the messenger of death but a wise man will pacifie him The heart of man purposeth his waie but the Lord doth direct his steps Uiolence and tyrannie are the ruine of a Realme but mercie vpholdeth the Kings throne Upbraide not thy better with contumelious talke least thou heape hot coles vpon thine owne head Without counsell thoughtes come to naught but in the multitude of counsellers is stedfastnesse Wisedome resteth in the heart of him that hath vnderstanding and is vnknowne in the minds of fooles Yeald to the magistrate dutifulnes and with thine equall vse courtesie Yong or old rich or poore strong or weake thou art not thine owne but Gods who made thée Zacheus the Publicane offering to make restitution if he had done anie man wrong teacheth the rich of this world what their duties should be Zerubbabell shall laie the highest stone of the spirituall temple his hands haue laid the foundation of the same The third sententious sequence of the A B C deliuering diuers doctrines of vertue and vice to be folowed and auoided A Sound heart is the life of the flesh but enuie is the rotting of the bones A faithfull witnes deliuereth soules but a deceiuer speaketh lies An angrie man stirreth vp strife but he that is slowe to wrath appeaseth strife Better is a dinner of gréene hearbes where loue is than a stalled oxe hatred therewith Better is a litrie with the feare of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therwith Better is a drie morsell if peace be with it than an house full of sacrifices with strife Childrens children are the crowne of the elders and the glorie of the children are their fathers Contemne not anie that is in authoritie for that is the readie waie to runne into Gods wrath Chasten thy sonne whiles there is hope and let not thy soule spare for his murmurings Diuers weights are an abhomination vnto the Lord and deceiptfull balances are not good Depart from the foolish man when thou perceiuest not in him the lips of knowledge Destruction shall light vpon them that imagine euill but to such as thinke on good things shall be mercie and truth Enter not into lawe with a rich man for it is in him to peruert equitie and right Exercise thy selfe in that which is honest so shall no shame followe there vpon Exempt thy selfe from the companie of wanton women for they leade thée the waie to hell Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a child but the rod of correction shall driue it awaie Frowardnesse is the token of a foole and inconstancie is a signe of little trust Followe not the counsell of the wicked least thou be partaker of their punishment Giue admonition to the wise and he will be the wiser teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning Good vnderstanding maketh acceptable but the waie of the disobedient is hated Grudge not to giue of thine abundance to him that is néedie least God be angrie He that mocketh the poore reprocheth him that made him and he that reioiceth at destruction shall not escape vnpunished He that is slowe vnto anger is better than the mightie man and he that ruleth his owne mind is better than he that winneth a citie How much better is it to get wisedome than gold and to get vnderstanding is more to be desired than siluer In the mouth of the foolish is the boasting of pride but the lips of the wise will beware of such It is a great abhomination when Kings are wicked for a Kings feare should be vpholden with righteousnes If thou sinitest a scornefull person the ignorant shall take better héede and if thou reprouest one that hath vnderstanding he will be the wiser Kéepe thy selfe from strife for therein consisteth a mans honour but they that haue pleasure in bralling are fooles euerie one Kings ought to be feared as the roaring of a Lion who so prouoketh him vnto anger offendeth against his owne soule Kindle not contention betwéene neighbour and neighbour for the Lord will roote such out of the land Laie no priuie wait wickedlie vpon the house of the righteous and disquiet not his resting place Let not thy wrath and gelousie moue thée to follow the wicked and vngodlie Like as the cold of snowe in the haruest so is a faithfull messenger to them that send him for he refresheth his maisters minde Make not thy boast of to morrowe for thou knowest not what may happen to daie Manie there be that séeke the princes fauour but euerie mans iudgment commeth from the Lord. Mercie in a King is like a pearle of great value in a golden crowne O happie is the land that hath such a King Nourture thy sonne with correction and thou shalt be at rest yea he shall do thée good at thine hart Neuer trust a flatterer with anie secret for such a one can not kéepe counsell Notwithstanding thou be poore and yet hast wisedome thou shalt be had in reuerence One poore man oppressing another by violence is like a continuall raine that destroieth the fruit Oppresse not the fatherlesse and widowe for the Lord himselfe will take vengeance Ouercome euill with good so shall the Lord blesse thée in all thy procéedings Put thou nothing vnto the word of the Lord least he reprooue thée and thou be found a lier Plentie bringeth lothsomnes and forgetfulnes of God O well is he that kéepeth measure Pitch not thy tents among the wicked least thou be ouerthrowne in their destruction Quéenes and Kings are to be feared of their subiects O well is he whose heart is obedient Quench the wrath of thine aduersarie with patience so shall his anger asswage Quicklie reforme thy selfe if thou haue offended and excuse not the thing wherin thou hast done amisse Riches and honour wait vppon wisedome yea excellent goodes and righteousnesse Receiue knowledge before siluer and vnderstanding before the finest gold Remoue from thée all malice and enuie for the heart of the froward is a tormenting hell Some men are rich though they haue nothing againe some men are poore hauing great riches Séeke wisdome in thy youth so shalt thou be honoured in thine age Set aside all slouthfulnesse and walke vprightlie in thy vocation and calling The lawe is a well of life vnto the wise that it may kéepe him from the snares of death The righteous eateth and is satisfied but the bellie of the vngodlie hath neuer enough The poore is hated euen of his owne neighbours but the rich hath manie friends Uisit thy friend in the time of his aduersitie so shalt thou shew thy faithfulnesse Uaine are all things vnder the Sunne onelie the word of God lasteth for euer Unto the counsell of the wise let thine eares be open but flée the conuersation of the wicked When it goeth well with the righteous the citie is merrie and when the vngodlie perish there is gladnesse Wéepe ouer the sinnes which thou hast committed and praie to God penitentlie for pardon Where pride is
THE DIAMOND of Deuotion Cut and squared into sixe seuerall points Namelie 1 The Footpath to Felicitie 1 2 A Guide to Godlines 82 3 The Schoole of Skill 181 4 A Swarme of Bees 209 5 A Plant of Pleasure 245 6 A Groue of Graces 283 Full Of manie fruitfull lessons auaileable to the leading of a godlie and reformed life BY ABRAHAM FLEMING Psal. 119. verse 72 127. ¶ The Lawe of thy mouth O Lord is deerer to use than thousands of gold and siluer ¶ I loue thy commandements aboue gold and pretious stones ¶ Printed by Henrie Denham dwelling in Pater Noster Rowe being the assigne of William Seres 1581 Cum Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis COMME IE TREVVE TO THE Right Worshipfull Sir GEORGE Carey Knight Knight Marshall of hir Maiesties most Honorable houshold Sonne and heire apparent to the right Honourable Lord HENRIE Lord of Hiâ—â—sdon c. AND To the most vertuous and godlie minded Ladie the Ladie ELIZABETH his wife long life and happie daies NOT VNADVIsedlie Right Worshipfull but vpon singular circumspection did the ancient Greekes call Hercules by the name of Musagetes It is also recorded as a thing memorable that Fuluius Nobilior at the great spoiles of Ambratia preserued harmeles and vndamnified the images of the nine Muses and conueieng them into Hercules Temple kept them there verie carefullie Now right worshipfull vpon what consideration those worthie Seniours did this I scarselie vnderstand vnlesse this might be the reason because they perceiued and sawe that betweene the affaires of learning and the exploites of valiantnes there is a certaine intercourse of dutifulnes and a necessarie kinde of seruice interchangeablie required For they wiselie no doubt foresawe and preciselie noted this as a warranted principle that the liberall sciences stood no lesse in neede of the fauorable patronage of Great men for their supportation and maintenance than the strategemes and noble actes of Great men of the liberall sciences for the reuiuing of their renowme and the continuing of their remembrance For Bookes are dedicated vnto such as be of Worship and Honour that vnder their tutele-ship and protection as vnder the couert of Mineruas shield they might lodge in safetie and be sufficientlie defended against the venemous teeth of malicious mouthes and the commendable vertues and valiant actes of woorthie Gentlemen are registred and sealed vp in the monuments of the Muses that by their incessant vtterance and perpetuall speech they might be exempted and set free from the enuious shot of consuming time Plinie presented his naturall Histories vnto Vespasian Lucane his historicall poeÌ„trie vnto Nero Oppian his golden Booke of fishes vnto Antonine and Iulius Pollux his volume of the names and termes of things vnto Commodus of whome they were so well accepted that they do at this instant and shall for euer heereafter remaine euen to the end of the last generation The example of which aged writers and the vsuall manner of our moderne Polygraphers both strangers-borne home-bread as heeretofore I haue bene induced so presentlie I am persuaded to folowe for two alowable reasons First because the hypothesis or argument of this Booke is generallie appliable to euerie priuate person and will I hope requite the trauell of the vnderstanding Reader with reasonable profit and aduantage Secondlie for that your Worship hath the common name and report to be indued with sundrie singular gifts of minde as vtterance of foraigne tongues varietie of knowledge in the Artes of greatest difficultie iudgement in affaires of policie beside the gifts of bodie and fortune which if I might deseruedlie decipher though I spake the truth yet should I incurre suspicion of Gnatonisme time would first faile me before I could make an end But aboue all which is the foundation of my hope and confidence for that your Worship is so noblie minded as with rare courtesie to fauour and incline vnto such as professe themselues learned or not professing are so reputed or not reputed appeare so to be by some extrinsecall testimonie exhibited to the open world But desirous to knit vp that breeflie which were it not for the abusing of your Woorship with vanitie of words would be written at large I beseech you fauourablie to accept this my trauell being a mixt treatise partlie theologicall and partlie morall and to vouchsafe it your Woorships protection Which I craue so much the more instantlie because the patronage of such so worshipfull so learned so deuout and studious will be meanes to prefer this booke and to bring it the more in vse and exercise being to speake allegoricallie a Ship of safegard wherein euerie Christian high and lowe rich and poore yong and old may saile through all seas and streights of this troublesome and wicked world without running vpon the rocke of repentance and come at last by a direct current to the port of endles peace and happines euen the kingdome of Heauen whereof the Lord God make you and all your Worships affinitie and consanguinitie partakers for the merits of his Sonne Iesus Christ Amen At your Worships commandement alwaies most dutifull Abraham Fleming THE FOOTEPATH to Felicitie VVhich euerie Christian must walke in before he can come to the land of Canaan BY ABRAHAM FLEMING Psal. 25. 11 12. 11 What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the waie that he shall choose 12 His soule shall dwell at ease and his seede shall inherit the 〈◊〉 Apoc. 22 14. 14 Blessed are they that do Gods commandements that their right may be in the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the Citie AT LONDON Printed by Henrie Denham c. 1581 A Preface to the true Christian Reader THere is some reason why this first Treatise beareth the name and title of the Footepath to Felicitie although some more captious than cunning pretending notwithstanding a singular secrete knoweledge and iudgement condemne manie Bookes by their outward face being nothing seene in the bowels of the same and vtterlie ignorant to what issue the conueiance of the matter is like to growe But to leaue them in their owne follie albeit they would be counted wise and to touch the name of this present discourse called The Footepath to Felicitie I thinke it not vnnecessarie The present treatise whereof this for fault of a better may be the Preface is named The Footepath to Felicitie and not without speciall reason For to growe in fauour with Princes Potentates and Gouernours of prouinces we see there is a waie after the which diligent inquisition and search must be made and being found it must be walked in with sinceritie and vprightnes of mind Some by this gift some by that ornament either of minde or bodie become gratious and acceptable in the eies of their Lords and maisters in which waie whiles they keepe their feete with integritie and simplenes they are so much the more fauoured by how much their good gifts are well and rightlie vsed and in this
the calling of a Christian Hast thou not béene obstinate of life rebellious and disobedient casting behinde thée the commandements of thy parents 3 Hast thou not béene a breaker of the holie Sabboth which God himselfe sanctified for the imitation of all men that with circumcised harts they should celebrate and solemnize the same Hast thou not applied that daie seuered to holie exercises to vaine pastimes for thine owne pleasure and recreation yea hast thou not spent it in beastlie behauiour as in Epicurisme bellie cheare sensualitie Gentilisme and otherwise than the precise vocation of a well reformed Christian requireth Hast thou not bene maliciouslie minded enuious mercilesse vncharitable couetous an extortioner a briber a â—surer a violent oppresser a defrauder of the poore a gréedie gatherer all which with thousands the like enormities tend to the violating of the lawe of God 4 Hast thou not bene wanton lewd lecherous bawdie in speach and communication a defiler of thy vessell an adulterus person led into sundrie lusts and concupiscences a tempter of maidens and wiues to naughtines an allurer of yong damsels to the violating of their virginitie a singer of light songs and sonets a teller of tales and stories of loue and what loue is a nice danser and such like all which tend to the peruerting of honestie and are as it were bellowes to blowe and kindle the fire of fleshlie lust and concupiscence Hast thou not bene a priuie pilferer an open â—reaâ—er a robber a theefe an vsurper of that which is not thine owne a challenger of another mans right a false dealer a seeker after filthie lucre and a shamelesse slaunderer which is a kinde of stealth most detestable Hast thou not coueted this and that as thou hast bene caried awaie with the violence of thy desires knowing that although it might make for thy profite yet it could not but turne to the damage of thy brother 5 Hast thou offended in these cases or art thou cleare If thou haue so walked that thy conscience can pleade faultles vngiltie betwixt thée and thine innocencie then maist thou boldlie beléeue that the grace of God is thy guide and gouernour then maist thou be assured that thou art in the verie footepath to felicitie passing into the land of promise Hierusalem the Lords citie not built with hands as subiect to ruine and corruption but eternall and euerlasting The fourth Chapter 1 None is voide of sinne no not one all haue transgressed and gone astraie 2 The mercie of God the cause of mans restitution after his fall 3 To what end Christ suffered torments in this world 4 None is able to fulfill the commandements of God and that God hath a regard to our infirmities 5 What he must do that would liue eternallie BUT alas what is he that hath not offended Is there anie man that is able to stand in triall of his innocencie 1 Our parents sinne stained vs and their transgression was deliuered to vs by line all descent how then can we comming of vnrighteous parents be inculpable and blamelesse children Truth it is A corrupt trée bringeth forth corrupt fruite and pitch defileth them that touch it 2 Neuerthelesse the mercie of God was such after the fall of Adam and Eue in Paradise that in the bloud of his sonne shed vpon the crosse in the open face of the world he wrought his restitution and placed him in the hope of saluation from whence before he fell 3 This did he to the end that by his death the force of sinne being broken and the power of Sathan crushed we might no longer wallowe in the mire of filthines like swine but reare vp our selues to heauen there to haue our harts fixed where he sitteth in whome the fulnes of our felicitie is reposed 4 And though the lawe of the Lord be so vpright and iust and our nature so corrupt and defiled that we haue no abilitie nor power of our selues to fulfill the commandements for we haue not so much as the least sparkle of sufficiencie in this consideration such is our pronenesse to do amisse yet the Lord God is so louing vnto vs that he holdeth himselfe contented with our weake working of his will for his sonnes sake in whome our want is supplied 5 Who so therefore is desirous to taste of the fruite of the trée of life and to drinke of the pleasant running riuers of rest who so I saie longeth after true happines and faine would sée good daies let him endeuour to the vttermost of his might to tame and bridle his wandering desires which if they be not brought vnder and constrained to grone vnder the yoke of subiection he shall haue his mind so bent vpon transitorie vanities and his wilso wedded to this wicked world that the light of his vnderstanding being put out he shall neuer finde the footepath of faith leading the high waie to heauen In this respect therefore let vs learne what is to be done The fift Chapter 1 The looking glasse of Gods word and the effects of the same 2 The dignitie of man in comparison of al other creatures 3 His state in the first Adam and his state in the second 4 The assaultes of Sathan notwithstanding our redemption and what we must do in temptation 5 Our duties towards God for his gratious giftes and benefites in prosperitie 1 THOU that wouldst treade the footepath to felicitie must take into thy hands the looking glasse of Gods word where thou shalt see in thy selfe all the staines and blemishes of sinne and shalt likewise finde in a readines swéete water to wash them awaie and to cleanse thée from all such filthines and pollusion 2 There thou shalt sée the dignitie of man in comparison of all other creatures he onelie being indued with reason and all other liuing things beside lead by lust Consider of this excellent blessing be thankfull for it and giue God the glorie This is the footepath to felicitie 3 Againe let this be thy dailie meditation that through the fall of the first Adam thou becamest a castawaie but by the death of the second Adam thine attonement in his bloudshed being accomplished thou wast receiued againe into fauour Consider of this excellent blessing be thankefull for it and giue God the glorie This is the footepath to felicitie 4 And though thy redemption be wrought by and through the innocent passion of Christ yet Sathan thy cankered enimie is assaulting thée afresh with newe traines and snares séeking to vndermine thée praie God to fortifie thy faith cast out thine anchor on the firme land of constancie crie for helpe at his hand whose helpe is in a readines repose all thy hope in him that hath care of thy safetie and is of power to confound thy ghostlie enimie Consider of this excellent blessing be thankefull for it and giue God the glorie This is the footepath to felicitie 5 If thou be crowned with the graces and gifts of God either corporall or
this life or of the life to come both those which we either haue or yet hope to enioie from the greatest to the smallest from the kingdome of heauen to one onelie drop of water that we are worthie of all the plagues which either haue heretofore seazed or bene yet possessed of vs. Yea if thou shouldest ransacke all the hid and secret treasures of thy fearefull iudgements which in thy lawe thou threatenest against the breakers thereof not onlie to the rasing and swéeping of vs from the face of the earth but also to the throwing of vs headlong into the bottomles pit of hell yet would we therin also acknowledge thy righteous iudgements For to vs belongeth shame and confusion of faces but vnto thée glorie and righteousnes The third Blossome conteining 1 An appeale to Gods promises in Christ for the remission of our sinnes 2 The bloud of the Lambe washeth vs wooll white 3 A praier in the behalfe of the dispersed Church against Papists and Heretikes and for godlie vnitie 4 Gods blessing maketh our land fruitefull and that we are the Lords sheepe our vnworthinesse notwithstanding 5 A request for the continuance of his loue and mercie 6 To what end it is to be desired 1 ALl this both guilt of sinne and desert of punishment notwithstanding O father of mercies and God of all comfort we trusting vnto the promises which thou hast made vs in Iesus Christ are bold through him humblie to call for the performance of them And first we humblie desire thee to forgiue vs all our sins Thou hast said that if we confesse our sinnes thou art faithfull to forgiue vs them We acknowledge the debt cancell therefore the obligation let not the multitude of them preuaile against vs but where our sinne hath abounded let thy grace more abound and as we haue multiplied our sinnes so we praie thée to multiplie thy mercies 2 And although we haue by continuance in them so soked ourselues that thereby we are not onlie lightlie stained but also haue gotten as it were the scarlet and purple die of them yet let them all we praie thée being washed in the bloud of thy swéete Lambe be made as white as the snowe in Salmon and as the wooll of the shéepe which come from washing And to conclude as our sinnes haue magnified themselues in an infinite length breadth deapth and height so let thy mercies which passe all vnderstanding of all sides and assaies outreach them 3 Therefore also we most humblie desire thée O Lord that the sinne being pardoned thy wrath which is alreadie declared may be appeased towards all the Churches of our profession and especiallie towards vs that the manifolde breaches of the Churches and Commonwealthes maie be made vp that those being receiued into the bosome of the Church which belong to thine election the rest of the Papists and Heretikes may be vtterlie rooted out and that our enimies in religion béeing slaine we may to the vttermost thinke all one thing in the honest and peaceable gouernement of the Commonwealth 4 Upon which vniting of vs in all truth and honestie the curses of the plague and barrennesse being remoued a waie may be made to thy blessings which as the hills do the vallies may make our land holesomelie fruitefull And that not onlie the wrath which is alreadie kindled may be quenched but that which hath bene latelie threatened may be caused to retire For the graunt whereof vnto vs we beséech thée to remember that how vnworthie soeuer yet are we thy people and the shéepe of thy pasture whome thou hast redéemed with thy most pretious bloud watched ouer with a carefull eie defended with a mightie hand despise not therefore O Lord the workes of thy hands 5 And séeing thou hast loued vs when we hated thée visited vs when we desired thée not then acknowledged vs when we knewe thée not now that there be a number of vs which loue thée desire thine abode and acknowledge thée hold on thy loue still depart not from vs denie vs not O thou God of truth which art the God that sinne by the assistance of Gods spirit 6 For the due examination of our thoughts and an vpright hart 7 For conuersation fit and agreeable to our calling 8 For constancie in our profession against all temptations and impediments 1 O Mercifull and heauenlie Father we thy seruants do humblie prostrate our selues before thy diuine Maiestie acknowledging here in thy sight our hainous offences committed against thine omnipotencie séeing and beholding thy heauie wrath against them We féele our selues laden O Lord our God with a huge companie of horrible sinnes whereof euen the verie least being but conceiued in thought is sufficient in iudgement to throwe vs downe to the euerlasting burning lake 2 Our owne consciences O Lord do beare witnes against vs. of our manifold transgressions of thy blessed lawe of our securitie and senslesse blindnes running headlong to destruction committing sinne after sinne although not notorious to the world yet horrible before thine eies The thoughts of our hearts rise vp in iudgement against vs the vanitie of our talke before thy Maiestie condemneth vs the wickednes of our déedes from thy sight reiecteth vs all our wicked thoughts words and déedes with the inward corruption of our nature do altogether as it were a whole lumpe and loade of sinne lie heauie vpon vs and with their intollerable weight do euen presse vs downe to Hell 3 We do dailie grone vnder the burthen of them inwardlie lamenting our owne follie so gréedilie running into them In heauen earth or hell we sée none able to susteine the weight of them but euen thy dearelie beloued sonne Iesus Christ who in mercie intinite and compassion endlesse hath susteined and ouercome that endlesse punishment due vnto them in him therefore in him most mercifull Father and through him we come to thée being fullie assured according to thy promise that thou wilt accept and take that full recompense which he thy deare son hath made for vs as a iust ransome for all the sinnes of all those who with a true faith take hold on him In him therefore we sée thine anger towards vs appeased thy wrath satisfied and our debts paied 4 Increase in vs good Lord we beséech thée this liuelie and féeling faith for we féele it oftentimes in vs verie weake and troubled with manie doubts increase it in vs O Lord that we maie through thy holie spirit be assured that the punishment of our sinnes is fullie in thy sonne discharged Make vs O Lord our God to feele this â—ame in our soules and consciences that Iesus Christ is ours and all that he hath done that we are graffed into his bodie and made one with him and therefore fellow heires with him of eucriasting life Let vs not onelie haue these words in our mouthes good Lord but through thy holie spirit let vs feéle the comfort of them in our hearts fullie sealed and setled in vs
thee the Lord of Lords and the King of kings creating at the beginning ruling all things euermore in heauen and earth according to thy wonderfull wisedome and power and our selues to be thy poore seruants the worke of thy hands and the shéepe of thy pasture subiected to thy Maiestie and depending vpon thy fatherlie prouidence for all things 2 Neuerthelesse séeing thou in thy wisedome annointest Kings and Quéenes appointing them to rule ouer thy people to sit as Lieutenants in thy seate to minister iustice and most of all as Fathers and Nurses to mainteine and cherish thy Church commanding vs not onlie to obey and honour them but moreouer to praie for them as watching ouer vs for our good 3 We therefore beséech thée for the great mercies sake and for Iesus Christes sake to shew thy mercie to all Kings and Princes that mainteine thy glorious Gospell but especiallie we praie thée to blesse our most gratious Queene and gouernour Elizabeth thine handmaid with all spirituall blessings in Christ Iesus and with all temporall blessings according to thy good pleasure that in the great measures of thy effectuall loue she may more and more finde great increase of vertue and wisedome and strength in Christ Iesus to the faithfull and happie discharge of her dutie that her holinesse and ioie and zeale of thy house may be multiplied and euerlasting 4 And séeing it hath pleased thée of thy singular mercie to giue her this speciall honour first to suffer for thy glorious truth and afterward miraculouslie deliuering her out of the hands of her enimies to set a crowne vpon her head and to make her the instrument to aduance thy glorie and Gospell for which she suffered and to bring it out of darkenes into light out of persecution into this great and long peace 5 As we giue thée most hartie thankes for this singular benefite so we beséech thée to make her and vs euermore thankefull for it and in thy good pleasure still to preserue her for the continuance of these blessings towards vs with all increase from time to time to thy glorie the benefite of the Church and her infinite peace in Christ Iesus the prince of peace 6 And furthermore we praie thée for her and the estate that such as be enimies of the Gospell and her enimies also for the defence thereof may not despise the peace offered them to repentance but that they may account thy long suffering and her peaceable and vnbloudie gouernement an occasion of saluation to their soules and vnfeigned loue to the truth and their mercifull souereigne Otherwise if they still remaine disobedient to the truth rebellious to her highnesse and dangerous to the state then O God of our saluation as thou hast discouered them so discouer them still as thou hast preuented them so preuent them still and let their eies waxe wearie with looking and their hearts faint with waiting for the comming of that which yet commeth not neither let it come O Lord we beséech thee but a blessed and a long reigne to her and peace to Sion for euermore 7 Also deare father so blesse so loue so in thy spirit sanctifie and kéepe her that she may in the spirit of counsell and fortitude so rule that other sister also namelie this her Commonwealth that they may flourish together and growe vp together as palme trées in beautie and in strength giuing aide and helpe one to another that in the Church the glorie of God may appeare as the Sunne in his brightnesse and that the land may flowe with milke and honie and true peace abound therein as in the triumphant reigne of Debora 8 These graces O Lord are great and we miserable sinners vnworthie of the least of them therefore looke not to vs but to thy selfe not to our iniquities but to thy great mercies accepting the death and passion of thy Sonne as a full ransome for all our offences throwing them into the bottome of the sea and making his crosse and resurrection effectuall in vs to all obedience and godlinesse as becommeth thy Saincts that to all other thy good blessings towards our gratious souereigne this may be added that she gouerneth blessedlie ouer a blessed people a people blessed of the Lord and beloued of the Lord. 9 Yea Lord that thy graces may abound as the waters of the Sea in the Prince and in the people in the Church and in the Common-wealth from daie to daie till the daie of our translation into thy kingdome where iustice inhabiteth where also we shall inhabite and reigne with thée according to thy promise for euer Graunt these things O mercifull father for thy deare sonne our Lord Iesus Christ his sake in whose name we craue them at thy mercifull hand praieng furthermore for them as he hath taught vs to praie Our Father which art in heauen c. The third Branch of Thankesgiuing Generallie deciphering in a pithie and ample meditation Gods great goodnes manifestlie appearing in the diuersitie of the blessings wherwith he hath crowned man Also a praier for grace to be thankefull The contents more particularlie lie open in the sequeale The first Blossome 1 An inuocation or calling vpon God ioined with submission 2 An acknowledgement of Gods manifold blessings and his prouidence 3 A petition for the gratious gift of thankefulnes 4 Testimonies of Gods infinite loue and of the effects of the shining Sunne 5 The sundrie vses of Gods good creatures appointed for mans releefe 6 Ornaments of the minde 7 A request for true knowledge and perceiuerance with the operation of the same 8 Another for thankefulnes 9 What sacrifice God delighteth in 10 A supplication for grace to offer vp the same 1 SEtting before vs O most mercifull louing father the godlie Patriarches the holie Prophets the true Conuerts the constant Martyrs all such as haue loued thy glory far aboue their owne life we prostrate our selues with all submission on of soule and spirit before thy throne of Maiestie humblie beseeching thée for Iesus Christ his sake who is the fulnes of our tore and comfort to bend downe thine eares and to heare the praiers which we powre foorth before thée and for thy sonne sake in whom thou art well pleased grant the request of thy seruants made vnto thée at this present 2 We know most gratious God and louing father yea we cannot but in conscience acknowledge and with tongue confesse that manifold yea innumerable are the gifts which thou hast heaped vpon vs yea so manie are they that we can not with voice vtter neither yet in heart conceiue the greatnes and worthines of them For wheras all other creatures are made framed and fashioned to serue the vse of man and to yéeld themselues obedient and tractable to his commandement and gouernment onelie man representing and bearing thine owne image and likenesse ruleth as a Lord and reigneth as a king ouer all creatures indued with life yea there is nothing within the compasse