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
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
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
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