A GODLIE MANS GVIDE to Happinesse A Manuell of necessary Motiues holy Meditations and godly Prayers to stirre vp the hearts of men vnapt to pray To the great Comfort of all that with due and holy attention will practise this most godly and Christian dutie Written for his owne and published for the Comfort of them that long for trvâ— happinesse By I. N. LONDON Printed by A M. for Iohn Marriott and are to bee sold at his Shop in Saint Dâ—nstons Churchyard in Fleetsheet 1624. TO THE HONORAble Sir IAMES FVLLERTON Knight one of his Highnesse Councell of Reuenues c. I Know Sir that I shall be censured very rash in attempting more vnaduised in publishing and most improuident in making your selfe the Patron of so weak a Pamphlet for the first I may excuse me in that I haue bin long vnwillingly idle and loath to lose the benefit of the inforced intermission of mine accustomed former imployments I could conceiue no fitter or better passe-time then in this interim to seek some inward consolation in my outward discomforts for the Second I acknowledge that imparting these weake Meditations vnto some seeming wel affected to the best things I was incouraged to lay them down to the pleasure of the Printer who not without examination allowance hath brought the same to publike view And as touching the Third and last in making choyce of your name among so many of that Honourable Societie whom I most humbly and sincerely honour and reuerence I cannot but acknowledge the reason to be no other then that I haue bene longest knowen vnto your selfe And you best know how I haue past many yeares in Seruice and attendance commanded by that Honorable Table These no fained excuses may in honourable fauour free me from the censure of rashnesse in attempting it of presumption in publishing it and of neglect or respect of persons in patronizing it So shall I think mine idle time not altogether lost though gaining little outward profit whether happy or vnhappy in gaining the one or loosing by the other I am so much the more doubtful to iudg by how much I obserue that men are heere censured happy vnhappy not in respect of inward or outward qualities bee they good or bad but according to their present prosperitie or aduersity glory or basenesse riches or pouertie which as a sea often ebbes and flowes As variable winds blow and waues tossed are lifted vp and come low wherein some sayling with a full gale of glory thinke themselues in highest felicity who yet forgetting or neglecting to steere aright the huge bulke of their conceiued happinesse rush many times vpon the rocke of Disgrace more grieuous then their former fortunes were glorious He that seeketh and thinketh to finde true felicitie in the inconstant things of this life is as happy a man as hee that dreameth that hee hath sound great store of golde and seemeth to reioyce beyond measure in his good fortune and when hee awakes hee findes it a dreame So may men dreame of happinesse here but it is onely reserued for such as make least account of this worlds glory who haue their conuersations in Heauen while they liue in the earth where yet no man can iudge of a truely happy man At yours and to the rest of their Honourable Commaunds euer ready IOHN NORDEN To as many as long for true happinesse IT is not to be doubted but that euery man that liueth desireth to liue a happie life but euery man taketh not the right course to be truly happy For as there is in euery man a double life the one in this world the other in another the one perishing the other permanent so are men carnally or diuinely qualified and accordingly bend their indeuors to visible or inuisible things are commonly most affected to things visibly seene and sencibly felt tasted or heard But as for inuisible things few attaine to know them much lesse to seeke them least of all to enioy them No although their bodies bee ouerwhelmed with millions of maladies their minds with cares griefs infinite passions which nothing can cure or releeue but some speciall inward spirituall working yet seldome or neuer looke they vp aboue these earthly things but in whatsoeuer outward or inward hard estate they are they seeke helpe here below if they finde it they ascribe it to the visible meanes and acknowledge them happie in finding it in sicknesse to finde a Phisition to heale them in pouertie to haue a friend to enrich them is imputed happinesse how much more happinesse were it then for a man neuer to be sicke to be rich to be glorious in the eyes of all men to be reputed the wisest man in the world and to enioy what his heart could thinke here Would not all men admire this mans happinesse And would not all men desire and couet to bee in his like estate And admit hee attaine vnto it is this the happinesse he aymes at No hee must haue peace and long life to enioy it else the very consideration of death and to forgoe this faigned happinesse would be vnto him as if a sword hung ouer his head by the haire of a horse taile euerie minute readie to fall on his head Alas what shall a man then so much struggle and striue for the happinesse of this life that consisteth onely of such things as the getting of them requires labour somtimes lies the hauing of of them enuie the keeping of them feare and the losse of them sorrow Which yet is not all there must bee finally a redde rationem an account a fearefull reckoning which if men would dulie consider in the time of their greatest supposed happinesse it would make their hearts to tremble and their knees to knock one against another like Balteshars for feare of the infelicitie to come If then the greatest happinesse that man can attaine vnto in this life be thus accompanied where is that true happinesse that absolute felicitie finally promised Such a happinesse there is but what it is no man can declare it for the eye hath not seene it the eare hath not heard neither can it enter to mans heart what God hath prepared for those that loue him But by examination of the chiefe things wherein man in this life can repute himselfe most happie and comparing them with what things wee shall futurely enioy it will appeare that mans happinesse doth not onely consist in the enioying of good things but in the freedome from euill things The happiest man in this life hath causes of mourning griefe and vexation of spirit his life requireth labour labour brings wearinesse wearinesse couets rest and rest presupposeth the bodies infirmitie and consequently decay and death And death precedeth eternall saluation the happinesse of the soule and bodie or damnation of both This is the portion of all men mortall how happie soeuer hee seeme to liue heere where they haue hunger thirst heate and cold want of things
GOD of Hostes who sent his Angell and that night destroyed in Senacheribs campe one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand men Thus God can deale with the enemies of his faithfull people hee can destroy them without their helpe as wee our selues haue found by memorable experience to shew that it is not alwayes the multitude of armed souldiers that are the absolute meanes of victorie it is the meere hand of God to declare himselfe to be in deed the GOD of Hosts against whom no power pollicie or humane wisdome can preuaile And therefore admitteth not the arme of flesh though a necessary meane to haue the glorie of the distruction of his enemies he will confound When Joshua was to goe against Jericho a Citie whom God would destroy though hee was accompanied with a multitude of armed souldiers yet the Lord would not haue the ouerthrow ascribed vnto battery and engines of warre violent instruments But at Gods command they blew with Rams-hornes onely about the wals with a shoute and the walls fell downe God by weake meanes can doe wonderfull things for his Fiue mighty kings combined their forces together against Ioshua and though God permitted Ioshua to haue the victory and slaughter of some of them yet God himselfe had the prayse who slew more with hayl stones from heauen then Ioshua slew with the sword Thus doth God manifest his power that all men may see that they that haue God on their side neede not feare though kings combine and people rage as if they would deuoure Gods people at their pleasures casting their accounts and disposing of their pray before the victorie Benadab that mighty Aramite king threatned Ahab king of Israel to depriue him of all that he had His siluer and his gold his women and his faire children But God gaue Ahab the victorie both on the Mountaines and the Vallies Because they obiected against God that he was God in the Mountaines not in the Vallies as if we should say he were God at Land but not at Sea or to impute good or ill successe in these weighty occasions to false and contrary causes as is commonly seen and obserued to ignorance or negligence of some Commanders or to this or that omission ouer-sight or rashnesse which indeed may bee blame-worthy yet for that wee attribute not good successe to God but to humane power wisdome or pollicie and ill euents and issues to our owne sinnefull deseruings and waâ—t of calling vp on God for a blessing God many times permits his owne children to suffer violence when they forget to serue him The Israelites committing wickednesse in the sight of the Lord God gaue them ouer into the hands of their enemies the Midianites for seuen yeares yet vpon their repentance and returning to God hee raysed vp Deborah and Barak to deliuer them Sinne is the cause that God permitteth a mighty multitude to bee ouer-throwne by a few foure hundred thousand Israelites for one sinne were ouercome twice by sixe and twentie thousand Beniamits If God for one sinne suffered his people to bee thus slaine by a few what will hee not permit to bee done vnto a nation that commits infinite sinnes For one seeming small sinn of one man Achan the children of Israel were chased and put to flight by a few to shew that where sinne raigneth there is no strength in the people to withstand their enemies God is a righteous God perseruing and punishing as hee findeth men faithfull or sinnefull not sparing his dearest children when they rebell against him but as long as they truely obay him no enemie shall preuaile against them Let Pharoh pursue Gods children with purpose to consume them let them but call vpon God let them bee faithfull and they shall see the saluation of God the confusion of their enemies by the immediate hand of God without the helpe or hand of man An hoste of men cannot hurt one man whom God will protect and yet permits sometimes one of his to preuaile against many as Samson who slewe one thousand men with the iaw-bone of an asse and Shamgar with an Oxe goad slew six hundred men to shew that God is not tyed to multitudes to auenge him of the enemies of his children and that a multitude to him is but as one man and as easie to bee ouercome And yet he many times permitteth the wicked to take away the liues of the most righteous and innocent as Kain to kill Abel Herod to kill Iohn Baptist James c. he permits bloody massacres and suffers his dâ—arest children to be martyred after many fearefull meanes not that he is not able to deliuer them but that his owne name by their patient suffrings may be glorified On the other side if it please him and that it stand for the good of his hee can and will defend them hee can send an hoste of Angels to defend theÌ„ and fire from hâ—auen to consume the aduâ—â—saries of them that take him for their streÌ„gth But not according to naturall mans reuengefull desire As when his disciples willed him to call for fire from heauen to consume their enemies he answered them Yee know not of what spirit yee are And therefore although he in his iustice in former times hath and yet is in his power to execute his seuere iudgments with fearefull fire as vpon Sodome vpon Nadab and Abihu and vpon the fifties which came to apprehend Eliah yet ought we to be farre from desire to haue like iudgements inflicted vpâ—on our most mortall enemies vpon such as would euen eate vs vp but rather as wee are instructed first to pray for their reformation and serious reconciliation and refer the issue to God though it may be we cannot as properly say of some malicious aduersaries as Stephen sometimes said of his Lord lay not this his death vnto their charge for they know not what they doe No our most malicious enemies are not ignorant that their malice towards vs is sinne against God to whose iudgement we are in charitie to leaue them for to him not to vs belongeth reuenge who being wise in his vnderstanding and iust in his iudgements is also mercifull and patient in punishing and in all things both to them and vs will do that which is equal right and will reward tyranous oppressors malicious persecuters of his faithful children in his time according to his owne will and for his owne he will neuer leaue nor forsake them Although our enemies may pretend Religion the cause of their malice and couer their inward hatred vnder a counterfeit pretence to worke our reformation therein and with many seeming sweet insinuations worke themselues into our thoughts it behooueth vs to be wise lest that in conceiuing they seek our good they get not our goods which are our obedience to God faith in him and perseuerance True it is that Religion is the cause of many both priuat and publike controuersies and quarrels but that Religion that is increased and maintained
by the sword let my soule neuer imbrace Though true Religion haue it foundation from the Blood of Christ it is no true Religion that maintaines it selfe by the shedding of the blood of Gods Saints If therfore any shall pretend themselues religious and seek in shew to gaine vs and draw vs to their societie by blowes shall we think they come from God who willeth his to shew their Faith and Religion by meeknes and loue But admit they should offer the sword of offence it is lawfull for Gods children to vse the sword of defence and we haue the same no other God then Dauid and Hezekiah had who will assuredly defend vs and maintaine his owne cause for vs. The experience of Gods protection and prouidence in former dangers cannot but incourage vs against whatsoeuer like dangers wherein he deliuered vs to the wonder of the world nothing but our sinnes and vnthankfulnes can shorten his hand or weaken his power towards vs but that he will stretch foorth his hand still to defend vs. We are now thankes be to God seeming secure there is no apparent dangers threatened but wee must remember when wee say and see peace peace who knoweth but that our sinnes may not call for troubles if they come not looked for they will bee the more dangerous If therfore we would abandon our sinnes if wee would timely returne vnto God with humble and repentant hearts God would returne vnto vs saue vs he would as he hath hitherto done deliuer vs and euer sustaine vs hee will send from heauen deliuer vs from them that would oppresse vs. Let vs not forget that our soules are among lions though we liue among the children of men they are not all of one family they are not all of one mind they are not all the children of God some are as it were set on fire against vs some haue their teeth as spears some haue their tongus as swords yet oyle in their mouthes yet let vs depend on him that seeth their hearts and ours Heâ— knoweth who are his and seeth his and our aduersaries afar off He hath his time and the meanes to deliuer his The Lord of hosts is with vs let vs not feare what man can doe vnto vs. Though an hoste of men armed should assaile vs we need not be afraid for the Lord is with vs who is of more might and power then all the potentates of the world can resist Let vs therefore euermore lift vp the eyes of our faithfull hearts vnto him he is the hill from whence commeth our help and deliuerance in all our dangers from the Lord of hostes commeth our help who hath made heauen and earth who taketh charge of his and will neuer leaue vs faile vs or forsake vs in him let vs trust A Prayer to God that he will defend vs from our strongest enemies and most malicious with thanks to God for his former deliuerances O Lord our God whose Habitation are the heauens and whose footstoole is the earth thou gouernest all things in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath thou directest and protectest those that feare thy name so as they neede not feare the powre or malice of whatsoeuer furious enemies For saluation belongeth vnto thee and thy blessing is euermore vpon thy people Wee euen we thy feeble and vnworthy creatures haue had experience of thy former fauour and defence in our troubles and of thy deliuerance out of our desperate dangers when men haue said There was no help for vs no not in thee But we haue found them lyers deceitfull and wicked men acknowledging thee most faithfull most louing of greatest wisdome and power shewing thy selfe our Buckler our Castle and our strong defence euen when our Aduersaries sought our confusion thou shewedst thy self our God and the maintainer of our cause when our enemies rose against vs in greatest multitudes malice and madnesse Thou gauest vs courage and boldnesse euen when our enemies seemed most to insult and triumph ouer vs euen then Lord didst thou fight for vs and turnedst their glory into shame their strength into weakenesse and their multitudes into a handfull of men Shorten not O Lord thy helping hand toward vs in whatsoeuer time or manner of our danger for thou knowest what our enemies caÌ„not performe with force they seeke to effect by secret mischiefes which thou hast discouered and prouidently preuented The Sâ—are was broken and we deliuered not for any merit or worthynesse of ours but euen of thy free and aboundant mercies for thine owne glory and our safetie and without our shame wee cannot but acknowledge our vnthankfulnesse for thy manifold deliuerances from them that hate vs who yet waite opportunity to betray vs if thou preuent vs not And therefore gracious Father leade and guide vs euer in thy righteousnesse because of our enemies make thy way plaine before vs lest we in offending thee giue our aduersaries occasion to say thou hast forsaken vs. It is in thy power Lord â—o reconcile them vnto vs in the band of Christian loue by opening their eyes that they may see and now at last consider their owne errors wherein they haue kicked against thy truth so should we reioice in their perfect vnion If they continue in the hardnesse of their hearts continue in vs perfect knowledge and howsoeuer they hate vs giue vs loue vnto them leauing them vnto thy wil to deale with them as thou wilt Giue vs gratious God and louing Father a liuely apprehention of thy truth faith and obedience vnto it howsoeuer our enemies may hate vs for the same we know that thou art God all-sufficient able to deliuer vs from their greatest tyranny as thou hast done and we cannot but remember thy merueilous workes which thy very enemies cannot but acknowledge to proceede of thy meere loue vnto the continuall practise and profession of thy sincere Word which thou hast maintained hitherunto through all ages by thine owne power and for thine own names sake And therefore when our enemies rose vp against vs or rather against thee in vs thou causedst them to stumble and fall still maintaining thine owne cause Who sittest in thy throne and gouernest all things and iudgest according to equitie They therefore that know thy power and thy loue and thy promises and thy righteous dealing will trust in thee for thou hast neuer fayled to bee a sure defence to them in whatsoeuer perils Vp therfore Lord disappoint al our irreconciliable enemies of their hope lest they say We haue preuailed our own policies haue brought our desired enterprises and desires to passe Lord stay our steps guide vs euer in thy pathes lest our feet slip and our enemies that watch oportunitie to betray vs take aduanâ—tage by our sinful liues and so preuaile They lay their heads together and take counsell how they may circumuent vs and to blow vs vp neuer to recouer our hope againe in thee Keepe vs therefore as the apple of thine