you sée how the stones and timber of your houses shall descant vpon you And howseeuer you put on your brazen brows harden your hearts against these threatnings of the most terrible God and Lord of hosts yet one day you shall spite of your hearts will ye nill ye be brought forth vnto iudgement you shall once come to your reckoning you shall at last be apprehended conuented and arraigned at the bar of Gods tribunall seat before the great Judge of all the world Then sentence shall passe against you euen that most dreadfull sentence Goe ye cursed into hell-fire there to bee tormented with the Diuell and his Angels for euer O then woe woe vnto you For what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule saith our Lord Jesus Surely euen as much as if one should winne a farthing and lose an hundered thousand pound For if hée shall be cast into Hell-fire which hath not giuen of his owne goods righteously gotten as our Sauiour auoucheth where then shall hée be cast that hath stollen other mens goods And if he shal be damned that hath not clothed the naked what shall become of him that hath made naked them that were clothed Oh therefore repent in time O ye cruell oppressors séeke the Lord whilest he may be found call vpon him while he is néere lay aside your sauage cruelty visit the fatherlesse and widow in their distresse deale your bread to the hungry helpe them to their right which suffer wrong deale mercifully with your tenants racke not your rents any more pinch not the poore soules for whom Christ died pittie them I say but pinch them not deale kindly friendly with them remember your great accounts consider the shortnesse of your daies and the vanitie of your life rent your hearts and not your clothes Turne vnto the Lord with all your heart with wéeping fasting and mourning preuent Gods wrath with a sacrifice of téeres pacifie his anger with the calues of your lips and with a contrite spirit be gréeued for that which is past and amend that which is to come stand it out no more at the swords point against God For it will not boot you to striue he is too strong for you Your only wisdom is to come in Come in therfore come in ye rebellious generation submit your selues to the great King humble your selues vnder his mighty hand cast downe your swords and targets yéeld vnto your God So shall you escape the vengeance to come so shall God accept you haue mercy vpon you receiue you to fauor grant you a generall pardon for all your rebellions and admit you into the number of his faithfull and loyall subiects Phila. I doe conceiue by diuers speeches which you haue alledged that goods gotten by oppression and cruelty will neuer prosper long For oppressors coine their mony vpon their neighbours skins How then can it be blessed Theol. You haue spoken a truth For as it hath béen shewed before that those goods which are gotten by swearing and lying are cursed so all these that are gotten by oppression and violence are more cursed Therefore the Lord saith by his Prophet Ieremie as the Partrich gathereth the yong which shee hath not brought foorth so he that gathereth riches and not by right shall leaue them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall bee a foole and his name shall be written in the earth Phila. Would to God our Magistrates and Gouernours would take speedy order for the remedying of these things and for the redressing of such grieuous enormities as are amongst vs or that they themselues woulde step in and deliuer the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor Theol. Iob was an excellent man for such matters For it is said of him That he brake the iawes of the vnrighteous man and pluckt the prey out of his teeth Where we sée how Iob was a meanes to deliuer the innocent and to pull the Lambe out of the Lions clawes Moreeuer it is written of him in the same chapter that the blessing of him that was ready to perish came vpon him and that hée caused the widowes heart to reioyce that he was the eie to the blind the féet to the lame and the father to the poore and when he knew not the cause hée sought it out diligently Oh what a notable man was this Oh that we had many Iobs in these daies Wise Salomon doth most grauely aduise vs all to follow Iobs example in this behalfe Deliuer saith he them that are oppressed and drawne to death For shouldest thou withdraw thy self from them which go downe to the slaughter would to God that this holy counsell were well weighed and practised amongst vs Phila. I maruell much with what face these cruell oppressors can come before God in his holy Temple to pray and offer vp their sacrifices vnto him For we see many of them though they haue such foule hands and foule hearts as wee haue heard yet for all that will most impudently presume to come to the church and pray or at least when they are laide in their beds a nights and halfe asleepe then wil they tumble ouer their praiers or be pattering some Pater nosters Theol. Alas alas poore soules all that they do in matters of Gods worship is but hypocrisie dissimulation For in truth they care not for God they loue him but from the téeth outward their mouths are with him but their heart goeth after couetousnesse and their hands are full of blood And therefore God doth both abhorre them and their prayers For saith he Though they stretch out their hands yet will I hide mine eyes from them and though they make many prayers yet will I not heare them For their hands are full of blood Moreouer the holy Ghost saith He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law euen his praier is abhominable Dauid saith If I regard wickednes in my heart God will not heare my praier Our Lord Iesus also affirmeth that God heareth not sinners that is stubburne and carelesse sinners So then we may cléerely sée by all these testimonies of holy writ what account God maketh of the praiers of oppressors and all other prophane vngodly men namely that hée doth hate them and abhorre them as most loathsome and odious in his sight Phila. Now in conclusion shew vs the causes of oppression Theol. The causes are these Crueltie Couetousnesse Hard-heartednesse An euill conscience The Diuell Phila. Let vs heare also of the remedies Theol. The remedies are these Pitie Contentation Tender affections A good conscience Much prayer Phila. Now sir as you haue at large vttered your mind concerning these grosse corruptions of the world and haue plainely and euidently proued them to be the deadly poison of the soule so also I pray you satisfie vs in this whether they be not hurtfull also to the body
thereof and also to purchase vnto your selfe the sincere ministery of the Gospell and to make conscience to liue vnder it estéeming your selfe happy if you haue it though you want other things and vnhappie if you haue it not though you haue all other things For it is a péerelesse pearle an incomparable Jewell For the purchasing whereof we are aduised by our Lord Jesus to sel all that we haue rather then to goe without it Againe our Sauiour Christ giueth the same counsell to the Church of Laodicea in these words I counsell thee to buy of me gold tried by the fire that thou maiest be rich and white raiment that thou maist be cloathed and that thy filthy nakednesse do not appeare and annoint thine eies with eie-salue that thou maist see Where you sée the word of God is compared to most pretious gold whereby we are made spiritually rich and to glittering attire wherewith our naked soules are cloathed and to an eye-salue wherewith our spirituall blindnesse is cured We are aduertised also by Jesus Christ whose counsell is euer the best that wée should buy these things whatsoeuer they cost vs. The same counsel also giueth wise Salomon saying Buy the truth but sell it not So then you sée the counsell which héerein I giue you is not mine owne but the counsell of Iesus himselfe and Salomon the wise And who can or who dare except against their counsell Asune Is your meaning that men must of necessitie frequent preaching of the word will not bare reading serue the turne Theol. I tolde you before that reading is good profitable and necessary but yet it is not sufficient We must not content our selues with that onely but wée must goe further and get vnto our selues the sound preaching of the Gospell as the chiefest and most princiyall meanes which God hath ordained and sanctified for the sauing of men As it is plainely set downe 1. Cor. 1. 21. When as the world by wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue The meaning of it is that when as men neither by naturall wisedome nor the contemplation of the creatures could sufficiently attaine to the true knowledge of God the Lord according to his heauenly and infinite wisedome thought of an other course which is to saue men by preaching which the world counteth foolishnesse And by the way note that the preaching of the word is not a thing of humane inuention but it is Gods owne deuice and came first out of his braine as the next and néerest way to saue mens soules Wise Salomon also in the Booke of the Prouerbes telleth vs that the preaching of Gods word which hée calleth Uision vsing the word of the Prophets which called their Sermons Uisions is not a thing that may be spared or that wée may be at choise whether we haue it or no but he maketh it to be of absolute necessity vnto eternall life For he saith Where vision faileth the people are left naked So indéede it is in the Originall But the old translation giueth vs the sense thus Where the word of God is not preached there the people perish Then you sée that Salomon striketh it dead in telling vs that all they which are without preaching of the word are in excéeding danger of losing their soules Oh that men could be perswaded of this Saint Paul also saith that faith commeth by hearing the word preached For hée saith How can they heare without a Preacher If faith come by hearing the word preached then I reason thus No preaching no faith no faith no Christ no Christ no eternall life For eternall life is only in him Let vs then put them together thus Take away the word take away faith take away faith take away Christ take away Christ and take away eternall life So then it followeth Take away the word and take away eternall life Or wée may reade them backeward thus If we will haue heauen we must haue Christ If we will haue Christ we must haue faith If we will haue faith we must haue the word preached Then it followeth thus If we will haue heauen we must haue the word preached Then I conclude that preaching generally and for the most part is of absolute necessitie vnto eternall life as meate is of absolute necessity for the preseruation of our bodies as grasse and fodder are of absolute necessity for the vpholding of the life of beasts and water of absolute necessity for the life of fishes Then this being so men are with great care and conscience to heare the Gospell preached to frequent Sermons to resort much to Gods house and habitation where his honour dwelleth with Dauid to say One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visit his holy Temple With godly Mary to say One thing is necessary and so choose the better part With the poore Cripple at Bethesda to wait for the moouing of the waters by the Angell that his impotency may be cured I meane that wée should tie our selues to the first moouing of the spirituall waters of life by the Preachers of the Gospell that our spiritual impotency may be holpen and relieued For the ministery of the Gospell is that golden pipe whereby and where-through all the goodnesse of GOD all the swéetenesse of Christ and all heauenly graces whatsoeuer are deriued vnto vs. Which thing was shadowed in the law by the Pomegranates in the skirts of Arons garments and the golden Belles betwéene them round about that is a golden Bell and a Pomegranate a golden Bell and a Pomegranate The golden Belles did signifie the preaching of the Gospel and the Pomegranates the swéet sauour of Christes death Noting thereby that the swéet sauour of Christs death and all the benefits of his passion should be spread abroad by the preaching of the Gospell Thus you sée that if euer men purpose to be saued they must make more account of the preaching of the Gospel then they haue done not thinke as most men do that they may be without it yet doe well enough And some had as léeue be without it as haue it For it doth but disquiet them and trouble their consciences but woe be vnto such Phila. Yet we see where the word is soundly preached there be many bad people and the reasons thereof in mine opinion are two The one that God taketh his holy spirit from many in hearing the word so that their hearing is made vnfruitfull The other that the diuell hath an hundred deuices to hinder the effectuall working of the word so as it shall doe no good at all nor take any effect in multitudes of men But you Master Theologus can better laie open this matter then I. I pray you therefore
iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him with his stripes we are healed This great Prophet we sée doth plainly affirme that Christ suffered for our sins by his suffering we are saued The Prophet Ieremy testifieth the same thing saying Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I wil raise vnto Dauid a righteous branch a king shall raigne and prosper shall execute iudgment iustice in the earth In his daies Iudah shall be saued Israel shal dwell safely and this is the name wherby they shall call him the Lord our righteousnes This Prophet tumpeth with the other For he saith that Christ is the righteous branch that he is our righteousnes which is al one as if he had said our sins are pardoned only through him through him we are made righteous Moreouer he affirmeth that Iudah Israel that is the Church shall be saued by him The Prophet Zachary that I may speake it with reuerence telleth the same tale word for word Hée auoucheth the same thing with the other two Prophets For he saith In that day a Fountaine shall be opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannesse The meaning of the prophet is that in the daies of Christs kingdome the fountaine of Gods mercy in Christ should be opened and let out to wash away the sinnes and vncleannesse of the Church So then we sée that these thrée great witnesses doe all agrée in this that through Christ onely wée are washed from our sins and through him onely wée are made righteous Séeing then that eternall life is onely in the sonne therefore he that hath the son hath life Be of good courage therefore O Asunetus for no doubt you haue the son therfore eternal life Feare not your sins for they cannot hurt you For as all the righteousnes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the most righteous men that euer liued vpon the face of the earth if it were yours could doe you no good without Christ so all the sinnes in the world can do you no hurt being in Christ For there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Plucke vp a good heart therfore be no more heauy and sadde for if you be found in Christ clothed with his perfect righteousnesse being made yours through faith what can the diuel say to you what can the Law doe They may wel hisse at you but they cannot sting you they may grin at you but they cannot hurt you For who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God maketh request for vs. Reioice in the Lord therfore againe I say reioice For greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world our Lord Jesus is stronger then all None can plucke you out of his hands he is a strong Mediator he hath conquered all our spiritual enemies he hath ouer come hell death damnation he hath led captiuitie captiue he hath spoiled principalities powers and hath made an open shew of them triumphed ouer them in his crosse He hath most triumphantly said O death I will be thy death O graue I wil be thy destruction O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorie Séeing then you haue such a Mediator and high Priest as hath conquered the hellish armie and subdued all infernall power what néed you to doubt what néed you to feare any more Moreouer you are to vnderstand and to be perswaded that Gods mercy is excéeding great towards penitent sinners all such as mourne for their transgressions according as he saith At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart he will put them all out of his remembrance The Prophet Dauid doth most liuely fully describe vnto vs the mercifull nature of God in the 103. Psalme where he saith The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger of great kindnes he wil not alwaies chide neither keepe his anger for euer he hath not dealt with vs after our sins nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercy towards those that feare him As far as the East is from the West so far hath he remoued our sins from vs. As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust The Historie of the lost sonne doth most notably set foorth the wonderfull mercie of God towards penitent sinners There is shewed how the Lord doth embrace tender make much of such poore sinners as haue broken and contrite hearts for their sinnes for it is saide that when the father saw his repenting sonne a great way off he had compassion on him and ran and fell on his necke and kissed him and cloathed him with the best robe put it on him put a ring on his hand shooes on his féet and caused the fat calfe to be killed for him Euen so the euer lasting father doth reioyce at the conuersion of any of his lost sons Yea there is ioy in the presence of the angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth Moreouer the Lord doth most liuely expresse his merciful nature and disposition in this that he is very loath we should perish willingly cast away our selues Therfore often in the holy scriptures he doth mourne for vs bewaile our wretchednes and taketh vp many pitifull complaints and lamentations for vs saying Oh that my people had hearkned vnto me and Israel had walked in my waies And againe Oh that thou hadst hearkened vnto my commandements then had thy prosperity been as the floud and thy righteousnesse as the waues of the Sea Againe he mourningly complaineth by his Prophet Hosea saying Oh Ephraim what shall I do vnto thee Oh Iudah how shall I entreat thee And in another place What could I doe more vnto my vineyard that I haue not done Mark here how compassionately the Almighty God doth yearn ouer vs and euen as it were blée◠vpon our wounds The Apostle also doth note the rich mercy maruellous loue of God to mākind in this that he doth beséech vs pray vs by the ministers of the gospel that we would be reconciled vnto him The words are these Now then are we embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs sted that you be reconciled vnto God Is it not a strange thing that the omni potent God should fall to intreating of vs poore wretches It is all one as if a King should intreat a begger whom
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
how I can Phila. If you doe but giue vs some taste of them it shall suffice Theol. Then will I briefly dispatch things in order And first of all I reason from the wordes of the Apostle before alleadged that if couetousnes and the loue of meny be the root of all euill then it is the root of idelatry the root of murther the root of theft the root of lying the root of swearing the root of symony the root of bribery the root of vsury the root of lawing the root of all contentions in the Church and the root of all brabling and brawling in the Common weaith Moreouer it spreadeth far néere it dwelleth in euery house in euery towne in euery city it prieth into euery corner it creepeth into euery heart it anoieth our Physitians it infecteth our Diuines it choaketh our Lawyers it woundeth our Farmers it baneth our Gentlemen it murthereth our trades-men it be witcheth our Merchants it stingeth our mariners Oh couetousnes couetousnes it is the poison of al things the wound of Christianitie the bane of all goodnesse For couetousnesse marres all it marreth all euery where in all places in all degrées amongst all persons It marreth marriages for it coupleth young to old and old to young It marreth hospitality it marreth all good house-kéeping it marreth almes déeds it marreth Religion it marreth Professors it marreth Ministers it marreth magistrats it marreth all things And therefore what sinne so grieuous what euill so odious what vice so enormous as this For this cause it was pretily said of one that all other vices are but Factors to Couetousnes and serue for Porters to fetch and bring in her liuing She maketh symonie her drudge bribery her drudge vsury her drudge deceit her drudge swearing her drudge lying her drudge O what a diuell incarnate is this that setteth so many vices a worke and hath so many Factors and vnderlings to serue her turne Are they not in a prety case thinke you that are infected with this sin Oh they are in a most miserable case It had béene good they had neuer béene borne For being aliue they are dead dead I meane in their soules For Couetousnes is soules poyson and soules bane Couetousnes is the strongest poison to the soule that is It is a confection of all the Spiders Toades Snakes Adders Scorpions Basiliskes and all other the most venemous vermine of the whole world If the diuell can get vs to take downe but one penny-weight of it it is enough he desires no more For presently we fal down stark dead Therefore the Apostle saith They that will be rich he meaneth in all haste by hooke or by crooke fall into temptations and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition For as Couetousnesse is ranke poison to the soule so the Apostle compareth it to the déepe gulfe wherein thousands are drowned And therefore he addeth in the same place But thou O man of God flie these things In which words he doth most grauely aduise all the Ministers of the word of God to take héed of it For as it is dangerous to all men so it is most dangerous and offensiue in the preachers of the Gospell Phila. Indeede it must needs be graunted that Couetousnesse is a very grieuous sinne yea euen a monster with seuen heads Yet for all that wee see in this our iron age how many of all sorts are infected with it and how few will giue any thing to any holy vse Most men now adayes haue nothing to spare for Christ nothing for his Gospell nothing for his Church nothing for the poore children of God and needy members of Christ Christ is a little beholden vnto them for they will do nothing for him no not so much as speake a good word in his cause or the cause of his poore Saints Euery little thing with them is too much for God and good men For when they come to giuing vnto holy and necessary vses then they will sticke at a penny and scotch at a great and euery thing is too much But to bestow vpon themselues nothing is too much Nothing is too much for lust for pleasure for backe bellie and building for cards and dice for whores and harlots for rioting and reuelling for Tauernes and brothel-houses Hundreds and thousands are little enough and too little for their expences this way It is lamentable to consider what masses of mony are spent and bestowed vpon these things But alas alas how heauie an account are they to make in the day of the Lord which so spend their lands liuings and reuenues I quake to thinke what shall become of them at last It were well for them if they might be in no worse case then a Crocodile or a curre dogge Theol. It is most certaine that you say and we all haue great cause to lament it to take vp the old complaint of the Prophet Ieremie saying From the least of them euen vnto the greatest of them euery one is giuen vnto Couetousnesse and from the Prophet euen vnto the Priest they all deale falsly And another Prophet saith they build vp Zion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquitie The heads thereof iudge for rewards and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof prophecy for mony yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst vs no euill can come vnto vs. But these holy Prophets and men of God doe fully describe vnto vs the state of our time wherein though all be corrupted yet we beare our selues stoutly vpon God we presume of his fauour because of our outward profession and say in our hearts No euill can come vnto vs. Asune You say very true Sir The world was neuer so set vpon couetousnesse and men were neuer so greedily giuen to the world as now adaies And yet in truth there is no cause why men should be so sharpe set vpon this world For this world is but vanity and all is but pelfe and trash Fie on this mucke Phila. Many such men as you are can skill to giue good words and say Fie on this world al is but vanity and yet for all that in your daily practise you are neuerthelesse set vpon the world nor neuer the more seeke after God You heare the word of God no whit the more you read no whit the more you pray neuer the more which euidently sheweth that all your faire speeches and protestations are nought else but hypocrisie and leazing Your heart is not with God for all this All is but words there is no such feeling in the heart And therefore I may iustly say to you as God himselfe said to his people This people haue said well all that they haue said Oh that there were an heart in them to feare me and keep my commandements Theol. His wordes indéed are good if his heart were according For all things considered there is no
yet appeare what they shall bee but when hee commeth they shall bee made like vnto him Their names are already taken and entred into the booke of life and one day they shal be crowned One day it shall be said vnto them Come yee blessed c. One day they shall enioy his presence where is fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there is pleasure for euermore Psal 16. Therefore let all Gods secret ones reioyce sing and be mery For howsoeuer in this world they be contemned trodden vnder the foot made no bodies and walke as shadowes being counted as the very rags of the earth and the abiects of the world yet the time wil come when their happinesse and felicitie shall be such as neuer entred into the heart of man it is endlesse vnspeakeable and vnconceiueable Phila. I doe now plainely see that there is no cause why Gods people should be too heauy and dumpish in their afflictons I see that though they be not free from all afflictions yet are they free from all hurtfull afflictions For no rod no crosse no chastisement is hurtfull vnto them but all in the conclusion commeth to a blessed issue Theol. You haue vttered a great and a most certaine truth For there is no affliction or trial which God imposeth vpō his children but if they endure it quietly trust in his mercy firmely and tary his good pleasure obediently it hath a blessed and comfortable end Therefore the people of God may well be merry in the middest of their sorrowes They may with patience comfort submit themselues to their Fathers corrections taking them patiently and euen kissing his holy rod and saying in themselues Sith my Father will haue it so I am content séeing it is his minde I am willing withall As old Ely said It is the Lord let him doe what hee will And as Dauid in like submission said in a certain case Behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good in his owne eyes And in another place he saith I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou Lord hast done it Behold here then the patience of Gods Saints and their humble submission vnto his most holy will They know all shall end well and that maketh them glad to thinke of it I conclude then that the children of God are happy in what state soeuer they are happy in trouble happy out of trouble happy in pouertie happy in plenty blessed in sicknesse blessed in health blessed at home likewise and abroad and euery way blessed But on the contrary the wicked are cursed in what state soeuer they are cursed in sicknesse cursed in health cursed in plenty cursed in pouertie cursed in prosperitie cursed in aduersitie cursed in honour cursed in dishonour For all things worke together for their destruction Nothing doth them any good They are not any thing the better either for Gods mercies or iudgements All weathers are alike vnto them They are alwayes the same in prosperitie and aduersity they are no changelings And as we say A good yeare doth not mend them nor an ill yeare paire them Phila. You haue long insisted vpon this point Now proceed to the fourth signe of a mans damnation which is the contempt of the Gospell and lay open both the greatnesse of the sinne and the danger of it Theol. This sinne is of another nature then the former It is a sinne against the first Table It toucheth the person of God himselfe For to contemne the Gospell is to contemne God himselfe whose Gospell it is If to contemne the Ministers of the Gospell be to contemne God and Christ as our Lord Jesus auoucheth Luke 10. 16. how much more then to contemne the Gospell it selfe Therefore it is dangerous meddling in this sinne It is to meddle with edged tooles to meddle with princes matters to touch the Arke to come héere the holy mountain which all were things full of great perill and danger Yea it is to spill the Sacrament It is Noli me tangere It is to raile at a King It is to spit God in the face It is high treason against the King of glory Therefore this sinne of all other can neuer be endured and may at no hand be borne withall For can a mortall King endure the contempt of his lawes can he put vp the contempt of his owne person Can he abide any to spit at his Scepter or to throw a stone at it No surely hée will not Therefore the holy Ghost saith He that despiseth Moses Lawes dieth without mercy vnder two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee bee worthy which treadeth vnder foot the Sonne of God and counteth the bloud of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith hee was sanctified and doth despise the Spirit of grace And againe If they were punished which obeied not the word spoken by Angels how shall wee escape if we neglect so great saluation If they escaped not which refused him that spake on earth how shall wee escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from heauen Therefore our Sauiour Christ saith That it shall be easier for Sodome in the day of iudgement then for the contemners of the Gospell Moreouer he saith The Queene of the South shall rise vp in iudgement against all froward despisers of his Word For she came from the vttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and behold a greater then Salomon is heere For Christ is greater then Salomon his doctrine and wisedome farre more excellent And therefore their sinne is the greater which contemne it They shall neuer be able to answer it For the spirit saith Hee that despiseth the word shall be destroied S. Peter also telleth vs that the old world and men of the first age are now in hell fire because they both despised were disobedient to the doctrine of Christ which though not personally yet in his diuine spirit he spake by Noah So then we sée clearely God will neuer take it at our hands that his glorious Gospell should be so vniuersally openly contemned as it is Phila. You haue spoken most truly and also shewed it out of the Scriptures that the contempt of the Gospell is a most hainous sin yet for all that it is most lamentable to consider how little men esteeme it and how light they make of it Many regard it no more then an eg-shell they thinke it is not worth a gally half-penny they will not goe to the doore to heare it they take it to be but a breath from vs and a sound to them and so the matter is ended They esteeme it but as a noise or empty sound in the aire or as a voice afar off which a man vnderstandeth not they neuer felt the power of it in their hearts Therefore they preferre their sheep their Farmes their Oxen their profits their pleasure yea euery
whatsoeuer a man sweareth by he calleth it as a witnesse vnto his conscience that hée speaketh the truth and lieth not which thing onely belongeth vnto God And therefore in swearing by creatures wée doe rob God of his honour Therefore to sweare by the crosse of the money or by bread or a mouse foot or the fire which they call Gods Angell or any such like is a robbing of God of his Honour and an ascribing of that to the creature which is proper onely to the Creator Asune What say you then to them which sweare by the Masse and by the Rood Theol. Their sinne is as great as the other For it is an hainous thing to sweare by idoles as S. Mary our Ladie by the Masse by the Rood c. The Prophet Amos saith They that sweare by the sinne of Samaria and that say thy God O Dan liueth euen they shall fall and neuer rise vp againe To sweare by the sinne of Samaria is to sweare by Idols for Samaria was full of idols Moreouer the Lord threatneth by the Prophet Zephany that he will cut off them that sweare by the Lord and by Malcham or by their King For the idolaters called their idol Molech their King Asune Seeing you condemne both swearing by creatures and swearing by idols what then must we sweare by You would haue vs sweare by nothing belike Theo. In our ordinary communication wée must not sweare at all either by one thing or another But as our Lord teacheth vs our communication must be yea yea nay nay For whatsoeuer is more then these commeth of euill And Saint Iames saith Before all things my brethren sweare not neither by heauen nor by earth nor by any other oath but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay lest you fall into condemnation Antile It seemeth you are an Anabaptist You condemne all swearing you will haue no swearing at all Theol. Not so For though I condemne swearing by creatures swearing by idols and vaine swearing yet doe I allow swearing before a Magistrate and priuately also in matters of waight and importance for the further bolting out of the truth This is warranted from Gods owne mouth where he saith Thou shalt sweare The Lord liueth in truth in iudgement and in righteousnesse And in these cases onely the name of God is to be sworne by as it is written Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and thou shalt serue him and shalt cleaue vnto him and shalt sweare by his name Asune May wee not sweare by God in our common talke Theol. At no hand For that is to take the name of God in vaine which you know is forbidden And one of the wise Heathen could say thus When an oath is laid vpon thee vndertake it for two causes either to deliuer thy selfe from some grieuous crime and accusation or else to preserue thy friends from danger So then that Heathen man in common talke wil not allow any oath much lesse to sweare by God Another saith Auoid an oath though thou sweare truely So then wée sée vaine swearing condemned euen by Heathen Asune Yea but for all that we must sweare men will not beleeue vs else Theol. Neither yet will they beléeue you any whit the more for your swearing For it doth manifestly appeare that thousands make no conscience at all of it They make no more conscience of it then of cracking of nuts and therefore what wise man will beléeue them though they sweare neuer so much But if you would make conscience alwaies to speake the truth from your heart without any oathes at all you should be better beléeued of all honest and wise men then otherwise with a thousand oathes Antile It is the custome to sweare Theol. But a wicked and diuellish custome Antile I hope sir we may sweare as long as we sweare truely and sweare by nothing but that which is good Theol. It hath béene answeared before that in vaine matters you may not sweare at all Antil As long as we doe no worse than that I hope God will hold vs excused Theol. God will not hold you excused when you breake his commandements and continue so doing Antil What say you then to them that sweare wounds and blood and such like in a brauery thinking that it setteth out their speech very well Theol. Hell gapeth for them And they shall know one day what it is to blaspheme God Antil What may we thinke of such as sweare by Gods life Gods soule Gods body Gods heart Theol. That their cause is most wofull and dangerous I quake at the naming of them They are most horrible monstrous and outragious blasphemies enough to make the stones in the stréet to cracke and the clouds to fall vpon our heads And we may thinke that all the Diuels in hell are in a readinesse to cary such blasphemous villaines headlong into that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for euer Antil Doe you find in the Scriptures that God will so seuerely punish swearers Theol. Yes verily For besides that which hath béene spoken before wée haue diuers other examples First of Senacherib the King of Ashur who for his outragious blasphemies against the God of heauen was in most fearefull and tragicall manner slame by his own sonnes Adramelech and Sharezer and that in the Temple when he was worshipping his Idoll God Nisroch And yet behold a more fearefull example of Gods wrath against blasphemers Wée reade that an hundred thousand of the Aramites were slaine by the Israelites in one day for blaspheming of God And seuen and twenty thousand being left and flying into the city of Aphek for refuge were all slaine by the fal of an huge great wall What should I héere speake how the seuen sonnes of Saul the King of Israel were hanged vp before the Lord in mount Gibeah for the breach of the oath made to the Gibeonites long before In these examples we may plainly sée that the iust God euen in this life sometimes will be reuenged of blasphemers and oath-breakers And therefore the very Heathen in all ages haue béene very carefull for the performing of oaths as Pharaoh King of Egypt willed Ioseph to goe vp into the land of Canaan to bury his father according to his oath made to his father Phila. Me thinketh these so terrible fearfull examples of Gods vengeance against swearers and blasphemers should strike some terror into the hearts of our blasphemers Theol. One would thinke so indéed if any thing could doe it But alas they are so hardened in it and in all other sinne that nothing can mooue them except peraduenture there were a Law made that euery swearer and blasphemer should hold his hand a quarter of an houre in boiling lead This or some such like seuere law might peraduenture curbe them a little and make them bite in their oaths But otherwise they will neuer feare any thing till they be in hell
best course to be taken what in sound wisedome is to be done both to preuent future dangers and to continue Gods fauours and mercies still vpon vs. Theol. The best and surest course that I can consider or conceiue of is to repent heartily for sinnes past and to reforme our liues in time to come to seeke the Lord while he may be found and to call vpon him while he is néere to forsake our owne waies and our owne imaginations and to turne vnto him with all our hearts with wéeping with fasting and with mourning as the Prophet Ioel aduiseth For our God is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindenesse and repenteth him of the euill All the Prophets doe counsell vs to follow this course and doe plainely teach that if we all from the highest to the lowest doe méet the Lord with vnfained repentance and offer him the sacrifice of a contrite spirit vndoubtedly hée will be pacified towards vs and be mercifull to our transgressions This is most plainely set downe in the seuenth of Ieremy where the Lord saith thus to his people If you amend and redresse your waies and your workes If you execute iudgement betwixt a man and his neighbour and oppresse not the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow and shead no innocent blood in this place neither walke after other gods to your destruction then will I let you dwell in this place euen in the land which I gaue vnto your fathers for euer and euer So likewise he saith by the same Prophet Execute yee iudgement and righteousnesse and deliuer the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor and vex not the fatherlesse the widow or the strangers doe no violence nor shead innocent blood in this place For if you doe this thing then shall the Kings sitting vpon the Throne of Dauid enter in by the gates of this house and ride vpon chariots and vpon horses both hee and his seruants and his people And againe O yee disobedient children returne and I will heale your rebellion The Lord also saith by his Prophet Esay If yee consent and obey yee shall eate the good things of the land but if yee refuse and bee rebellious yee shall be deuoured with the sword For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it The Prophet Hosea saith Come let vs returne to the Lord for hee hath spoiled and he will heale vs he hath wounded vs and he will binde vs vp And againe O Israel returne vnto the Lord for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie and I will heale thy rebellion and will loue thee freely for mine anger is turned away from thee I will be as the deaw vnto Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and fasten his root as the tree of Lebanon his braunches shall spread and his beautie shall bee as the Oliue trée and his smell as Lebanon The Prophet Michah telleth vs what is good for vs and what is our best course and what the Lord requireth at our hands namely these foure things To doe iustly to loue mercie to humble our selues and to walke with our God The Prophet Amos giueth the same counsell saying Seeke the Lord and yee shall liue Seeke good and not euill Hate the euil and loue the good and establish iudgment in the gate It may bee that the Lord of Hostes will bee mercifull vnto the remnant of Ioseph Also the Lord himselfe saith If this Nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague I thought to bring vpon them Iere. 8. 8. Thus we doe plainely sée what aduice and counsell the Prophets and holy men of God doe giue vnto vs. The summe of all is this that if we do truely repent and turne vnto him with all our hearts studying to obey him and walke in his waies then he wil grant vs any fauor that we wil require at his hands For euen as woolpacks and other sost matter beateth backe and dampeth the force of al shot so penitent melting and soft hearts doe beat backe the shot of Gods wrath and turne away his vengeance from vs. Moreouer wée may obserue in all experience that when potentates are offended or any great man hath conceiued a displeasure against a poore man that then he must runne and ride send presents vse his friends breake his sléeps and neuer be quiet till he haue pacified him Euen so must wée deale with our God séeing he hath taken a displeasure against vs. Oh therfore that we would spéedily vse all possible meanes to pacifie his wrath Oh that we would with one heart and voice euery one of vs from the highest to the lowest humble our selues before our God forsake our former euill waies be grieued for that we haue done and purpose neuer to do the like againe Oh that it might go to the hearts of vs that we haue so often so grieuously offended so louing a God and so mercifull a Father Oh that we would awakeonce at last rowse vp our drowzie hearts ransack our sleepy consciences crying out against our sins that our sins might neuer cry out against vs Oh that wée would iudge our selues accuie our selues endite our selues and condemne our selues so should wée neuer be adiudged accused endited or condemned of the Lord Oh that all hearts might sob all soules might sigh all loynes might be smitten with sorrow all faces gather blacknesse and euery man smite himselfe one the thigh saying What haue I done Oh that both Magistracy Ministery and communaltie would purpose and vow and euen take a bond of themselues that from hence foorth and from this day forward they would set their hearts to séeke the Lord and that they would wholly giue vp themselues to his obedience Oh that all men women and children would feare God kepe his commandements would eschew euill and doe good would studie to please God in allthings and to be fruitfull in all good workes making conscience to performe the duties of their generall callings and duties of their speciall callings duties of the first Table and duties of the second Table that so God might be sincerely worshipped his name truely reuerenced his Sabbaths religiously obserued that euery man would deale kindely mercifully iustly vprightly with his neighbour that there might be no complaining no crying in our stréets Oh I say againe againe that if all of vs of what estate degrée or condition soeuer would walke in the paths of our God then doubtlesse we should liue and see good daies all future dangers should bée preuented our peace prolonged our state established our King preserued and the Gospell continued Then should we stil enioy our liues our goods our lands our liuings cur wiues our children our houses and tenements our Orchards and Gardens yea as the Prophet saith we should eat the good things of the land spending our daies in much comfort peace and tranquillity and leaue
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
and the starres shall fall from heauen Meaning thereby that the most glorious and bright-shining creatures shall be clouded and obscured by the vnconceiuable brightnesse of Christs comming Moreouer is noted vnto vs the terrour of Christs comming in this that immediatly before it the very sea shall quake and tremble and in his kind crie out For it is said that the sea shall roare and make a noise in most doleful and lugubrious manner and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shall come on the world for the powers of heauen shall be shaken Oh what shal become of swearers drunkards whore-mongers such like in that day They shall séeke to créepe into an auger hole to hide their heads They shall then cry wo and alas that euer they were borne They shal wish that they had neuer béen borne or that their mother had born them toads And as it is said in the Apocalyps They shall say to the mountains and rocks Fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe For the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand We sée therfore that the comming of Christ shall not be base and contemptible as in his first visitation but it shall bée most terrible princely and glorious And as the Scriptures doe affirme that his comming shall bee with great terror and dread so also they doe shew that it shall bée very sudden and vnlooked for For the day of the Lord shall come as a theefe in the night as the trauell that commeth vpon a woman As a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the earth That is it shall suddenly catch and intangle all men wheresoeuer they bée in the world As the Earthquake which was some twentie yéeres agoe did suddenly take the world tardy they not thinking of any such matter So shall the comming of the sonne of man to iudgement take the world tardy and vnprepared For few there be that thinke of any such matter Sith therefore the second appearing of Christ shall bée with such suddennesse let vs feare and tremble for all sudden things are to be feared Phila. Well sir as you haue shewed vs the terror and suddennesse of Christs comming so shew vs the purpose and end of his comming Theol. The principall end of his comming shall be to kéepe a generall audit to call all men to an account to haue a reckening of euery mans particular actions to reward them according to their déeds as it is written The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then shall he giue to euery man according to his deeds Againe the Apostle saith to the Corinthians We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his body according to that which he hath done whether it be good or euill Héere wée doe plainely sée that the end of Christs comming shall be to iudge euery man according to his works that is as his works shall declare him and testifie of him and of his faith In another place the Apostle saith That the end of his comming shall be to render vengeance vnto them which know not God and which obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Woe then vnto two sorts of men the ignorant the disobedient For the Apostle saith flatly they both shall be damned Me thinketh both the ignorant disobedient all other prophane men shold tremble to thinke of this that Christ shall come to render vengeance vnto them If we did certainely know that the Spaniard should inuade our Nation ouerrunne it and make a conquest of it that he should shead our blood destroy vs and make a massacre amongest vs yea that wée should sée our wiues our children our kindred and deare friends slaine before our faces so as their blood should streame in the stréets what a wonderfull feare and terrour would it strike into vs we would quake to thinke of it Shall we not then be much more afraide of the damnation of our soules Shall we not quake to think that Christ shall com to take vengeance If the Lion roare all the beast of the field tremble and shall not we be afraid of the roaring of the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah But alas we are so hard hearted and so rockt aslepe in the cradle of security that nothing can mooue vs nothing can awake vs. Phila. Now as you haue shewed vs the terror and end of Christs comming so also declare the manner of it Theol. The manner of it is this that the whole world shal be cited to appeare personally at the generall Assises before the great Iudge No man shal be admitted to appeare by his atturney but all must appeare personally None shall be suffered to put in sureties but all must come in their owne persons without baile or maine prize as it is written We must all appeare high and lowe rich and poore king and begger one and other as it is plainly set down in the 20. Chapter of the Reuelation where the spirit saith I sawche dead both great and small stand before God and the sea gaue vp the dead which were in her and death and hell deliuered vp the dead which were in them So then it is cléere that all without exception shall make their appearance at the great and dreadfull Assises Oh what a great day will that be when as the whole world shall appeare together at once If a king marry his sonne and dif other Kings Emperours Dukes Nobles to the marriage with all their pompe traine we vse to say Oh what a mariage what a méeting what a doe what a great day will there be but when the vniuersal world shal be assembled together not only al Monarks Kings and Princes but all other that euer haue béen from the beginning of the world al that are and shal be what a day will that be No maruel therefore though the Scriptures call it the day of God and the great day of the Lord. Now then when all flesh is come together to make their personall appearance then shall the son of God aseend vnto his tribunall seat with great Maiestie and glory For a fiery streame shall issue and come foorth before him thousand thousand Angels shall accompany him and minister vnto him and ten thousand thousand shall stand before him the iudgement shall be set and the books opened All the Saints also and true worshippers of God shall attend him and accompany him vnto his iudgement seat And not onely so but they shall sit vpon the Bench and Throne with him as it is written The Saints shall
apparell 49 51 Whooredome and the dangers thereof 54 Excuses of whooredome 56 The fearefull effects of whooredome 60 The punishment of whooredome 56 57 The causes of whooredome 63 Remedies against whooredome 67 Couetousnesse what ibid. Couetousnesse wherein it doth consist 68 Foure notes to discerne the inward couetousnesse of the heart by 69 The euill effects of couetousnesse 71 The vanitie of this world and all worldly things 76 Excuses of couetousnesse 90 Remedies against couetousnesse 97 Gods prouidence for his children in the things of this life 98 For the things of this life Gods blessing is all in all 104 Outward meanes alone do not vphold vs. ibid. 105 Gods children sometimes are brought to great distresse 108 Gods children alwaies sure to be deliuered out of trouble 113 The great priuiledges of Gods children 116 Contempt of the Gospell a grieuous sinne 120 Contempt of the Gospell punished 121 Contempt of the Gospell the sinne of this age 122 Contempt of the Gospell a foresigne of wrath to the Land 130 Swearing and the punishments thereof 138 Excuses for swearing 146 Causes of swearing 149 Remedies against swearing ibid. Lying flattering and dissembling 150 Punishments for lying 158. 159 Excuses of lying 160 Causes of lying 161 Remedies against lying ibid. Drunkennesse and all the euill effects thereof 163 Excuses of drunkennesse 167 Causes of drunkennesse 167 Remedies for drunkennesse 168 Idlenesse and the wofull effects thereof 174 Causes of Idlenesse 179 Remedies against Idlenesse 179 Oppression a most horrible sinne 180 Many woes denounced against oppressours 181 Sundry kinds of Oppression 182. 183 Causes of Oppression 197 Remedies of Oppression 197 Sinne hurteth men in their bodies goods and name ibid. Sinne bringeth great danger to the whole Land 205 Nine predictions of wrath to the Land 210 The praiers and teares of the faithfull keepe backe the wrath of God from the Land 213 Praiers of the elect of great force 214 The wicked fare the better for Gods children 220 The best course to preuent Gods iudgements and to keepe backe his wrath from our Land 224 Tenne speciall things concerning the continuance of our peace 230 Nine signes of a found soule 232 Saint Peters eight markes of saluation ibid. Seuen infallible tokens of saluation 223 Assurance of saluation in this life prooued 352 Obiections against the assurance of saluation answered 237. The ground-worke of our saluation 241 Some doubts may stand with the assurance of faith 242 It is no presumption to bee perswaded of our saluation 244 The wicked cannot be assured of their saluation 245 The security of saluation which the wicked bragge of is vaine 247 Nine things required of all that shall be saued by Christ 250 Many say they hope to be saued by Christ but few can giue a reason why Christ died for them particularly and by name 252 Few shall be saued proued by scriptures reasons and examples 256 But few euen in the visible Church shall be saued 262 Obiections against the small number of the elect answered 263 Obiections of Atheists and vnbeleeuers answered 264 Reading of the Scriptures much commended 272 Deferring of repentance dangerous 277 God no authour of mans condemnation but himselfe 278 Obiections against predestination answered 279. 280 Gods decree no cause of Adams fall 283 The decree of reprobation prooued 284 Prescience in God what 285 The decree of election prooued 286 The first mouiue of election is in God himselfe 287 Fore-seene faith and fore-seene works no motiues of saluation ibid. Faith dependeth vpon election not election vpon faith 288 A reason yeelded why there is no end of cauilling and obiecting against the truth 292 Nine barres out of heauen 293 Nine gates into hell 294 The ignorance of the world 301 The answers of ignorant men to the grounds of religion 319 The meanes to get out of ignorance 322 Ignorance a most dangerous thing 323. 324 The charge of Ministers exceeding waightie and most carefully to be looked vnto 328 What is the best course for Ministers to take to bring the people out of ignorance 331 What is the best course for the people to take that they may be brought out of the bondage of sinne and captiuitie of Satan 333 Preaching a matter of absolute necessitie vnto eternal life 337 Without preaching the people are in great danger of losing their soules 336 Sathans cunning in frustrating the hearing of the Word and making all preaching vtterly vnprofitable 339 The Preachers counsell to the ignorant man 341 Six great dangers in sinne 342 Six most fearefull euents of sinne 343 God in all ages hath seuerely punished the transgressers of his law 344 Euery sinne though neuer so little in our eies is hainous and capitall because it is against a person of infinite maiestie 346 Nine profitable considerations 346 If men would leaue words and fall to doing great good would come of it 348 Nine things much to be thought vpon 350 The description of Christs comming to iudgement 351 The terror the suddennesse the end the maner and the vse of Christs second comming described 352 353 The torments of hell with the extremitie perpetuitie and remedilesnesse thereof described 361 The ignorant man vpon the hearing of the day of iudgment and hell fire laide open is pricked in his conscience bewaileth his former life repenteth earnestly for his sinne and ignorance and desireth spirituall Physicke and comfort of the Preacher 374 The Preacher ministreth vnto him much spiritual comfort and doth in ample manner laie open vnto him all the sweete promises of the Gospell and the infinite mercy of God in Christ to all true penitent and broken hearted sinners 375 The ignorant man being afflicted in his conscience is exceedingly comforted with the hearing of Gods abundant mercy preached vnto him and thereupon doth gather great inward peace conuerteth vnto God with all his heart and doth exceedingly blesse God for the Preachers counsell 391 FINIS A Morning prayer to be vsed in priuate families O Lord our God and heauenlie Father we thy vnwoorthy children doe heere come into thy most holy and heauenly presence to giue thee praise and glory for all thy great mercies and manifold blessings towards vs especially for that thou hast preserued vs this night past from all the dangers and feares thereof hast giuen vs quiet rest to our bodies and brought vs now safely to the beginning of this day dost now afresh renew all thy mercies vpon vs as the Eagle reneweth her bill giuing vs all things abundantly to enioy as foode raiment health peace libertie and freedome from many miseries diseases casualties and calamities which we are subiect vnto in this life euery minute of an houre and not onely so but also for vouchsafeing vnto vs many good things not onely for necessitie but euen for delight also But aboue all deare Father we praise thy name for the blessings of a better life specially for thy most holy word and sacraments and all the good we enioy thereby for the continuance
iust cause of mourning wéeping and lamentation because such abhomination is committed in Israel Dauids eies gushed out with riuers of téeres because men kept not Gods lawes and an horrible feare came vpon him because men forsooke the law of God Ieremy did sigh in secret wishing that his head were ful of water his eies a fountaine of téeres because of the sins of the people Nehemiah mourned for the transgressiō of Gods people Lots iust soule was vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites shall we mourn nothing at all for these things shall we be no whit grieued for the pride of our land shall we shed no téeres for such horrible intolerable abhomination They are odious in the sight of God and men the aire stinketh of them It is Gods maruellous patience that the diuel doth not carry them away quicke and rid the earth of them or that fire brimstone doth not come downe from heauen consume them Antil You are too hot in these matters of attire you make more of them then there is cause Asune I conne him thanke Gods blessing on his heart I shall loue him the better while I know him because he is so earnest against such shamefull and detestable pride Is it not a shame that women professing true Religion should make themselues such pictures puppets and peacockes as they doe And yet I heare few preachers in the pulpit speake against it Antil I maruell you should be so earnest in matters of apparell You know well enough that apparell is an indifferent thing and that Religion and the kingdome of God doth not consist in these things Theol. I know right well that apparell in it owne nature is a thing indifferent but lewd wanton immodest and offensiue apparell is not indifferent For all such abuse taketh away the indifferency of them and maketh them sinfull and euill by circumstance For otherwise why should the Lord threaten by his Prophet that he would visit the Princes and the Kings children and all such as were clothed with strange apparell that is the fashions of other countries Zeph. chap. 1. 8. Againe why should the Lord so plague the proud dames and minsing minions of Ierusalem for their pride and vanity in attire if there were no euill in such kinde of abuse the Lord saith thus in the third of Esay against those braue gallant dames Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walke with stretched-out neckes and with wandring eies walking and minsing as they go and make a tinkling with their feet therefore shall the Lord make the heads of the daughters of Zion bald and the Lord shall discouer their secret parts In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers and the calles and the round tires the sweet bals and the bracelets and the bonnets the tiers of the head and the stops the head-bands and the tablets the ear-rings the rings and the mufflers the costly apparell and the vailes and the wimples and the crisping pinnes and the glasses and the fine linnen and the hoods and the lawnes And in stead of sweete sauour there shall be stinke and in stead of a girdle a rent and in stead of dressing of the haire baldnesse and in stead of a Stomacher a girding of Sacke-cloth and burning in steade of beautie Then shall her gates mourne and lament and shee being desolate shall sit vpon the ground Thus we sée how terrible the Lord threatneth the gallant dames of Ierusalem for their excessiue and abhominable pride And this may wel be a Mirrour for the proud minions of our age which assuredly may well feare the Lord will bring some such iudgement vpon them as hée did vpon the daughters of Ierusalem For their sin is as great in this kinde as was the daughters of Zion and God is the same God now that he was then to punish it Antile Tush neuer speake so much of these matters of apparell For we must doe as others doe and follow the fashion or else wee shall not be esteemed Theol. If you follow them not you shall be more estéemed of God of his Angels Saints and all good men As for all others if you estéeme them more then these you shew what you are Antil Well for all that say you what you will pride is in the heart and not in the apparell For one may be proud of plaine apparell as well as of costly And some are as proud of their falling bands and little sets as others are of their great ruffes Theol. You speake foolishly For how know you that can you iudge mens hearts inward affections Can you say when mens and womens apparell is sober modest and Christian-like that they haue proud hearts are proud of that attire You goe very farre indéed to iudge the heart You ought to iudge charitably of such as goe soberly and modestly attired euen that their heart is according to their attire As for you we may rather thinke your heart is vaine light and foolish because your attire doth strongly argue it And as the Prophet saith The triall of your countenance testifieth against you you declare your sinnes as SODOME and hide them not Antile I pray you then set downe some rules for apparell out of the Scripture Theol. I may well set downe what I will but surely most men and women will do what they list For verily it may be thought that many of this age haue forsworn God his word al goodnesse For they are come to this point let God say what he will they will do what they list For as the Prophet saith They haue made a couenant with Hell and with death and are growen to an agreement Esay 28. 15. And I doe verily thinke if God himselfe should come downe from Heauen in his owne person and disswade men and women from this vanitie of apparell yet would they still vse it as it were in despite of God and as it were to anger him the more For they are so extraordinarily enamoured and so immoderately delighted with it and do so continually and altogether dote on it and are so wood mad of it that they will haue it though men and angels and all the world say nay nay which is more though they should go to the diuel quicke with it And therfore it is but lost labour to speake against it preach against it or write against it It is but euen to plough the sea or knocke at a deafe mans doore for there is no hope of any reformation Onely this we gaine that the world is reprooued and conuicted of sinne and these things shall stand in record against them in the last day so that they may say they had a faire warning and that there was a Prophet amongst them Philaga Yet for all this I pray you set vs downe some directions and rules out of Gods holy booke concerning attire For albeit some bee very bad and
an harlot drop as an honie-combe the roofe of her mouth is fofter then oile yet her latter end is bitter as worm-wood and as sharpe as a two edged sword All these prudent speeches of the holy Ghost doe most euidently shew vnto vs what a feareful thing it is to commit whoredome and so to fall into the hands of whores and harlots Therefore Iob saith of the wicked Their soule dieth in youth and their life among the whore-mongers Phila. You haue very well shewed out of Gods booke the great danger of whoredome and adultery And it is greatly to be lamented that men in this age make so light of it as they doe and that it is so common a vice nay that some alas with griefe I speake it doe professe it liue by it and prostitute themselues wholly vnto it Theol. Such men and women may iustlie feare the plaguing hand of God for the Lord saith by his Prophet Though I fed them to the full yet they commited adultery and assembled themselues by companies in harlots houses They rose vp in the morning like fed horses euery man neigheth after his neighbours wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this Phila. Me thinketh if men were not altogether hardned in this sinne and euen past feeling and past grace this threatning and thundring of God himselfe from heauen should terrifie them Theol. A man would thinke so indéede but now we may take vp the old complaint of the Prophet I hearkened and heard and loe no man spake aright no man repented him of his euill saying What haue I done Euery one turned to their race as the horse rusheth into the battell Antile Tush whoredome is but a tricke of youth and wee see all men haue their imperfections Theol. You speake prophanely and wickedly For shall wee count that but a trick of youth for the which the Lord smote thrée and twenty thousand of his owne people in one day Shall we count that but a trick of youth for the which the Lord threatned Dauid his owne seruant that the sword should neuer depart from his house Shall we count that but a trick of youth for the which Hamor and Shechem the father and the sonne and many other both men women and children were cruelly murdred by Simeon and Leui the sonnes of Iacob Shall we count that but a trieke of youth for the which the Lord slew Hophni and Phineas the two sonnes of Eli the Priest in the battell of the Philistines Shall we thus set all at six and seuen and make light of such horrible villanies Doth not the seueritie of the punishments shew the greatnesse of the sinne Doth not the Apostle say These things came vpon them for our ensamples vpon whom the ends of the world are come and yet you passe it ouer with a tush and a tricke of youth as if God were to be dallied with No no be not deceiued God is not mocked They which will not be mooued now in hearing shall one day be crushed in pieces in féeling And they which now call whordome a tricke of youth shall one day howle and crie yell and yelpe for such trickes with woe and alas that euer they were borne Antil Oh sir you must beare with youth youth you know is fraile and youth will be youthfull when you haue said all that you can Theol. Yes but God doth allow no more libertie vnto youth then vnto age but bindeth all vpon paine of death to the obedience of his commandements The Apostle saith Let yoong men be sober minded Dauid saith Wherewith shall a yoong man cleanse his way In taking heede thereto according to thy worde The wise man saith Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth And further addeth that if they will needes follow their lusts their pleasures and their owne swinge yet in the end he will bring them to iudgement arraigne them condemne them and tame them in hell fire well enough Phila. Yet we see men are so violently carried after their lust and so desperately bent that they will haue the present sweet and pleasure of sin come of it what will Come sicknesse come death come hell come damnation they are at a point they will pay the highest price for their lustes They will purchase their pleasures with the losse of their soules Oh wofull purchase O damnable pleasures Theol. Swéet meat will haue sower sawce and a dramme of pleasure a pound of a sorrow Such cursed catifes shal at last pay a deare shot for their pleasures Such desperate wretches shall one day know to their euerlasting woe what it is to prouoke God to sin with so high an hand against him They shall well know in spight of their hearts that vengeance is prepared for the wicked and that there is a God that iudgeth the earth Let al men therfore take héed in time For whoremongers and Adulterers God will iudge And the Apostle saith flatly That whoremongers and Adulterers shall not inherit the kingdome of God Let therefore no fornicator or vncleane person bee found amongst vs as was Esau But let vs abstain from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule And let euery one know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and nor in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God 1. Thess 4. 5. Héerein let vs consider the wise spéech of an ancient Father Sinne while it is in dooing ministreth some pleasure but when it is committed the short pleasure thereof vanisheth awaie and long sorrow commeth in stead of it Neither let vs héere reiect the saying of a wise Heathen Shunne pleasure for feare of smart Sowre things follow sweet and ioy heauinesse Antile Yet for all this you shall not make me beleeue that whoredome is so hainous a mattter You make more of it then it is Theol. True indéed For you and such as you are will beléeue nothing against your lusts and fleshly delights and that is the cause why you are deafe on this eare I will therfore adde a word or two more out of the oracles of God to that which hath vin spoken The wise king saith He that committeth Adulterie with women destroieth his owne soule and so is accessarie to his owne death which is no small matter For wée vse to say if a man hang himselfe drowne himselfe or any manner of way make away himselfe that he was cursed of God that Gods hand was heauie against him that the diuell ought him a shame and now he hath paid it him And all the countrey rings of such a strange accident when and where it falleth out and the Crowner of the Countrey doth sit vpon it How much more may all the world wonder at this that a man should destroy his owne soule and wittingly and willingly cast
cause why men should be so giuen to this world For they must leaue it when they haue done all that they can As we say To day a man to morrow none And as the Apostle saith We brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we shall carry nothing out We must all die we know not how soone why therfore should men set their hearts vpon such vncertaine and deceiuable thinges for all things in this world are more light then a feather more brittle then glasse more fléeting then a shadow more vanishing then smoke more vnconstant then the winde Doubtlesse saith the Prophet Dauid Man walketh in a shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vaine he heapeth vp riches and cannot tell who shall gather them Psalm 39. 6. I wonder therefore that these Moules and Muck-wormes of this earth should so minde these shadowish things and so dote on them as they doe If they were not altogether hardned and blinded by the diuell they would not be so néerely knit to the clod and the peny as they are thinking and alwaies imagining that there is no happinesse but in these things which are but dung and drosse and at last they will giue vs the slip when we thinke our selues most sure of them The wise king who had the greatest experience of these things that euer man had for hée enioyed whatsoeuer this world could affoord vpward and downeward backward and forward yet could find nothing in them but vanity and vexation of spirit Moreouer he flatly auoucheth that all these things riches wealth honour pleasures and treasures will most notably deceiue vs in the end giue vs the slip and be gone For he compareth riches and all the glorie of this world to an Eagle or Hawke which a man holdeth vpon his fist stroketh her maketh of her taketh great delight and pleasure in her and saith he wil not take ten pounds for her yet al on the sudden she taketh her flight and flieth vp into the ayre and he neuer séeth her more nor shée him The wordes of the holy Ghost are these Wilt thou cause thine eyes to flie after them meaning riches Thou mayst but they will not be found For they will make themselues wings like to the Eagle which flieth vp to Heauen From thence wée may learne that though wée set our hearts neuer so much on any thing here below yet at the last it shall be taken from vs or we from it Therefore all worldly men doe but weaue the Spiders webbe and may fitly be compared to the silly Spider who toileth her selfe and laboureth all the weeke long to finish vp her webbe that she may lodge her selfe in it as in her owne house and frée hold But alas at the weeks end a Maid in a moment with one brush of a broome dispessesseth her of her in heritance which she had purchased with great labour and much adoe Euen so when the men of this world haue with much care and trauell purchased great lands and reuenewes and gathered all that they can yet on the sudden death with one stroke of his direfull dart will make them giue vp the ghost and then where are they It was pretily therefore said of a man in the light of nature No man hath euer liued so happily in this life but in his life-time many things haue befallen him for the which he hath wished rather to die then to liue And assuredly I thinke there was neuer any man liued any one day vpon the fare of this earth but some griefe or other either did or iustly might inuade his minde ere night either in the temptations of the world the flesh or the diuell or in regard of soule body goods or name in regard of wife children friends or neighbours in regard of dangers to Prince Estate church or Common wealth in regard of casualties and losses by water by fire by Sea or by land What a life therefore is this that hath not one good day in it Who would desire to dwell long in it For it lieth open euery day to manifold miseries dangers losses casualties reproaches shame infamie pouerty sicknesse diseases collickes agues tooth-ache head-ache backe-ache bone-ache and a thousand calamities Phila. You haue very well described vnto vs the vanitie of this life and that no day is free from one sorrow or other one griefe or other Which thing our Lord Iesus ratifieth in the reason which he bringeth why men should not distrustfully care for to morow For saith he Sufficient vnto the day is the euill thereof Or as some reade it The day hath enough with his owne griefe Where in hee doth plainely shew that euery day hath his sorrow his euill his griefe and his thwart But I pray you proceed further in this point Theol. This I say further that when men haue swinked and sweat carked cared moiled and turmoiled drudged droiled by night by day by sea and by land with much care and sorrow much labour and griefe to rake together the things of this life yet at last all will away again and we must end where we began For as Iob said Naked wee came into the world and naked we must goe out Iob 1. For euen as a wind-mill beateth it selfe maketh a great noise whisleth and whisketh about from day to day all the yéere long yet at the yéeres end standeth still where it begun being not mooued one foot backward or forward so when men haue blustered and blowen all that they can haue euen run themselues out of breath to scrape vp the commodities of the earth yet at last they must spite of their beards end where they began end with nothing as they began with nothing end with a winding shéet as they began with swadling clouts For what is become of the greatest Monarchs Kings Princes Potentates and Magnificoes that euer the world had Where is Cyrus Darius Xerxes Alexander Caesar Pompey Scipio and Hanniball Where are the valiant Henries and noble Edwards of England Are they not all gone downe to the house of obliuion Are they not all returned to their dust and all their thoughts perish Though they were as Gods yet haue they died as a man are fallen like others Who now careth for them who talketh of them who feareth them who regardeth them do not beggars tread vpon them Yet while they liued they were the Lords of the world they were as terrible as Lions fearefull to all men full of pompe and glorie dignitie and maiestie They plowed vp all things they bare all before them and who but they But now they haue giuen vp the ghost and are as Iob saith gone downe to the house appointed for all the liuing Their pompe is descended with them and all their glorie is buried in the ashes They are now couered vnder a cled cast out into a vault made companions to toades and the wormes do eat them and what is become of their soules is most of all to
dinner and supper it might serue to correct our distrustfulnesse For who euer saw these or any other soule starue for hunger so good a father and so good a nurse haue they And are not we much better then they hath not God more care of vs then of them yes verily a thousand times For he loueth them but for our sakes how much more then doth he loue our selues Therfore I say again again if we would consider these things lay them to heart they wold nip couetousnes on the head driue it quite out of our hearts Let vs consider therefore that God prouided for man before man was then how much more will he prouide for man now that he is Is he our Father wil he not prouide for vs Is he our king and wil he not regard vs Is he our shepheard and wil he not looke to vs Hath he prouided heauen for vs and wil he not giue vs earth Hath he giuen vs his sonne Christ and shal he not with him giue vs all things Doth he prouide for his enemies and wil he not prouide for his friends doth he prouide for whoremongers wil he neglect his chosen Doth he send his raine cause his Sunne to shine vpon the vniust and shall he not vpon the iust Doth he prouide for them which are not of the family will he not prouide for his owne family Will a man féed his Hogges and not care for his seruants Or will he care for his seruants and not regard his owne children Oh then let vs consider these reasons let vs remember that our heauenly Father hath as great care for the preseruation of his creatures as once hée had for their creation Let vs therefore remember that our life consisteth not in these things but in the prouidence of God Let vs remember that he which giueth the day will prouide for the things of the day Let vs remember that God alwaies giueth for sustentation though not for satietie Let vs remember that God will not famish the soules of the righteous Let vs remember how God neuer failed his For who euer trusted in the Lord and was confounded Phila. What then is the cause that many do want outward things Theol. The cause is in themselues because they want faith For if wée had faith wée could want nothing For faith feareth no famine as saith an ancient Father And another saith For as much as al things are Gods he that hath god can want nothing if he himselfe be not wanting vnto God Therefore to haue God is to haue al things For if we haue him our friend we haue enough we néed goe no further For hée will make men our friends yea hée will make Angels all creatures to be seruiceable vnto vs he will giue them a speciall charge to looke to vs to guard vs and to doe continuall homage vnto vs. Therefore let vs make God our friend and then haue we done all at once that may concerne our good both for this life and a better But if he stand not our friend if wée haue not him on our side if he backe vs not then all other things whatsoeuer can do vs no good all is not worth a button For Quid prodest si omnia habes eum tamen qui omnia dedit non habere What is a man the better though hée haue all things and be without him which is the author of all things Phila. Herein you speake very truely no doubt For wee see many haue great plenty of outward things but because they haue not God they can haue no true comfort in them or blessing with them Theol. True indéed For man liueth not by bread onely saith our Lord Jesus but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And againe he saith Though a man haue abundance yet his life consisteth not in the things that he hath For without Gods blessing there can be no sound comfort in any thing Wée sée by dayly experience how the Lord curseth the wicked though they haue abundance For some hauing abundance yet are visited with continual sicknesses Some hauing abundance pine away with consumptions Others hauing abundance die of surfetting Others are snatched away by vntimely death in the middest of all their iollitie Others are visited with great losses both by sea and by land Others are vexed with curst wiues and disobedient children Some againe commit murders and treasons and so lose all at once Others are wasted and consumed by the secret curse of God no man knoweth how Some hauing great riches are giuen ouer to the murtherer some to the theefe some to the poisoner Therefore the wise king saith There is an euill sicknesse vnder the sun riches reserued to the owners thereof for their euill Eccles 5. 12. Zophar also the Naamathite saith When the wicked shall haue sufficient and enough he shall be brought into straits The hand of euery troublesome man shall be vpon him When he should fill his belly God will send vpon him his fierce wrath which he shall raine vpon him in stead of his meat Thus then it is cleare that mans life and good estate dependeth not vpon the abundance of outward things but only vpon the blessing and prouidence of God For His blessing only maketh rich and it doth bring no sorrow with it For Better is a little vnto the inst then great abundance to many of the wicked Better is a little with the feare of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith Better is a little with righteousnesse then great reuenews without equity Thus then I conclude this point Man liueth not by bread but by a blessing vpon bread not by outward meanes but by a blessing vpon meanes For how can bread being a dead thing and hauing no life in it selfe giue life to others Phila. I doe not well vnderstand the meaning of these words By euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Theol. Thereby is meant the decrée ordinance and prouidence of God which vpholdeth all things euen the whole order of nature For the Scripture saith He spake and it was done he commanded and they were created In which words we plainly sée that God doth but speake and it is done he doth command and all creatures are preserued For God doth all things with a word He created all with his word he preserueth all with his word he speaketh it is done His words are words of power authority Whatsoeuer he saith whatsoeuer he calleth for it must be done presently without any delay there is no withstanding of him He calleth for famine and behold famine He calleth for plenty and behold plenty He calleth for pestilence and behold pestilence He calleth for the sword and behold the sword All Angels all men all beasts all fishes all fowles all creatures whatsoeuer must obey him and be at his beck He is the greatest Commander
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
fire when it will be too late to repent Phila. What may be the cause of this so often and great swearing for surely it is no inherent and in-bred sinne in our nature as some of the other sinnes be Theol. No verily But these thrée I iudge to be the cause of it Custome Want of admonition Want of punishment Phila. What then are the remedies for it Theol. The remedies are these Disuse Praier Friendly admonition Some sharpe Law Phila. Well Sir now we haue heard enough of swearing I pray you proceed to the next signe of damnation which is lying Theol. Swearing and lying be of very néere kindred For he that is a common swearer is for the most part a common lier also For hee that maketh no conscience of swearing will make no conscience of lying And as the Lord hateth the one so also he hateth the other And as he punisheth the one so he will punish the other Therefore Salomon saith Lying lips are an abhomination vnto the Lord. Saint Iohn saith Without shall be dogges enchanters whoore-mongers murtherers and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lies Againe the same holy man of God saith that liers shall haue their part and portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Phila. These scriptures which you alleadge doe manifestly declare that God abhorreth liers and hath reserued great torments for them Therefore the princely Prophet Dauid saith that he would banish all liers out of his house He that telleth lies saith he shal not remaine in my sight A lying tongue is one of the sixe things which God doth hate and his soule abhorre Yet for al this we see the lamentable experience how many haue euen taught their tongues to lie as the Prophet saith and there is no trueth in their lips This vice is almost as common as swearing For it is hard to finde a man that will speake the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth from his heart in simplicity and plainnesse at all times in all places and amongst all persons without all glozing or dissembling either for feare gaine flattery men-pleasing hiding of faults or any sinister respect whatsoeuer Where I say is this man to be found I would fain see him I would faine looke vpon such a man It would doe my heart good to behold him I would reioyce to set mine eyes vpon such a man Theo. Such a man as you speake of is hardly to be found among the sonnes of men They be blacke Swans in the earth they be white crowes they be rare birds For there be very few that will speake the truth from their heart yet some such I hope there be But for the most part amongst the greater sort lying dissembling and fraud do beare all the sway There is no truth no honesty no conscience no simplicity no plaine dealing amongst men in these most corrupt times Faith and truth are parted cleane away And as the kingly prophet saith The faithfull are failed from among the children of men They speake deceitfully euery one with his neighbour flattering with their lippes and speake with a double heart Men now adayes studie the Arte of lying flattering fawning glosing and dissembling they haue a heart and a heart They haue hony in their mouth and gall in their heart Their tongues are as soft as butter and oile but their hearts are full of bitternesse poison and wormwood They are full of outward courtesie and ciuility full of court holy water when there is no truth nor plainenesse in their inward affection They will speake you faire when they would cut your throats They will shew you a good countenance when they would eate your heart with garlicke In outward shew they will carry themselues plausibly when their hearts are full of venome malice This viperous brood do but watch their times opportunities till they can get a man vpon the hip and then they will sting him worke their malice vpon him These fauning curs will not barke till they bite They will lurke and lie close til they spie their vantage and then they wil shew themselues in their kinde then they will hoist a man and turne him ouer the perke if they can These men are like the waters which are most déepe where they are most calme like a dangerous rocke hid vnder a calme sea or as the Heathen say like the Syrens song which is the Sailers wrecke like the Fowlers whistle which is the birds death like the hid bait which is the fishes bane like the Harpyes which haue virgins faces and Uultures tallons or like Hyena which speaketh like a friend and deuoureth like a foe or as the Scripture saith like Ioab the captaine of the hoast which spake kindly to Amasa an other Captain kissed him when presently hée stabd him or like vnto the Herodians and Pharisies seruants which came to our Lord Jesus with many fawning insinuations calling him good master telling him that he was the plaine truth that he taught the way of God truely he regarded no mans person and many good morrows and all this géere when as in very déed their purpose was to intangle him in his words and to entrap him that they might catch aduantage against him so cut his throt giue him pap with a hatchet This it is which the wise man saith A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet And againe As siluer drosse ouerlaid vpon an earthen pot so are fawning lips and an euill heart And in another place hée saith Hee that beareth hatred will counterfait with his lips but hee laieth vp deceit in his heart When hee shall shew his voice fauourably trust him not For their are seuen abhominations in his heart Hee will couer hatred by deceit but his malice shall be discouered in the congregation In another place he pronounceth a curse vpon all these hollow hearted hypocrites and meale-mouthed flatterers For saith he Vnto him that blesseth his friend with a loud voice betimes in the morning rising vp earely a curse shall be imputed Phila. You haue very well described the conditions of the men of this age which haue faces countenances and tongues but no harts which professe lying and dissembling which say hee cannot liue that cannot dissemble which haue faire faces and false hearts which haue forgotten that plaine honesty is deepe policy Theol. The holy Ghost often in the Prouerbs of Salomon calleth all vnregenerate men fooles or as it is in the Hebrew men without hearts Because they haue no heart to God no heart to his word no heart to his children no heart to godlinesse no heart to any thing that good is They are without an honest heart an vpright heart a plaine heart They are all in words nothing in déeds They promise mountaines and performe mol-hils They will speake well of religion and practise nothing They wil giue faire
Ale-houses Many rich Citizens especially women doe ordinarily lie in bed till nine of the clocke and then forsooth rise and make themselues ready to goe to dinner And after they haue well dined they spend the rest of the day and a good part of the night also in playing pratling babbling cackling prating and gossipping Fie of this idle life Many prophane seruing men also doe falsly suppose that they were borne onely to game riot sweare whore ruffle it and roist it out and to spend their time in meere idlenesse But of all these well said the Heathen Philosopher Illi pariter indignantur dij homines quisquis otiosus Both God and man doe hate the idle person Theol. It is a lamentable thing to sée so many men and women liue so idlely and so vnprofitably as they doe For alas there be too many which fellow no honest calling liue to no vse no body is the better for them They do no good neither to the Church or Common-wealth They are like drone bées they are vnprofitable burthens of the earth God hath no vse of them the Church no good the Common wealth no benefit their neighbours no profite the poore no reliefe They imagine they came into the world to doe nothing but eate and drinke and sléepe and rise vp to play They thinke they should spend their time in dicing and dauncing in whoredome and brauery in gluttony and belly-chéere in masting themselues like hogs of Epicurus heard in pampering their paunches and cramming their bellies in fatting themselues like Boares in a Franke till they bée well brawned and as Iob sath till their bones runne full of marrow their faces strout with fatnesse and they haue collops in their flanke Oh what a beastly life is this Fie vpon it fie vpon it It is more méete for Epicures then Christians for swine then for men for Sardanapalus and Heliogabalus and such like belli-gods then for the professors of the Gospel But of all such Iob saith enough They spend their daies in pleasure and suddenly goe downe to hell Phil. But may it not bee allowed vnto Lords and Ladies Gentlemen and gentlewomen and other great ones to liue idlely sith they haue wherewithall to maintaine it Theol. God doth allow none to liue idlely but all great and small are to be imploied one way or other either for the benefit of the Church or common wealth or for the good gouernement of their owne housholds or for the good of townes and parishes and those amongst whom they doe conuerse or for the succour and reliefe of the poore or for the furtherance of the Gospell and the maintaining of the Ministery or for one good vse or other To these ends our wits our learning our reading our skill our policy our wealth our health our wisedome and authoritie are to be referred knowing this that one day we shall come to giue an account of our Bally-wicke and to be reckoned withall for the employment of our Talents For this cause Iob saith that man is borne to trauell as the sparkes flie vpward And God hath laid this vpon Adam and al his posterity In the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eat thy bread Some doe set downe foure causes why euery man should labour diligently in his calling First to beare the yoake laid vpon all mankinde by the Lord. Secondly to get the necessaries of this life Thirdly to liue vnto the profit of humane societie Lastly to auoid euill thoughts and actions Saint Paul findeth great fault with some in the Church of Thessalonia because they walked inordinately that is idlely and out of a lawfull calling and therefore concluded that such as would not labour should not eat So then we do plainly sée that God alloweth idlenesse in none For when we are idle as hath béen shewed before we lie open to the diuell his temptations and he getteth within vs and preuaileth against vs. While Dauid taried idly at home in the beginning of the yeare when kings vsed to goe forth to the battell he was soone ouertaken with those two foule sinnes of adultery and man-slaughter So long as Sampson warred with the Philistims he could neuer be taken or ouercome but after he gaue himselfe to idlenesse and pleasure he not only committed fornication with the strumpet Dalilah but also was taken of his enemies and his eies miserably pulled out These examples doe shew what a dangerous sinne idlenesse is Therefore the holy Ghost sends vs to schoole to the little creature the Ant to learne of her both to auoid idlenesse and also to vse wisedome and prouidence in our actions Go to the Pismire O sluggard behold her wayes and be wise For shee hauing no guide task-maister nor ruler prepareth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in haruest And in goodsooth it is wonderfull to obserue what indesinent paines and vnwearied labour this silly creature taketh in summer that shée may be well prouided for against winter Let vs therefore learne wisedome from her example and let vs set before our eyes the looking glasse of all creatures Let vs consider how the birdes flie the fishes swim the wormes créepe the heauens turne the elements mooue the sea ebbeth and floweth vncessantly yea the earth it selfe which is the most heauy and vnweldy creature of all other yet neuer ceaseth his working bringing foorth his burden in summer and labouring inwardly all the winter in concocting and digesting his nourishment for the next spring Thus we sée how all creatures are diligently and painfully exercised in their kindes And therefore it is a great shame for vs to liue idlely carelesly and dissolutely Let vs therefore learne once at last to flie slath and euery one to liue faithfully diligently and industriously in our seuerall callings So shall wée both kéepe Sathan at the staues end and also much sinne out of our soules which otherwise idlenesse wil force in vpon vs. Phila. I must needs confesse that idlenesse is a grosse vice in whomsoeuer it is found But specially in my iudgement it is most odious in Magistrates and Ministers Theol. That is so in truth For they ought to be the guides gouernours shepheards and watchmen ouer the people of God And therefore for them to neglect their duties and charges is a most horrible thing sith it concerneth the hurt of many Therefore well said the Heathen Poet A magistrate or a Minister may not be lazie and slothfull to whom the nursing of the people is giuen in charge and of whom many things are to be cared for What a lamentable thing therefore is it when Magistrates are prophane irreligious popish vicious and negligent in the duties of their calling And how much more lamentable is it when Ministers neglect their studies slack preaching and prayer and giue vp themselues some to couetousnesse some to pride some to husbandrie some to other worldly affaires and some to spend their time idlely in Lauerns
gold and siluer is cankered and the rust of them shall bee a witnesse against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire Lastly S. Paul saith flatly that extortioners shall not inherit the kingdome of God Thus we sée how many fearefull woes and threats are denounced from heauen against these pestilent cut-throats of the earth Phila. And all little enough For they are steeped in their sinne and the staine of it is so soked into them as it will hardly euer be washed out True it is that you said that these cruell oppressing bloud-suckers are the most pernicious and pestilent vermine that creepeth vpon the face of the earth and yet I thinke there were neuer moe of them then in these daies For now the wicked world is full of such as doe sundry waies bite pinch and nip the poore as we see by euery daies lamentable experience but you can speake more of it then I. Therefore I pray you lay open the sundry kinds of oppression vsed in these daies Theol. There is oppression by vsury Oppression by bribery Oppression by racking of rents Oppression by taking excessiue fines Oppression in bargaining Oppression in letting of leases Oppression in letting of houses Oppression in letting of grounds Oppression in binding poore men to vnreasonable couenants Oppression in thrusting poore men out of their houses Oppression in hiring poore mens houses ouer their heads Oppression in taking of fées Oppression by Lawyers Oppression by Church Officers Oppression by engrossers Oppression by forestallers Oppression of the Church Oppression of the Ministery Oppression of the poore Oppression of widowes Oppression of Orphanes And thus we see how all swarmes with Oppressions and nothing but Oppressions Oppressions Phila. In truth this is a most cruell and oppressing age wherein we liue yea a very iron age It seemeth that the great ones minde nothing else they are altogether set vpon oppression they dote and dreame of it they finde sweet in it and therefore they are mad of it As Salomon saith Oppression maketh a wiseman mad It seemeth therefore that this vice is of such maruellous force that it can bereaue men of their wits and make men starke mad of getting goods by hooke or by crooke they care not how nor from whom so they haue it Yet no doubt the most wise God hath enacted many good lawes for the suppressing of this euill and doth threaten the execution of them in his owne person and especially his Law doth prouide for the safetie of the poore the fatherlesse the widow and the stranger But you M. Theologus can repeat the statutes better then I because you are a professed Diuine Therefore I pray you let vs heare them from you Theol. In the 22. Chapter of Exodus God made this law following You shall not trouble any widow or fatherlesse childe if thou vex or trouble such and so hee call and crie vnto me I will surely heare his crie Then shall my wrath be kindled and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shall be widowes and your children fatherlesse Againe he saith Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant that is needy and poore but thou shalt giue him his hire for his day neither shall the Sunne goe downe vpon it for he is poore and therewith sustaineth his life lest hee crie against thee vnto the Lord and it be sinne vnto thee Moreouer the Lord saith Thou shalt doe no iniury to a stranger for yee were strangers in the land of Egypt And God himselfe threatneth that he will be a swift witnesse against those which kéepe backe the hirelinges wages and vex the widow and the fatherlesse The Apostle saith Let no man oppresse or defraud his brother in any matters For the Lord is an auenger of all such things Salomon also saith If in a country thou feest the oppression of the poore and the defrauding of iustice and iudgement be not astonied at the matter for hee that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they Eccles 5. 7. All these holy statutes and lawes enacted and prouided against oppressors doe plainely shew what care the Lord hath for his poore distressed and desolate people Phila. But these oppressing hel-hounds are such as care for nothing No Law of the Almighty can bridle them nothing can feare them nothing can restraine them They haue made a couenant with Hell and death They are frozen in the dregs they are past feeling And as Iob saith These are they that abhorre the light they know not the waies thereof neither continue in the pathes thereof Their hearts are as hard as the Adamant Nothing can mooue them nothing can worke vpon them There is great crying out euery where of the stone in the reines which indeed is a great torment to the bodie but there is no complaining of the stone in the heart I meane a stonie heart which is the sorest disease that possibly can fall into the soule of man and yet in these times it groweth very rife For mens hearts are as hard as brasse and as the neather Milstone as the Scripture speaketh For many especially of these vnmercifull and oppressing tyrants say in their hearts God will do neither good nor euill Therefore they put the euil day far from them and approch vnto the seat of iniquity They are at ease in Zion they lie vpon beds of Iuory and stretch themselues vpon their beds and eat the lambes of the flocke and the calues out of the stall They sing to the sound of the viall they inuent instruments of musicke like Dauid They drink wine in bowles and no man is sory for the affliction of Ioseph that is the troubles of Gods people The Prophet Esay also complaineth of these kind of men saying They regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the work of his hands And another Prophet saith they say in their harts God hath forgotten he hideth away his face and will neuer see They are so proud that they seeke not for God They think alwaies there is no God his iudgements are far out of their sight Their waies alwaies prosper and therefore they say in their hearts Tush we shall neuer be moued nor come in danger Theol. You haue spoken very well touching the stéelinesse and hardnes of these mens harts who are so vnmerciful to their poor neighbors that almost none can liue by them They do so disturbe disquiet al things that poore men can dwell in no rest by them Therefore truly saith the wise king A mightie man molesteth all both hireth the foole hireth those that passe by But the poore man speaketh with prayers that is by the way of entreatie and supplications For the poore are afraid of them They quake when they sée them as the beasts quake at the roaring of the Lion Many poore Farmers poore Husband men poore Heards poore Labourers poore widowes and hirelings doe
quake and tremble when these gréedy wolues come abroad And as Iob speaketh the poore of the earth hide themselues together For alas in their hearts they cannot abide the sight of them they had as léeue méet the diuell as méet them for feare of one displeasure or another For either they feare that they wil warne them out of their houses or parley about more rent and straighter couenants or beg away their best kine or borow their horses or command their carts or require a wéeks worke of them neuer pay them for it or a twelue moneths pasture for a couple of Geldings or that they wil make one quarel or another vnto thē or one mischiefe or another Se that these poore soules cannot tel what to do nor which way to turn them for feare of these cruel termagants They are euen weary of their liues For they haue no remedie for these things but euen to beare it off with head and shoulders Therefore they often with they were out of the world and that they were buried quicke They say if any will knocke them on the head they will forgiue him O most pittious case O lamentable hearing These poore silly creatures are faine to drudge and moile all the yere long in winter summer in frost snow in heat cold to prouide their rents that they may be able to pay their cruell Land-lord at his day For else how shall they be able to looke him in the face Yet their rent is so rackt that all that they can do is little enough to pay it And when that is paid alas the poore man his wife children haue little left to take to or to maintaine themselues withal they are faine to gnaw of a crust to fare hardly go thinly clad Sometimes they haue victuals and sometimes none The poore children cry for bread Poore widowes also poore fatherlesse children are found wéeping mourning in their houses and in their stréets So that now we may with Salomon turne and consider all the oppressions that are wrought vnder the Sun Wée may behold the téeres of the oppressed and none comforteth them For the mighty ones do wrong the weaker euen as the strongen beasts do push and harme the féebler These griping oppressors do pinch the poore euen to the quicke They plucke away from the fatherlesse and widowes that little which they haue If there be but a cowe or a few sheepe left they will haue them If there be a little commodity of house or land oh what deuises they haue to wind it in to wring it away These tyrants will go as nigh as the bed they lie vpon They know well inough the poore men are not able to wage law with them and therfore they may do what wrong they will shew what cruelty they list Hence commeth the téeres of the oppressed hence commeth the wéeping wailing of the poore But alas poore soules they may wel wéep to ease their hearts a little but there is none to comfort them remedy they can haue none But yet assuredly the euerlasting God doth looke vpon them will be reuenged For the cries of the poore the fatherles and the widowes haue entred into the cares of the Lord of Hosts who is an auenger of all such things yea a strong reuenger as Salomon saith Enter not into the field of the fatherlesse for their reuenger is strong He himselfe will plead their cause against thee And againe he saith Rob not the poore because hee is poore neither tread downe the afflicted in the gate for the Lord pleadeth their cause and will spoile their soule that spoile them We sée then that the most iust God wil be reuenged on these vnmercifull tyrants He will not alwaies put vp these wrongs and iniuries done to the poore In the eight chapter of the Prophet Amos hee sweareth by the excellency of Iacob that hee will neuer forget any of their workes And againe he saith by his Prophet Ieremie Shall I not be auenged on such a Nation as this Surely he will set his face against them to root them out of the earth For indéed they are not worthy to crawle vpon the face of the earth or to draw breath amongst the sonnes of men It is written in the booke of Psalmes that God will set their fellowes opposite against him as a Butte to shoot at that he will put them apart and the strings of his bow shall he make ready against their faces Be astonished at this O ye heauens and tremble O thou earth Heare this O ye cruell land-lords vnmercifull oppressors and blood-suckers of the earth You may well be called blood-suckers for you suck the bloud of many poore men women children you eat it you drinke it you haue it serued in at your sumptuous tables euery day you swallow it vp and liue by it And as Iob saith The wildernes giueth you and your children food That is you liue by robbing and murthering But wo wo vnto you that euer you were born For the blood of the oppressed which you haue eaten drunken shall one day cry for spéedy vengeance against you as the blood of Abel cried against Cain Their blood shall witnesse against you in the day of iudgment and the téeres of many poore starued children orphans widowes shall cry out against you Was the Lord reuenged of Achab for his cruell and vninst dealing with poore Naboth and shall he not be reuenged of you Did the dogs lap the blood of Achab and shall you escape No no you shall not escape The Lord will be a swift witnesse against you as he saith in Malachie Was the Lord angry with the rich of his people for oppressing the poore so as the cry of the people and of their wiues against their oppressors was heard of the Almighty do you think you shal escape scot-frée Doth not the like cause bring foorth the like effect the like sinne the like punishment know therefore for a certainty that the Lord hath coffers full of vengeance against you and one day he will vnlocke them and bring them forth in the sight of all men Know also that the timber of your houses and the stones of your walles which you haue built by oppression and blood shall crie against you in the day of the Lords wrath as the Prophet Abacuck telleth you The stone saith he shall crie out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answere it Where the Prophet telleth you that the walles of your houses built in blood shall cry out loud and shall and play the Quiristers in that behalfe so as they shall answer one another on either side The one side singeth behold blood the other behold murder The one side behold deceit the other behold cruelty The one behold pilling poling the other behold couetousnesse The one behold robbery the other behold penury And thus
goods and name Theol. I haue dwelt the longer in these common vices of the world because almost all sorts of men are stained with one or other of them and therefore they can neuer be enough spoken against For the whole world lieth in them as S. Iohn testifieth If men therefore could be recouered of these diseases no doubt there would be a ready passage made for the abundance of grace and wée should haue a most flourishing Church and Common-wealth but as long as these doe lie in the way there is small hope of greater mercies and blessings to be powred vpon vs or that euer we shall come to haue an inward conuersation with God For these vices blinde our eies burden our hearts and as the Prophet Ieremy saith hinder many things from vs. But touching your petition I must néeds grant that as these vices are the very bane of the soule and most certaine signes of condemnation so are they very dangerous to the body goods name yea and to the whole land both Church and Common-wealth Phila. Shew vs out of the Scriptures what danger they bring to the body Theol. The Lord our God saith that if wée will not obey him nor kéepe his commandements but break his couenant he will appoint ouer vs hastie plagues consumptions and the burning ague to consume the eies and to make the heart heauy So also he saith that if we will not obey his voice to obserue all his commandements and ordinances that then he wil make the pestilence cleaue vnto vs vntill hée haue consumed vs that hée will smite vs with the Feauer with the botch of Egypt with the Emeroids with the Scabbe and with the Itch that also he will smite vs with madnesse and with blindnes and with astonishment of heart So then you see what great euils the Lord threatneth to inflict vpon our bodies in this life for these and such like sinnes But on the centrary the holy ghost saith Feare God and depart from euill so health shall be vnto thy nauell and moisture vnto thy bones Phila. What euill doe these forenamed sins bring vpon vs in our goods and outward estate Theol. They cause God to curse vs in all that we set hand vnto as plentifully appeareth in the forenamed Chapters where the Lord saith thus If thou wilt not obey the commandements of the Lord thy God cursed shalt thou bee in the towne cursed also in the field cursed shall be thy basket and thy store cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy land and the increase of thy kine and the flockes of thy sheepe Cursed shalt thou bee when thou commest in and cursed also when thou goest out The Lord shall send vpon thee cursing trouble and shame in all that thou settest thy hand vnto And further he saith That hee will breake the staffe of their bread that ten women shall bake their bread in one ouen and they shall deliuer their bread againe by waight and they shall eat and not be satisfied You do therefore apparantly sée that these sins will draw downe Gods wrath vpon vs and al that we haue Phila. What hurt doe these sinnes to our good name Theol. They bring reproch shame infamy vpon vs and cause vs to be abhorred and contemned of all good men They doe vtterly blot out our good name For as vertue maketh men honorable and reuerend so vice maketh men vile contemptible This is set downe where the Lord threatneth Israel that for their sinnes and disobedience he will make them a prouerbe common talke yea a reproach astonishment amongst all people In sundry other places of the Prophets he threatneth for their sinnes to make them a reproach a shame and hissing and nodding of the head to all Nations Phila. I doe verily thus thinke that as sinne generally doth staine euery mans good name which all are charie and tender of so especially it doth blot those which are in high places and of speciall note for learning wisedome and godlinesse Theol. You haue spoken most truely and agréeable to the Scriptures For the Scripture saith As a dead flie causeth the Apothecaries ointment to stinke so doth a little follie him that is in estimation for wisedome for honor Where Salomon sheweth that if a flie get into the Apothecaries box of ointment and die and putrifie in it she marreth it though it be neuer so pretious Euen so if a little sinne get into the heart and breake out into the forhead of a man of great fame for some singular gifts it will blurre him though he be neuer so excellent Phila. Shew this I pray you more plainly Theol. Wée obserue this in all experience that if a Noble man be a good man and haue many excellent parts in him of courtesie patience humility and loue of Religion yet if hée be couetous the common people will haue their eye altogether vpon that and they will say Such a Noble man is a very good man but for one thing hée is excéeding couetous oppresseth poore men dealeth hardly with his tenants kéepeth no house doth little good in the country where he dwelleth And this is it that marreth all Moreouer let a Judge a Justice or a Magistrate bée endued with excellent gifts of prudence policie temperance liberality knowledge in the law yet if they be giuen to anger or taking of bribes oh how it will grieue them amongst the people For they will say Hée is a worthy man indéed but there is one thing in him that marreth all he is an exceding angry and furious man he is as angry as a waspe he will be in a pelting chafe for euery trifle hée will fret and fume if you doe but blow vpon hun And besides this he is a very corrupt man hée is a great taker of bribes hée loueth well to bée bribed hée will doe any thing for bribes Furthermore if any Preacher be a man of great gifts the common people will say of him Oh hée is a worthy man indéed an excellent Scholar a profound Diuine a singular man in a Pulpit but yet for all that hée hath a shrewd touch which marreth all he is an excéeding proud man hée is as proud as Lucifer He hath very great gifts indéed but I warrant you hée knoweth it well enough For hée carrieth his crest very high and looketh very sternely and disdainefully vpon all other men Hée is vnmeasurably puft vp with ouerwéening and thinketh that he toucheth the clouds with his head Thus therefore we sée how the dead flies marre all and how some one sinne doth disgrace a man that otherwise doth excell Phila. What is the cause why some one sinne doth so blot and smut the most excellent men Theol. The reason héereof is because such men are as a candle set vpon a candle-sticke or rather vpon a scaffold or mountaine for all men to behold and looke vpon And sure it is
they haue a thousand eies vpon them euery day and that not onely gazing vpon them but also prying very narrowly into them to spie out the least moat that they may make a mountaine of it For as in a cleane white paper one little spot is soone espied but in a péece of browne paper twenty great blurs are scant discerned euen so in Noble men Judges Magistrates Justices Preachers and Professors the least spot or specke is soone seene into but amongst the baser sort and most grosse liuers almost nothing is espied or regarded Phila. Sith the eies of all men are bent and fixed vpon such men as are of some note therefore they had neede verie heedfully to looke to their steps that they may take away all aduantage from them that seeke aduantage Theol. Yes verily And furthermore they had néed to pray with Dauid alwaies Direct my steps O Lord in thy word and let none iniquitie haue dominion ouer mee And againe Order my doings that my footsteps slippe not vphold mee in mine integritie For if such men bée neuer so little giuen to swearing to lying to drinke or to women it is espied by and by and therewithall their credit is cracked their fame ouer-cast their glory eclipsed and the date of their good name presently expired Phila. Now as you haue shewed what great hurt these sinnes doe bring vpon our soule bodies goods and name so also I pray you shew what danger they doe bring vpon the whole land Theol. Questionlesse they doe pull downe the wrath of God vpon vs all and giue him iust cause to breake all in péeces and vtterly to subuert ouerthrow the good estate both of church and Common-wealth yea to make a finall consumption and desolation of all For they be the very fire-brands of Gods wrath and as it were touch-wood to kindle his anger and indignation vpon vs. For the Apostle saith For such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disodedience Phila. Declare vnto vs out of the Scriptures how the Lord in former times hath punished whole Nations and Kingdomes for these and such like sinnes Theol. In the fourth of Hosea the Lord telleth his people that hée hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the Land and the reason is added because there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing lying killing stealing and whoring they breake out and blood toucheth blood Therefore shall the land mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off Héere then we sée what it is that wil incense God against vs and cause vs all to mourne So likewise the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Amos that for the cruelty and oppression of the poore hée would plague the whole land Shall not the land tremble for this sayth the Lord and euerie one mourne that dwelleth therein Againe the Lord sayeth by his Prophet Ieremie Doe they prouoke mee to anger and not themselues to the confusion of their owne faces Therefore thus sayth the Lord Behold mine anger and my wrath shall bee powred vpon this place vpon man and beast vpon the tree of the field and vpon the fruit of the ground and it shall burne and not be quenched Againe the Lord saith If yee will not heare these words I swear by my selfe saith the Lord that this house shall be waste and I will prepare destroyers against thee euery one with his weapons and they shall cut downe thy chiefe Cedar trees and cast them in the fire Likewise the Lord threateneth by his Prophet Ezechiel saying Because yee haue not walked in my statutes nor kept my iudgements therefore behold I euen I come against thee and will execute iudgement in the middest of thee euen in the sight of Nations and I will doe in thee that I neuer did before neither will I doe any more the like because of all thine abhominations For in the middest of thee the fathers shall eat their sonnes and the sonnes shall eate their fathers Againe by the same Prophet the Lord saith The land is full of the iudgement of blood and the citie full of crueltie Wherefore I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their houses I will also make the pompe of the mighty to cease and the holy places shall be defiled When destruction commeth they shall seeke peace and not haue it Calamity shall come vpon calamitie and rumour vpon rumour Then shall they seeke a vision of the Prophet but the law shall perish from the Priests and counsell from the auncient The King shall mourne and the Prince shall be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people in the land shall bee troubled I will doe vnto them according to their waies and according to their iudgements will I iudge them and they shall know that I am the Lord. Last of all the Lord saith by his Prophet Heare O earth behold I will cause a plague to come vpon this people euen the sruit of their owne imaginations because they haue not taken heed to my words nor to my Law but cast it off Almost innumerable places to this purpose are to be found in the writings of the prophets but these may suffice to prooue the maine point to wit that the iust God doth punish whole nations and kingdomes for the sinnes and rebellions thereof Phila. Sith all these sinnes for the which the Lord did execute such vniuersall punishments vpon his owne people doe abound and ouerflow in this land may wee not iustly feare some great plague to fall vpon vs and the rather because our transgressions doe increase daily and grow to a full height and ripenesse so as it seemeth the haruest of Gods vengeance draweth neere and approacheth Theol. We may indéed iustly feare and tremble For if God spared not the Angels that sinned how shall he spare vs If he spared not his owne people what can wée looke for If hée spared not the naturall braunches how shall hée spare vs which are wilde by nature Are we better then they Can we looke to bée spared when they were punished Are not our sinnes as many and as great as theirs Doth not the same cause bring forth the same effect Is the arme of the Lord shortned Or is not God the same iust God to punish sinne now that he was then Yes yes assuredly And therefore wée haue great cause to mourne and lament to quake and tremble because there is a naked sword of vengeance hanging ouer our heads Thus did Ieremie thus did Amos thus did Abacuck when they plainely saw the imminent wrath of God approching vpon the people of Israel and Iudah Phila. I thinke we may the rather doubt and feare because the punishment of these forenamed vices is neglected by the Magistrate For commonly when they that beare the sword of Iustice doe not draw it out to punish notorious offenders and malefactours the Lord himselfe
Priests were cast out by Ieroboam they came to Ierusalem and all such as set their hearts to séeke the Lord God of Israel came with them And then afterward it is said they strengthned the kingdome of Iudah and made Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon mighty By all these testimonies it is euident that princes kingdomes cities towns villages are fortified by the righteous therein and for their sakes also great plagues are kept backe Which thing one of the heathen did well sée into as appeareth by his words which are these When God meaneth well vnto a city and will doe good vnto it then hee raiseth vp good men but when hee meaneth to punish a citie or countrey and doe ill vnto it then he taketh away the good men from it Phil. It is very manifest by all that you haue alledged that the wicked fare the better euery day in the yeare for the righteous that dwell amongst them Theol. All experience doth teach it and the scriptures do plentifully auouch it For did not churlish Laban fare the better for Iacob his kinsman Doth he not acknowledge that the Lord had blessed him for his sake Did not Potiphar fare the better for godly Ioseph Doth not the Scripture say that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Ioseph his sake and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand Did not Obed-edom fare the better for the Arke Did not the seuenty and six soules that were in the ship with Paul spéed all the better for his sake Did not the Angell of God tell him in the night that God had giuen vnto him all that sayled with him for otherwise a thousand to one they had béene all drowned Therfore the children of God may very fitly be compared to a great péece of cork which though it be cast into the sea hauing many nailes fastned in it yet it beareth them all vp from sinking which otherwise would sinke of themselues What shall we say then or what shall we conclude but that the vngodly are more beholden to the righteous thē they are aware of Phila. I doe thinke if it were not for Gods children it would goe hard with the wicked For if they were sorted and shoaled out from amongst them and placed by themselues what could they looke for but wrath vpon wrath and plague vpon plague till the Lord had made a finall consumption of them and swept them like dung from the face of the earth Theo. Sure it is all creatures would frowne vpon them The Sunne would vnwillingly shine vpon them or the Moone giue them any light The Starres would not be seene of them and the Planets would hide themselues The beasts would deuoure them the fowles would picke out their eies The fishes would make war against them and all creatures in heauen and earth would rise vp in armes against them Yea the Lord himselfe from heauen would raine downe fire and brimstone vpon them Phila. Yet for all this it is a wonder to consider how deadly the wicked hate the righteous and almost in euery thing oppose themselues against them and that in most virulent and spitefull manner They raile and slander scoffe and scorne mocke and mowe at them as though they were not worthy to liue vpon the earth They esteeme euery pelting rascall and preferre euery vile varlet before them And though they haue their liues and liberty their breath and safety and all that they haue else by them yet for all that they could be content to eat their hearts with garlicke so great so fiery so burning and hissing hot is their fury and malice against them Theol. They may very fitly be compared to a Moth that fretteth in pieces the same cloth wherein she is bred Or to a certaine worme or canker that corrodeth and eateth thorow the heart of the trée that nourisheth her Or vnto a man that standeth vpon a bough in the top of a trée where there is no more and yet with an axe choppeth it off and therewithall falleth downe with it and breaketh his necke Euen so the fooles of this world doe what they can to chop asunder the bough that vpholds them but they may easily know what will follow Phila. I see plainly they be much their owne foes and stand in their owne light and indeed know not what they doe For the benefit which they receiue by such is exceeding great and therefore by their mangling of them they doe but hold the stirrop to their owne destruction Theol. Now to apply these things to our selues and to returne to the first question of this argument may we not maruell that our nation is so long spared considering that the sins thereof are so horrible and outragious as they be Phila. We may iustly maruell at the wonderfull patience of God And we may well thinke that there be some in the land which stand in the breach beeing in no small fauour with his highnesse sith they doe so much preuaile Theo. The mercifull preseruation of our most gratious king who is the breath of our nostrils the long continuance of our peace and of the Gospell the kéeping backe of the sword out of the land which our sinnes pull vpon vs the frustrating of many plots and subtill deuices which haue béene often intended against our state yea and the life of his Maiesties most roiall person make me to thinke that there bée some strong pleaders with God for the publike good of vs all Phila. You may well thinke so indeed For by our sinnes wee haue forfeited and daily doe forfeit into Gods hands both our King our Countrey our Peace our Gospell our liues our goods our lands our liuings our wiues our children and all that wee haue but onely the righteous which are so neere about the King and in so high fauour doe step in and earnestly entreat for vs that the forfeitures may be released and that we may haue a lease in parley of them all againe or at least a grant of further time But I pray you sir are not we to attribute something concerning our good estate to the policy of the land the lawes established and the wisedome and counsell of our prudent Gouernours Theol. Yes assuredly very much as the ordinary and outward meanes which God vseth for our safety For though the Apostle Paul had a grant frō God for the safety of his owne life al that were with him in the ship yet he said Except the mariners abide in the ship we can not be safe Shewing thereby that vnto faith and praiers the best and wisest meanes must be ioyned Wée are therefore vpon our knées euery day to giue thankes vnto God for such good meanes of our safety as he hath giuen vs. Phila. Well then as the praiers of the righteous haue beene hitherto great meanes both for the auerting and turning away of wrath and the continuance of fauour so shew I pray you what is the
certaintie of saluation and speake somewhat of that Theo. The ground-worke of our saluation is laide in Gods eternall election and in respect thereof it standeth fast and vnmoueable as it is written The foundation of God standeth fast And againe He is faithfull that hath promised though we cannot beleeue yet he abideth faithfull So then as we know it certainely in our selues by the consequents of election so it standeth most firme in respect of God and his eternall and immutable decrée And a thousand infirmities nay all the sinnes in the world nor all the diuels in hell cannot ouerthrow Gods election For our Lord Jesus saith All that the Father hath giuen me shall come vnto me And againe This is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath giuen me I should lose nothing but should raise it vp againe at the last day And in another place our Sauiour Christ saith My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand My Father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand Wée ought therefore to be as sure of our saluation as of any other thing which God hath promised or which we are bound to beléeue For to doubt thereof in respect of Gods truth is blasphemous against the immutability of his truth Philag But are there not some doubts at some times euen in the very Elect and in those which are growen to the greatest perswasion Theol. Yes verily For he that neuer doubted neuer beléeued For whosoeuer beléeueth in truth féeleth sometimes doubtings and wauerings Euen as the sound body féeleth many grudgings of diseases which if hée hath not health hée could not féele so the sound soule féeleth some doubtings which if it were not sound it could not so easily féele For wée féele not corruption by corruption but we féele corruption by grace And the more grace we haue the more quicke are we in the féeling of corruption Some men of tender skinnes and quicke féeling will easily féele the lightest feather in softer manner laide vpon the ball of their hands which others of more slow féeling and hard flesh cannot so easily discerne So then it is certaine that although the children of God féele some doubtings at sometimes yet the same doe no whit impeach the certainety of their saluation but rather argue a perfect soundnesse and health of their soules For when such litle grudgings are felt in the soule the childrē of God oppose against them the certaintie of Gods truth and promises and so doe easily ouercome them For the Lords people néed no more to feare them then he that rideth thorow the stréets vpon a lusty gelding with his sword by his side néeds to feare the barking and bawling of a few little curres and whappets Phila. Shew yet more plainly how or in what respects the childe of God may both haue doubtings and yet be fully assured Theol. Euen as a man set in the top of the highest stéeple in the world and so fast bound vnto it that he cannot fall though he would yet when hée looketh downeward hee feareth because mans nature is not acquainted nor accustomed to mount so high in the aire and to behold the earth so farre beneath but when he looketh vpward and perceiueth himselfe fast bound and out of all danger then hée casteth away all feare Euen so when wée looke downeward to our selues wée haue doubts and feares but when wée looke vpward to Christ and the truth of his promises wée féele our selues cocke-sure and cease to doubt any more Phila. Declare vnto vs what is the originall of these doubts and feares and from whence they spring in the children of God Theol. They spring from the imperfection of our regeneration and from that strife which is in the very minde of the elect betwéene faith and infidelity For these two do mightily fight together in the most regenerate and striue to ouer master and ouershadow one another By reason wherof sometimes it commeth to passe through the preuailing of vnbeliefe that the most excellent seruants of God may fal into fits and pangs of despaire as Iob and Dauid in their temptations did And euen in these daies also some of Gods children at sometimes are shrewdly handled this way and brought very lowe euen vnto deaths doore but yet the Lord in great mercie doth recouer them both from totall and finall despaire Onely they are humbled and tried by these sharpe fits for a time and that for their great good For as we vse to say that an Ague in a young man is a signe of health so these burning fits of temptations in the elect for the most part are signes of Gods grace and fauor For if they were not of God the diuell would neuer be so busie with them Phila. Is it not meere presumption and an ouermuch trusting to our selues to bee perswaded of our saluation Theol. Nothing lesse For the ground of this perswasion is not laid in our selues or any thing within vs or without vs but onely in the righteousnesse of Christ and the mercifull promises of God For is it any presumption for vs to beléeue that which God hath promised Christ hath purchased and the holy Ghost hath sealed No verily it is not any presumption but a thing which we all stand bound vnto as we will answere it at the dreadfull day of iudgement As for our selues we do fréely confesse that in Gods sight we are but lumps of sinne and masses of all misery and cannot of our selues mooue hand or foot to the furtherance of our saluation But being iustified by faith we are at peace with God and fully perswaded of his loue and fauour toward vs in Christ Phila. Cannot the Reprobates and vngodly be assured of their saluation Theo. No. For the Prophet saith There is no peace to the wicked Then I reason thus They which haue not the inward peace cannot be assured But the wicked haue not the inward peace Therefore they cannot be assured Stedfast faith in the promises doth assure But the wicked haue not stedfast faith in the promises Therefore they cannot be assured The spirit of adoption doth assure But the wicked haue not the spirit of adoption Therefore they cannot be assured To conclude when a man féeleth in himselfe an euill conscience blindnesse prophanenesse and disobedience he shal in despite of his hart sing this dolefull song I know not whether I shall be saued or damned Phila. Is not the doctrine of the assurance of saluation a most comfortable doctrine Theol. Yes doubtlesse For except a man bée perswaded of the fauour of God and the forgiuenesse of sinnes and consequently of his saluation what comfort can he haue in any thing Besides this the perswasion of Gods loue towards vs is the root of
his son That he would condemne others for sinne Antile But how doe you prooue the decree of reprobation to wit That God hath determined the destruction of thousands before the world was Theol. The Scripture calleth the reprobates The vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The Scripture sayth God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath Therefore it followeth that some are appointed vnto wrath The Scripture sayth of the reprobates That they were euen ordeined to stumble at the Word The Scripture sayth They were of olde ordeined to this condemnation Antile But how answer you this God willeth not the death of a sinner Therefore hee hath predestinate none to destruction Theol. God willeth not the death of a sinner simply and absolutely as it is the destruction of his creature but as it is a meane to declare his iustice and to set forth his glory Antile God did foresee and foreknow that the wicked would perish through their owne sinne but yet he did not predestinate them vnto it Theol. Gods prescience and foreknowledge cannot be separated from his decrée For whatsoeuer God hath foreséene foreknowen in his eternall counsell he hath determined the same shall come to passe For as it apperteineth to his wisdom to foreknow and foresée all things so doth it apperteine to his power to moderate and rule all things according to his will Antil What do you call prescience in God Theol. Presence in God is that whereby all things abide present before his eies so that to his eternall knowledge nothing is past nothing to come but all things are alwaies present And so are they present that they are not as conceiued imaginations formes and motions but all things are alwaies so present before God that he doth behold them in their verity and perfection Antil How can God iustly determine of mens destruction before they haue sinned Theol. This obiection hath béene answered in part before For I told you that God condemneth none but for sinne either originall only or else both original and actual For howsoeuer hée doth in himselfe before all time determine the reprobation of many yet he procéedeth to no execution till there be found in vs both iust deserts and apparant cause Therefore they deale vnsoundly and foolishly which confound the decrée of reprobation with damnation it selfe sith sinne is the cause of the one and onely the will of God of the other Phila. Well Sir sith we are so farre proceeded in this question by the occasion of this mans obiections and cauils I pray you now as you haue spoken much of reprobation and the causes thereof so let vs heare somewhat of election and the causes thereof and shew vs out of the Scriptures that God hath before all worlds chosen some to eternall life Theol. Touching the decrée of Election there are almost none that make any doubt thereof therefore small proofe shall serue for this point Onely I will confirme it by one or two testimonies out of the holy Scriptures First the Apostle saith Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in Heauenly things in Christ as hee hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue You sée the words are very plaine and pregnant for this purpose An other confirmation is taken out of the 8. Chap. to the Romanes in these words Those whom he knew before did he also predestinate to be like to the image of his own Sonne that he might be the first borne of many brethren Phila. Which be the causes of Election Theol. The causes of Election are to be found onely in God himselfe For his eternall election dependeth neither vpon man neither yet vpon any thing that is in man but is purposed in himselfe and established in Christ in whom we are Elected This is fully prooued in these words Who hath predestinated vs to bee adopted through Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of his glory wherewith he hath made vs freely accepted in his beloued Where wée see the apostle telleth vs that his frée grace and the good pleasure of his will are the first motiues or moouing causes of our Election Phila. But the Papists fetch the first motiue of election out of mans merits and fore-seene works For say they God did fore-see who would repent beleeue and doe well and therefore he made choise of them Theol. But they are greatly deceiued For I say againe and againe that there was nothing in vs which did euer mooue God to set his loue vpon vs and to choose vs vnto life but he euer found the originall cause in himselfe As it is written Hee will haue mercy vpon whom he will haue mercy and whom hee will hee hardneth And againe It is neither in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie The Lord himselfe also testifieth that hée did choose his people not for any respect in them but onely because hée loued them and bare a speciall fauour vnto them So then it is a certaine truth that Gods eternall predestination excludeth all merits of man and all power of his will thereby to attaine vnto eternall life and that his frée mercy and vndeserued fauour is both the beginning the middest and the end of our saluation That is to say all is of him and nothing of our selues Phila. Whether then doth faith depend vpon election or election vpon faith That is whether did God choose vs because we doe beleeue or whether doe we beleeue because we are chosen Theol. Out of all doubt both faith and all fruits of faith doe depend vpon election For therefore we beléeue because we are elected and not therfore elected because we beléeue As it is written So many as were ordained to euerlasting life beleeued Antil If men be predestinate before they be borne to what purpose serue all precepts admonitions lawes c It forceth not how we liue For neither our godly or vngodly life can alter the purpose of God Theo. This is a very wicked and carnall obiection and sheweth a vile and dissolute minde in them that vse it But I would wish such men to consider the end of our election which is that we should lead a godly life As it is plainely set downe in the first to the Ephesians where the Apostle saith God hath chosen vs before the foundation of the world But to what end that we should line as we lift No no saith he But that we should be holy and vnblameable before him Againe he saith We are perdestinate to bee made like the image of his Sonne that is to be holy and righteous For most certaine it is that we can iudge nothing of predestination but by the consequents that is by our calling iustification and sanctification
art faire thou art all faire my loue there is no spot in thee Marke that he calleth his Church faire all faire and without spot not because she was so in herself but because she was made so in him And assuredly the eternall God beholding her in his son doth so estéeme and account of her For as hée that beholdeth any thing thorough a red glasse doth take it to be red as is the colour of the glasse so God the Father beholding vs in his son doth take vs to bée of the same nature and quality that he is that is perfectly righteous For this cause it is that he loueth vs setteth his heart vpon vs and will not be remooued from vs. For his loue to his children is alwaies one and the same although we haue not alwaies the like sight and féeling of it As the Moone is alwaies the same in substance and quantity though sometime it séemeth vnto vs to be wasted into a very small scantling Let vs know then to our great comfort that the loue of God towards vs in his deare sonne is constant and alwaies alike and that he wil not discountenance vs or shake vs off for some infirmities no nor yet for many infirmities for the merciful God doth accept of his children because their generall care is good and the vniuersall Tenor of their life tendeth vnto righteousuesse howsoeuer they may greatly faile in many particular actions Two or thrée fits of an Ague do not prooue a diseased body nor two or thrée good daies a sound body euen so some few infirmities doe not argue a wicked man nor two or thrée good actions a good man but we must haue an eye to the certaine and settled course of a mans life Euen as men are truely said to walke in a way when they goe in it although sometimes they trip and stumble so Gods children doe walke in the way of righteousnes although sometimes they stumble and step out of it or sometimes be violently haled out of it by theeues For Sathan and the violence of our lusts doe often hale vs out of the way but we must get into it againe as soone as we are escaped Now then to conclude draw to an end sith God is so infinitely mercifull and constant in his mercy sith such great and precious promises are made to vs in Christ sith the Lord doth not regard our infirmities when our harts are with him Therefore O Asunetus be of good chéere let nothing trouble you feare not the assaults of the Diuell regard not his temptations for assuredly your sinnes are forgiuen Christ is yours heauen is yours and all the promises of life and saluation belong vnto you so as you néed not to doubt you cannot miscarry your name is written in the booke of life Asune I am greatly comforted and cheared vp with your words your preaching of the Gospell and laying open of Gods abundant mercy in Christ and of the promises do exceedingly reuiue me and euen as it were put new life into me they are as Sacke and Sugar vnto my soule and more sweete then the hony and the hony combe they are as Physicke to my sicke soule and as oyntment to my spirituall wounds I doe now beginne to see what misery is in man and what mercy is in God And I know by wofull experience that where misery is not felt there mercy is not regarded but now it hath pleased God to giue me some feeling of mine owne wretchednesse and misery and yet with good comfort in his mercy For I thanke God for it I begin now to grow to some perswasion that the promises doe belong vnto me my sins are forgiuen and that I am one of them that shall be saued Theol. I doe greatly reioyce that God hath according to his rich mercy wrought this good worke in you I doe from the bottome of my heart giue him the praise and glory of it Happy are you that euer you were borne in whom God hath wrought so gratious a work It is of his high fauour and speciall mercy towards you for it is the only priuiledge and prerogatiue royall of Gods owne children truely to repent and beléeue I beseech God therefore to increase your faith and to fill you full of ioy and peace in beléeuing that you may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Antile The Sunne draweth low Asunetus it is time for you and me to be going Phila. Indeed the night will approach by and by and therefore we must of necessity breake off Theol. Sith it is so wée will héere surcease and goe no further Asune Sir I will now take my leaue of you I can neuer be thankefull enough for all the good instructions and comforts which I haue heard from you this day I hope I shall remember some of them whilest I liue I doe therfore praise God for you and for your counsell and for this day which I hope shall be the first day of my repentance and true conuersion vnto God Theol. The Lord for his infinite mercies sake grant it And I most humbly beséech the Almighty God to establish you with his frée spirit that you may procéed and goe forward in a Christian course vnto the end Phila. I pray you good M. Theologus pardon my boldnesse for you see I haue beene very bold to propound many questions vnto you wherein you haue fully satisfied me to the great ioy and comfort of my soule I doe therefore praise God for you and I hope I shall neuer forget some things which you haue vttered But I will now commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build further Theol. Farewell good Philagathus The Lord blesse you and kéepe you in all your waies and the God of Heauen preserue vs all and continue vs in his feare vnto the end All glory be giuen to God FINIS A Table containing all the principall matters conteined in this Booke and directing to the Page where they are set downe MAns naturall corruption Page 5 Mans misery in nature 6 Mans nature corrupted but not destroied by Adams fall ibid. Some sparkes of Gods Image still remaine after the fall 7 Man in the state of nature cannot doe any thing that pleaseth God ibid. Man naturally neither seeth nor feeleth his miserie 8 Man in nature is vnder the tyrannie of Sathan and curse of the Law 9 Man growne to yeeres liuing and dying in the state of nature perisheth for euer 11 Man continueth cursed till he be borne againe ibid. None can be saued but onely the regenerate 12 Regeneration what ibid. The qualitie of regeneration 13 Remnants of sinne after regeneration 14 Regeneration vnperfect in this life ibid. Meanes of regeneration 23 Eight infallible signes of saluation 30 Eight signes of damnation 31 Nine manifest tokens of damnation ibid. Pride described 33 Pride of gifts condemned 35 Pride in apparell condemned 40 Rules of the world for
of the Gospel amongst vs for the death of thy sonne al that happinesse which we haue thereby also because thou hast chosen vs to life before we were and that of thy meere goodnes vndeserued fauor towards vs hast called vs in thine appointed time iustified vs by thy grace sanctified vs by thy spirit adopted vs to be thine own childrē heirs apparant to the great crown O Lord open our eies euery day more more to see and consider of thy great marueilous loue to vs in all these things that by the due consideration therof our harts may be drawne yet neerer vnto thee euen more to loue thee feare thee obey thee that as thou art enlarged towards vs in mercy so we may be enlarged towards thee in thanksgiuing as thou doest abound towards vs in goodnes so we may aboūd towards thee in obedience loue And sith deere father thou art neuer weary of doing vs good notwithstanding all our vnworthines naughtines therefore let the consideration of thy great mercy fatherly kindnesse towards vs euen as it were force our hearts and compell vs to come into thy most glorious presence with new songs of thankesgiuing in our mouths We pray thee O most mercifull God to forgiue vs all our vnthankfulnes vnkindnes prophannes great abusing of all thy mercies specially our abuse contempt of thy Gospel together with al other the sins of our life which we confesse are innumerable mo then can be reckoned vp both in omission of good things commission of euill We most humbly intreat thee to set thē all ouer to the reckning which thy son Christ hath made vp for them vpō his crosse neuer to lay any of them to our charge but freely forget all forgiue all Naile downe all our sins iniquities to the Crosse of Christ bury them in his death bathe them in his blood hide them in his wounds let them neuer rise vp in iudgement against vs. Set vs free of the miseries that are vpō vs for sin keep back the iudgements to come both of soule body goods and good name Be reconciled vnto vs in thy deere son concerning all matters past not once remembring or repeating vnto vs our old abhominable iniquities but accept vs as righteous in him imputing his righteosnes to vs our sins to him Let his righteousnes satisfie thy iustice for all our vnrighteousnes his obedience for our disobedience his perfection for our imperfection Moreouer we humbly beseech thy good maiesty to giue vs the true sight feling of our manifold sins that we may not be blinded in them through delight or hardned in them through custom as the reprobates are but that we may be euen weary of them much grieued for them labouring and striuing by al possible means to get out of them Good Father touch our harts with true repentance for all sin Let vs not take any delight or pleasure in any sin but howsoeuer we fal throgh frailty as we fall often yet let vs neuer fall finally let vs neuer lie downe in sin nor continue in sin but let vs get vpon our feete againe turne to thee with all our hearts seeke thee whilest thou maiest be found whilest thou doest offer grace and mercy vnto vs. O Lord encrease in vs that true and liuely faith whereby we may lay sure hold on thy sonne Christ rest vpon his merits altogether Giue vs faith assuredly to belieue all the great and precious promises made in the Gospell and strengthen vs from aboue to walke and abound in all the true sound fruits of faith Let vs walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Let vs feele the power of thy sons death killing sinne in our mortall bodies and the power of his resurrection raising vs vp to newnesse of life Let vs grow daily in the sanctification of the spirit and the mortification of the flesh Let vs liue holily iustly and soberly in this present euill world shewing foorth the vertues of thee in all our particular actions that we may adorne our most holy profession and shine as lights in the middest of a crooked and froward generation amongst whom we liue being gaineful to all by our liues conuersations offensiue to none To this end we pray thee fill vs with thy spirit and all spirituall graces as loue wisedome patience contentment meekenesse humility temperancy chastity kindnesse and affability and stirre vs vp to vse praier and watchfulnesse reading meditation in thy law and all other good meanes whereby wee may grow and abound in all heauenly vertues Blesse vs in the vse of the meanes from day to day make vs such as thou wouldest haue vs to be and such as we desire to be working in vs both will and deede purpose and power For thou O Lord art all in all thou wilt haue mercy vpon whom thou wilt haue mercy and whom thou wilt thou hardenest Haue mercy vpon vs therefore deere Father and neuer leaue vs to our selues nor to our owne wils lusts and desires but assist vs with thy good spirit that we may continue to the end in a righteous course that so at length we may be receiued into glorie and be partakers of that immortall crowne which thou hast laid vp for all that loue thee and truely call vpon thee Further we entreat thee O heauenly father to giue vs all things necessary for this life as foode raiment health peace liberty and such freedome from those manifold miseries which we lie open vnto euery day as thou seest meete Blesse vnto vs all the meanes which thou hast put into our hands for the sustenance of this fraile life Blesse our stocke and store corne and cattell trades occupations and all the works of our hands for thy blessing only maketh rich and it bringeth no sorrows with it Giue vs therfore such a competency and sufficiency of these outward blessings as thou in thy heauenly wisdome seest most needfull for vs. Moreouer we humbly beseech thee most louing Father in great mercy to looke downe from heauen vpon thy whole Church and euery member of it Be fauourable vnto Sion and build vp the wals of Ierusalem Behold with the eye of pity the great ruines and desolations of thy Church Heale vp the wounds make vp the breaches thereof in all Nations Regard it as thine owne flocke tender it as thine owne family dresse it as thine owne vineyard loue it as thine owne spouse Think thoughts of peace to it alwaies look vpon it in deepe compassion Blesse it with thy grace guide it with thy spirit defend it alwaies with thy mighty power scatter the deuises confound the counsels ouerthrow the forces of all that fight against it Specially we intreate thee deare Father to set thy self against that antichrist of Rome that man of perdition which setteth himselfe against thee and against all thy
against vs as most damnable transgressors of all thy holy commandements yea such as are sunke in our rebellions and haue many times often committed high treason against thy maiesty therefore thou maist iustly cast vs all downe into hell fire there to be tormented with Sathan and his Angels for euer And we haue nothing to except against thy maiesty for so doing sith therein thou shouldest deale with vs but according to equity and our iust deserts Wherfore déere Father we do appeale from thy iustice to thy mercy most humbly intreating thée to haue mercy vpon vs and freely to forgiue vs all our sinnes past whatsoeuer both new and old secret and open knowen and unknowen and thatfor Jesus Christs sake our only mediator And we pray thée touch our hearts with true griefe vnfained repentance for them that they may be a matter of continuall sorrow hart-smart vnto vs so as nothing may grieue vs more then this that wée haue offended thée béeing our speciall friend and Father Giue vs therefore deare Father euery day more and more sight féeling of our sinnes with true humiliation vnder the same Giue vs also that true and liuely faith whereby we may lay sure hold on thy Sonne Christ and all his merits applying the same to our owne soules so as we may stand fully perswaded that whatsoeuer he hath don vpon the crosse he hath done for vs particularly as well as for others Giue vs faith good Father constantly to beléeue all the swéete promises of the Gospell touching remission of sin and eternall life made in thy son Christ O Lord increase our faith that we may altogether rest vpon thy promises which are all yea and Amen Yea that we may settle our selues and all that we haue wholly vpon them both our souls bodies goods name wiues children and our whole estate knowing that all things depend vpon thy promises power and prouidence that thy word doth support and beare vp the whole order of nature Moreouer we intreate thée O Lord to strengthen vs from aboue to walke in euery good way to bring foorth the fruits of true faith in all our particular actions studying to please thée in all things and to be fruitfull in good works that we may shew forth vnto all men by our good conuersation whose children we are and that we may adorne and beautifie our most holy profession by walking in a Christian course and in all the sound fruits practise of godlinesse and true religion To this end we pray thée sanctifie our hearts by thy spirit yet more and more sanctifie our soules and bodies and all our corrupt naturall faculties as reason vnderstanding will and affections so as they may be fitted for thy worship and seruice taking a delight and pleasure therein Stirre vs vp to vse praier watchfulnesse reading and meditation in thy law all other good meanes whereby we may profit in grace goodnes from day to day Blesse vs in the vse of the meanes that we may daily die to sin and liue to righteousnes draw vs yet néerer vnto thée helpe vs against our manifold wants Amend our great imperfections renue vs inwardly more and more repaire the ruines of our hearts aide vs against the remnants of sinne Enlarge our harts to run the way of thy Commandements direct all our steps in thy word let none iniquity haue dominion ouer vs. Assist vs against our speciall infirmities master sins that we may get the victory ouer them all to thy glory and the great peace comfort of our owne consciences Strengthen vs good father by thy grace and holy spirit against the common corruptions of the world as pride whoredome couetousnes contempt of thy Gospel swearing lying dissembling and deceiuing O déere father let vs not be ouercome of these filthy vices nor any other sinfull pleasures and fond delights wherewith thousands are carried headlong to destruction Arm our soules against all the temptations of this world the flesh the diuell that we may ouercome them all through thy helpe kéepe on the right way to life that we may liue in thy feare die in thy fauor that our last daies may be our best daies that we may end in great peace of conscience Furthermore déere father we intreat thée not onely for our selues but for all our good brethren thy déere childreÌ„ scattred ouer the face of the whole earth most humbly beséeching thée to blesse them all to chéere them vp glad them with the ioy of thy countenance both now and alwaies Guide them all in thy feare and kéepe them from euill that they may praise thy name In these dangerous daies and declining times we pray thée O Lord raise vp nursing fathers and nursing mothers vnto thy Church Raise vp also faithfull Pastors that thy cause may be caried forward truth may preuaile Religion may prosper thy name onely may be set vp in the earth thy Sonnes kingdome aduanced and thy will accomplished Set thy selfe against all aduersary power especially that of Rome Antichrist Idolatry and Atheisme curse and crosse all their counsels frustrate their deuises scatter their forces ouerthrow their armies When they are most wise let them be most foolish when they are most strong let them be most weake Let them know that there is no wisedome nor counsell power nor policy against thée the Lord of hostes Let them know that Israel hath a God and that thou which art called Iehouah art the onely ruler ouer all the world Arise therefore O most mighty God and maintaine thine owne cause against all thine enemies smite through all their loines and bow downe their backs yea let them all be confounded and turned backward that beare ill will vnto Sion Let the patient abiding of the righteous be ioy and let the wicked be disappointed of their hope But of all fauour we intreat thée O Lord to shew speciall mercy to thy Church in this Land wherein we liue Continue thy Gospell amongst vs yet with greater successe purge thy house daily more and more take away all things that offend Let this Nation still be a place where thy name may be called vpon an harbour for thy saints Shew mercy to our posterity deare Father and haue â—are of them that thy Gospell may be left vnto them as a most holy inheritance Defend vs against forraine inuasion kéepe out idolatry and Popery from amongst vs. Turne from vs those plagues which our sinnes crie for For the sins of this Land are excéeding great horrible and outragious and giue thée iust cause to make vs spectacles of thy vengeance to all Nations that by how much the more thou hast lifted vs vp in great mercy long peace by so much the more thou shouldest presse vs downe in great wrath and long war Therefore deare father we most humbly intreate thée for thy great names sake for thy infinite mercies sake that thou wouldest be reconciled to this
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