Gen. 1. hee did not make you to destroy you for he is the Sauiour of all men 1. Tim. 2. and desires not the death of a sinner but that hee turne and liue Wherefore I pronounce vnto you in the name of God Mat. 9. Marc. 2. that by his great goodnesse and mercy hee hath giuen you a pardon and full remission of all your sinnes Luc. 5. Titus 3. through the onely merite of his sonne IESVS CHRIST our Lord in the shedding of his most precious bloud Tim. 1. Act. 4. Reuel 1. 1. Iohn 2. for hee is the propitiation not onely for your sinnes but for the sinnes of the whole world Mat. 17. B. S. N. Iesus Christ saith with his owne mouth that all things are possible to him that beleeueth Beleeue then without doubting at all Rom. 1. Phil. 2. 1. Pet. 1. that Iesus Christ putting on our flesh made himselfe perfect man whereby hee died for you hauing borne all your sinnes in his bodie to abolish and blot them out Present vnto God the precious death of his Sonne Iesus Christ and by the merite of that death and passion aske him forgiuenesse and mercie saying from the bottome of your heart in all humilitie and repentance LOrd God Almightie be mercifull to mee poore miserable sinner for the loue of thy Sonne IESVS CHRIST my Lord and Sauiour Rom. 3. Iohn 14. and through the merite of his death and passion that it may please thee to receiue my soule Mat. 26. the which I recommend into thy hands B. S. N. Put your firme confidence in God for seeing hee is with you Rom. 8. no man will bee against you Iesus Christ who is the imaculate Lambe hath ouercome all for you Isa 61. Heb. 7.8.9 hee hath offered himselfe once for you and by that onely oblation hath quite done away all your sinnes he hath done away your folly vnrighteousnesse abhomination and obligation with this good Lord IESVS CHRIST God the Father hath giuen you all things B. S. N. Strengthen your selfe in IESVS CHRIST Rom. 8. who calleth and inuiteth you by his Prophets Apostles and Euangelists to addresse your selfe directly vnto him saying All that are thirstie Isa 55. Mat. 11. come to the great fountaine Isa 55. Mat. 11. Come to me all yee that are heauy laden and I will refresh you B. S. N. Beleeue stedfastly that IESVS CHRIST hath discharged you of all your sinnes 1. Iohn 5. and hath reconciled you to God his Father vnto whom in all humility and repentance say from the bottome of your heart Rom. 3. Iohn 14. LOrd God Almighty be mercifull vnto mee poore miserable sinner for the loue of thy Sonne IESVS CHRIST my Lord and Sauiour and by the merit of his death and passion Mat. 26. Psa 30. that it would please thee to receiue my soule the which I commend into thy hands B.S.N. Bee in hope for for a certayne hee will receiue your soule as his owne for the loue of Iesus Christ his Sonne our Lord Marke 16. Deut. 18. Psal 2. Isa 53. Genes 3. 22. Mat. 9. who is the Sauiour and Redeemer of all those that beleeue in him Moyses and all the Prophets haue testified that all people shall receiue saluation and blessing through Iesus Christ The Apostles and Euangelists testifie that Iesus Christ is not come to call the iust Iohn 10. Luke 22. but sinners to repentance and to giue his soule for the redemption of many for hee hath shedde his bloud for the remission of sinnes Beleeue then and doubt not at all for IESVS CHRIST hath made the purgation of all your sinnes Heb. 1. hauing promised that all those that beleeue in him and in his Father that sent him shall haue eternall life Iohn 5. and shall not come to iudgement but shall passe from death to life Got to then B. S. N. Take courage in Iesus Christ for hee hath loued you Isa 53. Reuel 1. and washed you from all your sinnes in his bloud Rom. 5. haue this firme faith to fight valiantly against the aduersarie haue no other buckler to defend you but that precious bloud of Iesus Christ who by vertue of his death and passion hath reconciled you to God his Father vnto whom from the bottome of your heart in all humilitie and repentance present this prayer LOrd God Almighty be mercifull vnto mee poore miserable sinner Rom. 3. Iohn 14. for the loue of thy Sonne Iesus Christ my Lord and Sauiour and by the merit of his death and passion that it may please thee to receiue my soule the which I recommend into thy hands Math. 26. Psal 30. B. S. N. Haue this hope and stedfast saith that this good God full of mercy will receiue your soule as his into his handes for the loue of his Sonne Iesus Christ Iohn 10. Act. 4. for there is no other name vnder Heauen giuen to men whereby wee must be saued and there is no saluation in any other but in IESVS CHRIST Then arme your selfe well with Iesus Christ For hee hath done all for you he hath accomplished the law for you Rom. 8. Rom. 10. he hath ouercome all for you Go to then B. S. N. Reioyce in God be alwaies stedfast in this liuely saith follow and imitate the holy Patriarkes Heb. 11. Prophets and Apostles who are all saued in this faith who do all assure you that the aduersarie cannot in any wise hurt you for your cause is gotten through IESVS CHRIST Iohn 5. 1. Iohn 2. who is your Iudge and your aduocate likewise wherefore say alwaies in this firme faith Although I should walke in the middest of the shadow of death yet would I dread none euill Psal 22. for thou Lord God art with mee B. S. N. Also bee neuer wearie with saying from the bottome of your heart in all humilitie and repentance LORD God Almightie bee mercifull vnto mee poore miserable sinner for the loue of thy Sonne IESVS CHRIST my Lord and Sauiour Rom. 9. Iohn 14. and by the merite of his death and passion may it please thee to receiue my soule Mat. 26. Psalm 36. the which I recommend into thy hands So be it A singular Prayer for a bodie greatly afflicted with sicknesse who is more likely to die then to liue With a little Catechisme made expresly to instruct the sicke and to make him by faith behold the mysterie of our redemption ECCLESIASTICVS 18. Before sicknesse take Phisicke and before iudgement examine thy selfe and in the presence of God thou shalt find propitiation NOw the Lord doth admonish vs to pray continually Mat. 26. principally when wee are touched with his correction Wherefore all such parents and faithfull friends as visite the sicke bodie ought not onely to visite and solicite the bodie Mat. 6. but also seeke after and desire the spirituall Phisicke for their soules Which ought
holy ordinances of God wittingly and willingly almost as many times as he hath bene inuited and solicited by the diuell and his owne desires Item to be banished and shut out of the kingdome of heauen seeing that the flesh according to the which hee hath liued cannot inherite nor possesse it 1. Cor. 15. for if our first parentes haue beene shamefully hunted out of Paradise Rom. 5. whither they had beene called after their creation by reason of their disobedience what doth man now deserue by so many rebellions and iniquities which hee drinkes and swallowes downe euerie day as if it were water Item to be condemned to euerlasting death and consigned for euer to fire and torments with the diuell and the reprobate seeing that it is the recompence and reward of sinnes and for conclusion that hee hath deserued to be buried in hell and there in the flame to suffer such torments as doth the euill rich man Luc. 16. for hauing disdained the poore and their afflictions and hauing made no reckoning to succour them at their need and vse such humanity towards them as he would haue desired of others Simil. being reduced to like necessity When the sick shall be thus brought downe and that in the law as in a looking glasse his iudgement condemnation shall be represented vnto him and when he shall be seene to be wounded and pierced with sorrow in his heart then must be applied to his sore lenitiue medicines Simil. and do as doth a mason when he cuts a stone first they giue it great strokes with the hammer till they get out great flakes presently after they polish plain it in such sort with the chisell that the blowes are no more perceiued So it must be that after the sicke hath bene so rudely intreated and hauing by the rigorous threatnings of the law let him downe into hell be is drawne vp againe by propounding vnto him the sweete and amiable promises of the Gospell to the end that by the sweetnesse of this oyle the biting sowernesse of the law may be sweâ—â—ned and that the ioy of the good things of the grace of God may make him to passe away forget the sorrow despaire whereinto the law reduceth him first he must be shewed that the bond which was against vs Col. 2.2 and the which lay in the ordinances was coÌ„trary vnto vs hath bin blotted out abolished fastned on the crosse of Iesus Christ Item that Iesus Christ hath bought vs againe from the malediction and curse of the law when he was made a curse for vs for it is written Gal. 3. cursed is he that hangeth on a tree that the blessing of Abraham should come vpon the the Gentiles through Iesus Christ to the end that wee should receiue the promise of the spirit of faith That Christ is the end of the law Rom. 9. and of iustice to all beleeuers And finally that by the perfect obedience which he hath rendred to God obseruing all his commaundements without breaking theÌ„ in any thing or omitting one only little point of them to the enduring of the cursed death of the Crosse for vs because that such was the will of his Father he hath procured a generall remission abolition of all our sin an acquittaÌ„ce of all our debts obligatioÌ„s the which he hath paid not in gold siluer or precious stones Peter 2. but with his own bloud which is an incomparable price and ransome And ouer and aboue he hath purchased vs a righteousnesse the which being allowed vs by the faith and assurance which we haue thereof as well by his word and Sacraments as his spirit which giues testimony thereof in our hearts wee ought to take away all feare and apprehension that we may haue of our sins of death of the diuell of the rigour malediction of the law and finally of the wrath iudgement of God Rom. 4. For to begin at our sinnes being cloathed with the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ we ought to assure our selues not onely that they are couered hid from being perceiued and discouered before the eyes and face of our God but altogether blotted out as it were with a spunge and disperced as are the clouds by the Sun and the wind and although they were as red as vermelion or scarlet yet shall they become as white a snow as saith Isay And before him Dauid Isa 1. Psal 51. If thou with Isope purge this blot I shall be cleaner then the glasse And if thou wash away my spot The snow in whitenesse shall I passe And it makes no matter what manner of sinnes not in what number they be so they be not sinnes against the holy Ghost not yet in what sort and manner they haue bene committed whether by ignorance weakenesse or of set malice for the sin cannot so much abound but the grace of God which is procured vs by the death and iustice of Iesus Christ doth yet more abound And although that the sinne being committed against the infinit maiesty of God be also for that regard reputed infinite yet that hinders not that the bloud of Christ which by the eternall spirit hath offered him selfe to God himselfe without any spot doth cleanse our consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God Heb. 9. as writeth the Apostle to the Hebrewes For the diuinity being vnseparably vnited to the humanity in the person of Iesus Christ is cause by his omnipoteÌ„ce that his death hath an infinite vertue to redeeme vs and his iustice to sanctifie vs and his life to quicken and make vs happy insomuch as being God as he is stronger then the diuell also are his workes more powerfull to saue then are those of his enemies to destroy and to consume His iustice hath more force to iustifie vs then sinne whereof the diuell is author hath to condemne vs and his puritie to wash and make vs cleane then this filthy spirit hath by his filthinesse to defile vs. And his light is more strong for to illuminate and lighten vs then the darknesse of the Prince of the world to blinde vs and his truth to instruct vs then the errours of the father of lies to abuse vs briefe his life hath more vertue to raise vs againe and quicken vs then the enuie of this murtherer homicide hath to kill and slay vs. Whereby wee see that the Sonne of God as saith St. Iohn is not come into the world to any other end but to destroy the workes of the diuell and that in his bloud all our enemies that is to say all our sinnes haue bene drowned no more nor lesse then in old time Pharao and the enemies of Gods people were all discoÌ„fited and drowned in the red sea It is that strong one which St. Luke saith surpriseth an other strong one Luc. 11. whom he hath combated and ouercome and from whom he hath taken all the
hee hath sometimes made vs of his anger doe not beget in our hearts too great a feare whereof may follow a mistrust of him and of the promises of saluation which hee hath made vs let vs heare what saith this Prophet speaking to the Church in the name of God Isay 54. I haue forsaken thee for a little while but I will gather thee againe by great compassion I haue a little as in a moment of indignation hid my face from thee But I haue had compassion on thee by an euerlasting benignity saith the Lord thy Redeemer And this shall be as Noahs waters for as I sware that I would no more passe the waters of Noah vpon the earth So haue I sworne that I will no more bee angry with thee and will reprooue thee no more For although that the mountaines bee moued and the little hils shake my mercy shall neuer goe from thee and the alliance of my peace shall not stirre saith the Lord who hath compassion ouer thee God in Ose to this purpose saith vnto his Church Ose 2. that hee will espouse her for euer in faith iustice verity mercy and iudgement declaring thereby vnto it that the alliance that hee will contract with it shall bee firme and inuiolable and for to bee such as hee shall sound it in himselfe that is to say in his mercy verity and iustice requiring only that it walke vpright before him â—nd that in all its wayes it follow a roundnesse and integrity keeping it selfe as much as it may from deceit and hypocrisie Which must bee diligently noted for the Diuell for to astonish vs and to make vs to doubt of the effect of the promises of GOD when wee are ready to appeare in iudgement and when being adiourned our cause is ready to bee called vpon if hee see that we stand firme and that for to answere thereunto wee are setled vpon the word of his Gospell in the which hee offereth vs his grace hee yeelds vnto vs that God is true in all that hee saith and likewise that he offers vs his grace and life by his promise But that hee is hindred from accomplishing it and exhibiting that which hee hath promised by our indignity and vnworthinesse because that hauing so much offended him euen since wee were illuminated and regenerate by the knowledge of his truth and that hee hath done vs so much fauour as to receiue vs into his family and to adopt vs for his children wee by our ingratitude haue made our selues altogither vncapable of these benefits and vnworthy that hee should fulfill the promises which hee hath made vs. Therupon to driue back this temptation which is the strongest and most dangerous wherewith wee can be assailed Wee must first note that as the only good pleasure of God hath beene the beginning and only motiue by the which hee hath beene induced to desire to contract an alliance with vs and to offer vnto vs the promise of saluation by the which hee declares himselfe our God and receiues vs to bee his people that also his grace is the only meanes that may stirre him vp to accomplish it towards vs. By the meanes whereof Saint Paul said Rom. 6. that the reward of sinne is death but that grace is life Although that to dispose well and set downe the Antithese it seemes that hee ought to haue said to oppose member against member That as life is the reward of our righteousnesse also is death of our sinnes But to giue vs to vnderstand that life which is the effect of the promise is gratis as well as is the promise which offereth it vnto vs hee hath wholly attributed it to the grace of God without making any mention of our workes nor vertues Whereunto ought to bee referred that which hee alleageth in the two and thirtieth Psalme where Dauid declares that the beatitude of man consists in that God alloweth him his iustice without workes saying Happy are they whose iniquities are remitted and whose sinnes are couered Happy is the man vnto whom God hath not imputed his sinne Seeing then that the beatitudes which God offereth vs in his promises are not graunted in the contemplation and fauour of the merits and vertues which are in man but by the only grace of God thence it followes that as the price and dignity of our workes cannot purchase vs euerlasting life that also our indignity and vnworthynesse cannot hinder vs from attayning it For it is a meere gift of God which hee bestoweth on whom hee pleaseth according to his mercy and not according to the merit of our iustices the which are not only imperfect but also defiled with much filthinesse by reason that our hearts from whence they proceede can neuer bee so well cleansed in this world but there doth still remayne much corruption whereby they are contaminate Which is the cause that the Prophet prayeth God so feruently not to enter into iudgment with him In iudgment with thy seruant Lord Oh enter not at all Psal 143. For iustified be in thy sight Not one that liueth shall And else where Psal 130. O Lord our God if thou dost weigh Our sinnes and them peruse Who shall then escape and say I can my selfe excuse And that St. Augustine in his booke of Confessions saith this good and memorable sentence Mishap to all our righteousnesse if it be examined and iudged without mercy But neuerthelesse that cannot hinder but God will giue vs eternall life as he hath promised prouided that wee know feele and confesse our indignity For there is nothing that makes vs capable and if it may bee so spoken worthy of the fauours and blessings of our God but the knowledge and feeling which wee haue in our selues to bee altogither vnworthy of them And what worthinesse could bee noted in the Theefe hanged vpon the Crosse at one of the sides of Iesus Christ who had continued in his theeuery and wickednesse vntill the extremity of his life Luk. 23. without euer hauing knowen his Sauiour vntill the houre that hee was ready to giue vp the Ghost And neuerthelesse hee had no sooner opened his mouth generally to confesse and to require the mercy of Iesus Christ but it was presently said vnto him Thou shalt bee this day in Paradise with me Luk. 16. What worthinesse was there in the poore Publicane who for the great shame and horror which hee had of his life passed durst not life vp his eyes yet neuerthelesse presently when hee had acknowledged his pittifull and miserable estate wherein hee was and prayed God to haue pitty on him then al his sinnes were forgiuen him and hee went home iustified What dignity was found in Saint Paul when hee went to Damascus transported with rage and furie to informe himselfe according to the commission which he had obtained of the high Priest Act. 9. of all those that did confesse the name of Iesus Christ to bring them bound and
sudden and vnexpected comming of our spouse but readie to receiue him when he shall come and to enter into his rest with him But because the loue of this life and the sweetnesse and delights of this world doe often full vs asleepe and turne from vs the remembrance of these things to awake vs we cannot doe better then to frequent the sicke folkes houses and hospitals not onely there to behold on euery side the Images and examples of the corruption and mortality of our poore nature to the end to humble our selues and to containe our selues modestly But also to exercise our charity towards those that languish and are affected in comforting them The which then to do we must first shew them that all sicknesse commeth from God and he sendeth it sometimes to chastise and to bridle vs sometimes to proue and exercise our vertue giuing vs by that meanes matter and argument to shew the affiance and trust that we haue in him to require his mercie by prayers and sighings to acknowledge and confesse our faults and offences with griefe displeasure and to bring the sicke to this point to cause him to make a true and humble confession of his sinne Secondly we must propound vnto him that it is the spring and principall cause of sicknesses as well corporall as spirituall and for to heale them they must take away the causes which ingendred them that is to say our sinnes whereof we cannot be otherwise deliuered but by the remission and pardon that God giueth vs of them by his grace prouided as saith St. Iohn that we confesse them vnto him 1. Iohn 1. and be assured that Iesus Christ is our aduocate and mediator towards him by the means of his iustice wherwith he couereth and blots them out in such sort that they come not in iudgement And because that the loue which we beare naturally doth blind vs and is cause that we neuer thinke our selues so vicious and imperfect as we are we must to take away this vaile from before the eyes of the sicke lay before him the law of God as a looking glasse wherein hee may behold his whole life and to giue him to vnderstand how by that not onely our actions but also our whole nature is condemned And for proofe and confirmation thereof alledge generally vnto him that we are all conceiued in sinne and borne the children of wrath that we are but flesh and all vanity that we are sold vnder sinne that in vs there is no goodnesse that euen all our iustice is but olde ragges and for conclusion that we are nothing at all but dust and putrifaction After that we must make vnto him a briefe discourse vpon all the commandements of God and shew vnto him by little and little that whensoeuer he shall examine himselfe he shall finde that there is not one of them but he hath very often transgressed and beginning at the first table put him in mind 1 That he hath not done his duty in seeking after God endeuoring to know him That he hath not loued him with all his heart with all his strength and with all his vnderstanding That he hath not alwaies put his whole trust in him That he hath often doubted of his promises and hath mistrusted his helpe That hee hath rather relied vpon the armes of the flesh and humane meanes which he had then vpon the succour and helpe of God That hee hath not waited for all his prosperity and aduancement from his onely fauour and blessing That he hath not alwaies called vpon him in his affairs with assurance certaine hope to be vnderstood and to obtaine That he hath not alwaies feared and reuerenced him as did appertaine to his high and soueraigne Maiestie That hee hath not alwaies giuen him thankes and blessed his name for all things and at all times as well in aduersitie as in prosperitie 2 Afterwards that thinking vpon God he hath presented him vnto himselfe sometimes vnder a humane and corporall figure That he hath not apprehended him like vnto a Spirit being immense infinite inuisible immortall impassible vnchangeable soueraigne in might goodnesse mercy iustice and verity like vnto a protector of all vertue and perfection and a spring of all life and light fountaine of all fulnesse and good the scope of beatitude and felicity beginning and end of all things who is and by his onely word causeth all creatures to subsist That he hath not serued and worshipped him in spirit and truth as he requireth and commandeth vs in his law That he hath bene more curious of ceremonies and exterior demonstrations of pietie then of piety it selfe and to make the shew of a Christian then to be one indeed And finally that he hath not alwaies thought that the true and legitimate seruice of God consisteth onely in the obedience of his holy will 3 That speaking of God it hath not bene with such respect and reuerence of his Maiestie as did appertaine that he hath not studied to sanctifie celebrate and glorifie his name as he ought That by his wicked life and conuersation he hath bene cause that he hath bene blasphemed by the ignorant and infidels That he hath not heard reade and meditated the word of God with such desire feare and zeale as was required to doe honour vnto the Lord who spake and in whose name it was denounced vnto him That he hath not alwaies spoken of the workes of God nor in them acknowledged the greatnesse of his power wisedome and goodnesse with such praise admiration and astonishment as they deserue by their amplitude and magnificence That being at the Lords table at all times when the communion hath bene celebrated in the Church it hath not bene with such humility and deuotion nor such contēplation of the mystery there set before him nor such eleuation of his heart vpwards where Iesus Christ is set at the right hand of God his father as he ought to haue done 4 That in the daies appointed to abstaine and rest from prophane and bodily worke to the end wholy to be applied to the sanctification onely of the name of God hee hath not altogether giuen himselfe to the meditation and exercises of spiritual things thinking vpon nor seeking after nothing but onely those that are aboue That he hath often bene more curious of his temporall affaires then to seeke the kingdome of God and his iustice preferring by that meanes this transitorie and corruptible life before the happy and euerlasting life and the care of his bodie before that which he should haue had of his soule and the seruice of the world and of his flesh before the seruice of God which hee ought to haue honoured aboue all things That for small and light occasions he hath dispenced with himselfe not being at the place of conuocations and Ecclesiasticall assemblies there to make a publike confession and protestation of his faith to shew his deuotion and the feare that he hath
God tooke him as he did Enocke for feare lest by the malice and corruption of this age he should change When the fruit is ripe must it not be gathered for feare lest it should rot on the tree Others say hee died in the prime of his age by so much the happier is he for as said Anacharsis that shippe is happiest which arriueth first at the port Moreouer there is no certaine time determined for all men to die but as we see in fruit time some are gathered sooner then the others so is it amongst men There are some also that say we must honour the dead by mourning for them falling into the superstition of the Iewes who holding this opinion did hire certaine singers musitians to sing pittifull funeral songs for the death of their friēds which Iesus Christ did reproue in the house of the Prince of the Synagogue not without cause for it is not good in praise of a body to mourne for it complaints teares are rather signes of miserie then any thing els We do not now weep for the holy Martyrs which yet we should doe if in teares there did consist any honor but we honor them by a remembrance of them with blessing thankesgiuing and by paine and study we endeauour to follow them If likewise wee haue a friend whom we will honor after his death it must not be with teares and lamentations but rather by an honorable mention which we are to make of him and of his vertues and by a desire which we haue to imitate and follow his good and laudable fashion It is time to conclude this present Treatise and to resolue the precedent reasons that wee must neither feare nor flie from death but rather loue and desire it more then life and preferre the day of our death before the day of our birth for by our birth we come to paine and affliction and dying we goe to God and to a perpetuall rest Which the Greeks haue very fitly shewed vs for in their language the day of our natiuity is called Genethlia that is to say in the same language Genesis ton athlon and in our French tongue beginning of troubles and death is called Thanatos which is as much as to say according to the interpretation of Themiste Now vp to God Let vs then strictly examin them iudge of them that wee may take away the feare of the one the excessiue loue of the other God through his holy spirit giue vs the grace to do it So be it Prayers and Meditations touching Life and Death THE life of Christians ought to be occupied in considering the things that follow and to put them in practise to wit to haue alwaies in remembrance the benefits which they haue receiued at the hands of God to giue him thanks for them without ceasing both wih heart and mouth to loue him who is the goodnesse it selfe to feare and worship him seeing he is the Almightie and onely wise to be stirred vp by the loue which they beare to God also to loue their neighbours The loue of God drawes vs from the loue of corruptible things lifts vs vp to heauen and inflames our hearts to a holinesse of life The loue of our neighbour turnes vs from all troublesomenesse in will or in deed doth stirre vs vp to integrity and well doing An other LET vs often thinke what we are The principall part of vs is the Soule the which is endued with vnderstanding with reason and with iudgement to know the soueraigne good which is God to loue him to adhere and vnite our selues vnto him that we may haue part of his immortality and happinesse Now we forsake and contemne this great good for to grouell vpon the earth and to goe downe into the pit of carnall desires applying the vigour of our vnderstanding and iudgement to things that are not worth the paines that we employ in them We burie our selues quicke by manner of speaking of heauenly we become earthly and of men created for eternall life we endeuour as much as in vs lieth to set our selues in the ranke of brute beasts God doth not forsake vs neuerthelesse although that our ingratitude hath well deserued it but calles vs vnto him by his word presents vnto vs infinite testimonies of his grace continues it daily he supports exhorts counsels chides and fatherly chastiseth vs Neuerthelesse we continue blinde deafe and negligent despising his goodnesse or vse it not as we should or indeed abusing it which is worse we loue vaine and transitory things better and haue our mindes too much fixed and setled vpon them God stretcheth forth his hand to conduct vs we draw back ours and flie when he calleth vs. If he put vs into the way of saluation we grudge and repine for the worlde we looke behinde vs deferring and remitting our desire to dwel til to morrow Let vs awake then let vs not alwayes stick in the mire let vs strengthē ourselues in the vertue of him that supports succours vs let vs a little vndertake to despise corruptible things and to desire those that are truly good and euerlasting When God calleth vs let vs hearken if he guides vs let vs follow him that we may come to his house let vs receiue his good things and himselfe too for he giues himselfe vnto vs in the person of his Sonne He shewes vs the meanes to get to heauen let vs then desire of him to giue vs the will and the courage by faith repentance charity and hope to ayme thither and that he would maintaine his grace in vs vntill the end to sigh in this mortall life and to waite through the assurance of his mercy for our departure out of this world and our last day which shall be the beginning of our true life Prayers and Meditations HOW great are the illusions and impostures of the enemy of our saluation He sheweth vs a farre off things that are ridiculous and vaine and perswades vs that it is all good and happinesse he scares vs with things that we ought not to feare makes vs to flie from those things which we ought to embrace Hee calleth inticeth and flattereth vs by the intermission of our desires if that will not serue he roares and stormes and endeuours to astonish vs within and without O eternall light and veritie O Lord and mercifull Father disperse those clouds of ignorance and errour illuminate our vnderstandings and doe not suffer vs to come neer to that which thou hast commanded vs to flie from and which is hurtfull and pernicious vnto vs let vs not desire but what is truly to be desired to wit thy selfe who art the spring-head of all goodnesse of our life and of eternall happinesse All flesh is grasse and the glory of man is like the flower of the field cause then that we may seeke for our firmenesse and contentment in the grace which thy Sonne hath brought vs let our life