simple rude ignoraunt people as many there be the more it is to be lamented shoulde perswade themselues that they serue God well by prayer when they deface his glory by some of their own superstitious inuentions or popishe Ipocrisie it will not be farre from our purpose briefly to prosecute the nature of true prayer That such as neglect prayer be in daūger of hell fire the first part of the Authors diuision which is continued vnto the .18 Chapter The fourth Chapter BVt first I haue to proue that such as neglect the exercise of praier are in daunger of hell fire And that plainely appeareth bicause they flatly breake the commaundement of god and wickedlye contemne the councell of Christ our sauiour They depriue God of his honour and worship they are trées which beare no fruite they are voyde of faith hope and trust in Gods mercy That they contemptuously dispise the commaūdement of God and Christ our sauiour it is euident For the princely Prophet in the person of God saith and flatlye commaundeth on this sorte Inuoca me in die tribulationis eruam te glorificabis me that is call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thée and thou shalt glorifie me And Christ our sauiour chargeth vs on this maner O rate ne intretis in tentationem And sainct Paule replenished with the holye ghost writeth thus Instate deprecatione vigilantes in ea cum gratiarum actione Pray earnestly and continually watching there with all and giuing thankes And againe Christ sayth Petite accipietis quaerite inuenietis pulsate aperietur vobis Aske and you shall receyue seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you And I will destroy sayth the Lorde in the first of Sophonie the men that haue not sought after the Lorde of Iacob Such infinite places there are to be founde in the scriptures which plainely testifie vnto vs that God straightlye commaundeth vs to call vpon him and threatneth destruction to such as séeke him not Nowe therefore such as doe not take this meanes which God hath prouided to come vnto him must needs incurre the displeasure of him And alas howe are we able to withstande the seuere iudgement of so mightie a god why doe we not tremble and quake to see our selues in so great a grieuous daūger ▪ for as Paule sayth it is a terrible thing to fall into the handes of the lyuing lord Who shall deliuer vs from the torments that he shall cruciate and torment vs withal Who shal saue vs if he condemn vs Who shall blesse vs if he curse vs Who shall restore vs to any life if he doe lay vpon vs most bitter death Desperate is the estate of such as will not call vpon him and they vndoubtedly can looke for nothing else but extréeme and cruell punishment For euen as a Prince here vpon earth if he take a fellone which hath transgressed the lawes disturbed the common welth disquieted good and godlye subiectes violated his faith dispised magistrates and vilanously committed treason against his liedge soueraigne Lord if to such a one he of his frée goodnesse gentle moderation and mercy do graunt so much fauour that if he giue vp a supplication vnto his maiestie he will graunt him pardon for his committed crimes hainous offences and then the rebellious transgressour of the lawes eyther thorow negligence or contempt doe refuse so gentle an offer will neuer let him escape without greeuous horrible and dreadfull tormentes so God prince of all princes and Lorde of Lordes whose mightie maiestie we vnthankefull creatures haue not duely reuerenced whose name worthily we haue not glorified whose glorious prayse we haue not magnified whose iustice we haue not feared whose fatherly mercies we haue not imbraced whose commaundementes we haue contemned whose fearefull iudgementes we haue not regarded whose decrées and ordinances we haue neglected whose counsels we haue cast off and vngratfully refused whose burning wrath and hote indignation we haue deserued if we doe reiect his fatherly goodnesse and tender care wherewith he doth call vs vnto him againe by prayer and supplication through his derely beloued sonne Christ Iesus our sauiour and still continue wilfull and obstinate in our olde cankred and hatefull disobedience will vndoubtedly cast vs headlong into vtter darckenesse and painefull pangues and bitter anguish with the Deuill and his cursed Aungels For as he is gentle so is he iust as he is amiable so is he terrible as he is mercifull so is hée wrathfull to the humble and penitente he is a milde and fauourable comforter to the stifnecked and disobedient he is an yrefull reuenger to the true christians a present reliefe in daunger to disdainefull hypocrites a consuming fire to poore afflicted and oppressed Abels a chéerfull and faithfull friende to persecuting Cainites an open enimy to his séely shéepe a carefull shephearde to rauening Wolues a ramping Lion to simple soules a couragious capitaine to disceitfull Deuils a perpetuall torment to faithfull people a sure defence to tering Tigres a deuouring aduersarie For in his wrath he will consume his enimies and in his fury will confounde all his rebellious aduersaries Therefore Dauid sayth serue the Lorde with feare and reioyce vnto him with reuerence Kisse the sonne least he be angrye and so ye perish from the right way If his wrath be kindled yea but a litle blessed are al they that put their trust in him The dreadfull ende of them against whome Gods wrath is kindled and the daunger of the contempt of gods grace The fift Chapter THe Prophet here knewe the dreadfull ende of those against whome the wrath of God is incensed and they re of God inflamed he I say knewe to what pitious estate what lamentable miserable ende what horrible condition they should come to at the last Therefore he accounteth them blessed holy heauenly happie that put their trust in the Lord that serue him with feare that worshippe him that obey the commaundementes of his diuine maiestie with iust reuerence For in the sixtene of numbers we may some thing perceiue how God will punishe contemptuous persons and rebellious despisers of his will and commaundement where he maketh the earth to open hir mouth and to swallowe vp Core Dathan and Abiram with their tentes wiues children in the sight of all the people of Israel bycause they refused to come at the call of Moyses being a man as we are What therefore shall he doe vnto vs if we despise the commaundement giuen vs of hymselfe so often repeated in the scriptures of purpose by the holy ghost so constantlye confirmed by godly Prophetes so manifestly declared by Christ himselfe hys dearely beloued sonne perfite God and man which came downe from heauen to teach vs this lesson Quisquis inuocauerit nomen domini saluus erit whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord he shall be safe What shall he I say doe vnto vs
our heauenly father and not to Aungels deade sainctes Deuils stocks stones or such lyke For it is written thou shalt worshippe the â—or◠〈◊〉 God and him onely shalt thou serne Aâ—â—â—e God saith in Esay the .43 Ego sum ego sum c. I am I am and without me there is no sauiour And .45 Chapter A iust and sauing God there is none but I. And such places there are to be founde a great number which for breuitie sake I of purpose doe omitte partly bicause of the rude and simple peoples sake that they may the better remember these rules and partly bycause there is a notable treatise against the worshipping inuocation of saintes now extaunt wherin this question is fullye debated by Iohn Veron a worthye member of the Church of Christ 2 Secondly we must poure out oure supplications before God in all humilitie trusting fauourably to be accepted onely for the merites passion of Iesus Christ who is our onely satisfaction iustification and righteousnesse before the Lorde not for the worthinesse of our owne workes For Christ Iesus when we were accursed came downe from heauen to delyuer vs from the curse whervnto al we were subiect was 〈…〉 â—â—crifice for our sinnes Wherevpo◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—h ye are saued by grace through â—â—th and that not of our selues for it is the gift of God and commeth not of workes least any man should boast 3 Thirdely they which present themselues before God to request any thing of him must cast of all cruelty violence and oppression towardes other For in Esay 1. we read When you shall stretch out your handes I will turne mine eies from you and when you shal multiply your praiers I will not heare you sayth the Lorde For your hands be full of bloud Washe your selues and be cleane They must put all vnmercifulnesse out of their mindes For in the .xxj. of the Prouerbes it is written He that stoppeth his eare at the cry of the poore shall cry himselfe and not be heard This is plaine by the example of Lazarus and the riche Glutton They must plucke out of their hartes all enuye hatred malice and dissension they must forgiue the faultes of their brethren For Christ sayth When ye stande to praye forgiue your brothe◠〈…〉 haue anything against him 〈…〉 sixt of Mathew If you for◠〈…〉 euen from the bottome of your hart neyther shall your father which is in heauen forgiue you They must be humble and banishe away all pride or disdaine oute of the closet of their minde For Psalme 51 An humble and contrite heart God will not despise And Peter saith God resisteth the prowde giueth grace to the humble Examples hereof be the prowde Pharisey and poore Publicane in the gospell They must be sure stedfast and constaunt in fayth For it is said Let him aske in fayth doubting nothing Iacob 10. They must with harty sincere and true repentaunce bewayle their sinfull wickednesse and wicked wilfulnesse and haue an earnest desire to set forth the glorie of God to liue in due obedience to God and his gospell to subuert the raging affections of the corrupt fleshe vnto the heauenly pure and angelicall motions of the spirite they must be enflamed with a feruencie of spirite ioyned to continuance in supplication and not come 〈…〉 â—art and a babling 〈…〉 â—or chalenge the hart 〈…〉 and also â—â—ou â—â—ard apperance â—â—â—leâ—se both hast and mouth agrée zeâ—â—â—ly in one kinde of worship it cannot he pleasant vnto God nor Christ Whereâ—â—â— is sayd of some this people honoreth me with their lips but their hart is farre from me Such God will spue out of hys mouth and vtterly refuse them Briefly these rules maye be thus concluded They which minde to obtayne their requestes when they yéelde vp their supplications must direct the same to God in the name of Christ Iesus but so that they themselues be in minde mercyfull in manners milde in loue charitable in affection amyable in fayth constant in lyfe obedient in spirite feruent and in hart repentaunt Nowe moreouer there be other circumstances which are to be annexed as when where for whom for what things with what iesture after what manner we ought to pray The circumstances â—â—â—h ought to be obserued in prayer beside the sixe rules The .xxv. Chapter FOr the first it is written indesinenter oratâ— pray continually that is whensoeuer you shall be assaulted with temptation eyther in prosperitie or in aduersitie call vpon God not that at all times without ceasing or intermission we should onely be occupied in prayer but that we should as godly men haue done before time appoint certayne tymes to poure out our complaintes before God also at other times in what thing soeuer we be occupied in spirite in truth in sighes in thought in worke in will call vpon God for the helpe of his grace and accesse of his mercie As the Ploughman at his labour the Marchaunt at his occupying the Scholer at his studie and so forth ought not onely at certaine houres giue himselfe to prayer but also when he is most occupied ought in he 〈…〉 with God through prayer in â—â—â—â—es but especially in the church in the congregation of christians For when many togither in one spirit yéelde vp their prayers then are they moste acceptable to God and gracious to Christ our Sauiour 3 For the thirde we ought to praye for the good and prosperous estate of godlye Princes and magistrates and principallye it belongeth to our bounden duties to beseech God in the bowels of mercye to preserue for the glorye of his holy name our good and gracious soueraigne Ladie Quéene Elizabeth in these troublesome times from all daunger in most happie estate and felicitie which I beséech him to doe for Iesus Christ his sake in whome he is well pleased to the subuersion of hir enimies the mayntenaunce of true relygion and confusion of cursed Sathan Then we ought to pray for the good estate of Gods holy Ministers for our selues for 〈…〉 â—hey 〈…〉 flesh but 〈…〉 â—â—e they be 〈…〉 out of the prison of the body For 〈◊〉 â—â—ther they raigne with Christ or dye wyâ—h Deuilles where there is no redemption 4 For the fourth we may praye for things pertayning to the necessitie of the body and of the soule and for eternall saluation in Iesus Christ alwayes in all prayers hauing respect to our own selues and to the will of God that we aske nothing which eyther is not competent for our estate or not agreable to the glory of God. 5 For the fifte we may vse any comely iesture eyther knéeling or standing or sitting as present occasion shall moue vs so that we haue an humble minde and contrite hart in all our prayers 6 For the sixt we may vse the forme of prayer that Christ hath taught vs or any other not repugnaunt to the same or vse such wordes as the present estate wyll gyue occasion vnto as Christ did in the 〈…〉 â—s not alwayes ne◠〈…〉 â—â—ng â—recisely that prayer 〈…〉 â—â—mnâ— only called the lords prayâ—◠〈◊〉 or things as certayne circumâ—â—â—â—es considered let vs now search out the effect of prayer which may easily be perceyued by examples taken out of scripture Iosuae 10. By prayer the Sunne stoode in the middle of heauen the space of a whole day Moyses by prayer wrought meruellous effectes Samson Samuel Elias Dauid Ezechias Salamon Anna Cornelius Paule and Silas wonderfullye preuayled by force of prayer as in scriptures manifestly is declared But of these things no man meanely conuersant in scriptures can be ignoraunt Therfore without longer discourse I will make an ende And here I beséeche thée good reader to call to minde the threates of God against obstinate sinners the plagues of God executed against rebellious persons the daungerous and miserable estate of harde harted christians and so perhaps thou shalt be touched with feare of anguishe and extreme misery Then ponder in thy minde wha◠〈…〉 hartie prayer wh◠〈…〉 hath prouided for them 〈…〉 â—ble suire to him in Iâ—â—◠〈…〉 eternall felicitie thou shalt enioy 〈◊〉 earnest supplication thou craue 〈◊〉 â—â—nde his grace mercy And last of all in consideration of these things let prayer be thy continuall exercise and dayly practise For prayer is the quietnesse of them which be tormoyled the rest of them that are molested the hauen of them which suffer shipwracke the comfort of the sorowfull the salue of the sinfull the shielde of the fearefull the hope of the helpelesse the holde of the harbourlesse the helpe of the hopelesse the solace of the comfortlesse Prayer is in welth a safegarde in health a preseruatiue in griefe a gracious comfort in warre a sword in peace a garden of delites in bondage libertie in sorow swéetnesse in death lyfe in penurie a storehouse of all things necessarie And to conclude prayer is the readie path to the pleasaunt pasture of eternall Paradise FINIS The purpose of the Author Tomo 5. lib. De precatione Psalm 2. Num. 16. Exod. 14. Deut. 6. Math. 4. Ephe. Mar. 11. 1. Petr. 5. 〈…〉 great 〈…〉 â—â—pe 〈…〉 are 〈◊〉 â—â—las princely 〈◊〉 â—â—de what foyzen fertyle springs 〈◊〉 from the learned skill â—f those that trauell earnestly to clyme Parnassus hill Beholde what youthfull yeres can doe through great studie and paine Beholde what knowledge tender age by labour can attaine This little booke so well compact deserueth worthy prayse Which the Authour hath published a mirror in these dayes A mirror yea a looking glasse for so I may him name Bycause by sacred scripture he his first attempt doth frame The stile of some is praysed much that fayned stories write Collected out of Poets workes for that they doe delite And please 〈…〉 who 〈…〉 Some 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 some 〈…〉 Then waâ— doth 〈◊〉 for due rewarde deserue that vertuously Doth vse his tallent which he hath obtayned painefully Eternall prayse as I doe iudge and fame that aye shall dure For vayne delites doe vanishe all when vertue shineth pure The worde of God mans soule doth féede the scripture bringeth light But fonde and foolish tales are naught Therfore as willeth right The Authors enterprise commende conceiue his good intent Commende his trauell which he hath in sacred scripture spent Then truly shall you stirre him vp as now he hath begonne So to procéede and faythfully this kinde of race to runne FINIS
in this case if in that case he commaunded the earth to swallowe them vp quicke and cary them to hell We may assuredly vnlesse with repentaunt hartes we call vpon him looke for nothing else but vtter ruine and confusion but eternall damnation and immortall miserie but for the terrible troubles of tormented deuils and most cruell stroakes of most heauie plagues Let the desperate estate of cruell and cursed Cain make vs beware who woulde not after his hainous and bloudy fact come to the throne of Gods mercye with teares and lamentation to bewayle his wickednesse but mistrusting the infinite goodnesse and marueylous riches of the grace and fauour of our mightie maker and tender father became abhominable before the face of God and a terrible example to all such as contemne the great mercies of God layde open to all them that with humble and ready minds will thankfullye by prayer receiue them Let the consideration of vniust Iudas who after he had betrayed Christ the holy one of Israel and vnspotted lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde did hunge himselfe and woulde not take holde of the promises of God but desperatly dispaired of the goodnesse of him among the companie of whose Apostles before he was numbred stirre vs more feruently to runne to God in Christ our sauiour withall diligence with all continuaunce withall certayne hope and pure faith in supplication in prayer and thankes gyuing For if we doe as did these miserable men not looke to be profred mercy but refuse the same we shall be accounted breakers of the commaundements of God dispisers of his worde wicked workers of iniquity and consequentlye worthy of the same most vnhappy reuengement iust iudgement which they were afflicted withall An aunswere to a captious cauillation that might be layed to the Author The sixt Chapter BUt some perchaunce will say that these two last examples doe not so much belong to negligence in prayer as to an horrible terrour in their owne conscience conceyued for the cruell factes they had committed I aunswere that herein both may plainelye be perceyued For that which in this place is most for my purpose in these examples we sée the iustice of God executed against them that did violate his commaundement by treason murder and falshoode Therefore death and hell fire is the guardon and rewarde of such as despise the will of God and the will of God is that we shoulde glorifie his name by pouring out our prayers vnto him Againe wée may easily sée that not onely desperation but also a will to committe these horrible crimes came through lacke of feruentnesse and by a colde negligence in prayer wherein they shoulde haue desired in all there doings the direction of Gods holy spirite which if they had done they had assuredly béene frée both from the terrour of desperation and also from the guiltinesse of so mischieuous vilanies For saint Chrysostome sayth Siue quis virginitatis amore tenetur siue quis studet amplecti honorabilem coniugij castimoniam siue quis meditatur inijcere fraenum iracundiae cum mansuetudine familiaritatem habere siue quis putet ab inuidentiae lue purus esse denique si quis aliud quippiam facere studet quod ad rectè vniendum pertinet duce precatione commodum facilem habiturus est pietatis cursum Whether a man be in loue with virginity whether he indeuour to imbrace honorable and chaste matrimonie whether he couite to bridle anger and to be gentle or courtious whether he wish to be cleane and pure from the pestilent and foule spot of enuie or to conclude if he desire to doe any thing whatsoeuer it be that pertayneth to good and godly life by prayer hée shall easily and commodiously attaine vnto it The lacke therefore of feruentnesse and the daungerous negligence in praier doth bring all wickednesse vncleanesse desperation murther and all impietie This therefore is the cause vndoubtedly why in these most miserable dayes of ours both here in the Realme of Englande and almost throughout all the places of the whole worlde men runne hedlong into the pit of ignorance and error that they swarme togither to stirre vppe wilfull and witlesse warfare that they swarne awaye from the straight path of christian righteousnesse that they ryfle in rancor hatred abhominable enmity that they swel with the venimous poyson of pride presumption that they with all endeuor plucke downe the golden pillers of godly peace vnitie that violently they breake the bands of heauenly concord that they roote out the stampe of true religion that they impugne the state of holesome veritie that they darcken the bright and shyning beames of christian knowledge clogge themselues with the filthie fetters of all abhominable outrage and iniquitie But what Doe we thinke that the God of Iacob and Lorde of Israel nowe at the last sléepeth Or do we think that he which neyther slumbreth nor sléepeth now winketh at our wickednesse and wil not sée it Or do we thinke that he which destroyed afore time the people that wrought wyckednesse before his face hath now chaunged his nature and is no more displeased with blasphemous behauiour Or doe we thinke that we are of habilitie to withstande his furie when he shall rise vp to take vengeaunce vppon vs for our horrible vices daylie more and more increasing amongst vs Or doe we thinke that we haue a speciall priuiledge and prerogatiue to doe what séemeth good in our foolishe fantasies and ydle braynes without correction more than other haue had before Or doe we thinke that the power is eyther daūted or his arme abridged or his might impaired Or doe we think that he loueth vs more than he did his chosen charge and peculiar people of Israell Or can wée thinke so blasphemously that nowe he taketh delite in our filthie doings in wanton wils and prowde pranckes and cursed hypocrisie No no. Let vs not flatter our selues nor dally with God but let vs wisely consider iustly ponder our loose and lewde liues wherby we deserue most sharpe plagues and punishmentes most heauy hasty reuengement most seuere and rigorous iudgement let vs knowe that the passing pacience and gentle sufferaunce of God our heauenly Father doth allure vs to spéedie repentaunce to continuall care yea to hearecloth and ashe◠that so we may yéelde vnto his maiestie for a pleasaunt and swéete sacrifice the bewtifull buddes of dutiful obedience And let vs well consider the mighty wrath of God nowe long ago set on fire against vs and therewithall knowe that he sléepeth not although he sustaine vs that he wincketh not although he woontedly doe warne vs and that he is not pleased although to proue vs by gentlenesse hys plagues be something ceased nor that we can abide his displeasure bursting out like a deuouring tempest although he for hys mercie sake doe abide paciently for our returne nor that we be priuiledged or authorised to vse the workes of