he would not confesse but onely told them in generall with great tendernesse of heart 2 Cor. 11 14. and many teares in his eyes teares of joy and teares of sorrow Pati timetis exire non vultis quid facium vobis Possid de vita Aug. c. 37. For now he had a strong perswasion that he should not live long and that within a while he should make a glorious change of this life with a better of earth for heaven of this world for another and of an estate of misery for an estate of glory And hereunto hee did very carefully addresse himselfe 3. Head His confidence of a happy exchange labouring for a gracious confidence of this blessed and happy exchange whensoever he should come unto it And this hee did by clearing his evidence and confirming his assurance of it His evidence he cleared by informing his judgment aright in the all-sufficiency and perpetuity of that blessed estate His evidence of it His assurance he confirmed by such faithfull records covenants grants gifts pledges earnests witnesses signes oaths seales His assurance for it fruits and marks of his interest unto that estate that neither sinne nor Satan law nor conscience death nor hell could infringe it nor finde any flaw therein to give either them any just occasion to except against it or him any cause once to doubt of it This his confidence was his comfort in all his sicknesse His confidence cause of his comfort which drew many comfortable and heavenly speeches from him Such as these and the like O how great is thy goodnes O Lord which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men O how precious are thy thoughts unto me Psal 31.19 O God! O how great is the summe of them Psal 139.17 18. If I should count them they are moe in number than the sand when I awake I am ever with thee I trusted in the Lord Psal 31. I said thou art my god My times are in thy hand I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand Thou shalt guide me with thy counsell Psal 31.23 24 25 26 and afterwards receive me to glory Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I have committed unto him against that day Psal 31. O love the Lord all yee his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithfull and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer As the Hart panteth after the water-brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God for the living god O when shall I come and appeare before God O let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1.1 2. for thy love is better than wine Because of the savour of thy good ointment Thy name is as an oyntment powred forth therefore do the virgins love thee Draw me and I will run after thee God is not unrighteous Heb. 6.10 to forget our worke and labour of love which we have shewed unto his name Faithfull is he that promiseth and calleth us 1 Thes 5.24 Neh. 5.15 and 13. v. 14.22 who will also do it Remember me O my God for good according to all that I have done for thy people and wipe not out my kindnesse that I have done for the house of my God for the Offices thereof Remember me O my God and spare me according to the greatnes of thy mercy Some of these holy and heavenly Speeches hee uttered at his first awaking in the morning some in Prayer with his Family some in his short Ejaculations some as the issue of his secret and silent Meditations some in conference and speech with such of his Christian friends as did come to visit him and to minister either other counsell or comfort unto him Yea and many hundred more than these which would be a matter of great difficulty if not of impossibility to call to mind and to record them His heart was as a fountaine full of the waters of life Iohn 4.141 full of the heavenly knowledge of the holy Scriptures and now being as it were broken open by affliction the riverets of grace and truth did issue out amayne He was full of matter like Elihu Iob 32. â—9 and the Spirit within him did constraine him Behold his belly was as new wine which hath no vent It is ready to burst like new bottles Psa 45.15 His heart was ever inditing some good matter and his tongue became the pen of a ready writer CHAP. LXIII His diligence and conscience in frequenting Gods house NOw although his bodily infirmities did increase and grow upon him yet would he not by any meanes bee kept from the house of God on the Lords day so long as either he could go or ride which was some eight or nine weekes before his death and departure out of this world His house was distant about a myle from the Church His cheerfull going to Church the way faire and large so that hee usually went afoot calling all his family about him leaving neither Cooke nor Butler behinde him nor any of his servants but two or three to make the doores and tend the house untill their returne Psal 122. 1 2. And then taking his Tenants and neighbours as they lay in the way along with him hee marched on with a joyfull and cheerefull heart as a leaden of the Lords host towards the house of God according to that of the Psalmist Psal 42.3 I went with the multitude to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude that kept Holy-day And so it was indeed his ordinary manner to call his company neare about him Singing of Psalms by the way and to joyne together with one heart and voice to sing Psalmes as they went along and that Psalme especially How pleasant is thy dwelling place Psal 84. which they performed with such a melodious harmony that the like may be said of them as was of the Jewes God made them to rejoyce with great joy the wives also and the children rejoyced so that the joy of Ierusalem was heard even afarre off Neh. 12.43 For although I cannot say as Augustine did that by such sweet singing of Psalmes divers were converted to the faith of Christ that were strangers to it Yet am I well assured by that which I have heard that many that heard but afarre off Some much delighted and some much bettered by this melody the pleasant sound onely of their delicate and sweet voices according so well together in Gods praises were much refreshed and delighted therewit hall and
this life such fruits of faith and love and such vertues of Christ in this Gentleman Many vertues of his to be observed as are well worthy both the observation and imitation of every true Christian 1. His compassion on the multitude being as sheep without shepheard when hee saw them erring from the wayes of God and like to perish for want of pasture expressing herein in some measure the holy affection of Christ Iesus And imitated 2 Secondly his free will offering unto the Lord of his owne substance and cost to provide his people of spirituall food and that with a cheerfull and free heart and hand like unto David who bought the threshing floore of Areunah at a price because he would not offer burnt offerings to the Lord of that which cost him nothing 3. Thirdly 1 Kin. 18.3.4 2 Chr. 35.2,3 4 his entertaining and maintaining Gods Ministers as Obadiah did the Lords Prophets besides his countenancing and encouraging of them as Iosiah did the Levites in the Lords service 4 Fourthly the exceeding joy and comfort that he took in setting forwards the Lords worke for the foundation and building up the shouse of God by his good example godly presence and holy practice in publike places and religious duties endeavouring to bring forth the head stone Zach. 4. â—7 as Zâ—rubbabell did with shootings crying Grace grace unto it 5 Fifthy his courage and constantâ—y in maintaining all good exercises of Religion against all oppositions of popish and profane persons Nehem 4 as did good Nehemiah in going on with the in building of the was of Jerusalem notwithstanding al the attempts and assaults of secret treacholy 〈◊〉 open hostility made against him 6 Sixthly his uprightnesse and suâ—oirity doing all that he did with an honest and good heart not to bee seene of men but to approve himself unto God in all things This worthy example thus decked and adorned with these jewels of grace For Gentlement to be rich in good workes I desire also to commend unto the due and serious consideration of such Gentlement and others as being rich in this world are yet poore and very poore in such good workes and had rather bestow an hundred pounds in building and beautifying their owne houses than an hundred pence towards the laying of the foundation or building up the walles or windowes of Gods house amongst them For patrons not to spoile the Chur. being bound to provide for it And to such also as being entrusted with the lands and livings of the Church for the maintenance of the Ministery and spirituall provision of Gods people doe notwithstanding turne their patronage into pillage and their devotion into sacriledge cutting short the Minister of his meanes and the people of their provision taking the wheat unto themselves and leaving the straw and chaffe unto them for their portion onely For prosane Gent. bestowing much upon their lusts nothing upon Gods service Neither would I have them to passe without gentle admonition also who had much rather spend much of their estate in maintaining idle and base persons to serve their owne lusts and satisfies the humour of a rude and profane people as many do their Horf-riders Faulkeners Huntsmen Lords of misrule Pipers and Minstrels rather to lead them and their followers both in their publikâ— assemblies and private families a dance about the Calfe than such a dance as David danced before the Arke with spirituall rejoycing in Gods mercies and inlarging of his owne and the people hearts in Gods praises Neither maintaining any Leyite at home And being utterly destitute of all meanes of grace both in assembly and family and nothing sensible of the spirituall famine that hath brought a loathsome leannesse into their soules they neither make any conscience nor will beat any cost Nor seeking after the word abroad to call on the Levites to bring in the Arke of God amongst them nor will seeke themselves nor suffer others that much desire to enter into the Kingdome of God to frequent those places and exercises of religion where the heavenly Manna the bread of life may be broken unto them CHAP. XXVIII ABout the yeare 1590. when he saw Mr. I. D. that having provided for the publike congregation a worthy Preacher whom they seemed much to admire for his gifts yet would not so much as thanke him for his pains the Preacher grew somewhat unwilling to bestow his labour any longer amongst them Hee in Christian policy Vpon their neglect of the publike Ministery began to withdraw the Preacher of the Word from the assembly to his owne family to make them more sensible of the want of it more carefull to seek it where they might finde it and more thankfull to God and his servants by whose meanes they did enjoy it and reape some fruit by it To which end and purpose he built him a Pulpit in a Chappel in his owne house and for a season maintained the Preacher there so that as hee saith himselfe hee had good company every Sabbath day He maintained the Preacher in his own family This company as I doubt not but it was much to his comfort so could it not bee but much to his cost also when amongst a multitude though some might come to the Chappell with good mindes to feed their soules yet others would bee as willing and ready to presse into the Hall to fill their bellies And yet was he well contented to be at this charge also for the increase of Religion and further of the Gospel But he could not long make such an inclosure of the Word nor so confine it to his private family for partly the publike necessity and partly the importunity of some Christian friends But after a while restored him to the publike assembly did worke so effectually upon him and prevaile so farre with him that hee yeelded up the Preacher to the publike assembly againe and so continued to maintaine him and other Preachers after him untill upon the death of the Incumbent God established a faithfull Pastor amongst them Let him if you please tell you thus much and the occasion thereof in his owne words The same Preacher being invited to a wedding at Peile The cause and occasion thereof preached there in the parlour for which Sermon he was much admired And then It was objected against me that I had committed a great sinne to keep such a worthy Preacher from the great congregation But I said none requested it nor gave him thankes when I brought him And so continued to maintaine the Minister And therefore he was unwilling to come amongst them But I was glad then to bring the Word of God againe unto them and so have continued till now that God hath planted M. Clark amongst us And here I thinke it not amisse seeing hee thus toucheth upon M. Clark in this businesse of providing the Parish of a faithfull and sufficient Ministery
so many as have list and leasure may derive and draw water enough either to quench their thirst Polyd. Vir. de Invent. lib. 2. cap. 13. Pet. Crin de honest Discip lib. 24. cap. 14. Ammian Marcell lib. 14. pag. 1420.1422 Idem lib. 28. pag. 1773. Calvin Ep. 347. Bez. in Luc. 1.9 in Act. 1. in Ephes 4.14 Bulling Dec. 3. Serm. 1. Danaeus de ludo Aleae Hyperius de provid Dei p. Mar. Cap. 12. Class 2. loc com after such pleasures of sin or to drowne and overwhelme as with a deluge all their carnall desires and delights in such vanities And so I leave this point His collections against cards and dice. if I may first have leave to set downe some few Observations which this Gentleman himselfe hath collected to strengthen his judgement and justifie his detestation of these games CHAP. XXXIX 1 ALL games depending upon hazzard or chance as many call it are to be eschewed 2 The Prince of Divils first invented the same and the place was hell 3 Such Gamsters were held and accounted for infamous persons uncapable of any Office and unworthy any benefit of Law 4 Dicers Harâ—ots and Theeves be of one Hall and Corporation and the more cunning in this Art the more wicked in their lives and manners 5 All gaine by gaming is turpe lucrum Prov. 16.33 18 18. plaine theevery worse than usury 6 All play at Dice is plaine Lottery Acts 1.26 which to useidely or trislingly is a sin against the third and ninth Commandement Ezek. 22.12.13 Act 16.16 Luk. 6.31 7 There is no recreation of body or mind in these games unlesse it be in desire and hope to gaine by another mans losse which is unlawfull 8 Cards and Tables seeme lesse evill but neither barrell better Herring there is such and so much craft in pricking and packing c. 9 These are mixt games consisting partly of Lottery partly of witt and industry and oftentimes maintained with trickes of cousenage and knavery 10 The coat Cards were in times past the Images of their Idols Phil. 4.8 1 Thes 5.22 Rom. 13.3 4 5. Rich. 2. Hen. 4. Edw. 4. Hen. 7. Hen. 8. Eliz. 14. 1 Cor. 10.31 1 Cor. 8.13 Mat. 7.12 Luc. 6.31 Dives eram dudum me feertunt tria nudum Alea Vina Venus tribus this sum factus egenut 11 We must abstaine from such games because 1. They have never been nor yet are of any good report in the Church 2. There is great appearance of evill in them 3. The commandement of the Magistrate forbidding them by the name of unlawfull games 4. They tend not to Gods glory 5. They are causes of much hurt unto our neighbours and occasions of many sinnes and sorrowes to the gamesters themselves and to their families for thus many bring a Castle into a cap-case and a Lordship into a Cottage and a Fee simple into a Fee single and an estate of abundance and superfluity unto an estate of beggary and misery And thus have you heard some reasons of this godly Gentleman 's both practice and judgement against Tables Cards and Dice especially amongst Christians wherein I would intreat this favourable construction at the hands of every good Christian in his behalfe that they would not censure him as too singular or too precise in these things seeing he hath followed herein the Doctrine of such worthy Divines and others Pet. Mar. in Judg c. 14. Taffin of amendment of Life in our reformed Churches as have had their workes approved printed and published many yeares agoe even in our land and in our owne language for our instruction and reformation in these things lib 2. c. 19. Perkins in his golden chain on the third Commandement Dudley Fenner in his Treatise of Recreation Northbrooke against Cards and Dice Esty in his history of the Gospel Destruction of small Vices Anatomy of Abuses pag. 131. Dialogue betwixt Paul and Demas Sir Thomas Eliot in his Gover. booke 1. chap. 26. Ludovic Vivues in his Institution of a Christian woman Chap. 3. M. Perkins in his Cases of Conscience Booke 3. Chap 4. Bullinger Decad. 3. Serm 1 in pracept 8. Bishop Babington in Com. 8.409 Bishop Hooper in Com. 8. pag. 75. Canon Ecoles Anglucan ann 1571. pag. 7. pag. 11. See the Margent CHAP. XL. NOW after a while having thus rid his hands and fired out of his house these so dangerous instruments of idlenesse and profanenesse wastfulnesse and much wickednesse as he saw every where Cards and Dice Tables and Tablemen to be Hee began to think of a wiser and better course both to prevent these mischiefs In stead of Tables Cards and Dice hee set up two Bibles and to exercise the minds and hearts of his own family and such as might by occasion come to his house unto godlinesse and good things To which end hee brought in and set up upon a deske both in his Hall and in his Parlour two goodly faire Bibles of the best Edition and largest Volume as then they were Printed some in a larger and some in a larger and some in a lesser Fol. and these hee placed to be continuall residentiaries the bigger in the Parlour Ohe in his Parlour Another in his Hal. and the lesser in the Hall as the holy Tables of the Covenant of God instead of the profane Tables of the men of the world wherein men of good minds might exercise themselves in reading and hearing the Word of God for their farther edification and comfort as their list and leisure would serve them thereunto A good purpose I confesse and that of an honest and well affected heart both to cut off all occasions and provocations to evill and to open a way and offer a passage by good meanes unto better things And a course no doubt so much the more commendable Agreeable to Church Canons as it was more answerable to the Canons and Constitutions of our own Church of England by which there is a serious and heavy charge laid upon all Arch-Bishops Can. Ecclesiae Anglicanae anno 1571. Cap. de Episco Bishops Deanes Cathedrall Churches c. that they provide themselves of Bibles in the fairest and largest Volume and of the Book of the Acts and Monuments and place them in their Hals or dyning Chambers Vs ipsorum famulis advenis usui esse possint that they might be for the use of their own servants Bibles for Bishops Servants and for Strangers and for strangers also which come in unto them Which good order I would to God it had been ever since as carefully and conscionably observed as it was at the first well and wisely ordained and enjoyned by them This neglected For then should we have had lesse cause to complaine of the strange dealing of some who have been so busie about tything mint and cummin that these and other weightier things the Law are yet left undone A speciall remedy hereof might