leaue my Lands Lordships and Tenements with you in trust till I come again let thē to my friends let thē such pennyworths that they may well liue vpon them let your owne friends some part of them deale so in it as at my cōming home I may finde you faithfull Now if this seruant should neglect his charge neglect his owne friends and his masters and go for a little more rent which his master cared not a whit for let his lands and tenements to his vtter enemies who growing rich with the Lands and goods of this noble Lord would bee ready to bidde him battle at his returne home to strike at him with his owne sword iudge you would not this Lord think he had dealt very euill with him nay would not euery honest man that should but heare of it thinke say that he had dealt most vildly with so good a Lord and Master and that he were neuer meete to come in the company of an honest man againe Thus hath Christ dealt with vs When our wicked father and vngodly mother Adam and Eue cast vs into the puddle of sin ran away left vs there where we should neuer haue beene able to haue gotten out Iesus Christ the onely Son of the high and mighty God our mercifull Lord and Sauiour came by and washed vs and brought vs vp at his own cost charges and we haue nothing but frō him he taught vs himselfe in all good doctrine and being gone to ouercome the enemy of his King and Country he hath left his goods with thee bids thee to deale well with his seruants and let them good penny-worths and deale not with his enemies neither make any mariage with thē yet thou for a little money wilt buy and sell marry and giue in marriage with them yea thinkest because thou findest thē more rich in the world they are better for thee to deale withall yet they are the vtter enemies of thy Lord and will bee ready at his comming to bid him battle and strike at him with his owne sword CHAP. 45. The right use of goods HEere thou seest what cause thou hast to loue Christ and his seruants and how thou oughtest not to loue thine own but to vse it as the Lord hath appointed thee whose indeede it is If thou dealest not with thy Lords goods and lands as he hath appointed thee art thou not in a great fault Surely thou hast nothing to say for thy selfe saue to appeale to his mercy confesse thy sinnes amend thy life But if a Preacher whō God hath enlightned to see what he was out of Christ what he is in Christ and hath willed him to tell the people from his mouth how he and they should now behaue themselues inwardly in their hearts outwardly in their goods and substance if he I say Whom God hath set vpon a hill to giue light to many if he I say whom God hath giuen much vnto and of whom much shall bee re-required if he I say whom the sunne of vnderstanding should arise vpon nay if he I say in whose heart the glorious Sonne of God should shine will darken his glorie with the thicke clouds or rather thicke clods of this earthen world his sin is great but what did I say darken their light nay they darken the light of the Gospell that all should see to goe by nay they darken the glorious light of the Son of God ecclipse his glory wheras they should draw many vnto Christ by thier liberalitie and true preaching they driue many from Christ by loue of their owne as they say by their idlenes negligence in preaching as I say I say this loue of their own as they call it is a thousand times worse in them doth a multitude more of hurt then in other ordinarie men who loue the world as well as they but there are not so manie that looke on them and God hath not set them for a light as hee hath done the Preachers And the reason why the Preachers are many times ouercom is this because the enemie doth bend all his forces against them not vnlike the enemy to the Israelites vvho sayd Fight neither against more nor lesse but against the King of Israel So doth our enemy the Diuell hee fighteth neither against more nor lesse but against the Captaines of the Church namely the Preachers for he knoweth that if they bee once ouercome then the whole armie will soone bee confounded and brought to nought Bee you all vpholders of them which by no meanes can bee done but by prayer for as our preachers should pray for al so all should send vp their praiers to Almightie God in the name of his Sonne to send his holie Spirit into the hearts of the Preachers to sanctifie them throughout that they maybe holy in bodie minde following the exāple of our Sauior Christ vvho said to Peter his Apostle whom he had appointed to be chiefe Preacher to the Church of the Iewes Peter Peter Sathan hath sought to winnow thee like wheat but I haue praied that thy faith faile not Againe S. Paul appointed by the Son of God to bee cheefe Preacher to the Church of the Gentils vvitnesseth of himselfe saying The messenger of Sathan was sent to buffet me but I besought the Lord Iesus that hee might depart from mee Now in these tvvo great combates made betvveen the diuell the deare children of God ye see that praier is the vveapon vvhereby the Tempter is ouercome Wherefore I earnestlie entreat you let your praiers alvvaies be sent vp to God through Christ for the Preachers all such as are in high places that so they continuing firme and stedfast your faith may by thē be more confirmed And the blessing of God Almightie the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost be with you all from this time euen to the worlds end Amen FINIS 1. Tim. 5.8 Mat. 6 33. Num. 11.3 Ioh. 6.27 Gal. 4.4 Math. 4.23 Rom. 4.25 Heb. 2.14 Ioh. 17.24 Es. 49. 15. Gal. 4. 19. Rom. 9. 3. Ioh. 6. 27 Mat. 20. 6. Reu. 14. 13 Ioh. 5. 35 Ioh. 12.8 Math. 19. 24. Iam. 5.1 1. Tim. 6. 10. Math. 16. 26. Ioh. 11.25 26. Psal. 1. 2. Rom. 14.8 Eccl. 12.1 Deut. 11. 19.20 Gen. 18.19 Psal. 122.6 * The story of Susanna though it be not canonicall nor to be equalled to those books that are yet it may bee true and of good vse as many other histories written by men are Exod. 20. 9. Gen. 3 12. Prou. 2.18 Gen. 3.15 Ioh. 6. 53 Gen. 3.6 1. Sam. 19. 12. 1. Sam. 25. 3. Gen. 29.17 1. Sam. 1. 10.11 Pro. 22.6 Gen. 2.18 Gen. 6.2.3 1. King 11.4 1. Ioh. 2. 15. 2. Cor. 6 14. 1. Pet. 3.7 Gen. 2.24 Psa. 101.7 Ex. 20.10 1. Tim. 4.8 1. Tim. 6 6.7.8 Matt. 22.14 Mat. 6.16 Mat. 18.20 Mat. 6.12 Luke 18. 13. Mat. 11.28 Num. 11.5 Es. 48.22 Psa. 3. 5. Mat. 28.26 Iohn 21. 25. 1. Thes. 5. 17.18 Mat. 7.7 Iob. 1.9 Iob 1.9 Ioh. 15.8 Mat. 5.16 Ioh. 16.23 Luk. 6.25 Mat. 5.16 Math. 5.19 Psa. 50.23 Mat. 16 24 1 Cor. 1.4.15 Mat. 6.9 Mat. 6.6.7 Ioh. 16.23 Mat. 7.7 Mat. 7.9 10.11 Iohn 16.13 Iohn 15.26 Mat. 11.27 Mat. 11.28 2. CO. 12.7 2. CO. 12.9 Iohn 14. 26. Iam. 4.6 1. Cor. 6. 18. 19. 2. Thes. 3. 10 Eph. 6.16 Mat. 7.7 Mat. 6.6 Therewards of Christs seruice are heauenly Hab. 2.6 The danger of breaking promise Matth. 16. 17. Luk. 18.10 Luk. 18.2 Matth. 11. 28. Matth. 26 41. Iam. 4.7 Iam. 4.14 Lu. 12.20 Exo. 20.9 Ro. 14.23 Ephe. 516 1. Cor. 3. 6. Psal. 56. 12. Matth. 19. 24. Ioh. 6.27 1. Tim. 4. 8. 1. Tim. 6.6 Mat. 6.33 Mat 6.34 Psal. 37.5 Matth. 12. 20. Mat. 16.24 Ro. 8.32 Iam. 1.15 Ro. 7. 24. 1. Sam. 17 34. 35. Lu. 12.20 Psal. 39.6 Prou. 1.7 Matth. 6. 28. 29. Ro. 10.17 Heb. 11.6 Mat. 27.5 1 Cor. 6. 13. Luk. 21.34 Mat 6.31 32. 1 Ioh. 2. 15. Matth. 12. 36. 1. Sam. 15. 22. Ro. 13.8 Psa. 37.21 1. Ti. 5.8 Iam 4.8 Mat. 18.20 Prou. 29. 18. Matth. 9. 37. 38. Phil. 2.21 1. Cor. 9. 16. Esay 56. 10. 11. Ioh. 17.9 Col. 3.1 The danger of dealing with wicked men Iob 31.29 Mat. 26.27 Gen. 6.12 Mat. 26.26 Eph. 3.18 19. Gal. 3.13 Iohn 14.7 Iohn 8.36 Eccl. 7.29 Iohn 3.16 Ioh. 11.25 Mar. 16.16 Mat. 11.27 Ioh. 19 12 Ro. 14.23 2. Cor. 6.14 Tit. 2.1 Mat. 5.14 Luk. 12.48 1. Tim. 4. 16. 1. King 22 31. Luk. 22.31 2. Cor. 12. 7.8
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
Wherfore bring vp your daughters as Susanna's Parents brought vp her teach them the lawe of the Lord continually and alwayes perswade them to embrace this vertue of chastity It may be that some of you will maruaile since I set downe names for the imitation of their vertues that bore them why I placed not Mary in the first place a woman vertuous aboue all other women My reason was this because I presumed that there was no woman so senselesse as not to looke what a blessing God hath sent to vs women through that gracious Virgin by whom it pleased GOD to take away the shame vvhich EVE our Grandmother had brought vs to For before men might say The woman beguiled me and I did eate the poysoned fruit of disobedience and I dye But now man may say if he say truly The woman brought me a Sauiour and I feede of him by faith and liue Here is this great and wofull shame taken from women by God working in a woman man can claime no part in it the shame is taken from vs and from our posterity for euer The seede of the woman hath taken downe the Serpents head and now whosoeuer can take hold of the seed of the woman by faith shall surely liue for euer And therefore all generations shal say that she was blessed who broght vs a Sauiour the fruit of obedience that whosoeuer feedeth of shall liue foreuer and except they feed of the seed of the woman they haue no life Will not therefore all women seek out this great grace of God that by Mary hath taken away the shame which before was due vnto vs euer since the fall of man Mary was filled with the Holy Ghost and with all goodnesse and yet is called the blessed Virgin as if our God should as he doth indeed in briefe comprehend all other vertues vnder this one vertue of chastity wherfore I desire that all women what name so euer they beare woule learne of this blessed Virgin to bee chaste for though shee were more replenished with grace then any other and more freely beloued of the Lord yet the greatest title that she had was that shee was a blessed and pure Virgin which is a great cause to moue all women whether they be maids or wiues both which estates shee honoured to liue chastly to whom for this cause God hath giuen a cold and temperate disposition bound them with these words Thy desire shall be subiect to thy husband As if God in mercy to women should say You of your selues shal haue no desires only they shall be subiect to your husbands w ch hath been verified in Heathen women so as it is almost incredible to be beleeued for many of them before they would be defiled haue been carelesse of their liues and so haue endured all those torments that men would deuise to inflict vpon them rather then they would lose the name of a modest mayd or a chaste Matrone Yea and so farre they haue beene from consenting to any immodestie that if at any time they haue been rauished they haue either made away themselues or at least haue separated themselues from company not thinking themselues worthy of any society after they haue once bin deflowred though against their wils Wherfore the woman that is infected with the sin of vncleannesse is worse then a beast because it desireth but for nature and shee to satisfie her corrupt lusts Some of the Fathers haue written that it is not enough for a woman to be chaste but euen so to behaue her selfe that no man may thinke or deeme her to be vnchaste Wee read that in the Primitiue Church when there were warres betweene the Christians and the Pagans if at any time the Pagans had gotten the victory that then they would seeke to deflowre the Virgins to the which sinne before the Christians would yeeld they would continually laye violent hands vpon themselues in so much that the Doctours of the Church were often-times constrained to make diuers Sermons and Orations to them to disswade them from that crueltie which they inflicted vpon themselues rather then they would suffer themselues to be deflowred such a disgrace did they think it to haue but one spot of vncleannesse and yet none of these were so holy as this Mary this pure and vndefiled Virgin Some godly and reuerend men of the Church haue gathered this that there were fiue women of great vertue in the time of the Lawe the first letters of whose names doe make her whole name to shewe that shee had all their vertues wholly combined in her as namely Michal Abigail Rachel Iudith Anna She was as faithfull to her husband as Michal who saued her husband Dauid from the fury of Saul although hee were her father and her King not preferring her owne life before the safety of her husband She was as wise as Abigail who is highly commended for her wisedome amiable in the sight of her husband as Rachel stout and magnanimous in the time of trouble as Iudith patient and zealous in prayer as Anna. Seeing then that by this one name so many vertues are called to remembrance I thinke it meete that good names be giuen to all women that they might call to minde the vertues of those women whose names they beare but especially aboue all other morall Vertues let women be perswaded by this discourse to imbrace chastity without which we are meere beasts and no women CHAP. 10. Reasons of giuing good names to Children IF ye shall thinke me too teadious about the naming your children I tel you that I haue some reason for it and the first is this to make them reade in the Bible the things which are written of those Saints and learne to imitate their vertues Secondly because many haue made a God of the virgin Marie the Scripture warranting no such thing and haue prayed to her though there they shal find that she was a woman yea and a comfort to all women for she hath taken away the reproch w ch of right belonged vnto vs and by the seed of the womā we are al saued it was therefore fit I should speake largely of that name Thirdly seeing many haue heretofore and now doe make Images of Saints to put them in minde of the Saints and so by little and little haue at last worshipped the workes of their own hands and for feare of forgetting the Saints haue forgotten the second Commandements I thought it better to haue you remember them by bearing their names and by reading what they taught vs in the Scripture and how they led their liues then by looking vpon a painted piece of Paper or a carued stone And this by the way may bee maruelled at that they which loue to worship Images neuer loue to name their Children after the names of the Saints for if they had so done by this time wee should haue had no other names but
applying the promises of God to himselfe hath great cause to feare that his heart is not true and right before God And therfore if thou canst not pray priuately or feelest thy selfe cold in prayer for to helpe thy selfe thus thou shalt do CHAP. 17. Helpes against the former lets EVery morning so soone as thou canst for the sooner the better before the world get hold on thee either with profit or pleasure for these are the diuels baytes or before thou feedest thy bodie for the body is a great deal more subiect to the Spirit when it is not pampered nor fed at it owne will then I say goe into some priuate place and fall downe on thy face as the Publican did and see thy selfe a farre off and say God bee mercifull to mee a sinner O Lord I acknowledge that I cannot pray pardon mee deare Father for Iesus Christs sake and quicken mee with thy holy Spirit giue me faith to call vpon thee and I beseech thee graciously to remēber thy promise which sayeth Come vnto me all yee that labour and be heauy laden and I will ease you Oh Lord I am loaden with my sinnes and against all reason they keep me from seeking pardon for them and grace to shunne them Good Father for Christs sake remooue my sins far from mee and giue me faith in thy Sonne which may assure mee that thou doest accept of me as of thy seruant in him And though I bee most vnworthy in my selfe yet by thy promises in Christ which shall neuer faile I pray thee accept mee Furthermore for the better stirring thee vp to pray reade some Chapter of the Testament as namely the 6. of Mathew or some other wherein thou mayest heare the promises of GOD in Christ to strengthen thy faith Take heede of idlenesse and slothfulnes which is a great hinderance I know that all sinnes are hinderances to prayer but idlenesse and following the world either for profite or pleasure are wonderfull mighty ones CHAP. 18. To pray often NEuer make account of thy selfe as a diligēt seruant of God if thou doest not twise a day at the least come priuately to God and acknowledge thy infimities and confesse that thou canst not pray and desire GOD to giue thee grace to doe it faithfully When thou feelest a motion to pray doe not ouer-slip it for any cause in the world for thou knowest not what graces or blessings GOD meanes to bestow vpon thee at that time for it is the Spirit of God calling thee and therefore finde no delayes but goe for the nature of man of it selfe will neuer be stirred to priuate prayer But howsoeuer thou doest be thou Master or bee thou seruant bee thou at home abroad or in what condition or place soeuer thou bee doe not sleepe at night till thou hast humbled thy selfe before God on thy knees in prayer for night is a time when the world leaues a man as it were for a while and when the world leaues him the diuell hath not so much power ouer him for the world is a great Instrument for the diuell to worke by Therefore when the world is asleepe as it were the diuels power is weakened and then bee sure thou prayest to God to deliuer thee from the diuell and from the world The world is like Pharaoh which by no meanes would suffer the children of Israel to goe to serue the Lord so doth the world if it know that thou goest to serue God it will bring thee backe againe if it bee possible and therefore it is best to pray priuatly though thou doe it but weakely for within a while this weake prayer wil strēgthen greatly thy faith Pray when the world is asleepe for assoone as it is awake it will cry and call on thee as Pharaoh did on the Israelites to attend it it will bring thee more worke still as hee did to them And as that Tyrant told the Israelites that they should goe and serue their God but when the time came hee would not let them but stil found imploimēt for them euen so will the world doe by any that will beleeue it it will promise At such a time thou shalt goe serue God and When such a thing is done thou shalt go pray but when the time commeth it will finde more worke for him still and will not let him goe Pharaoh is the very figure of the diuell and the diuell calleth himselfe the god of this world And if the diuell hath to do with this world as no doubt but hee hath then it is certaine that the world will neuer giue vs leaue to serue God Our owne nature is as the nature of the Israelites for they had rather haue tarried with Pharaoh who was the very image of the diuell and haue been his slaues stil then to haue gone thorow the red-sea and the wildernes to the promised land of Canaan which was the figure of heauen and euen so had wee rather bee slaues and drudges to the world which will take all from vs and cast vs to the Diuell as Pharaoh would haue done by the children of Israel then we will leaue the world and all his baites and goe to our God euery day and humble our selues at his foote and confesse our selues to bee weake in faith and acknowledge our frailtie and call earnestly for the helpe of God to ouercome the world for vs and to strengthen vs by his power against the diuell the world and our owne frailty and wicked fleshly lusts and yet except we doe call continually to God for his grace and helpe we can no more ouercome these then the children of Israel could ouercome Pharaoh or goe thorow the red sea without drowning for it was God that ouercame Pharaoh for them and also all their enemies deliuered them out of the red sea and so it must be God that must ouercome the Diuell and all thy enemies in the world and deliuer thee that thou sinke not in the sea of thy owne sinnes CHAP. 20. Not to neglect priuate Prayer WHerefore I desire you and euery one of yours to the worlds end that whatsoeuer seruice of God you omit you doe not neglect priuate prayer for many may heare the Word of God as Adam did and disobey it presently after some heare the Word of of God as Adam did after his fall and had rather bee further off as hee had then But priuate prayer is to offer thy selfe and thy seruice to God confessing thy own imperfections and to call to God for his assistance Now when a sinner by himselfe calleth his owne wayes to remembrance and confesseth his particular sinnes then he seeth what sinne his owne nature is most subiect vnto and prayeth earnestly against that sinne wherwith he is most infected and confesseth his owne weaknesse and wondreth at himselfe that hee is not able to ouercome that one sinne as well as some other sinnes of as great force The reason is this the
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