way to heauen to himselfe And what promises hee hath made to vs to intise and draw vs to come vnto him and what threatnings and warnings hee hath giuen vs to shun hell it is impossible for mee and all the Writers in the world to write Saint Iohn saith If all things which Christ did were written the world would not containe the Bookes But I am sure if all the Writers in the world had written what Christ hath done for vs they could not sufficiently declare it If all the sea were inke and all the iron in the world were pennes and all the creatures writers they could neuer declare the great benefits the great blessings and the great mercies giuen vnto vs in Christ Iesus our Lord Sauiour What is man without Christ more then a firebrand of hell and what an excellent creature a man is in Christ can hardly bee expressed and yet there are many that are angry because there are so many bookes Reading good bookes worketh a mans heart to godlines for euen as the fire warmeth the wax and maketh it fit to receiue a good fashion euen so good bookes written of the mercies of God in Christ are the way to Christ and teach vs how to shun the way that leads from Christ. But because I would haue you writers of the mercies of God in Christ I will tell you what good writing of bookes doth It maketh the the way to Christ easie to those that desire to goe in it And I will tell you who are they that are angry with writing of bookes they are such as are ignorant and the more ignorant they are the more angry they are those that loue the world so well that they cannot finde leasure to read bookes Saint Iohn saith Loue not the world nor the things that are in the world for the loue of the world is an enmity to God And here you see that they are enemies to God for they loue not to haue him so much written of And they that loue not many bookes loue not many Sermons neyther doe they care so much to know what Christ hath done for them and how they should follow Christ they are stalled with it they loue the earth they can talke of it yeere after yeere and they are neuer weary In truth it would weary a heauenly minded Christian to heare an earthly-minded man how continually hee will talke of the earth and earthly things the very time that hee is in the Church hee can hardly hold his peace from talking of some earthly thing or other and the whole Sabbath which God sanctified and rested himselfe and in mercie to him commanded him to rest that will neuer rest from these earthly and transitorie things for heauenly rest hee neuer respecteth Truely I thinke he meaneth to make himselfe sure of hell heereafter for Christ saith Hee that loueth the world is an enemy to GOD And he that is an enemy to God can neuer come to bee an inheritour of the kingdome of heauen except hee returne and reconcile himself to God through Christ and hee cannot bee thus reconciled except he leaue his earthly affections and attend vpon Christ for God loueth none but those whom he seeth waiting and attending vpon his Sonne then the Almightie God accepteth him as his sonne and bids him call him Father and whatsoeuer hee needs he is ready to furnish and relieue him withall but if hee be obstinate and will not attend vpon Christ but attends his owne businesse and worldly affaires GOD neuer respecteth him how many friends soeuer hee hath in the world nor how mightie soeuer they are and then are his riches and his friends nothing worth neither can they doe him the least good as can be thought of Now hee that loues not writing of bookes nor hearing of Sermons hee hath little leasure and lesse desire to pray this I assure you is true and his owne conscience will tell him so much let him examine it when he will for Sermons and reading good bookes are the only means to bring a man to praier and praier is the only meanes to helpe vs to the mercies of God in Christ for if we heare Sermons and do not pray earnestly to GOD for Iesus Christs sake to send the holy Ghost to inlighten our vnderstanding and to sanctifie our hearts and follow that which wee heare we are neuer the better for many heare and vnderstand not and many vnderstand and follow it not but there is none that praieth faithfully to vnderstand and for grace to follow it that obtaineth not if hee continue in true praier The holy Ghost saith Pray alwaies and in all things be thankefull and the promise is made Aske and ye shal haue that is whatsoeuer you goe about pray to God to blesse it and thanke God in prosperitie and aduersitie or howsoeuer it pleaseth God to deale with you for it commeth by his prouidence therefore bee thankefull to God what crosse soeuer it pleaseth him to lay vpon thee Doe not as they which rage and sweare at the losse of a few earthly things but thanke God againe and againe that it is no worse If it bee but for the losse of some earthly thing it cannot bee ill for the childe of God for Iob neuer honoured God so much nor did so much good in the Church of God while hee was rich as when hee was poore for when hee was rich the diuell himselfe told God that Iob serued him not for nothing As if hee should say Thou hast giuen him many blessings if he should not bee thankefull it were a maruell CHAP. 24. The vnthankefulnesse of rich men a great sinne OH this will bee a witnesse against many rich men which receiue many great blessings and yet they bee vnthankefull for the diuell thought that he which receiued gifts and blessings could not chuse but bee thankefull and yet when Iob was rich he neuer did God so much honour nor seruice in his Church as when his goods were gone for before hee was a rich man and liued well and gaue somthing to the poor what should hee haue done w th his goods else so did many more besides him But when all his goods were taken away hee did not as worldly men do he did not say I am bewitched or it is the negligence of my seruants but he said The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh and as it pleaseth the Lord so it commeth to passe blessed be the name of the Lord And thus hee became thankefull for his losses This is a thing that euery one cannot doe and hee was so patient and thankefull what crosses soeuer it pleased God to lay vpon him that he glorified God in his obedience and shewed that he loued God and that his loue was not set on this worldly wealth So he might haue God without the world he cared not hee was none of those that must needes haue God and the world together or
THE MOTHERS BLESSING OR The godly counsaile of a Gentle-woman not long since deceased left behind her for her CHILDREN Containing many good exhortations and godly admonitions profitable for all Parents to leaue as a Legacy to their Children but especially for those who by reason of their young yeeres stand most in need of Instruction By M ris DOROTHY LEIGH PROVERB 1.8 My sonne heare the instruction of thy father and forsake not the lawe of thy mother Printed at London for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at the great South-dore of Paules and at Brittaines Burse 1616. TO THE HIGH and excellent Princesse the Lady ELIZABETH her Grace daughter to the high and mightie King of great Brittaine and Wife to the illustrious Prince the Count Palatine of the Rhine D. L. VVisheth all grace and prosperity here and glory in the world to come MOst worthy renovvned Princess I beeing troubled and wearied with feare lest my children should not find the right way to heauen thought with my selfe that I could doe no lesse for them then euerie man will doe for his friend which vvas to write them the right way that I had truely obserued out of the written word of GOD lest for vvant of vvarning they might fall where I stumbled and then I should think my selfe in the fault who knew there were such downe-falls in the world that they could hardly climbe the hill to heauen without helpe and yet had not told them thereof Wherefore I writ them the right and ready way to Heauen wel waranted by the scriptures of the olde and new Testament which is the true word of God and tolde them how many false paths they should finde how they should finde them and what care they should haue to shunne them if they tooke a false way what a trouble they should haue in turning againe what danger if they went on and of many doubts which the world would make without a cause and how silent it would bee in danger Thus when I had writtē vnto them of these things I was at much peace quiet and contentment But as no contentment in the world continueth long so sodainly there arose a new care in my minde how this scroule should bee kept for my children for they were too young to receiue it my selfe too old to keepe it men too wise to direct it to the world too wicked to endure it Then in great griefe I looked vp to heauen from whence I knew commeth al comfort and looking vp I saw a most Angelicall throne of Princely Peeres and peerelesse Princes prepared for heauen and yet by the appointment of God were heere to comfort vs on the earth then I perceiued that this Throne was the ioy of England then I considered that the highest blud had the lowest mind then I sawe humility looking downe-ward while the sweet slips of her vertue grew vpward then euen then Princely Lady I beheld your mild and courteous coūtenance which shewed your heart was bent to doe good to all wherefore without feare and with much faith I aduentured to make your Grace the protectresse of this my Booke knowing that if you would but suffer your name to bee seene in it Wisedome would allow it and all the wicked winde in the world could not blow it away The Lord multiply his graces more and more on you and vouchsafe vnto you a numerous posterity in whom your Grace may receiue much ioy and comfort and GODS Church and true Religion continuall defence and propagation Your Graces in all humble and obseruant duty D. L. TO MY BELOued sonnes GEORGE IOHN and WILLIAM LEIGH all things pertaining to life and godlinesse MY Children God hauing taken your Father out of this vale of teares to his euerlasting mercy in CHRIST my selfe not onely knowing what a care hee had in his life time that you should be brought vp godlily but also at his death being charged in his will by the loue and duty which I bare him to see you well instructed and brought vp in knowledge I could not chuse but seeke according as I was by duty bound to fulfill his will in all things desiring no greater comfort in the World then to see you grow in godlinesse that so you might meet your Father in heauen where I am sure hee is my selfe being a witnesse of his Faith in Christ. And seeing my selfe going out of the world and you but comming in I know not how to performe this duty so well as to leaue you these few lines which will shew you as well the great desire your Father had both of your spirituall and temporal good as the care I had to fulfill his will in this knowing it was the last duty I should performe vnto him But when I had written these things vnto you and had as I thought something fulfilled your Fathers request yet I could not see to what purpose it should tend vnlesse it were sent abroad to you for should it be left with the eldest it is likely the youngest should haue but little part in it Wherefore setting aside all feare I haue aduentured to shew my imperfections to the view of the World not regarding what censure shall for this bee laid vpon mee so that heerein I may shew my selfe a louing Mother and a dutifull Wife and thus I leaue you to the protection of him that made you And rest till death Your fearefull faithfull and carefull Mother D. L. Counsell to my Children MY Sonnes the readers of this book I doe you not intreate To beare with each misplaced word for why my paine 's as great To write this little booke to you the world may thinke indeed As it will be at any time for you the same to read But this I much and oft desire that you would doe for mee To gather hony of each flowre as doth the labourous Bee Shee lookes not who did place the Plant nor how the flowre did grow VVhether so stately vp aloft or neere the ground below But where she findes it there she workes and gets the wholsome food And beares it home and layes it vp to doe her Country good And for to serue her selfe at need when winter doth begin VVhen storm and tempest is without then she doth find within A sweet and pleasant wholsome food a house to keepe her warme A place where softly she may rest and be kept from all harme Except the Bee that idle is and seekes too soone for rest Before she filled hath her house whereby her state is blest And then as she did rest too soone too soone she sorrow knowes VVhen stormes and tempests are without then she her selfe beshrowes She looketh out and seeth death ready her to deuoure Then doth she wish that she had got more of the wholsome flowre For why within her store is spent before the winter's past And she by no meanes can endure the stormy winters blast Shee looketh out and seeth death and findes no lesse within
Then too too late for to repent you see she doth begin Therefore see you noridle be this I would haue you know Be sure still that the ground be good whereout the Plant doth grow Then gather well and lose no time take heed now you doe see Lest you be vnprouided found as was the idle Bee D. L. THE MOTHERS Blessing CHAP. I. The occasion of writing this Booke was the consideration of the care of Parents for their Children MY Children when I did truely weigh rightly consider and perfectly see the great care labour trauaile and continuall study which Parents take to inrich their children some wearing their bodies with labour some breaking their sleepes with care some sparing from their owne bellies and mâ—ny hazarding their soules some by bribery some by simony others by periurie and a multitude by vsurie some stealing on the Sea others begging by Land portions from euery poore man not caring if the whole Common-wealth be impouerished so their children be inriched for themselues they can bee content with meate drinke and cloth so that their children by their meanes may bee made rich alwaies abusing this portion of Scripture Hee that prouideth not for his owne family is worse then an Infidell euer seeking for the temporall thinges of this world and forgetting those things which bee eternall when I considered these things I say I thought good beeing not desirous to inrich you with transitory goods to exhort and desire you to follow the counsell of Christ First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and then all these things shall be administred vnto you CHAP. 2. The first cause of writing is a Motherly affection BVt lest you should maruaile my children why I doe not according to the vsuall custome of women exhort you by word and admonitions rather then by writing a thing so vnusuall among vs and especially in such a time when there bee so manie godly bookes in the world that they mould in some mens studies while their Masters are mard because they will not meditate vpon them as many mens garments moth-eate in their chests while their Christian bretheren quake with cold in the street for want of couering know therfore that it was the motherly affection that I bare vnto you all which made me now as it often hath done heretofore forget my selfe in regard of you neither care I what you or any shall thinke of mee if among many words I may write but one sentence which may make you labour for the spirituall food of the soule w ch must be gathered euery day out of the word as the children of Israel gathered Manna in the wildernesse By the which you may see it is a labour but what labour a pleasant labour a profitable labour a labour without the which the soule cannot liue For as the children of Israel must needs starue except they gath'red euery day in the wildernesse and fed of it so must your soules except you gather the spiritual Manna out of the word euery day and feed of it continually for as they by this Manua coÌ„forted their harts strengthened their bodies and preserued their liues so by this heauenly Word of God you shall comfort your soules make them strong in Faith and grow in true godlinesse and finally preserue them with great ioy to euerlasting life through Faith in Christ whereas if you desire any food for your soules that is not in the written Word of God your soules die with it euen in your harts and mouthes euen as they that desired other food dyed with it in their mouthes were it neuer so dainty so shall you and there is no recouery for you CHAP. 3. The best labour is for the foode of the Soule OH my Children is not this a comfortable labour Our Sauiour Christ saith Labour not for the meate that perisheth but for the meate that endureth to euerlasting life and yet I see and feare you shall see how many there bee that crosse Christ in these words nay rather crosse theÌ„selues for contrary to our blessed Sauiours counsell they labour for the meats that perisheth and in the meane time they lose the foode of euerlasting life This my beloued sonnes and deare children this is the cause that maketh mee so much to feare you and those who hereafter shal come of you because I see so many that regard not the words of our Sauiour Christ who came from the high Throne of God and preached to vs and prayed for vs and tooke our flesh vpon him and kept it without sinne refusing no company healing euery sicknesse and disease fed the hungry gaue pardon to euery sinner that would but aske it dyed for vs indured the paines of hell for vs yea more then this euen in our owne flesh hee ouercame sinne death and hel yea and more then that also hee carried our flesh into Heauen in the sight of many and there keepes it and is become a Mediatour for vs in it hee ioyned himselfe to vs in our flesh as it is written He tooke our flesh vpon him he taught vs to ioyne our flesh vnto him by faith that Where hee is there wee might bee with him also and if wee will not follow him that hath done all this for vs and much more then I can write or declare how vnthankefull shall wee shew our selues My deare Children haue I not cause to feare the holy Ghost saith by the Prophet Can a Mother forget the child of her wombe As if he should say Is it possible that shee which hath carried her child within her so neere her hart and brought it forth into this world with so much bitter paine so many grones and cries can forget it nay rather will shee not labour now till Christ be formed in it will shee not blesse it euery time it suckes on her brests when shee feeleth the bloud come from her heart to nourish it Will shee not instruct it in the youth and admonish it in the age and pray for it continually Will shee not be afraid that the child which shee endured such paine for should endure endlesse paine in hell Could Saint Paul say vnto the Galathians that were but strangers to him concerning the flesh only he had spent some time amoÌ„gst them to bring them to the professioÌ„ of the truth from which hee feared they would fall and could hee I say write vnto them My little children of whom I doe trauaile againe in birth vntill Christ be formed in you And can any man blame a mother who indeed brought forth her childe with much paine though she labour againe till Christ bee formed in them Could S. Paul wish himself separated from God for his brethrens sake and will not a mother venter to offend the world for her childrens sake Therefore let no man blame a mother though she something exceede in writing to her children since euery man knowes that the loue of a
mother to her children is hardly contained within the bounds of reason Neither must you my sonnes when you come to bee of iudgement blame me for writing to you since Nature telleth me that I cannot long bee here to speake vnto you and this my mind will continue long after mee in writing and yet not my mind but I seeke to put you in minde of the words of our Sauiour Christ which saith Labour not for the meate that perisheth c. where you see that the food of the soule is to bee gotten by labour Why stand you here sayth Christ here is not time to be idle they that will rest with Christ in heauen must labour to follow him here on earth Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord for they rest from their labour Thus you see if you will goe to the place which Christ hath bought for you you must labour to follow Christ he labour'd to get it for you or els all your labour would haue been as nothing and now you must labour to lay hold on him or els all your labour will bee worth nothing Many there bee that labour the cleane contrary way for they leaue Christ and take hold of traditions and a number loyter and by that meanes neuer get holde on Christ. And this is the cause why I write vnto you that you might neuer fly from him with the one nor yet loyter with the other but that you might learne to follow him and to take hold of him in the written Word of God where you shall find him as Christ himselfe witnesseth and no where else Search the Scriptures sayth he for they testifie of mee Labour therefore that you may come vnto Christ. CHAP. 4. The second cause is to stirre them vp to write THe second cause my sonnes why I write vnto you for you may thinke that had I had but one cause I would not haue changed the vsuall order of women is needfull to be knowne and may doe much good For where I saw the great mercy of God toward you in making you men and placing you amongst the wife where you may learne the true written Word of God which is the path-way to all happinesse and which will bring you to the chiefe Citty new Ierusalem and the seuen liberall sciences whereby you shall haue at least a superficiall sight in all things I thought it fit to giue you good example and by writing to intreate you that when it shall please God to giue both vertue and grace with your learning he hauing made you men that you may write and speake the Word of God without offending any that then you would remember to write a booke vnto your children of the right and true way to happinesse which may remaine with them and theirs for euer CHAP. 5. The third cause is to moue women to bee carefull of their children THe third is to encourage women who I feare will blush at my boldnesse not to bee ashamed to shew their infirmities but to giue men the first and chiefe place yet let vs labour to come in the second and because wee must needs confesse that sin entred by vs into our posterity let vs shew how carefull we are to seeke to Christ to cast it out of vs and our posterity and how fearefull we are that our sinne should sinke any of them to the lowest part of the earth wherefore let vs call vpon them to follow Christ who will carry them to the height of heauen CHAP. 6. The fourth cause is to arme them against pouerty THe fourth cause is to desire you that you will neuer feare pouerty but alwaies know it is the state of the children of GOD to bee poore in the world Christ sayth Ye shall haue the poore with you alwaies It may be he hath appointed you or yours to bee of this poore number doe not striue against Christ. It is as hard sayth he for a rich man to enter into heaven as for a Camell to goe thorow the eye of a needle Saint Iames sayth Woe bee to you that are rich S. Paul sayth The desire of mony is the roote of all euill Which if it be true as it is not to be doubted of and you feare pouerty then doth it necessarily follow that you will desire the roote of all euil which is money and so become good for nothing The feare of pouerty maketh men run into a thousand sins which nothing els could draw them to for many fearing the cold stormes of pouerty which neuer last long run on to the hot fire of hell which neuer hath an end This matter requireth many words for it is hard to perswade the nature of man from the feare of pouerty wherefore I wil speake more of that afterwards onely I now say Feare not to bee poore with Lazariu but feare a thousand times to be rich with Diues CHAP. 7. The fift cause is not to feare death THe fift cause is to desire you neuer to feare death for the feare of death hath made many to deny the knowne truth and so haue brought a heauy iudgement of God vpon themselues A great reason why you should not feare death is because you can by no meanes shun it you must needes indure it and therefore it is meet that you should be alwaies prepared for it and neuer feare it Hee that will saue his life sayth Christ shall lose it and he that will lose his life for my sake and the Gospels shall finde it Doe not feare the paines of death in what shape soeuer hee come for perhaps thou shalt haue more paines vpon thy bed and be worse prouided to beare them by reason of some grieuous sicknesse then thou art like to feele when God shal call thee forth to witnesse his truth The only way not to feare death is alwaies to be prouided to dye And that thou mayest alwaies be prouided to dye thou must be continually strengthening thy faith with the promises of the Gospell as Hee that liueth and beleeueth shall not dye and though he were dead yet shall he liue Meditate in the laws of the Lord day and night as the Psalmist saith and then thou shalt be fit to bring forth fruit in due season then thou shalt bee fit to serue God thy King and country both in thy life and in thy death and alwayes shalt shew thy selfe a good member of IESVS Christ a faithfull subiect to thy Prince and alwaies fit to gouerne in the Christian common-wealth and then thou mayest faithfully and truely say Whether I liue or dye I am the Lords But without continuall meditation of the Word this cannot bee done And this was one of the chiefe causes why I writ vnto you to tell you that you must meditate in the Word of God for many reade it and are neuer the better for want of meditation If yee heare the Word and read it without meditating