withall I haue also brought you the Parent in sometimes asking my helpe and sometimes conferring otherwise with me and my selfe the Pastor answering your Questions replying satisfying your demands aduising or exhorting in sundry matters and passages of the Booke Parent I thanke the Lord for the care you haue had of me and my people and such as we are And I do promise by the grace of God to obserue your order and directions both for my selfe and all my familie as also for other my speciall frends with whom I can preuaile vntill it shall please God to bring vs to some competent perfection that we be as good or better than your Booke Pastor Well then remember your promise and consider that it is impossible for you t 1 Sam. 2.12 13 14 15 16 17 22 23 24 25. to seeke and serue the Lord in the Congregation and yet to to be negligent or prophane in the house And looke that you breake not off a good course well begun but hold on with cheerefull resolution and constancie against all temptations and stumbling blocks And euermore be carefull to proceed with a good and honest heart neuer seeming before men to be more religious than indeed you are before God who is the searcher of the hearts And haue respect to your conuersation that it be such as may u Tit. 2.10 adorne the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things And to this good worke of informing reforming your Houshold it shall be much helpfull for you often and seriously to call to minde First the Commandements which God hath giuen togither with the Promises that he hath made to the truly obedient in this behalfe And secondly the Examples of the Godly Fathers mentioned in Scripture who haue practised furthered this worke and specially of Abraham Iosua and Dauid whom the Lord made notable patterns for all Christian Housholders to imitate Parent I pray you giue me some taste of Gods commandements and promises laid forth to all Housholders Pastor The Commandement or rather Charge that the Lord giueth you is most plainly expressed in Deuteronomie In one place he beginneth thus u Deut. 6.6 These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart And in another thus x Deut. 11.18 Yee shall lay vp these my words in your heart and in your soule And then in the former place he proceedeth thus y Deut. 6.7 8 9. And thou shalt teach them diligently vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets betweene thine eyes And thou shalt write them vpon the posts of thy House and on thy Gates His meaning is Housholders must apply this worke that because mans heart is scarcely by the greatest and most continuall labor brought into due order obedience that first for our selues we meditate his word so much the more carefully and earnestly that we may vnderstand and embrace it in the whole course of our life and secondly that we doe our best endeuour to propogate the doctrine of it from one to another euen to all posteritie He saith Teach them diligently the Originall hath it thus * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Et exacues ea vel Et ea acutè ingeres Tremel Put them pearcingly as warriours sharpen and whet their weapons to pierce and cut their enimies with more easinesse Therefore Parents Housholders must put Gods word so importunately and fitly vpon their children people that there be no failing on their part for lacke of the best course and manner that may be taken but that the other may receiue it So then you must carry your selues towards them as those that will haue no nay and that whatsoeuer else they entertaine or refuse this holy doctrine they must needs embrace Thus the Lord requireth you to be diligently and euermore bent and busie to accept and promote his word to all your people and specially to your children pressing it vpon their consciences whether you be in rest or motion and in what place soeuer you be taking the likeliest opportunities and vsing your greatest wisedome to make it effectuall in their hearts To which ends he admonisheth you to haue it in a readinesse in your hearts as a thing that you alwaies carry in your hands to be put to present vse vpon ech occasion and as a thing that is euer to be seene directly before your eyes and therefore to be alwaies in minde and neuer to be out of the way z Psal 18.21 22. but ready for a continuall rule and constant practise in all your wayes Then the Promise is added in these word a Deut. 11.21 That your dayes may be multiplied and the dayes of your children in the Land which the Lord sware vnto your Fathers to giue them as the dayes of heauen vpon the earth that is to say Both you and yours who serue the Lord in his word shall prosper and be blessed both here euer For the multiplying of dayes noteth the happines of time and liuing vpon earth and the Land of Gods promise or oath which was Canaan signified euerlasting life Parent Shew me likewise the examples of piety in this behalfe with you haue named first of Abraham Pastor Of Abraham the Lord said thus b Genes 18.19 I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keepe the way of the Lord to doe iustice and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Lo here Gods own report both of Abrahams course in glorifying God by his children and houshold also of his owne gratious blessing vpon him and his progenie according to his free promise besides the present fauour God shewed him in acquainting him with his secret purpose to proceede against Sodom and Gomorrhe for which and other causes Abraham is often graced in the holy Scriptures with that speciall title The Friend of God Parent A digression why Abraham is called The friend of God Let me intreat you to declare vnto me more largely plainly the meaning of that title which God gaue vnto Abraham The friend of God Pastor For three Reasons First we know it is the manner and dutie of true and louing frends to shew speciall fauour and kindnesse one to another and to make hearty and vnfained promise of their mutuall loue as well either to other as to ech others posteritie after them and to giue credit either to others affections and words yea and duly and mindfully to performe their promises on both parts as Dauid and Ionathan did But wee read in the Scriptures of Gods singular fauour and mercy on th' one part towards Abraham in calling him by his grace to be faithfull
THE COVNTRY-MAN WITH HIS HOVSHOLD Being A familiar Conference concerning Faith towards God and Good Workes before Men fitted for the capacitie of the meanest By R. S. Preacher of the word at ARLEY See the Contents more particularly before the Booke IOSVA 24.13 But as for me and my house we will serue the Lord. 1 PET. 2.17 Feare God NEHEM 1.11 Desire to feare him Imprinted at London by Edward Griffin for Ionah Man at the Talbot in Pater-noster Row 1620. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR WALTER ASTON KNIGHT OF THE BATHE BARONET AT THIS PRESENT LORD AMBASSADOR FOR HIS MAIESTIE TO THE KING OF SPAINE AND TO THE LADY GERTRVDE HIS MOST VERTVOVS AND BELOVED WIFE R. S. CONSECRATETH THESE HIS MEDITATIONS TOGITHER WITH HIS BEST WISHES AND SERVICES An Admonition to the Reader I Presume thou knowest very well good Reader that as the gifts of Teachers in deliuering are diuers so are those of the Hearers for conceiuing and profiting For which cause the Christian Scribe must as the great Diuinitie-Reader teacheth a Mat. 13.52 bring forth out of his treasure things both new and olde that is as I vnderstand it fit his setting forth of sauing truth after sundry good sorts to the estate and capacitie of the Learners b Phil. 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. minimè lubricum and for them it is safe to write the same things vnto them Thinke me not then to tautologize ouermuch in this Booke neither yet blame me for lacke of exact method therein For besides that a familiar Conference especially of the Country-man with his Houshold for whose sake chiefly I publish these my country-meditations is not so absolutely freed from the one nor so strictly tyed to the other note I pray thee that my studie and endeuour herein hath beene purposely to convey the truth to the more ignorant and ruder sort in such forme and so many words as I supposed them able to receiue it c Esai 28.9 10 11. 1 Cor. 3.1 2. 9.22 Heb. 5.11 12 13. and if they should not rightly conceiue and lay hold on the truth in one place speech or passage of the Booke yet in another they might attaine to it if it shall please the Lord. To which end I haue retained chiefly in the weightiest principles some common phrases and kindes of speech vsed in Catechismes because I take them to be plainest more generally knowne Namely I haue here and there vsed some answers out of Master William Perkins of worthy memorie his Catechisme And in some three or foure places also I haue imitated others a litle in some respects The reasons against Transubstantiation and many of those Questions and Answers about fit and worthy Receiuers and some few about Receiuing worthily are the labours of that judicious man and mine especiall frend Mr A. N. All the rest so far as I remember * Neither yet hath my paines beene the lesser in those few things that I haue taken from others as the discreet Reader may easily perceiue by my manner of vsing them are my poore indeuours togither with the frame of the whole so shaped as I thought fittest for my purpose Indeed when I began with this Worke I intended onely some briefer thing as a short Catechisme but afterwards partly considering the great and manifold necessities of the ignorant and partly following the aduise of diuers godly persons whom I consulted withall I haue inlarged my selfe to so many matters as you may see The doctrine and substance I assure my selfe is sound and I am priuie proceedeth from a heart that is willing to promote the common saluation d vers 3. as Iude calleth it Let it not want therefore judicious Reader thy Christian good word at least let it be free from thy blame though it may be there shall be found some shew of Reason for such censure considering not onely my defence premised but also the cause and honour of Him who is too often pierced through the sides of his poore seruants and fearing the offence of the weake who God knoweth are soone turned out of the way Albeit I take it had bin no great difficultie for me to haue made it both shorter and more methodicall saue that if I do not mistake I iudge this often repeating the surest or likeliest way to effect my intent and desire And if God shall moue any few of those Housholders hearts who haue hitherto vsed litle or no meanes in this behalfe to vse this so that it be with conscience I haue inough And why should they alwayes e Psal 2.3 breake Christs bands asunder and cast away his cords from them Now the Lord of his deere mercy conueyed vnto vs by the blood of of his onely Sonne by his all-working Spirit blesse my simple labour thy fauourable allowance and euery ones Christian vse of it vnto his owne praise in the building of his Church Amen Thine in the Lord R. S. The Table of the Contents THE drift of the Author in this Booke and concerning the instructing and reforming of the Country-mans-houshould in generall and particularly some directions and formes of teaching Children so soone as they can speake and such as hauing spent a great part of their time in ignorance carelesness can repeat some things as the Creed the Lords Prayer c. but yet vnderstand little or nothing thereof and therfore cannot put what they say to any good vse pag. 1. to 59. I The First part Concerning the Law of God contained in the tenne Commandements which are summarily expounded and the vses of the Law in generall briefly set downe pag. 59. to 79. II The second part Concerning the Gospell where the Creed is explaned pag. 79. to 111. III The third part concerning the Meanes of Grace in generall And first of the Word of God and of the Exercises thereof pag. 111. to 115. Secondly of Prayer Where 1 An Exposition of the Lords prayer pag. 115. to 126 2. Two formes of Prayer for the vse of the Country-mans-Household on worke-daies the one for the Morning the other for the Euening pag. 126. to 148. 3. Two formes of Thanksgiuing the one before meat the other after meat pag. 148. to 149. 4. A forme of Prayer for one in priuate for preparation to the Sabbath pag. 150. to 161. 5. Certayne godly Hymnes or Psalms for priuate vse pag. 167. to 174. IIII The fourth part Of the Sacraments of the New Testament p. 174. to 178 1. Of Baptisme pag. 178. to 182. 2. Of the Lords Supper pag. 188. to 194 where of fit and worthy Receiuers c. p. 194. to 206. V The last Part where 1. Of the Practise of the Communion of Saints pag. 206. to 110. 2. Of the Effects of the foure meanes of Grace both in good and bad p. 209 to 211. 3. Of the consideration of Gods works pag. 211 to 212. 4. Of Christs Protecting of his Church pag. 212 to 213. 5. Of Christs Disposing of
read many worthy testimonies to this purpose of which I will onely acquaint you with the graue and memorable speech of Chrysostome in his second Sermon vpon IOHN * Chrysost in Joan. Hom. 2. Illud vos admonendos hortandosque censeo pernecessarium vt quo nunc estis animo perseueretis neque in hoc tantùm consessu sed domi quoque vir cum vxore pater cū filio invitem de his frequenter vltro citroque suam ferant inquirant sententiam velintque probatissimam hanc pulcherrimā inducere consuetudinem Nec mihi quispiam dicat pueros in his occupari non oportere Non enim tantùm opus est vt his vacent admonitionibus verùm etiam solis And afterwards Nonne irā Dei in vos meritò provocatis cùm caeteris rebus certo tempore diligenti curâ adhibitâ in diuinarum rerum dectrinâ pueros exerceri molestū intempestivūque ducitis Nō sic non sic inquā fratres dilectissimi Haec profecto atas his maximè admonitionibus indiget Tenera est citò qua ei instillantur imbibit audita accipit tanquā sigillo auditus cera hoc est puerorū animis impresso Praeterea vita cius in auditu est in ipsis ferè inanis vt vel ad virtutem vel ad vitiū facilè possit deflectere Si quis igitur eos ab ipsis incunabulis quaso vitiorum vestibulis ad viam virtulis abstraheret in habitu quodā natura rectè viuendi cos confirmaret neque sponte sua facilè in deteriora prolaberentur cùm ciusmodi à teneris ad virtutem eos alliceret c. I iudge it very necessarie saith he to admonish and exhort you that you would continue in the minde you are now in and not onely in this assembly but at home also you would oftentimes speake reason and inquire of these things too and fro one with another bringing in this most commendable and excellent custome the husband with the wife and the father with the childe And let none obiect to me that children ought not to be busied herein For they haue neede not onely to intend these admonitions but also to giue themselues to nothing else And afterwards Do you not deseruedly prouoke the wrath of God against your selues seeing you take certaine times and vse diligent care for other matters but count it troublesome and vnseasonable to exercise your children in the learning of Gods matters These things ought not to be so as you doe my most beloued brethren Verily this age of childhood standeth in greatest neede of these admonitions For it is tender and quickly sucketh in whatsoeuer is instilled into it and what it heareth it receiueth and like as waxe taketh the impression of a seale so childrens mindes doe in hearing Moreouer their manner of life consisteth much in hearing and they are of that qualitie for the most part that they may easily be bowed either to vertue or vice If any then would waine them from their cradles as it were from the entry of vices vnto the way of vertue he may settle them in a certaine habit and nature of liuing well from whence they shall not easily fal back of their owne accord vnto any very bad courses sithens by such vsage they are allured vnto vertue from their tender age And vpon Matthew in Sermon 5. he exhorteth Housholders to call to remembrance and to repeat Sermons newly heard vpon the weeke day with their familie at home before they do busie themselues with other matters Now then you must not be discouraged by any such reprochfull termes from seeking and setting forth the sweet y 2 Cor. 2.14 sauour of the knowledg of God in your place and calling for Satan is euer wont z 1 Thess 2.18 to labor the hindrance of Gods word by the a Iude ver 14 15 16 17 18. vngodly speeches of foolish and malitious persons as by all other meanes he can vse whom b 1 Pet. 5.9 Ephes 6.10 11 c. to 21. 2 Thess 3.1 2. 2 Cor. 2.11 you must resist by Faith Prayer Wisdome and Diligence in all holy meanes vnto the vttermost of your power and then surely the Lord will bruise him vnder your feete shortly Rom. 16.20 To conclude I require you c 2 Tim. 4.1 c. before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge the quicke and dead at his appearing in his kingdom that you neither neglect the publike preaching of his word d Act. 17.11 nor the tryall of doctrine by the holy Scriptures nor yet the priuate reading of the same vnder pretence of vsing this or any other good Bookes whatsoeuer For the holy Bible is the Booke of Bookes whereof I would wish you to read one Chapter at the least euery worke-day morning and to cause your folkes euery one both great and small seuerally to render you a sentence thereof in the euening before you goe to prayers with them * For their rawnesse sake you may appoint ech of them by name some short and pithy sentence out of the Chapter as soone as you haue read it in the morning and wish them to thinke of it in the day time that so they may giue you an account of it the more easily in the euening remembring that they are e Psal 1.2 Deut. 5.32 33. blessed who exercise themselues in Gods Law both day and night to do thereafter And f Act. 20.32 I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified g Philip. 1.9 10 11. And I pray God that your loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that you may approue things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnes which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glory and praise of God Parent Amen Pastor So I leaue you to your Booke h 2 Cor. 13.11 Farewell Parent i 2 Thess 3.16 The Lord be with you THE COVNTRY-MAN WITH HIS HOVSHOLD A Forme of Prayer before Conference Parent TEach vs O Lord by thy most holy Spirit we heartily pray thée that wée may know Thée thy Law thy Gospell our selues our sinnes and duties aright and that we may put all to good vse namely to the glory of thy blessed Name to the further humiliation sanctification and true comfort of our owne Soules and Bodies and to the edification and profit of our Neighbours through thy onely Son Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour Childe Amen Seruant Amen Scholler Amen ☞ THE FIRST PART Concerning the Law or Couenant of Workes Parent WHat is the voice of the Law or Couenant of workes Child a Rom. 10.5 with Mat. 19.16 17. Do this and thou shalt liue for euer Parent Which is
vpon vs or at least r Ezra 4.1 2 3 4. Nehem. 6.9 10 c. hinder the doing of many good things and in those wée doe we are indangered not to doe them in so good a manner for fréedom chéerefulnesse and perfection as otherwise we might haue done them Fifthly ſ 1 King 22.1 2 4 5 6 7 c. Gen. 34.20 21.22 23. ordinary fellowship with the vngodly when they may be lawfully and conuenientlie auoyded is the way to harden them in their sinful state especially if they be not often and throughly reproued and admonished for they will soone conceiue that if their case were so wretched and damnable as indéed it is then the other would not so much conuerse with them And then chéefelie will they thinke so when the godlie make speciall contracts with them as marriages or haue great familiarity or continuall and ioynt labours with them Sixthlie t 2 Cor. 6.14.15 16. Pro. 22.1 it is an vnequall yoke and so not onely vneasie for a Christian to beare but also against the credit of Religion and our owne good name both which ought to be deare vnto vs because the glory of God doth much depend thereon as all experience sheweth Lastly u 2 Chron. 18.31 19 1 2 3. 20.35 36 37. the Lord hath sharpelie chastised his seruants though neuer so vpright and déere vnto him for their sinne this behalfe Of the effects of the 4 means of grace both in good and bad Parent We perceiue then that Christ by his Spirit giueth the benefit of his Couenant of grace vnto his Church or people * 2 Chron. 15.3.4 12 13 14 15 Luk 11.9 10. Acts 2. seeking him heartily and exercising it selfe religiously in these foure outward Meanes which we haue conferred of Pastor Yes verily but yet after diuers manners as hath beene shewed For First x Rom. 10.14 15 c. 2 Pet. 1.19 20. he calleth by his word and euermore inlighteneth and guideth by it Secondly y Mark 9.24 11.24 Iam. 1.6 5.16 17 he stirreth vp and inableth to pray with the assurance of Faith and with a feruent and holy desire which are the two chiefe properties and sinewes of Prayer and heareth and blesseth the same Thirdly z 2 Chron. 30.21 22 23 24 25 26 27. hee setleth and comforteth the heart in Grace by the worthy receiuing and remembring of the two Sacraments Fourthly a Act. 9.10 20 he further moueth and strengtheneth to forsake the euill and to choose the good training and assisting in dutie by the conscionable vse of the Communion of Saints Parent Are all these foure meanes effectuall to the saluation of all those who haue the outward vse of them Pastor No for first b 2 Cor. 2.16 17 there are some that perish vnto whom the preaching of Christs Gospell is not the sauour of life vnto life but the sauour of death vnto death Secondly c Zach. 7.13 Psal 109.7 the Lord will not heare their cry who wil not heare his cry but their prayer shall be turned into sinne Thirdly d Judas Magus c. the wicked reape no benefit by the Sacraments but rather increase their sinne and condemnation And fourthly e 2 Chron. 27.33 2 Sam. 16 23. Act. 1.17 and 8.13 John 17.12 though some bee numbred with the very chiefest and continue in their fellowship and that very nigh and speciall yet they may be the children of perdition A note or two of the consideration of Gods workes Parent Is not the consideration of Gods workes shewed in his Creatures and continuall Prouidence ouer all a profitable meane to teach and mooue vs to belieue feare loue and obey the Lord Pastor f Psal 19.1 2 3 4 c. 8.3 Dan. 9.12 13. Yes for the Lord doth as it were second and seale the truth of his Word by proceeding according thereunto in his workes For the vvhich cause g Psal 77.10 11 12 111. ◠the godly are commended in the Scriptures for their meditating and right-applying of the workes of Gods hands h Psal 28.5.1 Esai 5.11 12. and the wicked haue a woe pronounced against them for their prophane neglect and abuse of them Parent Why then haue you omitted to put the Meditation of Gods workes vnto the meanes of grace Pastor i Rom. 1.18 19 20 21 22 c. Because the blindnesse and hardnesse of mans heart is such by our Nature corrupted that though this booke of the creatures and of all other the workes of God be both great and plaine yet of it selfe it helpeth vs not to attaine to the grace of the Gospell but onely as we are directed and ledde by some one or more of those 4. meanes of grace that wee haue euen now handled and chiefely by k Psal 138.2 and 19.17 the light of the Word of God Otherwise it serueth to make man without excuse II. Of Christ his Protecting and Defending of his Church The second way of Christs ruling of his Church in this world Parent How doth Christ protect and defend his Church Child l Ps 86. Psalm 48. Psalm 82. Both by ordinary and extraordinary meanes Parent By what ordinary meanes Child m Rom. 13.1 2 3 4. Psal 106.46 Jerem. 38.7 Gen. 37.39.40 c. chapters Exod. 3.4 5 6. c. chapters By his Magistrates by his friends and by his foes and that both with and against their wills Seru. Who are Christs Magistrates Scholler n 1 Tim. 2.2 The King and all in authority vnder him Seruant Who are his friends Scholler o Iohn 15.14 They that doe whatsoeuer he commandeth them Seruant Who are his foes Scholler p 1 Cor. 1.23 Apoc. 13.11 They that set themselues against his truth either directlie or in a mysterie Seruant What doth Christ say of those that are eyther carelesse or slauishly afraid to maintaine his truth when it is slandered and traduced Scholler q Math. 12.30 He that is not with me is against me and hee that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad Parent How doth Christ protect his Church extraordinarily Childe r Beleeue the histories of the Bible and open thine eies see the like hand of God vpon many persecutors in these latter times also By sending it miraculous wonderfull preseruations and succours and by executing fearefull and strange iudgements vpon the obstinate enemies thereof III. Of Christ his disposing of all things to the greatest good of his Church in this world The third and last way of Christs ruling of his Church in this world and of his beginning to glorifie it in the world to come and of his beginning to glorifie it in the world to come Parent HOw doth Christ dispose all things to the greatest good of his Church Childe ſ Rom. 8.28 Math. 28.20 Mark 16.20 1 Cor. 15.54 55 Psalm 18.1 94.12 13. Hab. 3.16 Both by powring his blessing vpon all his direct