his best aduantage if not in the whole course of their liues yet at the houre of death when as they shall be able to make no resistance Promises made to those that fight Apoc. 2. 3. Secondly if wee fight against these enemies and valiantly ouercome the Lord hath promised to giue vs to eate of the tree of life which is in Paradice and the Manna that is hid and that he will write our names in the booke of life Apoc. 2 and 3. that is he will in this life bestow on vs all his spirituall graces and in the life to come replenish vs with such ioyes as neither eye hath seene 1. Cor. 2.9 nor eare heard nor heart of man conceiued 1. Cor. 2.9 Let vs therefore striue that wee may ouercome Nam breuis est labor praemium verò aeternum Our labour is but short but our reward shall be eternall On the other side if wee consider Sathans pay which he giueth vnto his souldiers we shall finde that it is nothing but the pleasures of sin for a season and in the end euerlasting death and destruction of bodie and soule For the wages of sinne is death as it is Rom. 6.23 Who therefore is so slothfull and cowardly that would not be encouraged Rom. 6.23 to fight the Lords battailes against our spirituall enemies with such promises made by him who is truth it selfe and cannot deceiue vs Who is so desperate and foole-hardie as to fight vnder Sathans banner seeing the pay which he giueth is euerlasting death and vtter confusion § Sect. 3 The third reason to moue vs to this fight The honor that will accompany our victorie is the honour which will accompanie this victorie for if earthly souldiers will purchase honour with the losse of life which is nothing els but the commendation of the Prince or applause of the vaine people what hazard should we not vndergo in fighting the spirituall combat seeing our grand Captaine the Lord of hoasts infinite multitudes of blessed Angels look vpon vs and behold our combat whose praise and approbation is our chiefe felicitie What peril should we feare to obtaine a crowne of glorie which is promised to all that ouercome and to become heires apparant of Gods kingdome On the other side the shame and confusion of face which shall ouertake them who cowardly forsake the Lords standerd and yeeld vnto Sathan when as they shall not dare to looke the Lord in the face whose cause they haue betrayed should serue as a strong motiue to encourage vs to the fight § Sect. 4 The fourth reason to perswade vs The necessitie of vndertaking this warfare is the necessitie of vndertaking this combat There is no man so cowardly that wil not fight when there is no hope in flight no mercie to be expected in the enemie no outrage and crueltie which will not be committed But such is our enemie that we cannot possiblie flee from him his malice is vnreconcilable his crueltie outragious for hee fighteth not against vs to the end that hee may obtaine soueraigntie alone abridge vs of our libertie spoyle vs of our goods but he aimeth at our death and destruction of bodie and soule if therefore wee so carefully arme our selues against carthly enemies who when they haue done their vttermost rage can but shorten a miserable life how much more carefully should we resist this enemie who seeketh to depriue vs of euerlasting life and to plunge vs into an euerdying death Secondly this fight is necessarie because in our Baptisme we haue taken a militarie sacrament and promised faithfullie vnto the Lord that wee will continue his faithfull souldiers vnto the end fighting his battailes against the flesh the world and the diuell There wee haue giuen our names vnto Christ to whom wee owe our selues and liues by a double right both because he hath giuen them vnto vs and also restored them the second time when wee had lost them There wee are put in minde of his bloudshed for our redemption which should encourage vs to fight couragiously that wee may be preserued from falling againe into the cruell slauerie of sinne and Sathan Thirdly vnlesse wee fight this spirituall combat and in fighting ouercome wee shall neuer be crowned with the crown of glory for it is not giuen vnto any to triumph who haue not fought valiantly and subdued their enemies The euerlasting peace of Gods kingdome is not promised to such cowards as neuer entred the field or being entred haue presently yeelded themselues to be the captiues of Sathan but vnto those that fight couragiously and gloriously ouercome If any man saith the Apostle striue for a maisterie he is not crowned except he striue as he ought to doe 2. Tim. 2.5 So the Apostle Iames chap. 1. vers 12. pronounceth the man blessed that endureth tentation for when he is tried or rather as the words are when by triall he shall be found approued he shall receiue a crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Whereby it appeareth that none are crowned vnlesse they striue as they ought and therefore much lesse they which striue not at all that none are blessed but those who are tempted and being tempted endure the temptation that first we must be tried and by triall approoued before were we can receiue the crowne of life § Sect. 5 Lastly Those that will fight against our spirituall enemies are sure of victorie wee may be encouraged to this fight by certaine hope of victorie for we fight vnder the standerd oof Christ Iesus who alone is mightier then all our enemies that assault vs. If wee did indeede regard our enemies strength and our owne weaknes onely wee might well be discouraged from vndertaking this combat but if wee looke vpon our grand Captaine Christ whose loue towards vs is no lesse then his power and both infinite there is no cause of doubting for he that exhorteth vs to the fight will so helpe vs that we may ouercome August Deficientes subleuat vincentes coronat When wee faint he sustaineth vs and crowneth vs when wee ouercome He hath alreadie ouercome our enemies to our hand and hath cooled their courage and abated their force He hath brused the serpents head so that he shall not be able to ouercome the least of his followers well may he hisse against them but he cannot hurt them for his sting is taken away Sathan was the strong man who possessed all in peace but our Sauiour Christ who was a stronger then he comming vpon him hath ouercome him and taken from him all his armour wherein he trusted and diuided his spoiles Luk. 11.21 22. We fought against mightie enemies and great potentates Eph. 66.12 but our Sauiour hath spoiled principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them vpon the crosse Col. 2.15 and so through death hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is
and raising vp of a most faithfull seruant of God and my most deare friend who hath bound me with many benefits to the performance of all christian duties But afterwards finding it to grow to such a volume that it was too great to passe in a written coppie and hoping that that which was profitable for one might bee beneficiall vnto many at length I resolued to make my labours publike by committing them to the presse The principall things that I propounded to my selfe in this treatise are these first and especially I indeauour to comfort those who are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sence of their sinnes by offering vnto them certaine assurance that their sinnes are remitted and that themselues are elected to eternall life in the state of grace reconciled vnto God in Christ and receiued in his loue and fauour Secondly I labour to leade the christian in an euen course vnto the hauen of eternall happinesse that he may not runne aside neither on the right hand and so falling vpon the rockes of presumption make shipwracke of his soule nor yet on the left hand and so plunge himselfe into the gulfe of desperation Wherein I haue purposely and aduisedly auoyded their practise who scatter their consolations they know not where to bee applyed they care not by whom whereof it commeth to passe that those that are most secure and presumptuous arrogate them to whom they doe not appertaine and those that are afflicted and humbled dare not appropriate them to themselues because they are deliuered indefinitly to all without all caution or any condition whereby they might bee restraiâ—ed rather to them than any other in whom sinne yet liueth and raigneth Wherein they resemble negligent physitions who hauing made a good medicine for a sicke man doe not giue it vnto him but cast it carelesly into some corner whether the sicke patient in respect of his faintnesse and weakenesse is likely neuer to come which being found and greedily drunken vp by those who haue no neede of it in stead of doing them good doth turne to their baine and vtter destruction Lastly I haue desired to giue solid and substantiall consolations which are firmely grounded vpon Gods vndoubted truth and such infallible reasons as cannot bee gainsaid and haue withall deliuered the conditions vpon which they are to be receiued and the vndoubted signes and markes of those to whom of right they appertaine to the end that those who finde these things in themselues may not doubt to apply them to their wounded consciences whereby they may bee soundly cured and throughly comforted and that those who finde no such condition obserued by them nor any such signe or marke in them may be debarred from participating of these consolations which would nourish in them securitie and presumption and contrariwise examining themselues according to these rules and finding no correspondencie betweene themselues and them may hereby be awakened out of their lethargie of securitie and attaining vnto a sight and sense of their miserable estate may neuer be at rest till by vsing all good meanes for this purpose they may finde these markes and signes of their election vocation iustification and sanctification in them that so they may boldly and fitly apply vnto themselues these comforts and consolations as rightly and truly appertaining vnto them All which my labours I thought good to dedicate vnto your worships partly because I desired to giue this testimonie of my true thankefulnesse for those manifold benefits which from some of you I haue receiued and of mine vnfained loue which I beare to you all for your vertues and approued godlinesse and partly because I thought none fitter to whom I might commend this discourse of the Christian Warfare than your selues who are olde experienced souldiars in fighting these spirituall battailes and therefore haue iudiciall feeling and sensible apprehension of those things which I haue written and commended to your patronage Now the Lord our God who is the fountaine of all goodnesse and the sole giuer of all true consolation increase in you more and more the gifts and graces of his sanctifying spirit and so fill your hearts with all sound spirituall comfort and the ioy in the holy Ghost that you may through the course of your whole liues chearefully goe forward in the profession and sincere practise of his religion and true godlinesse and after this life may receiue that crowne of righteounsnesse which is prepared and laid vp for you in his kingdome of eternall glorie Amen Your Worships in the Lord most assured IOHN DOVVNAME THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOKE THE CHIEFE POINTS HANDLED in the first Booke CHAP. I. THat all Gods seruants are assaulted with the spirituall enemies of their saluation pag. 1 That the strong faith whereof worldlings boast is nothing els but securitie and vaine presumption pag. 3.4 That Gods seruants may rather be comforted than dismaied by the assaults of their spirituall enemies pag. 6 CHAP. II. Why God suffreth his seruants to be exercised in the spirituall conflict of temptations namely for his owne glorie and their euerlasting good pag. 7 CHAP. III. Arguments to encourage the weake Christian to enter into this spirituall conflict pag. 10 CHAP. IIII. Of the malice of our spirituall enemie Sathan ioyned with violence and falshood and how we may withstand it pag. 16 CHAP. V. Of his strength courage and audaciousnesse and how wee may withstand them pag. 23 CHAP. VI. Of Sathans aides and first of the world pag. 31 How the world tempteth by prosperitie and how wee may resist these temptations pag. 32 How it tempteth by aduersitie and of the meanes whereby wee may resist these temptations 34 CHAP. VII Of the flesh what it is and how we may subdue it 39 CHAP. VIII Of Sathans policie and how we may defeate it 40 CHAP. IX Of the spirituall armour described Eph. 6.44 CHAP. X. Of the particular parts of the Christian armour and first of the girdle of veritie 48 CHAP. XI Of the breastplate of righteousnesse 51 CHAP. XII Of the preparation of the Gospell of peace 54 CHAP. XIII Of the shield of faith and what is meant by quenching Sathans darts 55 CHAP. XIIII Of the helmet of saluation 57 CHAP. XV. Of the sword of the spirit and how we must vse it in the conflict of temptations 59 CHAP. XVI Of prayer and the necessitie thereof in the spirituall conflict 64 Of the properties required in prayer 65 Of watchfulnes in prayer 67 Of perseuerance in prayer Where is also shewed why the Lord delaieth to grant the petitions of his children 69 CHAP. XVII Of Sathans stratagems First how he fitteth his temptations according to our affections and naturall inclinations and how we may defeate this policie 72 CHAP. XVIII How Sathan fitteth his temptations according to our state and condition And how we may withstand these temptations 78 How Sathan tempteth professors of religion whose profession is only in shew 82 How he tempteth the sincere
professor who is weake in grace 84 How Sathan tempteth the strong Christian 86 CHAP. XIX How Sathan allureth vs into hainous sinnes by degrees and how we may withstand his temptations 87 How hee laboureth to draw men out of one extreme into another 88 CHAP. XX. How Sathan moueth vs to propound bad ends to good actions 90 How he mooueth vs to vse euill meanes for the effecting of good ends 91 How he tempteth vs to be proud of our vertues 92 CHAP. XXI Of the manner of Sathans fight And how he taketh all aduantages against vs. 93. How hee tempteth vs most dangerously when wee are most secure 94 That he is neuer wearie in assaulting vs. 94 How hee often chaungeth his temptations for his better aduantage and that this is a probable signe he doth not preuaile 95 How Sathan assaulteth vs immediately himselfe 97 How he transformeth himselfe into an angell of light ibid. That he is most to be feared when he most flattereth 98 How Sathan vseth the world as his instrument to intice vs to sinne 100 How he vseth our owne flesh as his instrument and of the manifold aduantages that he taketh hereby 101 How we may auoide danger though we cannot discerne Sathans temptations from our owne lusts 103 How Sathans suggestions may bee discerned from our owne lusts 104 CHAP. XXII Of the common affections of this spirituall conflict namely the Christians standing in temptation and manfull resistance and his falling in the time of triall 106 Of the generall meanes whereby the Christian may be enabled to withstand the temptations of his spirituall enemies 106 1. To meditate on Gods commandement encouraging him to this fight 106 2. Assured hope of victorie 106 3. To be alwaies in readinesse 107 4. To take occasion of Sathans temptations vnto sinne of doing the contrary vertue 107 5. To resist the temptation when it is first suggested 108 6. To prepare himselfe for another temptation when one is past where also such reasons are set downe as may perswade him to perseuere in this fight 109 7. Not to beleeue Sathans suggestions 112 8. Neither to despise Sathans temptations nor too deeply to apprehend them 113 9. To obiect Christ against all temptations 114 10. To leaue disputing with Sathan and to send him to our aduocate Iesus Christ 115 11. To busie our selues continually in holy honest exercises 116 12. Not to reuolue Sathans temptations but to meditate on the contrary preseruatiues 117 CHAP. XXIII Of the Christians falling in temptation and of the means whereby being foiled he may be raised againe namely faith and repentance 118 Consolations for those that bewaile their want of faith and repentance First they are to know that the desire of Gods graces is accepted for the graces which they desire 120 2. That Sathan preuaileth against vs not by his absolute power but by Gods permission who would not suffer this but onely for his owne glorie and our spirituall good 131 That horrour feare and despaire following our falles argue our diffidence in God and selfe-confidence 135 3. The last consolation taken from experience which wee haue had of the Lords assistance 135 THE CHIEFE POINTS HANDLED in the second Booke CHAP. I. Answers to those temptatiens of Sathan whereby he perswadeth carnall men of Gods loue 138 Temporall benefits no infallible signes of Gods loue 140 Sathans temptations whereby he perswadeth weake Christians that they are not beloued of God answered 141 That carnall men haue no assurance of Gods loue though they boast thereof 143 That euery particular Christiā may be assured of Gods loue 144 That doubting of Gods loue is iniurious vnto him and pernicious to our selues 145 The euils that accompanie doubting of Gods loue and the benefits which follow our perswasion thereof 147 CHAP. II. That our sinnes and vnworthinesse should not make vs doubt of Gods loue 148 That we are neither beloued of God elected redeemed called iustified sanctified nor saued for any respect of our owne worthinesse 149 That being vnworthie in our selues we are loued elected and saued in Christ 156 CHAP. III. That temporall afflictions are rather signes of Gods loue than of his hatred 157 That spirituall afflictions are no signes of Gods hatred 160 Examples of Gods dearest seruants who haue bin exercised with spirituall afflictions 162 A dangerous temptation grounded vpon our not profiting by afflictions answered 166 That it is no fit time to iudge of our spirituall graces in the conflict of temptations 167 That Gods dearest children in the time of temptation haue shewed impatiencie and vttred inconsiderate speeches 168 The obiection out of Eccles 9.1 answered and the place expounded 171 CHAP. IIII. Of Gods election the causes subiect obiect and properties thereof 175 CHAP. V. Sathans temptations where with he assaulteth worldlings answered and first that whereby he perswadeth worldlings that all in the end shall be saued 178 Sathans temptation grounded vpon the vnchangeablenesse of Gods predestination whereby he perswadeth them desperatly to goe on in sin proued to be foolish false and impious 180 CHAP. VI. Sathans temptations whereby he moueth the weake Christian to doubt of his election answered 185 The causes which moue Sathan and his instruments to perswade the weake Christian to doubt of his election 185 The state of this question between Sathan the Christian 187 That we may be certainly assured of our election proued by testimonies of scriptures 189 An obiection grounded vpon the indefinitenesse of Gods promises answered 192 That we may be assured that we are the faithfull vnto whom the promises of the Gospell are made 193 A temptation grounded vpon our want of assurance that wee haue faith answered 195 CHAP. VII That we may be assured of our election proued by many strong arguments 197 That our assurance should not be mixt with doubting and that doubting is not a commendable propertie of faith but a fruite of vnbeleefe 199 That faith is a certaine and particular perswasion and not a doubtfull opinion or generall notion 201 CHAP. VIII That we may be assured of our election by the testimonie of Gods spirit 211 How we may know that Gods spirit dwelleth in vs. 215 How we may discerne the testimonie of Gods spirit from our own presumption 217 CHAP. IX Of the meanes whereby we may be assured of our election 221 The first meanes the testimony of the holy Ghost 221 Diuers differences betweene the testimonie of the spirit and presumptuous securitie 221 The second meanes the hearing of the word 224 Thirdly by the vse of the Sacraments 225 Fourthly by the effects of our election vocation iustification sanctification 225 c. That our sanctification is the touchstone of all the rest 229 That those who will be assured of their election must begin at their sanctification 231 Of diuers kindes of counterfeit holinesse which giue no assurance of election 232 Of the fruits and properties of true sanctification 233 CHAP. X. Of tenne signes and infallible notes whereby we may
and foysted in by some cunning fellow after the things were come to passe The like obiections also he maketh against the rest of the Scriptures as that either there was not any such Moses or if he were that he was but some cunning fellow who writ of miracles and wonders neuer done to gaine credit to his law which he had published or if he wrote nothing but truth in his time yet we know not whether these books which goe vnder his name are perfect as he left them or depraued and corrupted hauing many things altred added detracted according to the pleasure of those who haue had the keeping of them And so also hee obiecteth against the other parts of holy Scriptures To this I answere that as it were great absurditie to call in question the writings of Cicero Seneca Plutarch and other Heathen men whether they were penned by any such men or no because the next age receiued them from the authors themselues and deliuered them to the next insuing and so by tradition from hand to hand they are come vnto vs so it is no lesse absurditie to call into question whether the scriptures were written by the Prophets and Apostles who liued in their seuerall times seeing the Church hath receiued them from time to time and deliuered them to their successors to this day Moreouer the law published by Moses was not in secret or in a corner before some few witnesses but in the presence of sixe hundred thousand men besides women and children and the strange miracles and workes of God full of wonder which hee wrought for the better confirmation of his law giuen were done and perfourmed in the presence of many thousands who made relation of them to their posteritie and they to theirs to this day Neither was it easie to be corrupted altred or changed seeing the lawgiuer did straightly charge all men that they should not adde detract or alter any thing vpon paine of present death in this world and euerlasting death in the life to come who therefore would incurre the danger of such fearfull punishment for the satisfying of his fruitlesse phantasie Moreouer this book of the law was safely kept in the Tabernacle and after in the Temple in the Arke which was placed in the holy of holiest and diuers authenticall copies written out of it for euery one of the twelue tribes which were euery Sabbaoth day read and expounded in their Sinagogues yea so familiar were these writings with the Iewes that they were written in their houses and vpon their garments so as it was not possible for any man to falsifie them but it would presently bee espied Yea will the tempter say but though they could not be depraued or corrupted yet they might at first bee inuented by some more subtill than the rest and so thrust vpon men vnder the authority of God himselfe as being the writings of his Prophets and Apostles To which I answere that there is no probabilitie of truth in this obiection for I would faine know in what age this man should write In the time of Moses how then could he write the historie of the Iudges who succeeded him In the time of the Iudges how then could he write the historie of the Kings What then could he write these things in the time of the Kings and so faine a relation of such things as went before why then it is necessarie that hee should haue liued in the time of the last Kings or els he could not haue penned their historie also but before this time there were many copies abroad of the Scriptures in diuers nations by reason that the Iewes were scattered abroad through their captiuitie where they as constantly professed their religion as in their owne countrey Besides if these writings had been fained in what age could they come to light but men diligently inquiring into them as being matters importing no lesse than their eternall saluation or condemnation would haue found them counterfeit For if they had been penned in the same age wherein the things were done who would haue beleeued them if they did not assuredly know that they contained nothing but certaine truth If in an after age who would haue straight subscribed vnto them vnlesse they had by tradition from their ancestors bin assured that such things were done in former times Furthermore it is not probable but that the Iewes would haue made mentiō of such an author if they had known him or if they had by some accident found them written in this forme it is not likely that they would haue been so simple as to haue built their faith so firmely vpon them that they would rather chuse to suffer all torments than be brought to denie any one part of them § Sect. 7 Lastly it is obiected that in the time of Antiochus That the books of holy Scripture perished not in the time of Antiochus the books of the Scriptures were by his tyrannie and extreame crueltie wholy abolished and these which we haue afterwards inuented by the Iewes to grace their religion To which I answere that this obiection is so sotrishly foolish that it sauoureth not of common sense much lesse of any force of reason for seeing now there were extant almost innumerable copies of the Scriptures what meanes could be inuented by with and rage vtterly to suppresse them especially seeing the Iewes made farre more precious account of them than of their liues so that for the profession of this truth they were content to suffer euen in this tyrants time cruell deaths Besides if they had been all destroyed and abolished in his time how came it to passe that presently after his death they were againe as it were pulled out of the ashes and reuiued Or how could others be put in their place seeing innumerable men liued before and after his persecution who had the sight and perusing of the same bookes before they were suppressed and afterwards againe when they came to light Lastly though it should be granted that all the bookes of holy Scriptures had bin vtterly defaced in al the dominions of Antiochus yet this were nothing for the tempters purpose for the Iewes were now scattered far and wide and had their Sinagogues and schooles in sundrie nations where he had no authoritie therfore though he had destroyed all the copies of the Scriptures in all places of his kingdome yet there were many in other places where hee bare no sway Neither were they now in the Hebrew tongue alone but also translated into the Greeke by the 70 Interpreters at the request of Ptolomey Philadelphus and the translation carefully kept in his Librarie long before the time of this Antiochus By al which it is more then manifest that the Scriptures are the same which were penned by the Prophets and holy men of God inspired with his diuine spirit confirmed with so many and wonderfull miracles and sealed with the bloud of innumerable Martyrs To this which hath
seruice of our youth as well as the seruice of our old age for he requireth this as well as the other nay before the other and this was signified vnder the types of the old law where the Lord requireth that they should offer vnto him the principall of the flocke and such beasts as were whole and sound yong and without blemish So Leuit. 3.1 the Lord requireth that the sacrifice which they offered should be without blemish and 22.20 Ye shall not offer any thing that hath a blemish for that shall not be acceptable for you And Deut. 15.21 if there be any blemish therein as if it be lame or blind or haue any euill fault thou shalt not offer it vnto the Lord thy God And for transgressing this law the Lord reprehendeth the people by his Prophet Mal. 1.8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not euill and if ye offer the lame and sicke is it not euill offer it now to thy Prince will he be content with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hoastes And vers 14. Cursed be the deceiuer which hath in his flocke a male and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Now did the Lord regard the beasts and hath he made so many lawes that he might haue the best of them surely this is not Gods mayne end but hee would thereby teach vs to offer and dedicate vnto his seruice euen our best things as the prime of our youth our flourishing age for was the Lord greatly offended when as men reserued the best of the flocke to themselues and offred the old blind and lame vnto him and will he be well pleased that we should dedicate our youth and the strength of body and soule vnto Sathan and our owne lustes and reserue for him onely our old decrepit lame and withered age when as our bodies are full of diseases and our mindes of infirmities will any Prince accept of vs if we spend the whole time of our youth and strength in the seruice of his enemies and when we are sicke old lame blind offer him our seruice and will the Prince of Princes thinke hee be well pleased if he be thus vsed if Sathan and the world haue all the pure wine will he be contented with the lees and dregs if they haue the ripe fruite will God haue that which is rotten and putrified If they haue our health wil he haue our sicknesse surely it is not likely for the Lord who hath created vs redeemed vs and doth preserue vs doth looke to be serued with our youth health and strength which he hath bestowed on vs. § Sect. 3 a. Motiue taken from the momentany shortnesse of mans life The second argument to mooue vs to hasten our repentance and turning vnto God is taken from the momentanie shortnesse and the mutable vncertainty of our liues in respect of the shortnesse of our liues they are compared to a pilgrimage to the flower and grasse of the field to the wind a cloud smoke vapour to a dreame a tale tould a spanne shadow and the passage of the weauers shuttle yea it is called vanitie it selfe And therefore seeing our liues are so short surely they are al to little though they were wholy spent in Gods seruice but seeing wee haue spent a great part of this short time euen our whole life before our conuersion after the lusts of the gentiles let vs thinke that inough yea farre too much to be so ill bestowed and from hence for ward let vs liue as much time as remaineth in the flesh not after the lusts of men but after the will of God as the apostle admonisheth vs. 1. Pet. 4.2.3 But though our life were short yet if this short time were certain there were some more shew of reason why we should defer our conuersion but as it is short so is it most vncertaine for wee haue not assurance that wee shall liue one hower wee are tenants at will in these earthly tabernacles neither doe wee know how soone our great landlord will turne vs out of them wee are the Lords stewards here on earth and we know not how soone our Lord and master will call vs to a reckoninge and therefore it behoueth vs to haue our accompts alwayes perfect and the bookes of our consciences made vp in readinesse We are vncertaine when death will arrest vs and carry vs to iudgment and therefore we should be prepared for it all times when wee goe to bed we are so to lay vs downe as though we were neuer to rise til we rise to receiue our last sentence when we rise vp in the morning wee are so to spend that day as though it were the last of our liues for how many haue gone well to bed who haue beene dead before the morning how many haue risen as they thought in perfect health and yet haue beene attached by death before the euening and therefore it behooueth euery one who hath any regarde of the eternall saluation of his soule to turne speedily vnto God and while today they heare his voice not to harden their heartes Men vsually delaie matters of least waight and in the first place dispatch businesse of greatest importance and therefore vnlesse we thinke the preseruing of our bodies and soules from the eternall torments of hell fire and the assurance of euerlasting happinesse and blessednesse in Gods kingdome to be matters of lesse importance then the obtaining of some vain pleasures vnconstant honours or base commodities let vs turne vnto the Lord betimes by vnfained repentance and according to our sauiours aduise Matth. 6.33 Let vs first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse therof and then worldly necessaries shal be cast vnto vs as a vantage in this maine bargaine If our houses were on fire we would seeke first to preserue those things which are most deare and pretious vnto vs good houshould stuffe before lumber Iewels before stuffe and children before Iewels but our liues are dayly in a consumption et dum crescimus vita decrescit whilst wee grow and increase our liues decrease and therefore in the first place let vs seek to preserue our soule which is our chiefe Iewel and not suffer it to perish through impenitencie whilst we gaine some earthly vanities But most lamentable is the practise of most who liue as though they were neuer to die or as though they had taken of God a long lease of their liues which is to expire at a certaine appointed time and this makes them deferre their repentance and to put the euill day far from thē til at last death attacheth them carrieith them to iudgment and this appeareth by the scripturs and continual experience Iob speaking of earnal secure men saith that they take the tabret harpe reioyce in the sound of the organs they spend their days in wealth suddainly they go downe to the graue Iob 21.12.13 So Eccl. 9.12 man doth