among the greater company then in resorting to Sermons or to the Churche hence groweth the greate abuse of the Sabaoth day in bowsing drinking gaming and pastime The heathen Poet did gyue good counsell Animum rege qui nisi paret imparat hunc frenis hunc tu compesce cataena 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rule thy minde vnles thy minde rule thée bridle him and fetter him fast with chaynes For this cause did the Apostle gyue counsell that wée should mortify our earthly members that is to say Kyll our carnall affections and delights But doo we goe about to kyll them when wee water them and allowe of them nay rather prefer them before godly meditations I wyll not condemne pleasures as I say that are vsed of the wise and well setled for their recreations nor yet our Englishe musicke vnles it be among wanton mindes or light braynes for if it be vsed among them Effect of Musicke you shall sée what a monstrous effecte it vseth it maketh theyr thoughts and mindes to runne astray a great waye of and fall into dyuers and sundry desires and vnlawfull wishes and ambitious appetites besides that it shapeth a thousande fantasies and imaginations in theyr conceits making themselues in their fantasies to be of great valure and estimation whereas they are nothing towarde to what proportion eyther of behauiour ambition or desire they frame themselues that be louers of Musicke they can best iudge that haue delighted it but this I am sure though preferred in many houses before the preaching of the Gospell yet I knowe the Gospell delighteth the godly so much as they vtterly refuse musicke in respect of the greater for in the Gospell we finde this swéete harmony Ioh. 14. the gates of heauē are open mercy and loue is sent vnto vs euerlasting life is prepared for vs in the kingdome of heauen and what better melody The other yéeldeth but vncertaine soundes not distinct lightlye heard and quickly gon and therefore fitter rather for an vnsensible flesh then for a reasonable spirite and thys pleasure of the minde beeing first growen strong and ripe in the minde dooth worke in the flesh so mightily that all good order being excluded these are placed First idlenes then the delight of euill company thirdly euill and filthy words and last immoderate dyet and what procéedeth from all these 4. you shall iudge by the sequell As for the first which is Idlenes the Poete sayth Otia si tollas periere Cupidinis ercus Idlenes Take away Idlenes and thou doost breake Cupides bowe againe Queritur Aegistus quare sit factus adulter In promptu causa est desidiosus erat Why was Aegistus an adulterer because he was Idle King Dauid came from hys fluggish bed at noone day and walked on the roofe of hys house when he beheld from thence Bath-sheba the wyfe of Vriah 2 Sam 11.2 and did by hys idlenes engender hys adulterous practize The wise man saith Idlenes bringeth much euill Eccl. 33 26 Likewise S. Paul speaketh of young wyddowes to Timothy Being idle they learn to goe frō house to house 1 Tim. 5 13. Now to the next vice which is euill company which is a great occasion to translate a good disposition and make it become very bad Euill companye as the wyse man saith Ex malo consortio malus eris by company of the wicked thou shalt learne wickednes Gen. 6.2 The children of God being in the company of the daughters of wycked men discending of the stocke of Cain were rauished with their beautye and tooke them agaynst the wyll of God insomuch as he beholding the wickednes of their harts sayd It repenteth me that I made man Eccl. 13.1 It is sayd in Ecclesiasticus He that toucheth Pitch shal be defiled with it Also in the Reuelation it is sayd by the whore of Babilon Goe put of her my people that ye be not partakers in her sinnes Reu. 18.4 If a Lambe stand by a Woolfe or towe néere the fire the one shal be in hazard to be deuoured the other to be burned If a mā goe among bryers he shal be plucked scratched and defaced in euery side euill company hath wholy consumed many a man discredited his house blotted out his good name impouerished his estate and consumed the body in most horrible diseases The Prodigall childe that fell into bad company is a good example to many prodigall children in Englande to make them auoyd that thing that bringeth shame diseases pouerty hanging or some other bad death there is no mā so vnreasonable but he will auoyde the plague leprosie and such contagious diseases and shun and detest such as are infected with them but those spirituall diseases as doo infect both body soule are neuer auoyded nor detested nor the company of them that haue them the horrible punishment whereof is expressed in many places of Scripture especially if you reade the Homily againste adultery there is a most terrible punishment ordeyned of God in all ages against adulterous personnes of all estates and degrées yet we haue a great many stony harts hauing vysardes of impudency on their faces that do know God haue heard his word his threats against such horrible sinne and yet notwithstanding wyll delight in that filthy and damnable sinne and wyll buylde presumptuously on the mercy of God but this let them be warned and in the bowels of Christ I charge them take héede that they build not theyr pleasure and lust but theyr fayth vpon the mercy of God if they doo the building wyll fall euen as Sampsons house did vpon theyr owne pates and crush them to péeces for the seruaunt that knoweth hys Masters wyll and wyll not doo it shall be whypped with many scourges If such adulterers wyll not bee terrified with the temporall punishments of which before are layd downe yet lette them looke to the day of iudgement where the vpright Iudge Christ sitteth who hath pronounced the swéete sentence already in Mathew Math. 19. Verily I say vnto you that when the sonne of man shall sit in the throne of hys maiestye ye which followed me in the regeneration shall syt also vpon the xii thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israell And whosoeuer shall forsake house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wyfe or children or landes for my names sake he shall receiue an hundred fold more and shall inherite euerlasting life Let them looke into thys sentence and they shall find a promised pleasure which shall drowne all carnall and filthy delights if at least wise hée haue any desire to be the child of God and doo expect and looke for the lyfe to come The thyrd vice which corrupteth a man is filthy talke 3. Vice filthy talke which indéede dooth set our nature so at liberty that we shame not to fall in the sandes and shore of filthy pleasure for if the tongue as the Apostle sayth
Which ioyes as S. Paul sayeth although our hartes cannot conceiue yet let our harts beléeue those vnspeakeable ioyes and although the worthinesse and excellency of the place be such as we may dispayre of in our owne iudgement because of our great vnworthines and the multitude of sinnes yet if we beléeue that Christ is that sonne of the liuing God and that he hath payed the ransome for our sinnes and that he hath nayled our sinnes to his crosse also if we turne vnto him loue him and obey him with all our hart with all our minde and with all our soule then will he assuredly bring vs vnto that place of consolation as he sayeth in Iohn And though I goe to prepare a place for you Iohn 14 3 I will come agayne and receyue you vnto my selfe that where I am there might ye be also Ma. 19.28.29 Also the Euangelist Mathewe sayth And Iesus sayde vnto them verely I say vnto you that when the sonne of man shal sit in the throne of his maiesty ye which followed me in the regeneration shall sit also vpon the twelue thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israell And who so euer shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or childreÌ„ or laÌ„ds for my names sake he shall receiue an hundred folde more and shall inherite euerlasting life These wordes are not spoken by a mortall man who may lye and deceyue but they are spoken by the very sonne of God hym selfe whose word shal stand and endure for euer tyme shall not chaunge it nor age shall not weare it out And furthermore forasmuch as the nature of maÌ„ is desirous to be resolued whether wée shall know one another after this lyfe I thought good to answere briefely that as our state shal be farre better so shall also our knowledge be farre clearer for in this world we are the more ignoraunt our sences deceyued by reasoÌ„ of a corruption But in the world to come when we shal be chaunged into an incorruptible estate then our sences shal be much more clearer and we shall know farre the better and let vs be thus perswaded that that worlde is a world of knowledge not of ignoraunce as our sauiour Christ him selfe sayth vnto the chiefe priest that would knowe whether he were Christ the soÌ„ne of God or no He answeared thou haste sayde it neuerthelesse I say vnto you hereafter shall ye sée the sonne of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God Mat. 26 24. and comming in the cloudes of heauen which is to no purpose that they sée his sitting and his comming vnlesse they know it and yet he speaketh this vnto the wicked Iewes that did crucifie him that they should sée it know it Much more assuredly shall the righteous sée him and knowe him The Apostle Paul touching this matter sayth 1. Cor. 13.12 Nowe we sée through a glasse darkely but then shal we sée face to face Now I knowe in part but then shall I know euen as I am knowen So that now what remayneth more comfortable to the godly and to them that thirst after Christ Iesu then to go to a place after this life replenished with all ioye comforte consolation and euerlasting lyfe vnto the which also our sauiour christ Iesus shall conducte vs by his mightie power and in the which is all fulnes of knowledge perfection of a blessed state The God of all blessing and comforte for his sonne Christ Iesus his sake spéedely bring vs vnto that celestiall ioye peaceable estate To whome both with the holy ghost be all glory dominion and power now and for euer So be it A Prayer O Mercifull God the king of all creatures and gouernour of all thinges which of thy mercy and goodnes didest bring thy people out of Egipt from the bondage of Pharo and didest conducte them through the red sea into the comfortable land of CanaaÌ„ we beseech thee of thy accustomed mercy deliuer vs froÌ„ the bondage of sinne the tiranny of Sathan and the persecution of the world and conduct vs vnto the heauenly Ierusalem the onely Canaan of our euerlasting inheritaunce where we may raigne in eternall felicitie with thee and the sonne Iesus Christ to whome both with the holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euer Amen FINIS A Christian exercise for priuate Housholders Question WHat doo you chiefely professe Aunswere Christianitie Question What is the badge of a Christian Aunswere Fayth Question VVhat is fayth Aunswere The verye same thing that cannot playnely be expressed in wordes for it is aboue the reach of man and therfore not vnder the reason of man Howe beit we may giue eche to other intelligence of it by wordes out of the Scripture and by the deedes of the godly which is that it is the séede of assured reconciliation sowen by God in our heartes for his sonne Iesus Christ his sake to stirre vs to comfort and to bind vs to obedience to giue vs a true certificate in our consciences that we are called againe to be the children of God and that we are ingraffed into the body of his sonne Iesus Christ and to be his members So that although fayth be such a thing as is giuen â—â—om aboue as a seale of gods mercy Yet it is required here be low of vs as a talent of assuraunce and knowledge Luke 19. receiued of him to be increased by vs. Question What doth fayth woorke in vs Aunswere The knowledge of God the assuraunce of our redemption and the consolation of conscience through the holy Ghost Question Let me vnderstand at large your meaning by this Aunswere By the knowledge of God we learne that he is our creator our gouernour and defender in all necessities daungers And as he hath a speciall care daylie to prouide for our bodies in giuing the plentifulnesse of the earth so are we perswaded that he hath a more care for our soules to preserue them to be honorable ornaments in his heauenly mansion Furthermore by this knowledge we confesse hym to be the Almightie God to whom all honour ought to be attributed of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth whereby we abandon all Idolatrie and superstition as meere inuention of man and as perswasions of Sathan to delude men and deface the knowledge of the high and mightie God whom we worship as our maker and acknowledge to be our defendour in all euilles ghostly and bodyly By the assuraunce of our redemption we are perswaded that Christ Iesus hath payed the ransome of our sins and is the sufficient sacrifice to appease gods wrath and hath for all the church fulfilled the whole lawe hath vanquished death sinne and hel and hath don all that for vs which is required of vs so that in hym God is well pleased and by hym the gats of heauen are opened and euerlasting life is promised By the consolation of the conscience through
Ierusalem which yet is called Ben-hinnom which is asmuch to say by interpretation as the sonne of Hinnom afterward for the filthy abuse of the place for the conteÌ„pt therof Iosiah caused dead carions to be cast there Nowe Topheth taketh his deriuation froÌ„ Toph which signifieth TimphanuÌ„ a Tabret Psa 81 or dromslade which they vsed as I said in this vally to take away the pittiful cry of the child frying in this Images hote hollow place And in our owne capacities we sée a certaine description of hell by this figure a place full of torments in the which the tormented shall suffer such paines Mat 13 42 as shall prouoke wéeping and gnashing of teeth yea such as are intollerable on the otherside the children of God shall not be moued to compassion to behold them no although they sée their father mother children kinsfolke or such like for as the Tabret and timbrell tooke away the childs cry in the Idol Moloch so shall the ioy and swéete melody of heauen stop their pittye or compassion of them which shall dwell in heauen And although this similitude holdeth not in all parts to the reason of them that would discourse vpon it yet so farre it holdeth as we must conceiue the matter although we omit the manner As the vally of Hinnom was a place néere Ierusalem wherein afterward Iosiah caused all the filth and carions of the citty to be layd as fit for no better thing because of the horrible abuse and Idolatry therin sometimes doone Euen so the heauenly Ierusalem doth purge it selfe of all those filthy carions I meane the reprobate that stincke of their sinne before the face of God and are ordayned to bee caste out into thys Topheth as a place fitte for such a receypt Nowe as there is a damnable place wherin the fire is neuer quenched and the worme neuer dyeth Euen so there are some men whose sinnes are so many offences so greate that neuer séeketh the grace and fauour of almightye God neuer repent them of their sins these I say shal be possessors and inheritours of thys place of torments Math. 13.41 42 as our sauiour Christ sayth The sonne of man shall sende foorth hys Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all thinges that offend and them which doo iniquity and shall cast them into a Fornace of fire there shal be wayling and gnashing of téeth Lykewise Saint Paule to the Hebrewes If we sinne wyllingly Heb 10 26 27 after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the trueth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shal deuoure the aduersaries Also it is sayd in the seconde Epistle of Peter 2 Pe 2 9. The Lorde knoweth to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the daye of iudgement to be punished Also in S. Iohn hys Reuelation Reu. 20 15 And who soeuer was not found in the Booke of life was cast into the Lake of fire Howe woefull and terrible shall the dreadfull day of iudgement bee vnto the wycked and reprobates when Christ Iesus shall sit and make diuision the Goates from the Shéepe when he shall say to the shéepe Come yee blessed receyue the kingdome prepared for you c. Math 25 34 And to the Goats that is to say the wicked he shal say Verse 41 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his aungells Wherfore while we are héere in thys worlde let vs with terror beholde the dreadfull sentence of damnation with all diligence and care call our selues to account Eph 5 redéeming and purchasing againe the time which we haue wickedly spent and become not onely new but stedfast members and then if thy hand or eye cause thée to offend cut them off and cast them from thée Mat 18 8 9 It is better for thée to enter into life halt maymed or blind then hauing two handes two féete or two eyes to be cast into hell fire And because sathan goeth on styll so busily with his worke and all the world in a manner séemeth wyllinglye to be his workmanship It is necessary that now euen nowe we reclaime our selues according to the caueat of the Euangelist Nowe is the axe layde to the roote of the trées Luk. 3.9 therefore euery trée which bringeth not foorth good fruit shal be hewen downe and cast into the fire Thus haue I bréefely layde downe the most gréeuous enimies to mankind which preuaile the more against him by reason of the sinne which he séemeth to nourish and make ripe in his ready wyll and wylling inclination I would it mought be so surueyed that it may be lothed and so lothed that it may bée thâ—oughly mortified wherby these enemies may not so lay siege vnto the soule of man that in the ende he may be taken captiue and led to an vnbailable gaole the Lord grant it for his Christes sake The prayer O Lord God full of all pittie compassion looke downe vppon vs miserable wretches and sinners who are not onely laden ouerladen with the multitude of sinnes and wickednes but are ready to be swallowed vp and vtterly destroyed vnles thou of thy pitty and mercy which haue beene euer of olde vouchsafe to gard and defend vs for the enimies are at hand ready to ouerthrow vs thy vengeaunce hangeth ouer our heads ready to fall vpon vs our conscience burneth in vs ready to consume vs. Death wayteth daylie vpon vs and calleth vs hel gate is open and we shall be vtterly consumed If thou O most mercifull God extend not thine accustomed fauoure Although we haue sinned O Lord and that most greeuous in thy sight wee are hartely sorry for it and forasmuche as thou requirest a humble harte and a penitent minde accept O Lord the repentaunt teares of thy humble seruaunts and vouchsafe to restore thy Israell agayne which hath gone a a stray and though we bee wylling to cast away our selues yet O Lorde bee thou our guyde and director we see not the deepenes of our owne sinne not yet the sweetenes of thy mercy nor yet the bitternes of the scourges which thou hast ordeyned for sinne open our eyes O Lord and giue vs thy holy spirite to mollifie our harts that we may wholy become thine saue vs for thy mercy sake at the last for syn is so rype and the time so corrupted that vengeaunce is at hand and when it is ready to fall we are not able to abide it wherefore O Lord call thy whole flock speedily and deliuer them out of Sodome as thou diddest thy seruaunt Lot that they may not be partakers with the infidels which know not thy name nor come when thou callest but are gon to the worlde and followed the concupiscence of their owne harts Graunt vnto vs O Lorde the sweete consolation of thy spirite for Iesus Christ
of the flesh I will nowe onely speake of the world as one of the mightiest enimies that man hath in these dayes for by it the worde of God is little regarded and for the loue of it the Sabbaoth is the more prophaned by reason wherof iustice is corrupted truth is banished charitie is colde pittie is remoued from mens harts frēdship faynteth and naturall affection is quit altered agayne by it blindnes ruleth lyes are vsed periury is suffered honors are desired offices are bought blynd bayard is a good horse a slowe Iade is a good Gelding by it manhoode is not regarded chastitie is not estéemed worldly mariags vnfit matches are not gainsaid vertue had in small price trust is had in litle estimation and learning in no accompt we sée that for the wordes sake naturall loue betwixt the father and the childe is altered For the father that is a worldling accompteth not of that childe that is liberall no although his liberalitie be godly and commendable bestowed on the poore and howe many do preferre their children to learning for the ministrie sake or to the law for iustice sake or to any faculty for the same faculties sake but rather because they shall liue and beare a countenance in the world On the other side we sée the good nature of the childe chaunged for whome the father hath taken great paynes trauelled much watched often to procure liuinges vnto hym he thinketh to long the father doth lyue euery daye wisheth his death to haue his goodes and liuing besides that what going to lawe and mortal hatred betwixt frēds of néerest kinrede all for the world A freend chaungeth his frendship in respect of the worlde and so long as the other hath he is a freend and when he hath nothing then is he gone and his frendship beginneth to dissemble wisemen tal men honest men trusty men such as haue good qualities not estéemed if they haue no worldly shewe with all many a one haue shut vp his compassion from the poore putting on vngodlynesse lying and swearing that these things and these they haue giuen alredie diuers waies they are charged which is very oftentimes an vntruth many vnder the pretence of Christian profession hid their wicked actions and are lyke Cleophas they go with Christe but they knowe hym not It is not without cause that Esdras sayde that the world was ful of vnrighteousnesse and wickednes 2. Esd ◠27 and because of the sin and wickednesse of the world the Lord hath Prophesied vnto the world a mighty curse in Esa the prophet And therefore as the Apostle sayth Esa 24.1 Loue not the world neyther the thinges that are in the worlde if any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in hym for all that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of lyfe is not of the father 1. Io. 2.15 6. but is of the world There is an olde saying Vide homo ne sic hereas vt cum mundo pereas Take héede man Augustine that thou sticke not so to the world that thou perish with the world The young man in the gospel had fulfilled all the commaundementes Mat. 19.21 and was desirous of the kingdome of heauen but when Christ bid hym go sell all that he had and giue it to the poore it touched his delight wherefore Saint Barnard sayth Durus est hic sermo c. This saying séemeth very harde Sel all that thou hast c. But yet it is a hard saying whē Christ shall say Goe ye wicked into euerlasting fire The great loue of the worlde as I haue sayde is the cause of much sinne as couetousnesse oppression extortion vsury wresting of iustice and putting poore men from their right and their thirst is so great that a great many will breake their bellies then leaue or moderate their lust they be lyke the flye in a Tarre-barrell the more he stirres the faster he is They are not lyke the Dogges of Egipt which running by the ryuer Nilus and being thirsty will but lappe and begone for feare the Crocodiles take them but these worldlinges wil so long lap tyl the Diuel hath wrapped them vp they force neyther for the feare of Sathan nor the fauour of God Saint Iames sayth Iames. 4.4 Who so euer wil be a fréend of the world maketh hym selfe an enimie of God we daylie sée how lyttle mē wil be at charges for gods glory in mayntaining preaching or in bringing vp schollers nay they will rather take away both preachers and schollers liuinges from them then adde any thing to it It is a pittiful matter to sée the hardnes of the rusticke worldlinges for some murmure at charitie some grudge at substance some strayne at the charges of souldiers not looking into the commoditie and ease of it but thinke they haue a gut drawen out of their body when they haue a pennie taken out of their purses For these purposes and I thinke they haue cause to grudge sometimes because their charge is the greatest burthen though they be the poorest iades The .v. meane in Christ to vanquish the force of sinne When two valued thinges of like quantitie shal be layde together that are of estimation as gold and siluer The sweetnes and estimation of the second lyfe will not euery man make choyse rather of the gold then of the siluer Nay rather if somthing and nothing or good and bad were set together would there not be an easie choyse I make no lesse differēce betwixt heauen and earth this lyfe and the lyfe to come For in the one there is misery sorow afflictiō tribulation disdayne contempt malice slaunder infamie enuie pouertie nakednesse sickenes and death In the other there is ioy felicitie acceptation helth sufficiencie company amōg the whole felowship of heauen euerlasting lyfe Psal 84.1.2 touching the description of the place of ioy Dauid sayth O howe amiable are thy dwellinges thou Lorde of hostes My soule hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord. Esa 35 10 Likewise the Prophet Esay sayth The redéemed of the Lord shall come to Zion with prayse and euerlasting ioye shal be vpon their heades Esa 51.3 they shall obtayne ioy and gladnesse The same Prophet also sayth Surely the Lorde shall comforte Zion he shal comfort al her desolations and he shall make her desert like Eden and her wildernes like the garden of the Lorde ioye and gladnesse shal be founde therein Iohn 16.22 prayse and the voyce of singing Our sauiour Christ hym selfe sayth And ye nowe therefore are in sorrow but I wil sée you agayne your harts shall reioyce your ioy shall no man take from you O most comfortable reléefe euen the very deade may be raysed vp to heare these great and comfortable ioyes that are prouided for the Lordes beloued 1. Cor. 2.9