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cause_n	according_a	good_a	pleasure_n	1,473	5	6.8396	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05311	The sanctuarie of saluation, helmet of health, and mirrour of modestie and good maners wherein is contained an exhortation vnto the institution of Christian, vertuous, honest, and laudable life, very behoouefull, holsome and fruitfull both to highest and lowest degrees of men ... / written in Latin verie learnedly and elegantlie by Leuinus Lemnius of Zirizaa, physitian, and Englished by H.K. for the common commoditie and comfort of them which understand not the Latine tongue ...	Lemnius, Levinus, 1505-1568.; Kinder, Hugh.	1592 (1592)	STC 15454.5; ESTC S3877	132,793	266

to the conscience For in euery action which wee doe not performe with firme stedfastnesse and sure constancie of purpose but with a wauering scrupulous and doubtfull minde surely we are condemned euen our owne consci-being iudge For whatsoeuer proceedeth not of fayth whereby wee approue our mindes and become acceptable before God whatsoeuer is done against the consent of conscience it is an offence and in daunger of sinne And the reason is this because that when a man doubteth whether a thing be euill or no and yet committeth the same thing being of it selfe not euill he declareth plainly that hee would commit some wicked and flagitious fact if occasion doe happen or opportunitie be offered But true godlinesse and well stablished wisedome enuironed and fenced with fayth and strengthened with the holy spirite discerneth and discusseth all things prudently and wisely and cannot abide to attempt any thing which hath any appearance of euill or which may temerate the minde or contaminate the conscience with any griefe The rewards of vertue and vice CHAP. 47. THat good wise admonition which Cate the elder was wont to inculcate and often repeate to his companions in warre that same ought to be fixed and fastned in euery mans minde and memory Vertue is eternall If with labour thou doe some excellent act and honest exployt the paines taken departeth thy honest deede remayneth Pleasure or voluptuousnes is momentanie If with voluptuousnesse any euill fact bee committed the pleasure as a thing transitorie flieth and vanisheth away soone and quickly but the lewdnesse and wickednesse as a stayne of infamy and note of reproch that cannot be blotted out abideth and sticketh stil continually A Prouerbe against thē that goe and grow out of kind Hereunto we may well referre this prouerb Hee that hath once beene a malapart iester or saucie scoffer will neuer be good housholder For he that hath once in an ignominious matter lost his good name and cracked his credite shal not easily get the commendable report of an honest man no although he wax rich or become very wealthy An exhortation of Plato vnto vertue In like maner Plato doth instigate and exhort yong men to the winning obtaining of felicity by setting before thē the image of famous vertue vicious pleasure For soone sodain repentance anguish of heart vnquietnesse of mind continual griefe sorrow doth accōpany the momētany sweetnes sweet entisements of voluptuousnes according to the cōmō saying Sweet meat must haue soure sauce But contrariwise quietnes of mind tranquility of hart safety of conscience finally sure perfect perpetuall ioy doth immediatly follow the labors miserable toyle trauaile of vertue Sentence of S. Gregory The whole effect hereof may bee briefly comprehended in this sentence That which delighteth is caducall that which afflicteth is perpetuall The beginning of all our actions must we take of God CAP. 48. The beginnings of our actions must we ask haue of God WHatsoeuer thou art minded to attēpt performe ask counsaile of our most gracious and most mighty God And if thou purpose to dilate intreat of any matter if thou goe about to administer or fulfill any offices or dueties either priuate or publike humbly and lamentably beseech his diuine power will and maiestie to inspire into thine heart by his holy Spirite those things that bee good necessary profitable and expedient vnto saluation For I am not able to expresse howe much it helpeth and auayleth vnto the happy and prosperous successe of our works to refer al the beginnings of our actions committe all our wayes purposes and desires vnto God For those things which are not begonne attempted or taken in hand with such beginning we see commonly for the most parte that they proceed vnfortunatly and vnluckely For this cause the Lord threatneth by the Prophet Esai saying Esai 30. Woe to you yee shrinking children which take counsayle but not by me which we are a web and not by my spirit By which words he denounceth vnto them vnhappy and vnlucky successe because they seeke the defence protection and assurance of their saluation from some other place and by some other meanes rather then at God his hand neither doe they aske counsaile of him nor pray and desire to receiue answere of him God gouerneth our doings to whome all thinges are subiect and in whose hand and power the domination rule and gouernance of the whole world doth consist For by him as Salom●… sayth Prouer. 8. Kings raigne and law-makers decree iust ordinances By him princes beare rule and all iudges of the earth execute right iudgement For counsaile and equitie is his wisdome is his in his hande is all strength honour and power whereby they that haue gouernment and are set in authoritie doe stablish their dominions and keepe their subiects in due obedience God is the first principall cause of things Wherfore sith that all things are done atchieued accōplished brought to passe according to the iust iudgement good will and pleasure of God and that he is the first chiefe principal cause of things We must with most effectual praiers desire of him prosperous succes of our works we must craue and begge of him all things that be profitable and expedient vnto our saluation and necessary to the leading of our liues well and happily Which precept and document Christ doth inculcate and often beat into our mindes when hee sayth Mat. 6. Luk. 12. First seeke ye the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and other things shall come franckly and freely vnto you and shall bee added and giuen in surplusage or ouerplus And therefore that beginning of the day is most fortunate luckie and prosperous which is commenced with contemplation of heauenly thinges with the doctrine of the Gospell with worshipping and honoring the maiestie of God The dawning of the day and betimes in the morning is the most meete and conuenient time to order dispose prepare the mind and to lift vp the heart vnto God CHAP. 49. The early morning is meet for prayer THere is no part of the day more conuenable to eleuate direct the mind vnto God then a little before day-light For then when the darknesse of the night is dispearsed the minde is the more chearefull prompt and apt to conceiue good cogitations that be conducible for health and profitable vnto saluation The bookes of the Bible doe in euery place testifie that the holy Prophets vsed so to do Dauid being wrapped in perplexity and distresse calleth on God for helpe thus Psal 5. O God thou art my God Psal 63. early do I wake vnto thee Betimes will I stand by thee wil look vp Early in the morning shall my prayer come before thee So Esai Esa 50. The Lord lifteth vp mine eare yea hee lifteth vp mine eare betimes that I may heare him at a maister

of amitie and violated the league and most hearty friendship and faythfull coniunction of life where with they were linked and knit together amongst themselues by salt bread and by the participation and societie of one table Vnto this symbole this token of amitie this good precept that complaint of Dauid hath relation wherein hee representing the person of Christ appealeth his friend and familiar of treason falshood and vnfaithfulnesse which was hidden vnder the shew colour of honestie and fayned counterfeit pretence of godlinesse Psal 41. Iohn 13. For thus he complayneth of him Euen that man of my peace in whome I hoped whom I trusted and which did eat bread with me that is to say was my mate at meat table fellow hath attempted to ouerthrow me It were a thing tolerable and I could more mildely beare it A place of Dauid expounded if mine enimie denouncing warre by Heraulds of armes had assayled mee in open battaile But him to circumuent me to goe about to deceiue me to lay great waite for me stifly to stand against me and to supplant 〈◊〉 with whome I had entercourse of most nea●e deare familiaritie whom I made partake of my counsailes and secrets it is a thing intollerable and which cannot bee borne withall In like maner Christ being moued and grieued with such a villainous and malitious fast sayeth thus Iohn 13. He which did eate bread with me hath lift vp his heele agaynst mee that is to say my housholde enemie who is more pernicious then any other enemie purposeth precisely with deceitfull deuises and priuie practises how he may oppresse and entrappe me He taketh his Metaphore of friends which in outward shew and first view are fayre speakers but inwardly they are full of fraude and the poyson of aspes lieth vnder their lips hidden in the heart for they smite a man priuily and hit him with the heele on the back part that it cannot be perceiued who did the hurt A prouerb against treacherous persons By a prouerbiall figure such claw-backs of Colax crew may well bee sayde to strike with turning away the poynt that is to say not before on the face but behinde on the back and on the hinder parte of the body Dauid maketh another expostulation or complaint like vnto this wherein hee complayneth himselfe to bee greatly endammaged of that man whose familiaritie hee specially vsed and was so knitte and vnited vnto him in the league of amitie that hee was partaker of all his purposes and as his most trustie and speciall friende that knewe his secretes Which cruell dealing and haynous fact hee very vehemently rebuketh and reprooueth with these wordes Psalm 55. For if an open enemie had done mee this dishonour then I coulde haue borne it And if mine aduersaries hadde lift vp themselues agaynst mee I would peraduenture haue hidden my selfe from them But it was euen thou a man of one minde with mee and one that knewe my minde onely my guide and mine owne familiar friende which diddest receiue sweete meate in my companie and wee were conuersaunt in the house of GOD with consent c. A place of Dauid declared These are patheticall verses that is to say full of passions and perturbations of minde whereby hee declared himselfe to take much griefe and to haue great indignation because hee findeth him that hitherto bare a shew of a trustie friend to bee his most mortall and enuious enemie and couertly and closely to seeke and worke his destruction But to painte out liuely and to sette foorth in his colours such a craftie turne-coate chaungling and subtill surmiser which vnder a certayne shew pretence of fayned friendship counterfeit vertue doth in countenaunce eyes and wo●… flatter his friend when as inwardly he nourisheth ranck poyson and vipers venime for his destruction he addeth this also to the crime of disloyalty A similitude of oile and butter The wordes of his mouth are softer then butter wheras war is prepared in his heart His speeches are smoother then oyle when as i● very deede they be swords and dartes By which similitude hee describeth and noteth fayned and malitious friends which haue one thing close in their heart and another ready in their tongue and which doe shew bread in the one hand and beare a stone in the other Of which falshood and treachery Iudas Iscariot prefixed a paterne and after him many other which learned that lewd lesson of him and haue taken fraudulent examples Of the care of housholde wealth and hous-keeping and the gouernaunce thereof CHAP. 25. The care good regard of household and hous-keeping AS touching Oeconomicall prudencie that is the administration of housholde businesses and affayres which as Cicero testifieth is the minister and seruant of the body it is decent for euery man to bee diligent and discreete in stablishing and garnishing the same so that the enlarging and augmentation therof bee referred vnto the necessary vse of life vnto commoditie vnto neatnesse cleanlinesse and trimnesse not vnto excesse and delicate pleasures not vnto sumptuous fare and immoderate prouision and furnishing of dishes which disperse diminish waste and consume riches yea euen great substaunce and large possessions Therefore in adorning feasts furnishing the table frugalitie thriftie sparing and moderation of meats must chiefly bee obserued and all prouocations of gluttonie and lewd lust must bee eschewed and finally all fine delicate iunckets banquetting dishes Costly prouision of meats is to be eschewed Ephes 5. which are vsed cōmōly to be brought in at the second course to them that are already well satiate with meat to prouoke them to desire to eate a fresh againe must bee auoyded This prodigalitie superfluitie and ryotous life doth not onely make wealth decay causeth sicknesse but also when banquetters are hot with drinking wine it ministreth heat and nourishment vnto luxurie and stirreth vp the loynes and affecteth the priuities and vncomely parts with stiffnesse whereby they begin to itch and that I may vse the Apostles word 1. Cor. 7. to bee burned that is to say to be the more mightilie prouoked and inflamed vnto inordinate desire of vncleannesse Rom. 13. For which cause S. Paul would haue nothing done according to the will and pleasure of our lusts but would haue all things tende vnto the necessitie vse and commoditie of nature not vnto superfl●… and voluptuousnesse which is very hu●… both to body and soule There is no man ●…deede so insensible or vnnaturall that hee ●… abide to hate his body Ephes 5. but as S. Paul saieth nourisheth and cherisheth it as Christ doth ●he cōgregation By which example the Apostle inuiteth and willeth husbands to loue th●… wiues and indeuour to haue such care of them as euery man hath of his owne body and performe that vnto them which Christ hath performed to his Church cōgregation his only entirely beloued spouse But in

man ought to think it strange or marueilous that we find in euery place so many mē in so great debt How men come in debt not only of the vulgar mean sort cōmon people but gentlemen also yea Courtiers Barons noble mē of the realm that ride roially with notable pomp like princes which somtime defrauding wards widowes from whom they scrape all the money that can bee gotten yet they pay no man any part of their debt no not whilest they bee aliue much lesse doe they leaue order to pay it after their decease when in trueth they haue more then their life so gaged and so farre indaunger to their creditors that immediately after they haue chaunged life all their goods are put vnder the voyce of the Bedle or Cryer and the creditors striue who should be first serued Let no man despise that estate lot or condition that is allotted and appoynted vnto him CHAP. 35. Let euery man be cōtent with his owne state BE content with that state and condition which hath happened vnto thee in this course and standing place of life and stage of this worlde and beare the same for the time moderately and patiently yea what person or parte soeuer thou beare in what place or in what order and state soeuer thou stand Let euery man abide in his calling S. Paul requireth the same of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 7. bringing in his exhortation the example of a freemā and of a seruant of the circumcised and vncircumcised of maried and vnmaryed and exhorteth euery one willingly and gladly to abide in his calling and not for any state of life to swarue or shrinke from the true religion of Christ after they haue once begonne to imbrace and professe the same For godlines as he teacheth Timothie 1. Tim. 6. is plenteous great gayne to a man that with his whole heart is content with that which is allotted vnto him But some there be Inconstācie is reproued who because they are grieued with their condition and weary of the state wherein they liue doe wish to haue it chaunged and to bee translated into another which may be more commodious and conuenient for them Which thing if it cannot bee obtayned according to their minde and will and as they desire or that it be not altogether so expedient for them there is no cause nor reason why they should macerate afflict vexe disquiet or consume themselues with sorrow but take all things mildely and quietly and not resist striue grudge God is the gouernour of all things or murmure against God the gouernor of all things who by his singular prouidence ruleth and ordereth this worlde and prouideth very well for the maintenance and welfare of men not onely as Cicero sayth for all vniuersally but also for euery one particularly Which thing also Dauid in many places doth inculcate and oftentimes repeate and specially when he sayth Psal 33. He fashioneth the hearts of men euery one he vnderstandeth all their workes Wherfore euery man ought to bee perswaded and assured of this that God is the gouernour of all thinges and that euery thing is done according to his good pleasure at his beck and after his will and finally that he seeth marketh and considere● of what condition inclination and disposition euery man is what he doth what offence hee committeth with what minde purpose and intent with what affection loue and zeale hee doth fauour and reuerence religion what is expedient necessary conuenient behoouefull and healthfull for euery man And therefore if at any time al things bee not answerable to our desires and that we bee disappoynted of those things that we wish for yet let euery man abide in his vocation which God hath appoynted vnto him vntill the fauour and louing kindnes of our highest father doe determine otherwise concerning his estate 4. King 20. Esai 38 Iusu 10. For he chaungeth the course he turneth and altereth the order of humane things according to the rule power and dominion of his will He rayseth vp the abiect and despised from the base and lowest estate of beggers Psal 113. and doth illustrate and make them famous noble with dignitie honour and power Hee bringeth downe the arrogant and hautie and such as be puffed with pride Psal 113. and throweth them out of the throne of their felicitie Hee maketh the barren and fruitlesse women to be fruitful and to be ioyful mothers of many children Wherefore let euery man quietly and gently beare and indure his calling in hope trust to obtaine and haue a better and let him leane wholly to God and rest onely in him for vpō him chiefly principally lieth the care of mās estate To which effect that saying of Esai hath relation Esai 30. Thus saith the Lord God euen the holy one of Israel In silence and hope shal be your strength and safetie A place of Esai expoūded By which wordes he driueth mistrust out of troublesome and vnquiet mindes and exhorteth them quietly and assuredly to looke for the help ayde and succour of God For it shall come to passe that in his good time when he thinketh knoweth best they shall obtayne their desire so that they do not distrust his promises although sometime he defer his help yet them that long and labor to come to him he neuer disappointeth of their affectuous hope and patient expectation The Poet Horace who curiously espied marked mens doings when he perceiued that men are as it were tossed too and fro with such inconstancie in that maner purpose trade of life which they haue once imbraced that there is no stedfastnes nor constancy in their minds insomuch that euery man contemneth disdayneth his owne estate desireth to change with another mans the marchant the souldier the husband man the lawyer He demandeth thus Horat. lib. 1 Serm. Sat. 1 Mecoenas how com'th it to passe that no man liu'th content With such state as his purpose was or fortune to him sent But rather doe those men commend Who diuers artes to prooue intend Which afterward he prosecuteth with an elegant prouerb by a Metaphore taken of heard● of cattell Horat. lib. 1 Epist. 14. The slow oxe would the saddle beare the horse doth wish the plough Whereby he noteth the naturall propertie of mans inclination to be yrke of his owne estate and condition We are yrke of our selues and desireth that it might bee chaunged with another mans and counteth things vnprooued better then things prooued In another place also hee giueth a reason of this inconstancie and lightnesse whereby the mind wauereth by an altercatiō that arose betwixt two concerning the delight to dwell in the country and in the Citie For the one praised the ciuilitie vrbanitie courtesie and affayres of the Citie the assembly resorte hant noise of the people the other esteemed solitarynesse and husbandry and the

documents deliuered vnto vs of learned and eloquent men exhorting vs to liue well and in happinesse the Poet Martial specially hath briefly comprehended certaine precepts agreeable vnto honestie whereby as it were poynting with the finger he plainly sheweth how a man may leade his life commodiously and conueniently and haue good regarde not onely to the health of the bodie but also to the tranquillitie of the mind which he prosecuteth thus Martial lib. 10. The things which make the happie life most pleasant Martial Be Goods not gotten painfully but left to liue withall The fruitfull field the lasting fire at no time any strife The rayment course no fine attire the quiet mind is chiefe The naturall strength the bodie sound prudent simplicitie Equall friends fare easily found no costly cookerie The night that shunneth surfetting and from all cares is free The bed that hath no sorrowing but kept in chastitie And be such as thou wouldst be thought nothing desire thou more Thy last day feare not to be brought nor wish the same before If thou canst not obtaine these commodities of life altogether as thou wishest and according to thy desire yet hast thou no cause neither is it meete for thee to macerate or annoy thee with griefe or consume and destroy thy selfe with sorrow but referre all things to the will of God and his prouidence Gods prouidence gouerneth things which is the onely ruler and gouernour of humane estate which thing Dauid also vsed alwaies to doe in those things which were wont to happen vnto him The godly doe not acknowledge fortune whether they were prosperous or otherwise he committeth and submitteth all the same to his power without any respect of chaunce or fortune And so when he attributeth all the course and race of his life vnto him he saith Psal 31. My time is in thy hand that is to say All things runne and passe their course euen as it pleaseth thee as it seemeth good in thy sight Of exercise wherby the wearied strength both of the mind and bodie is refreshed recreated and restored CHAP. 44. BEcause humane nature cannot abide still and cōtinue vnlesse it eftsoones or incontinently after take breath agayne and pause a while and be renewed with some refreshing therefore some relaxation or recreation or loosing agayne from labour must be graunted and giuen thereunto to cherish it withall lest the strength of the bodie waxe feeble and the liuely quicknesse of the mind be debilitated and weakened and ouerthrowne with too much businesse and immoderate labour Rest from labour is good And as quiet and conuenient sleepe doth recreate and refresh the members that be wearied and attenuated with labour trauaile so also the relaxation intermissiion of vigilant studies and industrious contemplation doth comfort redintegrate the mind being wearied with intentiue meditation or the laborious ioyle of nightworks restoreth the spirits that be exhausted lulled on sleepe with drousnesse Men of old time whensoeuer they might rest themselues The delect●ble recreation of husbandrie or had leisure from the functions of the Commonwealth and forren affayres recreated and delighted themselues with the pleasantnes of husbandrie reaped no lesse profite then pleasure of the exercise of tillage For besides woods and harbours very delectable to behold besides places planted set and compassed with trees trimly decked with hedgerowes full of fine twigs rods besides the commodities and pleasant secret situation of Farmes and Manours separated from concourse of people they got gayn aduantage both very iust and very plentious of their fruitfull and well tilled soyle by their goodly haruest and yerely increase reuenew For profite ioyned with honestie and righteousnesse cannot be reprehended of any man And indeed among all things as Cicero saith Cic. lib. 1. Offic. wherof some good is gottē there is none better none more plentious none more seemely for a free man then husbandry Insomuch that Hesiodus iudged and deemed nothing to be so royall magnificke as to till the ground and to be exercised occupied in the facultie of countrey mans life For which cause the Romanes in old time forsaking the citie being wearie of it like men deliuered out of imprisonmēt vsed to go solace themselues in the coūtrey For in this kind of life many things come in hand wherewith a man may be delighted recreated because they happen euery one in his ordinarie time turne course For one while time and occasion serueth to prune cleanse and cut trees another while the fayre milde sweete spring time entiseth and allureth men to The husbandma● is neuer idle graft impes or young settes and slips in another tree sometime the season requireth to dresse vineyards and to ioyne the high poplar trees with the well growne stocke and broadspred branches of the vine Horat. in Od. Virgil. 1. Georg. Sometime to catch wild beasts with snare sometime with lime begil'd Sometime with hounds to hunt the hare and deere through forest wilde The birds with pretie craft to take the brimbles eke to burne Many kinds of exercises For hawking and hunting is a healthfull exercise and conuenient for a young mans bodie that is of full age and not vtterly to be dispraised so that a man be not too much giuen thereunto and employ all his labour and trauaile in chasing renting and tearing of wilde beasts and in the meane time neglect his earnest businesses gouernance of his houshold But to delight and recreate a mans selfe with tables of Geographie or description of the earth and within the limits of his studie to goe through the whole circuite of the world stretching farre and wide to measure with his eyes and a paire of compasses regions that be farre distant one from another rather then in bodie with great daunger and losse of his goods to trauaile abroad iourney through many straunge countries not without great ieopardy this contemplation I say doth marueylously refresh the minde A picture delight●… and recreateth the eies Amongst the Chartes or descriptions Cosmographicall I make accōpt of those pictures which be made with great cunning arte liuely expressed which bee either adorned with colours or which haue their portraiture of one colour that is to say naked and bare not portrayed with any varietie of painting or colouring which delight the eies with no vain spectacle specially if it be done or beholdē without superstitiō they minister som documēts vnto vertue pietie as those be which contain the sacred holy histories For that cause a Poesie or a Poets work is of thē in olde time properly called a dumb picture But indeed a Poeme is a speaking a liuely not a dumb picture Musick refresheth the minde Moreouer the recreatiō delight of musick is honest and principally pleasant wherwith the mind when it languisheth or faynteth is very much cōforted quickned

vseth a like Metaphor deriued of diligence in husbandry and industry of building For priuie hatred variaunce and strife being repressed abolished wherewith the Corinthians were at discord among themselues and were puffed vp and swelled one against another in the behalfe of their Doctors and Teachers as we see men do oftentimes euen now in these our daies he admonisheth and warneth euery one of them that if they haue gotten any holesom learning they doe not attibute it to the Ministers but ascribe it vnto GOD the author of all good thinges The Apostles are Gods ministers Wee sayeth he are helpers and as it were hired workemen Wee doe Gods businesse to him doe wee approue our industry for him do we take all this paines Ye are Gods husbandrie and as it were his ground soile or land which we til and make more apt for fruit with sowing the seed of holesome doctrine Yee are Gods building and workemanship which ariseth and is erected vppe vnto his glory But as concerning the great highnesse honour and Maiesty of God nothing can be inuented or deuised nothing can be thought mused or conceiued in the mind so high so magnificke so renowmed so excellent so glorious God is the perfect paterne and absolute ensample of vertue so surpassing faire and goodly finally so perfect in euery respect and in al kinde of vertues but the same ought worthyly to be referred and attributed vnto the essency or substaunce of God or applied and ascribed vnto him The wisedome of God Psal 66.104.107.147 His wisedome being the ruler and gouernour of all things wherewith he preserueth supporteth and sustayneth the whole vniuersal world by his counsaile prouidence is incomprehensible inexplicable vnspeakeable and infinite so that the order and orderly continuance of all thinges from time to time so wonderfully doth draw all men into admiration and loue of the Creator inflaming and prouoking them to extoll and magnifie him for his excellent and marueylous workes The strēgth and might of God The power of God Psal 18 27. 62. He might strength and power wherewith hee casteth down and ouerthroweth his enemies and wherewith he helpeth and maintayneth the godly is inexpugnable and inuincible cannot be resisted For there is nothing which doth not giue place vnto his strength Esai 25. Prouerb 8. Luc. 2. No castles no towres no fortifications no defences no fortresses or bulwarkes how strong soeuer they be can withstād his puissance The righteousnes of God His Iudgement and Iustice wherwith he distributeth to euery man that which is due conuenient and requisite for him and adiudgeth and rendreth rewardes to euery man according to his worthinesse and desertes Psal 18.48.85 is right lawful holy sincere pure Psal 22.145 laudable and of excellent equity so that no man vnlesse hee bee of depraued iudgement hath any cause to complain of the same The mercy of God is a sure refuge to sinners His mercy compassion pitty clemency and mildnesse which euery one of the Prophets doe greatly commend and highly extol is exceeding and excelleth and surpasseth all his vertuous For all men which feare his Iustice flee vnto his Mercy as vnto a sure sanctuarie and doe humbly desire his helpe and succour This taketh away despaire and distrust out of mens fearefull hartes and consciences With this the holy Spirit the Comforter doth comfort strengthen Psal 32.57 Colos 2. and raise vp them that suddainly fall and grafting and fixing in their harts assured hope and trust to obtaine saluation maketh thē come boldly vnto the throne of grace to obtaine mercy and receiue remission of sinnes Hebr. 4. so that there is nothing which may be imputed vnto them there is none that can accuse appeach or condemne them to be guiltie of death Saint Paul hauing good proofe and experience of this mercy of God and being of a persecuter chosen and admitted to be an Apostle doth support stay comfort and strengthen the doubtfull and wauering mindes of men and prouoketh and allureth them vnto the mercy of God euen by his owne notable and excellent example with these wordes Whereas before sayeth he 1. Tim. 1. I was a persecuter a blaspemer a violent tyranne I obtayned mercy because I did it ignorauntly through vnbeleefe That is to say voyd of faith and not knowing the counsaile purpose and determination of God For he supposed when he persecuted the Christians that hee did God good seruice And further to the end that all men may haue good consideration and carefull regard of their saluation and that euery mā may assuredly know that his sinnes are purged and cleansed away by the bloud of Christ 1. Ioh. 1.6 Saint Paul with assured protestation and affirmance pronounceth these wordes to them that trust in him Saint Paul praiseth extolleth the mercy of God This is a sure saying and by all meanes worthy to bee receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners of whē I am chiefe Saint Paul prouoketh all men to committe themselues to the mercy of God But for this cause I obtayned mercy that in me he might first shewe all clemency to declare an ensample vnto them which should beleeue on him vnto euerlasting life that is to say with hope and constant expectation of the kingdome of heauen And because this benefite ought wholly to be ascribed vnto our heauenly Father and that he ought not to be robbed of his due prayse not defrauded of the testification and percelebration of his infinite goodnesse hee immediatly annexeth these wordes Vnto the immortall King of Worlde vnto the inuisible and onely wise God be honour prayse and glory for euer Amen Saint Peter also for the mystery of our redemption attributeth the like prayse 1. Pet. 1. Saint Peter extolleth the mercy of God exceedingly Vnto God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who according to his aboundant mercy regenerated vs vnto a liuely hope by this that Iesus Christ rose again from the dead to an inheritance immortall vndefiled and that cannot fade nor perish laid vp in heauen towardes vs that is to say for the loue of vs and for our sakes Tit. 3. For after that the kindenesse and loue and humanity of God our Sauiour towards man appeared not for any of our deserts nor for the workes of righteousnesse which wee wrought but according to his mercy he saued vs by the fountaine of regeneration and renewing of the holy Spirite which hee hath shed foorth richly by Iesus Christ our Sauiour that wee being iustified by his grace might be made heires according to the hope of euerlasting life which saying is certaine true and vndoubted and to bee infixed and surely kept by all meanes in euery mans minde Seeing therefore that the loue ready kindnesse of God is so great his fauor charity his fatherly deare and tender affection towardes mankinde is such that hee hath not