Paul that his grace is sufficient for mee yet doth it much behooue me to take continuall heede vnto my waies yea to the very motions of my corrupt heart for mine inward desires are not long hid from him who will neuer let slip the least shew of whatsoeuer euill and prophane inclination But as the fire is a little inkindled in and by mine owne nature So is he readie with a thousand ministers and impious meanes to blow it and to bring it to an vnquenchable flame of sinfull actions Therefore my heartie desire is for the withstanding of his temptations to practise whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are worthy loue whatsoeuer things are of good report the practice of which things is true watchfulnes most irksome and most offensiue to al mine enemies Things true Satan the father of lyes hates deadly things honest are contrarie to mine owne naturall and carnall inclination which of it selfe delighteth in pleasure in vanities and all kinde of prophanenesse Things of good report the World indureth not but rather backe-biting and slandering This capitall Aduersarie the Deuill doth not assaile me singly nor alone but commonly combines together with the World and my corrupt nature then as so many Captains each of them with a band of infernall Souldiers the Deuill with his angels powers and principalities the Flesh with a thousand contagious cogitations vngodly affections and forbidden vanities and the World with a million of vexations set vpon me A man hauing but one mortal enemie wil watchfully beware of him either to flie him or be prepared with weapons sufficient to incounter him though hee seeke but to depriue the life of the bodie How much more then behooueth it mee to bee watchful hauing so many and so mightie so mortall Aduersaries that seeke not only my bodily death but the confusion also of my soule and if I be not armed with grace the least of these will easily preuaile against me There is nothing more aduātagious to these mine enemies then mine owne corrupt inclination the fruits whereof are as meat and drinke vnto mine Aduersaries which are the works of darknesse therefore will I striue with an holy endeuour to abandon and cast off the works of darknesse deare vnto mine enemies and to put on the armour of light which is vnto them as death I wil set mine affections on things that are aboue and not on things that are on the earth I will auoid euill and cleau◠vnto that which is good Many venimous and viperous Serpents lurke in the way of this life to escape their poyson in practice I looke not but to resist their power I doubt not for the Lord is my strength to whom I will flie for succour A Prayer against Satan and his ministers the World and mine owne corruption The Prayer MOst gracious Lord God and most mercifull in Jesus Christ who art most pitifull in beholding the daily strong tentations where with I am tryed by the policies of Satan looke vpon me for he taketh as it were vnto himselfe in aide the vanities of the world laying them before the eyes of my corrupt minde to seduce me from the sweete consolation that I haue in the contemplation of heauenly things vnto the delights and pleasures of earthly deceits And further thou knowest O Lord how subtilly hee windeth himselfe as it were into the secret inclinations of my heart by obseruing the least shew of my outward actions maliciously watching to trap me and by his baits painted out as it were with the glittering shew of ease of pleasure of profit such like deceiuing succeeding contentments indeuoureth to traine mée into his snares What am I good Father that I should vndergoe and beare the burden of so many subtill wiles secret snares and strong temptations as this most mortal aduersary of mine frameth against mée how can I escape so vigilant and so powerfull an enemie that can command principalities powers and all spirituall wickednesse to attend his most deadly designes vnlesse thou by thy grace preuent him I disclaime any power in my selfe to resist his deuices and doe rather acknowledge that in steade of resisting I doe assist him against my self by the vanities of mine own corrupt nature and therefore doe wholly and altogether relie vpon thy méere merciè wherein thou hast compassion on thy weake children thus beset with such and so many deadly Aduersaries and compassed about with so great a trsupe of wickednesse Make mee therefore strong good Father in the power of thine owne strength Put vpon mée thy defensiue armour that I may yet manfully in the Spirit of truth encounter all my spirituall and secret enemies Gird me with the girdle of Truth put on mee the brest-plate of Righteousnesse and the inuincible and impenetrable shield of Faith so shall I be able to quench the sterie darts of the Deuill and with the sword of the Spirit wound the strongest of them that rise vp against me for thou with thy Helmet of saluation shalt kéepe me euer safe so as neither Satan Death nor Hell shall bée able to preuaile against me O Lord my God work I beséech thée in mée that which is pleassng in thy sight and grant according to the riches of thy grace that I may bee strengthened by thy Spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in my heart by Faith and so my whole spirit soule and body may be kept frée from the power of sin Satan blamelesse to the comming of the Lord Jesus to whom bee glorie and praise for euer O Lord increase my faith MEDIT. V. The second cause of watchfulnesse the vncertaintie of the time of death THe second cause of watchfulnesse is the vncertayne comming of death To the end therefore that I may prouide for his comming and not bee afraid as no doubt by nature flesh and bloud cannot but bee at the consideration of the supposed horror it bringeth with it I must entertayne a godly care to liue well and that in the continuall expectation of the time when it will come for a godly sincere and a religious life can neuer be too suddenly surprised by death come it where when and how it will so shall I be sure to die in the Lord. Though I should lose my head with Iohn Baptist bee stoned with Stephen though I should be burned with fire slaine by the sword with Iames or by whatsoeuer other ignominious cruell or tormenting death yet I am the Lords and with him I shall liue for euer Yet am I not secure as if I needed not to feare for I cannot but confesse that howsoeuer I indeuor to leade a godly life I find in my selfe many and sundrie relapses and desertions though not finall yet fearefull through the manifold temptations of Satā working by through mine owne corruptions therefore I finde it
the patient man which on their parts that rayle on him is euill spoken of but on his part is glorified The Lord is a God of iudgement and they are blessed that waite on him with patience Attendance another branch of Watchfulnesse may bee said an expectation with patience for a thing feared or desired how feare and desire may bee of one and the same thing in one and the same subiect being of contrarie effects may bee thus answered Feare in this place is not seruile but filiall and therefore may well stand with the desire A sonne hauing a charge imposed by his louing father though hee indeuour to performe the thing coÌ„manded neuer so carefully feareth yet that hee may come short of some part of his dutie and therefore feareth how his father wil accept of what hee hath done and yet being perswaded through a cleane and cleare conscience that hee hath done his best endeuour hopeth his father will take it well and therefore desireth that his father would returne to obserue the performance of that he had in charge Although hee cannot make his account with such absolute perfection as hee should yet no doubt his father caÌ„not but hold him excusable in shewing his good will to doe it well so stands his feare with desire So I hauing charge of mine heauenly Father to doe his Commandements I confesse I cannot performe them as I ought though I haue a desire and a feare lest when I haue done all what I can I may yet bee found vnprofitable not withstanding my greatest care and most diligent attendance of the outward part to which attendance is required Attention namely the minde and will which I conceiue to be two-fold The first is to the Will and Word of God to practise it The second to mine owne imperfections to reforme them and to keepe mine affections in due coÌ„formitie with the CoÌ„mandements of God Attention to the Will and Word of God is that whereby I am directed to performe that which is honest iust and right and that in faith wayting with patience the reward set before me not as a reward for my worke done but as a free gift of God in Christ in whom and by whom my worke is accepted as perfect though imperfect Attention to mine owne imperfections is also double of the soule and of the bodie As touching the first it is to hearken vnto as it were and obserue the motions of my corrupt heart not to yeeld vnto and to fulfill them but to suppresse and preueÌ„t the fruits that grow from them euen in the buds though they seeme and shew themselues neuer so pleasant sweet and delectable for they breed Securitie a carelesse life insensible of true patience and so become subiect to a sudden surprize And the rather for want of the second attention namely to the vncertayne estare of my feeble bodie which is subiect besides infinite casualties being in health to a thousand infirmities and mortal diseases which may suddenly dissolue this mortall life though they bee not at the instant feared nor felt This Attendance Attention are the fruits and effects of Watchfulnesse through Patience for without patience who can waite for any future benefite The Husband-man is brought in by the Holy Ghost an example of wayting with patience for he committeth and commendeth the seed to the earth with great diligence hee waites for the crop with patience and attends the former and latter raine and by due attention hearkens how the course of things goe that he may make the best of his commodities Doth nature afford men this care patience attendance and attention in vvorldly and perishing things And shall I come short of these in spirituall and heauenly things and not rather in watchfulnes patience and godly obedience looke for the end of this mortalitie in hope to reape and receiue celestiall and eternall glorie God forbid But I acknowledge that all my whatsoeuer watchfulnesse in patience or suffering deserues not the least graine of glorie for I am often not only beset with temptations to sinne but also pressed with the continuall cares and troubles of this life and I through weaknesse doe yeeld vnto the one and faint vnder the burden of the other and in stead of true watchfulnesse with patience I fall either into the slumber of Socuratia oâ—â—nto a kind of seruile feare or despaire and most seldome watch I with the open eyes of true attention and patience A kinde of patience I seeme to haue but mixed often-times with a kinde of grudging discontent at my corporall and domesticke crosses and worldly troubles where with I often finde my selfe much oppressed which yet God I know for no other cause layeth vpon mee but to make me sensible of mine owne imperfections and to correct mee for and to reforme sinne in â—e while I liue in thè world that I bâ— not condemned with the world though it bee vnto me for the time very vnpleasant vntill I enter into consideration that through many tribulations I must enter into the Kingdom of heauen and that the man is blessed whome God correcteth and God giueth that blessed man patience to bear his corrections with-out grudging and giueth alwayes a comfortable issue to euery temptation There is a kinde of patience wherein a man indureth that which hee would and cannot auoid this hath the name but not the nature of that true patience which I wish to haue The patience which I indeuour to attaine vnto is a constant bearing of my crosses and a settled expectation through faith for the end of that which cannot bee auoyded nor better obtayned but by death Therefore casting aside all hope of temporall freedom the feare of death I only relie vpon and wait the performance of his promise who hath reserued all true freedome of those that are his of his owne free mercy in the heauens onely as from hunger thirst nakednesse enemies labours sicknes sinnes and all other miseries whatsoeuer which in this life short and euill I am inforced yet with patience to endure This freedome I know I cannot attayne vnto but by changing this life by death and therefore with patience I daily expect it reuerencing the intire loue of mine heauenly Father in chastising me here and doe acknowledge the riches of his bountifulnesse patience and long suffering that he hath spared mee so long to liue where hee might iustly haue coÌ„founded me long agone for my sinnes but contrarily hath fauourably kept me vnder his Fatherly discipline thereby to leade me in the way I ought to walke in as in watchfulnesse patience attendance and attention according to godlinesse through IESVS CHRIST in whose name I will addresse my prayers vnto my heauenly Father for the Spirit of patience to wait for a better life by death A Prayer for patient wayting for a future better life by death fit to be said
him and reuiling of him yet did not Dauid rayle vpon or reuile him againe neither would he permit any reuenge to be inflicted vpon him but with patience endured it imputing his malicious speeches though they proceeded from his owne enuious heart to be sent from God to trie him and to put him in mind of his murder and other sinnes that hee peraduenture had forgotten conceiuing the cause to be as indeede it was that God had bidden this wicked Shemei to rayle on Dauid euen for Dauids good God powreth contempt euen vpon Princes Though Dauid were a King hee was not yet free from base malicious enimies much lesse thinke yee to bee especially if yee bee vertuous But let it not trouble you the praise remaineth for you for it is a righteous thing with God to render vnto you that are troubled rest with the Saints but to them that trouble you tribulation If your enemies lay snares to trappe you or digge pits for you seare them not for they them-selues shall bee snared and fall into the pits that they prepared for you As the Gallowes that Haman set vp to hang guiltlesse Mordecai was his owne destruction as was the fire prepared for the cōsuming of the three children and the Lyons for Daniel the confusion of the false accusers so shall all the euils that the wicked practise and intend against you fall vpon them-selues They may trauaile with wickednesse hauing conceiued mischiefe but the fruit of their breath shal be their owne confusion Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord and his blessing is vpon all them that trust in him And that encouraged Dauid hauing had experience of the loue power of God to say that if ten thousand of the people should rise against him and compasse him round as Pharaoh and the Aegyptians did Moses the Israelites he would not be afraid Such was his cōfidence in Gods ready defence who deliuered him at all times in all places from all dangers plotted against him by Saul Euen so hee deliuered Iacob from Laban his Vncle and Esau his brother Isaac from being sacrificed by Abraham Ioseph from his brethren and from the malice of Potiphars wife and Iob from the power and malice of Satan and thinke not ye that God was Dauids God and Iacobs God and Isaacs and Iosephs and Iobs God only a God of our godly Fathers and not our God and the God of all the faithfull to the end of the world Trust yee in him be doing good shun to doe euill and yee shall find him likewise your God and to worke for you and your children as great things for your defence and according to yours and their necessities as euer he hath formerly done for Hee was Hee is and for euermore will be a refuge for the poore and that in due time euen in greatest affliction yea euen in the very moment of neede hee will be neere you though hee may seeme sometimes to tarrie long and ye may thinke hee hath forgotten you be patient waite his leisure for comming hee will surely come and will deliuer you in time most conuenient Hee knoweth what yee want and the time fit to giue it you and therefore whatsoeuer and whensoeuer he giues you thinke it is the thing fittest for you the time most conuenient to giue it you in He is a Father of the fatherlesse and a Iudge of the widdowes cause hee knoweth what is fit for them all and will administer it in due time PART VIII Hypocriticall lowlinesse to deceiue IT is the nature of the wicked hypocritically to dissemble lowlinesse loue to the poore and needy to cause them to fall into their nets by heapes and so to sucke from them as is daily seene by experience their lands goods as Achab did Naboths vineyard and to draw you into their societies to the end you should followe their euill course of life A matter too frequent in our dayes Beware therefore of these kinds of fawnes and flatteries and flatterers for when they smile most vpon you they practise most to deceiue you and to betray you As Dauid complayned in his time of the flatterers in SAVLS Court who though they hated him without a cause spake deceitfully vnto him and with lying lips flattering tongues How did Absaloms by flattery insinuate into and gayned the hearts of the people Dauids subiects to supplant his Father and to gayne the Kingdom to himselfe Tertullus the Orator by flattering Foelix moued him against Paul Hee that slattereth a man spreadeth a net for his steps How did the Iewes flatter Christ when they went about to betray him about the giuing of tribute to Casar examples are infinite Take heede there are some that when they intend most mischiefe will be then most humble bowing themselues in a counterfeit curtesie before him they purpose to deceiue yet before hee perceiue it they will be vpon him and hurt him and although such flatterers be so weake as they can doe you no harme by violence yet will they seeke and when they find oportunitie they will doe you mischiefe As yee would therefore auoid flatterers not to bee deceiued by them so flatter neither your selues to thinke yee bee what indeed yee are not nor others to make them beleeue what yee meane not for none flatter but wieked men and harlots for the word can neuer be taken but in the ill part and therefore Dauid calls flatterie deceit They speake deceitfully saith he euery one to his Neighbour flattering with their lips speaking with a double heart and so vnder colour of cōfort they seeke to cōfound the poor making a mock of the confidence and trust that the poore haue in GOD hauing them in dirision in regard of their basenesse boasting themselues of their owne pride and of their owne hearts desire blessing themselues in their aboundance insomuch as they shew themselues contemners euen of God himselfe flattering him yet with their mouth and dissembling with him with their tongue and in their pride doe flatter themselues to haue no cause to seeke God nay they thinke indeed there is no God and so declare they by their actions My familiar friend saith Dauid whom I trusted which did eate of my bread hath lifted vp his heele against me It is better for you to bee rebuked of your friends then to bee flattered of your secret enemies therefore admit no flatteries or flatterers Be yee the same yee seeme to be neither to flatter nor be flattered Speake euer as yee thinke and thinke as yee speake and neuer speake or thinke but that which is good and truely profitable And vexe not your selues to see the wicked prosper by their crouching flattering though they become rich desire not to be like them that feare not God howsoeuer glorious they seeme neither desire their societies it is a