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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14923	The soules progresse to the celestiall Canaan, or heavenly Jerusalem By way of godly meditation, and holy contemplation: accompanied with divers learned exhortations, and pithy perswasions, tending to Christianity and humanity. Divided into two parts. The first part treateth of the divine essence, quality and nature of God, and his holy attributs: and of the creation, fall, state, death, and misery of an unregenerated man, both in this life and in the world to come: put for the whole scope of the Old Testament. The second part is put for the summe and compendium of the Gospell, and treateth of the Incarnation, Nativity, words, works, and sufferings of Christ, and of the happinesse and blessednesse of a godly man in his state of renovation, being reconciled to God in Christ. Collected out of the Scriptures, and out of the writings of the ancient fathers of the primitive Church, and other orthodoxall divines: by John Welles, of Beccles in the County of Suffolk.	Welles, John, of Beccles.	1639 (1639)	STC 25231; ESTC S119607	276,075	406

and I shall speake and let the earth heare the words of my mouth for I will publish the name of the Lord and ascribe honour unto our God Acts 13.26 Yee men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham and whosoever amongst you feareth God to you is the word of this salvation sent Psalm 34. Come yee children and hearken unto mee and I will teach you the feare of the Lord. O praise the Lord with mee and let us magnifie his name together A perfect Table to finde readily all the branches contained and treated of in the first and second Part of this Booke OF the Essence of God what God is in his Essence and how he is to be understood in his holy attributes so farre as he hath revealed himselfe in holy Scripture for otherwise no man is able to define what God is page 1 Of the majesty greatnesse and quality of God page 19 Of divine directions declaring the variable state and misery of man from the time of his creation to the time of the Gospel or the new Covenant of Grace page 30 Of the creation of the world page 34 Of the Angels their nature their office their fall page 40 Of man his first beginning page 51 Of the state of mans innnocency before his fall page 58 Of originall sin the fall and apostacy of man page 64 Of the Divells trecheries and how to prevent him page 74 Of the morall law of God the ten commandements page 77 Of the purity of conscience page 89 Of the accusations of conscience page 91 To avoyd security page 102 Of the knowledge of mans corruption and state of misery in this world and the miserable state and condition in the life to come without we be renovated by Christ. page 105 Of the meditation of the misery of the body and soule in this life page 109 Of the meditation of the misery of man after death which is the fulnesse of cursednesse page 116 Of the meditations of the grievousnesse of the torments of Hell p. 120 The Branches contained in the second part of this Booke OF the Covenant of the Gospell or the Covenant of grace pag. 127 Of the incarnation of the word Christ pag. 141 Of Christs Nativity pag. 150 Of Christ Iesus the summe or compendium of the Gospell pag. 154 Of the Crosse of Christ and his holy sufferings for our sins pag. 164 Of repentance or sorrow of the soule for sinne pag. 168 Of the two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper pag. 182 Of the Lords Supper the institution of Christ pag. 184 Of the preparation to the receiving of the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Iesus Christ pag. 199 Of the ordinance of Christ concerning the translation of the holy and blessed Sabbath pag. 205 Of Christs ascension pag. 208 Of the comming of the holy Ghost pag. 210 Of the love of God pag. 213 Of the properties of Charity and true love to our Christian brethren pag. 217 Of Gods eternall election and predestination pag. 222 Of mortification pag. 234 Of Regeneration pag. 246 Of Sanctification pag. 255 Of Justification pag. 262 Of Faith pag. 267 Of Hope pag. 294 Of Patience pag. 301 Of Prayer pag. 313 Of Afflictions pag. 326 Of generall rules directing a Christian in a godly life pag. 336 Of Gods glory pag. 347 Of the uncertainety of mans life and the expectation of death pag. 351 Of temporary death and of the severall state of salvation and damnation pag. 355 Of a sweet contemplation of the beatificall joyes of Heaven and of heavenly things and the blessed state of a regenerated Christian pag. 364 The Conclusion pag. 373 Esay 40.3 A Voice cryeth in the Wildernesse of this wicked world prepare the way of the Lord make straight the path of our God in the Desert Esay 58.1 Cry now as loud as thou canst leave not off lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet and shew my people their offences and the house of Iacob their sinnes Psal 36.1 My heart sheweth me the wickednesse of the ungodly that there is no feare of God before his eyes Vers 4. He imagineth mischiefe upon his bed and hath set himselfe in no good way neither doth he abhorre any thing that is evill Esay 59.2 3 4. But your mis deeds have separated you from your God and your sinnes hid his face from you that he heareth you not for your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with unrighteousnesse your lips speake leasing and your tongues set forth wickednesse no man regardeth righteousnesse and no man judgeth truely every man hopeth in vaine things and imagineth deceit conceiveth weaknesse and bringeth forth evill Vers 7. Their feet run to evill and they make hast to shed innocent blood their counsels are wicked counsels harme and destruction are in their waies Ierem. 9.8 Their tongues are like sharpe arrowes to speake deceit with their mouth they speake peaceably to their neighbour but privily they lay waite for him And like as a net is full of birds so are their houses full of that which they have gotten with falshood and deceit Ier. 5.27.28 hereof commeth their great substance and riches hereof are they fat and wealthy and are more mischievous then any other they minister not the law they make no end of the fatherlesse cause yea they judge not the poore according to equity They are corrupt Psal 53.2 4. and become abominable in their doings there is not one that doth good no not one For though they can say the Lord liveth yet they sweare to deceive Ier. 5.2 Their throate is an open sepulchre Psal 14.5 with their tongues have they deceived the poyson of aspes is under their lips Their mouthes are full of cursings and bitternesse their feet are swift to shed blood Vers 6. For when ye have stollen Ier. 7.9 murdered committed adultery and perjury when yee have offered unto Baal following strange and unknowne gods shall ye be punished Have they no knowledge that they are all such workers of mischiefe Psal 14.7 8. eating up my people as it were bread destruction and unhappinesse is in their waies and the way of peace have they not knowne Should I not punish these things Ier. 5.29 saith the Lord should I not be revenged of all such people as these be Heare thou earth also behold I will cause a plague to come upon this people Ier. 6.19 even the fruit of their owne imaginations for that they have not beene obedient unto my words and to my law but abhorred them Psal 28.4 5. Reward them according to their deeds and according to the wickednesse of their owne inventions recompence them after the works of their hands and pay them that they have deserved Eccles 8.11 Because now that evill workes are not hastily punished the heart of man giveth himselfe over unto wickednesse Esay 5.14 Therefore gapeth hell marvellous wide

and hid himselfe from Gods presence If therefore wee compare his sin to the Commandements of the Law wee shall find it to be a direct breach of some and a consequent breach of all For Gods first Commandement saith Exod. 20. Thou shalt have no other Gods but mee Adams sin by the eating of the forbidden fruit by the temptation and perswasion of the divell doth contradict the Commandement of God and saith Nay but my wife and I will both be gods Gen. 3.5 Againe Caine the second man he committed murther and thereby directly broke the sixt Commandement which when God and his conscience made him to understand Gen. 4.8 hee made a most desperate acknowledgement of his sin Vers 13. so that the Law being nothing but a reasonable duty which the creature oweth to his Creator there was therefore a generall knowledge of this Law in the reasonable nature of man at his creation and so to the succession of them of the old world unto the time that the Law was given to Moses by the ordinance of Angels Gal. 3.19 the old world then from Adam to Moses were not lawlesse and free from the service of the Law but had the law of nature for their direction which being grounded upon reason was even the very same with the law of the ten Commandements and the law of the ten Commandements before it was given to Moses was in the ages before going commonly transgressed and that law did both judge and condemne them the which law God gave man when he gave him his nature every man having the knowledge of this law in the naturall use of his reason This was the state of the old world before Moses all sinned and all were judged by the law of nature Now when iniquity began to raigne and be strong in the hearts of men and that their conscience became senslesse of sin neither would they admonish and judge their transgressions then God thought convenient to publish to mankinde this law binding the consciences of men to a strict and dutifull observation of every particular statute of the law Baruch 4.1 denouncing the judgement of condemnation to all them that transgresse against the least breach and particular of those Commandements A second reason why God ordained the Law Reason 2 was that men might rightly understand themselves and thereby know in what degree of holinesse they were because that men are often partiall in their owne judgement and willingly blinde themselves in the view of their owne calamities wherefore then serveth the Law Gal. 3.19 it was added because of transgressions that by the Law men might know wherein they have transgressed A third reason of the ordination of the Law is Reason 3 to provoke men to endeavour themselves with all diligence in a holy course to travell in godly exercise and to avoid both evill actions and idlenesse the Law giving every man sufficient matter of imployments wherein he is bound to spend his houres 4. Esd 9.31 his daies nay his life in the carefull service of his God For behold I sow my Law in you that it may bring forth fruit in you and that yee may be honoured by it for ever Fourthly the reason that the Law was given Reason 4 is that by the severity thereof we might be disciplined and made fit for the mercy of the Gospell for the judgement of the Law will humble us make us understand our misery Gal. 3.24 and provoke us to implore mercy for by the documents and directions of the Law wee are led to salvation in Jesus Christ wherefore the Law is our Schoolemaster to teach and bring us to Christ that wee might be made righteous by faith in him Lastly the Law was given for the glory and Majesty of God that all the world might judge of his infinite mercy to mankind In this respect that notwithstanding all men are judged and condemned by the law of nature and by the Law of his Commandements yet in the greatnesse of his love hee is content to forgive the trespasse and the judgement therefore due unto mankind Gods admirable mercy and finally to entertaine these transgressors his enemies into the bosome of his mercy giving them Mercy in stead of Justice and eternall life Rom. 5.20 when they deserved death and damnation 21. Moreover the Law entered thereupon that the offence should abound neverthelesse Where Sinne abounded there Grace abounded much more that as Sinne had raigned unto death so might Grace also raigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord and this is an admirable degree of love in God that he will decline or lay by his Majesty and to miserable wretched nay sinfull creatures exercise his Mercy in restoring and advancing us that have so highly offended his Majesty and abounded in transgressions for these causes was the Law given and delivered to man Deut. 27.26 The matter of the Commandements God thereby commanding every mans absolute obedience upon forfeiture of his soule to the paines of everlasting condemnation In the Law of the ten Commandements is to be considered the substance which is the matter of the Law and the circumstance which is the manner of the delivering it The matter is contained in ten Commandements the first foure teacheth us directly our duty to God the six last our duties to our neighbour In the manner of giving the Law we may principally consider these circumstances First the principall giver of the Law God Secondly the servants attending this office the Angels Thirdly to whom it was given to Moses Fourthly for whom it was given for the children of Israel who were then the people of God and by consequence to every people that professe themselves the servants of God these are the maine particulars in the circumstance of giving the Law First Exod. 20.1 Exo. 19.18 c. God was the principall authour of this worke to give it countenance and authority for who dare quarrell his worke and the operation of his hands therefore did God himselfe speake all the words of the Commandements he also spake in a fearefull and terrible manner to gaine the businesse a fearefull estimation Vers 9. he spoke in the hearing of the people that they might know it was Gods owne act and to prevent the distrust they might have in his servant Moses Secondly the Angels attend this holy service to declare the most excellent Majesty of God who in all his occasions is served and attended by an infinite number of that excellent nature Againe the Angels were there because they are most desirous of the good of mankind Heb. 1.14 Luke 15.7 10. and doe willingly attend the service of our salvation having joy among themselves in Heaven at the conversion of a sinner they were also to be witnesses betweene God and his people that the covenants might remaine established for ever therefore S. Paul saith The Law was ordained by the

how to judge our selves which would prove much more terrible unto us the manner of this judgement is thus when the Spirit of God moves in any mans heart a desire to understand themselves the soule assembles the powers of his understanding and exerciseth the severall faculties in severall assignements and within himselfe by serious meditation can frame the order of a court the man body and soule hee is the prisoner at the barre hee is also both the witnesse and the judge the matter of his inditement is sinne his conscience is his accuser Conscience is our accuser his memory doth produce the witnesses his judgement doth pronounce the sentence and the divell attend the execution thus are the faculties of the soule disposed in judging of it selfe the soule against the soule producing the Law proving the forfeit and urging the penalty Now that which hath most busie care in this spirituall and most serious examination and judgement of our selves is the conscience by which the soule hath true intelligence and understanding in what condition it is 1 Cor. 11.31.32 and by whose authority the judgement of that spirituall Court is swayed the conscience giving testimony of all our actions good and evill whereby our judging part is directed without errour and to make a just proceeding without all parriality and therefore saith the wise man Eccles 14.2 Blessed is he that is not condemned in his owne conscience For if there be any just matter of condemnation against us there is no favour can bribe our conscience for that will to our selves accuse our selves of every sinne and reduce to memory many our sinnefull actions which but for our conscience we could not remember and therefore the Scribes and Pharises that brought the woman taken in adultery to Christ John 8.9 and demanded what judgement shee deserved were remembred and accused by their owne conscience of their owne guilt of sinne whereof they seemed to bee innocent or ignorant when ●s Christ said Let him that is without sinne Vers 7. cast the fi st sto●e at her so that they that were so busie in the c●●●demnation of another were condemned themselves by the testimony of their owne conscience their conscience making them apply their accusations to themselves which but then they had urged against anothe● And doubtlesse The spirituall power of the conscience it is a wonderfull degree of power the conscience hath in the spirituall triall of our soules in two respects First it knoweth all our sins both secret and open no man being able to hide them from the knowledge of his conscience Secondly it spareth no man neither any sin but without respect of any it urgeth all against all men yea the very sinnes of our thoughts are not privileged but are even in the knowledge and hatred of our conscience therefore saith Sai●t Paul Rom. 2.15 Their conscience bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing or excusing one another and Almighty God when hee shall gather together all flesh to judgement and expose before the Saints and Angels the severall actions of every mans life whereby they may be judged accordingly either to mercy or justice He hath devised in his wisedome Our conscience shall reprove us in the day of judgement that every one should have a witnesse in himselfe which is their conscience the which in our life time doth register both our good and evill actions and at our judgement doth both witnesse and declare them and at that day the booke of every mans conscience is opened wherein is writ a true circumstance of every particular action of every mans life and these records these consciences are they that give evidence for and against our selves at the day of Gods generall judgement Rev. 20.12 c. And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened that is all mens consciences wherein was writ the report of all their actions Thus wee may see what the office of our conscience is both in respect of our owne spirituall judgement which is our reformation and in respect of the generall judgement of God which must be to every one The manner of the accusation of conscience either eternall salvation or damnation Now the manner that conscience useth in this administration is worth our consideration that all men generally have a conscience the which God hath united inseparably to our reasonable natures And therefore not onely they that are of Christian beliefe and have the rules of Religion to teach them but men meerely naturall and ignorant of divine worship doe suffer the affliction of their wounded conscience which though it be in a farre inferiour degree of that of understanding Christians yet it doth in some proportion exercise a judgement on the soule and doth both remember and terrifie them that grossely offend against the Law of nature which to them is the Law of reason and Religion this is proved by the same place of Scripture before alledged that the Bookes of all the dead were opened Rev. 20.12 the word all excludes none from them the accusation of conscience all are then afflicted by conscience but not all alike effectually The Infidells that know not God The difference in the conscience of Christians and Infide●ls but onely as they are taught by the wisdome of nature their conscience doth but remember the offender his great sins only and that sparingly and with favour a Christian conscience is more severe for it remembers all men all their sins without favour without exception there is this difference also that of Infidels and wicked men doth often remember the offender his sin but afflicts him not A Christian conscience hath griefe neither provokes him to repentance but the conscience of Christians doth fearefully remember the sinner his sinne and doth wound the soule of the offender with sorrow and spirituall griefe making him pursue the meanes of his reformation and hate the cause for which his conscience doth so afflict him The difference of conscience among Christians this is the difference betwixt the conscience of a Christian and an infidell There is also great difference of conscience amongst Christians for as in the common sort that professe the Christian Religion the greater part is by much the worse and the choice particulars being the true worshippers of God are but few drawne out from an inf nite number of people so also though all that have a Christian name professe to have a Christian conscience The conscience of a Reprobate yet their conscience is no better then their Christianity onely a bare name whereof they have no spirituall use nor comfort Conscience in the Reprobate is either silent or outragious the silent conscience in the Reprobate is when custome and long continuance of sinning doth dull the sense of conscience Looke to your conscience what conscience yee have for conscience will damne and conscience will save and

have deliverance from eternall captivity and torment Thirdly seeing Christ Jesus is the matter of the Covenant of grace betweene God and man it doth also most neerely concerne all men to endeavour all meanes possible A most needfull care is to be had of all men and by their eyes of faith to apprehend Christ who is onely to be apprehended by faith and so to receive the forme and impression of his sacred Image whereby they shall be truely interested in the possession of heaven when those that want this shall be rejected of God with this answer Away from me yee wicked for I know you not because yee have not the Image of my Sonne Fourthly seeing the whole matter of the Covenant of grace is fully contained in the words and workes of Jesus Christ and that all things necessary both to a civill and Christian life are contained in the Story of the holy Gospell it behoveth all men to give that sacred Word preheminence and that no man All directions must be conformed to Scripture neither any state or fellowship of men whatsoever presume to decree or ordaine Canons or Statutes Ecclesiasticall or civill which is any way repugnant or may prejudice the directions of Jesus Christ delivered and set forth in the most holy Gospell but as Christ our Prince our Priest and our Prophet hath given us either by doctrine or example Eccle. 18. Reve. 22.18 19 which needfull directions are necessary and of lawfull use either in a Christian Church or State so no Christian Church or State should presume to innovate or alter those directions which Christ our high Priest and great Prince hath left established unto us but in all directions both in Church and State there must be needfull care that every particular have relation to the truth of holy Scripture and be conformed to the example of Christ for whatsoever direction whether it concerne the soule or society if it bee not either necessarily grounded or agreeth with the Word of God is altogether unlawfull in a Christian Church and State How to square every particular action neither can dispensation make it lawfull or tollerable Therefore by the square of the Scriptures all men ought to measure the Lawfulnesse of every action and direction and that whatsoever shall disagree from God and the holy Scriptures may be judged error and intrusion of disorder and therefore of necessity to be spewed out of every Church and State of Christian men The meditation of this doctrine and these duties should make us serious in our Christian care let us not now content our selves to have onely a generall knowledge of Christ Jesus our Redeemer To consider God in his Majesty onely is terrible but let us labour to understand him in his double nature for if we consider him in his divinity as he is God onely it is a terrour to our remembrance but if we consider him in his double nature it gives us hope and alacrity for the Majesty of God is terrible to sinfull man but his mercy is comfortable and supporteth the falling spirits of our soules which would faint and die in despaire if the grace of God did not succour and give supply to such extremities therefore as God doth most delight himselfe in the use of his mercy so let us delight our soules most in the holy contemplation of his mercy and as Christ Jesus is the most lively character of his mercy Christ Iesus is the character of Gods mercy so let our cares bee most busie in the meditations of Christ his Gospell is the booke of Gods mercies wee have eyes of faith and can both see and read the stories of mercy let us therefore direct our labours and endeavour our studies in the most happy knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ Note and in him wee shall finde all goodnesse and infinite variety of matter in him wee shall finde the cause of our redemption Where to finde the cause of mans redemption wee shall finde it in his will wee shall finde it in his working he did cause our good he did effect it also in his will was the cause in his workes was the effect This godly meditation may kindle a zeale in them that were dead in sinne and provoke holinesse where it is not to see the infinite greatnesse Ier. 4.2 Psal 34.20 the infinite goodnesse of God omniscious of God omnipotent to yield himselfe to such a wonderfull difference of fortune he that had all happinesse in the highest degree breathing unutterable pleasure in the bosome of his Father and he that made the heavens and the earth should descend from heaven to earth and there assume the forme of wretched man and in that forme worke such righteousnesse as might satisfie God satisfie the Law for the sinne of man and in that forme to bee borne in poverty to live in contempt and die in disgrace and all this to be done by the onely begotten Sonne of God for the good of man a creature that was become apostate a traytor to God a rebell to his lawes and the very cause and actor of his disgrace death and Tragedy O that I had but words to expresse the imaginations of my soule what formes of mercy we may see in our Saviour Jesus what slackenesse what scantinesse We must meditate what we cannot expresse in words nay what foulenesse of desert we finde in our selves his good and our evill are infinite therefore what we cannot expresse in words or workes let us devise it in our thoughts let us learne to believe and know our Saviour to bee infinite good though we cannot expresse his infinite goodnesse what we can doe to his glory let us by all meanes endeavour it what wee cannot doe our selves let us perswade others let us endeavour any thing that may adde any thing to the honour of our Saviour for in gaining his favour we shall have the fulnesse of all favour and in losing his favour we have naught but tribulation and misery he is the seale of the covenant of grace betweene God and as if wee want our seale wee shall want our assurance and so lose the favour of God A dangerous forfeit and forfeit our eternall estate in Heaven Therefore let us esteeme the favour of our Saviour before all things let us esteeme all things nothing in respect of him if he subscribe not to our pardon wee are but dead the Law hath cast us without him there is no grace no hope of favour no hope of pardon let us direct our eyes of faith unto him upon the bended knees of our heart and when we have found him whom our soule loveth let us resort to him in daily prayer winne his favour by endeavour in faithfull and carefull serving him and make him the sole end of our desires who hath wrought who hath effected our salvation Thus by the assistance of his grace I purpose to doe in my owne particular

bee heard must pray heartily with all his heart with all his soule with all his strength Deut. 6.5 Thrice hee requireth all least wee should keepe a thought behind and God saith My sonne give me thy heart Pro. 23.26 that is which Christ calles spirit and truth without hypocrisie for untill wee doe give our hearts unto God our hearts are vaine barren and sinnefull and then it is the Spouse of Christ the Temple of the holy Ghost and the Image of GOD so changed reformed and refined that God calles it a new heart so that when the heart sets forward to prayer and is willing to serve God then all the members will follow after and yeeld consent the tongue will praise him the foote will follow him the eare will attend him the eye will watch him and the hands will serve him nothing will stay behind if the heart pricketh them forward such motion hath the heart that it maketh all the rest of the sences pliant nimble and currant about it and yeeld consent unto the heart Therefore it is almost as easie to speake well and doe well as to thinke well for if the heart indite a good matter no marvell though the tongue bee the Pen of a ready writer Psal 45.2 Heb. 3.12 but if the heart be dull all the sences are out of tune like a left hand they are unapt and untoward to any good the tongue will not praise because the heart doth not love the eare will not heare because the heart doth not mind the hand will not give because the heart doth not pitty the foot will not goe because the heart willeth not to stirre all depend and stay upon the heart Therefore the Lord requireth the heart which is the first motion to all goodnesse in man if the heart be perfect all is good for our heart gives consent to all our actions when wee speake wee should speake as if our heart did speake pray as if our heart did pray heare as if our heart did heare give as if our heart did give remit as if our heart did remit and counsell as if our heart did counsell as the Apostle saith Cor. 3.23 Doe all things heartily as unto the Lord and not as done unto men for there is nothing troublesome unto our conscience but that which goeth against the heart wee should therefore serve God with all our hearts for his honour and for his Names sake and not for our owne respects and our owne ends for he which giveth his heart unto God doth all things for the love of God and to his glory As Ioseph charged his brethren Gen. 42.15 c. that they should not come to him for more Corne unlesse they brought their brother Beniamin unto him whom they left behind at home so God will not have us to pray and seeke unto him for any thing Math. 15.8 unlesse wee bring our hearts unto him which oftentimes we leave behind the tongue that prayeth without the heart is a flattering tongue the eye without the heart be godly is a wicked eye the eare without the heart is a vaine eare the hand without the heart bee right is a false hand Dost thou thinke that God will accept a flattering tongue a wicked eye a vaine eare a false hand without the sacrifice of thy heart Saint Paul saith If I give all that I have and speake with the tongues of men and of Angels and have not love that is give not my heart 1 Cor. 13.1 c. it availeth nothing Therefore who so feareth the Lord it shall goe well with him at the last and in the day of his death hee shall be blessed the heart is the Temple of God and he that giveth it to any thing but to God committeth sacriledge and breaketh that Commandement Give unto God those things which are Gods that is Math. 22.21 an upright heart with due honour and worship Wherefore when you pray let your heart pray when you heare let your heart heare when you give let your heart give whatsoever you doe set the heart to doe it and let your godly heart guide you in all your actions if it be not so perfect as it should be yet God will accept it for his sake that gives it redeemed it to whom let us by faithfull and earnest prayer commit our hearts our soules our bodies and all that ever wee have unto his most gracious and mercifull protection and tuition Of Afflictions 2 Cor. 1.5 6 7. FOr as much as it is almost unpossible for the innocent and faithfull soule to attaine to the end of her progresse Acts 14.22 the heavenly Canaan but that shee must passe through the troubles crosses and miseries of this wicked and wretched world and whiles wee doe live in the flesh we be subject to all kind of afflictions by the speciall providence and purpose of God both thorough the weaknesse of our nature and also through the malice of this present world especially the poore the needy distressed and godly disposed persons Therefore it behoveth all men how to understand and undertake to beare and overcome the adversities which through the malice of the world and our owne infirmities cannot be avoyded yet there is nothing so troublesome and sorrowfull which the patient man and well disposed Christian is not able to overcome by the grace of his Saviour that strengtheneth him 1 Cor. 10.13 For the Apostle saith there hath no temptation taken you but such as followeth the nature of man but God is faithfull which shall not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able to beare but shall with the temptation make a way to escape indeed our whole nature is generally corrupt weake and feeble There be a passing number of the sorts of afflictions and the corruption thereof doth customeably breed certaine peculiar griefes to every age who can account the griefes of the flesh which cold heat and hunger thirst diseases and severall dangers doe enforce upon every age and condition but most generally afflictions doe chance unto men as base in condition and low in degree as contempt oppression pillage and poverty with all manner of wrongs and injuries whereby the meaner sort be without respect troden downe by the greater and stronger and be devoured in this world even as the smaller fishes be in the Sea by the greater and the mightier whereof Habakkuk doth complaine saying O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not heare mee I call unto thee whilest I suffer and thou wilt not save mee Habak 1. why dost thou shew mee wickednesse and trouble to see spoyling and violence before my face and they doe raise up strife and contention the Law is dissolved and judgement hath no execution Psal 82.2 3 4. for the wicked doth compasse about the righteous and wrong judgement proceedeth This manner of afflictions wherewith the poore and the widowes the fatherlesse desolate