in part but then shall I know euen as I am knowen So that now what remayneth more comfortable to the godly and to them that thirst after Christ Iesu then to go to a place after this life replenished with all ioye comforte consolation and euerlasting lyfe vnto the which also our sauiour christ Iesus shall conducte vs by his mightie power and in the which is all fulnes of knowledge perfection of a blessed state The God of all blessing and comforte for his sonne Christ Iesus his sake spéedely bring vs vnto that celestiall ioye peaceable estate To whome both with the holy ghost be all glory dominion and power now and for euer So be it A Prayer O Mercifull God the king of all creatures and gouernour of all thinges which of thy mercy and goodnes didest bring thy people out of Egipt from the bondage of Pharo and didest conducte them through the red sea into the comfortable land of CanaaÌ„ we beseech thee of thy accustomed mercy deliuer vs froÌ„ the bondage of sinne the tiranny of Sathan and the persecution of the world and conduct vs vnto the heauenly Ierusalem the onely Canaan of our euerlasting inheritaunce where we may raigne in eternall felicitie with thee and the sonne Iesus Christ to whome both with the holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euer Amen FINIS A Christian exercise for priuate Housholders Question WHat doo you chiefely professe Aunswere Christianitie Question What is the badge of a Christian Aunswere Fayth Question VVhat is fayth Aunswere The verye same thing that cannot playnely be expressed in wordes for it is aboue the reach of man and therfore not vnder the reason of man Howe beit we may giue eche to other intelligence of it by wordes out of the Scripture and by the deedes of the godly which is that it is the séede of assured reconciliation sowen by God in our heartes for his sonne Iesus Christ his sake to stirre vs to comfort and to bind vs to obedience to giue vs a true certificate in our consciences that we are called againe to be the children of God and that we are ingraffed into the body of his sonne Iesus Christ and to be his members So that although fayth be such a thing as is giuen â—â—om aboue as a seale of gods mercy Yet it is required here be low of vs as a talent of assuraunce and knowledge Luke 19. receiued of him to be increased by vs. Question What doth fayth woorke in vs Aunswere The knowledge of God the assuraunce of our redemption and the consolation of conscience through the holy Ghost Question Let me vnderstand at large your meaning by this Aunswere By the knowledge of God we learne that he is our creator our gouernour and defender in all necessities daungers And as he hath a speciall care daylie to prouide for our bodies in giuing the plentifulnesse of the earth so are we perswaded that he hath a more care for our soules to preserue them to be honorable ornaments in his heauenly mansion Furthermore by this knowledge we confesse hym to be the Almightie God to whom all honour ought to be attributed of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth whereby we abandon all Idolatrie and superstition as meere inuention of man and as perswasions of Sathan to delude men and deface the knowledge of the high and mightie God whom we worship as our maker and acknowledge to be our defendour in all euilles ghostly and bodyly By the assuraunce of our redemption we are perswaded that Christ Iesus hath payed the ransome of our sins and is the sufficient sacrifice to appease gods wrath and hath for all the church fulfilled the whole lawe hath vanquished death sinne and hel and hath don all that for vs which is required of vs so that in hym God is well pleased and by hym the gats of heauen are opened and euerlasting life is promised By the consolation of the conscience through
of the flesh I will nowe onely speake of the world as one of the mightiest enimies that man hath in these dayes for by it the worde of God is little regarded and for the loue of it the Sabbaoth is the more prophaned by reason wherof iustice is corrupted truth is banished charitie is colde pittie is remoued from mens harts frēdship faynteth and naturall affection is quit altered agayne by it blindnes ruleth lyes are vsed periury is suffered honors are desired offices are bought blynd bayard is a good horse a slowe Iade is a good Gelding by it manhoode is not regarded chastitie is not estéemed worldly mariags vnfit matches are not gainsaid vertue had in small price trust is had in litle estimation and learning in no accompt we sée that for the wordes sake naturall loue betwixt the father and the childe is altered For the father that is a worldling accompteth not of that childe that is liberall no although his liberalitie be godly and commendable bestowed on the poore and howe many do preferre their children to learning for the ministrie sake or to the law for iustice sake or to any faculty for the same faculties sake but rather because they shall liue and beare a countenance in the world On the other side we sée the good nature of the childe chaunged for whome the father hath taken great paynes trauelled much watched often to procure liuinges vnto hym he thinketh to long the father doth lyue euery daye wisheth his death to haue his goodes and liuing besides that what going to lawe and mortal hatred betwixt frēds of néerest kinrede all for the world A freend chaungeth his frendship in respect of the worlde and so long as the other hath he is a freend and when he hath nothing then is he gone and his frendship beginneth to dissemble wisemen tal men honest men trusty men such as haue good qualities not estéemed if they haue no worldly shewe with all many a one haue shut vp his compassion from the poore putting on vngodlynesse lying and swearing that these things and these they haue giuen alredie diuers waies they are charged which is very oftentimes an vntruth many vnder the pretence of Christian profession hid their wicked actions and are lyke Cleophas they go with Christe but they knowe hym not It is not without cause that Esdras sayde that the world was ful of vnrighteousnesse and wickednes 2. Esd ◠27 and because of the sin and wickednesse of the world the Lord hath Prophesied vnto the world a mighty curse in Esa the prophet And therefore as the Apostle sayth Esa 24.1 Loue not the world neyther the thinges that are in the worlde if any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in hym for all that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of lyfe is not of the father 1. Io. 2.15 6. but is of the world There is an olde saying Vide homo ne sic hereas vt cum mundo pereas Take héede man Augustine that thou sticke not so to the world that thou perish with the world The young man in the gospel had fulfilled all the commaundementes Mat. 19.21 and was desirous of the kingdome of heauen but when Christ bid hym go sell all that he had and giue it to the poore it touched his delight wherefore Saint Barnard sayth Durus est hic sermo c. This saying séemeth very harde Sel all that thou hast c. But yet it is a hard saying whē Christ shall say Goe ye wicked into euerlasting fire The great loue of the worlde as I haue sayde is the cause of much sinne as couetousnesse oppression extortion vsury wresting of iustice and putting poore men from their right and their thirst is so great that a great many will breake their bellies then leaue or moderate their lust they be lyke the flye in a Tarre-barrell the more he stirres the faster he is They are not lyke the Dogges of Egipt which running by the ryuer Nilus and being thirsty will but lappe and begone for feare the Crocodiles take them but these worldlinges wil so long lap tyl the Diuel hath wrapped them vp they force neyther for the feare of Sathan nor the fauour of God Saint Iames sayth Iames. 4.4 Who so euer wil be a fréend of the world maketh hym selfe an enimie of God we daylie sée how lyttle mē wil be at charges for gods glory in mayntaining preaching or in bringing vp schollers nay they will rather take away both preachers and schollers liuinges from them then adde any thing to it It is a pittiful matter to sée the hardnes of the rusticke worldlinges for some murmure at charitie some grudge at substance some strayne at the charges of souldiers not looking into the commoditie and ease of it but thinke they haue a gut drawen out of their body when they haue a pennie taken out of their purses For these purposes and I thinke they haue cause to grudge sometimes because their charge is the greatest burthen though they be the poorest iades The .v. meane in Christ to vanquish the force of sinne When two valued thinges of like quantitie shal be layde together that are of estimation as gold and siluer The sweetnes and estimation of the second lyfe will not euery man make choyse rather of the gold then of the siluer Nay rather if somthing and nothing or good and bad were set together would there not be an easie choyse I make no lesse differēce betwixt heauen and earth this lyfe and the lyfe to come For in the one there is misery sorow afflictiō tribulation disdayne contempt malice slaunder infamie enuie pouertie nakednesse sickenes and death In the other there is ioy felicitie acceptation helth sufficiencie company amōg the whole felowship of heauen euerlasting lyfe Psal 84.1.2 touching the description of the place of ioy Dauid sayth O howe amiable are thy dwellinges thou Lorde of hostes My soule hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord. Esa 35 10 Likewise the Prophet Esay sayth The redéemed of the Lord shall come to Zion with prayse and euerlasting ioye shal be vpon their heades Esa 51.3 they shall obtayne ioy and gladnesse The same Prophet also sayth Surely the Lorde shall comforte Zion he shal comfort al her desolations and he shall make her desert like Eden and her wildernes like the garden of the Lorde ioye and gladnesse shal be founde therein Iohn 16.22 prayse and the voyce of singing Our sauiour Christ hym selfe sayth And ye nowe therefore are in sorrow but I wil sée you agayne your harts shall reioyce your ioy shall no man take from you O most comfortable reléefe euen the very deade may be raysed vp to heare these great and comfortable ioyes that are prouided for the Lordes beloued 1. Cor. 2.9