goodnes am bold to creepe in at a corner and present my felfe before thy throne of mercie quaking trembling at thy feareful iudgements sharpe iustice against sinne I offer vnto thee this poore soule carkesse the worke of thy owne hands made glorious by thee but foulie defaced by me I Lord I God do most humbly with a heauie hart and troubled mind beseech thee I most earnestlie with bitter teares beg craue of thee to cast me not away out of thy sight but gratiouslie to heare my praier For although thou dwellest in thy highe and holie place in heauen yet thou lookest downe into the earth to heare the sighing of the poore and deliuer the oppressed and though thou be greate and feareful in all thy workes yet I know thou art great in mercie and rich in goodnes For although thou hast punished sharplie yet thou sauest more mercifully Adam was cast out of Paradice in iustice yet had mercy offered vnto him in great plenty The entising of a woman made him to offend thee the blessed seed of the same woman hath bruised the serpents poisonful head deliuered vs. Thou therefore that art a God oftrueth keepest promise and shewest mercie to them that loue thee keepe thy commaundements looke pitifully on vs which forsaking our selues hang vpon thee and though we see thy deserued rod yet we fly to thy promised mercie though we haue not kept our promise made vnto thee in our Baptisme that we should forsake the Deuil world and flesh serue honour and faithfully obey thee our onely Lord God with al our hart strength powre soule yet art thou a true God in keeping thy promise and not casting vs of When we run from thee thou callest vs againe and not destroying vs sodenly tariest for our amendement When we hate thee and become thy open enemies thou remembring thy promise made to Abraham Dauid and our fathers seekest by all meanes to bring vs home againe to thee though we be vnfaithful thou art true though we forget thee thou remembrest vs. Though we deserue to be cast away from thee without al hope of redemption yet when thou fatherlie correctest vs in the midst of thine anger thou rememberest thy mercie and receiuest vs againe to thee We graunt O Lord that we doe not loue thee nor keepe thy commaundements as we ought yet Lord thou that art loue and charitie it selfe and louest all things that thou hast made and in thy deare sonne Christ Iesus doest imbrace vs not looking at our deserts but at his worthines who hath fulfilled the lawe for vs and made vs partakers of thy rightcousnes Lord God heare vs and haue pitie on vs. O thou Lord God of all mercie which neuer didst cast anie awaie that fled vnto thee open they eares heare the praiers of me thy humble suter shal I be the first whom thou wilt not heare Is thy mercie all spent none left in store for vs Open thy eies O god of our saluation behold the miserable state of thy poore people Our citie lieth waste the walles vnbuilt our enemies rush in on euerie side and we are a laughing stocke vnto them thou heardst the crying of Agar being cast out of her house thou lookedst at the oppression of Egipt thou pitiedst the woful sighing of Anna when thy people were oppressed of any enemies round about them thou raisedst vp one Iudge or other to deliuer them Consider O Lord I beseech thee our woful state we are spoiled on euerie side marke and hearken to the praier which I thy poore seruante make vnto thee which seest al secrets this day continually crying night daie with a simple vnfeined hart not for mine owne selfe whom thou hast so well placed in the courte with plentie of all things but for my breethren the children of Israel thy seruants the ofspring of thy deerbeloued Iacob which be in great heauines While they be in miserie I cannot be merrie Their greife is my sorow and their welfare is my reioysing I graunt O Lord we haue gricuouslie offended thee yet haue we not cast thee of nor forsaken thee to be our Lord we be thy seruants though vnthristy vnthankful miserable thou art a God rich in mercie to all that turne vnto thee I confesse O gratious God that the children of Israell haue sinned against thee yea not onely they O Lord but I my fathers house haue haynouslie broken thy commaundements and yet we dispaire not to obtaine thy fauour againe as children that haue offended their louing father There is none of vs free we plead mercie and not iustice we stand not in defence of our doings but yeald your selues into thy merciful hands While thou giuest vs a hart to praie we continually beleeue thou wiit heare vs in the end O Lord correct thou vs after thine owne good will and pleasure but giue vs not vp to the lust of thy enemies which blaspheme thee saying their God hath forsaken them their God cannot nor will not help them they hate vs not so much for our owne sinnes as for that we be called thy seruants O Lord let not thy holie name be ill spoken of through our wickednes rise and defend thine owne cause cast not awaie thy seruants in thy heauie displeasure What vantage canst thou haue in giuing vs ouer to thy foes they shall laugh when we shall weepe they will slaunder thy goodnes for our forgetfulnes of thee Thou promisedst O Lord by the mouth of thy Prophet that in what howre so-ever the sinner did repent thou wodlst no more remember his wickednes nor laie it to his charge We weepe we confesse and acknowledge our manisold wickednes wherewith we our fathers haue offended thee we cal for mercy we praie night and daie not doubting but thou wilt keepe thy promise in deliuering hearing vs in thy duetime Though we haue broken our promise in disobeying thee yet if it please thee thus to try our faith exercise our patience by laying on vs thy heauie hand and sharp correction thy good will be done giue vs strength to beare that thy wisdome will laie vpon vs laie on vs what thou wilt Thou gauest vs thy lawe to be a bridle to rule our wicked desires keepe vs within the compasse of them but we like mad men or rather wilde and vntamed beasts that cannot be tyed in cheines nor holden in anie bands haue outragiouslie broken all thy commaundements No lawes could rule vs no saying compell nor correction could staie vs but wilfullie we followed our owne phantasies There is nothing o Lord that thou canst laie to our charge but we willinglie and franklie confesse our selues guiltie thereof for we haue neither kept thy commaundements which thou gauest vs by Moses thy seruant wherein priuatlie we might learne how to direct our liues both towardes the our God and also toward all men Nor the ceremonies
continue as in the beginning But ynough was said of this matter afore in the 2. Chap. 19. verse This is then the remedie that Dauid vseth in all these griefes fall to prayer commend thy cause vnto the Lord fall not from him for any storme tarie the Lords leisure and plaie the man comforte thy heart looke for the Lords comming and sate vnto him with Dauid haue mercy on vs O Lord haue mercie on vs for we are vtterlie dispised Our soule is full of the sclaunders of these wealthie worldlings dispising of the proud No doubt the Lord wil comfort thee confound thē as our daies haue well declared 4. Harken thou O our God for we are dispised turne their shame vpon their owne head and make them dispised in the land of their captiuitie 5. Couer not their wickednes and let not their sinne be put out of thy sight for they haue prouoked the builders 6. Then we builded the wall and the whole was ioyned togither vnto the halfe hight and the people had a minde to worke AFter that he had described the mockings and threatnings that they had for their bold enterprise in building to discourage driue them from it if they could if it had bene possible he now declareth what remedie and comfort he found by praier at the Lords hand Nehemiah seeing their great daunger turneth him to the Lord the people praying with him and saieth Our God that hast chosen vs onelie though most vnworthie for thy people amongst the whole world and whom onelie we worship and at whom we seeke for help and deliuerance in all our trouble hearken we beseech thee O Lord bow downe thine eare and heare our praiers for thou art a righteous iudge and mightie reuenger of all thy faithful seruants we thy poore people are in a miserable case we looked for aide at our neighbours hands they are our vtter enemies we hoped for comfort of them and they vtterlie dispise mocke and contemne vs but thou art a God that neuer for sakest any that come vnto thee nor castest anie awaie that faithfullie trust in thee heare vs O gratious God and turne their owne shame that they would lay on vs for building thy citie on their owne heades that villany that they would doe to vs let it fall on them-selues If thou let this crueltie scape vnpunished thou shalt be thought negligent and careles of thy people these Samaritanes that be so cruell against vs be straungers in the countrie where they dwel as we were in Babilon they were brought out of their owne countrie and placed here by Ezer-haddon King of Assiria make them O Lord to be dispised in this land of their captiuitie as well as they dispised vs in our miserie O Lord let not their wickednes be hid but make it knowen to all the world and all ages to come how dispitefully they deale with vs for thy sake others will attempt the like if this scape vnpunished Forgiue not their sinnes but euer keepe them in thy remembrance thou shalt not be thought arighteous iudge if thou wincke at such wickednes they hinder not our owne buildings but they prouoke the builders of thy house and Citie They dispise vs because we serue thee They hate vs not for any of our wickednes but for the hatred that they beare to thy house Religion and Citie which they would haue lie wast ouerthrowen and troden downe We grant we haue deserued to be cast awaie from thee if thou deale with vs in iustice and yet after thy fatherlie correction we obedientlie returne and submit our selues vnto thee whereas they contemptuously still rebell against thee and hate vs because we loue thee If they did persecute vs for our owne deserts we wold beare it but to see thy maiestie defaced we cannot abide it they would haue thy Citie to lie vnbuilt that men might speake ill of thee that thou were a weake God not able to defend thy people that call on thy name so mightelie as their Idols do them that know not thee The shame that they would lay on vs shall turne vnto thee O Lord for it is done vnto vs for thy sake and hatred of thee and thy word Auenge thy owne quarell O God and looke not at our owne deserts for though we haue grieuously offended thee yet we repent and they obstinately stand in defence of their owne wickednes O Lord forget not this malicious dealing of them toward vs for thy sake abate their pride assuage their malice and confound their deuises that they intend against vs comfort and encourage thy poore woorkemen builders whom they prouoke to anger and graunt vs that we may by thy aide with good successe finish that which we haue through thy goodnes so well begonne Amen Out of his praier may arise two doubts one whether it be godlie good men may vse the like that he praieth for here that is that the same ill may fall on them that they would doe vnto the Iewes The other that their sinne should not be forgiuen them The Scripture teacheth both to praie for our enemies and to forgiue them and also that God would reuenge their cause him-selfe in his iustice Our sauiour Christ praieth for them that crucified him saiyng Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe S. Steuen likewise But Dauid manie times praieth the contrarie as Let his sorow be turned on his owne head and let his wickednes fall vpon his owne pate Againe let them be confounded and ashamed that seeke for my life and let them be driuen backe and ashamed that seeke to 〈◊〉 me euill These Psalmes and others are full of such like speeches And where some expound such places to be a prophecie and fore-telling ofsuch mischiefes as should fal on them rather then a wishing or praing that they should fall it is not ill that they saie but it maie be doubted whither it be most agreeing to the text but howsoeuer it be this must be most taken heede of that in all such praiers nothing be asked of mallice against the partie which is hard for our froward nature to do but only for the glorie of God which is to be sought in all our doings and praiers which maie be in shewing his iustice In the Lords praier we saie halowed be thy name we desire not God onelie that he would direct both euerie man in his doings to set forth his glorie that his name may be hallowed but also that he would staie confound and take away all hinderers of the same with all their deuices and subtill practises that all stumbling blockes being taken awaie his name may be sanctified in all nations So praied ` Dauid O my God make the counsell of Achitophel to seeme foolish so in the commaundements the affirmatiue is included in the negatiue and the negatiue in the affirmatiue as thou shalt not kill wherein we are not onelie forbidden all crueltie but are
to haue displeasure where none is deserued In this case were the miserable Iewes then the beloued people of God though now iustlie cast of for their wicked hate to our Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Beside that their Citie was burned the gates stood open that enemies might rush in murther and spoile them when they list except they should keepe a continuall greate watch which was to trouble some and costlie for them 4. And it came to passe What good commeth by hearing poore men speake appeareth heere plainlie in them that feare God For that pitiful state which he vnderstood his brethren the Iewes and that famous Citie Ierusalem to be in by their reporte did so mooue his hart and greiue him that he satte downe and wept certaine daies was sad for them fasted and praied vnto the Lord of heauen for them Hearing and seeing bee tow sences which bring into the minde of man to consider all things that be painefull or pleasant to others for except we see them or heare them we cannot learne or vnderstand them much lesse pitie them or be glad of them S. Paul saith likewise in Gods cause Faith commeth by hearing For when thou hearest the preacher declare the glorious maiestie of God his sharpe punishing of sinne the wretched estate of man that of him selfe can doe nothing but sinne and the euerlasting paines appointed for all hardharted sinners it maketh him to quake to enter into him-selfe condemne him-selfe aske for mercie from thenceforth to become a new man so when he heareth Gods great mercie declared to man in Christ it maketh him to beleeue loue obeie and follow so louing a father This profit then commeth by hearing the poore mans complainte that it mooueth them to pitie to teares to fasting and praying the Lord to releeue the miserie of thy oppressed brother Turne not therefore thy face from the poore but heare them and pitie them as thou woldst be heard and pitied thy selfe So in religion if thou wilt learne to feare God aright to know thy selfe amend thy life and what blessing God hath prepared for thee run not from the Church as many doe some for one cause some sor another but none for good but humble thy selfe in the sight of thy God and his people heare his worde reuerentlie beleeue it stedfastly obey it diligentlie praie earnestlie and God shal heape his blessings on the plentifullie And that we may the better vnderstand how this miserable case of his breethren countrie did touch his hart inwardly he sheweth it by his behauiour outwardly for the affections of the minde declare them-selues openlie in the face and behauiour of man when they growe great in the hart As if we be sorie our countenance is heauie sad and clowdie if we be merry our face hath a good culloure sheweth it selfe pleasantlie when we be ashamed of ill doing we blush in feare we be pale in anger high culloured and swolne in the face c. So this sorow for his breethren did so pinch him at the hart that he could not stand but sat downe as a mans leggs in heauines are so weake that they cannot beare him his hart was so burdened that he could not forbeare but brast out into teares for certaine daies he could not be merry eate nor drinke but fasted and in the end found no other remedie but turned him-selfe vnto the Lord fell vnto praier assuring him-selfe that God would heare him and releeue them in his due time when he thought good By this we may learne how coldelie they praie that cannot bend nor kneele when they speake to the Lord or if they kneele it is but on the one knee that must haue a soft quishion vnder it and a softer vnder his elboe Weepe he may not for disfiguring his face fasting is thought hipocrisie and a shame and when his panche is full then as priests with their drunken nowles said mattins and belked out Eructauit cor meum verbum bonum with good deuotion as they thought so he blusters out a fewe blustring words without due consideration of them then he thinketh he hath praied well O wretched man that forgettest thy God and thy selfe Remember what thou art alumpe of carth a sinke of sinne wormes meate and that bellie which thou carest so much for is but a stinking dunghill Downe proud pecocke consider when thou praicst that thou speakest to the Lord of heauen earth at whose beck the deuiles doe tremble his thunderbolts flie abroad to punish thy sinne who in his anger drowned the whole world except eight personnes burned Sodom and Gomorah with fire brimstone from heauen to pull downe thy proud hart and teach thee to feare his maiestie Learne of the poore Publicane which was so ashamed of his wicked life that he durst not looke vp vnto heauen but condemning him selfe cried O God be mercifull vnto me a sinner whereas the proud Pharisie stood stoutlie craking of his holynes as thou doest Learne of the woman of Chanaan to be earnest in praier goe not awaye from the Lord vntil thou feele thy conscience comforted and mercie promised for no doubt the Lord will heare such a praier These out ward things as kneeling weeping fasting are good helps preparations vnto praier as Sara continued three daies in fasting and praier that the Lord wold deliuer her from that shame and so Tobie marketh a generall rule ofit saying praier is good ioinedwith fasting Ecclesiasticus saith The praier of him that humbleth him selfe pearceth the cloudes she will not be comforted vntill she come nigh nor goe her waie till the highest God haue respect vntoher God graunt vs here to learne to pitie our poore breethren thus to prepare our selues to praie for them that our praier maie be heard in their need although I noted afore the disordred life of some leud courtiers which make so much of their painted sheath esteeme them-selues more then all the world doth besides and when they thinke they deale so cunninglie that they be not seene manie one espieth them laughes full drilie in their sleeues at them yet now in this godlie gentelman appeereth a contrarie dealing he may be a worthie paterne for all courtiers to follow The court is not ill of it selfe but a man if he will maie setue the Lord vprightlie and also defend his Church and profit the common-wealth mightelie and good men maie liue in it honestlie It is a daungerous place I graunt to liue in and manie occasions of ill are offred dailie in it yet not so wicked but good men liuing in it maie take great occasions to doe much good in it Ioseph in Pharaos courte a godlesse king prouided for all the countrie in the time of their great dearth scarcitie releeued his father breethren then the onely knowne Church of God in their necessitie Moses in the same courte though not vnder the
fruits other things that god made for mans necessitie are perished punished turned into an other nature for the sinne of m an yea not onely worldlie things but his holy Temple law word religion the arke of God the Cherubins the pot with Manna the mercy seate Aarons rod with all therest of his holy Iewels were giuen vnto the wicked Nabuchadnezzers hand for the disobedience of the people God will rather suffer his opē enemies to enioy his wonderful benefits then his flattering friends When Adam had sinned the earth which afore was decked with al good fruits brought forth weeds to punish thē withal For the wickednes of Sodom God not onely cruellie destroied the people in it but to this day that pleasant ground which afore was like paradise is now barren full of filthie mire slitche tarre c. and the aire of it so pestilent as diuers doe write that if any birdes slie ouer it it killeth them The whole countrie of Iewrie a plentifull land flowing with milke and honie of his owne nature by the disobedience of the people became a barren land as Dauid teacheth in his psalme The lord turneth a fruit full ground into a barren for the wickednes of the dwellers in it Ierusalem was not onely destroyed now thus pitiously by the Babilonians but after ward by Vespasian the Emperour and had not one stone left standing on another and the Iewes driuen out ofit who now liue scattered through the world abhorred of all good men and vnder Gods heauie rodde for crucifying the Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God and their continual despising of him Let euerie man therefore learne reuerently in the feare of God to liue for sinne will not onely be punished with euerlasting death in the world to come but euen in this life man him-selfe is plagued and all things that should serue or pleasure him shalbe turned to his destruction because he would not serue his God as he ought to do What can be a more righteous iudgement of God then so to order things that no creature of God shal serue a wretched man which will not serue not feare the Lord his God and creator Sinne is so vile in Gods sight that ne will punish those innocent vnsensible and vnreasonable creatures as the stones in the wall the house wherein thou dwellest the earth whereby thou liuest which neuer sinned for the sinne of thee wretched man O consider how God abhorreth sinne and disobedience of his word that he could neuer be pacified but by the death of his owne deare sonne Christ Iesus for thy sinnes O miserable man consider thy wretched state thy sinnes pulled thy Lord Christ from heauen to hell from ioy to paine thou causedst him to be whipped and hanged on a tree thrust to the heart with a speare by his blood to saue the thou causedst him to die that thou mighst liue If thou shouldest deale thus with another man thy fellow what wouldest thou thinke thou hadst deserued And when thou hast thus misused thy Lord and Christ the sonne of God crucifiing him againe and yet continuest in sinne contemning his commaundements treading the sonne of God vnder thy feete and esteeming the blood of his eternall Testament as a prophane thing how canst thou looke vp vnto him how canst thou hope for mercie Wicked men are so horrible in Gods sight that the Angels in heauen abhorre them the creatures on earth disobey them good men flie their companie and diuels in hel pull them vnto them and yet malice hath so blinded them that they cannot turne vnto the Lord. But whatsoeuer there is in vs O God forget not thou thy selfe shew thy selfe a God stil though we forget thee As thou louedst vs when we were thine enemies so loue vs still now whom thou hast made thy freinds and bought so dearely and turne vs good God that we may loue thee Remember O Lord wherof we be made from the earth we came on the earth we liue and delightin earthly things vnto the earth we shall returne thou canst not looke for heauenly things to come from so vile a matter this earthly nature cannot be chaunged but by thy heauenly spirit deale not with vs therefore O Lord in iustice as we deserue but in thy great mercie which is our sure saluation and let thy manifold mercie deuoure our manifold miserie that our manifold sinnes be not laid to our charge Gratious God forgiue vs as our miserie is endlesse so is thy mercie much more large then we can thinke As we see God deale in his anger with this Citie for the sinne of the people that dwelled in it so he will deale with all obstinate breakers of his law in all ages and places without respect of persons The walls of the citie may well be compared to the Magistrats which both defend the people from their enemies and also gouern the Citizens within as the walls keepe out other from inuading so they keepe in the inhabitants from straying abroade the gates of the Citie may well be compared vnto the ministers which open the dore of life to all penitent persons by the comfortable preaching of mercie promised in Christ shut heauen gates against al reprobate and impenitent sinners by terrible thundring of his vengeance threatned to such in his worde The walls are destroied and the gates burned when the rulers and ministers doe not their duetie but care for other things And as this wretched people had iustly for their disobedience neither walls left to keepe out the enemie nor gates to let in their friends but all were destroied so shall all godles people be left without godly Magistrats to gouerne them and liue in slauerie vnder tyrants that oppresse them and also without comfortable Ministers to teach them and be led by blinde guides that deceiue them and so the blinde lead the blinde both fall in to the ditch to their vtter and endles destruction They be not worthie to haue either Magistrate or preacher that will not obey lawes nor beleeue the worde This Osee the Prophet foretold them should fall on them saying The people of Israell should sit manie daies without a Prince without sacrifice and Image without the Ephod and Teraphin and yet in the end they should returne vnto their God But they feared not these threatnings then no more then we doe now yet as they fell on them then so will they fall on vs now After that Nehemiah had thus diligentlie vewed the walls and the breaches of them he was more able to render a reason and talke with the rulers how they might be repaired A good rule for all those that haue anie charge commited to them that they should first priuatlie consider the things they haue to doe them-selues and then shal they be more able to consider who giueth best counsel for the doing of it Rashely to enter on it a wise man will not nor open his minde to
euerie one would amend another see other mens faults but not his owne and therefore all lie still as they did nothing amended and euery one maketh courtesie who shall beginne Sophonie the Prophet complaineth of his time and saith Thy rulers are roaring Lions thy iudges are rauening wolues in the euening and will not leaue the bones vntill morning thy prophets are lewd and vnconstant thy Priests haue desiled the holy place broken thy law Micheas crieth out saieth there is not a goodman lest on the earth and not a righteous man among men all lie in waite for blood euerie man hunteth his brother vnto death c. God grauntour times were not like Among vs it is merilie said of some that there be some Courts where law is executed without conscience Another where conscience is without law the third where neyther law nor conscience the fourth where both law and conscience shall rule I can rather pray for then looke for vntill the last day come when the righteous Iudge shall iudge both with law conscience In the meane time we may mourne and turne vnto the Lord that he may forgiue vs and receiue vs in his manie and great mercies for we are full of manie great miseries The pride of weomen is through the fault of men therfore they be blameles God amend vs all It is written that Ioseph in Egipt vsed the people almost of like sort that they doe here and yet is he praised and these iustlie reproued which possiblie some marueile at not vnderstanding the diuersitie of their doings Ioseph laid vp corne in the time of plentie when euerie man had ynough these men did it at al times without respect in plentie and scarsitie Ioseph brought the monie into the Kings cofers to serue the common wealth these men laid it vp in their owne Cofers to their owne priuate vse Ioseph bought their cattell for such price as they were worth these men pay not the iust price for anie thing they take Ioseph buieth their land and maketh the people bond vnto the King restoring them againe the land the King finding the seede to sowe the people onelie laboring to till the ground And where we thinke we deale courteously if we let them sow to halfes the Egiptians haue the fourth part for their labour and paie the king the fift part of the encrease for the land and seede but these men kept all in their owne hands Ioseph bought not the Priests lands but gaue them alowance of such things as they wanted out of the kinges store and these men like vnto our daies if they can scrape anie thing from the Church that is a pastime among all other to laugh at and thought best gotten So much more is a minister of Gods gospell thought meeter to be spoiled by these cutpursses then Ioseph thought meet to doe to those Idolatrous priests Ioseph opened his barnes in time of dearth and sold liberallie to the needie these men the greater that the neede was the faster they lockt it vp vntill they had their desire of the poore Ioseph restored their land and tooke but the fift part of the increase these men restore nothing and yet take interest As this cruell dealing toward their breethren and countrie-men was thought straunge to be found amongst this people in the time that God had shewed to them such great mercies in restoring them againe to their countrie giuing them the liberty to build their temple and Citie with great gifts liberalitie and fauour of the kings vnder whom they were bondmen and slaues So it is much more marueil that among Christians in the time of the gospell 〈◊〉 mercifullie restored vnto vs so freelie taught greater crueltie should be found and exercised then among the hard harted Iewes or Infidell pagans But this is the common practise of Sathan that in no age people nor countrie he can be quiet to see Gods kingdom set vp and florish and his powre fall but he will rage storme besturre him and by all deuises that may be and by all powre that he can ouerthrowit And seeing this is no new thing but hath fallen out diuers times afore let vs not now be astonied nor dismaied at it nor murmure and grudge against the doctrine of our saluation so mercifullie offred vnto vs as though it were not the true word of God because men liue so far contrarie to that which is taught and they openlie professe The deuill is content when he cannot ouerthrow the trueth of the doctrine to deface it so much as he can with the ill life of those that professe it But the gospell teacheth vs what to doe in this case saying doe as they say but doe not as they doe The doctrine is good though they be ill The trueth and worthines of Gods word hangeth not on our life and doings but our life and doings should be reformed by Gods word for that it is a Lanterne to our feete and a light to our stepps that we may know when we be in the right way and how to come into it We must be iudged by Gods word and not it by vs we must be ruled by it and not ouerrule it according to our phantasies we must hang on Gods true saying and not on mans cuill liuing Because the Author being preuented by death could not finish the rest of this treatise much lesse of this and the other Chapters which remaine vntouched I thought it good for the better instruction of the reader and in stead of a supplie for this point of Oppression which that godlie zealous father had begonne to annex and set downe that which of late was published by Robert Some D. in Diuinitie To the Reader IT hath pleased an English papist to giue out in print that the Church of Roome doth both teach and require actuall restitution and that our Church doth neyther His speech of vs is verle slaunderous and my treatise against oppression is argument ynough to confute him If they of Rome teach and require actuall restitution it is no worke of supererogation they doe no more but their dueties If we should fasle in this cleare point we deserue great condemnation at almightie Gods hands I confesse that a man is good therefore iustified in Gods sight before he doth goodworkes but with-all I set downe this that goodworkes doe followe him that is truelie iustified and that such as haue oppressed or iniured anie man shall not be pardoned at Gods hands vnlesse they make actuall restitution if they be able to doe it If anie require proofe of this I referre him to this Treatise of mine against oppression A GODLIE TREATISE AGAINST the foule and grosse sinne of OPPRESSION Question VVHat is oppression Answere It is vniust dealing vsed of the mightier either by violence colour of lawe or anie other cunning dealing against such as are not able to withstand them The ground of this definition is conteined in these places of
same king learned al the wisdome of the Egiptians and deliuered all the people from the slauerie that they liuedin Abdias hid and fed a hundreth Prophets in caues by fiftie in a companie whose liues Iesabel sought for him selfe being in the wicked courte of Achab and Iesabel Dassid feared the Lord in the courte of Saul though he escaped oft not without manie great daungers Daniel an auncient courtier in three kings daies kept the law of God his Lord diligently and being in great authoritie with the king had the charge of diuers countries committed vnto him which he ruled faithfullie and releeued gods people mightelic So did his three companions Sidrach Misach and Abednago Mardocheus in the courte of Assuerus saued the kings life whom his Chamberlaines wold haue murthered and deliuered al the Iewes which were appointed al by Haman on one daie to be slaine Ierome in his epistle commendeth one Nebridius who living in the courte and being Nephew to the Empresse behaued him selfe so vertuouslie that all his sutes were for the Reliefe of the poore The place therefore maketh no man ill but his illnes commeth of his owne wicked and crooked mind The daungerous life of courtiers if they will rebuke sinne and not sing Placebo the example of Iohn Baptist who lost his head for telling the trueth maie suffise to teach But let not good men be afraid for God hath the hart of Princes in his hand to turne as pleaseth him Doe thou thy duetie in the feare of God and he will defend the as he thinketh best 5. And I said I be seech thee O Lord God of heauen thou great and fearefull God which keepest couenant and mercie for them that loue thee and keepe thy commaundements 6. Let thy eares hearken I be seech thee thy eies be open to heare the praier of thy seruant which I praie before thee this day night daie for the children of Israell thy seruantes and knowledge for the sinnes of the children of Israell which they haue sinned against the yea I and my fathers house haue sinned 7. We haue outragiouslie sinned against thee and haue not keapt thy commaundements and thy ceremoneis and Iudgements which thou commaundest Moses thy seruant AS a man that is earnestly bent to praier hath commonly these outward things ioined with all that were spoken of afore as sitting or kneeling weeping a greeued minde sad countenance fasting and abstinence so necessarilie he muste haue a charitable minde and pitiful towards his breethren and an earnest and liuelie faith towards God which bothe appeare in Nehemiah for without these tow his praier cannnot be heard His louing mind towards his breethren appeareth in that he leauing all other pastimes so diligentlie inquireth of their estate and their countrie and disdaineth not to heare them but it is seene more euidently when he weepeth and mourneth fasteth and forbeareth dainties as though he were in miserie with them but speciallie when he taketh so great paines and trauaile to doe them good as appeareth hereafter throughout this booke His earnest faith appeareth in that he praieth and that onelie to the GOD of heauen and with such vehement and meete words as doe declare his full minde that he doubted not but God both could and would help them In trouble no man asketh help but ofhim whom he thinketh will doe him good And because there is none so merciful to heare and so willing to help as god him-selfe is in al our greifes we must turne vnto the Lord of heauen alone for other saynte there is none that wil help or can help The Apostle saith that he which wil come to the Lord must not onely beleeue that there is a God but also that he is a rewarder of them that seake him This faith therefore let vs bring with vs when we praie This faith did continue in Nehemiah though he had liued so manie yeares amongst the vnbeleeuing Persians which was a special gift of God to him in such troublesome times In praier let vs aske onely such thinges as may stand with Gods good pleasure For where many times folishly we aske things to our owne hurt God of his wisdome and fatherly goodnes doth not graunt them as S. Iames teacheth vs saying Ye aske and receiue not because ye aske euilly to spend it vppon your lusts I am afraid to enter into the opening of this praier because it is so parfect of it selfe that it cannot be amended yet for the helpe of the vnlearned for whose cause onely I take these paines I shal in fewe words open it more plainlie O thou Lord God of heauen earth which of thy meere loue towards man madestheauen earth the sea with al the furniture in them as the Sonne Moone and Starres fish fowle hearbs trees corne fruit and cattel and appointed them to serue him that he might serue honour and obeie thee which not onlie rulest feedest gouernest guidest thē all according to thy good pleasure but hast made heauen thy seat and the earth thy footstole that from hence out of this vale of miserie we should looke vp vnto thee our onelie God where thou reignest in thy Maiestie aboue all the heauens from whence we should looke for our deliuerance out of all troubles O thou greate feareful God whose creatures passe all powres of Princes against whom to striue is meere follie and with whom to wrastle is extreame madnesse whose might wisdom iustice is infinit whose mercie goodnesse and pitie hath no end which art so great that thou fillest all places not concluded in anie but art present euerie where seest all things whose maiestie surmounteth all creatures so farre that it cannot be conteined or ruled of any Thou great fearful God which in thy anger threwest thy angelsthat offended the out of thy glorious presence in heauen into euerlasting darknes ofhell who in thy rage drownedst all the world except eight persons which burnedst vp Sodom and Gomorah with fire brimstone from heauen which didst cast Adam and vs all out of Paradice for eating the forbidden Apple who causedst the man to be stoned to death for gathering a few sticks on the Sabbath daie which man would iudge to be but small faultes yet were great because they were contrarie to thy commaundements who killed Vzzah for vpholding the Arke being readie to fall which plauged Pharao with froges flies hailestones which made Nabuchadnezer of a mightie king a vile beast to eate grasse made Herod to be wiried with lice O thou great and feareful God at whose beck the deuils do tremble the earth doth quake the heauens shoote out hotte fierie thunderbolts the clouds powre out great stormes and tempests to destroie thine enimies O thou God of heauen thou great and feareful God I thy poore wretch vile worme and miserable creature voide of all goodnes and ful of all wretchednes I forsaking my selfe and trusting on thy