desire when wee pray beleeue that wee shall haue it and it shall bee done vnto vs. And Saint Iames bids Iam. 1.6 Aske in faith and wauer not and wee shall receiue our desires And Christ againe Math. 7.7 Aske and yee shall receiue And Iohn 16.23 Whatsoeuer yee aske the Father in my name he will giue it you But alwayes the condition is that we aske in faith I but you will say there 's all the doubt for how may I know that I haue faith I purpose not heere to handle at large the nature and properties of a liuing faith but onely to satisfie the weake and wauering in a word or two I 'le teach you to know faith As Saint Iohn sayes 1. Joh. 5.8 There are three that beare witnesse in Heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are One And there are 3. that beare witnesse in Earth the Spirit and Water and Blood and these 3. agree in one So Saint Paul sayes 1. Cor. 13.13 There are 3. that abide in one Faith Hope and Loue and these 3. giue witnes vnto one that Christ Iesus dwells in him Faith witnesseth with the Spirit vnto vs that wee are the Children of God Rom. 8.16 And hope and loue witnesse vnto faith that it is a true and liuing faith as breath heate and motion witnesse and approue that the body is aliue so loue and hope approue vnto our hearts that our faith is aliue There is a dead faith Iam. 2.26 a faith without workes a faith without hope and loue the two infallible companions of true faith But true and liuing faith which Saint Paul calls the faith of the Sonne of God because he by his Spirit begets it in vs and is the proper obiect of it hath alwayes with it hope and loue by which the effects and power of it appeares to God to Angels to Men to God first then to man To God 1. In beleeuing his promises made vnto vs in Christ Act. 16.31 2. In seeing our lamentable estate by nature Ephes 2.1 how we stand subiect to his eternall wrath eternall death eternall bondage vnder sinne and Satan 3. In sorrowing for our sins generall particular 2. Cor. 7.11 4. In confessing them Mat. 3.6 vnto God 5. Praying for and hoping of pardon for Christ his sake Act. 2.37 6. In hungring after righteousnesse Mat. 5.6 7. In continually endeuoring to hate sinne Acts 2.42 and please God Psal 97.10 Againe as it 's working by loue and hope to God so also it 's approuing it selfe to Angels and Men by humility and meekenesse Mat. 11.29 for true faith is neuer proud 1. Thes 5.14 by patience and long suffering for it murmures not by charity and almes deeds according to the talent receiued from God either by actuall relieuing or affectionate desiring to doe so visiting the sicke Math. 25.35 36. comforting the comfortlesse helping the poore cloathing the naked and in a word neuer resting to doe All good not enuying 1. Cor. 13. not boasting not rayling not speaking il not disdaining nay not seeking her owne things not couetous not lasciuious not wickedly angry not thinking ill not reioycing in any sin But suffers all things indures all things beleeues all things and hopes all things Gen. 15.16 17 18 19. with Abraham it 's constant in beleeuing and obeying God Acts 8.13.20 28. with Paul it 's valiant in suffring all crosses all afflictions for God with Dauid it 's patient in all calamities hanging still on God Iob. 19.25 with Iob euen in the fire of triall and the boyling furnace of Satans sifting it cleaues fast vnto and holds by God and euery day growes from strength to strength Psal 84.7 better'd in knowledge better'd in affection better'd in obedience till at last it come to say with Dauid Psal 23.4 Thought I walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will not feare and with Saint Paul Rom. 8.38 Nothing can seperate mee from Christ Iesus because with Iob Iob 19.25 26. it knowes that our Redeemer liues and that we shall rise vp againe with him to glory This this is that true and liuing faith wherewith wee must offer our sacrifice to God But if any finde not in their hearts these things nor these fruits of faith in their liues know yet for their comfort that there is a lesser degree of a true and liuing faith which though it be compared to smoaking flaxe Esay 42.2 a bruised reed for the weakenes of it yet is it a most sure Anchor-hold and receiues perfect acceptance with God And this little faith is when though wee know not Gods promises of saluation by Christ exactly neither are able to apply them to our selues perfectly and strongly as Paul and Dauid Psal 23. Rom. 8.38 Acts 16.30 Luke 3.10 12 14. Acts 2.37 and others did yet wee doe earnestly desire to repent and haue our sinnes pardoned seeking by all meanes of fasting praying weeping wishing and conferring with such as are able to help vs to bee reconciled to God hoping of his mercy and thirsting after righteousnesse Rom. 14.1 dayly increasing in grace still making better better progresse in Religion Such a faith as this once was in the Apostles the very attendants and continuall companions of Christ who though they beleeued Christ to be the Sonne of God Math. 16.16 yet they knew not of his Death and Resurrection till afterward Ioh. 6.6 Math. 17.23 Luke 9.45 Iohn 20.9 Such also was the faith of those Disciples at Ephesus whom Paul found ignorant of the very being of the Holy Ghost by whom they had receiued power and grace to beleeue in Christ Acts 19.2 And they that haue this Faith though but little small as wanting the fulnesse of that strength by which they might be able to say with Paul that they are assured there 's layd vp for them a crowne of righteousnesse 2. Tim. 4.7 8. which God will giue them at the last day yet may they with boldnesse and confidence haue accesse to the Throne of grace For GOD hath promised that to him that is athirst Reu. 21.6 he will giue of the Well of the water of Life freely And our Sauiour himselfe cryed it once in the great day of the great Feast of Tabernacles that All that are thirsty should come to him and drinke Iohn 7.37 And if any be laden with the burden of sinne Mat. 11.28 Come vnto him and he wil ease them For thirsting after righteousnesse Mat. 5.6 and remission of sinnes is one of the chiefe of those mercies of God which whoso hath alreadie is become partaker of eternall happinesse and in the end shall bee fully satisfied 4. Yet now though we haue faith liuely and true from which our requests must proceede this faith of ours must haue his warrant his ground his stay from the Word of God So
THE COVNTESSE OF MOVNTGOMERIES EVSEBEIA Expressing briefly THE SOVLES PRAYING ROBES By Ro NEVVTON Printed at London by George Purstow for A. G. 1620. TO THAT NOBLE ROOT OF HONOVR AND VERTVE THE LADY MARY COVNTESSE OF PEMBROOKE AND HER ILLVSTRIOVS BRANCHES WILLIAM EARLE OF PEMBROOKE LORD Chamberlaine to his Maiestie PHILIP EARLE OF MOVNTGOMERY WITH THEIR HONOVRABLE LADIES MARY COVNTESSE OF PEMBROOKE SVSAN COVNTESSE OF MOVNTGOMERY AND HER VERTVOVS Honourable Sisters ELIZABETH COVNTESSE OF DARBIE AND BRIDGET LADY NORRIS Right Honourable LEt it not I pray you seem strange that thus I vnite you in this Dedication God him selfe hath gone before mee vniting you in blood affinity and vertues and I hope it 's no offence to follow his example The subiect of this worke is Piety whereto as the world doth witnesse you All to bee adicted deuoting your selues most religiously to God in your owne persons being patternes to others of it so still to keepe burning that fire of Goodnesse kindled in your hearts flaming in your liues by the power of Gods Spirit shed abroad in your soules accept of such helpes as heere you shall finde drawn out of the Scriptures Gods Armorie which if you please to vse you shall finde how potent they are in prosperitie to keepe you in aduersirie to comfort you and in the day of the Lord to crowne you through the mercy of God with Happinesse and Eternity which Blessings with All else wishing to Euery One of you desiring the multiplying of All Graces in you Honour Health Children Life to his Glory Stedfastnesse in the Faith comfort and ioy in the Holy Ghost Patience Wisedome Hope and Perseuerance in All god lines to the end and the quiet Peace of Conscience at your end I humbly rest Euer deuoted to Your Honours in all duties Ro NEVVTON From my House at Gretford in Lincolnshire May. 20. 1620. THE COVNTESSE of Mountgomeries Eusebeia expressing briefly the Soules praying ROBES HOw pleasing and sweet in the sight of our glorious and mercifull God the seruice of Prayer and praise is how comfortable and profitable likewise to man in all estates and times whether of Affliction or Ioy the Scriptures which are the words Records of life the experience of such as God by his Spirit hath sealed vnto life doe most exactly and easily declare In the 50. Psalme God cals Prayer a Sacrifice and sayes Psal 50.23 that whoso offers it vnto him honours him And in the 14. verse layes a command vpon his seruants both to praise him and in the day of trouble to pray vnto him adding a most heauenly sweet promise to heare them Now Sacrifices in the Law were that peculiar worship of God which himselfe to serue him with And they were of two sorts Either Propitiatory to appease God for sinnes committed or duties omitted or Eucharisticall to praise God for blessings receiued In the first was acknowledged mans guiltinesse to God In the other Gods mercy loue to man By both mans obligation to God Such a Sacrifice Prayer is A Propitiatory sacrifice of a heart broken and pownded with sorrow for sinne which through the eternall sacrifice of Christ Heb. 9.28 who offered vp himselfe once a full and absolute Propitiatorie Sacrifice on the Crosse for the sinnes of all that truely repent is made acceptable in the sight of God Psal 51.17 Wherein in the lippes and tongue are the soules Interpreters to let men and Angels know the vnexpressible and vnsearchable grones and sights of Gods Spirit within vs. Psal 71.23 24. For it is not enough to haue the heart smitten thorow and wounded with griefe vnlesse the tongue likewise tell it out to God Psal 32.3 And as it is a Sacrifice Propitiatorie so is it also an Eucharisticall Sacrifice of a heart drawne out like Salomons Curtaines by the mercy of God and lifted vp and filled with the ioy of Heauen the presence of the Spirit of God in the soule making it daunce Psal 28.7 as Dauid speaks for ioy and forcing the tongue to breake out in songs and melodious reioycings for the pardon of sinnes past Psal 57.7 8 9 10 11. for the presence and feeling of celestiall grace for the assurance of Gods mercy for deliuerance from instant dangers and feares for graces and good motions internall as Faith Hope Loue hatred of sinne care to keep a good Conscience watchfulnes specially ouer the eyes tongue and heart for blessings externall as Health Liberty Plenty Peace Riches Honour Children Friends Seruants fearing God a good name long life For his workes of mercy generall and particular on his children our selues our Families for his Iustice iudgements and plagues vpon the wicked The Priests that offer this Sacrifice are not the sonnes of Aaron alone as once it was in the old Law but All the children of God euery-where redeemed by the bloud of Christ and sancrified through the power of his reuiuing grace for hee hath made vs not onely sonnes of God Iohn 1.12 Reu. 1.6 but giuen vs the honour to be Kings and Priests to God to sacrifice and offer through him odours and incense sweetly smelling and delightfull in the nosthrils of his Father yet as Aaron might not offer Exo. 40.13 14. Leu. 10.1 2 but in his sacrificing weedes and nothing but that which God commanded no more must wee either in the Congregation publiquely with the Saints of God where God enioynes vs to render this sacrifice Psal 100.3 Psa 96.8 9. Math. 6.6 Psal 111.1 or in our owne houses or closets priuately where Christ himselfe hath commanded vs to make it doe it so but that he that is in heauen may accept it and wee that are on earth may haue comfort of it That this may be done some things are required and necessary before wee offer some in the very time and instant of our offering some when wee haue offered this sacrifice to God Before it 2. Chro. 11.18 goe three duties like Dauids 3. Worthies breaking thorow the ranges of the Philistines The first is repentance of all our sinnes Psal 66.16 18. for If I regard wickednesse in my heart saith Dauid God will not heare me Because indeed God heares not sinners Ioh. 9.31 that is such as repent not but refuseth their sacrifice as hee did the Iewes Esay 1.11 12 13 14 15 16. because their hands were full of bloud and the incense of Sheba that is the best and most exquisite words that can be Ier. 6.20 because their hearts were stuffed with euil yea the very offerings of the Priests themselues Micah 6.6 7 8. Amos 5.21 22. plainely affirming that he that offered such sacrifice is as he that slayes a man vgly and abominable in his sight Esay 66.2 Therefore the holy men were wont in ancient time to practise Repentance ere they came to pray renting their clothes in signe of sorrow and detestation of sinne as did Ezra Ezra 9.3 5. and Daniel in the
that euery Petition which Faith puts vp must bee made according to the will of God So Saint Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 5.14 Whatsoeuer wee aske in his Name according to his will we shall receiue Otherwise wee may aske Iam. 4.3 as Saint Iames sayes and not receiue because we aske amisse that is hauing neither commandement so to aske nor promise to receiue And so ask'd the Mother of Zebedees children promotion for her sonnes Mat. 20.23 was repell'd of Christ because she begged shee knew not what And so did Peter in Mount Thabor to build Tabernacles Luke 9.33 Mat. 12.38 And the Iewes to see a signe from Christ Wee therefore that sacrifice and that with faith must from God looke for both a cōmandement to warrant and a promise to fulfill our requests And here wee must obserue two Caueats First that all our requests to God are either for things spirituall or temporall And spirituall things are either absolutely necessarie to saluation as the knowledge of God in Christ the remission of sinnes Faith Hope Loue Humilitie Obedience a good conscience c. or else they are but onely such as are profitable as the vnderstanding of all Scripture all knowledge of Arts Tongues power to worke miracles and such like Those that are of absolute necessitie to saluation wee must aske them simply without condition So did Paul Ephes 1.17 Dauid Stephen and others Those that are but profitable and temporarie as health honour children life c. must alwayes haue a condition annexed Jam. 4.15 If it be for Gods glory If it be agreeable to his will Luke 22.42 Secondly wee must not binde God to any circumstances of time place Psal 130.5 6 7. meanes or otherwise but leaue all free to him and with patience attend his pleasure as Dauid did Psal 40.1 who waited patiently vpon the Lord till hee inclined to him For so God commands vs Psalm 37.3 4 5 6. Tarry thou the Lords leisure and hee will bring it to passe 5. Fiftly as we must pray from a liuely sence of our want with feruent desire and a liuely Faith hauing a warrant from the Word of God not asking things vnlawful Psa 99.5 6 Psal 86.7 8 9 10. Phil. 4.6 Esay 45.5 Ier. 23.24 Deut. 6.13 nor stinting God to any time so this sacrifice must bee offered onely to God sith He alone at all times and in all places is able and can heare All men which neither Angell nor Saints can doe Secondly because Prayer and Inuocation is from Man to God a peculiar part of Gods honour Mat. 4.10 And his honour he hath sworne not to giue to another Psal 97.7 In which respect the Angell refused adoration Reuel 22.9 commanding vs to worship God alone And GOD himselfe by Dauid speaking to all the Nations of the earth bids them trust in Him Psal 62.8 and powre cut their hearts before him And in another Psalme Dauid attributes it for a speciall tythe to God Psal 65.2 Thou that hearest the prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come For which cause that commandement is in the 50. Psalme 15. Call vpon mee not on any creature in the day of calamitie and I will help saith God And sure if the Angels must not bee honoured with this sacrifice of prayer and praise who are glorious spirits and more excellent by Creation and Grace than the Saints and are euer with vs Heb. 1.14 about vs for our good according to that of Dauid Psal 34.7 The Angell of the Lord tarryeth round about them that feare him to deliuer them and that of Christ touching little Infants Mat. 18.10 Their Angels alwayes behold the face of their Father which is in Heauen much lesse must we pray to any of the Saints who are neither so excellent nor so present with vs. Esay 63.16 Abraham knowes vs not saith God by the Prophet and Israel is ignornat of vs. And Saint Paul to the Romanes proues by demonstration Rom. 10.14 that wee must pray onely to God Thus Hee alone in whom wee must beleeue must bee prayed vnto Onely in God wee must beleeue To him onely wee must therefore pray And to whom else did the Fathers Patriarkes and Prophets Adam Seth Henoch Noah Abraham Dauid Daniel Esay Ieremy in the Old Testament Christ himself the Apostles and the Church in the new euer tender this sacrifice of Prayer praise but to the most Highest God Phil. 4.6 the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ I haue cryed vnto thee O LORD Psal 130.1 Psal 146.1 Psal 5.1 2 3 7. sayes Dauid and vnto thee will I giue thankes for thou art my God And when Ezechia in his straitnesse and distresse prayed began hee not O Lord of Hosts Esay 37.16 God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubims Could Moses or Abraham or the Angels haue holpen them or had they had any confidence in them they might as well haue prayed vnto them also as to God It is therefore a spirit of errour and delusion that perswades poore ignorants to pray to and trust in Saints And of such spirits we must take heede And if the power of Scripture cannot moue such as are simple to beware heare a little short discourse of Saint Austens which word for word I will set downe out of his Booke of taking care for the Dead the thirteenth Chapter If the soules of the dead could be or were present at or about the affayres of the liuing and speake vnto vs when we dreame in our sleepe wee see them surely my Holy Mother no night would forsake mee who followed mee both by Sea and Land to liue with me For God forbid that by obtaining a happier life shee should now become more vnkinde then she was insomuch as when my heart is vexed and filled vvith sorrow shee will not so much as comfort her aggrieued sonne whom she loued most dearly whom shee neuer could endure willingly to see sad But verily it it as the Psalmist sayes My Father and my Mother haue forsaken mee but the Lord hath taken mee vp If then our Fathers haue left vs how are they present and behold our cares And if our fathers bee not what other dead folkes are there that know what wee doe or what wee suffer And a little after The Spirits of the Dead are in such a place as they doe not see the occurrences things in this life If neither they see vs then nor know not what we doe sure heare vs they cannot and why then should wee pray to them Let Christs answer to the Diuel sticke in our hearts when wee are tempted to pray to them Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him onely thou shalt serue 6. Besides as God onely must haue this Sacrifice Heb. 13.15 so wee must offer it not in our owne but in the name and mediation of Christ Gen. 18. For we are
Instruments Sackbuts Shawmes Organs and Fifes and the burthen of all was Praise the Lord. The blessing whereof redounded to himselfe and his and crown'd him with such both admiration and commendation as hee rests a patterne to the Saints of God of all Pietie and goodnes but specially of thankfulnesse to the worlds end In offering whereof as he had the Spirt of God for his Author to moue and rowze vp his Body Soule so hee wanted not the examples of Noah after the Deluge Gen. 8.21 frō whom God smelt a sauour of rest Of Abraham Gen. 14.20 after his victory got of the 4. Kings Of Moses Exod. 15. after Israels passing thorow the Sea Of Debora and Baruc Iudg. 5. when Sisera and Iabin were ouercome to teach him how after his many deliuerances from Sauls malicious and murtherous persecutions 1. Sam. 21 22 23 24. from Absaloms vnnaturall and Achitophels vnfriendly and trecherous conspiracies 2. Sam. 15.11 12. from Gods sharpe handling himselfe and his people for Vriahs wife and life 2. Sam. 12.10 11. hee should with triumphall songs of acknowledgement blesse God and expresse the vnfained thankfulnesse of his heart for all the good turnes hee had receiued Wherein if wee rightly consider of it wee may soone see how God would by his example tutor vs to let none of all those excellent and rich fauours wherewith hee blesseth Mankinde generally and his children in a far more particular sort to scape either our attentiue contemplation and meditation of them or our serious and true acknowledgement of his loue in returning him the interest which onely hee expects and that is the fruit of our lips confessing his name Hel. 13.15 16. which is our Orall Sacrifice of Praise the fruits of our Faith in doing good and relieuing the Saints which is the Reall Sacrifice of our liues For as it 's true which Saint Paul sayes of Him 2. Cor. 9.7 that hee loues a cheerefull giuer because hee that giues ioyfully shewes his readines to confesse from whom it is that hee hath meanes to giue so is it as true that hee loues as well a thankfull receiuer neither does any thing afflict him so or causeth him vtter such bitter complaints as the ingratitude of such for whom hee does most yet they least of all others regard him Num. 11.10 Exod. 14.11 Exod. 15.24 Exod. 16.3 Psal 106.15 26. Esay 1 2 3 Hosea 4. Let the often murmurings of Israel in the Desart and their often smarting for this very sinne vnder so many so grieuous plagues his oftē vpbraidings of them by his Prophets calling Heauen and Earth to record against them his many fearefull Iudgements powred vpō the heads of vnthankfull men euen Kings themselues dethroning Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.29.30 striking him with Madnesse and because hee forgate to bee thankfull to God making him forget to bee King or Man 2 Ma◠9.10 wounding that proud and ingratefull Antiochus so sore that hee became loathsome to himselfe and vain-glorious Herod with such a like disease Acts 12.23 causing vile wormes to deuoure him aliue witnesse vnto vs the truth heereof They therefore whom God hath blessed with the fatnesse of the Earth for their dwelling Gen. 27.39 and the dew of Heauen from aboue whose names and families he hath made honourable that their fathers owne sonnes as well as strangers Gen. 42.6 bow downe yeelding reuerence vnto them vpon whom he hath made the Spirit of wisedome counsell to rest Numb 11.25 26. whose loynes hee hath cloathed with health and strength whose hearts hee hath seasoned with immortall grace whose liues hee hath saued from the graue from shame who euery day still haue their portion increased must remember when they come and come they must often to set themselues in the presence of God to giue him most vnfained particular thanks for their honour their health their riches Psalm 144.1 2. their knowledge their faith approuing it selfe by loue their all other heauenly and earthly endowments lest else they be worse then the very Beasts which fed by the hand of some louing Heard Esay 1.3 cease not in their kind to shew themselues thankfull It 's reported of Plato that euery day hee gaue God thankes for three things That hee was borne a Man not a Beast Plutarch in Alcibi That hee was not borne a Barbarian but a Grecian And that hee was then borne when hee might haue Socrates to teach him Pamelius Beat. Rhenanus Saint Chrysostome likewise was wont to praise God for that he had made him a reasonable man perfect in the parts of his body and soule not lame nor blind nor foolish as many be for that hee had made him a Christian man no Pagan nor Iew and for that he had made him a regenerate Christian man and a Bishop among Christians enabling him to teach both himselfe others to liue and doe as our Sauiour taught vs. Yea Mat. 11.25 our Sauiour himselfe in his owne Person as of all other vertues and religious obedience so heerein was pleased to become our patterne Acts 4.24 And the blessed Apostles by their preaching and practice nay the sensible and sencelesse Creatures may moue vs to care and diligence in performance of it Psal 19.1 2. And surely if wee giue but our eies leaue to view or our eares to heare of those infinite exceeding mercies which euery day night are dewed vpon vs like the Manna vpō the Israelites in the desart Exod. 16.14 dropping as Hermon vpon our soules deliuerance frō the bondage of sin and Satan comfort against the feare of eternall death care to liue honestly and religiously in the world hope of a Crowne of glory incorruptible loue of Gods Word and his Saints here in earth and vpon our bodies health strength rayment and food or patience in the time of sicknesse and want On our names children goods preseruation and increase or else in the loss of them confidence and comfort it is not possible but the most inflexible Adamantine heart will melt and be dissolued into a Spring of thankfull and ioyfull teares to consider of the kindnes of our good God Seeing then this is the soules rich attire which makes her more beautifull in the sight of God when and whilest she worships before his footstoole than the glittering starres doe the Heauens in the night let vs in the very instant of praying striue against the dulnesse of our flesh the vnwillingnesse of nature the hardnesse of our hearts and the blindnesse of mind to bee soundly touch'd with the feeling and sence of the want of such things for which wee pray as of the want of Sorrow for our sinnes Psal 32.3 4 5. originall actuall lately or long since done against either God or Man Sence of the decaying of sauing grace in vs Psal 51.12 the comfort whereof we haue 2 Thes 3.3 had and