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
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
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
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
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