and welfare for she euer putteth on a vizard that she might not be knowne to be so vile as she is so vnder the colour of goodnesse euill is alwayes lâ—â—king Therefore Christ is called the light because that we should leaue our foolishnes seeing light is come and that we should forsake all our lights which are but darknesse and 〈◊〉 vnto his light which is the true light indeed He came to lighten the Gentiles and they receiued him with thankfulnesse of whom there was no hope of goodnesse left Who would suppose that the barren woman should become frutefull or the prodigall sonne returne home againe It is like as if an owle should be conuerted to see light or as if the streame should returne into the fountaine or as if an old man should become yong againe A light to be 〈◊〉 to the Gentiles To be reuealed not yet reuealed the Iewes must first reiect him before the Gentiles receiue him and when the Iewes did oppresse him condemne him and crucifie him then were his armes spred vnto the whole world When the guests would not come then he sendeth into the high wayes to compell others that would come willingly vnto it Luk. 14. 23. Comfort is on foote and that which will come shall come c. The Queene of Saba Mat. 12. came from the vttermost part of the earth to heare Salomons wisedome and the wise men came from the East to see Iesus Christ Mat. 2. but we may say the Lord was here by in the Temple and I was in my shop selling and buying lying deceiuing swearing Well when he comes backe againe I will be better acquainted with him and so we esteeme not of his presence in any reuerent sort The Sunamite sayd Let vs build a chamber for 2. Kin. 4. 10. the man of God then we should build an house Zacheus did climbe vp into a tree to Luke 19. see his sauiour and the Lord seeing his diligence called him Zaoheus come downe for I will dine at thy house this day that was a ioyfull day with Zaoheus for then saluatioÌ„ came into his house and vpon al his family he gaue the Lord a feast and the Lord made him a farre better feast of peace a feast of ioy a feast of heauenly things and so for his zeale and indeuor to see Christ bodily he shewed him selfe vnto him spiritually euen to his hearts desire To be reuealed Haue an eye to the future tense that which 1. Kings 3. 12. 11. Iud. 13. 15. and 16. Luke 6. Act. 1. Act. 9. Mat. 26. Act. 4. Act. 7. is not shall be As for example Salomon was wise but he is foolish Sampson was strong but he is weake Iudas was a preacher but he is a reprobate Paule was a persecutor but he is a preacher Peter was a denier of Christ but now he is a bold professor of Christ Moses was learned in the wisedome of the Egyptians but now he is learned in the wisdome of God by which the wisdome of the Egyptians is made but meere foolishnesse in the sight of God Other wise men as heathen Philosophers Plato Aristotle Cato Crates and such like these were counted verie wise men in the sight of the world yet these were Gentiles that wrote so manie â—ookes full of wisedome and all so adorned with notable sentences wittie sayings that one would thinke all wisdome were buried with them so famous were they and so full of earthly vnderstanding teaching maners counsels and pollicies yet for my part I haue neither seene nor heard of any such being wise in worldly things and without the wisdome of God but that they haue committed some notorious foolishnesse in the sight of all men like Achitophel of whom we reade 2. Sam. 17. that he was so wise a counseller and yet see the end of him he hanged him selfe and all for want of the knowledge of God It were better therefore for him to haue had more wisedome and lesse wit Crates Aristotle Plato all the rest of the wise Philosophers haue either poysoned burned or drowned them selues and so we see that the ende of worldly wisdome is meere foolishnesse and 1. Cor. 1. 20 the foolish haue more peace then the wise for their wisedome without the feare of God doth theÌ„ no more good then the Arke did to the Philistines which did nothing but Iâ—d 5. torment them because they knew not how to vse it and therefore vnreuerently abused it For if your wisedome consist in eloqueÌ„ce of words in profunditie of wit to gain craftily and spend warily to inuent lawes to expound riddles and interpret dreames to tell fortunes and prophecie of matters by learning all these without the feare of God do vs no more good then their wit did these Philosophers which notwithstanding sate in darknes And I am afrayd though Christ brought light vnto the Gentiles yet it may be sayd that the Gentils sit in darknesse stil sauing a fewe Leuites scattered vpon the mountaines for whose sake Sodome is spared And because those had not the knowledge of God therfore they worshipped Mars Cupid sunne and moone beasts serpeÌ„ts so the Philistines worshipped DagoÌ„ Iud. 5. Act. 19. the Ephesians worshipped Diana the Assyrians Nesroch the Israelites worshipped a calf IeroboaÌ„ worshipped Belzebub the Moabites worshipped Chamos the Samaritanes did worship vnto Baall so the truth seemeth falshood and error seemeth truth As for example that the world should be made of nothing that the word became flesh that God and man was ioyned together in one bodie then one man may be righteous in the righteousnes of another which is Christ and that the dead shall rise againe these seemed foolishnesse vnto the Gentiles neither could they beleeue them No more can some Gentiles amongst vs at this day which are but naturall men therefore they do not beleeue them for when they professed them selues to be wise they became fools saith the holy Ghost So then we see nowe what Christ hath Rom. 2. done for vs he hath bounde that serpent which hath sowen all the tares so that the deuill is faine for want of better lodging to enter into swine Heretofore whereas one followed God a thousand folowed Baall but now kings Princes lift vp their heads desiring Christ to raigne with them and in them Heretofore we made our selues like the wounded man we were spoyled we were stript naked and we were bathed in our bloud being full of wounds but now Christ hath furnished vs he hath washed vs he hath clothed vs we are now become true Israelites we which were the vile and wild oliues he hath grafted vp vpon the true oliue and planted vs in a frutefull soile And what cause can we shew for this but onely mercie For heretofore we were called foolish but the Lord hath made vs wise according to the wisedome of God in these dayes by his spirit but if you deserue to
be called the foolish nation again then ye are most vnhappie and most cursed So now we haue heard that the Lord doth â—eueale all his counsels vnto his Prophets and how the glory of Israell is now reuealed to be the light of the Gentiles And you haue heard the cause why because the Jewes reiected their owne saluation You haue heard that the cause was onely his mercie his loue because mercy can not containe it selfe within Ierusalem A light to be reuealed to the Gentiles and the glorie of thy people Israell You haue heard why Christ is called light why he is called the light of the Gentils why the Lord did change a curse vnto a blessing why the Gentils did chaÌ„ge darknesse for light and a thousand gods for one true God Then the Gentiles receiued more grace then they desired for the Lord came vncalled into their houses and made a feast vnto them in their owne houses The light of the Gentiles is our light your light and my light Christ is our grace your grace my grace and Christ is our saluation your saluation and my saluation He came vnto the Iewes for the Iewes and yet his comming vnto the Gentiles was better then to the Iewes He came into the world when the world did abound in all wickednesse and saued vs when we most deserued wrath Wonder at this you that wonder at nothing that the Lord would come to bring saluation to redeeme our lost soules euen as it were against our willes so that now we would not be as we were for a thousand worlds I shewed the blindnesse of the Iewes who hauing heard of their reiection and of our conuersion yet vnderstood it not neither sought to preueÌ„t Gods wrath in reiecting of them Therefore the rocke which should haue saued them did shiuer them in peeces wherin was shewed their wonderful blockishnesse hauing it so ofteÌ„ foretold by their Ptophets figured in their Law shadowed in their sacrifices and read in their churches from Saboth to Saboth Euery thing that commeth to passe in churches in common weales in cities in countreys in kingdomes and in prouâ—â—ces these are all foretold in the scriptures and yet none do vnderstand it sauing a few chosen ones whom God loueth For the comming of Antichrist the ouerthrow of kingdomes the darknesse of Poperie the light of the Gospell the conuersion of the Gentiles and the reiecting of the Iewes all these are set downe in the scriptures and yet we can not vnderstand it though we heare it day by day because we do not giue our minds to vnderstanding Such hearers shall stand in a maze before the righteous terrible throne of God the dead shall rise the trumpe shall blow and all the world shal be in an vprore and they shall stand quaking when their hearing without profiting shall be layd to their charge and they shall say ô we haue knowne no such things but surely if the Iewes could come out of hell they wold admonish vs to take better heed how we heare for we heare as though we did not heare at all our minds are otherwise occupied Now when we see any thing come come to passe as it is foretold in the Scriptures then we must say as Christ sayd this prophecie is fulfilled for all things that are written are come to scriptum est factum est that is as sure as it is written so surely doth it come to passe It prophecieth nothing but that which truely is fulfilled in due time and the more often it speakes of a thing the more certaine the more excellent and the more to be beleeued it is Like a iewell that is beset with pearle so is our calling ordained with scriptures for so doth God tender our calling which is so often in his mouth and we so often in his remembrance that he speaketh of vs in euery book throughout the whole scriptures like a kind spouse whose loue is in a straunge countrey and he delighteth him selfe with thoughts and meditations of her so he did long vntil the Gentiles were come to him againe like the prodigall child whose father did long Luke 15. vntill he had imbraced him When shal my prodigall sonne come home againe saith he I will put my best garment on his backe my gold ring vpon his finger and his fare shall be the daintiest morsel And thus God longeth for our saluation and he knocketh at our doores Is faith here is loue here is one called the feare of God in this place And as loue maketh louers sometime to speake plainly and familiarly one to another sometime by darke speeches and riddles sometime by letters sometime by dumbe shewes and signes and sometime to hide them selues one from another so our God speaketh sometimes playnely vnto his Church sometime darkely and mystically somtime he turneth his face froÌ„ his Church and deare spouse as though he would not speake vnto her for loue as appeareth in the booke of the Canticles The first type or figure was Caine and Certain types figures of the electioÌ„ of the Gentiles and the reiection of the Iews which here he rehearsâ—d for the confirmation of this doctrine Gen. 4. Abell Caine was the eldest sonne of Adam and Abell the yonger yet God loued Abell and accepted his sacrifices but God reiected Caine for his wickednesse and he became a reprobate euen so doth God he reiecteth the Iewes which were the eldest sonne the true oliue and the seede of promise and Gods deare children if theâ— had continued in obedience and he taketh vs being but the yongest sonne the wyld oliue and maketh vs children by adoption vnto him only of his meere mercie without anie other cause The 2. example was Sem Iaphet both Gen. 9. which were Noahs sons Sem was the first son Iaphet the third yoÌ„gest of this Iaphet came the Gentiles of him said Noah God perswade Iaphet that he may dwell in the teÌ„ts of Sem that is that they may be vnited together as we see it is come to passe Other sheepe I haue saith Christ which are not of this fold them also will I bring they shal heare my voyce there shall be one sheepe fold and one shepherd Iohn 10. The third type or figure of Christ was Gen. 21. Ismael and Isaac both the sonnes of Abraham Ismaell was the eldest Isaac the yonger yet Isaac was chosen of God a figure of Christ at that time when he went to haue bene offered as a sweet sacrifice at Gods coÌ„mandement And Ismael his eldest brother was a mocker of his brother and therfore he was put away and the Lord was not with Gen. 22. him The fourth type or figure was Iacob and Gen. 25. Esau both sonnes to Isaac Esau was the elder brother and Iacob the yonger yet God loued Iacob and hated Esau because Esau contemned his birthright and sold it to Iacob for a messe of pottage and
them so that there mercy stept before iudgment His name was Ionah which signifieth a doue which admonisheth vs that as we labour to be as wise as serpents so we should also desire that we might be as simple as doues His fathers name was Amittai which signifieth truth I would that truth were euerie preachers father There are three speciall things contained in this historie First the great mercie of God expressed in this that he sent a Prophet to Niniuie a Citie of the Gētils which were strangers from the couenant from the promise and straungers from the common wealth of Israell The second thing was Ionah who being no Gentile but an Israelite which knew his maisters will what it was did yet presumptuously neglect the same not of a sudden desire for he had time inough to consider what he did and yet see what mercie did the Lord prepared a great whale in the bottome of the sea where there was no hope of life for him afterwards the Lord hauing deliuered him out of the whales bellie he went and preached at Niniuie so zealously as though he had neuer bene the man which was so disobedient before And when he had done he murmured against God worse thē euer he did and all because he spared the citie The third thing was the mariners which had bene idolaters all their liues yet now by the great power of God mouing them called vpon the true God of whom they had heard by Ionah by whose mightie power they were saued But in the meane while Niniuie set on the score and had no ho with them in working wickednesse but still filling the cup of all abhominations and running downe to hel with as much speed and force as they could and no stay but the perill of death And Ionah he rebelleth against God for being sent to Niniuie he went to Tarshish There are foure speciall things to be noted in Ionah First the daunger of Ionah by his disobedience Secondlie the behauiour of Ionah in the whales bellie Thirdlie the grudging and murmuring of Ionah against the Lord God And fourthlie the rebuking of Ionah by God for his impietie He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receyue a Prophets reward Therefore let vs prepare our eares to heare and receiue the worde of God preached by his ministers let vs think that Ionah is come againe to our houses to preach whether it be fortie dayes or fortie weekes or fortie yeares they that liue like Sodome shall be punished like Sodome The word of the Lord came to Ionah the sonne of Amittai saying Arise◠c. We haue seene Ionah a farre off if we would we might see him nearer As our Sauiour said to his disciples Pray Mat. 24. 20 that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabboth so say I vnto you pray that the Lordes comming be not on the weeke dayes therefore if he did come then howe should he find you Therefore I pray you learne now and giue good eare that ye may◠heare sufficient for all the weeke The word of the Lord came c. Wherein I obserue that Ionah went not before he was sent for he going to preach vnto the Gentiles it was needfull that he should haue a speciall calling and commission from the Lord himselfe for it was vnmeet to cast the childrens bread vnto dogs vnlesse he had a speciall commaundement from God so to do None ought to take vpon him the function of preaching in the church vnles they haue their warrant or authoritie from God Heb. 5. 4. as Aaron had And although they haue not their authoritie in that forme and maner as Ionah had his namely as it were by word of mouth euen from God himselfe Arise and go to Niniuie Yet they must haue their warrant from him else their calling is vnlawfull But now there is another authoritie crept into the Church that makes so many idols which haue eyes and see not tongues and speake not eares and heare not and that is this When one stalleth vp another into Moses chaire not hauing Moses rod nor Moses spirit And this gall will not holde spurring Further I obserue that as the worde of the Lord came to Ionah so the word of the Pope came to his priests Iesuits and Seminaries but so and in such sort manie times that they are drawne to Tiburne while Masses are said for them at Rome The word of the Lord came vnto Ionah c. Wherein also I obserue that which came vnto him was not alwayes with him but so it was that when the worde of the Lord came vnto anie of the Prophets then they were well furnished with abilitie to teach to preach to reproue or to command whosoeuer the Lord would haue so handled as by example Nathan the Prophet bad Dauid the king that he should build a temple 2. Sam 1. 1. Chron. 11 2. Sam. 1. and 1. Chron. 11. And a little after he came and bad him that he should not build it Where wee see that when he bad him build it then the spirite of the Lord came not vnto him to bid him so to do And therefore the spirit of God came vpon him the verie same night and bad him that he should go to Dauid and bid him that he should not build it For this is euident that as God himselfe is constant so his spirit and his word are constant and therefore neuer faith and vnsaith one thing Againe the Prophet Elisha said 2. Kin. 4. 2. King 4. that the Sunamites heart was grieued but the Lord had hid it from him and had not as then declared the same vnto him which doth note vnto vs that the same worde whereby the Lord hath and doth reueale maruellous things vnto his Prophets was not now vpon him neither is alwayes vpon any Prophet but according to the will of God it comes vnto them to reueale vnto them what he would haue them to do and when it pleaseth him Also Daniel said that the Lord did not reueale the kings dreame vnto him for any wisdome that he had more then any liuing but only for the kings sake for the poore people of Gods sake and so you must think of vs that are the ministers of the Gospell that the Lord doth not reueale his will vnto vs for any wisdome or worthinesse that is in vs more then other men but for your sakes that we might reueale it vnto you therefore heare vs euen for that cause because the Lord hath reuealed vnto vs these things for your sakes and good From the calling we come to the charge Arise and go to Niniuie that great◠c. God commeth and findeth vs al a sleepe then he bids vs arise for they are not fit to conuert others which are not yet cōuerted themselues according to that saying of Christ to Peter When thou art conuerted sayth he strengthē thy brethren teaching Luke 22. 32 them
she knowes not whither or like the swallow which by compulsion of the wind flyeth backward forward till it fall into the sea or like Cain whose head was giddie that he knew not whither to go fearing to be slaine of euery one whom he Gen. 4. seeth And cast the wares out that were in the ship into the sea Now the mariners are content to cast their wares into the sea in hope of some furtherance to saue their liues thereby for though many will venter their liues for riches yet they rather part with all their riches then their liues If I regard wickednesse in my heart saith Dauid the Lord will Psal 66. 18 1. Cor. 13. 3. not heare me And Paule saith though I cast my life into the fire if I haue no charitie if I retaine malice in my heart it profiteth me nothing if I cast not away sinne I Cast away sinne or thoâ— castest away all cast away all Some will giue to the poore and yet vse extortion and vsurie to get money by but God saith to such that if they regard wickednesse in their hearts it profiteth nothing Though they thinke them selues beneficiall to the poore thereby yet God will accept of them but as hypocrites he will none of their oblations vntill they haue humbled them selues and reformed their owne hearts before him from such vncleannesse THE PVNISHMENT OF IONAH Ionah 1. 5. 6. 7. 5 But Ionah vvent dovvne into the sides of the ship and he lay dovvne and vvas fast a sleepe 6 Then the ship-maister came vnto him and said vvhat meanest thou ô sleeper arise and call vpon thy God if so be he vvill thinke vpon vs that vve perish not 7 And they said euerie man to his fellovv come let vs cast lots that vve may knovv for vvhose sake this euill is come vpon vs so they cast lots and the lot fell vpon Ionah THey prayed vnto their gods their gods were now deafe whiles they were tossed and Ionah is gone to sleepe when he should haue bene better occupied we come hither to heare the word and here we fall a sleepe but it were farre better we were away for we sleepe when we should heare and so we sleepe in sinne therefore let them now giue eare that are a sleepe and thinke that the shipmaster doth iogge vs by the elbow as he did Ionah Now we are come to Ionah his sleeping not that we should sleepe with him but by his sleeping to be warned of our securitie and we shall see him waked that we may learne to wake with him By Ionah his sleeping we see the nature of all the sonnes of Adam wheÌ„ they listen to the serpeÌ„t they are like chaÌ„gelings For when they forget God and his word and bid conscience adew they sleepe in sinne and sleepe to death like one sicke of the lethargie Ionah his name signifieth a doue as I haue told you and it may well be compared for as the doue being gone out of the Arke could finde no rest for the sole of her foote till she returned into the Arke againe so when Ionah rose vp froÌ„ the presence of the Lord he could finde no rest for his minde neither by sea nor land vntill he returned againe vnto the Lord. The cause of Ionah his going downe to sleepe was to ease his mind for it was grieuously troubled Therefore now ô that Ionah could sleepe till the tempest were past but it will not be for the teÌ„pest is sent purposely to waken him And he was fast a sleepe See how litle Ionah is ashamed of his sinâ— all the world smarted for it and yet he sleepes as if he should say neither the winds blowing nor the waters â—ossing nor the ship reeling nor the wares casting nor the mariners Ionah sleeps whiles all else sturres crying with all this sturre should moue him waken him from his sleepe or raise him from his sinne Now Ionah might say I was a sleepe and all might haue perished for me if one God had not helpt more then all the rest for Ionah sleept but God waked and called to the windes and the waters saying wash him but you shall not drowne him feare him but you shall not kill him whippe him and when you haue whipt him send him to me that I may send him to Niniuie It seemeth that Ionah was fast a sleepe when the windes ouer him blowing and the water vnder him tossing the ship about him reeling the mariners by him crying the wares ouerboord in casting yet Ionah felt nothing but sleept as if there were no sturring We go farre beyond Ionah in securitie for the Lord causeth the tempest to blow downe houses the heauens to thunder ouer vs the earth to quake vnder vs the water to ouerflow the land fire to consume vs and all that we haue frost and snow ready to kil vs with cold and all things in an vprore round about vs thereby alwayes crossing vs one way or other and so to put vs in minde of our dutie the neglect wherof is the cause of all these troubles which the Lord doth send vs but we sleep with Ionah in our negligence voyde of feeling because we consider not nor search out as the mariners did for whose sake these tempestes or troubles are vpon vs whereas euery crosse should â—â—urre vs vp to amendement of life Ionah repented of his disobedieÌ„ce that we should repent of ours should we follow his example wheÌ„ we see it to be so euill that he repeÌ„ted it if we do God will deale more roughly with vs then he did with Ionah for the Lord caused a whale to swallow him and afterward to cast him vp againe but we shal be swallowed of that SerpeÌ„t which neuer restoreth againe He should haue bene their teacher if he were not a sleepe he should haue taught them to pray aright if he had any good feeling in him For all this while we read not that Ionah once condeÌ„ned his thoughts not so much as once to say in him self Ionah take heed what thou doest thou knowest how God may handle thee vpon the waters if thou flye he can ouertake thee or if thou hidest thy selfe he will finde thee out How should we be strong if a Prophet and such a Prophet as was the figure of Christ could not withstand this one temptation but suffred him selfe to be led away so farre that when he should run he lay still and when he should cry he held his peace and when he should preach at Niniuie he is going to loyter at Tarshish and so Niniuie is in her sinne yet Niniuie is in better case then Ionah In Ionah his sleeping we note and obserue In Ionahâ— sleepe two things I Most secure in greatest daunger Act. 12. 21. 22. Dan. 4. 27. 30. Dan. 5. 4. 5. Luk. 12. 19. 20. Iudg. 16. 25 30. SuddeÌ„ly destroyed two things The first is that when we thinke our selues most at rest then we are in greatest
the poore sheepe is thredbare ere he hath done and hath not a fleece left him to couer himselfe withall So he runs froÌ„ Court to Court to sue to plead till he haue speÌ„t his cloake for his coate were it not better to haue cast lots for the coate at first for the law is like a butlers boxe play still on till it come to the candlesticke Therefore it is lawfull for to end a controuersie in a hard matter to vse this meane wheÌ„ other meanes haue â—in tried Now whether it be lawfull to cast dice if lots may not be vsed as I haue proued but in hard matters weighty causes when the thing is doubtful and all good meanes are tried before to auoide strife that question is decided which none but voluptuous Arguments against â—â—cing men make question offâ— namely whether dice-play be a meet exercise for a Christian soule Salomon saith the lot causeth coÌ„teÌ„tioÌ„ Pro. 18. to cease therfore lots are to end striffe but these lots make striffe for before thou takest the dice thou knowest thine own and no man striueth to take it froÌ„ thee but wheÌ„ thou castest the dice thou doest as it were aske whether thine owne be thine own and so makest a strife of no strife Art thou not worthy to lose the gifts of God which venterest to lose them when thou needest not doest thou not deserue to forfeit thine own which art so greedy of anothers that thou wouldest haue his liuing for nothing but for turning of a dye Esau did not sell his birthright so lightly but he had somewhat for it which refreshed his hunger but God hath giuen thee a liuing and thou spendest it vainly But the mariners did cast lots to find out the sinner they did not cast dice to see who should win as dicers do for to whom the lot falls he takes all which deserues to loose all as well as the others and hath no right vnto it by any law for God hath not alowed one man to take an others goods for the tripping of a dye but either they must be merited or they must be giuen or they must be bought or else it is vnlawfully vngodly vncoÌ„scionablely to take them Besides the brawles cousinages the othes annexed to this game which would not agree with it vnles it had bene a meete coÌ„panioÌ„ for them thou takest another maÌ„s goods for nothing whereas God hath appointed thee to get thy liuing with the sweat of thy brows Gene. 3. 19. for thou takest away that which others haue sweat for whereas thou shouldest liue by working thou seekest to liue by playing like the ape which liues by â—oying Doth any dicer thinke he doth well tell me what thinkest thou for euery sinner doth coÌ„deÌ„ne in his prayer to God that which he excuseth before men if they which are gamsters repent it how can they which are gamsters defend it Thou shouldest do nothing but that thou wouldest haue God find thee doing if he should come to iudgemeÌ„t wouldest thou haue him take thee at dice I am sure thou wouldst not haue God see thee so vainly occupied neither canst thou thinke that Christ or his Prophets or Apostles or his EuaÌ„gelists were dicers for no such lots are named in the holy Scriptures yet the Lords day is most prophaned with his exercise cardes and dice tables as though they kept all their vanities to celebrate holy dayes What hast thou to alledge for dice now â—uidence is giuen vp against theÌ„ hast thou any patron to speake for theÌ„ but thy vaine pleasure filthy couetousnes which are condeÌ„â—ed already and therefore haue no voyce by law take away these take away dice. The patron coÌ„demnes the clients wheÌ„ one voyce coÌ„demnes another if the exercise were lawfull such patrons as pleasure couetousnes would not speake for it Take thy pleasure therfore in that which is good the angels wil reioyce with thee if this were good God would prosper theÌ„ better that vse it but neither winners nor loosers are gainers I know not how but there is not so much wonne as lost as though the deuil did part stakes with them draw away with a blacke hand wheÌ„ no maÌ„ seeth for the winner saith he hath not wonne halfe so much as the looser hath lost One would thinke that some of theÌ„ should flow when so many eb there is neuer an eb without a flowing neuer one looseth but another winneth but at dice. What a cursed thing is this that turnes no maÌ„ to good which robbes others beggers theÌ„ selues the schoole of deceit the shop of oths the field of vanities Thou dost not only hazard thy money in this game but veÌ„trest thy saluatioÌ„ castest dice with the deuil who shal haue thy soule For euery thing that coÌ„meth to a maÌ„ he giueth thaÌ„kes but that which coÌ„meth by dice he is ashamed to giue thankes which sheweth that in conscience that gaine is euill gotten and that he sought it without God Can this be good when wâ—â—st men vse it most if it were good the euill would like worse of it then the good but the more a maÌ„ sauoreth of any goodnes the more he begins to abhorre it and his conscience doth accuse him for it as for sinne They which doubt whether God do allow it neede but looke how he doth prosper them that vse it but they trust not in God as the termes of their occupatioÌ„ descries for they cal all their casts chances as though they relied not vpoÌ„ God but vpon chaunce Therefore if dice make strife without cause if they take away others goods for nothing if we may not liue by playing but by labour if they which haue bene dicers repent it amongst their sinnes if the holy men neuer vsed this recreation but the worst most delight in it if thou would not haue God see thee when thou playest at dice nor take thee at it when he comes to iudgement if nothing but pleasure couetousnes speake for them if they do not prosper which take pleasure in it if they trust not vpon God but relie vpon chance if thou doest not onely venture thy money but hazard thy soule then the best cast at dice is to cast them quite away FINIS A PRAYER FOR THE MORNING O Lord prepare our hearts to prayer _â— Lord God our heauenly father we thy poore wretched creatures giue thee most humble heartie thanks for our quiet and safe sleepe and for raising vs vp from the same We beseech thee for Iesus Christ his sake to prosper vs this day in our labor and trauel that principally it may be to thy glorie next to the profit of our Maister and the Common-weale and last of all to the discharging of our dutie in this our vocation Grant deare father that we may cheerfully and conscionably do our businesse and labours not as men-pleasers but as seruing thee our God knowing thee to be the chiefe Maister
of vs and our Maisters that thou seeing and beholding vs with thy fatherly eyes promising reward to them that faithfully and truly walke in their vocation and threatening euerlasting death and damnatiō to them that deceiptfully and wickedly do their works and labours We besech thee ô heauenly father to giue vs the strength of thy spirit that godly and gladly we may ouercome our labours and that the tediousnesse of this irksome labour which thou for our sins hast powred vpon al mankind may seeme to vs delectable and sweet Graunt ô deare Father that we may chearfully walke in our vocation and faithfully serue thee in this our seruice and gladly and ioyfully go foorth in our labors Fulfill now ô Lord these our requests for thy son our Sauiours sake in whose name we pray as he him selfe hath taught vs. Our Father c. Another Prayer ETernall God all mightie and most mercifull we thy vnworthie seruants prostrate before the throne of grace do yeeld our selues bodie and soule vnto thee for all thy benefits which thou from our birth hast heaped vpon vs as though we had alwayes done thy will although we occupied about vaine things neuer marked neuer loued neuer serued neuer thanked thee so heartily for them as we esteeme a mortall friend for the least curtesie Therefore we come with shame and sorow to confesse our sinnes not small but grieuous not few but infinite not past but present not secret but presumptuous against thy expresse word and will against our owne conscience knowledge and liking if any had done them but our selues O Lord if thou shouldst require but the least of thē at our hands Sathan would chalenge vs for his and we should neuer see thy face againe nor the heauens nor the earth nor all the goodnesse which thou hast prepared for man what shall we do then but appeale vnto thy mercie and humbly desire thy fatherly goodnesse to extend that compassion towards vs which thy beloued sonne our louing Sauiour hath purchased so mightily so mercifully so graciously so dearely for vs. We beleeue and know that one drop of his bloud is sufficient to heale our infirmities pardon our iniquities and supplie our necessities without thy grace our strēgth our guide our life we are able to do nothing but sinne as woful experience too long hath taught vs and the example of those which are voyd thereof whose life is nothing else but the seruice of the world the flesh the deuill therefore good Father as thou in especiall fauor hast appointed vs to serue thee like as thou hast ordained all other creatures to serue vs so may it please thee to send down thine heauenly spirit into this earthly mansion to illuminate our minds mollifie our hearts cleanse our affections subdue our reason regenerate our willes purifie our natures with thy spirit so shall not thy benefits nor thy chastisements nor thy word returne void but accōplish that for the which they were sent vntill we be renued into the image of thy sonne Good Lord we beseech thee to looke downe in the multitude of thy compassions vpon thy militant church this sinfull Realme thy gracious handmaid our dread Soueraigne her honorable Counsellers the ciuill magistrats the painfull ministers the two Vniuersities the people that sit in darknesse and all that beare thy crosse gather vs into one communion of thy truth giue vnto euery one a spirit vnto his calling that being mindfull of the account and that we are called Christians may firmely resolue speedily begin and continually perseuere in doing and searching thy most holy will Good Lord blesse sanctifie our meeting that no temptation hinder me in speaking or them in hearing but that thy word may be heard spoken as the word of God which is able to saue our soules in that day howsoeuer it pleaseth thee by weake foolish things to magnifie thy selfe there is no cause ô Lord most iust why thou shouldest heare sinners which art displeased with sin but for his sake which hath suffered for sin and sinned not in whose name we are bold to lift vp our hearts hands and voyces vnto thee saying as he hath taught vs O our Father c. FINIS