mother to her children is hardly contained within the bounds of reason Neither must you my sonnes when you come to bee of iudgement blame me for writing to you since Nature telleth me that I cannot long bee here to speake vnto you and this my mind will continue long after mee in writing and yet not my mind but I seeke to put you in minde of the words of our Sauiour Christ which saith Labour not for the meate that perisheth c. where you see that the food of the soule is to bee gotten by labour Why stand you here sayth Christ here is not time to be idle they that will rest with Christ in heauen must labour to follow him here on earth Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord for they rest from their labour Thus you see if you will goe to the place which Christ hath bought for you you must labour to follow Christ he labour'd to get it for you or els all your labour would haue been as nothing and now you must labour to lay hold on him or els all your labour will bee worth nothing Many there bee that labour the cleane contrary way for they leaue Christ and take hold of traditions and a number loyter and by that meanes neuer get holde on Christ. And this is the cause why I write vnto you that you might neuer fly from him with the one nor yet loyter with the other but that you might learne to follow him and to take hold of him in the written Word of God where you shall find him as Christ himselfe witnesseth and no where else Search the Scriptures sayth he for they testifie of mee Labour therefore that you may come vnto Christ. CHAP. 4. The second cause is to stirre them vp to write THe second cause my sonnes why I write vnto you for you may thinke that had I had but one cause I would not haue changed the vsuall order of women is needfull to be knowne and may doe much good For where I saw the great mercy of God toward you in making you men and placing you amongst the wife where you may learne the true written Word of God which is the path-way to all happinesse and which will bring you to the chiefe Citty new Ierusalem and the seuen liberall sciences whereby you shall haue at least a superficiall sight in all things I thought it fit to giue you good example and by writing to intreate you that when it shall please God to giue both vertue and grace with your learning he hauing made you men that you may write and speake the Word of God without offending any that then you would remember to write a booke vnto your children of the right and true way to happinesse which may remaine with them and theirs for euer CHAP. 5. The third cause is to moue women to bee carefull of their children THe third is to encourage women who I feare will blush at my boldnesse not to bee ashamed to shew their infirmities but to giue men the first and chiefe place yet let vs labour to come in the second and because wee must needs confesse that sin entred by vs into our posterity let vs shew how carefull we are to seeke to Christ to cast it out of vs and our posterity and how fearefull we are that our sinne should sinke any of them to the lowest part of the earth wherefore let vs call vpon them to follow Christ who will carry them to the height of heauen CHAP. 6. The fourth cause is to arme them against pouerty THe fourth cause is to desire you that you will neuer feare pouerty but alwaies know it is the state of the children of GOD to bee poore in the world Christ sayth Ye shall haue the poore with you alwaies It may be he hath appointed you or yours to bee of this poore number doe not striue against Christ. It is as hard sayth he for a rich man to enter into heaven as for a Camell to goe thorow the eye of a needle Saint Iames sayth Woe bee to you that are rich S. Paul sayth The desire of mony is the roote of all euill Which if it be true as it is not to be doubted of and you feare pouerty then doth it necessarily follow that you will desire the roote of all euil which is money and so become good for nothing The feare of pouerty maketh men run into a thousand sins which nothing els could draw them to for many fearing the cold stormes of pouerty which neuer last long run on to the hot fire of hell which neuer hath an end This matter requireth many words for it is hard to perswade the nature of man from the feare of pouerty wherefore I wil speake more of that afterwards onely I now say Feare not to bee poore with Lazariu but feare a thousand times to be rich with Diues CHAP. 7. The fift cause is not to feare death THe fift cause is to desire you neuer to feare death for the feare of death hath made many to deny the knowne truth and so haue brought a heauy iudgement of God vpon themselues A great reason why you should not feare death is because you can by no meanes shun it you must needes indure it and therefore it is meet that you should be alwaies prepared for it and neuer feare it Hee that will saue his life sayth Christ shall lose it and he that will lose his life for my sake and the Gospels shall finde it Doe not feare the paines of death in what shape soeuer hee come for perhaps thou shalt haue more paines vpon thy bed and be worse prouided to beare them by reason of some grieuous sicknesse then thou art like to feele when God shal call thee forth to witnesse his truth The only way not to feare death is alwaies to be prouided to dye And that thou mayest alwaies be prouided to dye thou must be continually strengthening thy faith with the promises of the Gospell as Hee that liueth and beleeueth shall not dye and though he were dead yet shall he liue Meditate in the laws of the Lord day and night as the Psalmist saith and then thou shalt be fit to bring forth fruit in due season then thou shalt bee fit to serue God thy King and country both in thy life and in thy death and alwayes shalt shew thy selfe a good member of IESVS Christ a faithfull subiect to thy Prince and alwaies fit to gouerne in the Christian common-wealth and then thou mayest faithfully and truely say Whether I liue or dye I am the Lords But without continuall meditation of the Word this cannot bee done And this was one of the chiefe causes why I writ vnto you to tell you that you must meditate in the Word of God for many reade it and are neuer the better for want of meditation If yee heare the Word and read it without meditating
theron it doth the soule no more good then meate and drink doth the body being seene and felt and neuer fed vpon for as the body will dye although in see meate euen so will the soule for all the hearing reading of the word if that ye doe not meditate vpon it and gather faith and strengthen it and get hold of Christ which if ye doe Christ will bring you to the kingdome of his Father to which you can come by no meanes but by faith in him CHAP. 8. The sixt cause is to perswade them to teach their children THe sixt reason is to entreate and desire you in some sort to commaund you that all your children be they Males or Females may in their youth learne to read the Bible in their owne mother tongue for I know it is a great helpe to true godlinesse And let none of you plead pouerty against this for I know that if you bee neither couetous prodigall nor idle either of which sins will let no vertue growe where they come that you need not faile in this but if you will follow the commaundement of the Lord and labour sixe dayes and keepe the seuenth holy to the Lord and loue him with all your heart soule and strength you will not onely be willing but also able to see them all brought vp to read the Bible Salomon that was wise by the Spirit of God sayd Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth And ye are also commanded to write it vpon the walls of your houses and to teach it your childern I know sayth God that Abraham will teach his children and his childrens children to walke in thy commandements Also I further desire you because I wish all well and would be glad you should do as much good as could be in the wildernesse of this world that if any shal at any time desire you to be a Witnesse to the baptizing of their childe that then you shal desire the person so desiring to giue you his faithfull word that the child shall bee taught to read so soone as it can conueniently learne and that it shall so continue till it can read the Bible If this will not be granted you shall refuse to answer for the child otherwise doe not refuse to be a witnesse to any for it is a good Christian duety Moreouer forget not whether you answere for the child or no to pray that the child baptized may receiue the holy Ghost with all other children of the faithfull especially vvhen you are where a child is baptized for it is your duty to pray for the increase of the Church of God Pray for the peace of Ierusalem saith the Psalmist let them prosper that loue thee CHAP. 9 The seuenth cause is that they should giue their children good names THE seauenth cause is to entreate you that though I do not liue to be a witnesse to the baptizing of any of your children yet you would giue me leaue to giue names to them all For though I doe not thinke any holinesse to be in the name but know that God hath his in euery place and of euery name yet I see in the Bible it was obserued by GOD himselfe to giue choyse names to his children which had some good signification I thinke it good therefore to name your children after the names of the Saints of God which may bee a meanes to put them in mind of some vertues which those Saints vsed especially when they shal read of them in the Bible and seeing many are desirous to name both their owne children and others after their owne names this will be a meanes to increase the names of the Saints in the Church and so none shall haue occasion to mislike his name since hee beareth the name of such a Saint as hath left a witnesse to the world that hee liued and dyed in the true faith of IESVS Christ. The names I haue chosen you are these Philip Elizabeth Iames Anna Iohn and Susanna The vertues of them that bore those names and the causes why I chose them I let passe and only meane to write of the last name Susan famoused through the world for chastity a vertue which alwaies hath been and is of great account not onely amongst the Christians and people of God but euen among the Heathen and Infidels insomuch that some of them haue written that a woman that is truly chaste is a great partaker of all other vertues and contrariwise that the woman that is not truely chaste hath no vertue in her The which saying may well be warranted by the Scripture for who so is truly chaste is free from idlenesse and from all vaine delights full of humility and all good Christian vertues who so is chaste is not giuen to pride in apparell nor any vanity but is alwaies either reading meditating or practising some good thing which she hath learned in the Scripture But she which is vnchaste is giuen to be idle or if she do any thing it is for a vaine glory and for the prayse of men more then for any humble louing and obedient heart that shee beareth vnto God and his Word who sayd Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and so left no time for idlenesse pride or vanity for in none of these is there any holinesse The vnchaste woman is proud and alwayes decking her selfe with vanity and delights to heare the vaine words of men in which there is not only vanity but also so much wickednesse that the vain words of men and womens vainenesse in hearing them hath brought many women to much sorrow and vexation as wofull experience hath and wil make many of them confesse But some wil say Had they onely lent an eare to their words they had done well enough To answere which I would haue euery one know that one sinne begetteth another The vaine words of the man and the idle cares of the woman beget vnchaste thoughts oftentimes in the one which may bring forth much wickednesse in them both Man sayd once The woman which thou gauest mee beguiled me and I did eate But wee women may now say that men lye in waite euery where to deceiue vs as the Elders did to deceiue Susanna Wherefore let vs bee as she was chaest watchfull and wary keeping company with maides Once Iudas betrayed his Master with a kisse repented it but now men like Iudas betray their Mistresses with a kisse repent it not but laugh and reioyce that they haue brought sinne and shame to her that trusted them The only way to auoid al which is to be chaste with Susanna and being women to imbrace that vertue which being placed in a woman is most commendable An vnchaste woman destroyeth both the body and the soule of him shee seemeth most to loue and it is almost impossible to set down the mischiefes which haue come through vnchast women Salomon sayth that her steppes lead to hell
Mathew Marke Luke Iohn Timothy and such as followed Christ faithfully Then Moyses and his mildnesse would bee more talked of Samuel and his obedience would bee more sought after Abraham and his faithfulnesse would be more followed Lastly this I will tell you that there is no man but will be ashamed to do any thing w ch shal disgrace the good name after which is called as if one should say Is this a Moyses Is this an Elias and haue such qualities as these CHAP. 11. Children to bee taught betimes and brought vp gently I Am further also to entreate you that all your Children may be taught to reade beginning at foure yeeres old or before and let them learne till ten in which time they are not able to do any good in the Common-wealth but to learne how to serue God their King Country by reading And I desire intreat and earnestly beseech you and euery one of you that you will haue your Children brought vp with much gentlenesse and patience What disposition so euer they be of gentlenes will soonest bring them to vertue for frowardnes and curstnesse doth harden the heart of a child and maketh him weary of vertue Among the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse let them therefore be gently vsed and alwaies kept from idlenesse and bring them vp in the Schooles of learning if you bee able and they fit for it If they will not bee Schollers yet I hope they will be able by Gods grace to read the Bible the lawe of God and to bee brought to some good vocation or calling of life Salomon saith Teach a childe in his youth the trade of his life and he will not forget it nor depart from it when hee is olde CHAP. 12. Choyse of Wiues NOw for your wiues the Lord direct you for I cannot tel you what is best to be done Our Lord saith First seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all things else shall be ministred vnto you First you must seek a godly wife that she may be a helpe to you in godlinesse for God sayd It is not good for man to bee alone let him haue a helper meet for him and shee cannot bee meete for him except she be truly godly for God counteth that the man is alone still if his wife bee not godly If I should write vnto you how many the Scripture maketh mentiō of that haue beene drawne to sinne because they married vngodly wiues it would bee tedious for you to read The world was drowned because men married vngodly wiues Salomon who was not only the wisest man that euer was but was also mightily indued with the Spirit of God by marrying idolatrous women fell for the time to idolatrie Neuer thinke to stand where Salomon fell I pray God that neither you nor any of yours may at any time marry with any of those which hold such superstitions as they did or as some doe now as namely to pray to Saints to pray in Latine to pray to go to purgatory c. Let no riches or mony bring your posterity to this kinde of tradition The beloued Apostle of Christ saith Loue not the world nor the things that are in the world for he knew well that a little that a man loueth not would suffice him a little with a godly woman is better then great riches with the wicked Rebecca saith I shall be weary of my life if Iacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth as if she should say If my Sonne marry an vngodly wife then all my comfort of him and his is gone and it will bee a continuall griefe to mee to see him in league and friendship amongst the wicked If such a shame and sin commeth vpon my Son as can by no meanes be helped nor I by no meanes comforted what auaileth me then to liue Bee not vnequally yoked saith the holy Ghost It is indeed very vnequall for the godly and vngodly to bee vnited together that their hearts must be both as one which can neuer bee ioined in the feare of God faith of Christ. Loue not the vngodly marry with none except you loue her and be not changeable in your loue let nothing after you haue made your choise remoue your loue from her for it is an vngodly and very foolish thing of a man to mislike his owne choise especially since God hath giuen a man much choyse among the godly and it was a great cause that mooued God to commaund his to Marry with the godly that there might be a continuall agreement between them CHAP. 13. It is great folly for a man to mislike his owne choyse MEe thinkes I neuer saw a man shew a more senseles simplicity then in misliking his owne choyse when God hath giuen a man almost a world of vvomen to choose him a vvife in If a man hath not witte enough to choose him one whom hee can loue to the end yet me thinkes hee should haue discretion to couer his owne folly but if he want discretion mee thinkes hee should haue policy which neuer failes a man to dissemble his owne simplicitie in this case If he want wit discretion and policy hee is vnfit to marry any woman Doe not a vvoman that wrong as to take her frō her friends that loue her and after a while to begin to hate her If she haue no friends yet thou knowest not but that shee may haue a husband that may loue her If thou canst not loue her to the end leaue her to him that can Mee thinkes my sonne could not offend me in any thing if hee serued God except he chose a wife that he could not loue to the end I need not say if hee serued God for if he serued God he would obey God and then hee would chuse a godly wife and liue louingly and godlily with her and not doe as some man who taketh a woman to make her a companion and fellow and after hee hath her he makes her a seruant and drudge If shee bee thy wife she is always too good to be thy seruant and worthy to be thy fellow If thou wilt haue a good wife thou must goe before her in all goodnesse and shew her a patterne of all good vertues by thy godly and discreete life and especially in patience according to the counsell of the holy Ghost Beare with the woman as with the weaker vessell Heere God sheweth that it is her imperfection that honoureth thee and that it is thy perfection that maketh thee to beare with her follow the counsell of God therefore and beare with her God willed a man to leaue Father Mother for his wife This sheweth what can excellent loue God did appoynt to be betweene man and wife In truth I cannot by any means set downe the excellency of that loue but this I assure you that if you get wiues that be godly and you loue them you shall not need to
Then too too late for to repent you see she doth begin Therefore see you noridle be this I would haue you know Be sure still that the ground be good whereout the Plant doth grow Then gather well and lose no time take heed now you doe see Lest you be vnprouided found as was the idle Bee D. L. THE MOTHERS Blessing CHAP. I. The occasion of writing this Booke was the consideration of the care of Parents for their Children MY Children when I did truely weigh rightly consider and perfectly see the great care labour trauaile and continuall study which Parents take to inrich their children some wearing their bodies with labour some breaking their sleepes with care some sparing from their owne bellies and mâ—ny hazarding their soules some by bribery some by simony others by periurie and a multitude by vsurie some stealing on the Sea others begging by Land portions from euery poore man not caring if the whole Common-wealth be impouerished so their children be inriched for themselues they can bee content with meate drinke and cloth so that their children by their meanes may bee made rich alwaies abusing this portion of Scripture Hee that prouideth not for his owne family is worse then an Infidell euer seeking for the temporall thinges of this world and forgetting those things which bee eternall when I considered these things I say I thought good beeing not desirous to inrich you with transitory goods to exhort and desire you to follow the counsell of Christ First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and then all these things shall be administred vnto you CHAP. 2. The first cause of writing is a Motherly affection BVt lest you should maruaile my children why I doe not according to the vsuall custome of women exhort you by word and admonitions rather then by writing a thing so vnusuall among vs and especially in such a time when there bee so manie godly bookes in the world that they mould in some mens studies while their Masters are mard because they will not meditate vpon them as many mens garments moth-eate in their chests while their Christian bretheren quake with cold in the street for want of couering know therfore that it was the motherly affection that I bare vnto you all which made me now as it often hath done heretofore forget my selfe in regard of you neither care I what you or any shall thinke of mee if among many words I may write but one sentence which may make you labour for the spirituall food of the soule w ch must be gathered euery day out of the word as the children of Israel gathered Manna in the wildernesse By the which you may see it is a labour but what labour a pleasant labour a profitable labour a labour without the which the soule cannot liue For as the children of Israel must needs starue except they gath'red euery day in the wildernesse and fed of it so must your soules except you gather the spiritual Manna out of the word euery day and feed of it continually for as they by this Manua coÌ„forted their harts strengthened their bodies and preserued their liues so by this heauenly Word of God you shall comfort your soules make them strong in Faith and grow in true godlinesse and finally preserue them with great ioy to euerlasting life through Faith in Christ whereas if you desire any food for your soules that is not in the written Word of God your soules die with it euen in your harts and mouthes euen as they that desired other food dyed with it in their mouthes were it neuer so dainty so shall you and there is no recouery for you CHAP. 3. The best labour is for the foode of the Soule OH my Children is not this a comfortable labour Our Sauiour Christ saith Labour not for the meate that perisheth but for the meate that endureth to euerlasting life and yet I see and feare you shall see how many there bee that crosse Christ in these words nay rather crosse theÌ„selues for contrary to our blessed Sauiours counsell they labour for the meats that perisheth and in the meane time they lose the foode of euerlasting life This my beloued sonnes and deare children this is the cause that maketh mee so much to feare you and those who hereafter shal come of you because I see so many that regard not the words of our Sauiour Christ who came from the high Throne of God and preached to vs and prayed for vs and tooke our flesh vpon him and kept it without sinne refusing no company healing euery sicknesse and disease fed the hungry gaue pardon to euery sinner that would but aske it dyed for vs indured the paines of hell for vs yea more then this euen in our owne flesh hee ouercame sinne death and hel yea and more then that also hee carried our flesh into Heauen in the sight of many and there keepes it and is become a Mediatour for vs in it hee ioyned himselfe to vs in our flesh as it is written He tooke our flesh vpon him he taught vs to ioyne our flesh vnto him by faith that Where hee is there wee might bee with him also and if wee will not follow him that hath done all this for vs and much more then I can write or declare how vnthankefull shall wee shew our selues My deare Children haue I not cause to feare the holy Ghost saith by the Prophet Can a Mother forget the child of her wombe As if he should say Is it possible that shee which hath carried her child within her so neere her hart and brought it forth into this world with so much bitter paine so many grones and cries can forget it nay rather will shee not labour now till Christ be formed in it will shee not blesse it euery time it suckes on her brests when shee feeleth the bloud come from her heart to nourish it Will shee not instruct it in the youth and admonish it in the age and pray for it continually Will shee not be afraid that the child which shee endured such paine for should endure endlesse paine in hell Could Saint Paul say vnto the Galathians that were but strangers to him concerning the flesh only he had spent some time amoÌ„gst them to bring them to the professioÌ„ of the truth from which hee feared they would fall and could hee I say write vnto them My little children of whom I doe trauaile againe in birth vntill Christ be formed in you And can any man blame a mother who indeed brought forth her childe with much paine though she labour againe till Christ bee formed in them Could S. Paul wish himself separated from God for his brethrens sake and will not a mother venter to offend the world for her childrens sake Therefore let no man blame a mother though she something exceede in writing to her children since euery man knowes that the loue of a
breakers of their word haue a roome in heauen reade the fifteenth Psalme But what should I speak of a roome in heauen when indeede they ought to haue no roome amongst ciuill men on the earth nay nor yet among the heathen for it hath beene accounted so great a shame for a man to breake his promise that hee would rather die then it should be sayd that he were one of those But pray thou priuately and faithfully and God will not onely giue thee power to keepe thy promise with men but thou shalt also haue grace to keepe thy word and promise thou hast made to Almighty God to forsake the diuell the world and thine owne filthy affections Which will shew openly that thou art the seruant of God and that God hath bestowed his manifold graces and blessings vpon thee as Christ sayd vnto Peter Flesh and bloud hath not taught thee these things but my Father which is in heauen So euery one that beholdeth thee will know that neither the diuell the world nor thine owne flesh hath bestowed these gifts on thee but the Father which is in heauen Blessed be the name of Christ for his bountifull goodnesse bestowed vpon mankinde he did not onely bid men pray and promised they should bee heard but also told them to whom to pray and because men durst not goe to God alone hee bad them goe in his name and promised that he would be there with them and hee would be a Mediator which none else could doe and hee would make peace betweene God and them and therfore any might boldly come to him hee teacheth them where to aske priuately and what to aske the Holy Ghost without the which weare fire-bands of hell but if we haue him we are Saints in heauen euen ioyned to Christ and as his members and yet hee fearing all this would not serue it was his greatest mercy to shew vs more concerning two men which were praying and made vs acquainted how they prayed and how they sped Christ saith There was Pharisie and a Publicane went into the Temple to pray The Pharisie was one that thoght himselfe a iust man and despised others The Publican accounted himselfe a sinner openly knowen The Pharisie stood vp and prayd and sayd I thanke thee oh Father I am not as other men are nor like this Publican I fast twice in a weeke and giue tithe of all that I haue Now you may see who they bee that say I fast or we fast as if they should say I feare it shall neuer bee known that it is I or we that fast and pray and pay tithe of all that we haue and that we deale iustly and keep the commandements But the Publican stood a farre off and durst not look vp to heauen but smote on his breast and sayd Lord be mercifull to mee a sinner Heere you see wee must humble our selues and confesse our sinnes for Christ saith Hee went away iustified rather then the other for hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted and hee that exalteth himselfe shall bee brought low Also hee willeth alwayes to pray and not to waxe faint saying There was a certaine Iudge in a city which neither feared God nor reuerenced man and there was a widdow in the city which sayd Doe me iustice against mine aduersarie but he would not for a time yet afterwards hee sayd Although I feare not God nor reuerence man yet will I doe her iustice lest at the last shee chance to weary me And the Lord sayd Heare what the vnrighteous Iudge saith and shall not God auenge the cause of his Elect which cry and call day night vpon him And therfore pray continually And doe not thinke my sonnes that I haue spoken too much of prayer for as I sayd before without it wee haue no promise to obtaine any fauor of God nor yet to be kept frō any euill by God and therefore doe it You must needes also bee thankefull to God for his mercies in Christ most humbly thank Christ who hath thus mercifully taught you to pray and giue God thankes who hath brought you into the world in such a time when as you may bee taught to pray according to his word and I beseech him that you may pray according to his counsell CHAP. 33. No certaine rule for priuate prayer NOw I would haue you know that priuat praier is for euery mans priuat vse and therfore there is no certaine rule neither can words be set downe what ye should say for though we be all sinners yet some are more troubled with one sinne some with another and some are troubled because they cannot bee troubled so much with their sinnes as they desire which sort Christ calleth vnto him saying Come vnto me all yee that labour and are laden and I will ease you But although all sinnes dwel in vs and wee are subiect to them wherfore Christ saith Yee had neede watch and pray Yet there is in euery one of vs some one sinne that will draw to a head beare som rule in vs and will not bee subiect nor subdued to the Spirit as the childe of God would haue it but then hee goeth to Christ and craueth his assistance and yet sometime the sinne will ouercome him and then he goeth and confesseth his sinne againe and craueth pardon confessing withall his owne weakenesse that hee should bee ouercome of so vile and base an affection And thus euery one ought to seek by praier to God to get victory of that sinne which otherwise would ouercome and destroy him body and soule for euer and euer CHAP. 34. Diuers men troubled with diuers sinnes SOme are troubled most with enuie some with pride some with anger some with couetousnesse and some with sloth c. All these with a companie that attend on them set vpon euerie man but one must be captaine then ouercome the captaine and all the army will be discomfited In warres if the Captaine preuaile the souldiers will ruinate the Cittie euen so it is with sinne if the chiefe sin getteth the victorie it will let in a great number of enemies that wil neuer leaue vntill they haue vtterlie ruinated and brought to confusion the whole bodie and soule of a man and therefore euerie one ought to pray to God for helpe and assistance against his greatest temptation for if we ouercome that the rest will flie as S. Iames saith Resist the diuell and he will fly from thee And this will be a great comfort to any man when hee seeth his enemy cannot triumph ouer him then the diuell shall haue no cause to laugh in his face nor the world to left behinde his backe neither can his owne affections braue nor vpbraid him but hee shall haue a greater comfort then this for by obtaining this victorie he shall bee sure to bee seruant and souldier to the most worthy Captaine that euer was Yet hee must acknowledge that hee got the
if hee doe they are such prayers as some offer to their Saints they speake of God but their hearts are on the world some are troubled with their marchandize som with buying selling some coueting to grow rich some casting to maintain their families but their riches are so vnlawfully vsed and so hard a matter it is for them to vse them lawfully that it cannot by any meanes be expressed But the most mercifull and mighty God hath taught man what to doe in such a case which is to meditate in his lawes day and night then he shall bring forth his fruit in due season and shall know when to serue God and when to deale in the world Take heed therfore you see what danger you are in whilest you are heere on earth for this is a dangerous disease and many die of it and therfore cleaue to the mercies of God in Iesus Christ which hath giuen you such warning of this desperate disease saying Labor not for the meat that perisheth but for the foode of euer lasting life Thus you see what Christ saith hee biddes you not labour for earthly things he tels you they perish he bids you labour for the food of the soule which shal neuer haue end The holy Ghost saith Bodily labour profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable to all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that which is to come Heere you see godlinesse hath the promise of the life present and therefore I maruell men should refuse to be godly it hath the promise of the life present and of the life to come whereas worldlinesse hath not so much promise as of the life present Godlinesse is great gaine Would you haue gaine then embrace godlinesse so shall you haue your desire for that purchaseth a Kingdome and it is profitable for all things Seeke first the Kingdome of God and all things else shall be ministred vnto you Heere Christ promiseth that if you will serue God all worldy things shall bee giuen you Christ saith Care not for tomorrow let to morrow care for it selfe the day hath enough with his owne griefe Heere you see Christ would not haue you care so much for these earthly things as you doe Cast all your care vpon God for hee careth for you Heere you see that God dischargeth you of all your earthlie cares and telleth you that he taketh care for you as if he should say Your care can doe you no good and therefore take none serue mee and I will take care for you as if a father should say to his sonne Goe to the schoole of learning study to serue God your King and Countrie and I wil prouide you all things necessarie and you shall want nothing Labour for learning or else you can neuer get it that is a thing which I cannot buy for you you must get it by your owne industrie and diligent studie if you will haue it but when you haue it it is more worth then all I can leaue you besides It will be a wise master to teach you a diligent seruant to attend you a discreet Counsellour to admonish you a witnesse of the well spending of your time a faithfull friend and of great account able to credit thee euen with Princes and these things cannot by anie means be gotten without thine own diligent study Euen so our louing father in Christ tels vs by the mouth of his Son our Sauiour that we should not care for these earthlie things for they shall bee giuen vnto vs but wee must care for the Kingdome of heauen for that cannot bee gotten without care and labouring for and this is a thing worth our labour this is a kingdome and lasteth for euer it will bring comfort to your hearts euen in this life and bring you in fauour with God and all good men and euerlasting happinesse without woe want or end Furthermore I will tell you what cause you haue to take care for this kingdom if you lose it you fal into a pit of euerlasting destructiō where you shall be tormented with fire and brimstone for euer and euer where no man shal euer come out againe for there is no redemption and therefore by all meanes possible I aduise you to take heede Christ endured the pains of hell for you because he pittied you knew you were not able to ouercome them Therefore you may beleeue mee if you could beare al the pains of hel one houre and then could bee deliuered you would neuer come there againe for all the world nay you would neuer loue the world nor anie thing that is in it because they are nothing but baits to draw men to destruction But if the Diuell get you once there you can neuer come backe againe Christ will neuer fetch you from him for the Diuell and hee are enemies and he is able to liue without anie of his seruants for those that will serue him shall haue an euerlasting Kingdome and liue in ioy and happinesse and those that will serue the diuell he will torment them in fire and brimstone for euer Now if Sathan can get anie to serue him hee is worthie to haue them for Christ will none of them and therfore I tell them now if they come once in hell with the diuel they shall neuer come in heauen with Christ for he is iust and will not meddle with the seruants of another But if anie see his filthie and base waies and consider the miserable and wretched estate it will bring him vnto and then turne to me saith Christ and defie the Diuell and all his workes and serue me I will saue him for I am a Sauiour and that is my name and my glorie for there is no Sauiour but my selfe I came into the world to saue sinners but not such sinners as will serue the Diuell for though there be none in the world but sinners yet those that loue me and keep my commandements them will I saue but them that serue the Diuell I will destroy and torment them Although all are sinners yet those sinners that plucke vp their sinnes as a Gardiner pulleth vp his weedes and cast them behinde them and follow me although they be weake and feare that they cannot ouertake mee yet I will put forth my hand and take hold of them they shall not need to feare The bruised reede will I not breake and smoking flaxe will I not quench I came to binde vp the broken-hearted to preach liberty to the captiues c to cōfort them that mourne let all that labour and are heauy laden come to mee and I will ease them but those that follow their sinnes and are merrie and ioyfull and carrie them lightlie and neuer feele any waight in them they neuer call for helpe to beare them they carrie them well enough they dance after the Diuels pipe they follow the diuell more swiftlie then my seruants follow mee for they