from the dead our Lord Iesus the great sheepeheard of the sheepe through the blood of the euerlasting couenant make vs perfect in all good workes sanctifie vs throughout amend all our imperfections and keepe vs blamelesse vntill the day of his most glorious appearing Amen Thine in the Lord A. D. The plaine mans path-way to Heauen Interlocutors Theologus a Diuine Philagathus an honest man Asunetus an ignorant man Antilegon a cauiller Philagathus WEll met good Master Theologus Theol. What mine old friend Philagathus I am glad to see you in good health Phila. Are you walking Sir heere all alone in this pleasant meadow Theol. Yea for I take some pleasure at this time of the yeere to walke abroad in the fieldes for my recreation both to take the fresh aire and to heare the swéet singing of birds Phila. Indeed Sir it is very comfortable especially now in this pleasant moneth of May and thanks be to God hitherto we haue had a very forward spring and as kindly a season as came this seuen yeeres Theo. God doth abound towards vs in mercies oh that we could abound towards him in thanksgiuing Phil. I pray you sir what a clocke hold you it Theol. I take it to be a little past one for I came but euen now from dinner Phila. But behold yonder commeth two men towards vs What be they I pray you Theolog. They be a couple of neighbours of the next Parish the one of them is called Asunetus who in very déed is a very ignorant man in Gods matters and the other is called Antilegon a notable Atheist and cauiller against all goodnesse Phila. If they be such it were good for vs to take some occasion to speake of matters of religion it may be we shall doe them some good Theol. You haue made a good motion I like it well If therefore you will minister some matter and mooue some questions I will bée readie to answer in the best sort I can Phi. But stay sir lo heere they come vpon vs. Theol. Welcome neighbours welcome How do you Asunetus and you Antilegon Asune Well God be thanked and we are glad to see your mastership in good health Theol. What make both of you héere at this time of the day There is some occasion I am sure draweth you this way Asune Indeed sir we haue some little busines for we came to talke with one of your parish about a Cow we should buy of him Theol. Hath my neighbour a Cow to sell Antilegon We are told he hath a very good one to sell but I am afrayd at this time of the yeare we shall finde deare ware of her Theol. How deare What doe you thinke a very good Cow may be worth Antile A good Cow indeed at this time of the yere is worth very nere foure pound which is a great price Theol. It is a very great price indéed Phila. I pray you M. Theologus leaue off this talking of kine and worldly matters and let vs enter into some speech of matters of religion whereby we may doe good and take good one of another Theol. You say well but it may be these mens businesse requireth haste so as they can not stay Asune No sir we are in no great haste we can stay two or three houres for the dayes are long if we dispatch our businesse by night it will serue our turne well enough Theol. Then if it will please you to walke to yonder Oke trée there is a goodly Arbour and handsome seats where wée may all sit in the shadow and conferre of heauenly matters Asune With a good will Sir Phila. Come then let vs goe Asune This is a goodly Arbour indeed and heere be handsome seats Theol. Sit you all downe I pray you Now friend Philagathus if you haue any questions to moue of matters of Religion we are all readie to heare you Phila. It may be these men are somewhat ignorant of the very principles of Religion and therefore I thinke it not amisse to begin there and so to make way for further metters Theol. I pray you do so then Phila. First then I demand of you in what state all men are borne by nature Theol. In the state of condemnation as appeareth Ephe. 2. 3. We are by nature the children of wrath as well as others And againe it is written Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me Phila. Is it euery mans case Are not Dukes and Nobles Lords and Ladies and the great Potentates of the earth exempted from it Theol. No surely it is the common case of all both high and low rich and poore as it is written What is man that hee should bee cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Philaga From whence commeth it that all men are borne in so wofull a case Theol. From the fall of Adam who thereby hath not onely wrapt himselfe but all his posterity in extreame and vnspeakeable misery as the Apostle saith By one mans disobedience many were made sinners and by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation Phi. What reason is there that we all should thus be punished for an other mans offence Theol. Because we were then all in him and are now all of him that is we are so descended out of his loynes that of him we haue not only receiued our naturall and corrupt bodies but also by propagation haue inherited his foule corruptions as it were by hereditary right Phila. But forasmuch as some haue dreamed that Adam by his fall hurt himselfe only and not his posterity and that we haue his corruption deriued vnto vs by imitation and not by propagation therefore I pray you shew this more plainely Theol. Euen as great personages by committing of treason doe not onely hurt themselues but also staine their blood and disgrace their posteritie for the children of such Nobles are disinherited whose blood is attainted till they be restored againe by act of Parliament Euen so our blood being attainted by Adams transgression we can inherit nothing of right till wee be restored by Christ Philaga Doeth this hereditarie infection and contagion ouer-spread our whole nature Theol. Yes truely it is vniuersall extending it selfe thorowout the whole man both soule and body both reason vnderstanding will and affections for the Scriptures auouch that wée are dead in sinnes and trespasses Phila. How vnderstand you that Theol. Not of the deadnesse of the bodie or the naturall faculties of the soule but of the spirituall faculties Phila. Did Adam then lose his nature and destroy it by his fall or is our nature taken away by his fall Theol. Not so Our nature was corrupted thereby but not destroyed for still there remaineth in our nature reason vnderstanding will and affections and we are not as a block or a stocke but by Adams disobedience wee are blemished maimed and spoyled of all abilitie to vnderstand
a mans necke which hee doth suddenly snatch away and hurleth into the fire as being ashamed that euer it should be seen or knowen Would to God therefore that we were come to such a detestation and loathing of lying that we would euen spattle at it crie fie vpon it and all that vse it Oh that we could hate it as the diuel which is the father of it as hel fire which is the reward of it Oh that we were come but so far as the heathē man who saith I hate him as the gates of hell who hath one thing in his tongue another in his heart Antil Yet for all this we find in the scriptures that euen some of the godly haue beene taken tardie in lying and yet haue not sinned in so doing as Abraham Iacob Rahab the Midwiues of Egypt And therefore why may not we doe so to Theol. I told you before that you may not make the infirmities of Gods people rules for you to liue by And further I answer that all these did offend in their liuing Some of them indéed I grant are commended for their loue to the church charitable affections to Gods people but none of them simply for lying which is a thing condemned euē of the heathen For saith one of them Lying doth corrupt the life of mā and euery wise and godly man doth hate lying Antile But may we not lie now and then for a vantage Theol. No verily neither is there any good vantage to be got that way For when you haue made vp your accounts all charges deducted all expences defraied your cleare gaines will be very small For by your wilfull and customary lying you gain inward griefe and lose true ioy you gaine short pleasure and lose perpetuall glory you gaine hell and lose heauen you make the diuell your friend and God your enemy Now then reckon your gaine Phila. I pray you let vs grow towards a conclusion of this point and shew vs briefly the chiefe causes of lying Theol. The chiefe causes of lying are these Custome Feare Couetousnesse The diuell Phila. What be the remedies Theol. The remedies be these Disuse Godly boldnesse Contentation Earnest praier Phila. You haue spoken enough of this vice to cause all such to abhorre it and forsake it as haue any droppe of grace or sparke of Gods feare in them but as for them that are filthy let them be more filthy Now I pray you speake your iudgement of the seauenth signe of condemnation which is drunkennes Theol. It is so brutish and beastly a sinne that a man would thinke it should not néed to be spoken against but that all reasonable men should euen abhorre it quake to thinke of it For it is a most swinish thing it maketh of a man a beast it taketh away the heart of a man from all goodnesse as witnesseth the Prophet Hosea saying Whoredome wine and new wine take away their heart For what heart what stomacke what appetite can whoremongers and drunkards haue to any thing that is good either to heare or read the word of God or to pray or to meditate in the same Alas they are farre from it farre from God and far from all grace and goodnesse Therefore the Prophet Ioel saith Awake yee drunkards weepe and howle yee drinkers of wine Yea the mighty God of heauen doth pronounce a woe against them saying Woe vnto them that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse and to them that continue vntill night till the wine doe enflame them Our Lord Jesus himselfe giueth vs a caueat to take héed of it Take heed saith he that your hearts be not ouercome with surfetting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life and so that day come vpon you vnawares Thus you heare how both Christ himselfe and sundry of the Prophets do thunder downe from heauen against this grosse beastlinesse which now aboundeth raigneth amongst the sons of men Phila. True indeed But yet almost nothing wil make men leaue it for it is a most rife and ouer common vice We see many that think thēselues some bodies and as we say no small fools which yet will be ouertaken with it and thereby lose all their credit and reputation with all wise men yea do proue themselues to bee but swine and bruit beasts as the holy Ghost auoucheth saying Wine is a mocker strong drink is raging Whosoeuer is deceiued therein is not wise Theol. The wise king in the same book doth most notably and fully describe vnto vs the inconueniences and mischiefes which do accompany drunkennesse and follow drunkards at the héeles To whom saith he is wo to whom is alas to whom is strife to whom is babling to whom are wounds without cause to whom is the rednesse of the eies Euen to them that tary long at the wine to them that go and seek out mixt wine In the same chapter he saith Be not of the number of them which are bibbers of wine or of them which glut themselues with flesh for the drinker the feaster shall become poore and the sleeper shall bee cloathed with rags Moreouer he saith Their eies shall behold strange women and that they shal be like him that lieth in the middest of the Sea and sleepeth in the top of the Mast In all these spéeches the holy Ghost doth in most liuely maner describe vnto vs the properties of drunkards euen their staggering their réeling their snorting their senselesse sensuality Behold then what be the cursed fruits and euents of drunkennesse Euen these which follow wo alas griefe miserie beggerie pouerty shame lusts strife babling brauling fighting quarelling surfetting sicknesse diseases swinish sléeping securitie and sensualitie So then I conclude that drunkennesse is a vice more beséeming an hogge then any reasonable man And as one saith It is the Metropolitane Citie of all the Prouince of vices Well therefore saith the Heathen writer When the wine is in a man is as a running coach without a Coach-man Phila. Let vs heare what executions haue beene done vpon drunkards in former ages that now men may learne to take heed by their examples Theol. Ammon one of Dauids vngratious children being drunke was slaine by his brother Absalon Benhadad King of Syria being drunke was discomfited by Ahab King of Israel Elah King of Israel being drunke was slaine by Zimri his seruant and captaine of his Chariots who also succéeded him in the kingdome Lot being drunke commited incest with his owne daughters and therefore was punished in his posteritie Thus we see what executions haue béene done euen vpon Kings for this kind of sinne Therefore let men learne once at last to shun vice and embrace vertue and as the Apostle saith to make an end of their saluation in feare and trembling For all our shifts and starting holes will serue vs to no purpose in the end but when wee haue fisked hither
fire vpon Gods Altar were consumed with fire He that blasphemed and transgressed the third commandement was stoned to death He that brake the fourth commandement in gathering sticks vpon the Sabbath was likewise stoned Absolon transgressing the fift Commandement was hanged in his owne haire Cain transgressing the sixt in flaying his brother Abel was branded with the marke of Gods wrath Sichem the sonne of Hamor transgressing the seuenth in defiling Dina the daughter of Iacob was slaine by Simeon and Leui the sons of Iacob Achan sinning against the eight Commandement in stealing the wedge of Gold and the Babylonish garment was stoned to death Ananias Sapphira sinning against the ninth commandement in liing and dissembling were suddenly smitten with death Ahab transgressing the tenth commandement in ceueting and discententment was deuoured of dogges Or if you will haue originall sinne therein onely forbidden then infants are therefore punished with death Thus we sée there is no dallying with God but if we sin we are as sure to beierkt for it as the coat is on our backe Therfore let vs not deceiue our selues nor make light of sin For sin is no scar-bugge and we shall one day finde it so And howsoeuer we make light of some sins yet in very déed all sinne is odious in the sight of God yea all sin is hainous and capital in this respect that it is against a person of infinite being it is against God himselfe it is against the highest Maiesty For the greatnesse of the person offended doth enhaunce and increase the greatnesse of the sinne As for example If a man raile at a Justice of peace hée shall be stocked if hée raile being the sonnes of idlenesse will step short in the end of that they looked for For the spirit saith The sluggard lusteth but his soule hath nought We must therefore leaue bare words and come to déeds For our Lord Iesus saith Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Where wée sée Christ in plaine tearmes doth exclude out of his kingdome all those whose Religion consisteth onely in good words and smooth spéeches but make no conscience to practise the Commandements of God Dauid hauing made some good preparation for the building of the Temple and perceiuing his sonne Salomon to haue stuffe and prouision enough to perfectt and finish it doth most wisely incourage him to the worke in these words Vp and be doing and the Lord shall be with thee Oh that men would follow this counsell of Dauid That they would vp and bée dooing And not sit still and doe nothing that they would leaue words and countenances and set vpon the practise of Gods Law and study with all care and conscience to bée obedient to his will Then assuredly God would be with them and blesse them and much good would come of it For the Scripture saith In all labour there is profit or increase but the talke of the lips onely bringeth want Phila. Most mens minds are so wholly drowned in the loue of this world that they haue no heart to obey God nor any delight in his commandements Theo. The greatest part of men are like vnto the Gadarens which estéemed their Swine more then Christ As wée sée in these our daies how many make more account of their kine and shéepe then of the most glorious Gospell of Christ They highly estéeme dung and contemne Pearle They are carefull for trifles and regard not the things of greatest moment And therefore may very fitly be compared to a man who hauing his wife and children very sicke doth vtterly neglect them and is altogether carefull for the curing of his hogs eares Phila. We are somewhat digressed from the matter we had in hand I pray you therefore if you haue any more matter of good counsell to giue vnto Asunetus that you would presently deliuer it Theol. I haue little more to say saue onely I would aduise him often to remember and much to muse of these nine things The euill he hath committed The good he hath omitted The time he hath mispent The shortnesse of this life The vanity of this world The excellency of the world to come Death then the which nothing is more terrible The day of iudgement then the which nothing is more fearefull Hell fire then the which nothing is more intolerable Phila. This is short and sweet indeed You haue touched some of these points before in this our conference But I am very desirous to heare somewhat more of the two last which yet haue not beene touched Theol. Sith you are desirous I will briefely deliuer vnto you that which I haue receiued from the Lord. First concerning the day of iudgement I find in the volume of Gods booke that it shal be very terrible and dreadfull For The sonne of man shall come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glory S. Peter saith The day of the Lord shal come as a thiefe in the night In the which the heauens shall passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heat the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt vp The Apostle telleth vs that at the comming of Christ all the whole world shall bée of a light fire and that all castels towers goodly buildings gold siluer veluets silkes and all the glittering hue glory and beauty of this world shall be consumed to powder and ashes For he saith plainly The heauens and the earth which are now are reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgemēt and of the destruction of vngodly men Moreouer he doth strongly prooue that as the world was once destroied by water so the second time in the end thereof it shall be destroied by fire The Apostle Paul doth witnesse the same thing For he saith Christ shal come from heauen with all his mighty Angels in flaming fire And in another place he noteth the terrour of his comming to iudgement saying He shall come with a shout with the voice of the Archangel the trumpet of God We sée by experience that the comming of mortall Princes to any place is with great pompe glory They haue great traines and troupes behind them and before them They are accompanied with many Nobles goodly Lords and gallant Ladies doe attend vpon them The Sword-bearer Trumpetters and harbengers go before many flaunting and stately personages follow after Now then if the comming of mortall Princes be so pompous and glorious how much more glorious shall the comming of the sonne of man be in whose sight all mortal princes are but dust The Scriptures doe affirme that his second comming vnto iudgement shall be with such resplendent and vnspeakeable glory that euen the most excellent creatures shall blush at it For the Sunne shall be darkened the Moone shall not giue her light
all our loue and chearefull obedience towards him For therefore wée loue him and obey him because we know hée hath loued vs first and written our names in the booke of life But on the contrarie the Doctrine of the Papists which would haue men alwaies doubt and feare in a seruile sort is most hellish and vncomfortable For so long as a man holds that what encouragement can he haue to serue God What loue to his Maiestie What hope in the promises What comfort in trouble What patience in aduersity Antil Touching this point I am flat of your minde For I thinke verily a man ought to bee perswaded of his saluation And for mine owne part I make no question of it I hope to bee saued as well as the best of them all I am out of feare for that For I haue such a stedfast faith in God that if there should be but two in the world saued I hope I should be one of them Theol. You are very confident indéed You are perswaded before you know I would your ground were as good as your vaine confidence But who is so bold as blinde Bayard Your hope is but a fancie and as a sick mans dreame You hope you can not tell what You haue no ground for that you say For what hope can you haue to be saued when you walke in no path of saluation What hope can a man haue to come to London spéedily that trauelleth nothing that way but quite contrary What hope can a man haue to reape a good crop of corne that vseth no meanes neither ploweth soweth nor harroweth What hope can a man haue to be fat and well liking of his body that seldome or neuer eateth any meat What hope can a man haue to escape drowning which leapeth into the Sea Euen so what hope can you haue to be saued when you walke nothing that way when you vse no meanes when you doe all things that are contrary vnto the same For alas there is nothing in you of those things which the Scriptures doe affirme must bée in all those that shall be saued There be none of the fore named signes and tokens in you You are ignorant prophane and carelesse God is not worshipped vnder your roofe There is no true feare of God in your selfe nor in your houshold You seldome heare the word preached You content your selfe with an ignorant Minister You haue no praiers in your family no reading no singing of psalmes no instructions exhortations or admonitions or any other Christian exercises You make no conscience of the obseruation of the Sabbaths you vse not the name of God with any reuerence you breake out sometimes into horrible dathes and cursings you make an ordinary matter of swearing by your faith your troth Your wife is irreligious your children dissolute and vngratious your seruants prophane carelesse You are an example in your owne house of al Atheisme and conscienceles behauiour You are a great gamester a rioter a spend-thrift a drinker a common ale-house-haunter an whoore hunter and to conclude giuen to all vice and naughtinesse Now then I pray you tell me or rather let your conscience tell mée what hope you can haue to be saued so long as you walk and continue in this course Doth not S. Iohn saie If wee say wee haue fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we are liers Doth not the same Apostle auouch that such as say they know God and kéepe not his commandements are liers Againe doth he not say Heth at committeth sin is of the Diuell And whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God Doth not our Lord Jesus flatly tell the Jewes which bragged that Abraham was their father that they were of their father the diuell because they did his works Doth not the Apostle Paul say His seruants we are to whom we obey whether it be of sin vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnes Doth not the scripture say Hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous Doth not our Lord Jesus affirme that nor euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in Heauen Therefore I conclude that forasmuch as your whole course is carnall carelesse and dissolute you can haue no warrantable hope to be saued Phila. I doe verily thinke that this mans case which now you haue laied open is the case of thousands Theo. Yea doubtles of thousand thousands the more is the pity Asune Soft and faire sir you are very round indeed Soft fire maketh sweet mault I hope you know wee must be saued by mercy and not by merit If I should doe all my selfe wherefore serueth Christ I hope that which I cannot doe hee will doe for me And I hope to be saued by Iesus Christ as well as the best of you all Theol. Oh now I sée which way the game goeth You would faine make Christ a cloake for your sinnes You will sinne that grace may abound You will sinne frankly and set all vpon Christs score Truely there be many thousands of your minde which hearing of Gods abundant mercie in Christ are thereby made more bold to sin But they shall know one day to their cost what it is so to abuse the mercie of God The Apostle saith The mercy and louing kindnesse of God should leade vs to repentance But we sée it leadeth manie to further hardnesse of heart The Prophet saith With him is mercy that hee may bee feared But many thereby are made more secure and carelesse But to come néerer the marke you say you hope to be saued by Jesus Christ And I answer that if those things be found in you which the Scriptures do auouch to be in all that shall be saued by him then you may haue good confidence and assured hope otherwise not Now the Scriptures do thus determine it and set it downe That if a man bée in Christ and looke to be saued by him he must be indued with these qualities following First he must be a new creature Secondly hee must liue not after the lusts of men but after the will of God Thirdly he must be zealous of good works Fourthly hee must die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse Fiftly he must be holy and vnblameable Sixtly he must so walke as Christ hath walked Seuenthly hee must crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Eigthly he must walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Last of all he must serue God in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the daies of his life Loe then what things are required of all that shal be saued by Christ Now therefore if these things be in you in some measure of tenth then your hope is currant sound good otherwise it is nothing worth For in vaine doe men say they hope to be saued by Christ when as they walke dissolutely The reason hereof is because the
heauen and wide gates into hell I pray you therefore proue them out of the Scriptures and lay them forth somewhat more largely Theol. The first which is Infidelity is proued out of the fourth chapter to the Hebrewes where it is written Vnto vs was the Gospell preached as vnto them but the word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it And againe They could not enter in because of vnbeliefe Héere we sée that vnbeliefe did barre out the old people from entring into the land of promise which was a figure of Gods eternall kingdome And sure it is that the same vnbeliefe doth barre out thousands of vs. For many will beléeue nothing but their owne fansies They will not beléeue the word of God especially when it is contrary to their lustes and likings profits pleasures Though things be manifestly prooued to their faces and both the Chapter and the Uerse shewed them yet will they not beléeue or though they say they beléeue yet will they neuer goe about the practise of any thing but reply against God in all their actions And for the most part when God saith one thing they will say another When God saith yea they will say no and so giue God the lie Some againe will say if all bée true that the Preachers say then God helpe vs. Thus you sée how Infidelity doth barre men out of Heauen and cast them into hell Phila. Let vs heare of the second gate which is Presumption of Gods mercy Theol. This is set downe in the 29. of Deuteronomy where the Lord saith thus When a man heareth the words of this curse and yet flattereth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennesse to thirst that is one sinne to another the Lord will not be mercifull vnto him but the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen Héere we sée how the mightie God doth thunder downe vpon such as goe on in their sins presuming of his mercy and saying in their hearts If I may haue but a Lord haue mercy vpon me thrée houres before death I care not But it is iust with God when those thrée hours come to shut them vp in blindnesse and hardnesse of heart as a iust plague for their presumption Therefore the Prophet Dauid seeing the grieuousnesse of this sin praieth to be deliuered from it Keepe me ô Lord saith he from presumptuous sins let them not raigne ouer me Let all men therfore take héed of presumptuous sins For though God be full of mercy yet will he shew no mercy to them that presume of his mercy But they shall once know to their cost that iustice goeth from him as well as mercy Phila. Let vs come to the third gate which is the Example of the multitude Theol. This is prooued in the 23. of Exod. where the Lord saith flatly Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill In another place the Lord saith After the doings of the land of Egypt wherein yee dwelt shall yee not doe and after the manner of the land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall yee not doe neither walke in their ordinances Against this Law did the Children of Israel offend when they said in the stubbornnesse of their heart to the Prophet Ieremy The word that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord wee will not heare But we will doe whatsoeuer goeth out of our owne mouth and we will doe as we haue done both we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the cities of Iudah and in the streets of Ierusalem Note héere how they doe altogether refuse the word of the Lord and how to follow the example of the multitude Wée sée in these our daies by lamentable experience how thousands are violently carried down this streame and for defence of it some will say Doe as the most men doe and the fewest wil speake of you Which is a very wicked speach For if wée will follow the course of the most we shall haue the reward of the most which is eternall perdition Let vs therefore take héed of bending with the sway For the sway of the world doth waigh downe all things that can bée spoken out of the word of God and openeth a very wide passage into Hell Phila. Proceed to the fourth gate into Hell which is the Long custome of sinne Theol. This is noted by the Prophet Ieremy to be a very dangerous thing For he saith Can the blacke More change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may yee also doe good which are accustomed to doe euill Noting thereby that it is as hard a matter to leaue an old custome of sinne as to wash a black-more white or to change the spots of a Leopard which because they are naturall are most impossible So when men through custom haue made swearing lying adultery and drunkennesse as it were naturall vnto them oh how hard it is to leaue them For custome maketh another nature and taketh away all sense and féeling of sinne Phila. Let vs heare of the fift gate which is the Long escaping of punishment Theol. This is auouched by the wise man in these words Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are set in them to doe euill Where he sheweth that one cause why men are so hardned in their sinnes is because God winketh at them and letteth them alone not punishing them immediately after they haue sinned For if God should forthwith strike downe one and raine fire and brimstone vpon another and cause the earth to swallow vp the third then men would feare indéed But it hath béene shewed before that God taketh not that course but though he méet with some in this life yet he lets thousands escape and that makes them more bold thinking they shall neuer come to their answer Euen as an olde théefe which hath a long time escaped both prison and gallowes thinkes he shall alwaies so escape and therefore goeth boldly on in his thefts But let men take héed For as the prouerbe saith Though the pitcher goeth long to the well yet at last it commeth broken home So though men escape long yet they shall not escape alwaies For there will come a day of reckoning a day that will pay it home for all Thus you sée how impunity leadeth numbers to destruction That is when men are let alone and neither smitten by the hand of God nor punished by the law of the Magistrate Phila. Let vs come to the sixt gate which is the Hope of long life Theol. This is affirmed by our Lord Iesus concerning that rich worldling who
THE PLAINE MANS Path-way to Heauen Wherein euery man may cleerely see whether he shall be saued or damned Set forth Dialogue-wise for the better vnderstanding of the simple By ARTHVR DENT Preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex The ninth Impression Corrected and amended with a Table of all the principall matters and three Prayers necessarie to be vsed in priuate families hereunto added ZEPH. 3. 5. Euery morning the Lord bringeth his iudgement to light he faileth not but the wicked will not learne to be ashamed LONDON Printed for EDVV. BISHOP and are to be solde in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Brasen Serpent 1607. THE CONTENTS of this Dialogue FIrst it sheweth mans misery in nature with the meanes of recouery Secondly it sharply inueigheth against the iniquity of the time and common corruption of the world Thirdly it sheweth the markes of the children of God and of the Reprobates with the apparant signes of saluation and damnation Fourthly it declareth how hard a thing it is to enter into life and how few shall enter Fiftly it laieth open the ignorance of the world with the obiections of the same Last of all it publisheth and proclaimeth the sweet promises of the Gospel with the abundant mercies of God to all that repent beleeue and truly turne vnto him To the right Worshipfull Sir IVLIVS CAESAR Knight one of the Masters of the Requests to the Kings Maiestie Iudge of the high Court of Admiraltie and Master of S. Catherines A. D. wisheth all good things in Christ Iesus HAuing finished Right worshipfull and made ready for the Presse this little Dialogue I bethought me sith the common maner of all that write any bookes in this age is to dedicát the same to one or to other of great place to whom I might dedicate these my poore labours At last I did resolue with my selfe none to be more fit then your worship both in regard of some affinity in the flesh as also because of those manifold good parts wherewith the Almighty hath endued you Hauing therefore none other thing to present your worship withall in token of a thankfull heart for your curtesies shewed towards me behold I doe heere send vnto you this third fruite of my labours now published Most humbly beseeching you to take it in good worth not weighing the value of the thing which is of no value but the simple and good minde and meaning of the giuer This worke doth sharply reproue and euict the world of sinne and therefore is like to find many deadly enemies which with cruell hatred will most eagerly pursue it vnto death Zoilus also and his fellowes I know will bitterly carpe at it Therefore it flieth vnto your Worship for protection and humbly desireth to take Sanctuary vnder your wings Wherefore I humbly intreat you to take vpon you the patronage and defence of it that by your meanes it may be deliuered both from the calumnious obloquies of euill disposed persons and also from the worlds malignity so as it may take no iniury And concerning this little volume the summe of the matter of it you shall finde in the Epistle to the Reader As concerning the manner heere is no great matter in learning wit arte eloquence or ingenious inuention for I haue heerein specially respected the ignorant and vulgar sort whose edification I doe chiefely aime at yet somewhat there is which may concern the learned giue them some contentment Whatsoeuer it be I leaue it with your Worship beseeching you to giue it entertainement And so I doe most humbly take my leaue commending both your selfe your good wife and your whole family to the mercifull protection of the euerliuing God From South-Shoobery in Essex April 10. Anno Dom. 1601. Your Worships to command in the Lord ARTHVR DENT THE EPISTLE TO the Reader GEntle Reader seeing my little Sermon of Repentance some few yeeres since published hath beene so well accepted of I haue for thy further good published this Dialogue being the third fruit of my labour wishing to it the like successe that God thereby may haue the glory and thou who art the Reader comfort I haue in one part of this Dialogue produced some of the ancient writers and some of the wise Heathen also to testifie vpon their oath in their owne language and to beare witnesse of the vglinesse of some vices which we in this age make light of which I wish may not be offensiue to any In other parts of this worke I do in a manner relinquish them But in this case I haue in my weake iudgement thought them to be of some good vse to shew forth thus much that if we doe not in time repent forsake our sinnes seeke after God both the auncient Christian fathers whose eies saw not that we see nor their eares heard that we heare yea the very Heathen also shall rise vp in iudgement against vs. Let none therefore stumble at it But if any doe let them remember I am in a Dialogue not in a Sermon I write to all of all sorts I speake not to some few of one sort But that which is done herein is not much more then that of the Apostle As some of your own Poets haue said Act. 17. which is warrantable One thing deare Christian I pray thee let me beg of thee to wit that thou wouldest not reade two or three leaues of this Booke and so cast it from thee but that thou wouldest reade it throughout euen to the end For I do assure thee if there be any thing in it worth the reading it is bestowed in the latter part thereof and most of all towards the conclusion Be not discouraged therefore at the harshnesse of the beginning but looke for smoother matter in the middest and most smooth in the perclose and wind-vp of all For this Dialogue hath in it not the nature of a Tragedy which is begunne with ioy and ended with sorrow but of a Comedie which is begun with sorrow and ended with ioy This booke medleth not at all with any controuerfies in the Church or any thing in the state Ecclesiasticall but onely entreth into a controuersie with Sathan and sinne It is contriued into six principall heads First it sheweth mans misery in nature with the meanes of recouery Secondly it sharpely inueigheth against the iniquity of the time and common corruptions of the world Thirdly it sheweth the markes of the children of God and of the Reprobates together with the apparant signes of saluation and damnation Fourthly it declareth how hard a thing it is to enter into life and how few shall enter Fiftly it laieth open the ignorance of the world with the obiections of the same Last of all it publisheth and proclaimeth the sweet promises of the Gospell with the abundant mercy of God to all that repent beleeue and truely turne vnto him The Authour of all blessing giue a blessing vnto it The God of peace which brought againe
like grosse sinnes they trust in God they shall be saued Theol. They erre not knowing the scriptures For many thousands are in great danger of losing their soules for euer which are frée from such notorious and horrible vices may many which in the world are counted good honest men good true dealers good neighbors and good Townes-men Asune I pray you Sir giue me leaue a little I haue heard all your speech hitherto and I like reasonably well of it but now I can forbeare no longer my conscience vrgeth me to speake For me thinkes you goe too far you goe beyond your learning in this that you condemne good neighbours and good townesmen You say many such men are in danger of losing their soules but I will neuer beleeue it while I liue For if such men be not saued I cannot tell who shall Theol. But you must learne to know out of the Scriptures that all outward honesty and righteousnes without the true knowledge and inward féeling of God auaileth not to eternall life As our Sauiour Christ saith Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen It is also written that when Paul preacht at Berea many honest men and honest women did beléeue that is such as were outwardly honest or honest to the world only for they could not be truly and inwardly honest before they did beléeue Therefore you sée that this outward honesty ciuility without the inward regeneration of the spirit auaileth not to eternall life and then consequently all your honest worldly men are in great danger of losing their soules for euer Asune What sound reason can you yeeld why such honest men should be condemned Theol. Because many such are vtterly void of all true knowledge of God and of his word Nay which is more many of them despise the word of God and hate all the zealous professors of it They estéeme preachers but as pratlers and Sermons as good tales they estéeme a Preacher no more than a shoomaker they regard the Scriptures no more then their old shooes What hope is there then I pray you that such men should be saued Doth not the holy Ghost say How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great saluation Asune You goe too farre you iudge too hardly of them Theol. Not a whit For all experience sheweth that they minde dreame and dote of nothing else day and night but this world this world lands and leases grounds and liuings kine and shéepe and how to way rich All their thoughts words and works are of these and such like things All their actions doe most manifestly declare that they are of the earth and speake of the earth and that there is nothing in thē but earth earth As for sermons they care not how few they heare And for the scriptures they regard them not they read them not they estéeme them not worth the while there is nothing more irkesome vnto them they had rather pill strawes or do any thing then heare read or conferre of the Scriptures And as the Prophet saith The word of the Lord is as a reproch vnto them that haue no delight in it Phila. I maruell much that such men should liue so honestly to the world-ward Theol. No maruell at all for many bad men whose hearts are worm-eaten within yet for some outward and carnall respects doe abstaine from the grosse act of sinne as some for credit some for shame some for feare of Law some for feare of punishment but none for loue of God for zeale or conscience of obedience For it is a sure thing that the wicked may haue that spirit which doth represse but not that which doth renew Phil. It seemeth then by your speeches that some which are not regenerate do in some things excell the children of God Theol. Most certaine it is that some of them in outward gifts and the outward cariage of themselues doe goe beyond some of the elect Phil. Shew me I pray you in what giftes Theol. In learning discretion iustice temperance prudence patience liberalitie affabilitie kindnesse curtesie good nature such like Phila. Me thinketh it should not be possible Theol. Yes truely For some of Gods deare children in whom no doubt the inward worke is truly and soundly wrought yet are so troubled encombred with a crabbed and crooked nature and so clogged with some master sin as some with anger some with pride some with couetousnesse some with lusts some one way and some another all which breaking out in them doe so blemish them and their profession that they cannot so shine forth vnto men as otherwise no doubt they would and this is their wound their griefe and their hart-smart and that which costeth them many a téere and many a praier and yet can they not get the full victorie ouer them but still they are left in them as the pricke in the flesh to humble them Phila. Yet loue should couer a multitude of such infirmities in Gods children Theol. It should doe so indeed but there is great want of loue euen in the best and the worser sort espying these infirmities in the godlie run vpon them with open mouth and take vpon them to condemne them vtterly and to iudge their hearts saying they be hypocrites dissemblers and there is none worse then they Phila. But doe you not thinke that there be some counterfeits euen amongst the greatest professors Theol. Yes no doubt there be and alwaies haue béen some very hypocrites in the Church but we must take héed of iudging and condemning all for some For it were very much to condemne Christ and his eleuen Disciples because of one Iudas or the whole Primitiue Church for Ananias and Sapphira Phila. But I hope you are of this minde that some regenerate men euen in outward gifts and their outward cariage are comparable with any others Theol. Questionlesse very many For they being guided by Gods spirit and vpheld by his grace do walke very vprightly and vnblameably towards men Phil. Yet there resteth one scruple for it seemeth verie strange vnto me that men of so discreet cariage as you speake of and of so many good parts should not be saued It is great pitie such men should be damned Theol. It séemeth so vnto vs indéed but God is onely wise and you must note that as there be some infirmities in Gods children which he correcteth with temporall chastisements and yet rewardeth their faith loue and inward seruice and obedience with eternall life so there be some good things in the wicked and them that are without Christ which God rewardeth with temporall blessings and yet punisheth them eternally for their vnbeléefe and hardnesse of heart Phila. Now you haue reasonably well satisfied me touching the doctrine of regeneration and the manifold errours and deceits that are in it and of it I pray you let vs now proceed and first of all tell me by
wealth long heauinesse short ioy Phila. Now you haue indeed described it to the full and laide it out as it were in orient colours And a man would thinke he were bewitched or starke mad which heereafter should set his minde on it But yet I am desirous to heare a little more of that which I asked you before where in the strength and poyson of the world doth specially consist Theol. In this lieth a great strength of the world that it draweth downe the stars of heauen and maketh them fall to the earth as it is said of the Dragons taile Apoc 12. which is ambition conetousnes the loue of this world For we may wonder and lament to sée how the loue of these things hath wounded ouerborne many excellent seruants of God both Preachers and professors of the Gospell which thing doth plainly argue the strength of it For it is the strongest the very last engine that sathan vseth to impugne vs withall when none other will preaaile For when no temptation could fasten vpon Christ he bringeth foorth this last weapoÌ„ which neuer faileth All these things will I giue thee shewing him the glory of the whole world So then he hauing experience of this that it neuer faileth thought to haue ouercome Christ himselfe with it Héere therefore lieth the very sting and strength of the world the diuel For whom hath he not takeÌ„ with All these things will I giue thee whom hath he not wounded whom hath he not deceiued whom hath he not ouerthrowen with this he enticed Baalam with this hée beguiled Achan with this he ouerthrew Iudas with this he be witched Demas with this in these our daies he deceiued many of excellent gifts For assuredly he is a Phoenix amongst men which is not ouercome with this He is a wonderment in the world that is not moued with mony Phila. I am now fully satisfied for this matter But one thing commeth often into my minde to wit that these miserable worldlings can haue no sound comfort in their pleasures and profits because they haue no comfort in God nor peace in their owne consciences Theol. You say very true It is vnpossible that men louing this world should haue anie sound comfort in God For no man can serue two masters both God and riches Their case therefore is very dangerous fearefull though they neuer sée it nor féele it as I will shew you by a plaine example Put case one of these great rich worldlings should be clothed in veluet cloth of gold in most stately manner and also should be set at his table furnished with al the dainties of the world should be attended and waited vpon by many in most Lordly and pompous manner should sit in his goodly dining-chamber all glittering like golde should haue his first second third seruice serued in with minstrels and instruments of musicke in most royall sort he sitteth in his chaire like a King in his throne yet for all this if a dagger should be held to his heart all this while ready to stab him what pleasure what ioy what comfort can he haue in all the rest Euen so whatsoeuer pompe or pleasures wicked worldlings haue héere below yet their guilty hellish conscience is as it were a dagger held alwayes hard to their hart so as they can haue no sound coÌ„fort in any thing Or let me giue it you thus Put case a man hath committed high treason and were therfore apprehended arraigned and condemned to be hanged drawen and quartered what then can comfort him in such a case can mirth can musicke can gold can siluer can lands can liuings No no none of all these can help him or giue him any comfort For the continuall thoughts of death do so gripe him at the heart that none of all these can do him any good or any whit mitigate his griefe What then is the thing that may comfort him in this case Only a pardon sealed with the Kings broad seale and subscribed with his owne hand For as soone as he hath got this his heauy heart reuiueth and leapes for ioy This then assuredly is the very cause of all prophane Atheists and worldlings who are not asiured of the King of heauen his pardon for their sinne and then what ioy can they haue either in their meat drinke goods cattell wiues children lands reuenewes or any thing whatsoeuer For the dreadful thoughts of hel do eftsoones crosse them inwardly quite dampe dash all their mirth Their owne consciences will not be stilled but in most terrible manner rise vp giue euidence against them telling them flatly they shall be damned how merry and iocund soeuer they séeme to be in this world setting a good face on the matter For sure it is that inwardly they haue many a cold pull and many heart gripes And all their mirth and iollity is but a gigling from the téeth outward they can haue no sound comfort within And therefore the wise King saith Euen in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauinesse Likewise saith the holy man Iob Terrors of conscience come vpon the wicked man like waters in the night a whirle-winde carrieth him away secretly Eliphas the Temanite auouched the same point saying The wicked man is continually as one that trauaileth of child a sound of feare is in his eares c. Thus then wée sée that howsoeuer many carnall Atheists and vngodly persons séem outwardly to float aloft in all mirth and iollity bearing it out as wâ—e say at the breast yet inwardly they are piâ—ched with terrors and most horrible conuultions of conscience Antile You haue spoken many things very sharpely against couetousnesse but in my mind so long as a man couets nothing but his owne he cannot be said to be couetous Theol. Yes that he may For not only is he couetous which gréedily desireth other mens goods but euen he also which ouer niggardly and pinchingly holdeth fast his owne is such a miser that he will part with nothing We sée the world is full of such pinch-pennies that wil let nothing goe except it be wrung from them perforce as a key out of Hercules hand These gripple muck-rakers had as léeue part with their blood as their goods They wil pinch their owne backs bellies to get their god into their chests And when they haue once got him in there will they easily part with him trow yée No no a man will not part with his god for no mans pleasure He will eat peasebread and drinke small drinke rather then he will diminish his god Therefore the scripture saith Eate not the meat of him that hath an euill eye and desire not his dainty dishes For as hee grudgeth his owne soule so he will say vnto thee Eat and drinke when his heart is not with thee Thou shalt vomit thy morsels which thou hast eaten and lose thy pleasant speeches The
him we care not for him so long as all goeth well with vs. But if we come into distresse or want any thing that we would faine haue then he is sure to heare of vs. As he saith by the Prophet In their affliction they will seeke me early And another Prophet saith Lord in trouble haue they visited thee They powred out a praier when thy chastisement was vpon them So then now I hope you do plainely sée the cause why the Lord bringeth his children into so many troubles and necessities Phila. I doe see it indeed and I am very well satisfied in it But yet let me aske you one thing further Are Gods children alwaies sure to be deliuered out of their troubles Theol. Yes verily and out of doubt so far foorth as God séeth it good for them For it is written Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all S. Peter saith The Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godly out of temptation As if hée should say He is beaten in it and well séene and experienced in it so as he can doe it easilie and without any trouble at all It is said of Ioseph being in prison that when his appointed time was come and the counsell of the Lord had tried him the King sent and loosed him the Ruler of the people deliuered him And againe the Scripture saith The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and deliuereth them out of all their troubles The Angell of the Lord tarrieth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them And in another place the Lord himselfe saith concerning the righteous man Because hee hath loued mee therefore I will deliuer him I will exalt him because he hath knowen my name Hee shall call vpon mee in trouble and I will heare him I will bee with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him So also saith Eliphas the Temanite He shall deliuer thee in six troubles and in the seuenth the euill shall not touch thee Come my people saith the Lord enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy doores after thee hide thy selfe for a very little while vntill the indignation passeouer And the Prophet saith Vpon Mount Zion shall be deliuerance and it shall be holy and the house of Iacob shall possesse their hereditary possessions Almost innumerable places of the Scriptures might be alledged to this purpose but these may suffice Therefore let vs know for a certainety that so sure as trouble and affliction are to the Children of God so sure also is deliuerance out of the same As we may write of the one and make reckoning of it as sure as the coat of our backe so may we also in Gods good time write of the other and make full account of it as sure as the Lord is true Abraham was in trouble but deliuered Iob in trouble but deliuered Dauid in great troubles but deliuered The thrée Children in the Furnace but deliuered Daniel in the Lions den but deliuered Ionas in the Whales belly but deliuered Paul in innumerable troubles but yet deliuered out of all Phila. All this being true that you say it followeth that Gods children are chastised only for their good and euermore sure of deliuerance in his appointed time Which thing being so me thinketh there is no cause at all why they should be ouer heauie or too much cast downe in their afflictions Theol. Assuredly there is no cause at all but rather cause why they should reioyce clap their hands and sing care away For can a father forsake his children a sing his subiects a Maister his seruant or a Shéepe heard his shéepe Doth not Iehouah say I will nor leaue thee nor forsake thee Doth not our heauenly Father know wée haue néede of these things Hath not God geuen vs his word that wée shall not want outward things Hath hée not said They shall be cast vpon vs Why then should wee be dismaied Why should wée hang downe our heades Why doe wée not plucke vp our hearts and be of good cheare God is our deare Father he is our best friend hée is our daily Benefactor hée kéepeth vs at his owne costs and charges hée grudgeth vs nothing hée thinketh nothing too much for vs. He loueth vs most dearely he is most chary and tender ouer vs hée cannot endure the winde should blow vpon vs he will haue vs want nothing that is good for vs. If we will eate gold wée shall haue it He hath giuen vs his faithfull promise that as long as wée liue wée shall neuer want Let vs therefore reioice and be merry For Heauen is ours earth is ours God is ours Christ is ours all is ours As the Apostle saith All is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods The world clap their hands and crow long before it bée day saying all is theirs but the children of God may say and say truely All is ours For they haue a true title proper interest through Christ in all the creatures Many are their priuiledges great are their prerogatiues They are frée of heauen and frée of earth They are the onely frée Denisens of the world Christ hath purchased them their fréedome Christ hath made them frée and therefore they are frée indéed They are frée from sinne frée from hell frée from damnation They are at peace with God men Angels They are at peace with themselues They are at peace with all creatures They are yong Princes Angels fellowes descended of the highest house of the bloud royall of heauen states of Paradise and heires apparent to the immortall Crowne Therefore God hath commanded his Angels to guard them being such yong Princes as they are yea he hath giuen a very straight charge to all his creatures to look to them to sée to them that they want nothing that they take us hurt so teasous so chary so tender is he of thē The angels must cōfort Iacob The whale must rescue Ionas The rauens must féed Elias The Sun and Moone must stay for Ioshua The Sea must diuide it selfe that Moses and his people may passe thorow The fire must not burne the thrée children The Lions may not deuoure Daniel All the creatures must change their nature rather then Gods children should not be holpen and deliuered Oh therefore how great is the happinesse of Gods chosen Who can expresse it who can vtter it They know not their owne happinesse it is hid from them Afflictions doe cloud it troubles doe ouershadow it crosses doe dim it and there is an interposition of the earth betwixt their sight and it But this is most certain and sure that the best is behind with the children of God all the swéet is to come Their happines doth not appeare in this world Their life is hid with Christ in God When Christ shall appeare then shall they also appeare with him in glorie It doth not
plagues wonderfull He sayeth also by his Prophet Malachie that he will be a swift witnesse against swearers The Prophet Zachary saith that the flying booke of Gods curse vengance shall enter into the house of the swearer and he shall be cut off Therefore let all swearers take héed looke to themselues in time For we sée there is a rod in pisse laid vp in store for them Phila. These threatnings being so great and greeuous and that from the God of Heauen himselfe a man would thinke should cause mens hearts to quake and tremble and make them affraid to rap out such oathes as they do if they were not altogether hardned past feeling and past grace Theol. True indéed but yet we sée by lamentable experience how men are giuen ouer both to sweare and for sweare For at this day there is no sinne more common amongst vs then swearing For many there be which cannot speake ten words but one shall bee an oath And numbers haue got such a wicked custome of swearing that they can by no meanes leaue it no more then a Black-moore can change his skinne or a Leopard his spots For it is made naturall vnto them through custome and they haue got the habit of it I doe verily thinke if it were high Treason to sweare yet some could not leaue swearing And sure I am as light as we make of it that it is high Treason against the crowne of Heauen Yea it is a sinne immediately against God euen against his owne person And therfore he hath forbidden it in the first Table of his Lawe Phila. Questionlesse this vice of swearing is of all other sinnes most rife in this Land For you shall heare little boyes and children in the streets rap out oathes in most fearfull manner It would make a mans heart quake to heare them Wee may thinke they haue sucked them out of their mothers breasts but sure wee are they haue learned them from the euill example of their parents And now adayes wee cannot almost talke with a man but in ordinarie speech he will belke out one oath or another Theol. I will tell you a strange thing and with great griefe I speake it I do verily think there are sworne in this land an hundred thousand oathes euery day in the yeare Phila. No doubt Sir you are within compasse For now almost so many men so many oathes excepting some few in comparison Nay I know diuers of mine owne experience which if they may be kept in talke will sweare euery day in the yeare an hundred oathes for their parts Theol. Oh what a lamentable thing is it We may well take vp the old complaint of the Prophet Ieremie who saith that in his time the Land did mourne because of oathes And we may wel wonder that the land sinketh not because of oathes For if God were not a God of infinite patience how could he endure his most sacred and glorious name to be so many thousand times blasphemed in one day and that by such miserable wretches as we be Phila. Wee may indeed admire and wonder at the patience and long suffering of God that hee spareth vs so long and giueth vs so large a time of repentance but sure it is that the Prophet saith That howsoeuer the Lord is slow to anger yet he is great in power and will not surely cleare the wicked Though he may winke at their monstrous oathes for a time yet he forgetteth them neuer a whit but scoreth them vp and registreth them in his booke of accounts so as they stand in record against them And when the great day of reckoning shall come he will set them all in order before them and lay them to their charge Let not wicked swearers and blasphemers therefore think that they shal alwaies scape scot-free because God letteth thē alone for a while and deferreth their punishment For the longer God deferreth the more terrible will his strokes bee when they come The longer an arrow is held in the bowe the stronger will bee the shot when it commeth foorth Though God haue leaden feete and commeth slowly to execute wrath yet hath he an iron hand and will strike deadly when he commeth Though God giueth the wicked security for a time saith Iob yet his eyes are fixed vpon all their waies And in an other place he saith The wicked is reserued vnto the day of destruction and they shall be brought forth vnto the day of wrath So then the holy man Iob plainely affirmeth that the state and condition of all the rich and wealthy worldlings is as the condition of an Oxe that is fatted vp against the day of slaughter For in the same Chapter hee saith They spend their daies in wealth and suddenly goe downe to hell But now I pray you nominate the oathes which are so rife and common amongst vs. Theol. There be six oathes which are of all other most rife and common in euery mans mouth and they be these By my Faith By my Troth By our Lady By S. Mary By God As God shall iudge me For you cannot lightly talke with a man but he will flush out some of these in his ordinary spéech Asune Doe you count it so great a matter for a man to sweare by his faith or his troth Theol. Yes indéed do I. For our faith and our troth are the most pretious iewels we haue Shall we then lay them to gage for euery word we speake It sheweth we are of small credit nay very bankrupts For who but a bankrupt will lay the best iewell in his house to pledge for euery small trifle Asune I know a man that will neuer sweare but by Cocke or Pie or Mouse-foot I hope you will not say they be oathes For he is as honest a man as euer brake bread You shall not heare an oath come out of his mouth Theol. I do not thinke he is so honest a man as you make him For it is no small sinne to sweare by creatures The Lord saith by his Prophet Ieremie They haue forsaken me and sworne by them that are no Gods So then to sweare by creatures is to forsake God And I trow you will not say hée is an honest man which forsaketh God Asune I doe not beleeue that to sweare by small things is a forsaking of God Theol. You and such as you are will beléeue no more of the word of God then will stand with your fantasie But whatsoeuer you beléeue or beléeue not the word of God standeth sure and no iote of it shall euer be proued false But this I wil say vnto you because you think it so smal a matter to swear by creatures that the more base and vile the thing is which you sware by the greater is the oath because you ascribe that vnto a base creature which is onely proper to God namely to know our hearts and to be a discerner of secret things For
of Israel were as the sand of the sea yet but a remnant shall be saued Phila. How doe you ballance it in the visible Church or in what comparison do you take it Let vs heare some estimate of it Some thinke one of a hundred some but one of a thousand shall be saued Theol. Indéed I haue heard some learned and godly Diuines giue such coniectures but for that matter I can say nothing to it But onely let vs obserue the comparison of the holy Ghost betwixt a remnant and the sand of the sea and it will giue some light into the matter Phila. Doth not the knowledge of this doctrine discourage men from seeking after God Theol. Nothing lesse But rather it ought to awake vs and stirre vp in vs a greater care of our saluation that we may be of the number of Christs little flocke which make an end of their saluation in feare and trembling Phila. Some make light of all these matters Others say As for the life to come that is the least matter of an hundred to be cared for As for that matter they will leaue vnto God euen as pleaseth him they will not meddle with it For they say God that made them must saue them They hope they shal do as well as others and make as good shift as their neighbours Theol. It is lamentable that men should be so carelesse and make so light of that which of all other things is most waighty and important For it shall not profit a man to win the whole world and lose his owne soule as the authour of all wisedome testifieth Asune I pray you Sir vnder correction giue me leaue to speake my minde in this point I am an ignorant man pardon me if I speake amisse For a fooles bolt is soone shot Theol. Say on Asune I doe verily thinke that God is stronger then the diuell Therefore I cannot beleeue that he will suffer the Diuell to haue moe then himselfe He will not take it at his hands Hee loueth mankind better then so Theol. You doe carnally imagine that God will wrestle and striue with the diuel about the matter As for Gods power it doth neuer crosse his will For God can doe nothing against his will and decrée because he will not Asune Yea but the Scripture saith God will haue all men saued Theol. That is not meant of euery particular man but of all sorts some Some Iewes some Gentiles some rich some poore some high some lowe c. Asune Christ died for all therefore all shall be saued Theol. Christ died for all in the sufficiency of his death but not in efficacy vnto life For onely the Elect shall bée saued by his death As it is written This is my bloud in the new Testament which is giuen for you meaning his Disciples and chosen Children And againe Christ béeing consecrated is made the author of saluation to all that obey him Asune God is mercifull and therfore I hope he will saue the greatest part for his mercy sake Theol. The greatest part shall perish but all that shal be saued shal be saued by his mercy As it is written He will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy And whom he will he hardneth And againe It is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Therefore though God be infinite in mercy and Christ infinite in merit yet none shall haue mercy but onely the vessels of mercy Antile Can you tell who shall be saued and who shall be damned Do you know Gods secrets When were you in Heauen When spake you with God I am of the mind that all men shall be saued For Gods mercy is aboue all his works Say you what you will and what you can God did not make vs to condemne vs. Theol. You are very peremptory indéed you are more bold then wise for Christ saith few shall be saued you say all shall be saued Whether then shall we beléeue Christ or you Antil If there should come two soules one from heauen and another from hell and bring vs certaine newes how the case stood then I would beleeue it indeed Theol. Put case two soules of the dead should come the one from heauen the other from hell I can tell you afore-hand certainly what they would say and what newes they would bring Antil What I pray you Theol. They would say there be few in heauen and many in hell heauen is empty and hell is full Antil How know you that How know you they would say so Theol. I am sure if they speake the truth they must néeds say so Antil Must they needs Why I pray you must they needs Theol. Because the word of God saith so Because Moyses and the Prophets say so If you wil not beléeue Moyses and the Prophets neither will you beléeue though one though two though an hundred should rise from the dead Antile Yes but I would Theol. I pray you let me aske you a question Whether doe you thinke that God and his word or the soules of dead men are more to be credited Antile If I were sure that God said so then I would beleeue it Theo. If his word say so doth not he say so Is not he and his word all one Antile Yet for all that if I might heare God himselfe speake it it would moue me much Theol. You shew your selfe to be a notable Infidell You wil not beleeue Gods word without signes and miracles and wonders from the dead Antile You speake as though you knew certainely that hell is full You doe but speake at randome you cannot tell you were neuer there to see But for mine owne part I beleeue there is no hell at all but onely the hell of a mans conscience Theol. Now you shew your selfe in kinde what you are You say you beléeue no hell at all And I think if you were wel examined you beléeue no heauen at all neither God nor diuell Antile Yes I beleeue there is an Heauen because I see it with mine eies Theol. You will beléeue no more belike then you sée but blessed is he that beléeueth and séeth not You are one of the rankest Atheists that euer I talked withall Antile You ought not to iudge you know not mens hearts Theol. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh You haue sufficiently bewraied your heart by your words For the tongue is the key of the minde As for iudging I iudge you onely by your fruits which is lawfull For wée may iustly say It is a bad trée which bringeth foorth bad fruit and he that doth wickedly is a wicked man But it is you and such as you are that wil take vpon you to iudge mens hearts For though a mans outward actions be religious and honest yet you will condemne him And if a man giue himselfe to the word and praier reformeth his family and abstaineth from
cauilling and most blasphemous speeches Antile I crie you mercie sir You seeme to be one of these Scripture-men you are all of the spirit you are so full of it that it runneth out at your nostrils Phila. You doe plainely shew your selfe to be ascoffing Ismaelite Antil And you doe plainly shew your selfe to be one of these folke of God whieh know their seats in heauen Phila. I pray God be mercifull vnto you and giue you a better heart For I see you are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie Antil You thinke there is none good but such as your selfe and such as can please your humour You will forsooth be all pure But by God there be a company of pure knaues of you Theo. Nay now you doe manifestly shew of of what spirit you are For you both sweare and raile with one breath Antile God forgiue me Why did he anger me then There be a company of such controllers as he in the world that no body can be quiet for them Theol. I perceiue a little thing will anger you sith you will be angry with him for speaking the truth Antil What hath he to doe with me He is more busie then needs Why doth he say I am in a bad case I will not come to him to learne my duty If I haue faults he shall not answer for them I shall answer for mine owne faults and euery fat shall stand on his owne bottome Let him meddle with that he hath to doe withall Theo. You are too impatient you take matters at the worst We ought friendly and in loue to admonish one another for we must haue a care one of anothers saluation I dare say for him that he speaketh both of loue and compassion towards you Antil I care not for such loue Let him keepe it to himselfe What doth hee thinke of mee Doth he suppose that I haue not a soule to saue as well as hee or that I haue no care of my saluation I would he should know that I haue as great care for my saluation as he though I make no such outward shewes For all is not gold that glistereth I haue as good a meaning as he though I cannot vtter it Theol. These words might well bée spared I hope you will bée pacified and amend your life and draw néerer to God héere after Antile Truly Sir you may thinke of me what you please But I assure you I haue more care that way then all the world wonders at I thanke God for it I say my praiers euery night when I am in my bed And if good praiers will do vs no good God helpe vs. I haue alwaies serued God duely and truely and had him in my minde I do as I would be done to I keepe my Church and tend my praiers while I am there And I hope I am not so bad as this fellow would make me I am sure if I be bad I am not the worst in the world there be as bad as I. If I goe to hell I shall haue fellowes and make as good shift as others Theol. You thinke you haue spoken wisely but I like not your answer For your words smell strongly both of ignorance pride and vnbeliefe For first you iustifie your selfe in your faithles and ignorant worshiping of God And secondly you iustifie your selfe by comparison with others because others are as bad as you and you are not the worst in the world Antile Now I know you speake of ill will For you neuer had any good opinion of me Theol. I would I could haue as good an opinion of you as I desire and that I might sée that wrought in you which might draw my loue and liking towards you And as for ill wil the Lord knoweth I beare you none I desire your conuersion and saluation with my whole heart And I would thinke my selfe happie if I might saue your soule with the losse of my right arme Antile I hope I may repent For the scripture saith At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent God will haue mercy on him Therefore if I may haue space and grace and time to repent before death and to aske God forgiuenesse and say my praiers and cry God mercie I hope I shall doe well enough Theol. You speake as though repentance were in your power and at your commandement and that you can put it into your owne heart when you list and that makes you and many others presume of it thrée houres before death But you must know that repentance is the rare gift of God and it is giuen but to a few For God will know him well that hée bestoweth repentance vpon sith it is proper onely to the Elect. It is no word matter It is not attained without many feruent praiers much hearing reading and meditating in the word of God It is not so easie a matter to come by as the world iudgeth It is not found but of them that seeke it diligently and begge it earnestly It is no ordinarie thrée houres matter Crie God mercie a little for fashion will not doe it Coursarie saying of a few prayers a little before death auaileth not For though true repentance be neuer too late yet late repentance is seldome true Héerein delayes are dangerous for the longer we deferre it the woorse is our case The further a naile is driuen in with an hammer the harder it is to get out againe The longer a disease is let runne the harder it is to cure The déeper a trée is rooted the harder it is to plucke vp againe The longer we deferre the time of our repentance the harder it will be to repent and therefore it is dangerous driuing it off to the last cast For an ancient Father sayth We reade but of one that repented at the last that no man should presume and yet of one that none might despaire Well then to conclude this point I would haue you to know that the present time is alwayes the time of repentance For time past can not be recouered and time to come is vncerteine Antile Sir in mine opinion you haue vttered some very dangerous things and such as were enough to driue a man to despaire Theol. What be they I pray you Antile There be diuers things But one thing doth most of all sticke in my stomacke and that is the small number that shall be sa ued as you say But I can hardly be perswaded that God made so many thousands to cast them away when he hath done Do you thinke that God hath made vs to condemne vs Will you make him to be the authour of condemnation Theol. Nothing lesse For God is not the cause of mens condemnation but themselues For euery mans destruction commeth of himselfe as it is written O Israel thy destruction is of thy selfe As for God he doth in great mercie vse all possible meanes to saue soules as hée sayth by the Prophet What
land and discharge it of all the horrible sinnes thereof Drowne them O Lord in thy infinite mercy through Christ as it were in a bottomlesse gulfe that they may neuer rise vp in iudgement against vs. For although our sins be excéeding many and fearefull yet thy mercy is farre greater For thou art infinite in mercy but we cannot be infinite in sinning Giue vs not ouer into the hands of the Idolaters left they should blaspheme thy name and say Where is their God in whom they trusted But rather deare Father take vs into thine owne hands and correct vs according to thy wisedome for with thée is mercy and déepe compassion Moreouer we most hartily beséech thy good Maiesty to blesse our most gratious King Iames and to shew much mercy to him in all things Guid him in thy feare and kéepe him in all his waies working in his soule vnfained sorrow for sinue true faith in the promises a great care to please thée in all things and to discharge the duties of his high place in all zeale of thy glory and faithfulnesse towards thy Maiesty that as thou hast crowned him héere in earth so hée spending his daies héere below in thy feare may after this life be crowned of thée for euer in the Heauens Wée béeseech thee also to blesse his Maiesties most henorable priuy Counsellors Counsell them from aboue let them take aduise of thée in all things that they may both consult and resolue of such courses as may be most for thy glory the good of the Church and the peace of this our Common-wealth Blesse the Nobility and all the Magistrates in the Land giuing them al grace to execute iudgement and iustice and to maintaine truth and equity Blesse all the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell increase the number of them increase thy gifts in them and so blesse al their labours in their seueral places and congregations that they all may be instruments of thy hand to inlarge thy Sonnes kingdome and to winne many vnto thee Comfort the comfortlesse with all néedfull comforts Forget none of thine that are in trouble but as their afflions are so let the ioyes and comforts of thy spirit be vnto them and so sanctifie vnto all thine their afflictions and troubles that they may tend to thy glory and their owne good Giue vs thankefull hearts for all thy mercies both spirituall and corporall for thou art very mercifull vnto vs in the things of this life and infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better life Let vs déepely ponder and weigh all thy particular fauours towards vs that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may bée gained yet néerer vnto thée and that therefore wée may both loue and obey thée because thou art so kinde and louing vnto vs that euen thy loue towards vs may draw our loue towards thée and that because mercy is with thée thou maiest bée feared Grant these things good Father and all other néedefull graces for our soules or bodies or any of thine throughout the whole world for Jesus Christs sake In whose name we further call vpon thée as hée hath taught vs in his Gospell saying Our Father which art in Heauen c. A praier to be vsed at any time by one alone priuately O Lord my God and heauenly Father I thy most vnworthy childe doe héere in thy sight fréely confesse that I am a most sinnefull creature and damnable transgressor of all thy holy Lawes and Commandements that as I was borne and bred in finne and stained in the wombe so haue I continually brought foorth the corrupt vgly fruits of that infection contagion wherein I was first conceiued both in thoughts words works If I should goe about to reckon vp my particular offences I know not where to begin or where to make an end For they are mo then the haires of my head yea farre moe then I can possibly féele or know For who knoweth the height and depth of his corruption who knoweth how oft he offendeth Thou onely O Lord knowest my sins who knowest my heart nothing is hid from thée thou knowest what I haue béene what I am yea my conscience doth accuse mée of many gréeuous euils and I doe daily féele by woful experience how frail I am how prone to euill how vntoward to all goodnesse My minde is ful of vanity my hartfull of prophanenes mine affections full of deadnesse dulnesse drowzinesse in matters of thy worship seruice Yea my whole soule is full of spirituall blindenesse hardnesse vnprofitablenes coldnesse and security And in very déed I am altogether a lumpe of sin a masse of all misery therefore I haue forfaited thy fauour incurred thy high displeasure haue giuen thée iust cause to frown vpon me to giue me ouer leaue me to mine owne corrupt will and affections But O my déere father I haue learned from thy mouth that thou art a God full of mercy flow to wrath of great compassion kindnesse towards all such as grone vnder the burden of their sinnes Therefore extend thy great mercy towards me poore sinner and giue me a generall pardon for all mine offences whatsoeuer seale it in the bloud of thy sonne and seale it to my conscience by thy spirit assuring me more and more of thy loue fauour towards me that thou art a reconciled father vnto me Grant that I may in all time to come loue thée much because much is giuen and of very loue feare thée and obey thée O Lord increase my faith that I may stedfastly beléeue all the promises of the Gospel made in thy son Christ rest vpon them altogether Enable me to bring foorth the sound fruits of faith and repentance in all my particular actions Fill my soule full of ioy and peace in beléeuing Fill me full of inward comfort and spirituall strength against all temptatious giue me yet a greater féeling of thy loue manifold mercies towards me worke in my soule a loue of thy Maiesty a zeale of thy glory an hatred of euill and a desire of all good things Giue me victory ouer those sins which thou knowest are strongest in me Let me once at last make a conquest of the world and the flesh Mortifie in me whatsoeuer is carnall sanctifie me throughout by thy spirit knit my heart to thée for euer that I may feare thy name renue in mée the image of thy sonne Christ daily more and more Giue me a delight in the reading and meditation of thy word Let me reioyce in the publike ministery thereof Let me loue and reuerence all the faithfull Ministers of thy Gospell Sanctifie their doctrines to my conscience seale them in my soule write them in my hart giue me a soft and melting heart that I may tremble at thy words and be alwaies much affected with godly sermons Let not my sinnes hold backe thy mercies from me nor mine vnworthines stop the passage
of thy grace Open mine eies to sée the great wonders of thy law Reueale thy secrets vnto me be open hearted towards me thy vnworthy seruant Hide nothing from me that may make for thy glory the good of my soule Blesse all meanes vnto me which thou vsest for my good Blesse all holy instructions vnto my soule Blesse me at all times both in hearing reading thy word Giue me the right vse of all thy mercies and corrections that I may be the better for them Let me abound in loue to thy children Let my heart be very néerely knit vnto them that where thou louest most there I may loue most also Let me watch pray that I enter not into temptation giue me patience contentment in all things Let me loue thée more more the world lesse lesse So draw my minde vpward that I may despise al transitory things Let me be so rapt rauished with the sight and féeling of heauenly things that I may make a base rekoning of al earthly things Let me vse this world as though I vsed it not Let me vse it but for necessity as meat drink Let me not be carried away with the vaine pleasures and fond delights thereof Good Father worke thy good worke in me neuer leaue me nor forsake me till thou hast brought me to true happinesse Oh deare Father make me faithfull in my calling that I may serue thée in it be alwaies carefull to doe what good I may in any thing Blesse me in my outward estate Blesse my soule body goods and name Blesse all that belongeth vnto me Blesse my goings out commings in Let thy countenance be lifted vp vpon me now alwaies cheare me vp with the ioies comforts of thy spirit make me thankfull for all thy mercies For I must néeds confesse that thou art very kind vnto me in all things For in thée I liue mooue haue my being of thée I haue my welfare good being thou art a daily friend speciall good benefactor vnto me I liue at thy cost charges I hold all of thée in chiefe and I finde that thou art neuer weary of doing me good thy goodnes towards me is vnstanchable Oh I can neuer be thankefull enough vnto thée for all thy mercies both spirituall corporall But in such measure as I am able I praise thy name for all beséeching thee to accept of my thankesgiuing in thy son Christ and to giue me a profitable vse of al thy fauors that thereby my heart may be fully drawne vnto thée giue me O Father to be of such a good nature and disposition that I may be wonne by gentlenesse faire meanes as much as if thou gauest me many lashes Pardon all mine vnthankfulnesse vnkindnesse and great abusing of thy mercies and giue me grace to vse them more to thy glory in all time to come Strengthen me deare Father thus to continue praising glorifying thy name héere vpon earth that after this life I may be crowned of thée for euer in thy kingdome Grant these petitions most mercifull God not onely to me but to all thy déere children throughout the whole world for Jesus Christ sake in whose name I doe further call vpon thée saying as he hath taught me O our Father which art in Heauen c. FINIS Psal 52. 5. Iob 15. 14 Ephes 2. 1. Col. 1. 21. Col. 2. 13. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Phil. 2. 13. Iam. 3. 9. Iob 14. 4. Rom. 8. 8 Mat. 7. 16. Luke 18. 21. 2. Cor. 4. 4. 2. Tim. 2. 26. Iohn 3 3. Rom. 12. 2. Ephes 4. 13. 2. Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 5. 17. Math. 5. Acts 17. 12. Heb. 2. 3. Ier. 6. 10. 1. Pet. 1. 23. Ioh. 15. 3. Act. 10. 44. Ephes 4. 3. Act. 16. 14. Iohn 3. 8. Pro. 28. 9. Pro. 13 13 Esa 1. 14. Isa 66. 3. Iohn 10. Ioh. 8. 47. Col. 3. 16. Pro. 14. 15. Ier. 17. 9. Psa 58. 45. Eight infallible signes of saluation Iohn 3. 3. Iohn 2. 5. â—s 119. 114 â—s 145. 18. Ro. 12. 11. Apo 3. 19 Mat. 16. 24 Iob 1. 28. Eph. 4. 21. Phil. 4. 8. Eight signes of condemnation Nine manifest signes of damnation Pro. 16. 5. Pro. 15. 24 Iob 11. 5 15. Iob 20. 26. Iob 23. 13 2. Cor. 11. 1 Cor. 4. Ier. 9. 23. Theocritus Mat. 16. 14. Iob. 17. 14. Col. 3. 6. Graftons Chron. Ps 11. 9. Iere. 9. 1. Neh. 13. Esay 3. 9. 1. Pet. 3. 3. Pro. 30. 1. Pro 22. 14 Pro. 23. 17 Eccl. 7. 28. Eccl. 7. 28. Pro. 26. 5. Pro. 5. 3. 4. Iob 36. 14. Ier. 5. 8. Ier. 28. 6. 1. Cor. 10. 8. 2. Sam. 12. 10. Genes 24. 25. 1. Sam. 2. 22. 1. Sam. 4. 11. 1. Cor. 10. 11. Tit. 2. 6. Psal 119. 9. Eccl. 12. 1. Heb. 13. 4. 1. Cor. 6. 9. Heb. 12. 1. Pet. 2. Chrysost Math. Isocrates ad Deme. Pro. 6. 32. 1. Cor. 6. 18. Iob 31. 12. Pro. 6. 33. 2. Sam. 12. 10. Basil in Epist Gregor Iam. 1. 15. Est officina Terence Pro. 23. vers 3. vers 33. Gregorius Nazianz Hesiodus Otia si tollas periere cupidinis ar cus Iob 24. 15. Iob 23. 13 Eccl. 12. 24. Psal 91. 8. 1. Cor. 4. 5. Iob 10. Six remedies of adulterie 1. Tim. 6. 10. Luke 12. 15. Phil. 3. 19. Pro. 28. Pro. 20. 21. Demosthenesin Olinth 3. Two causes of Couetousnesse 1. Tim. 2. Ier. 6. 16. Mic. 3. 10. Deut. 5. 28. 1. Tim. 6. Pro. 23. 5. Herodotus Polym Mat. 6. Iob 30. 23. Iud. 4. 21. Leuit. 11. Iam. 4. Sophocles Eccl. 5. 9 Apo. 12 1. Can. 6. 4. Matth. 4. Pro. 14 13. Iob. 27. 20. Iob. 15. 20. Pro. 13. 6. 1. Ioh. 2. 1. Cor. 7. Heb. 13. 5. Ec. 2. 24. Gregorius Nazi Rom. 8. 1. Pet. 4. 18. Pro. 11. 24. Hesiodus Phocillides 1. Tim. 6. 7. Heb. 12. 5. Phil. 4. Cyril in Ioan. 4. Chrysost homil 51. Euripedes 1. Ki. 17. Gen. 21. 15. Exod. 15. 4. Exod. 17. 6. Psal 7. 8. Ps 34. 10. Psal 8. 4. 11. Mat. 6. 33. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Luke 12. Heb. 13. 5. Phil 4. 5. Luk. 12. Nahun 12. Pro. 10. 38. Ierom. ad Heliodorum Cyprian in Oratione dominica August Matth. 4. Luke 12. Iob 20. 22. Pro. 10. 12. Psa 37. 16. Pro. 25. 16. Pro. 16. 8. Psal 33. 9. 1 Reg 17. 2. Cor. 1. 8. 2. Cor. 11. 25. Heb. 11. 36. 2. Cor. 4. 8. Lament 3. Psal 94. 14. Esa 55. 8. Rom. 8. Heb 12. 10. Heb. 12. 14. 1. Thes 1. 6. Gal. 6. 14. Phil. 3. 10. 1 Cor. 11. 32. Rom. 5. 3. 4. Psa 119. 27. Hos 5. 15. Esa 26. 16. Ps 34. 20. 2. Pet. 1. 9. Ps 105. 19. 20. Psal 34. Ps 91. 14. 15. Iob. 5. Esa 16. 20. Obad. 17. Heb. 13. 1. Cor. 3. 22. Gen. 32. 1. Kin. 17. Iona. 2. Ios 10. Exod. 14. Dan. 3. Dan. 6. Col. 3. 3. 4. 1. Ioh. 3. 1. 1. Sam. 3. 48. 2. Sam. 25. 26. Psal 39. Deut.